Writer's block

Hello lovely people

I know, I know. I have been rather absent the past couple of weeks. I am struggling with a little bit of writer's block. Oh hell, sometimes it feels as if I'm struggling though a life block, not knowing which road to take, which avenue is more suitable to me or whether I should just go ahead and do the trusted safe route.

On top of all of that, I am generally annoyed with life right now. It seems as if it has been giving me the finger at a fast and furious pace. Even my hair is complaining! The right side of my nape is showing signs of breakage, the edges on my left aren't very happy with me, my new growth is ridiculous for 9 weeks post (yes I KNOW that's an indication of healthy growth. It still looks a little sad) and for some or other reason moisture does not stay put! I need to step it up a notch, and to assist me, I'm planning to install braids within this week, so that for 2 months at least I can simply take care of my hair whilst not having to worry as much as I do now. Also, I need a freaking break from 6-8 hour wash days!

In any event, I feel like I'm floating around in limbo a bit. But I'll be back to earth soon enough. Blessed Monday everybody.

PS snakes in the grass - ain't nobody got time for that!!! Smh!

First visit in over a year!

Good morning everybody, and I'm hoping everyone's having a good Monday so far.

Well, this weekend I went to the Salon for the first time in over a year! The stylist that me, my sister and my mom used for years has moved to my town. My sister texted me her deets and so I made an appointment for Saturday afternoon, just for a simple wash and blow. i prepped my hair by detangling at home and applying my prepoo, which consisted of warmed coconut oil, a TINY bit of ORS Hair Mayonnaise that I had left over and Revlon  Aquamarine Conditioner. I covered my hair with a plastic cap and a bonnet and after chilling at home for about an hour went into town for my appointment.

When I got to the salon she was a little behind schedule, but I only had to sit and wait for about 30 minutes whilst she finished with a blow out. When we got to the sink she was very impressed with the fact that I arrived with prepoo already applied, since she does care about hair health. She was SO gentle as she shampooed and conditioned my hair. And she gave me a nice head massage, I felt like I was in heaven. Due to budget and time constraints we didn't deep condition this time, but it will definitely be on the cards next time. (And yes, now that Didi is in town, I believe that there shall be a next time). She used Angel Haircare products.

To shampoo she used the A-201 Water Depth Spa Shampoo, described on their website as follows: The marine collagen can reconstruct hair cells and repair damaged hair to make the hair shiny and vibrant. To condition she used the accompanying A-301 Water Depth Spa Conditioner, leaving it on for about 5 minutes before rinsing. It is described as follows: Derived from the deep-sea plants, it forms a natural protecting layer to keep your hair moisturized and smooth. 

We then went to sit for the blow out. My hair felt SO soft despite not having had a DC. Before proceeding with the blow out, she spritzed my hair with the Angel A-303 Hair Soften Spray as leave in and heat protectant. She then started blow drying my hair. she's so gentle, I think all the Colombians I hear of on American hair blogs can learn a thing or two from her. She sectioned off my hair and detangled using a very nice wide tooth comb before blow drying each section using a round brush and the tension method. When she was done, she finished my hair with a little Argan oil. I had so much SWANG when I got out of that chair my ego boosted itself up!

And I believe that I see some REAL progress!!

Of course it was also awesome that I got TONS of compliments during the evening out (of course I went out, swang like that does not stay at home!)

Because a blow out is a LOT of manipulation and a lot of heat, it's not something that I would do every other day. But I can see myself visiting the salon a LITTLE more frequently now, like every 6 weeks or something. The good it did my ego and self esteem I think make it totally worth it. 

So?? How was everyone else's weekend?  Enjoy the rest of the day everybody!

The difference between major and mini

A couple of days ago I was asked by Blutiful Blaq what my mini washes entail. so I thought I would honor her request with a quick explanation of the differences between my major wash days and my mini wash days.

The biggest difference is time. Also mini wash days usually fall in the middle of the week before I'm heading out for dinner and drinks with my friends. Major wash days usually fall on a Saturday or Sunday when I have a lot of free time on my hands. The steps are all the same however, which are as follows:

1. Prepoo: On a major wash day I would easily pre-poo my hair for an hour. On a mini wash day, that time is cut to 5-10 minutes, usually the time it takes me to pick my outfit for the night.

