This week I have been rocking the pony. It's easy, low manipulation and did I mention easy? I've decided to stretch the flat iron as long as I possibly can to limit the amount of heat I use. Wash and deep condition will be this weekend.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Friday, June 04, 2010
Texlax Update - May 30, 2010
2:47p
This texlax did not go as well as I planned. In fact, it was kind of a disaster. My time management was horrible and I used double protein on accident and didn't have adequate time to deep condition my hair after the double dose of protein.
I did have some breakage after the deep condition and I was horrified, but my hair seems to be recovering fine now, with no additional breakage.
The main disaster was that I left the relaxer on for too long on the front of my hair and it came out a lot more straight than I would have liked it to be. It still has some texture, but it is not uniform with the rest of my texlax.
I have done some research and I've decided that I have not been relaxing my hair enough to get the texture I want. My hair has more texture than I would like and that leads to tangles and lots of frustration for me. Since I mainly would like to wear my hair straight, I have decided that while I won't relax bone straight, I'll relax my hair somewhere in between my previous texlaxes and bone straight.
It doesn't make sense to underprocess to a point where it causes frustration for me and thus hair loss when I can texlax to a point that is managable but also doesn't compromise my texture too much.
This texlax has been a learning experience for me, as I'm understanding what my hair needs and what I need in order to manage it. I believe that I can have healthy hair if I do process it a tad more than I have been doing and still gain the benefits of thickened, manageable hair.
This texlax did not go as well as I planned. In fact, it was kind of a disaster. My time management was horrible and I used double protein on accident and didn't have adequate time to deep condition my hair after the double dose of protein.
I did have some breakage after the deep condition and I was horrified, but my hair seems to be recovering fine now, with no additional breakage.
The main disaster was that I left the relaxer on for too long on the front of my hair and it came out a lot more straight than I would have liked it to be. It still has some texture, but it is not uniform with the rest of my texlax.
I have done some research and I've decided that I have not been relaxing my hair enough to get the texture I want. My hair has more texture than I would like and that leads to tangles and lots of frustration for me. Since I mainly would like to wear my hair straight, I have decided that while I won't relax bone straight, I'll relax my hair somewhere in between my previous texlaxes and bone straight.
It doesn't make sense to underprocess to a point where it causes frustration for me and thus hair loss when I can texlax to a point that is managable but also doesn't compromise my texture too much.
This texlax has been a learning experience for me, as I'm understanding what my hair needs and what I need in order to manage it. I believe that I can have healthy hair if I do process it a tad more than I have been doing and still gain the benefits of thickened, manageable hair.
Length Check
2:33p
Starting point -- September 2009
April 2010
June 2010
I had a huge growth spurt from March until now with at least 2 inches of new growth. I texlaxed on March 30 (accidentally relaxing the front of my hair a lot straighter than I wanted) and I can see significant growth.
Ponytail Length
2:28p
Ponytail in September 2009
Ponytail in June 2010
Looking at my ends I need a major trim on those ends (it has been 10 months) but I am happy at the growth I have gotten in the last 10 months. Thanks to my texlax, my hair is a lot thicker and a lot healthier.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Flat no more
11:07a
Every time I see this blog post and this picture of my flat ponytail, I cringe. The whole reason that I decided to texlax in the first place was to thicken my hair so that flat hair would no longer be an issue for me.
Having bone straight relaxed hair, I always struggled with having body and always had an issue of thin hair right after a relaxer.
Finally being almost fully texlaxed, I have that problem no more. Evidence below.
Every time I see this blog post and this picture of my flat ponytail, I cringe. The whole reason that I decided to texlax in the first place was to thicken my hair so that flat hair would no longer be an issue for me.
Having bone straight relaxed hair, I always struggled with having body and always had an issue of thin hair right after a relaxer.
Finally being almost fully texlaxed, I have that problem no more. Evidence below.
My airdried pony tail that is full of body and life!
Both pony tails were airdried, but this one has so much more body and girth. I love it. Any doubts I had about continuing to texlax are gone. It does take more effort than bone straight hair, but the results are so worth it.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Product Review: Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Anti Frizz Serum
10:58a
Product Description: The Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum offers long-lasting frizz control. Its revolutionary, ultra-light, leave-in formula is rich in micro-nutrients that penetrate deep into the hair to nourish it intensively. Your hair is protected against humidity, making it silky-smooth and shiny.
My Finds: I was at my local CVS one day, trolling for a product, even though I didn't really need anything. For some reason, the Garnier Fructis line always catches my eye even though I have had less than stellar results from products I have tried from this line before. Maybe it's the green and the sleekness of the bottle. *shrugs*
I was pretty excited to try this because I was wearing my hair flat ironed and I wanted something to add shine and nourish my hair at the same time. Everything this product promised to do.
