MAYONNAISE FOR DRY HAIR!!!

I applied mayo to my hair, sat under the dryer 15-10-10 minute intervals applying more mayonnaise between the intervals. I rinsed out in the shower and did an apple cider vinegar rinse to wash away the smell and residue of the Mayonnaise. As you can see, I’m really getting into kitchen cosmetics. But if it works… it works!!!

HOT OIL TREAMENTS ARE WHACK!!!

Hot Oil Treatments do not work for me. They leave my hair feeling dry and brittle. I’ve been trying them for about 4 months, but they just don’t work for me. I probably will never do a hot oil treatment on my hair EVER AGAIN. Most oils if they are not essential oils do not have the ability to penetrate into the hair shaft. Most oils lay on top of the cuticle, and coat the cuticle. This may give the hair some shine but, it will also coat the hair and cause product build up. I’ve found that best way to use oils is in conjunction with a cream conditioner or added after a leave-in conditioner to seal. Queen Helene Hot Oil Treatment is filed under PRODUCTS I WILL NEVER USE AGAIN… EVER!!!

MOISTURIZING SPRITZ

I carry this around in my purse. I need to keep my hair moisturized at all times. This works great. I fill a small spray bottle ¼ Salerm and ¾ filtered watered. I spray it whenever I feel my hair getting dry and it’s good for days at the beach or when I know I’m going to be outside a lot. I would like to add essential oils like rosemary and peppermint and maybe experiment with rosemary tea.

STEAM TOWEL WRAP

For deep conditioning, I love STEAM TOWEL WRAPS. I use whatever oils and conditioners I want to use and then I apply a plastic cap or saran wrap (I would never use a towel directly on my hair). I then apply a hot towel and then another plastic cap. I leave it on for 15 minutes and then if I feel like it, I re-heat the towel or I may even sit under the dryer. It’s a bad idea to use plastic caps with the elastic bands because they can break off your edges, but I do it anyway because I’m BAD. Actually I roll the edges of the elastic up as you can see from the photos. If not you can look for my “Baggy Method” post.

Transitioning Without The "Big Chop"

I am transitioning to natural without cutting my relaxed hair. Man hair stylists have told me this couldn’t be done and that would my hair would break off. Part of my reason for making this blog is to disprove the hair stylists myths and to show women that they don’t have to cut their hair off in order to transition to their natural texture. The line of demarcation/difference where natural hair and relaxed hair meets is the most fragile part of your hair during transition. It is important to concentrate on this area for moisturizing and protein treatments. I deep condition with heat at least twice I week. Once with Silicon Mix and then again with MissKey10en1. I also use the baggy method EVERY NIGHT. I haven’t noticed any breakage or excessive shedding as of yet and it’s been 5 months. I’ll keep adding to this post as I learn more.

VO5 Strawberries & Cream

Dear VO5 Strawberries & Cream, I don’t like you. You smell too sweet and I’m just not into that. I know you only cost like $1 but I wish I would have bought a pack of Grape Bubblicious instead. I thought that because I love pink and I love strawberries and cream, that we would make beautiful hair together. But, I just don’t like you like that. FILE THIS UNDER: PRODUCTS I WILL NEVER BUY AGAIN. =oP

SECTIONING METHOD

Another reason I like to use my applicator brush is because I do everything in sections. It’s easier to detangle my hair this way and also I’m ensuring that I reach every inch of my head when using this method to apply product. I use it for everything. When I get ready for bed I part my hair in these four sections and apply moisturizer, I use the baggy method to baggy my entire head and then in the morning I co-wash in sections and then detangle in sections.

I LOVE MY APPLICATOR BRUSH!

