Madam, where have you been?

Hey everyone,

I have been on a long hiatus and so much has happened.

I hit my two year mark in Feb 2014 and big chopped in march.

My hair is now at Armpit Length.

I was shocked when I did a quick length check after chopping..dancing azonto.

I will be putting up posts on what has been going on with my hair.

One post weekly.

Straw Curls on Transitioning Hair

Hey all.

Decided to roll my hair in straws.

See resulting pictures below

Sorry pics are not so clear

Another Flat Twisted Style

Hello Ladies and Gents,

Here is another style for the week.

Copied it from Fusion of cultures again, too busy to be creative.

Pictures below

Have you ever styled your hair in braids/twists?

Drop a line in the comment box

My Hair Style This week

So I saw this hairstyle on Youtube, from Fusion Of Cultures and decided to replicate it on my head.


.
Yes I did this myself on my head

I did this on Cowashed hair, stretched by putting my hair in a high bun

TOOLS AND PRODUCTS USED

1. Rat Tail Comb for parting
2. Wide tooth comb for detangling
3. Shea Butter Mix
4. Small mirror to check the parts at the back of my head
5. My fingers.

I have to admit is not as easy as you see on youtube, but practice makes you perfect. 

Wore the style monday to friday although it was frizzy by wednesday but pushed it till friday

Have you tried styling your hair in flat twists youself, please share your experience

Stimulating Hair Growth: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE MY NEW GROWTH TO GET TO BRASTRAP LENGTH???

Okay so when I started this blog, I had said I wanted my hair to be healthy and armpit length.

Now I have a new goal.

GET MY NEW GROWTH TO BRA STRAP LENGTH BY FEBRUARY 2014.

Normally my hair grows on the average of 0.4 inches a month(yes I measured it). and multiply by twelve months( dont start counting on your fingers oh...lol.).4.8 inches a year.

That seemed okay to me until I measured the length from my nape to my brastrap and it was lyk 15 inches.

I was like wowza, time to amp up this growth oh!! and my research began.

Things I am now doing to stimulate growth 
1) My body and hair thrives when I eat fruits, veggies, fish and drink lots of water so I increased water intake to two bottles a day from one bottle( water is tasteless, find it hard to drink so I add a slice of lemon to cool not cold water.)
2) Started exercising (when am not bone tired sha), healthy body = faster growth
3) Started the GHE(Green House Effect) method( will talk about this in a seperate post).
4) Started Inversion techniques( Yes...Yoga).

When I did all the above consistently for two months, my growth rate increased from 0.4 inches to 1 inch a month!!!!!

WOWZA!!

Now Am just too lazy or tired to do these things regularly and need the encouragement to continue.

However there are things I need to add to the list above.
1) A stimulating growth oil ( na money kill this one, but am working on doing my own mix for my GHE methods)
2) A mini twist regimen, so I am out of my hair for three straight weeks and retain the length and density I have worked hard to get during the month.


With All these Am hoping to get 6 full inches So I can reach my goal of BSL by 2014.

What methods do you use to speed up your hair growth?? Please share in the comments below

MY HAIR STYLES FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS

I just want to share what I have been doing with my hair recently.

I am now 1 year 6 months post relaxer, and the itch to cut the scraggly relaxed ends is stronger than ever.

Anywho here is what I did the past two weeks.

First Week:

Flat twists with my DIY flaxseed Gel to stretch my hair out.

Yes I know, my BF called it secondary school hair

I wore this Monday-Thursday to stretch out my hair. On thursday night I put in bantu knots with my DIY flaxseed Gel and my hair morphed into a bantu knot out updo on Friday 16th August was my birthday.

Bantu knot out updo

Now the itch to cut my relaxed ends came on saturday, but was sooo busy and kept my hair in a high bun.

Sunday comes and I decide why dont I put in mini twists my new growth is long enough.

