12 Weeks Post Relaxer

It's hard to believe that less than 2 years ago, I was getting a relaxer every 6 weeks, and now I'm at 12! I NEVER thought I could go this long without a touch-up, but with the right products and maintenance, I've done it. I actually feel like I could go one or two more weeks, but I won't push it.

No secret, but the key for me is weekly deep conditioning, and keeping my hair (especially my ends) moisturized.

I know I haven't made it to APL yet, but I'm excited to see how much my hair has grown after my relaxer this week.

Product Review: KeraCare Humecto Creme Conditioner

I don't know why it took me so long to buy this conditioner. I wanted to try something different from the ORS Replenishing, and the Humecto was 20% off at the beauty store. I use other KeraCare products, so I might as well try this. I've always heard such good things about it.

Product Description
KeraCare Humecto Creme Conditioner helps correct and prevent moistureloss due to exposure to chemicals and thermal styling appliances. • Penetratesdeep within the hairshaft to hydrate and humectify hair. • Decreases interfiberfriction between hair strands to prevent hair breakage. • Improves thesurface porosity of hair resulting in a softer hair texture. • Enriched with a fragrance that relaxes and soothes the senses.

Benefits
• Superior moisturizing results to help prevent dull, brittle, breaking hair and split ends.
• Superior detangling for easy wet and dry combing.
• Hair becomes more manageable.
• Protects hair from drying effects of thermal appliances.
• Adds exceptional body and shine.
• Eliminates static charge.

Directions: Apply generously to freshly shampooed hair. Comb through and cover hair with plastic cap. Leave on hair for 15-20 minutes. Rinse and style.

Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Copolyo, Isostearate, Polyquaternium-32 and Mineral Oil, Quaternium - 80, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Extracts of: (Nettle, Pine, Burdock, Chamonile, Marigold, Tosemary, Ivey, Arnica, Line, Corn Flower, Wild Chamonile, St. John's Wort, Water-cress, and Garlic) Perfume, Methylparaben, Propyparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazonlinone.

My Experience
I co-washed my hair, put in a dark brown rinse, and then applied the Humecto. I would usually sit under the dryer for 20 minutes or so, but with a newborn in the house, I can't always do it. So, I just left it in overnight and rinsed it out in the morning. I applied leave-in conditioner, and rollerset my hair.

My hair was shiny, bouncy and felt healthy. I got a lot of compliments from my family on Thanksgiving. My new growth is really soft, which says a lot since I'm almost 11 weeks post relaxer. I will definitely incorporate this into my regimen. I can't wait to see what it does to my freshly relaxed hair!

Childbirth Hair

I haven't blogged here for a while because I gave birth about 2 weeks ago. So the 2 weeks before I had my baby, hair was one of the last things on my mind. I've washed my hair only once since the baby. I've been keeping it moisturized and wrapped in a silk scarf, but I haven't really been styling it much. A few days ago, I started pincurling it, and I've actually gotten a couple of compliments from some of my friends!

My hairstylist told me that less than 10% of women who have babies lose the hair they grew during pregnancy, so I feel hopeful. I just need to keep up with my regimen. Since my hair is shoulder length now, I plan on wearing a lot of protective updo styles during the cold weather months so that my ends don't rub against my shirts and sweaters. I do need to buy some accessories though!

I know I've written ad nauseum about getting the black rinse out of my hair, but I'm thinking about going black again. It just makes my hair look so thick and shiny. Plus it covers my platinum hair so much better than the browns and reds I've been using. I'm going to try a vert dark brown first before using the drastic black and see how that works.

September 2009 Relaxer

I went 11 weeks this time- the longest I've ever gone! Hopefully, I can make it to 12 next time. I don't think I want to go longer than 12 weeks between relaxers, but we'll see what happens.

My stylist is really impressed with my hair- both the length and thickness. Every time I go, she asks what I've been doing to it. I usually just tell her that I condition it a lot and stay away from heat, which is true. I didn't even check to see what kind of relaxer she used this time- she usually uses Mizani, but sometime she'll use Affirm. I had her set my hair this time, which is only the first or second time I've ever let her rollerset my hair. I usually just get it wrapped or blowdried. I like the set much better, as it gave my hair a lot more body and thickness.

