Well, Hello There!

Hey guys! It's been a long time! (I shouldn't have left you..) I'm back! Much has happened, so lets just dive right into it! This first post will be a length check! My last post was well over 9 months ago! As you can imagine, I've experienced quite a bit of growth since then. Below you will find a picture of my hair that was taken two weeks ago, after I straightened it for the first time since October 2011. Of course that date more than likely means nothing to you all, buttrust me, it's grown quite a bit even since then. So without any further adieu..
I must note that I have figured out a new and much better way to prep my hair to be straightened. Before, I would twist or braid my hair after washing and allow it to air dry. Blow dryers destroy my ends, and that still reigns true, but the twist/braid method left my hair too "textured" if you will. I actually stumbled upon my new technique/method sort of on accident. I had never had much luck using flexi rods, but after finding a HUGE bag of them that my mom had stored away from way back when, I thought I'd give it another shot. Well, I finally figured out how to get them to stay in my head and the end result was....alright. Not anything I'd wear out; But what I did notice was that my strands were straight or smooth. Much smoother than I could ever get them by just twisting or braiding and air drying. I suspected this would make the flat ironing process easier and hot damn I was right! Instead of the usual 6-8 hours it'd usually take me to tackle my hair, it only took me around 3-4 hours and the outcome was much straighter than I'd been able to get it before. My ends didn't seem as horrible either (I honestly can't explain this but I'm thankful! lol) I used Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Smooth-n-Hold Pudding and Cantu Shea Butter Super Shine Hair Silk to set my hair before rolling it up (soaking wet) with the flexi rods. Once they were completely dry, I used coconut and grapeseed oil to flat iron with. The results are what you see above. The only drawback would be the fact that my face breaks out when it has too much oil on it. I had about 3 or 4 zits to battle with that first week, but after that it seemed to be no bother. I know the oil was the culprit because the same thing happened when I was going through puberty in high school. The first time I wore bangs, my forehead was a battle field. Don't ask what made it stop after that first week cause I'm gladly accepting and asking no questions!

Well, that's all for now! As ALWAYS, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!!

P.S., here are pictures of the products I listed above:

Goodbye...For Now!

I'm coming to you all to say goodbye....for now. I just don't have time for my blog anymore but I AM leaving it up for you all to use the information. Right now I'm trying to get my graphic design business off the ground and I just have too many other things to worry about. I apologize to my faithful readers but I just can't do it anymore. I hope you all understand. Please support me in my new graphic design business by visiting http://www.donnadesigns.viewbook.com to view my portfolio. If you have any requests, I can be reached via email at donnajenay@aol.com. I do not do websites!!

Love you always,

Sha'Donna. xoxo

Sea Salt Curl Enhancer (Review)

So as promised, I tried the sea salt curl enhancer! I filled my spray bottle up and added about a half teaspoon of sea salt and shook it up. I spritzed my hair and scrunched the solution into it and allowed my hair to air dry. The results? Blehh. Not really my style. My curls were most definitely enhanced, though! I would describe the sea salt water as a curl tightener, if anything. I could see how someone with wavy hair would gush over the results but I'm pretty content with the diameter of my coils.

In other news, I have a mini twist set in that I plan to keep for about 3 weeks. Last time I had them in I don't even think I informed you guys but a couple things have changed! For one, they've grown a little bit and I'm a lot more comfortable wearing them down as opposed to my usual frontal flat twists. Also, I've started wearing them in different styles. Hopefully I'll remember to take pictures to show to you guys over the next few weeks! As far as care goes, I spritz them with pure water before leaving the house. Sometimes I add a little leave in and seal with coconut oil for added moisture. Even though these twists are very low maintenance, I don't want to neglect my hair's basic need for moisture. If you're also wearing a twist set, or plan to in the future, be sure to give your hair the same amount of TLC as you would normally. And as always, Happy Health Hair Growing!

Reminder

Don't forget ladies! You can share your story and be featured on my blog by submitting a "Trader Girls" form (found below) to my email DonnaJenay@aol.com!








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Name:
Hair Status: (Transitioning/Natural)
Tips/Tricks/Testimony:
Hair Pictures: (4 max)

Check out past Trader Girls by clicking tag under "quick search" to your left!