2. Shampoo: On major wash days I would shampoo slowly, but thoroughly, focusing on massaging my scalp and being super gentle, having the water flowing at a slow soft pressure. On mini wash days, although I'm still gentle, I increase the water pressure and I speed things up a bit. Mini wash days usually fall a couple of days after a major wash day, so my hair isn't that dirty and I don't need to be so intense during this step.

3. Instant conditioning: This step remains the same on both types of wash days. After thoroughly rinsing the shampoo from my hair I apply an instant conditioner, finger detangle my hair and then rinse. Sometime, on major wash days, I also include a tea rinse that coincides with this step.

4. Deep conditioning: On major wash days I easily DC for 1-3 hours, depending on the time of day, my level of laziness and the TV show I'm watching as I'm deep conditioning. On mini wash days I DC for about 10-15 minutes, whilst I'm in the shower doing everything else that needs to be done before a night out.

5. T-shirt drying, applying leave-ins and rollersetting: These steps are exactly the same regardless of whether it's a major or mini wash day. The big difference is the next step. This entire process takes 30-60 minutes, depending on the amount of new growth that I have.

6. Drying my hair: On major wash days I leave my hair alone to air dry in the rollers. This takes around 3-4 hours. On mini wash days I whip out the hair dryer and dry my hair (in the rollers of course) using the cold air setting, but high speed. This cuts down drying time to around 25 minutes.

7. What I do once my hair is dry: On major wash days, after I take my hair out of the rollers, I apply a little bit of serum and then wrap my hair. Usually by this time it's late, I'm tired and I get into bed and say goodbye to the world. On mini wash days, I do the same except that after wrapping my hair I apply my make up and get dressed. When I'm done with that I unwrap my hair and style it for the night, which usually results in either wearing my hair out or doing a 50's style pin up. And then out the door I go.

And that ladies is the difference between my mini and major wash days - TIME. Major wash days easily take up 6 hours of my day. Mini wash days I spend 1.5-2 hours on my hair.

Do any of y'all have different kind of wash days, or am I the only one? And if you do, what't the big difference between them?

Have a great day everybody!

July goals - time to get serious!

Good morning everybody!

I trust everyone's having a good hump day so far. I've got a headache sent straight from Hades, but it's still a pretty beautiful day.

We have officially entered the second half of 2013. Here in sunny Windhoek it is however still chilly and nippy as we're in the middle of winter. Winter is not a friend to one's hair, and the cold air, accompanied with warm soups and drinks also makes one a little lazy to actually put in the required effort. Which is why I need to amp up my goals for this month, and perhaps also add some body and health related goals in there. Summer is only 4 months away (we don't really get to experience spring) and I cannot continue to look like a pale blob.

So here goes - goals for July:

1. Drink 1-2 liters of water a day. It went pretty well last month, and so I trust that I can continue to keep it up.

2. Do the freaking tea rinses!! I must really do at least 2 tea rinses this month, no excuses shall be accepted.

3. Minimize manipulation of my hair. I must truly try to limit manipulation, including combing to once every 48 hours, it can only be benficial for my retention.

4. Intensify moisturizing my new growth. I'm about 4, maybe 5 weeks post now. My new growth is showing and they need to be pampered.

5. Limit simple carbohydrate consumption and increase consumption of fruits, veggies and lean meat dishes. Keep daily calorie count to 1200.

6. Intensify deep conditioning by adding heat to every DC session this month.

7. Cover hair with silk scarf the minute I get home, every day.  Even though I always sleep with my hair protected, sometimes a person forgets that lounging on the couch can also zap the moisture out of one's hair. So, the minute I get home, I need to pretect it even if I'm just watching a movie on the couch.


And those are my goals for the month. What are your goals for this month?
Have a happy hum day everybody!

And it's the end of June...

and now the big question is how did I do with regard to my goals. I'm gonna keep this short and sweet.

1. No heat usage - FAIL. I blow dried my hair once this month, and my hair did not thank me.

2. Limit manipulation - I think this was a WIN. Although I didn't manage to limit it to once a day every day, my manipulation of my hair was WAY less than usual thanks to protective styling.

3. Cute protective style that I can wear for at least 48 hours - WIN. And I call it my big fake hair twisted bun!! Will put pics on soon.

4. Wash my hair twice a week - WIN. Wash days fell on Sundays and Wednesdays, with Wednesday washes being "mini washes" and Sundays being "major" washes.

