Healthy NL 2013 Challenge!!

[faithVA]

Bumping for Monday. Let's keep this thread alive.

 

[faithVA]

I put in flat twist on Sunday and I had great definition but I can tell my ends are frazzled. Flat twists always let me know the real condition of my ends. I probably also make my flat twists too small, making my hair too tight.

Anyway, after reading about mid-shaft splits, the readings suggest less manipulation and less stretching. So I am torn between washing more often to heal my scalp and low manipulation. My scalp is winning out. So to compromise I decided to do a pincurl/bantu know vs. flat twists and two strand twists. I will still wear out styles but I will try to have 2nd day hair and then wear a puff, to reduce the number of times I retwist during the week.

Last night my hair was dry, so I misted with water, apply Komaza Care Moisturizer and bee-mine to the ends. Then I put my hair into 13 sloppy bantu knots. I was pleasantly surprised this morning of how curly my hair was. I had planned on wearing a puff, but I had such nice curls, I just put a band around it.

So I will try to just put a bonnet on tonight and if needed spritz it in the morning and wear a puff tomorrow.

Tomorrow will probably be wash day where I give myself a protein treatment and do a quick DC.

 

[ronie]

I just ordered my komaza care analysis. Can't wait to see what she says. I have been treating my hair as hi po based on the fact most conditioners will feel good on application but my hair will dry up as it is rinsed out. I never understood the water test as sometimes it says hi sometimes lo. It will be interesting to know for sure. I also want to know how much relaxed ends i have left. The middle part of my hair has this loose texture from root to tip. When i BC, i kept cutting this area thinking it was relaxed ends until i realized that everytime i cut, the ends will look straight again. I did use to get blowdrying job in my early transitioning months, but the texture is the same near the roots, so we'll see.

 

[faithVA]

ronie, You act like you are excited or something Can't wait to hear your results.

Since you think you are high porosity, how have you been closing your cuticles?

 

[ronie]

Dang I just lost my whole post. Yes I am super excited. Regarding the hi po. I do a lot of protein treatment. Mild to moderate weekly in addition to heavy once a month. I alternate between nexus emergencee, spiral solutions, hairveda acai berry, hairveda moist pro. But because I recently started a heavy ceramide routine, I decreased my protein use. I read that although ceramide cannot replace your protein regimen, but it is wise to decrease protein when using them. But I think I'm going back to my weekly protein. Also I double seal my hair, oil then butter or pomade. I have been scared to do acv rinses but I do cool water rinses hoping that helps. I rarely use heat with my dc. That's why I love concentrated conditioners that work quick without heat. I don't need the extra lift. Joico mrb and kerastase masquintense are my favorite treatments for those reasons. But lately I have been looking for and trying more natural options. I want to ask her how she feels about slternating my natural products with my salon brands. Cause I love the ingredients of my natural dc's, but I prefer these other 2 DC' s mentioned earlier. I am happy with all my natural moisturizers and styling products. I just can't get the moisturizing DC right. Some have come very close but I want more.

 

[naija24]

I'm gonna maintain my hair via texturizers and straightening. I was not happy with how my hair was looking just poofing out like that.

btw, my hair is now 1.5 inches. I hope to have it hit 3 by June.

 

[faithVA]

I'm gonna maintain my hair via texturizers and straightening. I was not happy with how my hair was looking just poofing out like that.

btw, my hair is now 1.5 inches. I hope to have it hit 3 by June.

Sounds like a plan. Keep us posted.

 

[faithVA]

I am wearing my first WNG outside the house today No pictures. My hair is so short you couldn't see anything on the picture anyway. It just looks like a really short curly afro.

But if I can get 3 days wear out of a WNG or at least 2 days and a puff I will keep this for the month of March. I slept on it last night and will sleep on it tonight. That will let me know how workable that is. If it works then I just need to make up a moisturizing spray to remoisten it in the morning.

 

[faithVA]

The WNG didn't make it 3 days but it was nice while it lasted. So won't be using that as my primary style. Will stick with the pincurls and use the puff and WNG as back-up styles. I cowashed this morning and put it in a puff.

 

[faithVA]

I am going to do a personal challenge for the next 30 days. I will be moisturizing daily, finger combing and putting my hair into as low a manipulation style as I can. That probably will be my switching between pin curls as my primary style and puffs as my back up style.

I will continue to cowash 1x to 2x a week and I will wash and DC weekly, using protein every other week. I will probably pick up some biotin and msm this weekend.

I will try to take starting pictures this weekend.

