Have a SAFE and VERY FUN Memorial Day Weekend!

I know I will :-)

What are you doing with your hair this weekend?

LeToya Luckett

I'm starting to think that LeToya Luckett never has a bad hair day. In every picture I see of her, her hair is on point. Like I always say, I don't care if it's real or fake...when your hair looks good..it looks good .

I figure by next December, my hair should be this length. As long as I keep taking extra good care of my hair like I have been doing for the past year, I'll get there in no time.

 

*As you can tell by the tag, taken from http://www.theybf.com/

To Trim or Not to Trim?

 Whenever I research how often one should trim their hair, the typical answer is every 6-8 weeks and they always say to trim either a 1/2  or 1 inch.
Now, the way I look at it is: An average persons hair grows about a half inch a month. It doesn't matter what race you are. Some peoples hair may grow a little faster then others, but on average it's a half inch.
So, if I were to "trim" a half inch every 6-8 weeks, I would be cutting off most of my growth.
I believe that if you have damaged or split ends, a trim is necessary. But if your ends seem perfectly fine, then a minor "dust" should take place after a relaxer. I consider a dust 1/4 of an inch or less. A dust will keep the ends looking good and if you have any minor split ends the dust will take care of those.
*Please don't believe the myth that if you trim all the time your hair grows faster/ Hair grows from the roots not the ends."

After my next touch up in September I plan on doing an actual trim. I would like to cut off about 1.5 inches off. I want to cut of my thin ends little by little. Plus, I will need to trim because I will be going 5 months without dusting my ends.

To keep your ends in check:

• Avoid excess heat- A blow-dryer and curling iron can wreak havoc on your ends
• If you use heat, before doing so use heat protectant. If it's after washing, always apply a leave-in
•  Lightly dust your hair when needed (usually after a touch-up)
•  Keep your ends moisturized at all times- If you wear your hair down, apply light oil or serum on your ends.

The more you take care and baby your ends, the less you have to cut your hair.

Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is one of my favorite oils. I love the smell, the way it moisturizes my hair and I especially love the shine it adds.
I mainly use coconut oil after I wash and put in my leave-in conditioner. It's a great sealant. I also add coconut oil in my moisturizers.Not only is coconut oil great for the hair, it's also great for the skin.



A little more:

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care
Health-benefits-of-coconut-oil

Here's an article on the benefits of Coconut Oil.
ehow.com/benefits-coconut-oil-hair_.html

When I purchase, I make sure to get Virgin-Unrefined Coconut oil. It can be found at most Vitamin Stores.

Even with Braids.....

• 
  
  I am still taking my vitamins every single day!
• 
  
  I am still going to moisturize daily
• 
  
  I am still wrapping my hair every night
• 
  
  I will still wash and deep condition my hair
• 
  
  I am still doing daily scalp massages
• 
  
  I will not neglect my hair

Oily Skin?

My skin get's a little oily during the warmer months. So, I invested in some blotting paper. I purchased this rice paper from Sally's and I absolutely love it. I get the translucent one and it adds this nice matte look to my face which lasts for hours
They go for about $5.00/40 sheets. It was a great investment for myself.





Here's a little more on the product:
      Palladio Rice Paper

• A unique creation of papers made with rice instead of pulp to be much gentler for the skin
• Powder-coated for continued oil control once surface oils are removed 
• Eliminate shine and skin imperfections caused by excess oil buildup 
•  Ideal for midday touchups

Signs of Heat Damage

So, yesterday someone called me asking for some hair advice. She said she went to the salon and asked to get her roots blow-dried only, but the stylist blow-dried her whole head including her ends with very little heat protection. She said she can see her ends were starting to split and asked how to help with that. I suggested to moisturize and put either a good serum or Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the ends. Or to just apply the EVOO to the ends everyday. A little goes a long way. She would also need to trim a little at her next touch up, deep condition weekly and just baby her ends. It sux, especially if you were taking extra good care of your hair, but it happens.  Just gotta fix it, move forward and keep taking care of your hair/

Signs of Heat Damage

• Dry, brittle, rough hair
• Fried or split ends
• Hair breaking easily (especially if you see shorter broken hairs)

So Tired!

