Products and starting pics

Here are the products I'm sticking with for the next 6 months:

Cleansing: Cantu for natural hair cleansing cream shampoo and hydrating cream conditioner, Aussie Moist conditioner for cowash
Deep conditioning: Alter Ego garlic mask and Nexxus Promend Split End repairing conditioner concentrated protein
Leave in: Mizani 25 benefit leave in, Cantu natural hair leave in conditioning cream
Oils: Elasta QP mango butter, JBCO, EVOO, EVCO
Daily moistuizing and styling: water & Aussie, Cantu natural hair coconut curling cream
Gel: Eco styler with olive oil,  Shine n Jam conditioning gel

Day 1 July 5 2018
I did a wash and go today, here are some photos
No more bleaching my hair
No more braids

I'm back!

I cut my locs off March 2017 and have been on a natural journey ever since. Thing is, I don't really knownwhat I'm doing and not sure what is working ... this motivated me to track this journey to understand and grow my hair in the next year. My next hair wash, I'll post starting photos so I can keep track of my progress. Not sure best way to do it for curly hair but I'll figure it out before then. In the pic here, I used perm rods in this pix and I like the way it and bantu knots on dry hair look on me ... adds volume to my relatively fine/thin hair.

Here is my planned regimen:

Rotate A / B every other week:

A)
Shampoo
Deep condition with protein
Deep condition with moisture
Perm rod set / roller set with bantu

B)
Co wash
Perm rod set / roller set with bantu

Every day:
Oil & cream moisture
Satin cap

Will post products next week
Need lots of advice about hair care during & after the gym

Some additional pics of my hair now

At the risk of shocking you all - 2 posts in one day!!!

Wrap-A-Loc curls, blog updated (new banner, loc regimen, everything!)

Hello lovely folks,

Well  I have finally updated my blog to reflect my hair's current status!

I used Wrap-A-Loc about 2 weeks ago to try curls and boy did I get my entire curl life!! Here is a quick summary of my thoughts.

PROS -
1) If you want curls, you are going to get neat, tight curls using this tool - it does what it promises!
2) There is no heat required if you have the patience to wait for hair to airdry (I didn't).
3) If you have short locs you can cut the long (size large) in two
4) Easy to use - there is definitely a learning curve to using the instrument but that is expected with everything
5) I've seen many people wear them in the locs for a few days before taking them down. I refuse to do this but if you can swing it then I've seen some pretty ingenious styling on Google Images (search "Wrap a loc").

CONS-
1) If you some how do it wrong and your curls don't drop (as only one side of my head did - not cute) then you need to somehow be flexible because those curls are here to stay! I chose to flat twist the side that did not drop to the other side and it worked out beautifully. I will try to do better my next attempt.
2) If you have a lot of locs, good luck to you! I have 87/90 locs and there is no way I was going to pay for 5 packs at $20 dollars a pop on my student budget...I cut the large ones this time around. That'll do till I can fund as many as I need (maybe I'll take up a collection).

These are before I separated (did 2 locs to one wrap a loc tool)

Separated and pinned to side (other side was a failure hehe)

loc update - I am 2 years in

Hola whoever is out there at this point!

Life has really taken over my blogging aspirations. Anyhoo August 14 2011 I installed loc extensions to my hair after a weak 6 months trying to transition to natural. I had decided if I wanted to remain chemical free and sane I needed to ease myself in with a style that wasn't too demanding and wouldn't take too much out of me. Ha!

My loc journey hasn't been like others but it has been something. First, the poorly installed extensions that had me going crazy the first year and half of this experience. Too small pieces with too heavy extensions pulling on my ends and giving me alopecia related nightmares. Then the numerous untrained "professional" locticians; all deaf to my opinion, doing their own thing in my head, forcing me to once again become self stylist (I was happily my own hair care specialist with relaxed hair - mostly successfully). Then the BC of the extensions leaving me with the challenge of styling short locs; something I never intended to try. Oh LORD then the questions of why did you do it, you had such lovely hair, UGH. My experience has been something. 

