Protective Style Challenge? Yes Please!

Since I really suck at styling/taking care of my hair while it's at this length like I had anything longer than shoulder length hair and, every time I look at my hair nowadays it highlights my failure at protecting my hair from breakage etc., I'm sooo up for a protective style challenge.

..Which is why I signed up for Relaxed Thairapy's 30 Days of Protective Styling Challenge (see details Here). So here are my plans:

I'm keeping this really simple, because the likelihood of me heading out into some bush about the island is high.. and I'm lazy.

So here goes:

Protective Style: Crochet Braids w/ kinky "Marley" hair

Protective Styling Wash Regimen

Seeing as most of Jamaica is currently undergoing chronic drought conditions, I won't be washing my hair every week. I intend to do (1) a conditioner + water mix wash about every 2-3 weeks. I'll then (2) moisturise thereafter with a mix of aloe water, water, castor oil & VO5 conditioner. Dassit.

Protective Styling Weekly Regimen

I'll be spritzing my hair nightly with said moisturizer. I usually don't apply a sealant to my braids since my hair is covered by..hair lol.

My hair is currently in unraveled chiney bumps (a.k.a bantu-knot out) but I intend to put the abovementioned protective style in on or before the coming weekend.

So..I'm on it. I'll post some updates on how goes it..while I'm going through it.

Be well,
Gibbie

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Wash Day: Yarn Locs Take-down, Protein Treatment & A Newbie

Hi all,

I finally finally woo-lawd took out my yarn locs on Thursday after having them in for 9 weeks. I didn't miss my hair this time but I was tired of seeing the style in my hair. It was fuzzy and although that added to the "realness" of the style, I was just plain ol' tired of seeing it. Prior to the take-down, I did my regular weekly co-wash and did a tea rinse to reduce the amount of shed hairs I expected to see when it was time to take down the style. To aid with the take-down, I used some of the diluted conditioner mix I used for my co-wash, finger-detangled each section of hair taken out of the loc, then twisted every 2 pieces I took down. It took a little time to complete, after which it looked like this:

Since it was late when I finished, I let the twists stay in, rolled and pinned my hair (word to Rachie) and wore it to work. I also did a little snip of the ends and let the twists stay in for wash day - not about that hours-long detangling life. So without further ado, here goes my #WashDayExperience:

[1] Shampooed with Creme of Nature Sulfate-free Moisture & Shine shampoo thrice. I got a little carried away - but in my defence, my hair hadn't been properly cleansed in over 2 months!

[2] Applied warm Organics Hair Mayonnaise and let it sit for about 6 minutes. This has always felt like a strong protein treatment for me (it would appear I'm a bit protein sensitive) so I limit use of this to when I think I need it.

[3] Followed up with warm Herbal Essences Hello Hydration moisturizing conditioner (HEHH) and some castor oil and let it sit for about the same time as the hair mayonnaise. I have been hearing rave reviews from ev-ry-body about this conditioner, so when I finally found it in the supermarket (and for $597 Jamaican Dollars too!), I grabbed it. By the time I was through lathering up, the twists had started unravelling.

[4] T-shirt dried the excess water and let it air dry for about 15 minutes.

[5] Applied my DIY Leave-in (now with HEHH:)) and DIY Shea Butter mix, finger detangled, then re-twisted my hair.

Results?

The Herbal Essences Hello Hydration moisturizing conditioner gave me a lot of slip and after the conditioner was rinsed out, my hair felt sooo soft! As it started to dry however, it was back to its regular coarse self (my hair is naturally coarse to the touch). Despite my hair texture though, the strands felt (somehow) hydrated. Methinks this conditioner is staying! 

I'm also on the look-out for a good deep conditioner, so pleasee throw your suggestions this way!

Overall, my hair looks a lot fuller and appears to be thriving with protective styling. I plan on putting in another protective style (a loose one since my hair didn't get much of a break between styling) on either Saturday or Sunday (my birthday is in the following week \o/), and let that stay in for at least a month or so.

I hope everyone had a great Wash Day as well. Cheers!

Be well,
Gibbie

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Hair Update No. 7: 7 Months post

Braids are out. Breather break before next braid install and of course the oh so familiar feeling of doing the chop during the post wash detangling session.

Very familiar. 

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Hair Reasoning: "Once you see that new growth.."

Once you see that new growth and you see those curls "springing out" like they've been in bondage..you're inclined to transition to natural.

                          

 My natural hair

With product (left), No product (right) 

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Texlax. Always on the fence?

Hey there!

I really can't speak for other texlaxed ladies but I can speak for myself. Since I've started this hair journey, I've been going back and forth repeatedly about whether I should go 100% natural or remain texlaxed. Now, I spend a chunk of my free time watching YouTube videos, reading blogs, looking at hair I come across ever so often on Instagram and the like. And then it happens: "I want to go natural" "I think I'll stay texlaxed". It never ends. There is no conclusion and of late, every time relax day comes around (I'm currently 15 weeks post) I put it off and do something with my hair. I've decided (the only decision I could make :) ) is do a Pros versus Cons list and see how it stacks up. So here goes:

Natural Hair

Pros:

• I could do some bomb braidouts and twist outs with my hair!
• No relaxers! Ever!
• Hair is at its strongest when compared to texlaxed hair
• I'm dealing with hair one or two steps down from natural hair so..Why not? Huh? Huh?
• It would be so awesome to see my natural hair long (even to waist length maybe?). So awesome.
• I get to say stuff like "100% natural" 

Cons:

I have Type 4 hair (this isn't a disadvantage btw)..and by the looks of it, it's 4c so:

• (MAIN ONE) Single Strand Knots! Scariest thing ever! It looks most annoying. I'm bound to have them
• Do I have the patience to comb through my hair in its natural state?
• Do I have the time to devote to combing this hair? Granted, the roots during stretches and overall new growth texture is that of my natural hair, but dealing with 100% of that? Could I do it?
• Would I be able to manage a "twa" and could I rock my hair at that length?
• I wouldn't readily see a difference between neck length and bra-strap length if it even grew that far (shrinkage).

Remaining Texlaxed 

Pros:

• No Single Strand Knots 
• I can readily see my length after relaxers or straightening
• Braidouts give pretty good definition versus bone straight hair
• Hair is manageable so long as I run my hair under the shower during stretches

Cons

•  If I want a sleek, straightened look I'll have to flat iron or go under a dryer (despise them equally) because hair is always "puffy" in its normal state
• Working with semi-natural hair so it may be time consuming especially during stretches

So..by the looks of these long "cons" I've ended up in the same place I started - Texlax. The "Pros" of both weigh heavily on the mind regardless but it does calm me a bit once I've actually written it down. I was starting to think I had a "Natural Nazi" inside of me asking me questions about "What are you really afraid of?" "WHY don't you want to embrace your natural hair?" But alas, she's also calm at the moment and here ended my thoughts on the topic.

How about you? What are your pros vs cons on natural vs relaxed hair?

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