Another Product Review

Okay...So I had to try another hair product. I'm such a junkie. LOL. I can't help it. This time it's another product from my favorite line...Pantene. It's the Moisture Replenishing Mask. It was just under 4 dollars at Wal-Mart. It has that classic Pantene smell. And the consistency is rich and creamy.

So let's talk about the steps I took before I used this product. First, I clarified my hair. I did this because I had build up and these types of products tend to work better on clarified hair. You get better results is what I mean. Then I shampooed with my TreSemme Smoothy and Silky shampoo. Then I did a conditioner wash with my Pantene Beautiful Lengths conditioner. At this point, I was silky. But I went ahead and used the Moisture Replenishing Mask. And that turned my hair into pure heaven. I couldn't believe how much slip it gave me. And I didn't have any frizziness whatsoever as my hair statrted to dry.

The hair mask is definitely a keeper. Even with my grade 4 hair, I got more than sufficient moisture. It's a beautiful thing. LOL. This is something else that I will add to my regimen. I was mixing up my own deep condtioner, but this has all of what I need. And it will save me money as well. And time. So yet again, Pantene shines through for me. I'm so happy.

Pic and Product Review

Here is the picture of that new do I was talking about in my previous post

Ok...So now that I'm about 6-7 weeks post relaxer, my hair is going through some expected changes. The roots are a little rough. LOL. And that fresh relaxed luster is gone, but I'm still shining. The most noted change I noticed though is that I'm a little on the frizzy size. I expected that because it's winter time. That's part of the reason that I decided to do the French braids in the first place. I didn't want to to try and straighten my hair. I just decided that braiding would do well in maintaining the frizz and protect the hair even more.

I'm not stressing over the texture that my hair has though. I'm working with it by doing the braids. But that doesn't mean that I can't treat the frizz. Remember, if the hair is frizzy it's lacking something or may have too much of something. In my case, I'm thinking that I'm lacking moisture. So to treat this little issue, I purchased the Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Anti-Frizz Serum. I love this stuff. It goes on so easily. And it does exactly what it's supposed to do. It tames the hair without weighing it down. I will say this though. A little goes a little way. So be careful not to over do it. And work it into the hair (especially the ends) really well. And then just style. It's a definite staple for me this winter.
The thickness of my hair is amazing. The only thing is that it tends to get a little tanlged when when I'm doing my scalp massages. So I go for my trusty Pantene detangler/conditioning mist. I put this directly on the roots. Then, I finger comb and go through with my shower comb. And then all is well and good. And I'll continue to do this until I start using my serum again next month.

New Style

Hello again ladies. Sorry again for the hiatus, but I've been mucho busy. LONG STORY. LOL. But in the midst of all this, I've been thinking about my hair. How could I not? It's on my head. I touch it all the time. LOL. At any rate, I'm tired of my bun. Well...more like I got tired of it. So I'm trying a new style right now. It's just a step up. But it's still a protective style nonetheless. I'm doing two French braids on either side of my head. And I pin the bottoms up with French barrettes. I'll post a pic tomorrow or Friday when it's freshly done. It's really cute. It's modest, neat, easy to do, and quick. Perfect for me. Did I mention that it looks good with virtually every outfit? :)

The state of my hair is surprising me as the months get colder. It seems to be better able to retain moisture. I have been putting enough of it on there. Trust me. I use the Pantene detangler/moisturizing spray on my roots after I massage my growth serum on my scalp. The reason I do this is to make detangling my hair easier. My ends aren't the tangled issue. It's that mass next to my scalp. So it's a great thing. To moisturize, I'm still using the combination of my Wave Nouveau and Pantene Silk Transformation Creme. And I'm sealing with amla because I'm out of coconut oil. I haven't had time to head over to the health store and get some. But I will eventually. So overall, I'm not angry at my hair right now. I noticed that it's not growing as fast as it was, but that's seasonal. The length is coming in, but just a bit slower because of the cold.
My ends still need a little work, but they aren't so bad. They've been dusted recently anyway.

I'm still so loyal to my growth serum. But I wanted to try an experiment. The two weeks that I didn't use my serum when I was preparing for a relaxer, I thought about only using it for a month at a time on a bi-monthly basis. I'm not sure why, but I'm anxious to try it. So after I shampoo my hair tomorrow (clarify and the whole nine), I'll be putting away the serum for a month. One plus is that I won't have to co wash as often. But I really don't mind having to do that anyway. It's good to co wash. But I'll see what happens. I will go back to it though.

I'm so excited about getting married everybody. It's just been consuming me and all my time. I'm looking for that perfect dress and dresses for my bridesmaids. I'm going through every little detail. It may seem far way, but a year or even less is what it's looking like now. So I've got to get on the ball. There are so many details. I had no idea. And I'm getting ready to go back another semester. So everything is just crazy. But I'm loving every second of it. Soon the chaos will be over and I'll be able to laugh about it later.

Super Shed and Wed

Well ladies, it's happened. Mr. Perfect and I are going to jump ye old broom. I'm sorry that I've swept him under the rug for so long, but I didn't know what would happen. But now I'm sure and so secure. He was just too good to be true. I had to get that out of my head though. I'm just lightheaded over the whole thing. Couldn't be any happier that if I weighed 10 pounds less. I'm getting married! OMG! It sounds so weird. I'm going to be happy. I know that.

My family isn't aware of him at all. Only my cousin really knows. And my best friend. And we've all decided that we aren't going to utter butter until the day he gets home and it's too late for anybody to say anything. I swear. I'm going to pull a JLo and Marc Anthony. People will think they're showing up for a barbeque or something, and it'll be a wedding! LOL. Seriously, I wish. But then I wouldn't get any wedding gifts, and registries would be obsolete.

Well, I guess I could say a little about him. He's Israeli. He has the most beautiful eyes. I just stare at him all the time. I can't help it. Talk about hypnotized! He's tall. dark hair...Oh hell. I'll post a picture. LOL. He's just perfect. I don't know how else to say it. I love everything about him. His voice is like cashmere and I just...It's hard to say

It's a miracle that we even got this far considering that both our families are going to die over this whole color/religion thing. I told him I wanted to wait until the last minute to tell my family. That way they can't even try to talk me out of it or anything. And he has the task of telling his eventually. He already told his sister. She had nothing to say really. And I consider that I sign.

There have been no kind of "relations" whatsoever. I've been celibate for nearly 4 years now. And I have done so to make sure that I could save a part of myself for someone that loves me. So there is no need for casual sex. It means nothing to me. I want something special and lasting before I even consider. And now it has come along. It's gonna be out of this world. :P

I guess I should talk about the super shed part of this blog now. LOL. I'm having some massive shed. I thought it had slowed down. But it seems to have picked up again. I swear it has something to do with my botched relaxer last month. I could be wrong. Maybe it's the weather. I don't know. LOL. My hair doesn't seem to be doing worse though. It 's soft and moisturized. The moisture has been so up. And I've been avoiding the elements quite often. And it's shiny and with body and volume. I could just be trippin' for no reason. Or it could just be healthy winter shedding. We'll see. Maybe some protein will help...

Moisture Up!

So I'm sure that everybody is aware of the disaster that occurred a few weeks ago when I go my relaxer. My hair was severely dry and just horrible. But I'd like to announce that I am back in the saddle again. I've been moisturizing like crazy. As well as using my daily moisturizer, I would follow behind it with a leave on conditioner. Then I seal with oil. I do this by separating the hair into 8 parts. That way I got better coverage. And thank goodness. LOL. The dryness patches are gone.

