No more splits!

Heya y'all!

Yeah, I've been a little quiet, partly because I have been sick as a dog! I will update y'all on EVERYTHING bit by bit.

Right now though I am informing y'all that I am joining Jeni from JustGrowAlready in the 30 Days without Split Ends Challenge. I haven't been part of a hair challenge in a long time and I think this will help me get back on track where my hair care is concerned.

The rules are simple. Apart from the sign up it basically says that one should simply change one's regimen in at least one way to help reduce/prevent split ends.

Here's some of the changes I'm going to make:

1. ZERO direct heat for the rest of the month. Thus no blow drying, no flat ironing and NO going to the salon!
2. Intensify deep conditioning by doing overnight prepoo sessions and by adding sunflower oil (ceramides) to all conditioners.
3. Protective styling as much as possible. As much as I love showing off my length (come on! I never could before) I need to step up my pin up and braiding game to protect what I have gained.
4. Have a dusting at the end of the month if necessary.

I am hoping that the results are that not only am I rejuvenated in my journey but that I can enter summer being past APL.

What changes would you make to your regimen?

Happy Monday!

The gym plus rainy weather - I'm gonna throw some shade!

Hello there everybody.

We are in the 2nd month of 2014, and one of my new year's resolutions have been going pretty strong, which is going to the gym on a much more regular and consistent basis. I have been doing that and although the results are slowly coming, as my friend Ashante always says, it's about progress, not perfection. Well, I apply the same philosophy to my tresses, knowing that I will get where I want to be, I must just be consistent and relentless.

Now, those two worlds (gym and hair) sometimes do not really like each other, especially the past few days when we have had consistent rain here in Windhoek. Now, I am not complaining about the rain, it is marvelous! Namibia has been in the midst of a very intense, long drought. We were receiving international aid, it got so bad. Livestock were keeling over, so thank God for the rain. It does however make it a little more difficult to look cute AND make sure you take care of your hair. So, I have forsaken trying to look cute and focused on the care, keeping my hair bunned up and appreciating all the moisture in the air, as my hair is also nice and soft as a result.

Now, I wish to tell y'all about my most recent wash day, which was Monday evening. After an intense one hour strength training session, and walking a little in the rain, my head looked a hot mess, so I jumped into my wash day routine.

1. Prepoo for 30 minutes with Darbur Amla Oil, detangling as I applied the very runny oil. 
2. Shampoo with Amla Legend 3 in 1 Body Filler Shampoo. I am still in 2 minds regarding this shampoo. Although it contains sulphates, it does not produce an even half decent lather. I am still not sure if my hair was suffiently clean. However, it was super soft. Thus, still in 2 minds. 
3. Instant conditioned with Tresemme Naturals Conditioner. Still loving that slip!! 
4. Deep conditioned with ORS Replenishing Conditioner. Still my staple DC and the product to replace must practically be sent from heaven, made by the hands of angels and practically create a halo on top of my hair! I DC's with a plastic cap and towel for almost an hour. 
5. Rinsed my DC and then applied my leave ins of  Bone Strait (a little extra protein for the ends), MorrocanOil Leave in treatment serum and Avon Moisture IQ treatment, and then proceeded to roller set. 
6. It was getting late, so I used my hair dryer to dry my hair whilst in the rollers, taking care to not concentrate on one spot for too long. 
7. After taking out the rollers, rubbed on some silicone serum, wrapped my hair and crashed into my bed. 

My hair came out great. BUT, then I went to gym Tuesday after work and proceeded to sweat like a young pig in a high intensity step class, hair thus frizzing up like cray cray. So last night, at home, after gym, and when the sweat dried a little, I applied the Moisture IQ treatment as moisturizer, sealed with silicone and wrapped after making a bun with the ends. Today I'm in an EZ comb bun, and I predict that this will be my go to style for the rest of the summer and its summer showers. 

Any advice out there on how to take care, look cute, still gym and appreciate the rainy weather? 2014 is the year of weddings for me - friends and family alike, so I need to look great at each one, including the bod and the hair. How do you ladies find the balance? 

Have a happy hump day y'all, it's Wednesday, half way to the weekend!!!

New challenge

Well, ladies, as y'all know, I am pushing for that APL goal by New Year's Eve. I've decided to step it up and I have found what is going to help. I am going to take part in GAHL's Hair Challenge, in order to grow and retain as much length as humanly possible. 

The rules are as follows, and they're easy to follow:

1. Wear protective styles 90% of the time
Protective styles are those that keep your ends hidden. These include buns, cornrows, braids, weaves e.t.c keeping your ends hidden will keep them from getting damaged and will encourage length retention.

2. Wear low manipulation hairstyles 10% of the time. Low manipulation hairstyles do not keep your ends protected but do not need to be combed out. These styles can easily be turned into protective styles. Examples of these are braid outs, perm rod sets, straw sets, bantu knots out, twist outs e.t.c 

3. Deep condition every week or at least once every two weeks

4. Moisturise and seal your hair on regular basis. 

5. Baggy your hair or just your ends whenever your hair or ends feel too dry.Baggying is simply applying a plastic bag on your head after moisturising to retain moisture. 

6. Keep your hair covered with a satin or silk scarf at night while sleeping.

7. One heat pass for the entire three months use it wisely ladies. Rollersetting and steaming the hair is allowed.

I'm planning to utilize my singular heat pass around my birthday in December. Other than that I am planning to rollerset religiously and protective style like a crazy person. 

And this is where I am today:

Sorry for the sucky cellcam quality, but yeah, y'all get the idea. I have about 2 whole inches to go to reach APL, but I am SO not giving up. And yea, my tattoo is completely covered by my hair!!!!!!! And it was still peeking out 3 weeks ago! I am a happy camper! (not about a few of those ends though, eish)

Anybody gonna join me in this simple challenge?

Blessed Monday y'all!

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. 

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!

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!

                    

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?

Bangin and Swangin Challenge - May

I know, I know, I know. Ebony I apologize for my tardiness. Lol. Everybody, here are my goals for taking part in the B&S challenge hosted by Ebony of Longing4Length, specifically for May:

• GET BACK IN THE GYM - 3-5 times a week, concentrating on cardio
• Incorporate MUCH more fruits and veggies in diet, at least 2-4 servings a day
• Drink the recommended EIGHT glasses of water a day
• Cut down, as in WAY down on refined carbs and sugars
• Lose at least 2 kg

Regarding the hair part of the challenge, for May specifically:

• Be CONSISTENT
• Pre-poo before every wash, alternating between a conditioner pre-poo and oil pre-poo
• DC once a week
• Protein treat once to twice a month (my hair can handle it I realise, but more than that leads to over load and breakage)
• Protective style 90% of the time
• M&S DAILY!!
• Sleep with silk bonnet EVERY NIGHT
• Treat edges with castor oil 3-5 times a week to fill them out. 

Alrighty then. Let the games begin. Happy weekend everybody!!