I braided my hair last night. I started around 6:30 P.M and finished at 3:30 AM!!! I took a few eating breaks here and there, but I pretty much braided straight through. I oiled every bit of my scalp and put moisturizer on the roots and ends,actually pretty much on the whole length of my hair. I rinsed the hair with vinegar & water and let it sit the night before. So far, no itchy scalp and this is when it usually begins! I usually do my braids smaller, but decided to go with larger ones this time around. I think I just wanted to get it over with. Anyway, here are a few pics. Better ones to come.

Ms. Janet Jackson- Part 2

Now this is what I'm talkin about! This just shows that you can't judge someones hair until you actually see it done. In the last pics her hair looked like it was wet or she had a lot of gel in it. In these pics, Janet looks absolutely fabulous! Work it Janet! I'm lovin her hair cut and I'm lovin the natural hair!

Pics taken from http://www.necolebitchie.com

Damp Hair Pics

So, I'm putting my hair in braids tonight. I absolutely love braids! It gives my hair a chance to relax for a little.  Last night, I washed my hair with Motions Lavish Conditioning Shampoo, Deep Conditioned with ORS Mayo mixed with one egg for added protein and added my Herbal Essence and Coconut oil as leave-ins.

Here are a few pics of my hair when it is damp. By the way, I am 8 weeks post relaxer. Looking a little thin, but once it dries, it looks a lot fuller.

Relaxer Burn?

A quick remedy to heal your scalp from a relaxer burn is 99.9-100% pure Aloe Vera Gel. Just rub a little on your scalp every day and you will heal very quickly! I use this all the time.

Aloe-vera plants have been used for centuries to treat burns holistically. While the science to verify the long-held beliefs about the efficacy of aloe vera as an herbal remedy is conflicting, anecdotal evidence is strong. The clear sap inside the leaves of the plant has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties that soothe and heal burn injuries.
*Aloe Vera Gel is obviously produced from the sap in the plants*
                                        http://www.e-how.com/

You can find Aloe Vera Gel at your local drug store, Walmart, Target...the list goes on. Just make sure it's 99.9% or 100%. This gel has absolutely NO alcohol in it either.

Janet Jacksons New Hair Cut!

Look who decided to cut off her hair. One of my favs, Ms. Janet Jackson. I honestly think no matter what she does she will always be beautiful. I'm glad to see her rocking her real hair too. Go ahead wit your bad self Janet!

Picture taken from http://theybf.com/

Shedding - It happens to the Best of Us

Shedding:  Everyones hair sheds. Its a natural process.Shedding occurs when your hair reaches the end of its growing cycle and it naturally falls from the scalp with it's tiny white "bulb" attached to it. The bulb is not the actual hair root, but its the base of the root. See, for every shed hair another hair replaces it. So, if the actual root came out with the hair, you would not be able to produce hair from that same place on your scalp anymore. If a hair does not have that white bulb, then its a broken hair. You will notice that shed hair is usually longer then a broken piece of hair.

Ways to Slow down Shedding
If you see shed hair, don't worry. On average a person sheds about 50-100 strands of hair a day. Now, I think that's a lot of hair to be losing. I personally do not want to lose that much hair in a day. The best way I can help with extreme shedding, is with Garlic!

Garlic is a rich source of a number of vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin B-1 or thiamine and vitamin B-6. Vitamin C promotes collagen growth, makes the hair roots stronger and thus prevents breakage of hair. Thiamine helps to improve the blood circulation in the scalp and which is vital for hair regrowth

Garlic Supplements: Garlic Vitamins are said to decrease the amount of shedding. Do a search on it and you will see a tremendous amount of testimonials on the use of Garlic Supplements.


Garlic Shampoos-- Nutrine Garlic Shampoo is a good one that can help reduce the amount of shedding. If you use this once a week the shedding would decrease drastically. (I have not used this, but heard of many good results)

Summer Hair Tips

Here's an article I saw on http://www.essence.com/ on how to prep your hair for the summer. Just click on "view gallery".I usually have my hair braided all summer, so these are good tips for those who don't.
Hot Hair: Prep Your Strands for Summer

The site is a little slow, so here are some tips from the article.