This past Saturday, I took my hair to my ultimate moisture boot camp. LOL. I started Friday night. I moisturized with my Wave Nouveau as usual. But when I went to seal, I covered the length of the hair with Dabur Amla Oil. I used about 2 teaspoons for my entire head which is the maximum usage recommendation. I covered my hair with a plastic cap and let it sit on until the following evening. It sounds extreme, but it worked. I guarantee it.

Before I washed my hair, I did a deep pre poo as well. (I've been using this in the place of deep conditioning after washing.) It was Queen Helene Cholesterol (my fave base for tons of homemade concoctions), amla oil, coconut oil, tea tree oil, and honey. I let this sit on my hair for almost two hours as I went about cleaning the house and whatnot. When I rinsed, it was like heaven. My hair was virtually tangle free. I following this up with a my TreSemme Smooth and Silky. After this, I added my Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner. Great slip and moisturizing.

I rollerset my hair Saturday night. Of course I put on my favorite leave ins and sealed with coconut oil. No setting lotion though. I didn't use any heat. I just let it dry over night with my satin night cap on. And it turned out beautiful. The curls were bouncy a shiny. My moiture levels were through the roof. I loved it. I even wore my ahir down today. Something I won't be doing for a long time. I enjoyed it so. And I could feel my clean scalp as a gentle breeze blew.

I just got through moisurizing with my Wave Nouveau and Pantene Silk Transformation Creme. Then I sealed with coconut oil. And my hair is still gorgeous. It's silky smooth and soft to the touch. I had to bun it and cover though. But at least I know that my hair is back on track. I don't see any splits. And with the slight dusting I did a few days ago, I'm sure that I may have gotten any little splits that may have popped up recently.

I'm so glad that things are working out for my hair. I will admit that shedding is bugging me a little bit. But it's long strands with white bulbs. That's healthy. I'm just glad that I'm back in the sweing of things. The Bee Mine has come back into use as well. So now my full regimen is being used again. Yay! It's good to be hair home. LOL

Final Results, For Now

So...The last picture in this series is what my hair looks like today with the relaxer. I think it could be a little longer, but there was an incident (or more like a series of unfortunate events). It's such a long story, but I'll try to make it as short as possible.

My mother wanted to rollerset my hair one way that didn't work for me. So in trying to achieve my vision but doing what she wanted anyway, the rollers were a mess. So I ended up having to take all the rollers out of my hair and blow dry with no comb attachment or anything. It was a disaster. And I'm still quite upset about it because I have to wait another three months. Even if I do rollerset next week, it's not going to be the same. But I'll get over it. My hair was being blown all over the place, and I know there is damage.

The way she was combing my wet hair was a disaster. I lost a whole fistfull of hair because of how she was combing it. And that was after she put the relaxer on. And she put too much setting lotion on it. It's kinda crispy when I touch it like there is a layer of crud on my hair. That's why I'm still having the issues with shedding. I'm just so upset, I wanna cry. And while the damage isn't apparent from the pictures, I know what it's really looking like right now. My hair is dull with no movement. And I feel horrible for saying this, but I'm never letting her near my head again. I should've just done it myself.

The important part is that my hair is relaxed. Therefore, I can comb through it with ease. I'm still seeing the shed, but that's ok. It'll stop in a few days, I hope. And I'm gonna co wash it toward the end of the week or next week. Hopefully that will help. And I'll mix my porosity control with my KeraCare and see if that helps restore softness and shine.

I've come to find out that my mother is not one of those people that respects my hair regimen. She criticized me constantly about what I'm dong is crazy and I need professional help. Over hair? And she was saying all this while she was doing my hair and telling me how much it had grown! Isn't the fact that my ends aren't splitting and my hair is longer and thicker than it has been in years a sign that my regimen is working? It made me feel really bad.

There are many people out there who've been criticizing my regimen. But I never thought my mother would make me feel so low. And it was my birthday! I would never do that to her. There is a right and wrong way to say everything. And after she nearly ruined everything I've been working so hard on over the last 6 months, she has the audacity to tell me that I have no idea what I'm doing. With all this length, strength, and shine I've been acquiring, she totally shot me down.

I'm not going to complain anymore. But like I said, I won't let her in my hair again. And I won't even bring my hair up for discussion to her. There's no use in setting myself up for her criticism.

Birthday Present from Mom

Well...Today I was supposed to give myself a birthday present. I was going to relax my own hair. But my mother called this morning, and she wants me to come over to her house so she can relax my hair as a birthday present. And not wanting to hurt her feelings, I agreed. Plus, she's gonna cook. I can't say no to her cooking ever. LOL. SO YUMMY!!!

I'm sitting here right now just feeling my new growth. It's not as bad as it's been in the past. I actually like the texture. But I'll be glad to see it straightened so I can see how long my hair is. Oh, that reminds me...I will be rollersetting and putting on my bonnet dryer for two reasons. After I leave my mother's house, I may have to make a run. So I don't want to be going in the store or something with a head full of rollers. Tacky, ghetto mess! And, I would hate for my wet hair to be exposed to the elements. And I'm in a time crunch. But at least it's still considered a form of indirect heat. And my ends will be rolled up, so they should be okay.

I'm packing up all my products to take over there. I'd be embarrassed if my mother saw all these hair products. She would start in on me. So I'm trying to find a small bag that will still fit all my stuff. And I have to carry the baby bag too. :/ It'll be fine.

It's a good thing she is doing my hair for me. And I appreciate and except her give whole-heartedly. She's the best mom in the world. I just wanted to get that experience of relaxing my own hair and learning. I have to wait another 12 weeks before I do. But I guess it's ok. It is my birthday after all. And she means so well. :) She'll get to spend time with her only grand baby. (They talk on the phone everyday. It's so cute.) And it is one less thing for me to do.

I'll be sure to post some pics here and on K.I.S.S. so all my sistas can see my progress.

Protein Remix

I decided to make a few changes to the protein mixture I'm making for tomorrow. I decided to add coconut oil. I did this because these treatments tend to make my hair a little hard. And I get softer hair when I add coconut oil to my mixtures. Also, instead of using the Queen Helene (a good base for my mixtures), I used VO5 instead. It was more economical. Plus, I don't want the consistency of the mixture to be thick. I prefer a thinner mix just to make sure I get good coverage.

Monday is the big day. I'll be 23 and doing my own relaxer for my birthday. I still haven't decided what to do with the porosity control. It'll probably be best if I use it after the chemical processing. That way I can put the moisture back into my hair. Besides, this is my first time doing this. And my main goal is taming that new growth. It'll be hard do see if my hair is wet. Once I master this, I should be fine.

So yeah. That's it I guess until I post about tomorrow's wash. It should go well.

Gimme Protein!

It's been awhile since I've done a protein treatment on my hair. Hence, that may be the reason that I'm experiencing excess shed. Not to worry though. I can fix it. :) I'm just trying to figure out what to combine together to make my own. I think I'll try this:

• 1 egg
• mayonnaise
• conditioner
• amla oil

I decided that I like to use my amla oil when I'm mixing it with things like my pre poos and protein treatments. It's good stuff. It's just that smell. It's odd. I use it to pre poo the night before I wash sometimes. I'm gonna have to get more of this as I discover new ways to use it. I'm trying to think outside the box a little on this one. I consider it somewhat of an ayurvedic product.

