Monday, June 4, 2012

Natural Hair: Hair Journey & Protective Style Jumbo braids

Jumbo braids.

                    My Journey to Jumbo Braids
                                            By

                                       Larisa Dawkins (aka Nap Risa Py)



            So I’m at an in-between state with my hair….too short and not too long. It is giving me fits…..so I decided to do some protective styles. I started out getting a wig made, however, as soon as it reached 90 plus degrees outside, I had to forgo the wig!! So, I decided to try a modified “Curly Girl Method”……BIG SIGH…..I hate wash and go’s but I tried it anyway…..I got about a week into that and realized that it was not going to work for me……then, I had an epiphany…..Jumbo Braids!! I started researching on YouTube and found a few channels that had an example of the braids I was looking for. There are several different names for them: Jumbo braids, poetic justice braids, Solange Knowles style braids, etc….. So, I figured why not try it!! The styles looked easy to maintain, versatile (you can wear them in several different styles), long wearing and requires hardly any maintenance (I am natural, but I’m a lazy natural….teeheehee) !!! PERFECT!!
Where did you get the hair and how much did it cost you?
   My first task was to find the hair. I went to my local beauty supply store and asked and wouldn’t you know it…. they actually have braiding hair called, Jumbo Braid hair!! No kidding…but it really is 100% Kanekalon hair and it costs $3.99 per pack. It does come in a variety of colors and most packs were about 18”…. so I got 5 packs. I still wasn’t sure, so I went to another beauty supply store and bought 5 more packs that were 24” long!! I know, what can I say; I live in Texas, so go long or go home!!! LOL!!


How long did it take to braid and how many pack of hair did you use?
Now, I am not a braider, so I asked my resident braid expert, my Niece Meme, how long this would take….she said 3-4 hours…..we started at 11:30pm on a Friday night and did not get finished until 0930 the next morning….yes, you read that right, 10 HOURS!!!!! UGH……let me be honest with you guys, I have a GI-NOR-MOUS head , so we used 9.5 packs of hair and it took 10 hours…..for the average person, I believe it would probably take about 3-4 hours, especially if you went to a professional braider.  But when you are being frugal, and have a tendency to change styles, as fast as I do, you realize you have to forfeit some things!! 
Jumbo braids


How long do you plan on wearing the braids and how do you maintain them?

My goal is to wear the braids for a month…so far so good!! I’ve washed my scalp once so far and it was pretty easy. The challenge is not wet the entire strand of braids, as the drying time will be much longer. But just focusing on the scalp and the length of the braid that intertwines my hair, has worked out well.  Anyone looking for an easy to maintain style that is versatile and long lasting should check out Jumbo Braids!!  And yes, you do need a strong neck!!!

Jumbo braids



The pictures above were kindly provided by Nap Risa. Please do not copy without written consent.





N'na

9 comments:

  1. The last time I wore braids it took about 10 hours. Whoa my head hurt but I was able to leave them in long enough that it was worth it. Yours look great.

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  2. @ Jenjen text for stopping by.
    I am currently wearing braids and mine last a month but it took a couple of hours at most for the style I picked. It's true that there's no way around a headache but it's worth it.(smiles)

    The girl in the picture is gorgeous indeed she is a beautiful person both inside and outside.

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  3. Looks sooooo good on her. It is amazing how some people are able to pull off styles like that. Way to go Nap Risa!! Great Interview N'nako.

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    1. Thanks Astou. I know what you mean she looks amazing but she seems to look great no matter what style she sports.She got natural natural beauty (smiles)!!!

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  4. I'm really happy to see natural hair stories. I've been natural over two years now and I enjoy it so much, more so during pregnancy.

    Are you 'a natural', Goodhealthdiva? I'm going to come back and read this article and other again.

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  5. @MsXpat yes I am a natural. I have been transitionning for over a year and I have been wearing braids lately for convenience with the baby and getting back (gradually) into working out. Please come back for more articles on natural hair because I will be featuring more beauties like nap Risa!

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  6. I do hair. It takes me 2-3 1/2 Hours to do poetic justice braids ツ.

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  7. Wow! Nice photos. Love the hair style. :)

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  8. one time I even fainted in the kitchen and I was just feeling unhealthy. Since I was never really sporty, More hints

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