New Protective Style: Cornrows

I got cornrows as planned last Saturday and hope to keep them in for at least 3 weeks. I want to use my heat pass at the end of July to flatiron and do a mid year length check as I have some texlaxed length. I hope to stretch till the end of July. I am currently 7 weeks post. Keeping my hair in braids has really helped me stretch this far. I deep conditioned with Vitale Mayonnaise mixed with Vatika Almond oil which I had purchased sometime back. I sat under the dryer for deeper absorption of the conditioner and I loved how my ends felt after rollersetting and hood drying. Totally frizz-free and amazing to see and touch! It took a lot of will to install the cornrows as planned.

I am still on a challenge to use up my stash before I buy new items....I definitely failed this month as I purchased some Groganics products. It had been on my wishlist for so long I just couldn't help it. I am joining a "Use up Your Stash" challenge hosted by fellow blogger Ghanaianemprezz to see if it helps keep me in check. I'm challenging myself to use up 3 products before I purchase 1 product....and even so, only if I really need. Ultimately, I hope to reduce my stash to 10 products, excluding oils by the end of the year as I have a ton of used and unused products. My sister will be back on holidays soon and I know my stash will get used up much quicker as it's her long vacation of 3 months. My littlest sister also just completed high school and intends to grow her natural hair. She has just abt 2 inches of hair now. Will send her some stuff too. I really dunno how I accumulated so many products within a year. I have really been careful not to purchase anything since last September...unless I really, really, really needed them. I will do a post on what I have now and update you on my "Use up Your Stash" progress every month.  

I will keep my cornrows the same way as I have always done. Wash and deep condition whenever I feel like and spray with my homemade mix or Groganics Liquid Scratch. I intend to use the Liquid scratch for ghe at least 3 times a week. I've been lazy with massaging my scalp with T444Z lately. I would have to get a new phone (I'm just so unlucky with fons; always cracking the screen up or sthg...lol) or repair my camera real soon as blogging is boring without having the "show and tell" pictures. 

What is the longest period you have kept a protective style in? 

Cheers,

Star.

Loc Extensions Out.....New Products!

My hair has been boredom.com hence no update for so long. I just got so bored with the loc extensions that I took them out yesterday. They had just turned 4 weeks. I was horrified in the beginning when I realised how I had to cut my hair within some of the locs because I was right about my hair being longer than some of the locs at the back. Yes, once I snipped off the burnt ends of some of the locs, I cut my ends in the process. 

By the time I was done undoing them all, I was over the initial shock and sadness. I left some of the locs in the back with the intention to show it to my hairdresser as I told her several times to make sure she braided to the end at the back as I could not see for myself. I did keep a close eye as she did the crown and front and always pointed out where I saw my hair sticking out. The front was intact...but the harm had already been done at the back. I decided not to bother anyway as my back grows faster than my front. 

One thing I noticed was how easily my hair detangled this time. I was very consistent with spraying with Hawaiian silky, oil and water mix everyday and night. My hair felt super moisturised and silky. Totally frizz-free. Most of the knots detangled easily ....so i didnt have to use water, conditioner and oil. For the tough knots, I decided to try Hawaiian silky as a detangler and mercy me!! Why on earth hadn't I tried that before? It was completely amazing to see and feel how easily the knots came out. No stress, no long hours, no water dripping down my back.....less than an hour for detangling. Woooooooooooooow!! Hawaiian Silky for me is a winner!

I washed my hair with same products and technique as my last wash day except i didn't do a black tea rinse.....but I blowdried on warm setting because I did my wash late and I was too tired to airdry. I have no picture updates now as I broke my fon screen completely on Saturday, and I still haven't fixed my camera. Kindly bear with me in the meantime. 

I just started using the Groganics DHT Blocker system to help with my shedding. I am currently taking their 2 a day hair vitamins; but I take 1 a day. I also used the Liquid Scratch for my braids in the last week before I removed them. Will do a post soon about the products in the whole range I bought. I started inverting yesterday and will continue for 7 days...hopefully. I intend to get cornrows with my own hair at the weekend. 

What are your thoughts about the Groganics DHT Blocker System? 

Cheers,

Star.

Hair Update: 4 Weeks Post

Surprised? Time really flies! 

I am 4 weeks post now and just trying hard to forget about my hair. I've had these loc extensions for 2 weeks but I am mighty bored already. I was hoping I could keep these in for at least 6 weeks but I'm not too sure now. 

I'm trying my best to keep my hair moisturised with the ghe method and I spray with my moisturising mix everyday. I have washed my extensions thrice so far and will wash again tomorrow. I had wanted to wash every 2 weeks but I find that my scalp begins to itch about 4 days after I have washed.