I apply my deep conditioner with an applicator brush. A lot of people ask me why. I do it because it’s less messy than using my hands and it’s easier to apply product to the line of demarcation. Also, I can make sure I reach every inch of my head because I use the rattail end of the brush to make even smaller sections during application. I use this method for everything: honey deep conditioners, henna, oils, whatever. It may seem strange, but it’s my personal preference and it has worked very well for me and my new growth. ;o)

FLAX SEED OIL SHOOTER

Flax Seed Oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, and zinc and also provides approximately 50% more omega-3 oils than what you could get from taking fish oil, minus that horrible “fishy” after taste. Flax seed oils aids the growth of healthy hair and nails and promotes healthy skin.This is how I take my Flax Seed Oil. I use 2 tablespoons of organic lemon flavored Flax Seed Oil and Orange Juice filled to the brim of a shot glass. It is the only way I can take FSO without gagging. You should try it. Oh don’t forget to stir it up before you take the shot. Whatever, it’s fun. I like it.

HONEY FOR HAIR

If you’re a guest in my home, you may realize that my shower looks more like a kitchen cabinet. One of the edible products I use in my hair regimen is honey. The potassium in honey makes it a humectant so it attracts and retains moisture, which is awesome for dry hair. I use Mel-O’s no mess because it’s not all sticky and gross. It’s also super cheap and 100% pure honey… you want to make sure it doesn’t have any added sugars.

FOR DEEP CONDITIONING:
I mix 1 cup honey, 6 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of my favorite conditioner. Part hair in 4 section and apply with applicator brush from roots to tip. Next, I put on plastic shower cap and wrap with a warm towel. I use this towel turban thing it’s really cool. I leave it in for at least 15 minutes and then I just rinse it out and go.

AFTER WASHING:
I mix 1 teaspoon of honey & 1 quart of water. I wash my hair as usual and use the honey mix as a final rinse. I do not rinse it out.

Hand-Sewn Homeade Faux Pony

This is a hand sewn-hair undetectable faux ponytail that I made. Doesn’t it look real?
It is human hair, but not mines. It’s a little messy but I did okay for a first timer. The wefts are sewn together and then sewn to that burgundy ribbon you see. It’s actually two separate pieces with my real hair in the middle. It’s not all that complicated. I will probably try it again in the future. Not anytime soon though.

SILICON MIX

I just tried this the other day, it’s YUMMY!!! I went to a couple of stores looking for Miss Key 10 en 1. The first store was sold out of MissKey 10 en 1 and Silicon Mix. I’m thinking I need to buy this stuff in bulk because they sell out super fast in the stores. I’ve seen them online in 60 ounce jars. I need some of that ;o) Anyway, this stuff smells really good and left my hair super soft. I loves it.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR or ACV rinses are used to wash away the residue left by product buildup. Even commercial shampoos leave a residue. It’s also supposed to strengthen the hair and add shine. I used this organic brand. It’s super cheap ($3). This will become part of my weekly routine. I used ½ cup unfiltered ACV and 1 quart of water. I wanted to add honey, but I forgot. I left it in my hair for 5 minutes under a plastic cap, then rinsed out in the shower. IT WORKS!!! My hair was shinier and softer. I will be using this again, but next time I will remember to add the honey. Oh, it does smell like umm… vinegar but once you rinse it out… the odor is gone. I wouldn’t lie to you, best $3 I ever spent but make sure it’s ORGANIC and UNFILTERED!!!

