Relaxed Hair Journey: A New Beginning

I'm going to be straight up honest about this. Maybe my trials & errors will help someone else.

I'm no longer natural. No longer tex-lax'd. I'm now fully committed to RELAXED hair. Why? I'll leave that for another entry if requested. Otherwise, welcome to my relaxed hair journey. I've had issues that NO ONE could help me with. I started out on Black Hair Media forum. They gave great tips that didn't work for me. Some of the users mocked me, even. I decided to say "Screw you" and read books on african hair care (I have several book reviews on this blog). With this wealth of knowledge at hand, I set foot off...

Relaxer of Choice... LYE vs. NO LYE

(Left to Right) Healthy hair, Lye relaxed
hair, No-lye relaxed hair EEEK!

For a while, I had this mentality that a relaxer is a relaxer and it didn't matter which you used. Boy, was I wrong. I do a lot of research and I actually have a few book reviews on this blog (I'll try to add a search feature so you can find them or you can check the side bar for the proper label). There's a difference between LYE and NO LYE. Lye relaxers end up leaving your hair strand cuticles smoother than no-lye. This explains why for years of relaxing with at-home kits (Yes, even ORS Olive Oil), my hair has suffered extreme breakage and dryness.

I decided to choose Mizani Butter Blends as my new lye relaxer because I've heard so many good things about it. I'm a believer. My hair feels smooth and buttery soft! ALL THE TIME! Certain products make my hair feel even more soft or a bit more dry, but in general, my extreme dryness is cured. I know it is the MBB because I've used Designer's Touch which was okay, but I still got dryness. I upgraded to normal Mizani and I was quite impressed. MBB blew my mind away. It doesn't relax my hair pin-straight which is totally fine with me.


Breakage Issue

I don't know if you can tell, but IRL you can
clearly see when I started using MBB

I think changing my relaxer has drastically improved the health of my hair. Even though I was "tex-lax"ing before, I was still getting an embarrassing amount of breakage. Now, I'm using MBB, breakage has DRASTICALLY reduced. I'm using Aphogee 2-step Protein just because I have it. It doesn't help very much with my breakage, surprisingly. I'm using it until its all gone, just for good measure.

I also bought Redken Extreme: Anti-snap from UltaBeauty because it contains proteins that are great for hair, silk amino acids, and ceramides.  I use it after every towel-dry and I also plan to use it to protect my ends before a retouch. So far, I don't think it actually helps much, either.

Finally, Divasmooth. This product is a holy grail product for me. This has always dramatically reduced breakage for me (even though anti-breakage is not its marketed use). I'm going to use it up later next week & join their frequent buyer program. Why is it so good? I think it has to do with the sugar. There's something special about sugar... updates on that later.

Growth Regime
My goal is to have long hair and regrow my temples. For those of you curious and/or desperate, yes. I have seen temple regrowth success! I'll make a new entry about it later. For the most part, here's what I'm using to increase my hair's growing rate.

Vitamins - From time time, Flaxseed oil. I'm using Hair Vite vitamins.  Primarily because its cheap, easier for me to swallow, and contains calcium. I take 2 daily with meals. For you nosey folk, here's the ingredients:

The tan one is the Hair Vite. See how thin
it is? Easy to swallow for me.

Vegetable Silica - 500mg
Calcium Carbonate - 300mg (30% dv)
Magnesium Oxide - 25 mg (6.3% dv)
Iron Gluconate - 10 mg (56% dv)
Vitamin A - 5000 iu (100% dv)
Vitamin D - 400 iu (100% dv)
Vitamin E - 30 iu (100% dv)
Zinc - 15 mg (100% dv)
Iodine - 150 mcg (100% dv)
Chromium - 25 mcg
Selenium - 50 mcg
Copper - 1 mg (50% dv)
Manganese - 6 mg

Topical - I use my growth aid mix that is essentially Kimmaytube's leave-in + essential oil + MSM. However, I am tempted to try "Grow-aut oil" in my mix. I use this to make sure my scalp & new growth are moisturized. I massage for 5 minutes a day and if I can, I lay on my bed with my head dangling to further increase circulation to the scalp.

Edges - Step 1. Scrub w/ sugar scrub Step 2. use growth moisturizer Step 3. Keep slicked (& split end free) with Kinky Curly gel (or flaxseed gel).

Pictures, of course. Later. I'm beat!
  

This Morning (Hike, Oil Pulling)

I'm in Taos, New Mexico and have been blogging on the school website (http://blog.smu.edu/StudentAdventures/udoka_in_taos/ ).

Last night, I came to realize that I was holding up to bad habits again. Staying up late for no reason, procrastinating, etc. My body was responding in annoying ways. I decided that I need to restart my active journey for health.

