Wednesday, December 31, 2008

How to Trim Your Ends


...Okay so ya'll know last update I was really upset because the scissor happy stylist "trimmed" too much of my hair. I am now thinking that for my Aug update she probably cut alot then. That was after I didn't relax for a year. I wonder how much of THAT progress went down the drain. For all I know I could have been full APL if she didn't trim too much in Aug and Dec. Anyway I vowed that was the last time a stylist would trim my ends! If I am going to learn to take care of my hair then I need to learn it ALL. So I did some searching on the Internet and found these helpful tips on trimming or dusting my ends:


How To Trim Your Ends
Step One
Separate your hair into four equal sections, pinning the sections you're not working on out of the way.

Step Two
Identify your split ends. This will be easy because when looking at the ends of individual hairs, the split ends separate at the bottom of the hair shaft.

Step Three
Hold a section of hair in your hand no wider than an inch across. Use your first and middle fingers to hold this hair about one inch from the bottom.

Step Four
Use the shears to cut off only the bottom of this section. This shouldn't be more than one quarter to half an inch.

Step Five
Repeat steps two to four all the way around your head. Trimming hair in the back of your head will require a mirror and might be too difficult to do on your own. See if you can have a friend help you on the back sections.

Step Six
Make sure you're trimming evenly, especially if you have straight hair. People with curly hair don't have to worry as much that their hair falls in a straight line, but a sloppy trimming job on very straight hair will be obvious.


How To Dust Your Ends


Start with a section of hair and cut off the split ends of individual strands. You can use one of the methods described below if you wish.

Take a small section of hair, and twist it. The ends of the hair will pop up out of the twist and you can see split ends and trim them.

Spread out a section of hair with your fingers. Place your index finger over the top of the section, the middle finger adjacent and underneath, and your ring finger over. Basically weave it through these three fingers. As you slide your fingers down the section you should see bad ends popping out, so trim them. Continue all the way down the strand. Be prepared for eye strain!

Take a section of hair, leave it loose and search through it for split ends.



Tips & Warnings

Trimming split ends on a regular basis is important if you're trying to grow your hair out. Left alone, split ends can travel up the length of the hair, which leads to further damage.


If your hair has badly damaged ends due to neglect, visiting a professional stylist will yield better results.

Use shears made for hair trimming, not scissors that are used for various household tasks.

Dull shears can further damage your hair, so make sure your shears are sharp to get the best results.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Bronzeg's Method of Co-Washin!

Yup, I was reading Bronzeg's method of cowashing over on Hairlista. She stated that she co-washes the hair while it's styled. I would like to try this with my braids pulled back in a pony tail. That way it wont take up too much of my time b4 I go to work in the morning. We all know Bronzeg's has had some INCREDIBLE growth so I think this is worth trying. 

I Saw A Celebrity!

So I was in the Atlanta Airport and guess who I see going down the escalator while I was going up?? Neyo! Yup, Neyo. He did look kinda gay but cute at the same time. His lips curled out and up. He didn't look bad but he had that skull cap glued to his head. I should have yanked it off and ran with it! When I saw him my mouth dropped open and I was just staring like a retard so he nodded his head at me and said what's up. I wanted to snap a pic with my iPhone but I couldn't get to it in time. What tripped me out is that it looked like he was by himself....no bodyguards, nothing! WTF? Now you all are probably thinking that wasn't Neyo! Well I ain't crazy I know what that damn funny looking Neyo look like LOL. Anyway, its crazy because with his hit, "Because of you" you would have expected him to have a lil change. It seemed like I was the ONLY one that recognized him. 

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Regimen Revision Starting Point for Next Update...


Back To Braids...

Well its back to the braids. This time I got the Wet and Wavy kind. They charged $200.00.  For some reason  I am scurrred to switch and get kinky twists. Since the braids are what's growing my hair I feel like that is the only thing that will work.  As you will see in the finished picture below that the braids are HELL-A-TIGHT! How in the hell do they braid so close to the scalp??I will keep these in until March, my next vacation. Since I am SINGLE now I will focus more on my hair. Hopefully I will make APL next reveal!

 The picture below is the lady braiding my hair. She is almost finished. I think I was ready to cry in this picture!

...And this is the finished product. Check out my forehead. I think she braided it so tight she took a couple of inches off my "fohead!"

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My First Alma, Bhrami and Maka Powder Mix...

Last night I decided to try the Indian Powders for the first time. I got scared and punked out and did not put alot of it in because I didn't want it to get hard. It was 
kinda messy so I think I will stick to the tea rinses. 
It made my hair very hard and I even pre oiled over night and half a day before I applied it! I rinsed with some Aussie Moist Conditioner and it worked miracles!  My hair does feel stronger and thicker. Anyway here are the pictures....