Sleek Chic
May is here, which means summer just around the corner! We know you can’t wait to frolic around the pool or the beach—but first, make sure you invest in some heavy-duty hair protection. We all know that sun, chlorine and saltwater can wreak havoc on your skin, but summertime’s fearsome threesome can also dehydrate your ’do and leave your highlights looking brassy, hot mess. Pro tip: Before hitting the beach, apply a leave-in conditioner to wet hair, and slick it back in a bun. The leave-in will shield your hair from damaging rays, and the heat from the sun will actually help the conditioner penetrate into your strands more deeply.

My Protective Styles

I swear, stretching a relaxer takes so much patience. I'm a little over 7 weeks post and my new growth is starting to get a little tough to handle. This is why I can't wait to braid my hair. For a whole month, I don't have to deal with all that new growth. I plan to stretch until September, which will be about 5 months from my last touch-up.
In the mean time, I have to do a whole lot of protective styling to get me through. See, I'm also not using heat until September. No direct or indirect heat, so all I really can do is protective style.
I just make sure to moisturize and seal  my roots and ends twice a day.  *Trying to avoid as much breakage as possible*

Here are a few pics of my different protective styles. *Yay, my camera cord came in, so this is the last post with camera pics. Well, unless I take a real cute one with my phone*

No Lye vs Lye Relaxer

I never really knew the difference between a Lye and No-Lye Relaxer. So, I decided to do a little research to figure out which one would be best for my hair. During my research, I found this below article that really broke down the difference Lye and No Lye.*Sorry this is LONG*
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/352470/is_lye_or_nolye_chemical_relaxing_better.html

Here's a brief Summary
 

Self Reflection

Those that really know me, know how much I always loved doing and learning about hair. But hair is just one of my many passions. I have so many goals in life that I strive to attain day by day. Sometimes I need to see that list just to motivate myself. So, I decided to share that list with the world. Now that everyone knows my goals, I'm going to work even harder to achieve them.

Build a Stronger Relationship with God - self explanatory. Without God, nothing would be possible. God gives me the strength, courage and ability to do all that I do.

Offer a Helping Hand - Simple as put, God Blesses those who Bless others.  Help those in need. Whether it be with my time or contributions. http://www.cccmission.org
I am also being more involved with my community.

Braids, Braids, Braids!

It's almost that time for braids. I usually braid my hair 8 weeks post relaxer to help me stretch the relaxer to at least 3 months.

I use Kanekalon hair and boil the ends to ensure the braids don't unbraid and give the hair a smooth look.

I do my own braids, always have and always will.

That way, I know they won't be too tight and done the way I want.

Here are my Tips for Braids:

Do a light protein treatment 2-3 days before braiding hair. This will make your hair stronger and prepare it for the braids

If your hair is relaxed, wait at least 4 weeks post relaxer to put braids in. The more new growth the better

Don't keep the braids in longer than 8 weeks. Your hair may begin to Matte

Don't get the braids done too tight- the traction will destroy your hair line

Moisturize Moisturize Moisturize- Spray hair at least twice a day with a braid spray- I use African Pride.

You need to make sure your hair is moisturized to prevent breakage and damage.

Keep that scalp clean- Either wash with a diluted shampoo, once every 2 weeks or clean scalp with witch hazel and a q-tip

Rocking a fade and still Beautiful!

I know this site is about my journey to long, healthy hair, but I think Chrisette Michele looks gorgeous with this new cut. This just proves, whether long, short, relaxed or natural, you have to be proud of your hair and be confident with any style you choose.

And....the best thing about hair, is that it always GROWS BACK! So whatever set-back you may encounter, don't get discouraged, it will all come back..in most cases, even healthier then before.


Chrisette recently explained to VIBE:
“The turning point for me to shave my head was when I was out on tour. I had some pieces glued into my head because I didn’t want to dye my own hair, and the glued on piece would not come out of my head so I said I’m shaving my head because this is ridiculous. This does not make me Black. This does not make me a great singer; this makes me have a piece of hair stuck to my head and I was like, "I’m done, I can’t do this anymore."