This morning, I woke up at 4:30 am to walk (literally) up a mountain for 1 hour and sun gaze at sun-rise. I was so sleepy on the way up, but what they say about sun gazing is right! I felt quite awake on the way down. It was great! A great sense of accomplishment with a spectacular view. As we came down, I was very hungry. It feels SO good to be SO hungry and then eat good food because you deserve it. I'm also sore in certain places which I actually like. My body hasn't been sore in a while. I also enjoy the idea that my day got started at 5am instead of 8 or 9am. It makes me feel like I already have momentum for the day while everyone else is just getting geared up.

After I ate, I tried a technique called OIL PULLING. I just used olive oil they had in the kitchen here (this place is like a camp for 20 year olds). You're supposed to swish a small amount of oil in your mouth for 20 minutes, but I could only handle about 10. My mouth was hurting (which supposedly meant I did too much work... you ought to use your tongue more) and also, I felt like some liquid mucous was trying to ride up my throat and into my nose. I spit out my oil. I was in the shower which may explain that weird sensation, but how do you explain the next one?

I applied my african black soap, per normal and my cheeks and mouth area started to burn. Afterwards, I typically put 10 drops of orange oil and 2 drops of lavendar oil all over my face. Nothing burns unless I accidentally get my eye area. But this time, my face BURNED! I could only apply my solution to my neck and even then, I reduced it to 3 orange oil drops and 1 lavendar.

So, already, my morning was semi-eventful. Updates later.

Protein Treatment Research & Relaxed Hair

I did some research on protein treatments. Check out my video and the links below!


1mits1's youtube protein video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3yhbfae_9s
TheNaturalHaven detailed research: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/06/protein-conditioners-for-hair-part-2-of_03.html

WHEAT PROTEIN	These are too large to be useful.
ANIMAL PROTEIN	These are also too large. However, they can coat the hair to make it feel silky.
VEGETABLE PROTEIN	When hydrolyzed, this is the ideal protein to use!

TIPS
Coating the hair is great when you get a relaxer. It will help prevent overlap and I, personally, find my relaxer comes out softer, silkier and smoother!

Right after I wash out the relaxer, I apply a YOGURT mix. I haven't done much research on how yogurt works with the hair, but I get a lovely thickness with this technique. Afterwards, I PH balance the hair.

Laser Hair Removal Treatment Again

Ow, so I went to my laser treatment again. This is my 3rd one.

I can say that the past two has removed about 30% of my hair so far. And eliminated ingrown hairs.

But a new nurse practitioner got me this time. I think she increased the power on that machine because my chin is now red and looking bruised. She said it is normal, but I don't trust doctors --- oh, no, she's not even a doctor. Anyway, this crap better heal quick.

I am giving myself a soothing facial (steamed with water infused with vitamin E, Avocado & Oatmeal mask, coconut oil and vitamin E). I need to keep my skin clean and moisturized. I think I am even going to start using my foundation because these bruise marks are embarrassing...

And apparently, there is a numbing cream! I am just now hearing about this. They sold me 5 grams of this 'LMX' for $15 (which appears to be normal price). And the usual hydro cortisone cream which I will not be using, as usual.

- The Next Morning -
My facial seems to be working. The bruises are still there, but they aren't as bad as they were last night.

Colonic Irrigation Hydrotherapy

OUUCH! SHIIIIAAAATTTTT!

I don't know if I will ever do this again. Maybe once more just because it will be $15 dollars cheaper the second time around and the lady will use a smaller tube, but, god. Let me tell you.

First of all, it hurts to put that tube up there. Which didn't bother me. I assumed it would hurt for 5 seconds then its okay. Nope! That crap was uncomfortable as heck the whole entire time. Then, the water went up there, but whenever I pushed, nothing came out. I was so frustrated I started to cry. The lady wasn't much help. She didn't stay in the room to help massage my stomach or anything. She just comes in every now and then to check. I was like "What the hell? I could have done this myself in my BATHROOM with a douchebag hung upside down!", ya know?

And in all honesty, doing it in my own bathroom would have been a better idea. Maybe going to the actual place will make more water go in there faster, but... *sigh* I pushed and pushed and nothing came out. I didn't feel any stomach cramps. When I stood up, then I felt very full. I went to the bathroom where I continued to cry and crap out water. I was literally crapping out pure water for 10 minutes. I saw tiny bits of poo and food I had this morning come out in the toilet. When I left the building, I still felt (I still feel it) a bit of water going on there. I'm afraid my bacteria count down there is harmed. The lady wasn't very informative about the bacteria thing... I'm not sure if acidophilus is enough... She did mention "Digestive enzymes" a lot. I should have gotten some of those.

It is uncomfortable from start to end and it lasted like 50 minutes. Maybe I have hemorrhoids or something because supposedly, once it is in, it is not supposed to be uncomfortable and it is not uncomfortable having water flow into you either. It feels weird, but its not uncomfortable.

