Hair Cut!

After many months of "letting it grow out" and not really seeing the results I wanted, I finally got my hair trimmed and layered.  I'm happy to have the flow back again, but for some reason, my hair still doesn't feel as thick as it should be.  It's very relaxed and tame.  I'm not sure if I'm losing a lot of hair or what...

I have not followed any type of hair regimen at all.  Shame on me!  This summer and fall I have been crazy busy with work and I allowed it to have huge impacts on my everyday life.  Speaking of which, I need to go eat some breakfast.  I'm going to get back on track, put some plans in place for my life, and keep this party moving.

On to the Next One!

You heard me correctly, I am on to my next relaxer!  And it feels so good!  My hair is so thick and healthy looking.  Can you say - silky smooth my friend?!  I did the relaxer on Friday, April 2nd.  I made sure that I put oil on my already relaxed hair and I did not exceed the 25 minute mark.  It's so weird how my hair cannot take a 40 minute relaxer like I used to do.  I actually BURN now.  Like around the 23 minute mark, my hair is going - ok, it's time to start moving a little bit faster...

I didn't do a deep condition or anything special, just relaxer, rinse well, shampoo 3 times, Aphogee 2 minute constructor, condition in the shower, leave in conditioners, blow dry, flat iron, and out the door in about 2 hours total. 

I have noticed that I CANNOT go more than 3 or 4 days without washing my hair now.  If I don't wash, my hair gets beyond itchy.  Co-washing has trained my scalp to loath build up and dirt.  I like keeping my hair light and fluffy, but I can't stand the itch.

Goals for this week include working out, co-washing, and keeping it down and swinging.  But my ponytails are growing on me again.  As my hair gets longer and thicker and the ponytail hangs and sways, it looks really great.

Listen Up!

Hello, my name is Lauren and I need a relaxer. Yes I said it. Its been 11 weeks and now my head is starting to get sore and itchy, so I figured its best to end the experiment now. Plus, I continue to only want to wear my hair straight. Over the weeks as I've looked at all the curly heads around me, I've still only wanted to wear my hair straight. Give me some layers and I'm good to go.

I'm still doing okay today. I'm rockin a pony tail with a full bang. I don't think anyone can tell one way or another how bad it really looks. I had a huge amount of difficulty combing my hair this weekend. I was thinking of doing some kind of protein treatment this week, but I would have to go buy it.

Additionally, this is my last week in Houston, so its my last week being comfy in the apartment. I'm not sure if I'm going to want to travel with my blow dryer for the next few weeks. We'll see what the weeks bring.

Another One Bites the Dust

Yes I can! Yes I can! Yes I can!

I have made it week by week by week by week without even thinking about relaxing my hair.  I have NO idea why the importance of it has become almost non-existent in my life.  I know there are a number of factors that have driven me to push myself to wait longer before relaxing, but this new notion of - maybe I don't need it anymore - is really blowing my mind!

As I look at the world around me, filled with short hair cuts, weaves, wigs, and what not, I imagine what direction my hair journey will take me.  In some areas of my head, I have around 2 inches of new growth, while in some it's just one.  As it grows more and more, I'm not sure where my expertise will end and something else will need to take over.

I have still kept the routine for the most part.  Co-wash on Monday nights, some Wednesdays (depending on whether or not I workout), Shampoo on Friday/Saturday.  I'm still moisturizing and sealing.  My hair is super oily right now because of it, which makes me feel like maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I still get very dry so I think I need to use a lot... so that technique is still being perfected.

I know it's been a while, but below is a picture from this weekend:

Remember - you can do what you want to do.  Question the norm and make sure you're comfortable with the answer.

Eight Weeks!!!

Let me say it for all to hear - I have survived 8 weeks since my last relaxer and I'm not ready to stop!   I am currently finishing up my protein treatment and looking forward to the next week of doing my hair.

I've recently seen the documentary - Food Inc, which has caused me to re-examine what I think is the norm.  Maybe some things aren't meant to be. Maybe I shouldn't put chemicals in my hair... Maybe the chemicals hidden in the foods that we eat every day is enough?  I'm still thinking this through and seeking guidance on this issue, but I may be persuaded...

I do feel as though I have a new found freedom with being 8 weeks post and not dying for a relaxer.  I'm been able to manage by my new haircut.  I can wear my hair in ways that are relaxer-proof.  I can wear it down and it's light and fluffy.  I can wear a pony tail and it's still super cute.  I can't even say I've been deep conditioning or even shampooing for the past few weeks.  On the weekends I've been busy, so I usually just wait until after my workout on Monday to co-wash.  And when blow drying, I haven't even attempted to get my roots as straight as I used to do.  I've deemed that it requires WAY too much work, so I just get it dry and flat iron. 

I'm hoping that this upcoming week is as manageable as my last several weeks have been. :-)

Stay tuned.

Good Morning

Hello, Hello!

I got up early this morning because I didn't get a chance to work out last night.  I was super tired and ended up sleeping for the past 11 hours...

I got up this morning, did my workout and then co-washed my hair.  For the past several weeks, I've realized that I don't wash my hair unless I'm going out somewhere, so I end up only co-washing.  I did not wash my hair this past weekend and I last co-washed last Wed.  I did have some great hair this weekend.  I am really loving my bangs.  I can do so many different styles.  Up, down, curly, straight, everything.  I'm not sure what I'm going with today.

So since I've been in Houston, I've been using Suave for my co-washes.  I'm using Humantects and the Volumnizing conditioners.  I've always loved the Humantects, but I'm not too fond of the Volumnizing conditioner yet. 

