Hair Damage, Breakage, Etc.

I hate that I even have to write this post.....

It's happened, I got a weave that took my hair out :''''(. Okay, so I'm not bald or anything but my edges definitely took a hit as a result of my most recent Senegalese twists. In the past when I've had them, I put them in myself but this time I wanted to go to a professional. My regular hair stylist told me she couldn't do the twist but another girl working at the shop suggested a place because that's where she went. I had seen her Senegalese twists so I already knew they did good work so I wasn't worried. I should have been.

I had SO many issues with this "shop" I don't know where to begin. First, they didn't wash my hair before twisting. I came in, chose what color hair I wanted and they just started twisting. Huh?! This was my first time ever going to an African hair braiding shop so maybe this is a normal occurrence. Someone please enlighten me. The other HUGE issue I had is that I felt like they had no consideration for my personal comfort at all. I felt like I was just a wig head to them. Now I knew getting these twists would be painful, especially because I got them so small but this was on another level. I got to a point where my neck was so tense and tight and literally shaking. I was grabbing on to the salon chair for dear life. Then whenever I would try to adjust myself for some kind of relief they would just pull/push my head right back to where they wanted it (their were two women working on my hair).

I was seriously ready to cry by the end. Then when they got to my edges around the front of my head I could feel how hard and tight they were pulling and it didn't feel right but it was done so I didn't feel like I could do anything.

Cut to now after having the twists in for 5 weeks I take them out and my edges came right out with them. We're not talking Naomi Campbell filter but three little spots in particular. If my hair is pulled straight back it's really noticeable so I'll be wearing side parts for quite a while it seems. I've heard that Jamaican black castor oil can help with growing back edges when applied daily and I really hope it's true. I'll be applying that stuff religiously. I'll give an update when there's something to update.

Later....

Where Have You Been Miss K?!

So clearly it's been quite a while since I've had a new blog post. You may (or may not) have been wondering where I've been all this time. For my ego's sake, let's just say you have. What happened is that I finally found a good hair salon to go to where I live. Yay!!! Good for me, bad for my blog because if I'm not doing my own hair there's really not much for me to post about. Also, I haven't been wearing any natural styles lately. I've been getting my hair straightened about every two weeks since around March so again, nothing to post about.

I'd hate to think that I'm just going to stop posting all together but I honestly don't know. As of now there's really nothing new going on with me or my hair to talk about. Still, I plan on keeping you posted. One thing is that I found I can still get that "relaxed" look while having natural hair which is all I really wanted. I'm happy because that gives me more options with my hair.

That's all for now and like I said, I'll keep you posted. Later!

Product Review: Curls Unleashed

A few months ago I was browsing my local Sally's Beauty Supply store and found the product line called Curls Unleashed by Organic Root Stimulator. The label says the product line is "Perfect for all textures" including wavy, curly and kinky hair. I'm always up for trying a new product so I decided to give their moisturizing conditioner a try to start just to see if I liked it. One thing I didn't like was the price. It cost $14.99 for a 12 ounce container of conditioner and I'm pretty sure I've gotten more for less with other products but I was still willing to give it a try.

I have to say I really liked the results. I left the conditioner on for about 15-20 minutes after applying and it left my hair feeling SO soft. Unlike most other naturals I've seen, I really don't pay that much attention to ingredients like sulfates, cones, etc so I can't really speak on that. I personally look at what the product label promises, the smell of the product and the results on my hair once I actually use it. After using it a few times, I must say that I really like the Curls Unleashed conditioner, so much that I decided to try some of their other products. Today I bought their shampoo and leave-in conditioner. I haven't tried either yet but I'll give a review when I do. Hopefully I'll like those as much as the moisturizing conditioner.

12 oz bottles of leave-in conditioner and shampoo, $10.99 each at Sally's.

Hairstyles: Curlformers.....again

I decided to try Curlformers once again now that I'm fully natural. The last time I tried them was pretty early on during my transition so I thought it was time to explore again. To be honest I wasn't happy with the results. Once I separated the curls I just didn't like how my hair looked so it felt like I totally wasted the day before doing my hair.

