Announcement!

OK, since I am past my first Trimester (14 weeks to be exact) I think it's time to make the announcement that I am PREGNANT!!! I know this is a hair blog, but I thought I'd share this piece of information with you guys.

I had to purchase a few maternity pieces (my job has a dress code) and it has become a challenge trying to still look cute. As far as my hair is concerned, I am stretching my relaxer to almost 3 months. I know some people who don't relax at all while pregnant, but at least I waited until my 2nd Trimester!

I have been rocking alot of braidouts and ponytails lately but I think I will be getting a Dominican blowout Monday because I have an interview for a promotion on Tuesday. I will keep you guys posted.

FULL ARM-PIT LENGTH

This is a pic that was inadvertently taken of my hair at a wedding reception. I don't always get a chance to take pics of my hair and rarely do I ever "really" see the back to know the true length so I am glad my soror took this pic of the back of my head. (Thanks K !)

I think I reached a milestone. I was aiming for full arm-pit length by about this time (Summer 2009) Hurraayyy!!!!

The next milestone is bra-strap length. Touching the very top of my bra clasp. I give myself by next summer. Do you think I can do it? Only time will tell.

Miami Braidout

It's been "braid out" city so far for me this summer. I wish I had a closeup pic of this braidout done while I was in Miami. I have been stretching my relaxer trying to go to 3 months. I have a wedding to go to in August and we are having our annual BBQ so I want my hair to be in "full force" by then.

Let's get it!

Dee

I'M BACK

Hey guys, I am back from my little hiatus. I have gotten into sort of a rut as far as my hair is concerned. I am trying to stretch my relaxer three months this go round. Nothing in my regimen has really changed. I still conditioner-wash once a week and do a braid-out or bun and wash/deep condition and roller-set once a week. When it gets hotter I may increase the conditioner washes to 2 times per week. We'll see how that goes. My goal is to have my hair touching my bra-strap by the fall. I will be posting pics soon when I do a braidout.

Smooches,

Dee AKA

Salon-Style products vs. "Cheapies"

There is an ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness of expensive salon-style products vs. cheap "drug-store" products. I use both for different things.

In my stash, I have both V05 and Suave conditioners. I use these mostly for "conditioner washes" Occasionally, I have also been known to use Pantene, Sunsilk, and Garner Fructis. I am happy with all of these products.

For my deep conditioner, as stated before, Nexxus Humectress is my staple. This conditioner has never steered me wrong. I also often purchase conditioner packs such as Organic Root Stimulator from the Beauty Supply Store.

Aphogee is also a staple for Protein Treatments. This should be done at least once a month to curb breakage. This can also be done with eggs or mayonnaise. (More on that later)

Often, I add honey, salt or oils to my deep conditioners.

In my opinion, because Afro-textured hair is so delicate, it should be treated like a delicate flower. It needs water (moisture) in order to thrive. I currently conditioner wash my hair once a week and wash with shampoo and deep condition once a week.

I would've never though for a minute that I would ever let water touch my hair more than once a week but my hair has thanked me for it. I would recommend anyone to try it. You might like it.

Winterize your hair!

I have noticed in the Winter time my hair is so much drier. I never thought that I'd be doing braid-outs in the winter, but since I am nearing relaxer time I have been doing them at least twice a week. If I am not doing braidouts I am using rocking a bun or some sort of twisted updo.

It is important to spray your hair at least once a day to add in moisture. Cathy Howse has a good one named "The Dew". I also use Frederic Fekkai, or Care Free Curl Gold. Or, you can make your own. Here is a sample list of ingredients:

Water (of course)

Glycerin or Aloe Vera Gel

Jojoba or Coconut Oil

You can also use these products while baggying. More on that method in a later post.

Stretching relaxers

Currently, I relax every 8 weeks. That is a big stretch for me because when I began this journey I used to relax every 6 weeks. In my younger days, I even relaxed at every 4 weeks. That is totally ridiculous! You should try to stretch your relaxers at least to 8 weeks to prevent from overlapping the already relaxed hair. In my opinion, the ability to stretch depends on the texture of your hair. Coarser textured hair is more difficult to manage than looser textured hair because of the vast difference between the two textures. Furthermore, often the hair begins to break at the demarcation point, which is the point where the two textures meet.

How do I manage the new growth you may ask? Well towards the end of my relaxer cycle, like after the 4th week, I do a lot of braidouts. Moisture helps me with maintaining the new growth. At this time, I do a lot of conditioner washes. After the conditioner wash I apply a leave in and braid in sections. I then let this air-dry overnight. In the morning, I combine Aveda Brilliant moisturizer with S-Curl and apply to the hair.

I will post pics of a successful braid-out in a later post.