Relaxer Day # 7: 19.12.12

"My newgrowth has been feeling incredibly soft and manageable this week!  I don’t know whether this is just due to the Wild Growth Oil that I have been using on my newgrowth, or if it is from my recent conditioning cap avec steamer experiment but it really doesn't feel like MY HAIR. Either way, these two things will form a regular part of my hair regimen once my newgrowth starts popping up to say "Hey!".

Despite the fact that my hair has been realy soft, I decided to relax my hair as quite frankly, I couldn't face the prospect of another wash day dealing with tangles and a mass of newgrowth.  Even though this stretch was only 19 weeks long, it felt like I had almost the same amount of new growth as I did during my 27 week stretch last year!

Product Haul: December 2012

 

 

"I've not done one of these for a long time - because I have been sticking to my self imposed purchasing ban for like f-o-r-e v e r!!!"

I needed to restock on my relaxer which I cannot buy locally so I thought I would add a few more things to the basket which I also needed to restock on:
 

 

Wash Day Diary @ 18 Weeks Post: 09.12.12

"It took about 3hrs to take out the crochet braids.  I did so by unbraiding my hair which released the crocheted in extension hair.  I ended up with a tiny piece of matted hair at the nape which I will have a go at releasing over the next few days."

For my post protective style wash day, these are the steps I followed:

Curling My Fifth Set Of Crochet Braids

"If you follow me on Facebook you will know that I completed the final step of the style I had planned for this set of crochet braids.  On the 25th November I curled the straight Kanekalon hair using perm rods and boiling hot water - I was so scared I would end up giving myself third degree burns!"

Despite my fears it was a really simple process and didn't take too long at all - infact I actually reset the curls again the following week.  These are the steps I followed, along with a few photos:

Crochet Braids: Install #5 ~ Long & Straight Kanekalon Hair

 “Since I made the decision to install a set of crochet braids using kanekalon hair (you know, the cheap synthetic braiding hair that costs around £1.99 per pack!) I have, for the past week, toyed with leaving some hair out for this install”.

I love the look of this particular style when hair is left out, but I really can’t be dealing with having to baby just a small section of my hair as I will just get paranoid about it and the blending and worry about breakage will just take away from the enjoyment of the style.  The first time I installed straight hair it was really difficult to keep my own hair moisturised, especially because synthetic hair leeches moisture from your hair. It was also difficult to keep my hair blended in well with the extension hair at however many weeks post I was at the time, whilst keeping any products and oils off the extension hair as it gets really shiny if products are introduced. I actually ended up adding a couple of cornrows at the front after a week so I could just hide my hair.

This time around, I opted for a braid pattern which could hide all my hair but leave only a small parting as last time the boyfriend affectionately nicknamed my parting ‘Moses’!

These are the steps I followed:

Wash Day Diary @ 15 Weeks Post: 17.11.12

"For this wash day, I made sure I had all the products and tools required to reduce significant tangles and shedding."

Wash Day Diary @ 14 Weeks Post: Kinky Twist Take Down 10.11.12

"The twists are out and ladies, let me tell you, this post could have easily been entitled "Miss T, have you gone and lost your damn mind - have you forgotten you are almost 14 weeks post relaxer!?"







These are the steps I followed spanning a delightful 14hrs !!!

Totally Time To Take Out The Twists!

"As planned, I took out some of my twists yesterday.....gotta get the ball rolling early when it comes to the kinky twist-take-down."


















I started with just a couple of lines at the back so I could still look decent enough for work today.  The real task of taking these out starts tomorrow evening.....

I snapped a few pictures this morning to show you.

Should I Lye.....?

During my last relaxer I used up the last of my Affirm Fiber Guard Lye Relaxer. I now have a dilemma on my hands….. 

My HAIR on My Mind

Wow…..I haven’t blogged about my hair in ages!!!!  Since I have had these twists in I’ve barely given my hair a second thought (I don't even know how many weeks post I am!) and chose to concentrate on my nails.....



Over the past week I have been obsessing setting about a plan to take these kinky twists down this week.

Wash Day Diary @ 10 Weeks Post: 20.10.12 Kinky Twist Shampoo Wash Day

"Another kinky twist wash day, one which I have been putting off for the past week as I know at this time of year it takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r. for them to airdry!"