5. Moisturize and seal daily - WIN. I would do it in the evenings, wrap my hair with my satin scarf and my hair would feel awesome all day the next day.

6. Baggy my end at least 3 times a week - FAIL. I managed to baggy my ends once a week only. I should step it up! My hair loves it!

7. Drink 2 liters of water a day - WIN. My skin is also thanking me.

8. Do at least 2 tea rinses for the month - epic FAIL! Will definitely put this on the to do list for July again and hopefully actually DO it.

Well, like I said, short and sweet. How did everyone else's month go? I'm out, have a great Friday everyone.
Happy growing and blessed living!!

10 random things about me - blog edition!

Good morning and hopefully happy Monday y'all. How was everybody's weekend? I swear, I need an extra day between Sunday and Monday, I still feel tired after Saturday's shenanigans, which consisted primarily of a nice birthday shindig of my friend Remi. Again, happy birthday dude!! 

In any event, this morning as I went down my blogroll I came upon this post by Blutiful Blaq and I thought that it's a great way to start off the week blogwise. So here goes, ten random facts about me:

1. I'm a night owl. If I could find a position where I only have to come in to work by nine in the morning, but I can work as LATE as I want, I would be a happy clam!! I HATE getting up early, it is the bane of my adult existence. 

2. I used to play the piano, and I want to do it again. My parents still have my old piano from when I was a kid. I'm looking forward to the day that I have a house big enough so that I can ask them if I can have the piano at my place, then I can start playing again. 

3. I re-read books and re-watch movies. I have no qualms reading or watching my favorites over and over again. Some movies I know so well, I can recite the dialogue!! 

4. Yes, I'm a nerd. And a BIG one. And I don't care. When I was a kid it was disconcerting being a nerd. I mean, no one wanted to be one, and I was teased and bullied for being one. As an adult I embrace my inner nerd. She ALWAYS wins at board games, heehee. 

5. As big a nerd as I am, I'm pretty damn good dancer. Even though I only discovered my rhythm at the ripe old age of 19. I busted my ankle a couple of months ago and have since not really been on the dance floor, and am thus looking forward to the day that I can break it down again. 

6. I love gaming. In my perfect world I would own every gaming console known to man!! Currently I have a Playstation 2, and am eagerly awaiting the relase of the PS4. Not to buy it, but because then the PS3 will be available for a steal! 

7. Related to the above, I'm a sucker for a bargain. Also, I sniff them out! I hate the idea of paying more for something than it's actually worth. I love end of season sales and second hand stores. 

8. I cannot survive without coffee. I don't really care if it's instant or really fancy brewed coffee. Just know that I need coffee. When I was in high school, I easily polished 5-6 cups a day. As an adult, I limit it to 3 cups, but yeah, I cannot go through a day without a cuppa joe. 

9. I like salty snacks, not sweet. Give me biltong over chocolate any day of the week!!!

10. I regard my closest friends as family. They're my sisters and my brothers. They are there for me as I am for them. Even if it simply means coming over with a bottle of red wine to hash out the day. And I love them all very much. 

And there we go. If you didn't know, now you know! I tag all who read this - tell me a little someting I don't know. 

Have a great week everybody. And blessed living!

Never underestimate personal time

Life is a rat race. We've all heard that one right? We've all spoken the phrase. We've all thought that we were traped in a cage and running on a little merry go round, always busy, seemingly not getting anywhere.

The truth of the matter is that life is what you make of it. If you feel that you are constantly stuck in the ratrace then that is exactly what you will continue to be. If you see your current situation as simply your current situation and a step to the next phase of your life, then that is exactly what it is.

Now, we all have goals. Goals with regard to our education, our careers, our home life. We break them up into smaller goals that fit into the big picture. Smaller goals like reading at least one non fiction book every couple of weeks. Bigger picture - self enlightenment and continued education. Smaller goal - get your driver's licence. Bigger picture - the independence of having your own car and driving your own ass around. Smaller goal - get up ten minutes earlier in the morning, and not be late for work again. Bigger picture - bargaining power come promotion time. Smaller goal - visit an art gallery. Bigger picture - enlightenment, education and widening of horizons and taste. The point is that in general we are so focused on what we WANT that we tend to forget what we NEED. We forget that we need to actually get a good night's sleep. We forget that we actually need to eat a balanced diet. We forget that we actually need to spend time with our loved ones. We forget that we actually need to take some time out for ourselves, be selfish and just do us for a change. We are so focused on what we WANT (money, prestige, status, THINGS) and we neglect what we NEED (rest, rejuvenation, love, friendship, TIME).

