Week 46 Hair

I haven't done too much with my hair these past months. Like the above pics show I've been sticking to the basics: twists and puffs. During the week I have my twists and I either pull them back into a bun, pin them up or do a combination of both.

Tomorrow, or tonight, I will take out my twists in preparation for my wash. I do this at the end of the week before a wash to aid the detangling process. Currently, I wash my hair every two weeks because of time restraints. This will be week three since last weekend was super hectic.

I did recently purchase some headbands just to spice up my 'dos. I've been doing the same styles and just popping one of these on for some flare. I love headbands and flowers!

If you don't know this youtuber, BlakIzBeautyful, then check her out. She also has a website, kinkycurlycoilyme.com. She hosts tons of natural hair gatherings as well as provides tips, tricks, and inspiration for naturals. 

Jenell also has a shopping service for those naturals (like me) who are abroad and can't find their favorite products. She shipped me the headbands, 2 bottles of coconut oil, jojoba oil and another container of Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. 

I also wanted to try some African black soap so she shipped me two bars. I paid for the products, the shipping costs, as well as her fee, which you can find on her website. I live in Spain and my products came in less than a week with all the recepts included in the box. It was great.

My sister (yay for sisters!) also sent me the Aussie Moist shampoo and its  3-minute miracle. I've used the shampoo once and have yet to try the other product. I think I'll probably use it more in the summer when I need a "quick fix." I start my training over the summer and the heat here is intense. So I will need it to protect my hair so that it doesn't dry out, especially since I sweat a lot.

Here are the products I got from BlakIzBeautyful and my sister.

This weekend I have another Henna treatment. This will be the second time so I hope the process goes faster. I definitely like how my hair looks and feels afterwards even though I don't enjoy the long process.

Week 41 Hair

This week I decided to give my hair a treat again and wear it out. I also planned on washing my hair on Saturday. So I figured that if I took my twists down and separated them a bit it'd be easier on me on wash day.

It's Sunday and I still haven't washed my hair. Saturday turned out to be a bit busier than usual so I didn't have time. I just kept them in the big twists I put them in to go to bed and wore a hat the entire day. Instead of trying to figure out what to do with my hair since I didn't want to manipulate it much.

Personally, I prefer updos. They are so low maintenance and continue to look perfect at the end of a long day. I wore the above style on a Friday. I only have a meeting and a 2 hour class on Fridays so I knew I wouldn't have to be out and about all day. Completely conducive to wearing my hair out although I was sick of it at the end of the day.

It felt great though because I used coconut oil to help me take down the twists. Coconut oil is the best! It's one of my favorite oils because it makes my hair so incredibly manageable and shiny and soft for days afterwards. I don't use it everyday because it can cause build up.

Other than that hair as usual this week. I probably won't wash my hair until Monday because I forgot to pick up the aloe vera juice. Yes, I just remembered Saturday night when all the stores are closed in Córdoba and they don't open again until Monday. Oh well, I guess I'll have a relaxing Sunday! 

Then again, maybe I'll simply detangle, shampoo and deep condition tonight. I'll keep my plastic cap on all day Monday at work and then after work rinse and apply the kimmaytube....

Week 42 Hair 

Detangle with conditioner

Shampoo

Deep Condition

Kimmaytube Leave in

Twists

Week 35 Hair

One of the styles I rocked last week. I have to buy more of these Goody clips because I love them! They are a lot better than rubber bands because they will never pull your hair out. I use ouchless bands but sometimes hair still escapes when I take it out. Not when I use these bands. 

I also need to get the larger sizes. When I first started my HHCJ the small size was perfect. Now my hair has grown some and it is a bit of a chore to get all my hair in it. That's why I typically use two of them. This style is essentially a bun but with Goody clips. This was on day 3 hair.

On Sunday I think I'm going back to twisting my hair while wet. I really like how versatile my hair is with dry twists because they are longer and don't get as frizzy. But I'm lazy. I have to prep my hair on Sunday (by twisting it), then take them down again the next day and twist again. It's most definitely not a time-saver.

This past Sunday I prepared my hair and then wore it in an updo because I had to go to work. (I didn't take pictures of it but I will try to recapture the style the next time I wash my hair.) I could have rocked that for a couple of days. Then when my hair started gettiing frizzy, retwist the perimeter. I wear my hair up anyway.

Plus I don't like having my hands in my hair so much. When I twist it wet I just leave it alone until it's time to take it down (moisturizing as needed of course). Or, like next week, I will retwist the perimeter as it gets frizzy.