DO IT YOURSELF HAIR

In a recent poll done on LHCF, 81% of women said that they would rather do their hair at home then go to a salon. The truth of the matter is a lot of stylists have perpetuated some of the hair myths that have plagued women for decades. The following are some of the lies I was told by various stylists I’ve frequented over the past few year. I was one of those women that beleived that you had to get your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks or it would split up the shaft. LIE!!! I was told that I had to get a relaxer or my hair would start breaking off & falling out. LIE!!! Washing too frequently will dry out the hair. LIE!!! Another reason why I don’ like going to the salon is that you have to wait for them to finish other people. At home, I’m the first and only priority so there’s no rushing. Also, stylists can be rough with your hair. If you’ve been reading my blog you know that I don’t brush and the only comb I used is my wide tooth Jilbere shower comb. Sylists use brushes and fine tooth combs. That’s a no no! No one knows my hair better than me; therefore, no one can do my hair better than me. Now that I’ve learned how to do it, I won’t be going to a hairstylist anytime soon… maybe NEVER AGAIN!!! The only time I would consider going to a stylist is to get an even trim, but I really don’t even trust them to do that because everytime I would go to get a “trim”, my friends/family tell me it look like I got it cut. I’ve been trimming my own hair since high school, I think I can do it. I won’t be trimming until April 2008 anyway so we won’t worry about that for now. Also, I used to shell out at least $75 to get my hair done ($30 at the Dominican Salons). I save so much money by not going to the salon. With all that money I’m saving, I’m thinking of getting the Pibbs Kwik Dri Dryer ($265) by January when I reach APL (this is what they use in the Dominican Salons) and then I will officially be a Professional DYI-er.

JULY GOAL CHART

Okay, so if you know me then you know my hair has been this long before. No big deal. This isn’t a milestone for me. I will reach a milestone in October, my hair hasn’t been that long since I was 13. My ultimate goal length is BSL or BRA STRAP LENGTH. I think anything beyond that wouldn’t be practical for my lifestyle. Once my hair reach BSL I will start trimming away my relaxed ends and be 100% natural BSL by April 2009.

THE REVEAL:: 3 MONTHS & 1.5"

I officially started my “Grow Out Plan” 3 months ago. I have a little bit more than 1.5″ of new growth. It’s been 16 weeks/4 months since my last trim and 19 weeks since my last relaxer. I wore my signature bun for 3 months straight. I hid the lenght of my hair from family and friends. I used the baggy method everynight. These are my results. I used the “Section Washing” technique, I shampooed with Nexxus Therappe – 33.8 oz. and conditioned with Suave Humectant. Next, I deep conditioned with MissKey 10en1 using the 15-10-10 method, I sat under a hooded dryer for a total of 45 minutes. I washed out in the shower and did a rinse with Suave Humectant. I used Macherieamour’s rollersetting technique (healthytextures.com), rolling up. I sat under the dryer for 90 minutes. I wrapped my hair and did used the regular saran wrap technique, but my hair wasn’t straight enough. I proceeded to flat iron ONLY THE ROOTS/MY 1.5 inches of NEW GROWTH… NOT THE ENDS!!! Pin-curled, wrapped my head in Saran Wrap and sat under the dryer for 20 minutes and this is how it came out. I think I could have done better, I went a little overboard on the products.

STEP 1: Section Washed
STEP 2: Deep Conditioned with 10 en 1… sat under dryer for 45 mins
STEP 3: Rollerset
STEP 4: Sat under dryer, took rollers out
STEP 5: Wrapped… Saran-ed… sat under dryer for 20 mins.
STEP 6: Wrap didn’t get it straight enough so I flat ironed my roots
STEP 7: Pin-curled & Saran-ed my pin-curls… sat under dryer for 20 mins.
STEP 8: Took pin-curls out and TADAAAW!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE SUAVE HUMECTANT

Loves it… smells kind of like Suave Tropical Coconut. I told ya’ll before I’ve tried the expensive stuff, the $30 a bottle conditioner. It’s okay, but not exceptional. Suave Humectant exceptional for it’s price… actually in my opinion, it’s better than the Nexxus version. For the past 2 years and before I started my “Grow Out Plan” in April 2007, I was brand loyal to Nexxus & KeraCare. Those were the only brands I would put in my hair. I’m over that, plus I co-wash my hair EVERYDAY so I need to use something cheap… this works.

