Hair from February 24th Straightening - Update

When I had a TWA (teeny weeny afro :) ) I played in it all the time!  I wore a lot of wigs and just didn't take the neccessary care for it like I should have.  Some how I managed to get over the hump and it grew out and I found a stylist that could flat iron my hair but with methods that would not strip it too much.  She uses a steamer, she may deep condition you 2xs if your strands need it and a good heat protectant before she uses the blow dryer or flat irons.  Daisha is awesome!  Just look at her work.  This hair being straight is 5 weeks old.  I used no oil or hairspray on my hair.  I keep it wrapped if I am not leaving the house.  I only use a wide too shower comb in it.  

My hair is starting to get a little fuzzy at roots so putting it in a pony keeps it looking together.  

Well since the gray hair is creeping in I will have to dye it soon at the roots.  When I do I will post pics and updates!  Until then be blessed and thanks for stopping by!

Hands Off!

I really think the big secret to growing hair is to keep it moisturized (if you have dry hair and scalp) and to keep your hands out of it.  When I had a TWA (teeny weeny afro) I kept my hands in my hair twirling the curls, and when it grew out some I had fun gelling my hair back into puffs.  Using gel and a boar bristle brush.  I just think my hair didn't achieve its potential because I kept manipulating it.

Once I knew I would be in a foreign country (Germany) without my stylist and a lot of my hair products readily available to me I had to make some changes.  I decided to get a sew in when I 1st arrived in August.  I kept the weave in until the 1st of October.  Not sure if I could have gone longer, the hair was holding up pretty well, but I am the type of person that like to feel my scalp and the rat tail comb to scratch up under the braids was not working for me.  I took the hair down and began my routine with my shea butter mixture.

From October until February was conditioner wash on Sunday.  Two strand twist with shea butter mixture.  Twist out on Wednesday.  Dry braid out every other week on Friday night.  Ok not sure if that was clear but when my hair was in twists I would pin them in a style when leaving the house or I wore my satin bonnet under a winter hat and went about my day running errands. The every other week braid out was when I was attending a basketball game and wanted to wear my hair down.  So here are a few visuals of those styles.

Sew in weave

Dry braid out

Wearing satin bonnet under winter hats

This was it in a nutshell.  Nothing spectacular :)  I just believe minimal is best.  Oh and the dye is because I have a lot of gray hair.  It is my way to camouflage it and give me a little sass ;)
Until next time stay blessed!

Little Bit of This, Some of That! My Shea Butter Mixture

I want to apologize this took forever for me to post.  When I initially wrote that I would post what I mix into my shea butter concoction I failed to realize that I had taken my measurements home to the USA during my visit in February.  So what I will do is tell you the things I included in the mix and what they are claimed to do for your hair.  I want to also say that I am no scientist, doctor or even a cosmetologist.  I just did some research for what I wanted out of a hair cream and got in the kitchen mixing!  I really think want helped my hair (and as we all know all hair is different, what may work for me may not work for the next person) was the fact that I stayed out of it.  I had been looking around on the web and reading about all the harsh things that are in store bought products (not all) that are not moisturizing for our hair.  My hair was feeling dry and I have a two year old with really dry hair so we needed something to restore moisture, make our hair soft and manageable.  This mix is heavy.  Your hair will not bounce or fly with the wind lol.  It was really for the health aspect for our hair.  I will post my routine for the fall and winter on another post.  Stay tuned!

Here are the ingredients I used in the mix:

Aloe Vera Benefits

- dandruff prevention- has natural antibacterial and fungicidal properties.  

- conditioning- The gel also has a similar chemical composition to keratin, the primary protein in hair cells, which allows it to more easily penetrate hair along the entire length of the shaft, according to Gage. Once the gel has penetrated the hair shaft and follicle, its combination of essential amino acids gives it strength and luster.

Glycerin 

-keeps hair hydrated by drawing moisture from the air to the hair shaft. As a conditioner, it's especially beneficial for curly hair, which tends to be drier due to the shape of the hair shaft. It helps curls form better and works against that dreaded curse of the curly girl: frizz.