Nourish and shine it did not. This product had no effect on my hair. No shine. No nourish. No nothing but a waste of $3.33. Promptly the next day, I returned the product. The first hair product I have ever returned.
Don't waste your time or money on this one.
My Finds: I was at my local CVS one day, trolling for a product, even though I didn't really need anything. For some reason, the Garnier Fructis line always catches my eye even though I have had less than stellar results from products I have tried from this line before. Maybe it's the green and the sleekness of the bottle. *shrugs*
I was pretty excited to try this because I was wearing my hair flat ironed and I wanted something to add shine and nourish my hair at the same time. Everything this product promised to do.
Nourish and shine it did not. This product had no effect on my hair. No shine. No nourish. No nothing but a waste of $3.33. Promptly the next day, I returned the product. The first hair product I have ever returned.
Don't waste your time or money on this one.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Dollar Store Haul
8:21a
Ok so maybe not quite a haul considering it's only two items but I was only testing the waters. And the waters are nice. Especially with only a $1 price tag.
Ok so maybe not quite a haul considering it's only two items but I was only testing the waters. And the waters are nice. Especially with only a $1 price tag.
E.L.F Luscious Liquid Lipstick (Cherry Tart) & L.A. Colors Mineral Eyeshadow (Teal)
I went in the Dollar Store to find some western themed things for my daughters Western Party at school and out of the corner of my eye I noticed a makeup display. I have been to that Dollar Store plenty of times, but I have never really noticed the makeup display. I took a closer look and there seemed to be a few gems amongst the mash of products they had for sale.
Two that caught my eye were the E.L.F Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Cherry Tart and the L.A. Colors Mineral Eyeshadow in Teal. And for one dollar I was more apt to test these products than pricier ones that I may not end up liking.
Once I got home, I tore open the packages anxious to see if my $2 were well spent.
They were.
A little blurry but I love the sponge tip of the lipstick
Even though this product says it's a lipstick, I'd say it's more like a tinted gloss. I like the sponge tip and how it glides on easily. The subtle color it gives is great and it has a shiny finish that I love.
Color is light but glossy. A great work lipstick for me.
Next up was the L.A. Colors Mineral Eyeshadow in Teal. Truth be told, I did not have high hopes for this eyeshadow. Since I'm a brown skinned woman, shadows need to be highly pigmented to show up on my lids. For $1, I wasn't expecting much.
The shade in real life is so much more vivid.
I applied this shadow and I was immediately impressed. The color payoff was great and the true color really came out vibrant on my lid.
Teal eyeshadow, E.L.F gold eye shadow in crease, black eyeliner and mascara
My only regret with the eyeshadow is that I did not apply a primer before I put it on this morning. I guess I will test the staying power of this shadow too. I hope that it does great because for $1, I'm in love. They had several other shades that at some point in time I will return to get. I'm no longer afraid of the Dollar Store products and I'm actually excited that I can get some bang for my buck there!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
More Twistout Pics
9:00a
Yesterday I mentioned that I have been wearing twistouts to get me through my stretch. Twistouts are the only thing that allows me to stretch as long as I have been. It's low maintenance and it allows me to airdry with no frizz and it's easy.
Here are a slew of pictures that I have taken over the last few weeks.
Yesterday I mentioned that I have been wearing twistouts to get me through my stretch. Twistouts are the only thing that allows me to stretch as long as I have been. It's low maintenance and it allows me to airdry with no frizz and it's easy.
Here are a slew of pictures that I have taken over the last few weeks.
Pinned up twistout
Twistout with head band
Clipped back twistout
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Twistout
11:57a
I will be 11 weeks post this weekend and this is how I am surviving my stretch:
I will be 11 weeks post this weekend and this is how I am surviving my stretch:
The Twistout
Honestly, this style has been a lifesaver for me. It blends much easier with my new growth and the effort is minimal. I've been using my aloe vera juice and EVOO spritz daily and my LTR as a leave-in with coconut oil to seal.
My ends are in need of a major trim so that may happen after I relax my hair this weekend. I haven't been able to access the damage from the heat mishap a few weeks ago, but I hope that it's minimal at best. I'll be able to tell once I relax my hair.
I have avoided heat since the mishap and have only air dried since then. I guess I'll know for sure this weekend.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Heat Damage
2:22p
I wanted to blame the Ecostyler gel for my damage, but quite honestly, I thought back and realized that it couldnt have been the gel that damaged my hair.
The culprit is the blow dryer and the flat iron. I have been doing both weekly and my hair is suffering greatly for it. I have been wanting to wear my hair straight and haven't done any airdry or protective styles for the last month.
I have used heat protectant, but at a certain point, even a heat protectant won't fully protect hair from heat. It was simple over use.
