How I Deep Condition

How often do you deep condition?

In my beginning journey I was faithful to this practice.  I did it at least once a week; Ironically now that I have more hair I do it about twice a month.  But the way I do it has definitely changed.  I think changes come and are inevitable when you have more hair.  You have to change things to perform according to how much hair you have.

When I didn't have as much hair I would just slather a deep conditioner of my choice, (after a good wash), and then sit under a heating cap for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Now I deep condition BEFORE I wash.  Now that I'm wearing my hair stretched out about 98% of the time I found that doing this is a lot better for detangeling purposes.  I seem to lose less hair and it's just easier all the way round.  Here how I DC:

1. I get a small bottle and fill it with warm water and my oil of choice.  It is important that the water is really warm so that when you spray it on your dry hair it opens that cuticle to receive the conditioner.

2. I section my hair into about 4-6 sections and spray my hair with the solution.  I don't make it sopping wet, but good and damp.

3. I then use a large comb with wide teeth or a shower comb to detangle my hair.  After the solution my hair has excellent slip and is easy to detangle.  I make sure that I detangle from the bottom up and do this until I can comb through it.

4.  Next I apply my fav. Deep conditioner of  choice.  Now depending on the conditioner will dictate whether you should use heat or not.  Read the manufacturers instruction and make sure that you follow them.  If no heat is required, than really... no heat is required.  You will reap the same benefits whether you apply heat or no heat.

5.  After I apply it to the section I twist that section and do this through out the entire head.  When I am finished I have about 4 to 6 large twists well covered in the deep conditioner.

6.  Then I apply a plastic bag to my head.  If it requires heat than I sit under my heat cap for about 15 to 30 minutes.  If it doesn't I still put the plastic bag on my head and leave it on for at least 10 minutes.

7. After the amount of time I take down the twist rinse, shampoo or co-wash, and then apply a regular conditioner, finger detangle, and begin my normal styling routine.

I have found this method to be pretty simple and I only use the comb just once and that is pretty awesome!  I do of course use it again depending on the style I choose to do, but my hair has already been detangeled so it's not hard at all. 

Maybe you should try it and see if it works for you.  Let me know how you Deep Condition???

~Beauti

Straightening Fiasco

It's been a while since I have had my hair straightened and trimmed.  I'm talking maybe before the summer hit.  Actually I kinda don't like getting it straightened, but because I've waited so long I decided it was best. I also wanted a few layers to give it a little shape.

Well.... The first time I got it cut.  (Yep... had to get it cut twice)  She trimmed very little and it was uneven.  When the curls subsided and my hair was in it's straight natural glory and I looked in the back my hair looked like a uneven shelf!   It was awful!

So I had to have someone cut it again, causing me to get another inch or so cut off.  Sometimes you just have to take mishaps with a grain of salt.  In the past I would've been upset, but since I've been on my new regimen I'm pretty confident that the little hair that I lost will be back in no time!

This is a time I will take now to see if I get less breakage with my new routine.  My hair has been straight for almost a week.  I have been changing up my styles, bunning and things of that nature.  I may even stretch this out for two weeks.

I do have a little fear though...

When she initially turned on her irons the temp was set at 445! OH MY GOODNESS!!!
I turned it down and she told me she was going to turn it down, she was just letting it warm up. *side eye here* 
I've said it before and I will say it again.  DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TELL SOMEONE WHAT YOU WANT!.  Now even though I turned it down I'm not sure if she turned it back up later.  So I have an apprehension of washing my hair.  I hope all my curls bounce back with a vengeance and I'm not even going to complain about the shrinkage... I PROMISE!  as long as my curls are in tact and I have no damage.  That's all I ask for.

Keep your fingers crossed! I will post some pics via my Mobile phone soon...

143...
~ Beauti

Dem Brows!

