At the end of it all...it's all about habits

Hello there everybody. Y'all over the hump yet?

Excellence strives forth from people who have healthy habits, habits they don't break. It's not a compulsion, it's a routine. They get up an hour earlier, or stay at the office an hour longer. They do extra research. They run an extra 5 minutes on the treadmill, they are punctual, they eat their vegetables and drink 8 glasses of water a day. They read every word on a report and they remember it. These are habits, and the people who are most consistent are the ones yielding the most favorable results.

Now, when it comes to a hair journey, the first I get asked is "how do you do it?" and the second thing is "what do you do? Honestly, when I started off on this sometimes crazy little yellow paved road, I did a LOT of research. What struck me most is that the ladies who have been yeilding the most favorable results are the ones who have their regimens and routines down pat! The second thing that I noticed about these hairlistas, is that they are very careful with regard to product choices, taking into account the ingredients and each component's effect on their hair. So, all of them are little scientists at heart and I took that with me as I set off to the beauty supply store.

And man oh man, did I turn into a product junkie!! I bought and tried everything! If it was part of the ORS line last year, it is part of my stash. I read ingredient labels, I figured out what they meant, Blackberry and Google always at my fingertips as I stroll through the isles. I could not enter ANY store and not check out what they have to offer in the hair isles. I think that I did become a little obsessed, but then again, obsession is simply passion sans knowledge and experience.

As time moved on, things became simpler. I became a bit more aware of what I am DOING, as opposed to what I'm buying. I realised that I could have the most brilliant conditioner on earth, but it would not matter diddly if I did not apply it carefully and properly to my entire head of hair, root to tip. I realised that I could have the gentlest shampoo on the planet but it would matter squat if I shampooed my hair like the girl in those Herbal Essence commercials. (Remember those?? If y'all don't, I'm giving away my age here, lol) All that would accomplish with my 3c/4a hair is a lot of matting, knotting, tangling and ultimately breakage city. I could have an arsenal of amazing products and it would be money down the drain if my HABITS weren't hair friendly.

So, you may ask, what habits have I formed since the start of my journey which have assisted me in retaining length? And in my humble opinion, my best habits so far are the following:

• Sleeping with a satin wrap, satin scarf and satin bonnet, sometimes all at the same time. Material like cotton and linen, found in most beddingclothes are NOT hair friendly. They zap moisture from the hair, leaving it dry and frayed, and NOT pretty. If push comes to shove, go to a fabric store and get yourself some on sale silk or satin and make your own hair covers for bed time. The worst habit I kicked was sleeping with an uncovered head.
• Moisturizing and sealing on a regualr basis. It is the simploest thing you can do. I simply spritz my hair with a water and cheapy conditioner mix and when it's sliglty damp, seal with coconut oil. Then I wrap them up (I'm not a fan of reversion) and chill like that through the night.
• Getting a wide tooth comb. I'm planning on getting a comb with even wider teeth, that's a bit of a rake. Wide tooth combs are our friends, especially when it comes to detangling. Smaal tooth combs WANT to rip the hair right out of your skull, so personally, I avoid them like the plague.
• Protective styling. Thank you Ebony!! Even though the challenge is finished, I still pin up my hair, french plait it, basically protect it. it is now officially a habit.
• Wash day is MY time. Whether I decide to dedicate 2 hours, or 12, it's MY time, and I make it very clear to everyone. The reason that it is MY time - your hair does not thank you if you rush through the wash day process. I mean think about it!! Pre-poo(at least 15 minutes after application of oily conditioner mix) and detangle, rinse, shampoo, rinse, instant condition, rinse, deep condition (no less than 30minutes!), rinse, airdry for 10 minutes, apply leave in, detangle, roller set (which takes me 45 minutes these day, having so much MORE hair) and then wait to dry, sometimes using the dryer on cold setting to help it along. THAT is a LOT of effort, and must thus not be rushed. If rushed, you will regret it later.
• BE GENTLE! I think the biggest habit I've gotten into is being gentle and not trying to force my hair to do thimgs it doesn't want to do.

One of the biggest thigs I've learned is that I must LISTEN to my hair and realise what it needs. At the same time, building up these hair healthy habits have made me go from ear length to full shoulder length in a little over a year. Soooooo, at the end of it all, it's all about HABITS.

Stretching ain't for sissies!

Good morning lovelies, and happy Moanday, lol!

So, I've decided to talk a bit about the fact that I am currently stretching my relaxer a little bit. To get everybody on the up and up, here's a definition of relaxer stretching:

Traditionally hair stylists have encouraged women to relax their hair every 4 to 6 weeks. Stretching your relaxer means lengthening the period between your touch ups, so instead of 4 to 6 weeks, you wait for 8 to 10 weeks or more.

Now, before I started my journey, I consistently touched up my relaxer every 6-8 weeks, always feeling that less than 6 weeks is just too short. Since the start of my journey I started stretching my relaxer, my longest stretch so far having been 13 weeks. This is one practice that has proven to be very beneficial to my hair and to my goal of retaining as much length as possible. My hair is currently the longest it has ever been. Granted, it's not the only practice that I have employed in the arsenal of my journey. 

Now, there are pros and cons when it comes to stretching, and if one wishes to attempt it, one must be aware. Like Maya Angelou says - if one knows better, you do better! 

Pros:

• Preventing over-processing of previously relaxed hair. Relaxing one's hair is a process of "controlled damage". The relaxer breaks down the protein bonds within the hair, allowing for the curls and coils and kinks to become smoother and straighter. Now, said hair can be maintained at an optimum health, BUT if one rushes one's touch ups, you are in danger off applying the relaxing not only on the new growth, but overlapping it onto already previously relaxed hair, further weakening those protein bonds and bringing you within danger of serious breakage. Stretching your relaxer allows for a decent amount of new growth which will make touch up day easier for you (or your stylist) and less damaging to the rest of your hair. 
• A thicker head of hair, with more volume. This in itself is also a benefit of not over processing previously relaxed hair as hair becomes thinner when you overlap the relaxer. 
• Your scalp gets a break from the chemicals in the relaxer. Anyone who's ever had a relaxer, and especially everyone who has a bad relaxer experience, can testify that those chemicals can BURN your scalp. By stretching your relaxer (and of course nourishing your scalp during the stretch) one's scalp gets time to return to optimal health after being exposed to the relaxer chemicals. 

Cons:

• Lots of new growth. Technically speaking this isn't a con. However, if you don't know how to care for your new growth, you will experience breakage, tangles and knots due to the fact that you're working with two distinctly different textures. Which brings us to our next point...
• Demarcation line breakage. The line of demarcation is the point where the new growth and relaxed hair meet. Due to the difference in textures and the protein bond breaking process of a relaxer, this is also the weakest point in the hair shaft, and if one is not careful and mindful of this - hello breakage!

