Hair Journey "1 Month" Update

Wednesday August 8, 2012

Hey everybody! Well, actually  today is Wednesday so Sunday was actually my one month point  but to be honest I lost track of time. I was thinking that the 7th was going to be on this Friday ...lol but anyway my hair journey is going great. I'm really enjoying it. I've learned so much from myself and different hair websites. Now that I'm keeping my hair in check I don't look forward to a relaxer as much because my hair isn't drying out and looking pathetic. I've been keeping my hair moisturized and I make sure I protect my hair with a wrap or two...lol at bed time. My hair looks well taken care of and I'm so proud of myself. I even had people tell me how healthy looking my hair has gotten in this short period of time.
As far as growth, it's growing about 1/2 inch a month but the back seems to be growing fast than the front. I don't know why but if anyone has that answer please comment below. I don't believe I even mentioned it in my first posts but my goal length right now is neck length but I eventually hope to get to mid back length but I'm taking baby steps. The way things are going so far I don't think I will have much of a problem reaching my goals.
I believe the number one most exciting thing I have noticed on my journey is that the patch in the back of my hair where I had so much breakage, it is now just growing out of control. So, I may be doing some things not exactly right but I am definitely doing a lot of things right and I am very happy with how I am progressing. 
Right now, the only two products that I haven't tried that I really really really want to purchase is Coconut Oil and the Jamaican Black Castor Oil. I've heard so many good things about these two products. I also plan to buy the so popular Argan Oil. I absolutely want to try this stuff and as soon as I try these products I will be posting about them.
For those of you who are following my castor oil challenge for my edges, I am still doing those applications and I will have an update on that at the end of this month.
The closer it gets to relaxer time I am getting a little anxious to see my new length but when I do a length check you will be the first to know. Below I have posted a photo of the new growth that has grown in from July 5 to the present. Thanks for reading and chat with you later.

My Haircare Regimen (UPDATE)

Wednesday August 8, 2012

Good day friends. This is just an update on my regimen. I still use the same products but have added some since my last regimen update.  I have posted about the new products but i like for you to have all of them right at your fingertips on one post. So here we go.....

Co-wash: only once a week instead of twice (my hair does fine with once a week) 

Protein Treatment: once a month

Search and destroy: I search every time I wash but haven't destroyed yet.

Added to My Regimen: Hot Oil Treatments.....I have a mixture of castor oil, tea tree oil

and olive oil in a spray bottle which are all good for hair growth. I do hot oil treatments    

once a month. Check out my hot oil treatment post to see the procedure I use.

This regimen has been working great for me. I plan on keeping this regimen for a while. If I add anything or take away anything I will be sure and let you know because sometime your hair just needs a change and the products stop performing the way they use to. So until next, be safe and I'll talk to you next post.

Creme of Nature Leave-In Conditioner Update

Saturday August 4, 2012

Hello everybody! I love it when a plan works out. Well today was a wash day. I used my creme of nature leave-in conditioner and my hair came out magnifico. I used only about a little more than a quater size for my entire head. My hair is so soft and silky i'm loving it. So remember in most cases the less product you use the better. Here are a couple photos of the final result.

Creme of Nature Leave-In Conditioner.

Wednesday August 1, 2012

Hey everybody! Today I finally bought a leave-in conditioner to help moisturize my hair. It's called Creme of Nature Lemongrass and Rosemary. I like this conditioner because the consistency is thick. But when I put it on my hair it made my hair feel packed down and dirty like it was packed with products. My hair did look moisturized though and my hair came out really good. When I was done with my hair I was reading reviews which I should have done before I purchased it but anyway a girl posted the the first time she used it her hair felt dirty also but the next time she used it she used less and her hair was perfect. What I see I need to do is get the understanding of what a small amount is and since I don't have much hair it really take nothing to cover my hair. I know it will take some getting use to but it can get aggravating at times but if it means getting healthy hair its well worth it. This journey is all about trial and error so its all good. So about a quater size or a little larger should be enough for my hair length and more if your hair is longer. So enough of that. I'll be posting at a later time to let you know how my second application came out. Thanks for reading..Bye Bye!!

