Sunday, May 30, 2010

Roller Set Tutorial

As you know I do a  lot a research on hair. That's me, if I need to know something, anything I research it on line (what did we ever do before the internet?). Well I came across this great vid on You Tube. I actually subscribe to this fellow hair diva because I think she's great. She has beautiful hair, doesn't mind sharing her tips and is also from Canada---heeeeey! Some people have asked me why  haven't I posted my own vids, well I haven't for a few reasons: 1) I don't have a video camera at the moment, and 2) I have yet to perfect a  hairstyle I love enough to flaunt/worthy of a tutorial and really, wouldn't that be the blind leading the blind? I am the first to admit I am new to the game of hair care, as my blog states: "on my way to waist length". This is a journey y'all. I am more than willing to share my blunders, thoughts, progress and info, but I don't pretend to be all knowing or something I am not. My goal is to eventually get there, but until then, I need to look to others to inspire me and demonstrate what I am trying to achieve when I can't. At some point the pics will come.

Anyway, I came across SilentChic's vid (shout out to SilentChic) and I figured it would help me out as I learn how to do my own roller sets. Hopefully it will help you out as well.

FYI: She has many great vids, you should check her out!



What is Going On with My Hair?!

OMG! What the hell is going on with my hair? I washed it, did my usual routine: pre-poo overnight, shampoo, DC, leave ins--it was a friggin' tangled mess from start to finish! I noticed that it did not feel very soft after I washed out my pre-poo, but didn't think anything of it simply because I pre-pooed with a protein conditioner. I know, I am a week early, but I just felt it needed it. As an aside, I didn't clarify simply because I was soooo lazy last week and didn't put anything on my hair, so there wasn't an issue with build-up, but now I am wondering if I should have clarified anyway. Anyhoo, like I said didn't think anything about it because protein tends to leave my hair hard and a bit tangled. Okay, so I shampooed with my trusty Aveda DR, and there wasn't any real moisture. It was "okay", but not the softness I am use to--and the shedding---OMG! I look like a damn wilder beast there was so much hair all over me. Okay, so I am feeling my hair  and I think hmmm maybe it needs more moisture, so I whip out good old CON Ultra Moist Shampoo (I am trying to work my way through the remaining bottles I have before I say farewell to that product forever). Nada. My hair felt stripped, a little tangled--WTH? This never happens.

So I am off to condition. I used the BB Avocado Butter Treatment mix because I wanted to use up the last of the BB and my Aveda DR, and it worked out pretty well the last time I used it. I let that sit for an hour w/ heat and rinsed . Again, my hair was a stripped, tangled mess. Absolutely no slip. It didn't even feel moisturized. I then co-washed with a instant conditioner just to add some moisture and to help remove the tangles. It felt a tad better, but no where near where it should have been. I finally got out and just added my leave ins. Still, my hair is a damn mess. It took me one hour to detangle my hair. One hour! I lost way too much hair--not a lot, but more than I want to see--and it felt "weird". I'll ask the question again, what is going on with my hair?!

I've been noticing that there have been a lot of issues with my hair lately, but today was the last straw. My hair is not responding well to any of the products that I am using--products that I use to use for months without issue mind you and as of late it looks and feel like a hot frizzy mess every time I wash it...I want to cut it off. Whew, needed to get that out. No I don't want to cut it off, but this is just so frustrating. I feel as though I am the only one going through all this drama with my hair, but I realize that I can't be the only one. I think other women just don't talk about their failures as much as they tot around their successes, so it appears as though everyone but me has bouncy, full, beautiful hair. I'm not hating at all, it would just be nice to know I am not the only one experiencing set backs. I currently have my hair in rollers, which I have not done since 2007. I just felt I needed to go back to basics, and my hair was tangling so much I thought the rollers would smooth out the ends--even that process was a chore. I just need to take a deep breath. The nice thing about keeping a blog is I can go back and review some of the things I've written and see where I just got it wrong. I think it started with my Pjism.....

the one plus is I didn't have any breakage--that was until I tried to detangle my hair

I'll keep you posted.