So Thats what I have been rocking in different updos and here is the updo for today

All my hair no extensions added

To maintain this style, I spritz my scalp and hair lightly with my conditioner and water mix and massage my oil mix on my hair and scalp.

Plan to keep the twists in for three weeks ***fingers crossed***

HHJ

Answering Questions About My Natural Transitioning Hair

So I get these questions a lot from family, friends and colleagues, since I started transitioning to natural hair.

1. How do you handle the two textures?
2. Will all your hair not break off?
3. Why don't you just cut of your relaxed ends?
4. How do you comb your hair?
5. Is it not painful to comb?
6. How do you get it so neat and smooth?
7. Ah there some curls in there, how do you get it to curl?
8. Does it not smell?

Today I am going to answer all these questions.


Ques:How do you handle the two textures?
Ans: With TLC(Tender Loving Care).

I wash, deep condition and moisturise my hair my self, so no stylist yanking my hair. This also helps soften my natural hair making it easier to comb

I also comb my hair from the ends to the roots and not the other way round and so far, it has been beneficial to retaining my hair length.

I trim my ends every three months myself to get rid of split ends and gradually cut the relaxer off. I took the scissors in my BF's clipper set for this purpose :).

Ques:Will all your hair not break off?

Ans: The truth here is some of it will break off.  But with the tips from above, as well as incorporating some protein in your regimen,  you can drastically reduce the amount of breakage.

Ques: Why don't you just cut off your relaxed ends?

Ans: I am not ready to cut it. I am used to having hair touch my back but once my new grow gets to below my armpit, I will consider cutting my relaxed ends off.

Ques: How do you comb your hair?

Ans: Going up, from ends to root and when it is damp or soaked with conditioner. I do not comb my hair when it is dry. The result of that will be breakage, headache and a sore scalp.

Ques: Is it not painful to comb?

Ans: Yes if you comb it when dry, and if you comb from root to ends instead of the other way round. This is why I comb it when it is wet or saturated with conditioner as this gives slip making it easier for the comb to glide through. I do not comb my hair every day of the week.

Ques: How do you get it so neat and smooth?

Ans: My whipped Shea butter, Alovera Gel and Satinor Silk scarf is my friend. I never do without them.

Henna(Lali) also smoothens my hair. See my  DIY LALI TREATMENT for more details on this.

Ques: Ah there some curls in there, how do you get it to curl?

Ans: This question always makes me smile. Our African Naija Hair is naturally curly, coily and kinky See my post on Knowing your Hair Type for more details. The curls show up when we keep our hair moisturised and healthy, it is when we do not do this that our hair looks like brillo pad. LOL!!

Ques: Does it not smell?

Ans: This question got me very worried about our perception of natural hair. I have to make it clear. 

Hair will only smell when it is not cleansed regularly, be it relaxed, texlaxed, texturised or natural.

This is why I advise cleansing and moisturising your hair whether you have braids or weave on. 

For Tips on how to cleanse and moisturise  your hair with braids or weave check these previous posts CLEANSING AND MOISTURISING WEAVE and CLEANSING AND MOISTURIZING BRAIDS

Have any questions about transitioning to natural hair? Hit me in the comment section

HOWTO: Cleanse, Moisturize and Seal when wearing weave

I took out Peruvian Hair last weekend and I thought to myself, that I cleaned, moisturised and sealed during the time i had it in,so why not share it with my weave wearing sisters so they won't have to scratch or hit their head anymore. 

The dirt from sweat causes itching and and can also cause breakage, so its beat to remove it.

What i do is basically similar to what i do when i have braids in. See this post cleansing with braids to know what I do when i Have braids in 

CLEANSING

Every two weeks I cleanse my scalp

As you all know, I absolutely LOVE LOVE this product: Elentee Soy Organics Waterless Shampoo.

Elentee Soy Organics Waterless Shampoo

I separate the weave wefts, apply to my scalp and massage to remove any dirt.
It is so Tingly and I wipe off any excess with with my towel.