I had to learn to love my locs - it wasnt love at first sight. Learn to love the matting, learn to be okay with foreign matter in my hair, learn to love the texture. Certainly learn to love them enough to not care what others were thinking and to feel like it was okay to be like this, rocking locs, while still being me. 

Today I am just happy because my locs now make it into a ponytail and look kinda njce! This is a pic of it. Hasn't been retwisted in 4 weeks (& counting) but still loving it. 

Will follow up with a regimen post :)

First 2013 post :)

Hola!! So just a quick update.

1. I cut my locs to the top of my neck! Short I know but finally there is less weight on my locs and they have a chance to flourish! That stylist who did my loc extensions did a number on me. Anyhoo some of them are now 100% mine and the rest 60-80%. The day is coming when it'll all be mine.

2. I am taking care of these babies myself...for now I think shampooing and tightening myself is what is best for it. Not that I'm the best retwister but my hair has always done best under my own care and attention.

3. I need to take some photos of my hair. I will when I retwist next week.

Promised photos :)

Notice the twists are showing through the extensions :(

Things I've learned

Having locs ain't that easy...

I feel like my hair isn't getting enough moisture and I don't know how. Creamy things get stuck in my locs, particularly the extension piece. I use oils but I don't know that it works or is sufficient. Starting next week I'll try to add aloe vera juice to my regimen. See how that works.

Then I have thinner locs (due to the mess up with the lady making the parts at the front small and the extensions are heavy) and those are weighed down and I worry about them.

Anyhoo, those are the cons.

The pros are that I love the decision and am anxiously waiting for my real locs to be long enough to cut. My husband loves 'em, and my mom is warming up to them :)

I owe you all photos and so will post them soon.

First quarter 2012 update...

First off, I am in love and happy I made the decision

Then, the woman who installed my extensions really messed me up. Pieces have come out leaving the twists exposed. Some locs are really thin and others are thick. I am so annoyed. Only the beauty of my actual hair coming out makes me happy and hopeful. I am worried about the ones around the edges but I am hopeful none will break from weight/stress of the extensions.

Sunday I washed and retwisted my own hair. Was not bad. Put it in a bun.

I have tried a number of gels and I have to say this the best thus far - Joie MyGel - I have avoided beeswax so far and I'm happy about that. I did have some shea butter at the beginning and I regret that but that's the same person who did my extensions and I'm guessing she doesn't know much about loc care.

2nd professional retwist

I found a home! A stylist I like and have faith in ...she whipped this up in a sec this evening and for $25 bucks less than my first stylist to boot. I will admit these styles are taking some getting used to but I'm embracing it all...

I am 14 weeks :)

my first retwist

I didn't like this style Sunday when I got it but everyone else did and it's grown on me...I have to get used to the loc look. I am on the hunt for a new stylist already - the one I have works at a very unprofessional shop with too high prices.

I want someone I can stick with long term and that won't happen at this current shop.

I am 2 months into my journey.

8 week update - loc extensions

So it has been 8 weeks since the loc extensions were put in.

How am I feeling? I am liking it and I haven't regretted it yet but I will admit I miss my relaxed hair some days. Then I think of how rarely it would look like what I wanted it to (once a week and after a fresh relaxer) and how even in a bun my locs are rocking, and I am content with my choice.

I was worried about how the folks at work would react and it's been all positive. I even got a compliment this week when I finally was able to coax the hair into a bun.





Yup my kitchen sink in full effect :-)

Loc extensions

So I am into week 3 of these loc extensions and I am no longer itching. That, and I'm loving it!

Here are the promised pics

Day 1 - crazy itch!!! I actually prayed about it lol





Today, 2 weeks and 2 days later



Some new growth. I don't retwist until 8 weeks so I have plenty to go but I am considering getting a shampoo in another 2 weeks. In the meantime, Seabreeze and oil mix.

An update to surpass all updates

Where has Shar been? I couldn't begin to tell you the full story. I am just going to try to update you as best as possible.