My hair still feels and looks great though. It's incredibly moisturized and doing well. I have no complaints there. But it's almost time for my next length check and I want to baby it a bit more.

Week 36 Hair

 

Detangle with conditioner

Shampoo

Deep condition

Kimmaytube leave in

Twists

Week 34 Hair

Another freestyle updo that I rocked this week. It's actually just another version of this style. By the end of the day some of the bobby pins were annoying me. So the next day I wore the ends in a clip to use less bobby pins. It was a success.

Nothing new this week with the hair. I didn't put in the dry twists until Tuesday since I was loving my previous updo style so much. For that reason I was able to keep my hair in for Saturday. I took the twists out Saturday night and then washed my hair after running this morning.

Depending on how the week develops I will either install the dry twists on Monday or Tuesday.

There's only about 34 days until I do my next length check! 

It'll be after my marathon in February. I'm excited to see what growth I was able to maintain!

In addition, I will probably do a reassesment of my products thus far. I'm running out of some stuff and I want to try some new stuff.

Week 35 Hair

Detangle with conditioner

Shampoo

Deep condition

Kimmaytube Leave In

Twists

Week 33 Hair

This is one of the styles I rocked last week. I'm trying to wear more updos just for variety. Typically I wear my twists in a bun during the week. I was getting tired of that. I do it because it is SIMPLE and absolutely NO FUSS WHATSOEVER. But I decided to be adventerous and do something different!

This pic was taken on Friday. That's why the twists are frizzy.

The style below is one I made up on the fly this morning! I was extremely happy with the results. These are chunky twists. I prepped my hair yesterday for the twists I am going to do today. Instead of braiding my hair like I have done for the past two weeks before installing my dry twists, I decided to simply twist. 

My hair is so curly that when I braid it wet it gets really defined. That's great if I want to rock a braidout. But annoying when I try to smooth my hair out for twists. I hope that makes sense. 

Basically these are just chunky twists overlapped and pinned. It took me 5 minutes (or less). I also glammed it up with a flower. I would've preferred a cute headband though.

This weekend before I shampooed (on Saturday) I took down my twists. I really wanted to separate them well this time to speed up the detangling process. Luckily detangling doesn't take me long anyway. 

While I was taking them down I decided to do a bit of grooming. I started snipping off those "fairy knots" or "single strand knots" that we naturals are plagued with. 

Normally I leave them alone. But I had nothing else to do so I decided to be productive. It was not exactly a trim because I, literally, just snipped the knot off each strand. I know I didn't get them all but it took me 3 hours to do my entire head. 

My hair feels great now and it was SUPER DUPER EASY to detangle. I can't commit to a next time because it was really time consuming. Maybe before I do a protein treatment (I did one yesterday)? Don't quote me on that though! 

The following are pics of my hair after the snipping.

As for other hair-related news: I finally bought some jojoba oil. I've been wanting some since I started my HHCJ in May. I bought mine at Trader Joes for $7. Yes, it's expensive, but I only use it in my kimmaytube leave in mixture. It will last me awhile. 

Other than that business as usual with the hair. I will install the dry twists today and keep them in until Friday. Last week I retwisted the perimeter of my hair and kept them in all week. Usually I take them down at the end of day on Thursday. But I kept them in until Saturday and they looked decent. I'm definitely content with my hair.

Week 34 Hair

Detangle with conditioner

Shampoo

Deep condition

Kimmaytube leave in

Twists

Week 8 Hair

I tucked the end in and added a clip when I went out. It's flat twisted down for a faux french braid (my twists are in) and then the front of my hair is also flat twisted.

Not too eventful this week, thankfully! I'm still getting over the hair fiasco from last week. I wore my hair in an updo for most of the week. I had my twists in and then I put them in an updo that same day because we went out. I didn't take pictures (not sure why!) but I got the inspiration from this youtube video. I have to say, although we have different hair types, it looked pretty darn close!

 (See minute 1:55-3:55 for the style tutorial)

Yesterday I did another take on the freestyle updo from last week. The only difference is that I left the right side out, so it was like a swoop. I was going to take pictures but was too lazy. I will get better about taking pictures! I plan to do the same updo today with my twists so I will be sure to take a picture for next week.

I left the twisted updo in for at least 3 days. I did it on a Sunday and slept with it in on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I didn't touch it, add more product, or anything, until that afternoon on Wednesday. 

I just sprayed it with my spritz and then added my moisturizer. I did the same on Thursday. I took out my twists Saturday and did my updo and then twisted them in big twists for bed. I didn't apply any extra product.

