Be very careful !!!

I managed to stretch for 6 months. I feel great about making it 24.5 weeks. The only thing is, i got some really bad chemical scalp burns!!! I had been complaining about an itchy scalp through the last 2 months of the stretch. I had no idea why my scalp had been constantly itching. I tried to put off relaxing until my scalp calmed down. The week before i relaxed the itching had gotten a little less, but i still had some tingling. I did my usual co-wash, deep condition and moisturize & seal, and i thought enough time had passed. I was so anxious to my touch up, the day i relaxed my new growth that i just ignored the slight tingling. Ladies, make sure you have absolutely no irritation on the scalp whatsoever!!! My burns are pretty bad :o(  I have 2 really big nasty burns and some not so bad burns, lol

Here's what to do if this should ever happen to you (Let's hope it doesn't) :

The first thing you need to do in order to aid in the healing process of chemical relaxer burns is to ignore the compulsion to scratch and/or pick at your scab. This will usually be your first reaction due to the constant itching or odd "presence" on your scalp.

If you have undergone a chemical relaxer burn, you will feel a patchy, scaly, gritty or bumpy substance on your scalp. This is actually a scab from the chemical burn your scalp has suffered. Your scalp is just like any other piece of skin on your body. It will scab

Next, you will need to somewhat detangle the hair that is surrounding and within the scalp burn.

Take a wide-tooth comb and start combing from the ends of the hair, and get as close as you can to your scalp without aggravating the scalp burn. In all honesty, the scalp burn will heal regardless, but your hair strands will break off rather than give way to the pull and tug between the comb and the scab from the scalp burn.

Apply an antibacterial ointment to a clean cotton swab, and gently apply it directly to the chemical scalp burns.

Any kind of disinfecting, skin healing ointment will do the trick (Neosporin, Burt's Bees Res-Q Ointment, etc.). But, nothing trumps natural and free, so your best bet would be to opt for a broken leaf from an aloe vera plant.

Continue with your regular hair care regimen, but use caution.

Be gentle when combing and brushing your hair for the next week or so. Also, make sure to shampoo your hair as you normally would, but be careful not to disturb the area with scalp burns. Do not use hair care products containing alcohol as they may burn and cause further irritation to the scalp burns.

After a few shampoos you will notice that the scab from chemical relaxer burn has fallen off, and your scalp can return to its healthy status.

Source

6 months Stretch Touch up results!!

Well ladies, i finally relaxed. After 6 months of stretching. I just could not take it any longer. This morning my hair was so dry and tangled, no matter what i did the comb just would not budge. I reached my goal of stretching 6 months. I wasn't trying to go longer. I'm very happy with the results. Yaaaa, i can feel my scalp again, lol. Looks like i'm back at BSL, but this time i feel encouraged. This time i'm gonna make waistlength. The 6 months of stretching helped me gain 3 inches. Which means i'm an average grower (1/2 inch per month) The difference is this time my hair is thicker and stronger. I will try for 6 month stretches for as long as i relax (maybe,lol) Although the relaxer touch up was not without some drama (as soon as i applied the relaxer my scalp began to burn) so, i'm texlaxed in some areas, but that's okay. I lost no hair, but i have a bad burn at my hairline (the worse place, i already have issues with my hairline!!) I will revamp my regimen and today starts my new 6 month stretch!!!

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. The 6 month stretch is a Muther :o)

Stretch With Me (3) The Realization !!

I am 24.5 weeks post. Yes that's 6months and 5 days, WoW!! During this stretch i have learned a lot.

1. I can stretch for longer than i thought
2. I can stretch without adding extensions (never stretched this long without extensions before
3. I can make waistlength !!!

The last statement is a realization that waistlength is possible, because i now know what i've been doing wrong. I've had waistlength hair before, so i should be able to achieve it again, right :o) This stretch has showed me that my hair is growing at the normal rate, but i have not been retaining the length. I now know that i must go back to some of the things that got me to waistlength before. I know that hair can and does change over time, but some things remain the same. I am encouraged because i see a lot of growth and i am determined to keep it. How?

The biggest change is gonna be protecting my ends and moisturizing & sealing. In the past moisturizing and sealing was not consistently done because i have fine hair, but i now know it is what i really need to get me to my goal !!!

I don't know how much longer i will stretch. I've had a very itchy scalp from a reaction to a conditioner, but i'll update when i can safely relax.

Join the Stretch With Me (3)

Give-Away!!! Give-Away!!!

 

Please claim your prize within 48 hrs. (if not claimed another will be chosen)

Thanks to all the participants

Stay tuned for more giveaways!!!

Long, lovely hair can be yours in just a few weeks with our latest giveaway, the Longhairlovers 4-Product Healthy Hair Growth System! This powerful blend of natural & organic ingredients includes Longhairlovers' patent-pending formula that naturally encourages hair growth at the root for faster, healthier hair growth. Longhairlovers products are developed by a professional trichologist (hair and scalp expert) whose own hair reaches to her waist! Perfect for all hair types and ethnicities. If you never thought you could grow your hair before, enter our giveaway and you could be the lucky winner who will have longer, more beautiful hair by the holidays!

