Progress Update!!

Hi everyone!!! Hope we are all having a fantastic week so far! I just happened to realize that I never did update you all on my December trim! I got it professionally trimmed, aiming at evening up my hair....that went, uhhh, well, it just wasn't as even as I would have liked it to be, I am a fan of blunt cuts, the stylist wanted to do layers. She didn't do deep layers, because I told her that I wanted to keep as much of my length as possible.

I actually forgot all about that trim, and had been complaining about how my hair was not growing, despite my being pregnant, which is usually hair growth heaven for me!! Simply because last I checked in November, I was APL:

November:

This was the results of my visit to the salon, I'm not sure how much she cut off inches wise, but seeing that I had JUST made APL, it did put me back to SL.



After comparing November, the beginning of my journey from APL to BSL (new length goal WOOOO!!), with my December trim (minor set back, very minor) with Feburary's growth/length....I decided to shut up about my hair not growing, bc pics don't lie......well maybe sometimes they do lol, but not this time!



So there is the update to my growth! Back at APL, now in Feburary and HOPING (though I may be stretching) to be BSL by August or September.
As far as my regimen, I had been:

Cowashing weekly.
DC'ing weekly w/ added Castor Oil
M&S'ing  ehhh once a week, I was lazy.
Oiling Scalp w/ Castor Oil 3x a week.
Protective styling exclusively
1 Heat Pass 1x/month.
Taking daily prenatal vitamins
Exercise 3x/week

As for my regimen now, I have tweaked a bit for optimum growth & length retention, it's as follows:

Prepooing w/ Coconut weekly
Cowashing 1x per week
DC'ing w/ heat 1x weekly
GHE'ing 2x/week
Oiling Scalp with Liquid Gold's Sulfur based Hair Growth oil 3x a week.
Protective Styling Exclusively
1 Low Manipulation style 1x/month
No Direct Heat
Exercise 3x/ week
Take Prenatal Vitamins daily.

My PLAN is to follow this regimen until the birth of the baby. For the birth I plan on getting a really low maintainence protective style like sew in or braids, so that I can get away with minimizing my routine, while adjusting to becoming a mother of 4!!! Talk about a handful!!!

Well as always thanks for reading love faces :-**!

Relaxing Your Hair: While You Are Pregnancy!

Whether it hold some truth or be an old myth created by some supersticious over protective mom, relaxing hair while pregnant has been one of the many questions amongst mom-to-be(s).

Some may believe that the use of the chemicals may be absorbed and introduced to and possibly harm the fetus. The truth is that there is no "hard" evidence stating that the use of chemical relaxers has an effect on the baby. On the contrary there is also no "hard" evidence stating that it doesn't.

That's why it solely up to the mother whether or not to use chemical relaxers on her hair. As always first consult with your OB-GYN, if he/she gives you the green light, there are other things to be aware of.

1, Remember to treat this like a normal (pre pregnancy) hair process, base your scalp and do not appy directly onto the scalp.

2.Also take not that depending on the mother and her hormones, relaxers may not fully process your hair, if in case you prefer being bone straight.

SO FELLOW HAIRLISTAS!!! WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON RELAXING HAIR  WHILE PREGNANT?

If you have any more tips or advice pertaining to relaxing your hair while pregnant please feel free to add them in a comment. Thank you all for reading!!

Product Review: Tangle Teezer vs Hair Bean & Tangle Tamer

I labeled this as a "Product" Review but I guess it is more of a hair utensil, anyhow these are three detangling brushes that all appear similar, so similar that it would be easy to assume that they all pretty much performed the same. I have tried all three, so if you are interested in my take on things, this is the post to read!!

All three of these brushes are to be used for the purpose of detangling, safe to do so on wet or dry hair with very minimal breakage, if any at all.

First I will review the "Hair Bean"

I never seen the informercial on tv regarding this, but I did find it at my local CVS in the "As Seen On T.V." section. It was $9.99. Now on to the important part, it's perfomance: In my opinion the bristles are too short and flimsy to really be effective for detangling, the soul purpose of the brush. The bristles were too flimsy to even use as a styling brush. The bristles were too short to even touch your scalp, let alone being able to take charge any of tangles. Basically this one is definitely a NO GO!!! I ended up giving to my husband to use on our dog.

Now on to the Tangle Tamer

I actually picked this one up on accident, thinking that it was the Tangle Teezer, I really liked the idea of it having a handle. Anywho I found it at Sally's for about $12, I think. The bristles on this brush are more similar to those on the Tangle Teezer. They are longer and more firm than those on the Hair Bean, making for a good scalp massager and styling brush. This, as a detangler, I would say is "OK". If your hair is really tangled, badly, I would say to be really careful, start at the ends and brush lightly to detangle. The bristles are more firm than those on the Tangle Teezer, which takes away from the flexibility when encountering a tangle, it is more likely to just "snap" right through the hair, oppose to manuevering around it. I have used this in the shower under running water and my hair did just fine, no breakage, didn't get "stuck" in any tangles or pull on my hair. On dry hair is when I noticed that you have to be more careful than you would have to be with the Tangle Teezer.

Last but not least, I will discuss the Tangle Teezer:

Of the three, the Tangle Teezer is best at detangling on wet or dry hair. The bristles have just the right length and flexibility to make the perfect detangling brush. I got mine over a year ago, and it still works as if I had gotten it on day 1. It was at Sally's for $9.99. I use this as a styling brush, detangling brush, and even scalp massager! I simply love this brush, no  snags, no snaps, no complaints!