ETA: (sigh). I took the rollers out and can I just say, my head was a hot, greazzzy ass mess...LOL all I can I do is laugh because I know I used way too much product and my technique left something to be desired, but I planned on tying my hair back anyway. Unfortunately, it was so bad I had to rinse all that product out of my hair. I just did a few bantu knots and I'm gonna call it a day. I think I'm going to have practice roller setting. Truth be told I never really likes doing it because I felt it was causing breakage. I have now come to realize that breakage with relaxed hair is inevitable, how much you experience is the issue. As well, if I am going to stay committed to minimizing the amount of heat I use, then I will have to figure out something. I will say I much liked the fullness it gave me (despite the greasy look), so I think I want to practice some more until I get this thing going. Aw well...

Helpful Hair Acronyms and Definitions

Throughout my hair journey I have come across a lot of different hair sites full of beautiful black women that have manage to grow and/or maintain their hair. The greatest thing about all of this is the fact that they have been more than willing to help others, exchanging information about products and techniques, as much as they can. The one challenge I have had is trying to figure out all the hair lingo that these women throw around. I think most of these hair divas assume that everyone knows what they are talking about when they throw around letters like NTM, HE LTR and BSL (I know, I know, I've am guilty of it too). Speaking from experience, it took me a hell of a time trying to figure it all out, and when I first started out I was a little intimidated. Too intimidated to speak up and ask questions--which may be the reason it took me so long to figure it all out LOL.  So I thought it would be beneficial to create a "short" list of most of the possible acronyms that are used on hair sites. It will definitely help you navigate the various hair sites with more success, and if nothing else, at least help you understand my post a little better.

HTH (Hope this helps)!

Acronyms:

EL – Ear Length
NL – Neck Length
SL - Shoulder Length
APL – Arm Pit Length
BSL – Bra Strap Length
BSB - Below Shoulder Blade
MBL – Mid Back Length
WSL – Waist Length Hair
NG – New Growth
BC – Big Chop
DC – Deep Condition
NTM – Neutrogena Triple Moisture
MNT - Mane N Tail
CW- Conditioner Wash
CWC - Conditioner, Wash, Conditioner
ACV – Apple Cider Vinegar
CON – Creme of Nature
BSS – Beauty Supply Store
PJ – Product Junkie
Slip – When the comb easily glides through the hair
IMO – In My Opinion
HHG – Happy Hair Growing
BHM – Black Hair Media
LHCF – Long Hair Care Forum
EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
EVCO – Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
JBCO - Jamaican Black Castor Oil
DIY – Do It Yourself
HTH - Hope This/That's Helps
ETA - Edited To Add
HE - Herbal Essences
HE LTR Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship
MMF - Mizani Moisturefuse
MHF - Mizani Hydrafuse
MKF - Mizani Kerafuse
SE MS MT Silk Elements Mega Silk Moisturizing Treatment
SE MC Silk Elements Mega Cholesterol
M&S - Moisture and Seal
MT - Mega Tek
MN - Miconazole Nitrate
EO - Essential Oil
SAA - Silk Amino Acid
S&D - Search & Destory (Method for Triming off Spilt Ends)
LOTD - Look Of The Day
ALS - Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
SLS - Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cones - Silicones
AOHSR - Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner
AOGPB - Aubrey Organics GPB Conditioner

Definitions:

Baggying – Applying your moisturizer and then applying a plastic bag over the hair to trap the moisture in. You can either baggy your ends with a small sandwich bag or you can full head baggy with a plastic shower cap. This is very helpful treatment for those with dry damaged hair and dry ends. 

Braid-Out – Braiding your hair in sections while hair is still damp or dry. When the hair is unravelled hair will have volume and definition. You can wear this style up to 2-3 days with little to no touch ups.

Breakage - Broken pieces of hair without the white bulb. This can be caused by too much moisture (dryness) or protein (lacks elasticity). It can also be the cause of poor hair care.

