Pinspiration for my HHJ

I'm stuck in a hair rut. This isn't new and in fact happens every couple of months. There are days when I want to cut it or put it into cornrows withe extensions added for length. Once, I've eve caught myself thinking abut going natural! I don't think that'll happen at anytime but I'll never say never. Being in a hair rut sometime causes me to unnecessarily hating my hair. I'm almost desperate guys!

Over the weekend I was thinking about what I should be doing with my hair when it hit me. I knew I had a pin on my Glam Momma board that I could easily do to take me out of a hair rut (at least for a few days). So I went searching and found the pin I was thinking of:





You guys- I've been "pinspired"!

Summa, Summa, Summatime!

Can you tell I loved this past summer?! I honestly expected this to be only one post and then start this week off ushering in fall. But Alas- I haven't even told you about August!

So let's see. August began with the second anniversary of my HHJ. Nothing to write home about- mainly because I haven't been "on it" like I prefer. Right now I'm just trying to maintain. I stopped and started so many times but that's all part of a journey...right?

And for reference

23 months... Wha?!! Bring on cryfest

help...again

You guys?!

I need your help. For real.

Can you hop on over here and vote for me (in the head chic in charge category). My girl Ebony is hosting a hair challenge and I need your help to get to the winning spot. Well why should you bother... because we're friends right?! This would really mean a lot to me!!

It was a year ago that I started my healthy hair journey. I think I've come a long way. I'm not where I'd like to be but I think the overall heath of my hair has improved. I know some of you must be thinking- this is so vain- I mean really a hair contest?!

But you see- it's a black girl thing. I think across all generations there are African American females who have struggled with her hair. This stems from many reasons all of which I'm not sure I could explain properly here on this platform. But it's real and still on going.

I strive to have healthy hair as a part of overall 'being healthy'. I think I've made progress in this past year. I've learned so much about healthy hair care and as a result my hair has benefited which has boosted my overall self confidence. I still have people who know me pretty well ask me am I wearing a weave. And there are times that I am sitting around with my family and take off my wig (because wigs make you very hot!) and someone will say- I didn't know that was a wig!!

I've managed to do a couple of new hairstyles here and there. This is a result of my new found care about my hair

I am no where near the end of my journey. Seeing the results of other care bloggers astound me and let's me know that I can do it. I kind of want to see if I can achieve waist length hair. I mean- it's possible right?! I foresee my journey getting a little bit harder because we are moving to a new location that does not have a large population of African American women- and I'm positive that the nearest hair salon is about 20 to 30 minutes away.

I have some ideas about how I'm going to proceed from here as well as some short term goals. But for now can you spare and minute and vote for me? please.

Hair update!

It's been a while since I've last blogged about my HHJ. But quite honestly there hasn't been much to blog about- mainly because I am a slacker.

So I'll take a brief look back at what I was supposed to be doing.

NOVEMBER- I'm scaling back my goals list for this month because... well there is no use setting myself up for failure...
○  Daily (or every other day) moisturizing. I found that this has help my hair tremendously. I did not know the importance of moisturized hair.
○  Protective styling. I'd like to maintain what I've done so far. I've even noticed some growth where I had the breakage.
○  Get back to taking my prenatal vitamins. This definitely helped with my growth- plus I love all the other perks it gives me (beautiful nails, dietary supplement because the new mommy diet sucks).

Hopefully November will prove to be much better in my journey.

___________________________________________________________
Last relaxer: 7/28/11            Last trim: 8/19/11
Next relaxer: 10/07/11        Current stretch: 10 weeks

Nope... none of that. It's pretty bad actually. I have no idea how my hair has survived the lack of attention. Trust me I'm counting my blessings. Then again maybe things aren't all THAT bad because clearly my hair was able to thrive a little, right?!

○ For most of the time since my last hair update I didn't moisturize daily. It was done mostly haphazardly. I know this is bad- especially because I've seen how my hair responds well to moisture.

