Showing posts with label healthy hair journey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy hair journey. Show all posts

Nape Update pt 3

03:34
It is no secret that my nape is a problem area for me.



                                                                        April 2014


                                                                     October 2014



After my relaxer in September I cut my hair in my nape area as I felt I needed to start again.



June 2015


The above picture from June 2015 Is what my nape currently looks like, its still not great but aat least there is a bit on progress. I am hoping that by the end of the year I will have no thin spots.


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Co- Wash day.

10:34
Pre poo: herbal essence conditioner
Co-wash: As I am Co-wash cleanser
Finishing up: Wrapped my hair in an old t-shirt to get rid of excess water
Leave ins: Applied African pride shea butter leave in and sealed with coconut oil.




As you can see this was a very minimal wash day. I used only 4 products out of my 6 product stash. Recently I have be trying to keep my wash days along with my hair regime very simple.




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Braid Patterns.

07:29

As we all know I like to protective style with wigs, however I don't always show how I braid my hair up underneath my wigs so I have featured a few styles below.








When I'm feeling lazy I braid all back.



 Braid pattern for a side part.



Braid Pattern for a side part.




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Hair Thoughts.

04:39

Looking at old pictures of my hair has got me asking if the hair on my head really healthy. When I started this blog I had a hair goal in mind and that was to reach bra strap length, this goal made me focus more on hair length and less on the health of my hair.

I used to relax my hair twice a year (every six months) during the relaxer stretch period I would get a sew in. I would keep my sew in for about 6-8 weeks maintaining my weaves by wash and condition them every 2 weeks. I did however maintain my leave out by also washing and conditioning it every 2 weeks. Now I relax it every 3-4 months and wash it weekly or every 2 weeks, now on paper it sounds like a good routine however washing my hair as often as I do means I'm manipulating my hair a lot. 

I know some people will turn their nose up at the thought of me washing my hair once a month however I honestly feel like my hair was able to flourish when I left it alone. 

                                                 (2011) after removing my sew in and braids

(2011) after relaxing and strengthening my hair.

 
                                                              (2011) my hair in a bun

As you can see from the pictures above my hair was at its most healthiest in 2011. It wasn't the longest however it did look and feel healthy and I really want that back. It may have been because my wash day routine was also very simple would shampoo my hair and then deep condition. Then I would blow dry my hair and get another sew in. I'm not sure how I will be achieving this however I will say that there will be a lot less wash day post *sad face* and more posts dedicated to relaxer stretching.



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Wash Day.

02:34

Product list 
As I am cleansing co wash 
CON mouisturing milk masque
Apple cider vinegar
Dr miracles repairing treatment 
Aunt Jackies in control conditioner 
Cantu Shea butter shine and hold mist
Coconut oil 
African pride shea butter leave in 
Wide tooth comb
Hair clips.

Pre poo: applied the CON moisturising milk masque to my hair and put a plastic cap for 20 mins

Co-washed : using as I am cleansing conditioner and followed up with an apple cider vinegar rinse.

Protein treatment: Applied Dr miracles damaged hair conditioner to my hair in 4 sections and left it for 5 mins before rinsing it out.

Deep Conditioned: I went back to using my Aunt Jackie's in control conditioner.

Air drying: I wrapped an old t-shirt around my head and left my hair alone for about 30 mins.

Leave in: This week I tried something new for my L.O.C method, I sprayed Cantu Shea butter shine and hold mist, coconut oil and my African pride leave in.


The next morning my hair was soft and still felt moisturised.






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Sodium Chloride: The cause of my scalp issues

02:32
Over the past year or so I have been trying to get to the bottom of my itchy scalp problem, and no matter what products I tired I still couldn't seem to get my scalp to corporate.

I kind of gave up on trying to find a solution until a few months ago when I tried a new co wash cleanser, at the time I was trying to find a cheaper alternative to the Shea moisture co wash and I decided to try Pantene Pro-V Truly Natural Hair Co-Wash Conditioner when I initially used it my hair and scalp seemed fined however fast forward a few days and my scalp began to go crazy no amount of oil seemed to help.

After retracing my steps lol, I realised that it was the new co wash that was causing the problem, I googled some of the ingredients and one stood out sodium chloride which is the 10th ingredient.