I'm also happy to say that all of the black rinse is out of my hair! For a couple of months this summer, I was using a plum color from Adore, and now I'm using a cinnamon, which I can really see in the light. The black was nice, and I loved how it covered my gray, but I like to switch it up sometimes, and since it took forever to get the black out, I won't be using it for a while. If I want to go dark, I'll just use dark brown.

I didn't get a chance to blog about it, but about a month ago, I did my first braidout! It was a couple of days before getting a blowout, so I wanted to try it. I washed and conditioned my hair, then I used Salerm 21 leave-in, Organix coconut serum, and some BB oil moisturizer before braiding my hair in 6 braids. I curled the ends with rollers and put a scarf on it and went to bed. In the morning, it was still a little wet, so I sat under the dryer for about 20 minutes. When I took out the braids, my hair was shiny and felt moist. My girlfriend said she really liked it, but my man had a few funny comments. I pulled the front up in a clip and left the back out. I still need some practice, but overall I liked it. I also want my hair to get a little longer. Hopefully by next summer, I'll be doing mostly braidouts!

Blowout

I got a Dominican rollerset and blowout the other day. Actually the stylist was Cape Verdean, but the technique was the same. She rolled my hair up with Mizani Heat Protector and Matrix Biolage Smoothing Shine Milk . Then she blew out my roots and wrapped my hair. I like how my hair came out. It's bouncy and looks healthy. It didn't come out as shiny as it usually is, but I went home and moisturized it, which created more shine. I really went because I have an event this weekend and I wanted to try the salon first. I know I shouldn't be getting a blow out 2 weekends in a row, but after that, I probably won't go again for a couple of months.

Product Review: Hair One Cleansing Conditioner

I've been wanting to try the Hair One Cleansing Conditioner for a while. I was in Sally's last week, so I bought the sample pack for $1.49. I bought the Olive Oil for Dry Hair.

Product Description
Sulfate Free
An all natural approach to hair care
No damaging detergents or harsh chemicals
Formulated with an elixir of natural herbs and oils
Cleans with an astringent and antibacterial properties

Introducing Hair One ... a salon quality product that provides a new all natural approach to hair care and hair detox that leaves hair cleansed, conditioned and in optimum shape. This conditioner has no damaging detergents or harsh chemicals. It's made with an elixir of natural herbs and oils that clean with astringent and antibacterial properties through a luxurious, penetrating cream without the stripping of detergents. Hair is left with remarkable shine, moisture, manageability and polish. With continued use, Hair One Cleanser Conditioner will stimulate the scalp, promoting better blood circulation, allowing for healthier hair growth and prevention of hair loss. Available in four formulations. Normal Hair: Designed for normal problem free hair. Color Treated: Prevents premature fading of color. Dry, Damaged: Repairs damage from chemical treatments. Dry Scalp: Helps heal scalp damage while restoring suppleness and manageability.

My Experience
I followed the directions and used the product like a shampoo. With the packet, I was able to apply it twice. I liked how it made my scalp tingle, and my hair felt moisturized as I worked it through. I rinsed and deep conditioned as usual.

My hair felt clean, and overall pretty much the same as it usually does after it does when I use a moisturizing shampoo. I didn't feel much difference. My hair doesn't really care for olive oil, so maybe I should try one of the other formulas. I'm glad I only bought the small pack. When I run out of some other products, I'll try it again.

Silicon Mix Revisited

I deep conditioned with Silicon Mix this week, and I'm not liking my hair too much. I don't have the shine I usually do, and my hair doesn't look as good as it does. It could be the heat and my perspiration level, or the fact that my hair wasn't completely dry when I took the rollers out. I've also read on some hair boards that it's not great for rollersetting. I may try it again when I'm brave enough to air dry. I know I loved it before, but this one time it just didn't do it for me.