This is the line up for my wash this weekend. I won't change it because I'm so indecisive that I have to be solid when I say I'm gonna do something. Here goes:

• pre poo/protein treatment
• shampoo
• condtioner rinse with VO5/Pantene mix
• KeraCare deep condition (without heat-1 hour)
• air dry in bun
  

So, I haven't used my growth serum since last Friday. The reason why is because I wanted to be extra sure that I didn't have any on my scalp when I relax on Monday. And I'm glad I did it this way. I got a little laxy during the course of the week and ended up not co washing until Wednesday. So if I had used my aid Saturday or Sunday night, I would not have had a full week go by before I relaxed. Not safe...

My scalp massages are an important part of my daily regimen. They feel good, give me a bit of a workout, and stimulate growth. I'm also able to feel what my new growth is really like. I've gotten more acquainted with the health of my scalp and new growth just by massaging. It's really neat. I can touch my scalp and know that I need to wash or may notice a dry patch that wasn't there before. Couldn't say that a few months back. But I'm glad I do it.

The vitamins I'm taking are starting to work I think. My skin is looking rather good. Even while being on my cycle, I didn't have any breakouts or random flare ups. And the tone appears to be evening out a little. My nails are stronger as well. And the tips are white. They grow back really fast even after a break. And I'm just at about two weeks with these things. It's amazing. I do't know what they are doing ot my hair though. I shed more. But this time the strands are longer and I see less of them. I don't see breakage-just shed. So I guess that's a good thing. It promotes healthy shed. It's pretty soft as well. Even without the leave ins and moisturizing, I feel a texture change of sorts. It's kind of hard to explain. LOL

Relaxing and Goals

I'm changing it up a little bit this week. I won't be using my growth serum. I have to do this because I'll be relaxing my hair in a week. And the directions cause for me to stop usage a week prior to relaxing. It's weird that I won't be applying it. :S I've gotten so used to it. But it'll only be two weeks without it. No big deal, right? I just know I'll be glad to get back on it. I love the way it smells.

One thing I can't help but be nervous about it relaxing my own hair. I've never done it before. And my mother seems to think that I'll make all my hair come out if she doesn't do it or have somebody else do it. So I got a little lippy and told her she is welcome to drive all the way over here and do it for me. LOL. I think she may take me up on it. But I don't want that. I don't mind if she supervises though. The thing is that I wear glasses. And I can't see without them. But I have to remove them to apply the relaxer. Or maybe I can keep them on until I apply to my edges...Not sure yet. But I must learn how to do it on my own.

After this stretch, I've had some insane thoughts. I was frustrated, angry, unsure, and tempted to relax. But now I've seen the error of my ways. And now I will be stretching more often. I think 12 weeks is fine. My hair certainly enjoying it because I'm not having much breakage at all. And despite being so far into my stretch, I'm able to maintain shiny, mostly manageable, easy to style hair. Giving my hair a break from chemicals has been good for it. I guess I'm saying that my decision to stretch more often will make it so that I will only have to relax 4 times a year. Chemical processing will be at an all time low. And I believe this will help the health of my hair.

I'm looking over this box of my relaxing kit. I've got Just For Me in the regular formula. I would've gotten the coarse version, but I want to be extra gentle with my hair. I'm not sure I'm into the bone straight thing anyway. It just has to be manageable. It'll be put into a bun most of the time anyway. No stress... But yeah... It's got all this stuff that comes with it. When I was younger getting relaxers, all this stuff didn't come with the kits. Even the Ultra Sheen relaxing kit I was using a few months only had the item you blend together to activate the cream (whatever it's called), the neutralizing color alert shampoo and some setting lotion. They seem safe enough to use. But I have my own items as well. I guess I'll have to get to that bridge soon.

I'll be able to see my actual length when I relax. It should be exciting. I'm guessing that my hair will measure about 20 inches from front to back. It's not that I'm so into measuring. I'm just anal. And I want to keep record on my progress. The numbers help me do that. But in the future, as my hair grows longer, this won't be necessary. I think my solid goal at the moment is either BSL of MBL. This is what I would be totally happy with. When it gets past this length, it won't matter anymore. It'll just be pleasant surprises. But this could change. And don't get me wrong, the more length the better. I'm just saying I would be satisfied if I got to BSL or MBL. Okay...I prefer MBL.

It's gonna be so exciting to see my length after this stretch. I love long hair. When I had it, I didn't know how to take care of it. Now I'm older and equipped with the information (and products) that will help it grow long, strong, and healthy. It'll be so nice to wear it down (for about 5 mintues) and see it flowing again like it used too. Right now, it's soft. But the more I take care of it and moisturize, it'll just get better. I'm just struggling with how I'm going to make sure I get maximum straightness without using heat. I guess I could rollerset overnight. I'll just avoid using setting lotion. That way the curls won't hold as well. And in the course of a day or two, the curls will fall complete. And voila! True length. I'll probably use heat once a year. And that will probably be about a year from now. I'll be charting my 1 year and some months progress. It should be a glorious experience. Other than that, I can't let myself use heat. No heat=no splits which means no trimming which means no cutting of any length with means no loss of length which means long hair.

My patience is getting thin! I want to see my length! I know that it's only 6 days now. But I wanna see her in all her glory. It's really grown. I just want to enjoy that for a moment. It's killing me! LOL. I must sound crazy, but that anticipation is something else. I was just looking at another lady's slideshow of the difference between her 12 week post relaxer hair and fresahly relaxed hair. There had to be a whole two inches in difference there. Her hair looked great. She used a flat iron though...I'm not gonna do that. I hope my rollerset plan works...

I have two length checks left now. I only had one, but then I joined the K.I.S.S. Challenge. So I'll be doing another check for the year in December I believe. I'll be at least 6 weeks post. It shouldn't be that bad though. My habits since the last relaxer have changed so that I suppose I won't see any really rough new growth for awhile. Or maybe not at all.

Smooth and Silky/Winter Regimen

Clarifying worked like charm for me yet again. I'm deep conditioning with my bonnet dryer in my head as I type, but I'm still able to see the luxurious results. I did my pre poo, used my clarifying shampoo, the TreSemme, the pre conditioning mix, and now I'm working on the KeraCare.

I hadn't used the TreSemme shampoo before in conjunction with the Suave, but I could tell a big difference. The TreSemme starting the smoothing right away. And then I put on the Pantene and VO5 mix. I combed it through my hair like a hot knife through butter. Not one tangle in sight. I was so relieved. And I could feel the incredible slip from the conditioners. I'm so pleased. My hair yesterday was a mess compared to what it is at this moment. So once again, I learn the importance of clarifying my hair. I guess I'm just one of those that has to do it twice a month.

When my hair is wet, I can feel the very tip of it touch my back. It's so exciting! In a few months, it should be at least two or three inches longer. That should put me right where I need to be for the winter months. I want that longer, thicker hair so that I can be warm. Plus, in the event that I lose a little hair, I won't feel as bad because I'll still be able to retain most of my length.

I don't think I'm going to change my regimen all that much. Just minor things. I may used a thicker moisturizer. I'm not sure yet because I love the Wave Nouveau so much. Co washing in the morning is out of the question. I will do this at night so that my hair will be dry the next day. I refuse to go outside with a wet head. I can't afford to get sick. In addition to this, I will only co wash on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will still use the growth serum, but just during the day time. I usually sleep with it and wash it off the next day, but I spend more time awake than I do sleep, so that will just give it more time to work it's magic. Deep conditioning will be upped to three times a week. I will do one with every co wash and regular wash. I don't want my hair to have the opportunity to get dry. Protein treatments will be once or twice a month. Leave in conditioner will be used everyday to protect that moisture as well as coconut oil. (NO EXCEPTIONS!!!) And lastly, I will be wearing a hat anytime I go outdoors accompanied by my satin cap. The fabrics used for hats are too damaging, so I will need the satin to back me up.