Another update, I've been blow drying and flat ironing with each wash now.  My reason being is that I've never had issues with it in the past, so why stop now?  I grew tired of the protective styles and I needed some pizazz in my day to day life.  I'm about to blow dry and style. And by the way - I haven't relaxed my hair since Sunday, Jan 10th!  So I'm 7 weeks out.  I feel like I can make it now since I can style as I like, but it just bothers me a bit that I cannot comb my hair... It's just to thick, even with the wide tooth comb.  We'll see if I can blow dry it a bit straighter this week. 

I'll keep you posted!

Has it Been a Month Already?

Yes.  I have been MIA for about a month and a half now.  Any particular reason? Nope.  So hopefully all is forgiven and I can give a brief run down of the past few weeks.

So about a week after my last post I did a relaxer.  I made it about 7-8 weeks.  I had a terrible experience with my relaxer though... I don't burn easily or normally at all, but that time was ridiculous.  I'm not sure what was going on, but prior to the relaxer, I had soreness out of this world and I'm assuming the tenderness also meant some types of sores/bumps on my scalp that lead to the easy burn.  I had been giving myself extra head massages because of the tenderness of the new growth...

I had some very successful going out hair styles after the relaxer.  I was very pleased.  I kept the regimen for the weeks after that.  Continued with the pony/bun.  But I got bored.  I was tired of not knowing what to do with my hair.  The limpness.  The same old/same old.  So last weekend, I decided to switch things up.  I got a hair cut.  Not really a "hair" cut hair cut, but I got my ends trimmed, a few layers put in around the face and in the top, and I topped it all off with a bang!  I haven't had a bang since middle school.  So far, I'm loving the variety in styles - I can wear it up, down, bang, no bang, curly and fluffy, or straight.

I'm about 6 weeks post relaxer again and I'm hanging in there.  My head is tender, but it's manageable.  I have lots of different styles - some protective, some not - so I don't feel like a fluffy head all the time.

Until next time ; )

It Feels Good - Ya!

My hair is doing lovely this week!  Monday I wasn't too thrilled about my ponytail/bun.  It came out okay, but I needed a clean head.  So I ended up working out and sweating SUPER hard.  My hair was a complete mess!  So when I returned to my room, I immediately jumped in the shower and co-washed with my Tresemme (Yes, I'm still using it because I would just hate to throw it away - it's almost gone).  I only used one conditioner (I don't have another travel conditioner yet).  However, I did use the Aphogee balancing moisturizer that came with my protein that I bought (I already have another bottle at home).  You leave it in for 3-5 minutes and rinse it out.

After I got out the shower, I towel dried a bit and then used my Biolage and Neutrogena leave-in conditioners.  I wanted to try something different this week and since I had the space in my luggage, I packed my blow dryer and brush.  I blow dried while my hair was still mainly wet becuase I've found that I get better results that way.  I did make sure to use my Redken Anti-Snap as my heat protectant.  I blow dried like I noramally do now - no sectioning and just brush it down first and then underneath to get it all dry.  When I finished my hair looked okay, but I wanted more.  I wanted to know how on earth the Dominican lady got my hair so silky smooth!  So I hit the net and went to youtube.  I found many videos and I noticed that everyone started with DRY hair first.  Then I noticed that you had to section the hair, take your time and get really close to the scalp, and then brush the rest.  I decided to test it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JtyB-HrEHg&feature=related - relaxed hair blow out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-cMEThw0Os&feature=related  - natural hair blow out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PVe224cKe4&feature=related - at home styler

I made sure I used Anti-Snap and the Shea Butter oil on each section that I did.  I started in the back and worked my way to the front.  It wasn't hard, but I did burn my fingers a few times.  My hair turned out great!  I did not feel like I'm 7 weeks post at all!  More like 2.  It didn't come out as shiny and silky as when it was done before, but I'm hoping to get it there soon!  When I finished, I just wrapped it and when to bed.  When I woke up in the morning, I flat ironed and it was so pretty, I wore my hair down!  And it looked great!  Additionally, I made sure to moisturize and seal before I went out the door. 

Overall, it was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again!

Back to life, back to reality

I took a short break from my hair care regimen this holiday season, just to enjoy life and not deal with the constant hair management. It felt good. But the holidays are now over, I'm back on airplanes, and its time to get serious again.

Brief update - I resisted the temptation to either cut or relax my hair! I cannot believe I made it the entire month of December without relaxing. I would like to say it feels good... But it doesn't. It feels okay and a lot better than what it used to feel like around this time. Additionally I must add, since the layers are long gone and I feel like my hair has been style-less, I've found the a wrap is becoming my weapon of choice again.  It's easy to maintain, doesn't require me to use any heat, and it looks great layer-less.  Over the break, I didn't co-wash at all.  Actually, I only shampooed once.  In the between time, I just moisturized and sealed.  Over time, my hair got softer and looked better even though I hadn't done anything at all to it.  I did use heat and blow dry and I found that it made my hair incredibly more manageable.  

I did plan on relaxing my hair this past weekend, so midweek I did a protein treatment.  I couldn't find the small bottle or sample packs of the Aphogee protein (plus I ran out of eggs because I was at home cooking!) so I ended up paying the $20 bucks to get the big bottle of protein.  On the brightside, it was buy one, get two free, so I also got a bottle of holding spray/shine and the balancing moisturizer.  I also bought a small bottle of ORS Olive Oil moisturizer and a small bottle of Shea Butter Oil - I'm growing tired of the curl activator...

This week I plan to get back on track, 2 co-washes and a Friday shampoo.  And no relaxer!