To Enter:

1. Add Longhairlovers on Facebook

2. sign up for the Longhairlovers monthly newsletter at www.longhairlovers.com

3. follow me (please comment with the words "i'm following)

Prize: 4 product Healthy Hair Growth System 

Value: $99.00

Start Date : 11-09-2010

End Date :  11-15-2010

That's It :o)

Good Luck!!

Winner will be announced : 11-16-2010

Purchase $50 or more in Longhairlovers products and automatically get entered for a chance to win the Fall Gift Basket (over $200 in value!)

Aussie Moist !!! Wow!!

Product Review

Product Features

• Conditions to quench dry, thirsty hair.
• Moist Conditioner, with splashes of natural Aloe, replenishes natural moisture for healthy locks worth gushing about.
• Contains Natural Australian Ingredients
• Made in USA of US and/or imported ingredients

Ingredients
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glutamic Acid, Fragrance, BIS Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, EDTA, Ecklonia Radiata Extract (Australian Sea Kelp), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Extract, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

Directions:

Work conditioner through clean, damp hair. Rinse.

My Results:

I am 20 weeks post. My new growth is almost impossible to comb. Detangling has been getting harder as the weeks go by. My strands are coiling and twisting around each other. Making detangling at least 2 hours long. I think i have gone thru just about every conditioner that there is. The two textures are battling each other. I get tired and don't have the patience to deal with my hair 2x a week. I asked Letha, the moderator on MyHairSistas what can i use on my new growth to soften it and make it easy to detangle. Letha is transitioning and has no problem with handling her new growth. Letha recommended i try the aussie moist. Since i tried everything else, lol. I said okay let me give it a try. I really wasn't expecting much. Girls, let me tell you!!! Aussie Moist is the business. I couldn't believe it. I slathered on this creamy, great smelling conditioner for 1 hour.  When i rinsed, the tangles just melted and the new growth was so soft. I had no problems detangling and lost only a few hairs. Why did i wait so long to try this conditioner. Really it works better than anything i've tried. It's now a staple. Thanks so very much Letha. This time i will make it to 6 months. The stretch continues :o)

 My Method :

Pre-poo with grapeseed oil (overnight)

Apply conditioner (roots first. Like when applying relaxer touch up)

Apply to length

put on plastic cap (condition on dry hair, no heat)

wrap hair in towel for 1 hour

rinse in shower 

detangled (my hair was so soft i didn't apply a leave-in)

air-dried

twisited up my hair with clips

I will add Chi keratin Mist later (leave-in) MN and grapeseed oil for growth, M&S

I love this conditioner!!

Frustration, Impatience = Setback

Today i started out wondering which conditioner i would use for my co-wash. I'm 19-1/2 weeks post, so i don't have to tell you how my new growth has taken over, but it has, lol. Everything was going pretty well. I detangled before applying my conditioner mix (tresemee re-moisture condish & grapeseed oil) I applied it heavy to the new growth first. I felt very nice and creamy. Then i applied the rest to the length. Let it sit with a plastic cap and towel for 1 hour. I rinsed in the shower and applied about a quater size of porosity control for about 1 minute (i'm trying to correct my porosity issues) My hair really felt so soft. I'm not sure if the porosity control did anything though, but i'll keep using it. Maybe i'll see some improvement. Okay, let me get to the frustrating part. Being in a hurry to get my hair done ( I have guests staying with me) before my guests returned. I tried to detangle very fast, that only made my hair tangle up more. I got so many knots. I just ripped through my hair. I should have waited until the next day when my guest are leaving. I lost a lot of hair because of impatience. When i finally finished with everything. I looked at my hair and was so disappointed with the feel, the new growth, the see thru ends. I got the scissors and cut 3 inches. On top of that i cut it uneven. So, here is my self induced setback! So Ladies, only do your hair when you have the time to devote to doing it right, and not when company is around, lol

How To Save Your Hair And Even Regrow It Without Wasting Your Money

I'm going to begin by telling you a short story about myself.  I'm a 29 year old male with thin hair from as far back as I can remember.  When I was about 26 years old, I really started losing my hair in the crown area and in the front area.  My receding hair lines became painfully obvious as people starting pointing it out in social situations which had to be the absolute worst thing that anyone could ever imagine.  I started becoming less social and less confident with my everyday life.  It became extremely difficult to meet women because of the anxiety that I felt.  When I did meet new people, I was shy and awkward, definitely not a great first impression. My hair was affecting everything when I realized how frequently I was getting sick with the flu.  This turned out to be because of stress from losing my hair.  Something had to change.  If this sounds familiar, keep reading, because what I'm about to tell you, changed my life.


In the spring of 2007, I started searching around for possible solutions to what I was going through with my hair loss.  I talked to a few trusted friends who had similar issues with hair loss and listened to their stories of failed products and various solutions that they tried with minimal success.  My research was fairly extensive, spending all hours of the night after work reading different websites and forums on the internet.  It was clear to me that this is a huge subject affecting so many men of all ages - usually from 18 to 45 years old.  There are literally millions of websites, journals, products and everything that you could think of to provide you with some sort of direction as to what to do.  Many of these are complete and total scams.  Do not just open your wallet and start paying for bogus solutions.  These usually lead to disappointment unfortunately.  

