Color, color and MORE color!!!

Last year when I first became natural it took me a little over a month to get hella bored with my gorgeous TWA. I attempted to color my hair twice last summer to no avail. I came to conclusion that my stubborn locks wouldn't be altering it's black color without bleach. The entire fall and winter I researched hair bleaching techniques and prayed over my luscious growing fro. Then April seventh I stepped out on faith and did....

THIS!!!!

I was so proud of all it's hotness, but it didn't go well with my employer (*tear drop*) so shortly after it became a demure chocolate brown in order to pay the bills.

 I am happy to say I have been able to keep my hair just as healthy as it was before and I have yet to experience any setback in my natural journey. Now that three months has passed since my initial bleach and toning job I had to reluctantly go back in and handle those back to back roots. For whatever reason I was almost as frightened as I was for the first go around. 

Ehhhh, I hope to do better next time. In the meantime I'm concerned about Vanessa's health. What's a pretty red afro if it's breakage city in that bia???

Typing about....typing

I have a love hate relationship with my hair. Not my hair per'se, but describing it. Well it's thick, coarse, dry, wiry, and tightly coiled. Seems like enough on the example spectrum right? Wrong. Then came this whole number letter crap. I then fell in the 4 a/b/c pit never to be heard from again. Now here's another hair typing chart (like we need another).

Though this one is smarter and based on strand thickness it doesn't have all the answers either. Remain natural or texturize??? And why do thick stranded ladies such as myself don't get the options of twists as a style choice? I live in two strand twists. Are you trying to tell me my twists will eventually lead to a life of bald headed-ness??? Or you have no logical reason or rationale for that suggestion? Don't get me wrong, it does have it's high points. My hair does require butters and thicker oils, moisturizing DC's are ten times more important than protein (even before I went natural), but outside of that 0_o. What do you ladies think? 

HHJ

the drama of that inbetween stage

I am currently in month 8 of natural....dom.  

My baby Vanessa has grown by leaps and bounds but just not enough for my impatient ass. Why am I unhappy with my growth you ask? Because I have set unrealistic expectations on what my beautiful coif can do. I was dumb un-bright enough to think that by 4/29/13 (my 1 year naturalversary) my hair would look like this.....

This is the fabulous CharyJay and my adoration of her hair knows NO limits

As you can guess that is NOT the case. The inbetween stage is where you get restless. I can see why this is where some revert back to relaxers. I just really hoped my hair would bloom from TWA to Angela Davis in a year. Ain't enough co-washing, protective styling, biotin and Jamaican Black Castor Oil in the world to make that happen. So rather than be all pissy about what has NOT happened I have to applaud what has and what I have learned on this road to natural hair......

1. My hair loves conditioner. I have actually only used ONE conditioner while natural that my hair didn't approve of, Suave Naturals Almond and Shea Butter. My new love is Silicon Mix with Bambu 

2. My 1st day natural I threw some Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing smoothie, and Eco Styler with Olive Oil gel in my hair....the end result. A head full of white ish....nothing else. So I began to reluctantly accept that my 4c hair had no curls....until recently.....

when these cute little coils began to show up after my clay washing sessions.  They don't stick around on dry hair but it lets me know the longer Vanessa gets the more of them will come around. Which shows me that A) I'm probably not a 4c and B) that hair typing shyt is SERIOUSLY for the birds. 

3) Vanessa doesn't like commercial shampoos (sulfate-free or not) they all leave her feeling a bit stripped so I decided to cowash and do bentonite clay washes in lieu of regular shampoo. She loves it which is a plus. And it's less chemicals on my hair. Which is a plus PLUS an upside down split and trick on the stripper pole.  ;)

4)The greenhouse effect (Real Queens Regimen) has been a lifesaver to my hair. Especially when this Wisconsin winter kicked it. I've been doing the GHE everynight since embarking on this new natural life. I alternate between my many natural oils or my whipped shea butter, but for sure me and the plastic bag meet up erry' (yes I typed erry) night. I think it has been a huge factor in my moisture levels and growth. 

5) Due to this cold area I live in I went on a protective style challenge in the fall. I will not be letting my boo bear out until the spring. (April)  which means I'm doing what I do best.....

WIGGIN' IT!!!! (with 2 strand twists underneath) In this meantime I'm just lovin' on my hair....in a way I have never done in my life. It's all new to me, but I love this feeling. And I don't ever want to go back. Vanessa will give me what Valecia puts into it. 

Update!!

Where the hell have I been you ask? Working a new job. Moving to a new city and not blogging. :( what has my hair been up to? A whole damn lot as well. In december 2011 I relaxed and got a trim. Imo it was a fucking disaster. I left looking like......to put it nicely all my hard work was destroyed. My ends were just not being cooperative no matter how hard core I was about my regimen it seemed as if it was just getting worse...so I decided to go natural.
I big chopped 4/29 and I haven't looked back since. I love my baby fro (vanessa) and as she grows my regimen for her becomes a bit more complex but she its one thing she wasn't before..... 100% healthy.

The Introduction-my first YT vid

whats going on with my hair and other stuff....

Where has my hair been???

