Monday, October 6, 2008

Remedial cornrows



Cornrows are not my favorite hairstyle, but I still feel I should master them. I feel like they should be a staple in my hairstyle arsenal because they are pretty and, when done well, long lasting.

But they are not because I haven't been able to do them. For a long time, I basically gave up. But it still gnawed at me...I still wanted to learn.

So I figured I needed to start small, just do a few rows in front or something. So that is what I did yesterday, just six rows in the front. My parts are not that straight, my rows not that tight. But they are cornrows, and as I was braiding, I sort of felt like I was getting it. Sort of. Kind of pathetic at this point that I can do no better.

Still the end result was...well kind of pretty but I left a lot of hair free. And that's just not going to last the week...so now what to do?? Yeah, not sure, but no time to deal until at least Wednesday.

Kisae likes her free hair and her little rows. "I look like a lion," she said. Is that good?

Definitely remedial rows.

2 comments:

etmom said...

I think they are cute! Cornrows aren't my favorite either. Because I don't do them much, I never get better. Fortunately, Asrat dislikes them intensely. She loves the hanging down hair (happiest when it is in her face, uggh!) of small twists. No ponytails, no large twists or braids. One more reason I think we are heading towards locs eventually - that "style" is the only way she wants her hair.

How do you get away with keeping the back free? Tell me, tell me.....EJnew

Leslie said...

That's funny because Kisae also mostly likes hanging twists. But she is enjoying her "lion" hair this week.

I am not sure the free hair is really working, but we are going to muddle through until the weekend. What I decided to use (because I had some, pretty sure it's full of bad chemicals) is Redken Smooth Down leave-in detangler. So I've been wetting her hair in the a.m. with a water/Mist Bodifier mixture. Then working in the dentangler lotion, just kind of combing with my fingers. So far it is a bit tangled by the end of the day but not horribly matted.
Tonight in the bath I rinsed the back and worked through some conditioner (I was worried I had too much of the Redken in there). But then when she was out of the bath, I ended up putting more back in! I'll do the same spray/detangler thing tomorrow.
Her hair does feel really soft and the curls are cute -- very tiny spirals, though somewhat frizzy. It definitely looks better in the a.m. and more crazy by the end of the day.
I think by Friday I will need to get it into twists for sure or we will run the risk of serious knots.
She has gotten lots of comments (positive ones) about her hair this week, mostly because I think it's just so unusual to see an aa child with such big/free hair.

I'm