So as I mentioned in my previous wash day post , I have been experiencing a lot of dryness towards to front of my hair, so you can probably imagine how glad I was to put back some moisture well needed moisture in my hair today.
[1] I started off by mixing Mizani Moisturefuse conditioner + Joico Moisture recovery+ 1 cork full of honey+ 2 teaspoons of organic extra virgin coconut oil + my trusted castor oil applied it using the CCC method then sat under my hooded hair dryer for an hour.
[2] Rinsed out deep conditioner then co-wash using Tressemme Moisture rich conditioner
[3] T-shirt dried for 15 minutes.
[4] Applied leave-in and seal with a mixture of jojoba and grape seed oil mix.
[5] Allowed hair to air dry.
This was a 'ok' wash day, once again I did not feel the intense moisture that I expected and as per usual the front of my hair remainder a bit dry even after using Scurl no drip moisturising leave in. Next time I will use the Wave Nouveau moisturizing finishing lotion as my leave in to see if it can quench my thirsty hair. I will also try baggying or Green House Effect [GHE] to see if will make a difference. I probably need to go on a quest to replace my moisturising conditioner. Right now I have been eyeing the 5 lb tub of Kera Care Humecto Creme Conditioner. I will not stop until I have ultra moisturised hair.
What have you been trying to improve moisture on relaxed/texlaxed hair? I would love to hear your views.
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Thursday, 23 October 2014
My game plan to return to APL with a vengenace by April 30, 2015
It is said that there is no use crying over spilled milk so I have come to accept my shoulder length hair and has been plotting, planning and researching how to get back to full thick and luscious APL with a venegance!
[1] I will be relaxing twice a year, my next relaxer with be April 30, 2015. I have stretched my relaxer for a year without any little or no problems except for shedding which I mastered through the use of Black and green tea rinses as well as coffee.
[2] I will be consistent in my regimen , if you subscribe to hair bloggers and youtube hair gurus you will recognise that one common thread that has been reasoned to aid in hair growth and length retention is consistently. From October to December 2014 I will continue with the following regimen:
Mondays
1. Prepoo with Light to Moderate Protein Deep Conditioner.
2. Alternate non SLS shampoo with co washing weekly.
3. Moisturising Deep Conditioning with honey, castor oil and other oils.
4. Apply Castor oil treatment to scalp only.
5. Apply Moisture Leave in and seal with a light oil such as grape seed oil.
6. Air dry and style in a bun
Thursdays
1. Moisture Deep Conditioning Treatment - mix with honey + castor oil + other oils
2. Co-wash
3. Apply leave in and seal with light oil
4. Roller set/ bantu knots out
[4] For the period from January to February my regimen will as I plan to use Combo protective styles such as crochet or marley braid styles.
Prior to installation I will be doing the following :
1. Clarifying hair with clarifying shampoo
2. Hot oil treatment
3. Deep Condition with Medium to Heavy Protein Deep Conditioner
4. Rinse out and co-wash
5. Apply Moisturising Deep conditioner
6. Apply leave in and seal with light oil
7. Install crochet or marley braid.
My braiding regimen will now include
1. I will be utilising Audrey's braid cleansing method once a month to cleanse my hair (see pg. 137 of The Science of Black Hair Care). Essentially I will be braiding the braided hair into 4 sections and washing and conditioning with diluted products .The length of the braid will be cleansed by a 'squeeze and milk motion'. Followed by drying under the hooded dryer then apply leave- in and seal.
2. Daily misting with moisturiser leave -in mix (vegetable glycerine+ kinky curly knot today, aloe vera juice (inner fillet, water, and grape seed oil) , followed by a protein leave in every 3 days to retain strength.
3. Apply Castor oil treatment to scalp every 2 to 3 days.
4. For weekly refreshening baby wipes or damp paper towel could be used to wipe the roots of the hair
[5] From March 2015 since I would have been regularly deep conditioning my hair , I intend to take my regimen up a notch by deep conditioning 3 times a week. Monday Wednesdays and Saturdays using the regimen outlined in [2].
[6] For April 1, 2015 I hope to return to braiding for at least 3 weeks using the Braiding regimen outlined in [4] above.
[7] For the final week in April I will take down braid and proceed to carry out the pre installation braiding steps outlined in [4] in preparation for a relaxer the following week.