This past Sunday morning I realised that time, such a precious commodity, is the one commodity that we spend extremely recklessly. I have dark circles under my eyes, because even when I tell myself that I need to get to bed early, my head is still so filled with all the things I want to still do and achieve and get that I roll around for hours instead of bloody SLEEPING. My skin is not happy with me, because I can't remember the last time I cooked myself a decent supper, as I'm so tired after the day that I simply don't and either consume junk or a cup of soup, which is not healthy. I realise that the one thing I need most is a way to utilize and manage my own time in a better manner, so that at the end of the day I actually get proper rest and eat proper meals.

As part of my realisation on Sunday I decided to use the day to give myself a very nice, long, relaxing wash day. I started with a an hour and a half coconut oil prepoo treatmen, again utilizing the plastic shower cap. I followed this with my Protein Feed Moisturizing Shampoo (lathered twice) and instant conditioned with Pantene Moisture Renewal Conditioner. I then lightly blot dried my hair and then deep condtioned with ORS Repleneshing Pak. Oh, how I have missed this DC!!! My hair soaked it up. I covered my hair and then watched about two movies, letting the DC do its thing while I relaxed and put my feet up. I then rinsed the DC, following this with a cold water rinse (YOWZA!!) and then applied my leave-ins of Avon Moisture IQ Moisturizing Leave In Treatment and Kair Serum and proceeded to roller set. I left my hair to air dry in the rollers, which took a good 3 hours. I took out the rollers, applied coconut oil to seal in the moisture still in my hair and then wrapped my hair and climbed into bed.

What I've observed about this wash day - my hair needed protein!! The breakage I experienced as week or so ago has practically stopped completely! My hair feels soft but strong. I realized once more that balance is required through out one's life. I will thus continue to practica balance - at work, at home, with my friends, with my family, with myself, and lastly, with my hair.

Have a great Monday everyone! Blessed living!

A quick wash and go

Yesterday I realised that my hair is screaming to be washed. I've been protective styling with a BIG bun for about 3 days and my hair has decided that enough is enough. Unfortunately my social life kind of collided with my hair's needs, so I had to find a way to deal with it. My solution, a very quick wash! And this is how it went:

Disclaimer: This is not my normal wash day routine, and I would not recommend this being done more than once ever 3-4 months!

1. I detangled with my fingers and wide tooth comb and then jumped in the shower. There was literally no time for a prepoo.

2. I shampooed with Protein Feed Moisturizing Shampoo, as I suspected that my hair actually needs a protein boost, taking into consideration all the freaking breakage I've been experiencing.

3. I quick conditioned with Pantene Moisture Renewal Conditioner. My hair really drinks in this stuff, and it has the most wonderful slip, and thus I detangled my hair.

4. After rinsing the conditioner I applied ORS Hair Mayonnaise(some more protein), "deep conditioning" my hair for about 10 minutes whilst I finished the rest of my shower duties.

5. Making sure to thoroughly rinse the hair mayonnaise, I then wrapped my hair in a gym t-shirt. I'ts made of silky soft material so there was very little friction, thank heavens. I kept it like that for about 5 minutes, then applied my leave in, Avon Moisture IQ Leave in Treatment.

6. I proceeded to rollerset, working at the speed of a crazed person. Remember people, my social life is VERY important to me and I had about 30-45 minutes before having to meet up with friends. Thank heavens my hair's freshly relaxed, the roller setting process went quickly and uneventfully.

7. I proceeded to dry my hair with by blow dryer, using it on the hot high setting for the first time in I don't know how long, as time was running out.

8. The next part is the part that should not be done in general to one's hair. When my hair was about 80% dry, I proceeded to remove the rollers one by one and then blow drying each section with the hair dryer and a round brush, thereby also straightening the hair.

9. Once my whole head was dry, I applied Kair silicone serum and coconut oil, wrapped my hair and proceeded to get dressed and finishing my make-up. When I was done with all that, I took down the wrapped, combed my hair down and out the door I went. Of course, half way through the night I found a bobby pin and proceeded to french braid my hair, tucking ends in with the pin. My hair is still in said braid. Protective styling seemingly comes naturally to me, lol..

