As a mom we can tend to spend so much time getting everyone else ready, leaving little time for ourselves. I get it, we’re busy! And as a black mama with natural hair my hair can take that much longer to style. But we shouldn’t neglect ourselves. So this week I thought I’d highlight some of my go-to hairstyles that save me time throughout the week.
Slick Bun
This is definitely one of my favorites because of how simple it is. It’s sleek and neat and once you slick your hair down the first time it’ll be easier to touch up each morning.
I typically start on freshly washed hair because I add a good amount of gel for this style and I don’t want to deal with product buildup. My hair is also pretty wet when doing this style because I find that with my thicker texture of hair the more wet it is the easier it is to manipulate.
I part my hair down the middle with a rat tooth comb stopping about a quarter from the front of my head. Then comes the real work, slicking it down. The trick I use is to click my hair down in sections to get it as flat as possible. Starting at the back I apply Eco Styler gel and use a hard bristled brush to smooth my hair into a ponytail. I repeat this step moving up from the back of head to the front, adding gel and brushing my hair until it is smooth. Then adding it layer by layer into the ponytail. Once your hair is completely slicked down, lay your edges and tie on a scarf. I leave mine on for at least 15 minutes or until my hair is completely dry.
High Puff
This is my all time favorite style and a staple in every natural haired girl’s arsenal of quick styles! It’s super simple to do and looks great whether you want to just rock an afro puff or more defined curls!
If I’m just wearing my afro puff I’ll typically spritz my hair with water and add conditioner to it so that my ends look fluffy and hydrated. Then I’ll use eco styler gel around the perimeter of my hair and take a hard bristled brush to brush my hair upward. Because my hair is so thick I typically take a shoe lace (yes, a shoelace sis) pulling it tighter or leaving it looser depending on how big I want my puff. Of course I finish off by laying my edges and tying my scarf around my hair! (PRO TIP: A high puff is the perfect style to do on an old braid out or twist out and your puff looks more defined and curly!)
Flat Twists
This hairstyle is my saving grace when I’ve literally had no time to do anything to my hair and I need to look presentable. I’ve done this style on clean hair, dirty hair, stretched hair, hair with shrinkage, it doesn’t matter. 9 times out of 10 it’ll turn out great.
I typically just do my hair in two large flat twists. I like my part on the side when I do this style as well. After parting my hair I’ll spritz it with water and add in conditioner to make it easier to work with. Then I’ll begin to flat twist it, starting with the twist at the front of my head. I start by taking two strands at the front of the twist and twist them around each other. I continue this process grabbing hair as I go to twist the hair flat to my head. It’s a little tricky at first but there are tons of tutorials on YouTube to guide you. Repeat this step on the other side of your head, lay your edges if you wish and tie your hair down until it’s dry.
Finger Coils
Now this hairstyle and the following hairstyle are a little more time consuming to complete but I’m including them because they last me all week once I do them so I think they’ll ultimately be time saving!
My sister taught me how to do finger coils and they literally never disappoint. I start this style on freshly washed hair because again, there’s quite a bit of gel involved. I start by breaking my hair down into 6 sections and clipping them in place. Then, starting at the back of my head, I spritz the first section with water and then add grape seed oil to seal in the moisture. Next i part a row of that section and add gel. Lastly I take a piece of hair and coil it around my finger getting as close to the root as possible. I repeat these steps, spraying, oiling and coiling every section of my hair until I’m done. This style takes me an hour to complete but it lasts the whole week!
Braid Out
Last but not least is the OG of natural hairstyles, my beloved braid out. The first time I nailed this style you couldn’t tell me anything! I was convinced that I was “That Girl!”
I’ve done this style on dirty or clean hair but I definitely like the look better on clean hair because I feel like it has more movement once you take your braids out. I start by parting my hair into six sections and clipping them in place. Then starting at the back of my head I wet the first section and add grape seed oil. Next I part that section into the first row and add (gel if I want a more defined look for longer) or (leave in conditioner if I want a fluffier braid out). How small you make your braids/ plats will determine how curly your hair will be. I repeat these steps for all of my sections until my hair is fully braided. I tie on a scarf and let my hair dry overnight.
The next day I add more grape seed oil all over my hair and take down each individual braid. My curls are defined, bouncy and last the rest of the week.
Which style was your favorite?
Winging It 