2.5 year update

Hello all!

It's been too long! Life has gotten shockingly busy, but it's time to get back to doing things I enjoy, like blogging. I'm going to jump right into it...

It's currently the middle of a super cold and snowy winter in nyc, so my hair has mostly been in a bun or under a hat, which has been excellent for retention! This weekend, I decided to blow my hair out to give my scalp and edges a break from all of the bunning, here's my wash day in pictures:

Pre-Shampoo Treatment:
I applied sweet almond oil to my scalp to help with the dryness from the week. To prep my hair for washing and heat styling, I decided to use the ORS Hair Mayonnaise as a light protein treatment on hair that had been lightly moistened with a spray bottle. I then added a light coating of sweet almond oil over the conditioner, put on a plastic cap and put on my heating cap for about 30 mins.

Wash:
I shampooed twice with the L'oreal Everpure Sulfate-Free shampoo (diluted with water in an applicator bottle for easier application). After rinsing, I used Aussie Moist conditioner and let it sit with a plastic cap over it for the remainder of my shower. I then rinsed and detangled my hair under cool water and did a final cold rinse. I then t-shirt dried for 30-45 minutes.

Post-wash and styling:
After t-shirt drying, I applied my leave-ins (silicon mix bambu and organix argan oil of morocco weightless healing dry oil)   in 4 sections to detangle. After that was completed, I began blow drying using the Conair Yellow Bird blow dryer on cool air for the length, and warm air to dry the roots. Before drying my ends, I applied a bit more of the silicon mix bambu. After each section was dried, it was pinned away and I spritzed some of the organix spray oil on the section.

Here are the final results:

  

Yay! So I was quite pleased by the final results. I haven't clipped my ends since November, but from all of the bad winter weather protective styling they've been doing quite well! I did a lot of trimming and cutting last year to get my ends together, and it seems to have gone well. The last pic im showing my bra strap, so i believe as of right now I am grazing bra-strap length! Fingers crossed for reaching bsl by my next relaxer (if the weather stays this bad I should be good, lol).

Thanks for reading :),

Relaxer Update #4

Hello all!

I know I'm late but I certainly do hope that all of you had a delightful thanksgiving! I relaxed my hair on the 18th after a 12 week (!) stretch. This stretch didn't go too badly. I had very little demarcation line breakage, which for me is rare (I usually start to get that around 10 weeks). I was reflecting on what was different this stretch that seemed to leave my hair in better condition. I increased my co-washing, reduced shampooing to once a week, utilized styles that ensured smooth ends while air-drying (flexi-rods, pin curls, etc) and mostly just low manipulation styles. My ends held up well, but since I wear my hair out most of the time, I will dust my ends just to reduce tangling and for aesthetic purposes :).

As for my relaxer, it was the same process outlined in my last relaxer update. The relaxer processed well, though I did burn a bit, and that of course is something that I certainly could live without lol. Here are my relaxer results:

(looking the crankiest lol)

I let my hair air-dry and bunned for a few days until wednesday night. On wednesday night I co-washed with aussie moist and let my hair dry to about 80% and then put in flexi-rods (the 11/16'' gray ones for the body and the 3/4'' blue ones for the front of my head). Those were my results :). My hair seems to be past armpit length and I think it may be below shoulder blade (BSB) at this point. I'm hyped! I think I finally found a great way to manage my hair while being able to enjoy the progress I've made. I will be dusting, straightening and doing a length check shortly. I want to see how this stretch treated my ends. If they aren't too crazy, 12 week stretches may be my new thing :o).

Thanks for reading :),

Relaxer Update #3

Good afternoon!
Yesterday I relaxed my hair after 9 weeks, since I've been back at the gym my new growth has been poppin, so I figured I would relax before it got to hectic lol. Here are the steps:

Relaxer Prep:

1. On Thursday:  I used my 6+ week detangling method using coconut oil and Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Moisturizing Smoothie.
1. I left that in for about 30 mins with heat and 2 additional hours because I was busy :o).
2. After rinsing, I shampooed in 4 sections using the Dove Intense Repair (sulfate) shampoo to gently remove any build-up prior to relaxing. I then shampooed a second time Shea Moisture Retention Shampoo.
3. I then conditioned briefly without heat with Aussie Moist and proceeded to finger detangle.
4. After rinsing, I t-shirt dried for about 5 minutes, applied Rusk Smoother Leave-in Conditioner and argan oil and proceeded to finish detangling with my fingers.
5. After my hair was about 90% dry, I applied Giovanni Direct Leave-in, aloe vera juice/water mix and some more argan oil to seal my ends.
2. The day before I relaxed (Saturday): I coated the previously relaxed ends and length with coconut oil and fully detangle all sections.
3. Relaxer day: I applied vaseline to scalp and completely around hairline.

Relaxer Day:

1. My hair was parted into 4 sections and then relaxed using the half and half method (click here to see explanation of this method) with the Gentle Treatment No-Lye relaxer in regular strength.
1. The back two halves were relaxed first, then the front.
2. The total relaxer time for each half was 18 minutes.
3. The hair was then rinsed and neutralized.
4. I then deep conditioned with Nexxus Humectress for 30 minutes under my heat cap.
5. I rinsed, then t-shirt dried for about 10 minutes.
6. I applied my leave-ins: Rusk Smoother and argan oil, then detangled and allowed my hair to air-dry hanging loose.

