Keep It Straight

I took my weave out!! *dancing in joy* It actually wasn't that bad. I was diligent in getting my scalp and braids moisturised. I tried at least once a week to put in some hair trigger on the scalp and in the braids using my handy root's only bottle. I love love love roots only and will be buying a whole bunch as stocking stuffers for the women in my family. I think I neglected my leave out a little bit. I wasn't as consistent with the moisturise and seal routine as I could have been. And I think the ends broke off a little. (and I got a little dandruff along the part between braided hair and left out hair *pout*). Plus it was WINTER!! My hair does not appreciate the dry or the wind but I found a solution!!! Satin lined hats. I jerry-rigged that cap I have now but I've managed to convince a friend (who knits. Yeah!) to make me a nice new one so I'll be rocking that soon.  Like this. Click on picture to go to her Etsy website. The satin lining

The temperature has finally dropped in my part of the states. It was pretty dramatic too. One day it was 23 degrees, the next day it was 9 degrees. So I decided to try the "protection round" of my hair regimen. THE WEAVE! I got on the interwebs and started exploring the world of the online weave. Let me tell you!!! So much information! So many options! So much money that could be spent!! A lot of money can be made off the weave industry. There are these things called closures that can go up to $200!!!! WTF?!

I did it! It was a fun exercise. My pictures are unfortunately not very conclusive because I remembered to take the before picture right after taking out braids. So they're curled up and not at their true length. I tried to recreate the same effect and pose in the after picture but *shrug*. Will I do this again? Yes! It's 28 minutes in total. I get a good week of scalp massages in there and I did a little yoga as well. I do believe I may have gained an inch as well. Either way I win!                                   Before inversion                                           After inversion

       aka The Miracle of Castor Oil I'm not going to say much I'm just going to let the pictures talk for themselves. This is just of the right side of my head from June 26th, July 17th and August 18th. It's pretty amazing really. I stopped using the oil as religiously as I used to but looking at the progress I made after two months....I'm going to start again.  June 26     July 17     August 18

I'd been complaining to my sisters how hard it was getting to comb my hair with all the new growth. Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy that my hair is growing thick and strong but it was hellish trying to keep it moisturised and detangled. And I wasn't even 8 weeks post!! It was getting so bad I considered relaxing early. So I went to get my hair did. I got a nice deep moisturising conditioner, my hair dresser complimented me on how thick my growth was (yeah for validation) and got my hair flat ironed. The last time I put heat in my hair was in July when I got my hair relaxed so I'd forgotten all the goodness that a flat iron could bring.   Can be used for GOOD!! It's like I have a different head of hair! The undergrowth is still there but it's a better reflection of it's significance. aka. it's only 8 weeks of growth so definately not time to relax yet. It's easier to access the roots to moisturise and my comb is safe on

I didn't intend to write about this until the week was over but I thought it might be helpful to record how I'm going about achieving "inversion" First off I have a pretty low futon that I used for the first two days. I'd sit on the futon and bend over my knees with my head facing the floor (just like I'm painting my toe nails). I also sucked in my belly because hey...I might as well. I haven't had any problems getting up from that position so you might want to give it a try. Yesterday I had a flash of inspiration and decided to start my inversion in downward dog. Which is an excellent position because your head is facing down. You also get to work out your arms, legs, back and butt for 4 minutes. I held that position for 5 deep breaths then moved into a hip opener or three legged downward dog . I do that for each leg and that usually gets me to about 1min 25 or 1min Then for the last minute I got onto my hands and knees but still kept my head

I came across this method last night and i'm eager to try it. Apparently by massaging your scalp with hot oil (I'm going to try it with hair trigger elixir...and cold) and then holding your head 'upside down' you can stimulate hair growth and grow about an inch in just a week. *looks skeptical* It sounds fishy but I've seen pictures on youtube and I figure why not. Here are the rules 1. You must only invert your head for 4/ FOUR minutes. Pretty obvious if you think about it. Your head was not meant to have all that blood swishing around in it. If you want to avoid injury...stick closely to this rule. 2. DONT DO IT OFF A BED. Do not! Do not! use a bed to invert your head. Per YouTube peoples, one woman tried it and lost her eyesight for a couple of minutes. Yes...EYESIGHT. 3. You must rise up slowly after inverting your head. SLOWLY so that you reduce your dizziness. *4. If you do  hardcore yoga, you're probably already doing some variation of a hands