Sea Salt Curl Enhancer

Hey guys! So I did some digging around and word on the street is that sea salt water is a great, natural way to boost your curls! A lot of natural women rant about how their curls pop when their at the beach and sea salt sprays are where it's at. Now, the women talking about this said their "waves turned to coils" which leads me to believe that their hair type is a lot loser than mine but I'm still willing to give it a try! Be advised though that we also know that salt can erode the hair, which is a bad thing. This is the reason most curlies co-wash after heavy workouts. Maybe the sea salt makes the difference. I'm gonna mix sea salt and water and spritz my hair the next time I wear my fro and keep you all posted! Toodles!

Reminder

Hey guys, just a little FYI, I do have a fotki account that I update with pictures and whatnot. It's a great place to visually follow my journey without having to search for pictures on the blog. Check it out by clicking here!

Curl. EEEEE!

Curly CURL.EE curlie.

**i did not dye my hair. it was the lighting.

Cutesy Coil Out

"they're taking advantage of the fad"-DJ

Around my 2nd month of naturaldom I tried out my very first coil out. I'm not sure I even took a picture of it. And if I did, I have no idea where it is. It wasn't all that great at all. It actually looked like I was starting locs. Wasn't a fan. But now, here I am just a smidge over a year in and I thought I'd give it another try. I recently did the style on my mother's hair and thought it was pretty cute. Using Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding I coiled my hair up and allowed to air dry over night. Here are some pictures of the next day...All the accessories in these pictures were hand made by yours truly and will eventually be for sale right here on the blog via paypal! :)

I'm usually 99% against products such as Miss Jessie's, Kinky Curly, or any other product that I feel is targeted at newly naturals because of their price. I feel like they're taking advantage of the "fad" + lack of knowledge. A lot of women run for those products without any other knowledge of natural hair care and then are upset when the product does not yield miraculous results......but anyway! Miss Jessie's actually did a good job. I DID NOT purchase the product, my sister bought it a while ago, and like most women, was not too impressed and gave it to my mom who then gave it to me. (LOL) I used my Giovanni Direct Leave In and coconut oil underneath it as well. I'll do another coil out without Miss Jessie's to see if the product is really responsible for my results.) Here are some camera phone shots that better display the curl. :) I'll more than likely be doing a tutorial on this style as well.

Wonderful Concoction

Hey guys! Just wanted to come and share this hair recipe that I recently discovered. It left my hair feeling not only super soft but clean as well! Give it a try!

Proclaim Olive Glossing Conditioner - pretend you're only going to be putting this through your hair section by section and use the appropriate amount.

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cap full of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Mix these ingredients in a bowl and apply to freshly washed or co-washed hair section by section. No matter what I do, I part my hair into 4 equal sections and start at the back right section of my head. Similar to my flat ironing video, I part (with my fingers) a smaller subsection and run the mixture through my hair. Once I've ran the mixture through enough hair to make a medium sized twist I twist my hair up and continue until my entire head is twisted up. Whatever is left over, I apply all over my head rubbing into my scalp. Leave the mixture on for about an hour with a plastic cap on. The last 10-15 minutes is spent under a hooded dryer with the settings on high heat. Untwist/Rinse simultaneously in the shower or wherever you rinse your hair and you're all done! Style as you normally would. I apply Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil: Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion and coconut oil to 4 equal sections and allow my hair to air dry in medium sized twists.

Survey Results

As you should already know, I recently administered a survey here on the blog. (and if you didnt know, scroll down and take it!) That was about two weeks ago. I've read over your responses and I'm ready to address them!

A lot of you asked for tutorials and I'm getting better at that! The main reason I wasn't doing them is because of the bad lighting in my room and the only camera I have is my webcam installed into my 20" screen iMac! In other words, it aint portable! However, you all have asked and I will make it happen! Next, I noticed that a large number of you didn't know that you can follow the blog. Well you can! Just scroll down and look on the left column just above the visitor counter. Following will automatically notify you just as soon as I update! So no more guessing on when I post!

My next tutorial will be on the quick and ridiculously easy muted ponytail...so stay tuned for that! Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Straightening 102

So after posting my own straightening video, I came across this one. Now, while I DO NOT recommend you do everything that she does (more specifically the way she handles her blowdryer) I do plan to use her comb chase technique in the future. Try it out!

What A Difference

I think the title speaks for itself! Here's a picture of my hair's growth over the past 6 months. That's big! Especially with my scissor happiness! I'm excited what it will look like in September, 6 months from now. (Click to enlarge)

Picture Perfect

So here's a couple shots from yesterday. One is a camera phone bathroom shot and the other is a preview of my senior portraits! Hair and make up both done by yours truly! Check em out!