MOISTURIZING

After this I  have a spray bottle in which I mix 3 parts water, 1 part leave in conditioner
I spray this on my scalp every week.



SEALING 

I use  a mix of oils(Palm kernel or coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, lavendar and tea tree oil.

I use an applicator bottle to spread the mix on my scalp in the moisture from the moisturizing treatment 
Note that Lavendar and Teatree oil have antibacterial and deodoririzing effects and will eliminate odor and itching.

Ladies try this and let me know what you think.

Hope it helps someone.

Hair Length Retention: MOISTURISING AND SEALING THE ENDS OF YOUR HAIR

There is a myth that is going around that says black hair does not grow and only a few people are blessed with long hair.

I strongly disagree with this statement and believe that our hair grows, if not we would not need to "retouch" every few weeks.

I just think the hair is breaking as fast as it is growing due to bad hair maintenance practices.

Because of this I am running a series on Hair length retention so people know how to keep the hair that grows on their head right there with minimal breakage.

Last Time I spoke about Low manipulation and protective styles see post here: LOW MANIPULATION STYLES

Today I will be talking about moisturising and sealing the ends of your hair.

The ends of your hair are the oldest past of your hair, they show the health of your hair as well as the length of your hair.
If they are not healthy, they will break and this means no long hair.  This is why you should give them the most TLC.


FIRST OFF YOU NEED SOME TOOLS
1) Water based Moisturiser or a spray bottle with 3 parts leave in conditioner and 1 part water
2) Cream based moisturizer or pomade or whipped shea butter
3) A natural oil of choice or an oil mix

Now there are two ways to do this

Moisturise and Seal Method(LCO METHOD)
This method must be done every few days to ensure optimal health of the ends of your hair.

L-Liquid:  Lightly spray the last 2 inches of the length of your hair with your chosen liquid moisturizer spreading any excess on the remaining part of your hair.

C-Cream: Apply the Cream based moisturiser the same way as the liquid.

O-Oil: Apply the oil  same way as the cream to seal in all the goodness from the two previous steps above.

Leave to airdry.

This should give you moisturised ends and hair for a few days before you repeat.
The Baggy Method
This method is basic the first method with an extra step.

After you have done the LCO, put your hair in a ponytail and where a shower cap over the ends of your hair and cover with a hat for 4 -8 hrs.

This enables the oils and moisturiser to sink into your strands.

When you remove the shower cap and hat do not rinse your ends, leave to airdry.

This will give you moisturised ends for upto 7 days or more.

Ladies try this out and let me know what you think

SO I DECIDED TO STOP RELAXING MY HAIR AND STAY AWAY FROM THE CREAMY CRACK

I decided to transition from relaxed to natural hair.

You know I was on a epic relaxer stretch for 8 months and then i made the loc extensions.

Well I still have not put a relaxer on my head and this is 1 year 5 months since my last relaxer.:)

I never thought I could do without relaxers until I started watching videos on youtube and started to understand that I did not really need a relaxer on my hair.

I had always hated relaxers cos I have a very sensitive scalp and it feels good to be free.

I have learnt how to do flat twists, braid outs, twist outs, straw sets, bantu knots, updos to protect and blend my two textures.

So going forward I will be documenting my transition from relaxed hair to natural hair.

I plan to cut the relaxed ends by end of february 2014 or when my natural growth is BSL(Bra Strap Length).

DIY HAIR TREATS: LALI HAIR TREATMENT

It’s finally here!! The highly anticipated lali (henna) hair treatment

I use coconut milk with my henna mix and I still get a beautiful dye release from the lauric acid.

