My Weekly Regimen

A close friend asked me if I could post on what I do to my hair from wash day to the next wash day, which is from Friday to Friday for me because I wash my hair once a week. The request came quite a while ago but I just could not figure out the best way to go around doing it. So here I am going to try my best to explain what I do to my hair most weeks because I switch and change sometimes depending on what is available, the weather and whether my hair is in a protective style or not. I may leave out some information but be assured, it will not be intentional. 

Friday

Chunky Twists

I wash my hair using conditioner only or shampoo if there is too much gunk and build-up. I work with my hair in 3 or 4 sections for ease of manageability. When shampooing, I lather once only concentrating on the scalp, massaging gently to loosen any dirt without scratching it so that I do not hurt my scalp. The rest of my hair will be cleaned when I rinse the shampoo out because the hair shaft does not need much shampoo contact or else it will become too dry for nothing. Normally the scalp is the one that needs much cleaning. I then blot out the excess water from my hair then I apply my deep conditioner to the whole shaft of my hair, concentrating on the ends because they need it more being the oldest and driest part of my hair. I cover my hair with a plastic bag and leave the conditioner in my hair for about 30 minutes to an hour then rinse it out thoroughly. This is the time I finger de-tangle thoroughly and remove the shed hair. I do not rub on my hair to dry it. I just wrap it up in an old T-shirt to minimize frizz for about 5 minutes. When I remove the T-shirt, my hair is still damp but not dripping wet. I apply a bit of my regular conditioner which I also use as a leave-in conditioner and my oil mix. I further finger de-tangle and then use a wide toothed comb to rid my hair of any tangles and then I twist up my hair or braid to stretch it. These are normally chunky twists or braids say about 12 to 14 twists or braids. I like twists because they are easier to undo. I let my hair to air-dry for the rest of the day. I will not comb my hair again until next wash day. I smooth it or fluff it up with my fingers. Once in a while I may brush it but this is on very rare occasions.

Saturday

In the morning, my hair is in twists. Depending on the weather, it could still be wet and if so I leave the twists in until evening. If my hair is dry, I wear a twist out. When I wear it in a twist out, I do not spray my hair with water. I am a big water fan but I also know that my hair will shrink if in contact with water so if I am interested in the curl definition from my twist, I do stay away from water. I only rub a small amount of whipped Shea butter in my palms and apply it to my hair to add shine and to protect my hair from heat from the sun. Before I go to bed at night, I band my hair or flat twist it to stretch my hair further and have some wavy curls like in the picture. This is when I sprits my hair with water or my water-oils sprits mixture a bit to add moisture and it is also easier to work with slightly damp hair. I wrap my hair in a satin scarf and I’m good for bed.

Pinned up with a hair clip

Sunday

I wear a twist out most Sundays, either pinned up, a big afro puff or down. I try and avoid wearing my hair down when I am wearing a cotton blouse or anything that will tag at my hair. When it is humid, I normally pin my hair up to take care of any eventual shrinkage and avoid any need to adjust my hairstyle during the course of the day. I twist my hair or band it to keep it stretched for the night. I know there is a lot of twisting of hair going on but to avoid shrinkage and keep my hair stretched, I have to do something and this works for me.

Monday

Mondays are a bit laid back. I wear a twist out but in a pony, pinned up or some up-do I can come up with. At night if I really have to I take my hair down to sprits it then twist it again but most of the times, I do up-do’s that can last 3 or more days so I just lightly sprits my hair, wrap a satin scarf on and hit the pillow.

Tuesday

More like on Monday, I wear an up-do most of the times. I lightly sprits my hair with water at night before bed and that is it. I re-twist at night or band my hair with pony tail holders if I have to but if my hair is in an up-do that will allow it to stay stretched, I just leave it to be.

Wednesday

The same story. No major change.

Thursday

Same as Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, only that at night before going to bed, I apply my pre-poo oil treatment to my hair, twist it up, wear a plastic cap, satin scarf and go to bed. The next day will be wash day so I prepare my hair for it overnight.

There it is. I have been doing this for the past 24 or so months and it works out for me. Because I have been doing it for so long, I kind of do it subconsciously sometimes. I hope this helps. You can try it as is or tweak it up a bit to suit your hair needs and lifestyle. If you have any further questions, please put them in the comments section below. Till next time. Be blessed.