Change Of Plan

Hey there! Today I bring your guys a couple of changes in my projected hair plans! First of all, I said my next picture hair update would be of my new growth but I realize that any new pictures I put up won't look all that different from the last ones so I may as well hold out until some significant change happens. Since my last shots were from about 5 1/2 months, my next ones can wait for month 9! This will coincide with my next trim at the end of January. Secondly, I've decided that I will not be cutting off my relaxed ends until thirteen months after my last relaxer as opposed to the scheduled twelve. "Why?" you might ask? Simple, 13 is my favorite number! Haha. Now knowing me, this could change at any given point. I might punk out once month 13 arrives and say let's go eighteen instead but I usually feel confident about my number! Soooo, Projected BC of April 29, 2010 has officially been changed to May 29, 2010! I'm excited!! :)

Hair Over Health?

"I hope you're not going to put any water in your hair"-my mom

As previously stated, I was super sick all weekend. Today is Sunday and my hair looks a conflab FOOL! Just before leaving my home for school my mother said to me "I hope you're not going to put any water in your hair". Now, if I wasn't transitioning my first response would be "heck no". But I am, and without water...I am lost. Seriously. What am I supposed to do with my hair? The roots are matted and the ends are bone straight! My professors will not allow me into their classes with a rag on my head and frankly, as a leader on my campus, I don't feel comfortable representing myself or my organization in such a fashion anyway. So what's a girl to do? I don't know, but I know one thing..my fever has gone down and I'm about 90% sure that I won't get an excuse to miss class due to my illness and thus, my hair can no longer get an excuse because of my illness. Sorry mom, grandma, and every other black woman who's ever had any kind of influenece on my life but I am most definitely washing my hair while sick. I promise it'll be dry by morning!

Oh Em Gee!

Since Thursday I've been coming down with a cold. Friday nights and all day Saturday was the peak of the illness. I had a fever of 101.6 and was this close to shaving my head BALD! OMG, i was sooooo HOT!!!! Not to mention the mangled matted mess that my hair is in at this point! Things are not EVEN looking up at this point guys. I'm still in it to win it though! No perms on my mind! I'd like to give a toast to the sistas stayin strong through it all! Cheers! *Sips on Ny'Quil* :(

The Morning After

So I definitely forgot to tell you all about my first co-wash after I'd straightened my hair last weekend! My bad! As previously stated, while straightening my hair I made sure to use a ton of heat protectant. I've done enough research to know the dangers of heat damage to us naturals. For those of you who don't know I'll explain a little later. Back to the story: So I hopped in the shower and used my detachable shower head to saturate my hair in H2O while simultaneously giving myself a scalp massage. I mean my hair was soaked! However, when I didn't automatically feel my hair revert back to it's natural texture I started to freak. What in the world was going on?! If I had just gone 5 and a half months without a perm only to ruin all of my progress in one weekend I don't know what I would have done! So, I slapped some good ole Herbal Essence's Hello Hydration onto my hair in hopes that it could salvage my curls. They came back a little but not nearly as much as usual! My heart was broken until I remembered one last trick: LeKair Cholesterol Plus! I saturated my hair from root to tip in the stuff and let it sit with a plastic cap for about an hour or so. Once I removed the cap, I saw that my lovies had returned! I was indeed a happy camper! So that was one more thing that I learned about my hair: it requires TLC after heat in order to return to a normal state.

Now, to those of you who may not know about heat damage I'll do my best to explain. Heat damage occurs when the hair is exposed to too much direct heat. (i.e. flat irons, blow dryers, curlers, etc.) The hair is damaged beyond repair and for those of us with kinky or curly hair, the effects are very obvious. Are you a natural who uses direct heat often? If you are you may notice that your curl pattern isn't as bouncy and healthy or possibly even non-existent. It is very common for women who have heat damage to have straight areas that simply will not revert back to their natural pattern. For women who are transitioning, it is extremely important for them to find a "transition style" that will allow them to manage their two textures without heat. For some, this can be too much and hence "the big chop". Personally, I find that co-washing and bantu knotting my hair at least twice a week helps to mask the two textures and allow for me to pretend I'm fully natural! LOL You've seen in a lot of my pictures on here that I'll wear my hair in puffs quite often. Other transitioners use flexi rod sets, braid outs, twist outs, hair extensions, and other styles to transition without heat. In case I haven't made myself clear up to this point let me make it plain: using too much direct heat while transitioning can cause your natural hair to becoming permanently straightened and thus defeating the purpose of your transition process. If straight is your thing then by all means, relax! Just make sure your hair is healthy. Remember, natural does not mean healthy and "perm/relaxer" is not a four letter word. As long as you're happy with your decision and your hair is healthy..have at it!