I also mix in oils and honey for moisturising purposes.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED IN THE MIX AND APPLICATION

1. A can of coconut milk or the juice of two small coconuts( like u wanna make coconut rice)

2. 150 grams of Finely sifted Lali (Henna)

3. 3 tbsps of  a mix of castor, olive and coconut oils

4. 2 tbsps of honey  (a humectant to draw moisture into my hair)

5. Shower cap or cling film

6. Large plastic bag

7. Plastic bowl

8. Wooden relaxer mixing stick or plastic spoon

9. Plastic gloves(Forgot these and I still have tinted fingernails to show).

Step by Step Process

The Henna Mix

Pour the henna into a  plastic bowl and add the coconut milk , mix with plastic spoon to get a thick paste like this

Cover the bowl with cling film or plastic cover for 8 hours and keep in a dark dry place for your dye release.( This step is only necessary if you want the color benefits of henna, if not skip up to the next steps.

After 8 hours the henna should have changed color to this orangey color.

I normally split the henna mix into two and wrap one part into cling film and store in the freezer (frozen then thawed henna has even better dye release).

Preparation for the Henna application involves the following

Previous day prepoo of  coconut  and castor oil

Wash my hair with my Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo

The Application

Before applying the henna to my hair I stir in a bit more coconut milk, honey and oils of choice to get a yoghurty mixture.

Wear plastic gloves. I forgot this step and see what I ended up with and it did not clear out until about a week later.

Henna Stained Hands

Part your hair with your fingers. Do not use a comb

Beginning at the nape of the neck use your fingers to apply mixture to hair as you would a  relaxer

Make sure every strand is saturated, including the hairline and ends

Hair with Henna Applied..I need to make my mixes more yoghurty

Pin-up or place hair in ponytail

Put shower or conditioning cap over the hair.(I use cling film and a plastic shoprite bag over it)

Hair with Cling Film wrap

Leave treatment in for minimum of 4 hours (you can leave it in longer if you'd like)

Note that you can wash out in 45 mins if you do not require the red stain and are only using for strengthening.

Fill bath tub with enough water to cover head, put gloves back on and dunk hair and swoosh hair left to right to loosen and remove majority of henna.

Gently rinse remaining henna from hair under faucet stream (do not try to detangle at this juncture).

Apply deep conditioner at this point and use heat for 45 mins, detangle, moisturize and style as as usual.

Your hair should be strong and smoothened with red highlights when dry.

See how I styled my hair that week, 8 months growth but looking professional

So thats the low down and btw I have made the loc extensions and will be posting pics as I go on.

Hair Length Retention: LOW MANIPULATION/PROTECTIVE STYLING

There is a myth that is going around that says black hair does not grow and only a few people are blessed with long hair.

I strongly disagree with this statement and believe that our hair grows, if not we would not need to "retouch" every few weeks.

I just think the hair is breaking as fast as it is growing due to bad hair maintenance practices.

Because of this I am running a series on Hair length retention so people know how to keep the hair that grows on their head right there with minimal breakage.

There is a mantra on the hair community that can get very annoying and boring but helps you reach epic hair lengths. These are low manipulation and protective hair styling.

Before you go reaching for your dictionary, let me explain and give examples.

First up we have low manipulation hair styles: These are hair styles that provide you with the option of not combing your hair everyday of the week. This means you are not tugging or pulling at your hair everyday to make it conform into a hairstyle you want but can still wear your hair out. 

Examples of these styles include: rollersets, flexi rodsets,twist outs, braid outs, coil outs, bantu knot outs etc.

Then we have protective hair styles: These are hair styles that are done with the aim of protecting the tips of your hair or sometimes the whole hair strands. This means that the ends of your hair which is the oldest part of your hair is given a rest from combing and are nicely tucked away.

Examples of these styles include: High Buns, Low buns, Side buns, Cinammon buns, bantu knots, braided hair styles with the ends tucked away(braids, two strand twists,flat twists, cornrows), weave fixed properly etc.

Why do I need to do this?

Well for the purpose of having full long and healthy hair and not lifeless hair.

When you comb your hair everyday you tend to tug out strands that might not be shed hair, plus some of us use that evil blue picking comb.

When your ends are out all time and always rubbing against your dress, the cotton sucks out the moisture and breaking starts.