Bit of a long rambly explanation, but THAT, was how I washed my hair when I was in a hurry. I'm saving Saturday for my PROPER wash day though, which shall include not only a nice long pre-poo and a nice long DC, but also a tea rinse and air drying in the rollers. It'll be epic!

Have a great phuza Thursday y'all!!

Fearing a setback

One more day to go and it's the weekend! Thank the heavens for that, cause I am tired. Not just a little tired, the kind of tired where my daydreams are just WAY too vivid. I mean, I am missing people that I have never met! Well not face to face anyway, lol.

I am experiencing an issue - breakage, and LOTS of it!! I am so sad. I am doing everything that I have been doing for the past year and 3 months - I moisturize and seal, I protective style, I use minimal heat, I try to manipulate as little as possible, I deep condition, I use gentle shampoos, etc etc and so on. Despite ALL of that, the past week, whenever I put a comb through my hair, or even just fingercombing my hair, I end up wioth SO many strands, and it's breakage! I'm checking for little white bulbs and not finding any. And I don't know what to do, I'm at my wits end. I don't know if it's the change of season, if it's the fact that I'm freshly relaxed (2 weeks post), my new leave in, moisture/protein imbalance, I really am not sure what the cause is.

And thus, ladies on similar journeys - please assist! What can I do to firstly determine the exact cause of my grief, and secondly, how do I stave off this possible setback? I mean, damnit, I finally reached shoulder length. I'm on the APL train and I don't want to get off. But the health of my hair needs to be focused on and I would greatly appreciate the help and advice.

So ladies, what do ya say????????

21 Questions

I saw this on http://creamycrackaddcit.blogspot.com and simply had to do it as well, thinking that the type of questions and of course answers give so much insight wih regard to one's hair journey. So here goes:

1. Why did you start taking better care of your hair?

My hair was a mess. Ear length, breaking all over the place, dry, lacking lustre. And I was sick of it. In addition, my trusty hairdresser disappeared from the face of the earth. So I had one of two options - trust a stranger or trust myself with the help of the hair blogosphere. I decided on the latter.

2. What are your two favorite products?

Well, I have become a bit of a product junkie since starting my journey, but my favorite products that are ALWAYS in my bathroom are coconut oil and ORS Replenishing Conditioner.

3. Who's hair did you admire as a child?

That would be a tie between Topanga from Boy meets World and Ashleigh from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

4. What is your ultimate goal length?

Well, I JUST reached shoulder length, so right now I'm focusing on reaching APL within hopefully the next year. Ultimate goal however would be mid back length. Give me a couple of years, lol.

5. How are you gonna celebrate when you reach it?

Wear it out and do like Willow Smith sings - Whip my hair back and forth!

6. Two styles you want to try on your goal length?

Katniss braid! Sure there are many styles that I'll play around with, but the Katniss braid will be the ultimate.

7. Health or length?

Well, without health, the length won't come, so the focus is health (in order to gain the dang length!)

8. Which do you prefer - hair ties or butterfly clips?

Hair ties with no metal parts, although I mostly use bobby pins to pin my hair up.

9. What products do you prefer: salon brands, organic brands, drugstore brands, beauty supply store brands?

Well, I use a variety of all of the above, except that salon brands are DANG expensive and freaking hard to come by in general.

10. Which product/techniquedo you think is underrated?

Well, a technique that I think many people don't give sufficient kudos is roller setting. A product that's underrated...I have no idea actually...natural oils have found their way into the cupboards and drawers and shelves of every lady on a hair journey, but it is a relatively new phenomena. As a kid I already knew that coconut oil does my hair good, and I rediscovered it as an adult.

11. What product/technique do you think is OVER rated?

In my mind washing my hair in sections, it's too convaluted to me. I prepoo in sections, braiding up the sections after applying whatever I'm prepooing with, but the minute I stand under the shower and start WASHING, I loosen the braids as I rinse out the products. Otherwise my hair simply does not feel cleansed. An over rated product in my mind is ORS Olive Oil Hair Masque. It has NO slip, my hair does NOT feel awesome, especially considering its damn price. No thank you!

