Wash Day | Pre Relaxer

I am planning to relax my hair next week, and I wanted to get it prepared for this process.  Yesterday was wash-day. I approached it reluctantly as I was dreading the detangling that loomed once the water had penetrated all of my hair strands.  But to combat that, I thought I would wash my hair in braids.  I usually wash my hair in one direction, all going back, but the thought of the knots and tangles that would result put me off entirely.  The braids worked a treat, although it was not a bump free road, there were a lot less bumps!  I'll share the pictures with you below.

I started off with hair that looked a bit like this, as this is how I had been wearing my hair all week.

Then I put my hair into plaits.  I think I ended up with 7-8 in total. I secured the ends with mini black elastic bands.  I only wrapped it around 3 times to minimise damage when I removed it at the end of the wash.

  

I washed with diluted ORS Clarifying shampoo and used the ApHogee Keratin 2 min reconstructuriszer.  The final rinse was a cold one to close up my cuticles and promote the look of healthy (non frizzy) hair.  Post wash, my hair looked a little worse for wear!

  

I then threw on a micro-fiber turban to dry off excess water, and left that on for about 30 minutes before I began to blow dry.

I detangled section,by section, added my leave in conditioner and heat protectant and blow dried.  In the picture on the left, you can see my hair half blow dried and half still awaiting it's destiny!  In the picture on the right, you can get a better idea of the amount of new-growth that I have going on in my head.  When I see this, I wish I had the guts and the confidence to shave it all off and go natural, but not for now.  I've got to reach my goal.

  

I wouldn't normally blow dry, but I did for two reasons.  I was going out and didn't have enough time to let my hair air dry, secondly, as I am going to relax this week, I will need to be able to comb through my roots so that the application process is as quick and smooth running as possible.  So this is how it looked once it was all done.  Sorry for the poor lighting, but it was dusk and the natural light was fading.

I am going to keep my hair in a bun for the rest of the week and get my dearest mother to relax my hair at the weekend.  She used to relax my hair when I first got a relaxer at age 14, I hope she remembers what to do?!?  She did say she would research LOL.

Till next time

Blessings

Naddy x

I finally dyed my hair!

I have been wanting to dye my hair for such a long time and this morning I finally did it.  YAY!  I used the 'Adore' hair dye in 'Wild Cherry'.  I was a little nervous about the colour, but it turned out really nice IMO.  Please be aware that this post is picture heavy. :D

Apparatus used : Hair dye/applicator bottle, gloves, old t-shirt (for drying hair), old clothes, wide tooth comb, plastic cap, hooded dryer, blow dryer, and  a lot of PATIENCE!

Products used: Adore hair dye in Wild cherry, Hollywood Beauty Castor oil, Aussie 3 minute reconstructer, HE Hello Hydration, Organix Pomegranete Shampoo, aPHogee keratin and green tea reconstructuriser, Virgin Coconut Oil, ORS oil moisturiser, ORS smooth-n-hold pudding.

Firstly I shampooed my hair with ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo, I then towel dried my hair and split it into four sections.  I then took the castor oil and applied it around my hairline and ears to protect my skin.

I added the dye to my hair in sections starting with the front two sections.  I added the dye liberally layer by layer, parting my hair and saturating the strands in the dye then rubbing it through.  The bottle did say to comb it through, but I just rubbed it in instead.  I then added the dye to the back two sections but less liberally.  I was running out of dye and wanted to make sure that there was colour all over.  I think next time I will need two bottles.

  

I then covered my hair with a plastic cap and sat under the dryer for about 15 minutes.  This was the recommended maximum processing time for the dye.

I then rinsed out my hair with luke-warm water about three times, shampooed with Organix pomegrane shampoo.  The water was still quite red, but I figured that if I continued to wash my hair, all the colour would come out. Lastly I added Herbal Essenses Hello Hydration conditioner to my saturated hair.  I had no leave in conditioner, so that was my make shift leave in conditioner.    I then t-shirt dryed my hair, and a whole lot of dye came out on the t-shirt!  But this is how my hair looked.

