Since I was a little girl, I've been pretty obsessed with my hair. I blame it on all the white girls I saw on tv with bouncy, flowing hair. I gave up on having "white girls hair" a long time ago, but I still truly believe that I can have pretty hair that is thick and healthy. I gave up on having long hair about 13 years ago, when I cut it really short, aka the ‘Halle Berry’ hairdo. I've tried 2 or 3 times since then to grow it out, but once it grew a little past my ears, I got frustrated with the in-between stage and cut it. I also felt that it got thin as it grew, but now I know it got thin because I wasn't treating right. I was using too much heat and not enough conditioner and other protectants. I have a lot of theories about my hair (like when my hair grows long it thins), but I'm working on throwing those theories away and base my hair growth on facts and the things I do to it.
About a year and a half ago, I moved to North Carolina from Boston. I went to college in NC, and most of the time I was in college, my hair was pretty healthy. That's another one of my theories- that the Boston water and weather was bad for my hair. Anyway, when I moved here, my hair was really short, but since I didn't have a reliable stylist and I believed that my hair did better here, I thought it was a great time for me to grow it out. I was still getting relaxers in Boston when I would visit every couple of months. My hair did really well the first year, but then it started breaking off. I contribute it to not conditioning it enough, not having a good stylist (which I still don't), and putting heat in it. It really started thinning out when I had my girl put a relaxer in it (I usually ALWAYS get a relaxer done by a professional). I was getting Dominican blowouts every 2 weeks which is probably another factor in my breakage/overprocessing.
In November, I thought I found a good stylist and I was going to her every week faithfully for roller sets. No heat! On December 8th, she gave me a relaxer and a semi-permanent color (I have some platinum hair in the front). The perm didn't burn, but it did itch (a sign). I left the salon feeling good and when I went out that night got tons of compliments. I went home and wrapped my hair like I usually do, and when I woke up, my hair was stuck to my head. For weeks I had oozing scabs, bumps around my hairline and ears, and really really really flaky scalp. No, for real, I was miserable. I didn't want to go out- not even to work, so I wore my hair up in a clip. I even wore a fall (half wig) when I went out one night. The stylist still doesn't know what the problem was. Unfortunately, I don't even know what kind of perm she used. She said that I have a sensitive scalp, but I've never reacted like that before- wait- once about a year ago when I went to a stylist down here who I never went back to. (I promised myself after that that I would let the stylist know how much she jacked me up.) I stuck with the stylist and she gave me weekly deep conditioning treatments, but my scalp was still dry and really really really flaky. I told her that I would give her one more chance to relax me, but if something happened, she was fired! I just got a touch-up this past Saturday (January 26). I just got a relaxer and a protein treatment- no color and no setting lotion. She used an Onyx perm, mild and sensitive scalp (my hairdresser in Boston used Affirm regular). It might have been psychological, but I felt burning after 5 minutes. I timed her (she was so slow and she had a nerve to take a phone call while the perm was in my hair!) and made her wash it out after 15 minutes. I didn't burn and when I woke up the next day okay. When I got home, I put 100% shea butter on my scalp (it made my hair a little heavy, but it's curing my ultra-dry and flaky scalp). But I've decided not to go to her again. I didn't like how she took that call when the chemical was in my hair, and I haven't liked how my hair has been looking. I know I should be more worried about the health, but I also want to look like I actually got my hair done, ya know?
Okay, so here are my hair goals:
1. More thickness - I don't want to see through my hair!
2. Grow to at least shoulder length
3. Be able to rollerset my hair and have it look like I got it done
4. Find a healthy
I'm about to take an inventory of my products, which I will list here. I will also post my hair care regimen soon.
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