○ It's been 17 weeks since my last relaxer. I don't like to go longer than 12 weeks. My hair kind of becomes unmanageable after a certain point- especially with the two different textures. But maybe this wasn't all such a bad idea. I think my hair was able to respond well to the break in chemical processing. So all isn't lost. I've read of some people going a year without relaxing just to gain back some thickness and health that chemical processing may take away. So maybe a 17 week stretch was beneficial.

○ It's been a LONG time since my last trim- nearly 6 months. My ends aren't raggedy but I do believe that growth (for me) can't be achieved without getting rid of the dead ends. I need to rectify this.
○  I'm pretty bad at protective styling. I'm bad at styling period. I know some ladies would argue that buns and ponytails is protective styling but I think that there is a such thing as too much of a good thing. I did try to vary the positions where I gathered my hair so I'm sure that helped to not cause breakage where the ponytail holder is but I still feel like I need more variety in hair styling.

○ I've been inconsistent with taking my PNV. Mainly because they are prescription strength and I often forget to order refills AND pay the bill which in turns stops them from sending it automatically (my employers prescription drug benefit plan makes us do mail order prescriptions). I know I could get OTC vitamins- but I am very (read:extremely) satisfied with what I currently have so if it isn't broke, I don't see a need to fix it. At my last appointment my doc sent another round of refills to the pharmacy so I have lots of months left on the script and I have no reason to not do this.

So despite ALL of the issues described above this is what my hair looked like this morning:

WHAT?!

It's got a little shine, thickness, and dare I say my ends aren't that straggely? Yes, straggely is a word. Thankyouverymuch. So maybe I'm being a little hard on myself? ECP did tell me so.
And do you see... I'm only a few inches from BSL (bra strap length). I'm not sure if I have a hair length goal- but knowing that my hair could possibly be BSL excites me :).

All that aside - the most disappointing part of it all is that I decided to do the 6 month roller set challenge that she is hosting and I didn't enter in January's check-in...augh! AND, I'm not sure if I could pull off February's check in.

Sadly, even after writing this post and seeing how amazing my hair is doing- I just don't feel motivated by it right now. Don't get me wrong- if I started to see things go downhill I'd be all over it. But I just don't feel hard core committed like I was a few months ago.

Plus, judging by that picture up there I need to get motivated about exercising! What do you guys think? Good progress? Inspiring words? Exercise more?

HHJ: Sept/Oct/Nov

I know this is a way over due but October came so fast...

Before I review my September goals let's just say I don't know how successful I thought I was going to be with a newborn ::FACEPALM::

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
○ Continue my weekly regime (the little regime that I have). It's been working so far but we will see how this continues with a newborn. Well, nope... not at all- I  failed miserably. Between diaper changes, feedings, and exhaustion this just did not happen. I am hoping next month will be better.

○ Add a few more products to my regime plus some basics. I got most of the basics that I needed. I even got a few Bee Mine products! I signed up for Sally's Beauty club and got a $5 off coupon and 15% off one of my purchases in October... I love saving money!

○ I really, really, really want to add half wigs into my regime. Nope. I didn't get a chance to go wig shopping at all. But the half wigs I thought about retiring I didn't because well... life with a newborn.

NOVEMBER- I'm scaling back my goals list for this month because... well there is no use setting myself up for failure...

○  Daily (or every other day) moisturizing. I found that this has help my hair tremendously. I did not know the importance of moisturized hair.
○  Protective styling. I'd like to maintain what I've done so far. I've even noticed some growth where I had the breakage.
○  Get back to taking my prenatal vitamins. This definitely helped with my growth- plus I love all the other perks it gives me (beautiful nails, dietary supplement because the new mommy diet sucks).

Hopefully November will prove to be much better in my journey.