[8] In addition to my external focus, internally I will be:
1. Reinforce my hair goal daily through positive affirmation along with a vision board.
2. Drink 3-4 litres per day to assist with internal moisture + weekly green juices and smoothies.
3. Maintain a balanced diet - lean protein, complex carbs and lots of vegetables and fruits.
4. Vitamin regimen - Omega 3 + MSM+ Biotin . Not sure about the biotin and MSM because I tend to get break outs while taking them.
5. Exercise daily.
Wash Day Experience with Motions CPR -Wednesday October 22,2014
I did not do my usual protein deep conditioning treatment as I went to see my family for the long holiday - Heroes Holiday which included Monday October 20, 2014.
[1] So after returning to home the following night I decided to apply my deep conditioner over night. Since I was not following my regular schedule, I decided to ramp up things a bit by using a protein deep conditioner with a bit more strength than my regular light protein treatment. I applied Motion's CPR using the CCC method, covered my hair with two plastic caps, followed by a stocking cap and secured with my satin scarf.
[2] The next day, I rinsed out the conditioner and co-washed with my Tresemme's Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Conditioner with Vitamin E . I think this conditioner is growing on me. By the way since I have notice that the change in temperature from the UK to Jamaica has been attributing to the levels of dryness that I have been experiencing, my new game plan is to alternate my shampoo with co-washes on a weekly basis.
[3] Applied a mixture of moisturising deep conditioners using the CCC method. See my previous blog post for my deep conditioning concoction. The only deviation from the norm was that I used organic black Jamaican castor oil instead of the Home Health brand that I normally use. I purchased this from an elderly gentleman who makes it at his home in St. Elizabeth according to the phases of the moon. There are a lot of elderly persons in Jamaica who are skilled at making castor oil some of whom are not pension beneficiaries so I opt to support them instead of purchasing from well established companies such as Tropical Isle or EYL . I will be using my castor oil to oil my scalp every 2 - 3 days as well as to apply as a scalp treatment prior applying moisture deep conditioning.
[4] After rinsing out the conditioner I T-shirt dried for 20 mins applied leave in and sealed with grape seed oil.
[5] Styled with a wet bun as I had to run some errands.
This wash day was good, I have not noticed any major difference with adding the organically made castor oil compared to the Home Health brand to my conditioner. However as it relates to sealing the hair the Home health variety is much thicker and weighs down my hair when it is used as sealant. I have noticed a few extra shed hair on this wash day compared to the other ones. Perhaps this is an indication that I need to resurrect black tea rinsing as a integral component to my regimen.
[1] So after returning to home the following night I decided to apply my deep conditioner over night. Since I was not following my regular schedule, I decided to ramp up things a bit by using a protein deep conditioner with a bit more strength than my regular light protein treatment. I applied Motion's CPR using the CCC method, covered my hair with two plastic caps, followed by a stocking cap and secured with my satin scarf.
[2] The next day, I rinsed out the conditioner and co-washed with my Tresemme's Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Conditioner with Vitamin E . I think this conditioner is growing on me. By the way since I have notice that the change in temperature from the UK to Jamaica has been attributing to the levels of dryness that I have been experiencing, my new game plan is to alternate my shampoo with co-washes on a weekly basis.
[3] Applied a mixture of moisturising deep conditioners using the CCC method. See my previous blog post for my deep conditioning concoction. The only deviation from the norm was that I used organic black Jamaican castor oil instead of the Home Health brand that I normally use. I purchased this from an elderly gentleman who makes it at his home in St. Elizabeth according to the phases of the moon. There are a lot of elderly persons in Jamaica who are skilled at making castor oil some of whom are not pension beneficiaries so I opt to support them instead of purchasing from well established companies such as Tropical Isle or EYL . I will be using my castor oil to oil my scalp every 2 - 3 days as well as to apply as a scalp treatment prior applying moisture deep conditioning.
[4] After rinsing out the conditioner I T-shirt dried for 20 mins applied leave in and sealed with grape seed oil.
[5] Styled with a wet bun as I had to run some errands.
This wash day was good, I have not noticed any major difference with adding the organically made castor oil compared to the Home Health brand to my conditioner. However as it relates to sealing the hair the Home health variety is much thicker and weighs down my hair when it is used as sealant. I have noticed a few extra shed hair on this wash day compared to the other ones. Perhaps this is an indication that I need to resurrect black tea rinsing as a integral component to my regimen.