I'm going to show you one of the best ways to preserve and regrow your hair in which I paid less than $2 for a 3 months of treatment.  That treatment is called: Finasteride.  Get used to the name and read up as much as you can on it, because let me tell you from experience, this miracle little drug really works wonders.  I'll give you a brief description, it's entirely safe, originally developed to treat high blood pressure and prevent prostate cancer. If you look it up on Wikipedia, you'll see something like this: finasteride is a synthetic antiandrogen that acts by inhibiting type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Finasteride was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992 under the brand name Proscar, a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In 1997, the FDA approved finasteride to treat male pattern baldness (MPB) under the brand name Propecia.  There is a lot of chemistry in here, but the bottom line is that it works by blocking DHT in your blood stream.  

Let's back up for sec and talk about how your hair even grows in the first place.  Your blood carries food to hair follicles.  When your blood contains certain things like excess DHT, it starts slowly killing your hair follicles by shrinking them.  They become very small and eventually your hair gets so thin that it just falls out and doesn't grow from that area anymore.  Finasteride pills usually come in 5mg strength. I then cut the pills in 4 making them into quarters - each quarter contains 1.25mg of finasteride which is roughly the right amount per day. Taking the 1.25mg dose of finasteride per day can reduce the DHT in your blood which in turn allows your hair follicles to feed from clean DHT free blood and grow unhindered.


Finasteride is made by many different drug manufacturers.  Probably one of the most popular is called Propecia, there is another one made by Merck called Proscar.  The way to do this is the cut your pills into quarters.  It's not as difficult as it sounds!   Basically, I take a pair of scissors and cut the pill in half, then half that again and place the pieces in a small plastic container (I actually use one of the travel Tylenol containers, seems to work for me).  Proscar can actually be covered by most drug plans, but only about 50-60%, which still ends up running $1-2 per pill. Pretty expensive over several years!  Luckily, there are some cheaper alternatives. The generic finasteride solution is made from identical chemical composition as the real brand names.  It is guaranteed by the government to be identical in every way so you know it should be the same thing. It's just made in a different factory sometimes using a slightly different process.  The price tag is a lot better.  I just purchased a 3 month supply of generic SDZ finasteride (don't forget I cut each pill into 4) for about $3 in total after coverage from my basic drug plan.  This is the best deal I've found. I take 1/4 of the pill each day (any time of the day is fine although I usually find it more convenient to take mine before going to bed).  I've read that if you take it with meals, it tends to get lost in digestion.  Always take a big glass of water when you are taking it.

After trying finasteride for the first time, I actually lost a bit more of hair in the first 2 weeks.  I was a little irked, but I also read that it can take a bit of time to start working. This was actually very normal.  Usually, it takes about 1 month before you can start seeing results.  For me, it was about 2-3 weeks.  I actually felt my hair grow healthier believe it or not.  I noticed my hair being a little thicker than before, it didn't fall out as easily when I passed my fingers through my hair or when I shampooed in the shower.  In the past, I was used to looking at my soapy shampoo hands with dozens of tiny hairs on my hands in the shower, not a great feeling... But this totally changed everything.  It might be a little turn off for some people, but I actually saw hair on other parts of my body grow faster and more dense as well, though nothing too crazy.  The hair on the front of my head was definitely filling in and didn't look as thin, you couldn't see scalp like before.  My crown was also very much filling in.  If you read the fine print for finasteride, they say that it will only work on the crown for most men.  Although this is probably true, I think they say this to set low expectations.  It actually does work for hair all over.  My hair lines were a little different, but still a small improvement there.  In general, I was so excited and I was becoming myself again.  What a good feeling that was.  It raised my confidence so much, I began to go out on dates with women again. I was just too embarrassed before, but now everything changed.  I could feel the confidence flowing through my body as I was closing deals with several different women on the same week at times!  Yes, it was pretty good :)


If you really want to maximize your hair growth, one other product I would recommend if you have the patience for it is Rogain.  This stuff does also work, but requires a lot more attention and maintenance to apply the liquid solution onto your scalp. It's also messy which is a pretty big turn off for most men.  The active ingredient is called Minoxidil.  It comes in different strengths, but I wouldn't waste your time with the lighter ones, go right for the strongest Minoxidil solution you can find which is 5%.  Rogain has the same active ingredient and works just as well and it is probably more widely recognized. It also comes in a foam solution which is pretty decent.  I bought a perfectly good brand called Kirkland Minoxidil from a store online for about $25 for 3 bottles.  It's pretty cheap compared to the brand name Rogain.  I believe the online store gets it from the same source as Costco, but most places require you to have a medical prescription to purchase the 5% stuff. The Amazon online store: http://www.amazon.com/  sells it for about $20 for a 3 months supply. Not bad!  The only downfall as I was mentioning before is that you have to be pretty careful when applying the liquid minoxidil on your scalp twice per day.  It doesn't sound like much, but trust me it was a bit of a pain in the butt to continuously do this.  The results are pretty good though. My hair felt thicker and grows in a lot better than if I wasn't taking it.

