Did You Know: Hygral Fatigue

Ever heard the saying that "black girls don't wash their hair every day because it will dry it out?" While it may just be a myth could it possibly hold some truth in it?

What Is Hygral Fatigue?

 When washing our hair, our hair shafts must expand to take in all of the "goodies" (shampoos or conditioners).  Hygral Fatigue is the damage on you hair caused from the frequent expanding while wet and contracting when drying hair. Porous hair have an increased chance and recieving damage, being that it takes in considerably alot of water, creating an intense swelling (expansion) and quickly contracting back to it's regular state during the drying process.

Studies have shown that using Coconut Oil (a polar oil) as a prepoo treatment will protect they hair fiber from hygral fatigue, by allowing some of the oil to absorb into the hair as it swells, binding onto some of the hair's inner proteins, thus reducing the amount of water that the hair fiber absorbs and limiting the ability for the fiber to swell.


Taking this in consideration, I only considered "Prepooing" as vital for those who actually used shampoo, as I cowash weekly and thought it would be pointless. Learning this has now opened my eyes to needing to further protect my tresses and incorporate Coconut Oil into my regimen as a prepoo to avoid this, especially considering that my hair can sometimes be very porous!!!




DO YOU PREPOO????








Resourses Used: The Science of Black Hair

L4L Protective Style Challenge!!!!

Well the time has come for the official sign up!!! While I was already planning on protective styling, I ran into Longing4Lengths blog post, saw that hair dryer and said THAT IS MINE!!!

Though there will be mini challenges, my main method for protective styles are and will be wigs. I'm lazy...I want low to no manipulation...RETENTION IS KEY!!!!
My regimen shall remain the same in that I cowash and DC weekly...I am now incorporating a Black Tea Rinse every 2 weeks. I want to incorporate this is in my regimen now to lessen, if not avoid the dreaded postpartum shedding....which I have never experienced, but just my luck with now falling in love with my hair I should.

So what's MY game plan? MOISTURE----> PROTECTION----> RETENTION!!!

Here is my starting pic, freshly washed hair, so I will do my ending picture with wet hair as well. This is the only  pic I had with a current length. I plan to do so wearing the exact same shirt!!


My hopes is to be half way through "Obama"....think I can do it??? We shall see!!!

2013 Update: Texlaxed to Bone Straight...

Welcome to 2013 and again I apologize for my infrequent postings, however I am still around, and I am still caring for my hair!!! What's new with me??

I went back from BONE STRAIGHT hair, opposed to texlaxed. See what had happened waaaassss..... my texlaxed hair was a MESS!!! No pattern, no curls, no kinks, just FRIZZ....I went to the salon, got a trim as well as a corrective relaxer. Even now the length of my hair is not bone straight, more wavy....more of the texlaxed texture that I desired before, but it doesn't match my roots, so mehh...only future relaxers will tell how this will go.


This pic you may see some of the waves in the length!


Last weeks wash day collage ;-)


That's all that's new in my world. As of right now I am deep conditioning with Organix Brazilian Keratin Treatment mixed with EVOO, Shea Oil, and Castor Oil.

I have been consistent with the castor oil challenge and as for the protective style challenge, I have uet to"officially" sign up for it but I have been protective styling, via wigging!!

Freetress: Monaco Girl

Winter Hair Challenges!!!!

As we all are aware of how harsh the winter wind and low temperatures can be on our tresses, despite the massive attack of fatigue I must still maintain healthy tresses right? What better way to do that than to join other *Listas* in their hair challenges? Boost of motivation and extra care right?

First off there is Vannie C's "Castor Oil Challenge"

This challenge is being held from December 10, 2012 until March 10, 2013. In this challenge I will be oiling my scalp 3x a week as well as adding Castor Oil to my deep conditioner.

Because I am iffy about simply cowashing my hair while avidly oiling my scalp I have decided to "spiffy" my regimen up...so far it has been so simple "Cowash & DC weekly, moisturize as needed"

I recognize that is a good "maintenance" regimen, just to retain length, and keep it looking healthy, but to obtain the ultimate amount of health and growth I need to do better.

