Washing Frequency

I've realized that I need to wash more than once a week. I used to wash twice a week, but since winter started, I've been washing only once a week. I've been lazy and afraid of the dry cold air, but my hair really thrives when I wash (or co-wash) more than once each week. I usually wash on Sundays, and by Thursday or Friday, my hair sheds and just doesn't look as good to me. I love how it looks when it's clean and freshly rollerset!

Since I'm going to try to keep my hair in a bun all of March, it shouldn't be too hard or time consuming to wash twice a week.

Both of these photos were in the past 2 weeks with freshly washed hair:

February 2009 Relaxer

My relaxer this past weekend went well. I know I could have gone another week, but I had a formal event to go to. My stylist used Affirm this time. I asked her about it, because she's been using Mizani on my hair for almost the past year. She said she just likes to switch up sometimes and she doesn't see that much of a difference between the two relaxers. I wanted to get get curls, but I punked out. I'm not a big fan of her styling technique, so I just stuck to my old faithful- wrap and bump the ends. She did a rollerset before I got in her chair on a woman's long hair, and I didn't like it. At all. I also got a trim. I didn't really need one, but I didn't get one after my last relaxer. I also like blunt and even ends, and I doubt they would have stayed that way another 8-9 weeks.


My hair came out okay, it just felt a little stiff. I think it's from the ORS hair lotion (which I hate)she put on my hair before she wrapped it. I don't ever remember her doing that before, so next time I'll ask her not to use it. I've had a busy week, so I haven't been able to wash my hair. I'm definitely washing it tonight. I really like how she relaxes my hair, but I don't like how she styles it. She's great with short hair, but not so good with medium and long length heads. The funny thing is that she has long hair (although it's always in a ponytail when I see her) and her daughter's hair is past her waist. Maybe she's just another stylist who thinks that her products work on all heads. Sigh. I'm just going to keep going to her while my hair is growing out. I really don't have the time, courage or patience to try someone new and I only go to her for relaxers, so it's not that serious.

The last 2 times I've gone to her she encouraged me to get a color, but I can do that myself with the same $4 bottle of Adore she uses and save the $15 she charges. I don't think I really needed a color anyway, since I just put some in 2 weeks ago. I decided that I don't want black hair for the summer, so I'm going to start weaning my hair off the black some time next month, and start using some shade of brown.

I'm also going to try to wear protective buns for at least a whole month. Now that my hair is touching the top of my shoulders, I want to protect my ends from the dry cotton and wool sweaters and jackets I wear every day.

Relaxer Time

I'm getting a relaxer this weekend- I'll be at 8 weeks. Since I started my healthy hair journey a little over a year ago, I have been getting relaxers every 8 weeks. This is huge, considering since I got my first perm at age 14, I have never gone past 6. There were even times when I would get a relaxer every 4 weeks. My hair has thanked me for waiting longer by growing thick and healthy. I never want to stretch too long because I don't like all the shedding, but after this time, I'm going to try to go 9 weeks for the next year.

If I didn't have a formal event to go to this weekend, I would wait another week to get a relaxer. I'm really loving my thick hair right now. Surprisingly, my roots aren't too bad. I can see new growth, but the natural curl pattern is looser than usual, so it's very manageable. I like big hair anyway. Even my edges aren't as "nappy" like they usually are this long after a relaxer. I think the co-washes have a lot to do with it- I'm only using shampoo every other week now. I'm getting better at rollersetting, which is helping too.

A year ago, my hair was a little longer than it is now, but it was in the worse condition it had ever been in. My strands were thin and weak, my ends were over processed, and my hair wasn't really absorbing any products. I had just about made shoulder length last March, but what good was it if my hair didn't look good and couldn't hold a style? I am so glad that I got a lot of my hair cut off and turned it into a healthy head of hair. Even my bad hair days aren't so bad now. I actually get more compliments when I put my hair up in a clip!

Re-visiting the Wrap

It's no secret that I have a love/hate relationship with wrapping my hair. I always complain that wrapping doesn't work for me because the side I end the wrap (the crazy side) is always jacked up. The ends are frizzy and it sticks out on that side. But I do love how the other side comes out- my ends are smooth and my hair is bouncy and has great movement. Well, since I got my last relaxer almost 5 weeks ago, all I've been doing is wrapping my hair- all the way around- and it's been coming out great! I've been getting tons of compliments and people keep asking me where I get my hair done. I think the biggest factor my success is the fact that my hair is so much healthier than it has been in years, so my ends aren't frizzy at all. Also, my hair is longer, so it's heavier. I'm not quite at shoulder length yet (hopefully within the next month or 2!), but having some length does help it fall better. Some other things that have helped are:

changing the direction of my wrap after each wash every week. It's winter, so it's cold and dry and I'm not as motivated to wash my hair as often, so I've been washing it once a week. One week I wrap to the left every day, the next week I wrap to the right. I think it's also helping to prevent breakage and weak edges. After about 5 days, I'm not feeling the wrap as much, but if I put some rollers in it for an hour or so, I get the body back.

moisturizing and brushing the crazy side. My linesister always yells at me to "just put some oil on it and brush it." It definitely works! I just brush the crazy side 3-4 times to

using light products. All I have been using is KeraCare Creme Hairdress every day and applying grapeseed oil on the ends- both moisturize my hair well without weighing it down. Having body and bounce is important to me.

wrapping tightly after rollersetting. This was my "ah ha" moment. My stylist wraps my hair wonderfully and doesn't understand why I keep telling her that I can't wrap my hair or the wrap doesn't work for me. About a month ago after I took the rollers out, my boyfriend helped me with the saran wrap and he did it extra tight. When I combed my hair out after sitting under the dryer for 15 minutes, my hair looked amazing, and I was 7 weeks post relaxer! I don't wrap my hair that tight every night, but I do wrap it as tight as I can after rollersetting. My hair falls a lot better and my roots are so much less puffy.