I do have some words of caution though.  As with almost any drug, there are some possible side effects that occur in a very small percentage of the population. By the way, this entire article is meant for Men only. If you are female, do not take finasteride.  Do not even cut the pills anywhere near a pregnant women. Even a small amount of the power will cause a birth defect in the male genitalia.  Don't let powder get anywhere.  Seriously, this can cause major problems for females.  Taking finasteride can also cause erectile dysfunction in less than 1% of males. There are also some other minor side effects that you should probably seek medical advice if you are experience swollen breasts, irritation or other minor discomfort. I actually did not experience any of these side effects.  The only thing I noticed is that I gained a bit of weight since taking it. It's usually very safe to take this drug. 


Something else I do every night or morning when I take a shower is use a special herbal shampoo. It's called Shen Min and it's an herbal shampoo mix that stimulates hair growth.  It creates a tingly sensation and smells really clean.  It actually works really well and cleans out the pores of my scalp to allow new tiny hairs to grow.  I recommend this one over some of the other herbal shampoos even though it might be slightly pricier, it's probably worth it.  It's all natural and the aromas from the shampoo are pretty great.

Conclusion, I highly recommend both finasteride by cutting 5mg pills into 4 and taking each quarter once per day.  This is probably the most effective, easiest solution on the market. Combine this with Minoxidil and you've got a powerful combo to fight male hair loss.  I can personally vouch for everything I've written in this article since I've gone through it and lived it myself. All I can say is that it really worked for me and literally saved my life.  I was going down a dark path, but the info in this article helped me pull through it, regain my confidence and let me live my life as I want it.  I definitely had reservations when I first started to get into it and I really wish I had read an article like this before hand.  There is a lot of info out there that you could spend years researching, it's almost daunting to think about it. This article is really all you need to get started.  If you found this a good read and hopefully got some value out of it, I encourage you to click on the ads below or on the side bar, or forward this to your friends, post on facebook, twitter, etc. I'd like all men suffering from hair loss to at least have the chance to fight it. The information in here can probably help a lot you or your male friends who are secretly suffering from male pattern hair loss. In the coming months, I'm going to try making this site a lot better with more photos and stories from other members, please consider making a small paypal donation using this link so that I can continue my efforts.


Thanks and best of luck guys!


Chris

Product Review-Grapeseed Oil Is Good

Grape seed oil is a lightweight, colorless and odorless oil that has a number of uses. It can be used as a health tonic, used as a used as a cooking oil or used to moisturize the skin and hair. Because it is lighter weight than many other oils, such as olive oil, it absorbs into the skin and hair much faster, and without weighing hair down. Here is how i use grape seed hot oil treatment that is sure to leave your hair moisturized, beautiful and luxurious..

great oil for finner hair textures, and this is also one of the oils that can penetrate the hair shaft.

My Method : I use this oil as a pre-poo before my co-wash

Warm 3 tablespoons of grapeseed oil

apply to scalp and hair (on damp hair)

apply plastic cap

wrap towel around head

let sit for 30-60 minutes

co-wash

Resutlts : Soft hair :o)

Other Uses :

Great oil for cooking 

Great for skincare (anti-aging)

Great for use when blowdrying or flat ironing 

Grapeseed extract accelerates hair growth 

Grape Seed Extract: 

Procyanidin oligomers are naturally derived ingredients from grape seeds that have been shown to stimulate hair growth similarly to Minoxidil (Rogaine®). Recent studies by Japanese scientists have shown that grape seed extracts possess growth stimulation activity toward hair cells. These studies suggest that the active components of grape seeds inhibit the destruction of collagen structures leading to greater overall health of the tiny capillaries that supply energy to the body’s tissues including hair.
Grape seed is available in capsules, tablets, and fluid extracts. Look for products that are standardized to 95% OPC content.

I Needed Some Motivation :o)

Today i removed my protective style (latch hook braids). I wore the style for 1 month as part of the Winter Grow Out Ultimate Challenge on MyHairSistas. I am 16-1/2 weeks post, so you know what i was about to encounter. Everything started out great. Removing the latch hook braids was very easy. I had continued to moisturize & seal between the braids. My hair was easy to comb and detangle or so i thought. I proceeded to deep condition on dry hair, parting and applying conditioner as i would do a relaxer touch up. I put on my plastic cap and wrapped a towel around my head for 1 hour (no heat). I used Nourish Spa. This was my first time using this conditioner. I went against one of my rules-never use a new conditioner when coming out of a protective style. Everything was fine while the conditioner was on my hair, it actually felt very good, being that the conditioner was very thick. I love thick conditioner. Okay fast forward to rinse time. Oh boy!!! While rinsing. I noticed my hair didn't feel as soft as with my staple condish. Long story short. My hair was so dry and tangled like crazy!!! It took me 5 hours to slowly untangle. When i was finally done with the long ordeal. I was very disappointed with how my hair looked, broken, uneven, dry. I thought, i'm never getting to waistlength if this keep up. Then i had a thought. Let me see how far i've come. The comparison picture above shows the progress from 2008-2010. With all the breakage, setback, cuts and all. I have made some progress. So, i will press on, continuing the stretch and hoping for the best :o)

Nominated for a Sunshine Award!