So, I MIGHT do this again, but first I will need to do more research on enzymes and bacteria in my colon that I need to replenish and I need to get checked for hemorrhoids (or start taking natural steps for it so I don't pay a doctor and just fix the problem myself... if its there, it will go away and if its not, the natural route is still good for me).

And on the plus side, I felt very relaxed and refreshed when I left. I'm not sure if that is just because my body is extremely happy the torment is over or because it is empty of superficial waste. My goal was to loosen and poop out OLD waste that is probably stuck on my colon wall. That didn't happen. I am considering an all natural COLON CLEANSE instead of this painful water crap. Mind you, my relationship with my anus isn't so good. I think people have better control of theirs than I do. I am not sure why my body functions the way it does and its frustrating that so far, no one is helpful.

Diva Smooth & Texturizer (long post & review)

I finally used Diva Smooth Review!

Product: Diva Smooth

Price:$25.00 (8oz)

Company:Janelle Beauty (http://www.janellebeauty.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=68)

Claims: Helps stretch out relaxers, makes going natural easier.

Ingredients: Organic raw wild honey, Olea europaea (Organic olive) oil, Sucrose (Sugar) Extract, Zea mays Starch, Citrus medica limonum (organic lemon) extract, (Acetic acid) vinegar, tocopherol (vitamin E), blended essential oils

Opinion: Don't use this as a deep conditioner. Put this on dry hair, otherwise it won't do anything. Unless honey is great for your DC. For me, honey does nothing as a DC. When I use this on dry hair, ladiessss.... smooth, silky, omg. I can't say much for what it does to curls because that is not my concern. My concern is to have manageable new growth to last me until the next chemical treatment. It is messy. Next time, I might add a few oils to see if it makes it a little less sticky. And I'm sure heating it will only make it work better!

Verdict: Yes, I will buy this again. I have been pre-poo'ing with oils with my natural hair which is nightmare-ish. This makes my hair manageable and soft and oh my god. This is a staple in my regime now.  I only put it on my new growth to make the bottle last longer. Considering that I use this when I am taking down braids. I already have a conditioner on my relaxed hair. This goes the extra mile for my new growth and when some gets onto my relaxed hair - Oh, heaven! This is expensive so I gotta make it last. This works with or without aid of anything. I tried to use plain HONEY (organic) to see if it works as well as this. Nope. Hah. Not even close and WAY too sticky. Someone, create an alternative to this so I can save money! In the mean time, Janelle is getting mine. ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I texturized my hair today!! Here is what I did/should have done/will do next time.

One-Week Preparation:

1.  EXCELLENT Pre-poo for new growth (Diva Smooth)

2. Cleansing wash (Mane n Tail, but looking for sulfate-free alternative)

3. Heavy Protein treatment (Aphogee 2 step)

4. Deep condition (still looking for a decent one...)

1/2 Hour Preparation:

1. Sectioned my hair into 6 parts (I bought cute NON-METAL clippies)

2. Grease scalp and shaft (ANYTHING with petroleum as main ingredient) 

3. Put conditioner into relaxer chemical (I put DOVE volumizer because I needed to hurry up and finish that product)

After Treatment:

1. Rinse chemical out

2. Apply yogurt to hair (A LOT! Pile it on, baby, otherwise it does nothing) and leave for 3 - 20 minutes

3. Neutralizing Shampoo

4. Conditioner (from the box)

5. Moisturize (Aphogee Greet-Tea Reconstructor for some extra protein)

6. Seal (Coconut oil and shea butter)

Results: Excellent! I was very scared and distraught earlier because I had quite a bit of new growth (thankyou MN, Sulfur, and Hairfinity!!) that I didn't know how to control and may have been causing me a lot of breakage. I couldn't find any product that was working for my hair. It was just a mess. I was going to wait until SEPTEMBER to texturize, but I couldn't take it anymore. I am extremely pleased. My hair hasn't completed dried yet, but its very soft. It is thicker than it was. Its longer. The texturizer came out very well, even though my mother insisted on making me wait a little longer (I think I was there for 25 minutes instead of 15) and she over-laps a lot. Let me tell you, a TEXTURIZER does not straighten your hair like a tex-lax or relaxer can. I don't know why people would suggest a beginner like me to texlax! First of all, how do I stay within the time limit? Second of all, how do I deal with over lapping? Ridiculous. I'm texturizing for a long time, people.

Deep Conditioners are a Shame

Okay, I think I am done. I have tried SO many deep conditioners. I am done. Why, you ask?

A) Most of them have Petroleum, mineral oil, or lanolin
B) OR they have -cones

No, no, no! I don't want something that will coat my hair and make it "feel" soft. I want something that will actually GET TO WORK! I have come to the conclusion that all these deep conditioners... Cholesterol, Mayo-treatments, Placenta, yada, yada are just glorified conditioners. I'm sure... yes, I am actually quite positive you can get just as good results using your REGULAR conditioner for 1o minutes with a cap on and maybe some heat. So I am done. I am never buying a product labeled "deep conditioner" ever again.