Becoming natural is one of the best things that ever happened to me.  It has given me some self reflection about my body... which in turn I lost about 50 pounds.. .give or take a few.  I am more into... well you know self.  I love everything about me.. even the rolls in my tummy.... lol

The revolution is wonderful, people are changing how they perceive our hair and it's wonderful, but there is something that is kinda irking me...

How come some folks are not taking care of those bushy brows??!!  LOL

(LBVS)  letting your eyebrows go natural is NOT  a revolution..lol.  Really arching them, or cleaning up, gives your a more kept and polished look.

Here's a few steps on where your eyebrows should be:

1. You want to take a pencil and line it up from the side of your nose straight up to your eyebrow, this is were your eyebrow should start.


2. Then take the pencil from the tip of your nose across your pupil, this is were your arch should be.

3. Last take your pencil from the side of your nose again across the outer corner of your eye and this is where your eyebrow should end.

(source from http://ladyartlooks.com/2011/06/06/shading-in-your-brows/)
 
On the reference site she has directions for just shading.. not even plucking or waxing.  Just this simple step can make the final outcome look polished.  When I am in between waxing I use the pencil and concealer to make my eyebrows look finished.   
 
Check it out.... It's so simple and so easy and a great way to make your finished look POP!
 
~Beauti

Split Ends... NO BUENO!

It's time for me to get the dreaded trim....., I was trying to think of the last time I did it and it was before summer hit.  Now that I'm wearing my hear out and stretched out (which btw... I'm still loving it) I can see all my frayed ends.  I'm thinking that I need about an inch or so cut off.  Not bad, but I'm hoping that my trims will be even less since embarking my new routine.

I wanted to try to wait until December or the first of the year for my trim, but I can hardly stand looking at these frayed ends.  I remember being relaxed and not liking my ends being split and I was a faithful trimmer.  Whenever I got my relaxer (which was about every 3 to 4 months) I got a trim too.  Now that it's natural I still can't stand frayed ends.

Here's the thing.. I'm considering getting a cut.  Not nothing major.... Just to give me some shape, and with cutting about a inch off, I should be able to achieve that.  I'm going to get a few layers put in, so that my hair doesn't look like a mop!

I had a beautiful twist out last week, part down the middle, but it looked like a mop. 

NOT ATTRACTIVE....

So I'm going to do something about it.

Wish me luck.... Stay tuned...

~ Beauti

Routine Update

I know I keep harping on my routine, but I'm in transition to healthier hair!

So this past weekend was wash day for my hair.  Let me tell you... It was so much easier.  I've decided on once a week washes instead of every two weeks.  The most I can push it is 1 1/2 weeks, no longer or my scalp just acts up.

So first I deep conditioned/Pre poo.  This was experimental but I think it's a keeper.  My hair was in a old stretched out twist out so it was a lot easier to manage.  I parted my hair in sections and sprayed each section down with my refresher spritz (distilled water, avocado oil, conditioner and Rosemary essential oil) and then to each section of hair I applied a good amount of deep conditioner to it along with my mix of Coconut oil and avocado oil, gently detangled with a wide tooth comb and then twisted the section.    After I completed my entire head it was about maybe 8-10 big twists.  I put a plastic bag on my head and sat under my heating cap for about a half hour. 

I then got in the shower (it's just easier in the shower for me) after undoing my twists and rinsed.  I then shampooed with Nizoral shampoo and then used my regular conditioner (Herbal Essence).  With the conditioner in my hair I finger combed through it to make sure there were no tangles and then rinsed in cool water. 
My hair was soooo soft and ever so curly! I then applied a leave in conditioner and squeezed the excess water from my hair to prepare for the roller set.

Now this was my first time doing the rollerset.  Last week I had someone do it for me but it wasn't so bad.  I did big rollers and I just kinda' slapped them in there.  The goal here is just to stretch the hair out for styling purposes.  I sat under the dryer about 2 hours.  That is the part I'm not crazy about but It didn't turn out to bad.  I think I will find a different setting lotion to use, I used Motions foam wrap and I wasn't crazy about it.  I didn't like the way it made my hair feel.  I think for next week I will pick up the Jane Carter Lotion that I've heard a lot of naturals rave about.

