Picture taken this morning, 7:42 am. Please, PLEASE ignore the racerback tank and the bra straps...it all came together in the end. LOLMoving on...I am on a mission to see how long I can grow my hair. Like many women I know, when we were little we all had the long, thick, natural hair that Momma used to spend hours washing, combing, braiding, hot combing, etc. I didn't get a relaxer until I was 14. I've heard a lot of horror stories about relaxers but thankfully they don't apply to me. Even with my relaxed hair, it was still pretty healthy, long and full. I usually like for my hair to be at about shoulder length. It's just easier for me to manage and maintain. Yet, a few months ago, I'm getting my hair done and my friend says she can't believe how long my hair has grown. I look in the mirror and am shocked. My hair was down my back. And...I liked it. I liked it a lot. LOL Unfortunately, my friend is a bit scissor happy and she chopped all that new length off.
I attempted growing my relaxer out and going natural. At about 9 weeks without a relaxer, my hair sent me a text message like..."Bitch, is you crazy?!" LMAO!
When I got my hair done every two weeks, it grew like a weed. But to be honest, I don't really take care of it like I should. I go to sleep without wrapping it, it stays in a dry ass ponytail...just straight dogging my tresses. LOL Even with all the abuse, it still stays pretty healthy. That's why I really want to try to see how long I can grow it.
I will take pictures every 3 months to track my progress. Here is the regime that I plan to follow, washing my hair every 7 days or so (fine-tuning as I go along to see what works and what doesn't):
1) Prepoo. I wasn't hip to this whole prepooing thing but it seems like it could be the business. One of my biggest problems is how dry my hair can get. I'm trying this to see if it helps.
2) Shampoo. Taking care to wash only my roots. I've read that shampoo really dries out your ends and I know rubbing my hair all over my head leads to breakage.
3) Condition. I plan to let the conditioner sit in my hair under a hot towel for about 15 minutes and then rinsing it out completely. My hair does not like leave-in conditioners (none that I've tried) so I won't be using any. I have to remember not to towel dry my hair and just squeeze the water out.
4) Rollerset. I had never had this done until the last time I got my hair done. My hair turned out beautifully! It was bouncy and shiny. I'm trying this now to see how my hair reacts to it long-term.
5) Saran Wrap Treatment. I had heard about this process made famous by Dominican hairstylists but got a full tutorial courtesy of Macherieamour (see Healthy Hair! on my blogroll). I'm willing to try it to see how it works. I will look crazy as hell, I'm sure, but hopefully I'll get some good results.
6) Wrap. Basic hair care 101 for Black women. I have a hard time (read: I'm lazy as hell) being consistent with wrapping my hair at night but now I have a reason to. I also plan to wrap it as soon as I get home from work and/or class. I figure the longer it's down, the more damage it is sustaining due to it rubbing against my clothes, D pulling on it (lmaooo - kidding!), etc.
I will be using the following products:
KeraCare Moisturizing Shampoo
KeraCare Moisturizing Conditioner
KeraCare Conditioning Creme Hairdress
KeraCare Moisturizer with Jojoba Oil
KeraCare Foam Wrap-Set Lotion
KeraCare Humecto Creme Conditioner
Notice a theme? LOL I'm using KeraCare because that is what my friend has been using on my hair. I have proof that my hair loves it.
Wish me luck on this hair journey. Hopefully, I won't get too frustrated and quit. LOL If you have any tips (especially on the baggy method because I am dying to understand what that shit is), please leave them in my comments.
Later!
13 comments:
Mmkay, this post speaks volumes to me cuz I'm in need of some serious "hairapy" lol. I've been using aphogee and my hair is responding well to it. im not gonna give up relaxers (lol hell to the no) but I've been trying to wrap it more often. What is this saran wrap you speak of? Also, when you rollerset it, do you do that while your hair is still damp or do you blowdry it first? Good luck on your hair journey :) Maybe I can start my own lol.
@ e: I have tried Aphogee and my hair didn't seem to like it much. Hm...
Anywho, regarding the Saran Wrap. After your rollerset is dry and the rollers are taken out, you wrap your hair, put Saran Wrap around your hair and then sit under the dryer for 10 mins or so. Supposedly, this makes your hair super shiny. I can't guarantee this, though, because I haven't tried it yet. Also haven't tried the rollerset myself yet but I know that my hair will be wet when rolling. Maybe I'll do another post with the results of all the new things I'm trying. You should check out my Healthy Hair! link. Macherieamour has some GREAT tips!
Good luck with it!! I'm intrigued to know-how do you only wash the roots???? KeraCare used to be my best friend...and then I discovered DooGro-and my hair seem to like that! I had shakey hair! (you know when the hair shakes everytime you move your head) so right now we're the best of friends....I want it longer now though...so if your regime works...might have to get on that!
@ tom: LOL, I knew that sounded retarded when I was typing it but I didn't know how else to word it. What I basically mean is that instead of putting shampoo all over my hair and rubbing it all around, I will just put shampoo on the "top" part of my hair and lather that area. The shampoo will naturally drip down to the ends to cleanse them. Did that make more sense? LOL
Good luck on your hair, Monie. It looks pretty now so I can imagine the finished product.
Before I cut it all off and went natural, I'd get a roller set every other week by the Dominicans - a "doobie".
My hair was really long at that point. Problem was...I did just like you did and kept it in a poney tail most of the time. I never go to bed without something on my hair though. I don't care how sexy I'm trying to be, I ALWAYS wrap the head at night.
Now that it's natural, it grows much faster and what do I do...keep it in a damn poney tail still! LOL!
Can't wait to see your progress on your hair chronicles!
@ don: Thanks!
@ diva: Us and these damn ponytails. LOL!
As Justine Timber-Land might croon, "She got a sexy back. That bra and tank top combo's lookin' whack...." Just kidding. It's what rhymed, ok?
Yes, to my tip: Do everything within your power to be Janine Green, including mimicking her coif, and your life will be perfect in every way!
Good luck on your grow it long challenge. I'm always tryna grow my hair as long as possible, but I have naturally short hair. To top it off, its tempermental and sensitive so the slightest bit of mistreatment will have me starting form scratch from all the breakage I'm prone to.
You may wanna hit up the message board of Black Hair Media for tips, advice and encouragement. There are always people on there doing a "grow it long" challenge.
If I'm not mistaken, the baggy method is when you wear your hair in a ponytail, put conditioner on the ends, wrap it up in a baggy and but a fake drawstring ponytail over it for a couple of days. It's supposed to leave your ends really moisturized. You can do a search for it on the forum. That's where I read about it.
@ nupe: LMMFAO!!!! You are a damn idiot!!! LOL!
@ mahogany: You are a dear! Thanks for that link!
Lol @ tom gurl..my friend and I call it "commercial hair". I'm definitely going to check the healthy hair link, I need to lol. I'm just like Mahogany, my hair is sensitive and when it breaks, it's bad. I've been diligent with the satin cap at night and during naps (and even during boo sessions..most of the time (lmao tmi?? my bad :D )). So far, so good. Now I gotta do away with the ponytails (I'm guilty of them too) and the headbands and I'll be okay. Can't wait til you post your results, Monie.
lol @ nupe.
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