Incorporating More Oils Into My Regimen

Happy Hump Day lovelies!!

Lately, I have been on a huge Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) kick. I've been using it for hot oil treatments as well as for sealing my ends and let me tell you...my hair absolutely loves it. I'm starting to notice less breakage (I'm still shedding like a dog though) and my hair just feels better overall.

So that got me to thinking: maybe I should incorporate more oils into my regimen.

I've never really been much to utilize oils. My thinking has always been that if you're on top of your moisturizing game (via DCing and things like that), there shouldn't be a need to add oils. However, as my hair gets longer (and my ends get older and more prone to breakage) I have to re-evaluate my regimen and do the things that are best for my hair.

Anyway..back to the oils.

JBCO is a hit for my hair and I will most likely continue to use it during the winter months. I'm also going to use up this bottle of Wild Growth Oil (WGO--bought it at the beginning of my journey but I stopped using it b/c it stank like all to be damned. I'll be using WGO just to oil my scalp during the wig when my hair is under the half wigs. Other than that, I will be looking for other oils (other than EVOO--I like it and all but I just want to branch out a bit) to use on my hair when the weather warms up. I love JBCO but it is so thick and I'm afraid that it may be too heavy for my hair once the mercury rises.

Do you guys use oils in your regimen? What benefits have you noticed? Any suggestions on oils to use?

My "Right Now" Wig: Vanessa La Trixy

Hey lovelies!!

I just wanted to stop by with the wig I'm wearing for right now. Although I love her, I got bored with Samara Girl around mid-November and wanted to change things up a bit. Enter Vanessa La Trixy.

I purchased La Trixy a few months back and just had it sitting in my closet. I used my current boredom to try out a new wig. Like my other Vanessa half wig, it has 2 combs (one in the front and one in the back) along with an adjustable strap. In terms of length, La Trixy is sits at SL...maybe a little longer. This wig also has loose curls but they aren't as loose as Samara Girl (can you tell..I love curly wigs!) I think it's perfect for those just wanting to rock a shorter style and it makes for an excellent day to day wig. Also, for it to be a synthetic half wig La Trixy is very soft. I purchased this wig in a 2 instead of my regular 1B (the BSS was out of 1B).

Currently, I'm using a headband for blending. I only plan on wearing this wig until the end of the week at most. This wig was perfect for scratching the wig boredom itch.

I took of few (and by few I mean two) snapshots. What do y'all think?

Working Through The APL-BSL Hump..

As you guys know, BSL has been my goal length for this year and I finally reached it in October. When I started aiming for this length, I thought it would be so easy to reach. After all, I had successfully gotten past the dreaded SL-APL hump that you hear so much about on the hair boards. BSL should be CAKE right?

Not necessarily.

During my quest for BSL, I discovered the APL-BSL hump. Anyone who has experienced this hump know that watching your hair growth during this time is like watching grass grow or watching paint dry. It's like nothing ever happens and you're the same length every. single. length. check. Talk about discouraging. BSL seems so far away and although you're doing everything right regimen wise, it doesn't seem like it is reflecting in your retention. So what do you do when you came running head first to this (retention) brick wall? Let me tell you what helped me:

Wash and DC your hair 100x a day. Psych! Just playing.

1) Pay attention to your hair. This step is very important. You have to determine if you are doing right by your hair. Are you staying on top of your moisture/protein balance? When was your last trim/search and destroy session? How have your stress levels been? What is your diet like? All of these things are important for healthy hair growth and it is easy to get really lax in your regimen the longer you have been on your hair journey (how many of us were super duper on top of things when we first started are now like....meh? Go on...admit it. We've all been there). Speaking from experience, it is important not to slack on your regimen if you are still actively trying to meet your length goals.

2) Know thyself. By that I mean, know your body. Personally, I have a long torso. That's just the name of the game. It took me dang near forever to reach APL and it took me dang near forever to reach BSL. That's just what it is. Since I can't undo the wonderful genetics that is me, I just work with it. I have to operate with the mindset that it will take me longer to reach certain goals because my torso is so long. I can't compare myself with other women who may have shorter torsos.


3) Check Your Bra. Seriously. BSL is such a tricky length because the goal doesn't have an anatomical landmark. Instead, it uses an article of clothing...and a fickle one at that. Depending on how your bra sits, BSL can be as high as APL and as low as MBL. If your bra sits too low, BSL can take forever because really you're going after MBL. If it's too high....I don't really know what to say about that LOL. My point is, take care to check the position of your bra to ensure an accurate reading of length. If BSL is too all over the place for your, use the anatomical marker 'Below Shoulder Blade' (BSB).

4) Patience. Ultimately, patience is key for this length. If you know you have been doing everything right by your hair, BSL will come. However, take comfort in the fact that for a lot of ladies, there is an APL-BSL hump and that length wasn't reached with relative ease.

Stretching Blues (Week 17)

Lawd.

First let me say happy Sunday to all of you and I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I, for one, had an awesome Thanksgiving. My mom and brother came down from VA and I just really enjoyed them being here. I definitely miss them and let me just say that my current time in AL will be the last time I'm this far away from my mom. True story.

Why is this relaxer stretch taking soooooooooooooo long!?!?!?


