Product Review & Prepping for Protective Style

Hello All!

Just checking in about the changes going on with my hair.

I am experiencing rapid growth from drinking more water and taking my Biotin and MSM! The new growth is manageable but I am going through a very tough time dealing with breakage on the left side of my hair. I am starting to think that my line of demarcation is extremely fragile and the amount of TLC I am providing is simply not enough but I fear that too much manipulation will cause breakage too.

So of course I have been digging really deep to recover my hair from this drought so to speak. I have been diligent in moisturizing and sealing my hair, incorporating the greenhouse effect in my daily routine, and sealing my ends with a heavier oil.

I have started feeling my hair get back to normal but in my opinion this has been what feels like the worst bout with my hair since I started my journey. I am listening to my hair and what I feel it needs is to be left alone to grow but also to be moisturized.

With that being said I decided to do a "short" long-term protective style. I am getting the style from my previous post put in my hair on Friday and in preparation for that install I am taking a night to pamper my hair.

I washed my hair with a clarifying Mint Conditioner from my local whole foods store. This conditioner soothes my itchy scalp and also cleans my hair to welcome the treatments I set up for my hair. I followed up with Tea Tree Conditioner to again soothe my scalp but also condition my hair. Once that was rinsed I applied my new moisturizing conditioner as a deep treatment mixed with a little coconut oil and JBCO:

As soon as this conditioner hit my hair I immediately felt a difference! When I say smooth as silk....SMOOTH!! It has definitely transformed my hair drastically. It has some pros and cons but overall it is a great product

Pros

• Great size bottle with dispensing nozzle (32 oz)
• Great scent
• Easy to distribute throughout hair

Cons

• It is a thin conditioner which can't really be used again as a "deep conditioner" but more like a cowashing conditioner

So after I rinsed my hair I applied Vitamin E oil to my hair and put my hair in a bun and baggied my ends for additional moisture.

I am looking forward to giving my hair a much needed break and seeing the growth I will gain over the next month or so.

*Additional details about the Argan Magic Moisturizing Conditioner*

This conditioner came in a set with the matching shampoo. My friend recommended this product to me and I went to get it from Marshalls. The set was $19.99 plus tax.

I think for the size of the bottles are great and for the price you really can't beat it!

Week 17 of 26 Week Stretch...

I just finished week 17 of my 6-month stretch!


Lots of new growth! I took a few snapshots to show the growth…

About 1" of new growth in a month!

17 weeks post relaxer!

The regimen that I have been using with these braids has been very minimal. 

I cowash the braids every 7-10 days. I use a spray bottle to moisturize my new growth. It contains an oil, water, and conditioner. I still use castor oil along my edges.

I typically wear the braids in ponytail but the style offers little to no manipulation within itself.

The only con that I have run into with these braids is the nape of hair has grown so much that I have had to take down an entire row so the fake hair doesn't cause damage to my real hair.

Overall I am pleased with the growth and the upkeep.

6-month Stretch is a GO!!

That's right!

I am going on my second 6-month stretch of my hair journey. With me already being 13 weeks post I am at the halfway mark and I have the experience to successfully stretch for another 13 weeks.

My current protective style is box braids! Love, love, LOVE them! They are medium in size which will allow for easy take down with little to no damage and I will be able to oil my scalp and hair generously.

I started the JBCO method on my edges which I found to be great during my last braid installation. It's just a personal idea that I came up with which I'm sure other women have done as well. I simply applied JBCO from day one of the install as a preventative measure to reduce any hair loss that may come with the braids along my edges and it worked great. When I took my last install down my hair was moisturized and my edges were still there.


I love the idea of a long-term protective style at this point of my stretch and I can't wait to see my growth at the end of the 26 weeks!

13 weeks down…13 weeks to go!

Update: Wash Day, Castor Oil Challenge, Stretching

Hey Ladies!

I washed my hair and deep conditioned my hair today. I sat under my steamer for 25 minutes and my hair felt luxurious!!

I air dried using the scarf method which helped keep my edges flat.

My hair is very thick during this stretch so finding ways to keep my hair in line is crucial.

I am going to continue with the castor oil challenge seeing that the past couple of weeks have been going ok. I think it has aided in the thickness as well.

I have decided to go on my second 6-month stretch! :)

I will be relaxing on DECEMBER 28th, 2013 at the conclusion of the castor oil challenge.

Stay tuned for updates on my stretch and I will check in periodically as the weeks go on as I did on my last 6-month stretch.

Any additional tips would be great for this stretch!
Thanks for your support!

Heat Pass, Trim, & Castor Oil Challenge!

Hello Ladies,

I recently used a heat pass on my 13 weeks post hair and during that pass I also did a very light dust/trim. My ends look a lot better and feel healthier as well.

I am planning to participate in the Hairlista Castor Oil Challenge Part 8 that begins September 28th!  The challenge runs until December 28th so this is a great time to go on a stretch or to take time and really be strict with yourself in terms of your regimen.

Few details can be found here: Castor Oil Challenge Part 8, Sunshyne plans to post more details later so  be on the lookout for those as well.

Feel free to join the group here for support, questions, and inspiration: JOIN IN

I am looking forward to the results and may even be tempted to embark on another 6-month stretch *wink wink* :)

So stay tuned ladies and I hope to see you all in the group!

Happy Hair Growing!

Gro-Aut Oil Challenge

I stopped my JBCO challenge because I was experiencing more shedding than I could tolerate and I will just use it in my deep conditioner instead.

With that being said I am going to start a Gro-Aut Oil Challenge starting May 12th, 2012-July 12th, 2012. I will be applying it to my scalp 5 days a week. I am having a sew-in installed next week as a long-term low manipulation style and I will adjust my normal regimen accordingly to avoid any disruption with hair underneath. I will only be using GAO as my growth aid and nothing else just to determine if that is the reason for increased growth in my hair.

Saturday is my last wash day before the sew-in gets installed and I will do a protein treatment and apply my Gro-Aut Oil.

This is the site where Gro-Aut Oil can be purchased:

http://www.myfasthairgrowth.com/pages.php/page/affiliate/?ref=3

Wash Day :)

Today I did my wash using the Avalon Peppermint Shampoo and Conditioner and also the Roux Porosity Control Conditioner.


My hair feels really good and clean.


I let the hair air dry and then I applied my JBCO to my scalp and moisturized and sealed my ends.


I have it braided up in two pig tails as my protective hairstyle for the next couple of days. Since I am out of school for the summer I can focus on my hair more and also many women say that their hair grows faster in the summer so I am hoping for a nice growth spurt.


I love how my texlaxed hair looks and feels after a wash day and I'm excited to keep going! However, I am nervous about managing the 3 textures (natural, relaxed, texlaxed). The new growth will need care and having so many lines of demarcation I fear a great deal of breakage. I am doing research to find the best ways to prevent a setback with this kind of issue and I am hoping for the best.


HHJ :)