It has been a whole month since, I did my last braid-out and I’m really loving how it came out today…

I did something a little different from the normal braid-out. After I took out all of the braids, I proceed to put two ponytails in. Then band all the way to the ends, over night. It gave me a bra strap length braid-out, which I normally can’t get unless I use heat. So this is a great replacement method for blow drying and flat ironing.  
Even though I am heat training, It doesn't mean I use heat all the time. There are times where I take breaks. This method is one of my new favorite tricks for length.

Hide those scissor

Ok, I have been in LOVE.... with my scissors for two years now and its obvious that I'm lacking the length. I have good length right now but I could of been waist last year. The main reason is because I'm suffering from "scissor-happy-syndrome"

 It's a really serious problem. I see a few split ends and a couple uneven strands...and I must cut. It stems from YouTube....lol. I know----I know, from the beginning of my journey. I would watch all these videos of people who had long hair tell me that they cut their hair 4 to 5 times a year. So, my thoughts were, I want long hair like yours. I will do that tooooooooo!  The thing is, it doesn't make sense to cut your hair that much. Unless your trying to maintain your length. So, lets calculate. If you cut you hair 4 times a year and you cut an inch off each time. You will hardly see any growth. This is because the average speed hair can grow is between 5 to 6 inches a year. That would equal up to around 1 to 2 inches of retained length a year. I was living a lie these last two years. Nooooooooooo....... So I went back to YouTube with a new resolve and a little more smarts. What I pretty much heard ... now was across the board. From Asain to African American; they would only trim or cut their hair once a year. Now this was while they were growing their hair long. Once they got to the length they desired. The long hair Divas cut it more frequently.

 I have no idea why this simple concept didn't slap me in the face years ago. So I have hidden my hair scissor. No seriously I did and now I can't find them... I've been looking for them, for two weeks now. I'm about to just buy another pair. ANY WHO! My major goal is to wear only protective styles like this one

 and only cut my hair once this year. Don't get me wrong, I will still be practicing my search and destroy methods. Split ends are no joke. That's why I have be looking for those blasted scissor. The last time I got a trim was in November. So we will see whats poppin in November 2012...

The highs and lows of thin hair or balding...

Day 5

I just wanted to finish up my straight hair for 6 day. I forgot to take a pictures of the finish product of these braids but I did a braid-out. which turned out very sexy... and lasted all day. Again I was able to braid my bang to each side of my hair and pin them in the back with sparkly hair accessory. sorry for not having a picture of it.

 Dang my lip look dry omg....

 Day 6

Yeah, the final day. I have been trying to hide the flacks, which I know was going to happen. This why I dont go long with-out shampooing or co-washing my hair. Like I have mention before. Befor but never probally went over I wash my hair every other day with sulphate/sulfate free shampoo. I know most naturals would be shocked but I have a really weird scalp and it super sensitive to dirt...and a lot of oil... I never oil my scalp because It make my pores clog on my scalp and I can get infected follicles. which I totally fell like I got on the side of my head. I know EWWWWwwwwww. So what I did was the same thing for day 4 but I put a different conditioner in and I place 9 perm rods in instead of 6. I pinned and twist the hair to one side and BAM!!!

 I'm going to return to my favorite hairstyle very soon. I'm going to rock the larger braids for the rest of the year. I rocked the small braids for almost a year. Now that my hair has a little longer, rocking the bigger braids won't look so bad. I'm still trying to reach waist by the end of this year so we will see.

Lets get to some lows. I am also on another journey. I'm trying to thicken up my thin areas on my crown.

here are pictures of this area

with braids

with-out braids

I hate when people praise my hair or me for taking such good care of it. My journey is far from over whether It takes me to a dermatologist or the operation room. I have tried a lot of stuff.....trust. I am good for researching books and exploring every website. If you don't know just check out my educational videos on YouTube. This is the same issue that I have been suffering from the very begin. I just can't wait till I have the money to have the procedure i think will solve my problems. They say It cost around 7 thousand G's and its not cover by insurance. So i'm going to have to really save up. It would be great to no longer feel embarrassed or self-conscious. When you have something that makes you feel inadequant, in your outer appears. It effects your self-esteem. I'm learning to love and live... and if you or a love one is suffering from the same thing. Find support and know that you are beautiful no matter what anyone else says.

straight hair journey (so far)

Day1

 So the first day was really fun.  I finally got to see my real length which I haven't seen since November.  Even in November, I didn't really see because I didn't straighten it perfectly straight. I'm still on this journey for waist so I'm not going to cut my ends until November. I know it sounds crazy but for the last 2 years I have only retained about 4 inches just because I cut my hair to much. So, I'm going to focus most of my attention on my ends so I wont have to trim. 