Straightening 101

"Five Freakin Days!"-DJ

Hey guys! I don't know if you all remember or not, but last December I reached the conclusion that my hair's natural enemy was the blow dryer and vowed never to use it again to dry my hair. Each time I used the blow dryer, my hair needed a serious trim to get rid of all the split ends and dead hair. Well, I also said that I would be straightening my hair for my senior portraits which are now to be taken on tomorrow afternoon! You also know that I've had my hair in mini twists for the past 2-3 weeks. So what did all of this mean for me? A LOT of work! I literally spent 5 days on my hair! Crazy, right? Let me break it down for you. Monday, I decided to take my twists out which consumed my entire day. By the time I had finished unraveling each individual twist toward end of Monday, I knew that washing my hair, and all that that entails would not be possible. Tuesday I shampooed, conditioned and detangled my hair and allowed for it to air dry in bantu knots. The issue with that? I had somewhere to be later that evening and had to take them out before they were fully dried. Once I returned home that evening I braided my hair into individual braids to try and reverse some of the shrinkage and tight curling that had taken place and allowed it to continue to dry overnight. The next morning (Wednesday), I took my hair out of the braids and straightened. Thursday, my plan was to get my first professional trim since I did my big chop, but I chose not to since my ends weren't all that bad. Today, Friday, I added my Sabino Moisture Block! ...Five Freakin Days!

But there is always a silver lining, now isn't there? Because I so rarely straighten my hair, and because the survey you all participated asked for more tutorials, I took this oppourtunity to make a video tutorial on how I straighten my hair. It can be seen below as well as some shots of my hair through the various stages. Check it out!

Avoiding The Dry

Hey guys! Just wanted to come to you really quick to share a quick tip. Right now I have my mini twists in. I can't remember if I told you about the last time I put these suckas in, but it was not pretty! I kept them in for about six weeks, mainly because of my busy schedule toward the end of last semester and the convenience they provided. However, they also did some serious, but avoidable damage to my strands. When I took my hair out, the dryness and frizz was intense! I realized this was because I wasn't giving my hair the proper moisture. I wasn't taking care of my hair while it was twisted. I've had these in for about a week now and almost every day I spritz my hair with water and seal in coconut oil. Some days I'll add a leave in conditioner and seal, but most days its just water to avoid product build up. Keep this in mind if you're also wearing mini twists! Hope I helped!

Pretty Puff

Hey you guys, I found this style tutorial on youtube and wanted to share. I think it's more of a summer style than anything but it's cute! Check it out!

Length Check

Hey! Its about that time! Time for a length check. I must say, I was disappointed this go round. My hair has definitely grown but not as much as I wanted. It's right on track though; about 1.5 inches in 3 months. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be more patient! Next length check is now scheduled for May 18, 2011 :)

Following Directions

Over the past few weeks I've been trying something new. I have been following directionsplaced on my conditioner bottle! As naturals, we tend to bend the rules a bit. Sometimes, we just shatter them all together! I can say with confidence that I am not the only one who has left a non leave in conditioner in for longer than the bottle directions advised or even used it as a styling product! I'm sure there's a reason for the advised usage instructions or else companies wouldn't take the time to place them on their bottles, right? Right! Although it's very tempting to just leave my Aussie Moist or Proclaim conditioner in over night, I take the time to rinse it out and use a proper leave in conditioner. For now, I'm using Giovanni Direct Leave In or Mixed Chicks Leave In along with coconut oil to seal my ends. Allowing the conditioner to stay in for the advised time and then rinsing has actually left my hair a lot silkier. However, I do love how it works as a styling product and may eventually return to my bad habits once it warms up outside. Those wash and go's were amazing! LOL, so for now I'm being as good as I can be and following directions. Maybe long term I'll notice some more benefits and be able to compare and contrast. During a hair forum that I attended, I learned that leaving in non leave in conditioners will dry the hair out, but I never experienced that first hand. We'll see though.

Until Next Time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Transitioning Tips

Here's my Top Ten Tips for Transitioners!

10. Get Organized

Create a regimen that you can follow. Hair responds to healthy regimens and you may even be able to carry it over into naturaldom.

9. Youtube It

If you need inspiration youtube is really the place to go! There is a whole community of women on their going through the same thing you are! There are tutorials, testimonies and documented journeys all there at your finger tips. Take advantage!

