If you are a naturalista you know the struggles of keeping your hair looking good and tangle free. There are however some great ways that you can style your natural hair so that it lasts for a while. The most automatic thing we do with natural hair is blow dry but with this cold weather that is not an option, unless you fancy spending time and money in the salon.
Straw set
It can be done on short and long hair. It works well especially on African hair which has natural curls. It is easy and you can do it yourself. All you need is a curl activator, styling gel, straws and coconut hair.
Steps to follow
- Wash your hair and dry it a little.
- While it is still wet apply coconut oil generously to soothe your scalp.
- Mix the styling gel with the curl activator in a 1:2 ratio.
- Divide your hair into subsections. The number depends on how curly you want your hair to be.
- Apply the mixed gel to a section of the hair generously.
- Once the gel is applied you place a straw at your scalp or from the point at which you want the curls to start and roll the hair around it.
- Repeat this until all your hair is covered. Leave it to rest for about 2-3 hours if you are drying automatically. You can also blow dry it for quick results.
A straw set will generally last for a week. For maximum results, it is advisable to do the procedure at night and sleep with it. When the gel is dry you need to remove the straws one at a time.
Bantu Knots
Bantu knots are an African hairstyle that is popular throughout Africa.
Here are the steps
- Wet clean hair is important to ensure maximum results.
- Apply coconut oil to soothe your scalp. The fact that you will not be touching your hair or catering to it for a week, means that coconut hair is important for the nourishment of your hair.
- Mix gel activator and olive oil at a 2:1 ratio. The olive oil is supposed to be less than the curl activator to avoid curls that are too rich. If you want a lot of curls you can just use the gel.
- Divide your hair into sections and apply the mixture until you get through the entire head. When you apply a section of hair, twist. The twisting gives more curls or makes them stronger.
Once you are through, dry the gel with a blow drier or leave it on through the night. Undo the twists and you are good to go for the week. Here are some styles to try – 74 Cool Bantu Knots Hairstyles With How to Tutorials.
If your hair is short, you can try some of these 6 Sleek Hairstyles For Short Hair. Also here are Six Home Made Rinses That Are Great For Natural Hair