My roller set epic fail Wash Day update - October 17, 2014
I woke up craving some curls and what better way to satisfy my craving for nice bouncy curls than with a roller set.
[1] I started my moisture deep conditioning session from the previous night on dry hair using the CCC method applying a mixture of Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner+ Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner+ 2 caps full of Roux Porosity Corrector and Conditioner + 2 teaspoons of honey + 1 cork full of Home health Castor Oil.
[2] Deep conditioned with heat under my Hot N Gold hooded hair dryer for for 30 mins. My hair was uber soft and moisturised.
[3] Rinsed out and Co-washed with Tresemme's Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Conditioner with Vitamin E.
[4] Sprayed 1 part lotta body to a 3 part water mix to my hair and top off by apply a dime size of Chi Silk infusion to the length of my hair in four sections. Then I proceeded to rollers set ,starting from the back. By the time I was halfway I had to refresh the front of my had with my lottabody mix as the front of my hair as starting to dry out plus due because I was moving at snail pace.
[5] After completing my roller set I sat under my hooded dryer for an hour and 15 minutes to ensure my hair was dry. When I removed the roller set at the back, I noticed they were not 100% dry, I attribute this to the design of the dryer as I have been noticing when I DC and remove my plastic cap my hair at the front of feels much hotter than the back. I will do a proper review post of the Hot N Gold hooded hair dyer soon. The texture of the hair at the back was silky and smooth, which could be due to the fact that I might have been a bit more ' heavy-handed' at the back when compared to the front. Also I have noticed that my stylist failed in texlaxing my hair properly. First there is little to no texture towards the back of my hair when compared to the middle and front sections. So these factors could play a major role in the differences I was seeing. The front and middle sections of my hair appeared a bit dry which I found a tad bit confusing considering that I have just done a moisturising deep conditioning treatment. My only explanation for this was went overboard with the Lottabody, and perhaps I should have weakened the solution a bit more or I should have smoothed the hair a bit more. I am not sure what my hair did not look great. I don't know yaw man [read in Jamaican accent here].
[6] So I combed out the dry ugly curls using a wide teeth combed added my leave in and seal then bunned my hair.
My hair did not turn out as I hope. I will continue to research to see to see if I can find perhaps a blogger or a you tuber who has had success in roller setting their hair. I will not be giving up on roller setting any time soon. I plan to roller set once or every two weeks.
Sorry that my post has been so bland I promise I will spice things up with pictures very soon.
Hope you have had a great wash day experience .
[1] I started my moisture deep conditioning session from the previous night on dry hair using the CCC method applying a mixture of Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner+ Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner+ 2 caps full of Roux Porosity Corrector and Conditioner + 2 teaspoons of honey + 1 cork full of Home health Castor Oil.
[2] Deep conditioned with heat under my Hot N Gold hooded hair dryer for for 30 mins. My hair was uber soft and moisturised.
[3] Rinsed out and Co-washed with Tresemme's Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Conditioner with Vitamin E.
[4] Sprayed 1 part lotta body to a 3 part water mix to my hair and top off by apply a dime size of Chi Silk infusion to the length of my hair in four sections. Then I proceeded to rollers set ,starting from the back. By the time I was halfway I had to refresh the front of my had with my lottabody mix as the front of my hair as starting to dry out plus due because I was moving at snail pace.
[5] After completing my roller set I sat under my hooded dryer for an hour and 15 minutes to ensure my hair was dry. When I removed the roller set at the back, I noticed they were not 100% dry, I attribute this to the design of the dryer as I have been noticing when I DC and remove my plastic cap my hair at the front of feels much hotter than the back. I will do a proper review post of the Hot N Gold hooded hair dyer soon. The texture of the hair at the back was silky and smooth, which could be due to the fact that I might have been a bit more ' heavy-handed' at the back when compared to the front. Also I have noticed that my stylist failed in texlaxing my hair properly. First there is little to no texture towards the back of my hair when compared to the middle and front sections. So these factors could play a major role in the differences I was seeing. The front and middle sections of my hair appeared a bit dry which I found a tad bit confusing considering that I have just done a moisturising deep conditioning treatment. My only explanation for this was went overboard with the Lottabody, and perhaps I should have weakened the solution a bit more or I should have smoothed the hair a bit more. I am not sure what my hair did not look great. I don't know yaw man [read in Jamaican accent here].