Here's a video that I found on youtube that I thought you all may find interest in. Enjoy!

FINALLY

Hello ladies! This weekend my mother allowed me to borrow her USB adapter so here are those pictures. They are all between 23 and 24 weeks post relaxer. Enjoy!

freshly straightened
6 AM before the parade
after the parade was rained on lol
for my birthday..shoulda took better shots of the hair..sorry lol
birthday celebration #2 :)

So that's that...my next picture update will be texture shots of my wet/dampened new growth. Until next time ladies, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Hey ladies!!! I come to you all a brand spankin new TWENTY-ONE YEAR OLD!!!!! I know, I know...kind of excited! LOL that's fine...After the heat overload over the weekend, I opted to keep my hair in the bantu knot out for my special evening. I went to a popular bar/restaurant in the Baltimore area with a friend. Here are a few shots I took before leaving from my iMac. I have others on my camera but as we all know my USB is jacked...I've ordered a new chord for my camera but it hasn't arrived yet. Once it does I will update you all with the real pictures. So now, without further ado, I present to you all...me..lol

Picture Update

So today was the parade..here are a few pictures from my digital camera!

Oh No She Didn't!

Oh yes I did girl, and I got the pictures! LOL I know ya'll like....what? Well, let me explain! This week is my university's annual homecoming week. We have events every week night that lead into our homecoming day parade and of course, the football game! As an executive board member of the National Council of Negro Women, I am going to be a part of the parade along with Miss NCNW. Our theme this year is retro. Basically we want to emphasize the longevity that NCNW has enjoyed through the years and pay homage to the ladies who came before us in our organization. I chose the 1960's as my decade to honor. Last night I stood in the mirror for hours trying to figure out the best way to manipulate my bantu knot TWA into a style that best matched the 60's. Sadly, my curlies failed me. I decided to do a co-wash (with NuGro), a deep treatment with LeKair Cholesterol plus and put a little heat to my hair. Of course, I used heat protectant (hydratherma naturals hearbal gloss heat protectant) I think that's the only product from that line that I don't have a problem with..but that's another story all together. Anyway, I digress...after making sure each section of my hair was completely protected from the heat I blowfried it with my yellowbird blowdryer (which I love to death) and used my chi ceramic flat iron to straighten my hair. Before using the chi I made sure to apply another coat of the heat protectant. My hair came out BEAUTIFUL! Bouncy, shiny and FULL of body! I am in love. I almost missed my straight hair after seeing the end result. Not enough to relax again though! Honestly, my roots get a lot straighter with my 2 1/2 inches of newgrowth than it did with the perm! This right here is pure confirmation that relaxers no longer have a place in my life and definitely not in my hair! Sidebar: Good Hair comes to theaters today! I may or may not be going to see it tomorrow! I'm excited. If and when I go I'll be sure to blog my reviews! Below are a few pictures of the products and tools that I used and of course a couple shots of my hair :) As always ladies, click to enlarge & until next time Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

NuGro

So for the past couple of weeks I've been using the popular "miracle conditioner" NuGro . This isn't the first time I've experience this product. I was using it faithfully around March before I started my transition process and I absolutely loved it! It provided a LOT of slip and made my hair feel silky smooth. The product claims to "p

