Reader Mail: What do you think of sew-in weaves?

January 2006, my sew-in weave

I recently got an email asking about my thoughts on sew-in weaves.  Here is my response below:

Sew-in weaves can be a great option to protect your hair.  My stylist does sew-ins exclusively (with the exception of me and maybe one other person lol)  and her clients have had success with using them to retain length.  Check out her website for some progress pictures at www.reniece.com. 

My only caveat is this - don't wear a sew-in at the risk of developing scalp issues.  My scalp will go crazy if I wait longer than 10 days to wash it.  With a sew-in you won't be able to wash your scalp thoroughly, thus its just not a great option for everyone.  This is why I prefer to wear wigs in the winter, because I can easily remove it and wash my hair.

Feb 2006, Sew-in curled

If you won't have any scalp issues and decide to get the sew-in, keep the following in mind:

• Make sure the stylist doesn't braid too tightly. If your eyebrows won't come down, or you feel like you've just had an instant face lift then its WAY too tight.
  
• Ask the stylist to sew a weave mesh along the perimeter of your braided hair and then sew the weave onto the mesh instead of onto your braided hair. The threads can cut into your hair when sewn directly onto your braids.
  
• You still have to moisturize your real hair under the weave (use a color applicator bottle to apply it between the tracks).
• Don't wear it for longer than 6-8 weeks, any longer and you risk finding matted roots when you remove the sew-in.
• After you remove the sew-in, thoroughly detangle your hair and remove all shedded hair before you wash.  If you don't remove all the shedded hair, you will end up with a matted tangled mess that may require cutting to remove.  I don't mean to scare you but it can get that extreme in a matter of minutes.  

SNOW!

To my surprise (and chagrin), it started snowing today.  I suspect that this was just an anomaly, and the snow probably won't continue past today.  Don't get me wrong, I love snow and seeing the seasons change.  But today caught be off guard.

Winter officially starts on December 21, and I want to enjoy my hair as much as possible before I start my winter regimen.  That being said, I know that many of you already have consistent snow and severely cold temperatures.  To help those in that situation, I will make a video soon on my winter regimen.

In order to make the video the most helpful, please leave a comment below and tell me what your biggest challenge is when it comes to winterizing your hair.   

Countdown to Christmas

I love Christmas. It is the happiest time of the year for me, because some of my best childhood memories are from Christmas in Jamaica. My family would have our own Christmas show at my grandmother's house. Complete with a play about the birth of Christ, dance contest, soda-drinking contest, beauty pageant, gift exchange, and lots of food.  

One great thing about the holiday as a child, was that I got to try different hair styles. I don't recall ever getting my hair hot-combed growing up.  My mom pretty much kept it in styles like this one below.  I think I wore ribbons in my hair almost every day as a child LOL. 

On Christmas day, I got to wear my hair down.  One of my aunts would set my hair so I could wear a curly style.  The curls usually didn't last because of the heat and humidity.  But for the 30 minutes that my style was on point, you couldn't tell me anything. 

This Christmas I plan to wear curls since I wore a wavy style for Thanksgiving.  I'm thinking of using the Curlformers on flat ironed hair.  We will show how it goes.    

Did you get to wear a special hairstyle as a child because it was Christmas?  What are your hair plans for this holiday?