12. What's the favorite part of your hair regimen?

Deep conditioning - because it's the laziest part of my wash day routine. I usually put it on and then chill with it under a plastic cap for a good 2 hours while I watch a movie or a series or read a book. I love it because I'm taking care of my hair whilst relaxing at the same time.

13. What's the most annoying part of your regimen?

Detangling - especially if I've had my hair in a protective style for a couple of days and even more so if I'm more than 6 weeks post and my new growth is making its presence known properly.

14. Oils or butters?

Oils - never tried butters. Don't think I'll try them any time soon anyway, they seem SO thick and heavy. I like light leav in products.

15. Buns or ponytails?

Ponytails, especially recently that my hair is longer and the pony has a bit of swang to it, lol.

16. Wig or weave?

Wigs. My last weave experience was a horrible one and has scarred me. Wigs however - I love its temporaryand versatile  nature and the fact that it is STILL a protective styling method.

17. What's your opinion on growth aids?

Honestly I don't know. There is one supplement that I want to give a try, maybe in a while I'll be able to give a proper answer.

18. What length do you consider long?

The minute hair hits the APL mark, I consider it long.

19. When's the last time you've been to a salon?

29 June 2012 - almost a full year ago, for a wash and blow out. I don't trust hairdressers to be as careful, gentle and conscious of my hair as I am myself.

20. What do you surf most - Youtubechannels, personal blogs or forums?

Personal blogs. It appeals more to me, it sometimes feels like I'm reading a letter from a friend.

21. What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting on their hair journey?

Be PATIENT! Do not expect results over night. Be patient, be vigilant, be consistent. And do your research!!

Goals for the month of JUNE

I have been struggling. My hair is at an awkward stage. Well, it's awkward for me, considering that it is longer than it has ever been in my adult life and thus I don't really know what the freak to do with it style wise. I want to continue with protective styling, as I saw first hand how beneficial it was to my retention. At the same time, I do not want to be bored. In addition, because of the extra length, I'm struggling a bit with my pin ups and thus need to learn new ways to pin up my hair. In any event, I decided to set out clear goals for myself for this month. Maybe if I focus on the GOALS, bordeom and frustration can be kept at bay.

1. NO heat usage. I am only one week post, I really don't need to use heat in any way, sense or form. So it should be easy for me to stay away from  it. 
2. Limit manipulation (including combing, brushing, fiddling) to a ONCE a day thing. See, this is challenge for me, because I grew up with this notion that hair is combed in the morning and in the evening before bed. I am going to attempt to cut out all night time manipulation.
3. As a follow up to the above, try to find a cute protective style that I can wear for at least 48 hours straight. (And it stays cute for the whole 48 hours!)
4. Wash my hair twice a week. It's winter over here in sunny Namibia and the air is dry and biting cold. The extra moisture from an additional wash day can only be beneficial.
5. Moisturize and seal DAILY. I have been slacking on that front and my ends are complaining.
6. Speaking of ends, I must baggy them at least 3 times a week.
7. Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Yes it's cold, but my hair and skin will thank me for the moisture and nourishment from within.
8. Do at least two tea rinses this month. I'm still experiencing a shedding problem, regardless of the garlic supplements I've been taking, so I need to try those tea rinses again!

Those are my goals for the coming month. If I accomplish ALL of them, I am going to reward myself with AN ACTUAL SALON VISIT.

Anyone have any specific goals for this month?
Happy growing and blessed living everyone.



More than just cleanliness

I know that I haven't posted about a wash day in quite a while, partly because my regimen has been so set, that to repeat the same thing would have bored me, and I would not want to bore anyone reading my posts. I however wish to share my most recent wash day with y'all due to the fact that I have been trying out a few new things and I think they warrant mention. Note - these are not reviews, I plan to do those once these new products are all used up and I can see exactly what effect that they had over the long term.

