Challenges Begin

Hurraaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!! Our wait is over. Today and tomorrow mark the beginning of our challenges. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaady? Set? Goooooooooooooooooo!!

Ready?
Have you got all your products and accessories needed to start these challenges? Have you tossed out all the bad tools and products you have? Have you changed your hair care routine to a healthier and more TLC inclined one? Have you really made up your mind and joined? Have you set goals; determined what you want to achieve at the end of the challenge?

Healthy hair care includes maintenance. Hair is fragile and subject to damage. But all is not lost. You can prevent further damage by using products and styling methods that protect the hair and mend damaged areas.

 Some things that may show you are ready:

a.    If the ends of your hair are weak and damaged, have you trimmed them off? Remember, our hair grows!!

b.    Have you cut down on using heat on your hair or stopped totally?

c.    Are you deep conditioning and doing protein treatments?

d.   Are you ready to wait 8 weeks or more between relaxers?

e.    Have you stopped using harsh products? Those that contain Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Petroleum Jelly, Parabens, Isopropyl Alcohol or SD Alcohol?

f.     Do you check the protein moisture balance of your hair?

g.    I f you intend to use growth aid, have you bought them already?

h.    Will you protective style most of the time?  

i.      Are you eating healthier, drinking lots of water (at least 2.2 litres everyday!) and exercising?

Set? 

If your answer to half the questions above is YES, then you’re on your way to achieving the goals of the challenges! If not, there is still time.......anytime is good to start a hair journey. Today, tomorrow, next week, next month,......but don’t wait a year cos I will be 6 or more inches ahead of you by then and you may feel discouraged.....lol!! 

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!



Don’t give up along the way. Invite friends, Challenge your friends and colleagues to these challenges. Let it get competitive and be determined to win!!

Consistency is key both in the use of products and in your hair care regimen. If your hair needs more moisture, tweak your regimen to be moisture intensive. Or is it protein? Do more protein treatments.


Remember everyone’s hair is different. It may take 1 month for someone to see results and take up to 6 or more for another to see results. Let's make better mistakes tomorrow. Don’t give up!!  

Wishing you all the best of luck on these challenges. I’m adding PRAYERS to my regimen...After all, it is God who gives..............!!

Cheers,

Star.

Green House Effect Challenge

Here comes another 6 month challenge for us all who want get rid of our dry, frizzy and unhealthy looking hair!! Come aboard for soft, silky, smooth, and gorgeous looking hair in just 6 months!!

You can use a shower cap or a plastic bag. Even a cling wrap works!!

This one is really dear to my heart, and I believe it will help a lot of us, especially those battling dry, frizzy and damaged hair with managing and keeping our new growth soft and tamed especially when it comes to stretching our relaxers. This one is also very easy as it can be incorporated into all the other challenges so far. GHE can be done with all natural oils. Castor Oil will be the preferred oil then for those on the Castor Oil Challenge. Easy does it!! And a lot of long haired black ladies who grew more than 6-12 inches of hair every year had GHE as part of their regimen. Oh yeah, we’re on our way to 12 inches a year!!

The greenhouse effect (GHE) involves putting oil on damp or dry hair, covering it with a shower cap (or plastic bag) and keeping it in place with a scarf and then a towel or winter hat (you can heat these up in the microwave or hot water for added heat) to keep the head warm and thus having a prolonged, deep, hot oil treatment. It can be done for between 30 minutes to overnight!! A little oil goes a long way, thus there may be no need to wash hair in the morning.

The result is not only highly moisturised hair but reduced itchy scalp, improved scalp health and accelerated hair growth as well. This technique is sure to give you ½ inch to 1 inch of new growth every month!! Imagine...that’s between 6 inches to 12 inches of growth a year. This can be done on natural or relaxed hair.

Get that silky straight and frizz free hair!

Begins: 1^st February, 2013                       Ends: 1^st August, 2013

Basic Level:  GHE overnight two times a week.

Intermediate: GHE overnight four times a week.

Advanced: GHE overnight every day.

Remember to take comparison photos every month.

You bet I’m gonna do this at the advanced level........YES, I already started GHEing every day for a week now.......(hehheehhehe ... Im one week ahead...lol) !! And it leaves my roots soooooooooooooooooo soft and silky in the morning!! I just spray on my braid spray, apply T444Z to my edges, massage for 5-10mins and I’m gone since most of the morning routine is now done the night before!! Can’t wait to see my results in a few weeks when I undo my braids!

Cheers,

Star.

12 Inches in 12 Months Challenge

This challenge is the ultimate..the Challenge of all Challenges!

I’ve been extremely happy with myself since I embarked more seriously on this hair journey. I find I can’t wait for a new day to do something loving for my hair. Hair care is such a huge passion for me now and I look forward to writing something for my page and blog as well.