Clarifying, Again

I guess it's time for me to clarify again. :S I would wait a week or two more, but I learned the hard way last time that if your hair says clarify, then you better do it. Or you could face the shed and tangles. Me...I'd rather obey the hair.

I noticed my last co wash (Tuesday of this week) that my hair wasn't responding as well to the conditioner like it normally does. It seemed a bit dry too. So I decided that maybe I wouldn't co wash more than twice this week instead of everyday from Tuesday like I had planned. So today rolls around and I'm ready to co wash so I could wash the serum out of my hair. So I did everything I normally do with a co wash. And I then the tangles came. I knew that my conditioners are great for detangling as long as there is no build up on my hair. But I had issues detangling today. That means I will have to clarify for the second time in a month. Plus, I feel a case of the crispies coming on...

I'm a cone user. I don't mean to do it, but they help my hair our a lot. I just have to clarify more often if I'm going to use them. I don't think this will be the case for at least 4 weeks after I relax. Relaxing makes the hair easy to comb through anyway. That means all the cones I use to detangle won't have to be used. I will have an entire month where I won't have to clarify. Still, I will have to get on this issue right away. So here's the line up for this week's wash:

• Pre poo with Queen Helene Cholesterol, amla oil, coconut oil, and tea tree oil (1 hour)
  
• Shampoo with Suave Daily Clarifying
  
• Shampoo with TreSemme Smooth and Silky
• Pre condition with Pantene/VO5 blend
• Deep Condition with KeraCare Humecto Creme for (30 minutes with heat)
• Bun hair (for sake of low manipulation)
• Air dry

Sounds like a winner to me. I'm all about low maintenance. LOL. It may seem like a long list of things to do, but they're all so simple. wish my luck! ;-)

Anticipation

I'm starting to get impatient with my new growth. It seems like it's been forever since I've relaxed. And it has been. I'm doing all that I can to keep the beast in check, but it's taking over. So while my hair looks smooth and shiny on the outside, at the roots I'm a little messy. It could be and has been worse. The good thing is that after I finish out this week and next week, I'll be able to relax. Then I'll get to see how long my hair is. A step closer to APL would be fine by me.

After I relax, I'm thinking that I will do a rollerset. Blow drying is a no no. I'm already chemically processing. There is no need to add more strain. I may never use heat again. If I'd know it was this easy, it would have been gone a long time ago. At any rate, I'm happy. I just want to see my beautiful new length. It's going to be gorgeous. And I have all the things I need to get that salon look.

I'm not going to do a length dust until March or April of next year. I have a feeling that I won't need to. Being heat free has in turn made me split free. And I'm not longer concerned with everything being perfectly even. Human hair isn't meant to grow that way. It'll be in a bun all the time anyhow. All I want to do is retain as much length as possible.

Now that I'm growing so fast, I'm thinking that I will change my length goal for June to between APL and BSL. I'm definitely past shoulder. That was the hardest part. I heard the horror stories of wearing shoulder length hair down. I'll never do it again. But getting back to length, I'm trying to be realistic about this whole thing. I'm doing all that I can to achieve maximum growth. I massage and keep moisture in the hair. And it's going well. I'm just trying to figure out if I actually have a stopping point. Some women won't go past BSL of MBL. I haven't been there in forever. I guess my level of comfort will come with time.

I'm having a pleasant experience with my vitamins. I mean they don't make me feel ill or anything. Lots of women that have taken them complained that they give you gas and all that. But I think they're ok. It'll be awhile before I see results. Taking them three times a day is hard to remember to do at times. :S I'm getting better at it though. I can't wait to see f they work. Combining them and the serum should turn me into a hairy beast. LOL

Length Check 3

Today is the last length check I'll do until I relax in two weeks. The above pictures are the results I have gotten so far from the use of the growth serum. The first one is my starting point. Notice my hair is a little dry and dull. I'm right at shoulder length in this one. The second one is after two weeks of use. In this pic, my hair is shinier and has a smoother texture. The last picture is the one that I took today. It's looking good to me. I know how my hair used to be. And this is million times better even though I have a long way to go. And the empty box is for when I put in that last final picture of my relaxed hair in.

The serum I use is a miracle worker. I just can't get over what I see in these pictures. I can only imagine how long it will be the beginning of next year as long as I keep on this path. And now I'm taking the HSN vitamin. Who knows how that will aid! All I know is that things are going great with my hair. No major setbacks yet. So I'm counting my blessings. :)

Rollerset and Upcoming Length Check

My hair is wonderful today. It's so soft, I can run my fingers through it. And I'm at least 9 weeks post relaxer. Can you say miracle? LOL. I took the rollers out this morning and was amazed at what I saw. There was so much shine and body. It's full and gorgeous. The pain of rolling the hair at night while sleepy and having to figure out how to sleep with it was well worth it. But of course I put my hair into a neat bun. I'm glad I did too. I ended up at a cookout at my grandfather's. The air was thick with smoke and I was sweating. But wearing my hair in a bun protected my ends.

I got a chance to put my new moisturizer, Wave Nouveau Moisturizing Finishing Lotion, on my air dried roller set and this evening for my nightly moisturizing. Now I'm more than sure how amazing it is. My ends feel like silk. And the consistency is great for my hair. The smell is light and pleasant. This is what is going into my regimen forever. I'm never gonna let it go. It's so perfect. I hope to find a super large bottle of this when it's time to get moisturizer again.

It's a good thing when I find items like my new moisturizer that I fall in love with at first use. It helps me to achieve a more stable, healthy regimen. I'm not tempted to fix what isn't broken. I feel the exact same way about the Neutrogena. I'm such a moisture whore, that I used them in combination. LOL. But the important part is that it works for me. The relief I feel is more than I can ask for. I know to some people it's just hair products. But to me, my hair is my life. I've ignored it and abused it for so long. Now I'm going to treasure it.

My length check photo will be due tomorrow. I couldn't be happier. Just for fun, I measured my slightly wavy rollerset hair when I got home and moisturized. It's a quarter of an inch longer than it was last week. It's hard to believe, but true. And the length isn't thin and raggedy. It looks good and healthy. A girl that I attend Bible class with is also interested in growing her hair as well told me that she noticed how healthy and long my hair is getting these days. I anticipate how long my hair will be in the next three to six months. If I keep on this path, it can only get better and longer resulting in good growth check pics.

Wash Day Results and Product Reviews

This was a great day for me in the washing department. Everything went so smoothly. I was able to pre poo for 45 minutes, wash, pre condition, deep condition, and rollerset. I had a lot to do today, so I just finished doing all this. And I'm glad I did. :)

Ok...Let's start with the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-In Cream. I can't describe how fabulous this is. It detangles, makes hair shiny, gives body, moisturizes to a T. Everything about it is perfect. This is my new favorite leave in conditioner. I can't get over how wonderful it is. I even used it on my daughter's hair. She's all natural, and it worked a miracle for her. Her hair looks great. This is going to stay in my regimen forever.