Firstly, my most recent wash day was the first wash after my relaxer touch up, and I thus felt that I need to fortify my hair with some extra protein. At the same time, my ends felt dry, which I believe was caused largely by the mineral deposits left behind after the relaxer, and thus I needed to clarify as well as add lots of moisture. And thus my wash day went as follows:

• Prepoo with ORS Hair Mayonaise, covering my hair with a plastic cap, and sitting with the prepoo for about 45 minutes to an hour
• Rinse and shampoo with Amway Satinique Gentle Daily Cleanser. I needed to clarify but I wanted to use the most gentle shampoo in my arsenal. The Satinique Daily Cleanser is SO creamy and rich, my hair felt clean but soft and nourished. I lathered twice and then proceeded to just rinse my hair for a few minutes under the shower. Thank heavens for soft water.
• I applied Pantene Moisture Renewal Conditioner for an instant conditioner, finger detangling as I applied it. It really sinks into one's hair, and I think that I will definitely repurchase once this bottle has seen its end.
• After rinsing out the Pantene, I lightly towel dried my hair and then applied Avon's Morrocan Oil Hair Mask as my deep conditioner. It is one of my new products and I was very curious considering that it cost my N$ 45 ( about US$ 4) for a 150ml tube. It is a very thick conditioner, the word "mask" is very much suitable. It felt as if I had to use quite a bit to be able to cover every strand. I felt a little apprehensive at first because it didn't seem to have much slip. I persevered though, covered my hair with the mask, put on the plastic cap again and proceeded to DC for a good hour, maybe even an hour and a half. I was watching Ally McBeal reruns and lost track of time.
• When I started to rinse the DC my hair felt SO soft, I could barely believe it. I officially like this Morrocan Oil mask, my hair felt soft and nourished and strong.
• After rinsing I blotted my hair to remove excess moisture and let it air dry for a few minutes before applying my leave in, which is also new this month - Avon's Moisturizing Leave-In Treatment with Moisture IQ. So far I'm quite happy with it too. It does leave my hair feeling nice and soft, but we'll leave the final review for later.
• I then proceeded to detangle and roller set. I did experience a bit of breakage during this process, enough to make me rethink my daily regimen when it comes to moisture and manipulation, but thank heavens, not so much to have me in tears. I left my hair to airdry in the rollers, which took a good 3 hours. I then removed the rollers, applied a bit of coconut oil to my scalp and to the length of the hair for a bit of extra shine and then proceeded to pin my hair up into a French roll.

In general I was pretty happy with the results of my most recent wash day. My hair felt smooth, soft, strong and nourished. I'm planning to keep focusing on  maintaining the moisture/protein balance and to have wash day not be a frustrating activity. (Which is partly also why I relegate it to Saturdays or Sundays - I have ALL day and I don't feel rushed. I HATE feeling rushed.)

So, how did your wash day go? Till next time, happy growind and blessed living!

Procrastination is so not a good look

It has been a minute since I've posted. Partly, life is crazy. And partly because I'm in a hair rut. today I started realizing that procrastinating when I'm going to write a blog post most definitely will not help me move out of the rut, and therefore I must get my behind in high gear.

So, let's start with the fact that I touched up at 15 weeks post. I am not going to stretch that long again. It was my longest relaxer stretch yet and I was not doing my hair any favors, to be honest. I'm still not too adept at dealing with lots of new growth. Yes, I am a lot more able than I was a year ago, but when I'm dealing with two distinctly different textures, I fully realise how new I still am to this hair game. I was as gentle as possible, I provided my hair with plenty of moisture and protein, I attempted to manipulate my hair as little as possible on a day to day basis, and still I experienced demarcation line breakage. My goal for the next three months (12 week maximum stretch) is to make sure that I baby that demarcation line, reduce breakage and shedding and retain the length that grows out of my head.

In any event, let's quickly summarize my most recent touch up. I used ORS No Lye Olive Oil for Girls Relaxer kit. I love this kit. It already contains a scalp protector, a protector for previously relaxed hair AND nice tight fitting latex gloves. Personally I highly doubt that I would move away from this kit. The sad part of this relaxer day was the visual evidence of me stretching for too long. Relaxing one's hair in general requires quite a bit of manipulation and during the process I saw the demarcation line breakage hair going down the drain. And I repeated to myself - long stretches simply aren't for me. Each and every person needs to address their hair journey on a personal level. Long stretches may work for other ladies, their hair may even thrive, mine does not.

My next projected touch up date is the 17th of August at 12 weeks post. It's actually perfect considering that the following weekend I have a BIG wedding, to which we have all been looking forward to for some time already. A couple of things I know for sure - I can't stretch for longer than 3 months at a time; the ORS Olive Oil No Lye kit for Girls is the best relaxer I have used so far in my life and I need to baby my demarcation line at all times.

Until next time, happy hump day everyone!

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!