Am I getting obsessed? Hhhaahahhahahaha.................well, like I always tell myself, it is good for the heart and mind to find a reason to wake up each morning! And believe me, I am getting more prayerful as some of the minutes I spend doing my hair stuff also help me to meditate and pray more. I am less stressed out from work, babysitting, home care, etc etc. I’m in paradise!!

Another challenge for those who have joined me on this journey is this one aimed at helping us to grow 12 inches of hair in 12 months!! YES....1 inch every month. Of course, we all have different hair growth rates but for those who grow their hair at an average of ½ inch already, we’re going to stimulate faster growth. Try your best to follow the rules of the challenges as strictly as possible. This challenge is a competition as well and is ONLY for those of us who have hair growth rate of 1/2 inch or less a month (everyone can join but of course if you growth 1 inch already....lol). It takes time to adjust habits and lifestyle but with great effort, you will be on your way to growing out your hair to waist length.

Challenge Goal: Grow 12 Inches of Healthy Hair in 12 Months

Challenge Duration:  January 31^st 2013 to January 31^st 2014

Basic Level

a.       Massage your scalp gently with your fingertips every 3 days with natural oil. 10-15 minutes in the morning and evening.

b.      Green House Effect or baggy 3 times a week

c.       Rub your fingernails in a semi-fist briskly together 5 minutes daily.

d.      You may flat iron your hair only once a month.

e.       Deep condition hair at least twice a month. Check protein moisture balance weekly.

f.       Wear a protective or low manipulation style 3 days a week.

g.      Exercise once a week, eat a balanced diet and drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

h.      Stretch your relaxer at least 8 weeks and trim your hair only when necessary.

i.        Moisturise and seal 3 times a week with a water based moisturiser.

j.        Wash and condition hair every week making sure to detangle carefully with conditioner.

k.      Sleep with a silk or satin bonnet, scarf or pillowcase to protect your hair every night.

l.        (Optional) Take a daily multivitamin and use a growth aid. JBCO, T444Z, Hairfinity, etc.

m.    Do a length check and take pictures of your progress at the end of each month.

(At this level, you should get above ½ inch hair growth by the 3^rd month if your hair responds well. If after this you still don’t get above ½ inch you may need to embark on the challenge at the advanced level. )

Advanced Level

a.       Massage your scalp gently with your fingertips every day with natural oil. 10-15 minutes in the morning and evening.

b.      Green House Effect or baggy 5 times a week or every day.

c.       Rub your fingernails in a semi-fist briskly together 10 minutes daily in the morning and evening.

d.      You may flat iron your hair only occasionally. Roller set and air dry mostly.  

e.       Deep condition hair at least every week. Check protein moisture balance weekly.

f.       Wear a protective or low manipulation style 5 times a week or every day.

g.      Exercise thrice a week, eat a balanced diet and drink more than 8 glasses of water a day.

h.      Stretch your relaxer for 12 to 24 weeks at a time and trim your hair only when necessary.

i.        Moisturise and seal everyday with a water based moisturiser and a natural oil.

j.        Wash hair with a shampoo once a month preferably with a sulphate free shampoo.

k.      Co-wash hair 3 times a week making sure to detangle carefully.

l.        Sleep with a silk or satin bonnet, scarf or pillowcase to protect your hair every night.

m.    (Optional) Take a daily multivitamin and use a growth aid. JBCO, T444Z, Hairfinity, etc.

n.      Do a length check and take pictures of your progress at the end of each month.

DATES:
31^st January, 2013: Post your starting picture or write starting length and what length you are attempting to reach on ghlonghair wall on facebook.
February -December 2013: At the end of every month, post your progress picture on ghlonghair wall on facebook. It can either be a comparison photo or a written update about your progress.
January 31, 2014: Final comparison and update. Post what worked the best for your growth and how much length you were able to get in 12 months.

The challenge participant who gets the MOST growth in 12 months will get a hamper full of hair and beauty products. 


Cheeeeeeeeeeeers!!
Star.

The Liebster Award

**UPDATED**


This long hair journey was started out of curiosity. Now I must say, I’m taking it much more seriously than when I conceived the idea and really delighted at the followers I have on my blog and facebook page so far. I look forward to writing posts and reading comments on them. Thanks to you all for You, my dear reader, are my biggest inspiration!!


Fellow blogger, Lydz (http://crowningglorymine.blogspot.com) nominated me for a Liebster Award!! Woooooooooooooooooow!! (My soul is dancing happily). I’m jumping up and down inside.....Thaaaaaanks!



How the Liebster Award works:

1. Each person must post 11 random things about themselves (optional)
2. Answer the 11 questions that the tagger set for you.
3. Choose 11 bloggers who you would like to give the Liebster Award.
4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you have tagged with the award to answer.