My Moisturized Hair...

My twist look so juicy! LOL!



My Bun With a Bang


I decided to do another lil bun with a bang. I really liked it!




Monday, December 22, 2008

My Cousin's Hair


Okay so ya'll know I am in Alabama. I'm chilling with my cousin, Jennifer Jackson and I couldn't resist posting pictures of her hair. This girl has been growing her hair for some time now. It grows fast. I remember in High School when she had it cut above her ears. Look at it now! Some of her favorites products are ORS Replenishing Conditioner, Vitamin E oil, Castor Oil, Kera Care and Creme of Nature Shampoo. She get her ends trimmed three times a year. She get 3-4 relaxers a year and she gets her hair pressed in between. She loves to air dry. Less heat is her moto! She keeps her hair wrapped 99.5% of the time. She hates spritz, gels or any kind of harsh chemical besides the creamy crack! Oh one other thing is she does not belong to any of the hair forums. She's been doing this on her own for a while so she gets a big COOKIE from me! LOL! Love ya Jenn!



Here is Another Comparison...

My Braid Styles

Micro Braids:
Wet & Wavy:





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My Styles:













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CITY TWIST
(These are other people)

These are the micro kind:
Micro City Twists - $390
Application - 8 Hrs
Lasting Time - 8-12 wks

Site: City Twist





Need to see some more?










Sunday, December 21, 2008

Before Trim and After Trim...

I hated that I ever decided to go back to the lady to have her "trim my ends." It looks a lot like she "cut" it. So I vow to myself from now on that I will learn how to trim my own damn ends. No longer will a stylist wack away all my damn progress. They just don't realize how much time and effort we put into our hair.   The only thing I will use them for is a relaxer. It seems like they love to trim ends....shoot that's why some people hair don't grow. I am trying not to get upset but it looks like I am back at where I was in August.  Here are my comparison pictures before and after the "trim." What do you all think? Does it look like she chopped alot off or is it just me?


 


Friday, December 19, 2008

My Bun...

I have been playing in my hair since my Dec relaxer. Here is a lil shot of my "Sunshyne" bun. I only used a bobby pin to secure it. Yup, no hair ties, scunches...just a small bobby pin.





Thursday, December 18, 2008

17 DEC 2008 Updates With Relaxer!!!

Yes I know I said I wasn't going to do it, but I just couldn't resist that creamy crack! I am happy I did it. My beautician tried to clip my ends but I told her no because I wanted to see all my progress first! So before I get my braids put back in, I will get them clipped. Anyway, here are my results!





























Saturday, December 13, 2008

Taking Down My Braids...

So yesterday on the 12th I arrived in the states. I decided to stay in a hotel before I went home so I could get a lil piece of mind before I saw my family. I woke up at 2 am because of the time difference and started taking down some braids. Ya'll I am loving my roots. I am also finding that spraying the braids before I comb them out helps with detangling the shed / dirt balls. Anyhooo, now I hate it because I am debating on whether or not I should get a relaxer. Lets see here's my comparison list:

Why NOT to Relax:
1. Its only been 4 months
2. Why relax when I am only getting micros again and PLUS I leave in 2 weeks.
3. I can't play in my hair and wash it one million times...lol
4. I can try and get a roller set or one of the wigs I been dying for. :)
5. There are other ways of straightening my hair for a update picture.
6. I can try a braid out or twist or or WHATEVER it is! :)
7. Patience is the key to success. 
8. Reflect back on what happened when I waited a YEAR to relax. 

Why I WANT to relax:
1. I want to see the actual length of my hair. I want updates! :(
2. I want to wear my hair out for the holidays.
3. I want my hair to be more manageable.

 But when it boils down to it I need to remember my goal which is thicker healthier hair. Achieving that is NOT going to come from relaxing for petty reasons. So right now ya'll I am a lil iffy, but if I decide not to relax I will come up with some kind of UPDATE! 

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Strand Updates!

Today I was off work and I decided to take down a couple of different strands. I had my boyfriend help me take a picture so I was able to take a good back shot. My ends look good. After taking down these strands I sprayed them with water, infusium 23, peppermint oil and sealed with coconut oil. Overall I am happy with the length but I will be even more excited when I take down all my braids in a couple of days! So stay tune for a FULL update in a couple of days.
It looks like my relaxer didnt take too well last relaxer because I still see a lil natural hair. The picture below this one is me stretching the piece of hair.