 

[ronie]

Awww i would have loved to see your WnG faithVA. I have been eying that style for a while, but i don't see much 4b natural pictures. At least not enough to convince me that it is achievable. Maybe i will try it on a day i have nowhere to go, so if it turns out horrible i could just cowash my hair out and braid as usual. And i am not too excited about the extra shrinkage, but when i try it, successful or not i will post pictures.
Can you share your method and products used?

 

[faithVA]

ronie[/USER];18032615]Awww i would have loved to see your WnG faithVA. I have been eying that style for a while, but i don't see much 4b natural pictures. At least not enough to convince me that it is achievable. Maybe i will try it on a day i have nowhere to go, so if it turns out horrible i could just cowash my hair out and braid as usual. And i am not too excited about the extra shrinkage, but when i try it, successful or not i will post pictures.
Can you share your method and products used?

I thought about taking pictures but its so short I don't think you would have been able to see anything. It really looked like a really short curly afro. I will do one again when my hair grows another inch or two.

I think I am a 4a, 4b combo.

Yeah, doing it on a day you can wash it out is a good idea. I think the first time I just did a section and then ended up twisting the whole thing up. Last year I did it once and just wore it around the house. This one I actually wore to work. It was shorter this time than last.

I don't have my method down and I just used whatever. None of these products are in my regimen. They are things I'm trying to get rid of

Washed and Conditioned with Andre Walkers Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner.
I did a protein treatment with ION Effective Care.
I DCd with Qhemet Cocoa Ghee
I used Deva Curl Set It Free Leave-In
Followed with Bee Mine Moisturizer
I used As I Am Gel.

I took small sections, starting at the back and smoothed the gel on smoothing several times.
Then I raked it through with my fingers, holding the ends with the other hand until the strands started to separate.
Then I put a little sunflower oil on for some sheen

I took big clamps and pulled the front and sides back as much as I could.

I rushed through all of it because I had somewhere to be.

The next morning I just put a little water in it and stretched the curls up a bit and put an headband on.

 

[faithVA]

It's wash day for me.

Washed with Terressentials mudwash and left it on for 30 minutes. DCd with AO Blue Chamomile for 1 hour under my heat cap. I rinsed and baggied for 15 minutes under my heat cap. I used As I Am Leave-in. I used Qhemet Amla and Heavy Cream on the right and Qhemet Burdock Root on the left and sealed my ends with a pomade.

I realy like the way my hair feels with the As I Am. And I want to see whether either of the Qhemet products work. The Burdock Root felt the best wet but let's see how they feel dry. And I tried to use less product, because I tend to be heavy handed. But over using hasn't been working so I just as well save my money.

Twisted it up so will wear a twist out tomorrow.

 

[PeaceFlow]

I'm still not doing anything with my hair so not much to report

Just keep them in cornrows all the time and been using the same braid spray for the past year. Getting growth, but could do with more thickness. Low manipulation.

 

[ronie]

The first few weeks after my Big chop, i was like: where are all these SSK's them naturals be talking about?erplexed. Well the past 2 weeks, everytime i detangle my hair (mason pearson rake comb), i hear a few snaps. And upon analyzing my shed hair, i saw these crazy little knots. Rude awakening i know. Then i realize it's been already 10 weeks since my BC on january 5th i think. So although i had it scheduled for april, i went ahead and did my first trim since my BC last night. My ends now feel awesome. I did it as i was twisting my hair. I sectioned small pieces to twist, then separate each piece in half, spritz with water, detangle and trim. After each half has been trimmed i moisturized and twisted the whole piece with qhemet amla pomade. This morning my twists just unravelled with the greatest ease, and my ends feel amazing. So i hope that means no more SSK's for a while. My next trim will be based on komaza analysis recommendations; but it wont be before june unless they find something horrible with my hair.

 

[PeaceFlow]

The weird thing about knots is I've been natural for most of my life and didnt have knots.

I only got knots at one point after coming to the forum during my product junkie phase.

Now I'm over that and KSS I never get knots, so have gone back to how I was before lol. I'm convinced its something to do with types of products used. Can't pin down what it was though since I jumped on a lot of bandwagons

 

[faithVA]

The weird thing about knots is I've been natural for most of my life and didnt have knots.

I only got knots at one point after coming to the forum during my product junkie phase.

Now I'm over that and KSS I never get knots, so have gone back to how I was before lol. I'm convinced its something to do with types of products used. Can't pin down what it was though since I jumped on a lot of bandwagons

I agree with this. I had the same experience. I was natural from 2004 to 20010 with no SSKs. All I used was Sta Sof Fro and some old Pantene shampoo/conditioner I used when relaxed. Then I tried to get my regimen straight and have had SSKs since.

So now trying to simplify. I still have SSKs but not like before.

 

[naija24]

Since cutting my hair in January, I've seen a full inch to inch and a half of new growth! I can't tell if that's fast or not but still awesome yay!! I'm really happy with the growth and it's funny how you don't really think about how much your hair has grown until you see before and after shots!

