Hair Update

Hey Y'all!!! How are you? Hope everyone is doing wonderful!
I know, it's been a lonngggg time. I think this is the longest I've been away and I hope to never go that long again.
Anyway, just wanted to come by and give a brief update on my hair.
There hasn't been any changes in my regimen. It's been pretty consistent. I am using Shea-butter a lot more now though. I'm pretty much over commercial hair products and Shea-butter has been working perfectly fine for me for all these years. I wash/deep condition weekly and still only finger detangle.

 I wore my hair in twists(large and small) for about a month.  I will never do small(not quite mini) twists again. They took 5 hours to install and like 2 to remove. 

 I wore my hair in the signature puff amongst other puff styles. 

I just tried to switch it up a little. 

How's your hair doing? Any changes for the Winter?

Moisture is my BFF this Winter. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Same Ol'

Hey Hey Hey!!! Happy Friday! Hope you all had a great week!

 

Just wanted to pop in and give a brief update on my hair.

 

I haven't been doing much since I removed the twists. Just bunning, twists(with my own hair) and puffs.

 

I still wash/deep condition weekly and moisturize/seal 5-6 times a week. Now after washing, I blow-dry my hair while in twists or braids(whichever way I set my hair) because I don't want to sleep with wet hair.

 

I decided to hold-off on the poetic justice braids. I think I will do those once it gets really cold out. So for now, I am just enjoying my loose(well sometimes) hair.

 

Here are a few ways I have been rocking my hair.

 

The Signature Puff 

 

 

The Signature Twists

 

Hello There!

How I mainly wore the twists 

Hey hey hey! Hope you ALL are doing well!

Just wanted to say hello and give a brief update on my hair.

I took the twists out. I had them in for almost 4 weeks and it was time for them to go. They started to look raggedy and I did not feel like re-doing some. So, I took them out last night. All went well until I realized I cut my real hair in the back(insert sad and shocked face here) when cutting the ends of the twists. I had no idea my hair was that long. Instead of crying, I took it as a blessing in disguise.

Protective Style- Marley Twists

Hey Y'all!!! Hope you're doing fabulous!

I have been wearing my hair out all Summer and I needed a change. At the spur of the moment, on Saturday AM, I decided to put some twists in my hair. I ended up starting them at 4pm and finished at 9:30pm. I was surprised how fast I did them(compared to the 8hrs in the past), but I was determined to finish and enjoy my evening.

Vacationing with the Fro- Pt. 3

Hey Y'all!!! Hope everyone is doing fabulous!!

I recently went on a trip and wanted to show y'all how I styled my hair each day.

\

Let's start with the night looks. 

Because I knew I would be dancing a lot, I knew that I wanted my hair up and out of the way. 

Listening to My Hair

Guess who's back in twists??

You guessed it, Me! haha.

Okay, so I have been wearing my hair out for a little over a month now and I felt like it needed a break.
Last week, I wore my hair in a different style every single day. Because I get bored easily, I needed that kind of change. In my mind it ended up being a little too much manipulation so it was time to do a protective style for a week or 2.  My hair also felt a little dry and twists retain a lot more moisture than my loose hair.

Weekend Hair

Shrinkage and Minimizing Tangles

I personally don't like the stretched hair look(on myself). I tend to wear my hair in it's shrunken state and have learned a few ways to minimize tangles.

1.) Remove Shed Hair Often- Shed hair causes tangles so I try to get rid of them daily. I typically do so at night when I'm setting my hair. I just gently finger comb and pull out any shed hair I see/feel. My hair is typically well moisturized while doing this to avoid any breakage.

So Far, So Good

As you (may) know, I have decided to wear my hair loose for the Summer. Because I primarily wore my hair in twists/braids for the last three years, I was afraid I would experience breakage or spend too much time on my hair in the AM. Neither of those issues have came up.
I do the L.O.C moisturizing method(Water/AVJ, Shea-butter mix or Coconut Oil, Shea Moisture CES) about twice a week and my hair stays very moisturized. At night, I either put my hair in 6 bantu-knots or 6 twists to keep it semi-stretched. In the morning, if I need to, I will lightly moisturize and seal.  It is actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I spend 10-15 minutes total(AM &PM) on my hair daily.