Today was my first time using the Wave Nouveau Moisturizing Finishing Lotion. It's a great product as well. It's so light. It doesn't feel heavy or greasy at all. But the moisture is still there. It's sort of like the consistency of a gel. It's just not sticky and smells pleasant. I appreciate this one so much. I will get another chance to put it on my dried hair tomorrow. Then I will really see it's moisturizing effects. But putting it on wet hair, it's a good product. :)

The combination of all my fabulous moisturization made rollersetting a dream. I had no issues what so ever. I barely shed! There were a few hairs in the sink. And that was it. My ends smoothed over the rollers so easily. I'm just so happy about it. I'm head over heels with the way things turned out today. Tomorrow will tell me just how well things went because I was able to actually comb my roots. Super straight! I got a good tight curl with all the rollers. Length chick time is coming up, and this definitely helped a million.

I hope that my hair has gotten longer since two weeks ago. I'm coming upon week 4. And I'm going to use the serum all this week and then that's it. I will be relaxing a week after I stop using the serum. That's my birthday, I believe. Not sure. All I know is that the serum has been working fo me. My hair is getting thicker, shinier, and the new growth is being tamed as possible for being 9 weeks post. But I can't complain. I remember when I would be this far into a stretch when I wasn't caring for my hair properly. And combing was pure hell-nearly impossible. Now it's so easy with just a few moisturizers or moisturizing spritz. And I have all the proper tools to work with. No worries from this point on. I will continue to just look forward to the future from here.

So, I'm Getting a New Moisturizer

I've been looking around blogs and forums a lot lately. I do all the time. LOL. In doing such, there is another moisturizer I am wanting to try. It's the Wave Nouveau Moisturizing Finishing Lotion. I've heard so many good things about it. And one of the blog members that I follow swears by it. Now I'm going to make the switch. But that's not the only reason though. I was thinking back to my childhood when my mother had a curl. She used the Wave Nouveau line of products. It must've been good because I didn't realize it was a curl until I was about 8. I thought she was blessed with beautiful naturally curl hair. She was not naturally curly, but her hair was beautiful and moisturized wonderfully when she had her curl.I had been using the Silken Child moisturizer. And I love it. But I'm just gonna give this Wave Nouveau a try. Besides, I'm a product junkie. Buying a new product feeds my addiction. :P I'll just use the remainder of the Silken Child on my daughter's hair. The smell seems more appropritate for her personality. I'm bubbly and nice, but she's the one that eats all the fruity candy. And that's what it smells like. I just love it.

I'm needing a silk scarf. I love my cap, but it gets to be hot sometimes. It's only really necessary if I'm doing a rollerset over night. But a scarf would be more sufficient because I'm doing buns at night until the day I get my relaxer. (I'll do a rollerset then.) Plus, I'm running out of ideas to keep this giant poof in the front of my head down. I'm sure the combination of the scarf and boar bristle brush will cure this until relaxer time. But yeah...Ye ole poofy hair got ta go!

This is a month of triumphs I hope. I'm expecting this relaxer to do a miracle with showing my length. By catch is while lots of women use heat when they relax, I'm opting not to. I'm gonna rollerset overnight instead. When I said so heat I meant it. The rollers with be more than enough to show my length and give me a style that I may wear for a few minutes while I do a length update. Also, I'd like to get to working on my kanzashi. If they come out how I like, I may put some up on ebay. I could use the extra money, and making them would be a craft I would enjoy greatly. Making things makes me feel efficient.

Saturday is my day. I'm gonna make all the magic happen. I just remembered, it's time for another length check. Oh hell. LOL

Basics and New Adventures

Since my hair seems to be doing so well these days, I want to make extra sure that nothing slows this down. So I've decided after I've been wearing my style for a few weeks, I'm going back to my bun. I like it because I don't have to comb my hair for this one. And I dries without any flyaways. I was also inspired by my cousin's mother in law. She has long hair also. And she keeps her hair in a bun all the time. She told me that she had been bunning her hair since high school. That was enough for me.


Another source of inspiration fo me lately is Japan. I've always been in love with the culture, but I'm particularly interested in making kanzashi. These are hair adornments made from silk fabric. I'm sure other fabrics can be used, but silk is the best material. The thing is these are supposed to be pretty easy to make. And now that I'm limiting the things that I put in my hair, I'd like to try to make some. It shouldn't cost that much. I'll go to Wal-Mart and get some satin or other pretty fabric and experiment that way. Some materials can even be found at the dollar stores. I'm gonna be a hana kanzashi making fool. And the good thing is I can secure them to clips, bobby pins, or hair sticks. I'll just put this on my list of things to accomplish in the next month or so. I just have to give it a try.

Co washing Daily, again?

The last time I was co washing my hair daily, it was an unpleasant experience. I was seeing so much shed. It was frightening. The my hair was getting a mad case of the crispies. Eventually, I figured out that this was caused by my lack of clarifying my hair. So I did clarify and it cleared things up right away. Now that I'm no longer afraid, I may pick up the daily co washes with a weekend wash with a moisturizing shampoo. I feel like my hair can stand as much moisture as possible. I know that washing it like this will only promote hair growth. It can't help to grow since I'll be massaging my scalp in the shower. It's quite invigorating. I will get all that good shine and bounce that hair has after a fresh wash.

I did a pre poo today followed by a co wash. Seemed okay. For some reason though, it seems like I may not have gotten all the product out. But that's fine. It's only on my roots. And they could use the extra moisture anyhow. I'll be co washing as soon as I get up anyway. That should clean everything up. But next time, as a pre poo, I'll just use coconut oil. Then I'll deep condition. I wonder if I can can use my Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner for this... At any rate, I will not skip on the Pantene anyday. I usually do a pre conditioning before I deep condition. Moisture never hurts. There are a lot of things I'm going to pick up over the weekend by it being a new month. For me, this is the best time to buy things and try them so that I can remember exactly when I got them and know how it takes for them to work or not. Anyway...I must get the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave in Conditioner. All the ladies in the forums rave about this stuff. And at about 7 dollars, that's a sweet deal. Besides, the other brands I use are a bit more expensive, so this will save me between 3 and 5 dollars. I'm guessing this could double as my moisturizer when I run out or get low.

I'm looking to go ahead and buy a relaxing kit as well. I'm thinking about a regular formula (not coarse). And I'm looking at the children's section for this. Maybe Just for me or Silken Child. I'm not sure yet. But I won't be using the big girl relaxers anymore. The children's formulas are milder. It'll be my first time putting on my own relaxer so I have to make sure whatever I'm using won't harm me too much. I must get my head right for this or else I will find an excuse to stretch all the way into the end of November. Doesn't sound like such a bad idea right now...

With my relaxer, I plan on using the porosity control. My main purpose is to close the cuticle so that my hair will be protected. This stuff will make the results of my relaxer look better. There will be more shine and even distribution of the chemical process. That makes me happy. In the future when I have a bigger budget, I'll buy the large bottle but only if the small one works like I've heard it does.

I've written about this before- the brush. And I've decided on which one to buy. The baby brush is impractical because my hair is just too course. The boar bristle brush is more in my league. I need my hair to be smoothed out. And I hear that using a brush to distribute sebum gently can be good for your hair. But I'll start small and use it for smoothing only. And I'm looking into purchasing some aloe vera gel to aid in any styling that I may use a brush for. It won't look as bad this way.

I went by CVS today and got enough VO5 to last me until Decmber, I hope. If not, it's only a dollar. I got Honeydew Smoothie and Passion Fruit Smoothie. They smell really good. I don't know what the difference is between these two and the silk experiences, but I like them all. I will have to get more of the Champagne Kiss. It's my favorite. That reminds me, I'm getting low on my Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner. I need that stuff for every other co wash I do. That'll be another 6 or 7 bucks, but I'm ok with that.