Failed Hair Wrap Results

Monday, July 30, 2012

Well, I kept my word and I am posting about my hair wrap results. Well, my results were like so disappointing. As I began unwrapping my hair, I was combing the right side and its falling pretty and flat and as I was combing around to the left side it's not going down like at all. The more i combed the higher it was getting.  Can you say Chia Pet to the third power. I was so upset. Had to get to work so I had no choice but to apply a little heat protectant and flat iron. Even flat ironing didn't do much so  I pinned it down with bobby pins. I didn't use as much oil as I usually do. Well actually I didn't use any oil because I didn't want to weigh my hair down. I knew I should've moisturized and sealed but I definitely learned from my lesson. No only did my hair have way to much volume but I also had major fly aways which the heat protectant did help with that. I also believe my hair length had a lot to do with the way my wrap came out. I usually just comb my hair straight back and wrap it and I've had not problem with it laying flat. Volume is okay but I just didn't want it for this particular style. But if you want volume V05 volumizing shampoo and conditioner with body and bounce is the way to go. And my hair actually did bounce. But it was just bouncing all over the place and only on one side of my head...lol..And not using oil my hair was slightly drier than I like it and than I'm use to. But you live and you learn. I am going to try this style again when my hair has more length because I have wrapped my hair before and it came out fine. It wasn't to bouncy but it did lay really flat. I am also going to make sure that I MOISTURIZE AND SEAL like I know I should...lol Below is a pic of my hair after the touch up. It actually looks a little shiny in the photo but its dry to the touch. If you have any tips or tricks for me Please, Please Please comment. Thanks in advance!!

New Shampoo and Conditioner/Essential Oils For Hair Growth

Sunday July 29, 2012

Hey everybody hope youre enjoying your day. First I want to talk about two new products that I have incorporated into my regimen. I’ve been wanting to put a little bounce in my hair so I’ve been looking around for products that will do just that. So I finally found V05 volumizing shampoo and conditioner that maximizes body and bounce. So far it works great. It makes my hair really soft. I could really feel the softness while I rinsed. I did notice more bounce than usual after I flat ironed. But what I also noticed was that my hair has more volume. So along with these products and some of the other products I’m using I will be seeing more thickness which I don’t really want but I guess it will be okay. And since my hair is cut in layers its going to look thicker anyway. After I flat ironed I wrapped my hair which is said to leave your hair bouncy if you don’t put a lot of oils in it that will weigh it down which I didn’t do. I’m really excited to see the reveal in the morning. I’ll be sure and post tomorrow and let you all know how it came it.

The second thing I want to talk about is two types of essential oils that I’ve began using to get my hair to grow. Thanks to my lovely older sister for passing on her cosmetic making materials to me. I didn’t use the oils for cosmetic making but I did put them to very good use. The first oil that I use is Lavender oil. By the way today is my first time using these oils. I mix the lavender oil in my shampoo. This oil is very strong. Actually all of the essential oils I have are pure and very strong so a little goes a long way. But I only use about three drops and the smell is overwhelming but it smells really good. The second oil I’ve used is peppermint oil and this oil is the theeee bomb!! This stuff smells so good. I also add about three drops of this but only to my conditioner. Today is a wash day but I will also be adding it to my conditioner on co-wash day. The peppermint oil make the scalp cool and tingly. It just feels like its doing something. I love this stuff. And its even better that I didn’t have to pay for it…lol….but try these oils they’re really good. So between the two my growth should pick up a bit. I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about these two oils. Oh by the way. VERY IMPORTANT: I’m not sure about the lavender oil but I know the peppermint oil has to be diluted with something before using it if you want to apply it your hair. Dilute it with a little water. People use it alone but I wouldn’t recommend it. I wouldn’t recommend using any pure oils alone. Since I mixed mine in the shampoo and conditioner I didn’t dilute with anything. If you have any input or anything just leave me comment. Til next time, bye bye.

