Still Slacking

I finally did a good long wash of my hair and took my time afterwards with the rest of my products.  I did change things up a tiny bit.  I used the Aphogee 2 minute Keratin Reconstructor while I was washing in place of another conditioner to see if there was any real difference.  Before I put on my leave ins and setting lotion I used the Aphogee Balancing Moisturizer for a few minutes then rinsed out of course.  I used my kimmaytube leave in along with the Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla leave in and Pantene's Relaxed and Natural Wrap and Setting lotion.  Those two were used in place in Infusium 23 leave in and Motions Foaming Setting lotion.  I like both of those products a lot as they highly limited the fly aways and annoying stuff when I let my hair air dry.  However every now and then it felt a little hard.  Could have been because I used too much product but I have a billion things for my hair since I've started working on it more and figured I should try more than the same few things over and over.  Plus I always keep what I know is working in play lol.

At this point my hair has a nicer shine to me and rolled a bit easier to me.  Could just be wishful thinking but I liked how it felt and it didn't feel super weighed down with product.  Now I just gotta make sure to get a co wash or two in this week instead of nursing my hair through the week and having more issues with shedding.

Update and it's late

So went in for my last dose of creamy crack for 2011 on my birthday since I was taking the day off.  Mom went with me so that was an experience.  After fussing at my stylist and me about not dieing my hair for 30 minutes she let it go because my stylist, who rocks by the way lol, told mom several times that it's growing out much healthier and stronger and she totally understood why I wasn't fighting my gray hair anymore.  No picture because I've gotten uber lazy and have been fighting a bug for the last few weeks.  Not quite sick but it's lingering.  I lost maybe half an inch after we finished with the perm because she wanted to cut the ends that were thinning.  She cupped my hair and said the fullness and healthy was basically what she was leaving as well so I'm doing the right things just gotta keep it up.  Especially when I look at pictures of December 2010 and realized how much shorter my hair was.  For being about six dedicated months in I'm feeling good.  Just gotta stay up with moisture and cowashes.  It's work but it's worth it.  Santa only dropped by with spending money and I went on a Barbie spree (so unlike me but the Barbie Basics model 8--my line number were all brown girls that I found adorable).  The rest went in the bank until I got some snow boots and now it's looking the snow is holding off for a while.  I'm okay if I bought them and don't need them but it's a bear getting out into several inches of snow in my cute girl shoes.  Hope everyone had a good holiday season and I'll be back around scoping out hair styles and possibly wigs so I can protect this full head of hair.

Today Was a Good Day

So I wrapped my hair for a change and went to sleep after actually staying focused and doing my cowash as soon as I got home.  Short of it being kinda poofy and thick as all heck my hair was actually straight which is a miracle.  No ridges, no dents just straight.  I bumped it slightly with my flat iron because it was lacking definition but took about two seconds and I remembered the heat protectant.  Left the house happy and work was eh but coming home was great. Sometimes you just hear things when the moment is right. I love my random feature on my Zune. There's a reason Christina Aguilera is one of my favorite singers, I Am is totally my new theme song. Put me in such a good frame of mind I did my shopping in record time, grabbed the garbage and mail, put up the groceries, heated up my leftovers and gave the last three cupcakes to the neighbors so I wouldn't eat them and to just pass on some good will. Dinner time now, sorority meeting tomorrow, miss my baby but life is good.

Clarifying Night Woohoo

Was not my plan, it's just wash day but it dawned on me I hadn't clarified in a LONG time so I went ahead and let the Carol's Daughter out of it's hiding place and took care of that.  Followed up with some great conditioners and after finally remembering my setting lotion I did my roller set on the larger rollers I bought today.  It actually rolled a lot easier on these so I guess I have to get used to the fact that my hair is growing more than I thought it would.  Since I found the photo from last December I'm really interested in what it will look like a full year later.  It will only be six months of hair journey but will be nice to chart the progress.  Just gotta be careful and not get lazy on the moisturizing as the wind is picking up and the temperature is dropping in these parts.  Tried a Shea Moisture masque today for the first time too, as part of the deep conditioning, so I'm interested to see if there's a major difference tomorrow when I take these down from the air drying.  Hair growth is fun---don't mean that sarcastically at all.

Yeah for Hair Growth

So today I went in for my almost quarterly dose of creamy crack.  I was going to try to stretch another week but after this last wash cycle my hair was just screaming for a touch up.  10 weeks of actually taking care of my hair and almost no heat and there was noticeable growth and more importantly for me thickening.  I was bopping my head around in the car and felt something that my own hair hadn't done in a while--swing and brush my cheek lol.  I'm still tweaking the regimen a bit but it's nice to see progress.  Still no hair dye and short of the spiral of gray overtaking my crown I'm semi enjoying seeing the pattern of my new growth against the old color.  Might be able to try a few more protective styles after this next ten weeks, especially if it keeps thickening up.  Will post a new photo tomorrow but appointment was late and then I had to eat.  Time for Family Guy and bed.

Two Months In

I wasn't sure I'd stay on this healthy kick as I can be lazy and tending to your hair can be tedious sometimes.  I still need to step up the regular moisturizing but I like the routine I have established now and have eliminated some products and gotten one or two others that have helped tremendously.  The homemade leave in conditioner in particular has been great so thanks to my hairdresser for reminding me about it and kimmaytube for posting it in the first place.  I have noticed that since I used it that my roots and most of my hair will dry pretty straight with no effort on my part.  The ends are curlier than I would like which is why I normally wrap it or roller set my hair BUT I don't really have to at this stage.  My hair feels thicker to me and is closer to NL than it was when I started (was just past my chin in July).  It's holding the moisture I give it better and after I decided to drop the color (my gray was winning the battle faster and faster each month) it has felt stronger too.  Tying it down when I work out has helped me not have the same kind of issues before with my hair getting kinda cruddy after it got sweaty.  Glad that I'm still working on my hair and hope to get to shoulder length by my birthday (mid December) or early January.  Right now I'm just searching for more hair styles to rock because braiding my own hair is still a work in progress lol and I feel like I look 12 with the curls so any suggestions would be welcome. HHJ all.