About to throw in the towel

Yess I enjoy stretching (sometimes), I love the feel of my natural hair but I am loosing too much hair. Last night after removing the plaits I washed and DC with aphogee and Humectress. On detangling I was shocked at the amount of hair I lost. They look like long stands but you can never tell. I have never lost this much hair and well I am done with the worrying and will relax my hair next week, at 11 weeks plus. I will post pics and though I dont want to do it my hair is saying enough is enough.

Stretching Woes

Week after week I have been battling with my new growth. I was Ok whilst it was in braids but dealing with it now about 2 inches growth and week 10 I am having a really hard time. This has to be the hardest stretch ever and I really respect those ladies who go for 16 weeks and over.

I have been thinking about professional looking styles that would help me with my stretch. I mean I like to brush my hair back in one and smooth down the edges, but I get so nervous thinking about my new growth, it does not get touched and its sheer drama to detangle it come wash day.

I am still yet to come up with some styles to help me. Today I thought I would attempt one of the styles I used to rock all the time when I was natural. I just plaited the roots (the natural part) and twisted the relaxed part. My greatest challenge is trying to prevent the relax portions from unravelling. Well whatever the outcome I know I wont have this hair drama to face until my next wash day.

So here's what I did, I pre pooed with a hot oil mixture of almond oil and profective growth oil then washed with Giovanni invigorating shampoo. DC with my alter Ego condish and later my Aussie 3 min moisturizing con. I used the giovanni leave in and HE LTR and airdried. Today I parted my hair in small sections, saturated the roots with profective mega growth strengthener and finished with some more HE LTR.

Its a Jungle in here

I am nine weeks post and its a jungle in here. I decided to do low manipulation styles like braid outs, wash and goes and no combing and it feels good. The hair appears softer until you attempt to detangle.

Today I chose to let down my bun, detangle and moisturize and it took me an hour and a half. I had a bit of hair loss and I was so tempted to relax but didnt. I used olive oil moisturizing hair lotion and HE long term relationship leave in. And sealed with almond oil.

I hope and pray I am not over doing it. Its too late to relax anyway as I have been irritating my scalp. I will put back in the cornrows until about 5-6 days before relaxing my hair. The new growth is really too much and I fear I may tear my hair out. Wish me luck guys.

I will have a reveal after I relax to show my progress after 7 months of my HHJ. Oh my first goal was full APL. I think I may have missed the full part but I may be APL in some parts. I am also trying to accomplish thicker hair I hope to see that in my reveal in 2 weeks time.

My Sunday Do

Ok I did another braid out, messed with it too much and the curls went a bit flat so I figured why not do a cute updo.

Rules of the loose updo

1- Never do it twice once you do it dont do it over as it would never look the same so give it one shot.

2- Lots and lots of bobby pins.

3- Something to smooth the edges

4 -Be creative

Now your ready to rip the runway of life.

The trip to the Salon and the Trim

I am back, and will be trying to update my blog more often. On Monday I went to the salon because I had no other choice. I was locked out of my house and had just taken out my braids, I went 2 weeks without a wash or a DC and I was desperate.

I went to the first salon I saw up the street, it was an empty looking place with a customer getting her nails done. I asked the first attendant what product line they used for their DC, she did not know, I was surprised as I watched her walk over to the owner of the store to ask.

The owner greeted me and told me she was impressed that I was actually interested in the products used as most people walk in and just ask for a "treatment". She told me "Salerm, affirm, Dudleys, Vitale" and I was hooked.

She gave me the Salerm treatment and didnt attempt to detangle my hair until it was soft and easy to manage. There was a fair amount of shedded hair but I felt nor heard any breaking as I normally would. She then roller set my hair and flat ironed the roots. She looked at my hair and said the dreaded statement "You need a trim". I told her no thanks and left. I was very pleased with her, she spent most of her life in the US and most of her ideas about hair care are quite similar to what we share on the boards.

Then I got home and saw what she was talking about. I swore off trimming I was just bent on dusting my ends. But I am telling you something though the ends werent split they were seriously thinning and weighing my hair down. I cut it myself all 11/2 inches and felt better. I guess when I relax in 4 weeks time I can better assess the length, but rignt now I am more interested in the health and thickeness the length will come eventually.

Whats in my spray bottle

I am off tomorrow and would like to do a quick blog on whats in my spray bottle. I will be spraying with this as needed (though I have not used it as yet). Nightly wrapping my hair with a satin scarf, and oiling scalp with a castor oil and peppermint concoction that I have.

I must admit that my scalp is itching a whole deal and the peppermint does help, but as the braids loosen its not as intense and it does get better with time. I just cannot imagine taking them out after all that time doing them, so I am hanging in there. I am getting mad compliments with them and as usual wondering if I should transition.

I have in my spray bottle

Wave by design finishing lotion (stole this from my SO I know thats strange but the stuff is good at moisturizing my NG)

911 for a little protein to keep it strong

Almond oil (the best oil I believe to use when hair is in braids)

Water

I saw a girl today and I was absolutely shocked. I asked her why she cut her hair and that I was meaning to ask her what products she used caused it looked so good. Little did I know that all this time she was wearing a weave and now had in a weave but had cut it shorter. I did find it odd once that there seemed to be pieces that were much shorter than the others but I thought she was growing out layers. Now thats to show you that you never know and well she did buy it so of course its hers.

Got Braids.

This wasnt really part of the plan, not yet anyway, but I am going to be away from home for 2 weeks. I am not sure of what I will have available to me, and its not cute carrying all that baggage (hair conditioner, pre poo, etc) around. I am not even sure what the water situation will be like so to avoid that I did braids.

Last night was a looooonnng one. I pre pooed the night before with alma oil and washed with Keracare detangling shampoo the following day (last night). After this I DC'd with mizani combination treatment (Kerafuse and hydrafuse) dried on cool with hand dryer and finally 30 min under hooded dryer on low heat.

I used some Aphogee provitamin complex as a leave in prior to drying and moisturized with Nexxus Humectress (works well as a leave in, just use a small amount) and Profectiv mega growth anti breakage strengthener (a mouthful I know). I then proceeded to seal with lots and lots of almond oil and braided with cheap braids (the extensions help to make the style last longer).

The whole process from start to finish took me 6 hours! I could not believe it. Now to maintain them I will nourish the roots with a castor oil and peppermint mixture I have, and moisturise when needed. I will tie my hair down with a satin scarf. And hope that it last for 2 weeks.