11/23/12 Letter To My Hair

Dear Tresses, No Stresses
How art thou?

Its been 11 days since I've last written and much has happened since then. You're trim finally came through even though there is still some cleaning up to do. Not much.
I've been consistent with the moisturizing, and mn treatments. I got lazy around shampoo time but picked right back up with it. I take my biotin every day and the msm I do not but I need to!

So here's how I feel about my hair and what I've been taking and doing for my hair so far...

Trimming: It felt really good to see all those nasty ends fall to the floor one by one. I didn't want to do a blunt cut so instead I did a search and destroy. I think this was better for me. I got to see my hair, learn my hair, go through my hair. Things I have not done in a long time. It have me time to be with my hair. It was a more personal thing, I think that's why I liked it.  I still have some ends that need to go but I am holding off on that for now.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse- Why even bother with shampooing, I already know what it can do. So I put 1 part water + 1 part ACV + 1 drop of neutralizing shamppo + 1 drop of deep moisturizing shampoo = my hair wash :). I also Pre Oil Rinsed my hair before doing all this. My hair felt very clean and refreshing afterwards.

Deep Conditioner - Aussie Deep Conditioner was great! Made my hair very very very soft afterwards. I liked it alot!

Co washing - I used TreSemme for my co wash and left a little in. Not much at all though. My hair still felt very soft afterwards.

Finger Combing - I need to trim my nails, I dont want my hair to get caught. So far its okay but I dont like when other people do it, they yank to hard.

MN treatment- I have been using this, I don't mind doing it, It does make my scalp feel open and porous afterwards. I hope it is working for my hair, its only been 11 days.

Biotin- I've been taking 10,000mg daily. When I skipped a day I took 15000 for 2 days. My eyelashes have been growing longer, as well as armpit hair and pubes. So if its making the hair there grow I think its working on the rest of my body as well. My nails are harder, shinier and are growing faster.

MSM- I havent been taking it daily because I dont like to drink cider every day. I think I may have to put it in a spoonful of BISCOFF spread and just eat it! If I can stomach one spoonful then I will start taking 2 of those.



I have been doing things wrong though and I am realizing that early on and now.
1) I am still having breakage, and that is my own fault. I must
a)not detangle my hair for at least one week at a time
b)protein treatment to be done when I wash my hair next
c)Mn in a bottle so i dont have to part hair when I put in everyday

2)Be careful of product build up
a)less moisture when sealing ends. *one dot water*one dot leave in*one dot sealer*
b)put MN treatment in a bottle

3)Protect styles
a)box braid my hair in small braids, twist a few sections together at a time, so all those ends are together. easier to moisturize, but still sectioned off for the mn treatments.


Next Wash Regimen

1)Pre oil
2)section into 4
3)ACV Rince
4)2 step protein treatment
5)co wash leave some in
6)hot oil treatment
7)Section into 7 or 8 sections
8)Divide each of those sections into 4-6 braids totaling at most 48 braids.
9)Moisturize ends. MN treatment scalp daily.

This is going to be my idea for the next 2 washes.
Alternating between deep condition and protein conditioner.
Always following up with a co wash.

**I THINK I may have noticed some growth. Especially considering I did trim my ends so I know my lengths are going to be slightly off but oh wells. Since I will keep up the work for another month than I can compare my ends results in december to my ends results in january.

So good luck tresses!

Letter to my Hair

Hey tresses, no stresses okay?
Its been 25 years now already that we've been together, and I know that at times I haven't treated you right. I've down right abused you! Relaxed, colored, bleached and just plain ol always putting you on the back burner. I'm sorry my love. I am here to tell you officially that I am going to finally be there for you.

Day in and day out I am going to care for you like I should have. I am going to baby you, because right now you can only grow into a baby and I have not let you mature into the healthy mane that you are.  You are a child and I am your mother, and momma's come home.  I am working on you from the inside out. I know your elders need the most care, and thats what I'm concerning myself with first. I also know that you could stand to shed some dead weight, if ya know what I mean? So that will be right around the corner.