I'm not sure I'll be able to wrap much after 5-6 weeks post relaxer because my roots will be puffy, but I'm going to try!

My Top Hair Product Discoveries

Here are my 5 top hair product discoveries within the past year. They have really helped turn my hair around:

5. V05 Moisture Milks/Giovanni Direct Leave-in Conditioner (tie)
I discovered conditioner washing in '08 and my favorite product to co-wash with is V05, especially the Strawberries and Cream. This has given me more moisture, slip and overall strength. Givoanni Direct Leave-in is the best leave-in conditioner I have ever used. My comb just slides through my hair after applying it, and it really moisturizes my hair.

4. Grapeseed Oil
I don't know what it is about this oil, but it turns my frizzy ends into smooth and sleek ends while not weighing my hair down at all!

3. KeraCare Creme Hairdress
At the start of my hair journey last January, I knew that my main problem was lack of moisture. It took a little while for me to fall it love with it, but I think that's because my hair was so damaged that it wasn't absorbing products as well. I only need a little of this moisturizer to quench my hair's thirst, and the shine it gives is amazing.

2. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Pak
I can't rave enough about this conditioner I use weekly. I've tried others, but nothing compares to how moisturized and sleek my hair feels from this. In general, my hair hates olive oil, but this must have just enough, or is mixed with some other great products to work on my hair fabulously. Don't ask me why I haven't bought the bottle yet!

and my #1 product discovery was.....

COCONUT OIL!
I use coconut oil as a sealant, moisturizer, conditioner and leave-in conditioner. I love the fact that it's light, smells yummy, gives amazing shine, adds a little protein, and cost me less than $5. I have to remind myself that a little goes a long way. During my last wash, I mistakenly sprayed more coconut oil+water mix than I usually do before I roller set. My hair came out heavier, but not weighed down at all...it's like my hair just drank it up. I am actually liking my hair a little heavier this week. It looks so much thicker and healthier. It feels like I have my old (when it was healthy) hair back!

So of course I will continue to use these products this year. I want to try a couple of new conditioners and oils, but overall I'm happy with my regimen and staple products. I don't consider myself a hair product junkie anymore, because I have found things that my hair loves. I am not a happy camper when I try a product that doesn't work for me. I will try to only buy new products when I have run out of something I already have.

I am extremely grateful to all of the members on the hair boards I am a member of, and all of the women who read my blog and give me great advice. Without them, I would probably still flatiron my dry, damaged hair every other day!

Parched Hair

My hair feels dry today! Not super dry, and it's really just the ends that feel dry. I know one reason is because I didn't moisturize it this morning (*slapping my hand*). I was running late being lazy and kept my hair wrapped in my silk scarf and just put a hat on when I left for work without taking it down to moisturize it like I usually do. The other reason I think is the conditioner I used the other day. The Pantene Breakage Defense Mask was great the first few times I used it, but now my hair doesn't feel as moisturized from it anymore. I even added a few drops of jojoba and sweet almond oils to it this time. Maybe it's good for the summer months when the humidity is high, but not good during the winter when the air is this dry. I guess I'll stick to my ORS Replenishing.

I also need to keep some moisturizer/oil at work!

2009 Hair Goals

Since 2008 is wrapping up, I decided to list my hair goals for the new year. I am very pleased with my hair progress this year. Even though I had to cut it in the spring, I feel that it was the best thing I ever did- my over processed ends would never have recovered. I also learned a lot about my hair (it's fine, not thin) and discovered a lot of products that my hair does and does not like. In 2009, I'm looking forward to longer, thicker and healthier tresses!

My goals this past year were to:
1. Achieve more thickness - I don't want to see through my hair! Done! After getting my hair cut in June, I have been able to keep my hair looking thick with the proper moisturizers, conditioners and almost NO heat
2. Wait at least 7-8 weeks between relaxers (I usually go 6, but I've realized it's too short) Done! I haven't gone less than 8 weeks since 2007
3. Be able to rollerset my hair and have it look like I got it done almost done!
4. Find a healthy platinum coverage Done! Adore semi-permanent is my staple now
5. Take hair/nails/skin vitamins Done! I've been taking pre-natal vitamins for about 3 months now
6. Stop scratching my scalp & playing in my hair during the day Done! I hardly ever scratch my scalp now- I haven't had any flakes in months and I almost never burn when getting a relaxer...unfortunately, I still play in my hair too much, but not nearly as much as I used to


Tiffanita's 2009 Hair Goals:

• Achieve even more thickness and strength
• Reach arm-pit length by December '09 (I think I can make shoulder length by March)
• Stick to my regimen and staple products
• Keep my regimen and maintenance as simple as possible
• Achieve less breakage
• Try new styles (rod sets, braidouts, updo's, etc.)

Tiffanita's 2009 Plan to Reach Hair Goals:

• Incorporate more protein in my regimen (i.e. adding an egg to conditioner, using protein conditioners more often)
• Seal ends with castor oil at least 3x a week for thickness
• Only try new products when I run out of something I'm not crazy about...and only buy products for my hair type
• Start wearing hair up in a clip or bun now that it's long enough, and continue to keep my hair in a silk scarf and hat when I'm out in the winter weather
• Read more magazines and blogs to find new styles and techniques, and not be afraid to try them- the worst that can happen is I'll have to re-wash my hair, right?!