[6] So I combed out the dry ugly curls using a wide teeth combed added my leave in and seal then bunned my hair.
My hair did not turn out as I hope. I will continue to research to see to see if I can find perhaps a blogger or a you tuber who has had success in roller setting their hair. I will not be giving up on roller setting any time soon. I plan to roller set once or every two weeks.
Sorry that my post has been so bland I promise I will spice things up with pictures very soon.
Hope you have had a great wash day experience .
Wash Day Update : My rendevouz with Roux Porosity Control - October 13, 2014
A bit have changed since my last update, I now have I my possession a brand new Hot N Gold Hooded Hair dryer , I could no longer deal with the bonnet attachment problems when I use my blow dryer . I have also done a mini hair haul at Discount Beauty Supply. I picked up a 1.8lbs of Motions CPR, Roux Porosity Corrector and Conditioner and a 2lbs tub of Mizani Moisture Fuse Conditioner. After purchasing the Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner I went back to the store to realise they had the 5 lbs tub of Kera Care Humecto Creme Conditioner which was what I really wanted in the first place. It will definitely be on my next hair supply purchase.
So on this wash day
[1] I used the CCC method to apply my light protein, Aphoghee Keratin 2 Min Reconstructor in four sections. I decided to take my Hot N Gold hooded dryer for a spin so I sat under the dryer for 30 mins.
[2] Rinsed out protein conditioner and applied Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturising Shampoo in the same four sections from before.
[3] Use the CCC method to apply a mixture of Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner + Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner + 2 corks full of Roux Porosity Corrector and Conditioner + 1 cork full of Home health Castor oil + 1 cap full of Vatika enriched Coconut oil + 2 teaspoons of honey and sat under the dryer for an hour.
[4] Rinsed out deep conditioner and T-shirt dried for 40 mins.
[5] Applied Soft Sheen Carson Wave Nouveau Finishing Lotion as my leave in and seal with a mixture of grape seed and Jojoba oil.
[6] Styled with a bun on 80% air dried hair.
This wash day proceeded well. My hair was very moisturised, I had little to no shed hairs. I am not sure if I should attribute the healthy sheen that my hair had afterwards from adding Roux Porosity Corrector and Conditioner to my DC mix or from the addition of oils.
So on this wash day
[1] I used the CCC method to apply my light protein, Aphoghee Keratin 2 Min Reconstructor in four sections. I decided to take my Hot N Gold hooded dryer for a spin so I sat under the dryer for 30 mins.
[2] Rinsed out protein conditioner and applied Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturising Shampoo in the same four sections from before.
[3] Use the CCC method to apply a mixture of Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner + Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner + 2 corks full of Roux Porosity Corrector and Conditioner + 1 cork full of Home health Castor oil + 1 cap full of Vatika enriched Coconut oil + 2 teaspoons of honey and sat under the dryer for an hour.
[4] Rinsed out deep conditioner and T-shirt dried for 40 mins.
[5] Applied Soft Sheen Carson Wave Nouveau Finishing Lotion as my leave in and seal with a mixture of grape seed and Jojoba oil.
[6] Styled with a bun on 80% air dried hair.
This wash day proceeded well. My hair was very moisturised, I had little to no shed hairs. I am not sure if I should attribute the healthy sheen that my hair had afterwards from adding Roux Porosity Corrector and Conditioner to my DC mix or from the addition of oils.
Wash Day Update - October 9, 2014
This wash update is all about putting back moisturise in my hair , for the most part I have decided to change up my regimen a bit, so I will be doing my washes and deep conditioning twice a week, Mondays are dedicated to balancing out my protein treatments and Thursdays/Fridays are for driving back moisture into my hair.
So on this particular wash day
[1] Mix Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner with 2 corks full of honey that I picked up from the supermarket, 1 cork full of Home health's Castor oil, and 1 cork full of Now's grape seed oil and Jojoba oil, applied it to my entire head. I apply the deep conditioner in four sections using the Comprehensive Conditioner Method (CCC). I always apply the deep conditioner using this method. I do this because I want to ensure maximum deep conditioner coverage from root to my ends. So in essence you would apply the conditioner in a similar way relaxer application except that you apply the conditioner from the root of your hair to end. This downside of this is method is that you will end up using a lot more product but for me its worth it. By the way I picked up this awesome tip from that handy book ' The Science of Black Hair ' written by Audrey Davis -Sivasothy.
