6-Months Down!

Woot Woot!

Yesterday marked 6-months since I big chopped!

Time flies when you're having fun! I am writing this quick post to capture what has occured over the last 6 months in terms of growth! Previous posts go into detail about products, regimen, etc.

 

The picture on the left was my big chop twists and now I've almost doubled my length! (Turn up lol)

Excited to see what the next 6-months will hold.

Thanks for reading!

AR

1-Month Castor Oil Check-In

Hey All!

Yesterday marked one month of the Hairlista Castor Oil Challenge Part 10.

Sunshyne posted a discussion for participants to upload their results for the first month so I am doing the same here on my blog :)

I missed out on one week of application so this is actually more of a 3 week update. Nonetheless I have received noticeable growth.

At the beginning of this challenge I had a major issue with itchiness on my scalp but from further applications the itchiness has subsided dramatically. I have incorporated more cowashes as needed to combat buildup and prevent irritation.
My hair of course is also softer and much more manageable. When I wash my hair I pre-poo with the castor oil mix and do a hot oil treatment.

For this upcoming month I am going to do the inversion method and Greenhouse Effect to help stimulate growth as well.

Curly Girl Method

I have unintentionally been following the Curly Girl Method to some degree.

This link will provide details about the method and the benefits for all of my fellow naturalistas. I do believe some of the method can be applied to relaxed and texlaxed listas as well.

Essentially the method is simply removing shampoo from your regimen and you only cleanse your hair with conditioner. The conditioner of course has to be sulfate free and silicone free. Products containing these ingredients typically only gives hair a fake sheen but the products aren't actually cleansing the hair or penetrating the hair shaft. This leads to buildup which can lead to breakage.

The only conditioner I have been using on my hair is the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Conditioner. While the styling products from this line are a complete tragedy on my hair, this conditioner does the trick for cleansing and moisturizing my hair.
For my cheapie cowashing conditioner I use Tresseme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner Aloe Vera and Avocado. This is sulfate free and much cheaper than the Shea Moisture conditioner. It offers great slip on my hair and the price you pay for the size of the bottle is great as well.

The method also encourages everyone to follow the L-O-C method (Liquid, Oil, Cream). This is the general order of how to moisturize your hair in order to achieve long-lasting moisture on your hair. It doesn't have to be done in this order but it is ideal. I use the L-O-C method when I moisturize my hair and it is WONDERFUL! Typically when my hair is dripping wet out of the shower I apply my oil so I've already knocked out the L-O. Then I section and detangle my hair and apply my whipped shea butter mix as my C. Some people use a store product for their cream and that is fine as well.

Following the Curly Girl Method has helped me lock moisture in my hair for longer periods of time and I don't have to re-moisturize as frequently.

What's Next... 
I was approached by an It Works distributor about trying out their Hair, Skin, and Nail vitamins. I am always apprehensive about changing things in my regimen when my current vitamins and products are working. We talked back and forth for about a month and this gave me time to do my own research of the company and the product as well. I watched countless YouTube videos to see what others had to say about the vitamins and decided to take the plunge. 
DISCLOSURE: I AM PURCHASING THIS PRODUCT WITH MY OWN MONEY! 
I will be testing the product for 3 consecutive months because usually that's about the time it takes to see if a product in fact makes a difference on my hair, skin, and nails. Once I receive the vitamins I will be doing an initial review on my YouTube channel as well as write an blog post covering essential details. 


Thank you for reading and catch you guys next time!
AR 

Length Check with Pictures

Hey guys!

I am SO excited for this post because I shocked myself during my last length check.

I am a little over 4 months natural as of September 3rd. In this short amount of time I have seen my hair do some rather extraordinary things in terms of growth. When I first big chopped I could barely do two-strand twists without them unraveling and now I am knocking out twist-outs left and right.

I can style my hair much better now because it's getting long enough to the point that it doesn't look crazy :)

Pics...

       

So as you can see from previous posts my hair is doing great. But if you still don't see it how about side-by-side comparisons? :) This growth spurt spans from the beginning of August until a few days ago.

Everyone has been asking me "What are you doing!?" And honestly I haven't done much of anything. I currently wash my hair about once a week and just have it in twist and then wear a twist out. Then it's back to wash day, twist, twist out.

What's Next...
For the next 3 months I am going to participate in the Hairlista Castor Oil Challenge Part 10. I will be in the Extreme Group where I will be applying my castor oil mix every other day with a scalp massage. I am using the Home Health 100% Castor Oil mixed with Vitamin E oil. I purchased a 32oz bottle because it was cheaper than purchasing an 8oz bottle.

The Challenge is run from September 19th- December 19th.

I hope you all will join in! The link is above for more information.