romotes longer hair, healthier hair, thicker hair. Can grow hair noticeably in 2 - 3 weeks, can thicken hair in days, can arrest shedding hair in about 4 days." Lots of women on youtube have been documenting their usage and success with the product. There are a few who aren't impressed but most seem to have positive feedback. As for myself, I still really like NuGro. The smell isn't the greatest but I can honestly say (unless I am trippin beyond reason) it has grown my hair quite a bit. Back in August when I did my first mini chop, I cut my hair super uneven. My friends told me it wasn't noticeable but I definitely noticed! Especially when trying to do my bantu knots. The back left side would always be much harder to twist and coil. Well, last night while doing my bantu knot set I noticed that it wasn't as difficult to knot as it was before. At first I was like "hey my hair grew!" and then I remembered my NuGro and just had to post a product review! If you can't tell by now, NuGro get's a GIRL, YES! from me! I probably use it more than the bottle recommends but hey, I do what I please! lol Now I will say this, NuGro's conditioner is not one that I would highly recommend for detangling hair. It's very watery and it feels like your hair is literally drinking it. By that I mean, there is hardly any left on the shaft to detangle with. Lately I've been using Herbal Essence's None of Your Frizzness to do my detangling with a wide toothed comb and a paddle brush. Well, I hope I've helped someone out today...until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing! :)

P.S. the pictures for NuGro that I found on google were ENTIRELY too small so I'll just give you guys the link to their site. OH! I forgot to mention, their prices aren't too bad either!! Click Here to visit NuGro's website for more testimonials, FAQ, and to order!

Sans Scissor Challenge Update

"I am currently fighting relapse!"-DJ

So it's been about 2 months since my last trim and as many of you know I'm supposed to be going for a good 6 months before my next trim. I am a recovering scissor addict but ya'll...I am currently fighting relapse! I don't know what it is, but my ends are just HORRIBLE! Okay okay, so maybe I know what it is...I don't baggy my ends and my hands are pretty much always in my hair. I knoooow..."Bad Donna!" I'm still going for my 6 months but every time I inspect a strand of hair and see my horribly damaged ends I just get the scissor itch! I have included a nifty little chart that identifies the different type of split and damaged ends so that you ladies can be sure to have a head full of healthy hair from root to tip. In case you all don't know the "dangers" of split ends, allow me to break it down. While hair strands do indeed begin in the scalp, the key to length retention is your ends! Hair grows at a rate of about 1/2 inch per month; so if your ends are damaged and breaking at about 1/2"+ every month you will either see no growth or you will notice your length decreasing! I know some of you may be the complete opposite of me and find yourself terrified of scissors and all that they represent but one way or the other damaged ends will contribute to length dwindlement (lol that's so not a word). The choice is yours though. Would you rather cut them bad boys off (and i do mean bad) or allow them to eat their way upward to the healthy part of your hair? Hmm, them scissors aint lookin so bad now, huh? LOL here's that chart I was telling you all about:

Below is a list of ways that you could be damaging your ends:

1. Wrapping your hair

2. Excessive use of heat tools

3. Wearing wool scarves/sweaters

4. Allowing your hair to go dry

5. Use of harsh chemicals (i.e. relaxers, dyes, etc.)

6. Use of shampoo (co-washin is wassup! lol)

*There is no such thing as "repairing" split ends.*

Hair Type Hype

Now this is a topic that is hot Hot HOT in the natural community for obvious reasons. HAIR TYPE...4A, 3C, 2B, oh my! It can be a little confusing. Most women's hair will change several times during and after her transition back to her natural glory. At this point in my journey (a little over 5 1/2 months) it's next to impossible to predict what my hair type will be. Some of you may be wondering what the benefits are to knowing your hair type. Well, that's simple, although no two curls are ever the exact same, knowing your hair type may help in narrowing down what products, techniques, and tools may be best for you and your hair. It can also help you avoid a few disasters and wasted dollars. Case in point, those of us with Type 3 hair and beyond should do our best to stay away from products containing alcohol. Alcohol is extremely drying to all hair, but being as though the coils of curly hair make it rather difficult for our natural oils to travel all the way down the hair shaft, we see the effects much much more! Dried out curls are never cute! Well here it is ladies, educate yourself and make the decisions that will lead you to hair euphoria! Being as though this blog caters to type 3hair and beyond, that's where I will concentrate. (this article was taken from naturallycurly.com)

Type 1: Straight Hair

Type 2 (a,b): Wavy hair

Type 3: Curly Hair

With curly hair, there is a definite loopy "S" pattern. Pluck out a hair, stretch it out. Notice the curvy lines. Looks like s stretched-out Slinky, doesn't it? Most people think curly hair is coarse, but actually it is usually baby soft and very fine in texture – there's just a lot of it. Because the cuticle layers don't like as flat, curly hair isn't as shiny as straight or wavy hair. The hair doesn't have a very smooth surface, so light doesn't reflect off of it as much. When curly hair is wet, is usually straightens out. As it dries, it absorbs the water and contracts to its curliest state. Those of you with Type 3 hair know all too well that humidity makes curly hair even curlier, or even frizzier.