My hair styling is simple. Here are a few ways I have been wearing it. Hopefully, with time, I will become more creative when it comes to styling loose hair.

 

Summer Hair Regimen and Challenges

 Not much is changing for my Summer hair care, but I thought I would still document for future reference. So in case y'all are wondering, here is my Summer hair regimen.

Weekly

• Deep condition on dry hair overnight- Currently using Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque and Olive Oil
• Shampoo(in twists)- Using Shea Moisture- Moisture Retention Shampoo
• Add Leave-ins(take the twists out)- AVJ Mix and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. Seal with Coconut Oil
• Finger detangle
• Braid, twist or band when air-drying

Then and Now- Shrunken Fro Comparison

My hair DOES NOT grow the "average" 1/2" per month, but I'm still glad to see that It grows. As you can see it isn't that MUCH of a difference, but hey progress is progress.
I plan to wear my hair loose(aka no protective styles) for the remainder of the summer. I hope that I still see progress and that I don't have any set-backs. So far, I haven't had any issues. I'm enjoying my hair and I guess that's what matters most.

 

 

This is my shrunken fro back in October 2013

Late to the Party- Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie

I just want to sing this product praises! My hair has never felt so soft yet not greasy in so long.
Y'all know that I religiously used my AVJ mix/Shea-Butter as a moisturizer/sealant, but I started getting really tired of the Shea-butter smell. I tried putting different essential oils such as lemon, lavender or orange oil to mask the scent, but I wasn't feeling it. So, I wanted to try something different. I also felt like my hair could be a little softer. Well, last week I took advantage of CVS's BOGO sale on Shea-Moisture products. On Sunday, I purchased the Curl Enhancing Smoothie and the Deep Treatment Masque. Both worked wonders on my hair, but I particularly loved how the Curl Enhancing Smoothie felt(on my hair) and smelled. I went out later that week(on Saturday) and purchased another jar of the Curl Enhancing Smoothie and the shampoo. I hope I have enough to last until the next BOGO sale comes around because my hair feels and smells fabulous!  As for "enhancing curls", I didn't buy it for that, so I can't speak much on it.
The only draw-back is that it didn't give me much hold when doing a braid-out. My hair went right back to it's original texture, but I'm fine with that.. I was seriously sleeping on this product! But it's better late than never, right?


IngredientsDeionized Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Silk Protein, Ammonium Salt, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil,

Original Cost at CVS and Walgreens: $13:49

Taking the Bad with the Good- Natural Hair

 

I love my hair. I can say that with no hesitation, but there are a few things that sometimes irk my nerves.

For instance:

Not being able to get the same style twice.

I loved my hair like this:

and this:

But no matter what I do, I haven't been able to replicate these styles. Looks rather simple, right? Well for some reason my hair just wont form those shapes again. This usually only applies to "down" styles.

Hair Update- Picture Heavy

Hey Hey Hey!! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

I just wanted to come by and give a quick update on my hair.

• In the last month or so, I have been wearing my hair out a lot. I now keep my braids/twists in for only a few days out of the week opposed to the 1-2 weeks I used to do. I just want to enjoy my loose hair as much as possible.
• I  did a Henna treatment last weekend. This time around I mixed it with coconut milk and my hair felt awesome afterwards. Coconut milk helps the henna rinse out so easily too. It's definitely a keeper in my henna mixes going forward.
• I had to cut off about an inch off the back of my hair. It's growing so much faster than the rest of my hair and it has a looser texture, so it looked awkward and mullet like.
• I have been really tempted to blow-out my hair, but because it's getting hot out, I will hold off until the Fall
• I have been rocking a fro lately and I am loving it. I usually keep it shrunken, but will experiment with stretched out fros in the future.
• My edges seem to be thinning and I don't know what's causing it. I also noticed a dime sized bald spot today in the front of my hair on the right. To say I'm devastated is an understatement. I plan on going to the Dr. to make sure I'm okay physically/internally. If so, I will be using an oil mix and scalp massages to help regrow it.