I bought ORS Hair Mayo, which is a mild protein, which should help with the weakness of my strands. I plan to use that with heat after a clarifying wash and then I will do a moisturizing deep condition overnight.
I know that there are some strands that are still going to suffer from this, but I figure the best things for me to do is to try to stop the damage now that I know what was causing it.
I'm banishing the flat iron and the blow dryer and now will only be doing twistouts, braid outs, bantu knots and anything that doesn't require heat.
I'm sad and feel a bit defeated but just like I had to tell myself when I got my hair cut: It's just hair. It will grow back.
I wanted to blame the Ecostyler gel for my damage, but quite honestly, I thought back and realized that it couldnt have been the gel that damaged my hair.
The culprit is the blow dryer and the flat iron. I have been doing both weekly and my hair is suffering greatly for it. I have been wanting to wear my hair straight and haven't done any airdry or protective styles for the last month.
I have used heat protectant, but at a certain point, even a heat protectant won't fully protect hair from heat. It was simple over use.
I bought ORS Hair Mayo, which is a mild protein, which should help with the weakness of my strands. I plan to use that with heat after a clarifying wash and then I will do a moisturizing deep condition overnight.
I know that there are some strands that are still going to suffer from this, but I figure the best things for me to do is to try to stop the damage now that I know what was causing it.
I'm banishing the flat iron and the blow dryer and now will only be doing twistouts, braid outs, bantu knots and anything that doesn't require heat.
I'm sad and feel a bit defeated but just like I had to tell myself when I got my hair cut: It's just hair. It will grow back.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
UPDATE: Eco Styler Gel
11:40a
Last night I deep conditioned, washed, conditioned again, blow dried and flat ironed my hair.
I have done this before and my hair has turned out excellent. Moisturized with movement and body.
This time, my hair is decent, but it's cruncy on one side and it would not hold the curl. I wracked my brain trying to figure out what would constitute this change in my hair.
The only different product that had been added to my hair was the Eco Styler gel. So of course I had to go look up the ingredients.
I did some research and HWP is a moisturizing and conditioning protein derived from whole wheat. It increases the hair's ability to retain moisture and impart shine and gloss to damaged and dull hair. Due to its low molecular weight, it easily penetrates the hair shaft. Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein attracts and retains moisture, builds body, reduces porosity, improves hair manageability, improves luster and smoothness.
My hair is extremely protein sensitive so even though HWP is supposed to be moisturizing, I wonder if that's what caused my damage.
I'm immediately cutting the use of the Eco Styler, doing a moisturizing deep condition with heat and I will reassess the damage to my hair. My ends look horrible and I'm afraid a trim may be in order.
Last night I deep conditioned, washed, conditioned again, blow dried and flat ironed my hair.
I have done this before and my hair has turned out excellent. Moisturized with movement and body.
This time, my hair is decent, but it's cruncy on one side and it would not hold the curl. I wracked my brain trying to figure out what would constitute this change in my hair.
The only different product that had been added to my hair was the Eco Styler gel. So of course I had to go look up the ingredients.
Ingredients:Water , Carbomer , Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein , PVP , Glycerin Triethanolamine , Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate , Polysorbate 20 , Tetrasodium EDTA , FragranceOf course number 3 on the list would be protein. Water fine, Carbomer is a thickening agent and HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN.
I did some research and HWP is a moisturizing and conditioning protein derived from whole wheat. It increases the hair's ability to retain moisture and impart shine and gloss to damaged and dull hair. Due to its low molecular weight, it easily penetrates the hair shaft. Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein attracts and retains moisture, builds body, reduces porosity, improves hair manageability, improves luster and smoothness.
My hair is extremely protein sensitive so even though HWP is supposed to be moisturizing, I wonder if that's what caused my damage.
I'm immediately cutting the use of the Eco Styler, doing a moisturizing deep condition with heat and I will reassess the damage to my hair. My ends look horrible and I'm afraid a trim may be in order.
Monday, April 26, 2010
REVIEW: Eco Styler Krystal Styling Gel
8:51a
Product Description: Eco styler krystal gel is a maximum holding gel with the added advantage of PVP to allow for styles that need a strong holding gel. It can be used to hold hair in place for tapered sides, upsweeps and wraps without the fear of flaking. It is a perfect hold for natural or synthetic hair, ideal for use with curling irons.
My Finds: I love this gel. I have been using it for about a week and a half and it's become a staple for laying my edges down. The great part about this gel is that it doesnt take much at all. It doesn't leave hair stiff or flaky. I used this on my daughters hair quite a bit. I used it on the length of their curls and it's not sticky, leaves no residue and their hair is still brushable after the gel dries. And at just over $2 this gel will stay stocked in my cabinet.