Hi, My name is bcook and I'm 6 weeks post. I have a confession: My enthusiasm has plateaued. I no longer have the patience to moisturize and seal in sections. My undergrowth and the dryness that follows are leaving me weary. My hair doesn't like protein. *sob* Protein Dislike This is a problem for me because I have very very fine hair. I was hoping occasional blasts of protein would lead to a tougher, thicker strand. What I'm beginning to realise is that if I use my mild shea moisture boabab shampoo twice in a row...my hair protests with massive shedding. The minute I blast it with moisturising shampoo and heaving M&S sessions, it calms down. Plateau I think (I hope) this is normal. I'm not a very patient person so the rate of hair growth is wearing. I am seeing progress. Exciting progress. But I was hoping for shoulder length hair by now. I know I know I know! I was obviously expecting too much. I started in May 2013 it's now August 2013. That

I'm one month post relaxer. The little growths are beginning to impede my finger combing!! I've been using hair trigger as part of my Hair Sauna Treatment and it seems to be working out fine. My poor pillow cases can only take it a couple of days in a row so I usually bag my hair on Thursday and Friday nights. Then try and wash on Saturday or Sunday. How I do it: (I was using the comb from my hair applicator thingie but it cracked *sob* ) 1. Section the hair into four. It's a lot easier to apply that way and I feel like I'm really covering my scalp. 2. Pour a little of the hair trigger onto my palm and work onto my fingers 3. Gently massage my scalp with my trigger covered fingers. Work the extra oil on my palm through the strands. 4. Apply Neutrogena triple moisture leave in to my ends 5. Wrap and seal and go to bed. So far so good. I like the way it makes my hair feel. It's so much softer.  A lot of hair grow mavens have spoken about th

I'm so excited!! Look what I got in the mail! HAIR TRIGGER!!!! I'm excited because it's the same stuff that Jen from JustGrowAlready.com uses as her pre-poo and look at that hair!!* I haven't decided if i'm going to use it daily or just as a pre-poo. Of course main ingredient is castor oil no? so it's so heavy it'll probably be best to use it every other day....or closer to wash day. *claps hands and hops from foot to foot* And (also based on Jen's recommendations) I've got the hair applicator thingie that lets you spread oil evenly so i'm all set!   I was very impressed with the packaging. It was so well wrapped I had problems unwrapping it. Also got a lovely handwritten card and a note on the shipping invoice as well. Very nice and homey. I hope they don't lose that touch as the company grows. Will let you  know how it works out. If it works I'll start working on converting others. *Granted she's using

For some wierd reason, my edges decided to act up this year. Maybe it was because of the weave I did over the christmas holidays *shrug* maybe it was due to stress or me pulling my hair back too tight. Who knows. But the edges, they were damaged. I only took of my right side before I started but quickly realised the left side need some love too.   June 23. Right Side I decided to try the castor oil challenge  to see if that would help fix this problem. I'd been trying to do that with champion 2000 but it doesn't work as fast as I was looking for and I was a little worried that it was contributing to my breakouts. I started in the last week of June and except for Fourth of July weekend have tried to do it every day when I moisturise.  Left Side. July 17  Right Side. July 17 This is what it's looking like about 4 weeks in. Not much of an effect but it does look like something is happening. Definately on the right side you can'

I'm in my 12th week post relaxer!! Yup. That means there's 3 months worth of new growth on my head. This is the first time I've paid a lot of attention to it. So I'm quite proud of myself. Usually at this time, my new growth is dry and hard to comb; I'm starting to thinking longingly of relaxer and the amount of hair on my bathroom floor is approaching the size of a small dog. This time around, my new growth is (relatively) moist, pretty easy to comb and even though I am thinking longingly of relaxer it's because I'm anxious to see if my hair has grown or not!!! I read a review of this Komaza Care moisturizer spray for new growth on the JustGrowAlready and it sounded really promising. So I bought the 2oz bottle and have been using it for a week now. It's really helped! It's a little weird because it's white and comes doesn't come out as a "spray" it's more as a "stream". Since growth is showing signs