On to the pics:

Natural Hair Inspiration

Hey Y'all. Long time, no see! I hope you are doing well!

 

Okay, so I'm on Tumblr everyday and see beautiful heads of hair on the regular. I couldn't resist posting some of them on here.

 

I see the beauty in short, long, thin, thick, loc'ed, twisted...you get the point, I see the beauty in all types of black hair!

Hope this can be of inspiration to some of y'all too!

 

 

A Day in the Life of My Natural Hair (Picture Heavy)

Okay, so I had twists in my hair from Monday-Sunday. On Sunday AM, I looked in the mirror(at my raggedy twists) and didn't like what I saw. I looked a hot mess and thought to myself, "life is too short to feel ugly." So, I took them out Sunday Morning.

This is what transpired after the twists removal.
*Keep in mind that my hair is oily and weighed down which is why it looks so thin.*

 

Directly after removing twists.

3 Signs Your Hair Needs a Break

We've all had those moments when we get fed up with our hair and just don't know what to do with it. For most, the frustration passes, but for others they take drastic measures. Don't be the latter. This is where long term protective styles come in handy. Sometimes our hair just needs a break. I typically get twists or braids that last up to 6 weeks, but there are so many other protective styles you can do. For instance, wigs, weaves, crochet braids, all sorts of twists with added hair, faux locs and much more. Keep that in mind before you do anything drastic.

Edit: This post is for those who actually do(and enjoy) protective styles in their hair journey.

Anyway, here are 3 signs your hair really needs a break.

1 Year Post Big Chop Hair Comparisons

I completely neglected to do an update on my hair growth for my 1 year post big chop anniversary.

I like to have these documented to see my progress throughout the years. I wasn't going to do an update because I did cut 1-2 inches of my hair off a few months ago, but decided to do one anyway.

Recap:

Last Relaxer- 11/2011

Big Chop- 3/2013

Currently- 30 Months Post Relaxer

 

Photo's a couple weeks after last relaxer

How I Keep My "4C" Hair Healthy

 

I'm not really big on hair typing.  On the other hand, I do find it helpful when searching for ladies(on YT or Blogs) with the same hair texture as me so I can get some tips and tricks. I would classify my hair as a predominantly "4c" texture especially when it's dry.  If you would like to see my hair wet, with no product click here.

Sick of Protective Styling

So, y'all know that I primarily wear my hair in twists or braids during the week, right? Although they are very convenient, I'm pretty much sick of them. I would like to wear my hair "loose" more often and not just on the weekends. I am afraid of  tangles and knots though. I haven't experienced them(excessively) as of yet, but I know it's a possibility.

Anyway,  I don't really like wearing my hair down often. Even when relaxed, I preferred ponytails and/or buns and  only wore my hair down on weekends. I think I will continue on with the trend mainly because my "down" styles take more time to do in the morning.

Here are a couple ways I have been wearing my hair. Very simple, just how I like it. I'm sticking with buns and ponytails for now

 

 

My ponytail is completely shrunken here. I kind of wanted it this way, so I just put my stretched hair in a pony, wrapped the front then hopped in the shower to let the steam make my hair shrink. 

Some New Things

Hey Y'all. Just wanted to share some recent hair care related purchases.

From left to right:

Misto Spray Bottle- I have been seeing this a lot in videos and wanted to give it a try. Why buy Oil Sheen, filled with crazy ingredients, when you can make your own? So far I like it, but you should only fill with lighter oils. I.e, no castor oil
This bottle cost me $8.00 and was purchased from Marshalls

Vacationing with the Fro - Pt. 2

Hey Y'all! Hope you're doing well! 