Carrier oil - Known as base oil or vegetable oil, is used to dilute essential oils (e.g. Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed Oil etc.) These oils can also be used to seal/trap moisture in the hair or moisturized the scalp.

Clarifying - Clarifying your hair is always a good idea to remove the build-ups some products leave on your hair which can make your hair dull and lifeless. Clarifying can remove the chlorine swimmers get on their hair. A Simple clarifier could include: mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons shampoo. Lather, wait 5 minutes, rinse and condition. OR you can use 2 tsp of ACV mixed into 2 cups of warm water, pour it on your hair, wait 2-3 mins, rinse and condition.

Co-washing - Washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. This minimizes how much moisture and natural oils are stripped from the hair.


Cuticle
 - The cuticle is the thinnest layer. It is transparent and consists of overlapping scale-like cells. It protects the cortex from chemicals.

Low Porosity has tightly bound cuticle layers that lay flat. It looks healthy, is very shiny as it is able to reflect light much better. It repels moisture and is hard to process since it is resists chemical penetration. This type of hair tends to be "protein sensitive" and requires more moisture based products (leave ins, conditioners, etc) because the protein bond are rarely disturbed or lost. Too much protein may cause hair to become rigid and break.

Medium/Normal Porosity has cuticle layers that are looser and open and close with little effort. It allows the right amount of moisture to enter the hair shaft, while preventing too much moisture from escaping. This type of hair requires a balance of protein and moisture to be maintained. 

High Porosity has gaps and holes in the cuticle, which allows too much moisture into the hair causing it to frizz and tangle easily. Moisture also escapes the hair much easier as well, leading to dryness and breakage. This type of hair requires more protein to help fill in those gaps and holes. It is also important to use leave in conditioners and seal with oils and butters to trap the moisture within the hair. 

Deep conditioning – Allows you to replace moisture and protein to hair strains after the hair has been washed. Deep conditioning with a conditioner specifically formulated for specific hair issues will help revive dull lifeless hair, giving it more strength, elasticity, moisture, softness, and shine. It's good to deep condition at least 1x per week.

Dusting - A very light trim. Cutting only 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Good idea if you don't want a full blown trim.

Hair Type
1
Straight hair. There is absolutely no curl pattern in the hair. It is completely straight. Straight hair is very sleek and shiny because there is no curl pattern, which allows the light to reflect off of the hair giving it a shiny finish. 

2a, 2b, 2c
Loose curls and wavy hair. Type 2 hair can be categorized as 2a/2b or 2c. Basically, 2a hair is fine, while 2b hair is medium. 2c hair is thick and coarse with a frizzier look. This hair type has a natural “S” curl pattern as it hangs.

3a, 3b, 3c
Thicker, medium curly hair. Type 3 hair has a tighter curl pattern. It can be categorized at 3a/3b and 3c hair. 3a hair types have a looser curl pattern, while type 3b hair has a tighter curl pattern and type 3c hair has a tightly curly look and may look slightly kinky. When wet, type 3 hair shrinks quite a bit. But it is not as shiny as straight hair because the hair cannot reflect the light as easily. Type 3 hair is very springy. If you pull on it, it bounces back into its original curly state. This type of hair can sometimes be a challenge to straighten, especially 3c hair. 

4a, 4b
Kinky, tightly coiled hair. 4b is the thickest. Type 4 hair is a lot kinkier than the type 2 and 3 hair types. Although this hair type is much coarser and appears thicker than other curly hair, it can be quite fine. Type 4a hair has an “S” pattern, while type 4b hair is more wiry with a zig-zag pattern. Type 4c hair needs to be moisturized regularly & treated gently.

Humectants – Attract and retain moisture from the air (e.g. Glycerin, Honey, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol).

Leave-in Conditioner – A way to further condition the hair after you have rinsed out your conditioner. It helps to detangle the hair leaving it soft and manageable. Some leave-ins provide thermal protection for styling afterward.

Line of Demarcation - Where the natural hair and relaxed hair meet. This location can be very delicate so be very gentle when stretching.