Now, long stretches aren't for everyone, especially if you're new to the process. When I started stretching I started adding a week with every stretch as to enable myself to judge which point is my optimal stretching time. So far, as I'm only a year and a bit into my journey I have determined that 11-12 weeks is my optimum time. Currently I'm 13 weeks post and as my schedule is currently, I don't see myself being able to touch up for another 2 weeks, and at 15 weeks post, it will be my longest stretch ever. I'm already struggling a little bit with my new growth, but I did pick up quite a few nice tips which helps me deal with the new growth and prevent breakage. The best ones that help me with working with two distinct textures are the following:

• Finger detangling and a WIDE tooth comb are your friends! The best thing anyone can do for their hair whilst stretching is to be GENTLE whilst handling it. Fine tooth combs and brushes will land you in Breakage City. 
• Keep new growth moisturized. Regardless of what kind of moisturizer works best for your hair, make sure that you keep your hair soft and manageable. Personally I have found the best way to do this - to moisturize my hair in the evening before bed, sealing it with coconut oil and tying it down with a satin wrap and satin scarf as to prevent reversion. 
• Deep condition regularly, and make sure to alternate between protein and moisturizing conditioners. Protein makes hair stronger, moisture makes it pliable and manageable. You want to maintain the balance, especially considering that you're working with two textures. In addition, I have found it best to, when applying the deep conditioner, to apply it little section by section, in the same manner that you would apply a relaxer. This would ensure that your new growth and the line of demarcation gets as much conditioning as the length and ends of the hair. 
• Stretch gradually. If you've been touching up religiously at 6 weeks all your life, add one week and touch up at seven weeks the next time. Then at 8 weeks, then 9 weeks, and so on and so forth, until you have found your optimal stretching period. 
• Personally I keep my new growth pretty stretched and straight. However I do this in a heat free manner by doing roller sets. By keeping my new growth relatively straight, the amount of manipulation when combing, washing and detangling your hair becomes much less, which will attribute to less breakage. However, hair styles that blend the two textures, such as braid outs and bantu knot outs and twist outs, are also great for stretching (especially for first time stretchers). If you are focused on how straight your new growth isn't, stretching is going to seem like a seemingly impossible task.(Great tip from Sharday of The Awkward Stage)
• On wash day, and if you're relatively deep in a stretch, try and wash your hair in sections. Personally I've started to section off my hair whilst doing my prepoo. It eases up the ENTIRE wash day process, as the hair gets less of an opportunity to kink and tangle up on you. 
• Protective styling and low manipulation hairstyles are also beneficial when stretching your relaxer, as it means that you handle your hair less, which means less breakage, which is always the primary aim. Try braids, weaves, buns, roller sets, rod sets, etc. until you find what works best for you and your crown.

Lastly, you know YOUR hair best. I know that I'm taking a risk waiting another two weeks before touching up, which is also why I am going to be EXTRA GENTLE whilst handing my hair, whether this means washing, styling, moisturizing and sealing or wrapping. 

Anyone else have some nice tips for stretching?

On that note, have a great day everyone and a blessed week!

Final challenge check in!

Hello there everybody.

I am very glad to report that the Longing 4 Length Protective Styling Challenge was just what the doctor ordered for my tresses. I have retained quite a bit of growth. My hair and I are still locked in a bit of a battle though. I'm 13 weeks post, and I don't know when I'll be able to touch up my hair. So, I'm trying to be as gentle as possible, while my new growth is extremely stubborn, even though I keep them nice and soft and moisturized. My hair's pretty strong at the moment, I've managed to reduce my breakage rate. However, I'm still struggling a bit with shedding. I'm considering infusing garlic into my coconut oil for my next wash day, hopefully reducing the shedding. 

But enough about my current hair issues, especially in the light of how HAPPY I am with my progress. When we started this challenge, I was grazing shoulder length, as in I wasn't quite there, but I could taste it. Here's a little reminder of where I was at the beginning of the challenge:

Sorry for the crappy quality of the pics, but if you look closely - the ends are grazing the top of my tattoo and the side layers have not yet reached the shoulders. 

Side view at start of challenge - not SL yet. 

And here ladies (and gentlemen) is where I am now after three whole months of protective styling, of up do's and french plaits, of 1950 style pin ups and buns, practically no heat use (just once), deep conditioning religiously, sometimes more than twice a month, only wearing my hair out and about twice, and then also only for a few hours (ended up being pinned up later). 

Drum roll please................................

I AM OFFICIALLY SHOULDER LENGTH!!!

I am planning to trim my ends when I touch up my roots but as y'all can see, another month of protective styling and my tattoo would be covered by hair. But yes, this is me claiming SL, and as far as I can tell from the top pic, I'm about 3 inches away from APL, so THAT is where I am heading now. In the meantime, my heart is aching for that Pebco dryer, so guys, go to http://longing4length.com/2013/04/l4lpsc-final-check-in-voting.html and if you're also of the opinion that the protective styling gave me an edge, vote, vote vote. 

PS A very good friend of mine has told me that she has started her own personal hair journey and she's picking up helpful tips from my blog. And I am seeing very positive changes in her hair's health and length. It makes me feel very honored, and humbled, considering that I've only been doing this for a little over a year. So, to her, and to all my other readers out there, thank you, and let's keep growing and taking care of our crowns!

PSS I hope that I have now finally fixed and solved the picture visibility issues. 

It's been a minute...

since I posted a decent wash day post. I must admit, I've been going through the motions a little bit. Last night however I decided to do wash day RIGHT. I haven't broken any wash day rules, in general, but being in auto pilot mode, one simply is not as diligent, and last night I saw not only the not so great results of not being diligent, but I also have been loving the compliments I've been getting all day today because I made the extra effort last night.

Okay, let's start at the beginning. Even though the protective styling challenge officially ended on Monday the 15th, I was still rocking a french plait until Wednesday. So, I got home, loosened the braid and then started to lightly detangle. First of all, I realised that I need a much more intense moisturizer. My hair felt slightly straw like, despite the fact that I moisturized every morning.

I did my prepoo using the Dove Anti Hair Fall Conditioner, covered my hair with a plastic cap and watched 2 episodes of Modern Family. I shampooed using ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo. I lathered up a solid three times, massaging my scalp three ways from Sunday. and then again afterwards realised that I wasn't being very smart considering that I'm over 11 weeks post. I applied  Sunsilk Anti Hair Fall Conditioner (and a ton of it) and tried to detangle. I tried to be as gentle as possible and still felt that I lost way too much hair in the process. It took me quite a while.