I went to Jamaica on a mini-vacation and wanted to share my experience with you. 

Hair care was very simple and the same as before. 

Liebster Award

Hey Y'all! I am back with another post(See,I told you I will blog as much as I can before June :-) ).

 I would first like to thank Blessed Tresses for nominating me for the Leibster Award. Feel free to check out her blog(click on her name) to follow her hair journey. Ain't nothing better than a woman of God!
I think this is a great way for you all to get to know a little bit more about me as well. I haven't done one of these in a LONG TIME. I apologize to others who have nominated me and I haven't participated.

Random Hair Pics

Happy Sunday!

I just wanted to share some random pics of my hair from this year. I am 1 year fully natural as of March 8, 2014 :-) This is mainly how I wear my hair during the weekdays and on weekends. I also threw in some "trials" as well. 

Yes, I know I have the same pose and smile in most of the pics. Try to overlook that and focus on the hair, lol. 

Friday- Removed braids I had it all week 

Will I Ever Straighten My Hair?

Image found on Tumblr, but I know two of the ladies are Reneice(bottom left) and EClark(top right)

It has been about 2 years and 3 months since I last used direct heat and have seen my hair fully straight.

3 Hairstyle Killers- *Natural Hair

Have you ever done your hair and realized something doesn't look right? You used the same exact technique you've always done yet the results weren't as good as the past?

These may be some of the reasons why.

Bad Ends- When was the last time you dusted or trimmed your ends? Lightly stretch your hair(with your fingers) and take a good look at your ends. If they are much thinner than the rest of your hair, it may be time for a trim. Thin ends can ruin any hairstyle, especially twist & braid-outs.
I just trimmed  1+ inches off and it made a huge difference on how my hair looks. Never underestimate the power of a good trim.

What Happened?

I don't post as often as I used to. At one point, I was posting almost 5 times a week, maybe even more. But as you all can tell, that was a thing of the past.

So, let me explain what happened.

1.) I figured out MY hair- When I started this blog, I had short relaxed hair. My main goal was to learn as much as I could about relaxed hair and share that with y'all. In turn, I tried many methods and loads of products. I was also on hair boards heavily. That's no longer the case. I stick to what works, I don't try many products and I probably visit a hair board once every 3 months or so. All of that trial and error really helped me realize that less is more, for me.

Bantu-Knot Out on Natural Hair- Complete FAIL

Hey Y'all! Long time. Hope all is well on your end.

So, there is a reason why I stick to my trusted chunky braid-outs. They always come out the same and I don't have to worry about a bad hair day when doing them.
Nevertheless, I still tried something different. My hair has been boring me lately, so I figured trying a different style would get me out of the funk. I have never done a bantu-knot out on my natural hair, mainly because the shrinkage isn't appealing to me, but decided to give it a go.


I started on stretched hair since I took out the braids I had in all week.
I spritzed each section with my AVJ mix, finger detangling then two strand twisted my hair. I then made a bantu-knot out of each twist, forming the knot in the same direction I twisted my hair.

3 Ways I Keep My Hair Healthy in the Winter

This is by far one of the worst Winters I have ever experienced. Luckily my hair hasn't suffered much and here is why.

1.) More Protein- In general, natural hair doesn't need as much protein as chemically treated hair. For me, it helps keep my hair strong, but I must only use a light protein treatment. Because of the extremely cold weather, then high dry heat at work and home, my hair needs more protein in the winter. I have been doing light protein treatments(ORS Replenishing Pack) once a month. By doing so, my hair remains strong yet soft.

Detangling- The Bane of My Hair Journey

Hey Y’all!! Hope you all are doing great!

I decided that I will officially end my “hair growth” journey at the end of the year.