Thanks for reading!
AR

2-Month Update & Length Check

Hello All!

Coming with another update.

I officially hit 2 months on July 3rd.

As many of you know I had my hair in kinky twists as a protective style. Originally I had planned to keep my hair braided until about August 3rd. Well coming back from vacation I was getting restless with the twists and were ready to take to them down....so I did!

I am so geeked! I have gained more length in the last 2 months and that is such a great feeling.

 Freshly washed hair; no products added

 Left Side 3"

 Front 3.25"

 Right Side 3.25"

 Nape 3.5"

Wash Day

I took my hair down late Monday night. Tuesday I used for a wash and deep conditioning day. I washed with Carol's Daughters Black Vanilla Sulfate-Free Shampoo and deep conditioned with ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I did a oil rinse using extra virgin olive oil. (LOVED THIS).

Once out of the shower I lightly oiled my hair with grapeseed oil because it isn't as heavy as the olive oil. For my twistout I used the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Eco Styler Gel. I haven't seen the results yet but my twists are holding much better this time around.

What's next?? I am going to have my hair crochet braided as a protective style. I have seen so many people achieve this look and it looks really great. I want all of my hair braided and I want it just about APL in length. So my hair will be taking a breather until August 6th. This gives me plenty of time to prep my hair and play in my curls! :)

Stay tuned for more updates and thanks for reading!

ASR

1st Natural Length Check...

I realized that I had not done any kind of length check since I did the big chop. So here are some (not so good) pics of where I am right now.

 Front: 2.75"

 Right Side 2.5"

Left Side: 2.5"

Nape: 2.25" *NOT PICTURED*

The shrinkage is real! But I think this is a good start for a big chop.

These are just some bonus pics from the wash that I did after I twisted my hair up.

 

Happy Hair Journey!

Free At Last!!

Hello all!

The day finally came! I took out my Senegalese Twist after having them installed for 14 weeks! That is a huge stretch for me considering I usually leave my braids in for 6-8 weeks at a time.

I have TONS of growth from leaving my hair braided up. I am going to finish cutting off the texlaxed/relaxed ends of my hair to get the full effect of my curls. That is the most exciting part for me.

I have not dedicated a day to pamper my hair yet considering I am working multiple jobs and currently house shopping.

Looking at my schedule I will probably prep my hair for washing on Sunday evening. This will be a 2 day pre-poo with an EVOO and coconut oil mix. I will leave this on my hair under  a saran wrap until Tuesday.

Tuesday I will apply a cheapie conditioner to my hair and let is sit for 30 minutes and follow with a cleansing shampoo. After the cleansing shampoo I will deep condition with a very thick and rich moisturizing conditioner mix (haven't decided on what it will be). I'll do an oil rinse using EVOO and then detangle and trim my ends.

I'll definitely have to keep my spray bottle handy so that I can spritz my hair prior to twisting it up.

I haven't decided if I want to get braids right off or if I want to wait until next month to get it rebraided.

I'm just winging it for right now. What I do know is I will be getting Kinky Twist this time around!

Stay tuned for pictures!

AR

6-Month Stretch Ended :-/

Hey All,

Yes you read right...

I ended my 6-month stretch yesterday. My new growth was very thick and unmanageable despite the moisturizing and deep conditioning.

I think I made the best decision for my hair to end this stretch at 18 weeks and texlax my hair.

Often times we do more harm than good during the long stretches and at that moment we have to ask ourselves is it the best decision to relax or continue stretching.

The results were beautiful and I did receive growth!

I did not blow dry or flat iron my hair this relaxer because I will be going to the salon next week for an event.

So I will be stretching indefinitely this time but most definitely will be reaching 12 weeks.

Thanks for reading!

Inversion Method Results..

Hello All!

So I did the inversion method this past week and I was able to see 1/2"- 3/4" of an inch of growth in some areas. I am pleased with these results and can't wait to do it again in July.

The only downside to doing the Inversion Method in box braids was the itchy scalp.

I used my Scalp Relief Recipe to help with the itchiness but I noticed when I left my hair pinned up in a bun it didn't itch as bad. (Strange…)

Overall I think I got good growth!

Now I need to increase the amount of moisture because my roots feel dry. I will probably deep condition my hair my hair this weekend. If I figure out a good way to accomplish this I will write a post about it.

Thanks for reading.

I'm back!

It has literally been 4 months since my last post and in that 4 months a lot has changed with my hair.

I cut my hair back to NL in February and I am currently grazing SL.

Cut to Neck Length: February 2014

Cut to Neck Length: February 2014

I cut my hair because after my experience with the Dominican Blowout, I experienced extreme breakage and hair loss. (Lesson learned)
Following that experience, I decided to cut my hair and start over to rid my ends of the damage.