 

Want Stronger Nail? Try Lemon Juice

Tuesday July 24, 2012

Hi, just wanted to share this little tid bit with you that I just ran across while searching the web. I've always had dry brittle nails. Every time a got a little length they would break and split. I learned today that lemon juice helps strengthen nails. Its an inexpensive little trick. I love a challenge and it sounded good to me so I gave it a try. This is a three week process and my nails have to be left unpolished during this time. I got a mixture of  warm water and lemon juice. It didn't say how much so I just squirted some in, enough to get a good smell from it.  I let my nails soak for twenty minutes then I dried my hands but I didn't wash my hands until after ten minutes then I washed them in lukewarm water. I'm going to do this process everynight for three weeks. After three weeks my nails are suppose to be nice and strong and should be long because they won't be spliting and breaking. After the three weeks this process shouldn't need to be done again for six months. So I really hope this works. I'll be back in three weeks to show you the results.

Nail Length Before Lemon Juice

Protein Treatment

Tuesday July 24, 2012

Today I did my protein treatment. I used Organics Hair Mayonaise for my treatment. I love this product. It makes my hair so shiny and soft to the touch. I also learned recently that anytime you do a protein treatment you have to follow it up with a good deep conditioner and I took that advice. Below is the steps I took to do my treatment and my hair came out fab.

*****This was also a Co-wash day which I did prior. I have posted that procedure in an earlier post.

Step 1: Part hair into four sections.

Step 2: Apply treatment to each section and comb through with wide tooth comb.

Step 3: Make sure the treatment covers every hair strand.

Step 4: Don't place a shower cap on because the heat my cause the egg in the treatment to cook

Step 4: Leave treatment in for 30 minutes

Step 5: Rinse with luke warm water.

Step 6:  Apply a good deep conditioner. I used Africa's Best Deep Conditioner

Step 7: Leave deep conditioner in for 30 minutes then rinse.

***It's very important to do a deep condition after application because this will prevent the treatment from causing hair breakage.

Castor Oil

Monday July 23, 2012

Hello, today I want to talk a little bit about a product that I bought a couple days ago. The product is called castor oil. I knew that castor was good for cold and stuff but I never knew that it would have a growth effect on hair.So about 2 or 3 days ago I began using it to grow back my edges on the sides of my head. My nape is in good shape, thankfully. Most of the damage around my edges came from when I was younger and I guess I would call it a little nervous condition or something but I would just sit and pull pieces of my hair out...lol...thank goodness I out grew that little problem. But then I started wearing braids and that caused me to have the balled spots that you see in the photo below. I've been applying castor oil once a day but I'm going to begin applying it twice a day. I use castor oil in my hot oil treatments also. Although I didn't see an obvious change in my hair texture or anything it should eventually help lengthen my hair. And since I only do hot oil treatments once a month I still may not notice much change but I'll just have to be patient and see what happens. I'm going to come back later with the results if any of my castor oil applications around August 30th which will be around the time of of my next relaxer, if I feel my hair is in need of one. Talk to you soon.

Left Side

 Right Side

Hot Oil Treatment Day

Thursday July 19, 2012

Today I did my first hot oil treatment and after that I washed and conditioned. Honestly, I can't see or feel a difference in my hair. I'm sure that it will probably take more than one application before I see a real difference so I'm going to try it a couple more times and see if I get better results. Below I've posted the procedure that I used for my treatment. If you see anything that you believe could be changed or improved or something that I did just totally wrong or backwards please feel free to comment.

Hot Oil Treatment-----> First, I mixed half castor oil (for hair growth) and half tea tree oil (for hair
breakage) I used a spray bottle....I sat the oil in a hot pot of water to warm it, then applied the oil mixture to my scalp and massaged it in then applied it to my hair from root to end.....Then I wet a wash cloth and put it in the microwave a couple seconds to heat it then placed it on my head before placing on my shower cap. I left the treatment in my hair for 30 minutes because thats all that my time would allow. You can leave it in overnight for better results which is what I may have to start doing. When the thirty minutes were up I washed it out with lukewarm water then shampooed.

