Tweaking My Routine

After haiving my hair straightened I got a better view of how my individual strands were looking. As a whole, my hair looked and felt great, but as I looked at individual strands I was a little disapointed at my ends. I thought that I was doing a good job at keeping them moisturized and protected, but they still had a lot of splitting. It could have just been the fact that I waited to long for a good trim...I don't know. I made a promise to myself to do a little more to protect my ends from here on out. So I went to MOM's market (local health foods store) and bought some veggie glycerin, a aloe based spray and various oils.
Back in the day when I first went natural I used veggie glycerin on a daily basis by adding a few drops of it to my spray bottle. It's a humectant so it attracts water. I'm going back to using it in hopes of retaining moisture. I have been using it regularly for the past week.
The aloe spray made by Lily of the Desert. It's an aloe vera based product that promises to condition and hydrate your hair. So far I like it. Sometimes it feels greasy if it sprays on my skin, but other than that I like it so far. I can't really determine if it's working yet, but I will keep you all updated.
I am still battling single strand knots...don't really think there's a way to avoid them other than keeping my hair stretched. My problem with that is sometimes I want to wear my natural shrunken curls, but I can deal.

Do any of you have any suggestions for avioding split ends?

Straight Hair Don't Care

I finally got my hair straightened last week because I was long overdue for a trim. My last real trim was in October 2010. My intent was to trim every 4 to 6 months but I ended up waiting 9 months. I knew my hair really needed a trim because my ends were dry no matter what I did to try and keep them moisturized and sealed. Throughout the 9 month period I did a little dusting of my ends here and there but nothing major. After she blow dried my hair it was apparent that my hair had grown uneven and it was in need of a good trim. She ended up cutting almost 2 inches...not bad. I didn't want to part with even that much, but I knew it was needed. Next time I plan on going closer to 4 months depending on how my hair feels. I dont ever want my ends to get to that point again.
Overall, I am pleased with the growth and health of my hair. The growth from the last time I had it straight (Oct. 2010) was not major but still I am pleased. A lot of people seem to think my hair grows fast, but I really don't think so. I think my growth rate is normal but because my hair is so thick it seems like a lot more...IDK. I would consider my hair to be full APL at this point. The back is longer than the front but I see more difference in growth in the front when compared to October.
It's funny that whenever my hair is curly I always wonder what it will look like straight, and then when I straighten it I find it boring and cant wait to wash it out.
TEAM NATURAL all the way!

Below are pics of my hair Oct. 2010 (top) and June 2011 (bottom)

You Are What You Eat

I read an article posted on my MSN homepage the other day about what your hair says about your health. It listed different indicators of common health problems that are evident in your hair. When you are stressed, malnourished,or have hormonal imbalances, your hair can tell that story. If you think about it, even when you get a drug test, some jobs take a small plug of hair. I say all this to say its very important what you eat and how you live. Wellness is a lifestyle. There is no miracle hair product that will grow your hair long while you sit on the couch and eat junk food. Its important to drink plenty of water and exercise in combination with a well balanced diet. Take care of your body and in turn the story your hair will tell will be a good one.
Be Blessed!

Wash N Go Video

May Maddness

Lately I have been so bad about deep conditioning my hair. Ideally, I deep condition my hair every week on wash day. Recently with school, work, and life I just really have not had the time or energy. I have been washing my hair in a mad frenzy and just doing enough to get by from week to week. I have definitely noticed a difference in the look and feel of my hair as a result of my negligence. Last week I decided that I needed to make time to take care of my hair, especially if I want to continue to retain length. I came up with a few time efficient ways to care for your hair when life gets in the way.

1. Deep condition overnight wearing a shower cap and satin bonnet or all day under a fashionable hat.
Last week I took the time to wash my hair before bed and then deep conditioned overnight under my satin bonnet. When I rinsed my hair in the morning it felt amazingly soft. I also noticed my hair had a natural shine throughout the week. If I was able to wear a hat to work or school I would deep condition during the day with a cute hat.

2. Wash your hair in sections and keep it detangled throughout the whole process.
I found that when I make an effort to wash my hair in small sections and not just one big tangled mess styling is much easier. For this reason I find it a little easier to wash my hair in the shower as opposed to the sink.

3. Style your hair the night before and secure it with a scarf.
There have been many mornings that I have had to be up as early as 430am. To cut down on the number of things I have to do in the morning I do my hair the night before (usually a puff, bun, or twisted style) and then secure it with my scarf and then in the morning that's one less thing to do.

April Updates!

UPDATE!

The month of March was hard for me balancing school and life, so I neglected to post very much here. April is also looking real busy as I am about to complete my first semester of nursing school. For those that continue to check back, I truly appreciate the love.I plan to make a return very soon as I have a few projects up my sleeve. Just to give you a snippet of what's to come, a topic I have been researching is hair shedding. So look for more in depth information about how I feel towards this topic and what I have found during my journey. As far as videos, I am in the process of getting a new lap top so I can really produce good quality videos. Again, thanks for stopping through and check back soon for new posts.