Been swamped! I am back in school and so finding time to blog is becoming an art.
I finally made it to Sally's and I left with three things: 1. Silk Elements Mega Cholesterol (for my JBCO DCs)..I'll have to do a review. I almost ended up getting something else because there are so many SE conditioners but I decided to stick with the one I'd read up the most about first.
2. A huge bottle of my staple protein, Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor -this was 9.99, I paid 7.99 for the small one at my other bss
aaaaaaaaaaand 3. A Sally's member card. I paid 5 bucks for it but I get 5 bucks back next month so it's already going to pay for itself. I need to replenish some items in Oct and I can't wait to go back. Especially since I'll be in my new place by then (I'm moving) yipeeeee!
So I did my weekly 2 minute protein and DC last Saturday night. I wanted to do a check to see how the JBCO has been working. Here's my wet pic...how to you think it compares with the one I took at the beginning?
NOW
THEN
Does it look like I filled in a little? I don't see growth but I think the middle looks better. I think I'm going to be disappointed when I relax in Oct but whatever, I tried.
Anyhoo, I attempted a twist out and NOTHIN! Was a hot mess so I ended up bunning. I AM OFFICIALLY OVER BRAID AND TWIST OUTS lol. Seriously, too much effort and though they work sometimes, when they don't work, this disappointment is too huge. I had somewhere to go and ended up looking mighty strange plus trying to tame a twist out into a bun results in loss of hair. I'll stick to my rollers.
I have 3 more weeks to go...or more if I wanna make it my monster stretch since I was chicken last time hehe. Anyhow, I'm definitely doing 10 weeks (it would be my first time). Anymore is bonus or brawta, as Jamaicans would say. The longest I've gone was my first stretch when I did 9 weeks.
I cut about half inch off because my ends were making me cringe.
What I did was roller set into about 8 big pieces. As I detangled each piece, I took about 1/2 inch off before I set it. I have 4 weeks to make it up so hopefully this doesn't hurt my progress. I need way more than 1/2 inch to make it to APL anyhow. No sense growing roots and getting length when my ends keep breaking or look suspect so it needed to be done. Now I won't be tempted for the rest of the year. I will admit I already dusted at my last relaxer but I felt this was necessary because the ends looked so horrible.
So last night I did about 6 pin curls and my hair was cute again but I had to pin it up - I am determined to stick with my protective styling. I just say they've made me proud because they lasted this long. If I ever have a weekend trip or something, getting pin curls would def work. I wouldn't have to pin them up as much, and I definitely would have pin curled it every night (and not skip the first night like I did this time).
So I got my first Dominican pin curls this weekend...they very cute and bouncy. She also blew out my roots.
I had to put the JBCO on the roots myself aaand like a good hairlista, brought my garlic cond/JBCO mix for my D.C. I also brought the poo - Roux porosity. I'm not sure what she used as leave in. I didn't get home Sat night until 1:30 am - well, that's Sunday morning. I was way too exhausted to pin them back up so I covered it and went straight to bed. Killed the curls in typical Shar fashion. I still made do with them Sunday on my errands.
Sunday night...
Then Sunday night I did about 6 or 7 big pin curls. When I took it out this morning, it had potential but I resisted the temptation to let it down (PROTECTIVE STYLING ladies!) and pinned it up. I am almost certain the gym will kill the curls tonight. I sweat in my hair.
So last night I tied my silk scarf on as usual. I actually was looking around for my satin bonnet but since I couldn't find it, and I use the silk one all the time, I was fine just using that.
Why is it that when I wake up this morning I see the end of my ponytail (that I pinned in a bun last night....guess it fell out) looking crooked and dry, hanging out from the scarf. I sweat and slept on it. So sad. So I softly pulled along the ponytail and a few broken hairs came off. BOOOOOOO! That was not a happy moment. At all. I am more than a little annoyed.
I'm not sure what I should do if anything. I'm supposed to go to the hairdresser tomorrow so it feels pointless. Maybe I should dust a little because if it broke then there are at least 6 or 7 strands with broken jagged edges. Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!
HAPPY NEWS: **This weekend I'm getting more of my 2 min reconstructor and FINALLY, the Silk Elements Mega Cholesterol. I have been itching to use it. **I'm doing my first pin curls and blow out at Yerena's (my Dominican hairdresser)...wish me luck!