Help!! I Hate My Oily Skin!!! (My Skin Care Regimen)

Wednesday July 18, 2012

Hi everybody. Today I want to mention a little about oily skin because I''m not only working on making my hair healthy, i'm also working on making  my skin smoother and more healthy looking. I've always had a problem with oily skin. Especially when I use to use grease on my hair. At times I looked like I just rubbed vegetable oil all over my face. It wasn't only aggravating it was embarrasing too. I hated it!!! After I stopped using grease in my hair it calmed down a little but still not enough for me. So I check around and did a little research and found an oil-free facial cleanser called Clean and Clear Morning Burst. I've only used it one time but it made my skin feel so soft and the appearance of it was just so clean looking. I love it. I haven't used it long enough to see if it will actually clear some of the bumps off my face, which a lot people say, what are you talking about what bumps? I know I don't have many but the least little things just bothers me for some reason now. But anyway I've read a lot of good reviews about this product and thought I would share it with you. And by the ways it smells good too. It has a citrus sent thats used to wake you up. Try it, you'll see what I mean. But this is definitely going to be part of my regimen for awhile anyway.
Another thing I found was that when you have oily skin you don't need to use any moisturizers on your face because the oil in your skin is all the moisturizer that you need, and then some if you have skin like mine. Anyway, I've posted below, my skin care regimen and the products I use.

Night Regimen: First I clean my entire face twice with witch hazel. This gets out a lot of dirt and oil before I wash my face. (I use cotton balls)....Then I use Blackhead Clearing Scrub....(I have the off-brand but to be honest its works just as well as the Clean and Clear brand.. This is a really good product also) I put about a nickle size in my hand then add water and rub it on my entire face making sure I steer clear of my eye area. It doesn't make much of a lather. I rub it in for about 30 seconds. You will feel it tingling. That's how I know when time is about up. Then I wash it off and blot my face with a towel.

Morning Regimen: First I clean my entire face with witch hazel. This gets outsome of the the dirt that has accumulated over night.....Then I pump a nickle size amount of Clean and Clear morning burst into my hand along with water and rub it over my face until it lathers making sure to steer clear of my eye area. I rub it in for about 20-25 seconds. This also tingles but its a good tingle. This is good stuff.....Then I wash it off and pat it dry.

******Remember: If you have oily skin Do Not apply any lotions or moisturizers to your face.

Products I Use And My Regimen

Saturday July 14, 2012

I don’t really have a solid hair care regimen yet but this is one that I have been trying out to see how it is going to work out with my schedule.

Wash and Condition: Once a week, Co-Wash: Twice a week, Deep Condition: Once a week, Protein Treatment: Once a month, and Search and Destroy (or snip ends) : Once a month.

So far this is working out well but may have to be altered later. I really need to get a good idea of my hair growth and hair health before I will have a sure fire regimen that I know I can stick with for a while.

The products that I use are: Hawaiian Silky No Lye Relaxer and Shampoo, V05 Split End Shampoo, V05 Split End Conditioner (Used for co-washing and on wash day), Herbal Conditioner (Off brand here. Don’t recommend funds were low. I here Herbal Essences is good), Organics Hair Mayonaise ( Used for conditioning but will begin using for protein on protein treatment day), BB Hair Growth Lotion, Smooth Touch Silk and Sleek Heat Protectant, Doo Gro Mega Thick Growth Oil, Smooth Sheen Conditioning Spray. I just bought a new V05 shampoo called Herbal Escapes which I will alternate with the V05 Split End Shampoo.

Doo Grow Mega Thick Growth Oil

Friday July 13, 2012

I’ve only been using Doo Grow Mega Thick Growth Oil for a couple days but already I can see the effects. I apply this oil to my hair at night along with a small amount of BB Growth Lotion. My hair seems to be a lot fuller. I was so use to products weighing down my hair. I figured the more the better but that I have come to learn is definitely not the case. My hair is so full, soft and free feeling that I truly don’t know how to act. If anyone feels they want to try this product and I urge you to… let me know how you liked it.

Wash, Condition and Deep Condition

Thursday July 12, 2012

Hi everyone. Today I washed and conditioned my hair for the first time since my relaxer. I used two different types of conditioners. For my shampoo and regular condition I used V05 Split End shampoo and conditioner and for my deep condition I used an off brand herbal conditioner. I wouldn’t recommend using an off brand because you really want to get one of the better brands but at the particular time my funds were low and somethings better than nothing.

