Braid and Pincurl - Trying A New Stretching Technique

I've tried bantu knots a few times in the past, and EVERY SINGLE TIME...I get a headache.  No matter how loosely I try to make the knots, I get a headache.  And my hair doesn't dry.  Or if it's dry already, and I can stand it, they stretch my hair to this "blow-dried look" that I don't like.  Sooooo...I decided to try braids.  Now, braidouts don't work for me either.  The ends look limp and weird, unless I set them on perm rods, but my perm rods weren't cooperating. Yeah; I had issues.  So here's what I did...

Now that my hair is longer,  I realize keeping it stretched is essential to keeping knots and tangles at bay.

My hair was badly in need of a good wash and deep condition, so I de-tangled, trimmed single strand knots, shampooed and conditioned, and massaged in a combination of Cher-Mere Deep Conditoner and a mix of oils (extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, and castor oil).  I braided my hair in about eleven sections and let it air dry overnight.  When I got up in the morning, it was still damp, but just barely.  I had a few remaining single strand knots, so I got rid of them as I went through each section.

Twisting the ends makes it easier to undo the braid.

I pulled the hair taut while braiding, and when I got to the ends, I twisted the hair and then created a pincurl and secured it with a large, flat pairpin.  I plan to keep this in for a few days, until Church on Sunday.  I'll post when I take these down.  I'm hoping for big, stretched, fluffy hair.  Fingers crossed!

Wishing you happy hair,

Blessings...