I am now a DOCTOR!! Oh...and my defense day hair (LOTD: 10/23/2013).

Happy Friday lovelies!

This past week was a busy one for me since my dissertation defense was on Wednesday. As of 1pm on October 23, I am officially a doctor (of the Ph.D variety, not MD)! The whole process was exciting but stressful and I'm glad I don't have to go through that process ever again!

Anyway, I just wanted to post my hair for my defense day. I just put some pin curls in my hair and just rolled with that. I think it came out great! Take a look!

Wash Day: 10/18/13

Or "I Absolutely Had To Do This Wash Day"

Happy Friday lovelies!

I know I have kinda been ghost lately but things around here have been CRAZY!! I will be defending my dissertation on the 23rd (read: I will get my PhD) so I have been preparing for that in terms of writing and getting stuff done. Aside from that, there have been weddings, interviews, etc that have distracted me from my hair. I have been so distracted that I haven't washed my hair for 2 weeks!

My hair and scalp are not pleased about this at all. My scalp began to itch like crazy and my hair was really weighed down. I couldn't go another day without cleaning my hair. So, last night at 11pm, I got to work.

Since this wash day is the first one since my relaxer, I first shampoo with Silk Elements Neutralizing Conditioner just to really ensure that all of the relaxer has been washed out. I then followed up with Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo. Next, I wanted to give my hair a much needed protein boost so I applied the Sally's brand of Joico K-Pak (GVP Reconstructing Conditioner) to my hair for 5 minutes. After I rinsed that out, I placed Aubrey Organics GPB on my hair and DCed overnight and rinsed it out this morning. Finally, I sprayed Aphogee Keratin Green Tea leave in (see how I'm keeping with the protein theme this wash day?), applied some Hairveda Ends Hydration to my hair, and proceeded to wet wrap my hair. I am currently sitting under the dryer as I type this lol. Some time this weekend (when I have the time) I will whip out my trusty Sedu and my Fantasia IC heat protectant to straighten my hair and then follow up with a saran wrap treatment.

That's it. That's my wash day. I have to be really quick with it since time is limited. In the meantime, I need to figure out how I want to style my hair for my defense. I'm leaning towards pin curls but I don't know. Any suggestions?

October 2, 2013 Relaxer Day and Hair Update

Happy Thursday lovelies!

Yesterday, after the longest stretch ever, I got my hair relaxed!! Yay! As with any relaxer day, I am absolutely thrilled that I can see my scalp again and to see what progress my hair has made since May. I also get to share my experience with you guys!

Last week, I prepped my hair for the relaxer by washing may hair, doing a protein treatment, and DCing with a moisturizing deep conditioner to ensure that my hair had some strength and moisture going into my relaxer day. Yesterday morning, I walked into my scheduled appointment with my stylist, LaToya. I have to say, LaToya is a stylist who I absolutely trust with my hair. She is really concerned about hair health, which I absolutely love. She also does both relaxed and natural hair. So for all you naturals who keep asking me if I know of any natural salons in B'ham, this is your answer! She does silk presses, twist outs,whatever you want! Annnnnnd...you can be assured that she won't rip through your hair. If you are in Birmingham, you should go to her! Now that I'm done with that PSA, let me continue with my relaxer day lol. I walked into the salon and after a brief wait, LaToya got to work on my hair. She based my scalp, then applied Mizani Butter Blends relaxer to my hair in sections, saving the nape for last. After neutralizing my hair and all that, I decided that I wanted to have my hair straight so that I can do a length check. So, LaToya sprayed some leave in conditioner in my hair (from her own product line: Silk Hydration), detangled my hair, and then sat me under the dryer so that my hair could dry a bit. After about 15 minutes, LaToya finished up by blow drying my hair and then flat ironing it. Since I got a trim with my last relaxer (and I have pretty much been in braids/twists since then), I declined a trim this go 'round but will probably need one my next relaxer.

ETA(10/7/13): Check this pic that shows where I was back in May after a fresh relaxer and a trim!

All in all, I am pleased with the results. Please believe me when I say that I was flinging and slinging my hair all day yesterday lol! As far as length goes, I think that some pieces of my hair are MBL-ish, with the rest of my hair needing to play catch up (SN: Times like this I wish that my hair would grow at the same rate!). So, by the end of this year, I hope to be full MBL. Anyway, check out the pics snapped by LaToya and check out her blog while you're at it!