Right now my hair is in nice twists and I love the length of them.  It appears that this is a lot of work but really it's not.  I'm sure I'm going to tweak this a little more in the quest to save even more time in the routine, but at this point.... week 2, it's working.  So far so Good....

~Beauti

Twistout after a roller set results

I know that this is not the best pic, but this is after a 15 hour day, (work n school). I always have problems with the very front, its such a odd texture, it frizzes easily, and sometimes rebels and goes straight. Next time I will do better! But I really liked the results, so full! I love BIG hair..
-Beauti

Feeling My New Hair Routine

Saturday I had school and some apparant free time, so it was time to put my new plans for my routine into action. We had 8 hours to make it happen, and I was determined to get this done.

I had a classmate (Shoutout to Suzy) wash my hair and give me a rollerset.  We used 2 different sized rollers, and they were as jumbo as I can get them.  When I say jumbo as I can get them, I'm referring it to the length of my hair, which is about APL or longer straight.    The rollers that you use should be able to to roll at least 1 1/2 times around the length of the hair.

She washed my hair with a clarifying shampoo and gave me a good conditioner, detangled, and rolled my hair. (God Bless her heart!)  We used a setting lotion (HCO/Compositions by Design Essentials) along with a leave in conditioner and I sat under the dryer for about 2 hours.

Even after 2 hours I wasn't 100 percent dry, but I walked around the school for a little while and about an hour prior to leaving I took the rollers out.  I was surprised at how straight it actually got my hair.  My roots were still a little curly, but I put a warm flat iron to it and it blended with the rest of the hair.  Unfortunately I did not take a picture of the hair after the roller set, but it was really pretty.  Lots of curls! And I just finger combed through them, I didn't want them to frizz.  (unfortunately I didn't take pics of the roller set... but next time I will)

I wore the roller set a day and a half... Sunday night I twisted my hair dry, and what a difference it made.  The twist were longer, smoother and my hair was just easier to mantain.  It was well worth the 2 hours spent under the dryer.

I will take pictures in the next post to show you what my fab twist out looks like today.  Hopefully It will stay intact until I can get some good pictures.

But just so you know... like McDonalds... I'M LOVIN IT!

~Beauti

LESS.... IS MORE

So I am coming up on my 4th year anniversary in November and I recently had an AH HA moment. Now that I have more hair (although I believe I should have much more) I am changing up my routine starting this winter. My hair is about APL and it seems like I've been struggling more with my curls.

I have been doing heavy traffic on curlynikki.com and read about her routine and that is where my AH HA moment came.

She is washing her hair about twice a month, and stretching her hair with curlformers. So I am dedicated right now to stretching my hair and wearing protective styles. I have been a wash and go kinda girl and it has been hell on my hair. After a few days of wearing that wash and go the detangle has been extremely difficult. So ummm Duh... wouldn't stretching it be so much easier and styling from there.

What I have done now is after a wash and deep condition I braid my hair in big plaits to stretch. Moisturize with coconut oil, let it air dry, then the next day add a cream based product or water based and seperate them and put them in smaller twists. I then either sport a Beanie with my silk scarf underneath (which I did with the plaits also) and keep it moving. Within the next two weeks I either style my hair from there, pin it up or keep it in the twists. I moisturize every other night with coconut oil, and if my hair is loose I twist it back up.

This past weekend I had my hair twisted up and it stayed in my silk bonnet and beanie. Today my hair is free and it feels soooo good! I can't believe I wasn't doing this sooner. Tonight I will retwist and moisturize with oil and put my bonnet back on. It takes 10-20 minutes out of my day and my hair is so much easier to manage.

I'm sure there will be some changes to my routine but I am totally in love! I plan to get a applicator bottle and do my own mix of oils to put on my hair.

I'm sure my hair is going to thank me for this later and I will retain more length as the months go by...

It only took me 4 years... but I got it now!