Nature’s Plus::Ultra Hair Plus Review

It takes 3 months after changing your diet to notice a difference in your skin/hair/nails. I have officially been taking these vitamins everyday for the past 3 months and they are amazing. My skin is better. My hair is better. Everything is better, but I noticed it after only one month. It’s hard to find in stores. You may see the regular vitamins, but these are the Nature’s Plus – Ultra Hair Plus. They have MSM & Biotin the regular Nature’s Plus – Ultra Hair does not have biotin or msm. The Nature’s Plus – Ultra Hair Plus, 60 tablets has more Biotin and MSM than any of the other popular brands, trust me I’ve compared. This one has 2,000 mcg of Biotin which is only 2mg, I might up my dosage soon. I loves it!!! I can’t wait to try their new herbal formula which is even harder to find, but I’ll stick with this one for about 6 months to really see it’s effects.

DAY 3: FRUIT FLUSH

I quit… it was whack and I was gagging on that protein mix. I can’t drink it with water. I have to drink mines with a lot of juice or milk. It was making me sick of fruit. I did loose 5 pounds in two days but it had adverse effects. Like my lips are really chapped… I don’t get it I was drinking all that water. Whatever… if I want to loose weight I’ll just starve myself like normal people. I was doing it more for the detox but it did crazy things to my body… maybe it’ll work for you. I couldn’t do it… going to eat some Häagen-Dazs Dulce De Leche… HOLLA BACK!!!

DAY 2: FRUIT FLUSH

Today was better. I ate. I didn’t feel as weird as yesterday and I didn’t cheat at all. I was really hungry earlier. I wanted tortilla chips or popcorn, but now I’m over it. By the end of the day, I will have eaten ONLY 5 servings of fruit, 72oz of water, and the vegetable salad I mentioned in the previous post w/no dressing just Lemon flavored Flax seed oil. YUCK! I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL THIS THING IS OVER!!!

FRUIT FLUSH:: DAY 1 PRE-FLUSH

I’m doing Jay Robb’s Fruit Flush Detox. It’s a 3 day detox program. I’m doing it because I feel like my body is toxic: addicted to carbs, drinking soft drink/tea/alcohol, eating refined foods, lack energy, bags under eyes, and I have trouble focusing. Plus it’s a high protein program which is awesome for my hair. So this will be DAY 1 for me… I’m using Jay Robb’s PINA COLADA & STRAWBERRY… I mixed them because I was almost finished with the PINA COLADA… anyway… I mixed 1¼ cup of protein mix with 1 quart of water…shook it up and I will be drinking a 6-oz glass of this mixture every 2 hours. I will also be drinking a 12-ounce glass of water one hour after each protein drink. My last meal of the day will be 3 cups of raw salad, 3oz of fish topped with 1-2 tbs of olive oil and the juice of ½ a lime.

* So far it’s gross, I was gagging when drinking the protein mix and I feel really wierd like I just want to lay down but then a few minutes later I have lots of energy… it’s kind of strange… oh, I cheated a little… I’ve had 6 cherries and was chewing BIG RED all day and for the final meal I ate a whole avocado instead of just half… I was hungry.

Miss Key 10en1 & 15-10-10 method

I’m in love with this stuff!!!
Here’s what I did
· Applied 10en1 to clean dry hair, making sure to reach new growth
· Put on plastic shower cap
· Sat under warm dryer for 15 minutes
· Applied more 10en1 to the parts that felt dry/hard
· Sat under dryer w/plastic cap AGAIN for 10 minutes
· Applied more 10en1 to weak spots, hairline, and ends
· Sat under dryer w/plastic cap (( FOR THE 3rd & FINAL TIME)) for 10 minutes
· Rinsed in shower w/Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner & detangled under shower.
It made my hair super soft w/no tangles. I want to try to do this at least once a week during my transition to natural.

SHOWER WASHING

All my life I grew up getting my hair washed in the sink. I was afraid of taking showers because I didn’t like getting the water in my eyes. As I got older I realized that being in the shower was the best way to wash my hair. If you’re washing your hair in the sink, there’s not enough water force to thoroughly cleanse the scalp and no matter how hard you try, you won’t clean each part properly. I also have a water filter and dial massager on my handheld showerhead. It’s amazing. I used the WaterPik DML-653CG Hand-Held it’s easy to install… you just screw it in… you don’t even need tools… it’s FAB!!!

