I suppose I should start off by telling you guys my hair story. If you do not care to read it just skip down to the pictures! For those of you who are curious about my strands, I will begin by saying that I have had long, thick, healthy hair for most of my life. I wore my hair natural or pressed during my childhood and at age 13, I made the decision to get a relaxer to fit in with my peers who did not have to worry about their hair reverting when the gym coaches required us to stay outside and run in spite of light rain. "Your hair will be so much longer relaxed", they said. (We know the power of shrinkage too well). I was all about flaunting my length so it seemed like a great idea! By the time I reached age 15, after nearly two years of getting re-touches every eight weeks, I experienced breakage in my crown. I am talking extreme breakage, where the hair in some places was 3-4 inches in length. That has always been a problem area for me, even to this day, that is the driest, most coarse part of my hair. I spent ages 10th and 11th grade in various braided styles to give my strands a break, in hopes of achieving the same hair health that I had in my pre-relaxer days. I started relaxing my hair during my senior year, and I ran into the same breakage issues. When I left for college, I started wearing microbraids/freestyle braids and wore them up until my senior year. My crown grew back but my hair was not as long and thick as I hoped it would be. During senior year, I wore my first sew-in and instead of perming my perimeter, I would have my friend relax my entire head and braid it up and sew it in. Needless to say, I broke my crown again! I started wearing braids and weaves and in November 2008, I got my last relaxer. I got a really short layered haircut (see below) and I had never seen my hair so short (it was a little past my shoulders in the back) and it seemed thin. I did not say "I am going natural" because I stereotyped natural hair as afros and being militant and low maintenance. I decided that I would wear weaves and braids for the rest of my life. Fastforward to February 2010, and I discovered makeup tutorials on YouTube, and as I was watching a young lady's channel, she had a video entitled "My Hair Story - Through Hell and Back". As I listened to her tell her story, I related with her issues of breakage and improper haircare practices, etc. She shared her products and regimen and I decided that I would give relaxers a try again and immediately booked an appointment with my long time hairstylist. When I arrived at the salon, I got nervous and decided to get it flat ironed. I was impressed by the length and health of my hair and knew then that I needed to continue the journey. I educated myself on haircare by watching vlogs, reading blogs, and participating in online communities. I parted ways with my relaxed ends September 2010 and here we are August 2013 and I am still living the lye-free life! When I am tired of my hair, I get a sew-in. I recently got my hair straightened last month and suffered heat damage in the nape area, so straightening is not a frequent option for me. I have posted pics below of various hairstyles that I have tried, along with pics of my hair during various stages of my journey. I plan to update this blog with product reviews and tips/techniques, so if you are interested in hair care stay tuned.
November 2008 - My last relaxer and my first major haircut
February 2010 - 15 months post-relaxer, flat-ironed and trimmed
September 2010 - the day after my big chop, my very first twistout. I remember using Yes to Cucumbers leave in conditioner. I never repurchased that product.
February 2011 - you could not tell me that this was not the best twistout ever! I used SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Kinky Curly Curling Custard.
The beginning of 2012. I am not sure what products I had or what my technique was during this particular day, but I remember raving about Saravun Castor cream around this time of the year. I probably twisted it the night before and put the top half up in a hair zing and slicked my edges with a pomade such as Hairveda Almond Glaze or MyHoneyChild Hair Grease.
Spring 2012 - A braidout with OHM hair pudding.
Spring 2012 - Things at work were slow so I was able to work out a lot during this time, and lived in buns and ponytails. Bun Life! I usually slick my edges with Claudie's Hair Revitalizer hair gel when I want it this smooth.
Protective style - summer 2012. My first and last time ordering kinky curly hair from AliExpress. It only lasted two weeks and I paid $200 for my sew-in so guess who was so upset!
Summer 2012 - my hair bounces right back after a sew-in. Hence the reason, it is so important to get protective styles done by professionals. I go to Chara Joyner of Houston Weaves.
November 2012 - The first time I had my hair straightened since going natural. Chara from Houston Weaves also straightens and trims my hair. I maintained it for three weeks by sleeping in flexi-rods each night.
November 2012 - my hair bounced right back after the flat iron. I did not suffer any heat damage. I just applied a curl cream and it reverted and this pic shows the results.
December 2012 - protective style, kinky curly hair from California Lace Wigs
Spring 2013 - an overnight wash and go with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Donna Marie Dream Curling Cream. I like the curling cream for braidouts and twistouts but I do not recommend it for wash and go's especially for thick hair that may need a heavier product. If you are looking for a curl cream that will give you hold and definition without flakes, build-up and dryness, the DM curl cream is great. It was my go-to cream before I started doing more wash and go styles.
March 2013 - A twist out on lightly blow dryed hair
My length comparison pics - November 2012 vs. July 2013. I was a hostess in a wedding in July and I wanted to wear my hair wavy so I got it flat ironed and wore it in cornrows until the day of the wedding.
July 2013 - I did bantu knots to revert my flat ironed hair. I used water, Jane Carter wrap and roll foam, and Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic
Earlier this week after a workout - an old three strand twist out that was set using Anita Grant Creamy Café Latte, SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, and Donna Marie Dream Curling Cream.
I look forward to sharing more hairstyles and product reviews/progress with you beauty addicts! In the meantime feel free to ask questions or leave comments.
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