Great hair weekend!

This is week 5 of my new regimen. I think it is working for me. My hair def prefers roller set and drying to air drying, and as long as I remember to baggy or infuse moisture during the week, once a week washing works for me.

Took a leaf from Traycee's blog and decided to pre-poo all day Friday before my 5 week shampoo (new regimen). I put quite a bit of my newly bought proclaim (which I am loving) and my JBCO and covered with a cap all day Friday. When I took the cap off my hair was very moist. I shampooed with my Roux porosity poo, did a 2 minute reconstructor, then 30 seconds with the roux porosity conditioner. I rollerset, sat under the dryer for about 20 minutes then went to do some chores. By the time I was done with what I was doing I took out the roller setters and wrapped. First wrap since relaxer. I'm no longer big on wraps because for some reason when I wash my hair, lots come out with my wrap but when I do it at the salon, nothing comes out. Dunno why. Anyhoo, not so much came out this time so I was glad. It felt like it was just the extra shedding that needed to still come out since I don't comb during the week.
Then sunday I just did a ponytail and today my hair is still under wraps. It is windy aaaand super wet in NYC. Totally gonna add pre-poo to all my shampoos except my clarifying poo (3 total each stretch). Especially when I am going to the hairdresser.

3 days late but here's the weekend in review

So, did my weekly wash with HE LTR condish, 2 minute keratin reconstructor, and a garlic cond, honey, JBCO deep conditioner with heat for about 20 mins. This was week 4.

pre wash after gym

wash day & night

I think my hair is getting dry during the week with just the one wash so I also tried a ponytail baggy. I tied a shower cap around my pony. I dunno if that did a thing lol. I'm gonna try to baggy, 1-3 times per week. I don't want my hair to get dry. I am also reconsidering my aloe juice, drop of oil, and water mix.

baggy results

New purchase! I replaced my carrot oil with proclaim oil from Sally's. Already I can say I enjoy the scent and it's light (runny) but I don't mind because that mixes well with my very thick JBCO.

Plan to pre-poo Thurs night and wash w poo Fri night...

Haiti Earthquake - Jan 12, 2010

As our hearts go out to the Haitian communities with wishes for a speedy recovery and prayers for lost loved ones, don't forget to help tangibly in any way you can. This could have easily been my family in Jamaica as we are also earthquake prone and have faced devastating ones in the past.

There are a number of legitimate ways of donating money and goods such as Unicef, The Red Cross, and Yele. I chose Partners in Health the web address is < http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti ....my Haitian friend suggested it and so I donated there.

~praying for my Haitian brothers and sisters~

Weekend hair

So this was week 3 of my regimen so did a HE LTR co wash then DC with Lustrasilk, JBCO, and honey with no heat then headed to my aerobics class. I love to DC while at the gym. Generates a lot of heat :) then washed out and roller set and dried under dryer. Forgot my 2 minute protein. Won't forget this weekend.

Took lots of pics :)

much better thickness when wet but Idk how good a comparison this is because I think how wet the hair is affects it

dunno why but I decided to pin the curls up before heading out

by the time I got back home, it had rearranged itself
yesterdays bun

Regimen 2010

Week 1
Neutralizing & chelating poo
2 minute reconstructor
Deep condition
roller set and dry (either overnight or under dryer)

Weeks 2-4 and 7
Co-wash once per week
2 minute protein when I can/remember
Deep condition with each wash
Roller set and dry (either overnight or under dryer)

Week 5
shampoo
2 minute protein if I can/remember
Deep condition
Roller set and dry (either overnight or under dryer)

Weeks 6 and 8
Go to salon for roots blow out

Week 9
Clarify, 2 step protein, mega moisturizing deep condition

Week 10
Relax

*my products vary so check the product list on the side. I try to keep it updated*

I am currently in week 3

Mon & Tues buns

Happy New Hair Year - A top 10 for 2010 :)

I saw Sunshyne posted a lovely list over at Hairlicious Inc and I thought, do I have a top 10 methods and products that I think took me to APL or made 2009 a great hair year? So I made an effort to synthesize my rambling into a learnin' to grow piece...it's been awhile since I did one of those.

Shar's top 10 methods that made 2009 a successful hair year!