After rinsing that off I applied Pantene's new 2 minute Intense Moisturizing Conditioner to DC with. Of course I kept it on for almost 45 minutes whilst wearing a plastic cap. After rinsing that off my hair did feel very moisturized and strong. I must admit that I love Pantene products and that I'm planning to stock up on more of them. After rinsing off the DC I applied my leave ins of Bone Strait and Kair Serum and then proceeded to roller set my hair. I'm telling y'all, 11 weeks of new growth is no joke! I used more rollers than usual so as to be able to pull the hair as taut around each as possible without breaking any hair. I had my hair air dry to about 60percent dry and then pulled out the hairdryer, using the coolest setting as it was getting late. When it was dry and I took out the rollers my hair felt soft and smooth. I however REALLY wanted t straighten my hair and thus whipped out the GHD straightener and flat ironed my hair in tiny sections so as to only use one pass each time. I then wrapped my hair and went to bed.

This morning my hair was so lovely and straight, and everyone has been complimenting me on how good it looks and commenting on how it's grown. Clearly I have retained a good bit of length during the protective styling challenge. I haven't taken any pictures yet, planning to do that with a salon visit as I also want my ends to be dusted, just a little bit. I am however loving the fact that I know that my hair is the longest now than it's ever been and I'm looking forward to having it grow to even greater lengths.

In the meantime I need to rethink how I handle my hair when I'm over 8 weeks post relaxer. In addition I need to re-examine my products, because the staples from 6 months ago simply are not cutting it anymore. I can't afford a setback now, not when I feel like I'm on a roll!

Till next time lovelies.

Inspiration has been evading me

This post is way over due. I have not been so lax with regard to blogging in quite a while. I've been keeping up with the other ladies, and I've been following my regimen as I always do. But I have simply not been inspired lately. My hair is either in a bun or high (little) pony. The Protective Styling challenge is in the home stretch and I am actually looking forward to the end so that I can let my hair down. Since I've already used my single heat pass and I'm a good 9 weeks post I am very much looking forward to using heat again to not just check my progress, but with the cooler weather we're having these days, to also be wearing my hair out and about and swanging for a couple of days. The other day my own sister asked "do you EVER wear your hair loose? Every time I see you your hair's is up in a bun or tucked up" and I realised that the challenge really wasn't bad. But I miss DOING things with my hair now. And also, I wanna show off a little bit, heehee.

So, here's a couple of my plans at the end of the challenge:

• Major wash day which will include a LONG pre-poo and a LONG DC, rollerset and then straightening it using my flatiron. 
• Wearing my hair out for a day to two. 
• Prepping my hair for relaxer day by incorporating a it more protein than usual whilst also drenching my hair in moisture to keep my new growth soft and manageable. 
• At the end of the challenge I will be 11 weeks post, so I'll be pampering my hair for a week and then relax it, using the ORS Olive Oil No Lye kit for Girls, after which I will also dust my ends. 

I love that my hair is growing, unfortunately these past few weeks I have fallen into a rut, and I can't wait for the end of the challenge because I think that may be the end of this rut as well. 

Until next time, have a great weekend everybody!

Twisting it up!

And we're in the last stretch of the Protective Styling Challenge. In my previous post I just quickly checked in, but today I wish to share a couple of the styles I've been trying out this past month. Again, kindly note that phone camera quality generally sucks, and please forgive me. There will come a day with DECENT pictures.
Anyhoo, here goes, in no specific order:

Two strand flat twists

Two strand twist in the front with french braiding down the back

Simple french braid, although I love my little butterfly clip

I'm planning to try more styles involving the twists, as I can keep them in for 2-3 days, which is the whole point of protective styling, right? Also, I am considering continuing with protective styling even after the challenge's culmination. I'm thinking of doing the final length check for the challenge and then putting in box braids for about 8 weeks. But I haven't finally decided yet, will see how I feel at that stage. 

Until next time, I have a great week everybody!

Two down, one to go - L4LPSC

I have just noticed that I have not posted anything in weeks. To be honest I've been feeling a little un-inspired. Also, life has been a little crazy as well, but regardless, I have been keeping up with my hair responsibilities. It's officially Autumn now, so some things might become a little easier, such as less sweat when I'm not even working out. Sweating while exercising - expected and preventative measures taking. Sweating as if you're working out whilst chilling on your friend's patio - unacceptable!! I'm looking forward to the cooler weather of Autumn and minimizing of stress (from environmental heat) on my hair. 

The challenge has been going great, I have been finding more creative ways to wear my hair up. This morning I noticed how much longer my little pony felt as I was twisting it into a semi-chignon for work. I've also had less breakage, however, I've got quite a bit of shedding, which worries me. I have done tea rinses, I have eliminated products I think were contributing, and still - so many long hairs in my hand on wash day!! 

I did switch up my routine just a little bit. I continued to do the usual - wash and deep condition weekly, moisturize and seal, sleep with a silk scarf and bonnet. However, the last two wash days I did pretty intense pre-poo's. My aunt gave me a bottle of Amway Satinique Moisturizing Detangler. She LOVES it as a conditioner and our hair is pretty much the same texture. I used it once as an instant conditioner before applying my DC. I was so disappointed at how this very expensive conditioner did absolutely NOTHING for my hair. I didn't want to throw it out though. It was a gift AND it's bloody expensive. So...I mixed it with coconut oil and used it as a prepoo. And as a prepoo, the conditioner/coconut oil mix worked like a CHARM. My hair felt like butter after rinsing that, to the extent that felt that I didn't really need the DC, but of course I still did DC. And oh my hat, my hair is so shiny!! I won't use that conditioner again (I finished the 200ml bottle in 2 prepoo uses) BUT I now know that a crappy conditioner PLUS coconut oil could be a GREAT prepoo! 

With regard to the protective challenge, I had one down day this month, which puts my at a total of 2 down days used, with 5 to go, and I'm not even sure I'm going to use them. I really thought keeping my hair up and tucked would be a struggle, but it's easier than I thought, ESPECIALLY after I discovered that I can pretty decent French braiding and flat two strand twists!! I did take some pics, will put them up at a later stage, they're on my phone and I don't have a USB cable right now. 

In any event, something else that I realized - I really can't live without roller setting. Smoother hair is just so much easier to put in a bun, or to braid, or to twist. I also believe my length retention is better when I keep my hair smoother. Detangling is less of an issue, which reduces breakage from any handling. I'm currently about 4 weeks post (I REALLY am not 100 % sure at this moment) so I'm trying to keep my hair smooth without heat and without too much handling during the week but putting it up and at night simply taking out the pins or clip and wrapping the satin scarf around it without fidgeting too much. 