8. Water Daily

Okay, maybe not daily; but ladies, get used to using water a lot more than you did when you were relaxed. A lot of black women grew up believing washing your hair is a bad thing. Change your way of thinking on that. Water is essential and the only true 100% moisturizer. Instead of washing with shampoo, lots of naturals/transitioners wash with conditioner, a method most commonly known as "co-washing".

7. Stay Outta Rehab

Don't become a product junkie. I know all those natural hair products in their pretty packaging seem irresistible but I think most natural/past transitioners will tell you not to get too bogged down in all of that. Less truly is more. Find a few products that you love and stick with those. It is okay to switch it up every now and then but don't go nuts buying new products because honestly, most of this stuff does the same thing and with going natural being the new "it" thing, a lot of companies are taking advantage and charging an arm and a leg for products that really aint all that.

6. Have Purpose

Don't start this journey for no reason at all. I think that's the #1 reason women fail on their natural hair journey. If someone came up to you right now and asked why you've decided to go natural, you need to have a reason that is near and dear to your heart. Natural hair is not for the weak at heart. If you don't believe in it then you will be very easily influenced by the many negative reactions that you're bound to receive.

5. No Expectations

Don't sit around and look at other natural women's hair and expect your hair to look like, act like or even feel like theirs. No two curls are the same so don't set yourself up for the disappointment of not having you hair be like someone else's. Love whatever you've been blessed with and take care of it accordingly.

4. Treat Your Straight Ends Like Curls

Natural women tend to spoil their curls like crazy! Get into that habit for healthy post big chop hair with frequent co-washes and deep conditioning treatments!

3. No Heat

I cannot stress this one enough! Using heat while transitioning can be very counter productive. If you get heat damage and your hair becomes permanently straightened, it can cause you to have to start your journey all over. Bummer!

2. Find A Transition Style

Transitioning is like stepping into a whole new world. You won't be able to continue on with your relaxed routine of flat irons, sleek ponytails or a simple pin up for very long. The two textures, depending on how different, can be very difficult to style. You need to find a transition style that works for you, doesn't use heat and looks great!

1. Research

Don't find yourself in the mix and lost without a clue! Know what's going on! It's a a lot easier to deal with the challenges and frustrations if you understand exactly what's going on or what steps you could take to help alleviate the problem.

Trim Trim Trim

Hey guys! Just coming to share this article with you on different methods and the proper way to trim your own hair! Currently, I am using the search and destroy method which allows me to keep my length and continue on my long hair journey! Hope this guide will help you as well!

Search and Destroy

This basically trimming individual split ends. It is a good method to use occasionally when you see split ends here or there. If you're new to learning how to trim your own hair, this is a good method to start with. It can help you retain length while getting rid of some damaged ends. It is not a solution if you have severe damage and split ends. If you do too much, you'll just end up with uneven hair. So, it would just be better to go to a salon and have it trimmed evenly. The simplest way to do this is in front of the mirror in the bathroom. If your hair is dark and the bathroom counter is light, it will be easy to see the split ends. Take a

pair of scissors specifically for hair trimming (not the old scissors in a drawer for cutting open packages!) and snip of the hair just above the split end. It can get tiring so maybe just do one section a day. This is not a fix, just a way of getting rid of any spare split ends. This method is sometimes referred to as dusting because when you are done, you will see a "dusting" of hair lying on the counter.

Twist and Snip

A good way to find split ends that need to be cut is to take a section of hair and twist it. The hairs that stick out are most likely split ends. (If your hair is in layers you will find this not to be true.) Some people just cut all of the hairs that stick out without looking to see if they are true split ends. My suggestion is to still look at the hairs and determine if there are split ends. Then cut them individually. Cutting all the hairs that stick out is a really bad idea because it could thin out your ends if you do this too often.

Have curly or natural hair? Click here to read my article on natural hair trimming.

Dusting

Dusting your hair is a trim of 1/4 and inch or less. This method is also referred to as dusting because even though your hair is being trimmed evenly, it is so little hair, that it just looks like dust on the floor. Getting to where you only need this type of trim is a good goal to shoot for but don't put yourself there before you are ready! This method to trim your own hair should be combined with the ponytail and scrunchy method below.

Ponytail Method

An easy way to trim your own hair is the ponytail method. The ponytail method is pretty simple in that it just means to take your hair and put it in a ponytail. Then you cut off the desired amount of hair. If you do a low ponytail, you'll end up with even blunt hair. If you do a high ponytail, you'll end up with subtle layers. If your hair is shorter in the front, this method may have to be combined with other methods.