Below are brief notes on the steps taken:

Kinky Twist Wash Day @ 7 Weeks Post: 30.09.12??

"The main reason why I have this blog is to ensure that I know when I do something to my hair..... This includes my wash days and because I didn't blog about it straight away I don't remember when I washed it!"




I know I washed my hair sometime in the past week and a half but I can’t remember for the life of me when it was!!! I remember the products I used but the day is just a blank to me.  I have made a mental note to make sure I at least make a note on my phone when I have a wash day and the products used even if I am taking a hair/blogging time out.

Let's Twist Again...Like I Did Last Summer! - 19.09.12

"Finally, I have the time to install my fourth set of kinky twists.  Luckily as my sister has just had a bouncing baby boy this week I had some time booked off work which meant I had more than enough time to get around to this install, and split it over a number of days!"
















I installed my first ever set of kinky twists in August 2011, hence the title of this post....which is down to my boyfriend as he came up with the name!

Below are the steps I followed, with a few pictures

Wash Day @ 6 Weeks Post: 15.09.12 ~ Shampoo Wash

I washed my hair today in preparation for my kinky twist install.  I really haven't been feeling washing my hair all week and was seriously contemplating installing the twists without washing my hair beforehand (don't judge me....) but I decided to stop being so lazy!



These are the quick steps I followed:

Wash Day @ 5 Weeks Post: 09.09.12 ~ DC/Cowash & Colour Rinse

"Today’s wash started out as a dc/cowash but eneded up being a shampoo wash as I really NEEDED a colour rinse."

This is the picture shows the results from my last wash day, yep still bunning....for now!

These are the steps I followed during this wash day:

Wash Day Diary @ 4 Weeks Post: 04.09.12

"After flat ironing my hair on Friday night for an evening out with work colleagues, I decided to give my hair a well deserved co-wash even though it worked out that I wouldn't have enough time for a colour rinse to banish these pesky wisdom hairs!"



These are the steps (in pictures) which I followed during todays cowash.....

Update on My HAIR: Thickness & Length Check #4

"I did another Caruso set and then decided to do a quick length check whilst my hair was down."
















I lightly flat ironed the underprocessed areas which are now more than half way down the length of my hair.  I then lightly flat ironed the very ends and then trimmed a little before taking a few pictures as I don't know when I will ever get around to either blowdrying and flat ironing or roller setting my hair to do this properly.

Wash Day @ 3 Weeks Post: Shampoo Wash 28.08.12

"I really should have washed my hair yesterday but to be honest I didn't feel like it.  I had no choice but to wash it today though as I gave my scalp a good old going over with a sulfur based growth aid and was dying to wash it out of my hair all-day-long!"
  

 These are the steps I followed:

Trimming My Ends: 21.08.12

"I did a super quick trim tonight.  Even though I have no immediate plans to flat iron or roller set my hair, I also don't want to risk accelerated shedding or breakage which could be prevented by having healthier ends."




These are the steps I followed:

Wash Day Diaries @ 2 Weeks Post: 17.08.12 & 20.08.12

"I’m currently on my second cowash of the week. I am enjoying the no fuss regimen which comes with bunning, although I am mindful that I need a trim really really soon as my hair always feels so much better after a good trim."





These are the really brief steps that I followed:

Wash Day Diary 09.08.12: Cowash @ 1 Week Post

"My hair was feeling a little bit dry, especially around the nape area.  As I relaxed my hair last week I should have really done a chelating / neutralizing wash but I decided on a deep condition and cowash instead as that's what I felt my hair needed."




Below are some pictures of the steps I followed:

Relaxer Day #6: 03.08.12

"Relaxer Day rolls around again!  The amount of new growth I had kinda snuck up on me due to all of the protective styling I've been doing since April."















With this kinda of new growth to contend with on this relaxer day at 17 weeks post ....

I once again I opted for the half and half relaxer method, however this time I did a vertical (front to back) part instead of a horizontal (left to right) part.

These are the steps I followed:

Wash Day Diary @ 16 Weeks Post: 28.07.12 Cowash

 

"This wash day initially started out as a thorough detangling but because my hair felt really dry I decided to grab my trusty ORS Replenishing Conditioner and slathered it on with the addition of coconut oil to moisturise my thirsty strands!"