In a nutshell:

Hair Bean: Too Soft

Tangle Tamer: Too Hard (not to hard to function, but you will have to be careful)

Tangle Teezer: JUUUUUUUUUUUUST RIGHT!!!

Product Review: ORS Moisturizing Hair Lotion

 I know I am probably not telling you anything new, if you are seasoned in "hair care", but for those of you who are new, or just plain old "sleeping" on this product (like I was). I have over looked this time and time again, you may wonder what convinced me to finally pick it up. I may sound like a true hair STAN (stalker+fan), but it was seeing it in ULoveMegz stash! I use ORS Relaxer because of her, however I use the Professional kind, not the kit. Anywho my review on this product MAY be a bit biased since my hair is straightened and I recently dusted, using my SplitEnder. However I LOOOOOVE this product!! I am usually a Mizani girl, some of you may know but they can run anywhere from $17-$22 and while it is a great product, if I can get the same quality for less money, I most certainly will!! That is what I feel like ORS Moisturizing Hair Lotion is, an equivalent to my Mizani Butter Rich Hairdress, for less money. It is super creamy, does not take a lot, and my hair just feels moisturized!!!It really does just feel so moisturized and soft. It cost about $4.95. Sally's description of it reads:

• Restores moisture to dry, thirsty hair
• Conditions and protects hair from high heat
• Not greasy or sticky
• Long-lasting shine

"An Incredibly rich oil moisturizing hair lotion. With consistent use, hair will begin to show improved elasticity, hydration and shine. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion protects hair from blowdryers and curling irons. Strengthens damaged hair. "

So far I have only used it once, but seeing how my hair is now it makes me excited to see the results I should recieve if I continue to use it on a regular basis.

The ingredients are:

Water - Aqua, Coconut Oil - Cocos Nucifera, Sorbitol, Trimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol , Petrolatum, Cyclomethicone, Peanut Oil - Arachi Hypogaea , Castor Oil - Ricinus Communis, Cetyl Esters, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Olive Oil - Olea Europaea, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, DMDM Hydantoin, Propylene Glycol, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, Carbomer , Cetearyl Alcohol , Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, PEG-25 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance - Parfum , Benzyl Alcohol , Benzyl Salicylate , Geraniol, Hexylcinnamicaldehyde, Lillial, D'Limonene, Linalool, Lyral, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, BHT , Blue No. 1 - CI 42090, Yellow No. 5 - CI 19140

I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. 4 simply because I wish it did not contain any Petrolatum lol, but other than that it is a thumbs up!!! As I stated I have only used once on flat ironed hair, I will do a follow up update after I wash and go back to my low maintainence hair styles when my hair has more texture in it.

Wash Day: Sunday 2/10/13

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

A Look Back: Then and Now

It is always good to reflect back to appreciate your "growth", that is with any journey in life. Applying to my HHJ, I find it shameful to have neglected my hair alllll of those years. I know reading blog after blog, if you are new to the hair care community it may seem like a lot and may even become a bit overwhelming, but like anything, done over time, it will become so routine and just "easy".

I think of how easy it is to maintain and grow your hair, meeting the basic neccessities of it, and all of those years that I just plain old neglected it. It's quite funny, an online friend of mine and I were discussing "hair typing" and tho I know that my natural hair does have a curl pattern (coily) and every one seems to coin me as a "4A" type, when I see all of the ladies with their beautiful coily hair, I just refuse to believe that my natural hair looks like that, I just can't or am having a hard time, I should say to shake that "bad hair" stigma that I have been told all of my life. That is not the reason I am not transitioning of course, we were just having a discussion and I thought "Even when you know better......some things are just hard to shake."

I look back, I  rarely went to the hair salons, despite my mom being a hair stylist, but when I did, I would get a deep conditioning...I hated those, simply because it was added time under the dryer, which I hated. I had no idea the purpose behind it. Even when my mom would tell me that I needed to "put some oil on my hair", that was her way of saying it needed moisture, I would simply spray oil sheen on it, probably filled with mineral oil. It's simply funny when you look back...Oh and that myth that if you brush your hair 100x a day that your hair would grow??? Yea I tried that!!!!! LOL

Me Then:
Me Now:
Follow me on Instagram: @TheGirlWithThePrettySmile

Looking back on your HHJ and before, what valuable lessons have you learned? What do you look back and *face palm* yourself for believing and doing?

Protective Style Challenge Check In: Month 1

BLAHHHHHH I am struggling...not struggling to protective style, but struggling with ideas, as my styling capabilities are limited....extremely limited due to the fact that...1. I can not style...can't braid, can barely twist, ect... and 2. I am afraid to PRACTICE because I feel as tho I am too rough with my hair and the more I manipulate it, the more I cause breakage....Wigging is the best choice for me as for protective styles, but I am on a budget...So far I have been wearing simple buns; high and low.



I will admit I did use a pass...I know this early huh, well had happened was....I wore bantu knots as a protective style once and after I took them down....the Bantu Knot OUT was banging and I just HAD to rock it for a few days lol....
But back to the regular schedule for me. I am hair lazy. I will be getting a faux bun or ponytail in a few days before I go into a frenzy of not knowing what to do or how to do it lol...hopefully as weeks progress I will get it together...Oh yea for those who may not know, I am 4 months pregnant, so my hair is OOBER thick...it's almost brand new to me....so I am just kinda tryign to get it together still...lol yall pray to the hair gods for me, I almost gave up :-(

As for always thanks for reading my love!!! How are things with You and your Hair???!