Low Manipulation - This is any style that require less upkeep or restyling. The less manipulation the better because it minimizes breakage which eventually leads to longer hair. (e.g. wash n Go's, twist outs, braids, braid outs etc).

Moisturizing – Applying a moisture based product to dry hair to reduce breakage and increase elasticity in the hair. You can use a water-based or cream based moisturizer 1-2x per day.

Over-lapping - Applying relaxer to already relaxed hair instead of just focusing on the new growth.

Over-processed
 - Leaving the relaxer on too long, resulting in a bone straight/limp appearance.

Pre-poo – Preparing your hair prior to shampooing. You do this by adding a natural oils into the hair . You can do this overnight or 30-40mins before you shampoo. This helps to minimize the damage that occurs when you shampoo or clarify your hair. 

Protective Styling – Wearing your hair up in a style that protects your hair from manipulation and outside elements (e.g. buns, wigs, extensions, rolls etc).

Relaxing Bone Straight - Allowing the relaxer to "relax" the hair to it's fullest potential, making sure the hair strands are as straight as possible.

Relaxing Straight
- Allowing the hair to get straight. But not bone straight.

Sealing – Using a natural non penetrating oil to lock in the moisture after you've moisturized the hair (e.g. Jojoba, Argan, Castor, Safflower Oil). By using an oil over the moisturizer will allow your hair to stay moisturized longer, especially if you have high porosity hair.

Stretching – Prolonging the time between relaxers. Instead of relaxing at 6 wks, relax every 8, 10, 12 wks.

Texlaxed/Texurized/Texturizing - Not letting the relaxer break the protein structures of the hair to the point of being straight . Basically under processed on purpose. Gives your hair some "texture".

Under-processed
- Waves, curls and kinks are still present in the hair after a relaxer. The relaxer did not process/penetrate the hair enough.

Shedding - Strands of hair with white bulbs on the root. Hair goes through a natural shedding period, so if you're taking care of your hair and it suddenly starts shedding a bit, don't be alarmed. If you are worried, try using Garlic. It helps to stop the shedding.

Moisturizing Shampoo - have a cloudy, creamy or pearlized consistency and thicker in texture than clarifying shampoos.


JBCO Challenge: Week Six and Seven

Well I have really been slipping on this challenge. I guess I have just been a little frustrated and fed up of this whole hair thing. There are times when I just feel soooo lazy. But I know, I won't see any progress if I don't keep working on it. I will say that my hair doesn't seem anymore thicker than it was before, but I haven't been applying the JBCO as often as I am suppose to be applying it (1x week vs. 5-7x/week)...I know....Well it's a new week, so I can get back to it.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Hair Goals Reviewed

It's been a long time since I've reviewed my hair goals and I think it's time I get a reality check! I've been trying to do too much, which has left me overwhelmed, tired, frustrated and resulted in some horrible setbacks. 

Despite my efforts I've experienced a few pitfalls  (e.g. becoming a serious PJ, breakage, scalp irritation). I decided to sit down and regroup. What am I trying to achieve? What are some of the issues I still have with my hair right now?

This is what I came up with:

  1. Eliminate (or at least seriously reduce) dry/itchy scalp (it seems like I'm back to square one)
  2. Reduce breakage (getting  a bit better)
  3. Obtain and maintain strength/moisture balance
  4. Reduce shedding 
  5. Increase thickness 
  6. Increase growth and even out hair length (SL by Summer 2010) 
  7. Daily 1 min scalp massages
I think I'm also going to have to review my previous post to help me slow down.  It's a long process, but it will help me find the right products for my hair, and really know how my hair is responding to a particular product. Right now I am throwing everything except the kitchen sink on my head and I had no idea what was or wasn't working for me. Even my tried and trusted products have been failing me.