I applied the Curlformers to wet/damp, freshly washed and conditioned hair. The only products I used were Kinky Curly's Knot Today leave in detangler and Curling Custard. Also I kept a spray bottle of water to use when my hair got dry. Based on these results I probably won't use Culformers again which is unfortunate because I really liked the outcome the last time. I'll probably just end up pulling my hair back into a curly poof/ponytail for the time being.

Here are a few pictures (some of them are out of order but you get the idea):

After removing the curlers.

After separating the curls. It looks okay but I didn't really like it.

I was really hoping for a silkier look to my curls but that didn't really happen.

Hairstyles: Flat Twists with a Poof

I recently tried to do a flat twist updo into a high bun but it didn't turn out the way I pictured it in my mind. It looked OK and I left in it for about a week but that's all I could stand. I didn't feel like washing my hair again so I decided to try to save the style with flat twists and a poof in the back.

This style was really quick and easy to do and I really like my results. The style was done on dry hair and the only products used were small amounts of Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding and Eco Styler Gel. On random impulse I started on my hair around midnight and was done by around 1:30 am. All this time included taking out the flat twists from the previous style.

Here are some pictures:

Hair Experiment: Senegalese Twists

Lately I've been getting sick of doing my own hair and trying to come up with different styles. It would be easier to just go to a salon but it's also more expensive so I'm in no rush for all that. After doing a little research I originally was going to do yarn twists but then I decided to go with Senegalese twists instead. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and installed them myself over two days. I probably could have got them done in a day but I didn't start putting the twists in until around 7 or 8 at night and was tired.

I used 5 1/2 packs of 100% kanekelon hair. At my local hair store they were about $2 a bag which isn't much at all. I cut off about 5-6 inches of the hair because it was a little too long but it still came down to just above my belly button which is fine for me. The only products I used while installing the twists were Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula Replenishing Hair Milk for moisture and a very small amount of Eco Styler Gel to help hold the twist and smooth my natural hair. I tried but wasn't able to twist from the root so I had to start each twist with a braid.

Overall, I really like how they came out and I'm gonna try to leave them in for at least a month. One issue I have is that I got the wrong color hair. The lighting in the hair store was more dim compared to the light in my bathroom so the hair was lighter than I thought but whatever. Also, I had trouble with a few of the ends unraveling. Sealing them with boiling water has worked for most of my head but a couple of twists keep coming loose. I may have to actually burn the ends although that's the last thing I wanna do. Either way, I'll definitely do this style again.

Here's a couple of pictures of the results:

I think I'd prefer them to be smaller but I'm not sure if I'd have the patience to do them myself.

Hair Experiment: Flat Twists w/ Small Bun

After having my hair in mini-twists for a few weeks, I decided I wanted an even more low maintenance style that I could just get up and go with for the summer. I went simple and just flat twisted my hair going back and wrapping the loose hair into a small bun. Next time I want to try to twist up so I can wear a high bun but this style is working for now.

My hair was freshly washed and blown dry to stretch and to make it easier for my to twist. To be honest, I really hate working with my hair while it's wet. I also hate all the shrinkage that comes with it so I often blow dry my hair before styling. The only products I used were Mixed Chicks straightening serum and a little bit of  Eco Styler gel with argan oil when I thought I needed it.

Hair Experiment: Two Strand Twist Out

In continuing with my month of no heat experiment I decided to try a two strand twist out. I have to say that I really like the results. The style was very quick and easy to do and I'll definitely do it again.

I did this style on freshly washed wet hair and let it dry over night. The products I used were: Eco Styler Gel, Kinky Curly Knot Today leave in and a little castor oil. I also had a spray bottle of water in case my hair started to get dry. The process is pretty simple: apply product, detangle, twist, repeat. The one little extra thing I did was to add bobby pins at the root of each twist to keep them flat. I got that idea from Naptural85 on YouTube.

Here are some pictures of the twists and the results:

                                                   

No Heat Update

In my last blog I said I was gonna try going a month without heat. So far it's going alright but I'm having trouble deciding what to do with my hair next. I wore flat two strand twists for a while but they weren't as good as the last time so I didn't keep them in very long.