 

My hair at 70% dry, prior to trim. I wore my hair out for the last few months to give my scalp a break, 
my ends took more a beating than usual, so a trim is definitely in order, most likely later this week.

I randomly decided to try to flat twist my hair, and it actually didn't come out too badly. The twists were done of dry hair, with no products used. This was more of an experiment, but now that I know that I can flat twist I will be sure to try this method again!

 

...and yes those are absolutely barrettes lmao, I was too lazy to go get rollers #laziness!

Final results, best pic I could get since I was running late for work. 

The waves were fairly uniform :).

I plan to try this style again in the future, so I will def do a post on it. I will be updating later this week with a length check after I trim!

Thanks for reading :),

Relaxer Update #2

Good Afternoon loves!

My blog had its two month anniversary on Friday and I wanted to say thank you to those who read, comment and to my 12 subscribers. It means soooo much to me that you guys are taking this journey with me and I truly am grateful. I have a lot of ideas, and I plan to have a few new things coming up so stay tuned and thanks again!


I relaxed my hair yesterday after a 10 week stretch! I think it went okay. I still have to trim my hair, and if the weather permits I will either rollerset or flat iron (wowow, haven't used any direct heat since the beginning of my journey... maybe I should stick with the no heat trend lol ;). Here's what I did:

1. The night before, I thoroughly detangled my hair and applied coconut oil to the length. This was done to protect my previously relaxed hair to decrease the risk of overprocessing and the thinning of my ends due to relaxer run-off during neutralizing/rinsing. 
2. About a half hour before my relaxer, I coated my entire scalp, my nape, my forehead and around my ears with vaseline to prevent burning. 
3. I relaxed using the half and half method.
• Relaxing the back two halves first, rinsing, using my mid relaxer protein step (using ORS replenishing pack, left in the hair for 2-3 mins), rinsing, and leaving neutralizing shampoo in while relaxing the front half. After the relaxer was applied to the front half and smoothed, it was also rinsed, received the protein conditioner and then was neutralized (let it sit for 10 mins, then neutralized a few more times). The mid relaxer protein step after the rinsing and prior to neutralizing prevents that limp, dead feeling that many experience after a fresh relaxer. 
4. After neutralizing, I then deep conditioned with Nexxus Humectress for 30 mins with heat using my heating cap.
5. After rinsing out the conditioner, I t-shirt dried for 5 minutes, then added my leave-ins (Rusk Smoother leave-in conditioner and pure argan oil) and then allowed my hair to air dry.

My hair came out pretty smooth, with no post-relaxer breakage! Now for pics...

 

Left - picture of soaking wet hair after deep conditioning, right - hair 70% dry. 

Last night after my hair dried, I moisturized and sealed with Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer and sweet almond oil. I also applied some of the Bee Mine curly butter to help set the waves. I then did one large bantu knot in the back of my head, in the front I did one knot in the middle and a large pin curl on either side. In the morning, I took them down with some sweet almond oil on my hands and here are the results:

 

Too bad it poured and turned this style into a fail. Good thing I wasn't running late this morning and I was able to take pics lol.

I'll have an official length check + trim coming up soon, as well as my 1 year hairniversary on July 1st!

Thanks for reading,

The intro/Relaxer update 1

Hey there, my name is Jenna and I am addicted to hair pornography. I figured I'd now try to make some of my own ;) lol. I'm kidding, but welcome to my blog. This will mostly be about a hair blog, but later on I'm sure I will add other topics. I this to be the a logical approach to hair, skin, health and other things. Anyway, onto my very first post :)

This is my first relaxer update. I relaxed on Sunday, at 10 weeks post. Over the last 9 months since I began this hair journey, I have tried to find as many ways as I possibly can to make the relaxing process less traumatic for my strands. I'll run through my entire relaxer day routine, which actually begins a few days before :).
3-4 days before: wash with a sulfate shampoo, use  a medium protein reconstructor (nexxus keraphix) and follow up with a moisturizing deep conditioner using heat.The night before: make sure hair is detangled, coat previously relaxed hair in coconut oil as well as make sure that my scalp is not damaged or flaky.
Relaxer day:

1. Base scalp and line edges and ears with vaseline to protect the skin against relaxer burns.
2. Relax using gentle treatment relaxer in normal strength. I still relax bone straight, but i leave about 40% of the texture in my nape area because the texture back there is finer and it sustains more damage from relaxing than the rest of my hair.
3. Relaxer is left in my hair, including smoothing, for no more than 20 minutes.
4. After the relaxer is rinsed out, I applied Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Pak for 3 minutes then rinsed.
5. The neutralized twice using the shampoo included in the gentle treatment relaxer kit, then used the Creme of Nature Neutralizing Shampoo and left that in for 10 minutes to completely halt the relaxer process.
6. After rinsing, I deep conditioned with Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle for 15 minutes, with heat.
7. After letting the hair cool for a few minutes, I then rinsed that out with cool water.
8. Next, I t-shirt dried my hair for about 15 minutes to remove the extra water.
9. Then applied the Rusk Smoother Leave-in, detangled with my fingers and let it air dry loose. 

Here is a post relaxer pic when it is about 75% dry and mostly finger detangled:

Not only will I be investing in a camera soon (lol), I will also take a picture of the back of my hair when it is completely dry and add it to the post.

Thanks for reading :),