Progress...

My hair's moisture level is getting so much better.  I've been using Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion as my moisturizer for the past week or so, and it's doing a pretty good job keeping my hair moist and shiny. I have had a love/hate relationship with this product for a while. I bought it years ago when I was relaxed. Initially, I didn't like how it felt on my hair- heavy, oily and sticky. However, it seems to work on my son's curls.  I'm not sure what made me pick it up and try it last week, but I thought, 'why not?' As soon as I put some on my dry hair, I immediately saw and felt a difference. My hair looked shiny. It felt moist and silky. The hair "clumped" like I hadn't seen my natural hair do. So I decided to use it on a dry twist out. The next day my twists were moist, but not too greasy. When I pulled the twists apart, my hair stayed clumped for the most part, and did not separate and frizz like they usually do.

I tried again on wet hair and had pretty good results. I'm also getting better at second day hair.  Last night I put my hair in about 10 very loose ponytails. This morning, I just had to moisturize, fluff and go!

I also gave myself a trim.  My ends really needed it.  I don't know if it's scab hair, or just old damaged ends, but it's definitely not helping my curls.  I just dusted my ends to get rid of the wiry hairs.  I probably could have trimmed more, but I barely trust myself with scissors!  I did it on dry hair, so hopefully I'll see a difference after my next wash.

Better Day

After my discouraging hair day yesterday, I sought help of my girl, L, who has been natural for about 5 years.  I am so appreciate of her help.  She thinks that I'm washing the moisture out of my hair and suggested trying to go the rest of the week without co-washing.  She also told me to try whipped shea butter.

I decided to wash my hair again- just to make sure I was starting with a clean slate.  When I was relaxed, an egg protein treatment usually gave me brand new hair, so I did it last night.  This was the first time since my big chop that I did an egg treatment.  I used Creme of Nature Argan Oil shampoo once and did an apple cider vinegar rinse.  I deep conditioned for about 30 minutes with Giovanni 50:50 Balancing Calming Conditioner, and rinsed.  I made some whipped shea butter with jojoba and almond oils, and added a little aloe vera gel.  I applied some Cantu leave in conditioner, and some of the shea butter mix, and flat twisted my hair. I wasn't going to leave it twisted, I was just trying to make sure I got product on every strand.  Then I decided to leave the twists on over night because I noticed that my roots looked more moisturized than usual.  I slept with a satin scarf (I usually just sleep on a satin pillowcase).  When I woke up today and took my twists out, my hair was really shiny and a lot more moisturized than yesterday! My twists weren't as defined as I wanted, but I know I need to work on my twisting skills.  The flat twists instead of individual twists really helped my roots to not look too puffy.

The apple cider vinegar rinse really helped. I think I had some buildup that needed to be removed.  The shea butter made a big difference too.  I was worried that it would be too heavy for my hair, but I guess my hair drank it up.

My hair isn't at the moisture level I want it to be, but it's sooo much better. I know we're supposed to moisturize and seal, but I think I put it out of my mind since I've been having such bad luck with oils lately.  Hopefully I can make it not washing my hair for the rest of the week. Following my girl's advice, my plan is to lightly spritz my hair with water before bed and add a small amount of my whipped shea butter mix. I'll decide at night whether to re-twist or not. In the morning, I'll just add oil in the morning for shine and finger comb to slightly lift the smashed hair.

I Love My Natural Hair. I Love My Natural Hair.

I really don't love it right now, but I'm trying to talk myself into it!

I did a twist out last week.  The weather cooled down, and I felt like I was catching a cold, so I decided not to swim for the week.  I figured it was the perfect time to try a twistout.  I still haven't mastered flat twists, so I decided to do individual twists.

I co-washed, and used Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in mixed with some aloe vera juice and oil.  I twisted each section with a little Ecostyler gel on each section.  I pinned most of the twists down, to keep them twisted and to stretch them out some.  When I woke up, my hair was completely dry.  I took out the twists with some coconut oil on my hands.  Most of my twists, especially in the front were very well defined. Some parts of the back looked frizzy to me.  The next night, I re-twisted just a few areas in the back and on the sides.

This is not a great picture...I liked that my hair was stretched out, but I don't love the results.  I think I need to use different products to twist, because my hair didn't look as moist and shiny as I had hoped.  Next time I'll use something other than coconut oil to take the twists out.

