Length Check coming up soon!

I'm really excited about my upcoming length check. I've been measuring recently, and the crown of my head has seen a lot of growth. but the back of my head and hairline haven't. I don't think anyway. I'm starting to think i cheated a bit on the first growth check. lol. I hope not. I guess the pictures will help me figure that out.

I think my Glycerine Soap bar made my hair Shinny!

So I'm going to retrace my steps.

Okay. So last week, I was so busy that I wasn't able to wash my hair for the entire week. Friday when I returned home I decided I had to make up for the neglect and deep condition my hair.

I used Elasta QP DPR 11 (I think I blogged about it in my last post).

It left my hair feeling very thick and healthy. Not necessarily soft, but definitely full and voluminous (as if I didn't have that feeling already), and just very strong. After this deep condition (that I mixed with Suave Naturals Conditioner - Strawberry), I messaged some Suave Natural Conditioner - Tropical Coconut on my hair and let it soak into the strands. I then finished with my regular ritual of Coconut oil and Shea butter.

While my hair was damp I plait it into cornrows and let it dry.

On Sunday (yesterday) I was bored so I decided to shampoo my hair. (I never shampoo after a deep condition, but I usually shampoo once a week, and I felt like I needed to, seeing as I was bored etc. So I took out the plaits and detangled my hair with a wide tooth comb and Kids Organics Shea butter detangler and moisturiser (smells so good). Once my hair was detangled I sectioned it off into 4 parts. I popped into the shower and proceeded to rinse, Shampoo and condition each section.

I risned, shampooed one section, rinsed, then conditioned it and braided it back with the conditioner still in the hair.

When I finished I rinsed all of the conditioner out and put some more in there, and had planned to leave the shower like that. Until I remembered that I had bought a glycerine and Vitamin E bar of soap from the market. So I thought. Hmmmm, I've heard good things about glycerine and hair on the forums, maybe I should try this.

So I took the bar of soap and started to rub it into my head (yes people. I did this). I messaged it into a nice soapy lather with the conditioner in there as well. And rinsed it out. My hair felt squeaky clean and very fragile so I took extra care to be gentle. I then proceeded to smear my hair with MORE conditioner lol. rinsed off my skin and got out of the shower. (with the conditioner still in there)

When I was out of shower I let my hair air dry a bit with the conditioner in there (as I always do) Then put some Coconut oil in the hair along with some Shea butter (natural organic of both). Rubbed it into my hair and made sure to coat the ends and the new growth. I then Plait my hair into cornrows again, and put some more coconut oil on my scalp and put a plastic bag over my head for an hour.

At the time my hair felt the way it always does after a shower so I didn't pay to much attention, or take notice of any great changes...

BUT TODAY! OH-MY-GAWWWWWWD!

I don't know if it was the glycerine, or If it was the bizarre routine that I did this weekend. But my hair is SOOOO SOFT, SOOOO SHINY, SOOO HEALTHY LOOKING.

My permed ends have never looked so Amazingly strong and healthy. They are soft and moisturised without any greasy feeling or any residue on the hands. The new growth is just has shiny and soft. It's just AMAZING. I don't know what to say, but I had to blog about it so that I can remember to try it again and see If I can achieve the same results.

I'm so Happy.

Lazy Week

So I'm back at uni after my 5 days off (of which I accomplished nada). I Didn't take care of my hair AT ALL this week. I had it in cornrows for the majority of the week, then i just had it out. I moisturized it one on Wednesday, but that's about it.

I bought the Elasta QP DPR-11 deep conditioner today as well as the organic kids shea butter moisturizer which both came highly recommended by Marand313. So I'll see how that goes. I've got the deep conditioner in my hair right now, have to go wash it out and go to bed. It's 7:30, but I'm SO tired, I was up so early this morning packing, raiding the fridge and getting ready to head back to school *yawn*.

Peace

SOO TIRED

This week has been so intense. I had a theses due, grad portfolio due and two mid terms coming up. I've been up working on my portfolio website and haven't slept in almost two day. I just got off a 3 hour bus ride from London to Toronto for reading week and I'm sitting here blogging. lol. Man i need to go to sleep.

