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new hair

My new favorite protective hairstyle...Violet Girl by FreeTress which is a Draw String Ponytail

My best No-comb braid-out ever.

I recently cut 2 1/2 to 3 inches off my hair. It totally sucks but I couldn't stand looking at my ends anymore. They were pretty bad. I don't want anymore set backs this year. So I've been revamping my regimen and changing up my styling methods. I want full waist length by January 1213. The last time I used a comb was in April and you know what...I don't miss it at all. Here is the video on how I achieved my best braid-out ever. 

Painting again

I haven't painted in a really long time. It feels good to pick up the paint brush and get to splashing. I'm recording this so it should make for a decent video. I haven't painted in so long I feel rusty. Oh well, practice makes perfect. I feel bad that I took such a long break from my painting. 

A painter is who I am and who I will always be. 

Life is art and Art is life.

F.A.Q. on heat 

How does heat damaged hair look and feel?

1.The natural curly pattern is either loosen or completely  gone. 

2.The hair has a hard time holding water, hence forth becoming brittle or even breaking.

3. hair appears limp or lifeless

 Why does heat affect people differently?

It’s all up to genetics. Some people hair strand contains more  Disulfide bonds then others. These bonds produce more cysteine molecules that aid in stronger hair that can withstand the roughest combing, the strongest wind and a really hot flat iron.

Should I stay away from heat?

I recommend that all naturals stay away from heat but If you like heat, here are some reason why you might want to monitor and control your heat usage.

1. If  you have thin hair be careful with heat.

2. If  you have fine hair strands your chances of heat damage is drastically higher than others

3. If you suffer from really dry hair your chances of heat damage is drastically higher than others  

4.  If you have porous hair your chances of heat damage is drastically higher than others

5. If you like the curliness of your hair be careful with heat.

What are some ways to avoid heat damage?

1. Collect your shedded hair to experiment on, to find the perfect temperature for your curls

2. Use Heat protectant

3. Don't use heat tools higher than 410 degrees.

4. Lessen the amount of times you use your heat tools a year

What Should I do if I have heat damage?

1. Increase the amount you deep condition.

2. increase  protein treatments.

3. Increase the amount of times  you moisturize your hair daily

4. wear more protective styles

5. If you don't like the new texture, simply cut it off and start a new

understanding heat on hair.

Introduction

Let’s talk about heat and hair.  A lot of naturals have a love& hate relationship with heat. I think this is because we lack understanding of the effects of heat on our precious curls. Well it’s time to go into some of the facts and clarify some of the myths…

So, where should we start.

What is heat?short version

 In the dictionary it is described as the state in which the body perceived as having or generating a relatively high degree of warmth.  Heat is energy transferred from one system to another by thermal interaction.

What is hair?short version

Hair is a network of amino acids chains that are joined together by side bonds  There are three types of side bonds: salt bonds, hydrogen bonds, and disulfide bonds. 

Today we are going to talk about two of these bonds, the Hydrogen and Disulfide bond. 

The hydrogen bond appears more frequently throughout the hair-strand and is connected to various parts of proteins and contribute to the overall stability of  the hair. This bond is weak and can easily be broken or altered by heat and moisture.

The Disulfide bond is fewer, but is much stronger and is directly contributed to the structure of the strand, meaning the curliness.

How does heat affect the hair?short version

Since hydrogen bonds is weak, light application of heat can change or cause deformities throughout the hair structure. The proteins are relatively rigid, so several hydrogen bonds must be broken simultaneously for a protein to change its overall shape. Heating of the hair cause reconstruction of the hydrogen bonds within a single hair strand and as it cools new bonds form.
 For example curling the hair with a heated curling wand. 
If you where to create a curl and proceed to hold the curl for 5 to 10 seconds as it cools down. Then proceed to curl another section of hair but release allowing gravity to pull it down and cool in that position.The first curl created will hold its shape longer then the one that was not allowed to hold it curl until the section completely cooled down. The bonds had not set themselves in place, causing the second curled section to drop the shape of the curl.

Duly noted, this newly created bond is weak and the smallest presence of moisture can cause the structure to return to its previous state. Increasing the kinetic energy within the atoms increases vibration or interactions between the atoms involved in the hydrogen bond.  More energy or increase in temperature increase changes or deformation of hair strand. The structure becomes disrupted and denaturation happens.  High temperatures or prolonged use of heat can affect the hydrogen Bond in a way that can destroy or permantly alters the disulfide bond that creates the curly pattern in your hair. Most people know it as heat damage.

That's all flocks..... for now. I just wanted to give my reader a head up to the future video coming soon...Yahhhh!!!!!! I'm really excited about this one. Other questions that will be answered and discussed in this video will be listed below. If you have any questions or topics dealing with heat fill free to leave below and I will add them to the video. 

Thank you and see you soon....

How does heat damaged hair look and act?

Why should I stay away from heat or lower my use of heat?

What to do if you have heat damage?

I love this fake pony

I love this thing. I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier... It was so easy to make. There are countless styles to use it for, like in the pictures below.

