Or Not..

I tried this treatment out and got no result whatsoever. In hindsight, my hair laughs at chemical dyes so what made me thing cinnamon would have any effect, I don't know. Maybe you all will be more successful.

#success

Okay so completely 110% scratch that statement in my last post when I said that my hair has no curl pattern. My hair totally punked me! So today I decided I would do a baking soda deep treatment. No big deal right? Well in doing so, I discovered one huge key to my hair retaining that curl that it had been showing me all throughout my transition. First of all, my denman brush? Trash! My hair does NOT like that thing! And it's crazy because all this time I thought my denman was what was giving me my definition. Wrong-o! Okay so I had already had my hair in a bantu knot out from the day before yesterday but today instead of immediately trying to detangle my hair in the shower, I just allowed it to become saturated with water and just kind of scrunching the water into my hair. So once that was done and my showerly needs were fulfilled, I got out of the shower and proceeded to do my baking soda treatment.

[measurements extremely rough]

• 4 (heaping) tablespoons of LeKair Cholesterol plus
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of EVOO
• Baking Soda

...I kinda just shook the baking soda in so I have no idea how much I used but it wasn't a little bit and it wasn't half the box...soooo, yeh..lol.

I parted my hair in my usual 4 sections and started from the back making small sections and applying the mixture from root to tip all throughout my head using the left over all over the edges and ends. I popped a plastic cap on for 40 minutes and sat under the dryer with the heat on high for the last 20 (bumping the total time up to 1 hour). When I rinsed my hair, I rinsed in warm water and then the final rinse in cold water. When I got out my curls were POPPIN! Minimal frizz and silky smooth? What?! In love! So instead of brushing through with my denman, I simply applied a little shea butter and Giovanni Direct leave in and went on abou

t my business. My curls remained in tact, and that, ladies and gentleman, is how I achieved my very first successful wash and go! :)

the first picture below shows how my hair was coming out before. in the picture it does show a slight curl pattern. a curl pattern that was not visible to the naked eye in real life lol. the pictures following are of my first successful wash and go. as always, click to enlarge!

#fail

I fail SOOOOOO hard right about now! Today is March 24, 2010. You guys are about to be soooo upset with me.......... *wait for it* ...........ten days ago, I looked in the mirror and said enough is QUITE enough. I took my shears (hair scissors) and snipped away little by little at all of my relaxed ends. Yup, March 14, 2010 yours truly ended her transitioning journey and stepped into full napturality. Below are pictures of the days following:

I can't exactly say why I didn't document my big chop. After months of writing down every little detail of my journey, why wouldn't I be snapping pictures left and right before, during and after? I'd always imagined how I would document me saying my final goodbye to the only me that I'd ever known but when the time came, it just didn't seem right. It was my time with me. I didn't text, call, tweet, facebook, or messanger pigeon anyone to warn them of what I was about to do. Not that I thought anyone would try to talk me out of my spur of the moment decision but, I just wanted to do this without any outside influences. If I were going to chop all of my length off then I was going to do it without the encouragement or discouragement of anyone else. Afterall, it's MY head. As far as next day reactions go, honestly, no one seemed to notice! My linesister however did take note that my hair was shorter than usual.

So anyway, after cutting my hair in what I will describe to be a trance like state of shock, I proceeded to wash it and see what MY hair could do. I won't lie, I was confused. After 10 months plus of transitioning and studying my new growth under a microscope I was surprised to find that my hair was not a curly texture at all, but an afro texture. It took a few to get used to it after I realized that products like Kinky Curly Curling Custard did absolutely nothing but made my hair sticky. I kinda felt like I was back at square one, thrusted into a perfectly new world of unknowns, insecurities and uncertainties. Here I go again...not knowing what looks and works best again. But I know one thing, I am never looking back.