Scrunchy Method

The scrunchy method is just another version of the ponytail method but I think it's the easiest way to trim your own hair. It is taken from the method that Feye describes on her web site where you put your hair in a low ponytail with a scrunchy and pull the scrunchy down to the desired length that you wish to trim off before trimming. The scrunchy acts as a guide.

View Feye's tutorial for pictures of her trimming methods. I have been using Feye's trimming methods for my own hair for the past 2 years and they work very well. You can vary and adjust it for your own hair's needs. For example, sometimes I do a tiny dusting layer by layer to make sure I'm not missing any splits before I proceed to the ponytail scrunchy method.

Conclusion

The biggest piece of advice I can give you in learning how to your own hair is to only trim off a little at a time until you are more comfortable with it. You can always go back to trim more if you need to.

Additionally, do not become scissor-happy with your own hair. I have a habit of trimming one month and instead of waiting for my two month time table, I'll trim again the next month because I see split ends. The truth is that it's practically impossible to eliminate every split end on your head. There's no need to be manic about split ends. If you couldn't trim your own hair, you'd wait that two months, right? So, determine a trimming schedule and stick to it.

Search and Destroy

This basically trimming individual split ends. It is a good method to use occasionally when you see split ends here or there. If you're new to learning how to trim your own hair, this is a good method to start with. It can help you retain length while getting rid of some damaged ends. It is not a solution if you have severe damage and split ends. If you do too much, you'll just end up with uneven hair. So, it would just be better to go to a salon and have it trimmed evenly. The simplest way to do this is in front of the mirror in the bathroom. If your hair is dark and the bathroom counter is light, it will be easy to see the split ends. Take a pair of scissors specifically for hair trimming (not the old scissors in a drawer for cutting open packages!) and snip of the hair just above the split end. It can get tiring so maybe just do one section a day. This is not a fix, just a way of getting rid of any spare split ends. This method is sometimes referred to as dusting because when you are done, you will see a "dusting" of hair lying on the counter.

Twist and Snip

A good way to find split ends that need to be cut is to take a section of hair and twist it. The hairs that stick out are most likely split ends. (If your hair is in layers you will find this not to be true.) Some people just cut all of the hairs that stick out without looking to see if they are true split ends. My suggestion is to still look at the hairs and determine if there are split ends. Then cut them individually. Cutting all the hairs that stick out is a really bad idea because it could thin out your ends if you do this too often.

Have curly or natural hair? Click here to read my article on natural hair trimming.

Dusting

Dusting your hair is a trim of 1/4 and inch or less. This method is also referred to as dusting because even though your hair is being trimmed evenly, it is so little hair, that it just looks like dust on the floor. Getting to where you only need this type of trim is a good goal to shoot for but don't put yourself there before you are ready! This method to trim your own hair should be combined with the ponytail and scrunchy method below.

Ponytail Method

An easy way to trim your own hair is the ponytail method. The ponytail method is pretty simple in that it just means to take your hair and put it in a ponytail. Then you cut off the desired amount of hair. If you do a low ponytail, you'll end up with even blunt hair. If you do a high ponytail, you'll end up with subtle layers. If your hair is shorter in the front, this method may have to be combined with other methods.

Scrunchy Method

The scrunchy method is just another version of the ponytail method but I think it's the easiest way to trim your own hair. It is taken from the method that Feye describes on her web site where you put your hair in a low ponytail with a scrunchy and pull the scrunchy down to the desired length that you wish to trim off before trimming. The scrunchy acts as a guide.

View Feye's tutorial for pictures of her trimming methods. I have been using Feye's trimming methods for my own hair for the past 2 years and they work very well. You can vary and adjust it for your own hair's needs. For example, sometimes I do a tiny dusting layer by layer to make sure I'm not missing any splits before I proceed to the ponytail scrunchy method.

Conclusion

The biggest piece of advice I can give you in learning how to your own hair is to only trim off a little at a time until you are more comfortable with it. You can always go back to trim more if you need to.

Additionally, do not become scissor-happy with your own hair. I have a habit of trimming one month and instead of waiting for my two month time table, I'll trim again the next month because I see split ends. The truth is that it's practically impossible to eliminate every split end on your head. There's no need to be manic about split ends. If you couldn't trim your own hair, you'd wait that two months, right? So, determine a trimming schedule and stick to it.