Wash Day Diary @ 16 Weeks Post: 26.07.12

"I got sick of wearing my lace unit so opted for a quick cowash so I could bun my hair for a week or until my relaxer touch up."






These are the steps I followed:

Wash Day @ 15 Weeks Post: 16.07.12 ~ U Part Wig

"I did a quick wash day on Monday and have only just had the time to add it to the blog.  I decided to wash my hair whilst wearing the UPart wig as my own hair which was left out was feeling a bit dry.  I didn't fancy un-installing and then re-installing the UPart (again!) so I just cowashed both my hair and the Brazilian hair whilst still wearing the UPart wig."

And The Winners Are.......?

1st Prize goes to Ilze Zemberga

&

2nd Prize goes to Ayo

C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s 

to you both!!!

Both winners were drawn using Random Org random number generator.

Please can you contact me within 3 days via email in order to claim your prize and confirm which option you want. If I don't hear from you  I will need to draw another winner for the prize.

Ciao 4 Now

Simply Into My HAIR: First Giveaway!!!

"Woohoo!!!  It's been two years since I started my Healthy Hair Journey and have been blogging since January 2011.  I am so chuffed to say that I now have more than 60 followers via Google Connect....and more than 25 Facebook followers!!!  I think I should mark this momentous occasion with my first ever giveaway!  Some of you may recall that I eluded to the possibility of holding a giveaway soon....so how about right now!" 


I have umm'd and ahh'd for weeks now about whether it should be open to just the UK or whether I should include Europe and the USA.

My New U-Part Wig = A Whole Weekend Doing My HAIR

"I have been so anxious about making this UPart but I needed to find an easy protective style to see me through the next two weeks before my relaxer touch up planned for 15 weeks post!"

On Friday night and Saturday morning I took out my kinky twists.  Whilst pre-pooing my hair, I set about making my U Part.

These are the steps I followed:

Kinky Twists: The Take Down & Wash Day @ 13 Weeks Post

"I had to say goodbye to the kinky twists.  They have been in for two months now and although I think I could get away with another 2 weeks at least, I know they have to go for the health of my hair!"

On Thursday night I took down about 4 twists at the nape and put them back in.  I did this just to check out how the plan of action would work the following day and to find out whether I would need to have any specific tools or products close to hand that may have not been availalbe to me otherwise.  I was going to do the whole of the very back section but I quickly got bored - this didn't bode well for having to take the whole lot in one go the following day!  The four twists that I took out had a lot of fluff /build up in them.  I lost some shed hairs during the process but was very careful not to cause any breakage.

Why I ..... Decided To Blog?

Pros

I've found it's the best way to document my hair journey highs, lows and in betweens

It encourages me to take pictures of my progress and the results of my experiments

I can view all of my previous posts and related pictures with ease and most importantly, conveniently from my mobile!

I can trace products I have used and the results/effects they have on my hair

I can track what works for my hair and what doesn't

I can see if there are trends for the way my hair acts at certain times of the year

I can check exactly how far along I am during a relaxer stretch

I can see when my treatments (i.e. henna) are due [and then ignore it completely!]

I can see when I did my last trim/dust

I can see when my last wash day was and the products I used 

I can meet fellow hair obsessed ladies and speak to them about all things hair without boring them silly

It feels great every time I get a new follower or reader of my blog

I can follow other amazing blogs and pick up super handy hints and tips!

Cons

It takes up quite a bit of my spare time to document the things I do to my hair on a daily/weekly basis

I have to set aside time for my blog

I have to remember to take pictures, it makes for a more interesting post! 

It takes time to edit pictures, research etc

Next stop, YouTube!!!  I think it's about time I actually uploaded a video or two to my unused YouTube account.  Watch this space (",)

Ciao 4 Now

My HAIR Healthy Hair Journey: 2nd Anniversary (Part 1)

"It's pretty much a year to the day since my 1st HHJ anniversary post.  I can't believe it but I think the past year has flown past even faster than the first!  I have experienced some Hair Highs and some real Hair Lows in the past but right now I am in a good place with my hair, long may it continue!"









For me, July 2011 to July 2012 has been yet another year of learning and setbacks so far as my hair is concerned.

Why I ..... Use Aloe Vera Juice?