This weekend is gonna be a good one for hair. I get to sleep with my hair damp in a bun. I'll have on a satin night cap too. It'll be so smooth in the morning.

Growing, Growing, Growing!!!

My excitement can hardly be contained. Why is this? I just found out that my hair has actually grown longer than I thought. That's right...In the last month my hair has grown exactly 1 and 3/4 inch! That's amazing to me. I guess I should explain how I measure my hair.
I tape a measuring tape like the one a tailor uses or the kind used to measure the waist. I clip it to the front part of my head. In other words, I measure from the root in the front all the way to the ends in the back. I do this straight down the middle of my hair. I look at the back of my hair by sitting in front of the mirror and using another mirror to see the reflection behind me. Quite effective. :) And the numbers are large enough for me to see with out having to do any crazy acrobatics to see where the hair stops.

So let's talk numbers... On August 21st, my hair measured 18 inches exactly. But today when I measured, I was in for quite a shock. I am now at 19 3/4 inches! That's all most 2 inches of growth. So that means I must have been a little off when I was figuring out how much growth I got from the serum. I'm hoping things will continue this way over the next 6 months. My growth will be off the charts! I'm already expecting my hair to be 20 1/2 long after I relax. It'll be so exciting.

I'm not going to be measuring for a few months after the relaxer. I'm thinking along the lines of three or four months when it's time for another relaxer. I like the whole element of surprise. Besides, I'm going to be wearing my hair in buns a majority of the time. This is going to prevent me from seeing it all the time. I'm hoping that by late January/early February I can get to 22 inches. That would make my year. If I really wanna push things, I would say 24. But I think that everything has it's limits.

Nonetheless, this good news is making my hair journey just that more exciting. Who knows how much more it will grow. :)

Vitamin Time

Next week I'm going to try something a little different. I've been wanting to incorporate it into my regimen for awhile. But with a new month starting, I thought it would be easier to chart my results. People, I'm ready to get on the vitamin train. I have so many reasons. Main thing is I'm looking for stronger hair that looks good even when I'm not feeling my best. Also, it's good for my overall health.

I'm going to start out with something simple and inexpensive. At Wal-Mart, there is a vitamin made by Nature's Bounty. It says hair, skin, and nail vitamin. I'm so excited about trying it. It's about 8 dollars. I did a little review check on it. It was okay. Some women that took it said that it irritated their stomachs (which is common in some vitamin supplements). Some experienced overall growth, shine, and better condition overall. Not to mention, this goes for the skin and nails as well. There is biotin and all kinds of other good things in it. So I'm excited to try it.Here's a list too of what all is in this. I'm gonna do more research before I try this. Jumping the gun would suck. Just click on the link. Nutrition Facts

Making things

Moisturizing Spritz

I've heard that a lot of ladies mix their own moisturizing spritz for their hair. They use these combination of oils and conditioners that are supposed to add that extra boost of moisture to dry hair. Apparently, they seem to work really well when in between relaxers (stretching). So that got me to thinking whether or not I should make one. So I did. Here's what I used:

• VO5 Silky Experiences Champagne Kiss with silk protein (about 1/8 cup)
  
• 6 oz. of warm water (to make diluting and mixing easier)
• 7 drops of Hollywood Beauty Tea Tree Oil
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

Here's how I used it- I part my hair in fours like I normally do to moisturize my ends. Then I sprayed my roots thoroughly just enough to make them damp. Next, I sprayed the length of the hair paying attention to the ends. I added my moisturizer as usual to the length of the hair, again paying close attention to the ends. I sealed my ends with coconut oil and completed the braid out style as usual.

I like the spray that I made. It made my hair easy to comb through. And as the moisture is drying, my hair feels softer. My new growth is tame as well. The shine is there too. So I would call this a winner.

Homemade Ponytail Holders

These were pretty easy to make. All I did was cut the legs off of a pair of old pantyhose. (Clean ones of course. LOL) Then I cut out the toe area. Then cut 3/4 to inch to 1 inch thick rings. Then give them a little stretch to get a rolled fabric appearance. And there you are! Ponytail holders. These are much safer for the hair because they will not snag like elastic. Sure, the ouchless kind work as well, but when the fabric gives way, the elastic will come through and potentially ruin the hair. The ponytail holders made from the pantyhose on the other hand will not pull or tug the hair or put stress on the root. And it has just enough stretch so that the desired looseness or tightness can be achieved. I'll post a pic of the ones that I made.

The pink ribbon just holds them in place. As you can see the lengths vary as you cut further up the leg.

A No Poo Day

This is Saturday which means this is the day that I normally shampoo and deep condition. But because I used the clarifying shampoo Tuesday, I decided to change it up a little. So I did all the things I would normally do to my hair aside from shampooing. I did my pre poo with the coconut oil overnight. Then I rinsed and washed it with my VO5. Then I put on my Pantene and let is set while I showered and rinsed it out. After this, I put on my KeraCare Humecto Creme Conditioner. I sat under my dryer with it for about 15 minutes after I let it just sit on my hair for about 15 minutes.

My results are fantastic. My hair is soft and shiny. And most of all, I can comb through it so easily. I'm having better luck since this whole clarifying thing. I'm in love with it. It has saved my hair from so much damage. I know that I keep raving about it, but it's just that much better since I did it. I'm impressed beyond words.

I'm letting my hair air dry right now. I wanted to do a braid out, but I just didn't feel like it. So it's free right now collecting all the air around it. I'm not wanting to manipulate it any further. Besides, I'm not really feeling a wavy patterns at the moment. I want as smooth and sleek as possible. It'll be easier for me to put on my serum and massage my scalp this way. And, I wanna switch up styles too. Can't really comb the hair and style it too much with a braid out. i'll post a pick of the style that I choose tomorrow.

No Trimming Inspiration

I was inspired by the women on my fave site to not cut my hair for a whole year. But that's not my only source of inspiration. Recently, I ran across a girl on YouTube named gossgirl2. She has this awesome hair. And she does all these elaborate hairstyles step by step. It's amazing. But I wondered how she was able to get her hair so long. What was the secret. This led me into the world of the Apostolic church and the hair of the women that attend this branch of church.

Apparently, Apostolic women never cut their hair. I'm not sure if that means no trims or dusting, but cutting is a big no no. The hair is seen as the crowning glory for these women. And believe me...it is. These are a group of women who once inducted into their religion no longer let scissors come near their head. And I'm sure they endure splits from time to time. Yet and still, they are able to grow this amazingly long hair. It's shiny and just beautiful. And because of this, I'm not as afraid of what not cutting will do to my hair. All it can do is grow.

This whole no cutting thing still worries me. After the year is over, I wonder how long my hair will be. Plus, I will have had a couple of relaxers by then. I could get damage from them. Then what? It should be ok if I put petroleum jelly on my ends and rest off hair that isn't being relaxed. I just have to wash it out thoroughly so that it won't clog my pores. And I will be incorporating porosity control into my relaxer regimen to give that extra protection. I'm really going to have to baby my hair now.

Either way, if this method doesn't work out, I'll back out. It'll be sad, but I'll back out. Somehow though, I think this is going to be great.