No news is good news, right? Well I have none. Just bunnin & chillin. My hair salon visit this Fri is up in the air because I may have to do school work instead. Blah.
That would seem obvious, right? Why would someone pre-poo then co-wash??? Leave it to me! I plan to go to the hairdresser on Fri so I may have to do a porosity poo and cond on Wed night in prep. We shall see.
So my hair felt fine, dried fine, then the curl died within 5 hours. LOL. HUGE joke.
Did my hair on Sunday morning.
Detangle. Well formed curls and pin up. BEFORE they died a SWIFT death. They were so greasy (esp with the fact I oiled my scalp w castor oil). Once big mess.
roots
Bun today. I wanted to do a wet pic to see if there's a 2 week difference but I resisted temptation.
I feel like this mess is abt 8 weeks lol. I had better be APL in October! I am determined to do my 10 weeker...can't wait for my pin curls next weekend!
There are so many methods of doing this. Some do it in the shower, some with conditioner in their hair, some on dry hair before washing, some on dry hair after washing.
When I started my hair journey, I used to detangle when I was done my DC right before I rinsed the conditioner out. But somehow, I thought it was too sticky and gooey. So, I started detangling in the shower...but my hair (the strands) is fine. very fine. So they tangle up quite a bit since I only finger comb in between washes and detangling in the shower wasn't allowing me the time I needed to comb through before the product was washed out, plus I couldn't see what I was doing.
So this is what I settled on.
*when air drying. I wash, conditioner, whatever then wrap my hair in a tshirt for about 10 mins, then detangle in sections using my huge comb and leave in. Details: I do a little finger comb first then use fingers to separate hair into 2 sections. I apply my leave in (HE LTR or NTM) then comb from end up. Repeat on other side.
Last night I airdried - detangle results
*when roller setting. I wash, conditioner, whatever then wrap my hair in a tshirt for about 10 mins, then detangle in sections using my huge comb and leave in. Details: I do a little finger comb first then use fingers to separate hair into 2 sections. I apply my leave in (HE LTR or NTM) then comb from end up. Repeat on other side.
Then as I part the smaller sections to roller set, I use an even smaller comb to detangle more before I roll.
As you can imagine, my hair gets a better detangle when I'm roller setting.
I always think too much hair comes out.
Went home, hit the shower. Cowashed with HE LTR, then used my garlic cond/JBCO mix to DC, then covered and headed to the gym.
Detangled, scarf tied at front to calm NG, heading to bed.
Still a little damp in the morning. May soon have to start with my hats again. It is COLD in the mornings and I don't wanna get sick.
So, I don't know precisely how other ladies keep their curls for days because mine last ONE day. That's all. By the time I went to bed and got up on Sunday there were no more curls. I've done the pin curl stuff. Doesn't work. I'm gonna try it with a professional. I'm going to get my hair done on the 18th (washed and set) so I'll have her pin curl and see how long it lasts. But for home, what can I do???
Anyway, this is what happened to the curls. I covered my curls with my satin scarf Sat night after I got home. Went to bed. Sunday morning. Stringy, flat, half dead curls. lol So I went to town with my Motions Nourish leave in spray...the taming of the shrew =)
Just did a bun for a dinner I had on Sunday and movies on Monday. I wasn't gonna wash (tonight is wash night) and I wasn't gonna straighten. The last time I really stuck to my regimen of bunning 5 days a week, it really paid off.
My modified scarf method. Only wet the front with my leave in conditioner spray
Time is moving slowly this stretch. I'm just 4 weeks wishing I was 6. I am going 10 or more this time. We'll see if more happens but 10 def will.
So I bought a bunch of orange rollers (1.5 inch) so I could get more curls out of my roller set since I am liking wrapping less and less these days. Tried them out...not bad. Practice makes perfect and the longer my hair, the nicer I'm thinking my curls will be.
Did my castor oil DC on dry hair then co-washed with V05. Also put the JBCO on my scalp. Idk what happened on vacation but my roots are a mess!
Detangle
See more detangle hair on my back? So gross!