Anyway, i thought I'd post an update on my hair.

So i've been deep conditioning every weekend and co-washing mon-thurs. My hair seems to be liking it. it's feeling soft and seems to be growing (ever so slowly).

Now that i'm in Toronto i'm goning to see if i can get the products on my wish list. woo hoo.

i need to stop stressing about my hair

Since I began this journey, (well I began it unwittingly back in June, but since I committed to going natural), I have become OBSESSED with hair care and reading up about hair care and forums etc.... and it couldn't have come at a worse time. I'm in my final year of uni, in the midst of midterm exams, essays and portfolios and here I am blogging about hair.

This is not good. lol.

i don't know my hair type...

I have no clue how hair typing works and or what the relevance of it is. Whenever I'm on a hair care forum everyone lets everyone else know what there hair type is. I understand that 1 is straight 2 is wavy etc. But I don't understand the 4a 4b 4c 4d etc. I know I'm in the 4 category, but where, every hair typing board explains and qualifies it differently. So how do I figure it out. Can anybody tell what hair type I have from these pictures? Is it that important? I assume it changes your regimen and your hair care needs slightly. Anyway, if anyone comes across this blog and happens to know or wants to weigh in, i'll be eternally greatful.

Also I did the strand test, and parts of my strand are coily and parts are S shaped, thats on one strand people. My hair is hella weird!

These pictures are all of freshly co-washed hair.

Fluffy Fros

natural hair and big chop documentary

my YouTube hair idols

Here are a few of my favourite Hair care vlogs on YouYube. Click on the picture to be taken to their YouTube page.

Macheriehair
I believe her hair is relaxed, but it's healthy and she provides a lot of great tips.

ItsMsHeatherNicole
Recently came across her vlog.

CrowofHisGlory
She provides a lot of hair styling tips.

RusticBeauty
She offers natural hair care tips and has been natural for 6 years.

Marand313
She definitely has my favourite vlog. She also maintains an informative blog. She gives great product tips, hair care tips, styling tips, how to videos etc. She is fantastic, and I love her hair.

a picture paints a thousand words

The following are pictures of new growth as well as permed hair. 09, February 2009.

This is the centre of my head. It measures at 10" in length, and 2" of au naturale hair.

Nape of my neck. It measures at 4 " in length. 2" in au naturale hair.

This is the front of my head (hairline area). It measures at 2" in length. All au naturale hair.

This is the side of my head. This measures at 2 1/2" in Length. 2" in au naturale hair.

My Hair after a haphazard two-strand twist out, pulled back in a bun. This is a full picture of my head to give you a sense of the hair damage. (This picture was taken the day after a deep condition.) The hair is very soft, and the new growth is healthy. However the lengths vary due to breakage.

My Hair line.

I'll try and do a monthly picture update on the same day to give people a sense of the direction my hair is taking. Anyway, as you can see from the pictures my hair is in serious need of some TLC. You can also see why I'm considering the big chop. Because of the extreme breakage in the from of my hair, and varied lengths throughout my crown. There are really no styles that i can wear it in, except brushed into a bun. I usually wear my hair in one, or cornrow the hair and where the lacefront wig with a band around the front to secure it.

the production line

These are the products that I am using in my hair currently and achieving great results so far.

-Suave Naturals Strawberry Conditioner (I use this for my daily Co-Wash and as a moistureizer) alot of naturals use it with great results... i've been using and it's the best conditioner i've ever used in my 22 years of life... no kidding.
-Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo (I use this for my weekly shampoo)
-100% pure organic Coconut Oil (I use this after every wash)
-100% pure organic Shea Butter (I use this twice a week. On the days that I decide not to Co-wash my Hair and after my Deep Condtioner)
-Le Kair Cholesterol Plus (I use this once a week as my deep conditioner)
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-Kids Organics Shea butter detangler (suggested my mirand313...works very well...I use this as a moisturizer if my hair is feeling dry)
-The Blody Shop Grape Seed Oil Serum (I use this as a hair sheen and softener...It's AMAZING)
-Bumble and Bumble Curl Consious Creme (I use this as a curl definer)
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These are products that I hope to purchase soon
- Aphogee Protein treatment
- Elasta QP DPR Deep Conditioner
- Mega-Tek (for hair growth)
- Suave Humectante Hair Conditioner (havn't found this in Canada yet...)

and so it begins

I'm going Natural.

