Monday, November 24, 2014

My Sew-In Story, Part 1

Taking Out My Sew-In

I thought about this for quite some time. I kept my sew-in in for about 10 weeks. I got over my initial thoughts and prepared my hair well enough each day to get me through the time I kept it in. There were even days when I really loved it and thought it looked great but there were plenty of days when I wished for something completely different.

The original plan was to go 3 months with my sew-in. Halloween weekend came and I was like, "Forget this! Babe, help me take this hair out!!" And so we did. My boyfriend actually did more of that taking out because I couldn't see my head well enough to distinguish my hair from the thread. Cutting all the threads took about 20 to 30 minutes. First he had to separate the hair from the braids then separate the net from my head. My boyfriend's sitting there the whole time just trying to get done without cutting my hair and I'm sitting there the whole time thinking, "Just get it off!!"

A protective style using a wig with my hair braided underneath.When I saw my hair my initial reaction was of disappointment. It looked as if my hair hadn't grown as much as I thought it did. The braids were pushed down under the net so well I wasn't able to see the growth until I pulled each braid up. There was about 2 inches of growth (at the longest spot I measured). I was ecstatic! I spent the next few minutes taking stray threads out of my braids and moisturizing my hair and scalp. I thought that was best since neither my hair nor scalp had seen moisturizer since it was braided up! (I know I should've taken pictures, but it was a sight for sore eyes...so I opted not to. Next time I will!!)

Since it was late into the night, I didn't take the braids out. I originally decided to wait until the next day to wash my hair. Sunday rolled around and I was like "Nah!" I was so relieved my hair could finally breathe I didn't know what to do! I'm sure I spent a good 10 minutes just rubbing and scratching my itchy scalp!!

So, what I decided to do was a throwback move: wear a wig! A couple of years ago, I used to wear wigs quite often. I grew out of it when I started transitioning because it wasn't as easy to just wrap my hair and throw a wig on. I'm not any good at braiding hair either so I let the wigs go. I kept a few but I only have one good wig left. I was in a good place with my hair being like it was, so the wig was an obvious answer seeing as how I had to go to work the next day and still hadn't done anything with my hair!

What I learned from Part 1 is that I could've extended my wear time by keeping the cornrows for a few more weeks. I loved my wig!! Everybody else loved my wig! It looked so natural that many people were fooled into thinking I actually cut my hair. So many of my coworkers came up to me with their shocked and/or excited faces wondering why I cut my hair. I was very quick to tell that it was a wig then watch as they were shocked again, not believing a wig could look so real! Using the cornrows as a protective style (like I did here) would've given me another month or so to continue to give my hair a break. Like with the sew-in, my hair would've been protected by a wig cap. Unlike a sew-in, I could moisturize my hair and scalp as much as I needed to. This also would've given me time to really think through how I wanted to approach the next step, washing me hair!

Wearing wigs is definitely a thought for the future. Until then I'd have to re-up on wigs, so my wig game would be right should I choose to go that route.

What do you think of wearing wigs as a protective style?

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4 comments

  1. That wig looks cute on you. I don't know much about wigs to be honest. I have one half wig that I wore for a while. It was ok, but I didn't know how to stop wearing it and go back to my own very different hair. I wouldn't mind giving it a try again, but I'd need some help to pick out the best one for me.

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  2. I agree with Libby... Your hair looks cute. I thought you cut your hair. I have never worn a wig, but I've thought about it! My sister wears them as her protective style, and she's also experienced a lot of hair growth. I might try them one day. Thanks for sharing this! :-)

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  3. So... that wig definitely looks natural and I was definitely one of those who thought it was your real hair! I used to wear lace front wigs way back in the day, and anytime I see old photos of me wearing them, I just cringe because you can tell that I was wearing a wig. Someone should've told me not to wear those things. I think if you can find wigs that suit your head and face shape and that look natural on you, then I'm all for them.

    Oh! And the struggle of taking down sew ins is no joke! My mom or sister usually takes down my sew in after a few months and it's so hard for them to distinguish between my hair and the thread when cutting. I heard that if you use dark brown thread instead of black, it's a little easier.

    Drea - http://thedreadaily.com

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  4. Girl, I'm all for wearing wigs as a protective style or just a fun change of pace! I think I've tried every type of wig on the planet, lol! I've been wearing crochet braids with marley hair and curly hair for the past two months. I love that wig on you...it looks so natural and easy!

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