Sodium chloride: better known as table salt, is used as a thickener in shampoos and conditioners containing sodium lauryl sulfate. It's a contributing factor to the eye irritation experienced with most shampoos, and it may also cause dry and itchy scalp. It may also cause hair loss. In shampoos containing ammonium-based surfactants, ammonium chloride is used instead. - Livestong.com

Now I keep a close eye on the Ingredients in my products just to avoid any future scalp problems.




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Bad Hair Week.

16:07

This has been one of the worst weeks for my hair since I began my hair journey and I can only really blame myself. 

Last wash day I clarified with ORS creamy aloe shampoo, I followed up with a protein treatment and my deep conditioner. After deep conditioning my hair seemed soft however after air-drying my hair I noticed a difference in the texture of my hair. 

My hair looked and felt really dry so applied some more leave in conditioner and oiled my scalp. 

I chose to wear the goddess braids as a protective style for the week however my hair still looks and feels horrible. 

I think it was the shampoo and protein treatment together that has made my hair like this so I will not being doing that again.

I have never been soo excited to wash and trim my hair. I really cant wait.  
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Wash Day - Bye Bye braids

07:53

Yep the braids have come out, I lasted about 2 weeks before I was over them. Ever since installing them my scalp has been soo irritated and will not stop itching. I apply an oil to my scalp 1- 2 times a day and co washed my scalp. However the itching remained and I no longer want to deal with it.


Prep and Pre poo: I took down the braids in sections and applied coconut oil to each of the sections. Placed a plastic cap on my head for 40 mins.

Shampoo: Using Shea Moisture, Moisture retention shampoo.

Deep Conditioned: Aunt Jackie's In control Conditioner for an hour.

Air Dry: I wrapped a t-shirt around my head until most of the water was soaked up.

 Styling: I parted my hair in to 4 sections and moisturised with African pride shea butter leave in and sealed with coconut oil  before detangling each section.


I let my hair air dry over night, then I did 10 braids and pinned them up ready for my wig.











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Styling my box braids.

01:13
I try to stay away from styles that would cause more harm than good, so styles like tight high buns or up dos. A typical every day style was either a loose low bun or a half up do using no more than 10 braids wrapped into a loose bun and held with an ouch less hair band.


Loose bun


Half up do.


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Maintaining My Braids

07:11


I maintained my braids for the last 2 weeks by following a very simple routine.

Moisturising and sealing: I moisturised and my hair twice a day with Crème of Nature leave in and sealed with an oil mix.

Co-wash and Deep conditioned: I used Aunt Jackie's in control conditioner (this conditioner acts as a co-wash and a deep conditioner). I applied it to my hair and worked it into my scalp before leaving it to sit for an hour under a plastic cap.

Once I rinsed out the conditioner I left my hair to air dry then blow dried my hair on a cool setting to make sure my hair was completely dry before re doing the braids at my nape and edge area.. 








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Product Review: Organix Tea Tree and Mint Shampoo.

04:46
Product Description:
An ultra hydrating blend of Australian tea tree oils to add moisture and strength, while nourishing your hair with replenishing moisturizing milk proteins and micro-infused peppermint oils for hydration and balance. Re-energize your hair with this unique blend of organic active ingredients, creating a three-in-one decadent treat. All you need for moist, smooth and seductive hair in one irresistible formula.

Ingredients:
Water, Sodium C14 16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, PPG 2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Panthenol, PEG 120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Stearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium 6, Polyquaternium 10, Laureth 4, Laureth 23, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth 12, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Fragrance, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Blue 1 (CI 42090)
My Opinion:
I bought this shampoo on a whim and I pretty much regret it, I was initially on the look out for a new shampoo like my Shea moisture retention shampoo but with a cheaper price tag, however I was unsuccessful. The only reason why I bought this shampoo was because of its size and the price (which was £9.99), I was also hoping that it would help with some of my scalp issues.

 The 1st time I used this shampoo I had done a pre poo before, however after washing my hair with this shampoo, my hair felt squeaky clean and a little bit tangled, I have said in previous reviews that I like to be able to run my fingers through my hair, this is my own way of determining how moisturising a shampoo is. however I did not get this with this shampoo. Instead my hair was left feeling dry and tangled even though this shampoo claims to be ultra hydrating, I have used this shampoo twice after and have gotten the same results.

I will not be purchasing this again. 

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I don't want to be a product junkie.