Ultimate Hair Growth

Ok...On another site that I just love, I joined this group. The deal is that I am not allowed to trim my hair for a year. I can dust my ends, but no trimming is allowed. So why did I do this? Truth is, I'm trying to retain as much length as possible. I can't do that if I'm holding a pair of scissors to it often. This is my best option. I'll explain dusting in place of trimming.

Dusting

There are two definitions to this word. The first definition says that dusting is when you trim the entire length of the hair about 1/8 inch leaving a small dusting of hair on the floor. This is usually done every few months (about 3 or 4). The second definition is using a pair a of shears to trim split ends right above the start of the splitting. This can be done in the same frame of time or daily.

I've decided that utilizing both methods could be good for my hair. While I'm trying to gain length, I will use the second method to only get rid of any splits that could get in the way of me achieving my desired length. Once I get to that length though, I want it to look nice and neat. That's when I'll use the first method. I'll get everything nice and even. It'll be so pretty. I can see it now.

My decision to use this method was something I'd been thinking about for awhile. I needed a way to keep as much hair on my head as possible. And I'm indignant to myself when it comes to cutting because I don't know what to do. I try to go for even, but hair isn't naturally even. Then I end up trimmng more than I want to. I lose length and a little bit of my mind. Now I have these tools in my hand to help me out. Yay! I anticipate much length and growth.

No Heat Challenge

This is a list of all the heated styling products that I used in the past. The pics are just a visual thing. I no longer use them. I explain why and include a message at the bottom about my new heatless hair life. :)

The Blow Dryer

I know that it's ok to use a blow dryer in moderation-especially if you need your hair to be dry in a hurry. But I have too many horror stories about this machine. Maybe for somebody else head, but not mine. I had to go cold turkey on this one (just how I did the cigarettes). I would use this in conjunction with the comb attachment. Can you say raw scalp and dry patches? That's what it did for me.

The Curling Iron

This used to be my best friend. I loved curls. I would make curls all over my head. That's right...Every single strand. This would go on for long periods of time. Then I started getting that crispy hair syndrome. Being young and dumb, I would slap some grease on the crispy area and curl anyway. I could hear the sizzle and my hair would fry further. That's when I switched to rollers. These things are bad news for anybody's ends. Not to mention, my hair was extremely coarse so using low heat was not an option.

The Flat Iron

I actually had a pretty good relationship with this one too. That was until I wanted bone straight hair all the time. It used to be that I would only use this after a relaxer. Before each usage I would blow dry my hair dry. And to top it all off, I would use grease from scalp to tip to style instead of a styling products made specifically for heat protection. It didn't take long to see the effects. My hair thinned at the ends something terrible. And the smoothness lasted for a shorter and shorter amount of time. That meant more usage which caused more thinning and breakage.

My Decision

I've decided that I will no longer use heat on my hair. The only exception to this would be for deep conditioning. I got a bonnet dryer from JCPenney for about 30 dollars. It's made by Conair so I trust that I'll have this one for a long time. I can't describe what it looks like so I'll post a pic of it. But yeah...I'm against direct heat on the hair for me. And I know this decision will keep my hair nice and healthy. :)

Conair Bonnet Dryer

Detangling Sensation

Let me further emphasize the benefits of clarifying...

Today was a co wash day. And usually when I do co wash, I have a lot of shedding and tangles. This is because I'm about 8-9 weeks post relaxer. I expect some of this to happen. But lately it had been getting out of control. So I used the Suave clarifying shampoo and deep conditioned and rollerset. It went smoothly. The results were marvelous.

When it came time for me to co wash today, I was excited to see if the smoothness and tangle free state would last. It did... I wash my hair with my VO5 conditioner. Then I proceeded to add my Pantene. I combed it through and realized something; I was not struggling to comb the product through my hair. For the first time, I was actually not having to wrestle with the tangles. And with no tangles in my hair, there was barely a shed. I rinsed under the water and did a few more passes with the comb. Still, no tangles. When I got out the shower I was able to part my hair down the middle and pin it up on either side with no issues. I was amazed.

I am only attributing this to clarifying because it removed the products from my hair that made it hard and tangled in the first place. My hair is still drying right now. But I have to say that it's much softer and shinier. And even though it's still damp, I can run my fingers through it. Oh joy! I'm so happy.

Back in the Swing of Things

I'm anticipating tomorrow. I have clarified, deep conditioned, rollerset, applied my serum and moisturized thoroughly. So now it's time to co wash. I'm not sure which conditioner to use. The Pantene is the one I like the most. I love my VO5 too. (I use this mainly for my baggies.) It's a hard decision. I like the way Pantene smells and the slip that it has. And it's sole purpose is to strengthen the hair so that it will grow long. Light bulb just went off! I can do the actual wash with the VO5. Then I'll let the Pantene sit on my hair while I shower. :) Problem solved.

My moisturizer is running out. I had been using so much of it because my hair had the crispies. Now I'm down to half a bottle. :( That's another thing to put on my list for next month. The good thing is that this stuff all on it's own is the bomb. And since clarifying, I'm more than sure of that. I can't get over the smell. It's so yummy. I'm glad I didn't start using it until not too long ago or the bees would've been chasing me. This is my favorite so far. I wish it came in a bigger bottle. I just hope they have some. The last time I went to Sally's I got the last bottle they had. It must be quite popular. I know why.

Right now, Jilbere is the bomb to me. The combs are so pretty and sturdy. I'm thinking replacing all my combs that aren't Jilbere. I'm on the hunt for a brush too. I'm needing to smooth my hair a lot more as a I stretch. I know that they are supposed to be the devil, but I hear boar bristle is ok when not use excessively. And I don't need but to swipe it over my hair more than two or three times a week. If I don't get a boar brush, I definitely want a baby brush to smooth the hair.

The 2 Week Results

I'm super excited. I just got through looking at the before and after shots of my hair. And I've had some good growth. This is such great news to me. After all the drama I've been through with my hair, a break has come.

This new length looks weird in the picture because I forgot that rolling the hair leaves a curl. So I had to work with my hair to get it straight enough for a photo. In the second photo, my hair looks thin at the ends. This is not the case though. I have post relaxer shrinkage. And of course the ends are where this happens first. But I'm not discouraged by this because my hair is much smoother and more manageable. When I get my relaxer, the ends will actually be thicker and healthier.

Enough talk. Here are the pics!This is the before...

This is the after!!!

I think it's safe to say that the growth serum was a great investment. And things can only get better from here.

Ooo.....Product Review Time!

Like I said I was going to do, I clarified my hair with Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo. And I have to say that it saved my hair. It was so full of crap! It stripped away all the nasties. As a result, my deep conditioner took well. And because of that, I was able to rollerset my hair without any issues. It was so annoying to have to take a shower four times today, but it was worth it for my hair. Just in case though, I did two rinses with my Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner. (I just love my Neutrogena!)

I wonder what my hair is going to look like tomorrow. My late night run to Wal Greens forced me to do a rollerset that I will have to sleep on. It'll likely take until the afternoon before it is cmpletely dry. But that's ok. My satin cap is holding all that good moisture in. And my hair is going to be soo smooth and manageable.

Length check is tomorrow. So now I've decided that I'm excited. I know that my hair will be a lot shinier this time. And the texture will be smoother because the set is fresh. Oh goodie! I guess I will hold off on washing my hair this weekend also. I'll just co wash two or three times a week with a good deep condition thrown in there twice. This is only because I clarified though. I will get back to my normal routine next week. Now that my hair will hold the moisture instead of expelling it de to build up, I'm good!