I think the last month of the challenge is gonna be a breeze. I'm just going to continue doing what I'm doing and take care of my hair. So often people say I'm hair obsessed, but at this stage I really couldn't give a crap. It's my CROWN and I shall keep it soft and shiny and have it grow, grow, grow!!

Have a good Monday everybody!

I've been waiting so long...it seems! But it's here!

Hi there everybody and I trust that all are having a good Monday so far. In general mine could be better, I'm all snotty and congested since the weekend and I need it to be done now!

On the hair side of things, this weekend I use my singular heat pass to be able to do a decent and official length check and I am officially claiming shoulder length! It's been a few days over a year since I started my journey at busted, broken, just simply SAD looking ear/neck length hair, and I was stuck at neck length for quite a while, even when the rest of my layers caught up and grew past my ears. But I pressed onwards and results are clear as day and I am as happy as a pig in mud!

On Saturday I did my mini wash day routine - incorporating some new tips that I've picked up:

• Detangled my hair prior to jumping in the shower, which was a breeze as my hair is freshly relaxed.
• Thoroughly rinsed my hair for about 3-5 minutes before applying shampoo
• Shampooed with ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo. Rinsed thoroughly
• Instant conditioned with Protein Feed Moisturizing Conditioner, which I kept on for about 2-3 minutes. Rinsed thoroughly
• Applied my all time favorite ORS Replenishing Conditioner, which I kept on for about 10 minutes whilst completing the rest of my shower duties. I've been feeling sick already and didn't want to sit with soaking wet head of hair for longer than strictly necessary. 
• After thoroughly rinsing all traces of conditioner I wrapped my hair in a t-shirt to soak up the excess water. 
• Applied my only leave in at the moment, Bone Straight, and then detangled my hair. Jeni from Just Grow Already has a point - detangling damp hair instead of wet hair leads to MUCH less breakage and shedding. 
• I then got my trusty water and conditioner spritz mix and started roller setting, which was also a breeze. 
• Air dried my hair whilst in the rollers whilst watching Gossip Girl. (I am ADDICTED!)
• Removed the rollers, applied a little bit of ORS Moisturizing Lotion to act as a heat protectant and proceeded to flat iron my hair using my Toni & Guy Ceramic Iron at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) and only passing the iron over every section of hair once and swiftly. 

I loved the way my hair felt afterwards - strong but smooth and straight. I experienced no breakage during roller setting nor the straightening process, and of course I loved the SWANG, lol. 

Okay, but enough talk. Here's where I started one year ago:

05 February 2012

And THIS is where I am now:

09 February 2013

09 February 2013

PIG IN MUD HAPPY!!

And on to my next goal - I would love to say that I'm going to immediately start chasing APL, but I'm going to take this day by day. It may be slightly slow progress, but it's PROGRESS. Thus my next goal where my hair is concerned is for my hair to cover my tattoo on my back. (That's about 2 inches, so I'm giving myself around 4-5 months to get there) THEN I'll start focusing on APL.

That is it for now everybody. First goal achieved, nr two - here I come!!

Touch up at 11 weeks post, and a review

At 11 weeks post I was technically a week early with my touch up, but since hair does grow a bit faster during the summer months (and here in Namibia, we are having a very hot and sunny summer) my new growth was getting a tad hard to manage. No, scrap that, it was becoming out of control! No matter how gentle I was, no matter how much I moisturized and sealed my new growth, no mater how diligently I deep conditioned, I was experiencing demarcation line breakage. I've come to the conclusion that my hair is not really a fan of the Namibian summer. In any event, here I was, with THICK new growth and I simply couldn't take it anymore. So on Friday I bought a Motions kit and on Sunday me and one of my besties tackled my tresses.

Usually I would have grabbed the ORS Olive Oil No Lye for Girls kit, but since I've started my journey I thought it might be a good idea to try a few different relaxer systems and see which ones my hair and scalp agree with most.  And the Motions kit was on SALE, and my broke bum thought - yes, it is YOUR turn. 

When I opened the box, I felt encouraged. A pre-treatment included as well as a conditioning mask and a leave in conditioner. I felt confident that my hair would be as sleek and shiny as the chick on the box. Alas, it was not meant to be.  But let me not skim over my experience.

As we were watching Hell’s Kitchen I applied the pre-treatment to all my previously relaxed hair and based my scalp and hairline with Vaseline. I mixed up the relaxer and activator gel and the resultant consistency was very nice and smooth. It also has the most pleasant smell of any relaxer I've ever used. We started applying the relaxer creme at the crown, moving up, down and side ways so that the hair line and nape get processed last as they’re less resistant and finer than the rest of my head. We were working at a good pace, but within 10 minutes the back of my scalp started tingling, despite all the basing I did. 2 minutes after the tingling came the (quite intense) burn and I rushed to the bath and started rinsing. Luckily for me all my hair was processed to the desired degree. Unfortunately for Motions, just the fact that my scalp started burning so soon puts it on the “not again anytime soon”list.

I neutralized with the included shampoo, and hell’s bells, my back is STILL killing me, having had to be bent over the bath shampooing and rinsing about a hundred times before the foam looked white instead of pink. I followed this with the included conditioning mask, and decided to do a DC after I applied it to my hair, leaving it under a plastic cap in 100 degree summer heat for 45 minutes. When I rinsed it off I started to feel truly discouraged.  My hair did not feel smooth, nor conditioned, nor very soft. I started praying that the included leave in conditioner will deliver said results. AND…it did NOT.  My hair felt stiff, as if I put strong hold setting lotion on it. Detangling and roller setting was a nightmare. My ends felt like straw after I took out the rollers when my hair was finally dry (took about 3-4 hours air drying it in the rollers). I am so disappointed.  There was no additional shine as promised by the ad campaigns! The breakage was more, not less! And my hair does not feel more conditioned than when I use another system. It did not feel like silk!

I’m sorry Motions, but your relaxer kit gets a thumbs down from me, and believe me, I have tried PLENTY.  And unfortunately this experience had discouraged me from trying anything else from your line. Perhaps this system works for other ladies, but for me…I think I now have a pretty accurate idea of what works best for me, and it’s a kit for little girls.

The Greenhouse Effect

Hello there lovelies.

So, I did my relaxer touch up a 11 weeks post this past weekend. I used the Motions No Lye kit for the first time and I will say this - not any time soon again. I'll post a review on that soon. In any event, since my touch up, my ends have been feeling uber dry and raggedy, even though when I LOOK at them they seem fine. So I decided to try something that I have not done before, the greenhouse effect, or at least partially - I baggied my ends last night!! (Side note: I'm so happy that my ends are long enough to do that, i could jump for joy!)