Week two of Hair Sauna Treatment I think my hair is reaching a nice moisture level!! YEAH!! I've only had to moisture and seal every other day this week. I did the GHE Thursday, Friday and Saturday and left the bag on for aaaages. I didn't sweat as much this week. Probably a function of the lower temperatures here. I like the regression effect it's having on my relaxed hair. It's giving me waves which I think are kinda cute. On the Con side, It makes my ends look fuzzy and I'm not sure if they're splitting and thus dry or just fuzzy from all the moisture. I used the Neutrogena Triple Moisture (It's going really fast, I have to figure out an efficient way of using it coz at $8 a pop I can't be buying a bottle every month) and put the olive oil on my edges the first night. Then I bought Castor oil and used that on my edges the rest of the time. Funny Story: I went to CVS and asked for Castor Oil. The guy had no idea what I was talking about. So I

Lots of hair blogs/networks have hair care challenges. They usually last about 3 months and are a way to introduce a product or care method into your regimen. There's also lots and lots of progress to be seen. I'm currently considering two challenges. One is the castor oil challenge on this website  (registration is closed but that doesn't stop you from following along) and the other is the Green House Effect (GHE) challenge that was originally developed by a lady at RealQueens.net. The Castor Oil Challenge Involves using castor oil (any kind is permissible) on your roots and scalp as part of your weekly routine. The castor oil is supposed to stimulate growth and the antibacterial properties work to keep your scalp clean and infection free. The Good: Results have been pretty stunning across the interwebs. Strong healthy roots lead to strong healthy hair. The Bad: My itchy reaction to JBCO has me hesitating. If only there was some way to skin test this before

I've tried GHE with Neutrogena leave-in moisturizer, seal with Hollywood beauty olive oil on tuesday and GHE with just the oil yesterday. I also didn't keep the shower cap on the entire night because it just felt so weird. I know the point of GHE is to use 'natural' products but I think my hair feels less dry doing it the first way. There was definitely more moisture on the shower cap on Wed morning than this morning. I had to moisturize and seal this morning because it dried up so fast. :( So back to the original method. Though....does it become bagging now? Maybe I should just called it the Hair Sauna Treatment. There. I've created a new method interwebs...have at it.

It's been a month since I decided I was going to get serious about growing my hair. It feels like years. I think if anything, this HHJ (Healthy Hair Journey) is going to teach me about patience and acceptance. Coz darn it! This hair should be grown already! lol. I have to accept it though. This first year is going to be hard. Yes I might see some growth but until I figure out what works well on my hair, until I learn how to take care of it properly...I'm not going to see the progress that I want. What Have I Learnt So Far? 1. My hair is really demanding and confused! (or maybe I'm confused) e.g. It really liked the Shea Moisture shampoo I was using, but hated the combination with the moisturizer. So I fixed the moisturizer...but then it didn't like the shampoo anymore. So I got a new moisturizing shampoo...but I think it hates the shampoo even more. Granted the new shampoo has sulphates in it. It's really funny how just weeks ago I was moaning about

This topic has been covered and covered and covered but I'm going to do it anyways because well you can never hear too much good information. The Breakdown (like my little pun there?): Hair Porosity is your hair's ability to absorb water and product and retain what is absorbed. There's three kinds (much like goldilocks and the three bears). 1. Normal Porosity - not too high and not too low...just right. This is what you aspire to if you're on the other side of the spectrum. 2. Low Porosity - Your hair has difficulty absorbing moisture. It is also difficult for moisture (once it gets in) to leave your hair. 3. High Porosity - Your hair absorbs water ; a lot of it and very fast. It's however difficult for it to maintain that level of moisture and it very quickly feels dry and rough to touch. There are several things that can affect your hairs porosity. Some are natural causes (i.e. it's not your fault) others are human applied (i.e. it's you

The weekend of distressing news Saturday: After a progress picture (even though I told myself I would only do it every two months I couldn't resist) I came to the sad conclusion that my ends had to go. :( :( I went of to the salon for a wash, deep condition and trim. I am now at nape length hair. *sad violin music, wailing and teeth nashing* Looks Healthier...so that's good I guess Part of me knows this is for the best. Better to get rid of all those split ends now than wait for it to get worse buuuut.... all the competitive type-A part of me is thinking about is the major setback in my length journey. This is the shortest my hair has been in a long time!! I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out a game plan. Sunday:   I have come to the conclusion that I don't have a hair growth rate problem...I have a retention problem aka super fine ends. I did a porosity test (next post) and concluded that I have low porosity hair.  What does that mean?