So you know I was attempting to transition and failing miserably - after 6 months I texlaxed. That was April 2011. Then I texlaxed again in June 2011. Then I really just wasn't happy with my hair. I didn't like the relaxed ends anymore, I was annoyed at the texlaxed part cause they looked odd and dry - not quite natural, not quite relaxed.

After hemming and hawing, I sat down for 14 hours last Sunday and had loc extensions installed. Yup. How am I liking them? I love the idea of them - don't care what persons with locs say about the "journey." That's the good part about my journey - it's mine, so you can sniff at my extensions all you want. In 2 years, you'll have nothing to sniff at. Now why did I specify I liked the IDEA of them? Well cause them babies are irritating the skin off me!!! My scalp is irritated and itching. The lady installed them too tight so I was in pain Monday and Tuesday. They have loosened since but I think the tightness bruised my scalp because spraying Sea Breeze burns it. Then I use oil sheen. For now, that's all I'm doing.

This weekend I plan to make an oil spray with my hot6 and castor oil.

I can't wash these babies for 3 more weeks so I better sit still and embrace the itch. Can your body/scalp be allergic to human kinky hair? **sigh** Anyhoo, for the pretty penny I paid, these aren't going anywhere.

So there you are! All updated! The next thing I owe you - photos. Good news - finally got a camera so we are in business.

Hope you have been having happy & fruitful hair journeys. Leave me a comment and let me know how it's going!

Pics from my iPhone

So here we go:

The following show roots at 6 month, braid out on 6 month post hair, then my cut after texlax, my texlax texture wet & dry

Long overdue update

So I quit lol...my natural journey became a texlaxed journey yesterday. I did 1/4 cup EVOO in 1 cup Motions relaxer. 6 months to the day.

This is why I did it:

1. I was rocking buns constantly because braid outs and twist outs took waaaay too much time and didn't last past 5-6 hours. My buns were cute but everyday made me feel BLAH

2. The length of time washing and detangling was taking. I definitely was not looking forward to battling my 4/5/6 month roots each week.

3. I just was not enjoying the transition process. Except the curious feel of my roots, that is. That was nice :) and the feeling that I did not need a darn relaxer...

...till it turned out that I did cause I don't wanna be bothered with the time consuming process.

Now it's texlaxed, I feel great! Hopefully I can still see the thickness when I have more texlaxed hair.

Result of my 6 month stretch? Damaged relaxed ends. I know 24/7 buns sound like a treat for my ends but no, in fact they look awful. So Friday, I'm going to get them trimmed - hope not too much. Then I shall share length check.

FYI - my bff did the opposite of me and did a BC :-D She looks FAB!! She is loving her hair and getting used to caring for it.

Truth of the matter

My hair and I are merely coexisting.

There is no love anymore because I don't know what to do with it now that it has about 2 inches of thick, curly roots. Ok, I did texlax it but the texlax is soooo light everyone thinks it is just natural (and trust me it feels and looks that way besides I haven't done that since December). My default style is straight so I feel like I should go get blow outs but what is the purpose of weekly blow outs? Is that better than a relaxer? My other option is braids, weaves, or wigs but honestly, I don't really want to do that...this texlax/natural journey is stealing my hair swag :-/

Day 4 of curls

This was the last day of the style. Been rocking buns ever since...today is wash day thank goodness. I am still thinking up styles for tonight. Top of the list is braid out.

Tonight I am going to get batteries for my broke down camera so I can get better pics. Boy, do I need a camers! My current one has to be taped up lol.

I'm accepting style ideas everyone - pls comment!

Day 2 of curls

Forgot to take a day 3 pic but I'm still rocking the curls today so I'll update y'all. I am pleased with this style.

Curls on 4 months post hair

I haven't relaxed since Oct 15th...so I'm somewhere at 4 months post.

My hair qas a BEAST to detangle but patience is key. A friend suggested a detangler...Any recommendations?

I may go purchase material and sew headbands. The scarves in the store are so silky I think they're gonna slip right off my head. I think cotton and cotton blends may work best. I'm gonna do some research.

Anyhoo, I was very proud of my curls yesterday :-) I am not loving that Jason poo - makes my hair feel like locs I swear