Tonight as I was washing out my DC, it hit me that I am trying to go the rest of the year without a relaxer. I don't know how good of an idea that is. This stretch is the first stretch in a loooong time where I've gone beyond 14 weeks. I totally forgot how much new growth I have around this time. When I say that I cannot comb my hair unless it is wet or loaded with conditioner, I really can't. That would be asking for trouble. However, because I am on point with my regimen (for the most part) I don't have any (extreme) breakage but I am shedding quite a bit (I think this is due more to my current low manipulation regimen that me stretching).


I don't know if I'm gonna make it y'all. All I have to say is come January 2nd a relaxer will be put in my hair and I better have the best retention ever!

I just wanted to vent a little.....

Have you ever stretched so long that you were upset or frustrated by it?

What Every Hair Diva Should Have: The Science of Black Hair

Happy Hump Day ladies!! I hope you're all having an amazing day!

I tend to read a lot about hair care because I just want to expand my knowledge about hair in general. I feel like the more I know, the more I am able to successfully deal with my hair. Today, I just wanted to stop by and tell you about this wonderful hair book that I have been reading: The Science of Black Hair by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy (the author is Sistaslick on LHCF who has always given helpful, science based hair care tips). I am about half way through it and I had to stop and recommend this book to you guys.

This book is like a crash course in all things hair care. It starts with an introduction to the structure of the hair and works its way up to explaining things like pH, porosity, how relaxers work, shampooing (very in depth breakdown of what is actually in shampoos), how conditioners and other moisturizers work, regimen building, and more!!! I think it's a perfect book for those who are starting their hair care journey because it explains why a certain technique is followed. I think it's easy to do something because we see others do it but still not necessarily understand why it's done. I also think it's perfect in allow folks to really evaluate what they have been doing hair care wise and why it may/may not be working for them. I also think it's a perfect reference for veterans in this hair care game. I have certainly learned things that I did not know prior to reading this book.


So please, check it out and refer to as many people has you can. If you want copy, you can purchase it at:

booksamillion.com

Barnes& Noble.com (you can also purchase it as a Nook Book-which is what I did)

Amazon.com (also available for Kindle)

Detangling? Yeah It's Important.

The other title for this post is Wash Day: 11/13/11.

I learned something that I should have been known this wash day. I learned that you cannot half a** detangling! Not when you have a regimen where you aren't manipulating your hair much and you have all this shed hair with nowhere to go. Shed hair mats. Shed hair tangles. And all that equals no fun for me SMH.

I have to admit. My wig regimen is pretty low key. I wash, DC, and plait my hair. That is it!! However, I'm not gonna lie and say that I haven't been a little lazy with the regimen. Maybe I don't comb my hair like I should because it's going underneath a wig. And maybe I don't distribute product (moisturizers,leave-ins) like I should because it's not like I'm putting heat on it. Today, however, was a big wake up call for me. There is nothing like having your hair rebel b/c you've been effing up somehow.


This wash day started like any other wash day (albeit, I was incredibly lazy with it. I DCed my hair for 8hrs because I didn't feel like washing it out. Yes. That lazy). I did a hot oil treatment with Jamaican Black Castor oil and washed with Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo. The trouble began after I applied my DC (currently using Silicon Mix b/c I have been too lazy to trek out to Whole Foods). Usually, after I apply my DC, I detangle run a comb through my hair so that I can distribute the product and detangle my hair. Today, however, as I was combing my hair I ran into this HUGE monster knot in my hair!!! I had to sit and slowly work it out ( I didn't want to rip my hair out after all). Once I had successfully removed said knot, I thought that was the end of it. I thought my hair was cool. WRONG!!! I had 2 more knots to work out of my hair as I was washing the DC out!! So I really got to work detangling my hair and let me tell you, so much shed hair came out! My hair is fine and tangle free now but I was kicking myself for not being as thorough as I should be given my current style regimen.


So let this be a lesson: doing the bare minimum may seem like a good idea at the time but you'll pay for it. You're definitely going to pay for it.



On another note, I did something like a length check and found that my longest length is past bra-strap!! This makes me anxious for my end of year length check!! I plan on getting my hair straightened for the Christmas holidays and I cannot wait!! Using half wigs as a protective style has been so beneficial to my hair. I know for sure that my hair thrives more when I'm not doing much to it! :)

Not So Hair Related.....

...but it is.


If anyone knows anything about me, I stan for relatively few artists. Seriously. I don't get too excited over a lot of artists. I can count the number on one hand. Number 1 is Janet Jackson (been a fan since BURF!!! Yes...burf!). Number 2 is Mint Condition. Number 3 is The Foreign Exchange.

I have absolutely LOVED The Foreign Exchange from the moment I first heard them. Amazing music and a great alternative to half the BS that is out there nowadays.

Tonight, The Foreign Exchange performed tonight in B'ham and of course I had to be there! Now if you have never heard of The Foreign Exchange, take a moment to listen to the following song:







Anyway, being hair obsessed and all that, I could NOT take my eyes off of singer Sy Smith's hair! Her natural mane was just simply gorgeous!

She's a pretty amazing singer too!




As soon as my pictures load to my computer, I will post them so you can see what I saw tonight! I'm just so excited!!!

If you aren't a Foreign Exchange fan....you should be! :)