GOING NATURAL

I’m going natural. So no more relaxers/dye for me. My inspiration is Miss Amel Larrieux. I have the same hair type as her. My whole purpose is to make other women more hair conscious. Get them to think before they put another chemical in their hair.

GO DOMINICAN

I got schooled on Dominican Salons the first week I moved to Miami 2 years ago. I met this girl at a bank and found out she was going to the same stylist I was thinking of going to. She said he was good and her hair was down her back so I was like okay cool. She then explained that it wasn’t this stylist but another stylist that got her to her mid-back length, it was a Dominican lady. She said her hair was always shoulder length when she went to the Black guy and that when she started going to the Dominicans her hair grew like crazy. I meant to ask her for the name, but whatever it slipped my mind. So I went to the Black dude because I didn’t have another option my hair was dyed a very light brown and like I said it was my first weeks in Miami… it was September and it was HOT AS HELL!!! So I wanted to dye my hair Black. My hair always does better when it’s darker. Long story short he does a lot of famous people’s hair. I’m looking through his book and I see the girl’s pic and it was taken like 6 months previous. Her hair was at shoulder length in the photo and I just saw her a week ago and her hair was down her back. It would take me a year and a half before I got the sense to go to a Dominican Salon. When I go, I always get a blowout, but I think I could get by just doing a roller wrap. But now that I’m stretching I may have to get the roots blow out to straighten up my new growth, but I will probably only be doing that once a month.

**

I also just purchased Salerm21 & 10 en 1… people rave about them… so I wanted to try for myself. The Salerm is good, you should try it for yourself.

SUAVE TROPICAL COCONUT

I love this stuff, it’s amazing. I use this for my co-washes almost everyday. I may even leave it in overnight. Its super cheap and it smells really good. You can mix it with eggs, EVOO, or honey and it’s awesome.

EVOO

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I loves it! I add it to my conditioners it makes them work ten times better. You can also use it all over your body. I pour it all over my head, use a plastic bag, sit under the dryer for 30 mintues and then rinse it out in the shower. It’s cheap and I love using natural products on my hair. GO GET SOME!!! NOW!!!

Wave Nouveau

I bought this because I needed a better moisturizer. So far, so-so. It’s not the end-all-be-all. I like using it at night as the last step before I put on the plastic baggy.

(( UPDATE 7/27/07: I won’t be buying this product again ))

Protein-Treatment

At the first sight of breakage, don’t get a relaxer, give yourself a protein treatment. I’ve used this once and my hair is so much stronger afterwards. I didn’t use the balancing moisturizer my first time… BIG NO NO!!! I will be using these two products for the rest of my 6 month stretch.

Many women think that when they start shedding or start getting breakage, that it’s time to get a relaxer. That’s faulty logic. Why would you put a chemical in your hair when it’s falling out and breaking off. Help me understand !!! You can’t because it really doesn’t make sense when you think about it. If CHEMICALS & HEAT are the top reasons women loose their hair… why put a chemical in your hair when it’s at it’s most fragile state.

The thing you need to do is get a really intense protein treatment, and really concentrate on the line of difference (where your natural hair & relaxed hair meet). I did the protein treatment but I didn’t focus on the line of difference. Next time, I will part my hair in sections and really focus on that. I plan to do another one later this week or next week.

Here’s What Cathy Howse has to say:

Damaged hair and chemically treated hair is very porous and has the ability to absorb protein. When hair is damaged, protein is needed to help strengthen from the outside protein penetrates the hair shaft to provide elasticity and strength. Protein is also very necessary to help control our breakage! Protein helps seal split hair thereby preventing the condition from worsening. Protein conditioners are designed to penetrate to the cortex and replace protein the hair has lost. Protein is needed to help save breaking hair and strengthen hair that is damaged. Protein is the only thing that attaches itself to the hair to become part of the hair!