My humble little blog has been nominated for the Sunshine Award by Hair's Tha Thing & Just Grow Already!.  I so appreciate these fellow bloggers for the nomination. The Award :

Here are the rules:

• You must post the award's logo in a post or on your blog
• Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers
• Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they've been nominated
• Share the love and link the person who nominated you.

Here are my nominees (all are blogs I love and have learned from):

 

  1.Anastasia's Secret Garden

  2.From Relaxed 2 Natural The Transistioning Story

  3.Ktani's Hair Sense

  4.Simplistic Chic

  5.Saving Your Cents

  6.Sheabutter Cottage

  7.blessednbeautiful1

  8.beautifulums

  9.Black Women In Europe

10.Diary of a Content Black Woman

Decisions, Decisions !!!

I'm 14 weeks post and this stretch has not been the easiest for me. Some weird tangling is happening and i don't know why. It's frustrating me to no end. I feel i'm doing everything right, but my hair feels all wrong. Detangling at this point seems to be a joke!! I'm getting some strange locking hairs that has never happened before. I see breakage, dryness and brittle hair, so i'm going to give my hair a rest and think about my next step. I will keep a protective style for at least 6 months. By then i will decide if i want to transition or not. I am doing a 6 month protective style challenge on MyHairSistas.

The above photos are of my protective style (latch hook braids) I plan to wear these for 2 months.

Join the : Winter Grow Out Ultimate Challenge

Stretch With Me Challenge - Part 3

I'm 12-1/2 weeks post. I have been on the MN challenge on MyHairSistas for 3 months and i have a lot of new growth because of the MN. Here are the results :

I can see progress in growth and thickness, but my ends continue to look chewed up, lol. Even though i trim regularly. I know some of the uneveness has to do with shrinkage from the new growth. I will trim after my touch up. Trying for 6 months this time !!!

Product Review

Nature's Bounty
Hair, Skin and Nails Formula 60 Caplets

Our Hair, Skin and Nails caplets deliver a specialized combination of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients consistently found in healthy skin, hair and nails.* Featuring Vitamin C, Biotin and Zinc, this formula can truly help bring your internal radiance to the surface.*

* Provides vitamins and minerals for glowing skin, lustrous hair and strong, healthy nails*
* Nourishing formula contains 28 key ingredients, including antioxidants*
* Vitamin C contributes to collagen production, which is vital for hair, skin and nail health*

My Opinion :
There has been many questions as to whether or not vitamins for the hair work. I believe any nutritional supplement that supports the body will help the hair. Did you know that the body will utilize all vitamins & nutrients for organs and functioning of the body first, and hair & nails are the last to receive both !!!! From my experience, my hair and nails grow faster & longer with the vitamins than without, so do a little research to find the best combination for you.

Does Hair Need Oxygen To Grow?

For years my edges were gone, bald around the perimeter. I have worked hard on growing my hair back around the edges. I have tried every thing on the market. Some products produced some peach fuzz, only to fall out again and again. I was forced to wear any style that would hide my hairline. I finally researched every thing that had to do with thin edges, balding edges, alopecia, traction alopecia and hair loss. After much research, and many failed products, i finally decided to make my own concoctions for my hair loss problem. I'm happy to report my edges are almost full after 5 years. I thought i was doing well with my growing back the edges. I always made sure i wore protective styles and covered my hair with a satin scarf, 24/7, lol. One day my bf (i didn't know he was a genius, lol) just looked at me with my scarf on in the house and said "How do expect your hair to grow if you never let it get any oxygen?" Whoa, talk about a light bulb moment !!! Every cell in our body thrives off of oxygen. Why not your scalp which produces the hair? OMG, so now when i'm at home and just sitting around or on the computer. I don't cover my head, and since doing that. I can see my edges filling in more. So Sistas. Do you think we cover our hair too much and wear too many hairstyles that constrict hair growth?

Stretch With Me Challenge - Part 3

Okay ladies,

I'm on a new stretch challenge. This time i would like to make it to 6 months. I'm 8 weeks post and my new growth is like super afro right now. I have been using MN and an Indian growth oil and i have about 1 inch of new growth. Usually at 8 weeks i may have 1/2 inch of new growth, so it could be a combination of the heat (almost every day it's been 90 degrees and over in New York), the castor oil, the MN. I don't know but, it's good. I have a lot of shrinkage, so i look like i'm a little past apl. Waistlength where are you? Anyway, i'm not having too much trouble handling my hair right now. Even with the new growth the tangles are minimal. I think the heavy conditioner is keeping the new growth soft. I apply on dry hair, plastic cap, towel wrapped around my head, and leave on for 1 hour.