Okay, so I moisturized my hair with my ORS Moisturizing Lotion diluted with water, sealed with a bit of olive oil, after which I pulled my ends into a pony. I covered the pony with a small sandwich baggy, tied it up with a ponytail holder and then proceeded to wrap the rest of my hair with a satin scarf. This morning - oh JOY! My ends felt SO soft and moisturized, to the point that either tonight or tomorrow night I am going to do the FULL greenhouse effect and baggy my entire head! This truly works! Because I'm in the Protective styling challenge, when I got up, I simply removed the ponytail holders and baggy and twisted my end up and put on an EZ comb - low manipulation and protective styling all in one!

I must say, that  am more and more appreciating the benefits of moisture with my hair. For the next couple of days I am going to focus on it in such a huge way, and not really care whether I look cute and then I'll see what the result is at my next wash day, when I plan to use my SINGLE heat pass as I want to do a length check. That check will hopefully be accompanied by some decent pics.

Until then, one more day to go then it's the weekend baby!! Have a good one everybody!

PS: So I did baggy my entire head, and my hair was closer to wet than damp, but it felt amazing!! I quickly set it with a few rollers and when they were dry pinned the sides and did half a French plait at the back, the end which I also pinned up. a very good hair day - moisture and protective styling for the win!

1st year anniversary coming up!

Tomorrow is the anniversary of my healthy hair journey, exactly one year since I started taking care of what grows out of my head and blogging about it. So far the journey has been rather remarkable. My hair is longer than I can remember it ever being in my adult life. I've gotten into an actual routine and regimen regarding my hair. I've had to learn new methods of roller setting due to the fact that I'm dealing with more hair than before. I've been educating myself on not just techniques on hair care and handling, but also on hair care products, the ingredients they contain and how some aid you in your journey and how others are detrimental to your goals, hopes and dreams (well...where your hair is concerned at least). 

I've come to realise that there are people that don't give a flying donkey. They don't really want to hear you blabber on about what you did on your last wash day and how you wanna try out a certain product. They however always notice the progress that you're making and they knock on your door when they need some hair advice of their own (which I'm always willing and able to dish out, lol). 

I've also learned that there will always be naysayers and haters, and they are the worst! The ones who discourage and demoralize you. I've learned that  have to shut those negative voices and negative energies OUT. I've learned that I can't allow myself to be discouraged from WHATEVER road I'm on, whatever journey, whatever goal I'm focusing on. 

And I've come to know some excellent cheerleaders, girls doing the same thing I am, ladies walking the same road. Some are WAY ahead of me, some are right next to me. But all know the heart break of a setback, of breakage, of a bad cut or a bad relaxer. All know the joys of an extra inch at the next length check, of added body and volume, of filled in edges and healthy napes. 

It's been a year, and so far, so good. I'll make a point of doing an official length check before the end of this week (which also means doing my ONE and only heat pass for Longing4Length's Protective Styling challenge) but I believe that I can actually claim that my hair has grown from ear length to shoulder within that time. 

This is to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me so far,  which includes all my friends who have sat through ramblings about hair products, regimens and the latest news from the blogosphere, and of course also all the ladies who's blogs have inspired me so far this year. It's been one hell of a ride so far, with greater things to come. 

Have a great Monday everybody!!

Protecting what is mine

Hola everybody. Yes, I know, I know, I've been a tad quiet this month, but do not despair, I am still here, and not going anywhere. Just wanted to give y'all a little bit of an update regarding the Longing 4 Length Protective Styling Challenge that I've been participating in. So far, so good. It is hella hot here in the Nams, and the protective styling is assisting me in more ways than one, namely HAIR OUT OF MY NECK! It's too dang hot to even consider wearing ones' hair out. Also, the humidity is also ridiculous (without the rain  yet though. Lord please, pour your blessings down upon us!) so one can't even CONSIDER wearing one's hair straight because reversion is inevitable, especially at 10 weeks post, let's not even talk about my edges. 

Regardless, I've been a very good girl so far regarding the challenge - deep conditioned twice this month, wore my hair pinned up or tucked in or rolled up every day and NO HEAT, roller setting religiously. Just a quick indication of what I've been doing so far style wise:

The picture quality sucks, I know. And not extremely creative yet. But don't despair, I am focusing my positive energies and a new camera is on the horizon! Regardless, I'm feeling pretty confident about my retention with the protective styling, I am however still worried about shedding and breakage. I am EXTREMELY  gentle when handling my hair and still I see WAY to many white bulbed hairs in my hands on wash day. I have been doing tea rinses but they're not doing the job. I'm going to start trying garlic infused oils and see what happens. Also, I am very tempted to relax this weekend at 11 weeks post. The crown of my head is becoming a real hassle to deal with. I've observed that my hair truly does grow faster during the summer months BUT it also sheds more (I find that very ironic) because my new growth is out of control! I'll make a final decision as the weekend rolls around. 

I must mention that during the challenge we get a seven day allowance for wearing our hair out. I am planning to use the first of my seven tomorrow. My friend Ashantè is having her birthday party "The resurrection of her 21st" tomorrow and the theme is "Create you own Super Hero"  I am planning to to go as "Exaggeration Girl" and therefore need BIG hair, and thus will be wearing my hair out. From Friday onwards I shall be back in my EZ comb or pin ups. In the meantime though - BRING ON THE PARTY!!!

And there you have it. Anybody else looking forward to anything special? Have a happy hump day everybody!

PS: And here are some pics from the super Hero party. As y'all can see, I ended up slapping on a faux pony, so protective styling for the win!

                    

What a weekend!

The new week is upon us and again we need to put our noses to the grind stone for the next five days. This past weekend though has left me with some awesome memories. Specifically, I tried something new and although it was a bit of a hair raising experience, it had a positive outcome. One of my oldest friends and her new husband were bound to leave our sunny country for wintry Denmark yesterday, where he is from and where they will be living their lives. Prior to their departure they had a little farewell party where her husband introduced us to a Swedish delicacy, of which the main ingredient was fermented herring. Yeah, it sounds horrible, and when you open the can of fish, it hits you with the smell of a thousand mermaid farts. But it ended up tasting MUCH better than it smelled. On a piece of melba toast, you layer the fish, a piece of boiled potato, a couple of slices of red onion and a dollop of cream cheese, and then you chow it down. The combination of tastes and textures work very well together and I ended up having FOUR servings! 