To deep condition: First I applied the herbal conditioner to my entire head and combed it through with a wide tooth comb, massaged it into my scalp then parted my hair into four sections and concentrated on my ends, after that I wet a wash cloth and put it in the microwave a couple seconds, removed it and placed it on my hair and put on my shower cap. This helps keep heat inside the cap which helps the conditioner have more of an effect on the hair. (A heated bonnet or sit under dryer can be used also but takes only 15 minutes) where with the shower cap it takes 30 minutes. When the time was up I styled as usual and the results are below. This treatment left my hair so soft as a feather. I love it!

My First Co-Wash

Monday July 9, 2012

Today was my first co-wash and my hair came out great. I also used a heat protectant which I had never used before. My hair is so bouncy and light. I’ve always wanted my hair to feel this way.

How I Co-Wash: I wet my hair, add the conditioner (good amount of any conditioner will do), I massage it into my scalp a little then place a plastic shower cap on for 10 minutes, then I rinse in cool water, after that I apply more conditioner. This time I concentrate more on the ends of my hair. I leave that on my hair for about five minutes then wash it out and style. (don’t have to place a shower cap on at this time).
What I believe added bounce and lightness to my hair was the heat protectant that I used by Smooth Touch called Silk and Sleek. I applied this to my hair before I blow dried and then again before I flat ironed. Its not greasy so it doesn’t way down my hair. I will definitely continue to buy this product. (Sorry, I forgot to take a photo)

First Relaxer (On My Hair Journey)

Thursday July 5, 2012

Today I began my hair journal. I began by relaxing my hair with Hawaiian Silky Professional No Lye Relaxer. After shampooing with Hawaiian Silky neutralizing shampoo and conditioning with Organics Hair Mayonnaise (a really good product) I applied BB growth lotion to my hair then blow dried. Then I used oil sheen spray to flat iron my hair. The results were really good. The conditioner made my hair really shiny before applying the sheen but the sheen just added a little more shine.

Why Did I Decide To Do A Hair Journal?

Thursday July 5, 2012

I decided to do a hair journal because I want to have longer healthier hair. Being an extention wearer caused me a lot of hair breakage. I use to glue in my tracks and the glue caused so much breakage but only the back of my hair. I had it cut the first time in 08. Then I let it grow back out and began sewing in my tracks which worked great. I know I was silly for this but in 2011 I had my sister glue in a quick weave on a cap, thinking that the glue wouldn’t touch my hair. But guess what? It did. So when I finally took it out I had major breakage. I tried to doctor it up myself but nothing worked. So again in 011 I did another big chop. I tried to keep it washed and conditioned as I was suppose to but it was not growing as fast as I liked. So, you live and you learn. I started searching around on you tube and realized that I wasn’t the only one with these problems. I am so in love youtube and its tutorial videos. Youtube and tons of research helped me so much and I learned a lot. So, I hope that the tips and tricks I have learned and will learn on my hair journey will help you out in your journey.

Let Me Introduce Myself

Hey everybody, my name is Alice and this is my hair journal.

First, I would like to tell you a little about myself. Currently I work as a CNA. I really enjoy my job. Helping people has been a passion of mine for a long time. Although, recently I have been looking into another opportunity in the healthcare field that I will feel you all in on at a later date. But anyway, I have two little ones, my little girl who’s five and my little handsome man who is 3. Although they acts sometimes like they’re ages are in the double digits. You all with kids know exactly what I mean…LOL. But I wouldn’t trade them for all the money in the world.

Having two hyper kids of my own I know that raising a family is not an easy task. And sometimes we as women spend so much time taking care of our families and their needs that we totally neglect ourselves. And it doesn’t have to be that way. And it shouldn’t be that way. Before I had kids I always had a comb and brush in my hand. I had a different hairstyle everyday. Sometimes I would change it two or three times in day and I guess what? I still had plenty of time for other things in my life. But for some reason when I had kids I came up with the excuse that I don’t have time for myself anymore. And an excuse was exactly what it was. So from now on mommy’s that its excuse is out the window. You make time for other things in your life why can’t you make time for yourself. Taking care of yourself in anyway is good for you but for a women having her hair done is a major confidence booster. I know it is for me. I’m not saying its going to happen over night but with hard work and determination you can have beautiful flowing hair like you see on television and magazines. And I’m just starting my hair journey also so you won’t be in this alone. We can help each other. So ask yourself: AM I UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?