In essence, your hair is growing but breaking at the same rate.

For great pictures of all the hair styles listed below, goto  www.http://blackgirllonghair.com

LENGTH CHECK: I AM NOW OFFICIALLY ARMPIT LENGTH

Remember my first post on this blog FIRST POST EVA!!!

I had a hair length goal of Arm Pit Length and I have hit my length goal.

Yaayyy!!! DANCING AZONTO!!!!

See comparison pictures

MARCH 2012:NECK LENGTH

NOVEMBER 2012: ARMPIT LENGTH

This post is to show you that growing healthy hair is possible.

I have never grown my hair to armpit length before but I decided not to relax my hair for 8 months and this is what I got.

It takes the right methods, processes and a good regimen and you too can reach epic hair lengths.

If you have any questions about my methods, processes and regimen please feel free to leave a message in the comment box.

HHJ

Hair Treatment:SO LALI CAN STRENGTHEN YOUR HAIR???

Hey Everyone!! Waves!! been away I know so busy and lazy.

Anyways I am planning to do the ever popular loc extensions fondly called fake dreds next weekend and decided to do a strengthening treatment.

This is to help my hair handle the weight of the loc extensions as I will be carrying these for 8 months!!!!!

WHAT????

Yes I said eight months, that's how long I have always carried these extensions in the past.

But your hair will BREAK!!!!!

Well in the past when I was not on a Healthy Hair journey, Yes it broke like crazy.
I grew a lot of hair but i lost a lot of hair ...primarily from the detangling sessions.

Now I am more equipped to handle the detangling, nuff said!!!

So I Asked myself??

Protein??
Nah I have been reviewing Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner for deep condtioning aka   Steaming sessions and it contains hydrolysed silk protein so that balances out my mositure.

I decided to do a Lali Hair Treatment. YES LALI also called henna!! the one those hausa and fulani women carry on their head selling house to house.

The Lali that is used to do bridal body art. Yes that LALI!!

I have been using Lali to strengthen my hair so to help my hair while I stretch my relaxers.

Scientifically proven to strengthen hair, so it works.

Long Story Short , I did it with pics and all so I can show you guys a step by step procedure.

That will come up in my next post.

Till then. XOXO

COCONUT MILK DEEP TREATMENT UPDATE

Ok, so I know this update is late in coming but been so busy.

Anyways, I followed the instructions on the Coconut milk deep treatment post ( Drank half the can of coconut milk it was delicious) and here are my results.

RESULTS

1.   My new growth loved the treatment. It was soft and my curls really popped. Sorry no pictures, had an accident with my phone that day will upload pictures when i do this treatment again.

2. My relaxed hair did not like the treatment at all. It was stiff, it was hard and made my detangling session hell. To bring back softness I had to do two co-washes during the week with my Giovanni Tea Tree Invigorating Conditioner.

OVERALL VERDICT

I will be doing this treatment again but this time i will focus more on my new growth and apply just a little to my relaxed ends, this is because yoghurt and coconut milk is high in protein, and I guess my relaxed ends are just too porous to take in all that lovely protein.

I will follow it immediately with a moisturising deep treatment to balance out the protein.

I will also be using Coconut cream instead of coconut milk as coconut milk is too runny and my mixture drip all over my body.

Now like I promised, here are the benefits of all items used in the mix.

BENEFITS OF YOGHURT

Yogurt has antibacterial and antifungal properties, is a natural cleanser, helps fight itchy scalp and dandruff, stimulates hair growth, is high in lactic acid which helps smooth hair and control fizz, and makes hair shiny and soft.

I’d heard that yogurt makes a great protein treatment, but its important to use full fat yogurt. I’m not exactly sure why it makes a difference, but it does.

BENEFITS OF ALOE VERA JUICE

Aloe vera juice, with its excellent moisturizing properties(strong humectant) can serve as a natural conditioner to deeply moisturize the hair strands. So, if you are struggling with dry, damaged you can use aloe vera juice in place of your regular conditioner to make your hair silky, soft and smooth. It works as an excellent hair conditioner for dry and damaged hair.