Castor Oil

Regular castor oil use on your hair’s roots and scalp will help:

1. Increase hair growth
2. Thicken hair that is starting to thin out
3. Reduce and prevent hair damage
4. Eliminate dry hair
5. Make the hair fuller and shinier
6. Deeply condition and moisturize hair and scalp
7. Prevents dry scalp
8. Boost your hair’s overall health

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO) - makes hair manageable, seals in moisture, pre-poo

Shea Butter – heavy butter for sealing in moisture, softens hair

• Shea butter provides moisture to dry and damaged hair from the roots to the tips, leaving it healthy and shiny. Because it's rich in vitamins A and E, shea butter soothes dryness, repairs breakage, and mends split ends.
• Shea butter absorbs quickly and completely into the scalp without clogging pores, leaving a greasy residue, or causing a buildup of oil or dandruff.
• Shea butter helps heal a variety of scalp problems, including dry scalp, psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
• Shea butter protects hair from weather damage caused by wind, humidity, and extreme dryness, and repairs such damage.
• Because it's rich in moisture and can shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation, shea butter protects hair from sun damage.
• If your hair has endured chemical treatments, hot irons, and blow-dryers, shea butter can restore its moisture and vitality.

Jojoba Oil - structurally and chemically very similar to the human sebum( natural oil we produce), non greasy, high content of minerals and Vit E, antibacterial and prevents damage from free radicals.  

Extra virgin olive oil EVOO- Used on hair, olive oil can nourish, condition, and improve the strength and elasticity. Moreover, being olive oil a completely natural product, treating yourself with it will help reducing the stress caused by chemical products and therefore improve the health of your hair overall.

Orange Fragrance Oil

A lot of these products don't smell like the nice smelling stuff you can buy in the stores.  That is why I added the Orange Fragrance.  It gave the mix a spa smell, kinda clean and herbal, like when you close your eyes on the massage table.  Here is what it looked like after mixing it by hand:

It is the consistency of cake icing.  I do apologize for not having the measurements.  A tip to remember though you have to warm the raw shea butter to get it soft enough to stir and mix.  I achieved this by spooning it into a small bowl and putting the bowl in a HOT larger bowl of water until it melted.  The coconut oil was solid as well but after a little stirring it became soft.  There are some hair sites on the web to give you a reference to measurements.  Just look around and see what looks good to you.  If you have a question please ask and I will try to get back to you very soon!  Thanks for stopping by and good luck if you decide to make it yourself!  Happy Growing!!!

Grace and Blessings!

Is That All You?

Is that all of your hair?  I have heard that a few times since getting my hair flat ironed this last time.  I don't mind the question because I use to be the weave/wig queen!  I knew all about different yaki, remi, indian wet and wavy hair that would make your head spin.  I love change and not sure the real reason I wore the extra hair but I enjoyed the quick change it allowed me to achieve in an afternoon instead of trying to grow my hair unsuccessfully for years.

I have the honor of receiving the gray hair genes in the family and have had strands since middle school at age 13.  With trying to dye my hair (I don't mind gray but the amount I have is comparison to a senior citizen) and get relaxers my hair was not healthy at all and stuck at shoulder length or above for many years.  I had to make a decision between dying my hair often to keep up with the gray or getting relaxers since doing both was thinning my hair out.  I decided that cutting it all off and starting over with no relaxers was going to be my best bet.  I did the "big chop" for New Years 2008.  I was so self conscious of my short hair.  I mean it was so short I could barely get comb twists (pictures to come when I get home to my desk top).  SO I was hiding my hair for about 2 years and in the process not letting it get the moisture and care it needed.  Finally listening to a friend (thanks Anneka) I went to a really good stylist who would teach me to care for my natural tresses.  I also was a googling fool looking up everything on how to make your own moisturizers, conditioners, etc.  This was really helpful this year in Germany.  Although there are a lot of people of color here, there aren't any products in stores for their hair textures.  I made my own moisture hair dress and was protecting my hair from the cold winter here in Germany by wearing two strand twists and braid outs.  So I want to show you my hair growth from my arrival in Germany until now.

July 2011

February 2012

So that's about 7months of growth.  Let me know if you are interested in my routine.  I will post my homemade hair dress on here soon!  

Take care!

Grace and Blessings!