My deep conditioning mix :
Doo gro Thickening Conditioner
Tresemme Remoisture Conditioner with vitamin E
Vitale Olive Oil Hair Mayonnaise







Want to join the Stretch With Me Challenge

8 weeks down !!!
16 more to go !!!

Beautiful Grey Haired Woman

Yesterday on one of my many trips to the beauty supplies store. While looking for moisturizing conditioners, i happened to look up and see a tall woman. I was struck by her beauty. She had the most beautiful skin and her hair was long, thick and shiny. I guess i must have been staring, because she said "Hello young lady". I said "Hello". We struck up a conversation. Of course it was about hair.We got into regimens. She said she had been taking care of her own hair all her life. I have never seen grey hair so healthy looking. I was surprised when she said her hair was not thick at all, as a matter of fact it was quite fine (just like mine). Well i had to know what products she used to keep her hair in such great shape. She said she uses grey hair shampoo, twice a week. She alternates between Davines Alchemic Shampoo
and One 'n Only Shiny Silver Ultra Conditioning Shampoo
She conditions with keracare moisture conditioner and seals with coconut oil. She said, "Simple hair care is what keeps my hair healthy". "Regular trims, clean hair and diet, are all you need". Wow, unlike myself. When i leave the beauty supplies store. I am loaded down with product. "Fine hair cannot take too many products". "Simple is the way to go".  Thank you beautiful grey haired lady for that bit of wisdom.

Not hair related, Well sort of !!!

Doing research on healthy hair can take you to many places on the web.  I was pleasantly surprised when i stumble upon a website called Cafepress.com. I was actually looking for personalized t shirts  for hair. What i found was a lot more than just t shirts. There were all kinds of items related to hair. Me being the hair fanatic that i am, i wanted to see everything related to hair on the site. I looked through pages and pages of hair related items. One particular item caught my eye. The " Ma Locks" products bag. I thought this would be perfect for my friend with locs. We always go shopping for hair products together. I also saw some really great posters for my friends salon (the same friend with the locs) She has a natural hair salon in bklyn. I also checked out "Save the Gulf t-shirts" for my politically correct friend, lol

Split Ends !!!!

Split Ends

Did you know there were so many types of split ends? Splits can occur anywhere along the hair shaft, not just ends, but most splits do occur on the ends of the hair more frequently.

What are some of the causes?


1. Dryness- dryness is the enemy of all hair not only does it cause splits, it causes breakage as well

2. Weathering- the ends are the oldest part of the hair and overtime weathering causes ends to get thinner and weaker

3. Over manipulation- too much combing, brushing, overstyling will eventually weaken hair strands and may contribute to splitting.

4. Wrong comb/brush/utensils- combs that are not meant for textured hair snag, pull and tangle our delicate hair contributing to splits, also brushes and other hair utensils used inproperly all contribute to splits.

5. heat- Overuse of heat weakens and dries out hair also contribute to splits. Ex : flat irons, blowdryers and curling irons

6. wrong hair products/chemicals- products that do not provide slip or strength to the hair are potential contributors for splits. Improper use of chemicals will damage and weaken hair, eventually causing splits.

What Can Be Done? :
Unfortunately nothing can be done once a split has occurred. The split hair must be trimmed, or it will continue to split. Proper hair care will keep the splits at bay. Moisture & Protein balance and trimming splits will improve overall health of the hair, minimizing splits.

These are my opinions!!! What are yours?

Product Review

Motions Professional Protein Reconstructor

Strengthen, protect and hydrate to soften hair and to help guard against breakage using Motions Professional Protein Reconstructor.

How This Technology Works

• Collagen proteins helps repair the hair shaft, strengthening it from within.
• Silicones enhance shine while conditioner add moisture.

Why This Formula Is Better

• Increases hair’s suppleness and prevents breakage.
• Formulated for heat- and chemically-damaged hair.

How To Get The Most From This Product

• After Shampooing with CPR Treatment Shampoo, apply ample amount of Motions Professional Protein Reconstructor to hair. Saturate from root to end.
• For maximum conditioning benefits, cover hair with a plastic cap and place client under warm dryer for 5-10 minutes.
• Gently rinse hair with warm water, thoroughly removing treatment from the hair.
• Style as usual. Best if used with other CPR products.

My Results : After removing my latch hooks braids (i had them in for 4 weeks) i noticed lots of shedding. Even though throughout the 4 weeks the braids were done. I moisturized & sealed every other day to make sure i did not get the dryness and breakage you can get coming out of protective styles, lasting for 4 weeks or more. I also was using MN along with an Indian herbal oil. As i removed the braids, i noticed how soft and easy it was to comb, so i didn't expect what happened next. After detangling. I immediately did a henna gloss for strength. As i was rinsing, i noticed the softness had been replaced by hard hair (i tried a henna i never used before). As i started to air dry, my hair just did not feel right. When i applied my leave in, my hair just got harder!!! Okay, now i'm getting nervous, lol. As i was combing, strands of hair was just coming out. The more i combed the more hair came out. I moisturized and sealed again. Did not help. I have shedding every day for a week. I was so afraid of having a setback. My fine strands can't take all the shedding. Anyway, i looked into my stash to see what would help with this shedding thing. I decided to try the Motions CPR Protein Reconstructor. Turns out that's just what my hair needed. The shedding finally stopped with this product and my hair feel strong!!! This moderate protein product will be one of my new staples :o)

Conditioning, Wet or Dry?