10. co-washing instead of shampooing. when i first tried this, i thought what the heck am i doing? but now, it's a fav thing of mine to do

9. detangling once a week. i used to wrap my hair every night, even when the roots were crazy and the hair was dry (i didn't always moisturize and seal) and it used to shed and break all over the place. now i don't pull at my hair so often - no wrapping nightly and just finger combing - so less stress which equals less breakage.

8. moisturizing and sealing. never ever ever has my hair felt and looked so good. just a little goes a loooong way.

7. protective styling. this includes protecting my ends by bunning and protecting my hair by covering it from harsh weather with my scarf then hat to protect it. i'm the queen of bunning now.

6. oils and honey in my deep conditioner. i can amp up a cheapie conditioner like lustrasilk with honey and my fav oil (jbco or coconut or hot six or carrot oil) and get fantastic results similar to when i use my pricey stuff.

5. deep conditioning on dry hair. it has saved me so much time plus it allows me to get deep conditioners in when i would usually skip it.

4. scarf method to tame my new growth. thank u sunshyne! what a gem this trick is. when my hair is past 5 weeks, i tie it down every morning with my bun. by the time i'm at work, it is flat and neat. love this!

3. the big switch to lye relaxer. all my life it has been ingrained in me that no-lye is the way to go. i thought i was going to lose my hair the first time i tried lye relaxer. who would have known that was precisely what my hair was asking for?

2. just plain ole learning about my hair. the need for protein-moisture balance, learning of the existence of a clarifying poo - my hair had never be clarified before...thats over 20 years! then how to overcome hair crises; case in point? henna. the importance of doing things the right way; case in point? henna lol. oh! and drying my washed hair with a cotton tshirt :)

1. stretching. never. i mean never ever ever had i stretched past 6 weeks. from my first relaxer at 10 till i was 19 i was relaxing every 5 weeks then from then till dec 2008 i was relaxing every 6 weeks. can u imagine my surprise when i stretched 8 weeks and my hair didn't fall out??? amazing. then 9? and 10? i have no great stretching ambition but i am so so grateful to sunshyne and her blog and the motivation it gave me to go out there. now, it's not scary at all. don't know why i wasn't doing this all along lol.


Shar's top 10 products that made 2009 a successful hair year!

10. herbal essences long term relationship conditioner and leave in
9. wave nouveau finishing lotion
8. elasta qp mango butter
7. motions nourish leave in conditioner spray (for my scarf method buns)
6. sealing oils - hot six, coconut, vatika, carrot
5. JBCO in moderation :)
4. my big tooth shower comb
3. aphogee 2 minute reconstructor
2. mizani butter blends relaxer line
1. all my fav deep conditioners - alter ego garlic conditioner, and my honey, oil and cheapie mix (aussie moist is dear to my heart...can't seem to find it much anymore)

It is 2010!!!!

I feel like I haven't blogged much recently. It's the holidays. I get lazy :)

Here's an update 2 weeks post last relaxer.

My hair has been getting a break generally. I had it out on my birthday, then on both Saturdays (for Christmas and NYs weekend) but generally, it's been up in a bun like this one. The lazy kind.
As usual, it gets covered when I'm outside for any prolonged period with my scarf and cap. This is usually when I head out in the morning and when I head home at night. Sometimes, the scarf and cap don't come off all day lol.

I've also been sticking with my refined regimen. It is n't finalized yet but it has been working for me.

Christmas weekend I washed with my neutralizing and chelating poo (for good measure) and used my Mizani Kerafuse for DC without heat for maybe 2 hours. Then roller set and dried under dryer. No pics but the mess I put up in my last post.

This weekend, I co-washed with HE LTR then DC without heat for maybe 1.5 hours with alter ego garlic cond and a little bit of castor oil. Then roller set and let air dry over night. Left it curly during the day on Sat but it was sooooo cold I pinned it up.

That's basically it. I've been washing once a week. Deep conditioning with each wash. Will do a 2 minute protein for good measure with the next wash. Also, still low manipulation. Oh! I've also been applying JBCO to my edges 3-5 times weekly. Just a tad.

No crazy shedding so far and hope it stays this way because NO MORE TRIMMING for a looong while. I overdid it last stretch.