If you're a Type 3, your hair has a lot of body and is easily styled in its natural state, or it can be easily straightened with a blow-dryer into a smoother style. Healthy Type 3 hair is shiny, with soft, smooth curls and strong elasticity. The curls are well-defined and springy: pull out a strand of hair and stretch it; it won't snap in two. Damaged Type 3 hair is usually frizzy, dull, hard and dry to the touch, with fuzzy, ill-defined curls.

There are two subtypes of curly hair. Type 3A, hair that is very loosely curled like Julia Robert's or Susan Sarandon's is usually very shiny with big curls. The shorter the hair, the straighter it gets. The longer the hair the more defined the curl. Type 3B, on the other hand, is hair with a medium amount of curl, ranging from bouncy ringlets – think of Shirley Temple – to tight corkscrews – think of actress Cree Summer of television's Sweet Justice of jazz singer Cleo Laine. It's not unusual to find both subtypes coexisting on the same head. In fact, curly hair usually consists of a combination of textures, with the crown being the curliest part.

What to try for 3a hair: Gels and styling creams work best.

Tips for 3a hair: This hair type needs light moisture and products that define the curls. Let hair air dry or use a diffuser. Use duckbill clips at the crown of your head to lift top curls as needed. Once curls are dry, rub a little pomade into the palm of your hands and smooth over your hair. Please do not use a brush or comb on your dry curls. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase is recommended to reduce tangles.

What to try for 3b hair: For Type 3b hair, gels, styling creams and puddings work best.

Tips for 3b hair : This hair type needs extra moisture and products that define curls and fight frizz. Let hair air dry or use a diffuser. Use duckbill clips at the crown of your head to lift top curls as needed. Once curls are dry, rub a little pomade into the palm of your hands and smooth over your hair. Please do not brush or comb your dry curls. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase is recommended to reduce tangles.

Addendum:

Naturallycurly.com readers have suggested a third Type 3 subtype: 3c.
Type 3C, is hair with tight curls in corkscrews. The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed together. Some people refer to this as "big hair." Getting this type of hair to blowdry straight is more challenging than for 3A or 3B, but it usually can be done. This includes those with very tight curls but finer hair, as well as coarser hair. 3C has really really tight curls, like pencil or straw circumference. 3B is like sidewalk chalk or salt shaker circumference, and 4A is like coffee stirrer circumference.

What to try: For Type 3c hair, we recommend styling creams and butters.

Type 4: Kinky Hair

If your hair falls into the Type 4 category, then it is kinky, or very tightly curled. Generally, Type 4 hair is very wiry, very tightly coiled and very, very fragile. Like Type 3 hair, Type 4 hair appears to be coarse, but it is actually quite fine, with lots and lots of this strands densely packed together. Healthy Type 4 hair won't shine, but it will have sheen. It will be soft to the touch and will pass the strand test with ease. It will feel more silky than it will look shiny. Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg and the actress Angela Bassett are all Type 4s.

Type 4 hairs looks tough and durable, but looks can be deceiving. If you have Type 4 hair, you already know that it is the most fragile hair around. Why? Type 4 hair has fewer cuticle layers than any other hair type, which means that it has less natural protection from the damage you inflict by combing, brushing, curling, blow-drying and straightening it. The more cuticle layers in a single strand of hair, the more protection it has from damage. Each time you damage your hair – fire up the curling iron, fry it with chemicals – you break down a cuticle layer, robbing your hair of much-needed moisture. I cannot emphasize this enough. It's like taking a wire and bending it again and again. Eventually, it's going to snap and break.

Many women with Type 4 hair rely on chemical relaxers to make hair easier to control. In its natural states, sometimes Type 4 hair doesn't grow very long because every time you comb it, it breaks. (Of course, if you have dreadlocks and never comb them or keep them braided, your hair can and does grow quite long.)

