New Protective Style (Ghana-Braids)

 
Hello!! 
I recently got a job and waking up early each morning to get my hair done seemed to be a bit of wahala (still adjusting to my new schedule). So I called my favorite stylist in Wuse market, Mama Benue, to rescue me from my fro (Stylist from Benue are wicked when it comes to braids- just my opinion*_^)
      
 Before Plaiting....  


  • I washed my hair and and braided it to stretch it out.
  •  To prepare it for aggressive combing from the stylist (theres always a possibility of that happening),I applied very little coconut oil, used my fingers to detangle and loosen the curls, and then threaded. 
  • When it was time for my hair to get plaited, we pulled out the thread, and since Mama Benue refused to plait without combing, I used my wide tooth comb to easily comb hair -Thanks to threading.
 Threading before letting our 'special stylists' plait our hair helps because it takes less time to undo each section. Plus there is a limit to how rough they can be with thread. Have you ever noticed how they pull out your hair in an attempt to take down the chunky braids? And the combing afterwards...please don't get me started about that....the funny faces and the torture!! Anyways thank God for my Mommy Stylist. I have never had to fight her about my special hair care practices. The moment I wince a bit she goes "e dey pain you?" and the result is a loose braid which equals no pain. Its great to be settled again o...if I can help it there'll be no more strange fingers on my mane.

26 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the new job!

    I like your hair-style! The corn-row is nice and neatly done!

    Please show your face :). I'm not sure I've seen it before on your blog.

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    Replies
    1. Is that you Seun?!! Long time girl!
      Thanks for the complements o. LOl about my face, I too fine na why....One day sha...one day:)

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  2. I love the braids they are really pretty.

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  3. LOL. Yes, it's me, Nat!

    Well, I want to see that fine face o! One day...soon. Hehe

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    Replies
    1. Hahhaa....I cant make that promise but lets keep our fingers crossed:)
      Blessings and welcome back!!

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  4. the ghana weaving looks very fresh o! sadly my ghana weaving doesn't last more than 2 weeks on my head so I don't even bother. Congrats on the job...all the best!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the complements and good wishes! Ghana braids is not a style that can stay neat for long. My friend shared a secret with me sha... She says when it gets rough, apply gel on the braids and brush with a tooth brush. Tie a scarf and take it off after sometime to press the loose strands down. I haven't tried that technique before so I don't know if it'll work on hair that has a mind of its own (natural hair)😊

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  5. Congrats on your new job Nat! Your braids are hot.. Just like Onyinyechi, my braids last only 2 wks too. Haven't done one since 2004 in Law School!

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    Replies
    1. My Senior at the Bar!! Hi Enigma! Thanks for the good wishes. Like I said, the style does not last long. My hair strands are already sticking out. But what do we do? I will try the technique I shared above and do a post on it. Thanks for visiting!!

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  6. Congrats on your new job oo. The hair is nice, but I cannot do it. You know my hair naa, it won't last for more than 3 days before it starts getting rough.

    I hope the braids weren't pulled too tight

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    Replies
    1. Thanks AN!! Yes, I know o... I have never seen kinks that refuse to be controlled like yours. And no it was not too tight. Thanks to my customer.

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  7. Congratulations on your new job

    I like your hair too, I'm on a low cut so all I can do is admire

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  8. Thanks Dayor, don't worry you will soon be rocking styles like this. Thanks for visiting!

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  9. Hello. Beautiful style. Intresting blog.

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  10. OMG.... Gorgeous all the way and congrats on your new job:)

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  11. I need a favor Nat. Do you know of any type of acrylic yarn sold in Nigeria? I only know of the ones sold here in the US. Someone is interested in using yarn to plait their hair but they live in Nigeria.

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  12. Thanks for the compliment Tinuke!! Tell her ( I assume its a she :)) to ask for 'WOOL' and not yarn. They are sold in markets, super markets, and salons. She can get one for 80-100 Naira. Hope this helps.

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  13. The hair is so freaking pretty! And tempting. If only I was brave enough to let someone else do my hair. Congrats on the new job too!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the compliment and good wishes! ^_^ I understand you o. It is not easy to trust someone else with your hair...especially in Naija. But sometimes it just seems easier...

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  14. The hair is very nice! I've been meaning to get corn rows for a while, but the hassle of prepping it to make it easier for someone to do it and the large sum of money I have to pay the stylist to abuse my scalp just makes me settle with styling my hair for now.
    I think how long the style lasts depends on who does the hair. I've had Ghana weaving done on three times by three different stylists. The first one only stayed fresh for one week, while the last two styles lasted for about a month.
    Congratulations on landing the job! The style will help you blend in the few weeks you keep it for. Btw, What style did you wear to the interview?

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  15. Hi Curious Kinks! I won't call what I had an interview. I worked with my boss as an intern while in school. And when my time was up, he told me I could come back after I was through with school. For our first meeting, I had my Ghana braids on.
    As for the hair, you have a point there o. My customer can plait single braids that'll last a month with few hair strands sticking out of each braid. But she's not so good with Ghana braids. Since I'm not ready to train anyone again, I'll stick to my Mama B.

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  16. Hey, how do you take care of your hair when it's in this type of protective styling?
    Any co-washing, conditioning involved? What's take down day like?
    The hair looks fantastic by the way.

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  17. Hi all, while I agree that Ghana weaving is a convenient style that gives you a break from constantly combing/styling your hair, I quite disagree that it is a protective style. what about the edges of the hair? many girls have receding hairlines in the name of Ghana braids.

    In reply to Pepi, the best way to take care or plaited/braided hair without getting it rough is to wash with Apple Cider Vinegar. mix 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar with 3 parts water and wash. it wont foam but it will will wash it clean. also good for itch/dandruff scalp

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    Replies
    1. Hi Inhale,
      Ghana briads is a style that needs to be done properly in order to reduce breakage. A lot of stylists don't care what happens to your hair so they don't come up with techniques to give their clients the best. For me, I begin each braid with my hair and would only begin to put in extensions some inches before the middle of my head (where the hair strands are tougher). The extensions also have to be very small and not too big to make the braider pull on too tightly. Lastly when braiding, I hold on to the edges to reduce the pressure as the stylists goes on. This has helped keep my edges in place. In my opinion, any protective style can cause breakage if not properly done. E.g twists might look harmless but if you don't have a good technique to detangle after take down, then you might loose any lenght you got during the period your hair was tucked away.
      Thanks for the tips. I would definitly be sharing this with others.
      Bless!

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