__________________________________________________________________________________
Last relaxer: 7/28/11            Last trim: 8/19/11
Next relaxer: 10/07/11
Current stretch: 10 weeks

Aug/Sept HHJ update

Since I only started my journey at the beginning of this month- I don't have much to report about the state of my hair. Well maybe a few things. I've found that a lot of hair bloggers do a monthly goal and update check, so I think I've decided to incorporate that into my blogging to help me stay on track and remain accountable. Plus, your feedback keeps me motivated.

August

Since I had no true August hair goals to begin with, I'm going to report some positive things I've noticed/accomplished this month.

√ I find my hair to be way more manageable now. Normally after 5 weeks, I have had enough and am begging for a relaxer so my hair is silky straight again. I think the daily moisturization has done the trick.

√ I've continued to learn about healthy hair. I haven't been able to devote as much time as I'd like to research due to my baby's impending arrival but I did find a few new blogs that I think will help.

√ I can't believe I did it but I've stuck to my weekly washes. I truly didn't think I would do it. Actually I almost skipped last week but downtime I had during hurricane Irene 's shut-in gave me no excuses.

√ I distinctly remember two people telling me my hair looks very nice, healthy, and shiny *blushes*. I think a lot of people are attributing it to PNV and pregnancy but quite honestly, I've been taking the same PNV for over a year before I got pregnant. Now I'm sure pregnancy hormones are contributing to my hair health but remember I am trying to keep this up through post-partum shedding and beyond- so we will see.

September

○ Continue my weekly regime (the little regime that I have). It's been working so far but we will see how this continues with a newborn.

○ Add a few more products to my regime plus some basics. As far as basics, I need to pick up some more plastic shower caps (my pre poos are ruining them even after I wash out the product) and a silk bonnet (to protect styles that a scarf doesn't do a good job at). I also want to try some Bee Mine products at the recommendation of my hair shepard Ebony. I haven't decided which ones to try yet (I'm sure she will tell me which ones *hint, hint*) but I am looking for some good ones to enhance my regime. Plus I found a coupon code to help manage my budget (yes!).  Lastly, I need a good moisturizing deep conditioner to keep up my routine.

○ I really, really, really want to add half wigs into my regime. I think this is an essential for get up and go styles. I suck at styling my hair and really need the assistance (and versatility) that the wigs will give me. I currently have one half wig that I've pretty much retired because I feel like it's starting to look like a wig. I have a full wig that I'm thinking of retiring because it definitely looks like a wig. I'd like to try something that blends well with the front of my hair and looks at close to natural as a wig can get. I've been wig shopping several times and I can't find a single darn thing that works for me. The hair is usually too short, too thin, too shiny, etc. If I buy one wig before September is out- I'd be proud.

__________________________________________________________________________________
Last relaxer: 7/28/11            Last trim: 8/19/11
Next relaxer: 9/15/11
Current stretch: 5 weeks

My HHJ: part 2

Ok so back to my HHJ…

So, a big part of being on a HHJ is having a regime. It's like in the hair bible- to build a regime that's just right for your hair. My regime isn't very specific yet- Wash and deep condition once per week, moisturize everyday. Some girls have very elaborate routines but I can't go there yet as it will just set me up for failure. I know my biggest problem is moisture and right now that's my main focus. Plus I don't have the "right" products to really have a detailed regime. I'm sure ECP would have a fit if she knew that I wasn't currently using a sulfate free shampoo on wash day at home and I have no idea what type of shampoo they use at the salon. I know this is NOT good but I have to take this one step at a time. I've been trying to learn about ingredients and reading products reviews so that next month I'll get an appropriate shampoo. Building a regime is not going to be easy- but with a baby on the way I want to minimize the amount of money I spend on products that isn't compatible with my hair. I get that you can't always tell until you actually try something but I still have to try.

So far, I have been sticking to my regime of washing and deep conditioning once a week and daily moisturization. Here is a picture update from 3 weeks post with {somewhat} straight hair.