100% Natural. I'm tired of Damaged, Dry, Brittle hair. I used to have long, thick and incredibly strong hair when I was young. My mom has great long hair all down her lower back (but continues to wear a short neat little wig). My Grams on both sides, also have very thick long hair. I need to get back to that. I can't take the hair perms and chemicals and the constant hair frustrations.

I know that this journey will be a long and difficult process but I feel ready to dive in and get going.

I made the decision to go natural one afternoon after deciding to purchase a lace front wig. I was perming my hair and wearing weaves for a very long period of time. My hair would grow out and I would be impressed by it's thickness and tell myself that that was the last perm, but then I'd go back to the hair dresser to get my weave done again, and he'd convince me that my hair would look neater with a perm. Jean-Claude and I have since parted ways (I swear my hair dressers name REALLY was Jean-Claude... lol... he was from Côte d'Ivoire).

Anyway, I was tired of paying an arm and a leg to get my weaves done (I was living in London at the time, and black hairdressers there are VERY pricey). So I decided to take some money and purchase a lace front wig. While looking at the various styles I new I wanted something that looked natural. It was this desired look that I was chasing, which woke me up and turned my onto the idea of going natural myself, rather than relying on wigs for the rest of my life.

I've got a great set of hair just waiting to grow, but instead of nurturing it i kill it. It doesn't make sense. The natural look is definitely on it's way back in (after a short stint in the 70's), and I intend to enjoy my hair to it's fullest potential before I get to old. (I'm only 22 so better now than never). I figure, I'm a student, so my appearance isn't that important. I don't have class everyday, so i don't have to worry about looking presentable on a daily basis. I live in Canada so in the winter i have a hat on my head most days anyway.

Anyway, while looking for lace front wigs, I checked out Youtube on a whim, and discovered an entire WORLD of African-American hair care. I couldn't believe how alive and strong the community was. Sisters helping sisters. It was very interesting and enlightening. In there i discovered the natural hair community, where I found all of these beautiful women of colour sharing their Hair journey stories, trials and mishaps and discovering how to care for there hair together, and sharing that information. I was totally inspired. They were all beautiful, with fantastic, strong and healthy hair. Some had short, some had long, some were in transition, some had done the "Big Chop" or "BC" as it is known in the Hair Care forums.

This world of Black haircare really is what motivated me to do it as well. Watching these women discuss their journey with me. Seeing their pre and post pictures. Noticing myself in all of them and seeing that it was possible for me to achieve these results as well if i dedicated myself to it too.

So that is what I'm doing. I've done months of hair research and web browsing, and product polling, and testing etc, and have come up with a hair care regimen that I hope will assist in the growth and strength of my hair. I have not done the "BC" yet, but I am considering it. My hair is currently eaten out at the fronts and sides (due to the lace front wig and weaves). It is just below the nape of my neck in length. I have about 1 3/4 to 2 inches of new growth all over my head, the rest of my hair is the
reminisce of my last hair perm (July or aug 2008...I don't remember cause i do alot of moving around). I am currently caring for my hair as if my ENTIRE head is natural. I'm not worrying so much about the permed ends of my hair. They are so beyond repair, all I can do is wait for them to break off the way they did at the front of my head.

I will be discussing my journey. The products that i find beneficial. Updating the blog with my hair lengths and progress and answering any questions that people might have about my journey or about black hair care in general. I encourage those of you that are considering going natural to do it. Check out youtube, and explore the net and the forums. There is an incredible community out there willing to lend support.

Peace and Love