Regimen 2014

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Behold my extension-free glory!

I have further simplified my already pretty basic hair routine.

The Tools:

(Left to Right, Top to Bottom) Microfiber Towels, TRESemme Naturals Conditioner , Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Hair Masque ,Curlformers

The Process:

Step 1: I divide my (dry) hair in eight sections, four on each side.

Section by Section

Step 2: Cleanse each section with apple cider vinegar and water.

I no longer use shampoo.  I mix equal parts Apple Cider Vinegar and water together in a spray bottle and use that on my scalp and roots instead.  My scalp has been much less itchy and dry since I switched to this combo.  This both cleanses and dampens my hair for the next step.

Step 3: Slather on conditioner, detangle, and twist.

I still use TRESemme Naturals Conditioner and I have it in a handy pump bottle for this step.  I finger detangle the follow up with a wide tooth comb.  If I had a lot of knots or afro seeds, I might follow up the comb with the Denman.  More often than not, I don't.  Once I have the section detangled, I put it in a big twist and move on to the next one.

Once all the sections are done

Step 4: Rinse in the shower. 

Most of the time I just give the twists a squeeze.  If my hair was really dirty or otherwise funky, I might undo each one and do a second conditioner rinse.  I usually don't though.

Step 5: Wrap my head in Microfiber Towels.

I use two towels like these designed for drying cars.  (Not the actual ones linked but these are a similar size, texture, and price.)

They soak up a lot of water.  I wrap my twists in the first towel and leave it for five minutes or so.  Once that towel is soaked, I go in with the second towel to blot my roots and squeeze more water out of my twists.  When I do this, my hair is mostly dry.

Section by Section

Step 6: Apply Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Hair Masque as a leave in and apply seven or eight Curlformers to each section.

I got these Curlformers years ago and ignored them for a long time.  I use them now because I have discovered that with these, I can have dry hair in about three hours-which is a little like performing miracles.  They are also a really versatile styling tool for natural hair.  Naptural85 has a lot of really great videos on the subject.

I also like them because they stretch my hair without heat and pre-section it for twisting. 

Curlformers aren't cheap (in a less mature age this statement would have called for at least one f-word.) If you are interest in them, invest in the longest ones available.  I bought the long and wide and now my hair is so long that it is sticks out of the ends-you can see the fuzzy evidence below.  If I had bought the extra-long to begin with, I wouldn't have this problem.

Step 7: Release Curlformers and twist.

Generally I put each curl in one twist.  If it's a big curl or if it's feeling a little scalpy, I might split it into two twists.

I leave these twists in for a couple of weeks usually before untwisting.  (The twists themselves I usually wear in buns or ponytails.)  The resulting twist out usually looks pretty good for another week.  Hence, three weeks of stretched-out, styleable hair per wash.  

The Verdict:

I cut out quite a few steps to expedite the process.  I don't do a separate deep condition.  I don't henna or color as often.  I don't do a thorough detangling every wash.  I don't dry in twists.  I don't sleep on them and style in the morning.  

These changes have resulted in a process that allows me to finish my hair in one day instead of two (or more).  I have not noticed any ill effects from cutting out deep conditioning and extra-tender handling.  If anything, my hair seems to be thriving on lack of attention and constantly being fucked with.