My stylist once put a lace-front on me for a show that I did. I wanted to try it out. They take adhesive and put it around the edges of your hair and then they lay stocking material on top of that adhesive and then the rest of the stocking has hair attached to it and then this stocking material blends into your face and then they take makeup and put it on top of that stocking material and blend that into your face. I’m not sure if that’s healthy. I think you might get pimples and I don’t like pimples. I knew girls who shaved around their hairlines so that their lace fronts would lay better. I don’t know about that.”
Taken from Theybf.com

Fresh from the Mailman

Look what just came in the mail! My brand new vibrating scalp massager. I got this off ebay about a week and a half ago for a whopping $2.78(including shipping). I was a little skeptical it wouldn't get to me because it came from Hong Kong, but it did and it works great!
It is said that scalp massages stimulate growth. Before I got this, I would just oil my scalp with coconut, jojoba and rosemary oil, wrap my hair up with a silk scarf, then massage my scalp with my fingers (I did it this way because I hated getting oil all over my hands). I didn't do it as often as I should have but now that I have a vibrating scalp massager, I will be doing this everyday!

Here's a little more info on Scalp Massages that I got from livestrong.com

Overview
A scalp massage can be one of the most enjoyable ways to help with hair growth. Not only does a massage increase the health of your hair and scalp, it can have a positive effect on your total well-being, as it reduces stress, enabling you to feel more relaxed.

Benefits-One of the most beneficial aspects of a scalp massage is that is will increase the circulation in the scalp area. This will help the hair follicles become receptive to the nutrients and oxygen they need for maximum health.


Effects-By increasing blood flow to the hair follicle, hair is less likely to go into the resting phase prematurely. After hair goes into the resting phase, it is shed so that new hair can begin to take its place. But if hair prematurely enters the resting phase, there could be an abundance of hair being shed at one time, which will give the appearance of thinning hair.

Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar

For those who are looking to go the more natural route in terms of hair care products, check out this article on how to wash hair with baking soda and vinegar. I am now trying this (using Apple Cider Vinegar) method and may eventually stop using shampoo all together. The key word is "may". I'll let you all know how it works out. By the way, this is a VERY cost effective method.

How to Wash Hair with Baking Soda and Vinegar: Shampoo-Free, Conditioner-Free Natural Haircare

Here are some benefits of ACV

Apple Cider Vinegar (taken by helium.com)

Great germ killer- If you use it on your hair you can successfully get rid of any germs or other particles which may have come in contact with your scalp.


Helps dry scalp- If you have this problem, after you begin to use it to treat your hair you should see significant improvements and reduction of dryness. All you need to do is give yourself an apple cider vinegar and warm water rinses a couple of times a week after you shampoo and you'll quickly see results.

No More Dandruff- regular ACV and warm water treatments can effectively battle persistent dryness, itchiness and flakiness. For instance, dandruff is a problem many people are afflicted with and using apple cider vinegar can effectively help combat and eliminate this pestering problem. If you've ever experienced uncomfortable scalp itchiness, you'll be happy to enjoy the ways apple cider vinegar can help you overcome this problem.

Shinier Hair- When using ACV on hair, you'll likely see how your hair is shinier and has an overall healthier appearance. No more drab or dull looking hair! A great side effect is it is also effective to eliminate any build up that ordinary shampoos and conditioners cause which is a significant culprit to hair looking on the lackluster side.

Ugh, Breakage!

Does anyone have that one area on your head,that no matter what you do to your hair, it still breaks? It could be your edges, nape (back of hair) or even your crown(the middle). Well, I do. My crown is constantly breaking. It's been breaking on and off for about 3 years, well that's when I actually payed attention to it.
I always wondered why it kept happening. The rest of my hair was fine, just not the middle.
Although I managed to pin-point the issue and I'm now nursing that area back to health, I have a long way to go before it catches up with the rest of my hair. My goal is to grow my crown to shoulder length by December. This goal goes hand in hand with the thickness goal. Longer Crown = Thicker hair


Here's how I addressed the issue


Assess the situation: I realized my crown grows faster then the rest of my hair. So while I may have a quarter inch of new growth in the front and back of my hair, I have about a half inch in the crown. I also realized that my crown gets dry faster then the rest of my hair.