[2] Deep condition using my Yellowbird Blow dryer and bonnet attachment for 30 mins. The bonnet attachment is very uncomfortable to use and it keeps blowing off my head so I have to loosen the bonnet string and retie several times which is a bit annoying.
[3] Rinse out the deep condition and co wash my hair with Tresemme's Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Conditioner with Vitamin E that I picked up at the grocery store. I wanted to get the Tresemme Natural as my staple Co-wash conditioner [I used this conditioner when I was in the UK and it was to die for] but the grocery store did not carry it. I figured since this conditioner was specially formulated for dry and damaged hair and contains Vitamin E then it would be good for my hair. It really did not disappoint, it has a thick consistency and had a fair amount of slip . I will do a product review on this very soon.
[4] T-shirt dried for about 30 mins then apply Scurl's No drip Moisturiser and sealed with a mixture of Jojoba and grape seed oil.
[5] Next, I bunned my hair.
My wash day was great, my hair felt really soft and moisturised.
So on this particular wash day
[1] Mix Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner with 2 corks full of honey that I picked up from the supermarket, 1 cork full of Home health's Castor oil, and 1 cork full of Now's grape seed oil and Jojoba oil, applied it to my entire head. I apply the deep conditioner in four sections using the Comprehensive Conditioner Method (CCC). I always apply the deep conditioner using this method. I do this because I want to ensure maximum deep conditioner coverage from root to my ends. So in essence you would apply the conditioner in a similar way relaxer application except that you apply the conditioner from the root of your hair to end. This downside of this is method is that you will end up using a lot more product but for me its worth it. By the way I picked up this awesome tip from that handy book ' The Science of Black Hair ' written by Audrey Davis -Sivasothy.
[2] Deep condition using my Yellowbird Blow dryer and bonnet attachment for 30 mins. The bonnet attachment is very uncomfortable to use and it keeps blowing off my head so I have to loosen the bonnet string and retie several times which is a bit annoying.
[3] Rinse out the deep condition and co wash my hair with Tresemme's Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Conditioner with Vitamin E that I picked up at the grocery store. I wanted to get the Tresemme Natural as my staple Co-wash conditioner [I used this conditioner when I was in the UK and it was to die for] but the grocery store did not carry it. I figured since this conditioner was specially formulated for dry and damaged hair and contains Vitamin E then it would be good for my hair. It really did not disappoint, it has a thick consistency and had a fair amount of slip . I will do a product review on this very soon.
[4] T-shirt dried for about 30 mins then apply Scurl's No drip Moisturiser and sealed with a mixture of Jojoba and grape seed oil.
[5] Next, I bunned my hair.
My wash day was great, my hair felt really soft and moisturised.
Post Relaxer/ Texlax Wash day - October 6, 2014
After noticing that there was no application of protein treatment during my relaxer. I decided that I would do my own protein treatment at home by using a bonnet attachment on my trusty yellow bird blow dryer.
[1] I prepooed over night with light protein conditioner, using my Aphoghee Keratin 2 min Reconstructor.
[2] Woke up the next day and rinsed out the protein treatment. My hair felt soft but immediately stronger . I think this can potentially become my staple light protein treatment. I proceeded to shampoo with Creme of Nature's Ultra Moisturising Shampoo [ the green and yellow bottle]. I am not quite sure if I love this conditioner. I did nor find it as moisturising as the bottle claimed.
[3] Mixed Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner with 2 corks of Home Health Castor oil and 1 cork of Now's Jojoba oil and Grape seed seed and proceeded to deep condition under the bonnet for approximately 30 minutes.
[4] Next, I rinsed out my deep conditioner, my hair was super soft and T-shirt dry for 20 mins.
[5] Applied Scurl no drip activator as my leave in and sealed with grape seed oil.
[6] I did a braid out but the style failed when I took down the braids the following day.
Over all it was great wash day, I was assured my hair was strengthened thanks to Aphoghee 2 Min Keratin Reconstructor and it was soft and felt much thicker compared to the day it was relaxed.