There are two subtypes of Type 4 hair: Type 4A, tightly coiled hair that, when stretched, has an "S" pattern, much like curly hair; and Type 4B, which has a "Z" pattern, less of a defined curl pattern (instead of curling or coiling, the hair bends in sharp angles like the letter "Z"). Type 4A tends to have more moisture than Type 4B, which will have a wiry texture. But what if your hair has been chemically straightened? How can you tell which subtype you belong to if your hair is relaxed? You'll need at least one inch of new growth to tell. Pull at the roots. If you can see a definite curl pattern, then it's an A, if not, then it's a B.

Addendum:

NaturallyCurly.com type 4 readers have found the above description limiting, and somewhat misleading. We offer the following addendum:

Type 4 hair can range from fine/thin to wiry/coarse strand texture. Generally, this hair is densely packed to give the appearance of very thick but fragile hair. 4a hair has a clearly visible curl and wave pattern that ranges from pen size curls to pen spring size coils. 4b hair has a tighter wave pattern and kinks of various size. This texture does not exhibit the shine or silkiness of looser type curls, but instead has sheen, and a soft, almost cotton-like feel. As with other types of curly hair, showing the true length can be an extra challenge, as the hair may grow "up" or "out" before starting to hang down. In its unlocked/unbraided state, type 4 hair is known to shrink up to 75% of the actual hair length. With the proper care and technique, type 4 hair is indeed resilient, manageable, durable, growable and easy to control.

What to try: For Type 4ab, creams and butters work best.

Correction!

So I'm sure by now that we've all seen Ms. Solange's new do. Some said she looked a mess, others argued that beauty should not be defined by hair. Some of us in the natural community may have been a little eager to accept her into our natural hair club and others may have seen it as the commercial attention to the "big chop" that is well, less than desirable. Well, as I was surfing the net, I stumbled upon Ms. Knowles' own explanation or reaction to all of the above stated feelings emoted by the general public and celebrities alike. Have a read. You can find the entire transcript at Honey Magazine.

"One thing that’s kind of been confusing me is that I keep hearing people say ‘Oh, great you’re going natural.’ Does that mean weave-free or does that mean perm-free? Because I haven’t had a perm since I was 13. It’s interesting how much hair plays a role in your life and character and schedule. I remember when I was 13 I went through my ‘I-am-Miss-Natural, incense-burning, Bob Marley-playing, only-vintage-shop-wearing Solange.’ So of course that included cutting my perm off, being a Vegan. I didn’t quite understand yet that my hair did not define me. Then I remember being 16 and being like ‘Okay, I can still be smart and I can still have the same beliefs that I have, but I did not have to have red Rasta braids. I can do that with straight hair. I can do that with a ‘fro. I can do that with a weave down to my butt.’ That was when I first cut my hair off. When I was 18 I got a hot flash because I was pregnant with [Julez] and I was like ‘It’s hot as hell so I’m cutting this shit off.’ But this time it was definitely more so about the growth and the energy and the time I was spending. It was about to be summer, and I didn’t want to have to worry about swimming or going to the park with my son or how hair was going to fit into my life. It was too much."

In my own opinion, Solange is a beautiful person inside and out; a pioneer for true beauty in mainstream media. She's what young girls need to see. She questions the standards that have been shoved down our throats as women, especially African American women. Why do we need long hair? Why do we chose perms? And why is it that when we go against the grain our beauty and sometimes psychological health is put into question?! Quite frankly, the answer in more cases than not is because that's what we've been told. For transitioners, obviously you were once permed. And why? More than likely because of media's standards for beauty. Personally speaking, the choice was not mine. Perms have been a way of life for me since the age of 6 or 7, possibly younger. But I digress, the reason I find such interest and inspiration in Solange and found it extremely important to make this a part of my blog is this: she makes individuality cool! And what a bore life has become as we try our best to look like the girl beside us as they try their best to look like some image that the model promoting it doesn't even look like! Moreover, isn't that one major benefit of going/being natural? Embracing your own unique individuality? (whew!) don't get me started! Well, let me climb down off my soapbox...until next time ladies, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Happy October!

HEEEEY there!!! GREAT news you all! My good friend Kelli has allowed me to use her USB memory card adapter..and yoooou know what that means!PICTURES!!!!!!! *does happy dance* lol. So yesterday officially marked week 22 of my transitioning journey, but the pictures that I will be posting are from last week; week 21. Now 21/4=5.25...so these pictures are at 5 1/4 months into my journey! lol... as always ladies, enjoy! (click to enlarge)