You are a beautiful young one. At times you have sprouted and showed your potential , and you've been trying to do so for years I see that now. But I was never to receptive on the signs, I think I took you for granted. All that is in the past and I am ready for us to hand in hand go on a journey together.

A journey to where you ask? A place of nourishment, and refinement. A discovery of healing and awakening. I'm ready. I finally have the true patience needed for you. My silk mane, my maine coon. ;)

I've many new things in store for you that I'm sure you've noticed already. It's been dark lately, a lot lately, and for good reason. You have seen some light, you have seen some light, baby you have seen some LIGHT! You don't need anymore sun, moon, lamp, shade, or candle light. You've been exposed and out for all the world to see for YEARS, for DECADES, for a damn QUARTER CENTURY. You've been in pools, lakes, ponds, oceans, and seas. From soft water to hard. From cotton pillow, to cotton collar, to scrunchies with metal on them. Those dog days are over and away you go!

I've decided that I dont want anyone to see you anymore. I don't think anyone deserves to see you. My baby squishy caterpillar crawling up my arm to my check and now resting at my collar bone and sometimes shoulder. Away you go for the world to wait and see. You must first morph into the matured mane coon that you are! I want no one to get a chance to lay their eyes on you. You are hurt, by me, and damaged by me. So you must be protected by me and in doing so I must hide you. Please do not feel that I am ashamed of you but honey you have seen more of the world than most 90 year olds considering your journey and I can't bear to lose you too soon, again. I got to find some better decor for your attire though if you're going to in a pupae for so long.

Along with it being more dark now, don't you feel more hydrated? Well I've been doing my best so let me know if something ain't working, I don't want to waste anymore of our time. I need you to be healthy and full and lovely for me. I want to be able to hug you again. I miss you in my arms. The lovely beautiful soft you. I've been watering you left and right in and out.

I also have some rituals that I've been putting US through, you with the daily moisturizing of the ends and the mn mix on the lovely skin so close to you twice a day. And me with my biotin and msm. I'm doing what I can on my end, I am facilitating you 2500% like I should have been before, so now do your job and flourish as you may.

No stresses my tresses
Good Night

Daily Thing

So even with my weight loss  I needed to have something that I could do daily that would put me in control and let me know that I had some handle on whats going on with my body. With my hair journey I feel it should be the same. There are things I should have as apart of my routine. Things that I know WILL promote 1) healthy hair 2)length retention. So here goes

Daily

1)Moisturize and seal ends
2)Apply MN mixture to scalp
3)10,000mcg of Biotin
4)1000mg of MSM

My hopes are that by the end of the month aka I guess my own version of a 30 day challenge, I would like the hair thats at my shoulders to be more full.
So by December 10 2012 we shall see.
I am going to do my best, keep my fingers out of my hair and only do it once a day when need be.


Day 1 here I am! :)

First Hair Goal / Hair Challenge 1 month

So even when i went to lose weight, I would always have goals set for myself. Having goals makes life  easier and it puts me on track. The thing about growing hair though is, I have no control over how fast it grows. So I'm looking for 2 things. 1)Growth and 2)Retention. I want to retain EVERYTHING that  I grow. Why not? So I need to make realistic future goals for myself. And I will go month by month if I have to and if that makes me feel better.

I am thinking that my first challenge should be 2 months long.

Nov 9 2012 - Jan 9 2012 = 2 months
2 months = 1 inch

Can I make one inch in 2 months?

Front = 8 3/8 inches
Sides=  9 1/8 inch
Middle = 9.5 inches
Back = <7 inches

^^^^^^^ Thast where my hair should be my January 10th according to research.

I'm doing a monthly length check so we shall see!


UPDATE::

I decided to call this a challenge instead. I need to be doing something and know that I am doing something and that there is a somewhat immediate goal. I know it can't be weekly but bi weekly to monthly. NOT waiting years :( I have no patience.

So it'll be a 4 week challenge.
Goal = hydrated healthy ends
Minimal Shedding
Fuller at the shoulders.