There is a debate raging on how to condition hair. Should you condition on wet or dry hair? Well both sides have valid points as to why one is better than the other :

Pros of wet conditioning :

the claim is wet hair absorbs more of the conditioner, therefore hair is better conditioned

hair cuticles are open when wet allowing for deeper penetration of conditioner

applying conditioner to wet hair is quicker than applying to dry hair

applying conditioner to wet hair reduces breakage (less manipulation applying)

you use less product on wet hair

Pros of dry conditioning :

the claim is dry hair absorbs more of the conditioner, because the conditioner will wet the hair, so applying it on wet hair is not necessary.

applying conditioner on dry hair cuts out an extra step (jumping in and out of the shower)

applying conditioner on dry hair allows every strand to receive the conditioning benefits

applying conditioner on dry hair reduces breakage (because every strand is covered with conditioner)

My Opinion :

I love conditioning on dry hair. I feel that ever since i started conditioning on dry hair, my hair has benefited from less breakage, more moisture and less time in and out of the shower.

Stretch With Me Challenge-Part 2

My last stretch lasted for 5-1/2 months and i'm at it again. This time i'm gonna try my best to make it to a least 6 months. I'm almost 3 weeks post. I will be wearing mostly protective styles and moving to a more natural hair products regimen. I'm not sure if i should go back to texlaxing in order to eventually go natural. Aww, decisions, decisions.

Come join me on the new Stretch With Me Challenge

Rest In Peace MJ

How time flies!!! Gone but not forgotten !!!

I will always love you Michael

Bigger & Blonder

I'm keeping my hair in protective styles for the summer!!! Here is my new latch hook install

I added some blond highlights

I will keep these in for 3 to 4 weeks

Maintainance

apply moisture lotion to scalp 2x week

apply my hot pepper growth creme to edges 1x day

clean scalp with witch hazel 2x week

Product Review

Vatika Hot Oil Treatment Intensive Nourishment

VATIKA NATURALS HOT OIL TREATMENT INTENSIVE NOURISHMENT FOR DAMAGED, WEAK AND FALLING HAIR
EGG, HONEY, CASTOR, MARROW - STRONG HAIR FROM THE ROOTS

• Egg - repairs and strenghtens hair from the roots
• Honey - coats and conditions hair
• Castor - propagates hair growth 
• Marrow - penetrates hair shaft to revitalise hair 

Directions:
After shampooing or normal wash apply cream on your hair. Massage your hair and scalp gently with your fingertips to ensure complete application on hair from root to tip.
Leave on for 10 - 15 minutes. For best results keep hair wrapped in a hot towel.
Rinse off as usual.

My Result: 
       I had been eyeballing this product for some time online, but when i saw the price $40.00 for the extra large size, i said not unless i can get it on sale. (i have since seen smaller sizes online) While on a trip to the Indian grocery store (looking for henna) they had just gotten in new supplies. Low & behold, what do i see? The large size of this conditioner. I checked the price and it was an unbelievable bargin for $18.95.  I had to have it, lol
      When i got it home. I took off the top and removed the seal. The first thing i noticed was the smell. It has a strong perfume smell. I don't really care for the smell, but it's not unbearable. The second thing i noticed was the consistency of the products. It's thick and creamy. 
      I applied the product on dry hair, from roots to tip, sectioning as if doing a relaxer touch-up. Let me tell you, i could feel the slip already!!! I left the product on for 1 hour with a plastic cap, and a towel wrapped around my head to keep in the heat. I rinsed in the shower. The creamy conditioner rinsed out completely and my hair felt moisturized and strong, no tangling whatsoever!!! I combed through my hair easily with no hair in the comb.  This is one of the best conditioners i have ever used, and i'm really hard on conditioners. I am not easily impressed.


Price: $18.95


Rating:

Stretch With Me Challenge 22-1/2 weeks post- The Stretch is over!!!

The stretch is over. I made it to 22-1/2 weeks post. I did not make it to 24 weeks because my new growth was out of control. I am happy that i made it this far. I relaxed on june 12th after experiencing a lot of shedding and not being able the get the comb thru my hair. After exhausting every method to tame the new growth i just couldn't take it any more. I gained about 2 inches in growth, and i'm satisfied for now, lol  I relaxed again with ORS lye relaxer. I experienced no burning at all. Some parts were underprocessed, but i can deal with it next touch up.