Apart from moisturizing hair, aloe vera can help to prevent hair loss. In fact, one of the most important benefits of aloe vera is prevention of hair loss and stimulation of hair growth. The enzymes found in aloe vera juice act as hair growth stimulators.  

Like yoghurt helps fight itchy scalp and dandruff and helps  helps smooth hair and control fizz.

To get healthy hair and dandruff free scalp, you can apply the gel or juice of aloe vera on your scalp before taking a shower, leave it on for about half an hour, and then rinse it off.

BENEFITS OF COCONUT MILK

Coconut milk is very rich in protein, iron, and essential fats. Also can help grow your hair and make it healthier.

1. Controls and heals several scalp issues including dermatitis.

2. Stops hair shedding and breakage

3. Boosts hair growth

4. Makes the hair soft and supple

5. Reduces premature graying.

6. Very good deep conditioner because of its penetrative qualities.

BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL

Popularly called Adi Agbon, Coconut oil is great for those of you who wish to combat hair loss and strengthen your hair. It also has the ability to thicken it, get rid of dandruff, and manage long, curly hair. Coconut oil can be safely left on the scalp overnight and is easily removed by the use of a shampoo. Because of its moisturizing properties, this oil is a great choice for eliminating dandruff. Because coconut oil strengthens your hair and prevents it from breakage, it is propounded as the best remedy for those of you who wish to have long, healthy locks. In simple terms, the use of coconut oil will aid (not cause) natural hair growth. 

Simply warm a little coconut oil and massage it onto the scalp. This massage is also likely to send you into a wonderful snooze. Allow coconut oil to work its magic overnight and wake up feeling refreshed, wash off the oil, and watch your hair slowly go back to its normal state as you keep following this treatment.

BENEFITS OF OLIVE OIL

Olive oil is the perfect oil to use to restore and replenish dry hair. Those of you who can't manage the frizz and are having way too many bad hair days, should use olive oil to bring back the shine that your hair used to exhibit once upon a time. Some people use olive oil for deep conditioning, and when used often enough, a clear difference is visible in the way the hair appears. Olive oil is a little more oily than coconut oil, so you may wish to use a little lesser of it, and leave it on just for an hour or so before you wash it off. It can also be used as an after wash moisturizer for the hair, where you take just a few drops on your palm and rub it all over your hair, particularly the tips (not scalp). This makes the hair more manageable through the day

BENEFITS OF CASTOR OIL

The reason behind the popularity of the usage of castor oil for treating hair problems lies is the presence of ricin/ricinoleic acid in the oil, which is germicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal. So using the oil will keep the hair from microbial and fungal infections thus, lessening hair loss.

Regular treatment of the scalp and roots with the oil helps prevent drying of the hair and within months, hair growth is an obvious result. This is achieved by the Omega-9 fatty acids in the oil.

To keep the hair looking soft and shiny, moisture has to be retained by the hair. This can be taken care of by castor oil, as it is a humectant (any substance that is added to another substance to keep it moist).

If there is any damage caused to the hair, the use of this oil will not only manage to hide the damage, but at the same time, will work effectively in making the hair grow thicker than before.

Castor oil even benefits eye lashes. Apply a bit of the oil over the base of the eyelashes every night before bed, and get thicker and fuller lashes in some time.

SO THERE YOU ARE. I HAVE LISTED ALL THE BENEFITS OF ALL THESE NATURAL INGREDIENTS FOR HAIR, TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU CAN SOLVE ALL YOUR HAIR PROBLEMS USING NATURAL RESOURCES.

HAVE YOU TRIED THE COCONUT MILK DEEP TREATMENT? IF YOU HAVE, PLEASE POST YOUR PROCESS AND RESULTS IN THE COMMENT BO

COCONUT MILK DEEP CONDITIONING TREATMENT

I will be taking out my kinky braids on saturday and deep conditioning on my dry dirty hair.


