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| Very cute style courtsey AfricanExport on youtube! |
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| I couldn't find my camera with the move so I had to take this pic with my phone! (No it's not HD obviously!) |
This HHCJ started along with my marathon challenge: Grow 4 and 1/2 inches of hair by the time I ran my first ever marathon.
The plan was to have a length check at each 3 month mark. But life happened so it didn't quite work out that well.
I took the first pictures of my hair back in May although I didn't actually take any measurements. In August I corrected that mistake. (I took measurements but rounded up a bit to make myself feel better! Yes, I admit it!)
There were no actual numbers to compare, but I knew my hair had grown. In any case my hair was a lot more manageable and healthy.
For my final length check here are the actual measurements for August 2011 and February 2012. I didn't take any pictures this time. So look at the links above to see how I measured my hair :
Left Side Back: 11 inches to 13 inches (the longest part of my hair measures 19 inches, but the bulk of the strands were at 13 inches)
Right Side Back: 10 inches to 13 inches (the longest part of my hair measures 15 inches)
Left Side Front: 9.8 inches to 12.6 inches
Right Side Front: 10 inches to 11 inches
Bangs: 9 inches to 11 inches
All in all I'm happy with my growth. Healthy hair grows at a rate of 1/2 an inch per month. So I should have grown about 3 inches of hair from August 2011 to now. It seems like the right side was a little stunted. But it tends to grow slower than the left side in general. Not sure why that is!
Most important to me is that:
- I know my hair is healthier.
- It is stronger, thicker, and more manageable.
- I know what my hair likes and doesn't like.
- I know how to pamper it when needed.
- I have learned so much throughout this entire journey.
REFLECTIONS
In the beginning, my HHCJ regimen was really long and it had a ton of steps. I've learned to make it a lot simpler. As long as my hair is moisturized and my scalp is clean I'm fine. I know have a repertoire of protective styles for the super hot dry summers in Córdoba. So that I can be sure my hair is protected year round.
I also have more confidence in styling my hair. When I go out I know how to jazz up my hair and make it presentable. Overall, I LOVE MY HAIR!!! While I'm not sure I will do any more length checks, I will still keep the blog updated on my progress. Including any new things that I try.
THE CHANGES
Since moving to Spain I've had to readjust my products a bit. Things that I can find easily in the States either don't exist here or come in another form. So here's some things I'm using now:
All of the products (except for the GLISS) I bought from my local herbalist shop. They are completely all-natural products. The Henna I'm going to use as my protein treatment since I had to leave the ApHogee in the States. I'm excited because I've always wanted to try it and it's super cheap. I bought two boxes and each box only cost me 4€ ($5.38).
I'm also really liking the restructive conditioner (the bottle next to the Henna). I use it as my deep conditioner. It is infused with horse's tail and sage. In the past I used these 2 herbs in the herbal rinses I used to make. They are really good for dry, brittle, hair.
I also added some honey, olive oil, and a few drops of orange essential oil for fragrance. In the future I want to also add coconut milk for added protein and moisture. I got this recipe from another of my favorite youtubers: Afrikanhairgod.
My hair felt wonderful! It was super soft and luscious feeling even when I rinsed it out. I was worried because I no longer have the use of a hooded dryer. So I just put on a plastic cap and wrapped my hair in a towel. I left it on for about 3 hours simply because I was doing some things around the house.
The shampoo is decent and smells really good. There are tons of others I want to try from the same shop that have other herbs infused that are great for the hair.
The GLISS I use as my detangler. It says on the bottle that it contains liquid keratin to strengthen hair. That may or may not be true. I just bought it because it was cheap. It smells horrible though. So I will probably try something else once I run out of that.
In the Week 37 Hair post I mentioned that I had bought some new products because I'd run out of other things. So check that post for further information on what I'm using now.
The only other thing that I need is the aloe vera juice. It's expensive here. It costs 20€ ($26) for one of those big bottles. The good thing is that it lasts a very long time. Since I only use 2 tbsp. once a week it will last me at least 6 months.
This week I used aloe vera gel. We have a humongous aloe plant and my husband cut off some of the plant and blended it to liquefy it. He added some water to it. So I had to add 1/2 a tbsp of vinegar to re-establish the pH of 4.5-5.5 of my kimmaytube leave in. Since I kept the deep conditioner in my hair so long the smell of the vinegar dissipated by the time I needed to use it. But I'm buying the aloe vera juice on Monday!
For more information on my journey be sure to check out the posts below if you haven't already. As well as each week's update to see how my journey has changed and developed these past 9 months. Be sure to also check out my Hair Styles page to see all the styles I've been rocking.
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