Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
*UPDATED* Hair Regimen - Decmeber 2011
It's December 2, 2011 and gosh does time fly! I realized that I've neglected this blog but a lot has happened. So with that being said this is my current permanent hair regimen. It took a lot of trial and error but i've found what works for ME and i'm sticking to it.
Deep Conditioner
Aubrey Organic GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner.
I apply this to dry hair unless I have a lot of build up which in that case I wash and then deep condition. 9 times out of 10 I use the Huetiful Hair Steamer for 20 minutes. If i'm traveling or too busy to sit under the steamer I put a shower cap on and go about my business until I have time to wash later.
LINK: http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo/516.aspx
Shampoo
Miss Jessie's Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo.
WARNING!! If you're a sulfate free nazi this is NOT for you. Personally I have tried several sulfate free shampoos. They leave my hair dry and they make it harder to minipulate my hair (which in my opinion can cause damage) This shampoo allows me to easily wash my hair and it doesn't feel dry. A little goes a long way and I only wash once and in one direction.
LINK: http://www.missjessies.com/shop/cleansers
Herbal Essences Color Me Happy Conditioner.
Having color treated hair I like to use a conditioner geared toward my colored hair needs. This one leaves my hair soft and shiny. I have dry hair and use a lot of conditioner so another good point on this conditioner is that it affordable at under $3 a bottle. They also sell a larger size. Don't have colored hair? I recommend the Hello Hydration Conditioner.
LINK: http://www.herbalessences.com/en-US/hair-products/color-treated-hair
If I need to wash before one week I will usually opt to co-wash and I will do so with on of the Herbal Essence conditioners - Color Me Happy, Hello Hydration or Tousle Me Softly.
Other things i'll do to my tresses:
I do my own at home "oil infusion" I use a mixture of olive oil and pure argan oil and apply it to my hair then I apply conditioner on top of that and sit up under my hooded dryer and wash as usual.
I do protien treatments AS NEEDED. You hair will tell you what it needs. I use the Aphogee 2 step protien treatment and also I use the minute reconstructor from time to time as I see fit.
That's it and that's all folks!
My man wants me to have LONG hair.
Long hair was what they wanted so long hair is what they got but I paid the price. My OWN hair. I dated and have had relationships with several men who loved long hair. In fact I have only dated one man who embraced me having my hair however I wanted - long, short or bald.
My self esteem was so low that I felt that because I didn't have long, straight hair I wasn't good enough. I got all the weave, extensions and wigs my money could buy and it made THEM happy. But what about me? I finally came to a point where I was going to do what I needed to do to get myself right. I am not going to lie and say "I don't care about having long hair" because I do want long hair. However this time the importance is not being placed on getting long hair. I am placing importance on getting healthy hair. I know that length will follow with that.
I began my weight loss journey earlier this year, another thing I've tried and failed at several times. Why? because I wasn't seeing the big picture. I was focused on getting into an outfit instead of becoming healthier to prolong my life and reduce my risk for various illnesses. Once I started eating better, exercising-- guess what? I started losing the weight and keeping it off!
I won't go to far into this on this entry but nutrition has played a big part in my hair so far. A lot of the dry, brittleness I was suffering from was because I was filling my body with fats and sugars instead of vitamins and nutrients.
I'm not going to tell you that if your man doesn't like short hair, leave him. However if you do plan on staying with him I believe it's important to make him understand that this is something you are doing to make yourself better. I can say that anyone who really loves you will want you to be the best version of you possible and they will be supportive of you getting there. Support is a crucial in any life change. You can do it with out support but it's a helluva lot easier when you have people on your team - people who want the best for YOU.
In closing it's important to figure out why you're doing what you are doing. If you are getting relaxers (and your hair is healthy) and YOU love it then by all mean do what works for you. BUT if you're on the creamy crack just because that's what your man likes (and it's damaging your hair) then maybe you need to rethink your position on your hair and ultimately YOU.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
I HATE MY NATURAL HAIR!
That's right I said it!
I began getting relaxers at the age of 12. I loved it! My hair was long, soft, silky and shiny. My hair was FINALLY comparable to the hair of my Caucasian counterparts. I couldn't change the color of my skin but I could (with my mothers permission and help) change my hair. I knew I could never be lighter or white but with straight hair I could at least be part of the game. After a while of not properly caring for my hair, using excessive heat and getting countless "touch ups" - surprise, surprise - my hair began to break off.