Relaxer/ Texlax Update and the straw that broke the camel's back
Hi guys,
I sorry that I have been MIA for so long but I was really busy completing assignments and of course the dreaded dissertation for my Masters. Now that I am all done I have more time to focus on the blog. I am now back in Jamaica, I have been transitioning to natural for almost a year [am not sure If I had mentioned that in a previous blog post] but I got tempted to relax as soon as I came back home. One strange thing that has been happening to me is that now that I am back home my hair has gotten really dry and products that were usually very moisturising while in was in home prior to commencing my Masters as well as while in UK has turned out to be a bit disappointing . I brought back a huetiful hair steamer home but it is not working, so getting my hair soft was a real challenge and so I caved and texlaxed my hair Friday October 4, 2014.
So I went to my trusted stylist to get it done [I have been going to her to have my hair done since 2009- I am very loyal girl hahaha ]I had about 4-5 inches of new growth. I was a lot dissatisfied with how she handled my hair, for the most part I gave two instructions before she started to apply the relaxer:
[1] To leave a bit of texture in my hair
[2] To apply vaseline to my previously relaxed ends
She openly objected to applying vaseline to my ends so I relented and allow her to use Affirm Gentle Assurance on my previously relaxed ends. I knew Gentle Assurance is a base cream for sensitive scalp and figured it would at least provide a protective barrier to my ends , but after watching her apply layers of relaxer [which by the way was Mizani Butter Blend- I can't say I hated or loved it but i prefer Affirm Conditioning relaxer system ] to my new growth and ends , I knew that the protective barrier it provided would probably be broken.
After my relaxer application I sat for approximately 15 minutes with the relaxer on my hair after which I reminded her I did not want my hair to be fully processed before she rinsed out the relaxer and applied neutralising shampoo. I sat with the neutralising shampoo for 15 minutes and she went on to attend to another client. After rinsing out the neutralising shampoo she went on to apply Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner for a few minutes before she rinsed. At this point in my head I was thinking she must be crazy! What happen to the protein conditioning step??? This could not be the stylist whom I have grown to love and appreciate !!! I decided not to say anything to her and wondered if I wasn't paying attention and didn't realise she had in fact applied protein conditioner . I have also come to the conclusion that she must be getting complacent, I think its very commonplace for stylist here in Jamaica to become complacent and familiar .....so after winning you over the level of service and care begins to to decline.
After blowing out my roller set and flat ironed my hair, it was finally time for a trim. My transitioned hair was full APL. I do not have a good length check pic to show but you can judge from the pic below although I siting at an angle. My last trim was in May 2014 so I was due one. I instructed my stylist to cut 1-1/2 '' of hair as I wanted to retain the length and she responded yes and that she would not cut my hair of [I was taking insanely good care of my hair so I knew i did not have much problem with damaged and thin ends].With that assurance I sat and fiddled on my phone when she was finished I could not believe my eyes . I was right back at shoulder length which means she cut at least 3 inches of hair off. I am not a confrontational person so I gathered my things , paid her and left vowing never to go back. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. The only way I will go back to have her style my hair is if i wanted a wash or to flat iron my hair for a special occasion but as far as relaxer and trims goes it will be done by yours truly.
The lesson I have learnt from this experience is that I should have paid close attention to what she was doing and stick to my way of doing things ......after all I am a paying customer. So here goes my shoulder length texlaxed hair.
I sorry that I have been MIA for so long but I was really busy completing assignments and of course the dreaded dissertation for my Masters. Now that I am all done I have more time to focus on the blog. I am now back in Jamaica, I have been transitioning to natural for almost a year [am not sure If I had mentioned that in a previous blog post] but I got tempted to relax as soon as I came back home. One strange thing that has been happening to me is that now that I am back home my hair has gotten really dry and products that were usually very moisturising while in was in home prior to commencing my Masters as well as while in UK has turned out to be a bit disappointing . I brought back a huetiful hair steamer home but it is not working, so getting my hair soft was a real challenge and so I caved and texlaxed my hair Friday October 4, 2014.
 |
| My hair in transition with deep condition being applied -July 2014 |
 |
| My hair after dc rinse out - July 2014 |
So I went to my trusted stylist to get it done [I have been going to her to have my hair done since 2009- I am very loyal girl hahaha ]I had about 4-5 inches of new growth. I was a lot dissatisfied with how she handled my hair, for the most part I gave two instructions before she started to apply the relaxer:
[1] To leave a bit of texture in my hair
[2] To apply vaseline to my previously relaxed ends
She openly objected to applying vaseline to my ends so I relented and allow her to use Affirm Gentle Assurance on my previously relaxed ends. I knew Gentle Assurance is a base cream for sensitive scalp and figured it would at least provide a protective barrier to my ends , but after watching her apply layers of relaxer [which by the way was Mizani Butter Blend- I can't say I hated or loved it but i prefer Affirm Conditioning relaxer system ] to my new growth and ends , I knew that the protective barrier it provided would probably be broken.