Prior to the farewell party, I had my wash day and I think it was a success, although I still lost more hair than what I'm comfortable with. I'm nine weeks post and I don't know if I'll make it to a full 12 week stretch. I might just cave in at ten weeks. In any event, quick recap of my wash day:

• Prepoo with ORS Olive Oil Hair Masque. I really do love jars. I finished the Masque and was able to scrape out the very last drops. Due to it being so thick I again sprayed my hair with my water and conditioner mix as I applied the masque. I tried to handle my hair as gently as possible. Wrapped my hair in a plastic cap and watched an episode of 2 Broke Girls. 
• Shampooed with ORS Creamy aloe Shampoo. I LOVE how this shampoo makes my hair feel, although I can't use it too much due to it's chelating properties. 
• Used my Protein Feed Moisturizing Conditioner as instant conditioner, detangling in the process. Even though I'm only nine weeks, my new growth feels insane! Which is another reason I might cave to relax sooner than planned. 
• Did a black tea rinse, using 2 tea bags and mixing in some cinnamon. I didn't rinse the tea immediately afterwards. 
• Deep conditioned with my beloved ORS Replenishing Conditioner, applying it on top of the tea that was still in my hair. Wrapped my hair up in a the plastic cap and bonnet and DC's for almost an hour. Rinsed the conditioner and tea simultaneously and my hair felt awesome. I wrapped it up in a T-shirt for about 5-10 minutes to soak up the excess water. 
• Applied my usual leave ins of Avon 3D and Bone Strait and proceeded to rollerset, spritzing my hair with my water and conditioner mix as I went along. Let my hair air dry in the roller and then pinned it up in a off to the side roll, and off I went to the party. 

It's only been my first tea rinse, so I'll see during the course of the week what my shedding situation looks like. The cinnamon was perhaps not the brightest idea, but it did impart a lovely shine to my hair, the different high and low lights shining nicely in the sun. I need to get a moisturizing deep conditioner as soon as possible. Although I LOVE my Replenishing Conditioner, I do not need my hair to experience a protein over load again. So, that's my mission for the next week - find a nice MOISTURIZING deep conditioner with which to alternate my protein DC. 

How was everybody else's weekend? Hang on to the memories y'all. Have a good week everybody!

Closure...and wash day frustrations

I think it truly is a great moment when one realizes that a certain chapter of your life can be officially closed. It's that moment of clarity, of starting to know exactly what you want and what you don't want. They say an old flame never truly dies. I say that "they" are wrong. This past weekend I experienced closure after spending time with someone from my past. It was both a revelation and a relief when I realized that the spark is gone, and to be honest, he wasn't even that big a part of my history, but if I didn't spend time with him again, I think I always would have wondered. It gave me peace regarding the other, bigger parts of my history. If I can achieve such comforting and final closure in this instance, then surely I can achieve it with another, and I pray that one day soon I'll be able to send him light and love and move on, closing the book on what today I still regard as a bit of nuclear meltdown. Regardless, I am happy knowing that I can achieve closure and have a much clearer view of myself and what I want and what I need. 

In other news, I am charging full steam ahead in the protective styling challenge. Today specifically I'm wearing my hair pinned up in a 50's inspired fashion, trying my best to have every end tucked away. I must say, since I have bangs, I need to find protective styles that also tuck away and protect the ends of my bangs as well, without me looking like a 15 year old girl. Also, I am going to attempt to manipulate my hair as little as possible during the extent of this challenge, as I'm still experiencing breakage and shedding to a degree that I am not comfortable with. Yesterday was wash day, and with the amount of hair I lost, even though I was being sooooooo very gentle, I wanted to scream. Quick recap of wash day:

• Pre-poo and deep conditioned simultaneously, using the ORS Masque. It's extremely thick and has practically NO slip, so as I applied it, I also sprayed my hair with my water and conditioner spritz mix. That helped me to distribute the masque more evenly and gave it much more slip, so detangling was much easier and I lost very little hair in this process. I covered my hair with a plastic cap and a cotton scarf to try and trap as much heat as possible and sat with it for about an hour.
• Shampooed with Protein Feed Moisturizing Shampoo, focusing on my roots and letting the runoff take care of the ends. 
• Conditioned with the Protein Feed Moisturizing Conditioner, detangling my hair, being as gentle as possible. Experienced more shedding than I'm comfortable with. Seriously contemplating incorporating more tea rinses into my regimen. 
• Rinsed and then applied my ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I swear, this is a true staple. I absolutely LOVE it. My hair always feels great when I use it, whether I condition with it for an hour or for ten minutes. Yesterday, I kept it on for ten minutes and my hair still felt amazing after rinsing it. I will ALWAYS have it in my hair care arsenal. 
• Put in my leave in's of Avon 3D Rescue and Bone Strait and proceeded to roller set. I had to spritz it continuously as my hair dried very quickly due to the heat we've been experiencing. I left my hair to air dry whilst in the rollers, which took less than three hours. After removing the rollers, I put in some Kair Serum and combed my hair into a pony, tucking the ends into the scrunchie and went out to do some errands. When I went to bed, I simply wrapped my hair with my satin scarf and bonnet, as it still felt moisturized enough and I thought additional moisturizing would superfluous.  

 Okay, maybe that recap wasn't that quick, lol. In any event, I am looking forward to finding new ways to protect my hair and to retain length. I'm 8 weeks post now and I want to see a clear improvement in retention by the time of my next touch up. I am kicking everything into high gear now. 2013 is a new year and nothing's gonna break my stride. 

Have a good week everyone!

The Longing4Length Protective Styling Challenge

Here we go people. 2013 is upon us and I have decided to join in on Ebony's Protective Styling Challenge. My hair clearly DOES NOT like the summer. I have been experiencing breakage and shedding and I am truly hoping that this challenge will help me kick start my retention. I'm STILL not at full shoulder length and therefore shall be using my last length check photo as my starting pic as I have literally made NO progress since then, and thus I am very sad. At the same time I am SUPER motivated.

So here's where I am right now:

Here are the rules for the challenge: 

• A protective style for purposes of this challenge is defined as any style in which your ends are not exposed or touching your clothing.  Buns, updos, french braids, french rolls, etc all count.
• You may only wear your hair down for 7 days throughout the entire three months total!  Whether you choose to do one week, a couple of weekends or not at all – you only have a 7 day allowance.
• Only one direct heat pass but try not to use it at all!
• Protective styles means your ends must be hidden, so half up/half down ‘dos don’t count!
• Must deep condition your hair at least two times per month.
• You are not excluding from using fake hair – wigs, weaves, extensions, crochet braids, etc.

And there you have it. I am planing to braid up my hair soon, perhaps even within the next week so as to help me KEEP MY HANDS OUT OF MY HAIR. I am hoping to have a VERY swanging head of hair after this 3 month challenge and also find new and innovative and cute ways to protective style my hair which would benefit it most. 