11/12 - 12/12 30 Days and see how we(my hair and I) do! 

Update:

I am going to see if I can find my INSANITY work out dvd and possibly start doing those.
Those are 3days long and it'd give me something to do in the mean time. I am def going to try and find those asap.

11/11/2012 Length Check

So I decided to start documenting my hair growth. Both week by week and by month.
Here are my hair lengths as of 11 11 2012

Within all of this I have about 1 - 1.5 inches that need to go. I will spread that out over time. I want to hold on to the ends before I get discouraged.


Front = 7 3/8 inches (8 1/8 inch)
Sides= 8 1/8 inch 8  7/8
Middle = 8.5 inches (9 1/4)
Back = <6 inches (6.5)

Because I know that my hair is even all around and I dont get it cut, I feel as if all these numbers should be the same. So whatever's less is where the problem is.

1) Shortest length = back of hair and nape of neck. Protect this area the most. Its been trying to show some break through but it can be difficult.
2) Front= Not as short but not as long as the rest. Possibly from putting my hair back in so many pony tails. No more pony tails or poofy dos.


The sides and the middle are at very good lenghts.

I am going to start taking Biotin and measure my hair weekly.
It  should grow about .5 inch to 3/4 inch in a month. We shall see.

5000mcg of biotin

Natural Hair Tips

I am going to collect and write down tips along the way since this will of course be a learning process.


Finger comb hair instead of using a comb.
Olive oil and coconut oil can moisturize and seal.
No more than 10 hairs should fall out a day.
Handle hair with extreme care.
Moisturize, detangle, and seal daily.
Wash hair with small amount of shampoo and apple cider vinegar.
Deep condition once a month
Protein treatment once a month
Do not towel dry
Curl ends around bobby pin and then pin up
Miconazole Nitrate?
MN mix = olive oil for scalp, coconut oil, castor oil. 1/2 - 2/3 tube of mn.
One part h20 + 1 part acv = clarifying
Neutralizing shampoo on the ends because of the color.
Dilute conditioner to make a leave in.

Hair Scheudle / Regimen

I am going to update this as I go along but so far this is what I got.

Week 1

Wash, Deep Condition, Stretched Style, Air dry/ Cool setting, Flatten, Protective Style

Week 2

Flatten Roots

Week 3

Wash, Deep Condition, Hot Oil / Protein, Air dry/ Cool setting, Flatten, Protective Style

Week 4

Flatten Roots


Shampoo Technique-
1. Soak in olive and coconut oil 1 hr before
2. Section into 4's
3. Detangle
4. Apple Cider Vinegar each section, one by one.
5. ACV for 30 mins
6. Do not rinse out
7. Continue to deep condition

Stretched Style
1. Quarter hair.
2. Finger detangle with leave in conditioner (Knot Today)
3. Seal ends.
4. Bantu Knots
5. Scarf
Next Day.
6.Finger detangle, MINIMAL OIL USAGE
7. Add heat serum
8. 375 degree flat iron, do one pass
9. Pass through half way once more
10.Twist back into bantu knot
11. Cover hair

Big Decision Made

I like making big decisions because I am good at them and I always seem to follow through no matter how big or small the feat may be. I wanted plastic surgery done and got it. I wanted this house that I'm in now. I wanted to lose weight, and did it. I will get what I want no matter what. So my next challenge is to get beautiful long flowing hair  :)

Doesn't sound like much of a journey but it is one for me. I grew up with having very thing full hair that would get damaged repeatedly by people not taking care of it.  I then grew up to not know how to take of my hair. I am going to be 26 years old and need to get with the natural hair program already. I've been natural since 19 and I still cant seem to retain any length even though ITS OBVIOUS that my god damn hair grows lol.

Well thats the jist of it.

I last documented my weight loss and got down to 115 and I maintained that weight for a year.

Now my new goal is have beautiful  long natural hair.
I MISS MY HAIR!!!

My current hair goals : Healthy ends, Back to reach 8 inches.