My regimen will be as follows:

Every Other Day:
Moisturize
Oil Scalp (Castor Oil)
Scalp Massage
GHE

Weekly:
Cowash
Deep Condition

Every Other Week:
ACV Rinse
Hot Oil Treatment

Monthly:
Clarify

Starting Pic for Castor Oil Challenge:

During this challenge I decided that it would be even more beneficial for me to protective style, which brings me to  CHALLENGE #2


Longing 4 Length's PROTECTIVE STYLE CHALLENGE

This challenge does not OFFICIALLY start until January 7, 2013 and ends on April 7, 2013....but I have already begun simply because 1. I am lazy and do nothing with my hair now.....and 2. I like to PS with the Castor Oil Challenge.

With this challenge there is a grand prize involved, you may check her blog out here if you are interested. There are also mini challenges revolved around styling. I am horrible at styling so we will see how well I participate in those, however prizes are awarded for those as well.

I will not submit a before pic for the #L4LPSC until January 2013!! I am so excited to be taking part in both challenges and I can't wait to see the massive length retention and overall health improvement that I gain from this!!!

WAY TO START THE NEW YEAR OFF LADIES!!!!!!

Big Announcement to My Blog Readers, Because I Love You

So I have been MIA and slow on posting. I never thought it would be necessary to keep a hair journal because I blog, however I feel there is so much that I need to say, talk about, tell you all about that I miss out on because I don't have the energy to post, and then when I do....dun dun dun duuuuunnn I have forgot about most of it. So what is going on you might ask? Super tired? Forgetful memory???

Yes I am expecting...and I am announcing probably nontraditionally earlier than most moms, but I am  super excited and horrible at keeping secrets....I just plain ole talk to much lol. I am 7 weeks and due July 28 2013!!! This baby is running me thin, I have absolutely NO ENERGY NONE!!!!

 As some of you may know I have three other children, sometimes I feel like I am being a lousy mom to them, all I do is sleep...or all I do is WANT to sleep, the little time that I am awake, I am forcing myself to do so, to not seem like a bum!!! Thankfully my husband is who he is, I don't know if he is as SUPPORTIVE or UNDERSTANDING ( as he said that my fatigue is only MENTAL, can you believe that!!), or if it is just that he is a clean freak, but he has picked up the housekeeping, cleaning, laundry....I'm still responsible for the cooking though, no budging there. Anywho as you can see just being a human being is a struggle for me let alone keeping up a blog!! Don't fret, I have decided to keep up a notebook to jot down all of my blog ideas, and wash days ect to keep up with you all, that way even if I just sit down one day out of the month and post 15 blogs lol you'll know why and at least I got to get it all out!!!

Thank you all for taking the time to read my posts!! I truly am humbly thankful and I appreciate you all!!!

Scrapping APL Maybe???

Soooo I took my braids out...along with my edges :-( When taking the braids out one just fell out, hair included....I knew it was bad, after washing my hair as you can see, it looks like two braids took allll of my lil hair out.

 



My plan was to straighten my hair via flat iron with out, relaxing. I have been debating between transitioning or not...I want to, but honestly I am just scared lol.

Moving along, I ended up relaxing my hair anyway.


New Growth Shot----------------------------------> Post Relaxer, wet

 

I self relaxed using ORS Professionals. Prior to relaxing, I oiled scalp with Castor Oil. I think this is the best self relax that I have done so far. I left the relaxer on for about 25 minutes, when it started to burn I washed it out, only had one chemical burn lol...IKR as if that is something to be proud of.

How do I deal with Chemical Burns?
I let them be, rub with a bit of Tea Tree oil and let it do it's own thing.


Moving right along post relaxer flat iron results!!!

 BOOM!!!! 

Scrapping APL maybe? I am super excited!!!

Other Flat Ironed Pics

 

 

Hoping to make Full APL by January or Feburary!!!! What an exciting journey!!!

How I Rocked My Box Braids! (Styling)

Braided Swoop w/ bun

Messy Bun

Attempt at Tae Haekard's "Ninja Bun"

Curly

Neat Bun

Flat Twist w/ Bun

Flat Twist while down

Double Flat Twist

Edgy twisted "hump"