After a long break, I'm back on multivitamin tablets. I wanted to buy Pregnacare but my pharmacist recommended Prowoman instead as I weaned my son. I will take it religiously and see how it helps with my shedding. I'm not particularly fond of pills except when pregnant or breastfeeding but the last thing I want is to lose my hair to a point where I have to cut it all off. If these pills would help until my post-partum shedding stops, I would be too happy!

Cheers,

Star.

New Protective Style: Loc Extensions

I just figured my post-partum shedding woes may no end so soon so the best thing to do was to keep my hair  in a long term protective style; hidden away from my ever-manipulating hands. I decided to get yarn locs.

Once at the salon, the thread was cut and parted ready for installation. At the last minute, I changed my mind and asked if any other extension could be used for the locs apart from the yarn. You should have seen how my face lighted up when she said "Yes". I remembered how I had 3 consecutive sleepless nights the first time I tried the yarn locs and just didn't want that again. So, I agreed to pay for the yarn because it had been shred already. That cost 6ghs but I didnt mind because she installed yarn braids for my daughter when I had to travel and upon undoing it, I realised my daughter didn't lose much hair. So, this hairdresser is really for keeps. Double-packed. Now she can install long term braids for my daughter too which would really help me as hair wash days are marathons. My daughter is 3 years old now. She loves it when I wash her hair, but getting it in plaits is a different story. I only work with her hair wet and after deep conditioning. It is super soft always but she just likes it when I have to chase her around to get her hair done.  My weekends are very busy now. Besides, Lucy....my hairdresser told me she was such a good girl. I believe because my daughter kept asking when I got her braids undone if we were going to the salon....lol!

2 pack of Darling mesh (as we call it ) were used to install my locs. I simply looooooooooooooved it!! Painless, simple, beautiful, so much accessibility to my scalp. I got home rather late, after 10 pm as she did the installation alone. She had apprentices but they were yet to master the skill so she just let them watch. It took about 8 hours from start to finish. My hair is pretty long and the method used it threading. The locs were pretty long, but as she completed one loc in the front, I was quick to notice my hair was longer than the place where she ended it. She had to unravel a few and thread it a few inches more. 

I am hopeful that most of my hair was all threaded up because the ends were burnt so if I had hair beyond her knots, they are dead news now. Well, I do have a big trim to do in July so I'm not too bothered. I don't like the thin ends too much though it is hardly noticeable as I don't wear my hair down. This style cost 11ghs for the Darling, 30ghs for the service...41ghs (15usd) in all . I really hope to keep this in for at least 6 weeks. 

How do you keep your braids in for more than 4 weeks? I just get bored after 3 weeks. Help!

Cheers,

Star!

I Relaxed at 6 Weeks Post

Oh my bad.....I didn't update you on that but I was just shuffling to and fro between states in 9ja so I had little time to write. I got back to Ghana yesterday. I got really frustrated with my new growth, and especially my texlaxed middle...I simply had to relax. So, I woke up on Saturday and decided I had had enough. I was just 6 weeks post but my hair was breaking seriously. It was really heart-breaking. No more!

I asked a few friends in Akure to recommend a good hairdresser and I was really glad about the lady I was referred to. I decided to chit-chat a bit first to see if she would do as I pleased with my hair, and she passed! She was totally supportive and understood how important it was to handle the hair with care. 

So, she convinced me enough and I sat in the chair. She was awesome!! The way she parted and combed my hair, from tips to roots, ever carefully. She recommended a relaxer called "Relax" when I showed her the parts I had relaxed previously. She assured me it was gentle but good for coarse hair. I was really impressed when she even showed me how little the hair in the comb was. I got totally comfortable and just relaxed as she applied the relaxer, to new growth only after applying conditioner to the relaxed parts. She used little relaxer per section and didn't smooth with a comb. Only with her fingers. Even after 15 mins, I wasn't sure the relaxer will take so I asked her to smooth with a comb but she refused politely because she said it was one cause of breakage. You should have seen my broad smile!! "I'm taking you to Ghana"!! Finally, I got one good hair day which compensated for all the bad hair days I had during my stay in 9ja. 

After 20 minutes, she washed out and neutralised, shampooed and then conditioned the hair. I had deep conditioned my hair the night before so I didn't feel too bad about missing the mid step protein treatment as she didn't have a protein treatment in her shop. 