I tried another twistout last night, using Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in and grapeseed oil (no gel).  I had bigger twists this time.  I like how the ends of my hair came out, but did not like how puffy and dry my roots looked and felt.  I ended up co-washing and wearing my usual wash and go afro.

I don't think the gel is helping my hair stay moisturized. Maybe it's due to the weather not being as humid and warm.  I also don't think coconut oil is working for me.  Actually, most oils seem to only coat my hair at this point.  I don't even get any shine from them.

I'm feeling discouraged.  I can't seem to keep my hair moisturized, especially at the roots.  My hair strands are fine, so it's hard to get the roots to clump together like I want them to.  I'm not giving up, I just need to figure this out....

Product Review: Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap Purification Hair Masque

I bought and tried this masque about a week and half ago.  It was about $13 at the drugstore.

Product Description
Detoxify, condition and soothe hair and scalp with gentle Kaolin clay, herbal extracts, botanical enzymes and essential vitamins. Our intense treatment relieves dry, itchy scalp, removes product buildup and preserves hair by sealing in natural moisture. Treats dandruff, eczema & psoriasis.

*Plantain enzyme: Helps to alleviate itchiness and irritation * Tea tree: Removes buildup for enhanced shine and volume *Willow bark extract: Exfoliates and detoxifies hair and scalp *Ethically traded ingredients, sustainably produced *No parabens, phthalates, paraffin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, PABA, synthetic color, DEA, animal ingredients or sulfates *Cruelty free, no animal testing *Sulfate free, color safe, organic

Ingredients
Deionized Water , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Mangfera Indica Seed Butter (Mango) , Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado) , African Black Soap Extract , Sea Salt , Cetyl Esters , Kaolin Clay , Grapeseed Oil , Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba) , Behentrimonium Chloride (Conditioner) , Salicylic Acid , Salix Alba (Willow Bark) Extract , Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil (Neem) , Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil , Sorbitol Esters , Aloe Vera Leaf Juice , Tocopherol (Vitamin E) , Rosemary Extract , Salvia Officinalis Extract (Sage) , Plantain Extract

Directions
Apply generously to dampened hair, leaving on 5-30 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Shake well, natural ingredients tend to settle.

My Experience
 Before I used it, I read some online reviews. I decided to use it as a pre-poo treatment.  My hair was a little damp from working out when I applied it.  The texture is creamy, but not too heavy.  The smell is pleasant, not overbearing at all.  I left it in for a little over 30 minutes.  I didn't even try to de-tange with it, but my hair doesn't get too tangled anyway.  I washed my hair using very diluted shampoo, applied a rinse out conditioner for a few minutes, and air dried.  I'm glad I used it as a pre-poo and used some shampoo, because it's grainy and hard to get out.  I think it's more sandy than henna!

I actually didn't notice a difference at all using this product. Even days later, I couldn't tell I used anything different.  I may try to use this once more, but I probably will not purchase it again.

I don't have a dry, itchy scalp so I shouldn't have even bought this.  CVS had a sale on Shea Moisture products.  They didn't have the products I wanted, but I felt like I should get something.

September 2012 Update

It's been almost 3 months since my big chop, and I'm just moving along.  No big updates.  I'm still co-washing every day, mostly because I swim and/or work out every day- not because of tangles or because I need the moisture, thank goodness.  I haven't really tried any new styles but a wash and go because of all of the exercise.  My hair was shedding a lot in the shower, which I think was okay, but I decided to incorporate a little more protein just in case.  So for the last week or two, I have been co-washing every other day with Mane and Tail conditioner.  I love that stuff. It smells so good and I like how my hair feels when I'm using it.  The shedding has definitely slowed down from using a product with protein.  I wash my hair about once a week with either very diluted baking soda or Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Clarifying Shampoo. I deep condition once a week with Kenra conditioner. It really keeps my hair moist.  Last weekend when I ran out of my Ecostyler with Olive Oil gel, I used the argan oil formula and it was just okay.  My hair felt a little harder and dryer than when I use the olive oil formula, so I'll still with the olive oil gel.