Product Description: Eco styler krystal gel is a maximum holding gel with the added advantage of PVP to allow for styles that need a strong holding gel. It can be used to hold hair in place for tapered sides, upsweeps and wraps without the fear of flaking. It is a perfect hold for natural or synthetic hair, ideal for use with curling irons.
My Finds: I love this gel. I have been using it for about a week and a half and it's become a staple for laying my edges down. The great part about this gel is that it doesnt take much at all. It doesn't leave hair stiff or flaky. I used this on my daughters hair quite a bit. I used it on the length of their curls and it's not sticky, leaves no residue and their hair is still brushable after the gel dries. And at just over $2 this gel will stay stocked in my cabinet.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Flat Iron Update
1:21p
It's day 5 of my flat ironed hair and so far so good. I'm still enjoying straight, bouncy, sleek hair.
But of course there's a but.
I'm tired of flat, pin straight hair. I need some body.
So tonight I will be doing pin curls.
It's day 5 of my flat ironed hair and so far so good. I'm still enjoying straight, bouncy, sleek hair.
But of course there's a but.
I'm tired of flat, pin straight hair. I need some body.
So tonight I will be doing pin curls.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Flat Ironing - MOISTURE MOISTURE MOISTURE
8:21a
Yesterday I came across a post on LHCF about flat ironing and how to achieve that fresh from the salon look at home yourself.
Since becoming texlaxed, straightening my hair has been harder than ever but a technique I learned last night revolutionalized the way I will flat iron my hair from now on.
It's all about moisture. But the thing that was stressed was to NOT add any products to freshly washed hair.
Why?
Because that weighs it down and causes buildup on the hair causing a limp (and for me a hot greasy mess) less than stellar flat iron.
So how does moisture work if I'm not adding any moisturizing products BEFORE I flat iron?
The trick is in the deep conditioning step. I followed this youtube video about deep conditioning to a T. I even added the mayo. Then I watched this video on flat ironing, which didn't help me with my technique but it really provided excellent step by step instructions.
I saturated my strands with coconut oil and let that sit for about 20 minutes. I made a concoction of Aussie Moist, Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol, 100% Aloe Vera Juice, Olive Oil, mayo, honey and a squeeze Aussie Deeeeep and left that on for close to an hour.
In the shower I washed the deep conditioner out with a moisturizing shampoo (Hello Hydration Shampoo) and then added Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner and covered with a shower cap for about 15 minutes.
When I washed out the conditioner, my hair was soft and extremely silky. I dried using the t-shirt method. After my hair was semi dry I added my blow drying heat protectant and blow dried in small sections. After my hair was dry, I added my Tressemee heat protectant and let it soak in before I flat ironed.
The trick with getting a really good flat iron is to take really small sections. I only required 1 to 2 passes for each section and my hair was silky, shiny and straight.
I slept with my hair wrapped in a silk scarf and a bonnett. This morning I put an extremely small amount of shine serum on my hair. My hair is bouncy, silky, soft and so smooth. I will be using this method from now on when I flat iron.
Yesterday I came across a post on LHCF about flat ironing and how to achieve that fresh from the salon look at home yourself.
Since becoming texlaxed, straightening my hair has been harder than ever but a technique I learned last night revolutionalized the way I will flat iron my hair from now on.
It's all about moisture. But the thing that was stressed was to NOT add any products to freshly washed hair.
Why?
Because that weighs it down and causes buildup on the hair causing a limp (and for me a hot greasy mess) less than stellar flat iron.
So how does moisture work if I'm not adding any moisturizing products BEFORE I flat iron?
The trick is in the deep conditioning step. I followed this youtube video about deep conditioning to a T. I even added the mayo. Then I watched this video on flat ironing, which didn't help me with my technique but it really provided excellent step by step instructions.
I saturated my strands with coconut oil and let that sit for about 20 minutes. I made a concoction of Aussie Moist, Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol, 100% Aloe Vera Juice, Olive Oil, mayo, honey and a squeeze Aussie Deeeeep and left that on for close to an hour.
In the shower I washed the deep conditioner out with a moisturizing shampoo (Hello Hydration Shampoo) and then added Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner and covered with a shower cap for about 15 minutes.
When I washed out the conditioner, my hair was soft and extremely silky. I dried using the t-shirt method. After my hair was semi dry I added my blow drying heat protectant and blow dried in small sections. After my hair was dry, I added my Tressemee heat protectant and let it soak in before I flat ironed.
The trick with getting a really good flat iron is to take really small sections. I only required 1 to 2 passes for each section and my hair was silky, shiny and straight.
I slept with my hair wrapped in a silk scarf and a bonnett. This morning I put an extremely small amount of shine serum on my hair. My hair is bouncy, silky, soft and so smooth. I will be using this method from now on when I flat iron.
Shot of the back. More accurate picture of length. Silky, smooth and bouncy
My hair feels fabulous!
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