Overall, I was very happy with my results. I still have a lil texture but it is very little for now so I will wait a week to see if my hair will revert again or not. I am on a braid out styling regimen since I relaxed on Saturday so I haven't combed my hair since then but I don't see hair all over the floor when I m&s like before. I will wash and deep condition tomorrow as I have the rest of the week as holidays. I will do a henna treatment at the weekend and hope to just enjoy my hair a little while for now. I have lost my edges a bit so I will probably just do braidouts and wear wigs for the next few weeks and see how it goes. I will massage my edges with T444Z everyday from today because I need to regrow them very fast.

Being back home is really great...there really is no place like home. I just can't wait to start using all the hair goodies I couldn't carry along with me. My hair is gonna be sooooooooooooooooo happy again!!

Do you get so frustrated during your relaxer stretches and just give up sometimes? 

Cheers,

Star.

This Joyful Easter-tide!!

Christ in you, your hope of Glory!!

I believe in the Ressurrection and the Life. There is nothing too difficult for our Mighty God! Why worry and carry heavy burdens, my friend? Life is tough, indeed...but Christ gives us the opportunity each day to cast our burdens onto Him. That is the Reason for this Season. Lay all your crosses before the Cross because Christ could not have died in vain. He died that you and I may have life and live it to the full!!

Oh, arise my soul and praise the Lord. Choose to live in love, faith and hope, for that will give you great joy and happiness beyond human understanding. This world is but a journey! May every dead situation in our lives rise again to the glory of God and may our souls strive for the Kingdom of Heaven where there is Eternal Love, Joy and Happiness!! That is where our lives will really begin. Let us keep our eyes fixed on the Cross that we might in the end receive our Crowns of Glory!!

I believe in the Risen Lord Jesus and claim all His promises!! Type AMEN if you believe, and don't forget to spread the Good News by sharing this post with all your friends and family.

Happy Easter!!

Cheers,

Star.

I Just Had Another Major Setback!

Bought new products!

I'm glad for all your support with the cornrows but I got a little frustrated with having to redo the individual braids because they kept falling out in twos. I just decided I had enough this morning and I took them out. I then marched to find a salon to get my hair washed. I am now asking myself, "Why the hell didn't you wash yourself"? Beats me , really. I have no clue why I went to the salon. I just remember picking my products, walking out of the gate and sitting in the chair of the nearest salon I could find. Maybe I was just got tired of bed resting and wanted an excuse to go out. I had a flu recently and had to bed rest.

Now the salon:

From the outside, it looked cool. I met the hairdresser braiding outside and told her I wanted to wash. She then asked me to go in. Well, I wasn't too pleased with how it looked inside but I had walked quite a distance and just collapsed into the chair. I began applying Emily Millionaire coconut oil to my hair when she came in. I asked her for a shower cap to cover it. She told me I would need a shower cap to steam only after washing but I told her I preferred to do it before as I had to wait anyway . She didn't look too pleased as she handed me the shower cap and went out to continue the braids.

Poor dolls!

When she was done, she invited me to the wash area and I handed her my products. I honestly don't know why she rolled her eyes at me again this time but I said nothing. Then once done, she wanted to ruffle it dry but I told her to wrap my hair in the towel instead. Now she was pretty mad. I ignored her and went to sit in the styling chair. I took the towel off and then she started combing my damp hair. I kept moving my head and told her to be very gentle else my hair would break off as I never comb my damp hair. She said sorry and continued. When she picked the tail comb to set, I wasn't too sure I wanted her using that comb for me, considering she wasn't gentle with the big one so I opted for blowdrying. Big mistake.

Lost too much hair.

She picked the dryer and turned the heat on without applying anything. I asked if she doesn't have any product for blowdrying, she said she had shea butter but uses it afterwards. I told her I'd apply some of the Emily Millionaire as it wasn't cool to blowdry without any barrier to the hair. Now, she was clearly mad and I should have left. Too bad I didn't because when I got home and let my hair down, I was totally shocked at how much hair I had lost, but just angry with myself for sitting through it when I could have left. Especially after noticing how bald her dolls were (to the point of even taking pixs as though I was gonna compare with my hair afterwards); and seeing all the hair in the big comb she used, what else could I expect?!!

When she was done, she charged 1000 Naira, clearly outrageous. I asked her to reduce her price but she just kept saying that was the charge. I guess she noticed my accent and wanted to have a field day. I was so down and not in the mood for her games. I just told her I'd pay 700 Naira.....she talked a whole lot more, took the money, gave me change and I left. This does it for me. I should have known better really but I just thought it would be rude to leave considering she was fuming already. Thanks to my whatsapp "hairmily" for cheering me up......It will all grow back, I believe. Could have been worse!! Just look at those poor dolls!

DIY till I get back home.

Anyone had a worse experience than this? What would you have done differently?

Cheers,

Star.