Sorry I don't have any recent pictures (they're coming!), but I can definitely tell that my hair is growing.  I feel more hair in my hands when I wash and style my hair.  One day last week when I looked in the mirror, I could tell a difference in the length and the curl pattern, and for the first time in a long time, I loved what I saw!

I've been slacking on the henna, but I'm going to try to do a treatment this weekend.  My grays are really starting to come in around my hairline. I don't love that my grays are a reddish/orange while the rest of my hair is dark brown, but I don't know what else to do.  I don't want to do an indigo treatment, because I don't want black hair.  Semi-permanent colors that I'm not allergic to really don't cover my grays. Plus, I co-wash every day, so I don't think it would last long anyway.  I'm still nervous about going lighter.  I'm still weighing my options.

I've been taking biotin since I big chopped.  I don't notice a difference, but that's probably because I've been taking it since I cut my hair.  I'm going to continue taking it. Besides the constant exercise, I've been eating a lot of fruits, vegetables and eggs.  I also juice vegetables and carrots 4-5 times a week.  Hopefully all of this is helping to keep my hair healthy and strong.

I'm really excited about the next few months and what my hair will do.

One Month Post Big Chop

It's been one month and 10 days since my big chop. Every week gets better, and I've learned a few things about my hair.  For example, I don't think I have fine or low porosity hair.  Could it have been the relaxer???

I co-wash every day, with either Aussie Moist or V05 Moisture Milks.  For the past two weeks I have used Hawaiian Silky Miracle Worker 14 in 1 as my leave-in, and it really keeps my hair moist.  Moisture is my number one goal.  My hair is naturally dry, but I've also been working out and swimming regularly- sometimes in the sun- so I need to keep my hair as moist as possible.  My scalp is doing great.  It took about 2 months for it to get back to normal after my allergic reaction.  I haven't done a henna gloss in about 3 weeks, but I will do one in the next few days.  I would love to color my hair lighter, but I want to wait until I am confident about keeping it moist and healthy.

My edges are doing great too.  For the first time, they lay down with just a little gel- no scarf! They're the same texture as the rest of my hair, too.  I think the relaxer was always breaking my edges, so they were never healthy or an even length to be manageable.

This week was the first time I noticed a little curl pattern and some growth! I still use some gel and a brush to define my curls every morning, but I don't use as much gel, and I don't brush as much.

I still don't love my hair, but I am enjoying having short, low maintenance hair during the summer.  It's much cooler, and it's been fun experimenting with jewelry and make-up!  I don't miss having a relaxer at all.  My man always tells me that it's not the hair, it's my confidence, so walking straighter, smiling more, and showing the world that I feel good about myself has been good for me.  I've gotten a lot of compliments- not just about my hair, but my skin, my eyes and my overall appearance!

Curls!

2 weeks post big chop.  Still no curls.  However, I did find a video that helps me define my curls in less than 10 minutes:

I am so thankful for finding this video.  I guess hours of looking at youtube videos has paid off!  I'm on my third day of doing this, and I still really like it.

I also started using Aussie Moist conditioner to co-wash, which is great.  I didn't like it on my relaxed hair, but it really moisturizes my natural hair.  I went to the beach on Saturday, and with the hot sun on top of my already dry hair, my kinks were CRISPY.  That night, I shampoo'd, henna'd, and deep conditioned overnight with ORS Replenishing (not sure if I like it on my natural hair- maybe I need to stay away from protein).  The next day I used the brush to define my curls and I was in shock how fast the curls came!  I used leave-in, Shea Moisture Curling Smoothie, and Eco Styler gel.  My hair was still not as moist as I wanted it, but I loved the curls.  The next day, I used Aussie Moist to co-wash, skipped the leave-in, and just applied castor oil and Eco Styler Gel with olive oil.  Loved it.  My hair stayed moist all day- a first since my big chop!  I went out with a couple of friends, and they gave me so many compliments on my hair.

Since starting my hair journey, I have always been on the fence about leave-in conditioners. Unless I use the Kimmaytube method with oil and aloe vera juice, I've never really seen a difference.  Lately, I've felt like the leave-ins I've been using have been making my hair feel harder and drier, not softer and moist.

I also realized that I have heat damage!  Right on top in the front- the most visible place to have it! I'm just going to keep scrunching it up with gel to mask it.