So with the majority of my once long, strong hair was in my sink and not on my head. My mother decided to cut my hair "even" and give me a "s-curl". I hated it! It was greasy and dripped everywhere. On the other hand, when I didn't juice it up it was dry and brittle causing more breakage. After the s-curl I also tried texturizers.
At about 15 my hair had grown out to about shoulder length. I attribute this to the fact that I mostly wore half wigs and braids. You know... "protective styles". I had this one Dani Cali half wig that I loved. It was a beautiful honey blonde. Welp... I decided to dye my hair that color at home to match the wig. Smart right? ha! Needless in the end it turned out a disaster. Sure it looked spot on and people would often think it was my real hair. (I knew how to blend a half wig juuuust right). So what was the problem? Even though I lucked up with the color being correct (the 2nd time) my hair soon became dry and brittle and untimatley broke off.
I knew it was time to seek professional help. Or at least that's what I thought I was doing. The "Halle Berry" cut was all the rage at this time so I got my hair cut into a similar style. My hair once again looked fierce. No more diy. Strictly my hairstylist handling my mane every week. Every two weeks she would relax my hair. I was told that this was a must if I wanted to continue rocking the short fade in the back. I ended up with bad chemical burns on the back of my head. Damned if I do and damned if I let the professionals do it too!
My hair remained a hot mess for a long time. I always bought the latest products but yet my hair was still a hot mess. I went from half wigs to full wigs because my edges had fallen out so bad it was plain embarrassing. I bought everything from $10.99 wigs to $700+ wigs and loved them but I started getting sick of them. I started to realize that what I really wanted was for my hair to look like the wigs. I knew that wasn't going to happen by neglecting my hair and throwing a wig on.
So I met a hairstylist. He claimed to be all about natural hair care. I was a bit apprehensive because of my past experiences but decided to give it a try. After going to him for 4 months I started to see a dramatic difference in my hair. Then he suggested I get my hair colored. I declined at first and I told him that when I colored before my hair broke off. He assured me that it would be different because he was a professional. So I went ahead with it. At first it was OK but I didn't like it because it was too blonde for my dark skin. This is where the trouble begins... He colored it again but darker. It looked horrible, dry and brittle. Back to square one. When I complained to my hairstylist he told me that the hair lost and breakage was MY fault when in reality even though my hair was getting healthier it couldn't handle bleaching and dyes. I bought all the expensive products, went to the salon weekly and meticulously followed his instructions and still I was back at square one.
I decided to start transitioning ( at this time I didn't know what that was I just knew it was no more perms/coloring for me!) I did pretty good, I thought, for a while. Then I had a special ocassion and wanted to go to a salon to get beautiful. I went and was convienced that there was nothing that could be done to my hair unless I got a relaxer. Now I know that there was nothing SHE knew how to do to natural hair. All the hard work down the drain again!
One day it finally dawned on me. Why was I doing all of this? So that I can try to look like someone i'm not? Be someone i'm not? I'm all for enhancing your natural beauty ( i'm a certified makeup artist) but what I was doing was nothing short of self mutilation. After being teased as a child I hated who I was. It took me until the age of 21 to finally start to love myself the REAL me not the me that I tried to create in order for others to accept me. I have a lot to work on but I have realized that I will never be happy trying to be something i'm not.
I BC'd in 2010 twice but I didn't not properly care for my hair (and at that time my body). I started wearing full sew-ins which further stressed my edges out until I had none. I recently did my FINAL big chop -- more like a big shave. Unlike the other times I decided to go completely from scratch. Now I have done the research for MYSELF. No. I am not a licensed beautician and yes there are great ones out there but I view my hair differently now. I invested thousands of dollars on salon visits and products -- i'd call that an investment! When I make investments I do research so that I can make informed decisions and this is NOW the approach I take to my hair. I have become truly invested in ME. So now I don't hate my natural hair. I love my natural hair because I love me and I no longer view my "kinks" as flaws even if others do. This is where my journey begins.......