Treat the issue: I pay extra attention and baby the h*ll out of my crown*I moisturize that part first, before I touch the rest of hair*I moisturize it more then the rest of my hair* When I comb that part of my hair, I am extra careful not to pull my hair at all*Applyed extra deep conditioner to it when dc'ing.


Steps I need to take: I need to pay more attention to how my stylist relaxes that part of my hair. Because it's shorter than the rest of my hair, I feel like my stylist may be relaxing already relaxed hair. I either need to speak up and be more aggressive about that area of my hair or oil the ends like crazy before getting a touch-up.

If anyone has any pointers, let me know!
Also, if you have an area that constantly breaks, let me know and I will try to assist! :-)

How I went from Neck Length to Shoulder Length

Here is a list of ways I went from Neck Length Hair to Shoulder Length. What works for me may not work for you, but feel free to take a look.
Click read more for some pictures

Stretched Relaxers- Instead of getting a touch up every 8 weeks, I extended it to 12-14 weeks. This does not work for everyone, if you feel like you get more breakage from stretching, then don't do it. This is also a gradual process. If you usually relax every 6 weeks, try 8, if that works..then go for 10. The less chemical treatment, the better.

Moisturize- Because I was stretching my relaxers, I had to keep my new growth well moisturized. I was basically handling 2 very different textures of hair. My new growth, which is 4B(very curly and course) and my relaxed ends. I moisturized twice a day- roots and ends.

Using Large Tooth Comb- I ALWAYS comb my hair with a large tooth comb. Keep those small combs faaaar away from me

Silk Wrap- I always wrap my hair with a silk wrap, keeps the moisture in and hair in tact when sleeping

Deep Condition- I Deep Conditioned once a week back then

Shampoo- I only shampooed once every two weeks because the shampoo I was using in the past was very drying. I mostly conditioned(washed with conditioner) washed.

My Lil' Glossary

I don't try to use too many "hair terminologies", but I tend to do that a little. See, I sometimes go on black hair care forums and that's all I see so you may see me writing it here and there.
Anyway, here's a mini-glossary of acronyms and terms I may use.

APL- Arm Pit Length
SL- Shoulder Length
ACV- Apple Cidar Vinegar
Pre-Poo- To prep my hair before shampooing to get added moisture. Most of the time I use either oils or deep condition on dry hair for an hour
Protective Style- Protecting my ends by wearing my hair in certain styles to keep my hair off my clothing, shoulders..etc. Most common Protective style is a bun or braids
Regimen- I think most people know this, but it's the steps I take to gain/maintain healthy hair
Seal- To seal in the moisture. Usually done after applying moisturizer and most oils are used to do so.

* Yay for a short post, lol* If you would like more clarification on anything, let me know*

The Forgotten Step

I was asked when and why Porosity control should be used. The reason why I use it, is to ensure my hair retains moisture when (deep) conditioning. Sometimes I would rinse my hair out with ACV/water(see below) or Roux Porosity Control Conditioner after deep conditioning. Either way works fine for me. I always make sure to use it a week before I get a touch-up and a week after.(I should be using it after the chemical process, but I always forgot to bring it to the salon). I probably use it once a week.
Here's a little info I got on Hair Porosity from associatedcontent.com. Sorry this is long, but I wanted to get all the information available.

What is Hair Porosity?Low or "poor porosity" refers to hair that does not readily absorb moisture and resists chemical treatments. Poor porosity is not exactly a problem that should cause you great concern. It is, however, ideal to have hair that falls somewhere in the middle of the two porosity extremes: hair with good porosity that retains moisture well and accepts chemical treatments.