My Pros 

Very Moisturising

Decreases shedding

Reduces dandruff

Relieves scaly and itchy scalp

Softens new growth

Balances the pH level of hair so cuticles are closed allowing moisture to be locked into the strand

Smooths the hair cuticle reducing friction and tangling

Natural product

Excellent detangler

Can be added to leave in conditioners and moisturising spritz to give them an extra added boost

Fantastic addition to my henna gloss recipe

Stretches and improves the performance of my deep conditioners

Widely available on the high street or local ethnic grocery stores

Excellent value for money

500ml bottle lasts for a long time

My Cons

The smell is gross [I really dislike it!]

Has to be kept in the fridge and anything you add it to also needs to be kept in the fridge

*Note: rancid AVJ smells even worse than normal/fresh AVJ

I Use  

Venus Herbal Aloe Vera Juice £3.99

Available from most Indian and West Indian grocery stores.  

You can also buy many different brands of aloe vera from Boots, Holland & Barrett, Ebay and health food stores.  

Why I ..... Use Heat Protectant?

 

My Pros

Protects hair from heat damage when applying heat tools
Reduces breakage
The brand I use makes my hair feel really soft and silky during use

My Cons

  None that I know of! 

You Could Use

Any product labeled as a  'Heat Protectant' such as CHI Silk Infusion or CHI Iron Guard, you could even use Grapeseed Oil

What I Use

Treseme Heat Defence Spray £4 - £4.99
 Available from most Boots, Superdrug, Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda etc

Wash Day Diary @ 11 & 12 Weeks Post: 23rd & 30th July

"I did a cowash last week and didn't actually get around to posting about the wash day because it was pretty uneventful!"









I followed the same super quick process and products for both wash days. Here are the steps I followed:

My HAIR & Why...?: A New Series Of Posts

Some of you who check in on my blog may have noticed that the button above is now proudly established in the sidebar.  The reason for this is because I have decided to start a new series of posts outlining exactly why I use certain products and why I do certain things to My HAIR. 

My HAIR Story: A Little Snipet Of My Long Hair Journey (Pt 1)

"I've recently been working on pulling together my Hair Story.  I have almost finished it, just needs tweaking a bit, followed by a good old rummage through the photo album.   I thought I could add a little snippet to the blog before I put the actual My Hair Story page up when it's all done."

0-2 Years

I was born with a full head of hair! Like most newborns, my hair was fine in texture.  Even still, way back then I think I had a lovely curl pattern going on, even if I do say so myself (“,)

2 months old

 

D.I.Y. Braid Spray

"My new growth was feeling pretty dry all day yesterday, so when I got home I gave it a thorough spritzing with my homemade spritz."















I have been using this particular mix for just over a week and have only used it two or three times but I already love it.  I've made and used a similar mix last year but I prefer this version as it is much lighter as I omited the conditioner this time around.

Wash Day Diary @ 10 Weeks Post: 19.06.12 ~ Yet Another Kinky Twist Wash Day

"Just a quick wash day today."










These are the steps I followed:

My HAIR On My Mind @ 10 Weeks Post

1.  KINKY TWISTS
I'm still in ♥ with these kinky twists!  The lack of fuss and not having to really think about my hair is a welcome break!  Of course I am still looking after my own hair but there is only so much I can (or want) to do to it.  Unfortunately, I suppose it makes for a lack of blogging variety.

Sorry about that Ladies (".)

Wash Day Diary @ 9 Weeks Post: 11.06.12 ~ Another Kinky Twist Wash Day

"Finally.....I've now had a chance (but not the perfect weather!), to get around to washing my kinky twists for the 2nd time during this install."







I could see zero build up despite not washing my hair in ages **hangs head in shame** despite the fact I have been moisturing twice a day with my diluted Taliah Waajid mix and sealing every 3-4 days with grapeseed oil.  I've also been applying JBCO (or grapeseed oil if that is closer to hand) to my hairline every day.  I am surprised at the lack of build up but I'm certainly not complaining!!

So, another simple wash day in twists for me, and these are the steps I followed:

Tidying Up My Kinky Twists

"I tidied up my twists last week 31st May I had a night out planned for the 1st June and wanted my hair to look as neat as possible."

I tidied up the back first on 29.05.12 and then a couple of days later I redid the twists at the front hairline and along the centre parting during the evening of 31st May.  I periodically undo braids which feel a little bit too loose or overtaken by new growth for my liking.