Only people like me that are obsessed with taking care of their hair would understand. We put so much time, energy, and money into our hair that we are often the subject of many jokes. At the same time, those who are making the jokes probably do so because they wish they could be as committed as we are. They look at our hair and the things we go through. And as much as they'd like to get on the train, they just miss the station everytime. So let them laugh. I'll keep flipping my hair in the wind as it continues to grow down my back and touch my waist. I'll keep encouraging them though to join the journey in healthy hair. But essentially, the choice is their's alone.

A Time to Clarify

I'm going to sum up some of the issues that I've been having with my hair lately. It's all because I need to clarify! I noticed that my hair seems resistant to all the treatments like daily moisturizing and deep conditioning. So I'm going to give my poor strands one more try. I'm gonna run to the closest Wal Greens and fetch a bottle of this stuff:
This is Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo. So why did I choose it? First, it's cheap. And I have a great history with Suave. All I wanna do is remove the gunk from my hair. And I don't need another expensive hair product to do that. This one bottle is what I'm going to rely on from now on to do the trick. The last time I tried to clarify, I ended up not doing it right. I mixed the baking soda and water like I was supposed to, but I'm sure the stuff didn't work. Otherwise I wouldn't be where I am a short amount of time later needing to clarify. So I will rely on a product that is specially designed for this. (Just wanted to add that the reviews for this are pretty high.)

Thank goodness this problem can be solved because I was seriously thinking about cutting all my hair off from frustration. Tomorrow is an official co wash day. But instead, I'm going to be doing a full wash and set. That's with the clarifying shampoo, deep condition, and all. The rollerset too. I'm expecting great results because the ingredients will be able to penetrate the hair and to what it's supposed to do. Along with this is yet another length check.

I should be happier about my length check, but I'm not. It's not that I'm unhappy with my products or serum. The issue is just that checking length constantly makes me feel discouraged because I want it to grow now. But I'm rational and I know that it will take time. So I'm cutting back on the checks as soon as I get this first month with the serum out the way. The picture I take after the relaxer will be the last one that I do as far as length is concerned for a long time.

Another Regimen Change

I feel kinda bad, but I had no other choice. I didn't co wash my hair today. I woke up this morning in a bad way from this cold I've been battling. It wasn't good. And I knew I would be leaving the house today, so I decided it was best I laid off it. And I won't be washing it tomorrow either. :( I'm gonna have to wait until Saturday before I do anymore washing. If I don't, I'll never get over this nasty cold. Matter of fact, I'm gonna get up super early Saturday to get my hair out that way and make sure it's totally dry in case I have to run some errands.

I didn't do a rollerset last weekend. I was trying to take some stress off of my hair. I'm co washing frequently and having to detangle all the time. And it just needed a break. That day had brought enough manipulation. I'm trying to decided if I should do the same thing this weekend. Either way, I'm going to have damp hair a majority of the day. But the braidout would be quicker and hold i't s shape despite being damp. That way I can style it at least three hours. Then I will put it in a loose bun that will dry quickly. The forecast calls for warm sunny weather which should make it ok.

I'm dying to do a length check. I just don't wanna be disappointed. If I do one on Monday morning, that would be exactly two weeks since I've been using this growth serum. It's an MTG. It's made with sulfur. It's organic ans all natural also. I know that it's working because I have an abundance of new growth. And I should by this time since I'm about 8 or nine weeks post relaxer. I feel the sensation on my scalp. I was combing my hair today and noticed that it was a little longer than it was when I started. So maybe I may have some growth. I will be so excited if I do.

My growth serum by Bee Mine Products- Click Here

Okay, so I just came up with solution to my weekend issue with the braidout, rollerset, and growth check. I can just rollerset my hair after my co wash on Tuesday. I don't have anything to do that day. I'll get started early and possibly sleep on it to make sure it's dry all the way. Then I'll take a two week update pic on Wednesday. Works perfectly with my schedule.

I'm excited about October. I will be putting on my own relaxer for the first time. I'll also going to do an end of one month photo on my hair growth serum. With this will be a series of pics (starting point, 2 week, end of one month pre relaxer, and post relaxer). I'm gonna get a chance to indulge in my pjism too. I just love Sally's. They're right around the corner. And they have the best quality stuff. I may hit up the Dollar Tree as well and see what they have that could help me. I almost forgot! I'm gonna switch to coconut oil. I'll be a true hair diva once I make that step. It's gonna have my hair growing like weeds. I just know it.

I Love My New Moisturizer

Recently, I switched moisturizers. This is the one that I was using: Hollywood Beauty Carrot Creme. It was great. But I had been using it for a long time. It worked great. It wasn't too overwhelming as far as smell was concerned. And it is relatively inexpensive at less than four dollars. I went through a jar a month.
I think that sometimes the hair can get comfortable with a product and adjust to it. I was seeing signs of this. For instance, I used to be able to apply this at night and seal. Then I wouldn't have to repeat the process again until the next night. But a few weeks ago I noticed that I was getting a little dry during the daytime. So I applied more. But I got a little build up from this because it's on the heavy side. So I have to say farewell for now. But I will be back to it when I can get the moisture thing under control.

My dilemma left me in an awkward position: What moisturizer was I going to use? I didn't even know where to begin. I knew that I wanted something creamy but light. I'd prefer that it smelled good and didn't mind having to use it more than once a day as long as it didn't create build up. I was also looking for something that was in a good price range. Sometimes you will find a moisturizer you really like, but then it's more than you wanna pay.While on my favorite site for keeping up with the latest info on keeping my hair up, I saw this moisturizer. The creator of this space who has BSL hair was using it. So I thought that if it was good enough for her, it had to be good for me. Her hair is down her back for crying out lous. And I have to say that I'm loving this stuff. It's lightweight, smells like candy, inexpensive, etc. I almost forgot the name. It's Silken Elements Silken Child Silk Moisturizing Creme. I got it as Sally Beauty Supply. I recommend this to people who are trying to get that moisture balance in check. It'll give shine and moisture. The only con I can think of is that I still have to apply it twice a day. But it's all good because it doesn't leave that film behind like some moisturizers can. Long live this stuff right here. :)

My official blog

So I'm finally heret. It's been a long time coming, but I'm so ready now. I've got the time and patience. Most of all I'm building up this nice little collection of hair products. And I have to have a place to dedicate all this info to. So let's begin! :)

Assessing My Hair

This is a photo that I took on September 6, 2008


I did it mainly so that I could assess the state of my hair. So let's see what I've got here...It's thick. I'm about 6 weeks post relaxer in this pic if I remember correctly. I had trimmed my hair just a few days prior. So I would say that I'm a comfortable shoulder length. It's relatively healthy I guess. The shine factor could be better. And I feel like it looks a little dry. But that's ok.

I got my growth serum just over a week ago. And I've been using it on a daily basis. I put it on at night and co wash it out in the morning. I guess it's going well. I'm thicker, but that could just be the new lack of relaxer. I'm gonna have to give this product a full month before I can see the real results. That will be followed by a relaxer and a trim. The good thing about the product i'm using is that it doesn't smell, and it's easy to apply. It doesn't take much either. My bottle should last a good few months.

My regimen is a bit crazy right now. Here it goes

Co wash daily
Growth serum every night
Moisturize and seal 2x daily (may have to up it to three)
Deep condition 2x weekly(and w/heat on wash day)
Baggie method 2-3x weekly overnight
Daily scalp massage
Wash 1x a week(w/shampoo)
Rollerset once a week (or braid out)
No direct heat at all
Protective bun or tuck style daily