I am still using the same healthy hair practices that allowed me to retain my length and have been protective styling 99% of the time.

I am currently 10 weeks post relaxer and I have TONS of new growth but I have been taking time to properly deep condition my hair 1-2 times per week and keep my scalp oiled. My ends are doing fine being that I have kept them tucked away wearing two french braids styled in a way that gives a "crown-like" look.

I have been drinking Bamboo Leaf Tea 1-2 times daily for the past month and half and have seen tremendous results in the strength and length of my nails as well as my hair. It is easy for me to drink the tea because I am already a very big tea drinker.

I have been considering taking another multivitamin but after some thought I am still not sure. My biotin and MSM have been doing me good and I think overall my hair is responding to the care that I am giving it.

My goals right now:

• Maintain my ends
• Consistently deep condition
• Be attentive to new growth

My hair length goal has changed seeing that I reached my last goal. I want to reach Mid Back Length!

RELAXER DAY!!: Picture Heavy

Today I reached the 6-month mark of my stretch!

I followed the same route outlined in my previous post for relaxer preparation and my relaxer process. I ended up only needing 14 minutes instead of 16 and my results are lovely!

For a detailed update check out my latest video on my YouTube channel.

Texlax Update

I loved the experience with this stretch and really learned a lot about my hair. I was able to narrow down my staple hair products and learn to care for hair. I got length, thickness, and an added boost of confidence in knowing my regimen is working!

Will I do another 6-month stretch? Yes, but no time soon. I will relax every 3-4 months for now. My next relaxer will be September 21st, 2013.

ORS No Lye Relaxer Normal + EVOO

Africa's Best Super Gro Hair & Scalp Conditioner 

*main ingredient is petroleum so it makes for a good scalp base*

100% Natural Coconut Oil for previously relaxed ends

Relaxer Kit Contents

COUPONS! :)

Before

Total application and smoothing time

Texlaxed hair washed

After: BSL

Front view

Ponytail length

I am considering going for MBL because I had not anticipated reaching my goal length so soon. I believe it is attainable at this point. If I reach MBL I am going to maintain that length with no plans of going past that.

I am LOVING my results and am excited for what this next 3 month stretch has for my hair :)

Thanks for the support!

Random Length Check

A few days ago after a cowash I stretched my hair to see where it was. Keep in mind I am 22 weeks post relaxer and I still have 4 weeks left to go.

I am about 1-2 inches from Grazing BSL!! I will consider myself full BSL once my hair hits the bottom of my bra. This is a very exciting realization because I know that everything that I have done up until this point has been working. I have been retaining my length!

I then snapped a picture from last year fairly close to the start of my hair journey and was even more elated at the results that I am receiving...

So basically in a year I went from SL to BSL which is remarkable for me considering this is probably the longest my hair has ever been in my adult life :)

This just motivates me to keep pushing myself because even through all of the doubts about the whole point in washing, cowashing, deep conditioning, moisturizing and sealing my hair I know something is working and I am going to stick to it!

Most people blog and post videos when their hair is already long. I started from the bottom and I'm coming up so I appreciate everyone who is watching and reading along my journey :)

1 Year Hair Anniversary!

Today is marks one year that I have been on my hair journey!

Looking back over the year I have made such great progress and can't believe how far I've come.

I started my hair journey at neck length. After having my hair basically chopped off at the salon I knew it was time to take my hair into my own hands literally.

I found Hairlista, KISS, and YouTube! I spent countless hours researching ways to grow my hair on my own and learned so much from great women on the same journey to healthy hair growth.

I found a regimen that worked for me and what I found to work best for me overall from ALL the products, theories, and growth aides was CONSISTENCY! Being consistent with my regimen provided with me with the greatest results.

Since I am on a no heat challenge I didn't straighten my hair to see the actual results. This picture was taken February 2013. I have gained another inch since this picture. And I am about 2-3 inches away from BSL.

What I found to work:

• consistency
• protective styling
• low manipulation
• moisture

As I move forward into my hair journey I plan to keep my regimen very simple and continue to listen to my hair.

Wash Day 3-27-13 + Castor Oil Challenge

Today I did a cowash using my ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I felt that my hair needed some protein in it and surely enough my hair feels LOVELY! I didn't follow up with a moisturizing conditioner like I usually do because I wanted my hair to take the protein in.

I detangled my hair in 4 sections and applied my castor oil mix to my scalp. Which brings me to my next personal challenge for the remaining 3 months of my stretch.

I am doing a personal Castor Oil Challenge from March 27-June 19th.

My mix is similar to my EVOO Mix

Castor Oil Mix

4oz Castor Oil

25 drops Lavender Oil (for scent)

25 drops Eucalyptus

I was unable to take starting photos but the closest length I had was from a photo I took the day before my box braids got installed and the day I last flat ironed my hair in December.