Anyone else joining a challenge or two?

I need a vacation!

And I'm not kidding. I'm so tired, I truly don't know what to do with myself. Nor do I know what to do with my hair, it's so sad. And right now the summer heat is NOT helping. 

Since I've done nothing cute or exciting, I'll just quickly run through my last wash day, which was on Sunday. 

I woke up feeling like doing NOTHING at all. I've got mono at the moment, and am perpetually tired, so when I decided that I need to wash my hair I simply jumped in the shower, skipping the pre-poo step. I washed my hair with ORS Creamy Aloe shampoo as I felt that it would help with my hair's porosity and since I wanted my hair to feel close to squeaky clean. It sure as hell did that job! What I also love about this shampoo is that although my hair felt almost stripped, it didn't feel dry or hard or tangled. I then used the last bit of my Pantene Sleek and Smooth Conditioner as instant conditioner and then detangled, which was a breeze. After I rinsed and got out of the shower I wrapped an old T-shirt around my hair for about ten minutes till it was more damp than wet and then applied a generous amount of ORS Replenishing Conditioner to deep condition my hair. I covered it with a plastic shower cap and a cotton scarf to trap as much heat as possible while the conditioner did its job. At this stage I felt so tired, I put on my PJ's and got into bed, deep conditioning overnight. The next morning when I rinsed my hair it felt like BUTTER. I applied my normal leave in's (Avon 3D Rescue and Bone Strait) and proceeded to roller set. Due to lack of time I couldn't have my hair air dry in the rollers and thus blasted it with the cool air setting on my blow dryer. Once dry, I removed the rollers and my hair felt so freaking smooth and soft and bouncy. Once again due to fatigue and lack of time I simply pulled it into a little ponytail and then out the door I went. 

Since then my hair has stayed in the ponytail holder (no metal, very soft) and I simply moisturized and sealed every night using my usual moisture spritz and coconut oil. Today my hair still feels ridiculously soft, but a little weighted down. since I'm only about 3 weeks post, so I might do a quick wash tonight as I LOVE the feeling of clean hair. If the laziness  fatigue overwhelms me though, I might leave the washing, will just have to wait and see. 

And there you go darlings. A very quick wash day update. 

Objects of desire - Santa, pay attention!!

I am having the worst case of holiday brain. And with a case of holiday brain comes a case of seeing things and wanting them BADLY. And one such object of desire I encountered this morning, and then I realised that I have quite a wish list actually. now, Santa, if you're listening, I have been a good girl this year, and I feel I deserve some of these things. Yes, some I'll work out myself how to get, that's how life works. Others I wish would simply appear at my doorstep! Guess I should visualizing intensely and they miht just appear on my doorstep!

Well, let's hop to it. I have two lists - objects of desire for me and my life, and objects of desire for my hair. 

Objects of desire for me and my life:

• An E-book reader. I am a avid reader, but if I want to read the way I used to, I would be spending pot loads of money at CNA and Bookden and I would barely eat. Now if I got myself a Kindle or another e-book reader, I could have thousands of books at my fingertips at any given time. Santa, take note!!!

• The entire Platinum range of PlayStation 2 games, as I have lost quite a few due to being robbed and as collateral damage at the end of my last relationship. I would like my game collection to return to the former status quo. 

• In that same vein, an Xbox 360 and LOADS of games to go with it. If I had my way I would own every console with all my favorite games of each. Right now console wise, the Xbox is my object of desire. 

• A new digital camera. I have had two cameras stolen from me, so I am praying that nr 3 stays put whenever I get her, and I really pray that I get her soon. 

• A nice fat shopping voucher to one of my favorite clothing stores - I need a new SUMMER  wardrobe. I have been wearing the same little summer dress for the past 3 or 4 consecutive weekends. A change is as good as a holiday and I need new clothes! 

• And lastly, a new external hard drive, at least 500gig. I have SO many movies and series stored on my laptop and current hard drives and I want so much more, and I have MANY friends who are willing to share what they have. All I need, is the space. 

Objects of desire for my hair:

• A hooded drier. I can step up my game regarding deep conditioning and treatments and drying my hair using indirect heat to a whole new level with one of these babies.

• A hair steamer. After reading on sooooooo many other ladies' blogs of the benefits of a steamer, I can't help but drool at the thought of one. 

• Other types of rollers - mesh, perm rods, flexi rods. Now that my hair is so much longer than ever before I want to be able to experiment more and be creative, but one needs the correct tools. 

     

• Pretty 100% silk scarves, and satin bedding. 

   

Well, there you have it folks. As you can see, the second list is short, but that's because I feel that once I perfect my regimen and streamline my product choices that these items will give me a BIG boost. Regarding the first list, I'm already salivating at the thought of any of those items in my hands. 

Anybody been good with lists for Santa?

So I went swimming...

and it was absolutely awesome! 

I have holiday brain to a huge degree already and lounging in a pool for most of the past Saturday just made it worse. But it was so much fun and I can't wait for the next pool day.

Which brings me to my poor tresses. On Saturday, prior to plunging into the water, I was rocking my first braid out. i didn't come out THAT great, but it looked okay and I got complimented, so I will definitely try it again. Of course, after a few hours of just floating around on the inflatables (and a few Jagers!) I jumped in the pool, fully emerging myself and beautiful braid out all gone. No regrets, the water was too freaking awesome. The next day however...

After our swim I took a shower, washing and conditioning my hair using Tresseme products, honestly, the specific variants I can't remember right now. My hair FELT fine afterwards, so I simply let it hang loose and let it airdry while we barbecued. My the time I got home I was so exhausted I simply crawled into bed and that was the mistake of the weekend. The next day I woke up with this massive POUF of hair on my head, and I realised that I can NEVER just climb into bed with a damp head of hair. It needs to be dry and smooth and WRAPPED in satin before I dare get under the covers.

To remedy my faux pas, I detangled using my usual moisture spritz, first finger combing then going through with a wide tooth comb. I was VERY lucky. Even though my had looked disastrous, I lost very little hair. After detangling (which took FOREVER) I decided to prepoo using a cheapie Pro-Vitene Conditioner that  had on hand, diligently applying it little section by little section. After all of that it was night time and so i decided to rather put a plastic cap over my head, cover that with a cotton scarf and go to bed.