When I took my twists down they were super moisturized and I didn't have any problems with knots. So I will mimick what I did to my hair for the same results this week. 

I am finding that manipulating my hair almost not at all between wash days works best for me. Meaning, not adding any extra product or touching it, helps my hair thrive. 

I am sure to moisturize and seal enough on Sunday. With that my hair lasts 3 days or more without doing anything to it. This is including exercising and sweating. 

This week I'm a lot happier with my hair.

For wash day today I'm using the same routine but trying some other products I have in my arsenal.

Week 9 Hair

• Shampoo
• Detangle with Trader Jo Nourish Spa conditioner
• Deep condition with my Bear Fruit Hair Banana and Avocado product
• Herbal rinse
• Kimmaytube leave in
• Twists with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and seal with my scalp oil

Week 6 Hair

"Freestyle Updo"

We, finally, went out this weekend so I had to find something to do with my hair. I took out my twists on Thursday because I was sick of them and they were frizzy. Usually I leave them in until Friday but we had plans! I wasn't about to walk out the house with hideous hair so I had to come up with something. 

When I took my twists out Thursday I still prepared them for bed. I spritzed them with my mix of water, Infusium 23 leave in, rosemary essential oil and aloe vera juice. Then I twisted them in 8 big twists. 

The next day I refreshed them with my leave in conditioner, Qhemet moisturizer and a dime-sized amount of castor oil. I put my hair in a high puff with the help of some Ecostyler gel, to slick the sides, and a piece of old stocking. It was super cute (no pics though because I forgot). 

Yesterday (Saturday) we went out again and so I had to come up with something else to do. The style above I call my "Freestyle Updo." I just pinned my hair up with bobby pins and left the front out. I didn't have to apply ANY extra product! Nothing at all! My hair was soft and moisturized from the day before! 

I was beyond surprised. I attribute it to the castor oil because it's the only thing I changed. I normally only use it in my kimmaytube leave in but I used some this time just because. To try something different. 

I love it! 

I'm going to do it again to refresh my hair when I take out my twists because it was like magic. I simply used a dime-sized amount, maybe less, and my hair looked and felt fantastic. 

It stayed hydrated for two whole days without applying anything else.

Week 7 Hair

• Hot oil treatment
• Shampoo
• Detangle with conditioner
• Deep condition (I want to try something new this week so look for the recipe below)
• Herbal rinse
• Kimmaytube leave in
• Twists

Mango Moisturizer

1 vitamin E capsule (or 1 tsp.)

1 ripe banana

1/2 ripe mango

Puncture capsule, peel fruit, combine until mixed. Apply to hair while wet and cover hair with a plastic cap for 20 minutes. Rinse.

I was inspired by my friend Sprina who told me about her hair routine last week. She used this luscious sounding deep conditioner with avocado and banana and then finished with this divine sounding macadamia nut oil. 

I know I always say it's best to stick with one thing but I can never do it! There are just so many things I want to try! So stay tuned for the update next week on how I liked (or disliked) this deep conditioner recipe.

I also received my Bear Fruit Hair purchases. 

The cutest bottles right?

Check out the yummy ingredients.

The deep condition mask smells SO GOOD! I can't wait to use it! I mean it even smells better than the Shea Moisture one I talk about all the time. I doubt I'll wait until my first 3 months are over.

Another good thing is that it seems like it'd be easy to mix up my own batches of these products. The ingredients are easy enough to find. So if you don't want to spend a lot of money that's an interesting option.

Other Thoughts

Lately, I've been enjoying a channel on youtube by a licensed trichologist (someone who studies hair). Her name is Lisa Akbari and she answers questions that people have concerning all sorts of hair issues. It's quite informative. She also has her own institute where you can go and she can diagnose problems that you may have. In addition, she has her own line of hair products that I might try at some point.

She always talks about keeping things simple. I can't do her research and expertise justice here so do check out her channel. But in her last episode she talked about hot oil treatments. She said that they don't help much because the molecules of the oil are too big to penetrate the hair shaft. So right after a treatment your hair feels great but the effects aren't long-lasting.

That made sense to me. I mean, that's my experience. My hair feels soft and moisturized but it only lasts a day at the most. Now I'm considering whether to do my hot oil treatment or not. If I have time I will but if not I doubt it will affect my hair one way or another. Just something to think about.

There's also this new book (The Science of Black Hair) creating buzz around the natural hair community. I don't know if I'll buy it but it does seem to have interesting topics in it. It's for those with relaxed and natural hair so check it out if you're interested.