The following questions will help you determine whether or not your hair is overly porous:Does your hair continuously soak in moisture without ever actually feeling moisturized?
Is your hair chronically dry despite your best conditioning efforts?
Does your hair appear/feel puffy, frizzy, swollen, or tough to the touch?
Does your hair have a natural, reddish toned cast to it that is usually more pronounced in spring and summer time?
Does your hair hold styles and curl well?
If you've answered yes to any of the above hair characteristics, and these characteristics appear more pronounced toward the ends of your hair, you may have a problem with your hair's porosity level.Porosity refers to the hair's ability, or inability, to absorb water or chemicals deep into the cuticle layers and cortex. All hair is naturally porous and somewhat permeable to water.

My Products :)

I decided to perform an inventory check on all of the hair products I currently use. Relax a little, this is going to be a looong list.
So....here's my list of hair products.








Shampoo: Organix- Cherry Blosson Ginseng Shampoo
                 Dr. Woods Black Soap with Shea Butter


Conditioner: Mane n Tail - Deep Moisturizing Conditioner
Deep Conditioner: ORS Replenishing Conditioner
Aubrey Organics White Chamalia Conditioner
Leave-in-Conditioner:
Giovanni Direct Leave-in

India.Arie - I Am Not My Hair ft. Akon

Because we ALL need this

Now, I know a lot of people DREAD taking their vitamins. I can say it , I do too. But they are necessary for our overall health and especially our hair health. I take about 4 different supplements daily, one being a multi-vitamin. I hate swallowing pills and I didn't think the children's vitamins were "good" enough for me, so I started taking an adult gummie. A lot of drugstores have their generic version which works just as well. (The VitaCraves can be expensive, about $7 or $8 for 50)



Why do we need multivitamins?
Multivitamins fulfill the deficiency of the poor nutritional value of many foods we eat. In order for the human body to function effectively and efficiently, it needs a daily supply of several important nutrients. The daily stress of life, fatty foods, pollution, and germs decrease these necessary nutrients of from the body. It depends on us how we replace them. We can do this by eating nutritious meals and taking quality nutritional supplements.


*Articlesnatch.com*


Why do we need a multivitamin for Hair Health?
Vitamin deficiencies have also been linked to hair loss Anemia, a vitamin B-12 deficiency and copper deficiency may all cause hair loss and are easily prevented by taking a daily multivitamin. Multivitamins contain essential nutrients for bodily functions, such as hair growth.
Taking a multivitamin every day will not guarantee you a full head of hair again, but a natural cure that is not expensive is certainly worth a try.

*sytledepartment.com*


****MAKE SURE YOU ALSO DRINK PLENTY OF WATER****

Disclaimer: I am not advertising these products, but showing what I like and what works well for me.

Blast from the Past

I wish I knew about proper hair care in the past. I used to go to the salon every week and relaxed every 8 weeks, which is fine, but I didn't take care of my hair in between. I didn't know the difference between protein and moisture. I never protective styled, my hair was down every day. I moisturized, but not with the proper products. I just did what my stylist told me to do.

The first picture was taken March 2007 (after getting a virgin relaxer) and the second was March 2008. I should be embarassed to even post this, but I see a difference in my hair from then to now. My hair grows fine, the retention is the hard part.

Extra Mayo Please

So, last night was my "wash day". Just so you know, I am about 6 weeks post relaxer.


Here's what I did......








I pre-pood with jojoba, coconut, castor and sweet almond oil all day. When I got home from work, I put ORS Hair Mayo on my dry hair.

I put on my Deep Conditioning Cap and let it sit for an hour.

I then proceeded to wash it out.

After washing out the Hair Mayo and oils, I rinsed my hair with Distilled water and ACV.

I then rinsed one more time with Mendex.


After towel drying my hair, I put in my leav-ins.

I sprayed my hair with Aphogee Pro-Vitamin leave-in diluted with Distilled water, put in some Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship and sealed with my Shea-Aloe/Coconut oil Mix.


Here's what my hair looked like airdryed. It's not completely dry here though.
I'll be posting better pics once I get a new cord for my camera.

Bigger and Better to Come

This site is under construction. As you can see, I just began this Blog. There will be a new design coming soon! So stay tuned :-)

Cute Hair!