My regimen will only change slightly.

• Wash 1x/week (Deep Condition)
• Cowash 1x/week
• Air Dry
• Apply castor mix only on wash/cowash days.
• The only exception is during the week that I am doing the EVOO inversion method.

I am going to protective style 100% of the time now until my relaxer!

So excited for this challenge and if anyone wants to join me feel free to comment below so I can check in with you :)

Length Check: 2-18-13

I did my last wash before my box braids on Sunday. Today I was chatting with a hair buddy and she wanted to see my growth from doing the EVOO inversion method. So I surprised myself as well when I got this...

My hair grew! Although this isn't the most accurate length check due to shrinkage I am still very proud of the length that I've retained thus far on my stretch!

It makes me even more excited to get to finish line and do my texlax and straighten it.

So this is the length before I put in the box braids and I will post another picture after I take them down in a few months.

Current Length

What is my current length?

GRAZING APL! I still have a about an 1" to go and I know I will make it there by December. Below is a picture of my current length!

I recently did a trim to help even out my ends as well as get rid of dead ones. December is looking very promising! :)

I MADE FULL SL!!!

I asked one of my fellow Listas if this was considered Full SL and they said YES!!

So my summer goal is to reach Grazing APL!

 

The picture on the RIGHT was Full NL and the picture on the LEFT is my current length of Full SL! :)

Texlax #2 & Other Updates

Hello All!!

I did my second texlax yesterday night and it was another huge success!!! I used ORS Relaxer in the Normal formula and mixed in Avocado Oil which replaced the 1/2 of the activator that I didn't use.
I have found that with me texlaxing my hair is growing in a lot faster so I may have to tweak the number of weeks I stretch from 13 to maybe 9 or 10 weeks.

I did see some growth! (Excited) So today is the only day I am wearing my hair down then it's back to buns, braid outs, and half wigs until my next relaxer. I am hoping by the end of the summer to be Full SL :)

PICS...

 Looks like maybe 1" of growth

The Summer Hair Challenge is going well and thanks in large part to that challenge and my daily updates in my log, I am able to actually track my progress.

Also, I have incorporated exercising daily into my regimen. 15-30 minutes and on my "down days" I usually just go for a walk. If you have an iPhone or iPad download the "Nike Training Club" app. It's great and easy to use!

I still eat a fruit and one salad a day so I'm getting tons of good nutrition that will help my hair.

I am only using Hair Trigger Growth Elixir and Gro Aut Oil on my scalp and love how BOTH of them make my hair feel and have seen great results from consistent usage!

NOTE: I did not trim my ends this relaxer but plan to trim them during my next relaxer or in December.

Last Wash Before Box Braids

I did a wash today using the Roux Porosity Control Shampoo and Conditioner and a light protein treatment using the ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I followed up using the ever so lovely Eden Body Works Jojoba Monoi Conditioner for moisture.


I air dried with the Aphogee Keratin Restructorizer and moisturized and sealed my hair.


I am getting box braids installed tomorrow so I want my hair to be strong before I put them in. I will be moisturizing my hair again tomorrow to ensure my hair underneath is not dry to avoid breakage when I take the braids out.


My regimen for the braids is really simple:

• Wash bi-weekly with a diluted shampoo.
• Use ORS Dry Shampoo 1-2 times a week to keep scalp clean
• Moisturize hair daily with a  water based spritz
• Haven't decided on a mix yet
• Apply Gro Aut Oil and Hair Trigger Growth Elixir daily alternating products

That's pretty much it!!

I have no idea how long I want to keep them in. I am toying with 6-8 weeks but it depends on how much growth I get and how they look after weeks of wearing them. I don't know if I want to take the hair down and touch up around the edges or just do a final take down.

Since I am doing the Hairlista Summer Challenge I am excited to have a protective style that will allow me to keep my hands out of my hair and just let it GROW!

I am currently at 10 1/2 inches at the top of my hair and roughly 9 1/2 or 9 3/4 inches in the middle and back of my hair so I want to gain at least 3-4 more inches by the end of August.

I know I can do this and length retention will be key...

WATCH ME GROW!

*Sally's Beauty Supply Store has ALL Roux products on sale Buy One Get One FREE until MAY 31st! I picked up a bottle of the Porosity Control Shampoo and Conditioner which aids in keeping my hair balanced.

Comparison Pics!

These are pictures of my hair  from January 1st- April 24th. The picture on the left are the most recent. I had 3 trims during this time period so I imagine my hair would have been longer but I can still see the difference in length and since I will not be trimming again until December (unless I absolutely have to) I am hoping to see some better results.