12:04

After watching a youtube video on how not be a product junkie, I decided to go through my product stash and made the decision to start getting rid of the products I don't use. The picture above is some of the products I decided to throw out, some of them were nearly empty so it made it easier for me to get rid of them. 
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Protective Style : Box Braids

08:31
After 2 weeks of wearing my wig whilst on holiday I decided I wanted a change. I was in Nigeria on holiday and contemplating getting braids however I didn't want to suffer a set back due to tight braids and decided to do them myself. 





I parted my hair into 3 sections started from the back of my hair working my way to the front. Altogether it took me about 6 hours to complete everything.


I'm hoping to keep these braids in for at least 4 weeks.
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Relaxer Update.

12:36
(1) I started off by parting my hair into 3 sections, then I based my scalp with Dr Miracles temple and nape balm.
(2) Then I mixed up the relaxer, that's right is said mix. This time I decided to use the ORS lye relaxer.
(3) After I had applied the relaxer I smoothed it down and left it for 15mins.
(4) Shampooed with ORS creamy aloe shampoo.
(5) I then applied my deep conditioner to my hair and let it sit for 2 hours.
(6) Wrapped a t-shirt around my hair for a little while before applying my leave in conditioner and detangling my hair.
(7) I followed up by spraying chi heat protectant and serum before blow drying my hair and flat ironing it.

I was quite please with my hair after I relaxed it however I did miss a very important step by forgetting to do a protein treatment I need to fix this on my next wash day.

From the pictures below you can see that I was able to retain a bit of length, however not as much as I was hoping and this was my fault.

Over the last 5 months I have been using heat on my hair a lot more than usual. instead of air drying my hair I would blow dry my hair instead.













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Wash Day.

05:58
Pre Poo: began by finger detangling and applying herbal Essence bee strong to the length of my hair.

Shampoo: cleansed my scalp with Oganix tea tree and mint shampoo.

Deep Condition: applied Organix coconut conditioner and put a plastic cap in my hair for about 1 hour.

Air Dry: I wrapped a t-shirt around my hair for a few hours.

Finished up and styling: Whilst my hair was still a bit wet I sprayed crème of natures straight from Eden leave in and detangled and continued to air dry my hair in a bun. 








How was your most recent wash day x


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The Benefits of Tea Rinses

01:31






Tea rinses are a great addition to any hair regime, throughout my hair journey I have been trying to find a staple way to combat shedding, However before I was clued up on the benefits of tea rinses I was using a home made garlic treatment and although it worked VERY well the smell was kind of unbearable. So I went on the search for an alternative.


Since discovering tea rinses I have attempted to include them in most of my wash days, however recently I haven't been very committed but I will be from now on.  


So what are some of the benefits of using a tea rinse on your hair.

  • Strengthens and Conditions.
  • Soothes Dandruff.
  • Stimulates Hair Growth.
  • Prevents Shedding.



How do I apply it.

Some people choose to pour it directly onto their scalp but I find spraying it directly on to my hair and scalp with a spray bottle allows a less messy application.


When do I apply it.

I only do tea rinses on my wash days, after I have cleansed my hair and scalp I will apply the tea rinse for about 5-10 mins and rinse it out before deep conditioning. Sometimes if I'm feeling really lazy I will leave it in and apply my deep conditioner on top.


Extra bits: I prefer to use Green tea to black tea because I find that my hair feels a lot less stiff once I have rinsed it out.
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Scalp Issues Part 2

03:24


I have recently been doing a lot of research into my scalp issues and I have decided to put a hold on applying oils, butters etc directly to my scalps. I made this decision mainly because I have been reading that applying oils to my scalp could block the natural oils my scalp produces which could result in me making my dry itchy scalp a lot worse.


So I have decided to eat more oily foods and drink alot more water in the hope that I can improve the condition of my scalp naturally.


Below is a list of foods that are good for helping produce more oils.
1. Salmon
2. Eggs
3. Chicken
4. Beef and
5.Oysters
6. Nuts (almonds)
7. Lentils

8. Carrots
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Protective Styling: Back to wigs.

02:58







We all know that my favourite protective style is wigs so whenever I get my hands on some new hair, I end up making a new wig. For this wig I used 3.5 bundles of hair and added a lace closure.

I have decided to keep this wig sewn down until my next relaxer day which will be in near the end of the month or the beginning of April.








Over the last year or so I have gotten a lot better at blending my edges with my lace closure, it almost looks real. lol

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