Cornrows hair care

August 23, 2015

Until a few weeks ago, the closest I came to plaiting my hair was eight simple cornrows that would either have a weave or wig on them. I watched a lot of YouTube channels and blogs about hair and even though I always thought I was keen and knew what I was doing, I dare say I was among those kind of people who thought "healthy hair journeys were overrated". Growing up in Kenya with black women all around, it was certainly paramount that we all shared information about how good or not good our hair were and of-course with the tangible difference in length and texture, there were a lot of hair tips and stories told and these I may say, were found to be very sacred for both the young and old.
     Being an absolute newbie to the whole natural hair journey situation, I am mesmerised at just how much difference  untampered natural hair can make and how most of the things we heard were true and some,well..just sadly false.
     For the second time, I've gotten Ghana/Abuja cornrows done. While the first ones lasted just 2 weeks, it certainly was an interesting time that gave yours truly some really tiny but eventful revelations about cornrows on short Afro hair that might be helpful to some NHJ beginners. Low and behold,5-things they told you can't do that you might actually want to and maybe should do with your TWA in cornrows.




  • No.1: You mustn't wash you hair while cornrowed.
Truth...You should and you must, not only is washing your cornrowed hair hygienic, it's actually healthy for your hair and scalp, also water works as moisturiser to your hair. Though you should reduce the use of harsh shampoos, you should always trust what your hair/scalp is communicating to you, so if you have an urging need to wash your cornrow then you probably should, no one likes smelly hair.
  •  No 2:Tightly done cornrows look and better and last longer:
Truth...If you have a sensitive hairline and stubborn "baby hairs" it is OK to leave them out of the hair to be braided equation. Not only does it cause you pain, it can cause hair loss and that will not look good.(I will need to note this next time)
  •  No.3: Braiding hair makes it grow faster.
Truth...it is actually proved that a person grows a certain length of hair per month. Although it is a protective style and protects your hair from harsh situations, braiding hair also stretches the Afro from its natural shrinkage making it look longer every time you take it out and comb your hair.
  • No.4: You should grease your hair and scalp.
Truth...Don't. Hair food, Vaseline, Milking Fat e.t.c does not look good on your scalp and it prevents your skin from breathing and could cause build up, especially if you do lie Number 1 and 4. Use light oils and wash your hair.

  • No.5:It is normal if it hurts.  
Truth...while your hair is being cornrowed there is obvious stress on the skin as it is being pulled and stretched but this should ease up with time. There is a difference between discomfort and pain and if it hurts,especially for days,you have the option to take them off or try a few pointers that helped my skin adjust to the the hairstyle which I will share on my next post.
Can't wait.




At the end of the day,coming from different African cultures and believes,there are thousands of myths and fact that have been hanging in our heads since forever and I have to admit that most of them are hilarious. All well and good, I would love to hear some of your cultures myths on Afro hair. #Cornrowedhaircares
Thanks for reading.

xoxo Zipporah



     

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