Here is how I made it.

Reason why I Love:

1. It adds length, when I needed it
2. It adds fullness for pompadour, french twist and buns.
3. I can wash my hair or deep condition without worrying about drying time. If you have ever had waist length and longer braids or twist, they take forever to dry.

4. Redoing my braids is less complicated. Instead of taking out the extension and throwing them away...only to add more hair, which could add up in price over the span of the year. I just simply and quickly braid back up my own hair and when I want length, I'll just slap that sucker in.

 Braided Bangs and High Bun

It's in the bun.

 Braided bangs with side braid

added to the bottom of the braid

 Fishtail Braid

added to the bottom of the fishtail braid

 Pompadour  

it's in the  Pompadour

I made it to waist length

I'm now grazing waist and I couldn't be happier. Can't you see the glow....lol.

 For those who don't know I have been on my hair journey for 3 years...and for some reason reaching waist length has been one of the most difficult goals to reach on my hair journey. I kept making mistakes that caused major setbacks.
 I decided to invest a little more time in my hair-care. What helps you reach MBL may not help you reach WL. What I had done personally to reach MBL was preventing me from reaching my goal.

Waist Length Check

Side Length Check

I need 2 to 3 more inches to be full waist length. So I hope that I can reach that by the end of December.

I had many set-backs in reaching waist length, and I'm going to share them with you. I hope that you can learn from my mistakes and reach your goals faster than I had.

 1. I trimmed my hair too often 

(for the last two years I would trim my hair 4 to 3 times a years. Which doesn't really makes since, If you want to see real growth. Your hair on average grows 5 to 6 inches a year and if you cut off four inches your growth will feel slower. So I stopped the bad habit. So far this year. Iv'e trimmed my hair twice and both times I cut a half an inch off. In all, I have only lost an inch due to trimming. The next trim will be a full inch in December. )

2. Detangling to roughly

(I have always regarded myself as a person with soft hands. I tell people to treat your hair like lace but I was ripping my hair out at the same time...lol... lesson learned . February, I took my mini braids out and flat-ironed my hair. I was determined to enjoy my hair and its length. I was blow-drying and combing my hair right out of my head. I knew I had to do something but I didn't know what. I got on YouTube and searched for no comb methods and finger detangling. I remembered I used to do that in the past but hadn't done so in a while and boy did it make a change.)

3. Heating training 

 ( I have learned that blow-drying my hair every-week is a "heck no!"After my first flat iron in February, in the consecutive weeks, I simply blow-dried my hair. My hair got so dry and brittle after the process. Never again! ;-)

 I blowdryed my hair for my first wedding anniversity and that will be the last time I use heat until December. I don't want to have anymore set backs this year and i'll be on a complete lock down. I will continue to use heat after I reach full waist length. I've concluded that its best to heat train my hair every two months with a flat iron.

4. Not enough protective styling 

(Wearing my hair in braids is the best protective style for me. I get so much growth.

 Braid-outs, twist-outs or even blow-outs get so tangled and stuck on stuff.

 I have even shut my hair in the door of my car. It hurt so bad ughhhhh....

 I just rather be safer than sorry and keep my hair in braids until I reached full waist length )

June2012

May 2011

5. Dying Twice

 (Last year I dyed my hair twice in the span of two weeks. Didn't keep up with my protein treatments, which was a big no-no. I know now that my hair needs protein, and whenever I don't do my treatments, I'll see tons of breakage. )

6. Trying to new things

( The curly girl method was a nightmare of tangles and knots. It didn't work well, so I modified it to my liking. I tried to use sulfate free shampoo but haven't lately. I also stopped using any tools to detangle my hair I only use my hands. It has added a lot of time to the detangling process but I dont think I would of been able to reach waist length if I hadn't picked this up. Third, I try to use hair care products that are silicon free.)

I love this combination of products. It's been working wonders for my hair. For the last two months I've used this combo and its keeping my hair soft and pliable, and allows for more knots to slip-out.

well that's it. I hope this helps you.
 My Hair Regimen:

I wash my hair with an Organix shampoo once a week. Usually on (Sundays)

I co-wash 6-5 days of the week with whatever conditioner is at hands reach (Monday through Saturday)

moisturize hair once a day.

once a week I deep condition my hair (I don't have a special day I just do it whenever.)

___________________Heat training portion___________________

Every two months, I apply some form of heat to my hair.

 I perfer the flatiron but if I don't have much time I will just use the blow-drier. 

I don't go more then a week with my hair straight or blow-dried, I am too physically active.

After a heat session I always deep condition for a minimum of 30 minutes then co-wash my hair. I never shampoo my hair. After I co-wash, I then air-dry until my hair is 80 to 90 percent dry,  and then use my blow-dryer until my hair is 100% dry and fairly straight... 

I also put my hair in braids until the next heat session. 

(Regimen is then repeated.)

Latest Sewing Projects

Pool Cabana 1

Pool Cabana 2

Pool Cabana 3

Bathroom

Man... I love my job. I thank God I have opportunities to bless other with my skills...