My regimen is going to be cowashing every other day and sealing with leave in and morrocan oil. (I am not a product junkie lol). I'll shampoo weekly. I'm also gonna leave my hair alone and maybe put heat on it every other week when I feel like impressing my boyfriend or something.

I think I'll definitely hit my hair goal of ear length by the end of April!

 

[faithVA]

Still experiencing a lot of breakage when I moisturize my hair at night but when it is dry little to none. That's an improvement. And with the nightly moisturizing and sealing and twisting I'm getting more styling practice. The last few days I have been headband free.

 

[naija24]

Pressed my hair this weekend. I am about two inches on my crown, 2 inches on my sides, and maybe 1 inch in the back Not happy.

Pictures to follow for our first quarter check in!

 

[faithVA]

I took some pictures before I started my new moisturizing program. Want to see if I can track my progress visually. So here is my twa now. It's 6 months after my bc, but I think I have dusted 4 times. Hopefully I won't have to do that for a while.

 

[ronie]

Your hair looks so juicy and moisturized. Is that a wash and go or an out style faithVA. Or are your curls naturally that defined? I want to start taking pictures too. Cause one day I feel like I be made progress and the next I feel like my hair is the same as if was after my big chop. I just want enough hair to cover my neck and my ears when I flat iron in September for DH birthday.

 

[naija24]

faithVA i love your TWA!! That is the length I'd like for my texlaxed hair to be, unstraighted. And yes, I think your hair looks really healthy as well!

 

[faithVA]

Your hair looks so juicy and moisturized. Is that a wash and go or an out style faithVA. Or are your curls naturally that defined? I want to start taking pictures too. Cause one day I feel like I be made progress and the next I feel like my hair is the same as if was after my big chop. I just want enough hair to cover my neck and my ears when I flat iron in September for DH birthday.

Thank You ronie. Yeah I was surprised how moisturized it looked in the picture myself

That is a twist out. I probably uses As I Am Leave-In and Qhemet Amla Heavy Cream. I'm playing around with product. My curls aren't that defined. I do get good definition with twists though.

I blog a lot so I am trying to take more pictures, especially now that I am doing more product reviews.

You should definitely take pictures to track your progress, even if you only take a few 1x a month or every other month. You will thank yourself at the end of the year.

 

[faithVA]

faithVA i love your TWA!! That is the length I'd like for my texlaxed hair to be, unstraighted. And yes, I think your hair looks really healthy as well!

Thanks naija24. It won't take you that long to get there. My hair isn't that long still. It is only 3" to 4". So you only have a few months to go. Just stick to your regimen and take care of your ends.

It is getting healthier. I still have some work to do with my ends though. But hopefully by the end of the summer I will have NL healthy hair.

 

[PeaceFlow]

Just had a wash day and the bottom layers of my hair are hitting shoulder. The rest of it will probably be at the bottom of neck length by the end of the year.

I think I will get a hair cut in December to make it a nice, healthy looking necklength rather than a straggly, struggle SL

 

[naija24]

Length Check!!!

So I won't be able to post for my hair next week so I'm doing my check in now.

Before (Jan. 2013)

And Now (March 2013)

Basically, I did not hit my goal of Ear Length Not cool. While I have grown a lot of hair in the last month and a half, it's only enough to press into a pixie cut and not a short bob :/

I am planning to amend my regiment to include daily cardio excerise and more vegatables and water. I am aiming to only use heat on my hair once a week. I may start going into a natural hair salon and have them do protective styles so I dont' have to style my hair as much (i'm terrified i'm doing it wrong haha)

My next check in (June 30, 2013) I want my afro to be at least this big.

and this long straightened.

(old picture of me from 2009)

 

[faithVA]

Moisturizing and sealing my hair and ends and retwisting every night. It is taking some commitment. But I only have 3 weeks left to go before I re-evaluate. My hair is feeling better and my ends are holding in there. Hopefully they can hold out until I dust in May. Started NJoy's growth oil this week as well. I will do my 1st qtr length check next Sunday. Not expecting to see any difference from the start since I have been trimming away bad ends.

 

[naija24]

Going to the salon today. I budgeted so that I can afford to go every 2 weeks if I want. I will post pictures tomorrow

 

[naija24]

My latest photos are attached!

I got my hair done at the salon on Friday and I love it! My hair is about 1.5-2 inches all around straightened so I have hit my hair goal! Pretty happy. I don't think I'm ear length though :O Kind of sucky but oh well. I'm confident I'll hit neck length by August or September.

I'll be going to the salon every 2 weeks and post pictures of my hair length progress!