10 Weeks

"Did you put rollers to make your hair them curl like that?"

I realise belatedly that my colleague is talking to me and - oddly enough - my hair. I snap to attention.

"Er, no. They're just like this" I respond nonchalantly. I'd stopped thinking about my hair too much in the last two months.

"That's amazing!" The colleague in question has big, bodacious curls the width of a Cumberland sausage. I grab a handful of my hair and stare at the minuscule coils lying against my palm. I think about how they never stay together this diligently when they are loose and free to play "Eh. It's okay. They're a bit fuzzy at the moment....I don't know..."

Maybe the inability to take compliments is a weird faux modesty thing I was feeling that day because I usually just say 'Thank you!' and smile when  get a compliment.

I had the feeling, however, that it was just an affirmation that I was coming to the end of my love affair with my current protective mini twist style.

Perhaps the fact that I had neglected to retwist any twists whatsoever for two whole weeks (at least!) was also another sign.

I've played various sports in them, washed them numerous time, gotten five job interviews and a new job(!) whilst wearing them, gone through a number of bank holidays and worn a ponytail more times than I would like to admit.

It's time to take these guys out.

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Mini Twists

There are only two things that are officially awful about mini twists - putting them in and taking them out.

I've definitely overcome one of those hurdles.

I'm hoping that it will be a while until the second hurdle. They took me about 5 - 6 days and I did it over a week period, finally finishing this Sunday. In the meanwhile, the loose hair was chunkily twisted and put up into a bun. I worked on the perimeter first, to cover the hair in the middle.

I didn't use any product (that I can remember). And it was fairly easy doing the actual twists - it was overcoming my nausea at how small I thought each one was that was the hardest part! Since I coiled each strand of hair before I twisted them, these are rope twists. But I always do rope twists. I've tried not to and it's actually physically impossible for me to twist fast and not roll and coil each strand beforehand. Maybe that's why the twists are so wriggly and serpentine? I like it though. Looks more voluminous and fun.

Plus, I'm beginning to believe that my scalp exudes glue, not sebum, because my roots are always stuck together.

No, not tangled together. Stuck.

Just a small update anyway. I'm not really sure how long I'll keep them in for, but I'm having a lot of fun already.

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Washed, not Cut

Wash day/quater of an hour on Thursday was very simple.
1) I pre-treated my hair with coconut oil overnight ( I feel like calling it a pre-poo is a lie, since I don't always shampoo after and it's purpose is more about protecting my hair from protein degradation in the water).
2) The next day, I wet my hair in the shower and then massaged some Apple Cider Vinegar diluted with (warm) water through my hair and scalp. Then rinsed.
3) Added some Garnier Ultra Doux Avocado and Shea Butter Conditioner and left on for 5 minutes, while I finished showering. Rinsed out.
4) Applied Aloe Vera Juice and Felix Capillus.

That's it.

My mini twists are getting to that age where they're really worn in and I love them and like to wear it down most of the time. I forgot that a few of my friends hadn't seen it when it was down, so after I washed it and let it shrink a up to my chin I got a lot of questions about whether I had cut my hair or not.

Course not! My ends are far too happy and I am far too focused to start lopping it off now!

The reactions I get when I wear my hair down can, in my humble opinion, border on the hilarious. The other day when I walked into class, one of the children exclaimed "Woahhhh! Quel coiffure!"

Translations: UK - "Cor, what a hairstyle!"
US - "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaang."

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