So whatever length I am left with, I will maintain for years to come(well that’s if I do not suffer a setback God forbid). Meaning, I will then begin to trim far more often. I currently trim every 6 months or so(I don't use heat, harsh tools, chemicals and my hair is primarily in protective styles) and starting next year, I will most likely trim every 8 weeks.

Vacationing With the Fro - 4C Natural Hair

Hey Y'all! Hope everyone is doing fabulous!

I recently went to Vegas to celebrate my birthday and surprisingly, caring for my hair was super easy.

These are the only things I needed:

Review: Luxe Therapy Scalp Smoother

I have tried almost every type of Afro pic under the sun. 

For the most part, they did their job which was to add a little more volume to my hair. But because my hair is kind of thick I needed something that could get to my roots easier while also being gentle on my hair. In comes the Scalp Smoother. I learned about this from MissCinnamonCake on Youtube. She used it in a few of her videos and also did a review.  I was sold by the review and purchased it a few weeks later. 

On to my review. 

Relaxed Hair is Versatile TOO

Many times when I read natural hair spotlight interviews, they state that their natural hair is so much more versatile than when relaxed. That may be the case for them and I will never dispute or argue their truths, but I feel a little differently. Relaxed heads can do the same exact styles as naturals. The styles may look different and the hair won't revert back to curly, but relaxed hair is just as versatile.

Let's be real, in general, WE are very creative when it comes to hair. It doesn't matter if we're relaxed, natural, loc'd, weaved, wigged, braided, ect., versatility isn't much of an issue.  

Here are just a few ways I styled my hair when relaxed: 

I Made APL and HOTD

Happy Sunday! 

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!

This weekend I decided to wear my hair out and when randomly pulling a piece of hair down, I realized it touched my arm pits! To say I was surprised is an understatement. Now, only the back portion of my hair is full APL, but I'm okay with that. I prefer a layered look anyway. The front of my hair goes below my chin and the sides are past collar-bone. I will do an official length check when I reach one year natural. Just to note, my hair DOES NOT grow the average 6 inches a year. I retained about 10-10.5 inches of growth in 2 years and grew 6-7 inches(of natural growth) when transitioning for 16 months. 

So, as a brief recap of where I started at 16 months post relaxer: 

My Hair Products

Click to enlarge

From left to right:

Aloe Vera Juice Mix-(Aloe Vera Juice(40%) Water(60%) a few drops of Rose Oil)- I spritz my hair daily and nightly with this before I seal with an oil or butter

Shea Moisture- Yucca &  Baobab Thickening Growth Milk- I rarely use this, but when I have my hair in twists, I sometimes use this to seal instead of an oil or butter. Once done I will not be repurchasing 

My Wet/Natural Hair Texture

I rarely get to see my wet hair loose because I always wash in braids. Because I was doing a Henna and Indigo treatment, and had to wash my hair loose, I got to see my fro in all its glory.

Twists to a Braid-Out

When I first went back to natural, I hated the way braid and twist-outs looked on me. I stuck to the same ol' puff and kept it moving. Now that I have a little more length, I have been experimenting with more "down" styles. For now, I am going to try more braid-outs, twist-outs and bantu-knots.

Later on in the year I am going to stop being lazy and use my flexi-rods, perm-rods, rollers and even my caruso rollers. I'm not about wasting my money, so I will most definitely put those curlers to use. 

On to my hair: 

New Products

When I started my hair journey, I was buying new products like crazy, always trying to find the next best thing. 

Well, things have changed. I rarely purchase new products unless I really need them. I basically stick to what I have and re-purchase when necessary. 

A Year in Review - 2013

Happy New Year!!

I hope your year is starting off great and wishing you all much happiness in 2014 and beyond. 

I started 2013 transitioning, with the urge to big chop, and I ended the year as a happy natural. 

I have learned so much about my hair in the last year and realized that less is really more. 

I don't use many hair products, tools or manipulate my hair often and my hair is thriving. 

Now here is my 2013 hair in review. 

January- My go to transitioning style. The high bun