New Protective Style: Cornrows!

I know, I know ....I said no more braids but this time, I really had to get braids. I will be away from home for a month and do not want to carry my hair troubles along so I decided to install cornrows so my wash days will be easier. Will be more like wash-and-gos...I'll just wash, put in my products and then go.

I was so glad I decided to trust this hairdresser. I went to her shop last Saturday to get cornrows. Initially we had discussed using my hair only but I decided at the last minute to add extensions as per reasons given above. We used half pack of extensions. I am just too pleased with my cornrows. Very simple, pretty and neat. Totally painless; no headaches and sleepless nights. There was no need for neatening with scissors, fire or hot water as is usually done here in the salons. Within 2 hours she was done. And believe me, we had a lot of breaks as her salon was quite busy that day. The cost of the installation was only 10ghs. That's less than 5 dollars. The extension was 5ghs a pack. 

Braids after 2 washes.

As usual, I washed my hair just as always. I have done 2 washes already. I prepooed with Coconut oil and Wonder 8 oil. I used my onion-infused Creme of Nature conditioning shampoo first and then followed with Aphogee Shampoo and Aphogee 2 min reconstructor. I then let it dry 80%, applied T444Z Hair food to my scalp and then Creme of Nature Argan oil leave in. I then moisturised with ORS Moisturiser and then sealed with a mix of Wonder 8 oil, coconut oil and gbco. I did this on both wash days.

On the other days I didn't wash, I applied a mix I made of t444z, gbco, chapter 2000, virgin hair fertilizer, coconut and peppermint oil. I've had the chapter 2000 and virgin fertilizer for a long while now and decided to just mix it up and use instead of throwing it away as I initially intended. I was expecting the "concoction"to be super hot and tingly, but to my surprise I only felt a mild tingling the first day and nothing at all consequently. I will continue using it till it's used up. I also have African Pride braid spray and I spray this on my hair in the evenings, wear my shower cap and go to bed. I have been doing the green house effect each night since Saturday. 

My braids are just 6 days old but I do feel new growth already. I will continue to use the above regimen for a month and see how it goes. I may however cut ghe down....will do it 2 days in a row and skip the 3rd day in that order. My new growth feels super soft!! 

I hope to keep writing while away ..........and I am thinking of embarking on a weight loss and skin care journey too. 

How often do you wash your hair in braids? 

Cheers,

Star.

Hairstyles of the Week

I have simply been enjoying my hair and had such a huge rush of creativity the whole week. I must say though some of the styles look a bit difficult to achieve, they were easy once I got to doing them. I used between 5 - 10 minutes to achieve these styles. I also used only wide tooth combs to comb. 

Sectioned into 3. Braided the front down, put the middle in a ponytail and sectioned into 3 and pinned then into bows.
Combed the back down, braided the very end and tied with a small ribbon to keep it from being loose.

Braided up the ponytail into a twist and just pinned it up.

Braided rope twist to keep the ends tucked in. 

Braided the hair into rope twists all round. 

Parted hair into 2 and plaited small twists in the front and held it up. 

Twisted the front by itself and pinned them up. 

Big rope twist at the side and back. 

I just love how moisturised and much healthier my ends look. What I have been doing apart from washing 2 times is to ghe with cantu sheabutter. I did this all week and my hair simply loves it!! I will continue to apply  cantu sheabutter to my ends overnight at least 3 times a week.

Updates of my hairstyles each day are given daily on my facebook page. 

Which is your favourite hairstyle?

Cheers,

Star. 

I Just Had To Texlax Again

Yes, you read right and oh my goodness!! She just broke a rule...............*wide-eyed*. Yes I did. My bad.

I was very happy on texlax day last week and a few days after...but later, I realised my hair had reverted. It just reverted more each day and by the end of the week, I was back to square one. I could hardly get a comb through and I had to spend loads of time moisturising in tiny sections to get my moisturiser and oils on my hair. No no no....I was no more going to endure the struggle for another week. My mind was made up so on Saturday evening, off I went to the hairdresser's...where I got my braids done last year exactly how I wanted it. I just remembered how she relaxed another client's hair. She applied to new growth only so I decided to trust her with my hair.

I explained before we begun that she had only 15-18 minutes from start to finish and by 18 minutes, she was done with application and smoothing. At first, I didn't want to smooth but after 12 minutes, upon inspecting the back, it seemed not to have straightened one bit so I allowed her to smooth though twice with the rat tail comb. As soon as 18 minutes were up, she washed it out and continued with the mid step protein treatment and neutralising. Leave ins were applied, rollerset and dryer and so on till I was done. I spent some time afterwards to chit chat about hair care.....you know....lol!

Simple shop, simple tools, but totally willing to learn all she could. She did my hair just the way I wanted and actually asked her apprentice to write the relaxer steps down and promised to treat her other clients the same way provided they were prepared to pay for the mid step protein product. Her relaxer service was so cheap too......5ghs.......that's just 2 dollars. I was 500% satisfied. She is a keeper. I was honestly so happy and will get my braids done at the weekend by this same hairdresser. I hope it goes well again. 

Lots of Texture. 

Results? My roots texlaxed! I still have a lot of texture. Meeeeeeeeeeeeeehn, this new growth really came in fierce and strong. That's a total plus.

Hair not bone straight. No heat regimen. 

Airdried and bunned ...2 days post relaxer. 

Next day, yesterday, I washed my hair again. I just felt like washing it again. I prepooed with coconut oil overnight. I used my neautralising shampoo, lathered twice and then deep conditioned with Vitale Mayonnaise. I followed with VO5 Moisture Milks.

I didn't do a proper length check before I relaxed but the left was a pix I took the morning of relaxer day and the right was immediately I got back from the salon. For me, the length is not of primary importance but the health of my hair ends. My ends are filling in nicely and thickly too. And I dunno where bra strap length should be but if it should be at the bottom of the bra, I still have a chance to make it to that length by December if I don't get any setbacks. 3-4 inches are all I need Lord. I intend to continue protective styling...with or without braids for as long as I can. I'm babying those ends till July when I will trim for beauty and evenness. 3-4 inches are all I need Lord.

How many inches more to reach your next goal length? 

Cheers,
Star.

Just Love Henna!

I remembered how my hair loved henna the 2 times I applied it after my relaxers and decided to do another application. I honestly think I need to henna every month or 2 because my hair really loves it and feels stronger when I henna my hair. 

I almost didn't do it as planned on Sunday because we had no water flowing in our taps for a long while due to repair works by the water company and I had little water left in storage by the weekend.

Thankfully, my hair buddy Ruby had loads of water and offered to help out so I went to her house and got a real good treat! It really felt nice to sit back and relax, and have your hair done with utmost care...........more tlc than ever imagined!! Ruby did the application from start to finish. After the application, I whiled away the time by installing some braids for Ruby's sister. I left the henna in for 4 hours.

I then washed it out with my onion infused shampoo and the followed with VO5 Moisture milks conditioner. I was mighty tired and it was past 10 pm so I didn't leave the conditioner in for more than 5 minutes and I didn't cover with a shower cap. I then T-shirt dried and then airdried the rest of the time, about 15 minutes with a standing fan after washing the henna out.

Each time I apply henna, my hair feels and looks awesome afterwards! I really should henna more often!! It's a keeper.

Have you tried henna?

Cheers,

Star.