I love Ashanti's hair in this picture. Weave or Not, her hair looks FABULOUS! I can't wait until my hair reaches that length.

**I got this picture from Necolebitchie.com**

My Regimen

As promised(haha like 5 minutes later), here is my regimen. This is tentative. I will update with a better regimen soon.

I put this picture up because this is where I was this time last year, which I call the beginning of my healthy hair journey. Sorry I don't have a better one. Previous to this, my hair was a little below shoulder length, but it was so thin and ugly. By the way, my hair type is 4B

Anyway, back to my regimen:

Regimen To Follow For the next 4 Months.

Goal- APL by December 2010

Last Relaxer- March 27, 2010

Moisturize and seal twice a day- Shea Butter Mix and Profectiv Megagrowth Anti-Breakage Strengthener

Oil Scalp every other day with Wild Growth Oil Light Moisturizer mixed with Sublime Sulfur

Shampoo Hair once a week with Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo

Deep Condition twice a week. Sundays and Wednesdays
ORS Hair Mayonnaise(protein) and Lekair Cholesterol(just started these two)

After each wash follow up with Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Leave-in- Aphogee Pro Vitamin mixed with Distilled Water, Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship, Shea Butter Mix

Put hair in one braid and Airdry

Relax Every 3-4 Months- Next Relaxer in August or September

Grapeseed Oil

So, the other day when I was in the Vitamin Shoppe, I stumbled on Grapeseed Oil. I originally went there to purchase some Avocado oil because I heard it's a good sunscreen for the hair, but the grapeseed was cheaper(hehe).Before I talk about how I feel about it, so far, let's look at what researchers say.

Grapeseed Oil is a preferred cosmetic ingredient for damaged and stressed tissues. It's regenerative and restructuring properties moisturize the skin and help maintain normal cell structure. It has emoilient properties that impart a rich, sily luster to skin while soothing skin irritation. This oil is suitable for all skin types and will not aggravate acne because of its mild astringent properties. Grape Seed Oil is an excellent base for lotions and is also useful for hair conditioning and styling. This 100% pure oil is also food grade and can be used as a solid or culinary oil.

I use this oil as a sealant. After I moisturize with my Shea Butter Mix, I apply this oil and my hair stays moisturized all day long. I might try this on my skin too. I'll let you know.

The bottle I purchased was 4 oz. and was about $5.00.
I just bought it on Friday, April 30..so as time passes by I will let you know more of what I think.

My Goal

Ok, so I would like to make APL (Arm Pit Length) by December.

I would also like to thicken up my hair. I will post my current regimen soon.

I am currently Shoulder Length and I think it's taking FOREVER to get where I want.

I actually hate this picture. My 4B hair looks so see-through and thin. I feel like the longer my hair gets the thinner it looks which makes me want to cut it all off and start from scratch.
I won't be posting any length pictures until September. I hope there is a drastic change and I see much more thickness.

This was taken April 3rd 2010, I believe, so this is the length I'm currently at.

I am 1 week post relaxer in this picture as well which could be one of the reasons it looks so thin. My hair always looks thin after a touch-up and after the first wash it thickens up.
My questions to those out there, what are you doing to thicken up your hair?

So I decided to start a Blog! :-)

Hey Everyone,

So, I decided to start a blog. Something I thought I would never do.
Let me first explain the name 6footlonghair. I am a 6 foot tall female and I feel like it takes longer for my hair to reach a certain length(I have a long neck and torso). Which is why I named this 6footlonghair. I do not want 6 foot long hair, that would be waaaay too much for me. My ultimate goal is for my hair to reach my bra-strap..

Ever since I was a child, I loved hair. The only difference from then and now, is that I practice healthy hair care.
In the past I used to wear braids and weave all day every day, but didn't practice proper hair care to maintain any length that I was growing. My hair was the same length for years and I didn't know what I was doing wrong. Then again, I cared more about the style then my actual hair. Now I am all about practicing healthy hair care and this blog will be used as my journal to see my progress along the way.

Thanks for stopping by.