After my relaxer application I sat for approximately 15 minutes with the relaxer on my hair after which I reminded her I did not want my hair to be fully processed before she rinsed out the relaxer and applied neutralising shampoo. I sat with the neutralising shampoo for 15 minutes and she went on to attend to another client. After rinsing out the neutralising shampoo she went on to apply Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner for a few minutes before she rinsed. At this point in my head I was thinking she must be crazy! What happen to the protein conditioning step??? This could not be the stylist whom I have grown to love and appreciate !!! I decided not to say anything to her and wondered if I wasn't paying attention and didn't realise she had in fact applied protein conditioner . I have also come to the conclusion that she must be getting complacent, I think its very commonplace for stylist here in Jamaica to become complacent and familiar .....so after winning you over the level of service and care begins to to decline.
After blowing out my roller set and flat ironed my hair, it was finally time for a trim. My transitioned hair was full APL. I do not have a good length check pic to show but you can judge from the pic below although I siting at an angle. My last trim was in May 2014 so I was due one. I instructed my stylist to cut 1-1/2 '' of hair as I wanted to retain the length and she responded yes and that she would not cut my hair of [I was taking insanely good care of my hair so I knew i did not have much problem with damaged and thin ends].With that assurance I sat and fiddled on my phone when she was finished I could not believe my eyes . I was right back at shoulder length which means she cut at least 3 inches of hair off. I am not a confrontational person so I gathered my things , paid her and left vowing never to go back. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. The only way I will go back to have her style my hair is if i wanted a wash or to flat iron my hair for a special occasion but as far as relaxer and trims goes it will be done by yours truly.
 |
| APL-transitioning hair - August, 2014 |
The lesson I have learnt from this experience is that I should have paid close attention to what she was doing and stick to my way of doing things ......after all I am a paying customer. So here goes my shoulder length texlaxed hair.
 |
| Back to shoulder length from APL - October 4, 2014 |
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
The Experimental gal : hurdles and setbacks epistle pt 1
When I was 10....
I have been having set backs in the progress and growth of my hair from as long as I can remember. As you will notice when reading this post the different phases and setbacks of my hair coincides with my my internal migrations between my family lol. Most of the trouble started when I was 10 years old. I visited my father and step mom in Cayman Island for summer vacation I had neck length soft hair that was regularly maintained by my aunt. She had cane-rowed my hair for my visit as I was staying for the entire holiday I eventually had to take down the the cane-rowed style for washing. I washed my hair under a tap outside using shampoo and conditioner. What I was not aware of was that Cayman tap water is desalinated water . At the time I really didn't know much nor did I know how to care for my hair but after that experience, what I did notice was that my hair became extremely dry and wiry and after returning to Jamaica I no longer had neck length hair. My aunt at the time was furious and no matter what she did my hair did not return to the soft texture it previously had.
When I was 12
I moved to live with my father and stepmom when I was 12 . The care and upkeep of my hair was entirely in my hand, My hair had not recovered much from the incident in Cayman and caring for my hair was not something I was really into. At that time I did alot tight cane-rowed. I used to fancy myself as a Eve look-alike lol. Some girls in my class began to texturise their hair with S-curl and Wave- nouveau, their hair started to gain length with each application as well as noticeable changes in their curl pattern. I decided to ask my mother to get it done as I wanted to have a great curl pattern and to see length. every few months I alternated between S-curl texturizer and Wave-nouveau. I eventually sticked to S-curl as it was easier to apply and it did not require a lengthly visit to the hair salon. As you would have guessed I did not really gain length, however my curl pattern changed and I loved it. My stepmom was furious she did not think I should've gotten a texturizer at my age but my mom had already agreed so it really didn't matter. My dad and step mom moved back to Cayman and I move back to live with my mom well my uncle.
