I don’t know about you, but when I’m at home I don’t put too much effort into the way that I look. Putting in effort takes away the ‘thrill’ of being at home. That being said, it can be an extreme bother having to take care of your hair every single day. Life becomes much easier when you can tuck your hair away for a few days without having to think about moisturising, styling and taking care of it. That’s the importance of protective styles. However, if you are trying to have your hair out without any extensions, there are a few hairstyles that you can do by yourself. They will take you through a few days and give you time to focus on other activities as you please.
Here are a few easy DIY hairstyles that I would recommend.
- Mini twists
I know that mini twists take forever to plait, but the results are usually so fulfilling. The trick is to do these twists on damp well-moisturised hair. You may also choose to use gel to achieve the spring effect. Mini twists are super cute. They last a very long time. Just make sure that before you do this hairstyle you have gone through a proper moisturising and detangling session because if you don’t your hair may start to loc. This causes a lot of hair breakage in the detangling process. If you struggle with doing your own twists, now is the time to practice because that’s the only way you will perfect the craft. Emotional Stages when doing a twist out. It’s super easy they said. Not!
- Flat twists.
You can also choose to plait flat twists on your hair. The direction of these twists is completely up to you, but I prefer plaiting all the lines towards the back of my head. The best thing about this hairstyle is that the day that you finally remove to take them down, you can take advantage of the curls for a beautiful twist-out. You can also wash your hair gently in these twist-outs at any time that you feel that you have product build-up.
- Matutas
I know this hairstyle is mocked very often, but you can tailor-make your matutas such that they look presentable even if you have to run an errand. What you can do is part the middle section of your hair and then plait two matutas to act as a fringe. You can always wear a marvins or a headwrap to cover and protect the rest of the braids. Again, when you finally take down these matutas you will have a beautiful braid out to rock for an entire week.
- Bantu knots
Whenever I see a lady rocking Bantu knots I admire it and hope to one day gain the confidence to walk around like that. It’s a bold look. While you’re staying at home, you might want to consider trying out this style. I think it’s also a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with it before rocking it in the outside world. Again if you’re not very good at doing twists, this will help you to practice your skills.
- Learn how to braid your hair using extensions
Lastly, if you have time on your hands, take advantage to learn a new skill in dealing with hair. There are a lot of tutorials online on how to braid your hair. They give demos and take you through a step-by-step process. In the long run, you might just start to permanently do your own braids and eventually cut down on the costs incurred at hair salons.
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