How To Refresh Mid-Week For 3 Natural Hair Styles

Through being natural, I’ve learned that each of my hair styles has a specific life span. Normally if I want to rock a Wash n Go, I have about two-three days before it starts looking a hot mess; my Twist Out and Braid Outs may not last after day two.

One thing I do know is that’s frustrating! Why would I spend hours on end trying to create a perfect style, only to go bed and wake up looking like a giant frizz ball? Luckily for me and all the other women that struggle with this problem, there are ways to refresh hairstyles WITHOUT having to start all over again.

The Wash n Go

What you need:

►Leave in conditioner*.

►oil or oil mix (she used Coconut and Olive Oils mixed together).

The first step to ensuring that your hair will retain its look for days on end is to use a styling product with good hold. When doing a Wash n Go, products like Eco Styler gel* are great because they provide a strong hold. As she says in the video, with stronger hold products your hair won’t feel like it’s going soft after a few days. On the other hand, you also want to make sure the product doesn’t leave your hair too crunchy, because day one hair will be limp, and without volume.

In the video Jenell applies leave in conditioner* to her hair to activate the curls and provide moisture. She then takes her Coconut and Olive Oil mix and rubs some in her hands before rubbing it through her hair. When doing this step, it’s important to make sure that you don’t roughly go through your hair or tug harshly at your roots, which could both cause unwanted frizz. The oils will seal in the added moisture while ‘waking up’ your curls. Just shake and go!

The Twist Out

What you need:

►Spray bottle –Aloe Vera Gel* and water.

►Avocado Oil*/ oil of choice.

Some women decide to refresh their hairstyles by first spraying their hair with water from a spray bottle. This is good, but make sure not to get your hair soaking wet. Spray it enough so that your hair is damp enough for your curls to pop back up. In the video, she uses a spray bottle filled with Aloe Vera Gel* and water. She then seals her hair with Avocado Oil*, focusing on areas that may be prone to dryness, like the perimeter of her head and the back, which rub against clothes.

She actually retwists her hair, but in larger sections than she did originally. Trying to make twists that are the same size without starting from scratch, is liable to disturb the curl pattern.

These twists may stick up and out from your head, but it’s fine! She wound up with around ten chunky twists by the time she was finished. She put on a satin bonnet* and went to bed.

The next morning, she separated each twist once, before going back into her head and separating the sections smaller. She made sure not to manipulate the curls too much in any way that would cause more frizz. Afterwards, she simply puts her hand in her hair and gently rakes upwards, manipulating the roots and making the style more voluminous.

The Rod Set

What you need:

►Loose elastic band.

►Oil of choice.

Like refreshing the Twist Out, this style also requires a little bed time preparation. This is a rod set (perm rods, to be exact!). At night, the vlogger above simply gathers all of her hair into a loose ponytail at the top of her head and secures with an elastic band before putting on a silk scarf. In the morning, she takes out the elastic band and shakes her hair. Afterwards, she applies a little oil to her hands before rubbing it through her hair. As always, you can use any oil of your choice.

With rod sets it’s important to not separate the curls too much, which will cause them to drop faster. To add more volume, simply bring your hands to the roots of your hair and gently tug upwards. The curls will drop over time, so big hair is definitely promised in the style’s future. She repeats these steps for the entire time she had this perm rod set.

As with every other aspect of a natural hair journey, it’s important to play around with different techniques until you find what works for you. Everybody is different. Yes, it sucks that the first time you get a really great Twist Out you may not preserve it the way you’d like for the next time, but it definitely gets easier with practice. Make sure to find out what works for you and to be careful with your bed time preparation. Some styles can be very low maintenance, while others require more. Your mid-week natural hair has just as much potential as the first day!