Scurl Texturizer
By this time I was self still self -texturising my hair, experimenting with bleaching, colouring my hair and cutting. As I said I fancied myself to be somewhat like Eve, I was a big fan of hip hop at the time and my I wanted to be just like her. One evening I purchased a box of honey blonde hair colour. I applied the colour as instructed by the box. It came out great, the following morning I went to school I was called to the principal's office where he warned me that if I did not return the next day with jet black hair I would be suspended. Now if you live and went to school in Jamaica you would know how strict the schools are on grooming etc.That evening I raced to the pharmacy,purchased the jet black hair and self colour my hair the same night. Eventually my experimenting phase died down my hair eventually went back natural and I stopped focusing on my hair and being a rebel and directed my attention to doing great in high school. I started rowing a lot of two strand twist and single plait braids. The only time I did something different to my hair was during the summer when all the girls in my family- my cousin, uncle's girlfriend and I would wear braids. As I was not enthusiastic about my hair I did not add braid spray but would apply Purelene Hair food, bergamot and the black hair grower when the hair was excessively dry. My hair did not achieve much length and it has never moved from neck length.
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| Purelene Hair Food |
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| Purelene Black hair grower |
My first relaxer....
I got my first relaxer when I was in final year of High school. My high school was a vocational one and cosmetology was taught as a part of the vocational curriculum so I had my hair relaxed by one of the Cosmetology teachers. It turned out great I had length and body and I stated to show a bit more interest. I would use my mom setters and lottabody to roller set my hair at nights. My hair did not come out great the next day by the way. My hair didn't grow much as you can imagine. but what i didn't have at that time was problems with split ends or shedding hair. If only I could go back and figure out why there was no split end or shedding. In 2004 my dad and stepmom moved back from the US, and my step mom asked me to move back in, mainly to help her grand daughter to prepare for the competitive high school entry level exam.
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| Lottabody a staple of my mom when she had relaxed hair |
When I moved back I started seeing my step mom's friend who was a hairdresser. After going to get my hair washed and treated by her in a couple months my hair was brushing shoulder length, and it was thick. I started to get a lot of compliments on my hair which I rarely got. This however did not last long. One day I went to the kitchen and saw bottle of settling lotion on the counter, I thought my stepmom left it there by mistake and decided to use to roller set my hair. I was so impressed with the results of the roller set that I started to use it every night to roller set my hair....talk about excess manipulation. I picked up this habit from my aunt and mom roller set their hair every night. Needless to say I was in for a surprise. My hair started to literally fall off my head. So my shoulder length hair disappeared. Luckily I was not bald but my lovely hair was at a point of no return. The moral of the story here is to never use products found in the house that doesn't belong to you. So braids came to the rescue I braided my hair just in time for the start of a new school.After High School....
I had officially left high school but I went on to what they would call in Britain a six form college. I decided to move back in with my mom and attend the all girl school which was near by. For my first year I sported a low hair cut. It was just simply cute but I got tired of it and wanted well kept hair that most of the girls at school had. As summer came along I braided my hair. on a visit to my grandma she decided to oil my scalp with organic castor oil which was done by an elderly lady in the community. I wore braid all summer long, using the castor oil on my scalp very day. When the holiday drew to a close I decided to relax my hair ( I didn't even know at this time that i was doing an involuntary relaxer stretch). When my hair was complete and I look at myself in the mirror I just could not believe my eyes. My hair was shoulder length again. and this was when I was convinced of the effects of castor oil on hair growth. When I got back to school, my hair was the envy of all the girls. they wanted to touch my hair, they wanted to know who was my stylists and where was she located. As castor oil was popular nor widely used among the upper echelons of Jamaican society and I did not want to be seen as poor and not having 'popular branded oils' I decided not to mention it as a part of my hair comeback. Since the scent was very putrid as it was not the manufactured ones like JBCO I decided to limit my use to only weekends. My hair remained the same length.
My gap year...
After completing six form I spent a gap year working. At one point I used to take care of my hair a lot - infact I would attend the hairdresser weekly doing deep treatments with aloe-vera, eggs etc. My hairdresser was into natural hair remedies and I was happy to be her guinea pig. I remember seeing improvements in my the thickness of my hair but I didn't really continue the treatments and decided to braid my hair as it was easier to handle now that I had begun working. I got so tired with the length that after a year of working I decide to do a big chop. I braided the hair to attend work as my head looked kinda weird. I started university approximately 5 months after my big chop. I will speak about the progress of my hair in university in part 2 so look out for that.
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| My hair 3 months after my big chop in 2007 |
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