Now I know no one does lengths checks this often but I did this to show that my hair is still relatively straight at the roots (although you can't see my roots) and still has a bit of moisture. In the past I feel like my roots would be awful around 3 to 4 weeks after a touch-up but my new found knowledge just lets me know that my hair was lacking moisture but we will see if I'm still singing the same tune in 2 weeks. I also feel like my hair is more manageable. That is definitely a result of increased moisture as I have been drinking more water (but for baby's sake - not mine) and eating more fruits (also due to cravings from baby). Diet really makes a difference. I currently use S-Curl moisturizer as a daily moisturizer. I like it cause it's a spray and I can do it quickly and easily. I normally thought of this as a product for those who had Jheri-curls by clearly I was misguided. I really believe I've seen a huge change in manageability since I began using it.

Okay so far I've covered :
- a bit of my hair background
- hair knowledge resources and
- my journey

So all that's left is my hair future:

Here is my plan. Continue with daily moisturizing making it second nature, continue with weekly shampoos and deep conditioning. Research and expand styling repertoire (I really want to start utilizing half wigs to help with this but I have yet to find a single one that "looks right") Keep building my hair care knowledge. I'll likely dedicate one or two posts a month to my HHJ. One thing that I found that a lot of hair bloggers do is begin each month with a hair goals posts and end the month with goals update. I still have a long way to go but I think what I want to get out of this whole process is

1. Healthier hair- no one wants unhealthy damaged hair, plus I've heard postpartum hair isn't glamorous.
2. Diversity in styling- I'm getting pretty tired of ponytails- I think this is going to be the hardest part. Hair makes a good outfit great!
3. I want the thickness of my hair back- while my hair isn't thin, I feel like it's thinner than it was when I was in college.
4. Longer hair- I think. I'm not sure if I can handle long hair because I feel like I'll just end up putting it in a ponytail.

Now that I've actually posted about this I feel like I've made an even greater commitment to this journey. I know this is going to be very hard being a new mom and working off my babies schedule and not my own- but I'm willing to give it my best shot.

My Healthy Hair Journey

This post is long over due. I actually have been a little afraid to write it because once you make something public- you make a public commitment. But maybe that's what I need.

August 1, 2011 started my Healthy Hair Journey. Actually, it started on July 28th but August 1 is easier to remember. What exactly is a Healthy Hair Journey? well first, let me start by telling you how I got here. It is a long standing myth that African American women cannot grow long hair. I've been told this many times by different people and I actually believed it to be true- until recently. Last year I happen to be in Tennessee at a work conference where I completely forgot a very good friend of mine is in med school. Luckily, the hotel van broke down on the side of the road on the way back from the mall and I was in such awe of the driver backing down a highway (because the gas petal was not working) that I posted it on facebook. She saw it and called me!

We spent all of the following evening 'catching up'. Literally... from like 7 pm to 3 am. Amidst all of our girl talk, we discussed hair. We've always had some sort of a hair relationship that I felt on she could understand. Being the same age and having similar hair backgrounds and turmoils I found her story intriguing and inspiring all at the same time. But in true 'The Mrs.' fashion I just could not commit to a hair routine. It is so much easier for me to pull my hair back in a ponytail and let it be. This stems from years of felt like hair torture... hours of hair drying, hot pressing, and greasing only for it to be all undone when I go outside to play and "sweat my hair out". I distinctly remember the night before my cousin's 13th birthday party my aunt spent all day washing, drying and pressing me and my 2 cousins hair. She put my hair in about 7 ponytails and I was ready for the party. The next day when the music came on- it was on! I was about 9 years old and getting down in their living with with all of my cousins teen aged friends... until my aunt saw me and snatched me up 'cause of all the work she done, lol! I have way many more stories of how my hair played 'traumatizing' roles in my upbringing but I don't really want to relive that.

