Hot Tools for Your Weave

There are many hot tools you can use to change up the style of your hair weave. If you are lookin for a nice sleek look you want to use what is called the flat irons. The flat irons will make your weave have a nice flat bone straight loook. If you are looking to add volume and body to your hair you want to use a curling wand. The curling wand gives you spiral curls. Both tools can be purchase at walmart, target at the local beauty supply for about $20.00. Depending on the brand the prices may vary but the $20.00 wand and flat irons will still get the job done.

How to Maintain Your Weave

     It recommened to treat a hair weave like your natural hair for it to look as natural as possible. It is recommened to wash your weave just as often as you would your naturual hair. If you wash your hair evey two weeks you would wash your weave every two week. When washing your hair it is your personal preferance to wash your braids or not.Some people prefer not to wash their braids becase this irritates the scalp and make yor hair itch. If you wash your braids you must sit underneath a sit under dryer because your braids will smell if you leave them wet.
     After washing your hair you have the option of letting your hair air dry or using a blow dryer. If you use a blow dryer you could use a hand held blow dryer or a sit under blow dryer. Using a blow dryer would of cousrse speed up the process. If you plan on using any type of heating tool like curling or flat iron you must make sure you blow dry the hair completely dry.After you blow dry the extensions completely you can style as you want.
     Depending on how tightly your weave was installed you may have to go over  the weave and stich over the stitches previosly made when installing your weave. This will increase the longevity of the weave.

Styling Your Weave

There are so many different styles that can be achieved with a weave. You can wear it long, short, bangs, color etc. The latest styles for 2013 are bobs, bangs and ombre.To get a profesional sleek look it is recommened you go to a cosmotologist.Color is toxic and should not be in the hands of a professional

Bob

Bangs

Ombre

Weaving Technique

 

Now that you have learned the different corn-rowing techniques, it is time to learn the weaving technique. This technique teaches you how to actually stitch the extensions to the corn-row.

Weaving Technique

Step 1:

 Step 2:

Step 3:

Treating Your Hair

     After braiding your hair it is important to treat your hair. You probably anticipate keeping your weave in for awhile so it's important to tend to your scalp before you start weaving. Your natural hair needs moisture therefore I would recommend using a product directly on that scalp that is well known for moisture. Also a product that gets the blood flowing to the scalp and promotes hair growth. An example of a product you need to apply directly to your scalp in between corn-rolls is coconut oil, castor oil or any type of oil that moisturizes.
     I recommend coconut or castor oil  because you can eat these products so you know they aren't harsh.Natural products are the best products to use in your hair, so make sure any oil you choose to use is natural. Treating your scalp before the weaving processes will help eliminate split ends, dry hair and breakage. This will  ultimately lead to inches of hair growth.

Achieving a Flat Weave

You have learned the benefits of a weave, the different type of extensions and the different installation methods from my previous blogs. It is now time to start tackling that hair of yours. No one wants a bulky sue in because it is a horrible site and can look like or feel like a hat is sitting on your head. So it is inevitable that you d neat and small braids to achieve a flat base to start weaving on. There is the snake, straight back and circular method.

 

Snake braiding Method
Hair is braided back and forth in the opposite direction

Straight Back Method

The hair is braided from the front of your head to the nape area (This method can make you feel like your hair is bulky in the back when the ends of the straight backs are tacked up to the original braids. This method still looks flat although it may feel a little bulky in the back.)

Circular Method

The hair is braided in a circle from the perimeter to the crown of the head (You can part your hair down the middle and braid two circle if your hair is thick to prevent your hair from looking like a cone at the top)



With these braiding styles you can adjust them to your liking as long as they achieve a flat base.
After braiding your hair it is optional to apply a weaving net. This serves as a protectant over your hair that also increases the longevity of your sew-in. Some people do not prefer the net because you can not scratch your scalp directly.



 

Let's Put These Extensions to Use

Now that I told you about the two different types of extensions, it is time to decide what weaving method you want to use. There are 4 main ways that you can install a weave. There is the partial-weave, full-weave,custom wig, and u-part wig.
Partial- Weave
The crown of your hair is left out while the rest of your hair is braided and the extensions are sewed onto the braided portion of your hair.The crown of the hair is then pressed to blend of the extension. The primary goal of a partial weave is to make the style look natural. With this method it is important to pick extensions that are close in texture and color to your hair.
Full-Weave
None of your natural hair is used, you can choose any texture and color you desire. The primary goal of a full weave is to not have to deal with the hassle of blending your hair with the extensions you use. People use this method because they do not want to leave their crown out so that their real hair is protected from the wear and tear of being left out.
Custom Wig
The custom wig is sewed onto a weaving cap while on your head.The wig is then a styled to your liking. This method is similar to a full-weave but can be taken on and off. The primary purpose of the wig is to be able to take the weave on and off on a daily basis to tend to and care for your natural hair.The wig method is also for people who like to change hairstyles on a daily bases without having to worry about damaging and styling your real hair.
U-Part Wig
The hair is sewed onto a weaving cap but the crown of the net is cut out. The crown is cut out so that your natural hair can be blended over the extensions. This U-Part wig is similar to a partial weave but can be taken on and off. The primary purpose is to achieve a natural look and can be taken off on a daily bases. The U-Part method is for people who like a natural looking weave but want to quickly install it on a daily basis and tend to their natural hair.The U-Part is sued on only around the perimeter. The U-Part can also be applied with hair combs or booby pins around the perimeter.

Knowing the primary purpose of the different installation methods is key to knowing which way you want your hair installed.