Locs & Braid Styles

Beauty from the Roots Out…

Oct-6-08

Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

posted by admin

Find inspiration for your or your children’s braided hairstyles from anywhere. Even from cartoon character Ni Hao Kai-Lan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNPiwsnVD1Y

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Sep-13-08

Fearless Hair

posted by admin

Yes…I’ve been meandering through the cyber-salon, to find the amazing, the unique, and the latest news on hair braiding. That’s when I came upon this photo of Layla.

Wow. Hair intertwined with white yarn, beads, and feathers. So when you want to make a statement…

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But this time I’ll be brief. Be fearless with your hair, you may discover another side of you!

Click here for more hair ideas: www.laylaslocks.com/

Click here to find other works by the photographer: www.pixievisionproductions.com

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Sep-7-08

Can You Wear Country Braids in the City?

posted by admin

I just found a little article called, “Various Types of Braids”, a basic primer about few different braid styles. A couple of the styles the author writes includes country plaits and cornrows,

“One of the most common African braids types is the Country Plait. This kind of braiding is done by dividing hair into sections and then braiding each section separately. These braids are done close to the scalp, giving the hair a neat and sleek look. Another braid type is the Cornrow, which is a slight variation of the Country Plait.”

Country Braids, found it here–http://www.tomcockrem.com/library/africa/general/afrohair/pages/making%20country%20plaits

%2C%20sth%20luangwa%2C%20zambia.htm

And as you can see, these braids are similar to cornrows in look, however the process and the specific outcome differ. Whereas, the cornrow has new hair woven in from below the braid; the country plaits have the new hair woven in from above the braid. The resulting country plait has a braid which is flat to the head on the inside of the hair section. Otherwise, the cornrow lays on top of the head.

You know, I just realized that the country plait is not worn nearly as much as cornrows. I wonder why the cornroll took off as the most popular of the two. The country plait appears to have many style possibilities. Hmmm…I can think of some right now…

If you wish to make a full read of the above-mentioned article, please go here:

http://braidslocsandtwists.com/various-types-of-braids.html

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Sep-4-08

An Alternative Way to Starting Your Locs

posted by admin

 

This youtube video is in response to yesterday’s video on the KnottyBoy locing
method. Here is the “pure-d-natural” approach to locing your hair. WITH NO WAX!
Whether you have straight- or kinky-textured hair…keep it natural. Enjoy.

KL movie truth about dreadlocks

Duration : 0:4:44

Read the rest of this entry »

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Whenever I do a search on dreadlocks, I always see entries for Knottyboy. Everywhere. Then I ran upon this video to create dreads the Knottyboy way. Now I know the process of locing kinky-textured hair, but not for straight hair.

Two things I will mention about that: 1) Whoa, this takes me back to when I went to Venice, California for my first set of locs. That desire had me sitting in the chair of an Asian-American young man…he backcombed my hair! (Now just so you know, I have kinky-textured hair and it will quickly dread on its own…). But I didn’t know in those days…youth! 2) If you have kinky-textured hair, please don’t use wax to loc. You will soon regret it; it attracts dust and just isn’t an attractive look. In fact, I’m not quite sure it’s the best approach for straight(er)-textured hair either. You be the judge and make up your own mind.

But check out the www.youtube.com video below if you want to see more.

Duration : 0:9:59

Read the rest of this entry »

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Aug-30-08

Braid It & Forget It: Not So Grasshopper

posted by admin

You know how it is, at first you are so excited to get a new braid style. Remembrances of the carefree life once again (or perhaps visions of your first set) soon will come into reality. As soon as the day comes, we may just let it go—literally—and do nothing in the way of caretaking of our hair. We’ll hold on to the bitter end (I will testify to that), just to live that dream.

Recently, I read an article that said, “Make sure that you do not leave braids in for more than two months. Otherwise, braids may “lock up” and cause severe damage to your hair.”

Hmmm…I wonder, if human hair is used, what happens when your braids lock up? Will it also cause the same severe damage as synthetic hair? Or will it just integrate with your own, being that it is not synthetic? Hmmm…. And it it did, what of it? If it’s unattractive, it’s understandable that would be the problem. But if not and you want to work with it as it is, is that a workable approach? I’ll need to ask around on that one.

Or on the other hand if you’re not visioning the carefree life but are a more controlling individual, you may have what is called HIHD—Hand-in-Hair Disease. You may be so enthralled with your hair that your hands are twisting, patting, twirling, braiding it constantly. The article went on to say, “It is necessary to use caution while twisting and turning your braids into different styles, especially if you have a delicate scalp. Remember that braiding tightly can cause damage to your scalp and hair.”

My question is what is a delicate scalp? Is that the same thing as being tender-headed? Is that an inability to stand pain?

Why don’t you click the link below and tell me what you think:

 

http://braidslocsandtwists.com/why-we-love-braids-and-cornrows.html

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Aug-28-08

Yarn Braids and Perceptions of Beauty

posted by admin

I found this article on the Braids, Locs and Twists website for creating and caring for kinky, locked hair. It provides the methods for locking hair, hair-washing techniques, and the various ways in which to start locks. These approaches include comb coils, single twists, palm rolls, two-strand twist, braids, woven/interlocked/tool started methods, and yarn braid extensions.

“If you want locks and: a.) have a perm and don’t want to cut it or b.) think you want them but are not completely sure consider starting your locks with yarn extensions. Yarn braids (a.k.a Nu Locs) are simply extension braids that are braided with acrylic yarn instead of synthetic hair. You really only need an inch or two of hair.”

Neither was the case. The answer for me was: c) want them to be longer. I already had 4” long locks, but I wanted them to be longer. Yarn braid extensions or Nu Locs fit the bill. This particular braid style is very comfortable; they are very light–not at all heavy on my head. Except, of course, when I wash them. Oh boy, are they heavy! But I found a trick for that scenario. But that story is for another day…

Later I read in the Nappturality: African American, Black Natural Hair Care-Love Your Natural Hair blog, DestinyJS wrote on July 3, 2008, “I believe that the Loc extensions look more real than the yarn Locs.”

There’s a general concept of what’s natural. As I get older, I am no longer interested in just being natural. I want to express myself creatively. So what, if it doesn’t look natural. By expressing myself freely, fully, I am beautiful. I enjoy the unique look, it appeals to my aesthetic. Shouldn’t that be all that matters?

 

http://www.squidoo.com/lockedhair

http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.php?s=2391f52e925aaa20d21b5417fd6d113f&showtopic=120820&st=0&p=2048113&#entry2048113


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