 Day2

 I'm really tired of have short bangs. I can't really do what I want with them so I'm going to grow them out to my chin... The majority of the time I'm braiding it to the side and pining it down.... it's getting old.

 Day3

 OK.... totally didn't like this day of hair. It was done with flat twist. I put in 5 flat twist. By the time I took this picture the hair was pretty much flat and dead.  My hair looks really dry, which it was I think it was the sweater. So when I got home I re-moisturized. 

 Day4

 When I curl my hair, I never use heat. For a matter of fact, I don't even know how to curl my hair with a curling iron or flat iron. my sister is really good at it though. I just put my favorite oil and conditioner in my hair. I then proceed to put six medium sized perm rods in, over night. My scalp is getting slightly itchy. Which is kind-ah bad cause 

I'm loving my hair but I'm going to have to wash it soon... I will see how long I can last.

FEBRUARY 2 years ago

This is how long my curled hair was... crazy the difference in length.

Taking out my mini braids

I'm taking out my mini braids. Its taken me two day and I still have several to go.

I just bun. Rocking my bun to hide the unfinished hair. I'm going to rock this look for a week and then putting those bad boys back in. 

 I had my hair in braids for four months now and its time to give my hair a break from the norm. The pics are after I clarified and blowdryed. 

With  Camera flash . . . love it, makes my hair look so shine

 Without Camera flash . . . don't like the look, dry and frizzy.

I measured my hair and now I'm 3 inches away from waist length. Last time I measured I was 4 inches so its growing but really slowly.

My braids

My braids are almost hanging below the bra area in the front.  Of course when they dry they shrink up. I cant wait till I get hang time around mbl when they are dry. 

I redyed the hair in the front. I want to say about a 1.5 inches back from my hair line. I used the same color from before, that way the new growth doesn't look so bad. I decided that I will redye the whole head after the challenge is over.

I'm dripping all over

I can't wait to share some of the styles. I've been wearing my hair in. The pictures are of my braids wet so you can see the loose curly pattern.

You can really see the color difference.

Hair challenge...time.

I have been gone for like a month, which is way to long in bloggers time. I lost my mojo but it's coming back now. I’m currently doing a hair challenge and I’m going to be uploading some of my favorite hair styles during this challenge. At the beginning of the challenge, all I did was buns very similar to the one below . 

 My goal is to last till Febuary or March. I am trying to make it to waist length and I have 3 to 4 inches to go still. UGhhhhh! This is because I had a cut in July that made me loss around 2 inches….. still mad at myself for doing that but can't cry over spilled milk.

I got a trim

sadface

 You can't really tell now but over the weekend; I got a trim at a salon. Walmart baby! I know crazy but the stylist there was really good at her craft. I told her what I wanted and she was able to do it to a "T". I was pretty shocked. I told her to be careful how much she cut but to even it up in the back. It looks like she fixed up my layers too. So now when I curl my hair it has so much body and waves. I have fallen in love with my hair all over again. It's crazy how a good trim can change the health of your hair. Boy, my ends were looking straight crazy.

 She cut off a inch. So instead of being only 3 inches, now I'm only 4 inches away from waist length. Come on hair and grow.

deep conditioning

I have been deep conditioning a lot more lately. I am really trying to get to waist length. I have been using this product below with jojoba oil mixed in it .

talk about amazing results

This big fro is from blow-drying like usual. I flat ironed my bangs instead of just simply braiding them, which is what I do the majority of the time.

Rocking the braids for a while

I'm going back to my mini braids. I know my hair now and its screaming break time.  I have been really enjoying my hair and playing all up in it. I want to say about 4 months of major manipulation. Braid-outs, flat-ironing and dyeing my hair is what I call major manipulation and damage. My plans are to leave my braids in for about 2 months. 
So I'm going back to my braid routine.

BRAID ROUTINE:

Sunday- Shampoo

Monday- co-wash

Tuesday- co-wash

Wednesday- deep-conditioned

Thursday- co-wash

Friday- co-wash

Saturday- co-wash

every three week redo braids

I love my little short braids. They are so cute. I know a lot of people won't like them but that is me and it fit my style. I missed my braids. I retain most of my length with this style and now that my hair is color treated I have to be on my "A" game.

cut some really short bangs

I dyed my hair lighter red (pic heavy)

I said I was going lighter and I did...I don't really have a good camera, so I hope you can see the difference. I went up about two shades. I used 2 different colors. I left the color in for 35 minutes....the products I used are at the bottom..