*And this my folks it why I am deathly afraid of having a girl*

So anyway amongst one of our catch up sessions earlier this year- I found out that my friend, Ebony, has dedicated years of research and practice to having healthy hair and wrapped it all up in a bow just for me!:) First I started following her vlog. It's actually her YouTube channel filled will lots of helpful info, tips, products reviews, how-to's and more! I was amazed as to how far she's come and where she's headed on her journey. As a healthy hair newbie, I still had a lot to learn and was still very confused about some of the info- I needed her to start a blog. Something that I could reference at anytime and follow step-by-step, plus video watching isn't very conducive to a work environment (I'm just saying!). I'm sure she had been planning a blog before I mentioned it but luckily, she in March she answered my call. If you are at all curious- and you should be- you MUST visit her at www.longing4length.blogspot.com. I also have it booked marked all the way to the right under 'Good Reads'.

I will admit- it will take a while to catch up on some of the lingo and processes- in fact I still don't know exactly how to co-wash but research is key. I didn't started until I felt comfortable knowing and understanding why I would be doing what I was doing and how beneficial it was to my hair. Ebony's blog alone wasn't going cut it so she gave me (her readers) some of the resources she used for her journey. She actually gave me this info way back after our all nighter in Tennessee but once again in true 'The Mrs.' fashion I delayed out of fear of commitment. Her top recommendations from hair forums are KISS (Keep It Simple Sista) and Hairlista. There are countless other forums and blogs that you will come across who can also give you insight. The two listed above are actually social networking sites so you will need to sign up for actual info on what you should/can be doing (which was another part of my reservation- I like to "lurk" before committing). Or you can just read her blog until you feel comfortable enough to move on. Now for the good stuff (and what Eb has been waiting for):

Oh wait! I forgot to tell you that Eb's blog also has fashion and beauty tips (that I really love) and will use for inspiration once I can get back into building my wardrobe. Some of my faves are how she beautifully she does her own nails and the amazing outfits she puts together. I remember her doing my nails back in college and when we were roomies- I totally tried to where her clothes but unfortunately our differences in clothing sizes made this extremely hard. I do have pics of us where matching outfits tho'! She even dressed me for my very first Alicia Keys concert! Ok for real now... the good stuff.

This is my hair 2 days post relaxer- August 1st 2011. I went and had a touch up July 2. My hair was roller set under the dryer and instead of wrapping it after it dries like I normally get done, I had her re pin the curls from the roller set. That night I slept with a satin bonnet on my head and the next morning I took out the pins and just let my hair hang where it layed. This created beautiful shoulder length spiral curls. Of course I don't have any pics (I'm still new to documenting my hair journey and I forget to take pictures) although pics where taken at my baby shower the next day so I may have a useable one once the girl who took the pics share them with me. That night I re-pinned the curls the best I could and by day three my curls were pretty much non existent (as I didn't use any setting lotion).  This picture is the result of day three non existent curls. This is where some of my issues come in- I absolutely suck at styling my hair. I've been wearing my hair pulled into a ponytails for 99.99% of my life (since I was old enough to do my own hair). So I HAD to join these hair networks. I needed easy to maintain healthy styles to do at home.

One style I came across was to pull your hair back into a bum and pin curl the ends. The next morning take it down and let the ponytail out and you will have soft flowing curls for the next day- I rocked that for about another week and a half alternating with days of keeping my hair in a high ponytails with the pin curls. This is called protective styling [:)] and it's done to protect the ends of your hair from the weathering elements.

You can see from this photo (maybe) that I have some breakage in the back towards the nape of my neck. I am sure this comes from years of wearing low ponytails. That is a stress point from the ponytail holders. Also, my shirts/sweaters, blouses do not help as the collars rub against the hair causing it to dry out and break off.

This is my curls after leaving my hair in the high bun with pin curls over night. I added a headband and voila! I love this style. It is very manageable for me because it doesn't take much in the morning after you pull out the pins and I can pin it the  night before while watching TV. This dress allows my hair to hang without rubbing against a shirt- although there is the down side of the halter part rubbing against my nape ( I have to do something about that!)

I feel like this post is getting a bit long and I'm not trying to bore you to death- but rather share so I'll pick this up later. I actually promise to do so because I'm writing the post and scheduling it to post automatically because my memory is bad. To be continued...