How to Stretch Natural Hair

I have gotten a lot of questions from people whenever I wear my hair down about how to avoid shrinkage.  So here it goes:

To avoid shrinkage, after I wash my hair, I immediately braid it in 4-6 braids.  I braid it to almost the end and then twist the very ends being sure to pull the hair taut.  The braids will of course shrink but when I got to bed, I pull each braid straight and you can either secure it with a pin to keep it stretched or just tie it down to hold that stretched position.  After my hair is dried like this, I then twist my hair DRY.  I moisturize with a few sprays of water and some oil and/or cream to seal and I twist it in small to medium twists.  The night before I remove the twists, I separate my hair into sections of 4-6 braids again (while in the twists of course) and I stretch them just the way I did after my wash.
I take the braids out and then each twist and my hair is very stretched to the point where I actually want some shrinkage which I inevitably achieve throughout the day or the next day.  At night to maintain my twist out, I again section and I braid loosely as not to disturb the curl pattern.  Just like above I braid it about 80% of the way and twist the ends and pull it stretched and tie it down or pin it down in the stretched position. 
Eventually the curl pattern will be gone and my hair will shrink to where I can't effectively maintain it anymore and that's when it's time to start the whole process over. 

I hope this helps you guys! 

Springtime

Spring is here!!

I love spring.  Pretty colorful dresses,and accessories and all things feminine.  And it is a great time to wear my hair out.  It is the precursor to the summertime when humidity makes it impossible to wear your hair out without inevitable frizz and shrinkage (at least here in Florida).

I bought a pair of these hair flower clips at Ulta months ago although I rarely feel like I can pull of girly hair accessories like this because they make me look like ... well, a little girl.  But I couldn't help myself.  They are made of a silky fabric in beautiful pastel colors.  I'm sure you can find plenty of beautiful hair accessories perfect for spring in your local accessory store.  Don't be afraid to dress up your twist out or you fro or your up-do for an extra dose of "pretty" and put a little spring in your step (pun intended).