I decided to use the opportunity to try the coconut milk+ yoghurt deep treatment and I want to share my experience with you.



THINGS YOU WILL NEED
1. 4-5 tbsps-All natural Plain yoghurt
2. A can of coconut milk
3. 3 tbsps of  a mix of castor, olive and coconut oils
4. 2 tbsps of aloe vera  (a humectant to draw moisture into my hair)
5. Shower cap
6. Plastic bowl
7. Wooden relaxer mixing stick or plastic spoon

Goya Olive Oil

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Whole fillet Aloe vera juice

Coconut Milk

Yoghurt

Organic Virgin Coconut oil

Directions

Leave out Yoghurt overnight so it can be at room temperature (This is important)

Scoop out 4-5 tablespoons of yogurt and place in your plastic bowl

In the same bowl, place 3 tablespoons of the oil mix and stir

Add the coconut milk.

Gently mix with wooden stick; take care not too over mix or mixture will become soupy

Part with your fingers. Do not use a comb

Beginning at the nape of the neck use your fingers to apply mixture to hair as you would a  relaxer

Make sure every strand is saturated, including the hairline and ends

Once the whole head is saturated work relaxer through hair with your fingers

Pin-up or place hair in ponytail

Put shower or conditioning cap over the hair

Leave treatment in for 45 - 60 minutes (you can leave it in longer if you'd like)

Rinse treatment out of hair with warm water

Wash, Condition, detangle, moisturize and style as as usual.

I will be doing this treatment over the weekend and will take before and after pictures of my hair to post on this hair diary and my fotki.

Wish me luck.

After I post the pictures on an update of the treatment, I will list the benefits of all ingredients used.

Healthy Hair Journey Everyone

HOWTO: Cleanse,Moisturize and Seal when wearing braids

Hello Ladies!!!

Yes I know I have been on a hiatus for a while now...sorry its the hustle and bustle of this lagos sef , plus commuting from Ikorodu to Obalende every day??? E no easy oh.

Any ways my hair has been lost in kinky twists for a month now, and I thought about doing a post on how to care for your hair while in braids.

Just cause your hair is in braids, that does not mean you will not cleanse, moisturise and seal it.

So after trolling so many hair blogs here is my regimen when on braids;

CLEANSING

Every two weeks I cleanse my scalp and braids using two products.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE this product: Elentee Soy Organics Waterless Shampoo.

Elentee Soy Organics Waterless Shampoo

I put my hair in six sectional braids, apply to my scalp and massage to remove any dirt,it is so Tingly and it supposed to be waterless but I rinse out with water to let the shampoo run down the braids cleansing them.

After this I then do a co-wash with Giovanni Tea Tree Invigorating conditioner.  I have the huge 1 liter size bottle :-)

Giovanni Tea Tree Invigorating conditioner 

I use the same method to massage my scalp and run down with water to cleanse braids.

Co-washing is the act of using conditioner to wash hair instead of shampoo to retain the hair's natural oils that would have been stripped if shampoo was used.

After this process, I leave my hair to air dry.



MOISTURIZING

I now have a spray bottle in which I mix 3 parts water, 1 part mix of aloe vera juice, coconut oil, castor oil and olive oil.

I spray my braids with this every two two days, this makes my roots very soft.

I also alternate with my protein treatment: Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer

Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer

It contains body heat activated keratin and  gives my hair the strength it needs to hold the weight of the braids.



SEALING

I now have my own homemade whipped shea butter. YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!

Its a mix of raw naija shea butter from osun state, coconut oil, castor oil, aloevera juice, olive oil and hairgrowth trigger elixir oil, will be adding a fragance oil so it smells so lovely..thinking of adding a fruity scent

I use this on my scalp and the braids to seal in the moisture from the protein treatment and my homemade braids spray.


So there you have it, my regimen while on braids.

Hope it helps someone.