I began getting relaxers at the age of 12. I loved it! My hair was long, soft, silky and shiny. My hair was FINALLY comparable to the hair of my Caucasian counterparts. I couldn't change the color of my skin but I could (with my mothers permission and help) change my hair. I knew I could never be lighter or white but with straight hair I could at least be part of the game. After a while of not properly caring for my hair, using excessive heat and getting countless "touch ups" - surprise, surprise - my hair began to break off.
So with the majority of my once long, strong hair was in my sink and not on my head. My mother decided to cut my hair "even" and give me a "s-curl". I hated it! It was greasy and dripped everywhere. On the other hand, when I didn't juice it up it was dry and brittle causing more breakage. After the s-curl I also tried texturizers.
At about 15 my hair had grown out to about shoulder length. I attribute this to the fact that I mostly wore half wigs and braids. You know... "protective styles". I had this one Dani Cali half wig that I loved. It was a beautiful honey blonde. Welp... I decided to dye my hair that color at home to match the wig. Smart right? ha! Needless in the end it turned out a disaster. Sure it looked spot on and people would often think it was my real hair. (I knew how to blend a half wig juuuust right). So what was the problem? Even though I lucked up with the color being correct (the 2nd time) my hair soon became dry and brittle and untimatley broke off.
I knew it was time to seek professional help. Or at least that's what I thought I was doing. The "Halle Berry" cut was all the rage at this time so I got my hair cut into a similar style. My hair once again looked fierce. No more diy. Strictly my hairstylist handling my mane every week. Every two weeks she would relax my hair. I was told that this was a must if I wanted to continue rocking the short fade in the back. I ended up with bad chemical burns on the back of my head. Damned if I do and damned if I let the professionals do it too!
My hair remained a hot mess for a long time. I always bought the latest products but yet my hair was still a hot mess. I went from half wigs to full wigs because my edges had fallen out so bad it was plain embarrassing. I bought everything from $10.99 wigs to $700+ wigs and loved them but I started getting sick of them. I started to realize that what I really wanted was for my hair to look like the wigs. I knew that wasn't going to happen by neglecting my hair and throwing a wig on.
So I met a hairstylist. He claimed to be all about natural hair care. I was a bit apprehensive because of my past experiences but decided to give it a try. After going to him for 4 months I started to see a dramatic difference in my hair. Then he suggested I get my hair colored. I declined at first and I told him that when I colored before my hair broke off. He assured me that it would be different because he was a professional. So I went ahead with it. At first it was OK but I didn't like it because it was too blonde for my dark skin. This is where the trouble begins... He colored it again but darker. It looked horrible, dry and brittle. Back to square one. When I complained to my hairstylist he told me that the hair lost and breakage was MY fault when in reality even though my hair was getting healthier it couldn't handle bleaching and dyes. I bought all the expensive products, went to the salon weekly and meticulously followed his instructions and still I was back at square one.
I decided to start transitioning ( at this time I didn't know what that was I just knew it was no more perms/coloring for me!) I did pretty good, I thought, for a while. Then I had a special ocassion and wanted to go to a salon to get beautiful. I went and was convienced that there was nothing that could be done to my hair unless I got a relaxer. Now I know that there was nothing SHE knew how to do to natural hair. All the hard work down the drain again!
One day it finally dawned on me. Why was I doing all of this? So that I can try to look like someone i'm not? Be someone i'm not? I'm all for enhancing your natural beauty ( i'm a certified makeup artist) but what I was doing was nothing short of self mutilation. After being teased as a child I hated who I was. It took me until the age of 21 to finally start to love myself the REAL me not the me that I tried to create in order for others to accept me. I have a lot to work on but I have realized that I will never be happy trying to be something i'm not.
I BC'd in 2010 twice but I didn't not properly care for my hair (and at that time my body). I started wearing full sew-ins which further stressed my edges out until I had none. I recently did my FINAL big chop -- more like a big shave. Unlike the other times I decided to go completely from scratch. Now I have done the research for MYSELF. No. I am not a licensed beautician and yes there are great ones out there but I view my hair differently now. I invested thousands of dollars on salon visits and products -- i'd call that an investment! When I make investments I do research so that I can make informed decisions and this is NOW the approach I take to my hair. I have become truly invested in ME. So now I don't hate my natural hair. I love my natural hair because I love me and I no longer view my "kinks" as flaws even if others do. This is where my journey begins.......
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)