Re-Tighten #2

I did it! I re-tightened all my microbraids with the NappyLoc Tool. It took longer than the twisting (my first re-tightening), but I really like the results. These pictures were taken the day after I finished.

It took me about 9 hours to do my whole head. Twisting only took about 5,so the time investment was substantial. But, again, I liked the way my braids looked and felt after better after this re-tightening, so I will continue to use the tool.

Some things to consider if you are thinking about using the tool:

1. Don't be afraid to adjust your tool. I got the smallest size available and the loop was still to large for my braids. So, at first, re-tightening was really frustrating because the end of my braids kept coming out of the tool! I used some pliers (covered with a towel) to crimp the loop so it was narrow enough to hold my braids.
   
2. You have to be very careful not to grab neighboring braids when you are pulling your hair through. I did this a few times and had to undo some freshly re-tightened braids to fix it! Otherwise, they would have joined (grown together), resulting in locs that are too big!
3. Re-tighten when you can get in a full rotation. When you are using the interlock method, you pull your hair through the root at 4 positions on a clock: 3, 6, 9 and 12. It is best to end at 12 so that your braid lays down. If you stop at another position on the "clock" your braids might be pointing in all different directions! Washing takes care of some of this, but....
4. Don't over-tighten! The first few I did (I worked from back to front), I got a little over enthusiastic. I ended up with a couple of bumps on my neck because they were too tight! This is also a good way to weaken your locs, so don't do it!

After I re-tightened, I washed my hair. I oiled my scalp and put in some leave-in conditioner (not a lot). I really like the Carol's Daughter line of products. I braided my hair while it was wet, then sat under a dryer for about an hour. My hair was nice and wavy! It was so nice that my daughter said she wants braidlocs now! She is finally convinced to go back to dreads!!!! I am so excited! We are going to braid her hair up this weekend!