    

Next I added the aPHogee Keratin and Green Tea reconstructer and combed it through.  As a heat protectant, I used Virgin Coconut Oil and I blow dried my hair.  After blow-drying my hair I moisturised with ORS Moisturiser and then gave my hair a well needed trim.  I LOVE IT.  I know it is not a great picture, but I have to use my phone and I have no-one to help me take the pictures.  

I put my hair into flat twists for the night, I used some of the ORS Smooth and hold pudding to help set the curls.  And here is how it turned out:

PS.  Dyeing/colouring your hair is messy - wear gloves old clothes and put down newspaper to avoid messing up your bathroom.

Relaxer Day - May 2012

I finally did it on Thursday 24.05.12 I relaxed my hair - whoop whoop!  It was a little unplanned, I called my friend and asked her to do it for me on the spur of the moment.  She was reluctant because she didn't want to do anything wrong - but I took that as a good sign, meaning that she would be even more careful and not be 'gung-ho' about it.  Despite her reluctance I think she did a really good job.

Two weeks before I planned to relax I washed my hair and did the ApHogee 2 step treatment to build up the strength in my hair prior to a chemical service. About 12 days later I was desperate to relax my hair but had no one to do it so I washed and blow dried my hair.  I haven't blow dried in since my last relaxer 4 months ago.

This time I used the Optimum Care Relaxer and I really liked this one.  My hair did get a bit tangled when I put the final thing in, I think it is called the leave-in, but this may be the way it was applied, or because I used too much.  However I am not put off I will try it again on my next relaxer day.  I will relax at 3 months post next time I think (So maybe the end of August), 4 months is just a bit too long of a stretch as my hair becomes unmanageable.

Now my hair is relaxed it is soo much more obvious that I need a trim, but I don't want the hairdresser to be scissor happy and cut off all my hard work.  What do I do?  Anyway, I am closer to my goal, I am grazing BSL and grazing line no. 6 on the hair length t-shirts.

  

My goal is to be full MBL or line no.9 on the length check t-shirt.  I am pleased with my progress because I am on my way there.  I think that I have about 18 months of growing left to get there.  It has taken me 2 years to get from shoulder length to here, so I think that is about right.

In preparation for bed I wrapped my hair to see if I could get some body in the morning, didn't really work for me though.  My hair is so limp when it is freshly relaxed.  I recon that when I wash in a week, I will have the body back.  Not least because I won't be blow drying or flat ironing my hair.  Or I could try a roller set - yeah right, pull the other one.  LOL.

PS.  My sister saw my hair the next day and asked me if I had a piece in my hair - when I proudly declared that it was my own hair, she said it looks like weave.  I quickly retorted - who would get a weave this bad!  IMO the ends look awful and need trimming.  Plus when my mum saw my hair, she said I look like a white girl! I was not offended, I was just shocked. I guess I have got to expect this kind of thing.

Anyway, if you are interested in how I will be styling my hair, please let me know.  Enjoy your day

Blessings x

Update

So I had my hair in braids for about 4 weeks, and it was looking rough so I decided to take 'em all out.  So On Saturday 5/05/12 I took out my braids and washed my hair.  This was a mess, because I had newgrowth and the demakation line was just messing with my emotions!  I waited a week and decided to do the aPHogee 2 step protein treatment on Tuesday 15/05/12 in time for my relaxer at the end of May.  I decided then to blow out my hair in order to make the application process for relaxing a lot more straight forward.  I don't usually blow dry my hair, but my roots were really tangled and craving a blow dry.  Here is a look at my hair blowdried.  I will update you with the relaxer pics and length check when I relax next weekend.

I have been moisturising each night with s-curl and sealing with grapeseed oil (I have run out of my beloved olive oil).  During the day I have been wearing it in buns and that's it really.  I oil my scalp every couple of days or as needed and massage in the oil.

I won't wash my hair again now until I relax, this will mean I have waited 11 days to relax my hair after the last wash.  I will be sure to come back with an update.