I am going to try to use up as much of the products I have as I can and I am going to buy all natural hair products with good reviews from now on. In the future, I look forward to:
Low-Poo by Deva Curl
HoneySuckle Rose by Aubrey Organics
I'll pre-poo with whatever oils I have and use my coconut oil right after a wash, as usual. I have my shea butter to moisturize my hair and use the leave-in when I have braids or something. Of course, my ACV will be my daily scalp cleanser when I have braids, as well.

That's it. I may not even buy Aphogee Protein treatment anymore (don't get me wrong, ladies... it is a good treatment!). I may just go ahead and just add an egg to my conditioner (I haven't tried it yet, but I will ASAP to see if it can replace Aphogee). I'm tired of spending money on things that are not necessary.

There is ONE last product I will try before I lose all hope
And that is Diva Smooth. Its all organic and made out of honey. Its supposed to make your hair silky smooth so that you can use a flat iron. And it probably works. Its mainly honey, but it works much better than honey. There's also sugar in there. Anyway... I can't wait to use this.

Organic Moisture, Cholesterol, ORS Serum

As you should know, I LOVE natural cures and supporting small businesses. Well, I came across this link:

http://www.highonhealth.org/the-best-moisturizer-for-acne-prone-skin-bee-yummy-skinfood™/


Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? I cannot wait to get my hands on this stuff! However, 2 oz is $30! Yikes!

I used a Cholesterol treatment for the first time. It is pretty good. It left my hair feeling naturally soft! Works much better than ORS Mayo did for me. However, I am concerned about the ingredients:
The one I am using in particular contains mineral oil, petroleum, AND lanolin. And various alcohols.

*sigh* However, Cholesterol does have great affects on me. Hopefully I can find an all natural version of this. Note: Lekair's cholesterol only has Mineral Oil. Lesser of the two evils?

Ow, ow, ow! I just used ORS Fertilizing Serum for the first time. OWW! I put it on area that aren't exactly balding. This stuff ITCHES!!! I am never putting it anywhere else on my head again. I didn't realize how much more potent the serum would be versus the temple balm. I'm excited. I hope this means fantastic growth on my temples.



>_< Oh crap! It burns, man. Ow, ow...! Big mistake!

Laser treatment #2

Yowzah!

I did my second hair removal treatment!

Ow! They really do STING! Its just the strangest sensation. This time, the nurse practitioner used a machine called Laserscope. Its like a continuous... thing. She puts a very cool aloe gel on my skin. Then that laser runs along and you can HEAR it ZAPPING hair follicles. The thicker the hair I have there, the more it hurts. And it gets warm and hot! Its just strange! First cool then hot then stingy... ow! Except for on my neck where it tickled just because I am a very ticklish person.

I didn't allow her to do anything around my lips because it felt like the laser was zapping all the way to my gums and teeth! Plus it was just an odd odd odd sensation, even if it didn't hurt.

The one we used before was Gentle Yag. I /heard/ it is the best, but that source is very... not reliable. It doesn't hurt as much as the Laserscope. The gentle yag feels like a big burst of air. Sometimes it does sting a lot! But sometimes it doesn't hurt at all. I would rather have that than the laserscope. :/

Anyway, so after my first treatment, as you know, hair grew back but then it broke. Until finally there was normal hair growth that didn't break. I'd say 25 - 50% less hair growth than before and only 1 - 3 ingrown hairs (this is an AMAZING thing for me, people). So, I'm really excited to see what the results will be after today! :)

Laser Hair Removal

I got my first treatment of laser hair removal. Here are some things you should know if you are considering it.

1. Make sure you're going to a place that has a machine that works for black skin. The laser detects dark shades of pigment, hence, a machine for white people will only mess up a black person's skin.
2. The laser does not permanently remove hair, but it permanently reduces it. I think it hits the follicle, making it smaller. When a hair follicle gets smaller, the hair that grows from it is thinner, shorter, and takes a longer time to grow.
3. You must shave before you get the treatment done. You want to do this at home where you have a nice razor and shaving cream. I did it at the office with a SINGLE blade razor and no shaving cream. :(
4. Don't use any chemical topical creams 3 days before your appointment.

The procedure was quite uncomfortable. I think the bad shaving job I did and having done it just a few minutes before may have something to do with it. At worst, you will feel a stinging sensation. If there is no actual pain, you will feel a surprise. The doctor/nurse practioner will move the laser to different spots and it will feel like a cold, hard blast of air.

Now, I have to use some special cream for 2 days before I go back to my normal skin regimen.

So, I got my neck, chin, cheeks and upper lip done. I'm excited for smooth, even toned skin!