After that I wore a twist out for a few days, then for these past couple of days I've been wearing my hair pulled back into a bun. I can't believe it hasn't even been two weeks yet which means I have over two weeks left for my little experiment.

I may try a wash & go next and see if I can actually define my curls since I've never really tried that. Then who knows. Maybe I'll give flexi rods another try. That's all for now. Below is a pic of how I wore my hair today. Very simple.

Hair Experiment: A Month With No Heat

Now I know going a month without may not be much to you (or most naturals out there), but as someone who wears their hair straight about 98% of the time, it's a lot for me. I can probably count on one hand the number of heat-less hairstyles I've worn since being fully natural. Now that the weather is starting to warm up maintaining a straight look is much more difficult as we all know. That humidity is the devil I tell you!!!! With that being said I'm on the lookout for cute natural and heat free styles I can wear for the summer without worrying about edges, my hair reverting, etc.

At this point I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with my hair other than some flat twists up into a high bun or a ponytail like in my last post. I would do mini twists again but my arms hurt at the thought so I'm not gonna go there this time. I really just want to find something low maintenance that I can easily do myself. I'm also still on the lookout for natural hair salons in my area but there's a few possibilities I just haven't checked out yet. Right now my hair is straightened (as usual) and I'm really not gonna have time to try anything new this week so my month probably won't start until next week sometime (I really hate experimenting with my hair when I have things to do in case it looks crazy and I don't have time to fix it which is why I'm waiting).

I guess that's all for know. I'll let you know how it works out.

Hair Experiment: Flat Twists w/ Two Strand Twists

As I said in my last post I've been wanting to do more natural styles and use less heat so I finally did. I tried this style early during my transition but this time it came out much better. The style was done on freshly washed and conditioned hair and it was still wet/damp when I started twisting. The products I used were 100% coconut oil, Eco Styler Gel and Shea Moisture Curling Souffle. I'm not sure if the Shea Moisture actually did anything but it's been sitting on my dresser neglected so I just wanted to use it for something.

For this style, I made a part across the top of my head from ear to ear to separate the front and back. Then I did two strand flat twists in the front of my head followed by loose two strand twists in the back. I actually like how it came out and I'll probably do this style again because it was really easy. I can't give an accurate time for how long it took because there was a while when I was just staring in the mirror trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. I also did a little experimenting with the twists going in different directions before I finally settled on something so I'm sure it took a lot longer than it should have.

In the future, I'll probably try to flat twist the hair up towards the crown of my head instead of down towards my neck. Here are a few pictures of the results.

My flat twists are getting much better if I do say so myself.

Pardon the stuff in the background...lol

View from the back.

And So it Begins...

After some thinking and a little researched I've decided to stop getting relaxers. I must admit that I love straight hair (for myself) but there are healthier ways to go about it that don't involve chemicals. There was an episode of the Tyra Show where they showed that the chemicals in a relaxer could eat through a soda can after only a short amount of time. Another reason I'm trying to go natural is because I have absolutely no idea what my natural texture is. From a very young age my mom pressed my hair with a hot comb and then when I was older, around middle school, I started getting relaxers.

Based on looking at pictures of natural women and feeling a little new growth I think my hair texture is about a 4 something but I'm not sure yet. One thing I read said you need at least an inch of new growth to tell and another thing said you can't truly know your texture until all of the relaxed hair is gone. I have a little while before either of those happen so we'll just have to wait and see.

I just got a relaxer on June 4, 2010 so this is truly the VERY beginning of the process for me. I'm going into a long transition which I know is more difficult because you have to care for two different hair textures but it's the right thing for me. As a person who once cried to her mother as a child to make her hair grow, I know that the big chop just isn't for me. I really care about length and I just don't think I'm ready to try a short style yet and right now my hair is about armpit length. I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to trying different things with my hair so the fact that I even considered going natural is a huge deal for me.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about hair, especially natural hair, but this will hopefully be a good learning experience for me and I'm sure this long journey will be worth it in the end. I know I'm not the only one so please feel free to share your journeys and advice with me :)!