Random stuff about me:


1. I love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my might!!

2. I love my neighbor as much as myself but when my neighbor stabs me in the back, hey; I gotta watch my back cos it still hurts…lol!

3. I love my family…………..I love my kid(s)!! They are my world!! What makes me smile broadest at anytime is my 2 year old girl happily singing the National Anthem!!

4. I love singing…..I miss being a chorister but haven’t given up hopes of joining a choir again someday.

5. I love my job. It gives me inner peace and joy.

6. I hate soups……………as much as I love to eat healthily, I am only able to enjoy one kind of soup. Light soup….lol!

7. I’ve always loved everything about the beauty industry…hair care, skin care, body care,fashion etc etc. I can sew my own clothes as well as for others, do my own hair as well as for others. I’m keen of developing these talents into my own businesses very soon. Equipped a small salon already!! Fingers-crossed!

8. I’m not an outgoing person or adventurous …I’d rather stay glued to the TV or sleeeeeeeeeep!!

9. I’m afraid of heights and crossing roads!! Yes…I look left, then right, then left, then right, then left…hahahah!!

10. I love travelling…… (afraid of heights and roads?)…..Hhhahahhha!! Well, no other way to travel around!

11. I love myself ……………won’t change a thing!! I’m blessed and highly favored. I’m UNIQUE!!



And Lydz’s questions for me;

1. Chocolate or vanilla? Don’t have a sweet tooth and can go years without both....lol! But vanilla it is.

2. Swim or gym? Swim. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh, love the idea of a gym but have never gotten to the task.

3.Flats or heels? Heels....on someone else! Looks stunning but haven’t worn one in maybe 2 years?

4. Silver or Gold? Gold...... when it comes to matching jewellery with hubby, I go with silver. I let him win.

5. Flat iron or roller setting? Roller setting... never liked the idea of flat ironing even before my hair journey.

6. Weaves or wigs? Weaves....gives me that sense of low manipulation though I was and m&s very often.

7. Facebook or twitter? Facebook..........haven’t even checked twitter out before!!

8. Fruit salad or fruit juice? Fruit salad! Fruit salad! Fruit salad! Juice seems like drinking fruit soup to me..lol!!

9. If you had to be a vegetarian which protein would you miss beef, poultry or seafood? Poultry...most def!

10. Three famous people either fictional or real you would love to meet? Hmm...that’s a hard one! No one comes to mind.

11. What’s your favourite natural oil? I loooooooooooooooooove castor oil!


Got nominated by Jo Minta of  (http://www.beautywithjocel.com) as well.
Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks Jo. You're awesome!!

Jo's  Questions and my answers:

1.What's your favourite hairstyle? I love tree braids.

2. What's your hair length? Almost shoulder length.

3. Which do you prefer? Denman brush or fingers for detangling? Haven't found a good brush yet so finger detangling mostly for now.

4. Puff or bun? Buns but if i go natural one day, would surely prefer the puff.

5.What's your hair goal? Waist Length......lol!!

6. Which do you prefer? Vlogging or blogging? Blogging for now.

7. What's your best hair moment? Still yet to come....it will be when i reach my Waist Length goal.

8. Facebook or Google+? Facebook.

9. Twists or Twists Outs? Twists.

10. Flat Twists or Corn Roll? Corn roll.

11. How is your journey in one word? Revealing!!

Most bloggers I know and follow have already been nominated except for the following:


1. Abena Nyarkoaa from (http://www.ghanaianemprezz.com)

2. Dabs from (http://naijahaircangrow.blogspot.com)

3. Dr Fomsky from (http://thesizzlingmommy.com)

4. Jeni from (http://www.justgrowalready.com)

5. Jo Eva (http://growafricanhairlong.blogspot.com)

6. Nikki from (http://www.curlynikki.com)

7. EbonyCPrincess from (http://longing4length.com/)

8. Annette from (http://naturalistagh.blogspot.com/)

9. AfroDiva Nally from (http://ghanaiannaturals.blogspot.com/)



Here come my questions:


1. Why bother about your hair at all?

2. In your family, who is your number 1 fan?

3. How much time do you spend on your hair in a day?

4. How many hair products do you have in all right now? Want more?

5. If you had to choose, will you rather make-up or style your hair for an evening out?

6. Natural home-made hair recipes or store-bought products?

7. How many times do you conditioner wash in a week?

8. Current hair length from past hair length and how long it took you to get it?

9. If you had a daughter, would you relax her hair before she is 12 years of age?

10. What hairstyle do you wear most?

11. If changing your country could change your hair type, where would you rather be from?


The Liebster Award is awarded to new and old bloggers to help increase followers/readers, to support them and encourage them to keep on blogging and they in turn nominate other bloggers for the same award kind of like creating networks. Let’s keep this going!!




Cheers,


Star.