The next morning I washed my hair with my Repair and Nourish shampoo and conditioned my hair in the shower using a combination of Pantene Sleek and Smooth conditioner and ORS Olive Oil Intensive Treatment Masque for about 5-10 minutes. After I rinsed my hair felt ten thousand times better than the previous afternoon. I blotted my hair dry with a t-shirt, applied my usual leave-ins of Avon 3D Rescue and Bone Strait and proceeded to rollerset. I dried by hair with my blow dryer using the cold air setting, and after removing the rollers applied a bit of ORS Glossing Polisher Serum before putting it up with an EZ comb and headed out to work. My hair felt smooth and soft and I felt generally happy with it. Until the afternoon when I realised my ends look a little off. So I moisturized it using a combination of my usual spritz (water, cheapie conditioner, glycerin) and ORS Olive Oil Moisturizing Lotion, sealing with the ORS serum. Before bed I wrapped my hair and this morning they felt SO soft and nourished. For the sake of low manipulation I pulled it into a cute little ponytail with my bangs out and went on my merry way.

This coming Saturday it's the birthday party of my godson, which will also be next to and probably in a pool. In preparation for that I think that I am simply going to bun my hair for the day (no trying out new styles!) and if I am going into the pool, slather my hair in conditioner, bun it up again and only THEN venture into the water. I want my summer to be as painless as possible when it comes to my hair care whilst still enjoying it as much as possible.

Does anyone have any special "rescue methods" that they use on their hair in similar summer/pool/seaside situations??

Anyhoo, have a great week folks. And remember, just because we all have holiday brain, doesn't mean it's the holidays yet. Suck it up people, just a little bit to go!

What works for others....

...won't necessarily work for me

A review - CoN Argan Oil Deep Conditioner

I am truly coming to the conclusion that certain products simply do not work for me the way they work for others. so many women have raved about the Cream of Nature Argan Oil Deep Conditioner packet, claiming how it leaves their hair soft and how it has lots of slip. Well this past wash day I decided to deep condition with exactly that. I washed with Clicks Repair and Nourish Shampoo, instant conditioned and detangled with Pantene Smooth and Sleek Conditioner and then applied the CoN on my hair after towel drying it lightly. 

There was quite a bit of slip as I applied it. The conditioner is not very thick and doesn't feel as rich as ORS Replenishing Pak. The fragrance was very subtle and it seemed as if my hair soaked in the conditioner. The whole packet just barely covered all my hair, so someone with longer hair should purchase two. I left the DC on with a plastic cap over it, which I then covered with a scarf and a silk bonnet, trying to trap as much heat as possible as I do not own a hooded dryer or heating cap. I let it sit like that for a good hour before jumping back in the shower...and this is where my disappointment starts. 

As I was rinsing the conditioner, my hair started feeling weird. I don't quite know how to describe it. It felt rough to the touch and as if it was not detangled at all, it felt as if the length of the hair was matting together. I detangled once more with the Pantene Conditioner and even then my hair did not end up feeling smooth, and my hair is freshly relaxed. So, yes, it felt very wrong. 

I put in my usual leave ins - Avon 3D Rescue and Bone Strait and proceeded to roller set. During the process of roller setting I tried to be as gentle as possible as it felt as if my hair suddenly became brittle. After the roller set I let it air dry for about an hour before blasting it with the hairdryer on the cold setting. After removing the rollers my hair felt smooth, but my ends felt terribly dry and thus I decided to dust it. I took off very little, literally less than 1/2 a cm, but it made a difference in how my hair and specifically my ends looked and felt. 

At the end of the day I am starting to really know what my hair likes. When it comes to those packets of deep conditioners (and the market is FULL of them) my hair loves the ORS Replenishing Pak and I'm going to stick to it and stop experimenting with the rest. My product junkie days may soon be over. 

Very close to claiming SL.

This past Friday I relaxed my hair at 12 weeks post. I think I'm going to not stretch longer than 12 weeks, which also means that my projected next touch up would be on the 8th of February. I used the ORS Olive Oil No Lye Relaxer kit Regular strength. My BSS was out of stock of the kit for girls, which is the one I prefer, but I thought it would be best then to stick to the ORS brand, and honestly I'm not disappointed. For the most part. 

The process - I based my scalp with petroleum jelly. The kit does not contain a scalp protector, which the girls kit does. Secondly, I covered my previously relaxed hair with Pro-Vitene Conditioner,  cheapie conditioner I picked up at Clicks, since the regular kit doesn't contain a product for that either, which the girls' kit does contain. (Get where I'm going with this??? Kit for Girls is BETTER!) Then started applying the mixed relaxer to my new growth with the help of a friend. We started in the middle of my head as I have experienced some breakage around my nape and wanted to avoid that area being over processed. The nape and hairline received relaxer last. 

Even though my scalp was thickly based, we had to work pretty fast. This regular strength is still quite a bit stronger than the Girls' formula and my scalp is pretty sensitive. Application and smoothing in total I think took about 15 minutes and then I immediately got up to rinse. Hair was still relaxed nice and straight, I also think that parts that were slightly under-processed previously were corrected by the chemical run-off as it now feels like I have a uniform relaxed texture again. I rinsed and shampooed with the supplied packet of Creamy Aloe Shampoo. I HATE not neutralizing with a colour indicator neutralizing shampoo, as I'm never sure then whether I neutralized correctly. To make sure of that, by the time I applied the shampoo for the third time, I left it sitting on my hair for a good 10 minutes, after which I rinsed and shampooed at least another two times. Of course I loved the provided Replenishing Pak, deep conditioning with it for a good half an hour. After rinsing that i applied my usual leave in of 3D Rescue and Bone Strait lotion, roller set, dry and straighten with a single heat pass as I wanted to do an official length check. 

My hair felt soft and smooth and straight and I'm generally happy with the results. My ends feel pretty dry though and I'm going to pamper them for the next few weeks so as to soften and nourish them as I do not want to lose any of my progress which I am pretty happy with, and I feel that I am super close to claiming full  shoulder length. 

Sorry lovelies, picture quality is sucky as always but I think it's clear enough to see the progress I've made so far. 

The V of my hair touching the top of my tattoo.  I think it's officially the longest my hair has ever been in my adult life.

Still very much in layers, not quite SL yet, but I can practically taste it!

My last official length check will be on the 31st of December 2012. We have 6 weeks to go until then and I am planning to protective style, moisturize and generally pamper and baby my hair for the next 6 weeks so as to retain every millimeter of growth, and I think I should be able to attain at least 1-2 cm of growth during that time. I love having longer hair and I love that my hair is in such a better condition than it was when I started this journey. I love that I haven't had any major setbacks so far and I pray that it stays that way. Considering where I was when I started, so far I am pretty happy. 

PS I'm thinking of trying a few more available relaxers in the coming year. So far I'm pretty satisfied with ORS, and I've used Dark & Lovely most of my life, but just maybe what is PERFECT for me is something else completely...I'll make a final decision on that in February 2013.