4 months Post-Relaxer

I’m stretching my relaxer for 6 months.
Well, I’m trying to.
Here’s my new growth at 4 months/16 weeks post relaxer.
It’s about 1.5 inches of new growth.

MY HAIR INSPIRATIONS

PRACTICAL GROWTH CHART

I know it looks kind of gross, but I thought I’d make this. This hair has never been used, but I felt bad just throwing it away… so I decided to do something educational with it. If you don’t know by now, the average person’s hair grows 6 inches per year. I only went up to my goal… 9″ from now and I’ll be at my ultimate goal: Bra Strap Length.

BEER RINSE

A couple of weeks ago this Dominican lady told me that she used beer to wash out her relaxer. She said that her hair reverted to its natural state after doing this. So, me being the risk taker that I am, I decided to try it. Did I notice a difference? Yes, I noticed more waves, my hair felt like it had more elasticity, but it also felt very coarse. Did it “wash out my relaxer”? NO! My ends are still stick straight. I probably won’t be doing this again.

BUT YOU CAN TRY IT FOR YOURSELF.
HERE’S HOW I DID IT:
I applied flat room temperature beer to my hair left in for a couple of minutes, washed it out and then rinsed twice with Mane N Tail conditioner.

Click here to see the site where I got the recipe to do my beer rinse.

I LOVE MY JILBERE SHOWER COMB!!!

My favorite thing in the whole wide world. ((BESIDES MY PROMISE RING)) I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!! Yes, I’m crazy in love with a comb. It’s silly. This is my beloved Jilbere shower comb. I threw out all my other combs and brushes when I got this. I love love love it. I don’t think I’ve ever loved a hair tool this much. It has saved my hair. It is seamless unlike most combs… well, besides the Mason Pearson combs. I got this from Sally’s for dirt cheap, don’t go out and buy a $20 Mason Pearson this $2 works just fine… better than fine… it is amazing.

MANE TAIL GROW

Today I applied MTG with an Applicator brush. I noticed a lot of new growth… at least 0.5″ It’s crazy. For those who don’t know, this is used for horses. I had to drive a very long way to get it from an equestrian shop. It was $14 I think. I think it works. I can’t stand the smell. It’s made mostly of sulphur. It smells like hot garbage or bacon or turkey. I’m still skeptical about putting it in my hair. I might get rid of it, I don’t want to take any chances especially since it’s not approved for humans. Ahhh, the crazy things we do for growth. I really don’t think I’m going to use it anymore. I’ve learned more practical ways to care for my scalp and they don’t stink.

BAGGY METHOD

I moisturize my entire head and then apply plastic cap and then wrap with a satin scarf, cover with satin bonnet, and then sleep on satin pillow case. Why? Well, I sleep all over the place and I need all that to make sure the plastic cap doesn’t come off when I’m tossing and turning. The baggy locks in the moisture.

HIDING MY HAIR

I’ve been hiding my hair: keeping the length hidden from EVERYBODY. I plan to do this until my hair reaches Arm Pit Length (January 2008). I give myself very few passes: once or twice a month I can wear my hair down. I will be wearing this style EVERYDAY for the next few months. Boring, huh? We’ll just have to see if it pays off. This is my protective style… I just pin it up right after the shower after my daily co-wash. After that, I wrap it in a scarf until I have to be seen in public… it is usually dry by then.

OFFICIAL START TO MY GROW OUT CHALLENGE

What’s up! Welcome to my Hair Diary!!! It will document my GROW OUT CHALLENGE. Officially starting April 2007, I made a conscious decision to start taking better care of my hair. I hate extensions but I got them because I was sick and tired of waiting for my hair to grow out. Long story short, I ended up taking out the $400 weave a couple of days after I got it. Actually, I cut it out and my hair was uneven. I hate fake hair. I went to a Dominican stylist to get my hair evened out and it ended up costing me a few inches. ☹ My hair was super thin at the ends and not healthy; this is when I officially decided I would take better care of my tresses. Ignore the fact that my bra strap is all twisted, I’m retarded… lol ;op