In addition to these mini goals I want to do a few things that should help my goals along nicely and just keep me and my hair healthy overall:
  1. Drink more H2O (minimum 2 litres/day)
  2. Eat 6 small well balanced meals everyday (esp. breakfast!)
  3. Take a good quality multivitamin (3x/day) as well as regular Iron, Calcium and B-vitamin complex
  4. Get adequate sleep
  5. De-stress with regular exercise/fun activity (I've been doing well here)
Not sure why I've been so all over the place as of late. Actually, I know exactly what it is, but as I see the harm it is causing I am recognizing the importance of slowing things down. I'll keep you posted!


JBCO Challenge: Week Five

I have been slipping on this challenge a little bit. Last week I only applied JBCO to my hair three times, which isn't bad, but comparatively it isn't even 50% of the time that I should be applying it to my scalp (e.g. I am doing the Ultimate Level of the challenge). I must say that my scalp was sooo irritated. I couldn't wait to wash it again. It feels much better now, but itchy in spots. What a disappointment with the henna (how did I miss this issue for so long)--I am so sad, especially because of the benefit it has had on my hair. I swear, my hair feels absolutely amazing. It is silky, soft and so moisturized, and I haven't put anything in my hair all week. Oh man...why is it so hard for me to find products for my hair?! I never had this problem before, so I really do not know what to do right now. I am tempted to use the henna one more time, but rather than just rinse my hair I will shampoo my hair to remove any traces of the henna that may be sitting on my scalp. Hopefully, this will help, but if I have no luck with that I'm just going to shave my damn head!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

JBCO Challenge: Week Four

Oops! I totally forgot to post an update on my JBCO Challenge. Well I will say something interesting is happening to my scalp, but that may be more related to the henna treatment I did on Sunday than the JBCO. My hair growth has slowed to a crawl over the last few months, which is disappointing to say the least. So much for increased hair growth. Clearly other things are at play when it comes to hair growth. I will admit I have not been taking care of myself over the last few weeks. I have been eating waaay too much junk food, exercising like crazy, but not eating enough food--healthy food. I also have not been getting enough sleep or drinking enough water. All things that influence hair growth, whether I am using JBCO or not.

Anyway, I am glad this is happening. Of course I want my hair to grow, but at least this has confirmed what I already know. There is no such thing as a growth aid. I will say that it has been helping with my itchy scalp (but I seem to be having an issue right now). For that reason alone I will continue to use it.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Henna Treatment

Today I decided to do a henna treatment. My hair has been feeling blah, looks a little thin and it was time for a "protein" treatment. Although henna is not truly a protein, it appears to have the same properties as one in terms of adding strength and structure  to the hair shaft. Well as I was pleased with the results as I usually am. What I found even more interesting was the state of my ends. Usually when my hair air dries it looks frizzy and over processed, which is why I twist my hair and let it dry that way. However, today my ends dried pretty well. It was straighter (in some places) than it usually is and looked fuller. Overall, I am happy.

ETA: Well something weird is going on with my scalp. All this time I thought it was the Hydrafuse irritating my scalp, largely because of the ingredients, but over the last few weeks I have been using the last little bit I have left to moisturize my hair, and truthfully there hasn't been an issue. However, this week my scalp is driving me crazy! The more and more I think about it I am realizing that it is probably the henna that may be doing something to my scalp. My hair was so dry and flaking over the last 2 days , and it is itching me like crazy. There are also parts of my scalp that feel irritated/inflamed. This is disappointing because my hair feels so incredibly soft and silky right now, but what can I do? Back to the drawing board.....

Sunday, May 2, 2010

JBCO Challenge: Week Three

It is funny how one week my hair seems to be struggling and all of a sudden I have a new growth spurt, my itchy scalp has been soothed and my dry crispy hair feels moisturized and strong. I have since increased the JBCO ratio to my scalp blend concoction without incident. I guess my scalp has now gotten use to it because I no longer have scabs or itching like I did the last round of this challenge in which I made reference to the issues that can occur when you begin putting just anything and everything on the scalp in an effort to make your hair grow. As it stands now I can actually put 100% JBCO on my scalp without having to dilute it. I will see if that garners greater results.