I tried a braid out yesterday.....pretty big fail :( Method Analysis 1. I went heavy on the moisturiser yesterday because a) my hair has been feeling really dry this past two week and b) I hadn't moisturized for three days. 2. I sectioned my hair into 5 parts, did a pretty loose braid and tucked the ends into the braid. 3. I didn't braid all the way down to the tips because they've been fragile lately buuuut I also didn't have anything to curl the ends with. Will have to get on that. 4. I'm trying to protect my nape so did it up in a little cornrow. Since I was going to have my hair down nobody would see it. Result Analysis 1. The curls turned out really well (little did I know)! My ends were straight which was annoying but I tucked them away. 2. I did a little moisture and seal by just rubbing a little on my palms and kinda squishing the curls. 3. Two hours later the curls dropped. :( Verdict I was very disappointed because last time I

I've been using Shea Moisture Shampoo with Yucca and Baobab for three washes now. Here are my impressions so far The Good 1. Volume. My once thin hair is thick and luscious. I'm getting volume that I usually get from 3 weeks of undergrowth but all along the length so whoo whoo! And it seems to last for a long time.   Look So Pretty! 2. The texture. I'm getting used to the not obviously clean feeling ( which is actually caused by all the moisture being stripped from my hair...so that's a good thing) because it feels so soft!! The Bad 1. Shampoo seems to have ALOT of protein which is good coz I need to bulk up my strands  but my moisturising conditioner isn't strong enough to balance it out.  I might need a new conditioner. 2. Damn thing won't lather! I've read reviews about a nice soft lather but I'm just not seeing it. :( Its probably because the water here is so hard but still!! The Verdict I wanted to give this a month of was

aka why doesn’t my sulphate-free shampoo lather ? I started using my new Shea Moisture shampoo (with Yucca and Biotin *natch*) this weekend….and quickly realized I’m going to change my entire hair washing technique. Why? No Suds! No Bubbles! No Sodium Lauryl Sulfate!?! Yup, one of the major ingredients that creates those awesome bubbles and lather is also the number one culprit for dry, rough hair. I’ve been trained to equate lather with cleaning. The convention goes "The more a shampoo lathers the cleaner my hair is going to feel" but going on this HHJ means giving up the bubbles for the sake of the length. That clean feeling = drying and dangerous for your hair. I know that. I just wish somebody had warned me that sulphate free shampoo = no bubbles.  :( :( So this new wash requires a new method. Here’s what I’ve concluded from my experience. 1. Don’t desperately keep adding more to your hair in the hopes that bubbles will show up. They won’t. You’ll

  JBCO = Jamaica Black Castor Oil             I’ve been fighting the good fight against split ends and breakage. They seem to be winning but I will prevail! One of the things my hairdresser suggested is a deep oil conditioning and treatment. So I went over to get my hair did. She used JBCO and this awesomely named oil mixture called Complex 5 (you can check it out HERE on Amazon). My hair feels stronger and there’s lots less shedding buuuuut I had an unfortunate reaction to one of these two oils. I suspect the JBCO because I’ve read about other people having the same reaction. My scalp began to itch! I didn’t notice at first. I just thought it was a few random itches.  But when I started scratching at work!! I wouldn’t realize it but two hours into my work day I’d go to the bathroom (drinking lots of water makes you pee lots and lots and lots) and notice that my hair wasn’t as together as it should be. Now it’s normal for my scalp to itch when it starts get

Yup It's another black girl hair blog. If you're like me, you've come across some amazing women on the interwebs doing awesome things with their hair. And the one thought going through your (and my) mind is their hair is long! Like amazingly long . Scaringly long . How are you ever going to get to that length?? If you've stumbled across this blog then it means you're trying to grow your hair out and can't figure out where to start. There aren't enough blogs out there that show women at the beginning of the Healthy Hair Journey (which is where I am) so hopefully this'll help you. Maybe we can start together?? How Did This Start?      I put on a gorgeous long weave this christmas and loved the way I looked in it. I'd been holding myself back mentally from long hair because I thought I'd sweat too much, my neck would feel uncomfortable etc. It's true that did happen, but I found that the good outweighed the bad. So I decided for my New