Results for churchAfter sleeping on them and messing them up in the afternoon...need to revive them for a birthday dinner. That isn't my Carefree Gold lol Heading home at abt 1am Sunday
So my hair just seems to be shedding more than usual. While putting it a bun today, finger combing as usual, I ran my hand down my hair and about 15-20 hairs came out. Ok, I know people will said this sounds normal but nope. Not for my hair. My hair only sheds on wash day when I finally detangle OR when it is dirty which it almost never is anymore since I wash 2 times per week OR when it needs a relaxer which it currently doesn't.
So let's learn a little... ________________________________________ From Associated Content
In its truest sense, shed hair is hair that has reached the end of its growing cycle and naturally falls from the scalp along with its tiny, white "root" attached. This is not the actual hair root that is secured deeply within your scalp, but it is the bulb root or base of the hair strand found on the scalp-originating end. It appears white because the hair stops producing melanin (color) at the point in its growth cycle right before it gets ready to fall. If your actual hair root came out along with the hair, you would no longer be able to produce hair from that same place on the scalp ever again! If a hair does not possess this white root bulb, then it is not a naturally shed hair, rather, a broken one. Shed hair tends to be longer in length than broken hairs which are generally short pieces of varying lengths. After a hair is naturally shed, it may take about 130 days for a new hair to fully emerge in its place.
In general, shedding should not be a major concern for you and should be seen as a sign of a healthy, normal, functioning scalp. There is no need to fear shedding unless it is tied to a medical issue. If you notice rapid hair loss from shedding or hair loss accompanied by a host of other problems, please consult a medical professional. Most shedding, however, is simply nature taking its course.
What can I do about shedding? You must understand that because shedding is a natural, internal process, it may not respond to topical, external treatments. Some have praised garlic shampoos or "garlic scalp rubs" for reducing shedding, but there has been no clear consensus on the effectiveness of garlic as a remedy for shedding. Shedding is also not easily solved by protein or moisture treatments because it has nothing to do with the hair shaft itself, but is a response to hormonal influences on the hair follicle and is dependent on growth cycles. When a hair completes its life cycle, which generally last s 4-6 years, its final act is the shedding we experience. This cannot be prevented.
Also, our hair naturally cycles in and out of seasonal shedding phases which may last days or weeks at a time in some individuals. Research suggests that peak shedding rates occur during the fall season. A healthy head of hair may shed as many as 50- 100 hairs per day, though I personally believe this amount to be a grand stretch. You should be concerned if your shedding suddenly increases to a rate that was uncommon to you before, or if the shedding seems to be prolonged over the course of several weeks or months.
Do keep in mind that there are special periods in the human life cycle where shedding is naturally increased. For example, women who are undergoing a bout of postpartum shedding after having a baby may have to deal with increased shedding for several months until their normal hormone levels return. Other conditions which may increase your shedding rate are:
*styling methods that place stress on the follicles
*birth control/menstrual cycles/menopause
*pregnancy
*heredity (runs in the family)
*crash dieting/ low protein diets, poor diet
*illnesses with high fever as a prevailing symptom
*anemia, thyroid disorders, and a host of other chronic disorders
* certain medications and major surgeries and treatments like chemotherapy
Please consult with a medical professional to diagnose any prolonged, abnormal shedding or other unusual scalp conditions.
________________________________________
I see some things that could be the cause of my shedding on that list like styling methods my hair endured on vacation, and maybe my diet which isn't always the best (I'm a pro-sugar and anti-veggies).
I guess I carry on taking care of my hair the best I can, drink lots of water, and get back to taking my vitamins...
***remember shedding is NOT breaking***
I cowashed last night w v05, did the 2 min reconstructor, DC with my garlic cond mixed with castor oil, then air dried overnight. I put castor oil on my scalp while it was wet. I figured I wouldn't have the time this morning.
Detangle. Not the best I've had but not the worse. I'm hoping it gets better.
I never had a thin spot in the middle before so I have no clue what to blame for it. I no longer wrap more than once a week, sometimes less. Maybe all that craziness during my vacation? I hope it fills out with the challenge.
Does it look like I filled in a little? I don't see growth but I think the middle looks better. I think I'm going to be disappointed when I relax in Oct but whatever, I tried.
I think this is yesterday's bun.
Washing and rolling tonight.