So.....I know you're thinking Jeez she's inconsistent as hell what's the deal? Well upon starting this job I was in the midst of my three weeks of joblessness. Since then I have been a crazy running 2 job having woman with not enough time to blog or care for my hair and honestly it caught up with me. BAD!!!! My days of grazing shoulder length are all kindsa over. After a horrendous bout with breakage I am now top NL!!!! Yes top effin NL and I'm steaming about it.

This is me of course on the left (Xmas 11') Just an idea of how short it is now
Sorry for no makeup... smh

But I must admit that it has taught me a bit about my hair. It has taught me that long stretches aren't for me. Stretching longer than say.....10-12 weeks is too much. My hair is very prone to breakage and this was around the time that breakage hell began. Right after week 12. I am very much into letting wigs be my protective style of choice but I don't fair to well with the safety of my hair with them sometimes, because alas....I don't know how to braid. And even moreso there are so many times when I'm running late that I just stick them combs in and go. (gasp) God forbid. This is why my super thick head of hair has slowly thinning edges. Booo!!! But I said all that to say that I'm doing better. Much better. I am being consistent to my every 10 day was regimen, I'm sticking to washing with non-sulfate shampoos (especially in this harsh cold wisconsin weather), Deep conditioning with heat, oil rinses, occasional AVC rinses, and moisturizing and sealing morning and night.

My New winter 2012 Regimen

Pre-Poo with Castor Oil, EVCO and Hello Hydration (1 hour-overnight

Wash hair every 10 days with CON Argan Oil Moisture N' Shine Shampoo

or

One N' Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo

DC with a mix of ORS Replenishing Conditioner, EVCO, Castor Oil, and CON Argan Oil  Intensive Conditioning Treatment with heat for 20-30 mins.

ACV Rinse (every other wash)

Oil rinse with a mixture of Castor Oil, EVCO, Avocado, and Grapeseed oil

Apply CON Leave-In (air dry)

Moisturize (twice daily) with Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter

and Seal (twice daily) with EVCO and Castor Oil)

*2-3 times a week I apply my sulfur oil mix and baggy overnight

and 2-3 times a week I massage my edges with pure Castor Oil. 

**I will be getting professional relaxers every 8-10 weeks and getting trims every other relaxer

I feel like I have finally gotten myself on the right track I'm still a little fearful about my ends, but I will get baby them the best I possibly can. And I promise I will blog here more often with better pics of my products, mishaps, and success.

My Hair business

8/2011 NL Grazing SL

My Hair is.....

Full NL grazing SL

4b/4c

Relaxed

Currently 14 weeks post

My Regimen is......

• Wash 1x week
• co-wash 1x/week
• DC after every wash/co-wash(alternate between Moisture and Protein)
• If Needed Black Tea rinse
• DC under dryer for 30- 45 mins or 2-3 hours without heat
• air dry (apply leave-ins)
• M & S
• apply sulfur oil to scalp (every other night)*
• apply moisturizing spritz mixture to my new growth nightly (starting at 5-6 weeks post)
• Do the Baggy once or twice a week to get through my stretches

My Products (as of 8/15/11)

Shampoos:

CON ARgan oil moisture n' shine shampoo <3<3<3

Aphogee for damaged hair (rarely used)

Ors creamy aloe shampoo (clairfying days only)

One n Only argan oil shampoo

DC's (all my DC's are applied to hair with add-ins):

CON argan oil intensive conditioning treatment

neutrogena moisture mask

queen helene cholesterol

ors hair mayonaisse

One n only argan oil conditioner

add ins:

honey

oils 

glycerin

leave ins:** 

HE LTR

cantu shea butter repair cream (protein)

oils:

evco<3 staple

jbco

avocado oil

sweet almond oil

proclaim 7 with argan oil

jojoba oil

moisturizers:

Silken child

HE LTR

my homemade moisturizing spritz (avj/glycerin/rosewater/sweet almond oil/jojoba oil) -for new growth only

supplements:

multivitamin (switching to prenatal we are ptc)2x/day

biotin 1000 mcg 2x/day

msm 1000 mg 2x/day

garlic 1000 mg 1x/day

last relaxer:

5/17/11

Last trim:

 5/18/11

<3 wish list<3

shea moisture raw shea butter moisture retention shampoo

caruso rollers

aphogee green tea and keratin leave-in

Silicon mix conditioner

GVP Ceramic Flat Iron (1 inch)

hair styles of choice: 

my mini bun

drawstring ponytails

bantu knot outs

half and full wigs

striving for:

healthy hair

less breakage

Full sl by dec. 2011

my hair loves:

moisture moisture and more moisture

sulfate-free shampoos

air drying

being babied

I always sleep in a satin bonnet or scarf

*My sulfur oil is made of 1 tsp. sublimed sulfur, 4 oz. of JBCO, 2 oz. of EVCO, 1 oz. of avocado oil, and 1 oz. of jojoba oil

**-my leave-ins sometimes double as moisturizers

Current Challenges:(Hairlista)

Long Hair Academy Challenge (Back to school edition)

Six Month Protective Styling Challenge