My Result :

Air-dried

leave in

applied MN to scalp

moisturized & sealed

Product Review

DOO GRO^® Mega Thick^® Intense Repair
Rebuilding Thickening Treatment

Helps promote thick, strong, healthy hair. Enriched with aloe vera, shea butter and botanical thickeners to provide hair with the necessary nutrients needed for deep intense conditioning, rebuilding and thickening! Moisturizes and strengthens weak, damaged hair. Great for the whole family and can be used on alll types of hair including color treated, bleached, weaved, braided and relaxed.

Directions:After shampooing, generously apply DOO GRO® Mega Thick® Intense Repair to wet, damp or towel dried hair. Gently finger comb or massage through hair. Leave on 1-3 minutes. For deeper conditioning, leave on 5-15 minutes (use of heat cap, plastic cap or hot towel will increase effectiveness but is not required). Rinse hair thoroughly. Style as usual. For best results, use the family of DOO GRO® Products. Warning: Keep hair away from open flames
and lit tobacco products. For external use only. Keep out of eyes.
If accidentally swallowed, consult physician immediately. Keep
out of the reach of children.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Parffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Limanthes Alba (Meadowfoam Seed) Oil , PEG-75 Lanolin, Silk Protein, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Acetamide MEA, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sorbitol, Collagen Amino Acids, Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Germ) Acids, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Germ) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Linolenic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Sulfur, Polysorbate 80, Oleth-10, Buxus Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Gel, Lecithin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Benzophenone-4, Methylchloroisathiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum), FD&C Blue 1 (CI 42090). 

Price : 6.99

My Results : After removing my latch hook style (wore for 1 month) and carefully detangling, i had major shedding issues. Also being that i am 22 weeks post relaxer with crazy new growth. I definitely needed a heavy duty conditioner to not only stop the shedding, but also handle the new growth. When i'm stretching. I like to use a conditioner with a very thick consistency. When purchasing a conditioner. I always open the jar to smell the product and check out the thickness. I also read the ingredients (should be the first thing i do, lol) Although i'm trying to move on to more natural products, it was just something that i wanted to try because of the promises.........thicker, stronger, moisturized hair. Anyway. This product actually turned out to be just what i needed. My hair stopped shedding as much, it felt stronger, thicker & moisturized. My new growth was very easy to comb through, and i did not lose too much hair. Overall i would say it did it's job. I will re-purchase and try some of the other products in the line.

My Method

Apply on dry hair

Apply to the new growth first (like when doing a relaxer touch up)

Apply to remaining length

Put on plastic cap (1 hour minimum)

Rinse in shower

Air dry (80 % to avoid combing while wet)

Apply MN to scalp (Miconazole nitrate) mixed with almond oil & castor oil for MN challenge on MyHairSistas

Apply leave-in

Protective style

Rating :

Stretch With Me Challenge 20 weeks post

I made 20 weeks post today!!! Whoohoo. I think i can make it to 24 weeks, which will be 6 months. Since i have installed the latch hook braids 2 weeks ago, i'm not really worried about making it another 4 weeks. So far the style is holding up pretty well (even though i'm getting bored with it). It plan on wearing a protective style beyond my goal of stretching 6 months.  If all goes well, i don't know how long i will stretch. Here is a pic of how the style looks right now :

                Maintenance :

Every 2 days i look for fuzzy hair & i cut

the fuzzy ends out

Moisturize & seal between the tracks

Apply my homemade edge growth creme to 

edges 2x a day

This style should last at least 1 month if taken

care of

Join the Stretch With Me Challenge

Product Review

TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner

• 
  

  Attributes

• Natural: Yes
• 
  

  Manufacturer's Product Description

• Used by professionals, this exclusive, natural conditioner strengthens and protects all types of hair with an enriched formula of natural extracts and vitamins A, C, and E, while thoroughly and deeply conditioning hair.
• 
  

  Directions

• Shampoo, rinse out thoroughly, and apply TRESemme evenly throughout the hair, especially at the ends. Leave on for a few minutes, rinse thoroughly and dry. Use TRESemme mousse, gels, and hairsprays for best style results.
• 
  

  Ingredients

• Water, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Kelp Extract, Dandelion Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Nettle Extract, Sweet Almond Extract, Kiwi Fruit Extract, Raspberry Extract, Alfalfa Extract, Watercress Extract, Lemon Peel Extract, Orange Peel Extract, Dog Rose Hips Extract, Evening Primrose Extract, Panthenol, Corn Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Ergocalciferol, Sweet Almond Oil, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Silk, Polysorbate-20, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Blue No. 1, Fragrance.

My Results : 
I love Tresemme conditioners. This one did not disappoint. I am moving towards using more natural products on my hair, not only is it better for my hair, i'm also thinking about what i put on my scalp. I must say i was pleasantly surprised how well this product soften and conditioned my hair (my hair is very picky, lol) the softness was amazing and my hair felt strong at the same time.  I was in love with the slip this product gave my hair. I could feel it immediately after applying the conditioner. I'm not saying the ingredients are 100% natural, but this conditioner worked better on my hair than some really high priced natural products. For extra dry hair, add your favorite oils!!!

Method :
Deep conditioned on dry hair, with plastic cap, towel wrapped around head (for 1 hour)


Price:
5.99

Rating :