The plan for Summer 2012!

As mentioned in my last few posts, the plan for this summer is to have my hair out - this means I will try and maintain my relaxed hair from the end of June up until the end of September without the use of braids, weaves & excessive heat!

The main aim of this 3 month stretch is to learn to listen to my hair! I will detail everything I do each day a post short weekly regimen updates.

I'm trying to simplify my regimen as much as possible so that I don't spend hours each day on my hair, if you're interested in seeing what my regimen is & the products i'll be using then click on the My Regimen tab :)

Relaxer Update #2

On Wednesday 14th, I came back from the student college salon after having my hair washed, conditioned (with ORS Mayo) and blow dried and was in one of the WORST moods ever!

The main reason for bad mood was the fact that the hairdresser stated that my spit ends were extremely bad and that I would need to cut off 3/+ inches of hair next week when I get my relaxer. Normally I would ask them not to trim my hair but I literally cannot remember the last time I got a trim and so I've been planning to cut off some of my thin/split ends however I was not expecting here to say 3 inches.

So I went back to get a corrective relaxer yesterday (Wednesday 20th) and I ended up getting a hair cut. Before my hair was cut, I had just about made it to APL but my hair ends looked and felt damaged (dry, straw like and thin)! I would show pics but I accidentally deleted my blog pics the other day!

So you're probably wondering how much was cut off? Well lets just say I'm back to SL/CBL! I ended having around 2 or 3 inches cut off. Its still taking me a while to get used to the fact that I cut off so much but I'm getting there lol

According to the hairdressing instructor at the college my ends were in a bad state because of dark and lovely hair relaxers (she could tell I used the realxer by just feeling my ends), she also mentioned something about calcium build up to the student doing my hair (I'm guessing she was referring to calcium hydroxide) but in the end she told me to stay away from Dark and Lovely relaxers and any other L'Oreal products aimed at Afro-Caribbean Hair due to the fact that they are not properly tested on "our" hair.

Even though I received a trim, I can still tell that about 1 or 2 inches will need to be trimmed (but this time I'll take it slowly).

In terms of the corrective relaxer, it still didn't take completely and on top of that the new growth on the RHS is apparently slightly under-processed too. TBF (to be fair) I am beyond caring about getting straight results with a relaxer! As long as my hair is manageable and the two textures don't lead to severe breakage like the last time I got a relaxer then I'm fine with it! I'll post an update some time next week when I wash my hair about my not so corrective, corrective relaxer.

Now it time for the 3 month comparison pics:

      

One thing I will mention is that the pics from 3 months ago show my hair after it was wrapped, left under a dryer for 40 mins and straighten whereas yesterday, I only had my hair blow dried so my hair is not completely straight in the pics on the RHS. Also with the pics on the LHS (from 3 months ago) my hair was flicked in due to the state of my ends.

I'm going to end this post now before I continue to ramble on! But looks out for more posts now that my hair is out of braids! 

Braid-less again :)

This time, I used water mixed with the African Pride Braid Spray and the whole process took 10 hours.

Pics below:

(March 2012)

(June 2012)

I've decided to get my hair done at the nearby hairdressing & beauty college I was talking about in my Finding a new hairdresser post (mainly because funds are tight as a student). Tomorrow, I will apparently have a consultation and treatment in preparation for the relaxer which is due to happen next week. 

Also going back to the Sometimes I Miss My Hair :( which states that:

One of my future goals is to not weave/braids at all in the future. I want to be able to wear my hair out 24/7 & to use buns, French twists etc. as my protective styles. 

I've thus decided that during the summer holidays (from the Mid June to Mid-September) I will leave my hair out just to get accustomed to its needs. I will begin with a fresh relaxer and end with either braids or a weave. I haven’t had my hair out for this long in about 3 or 4 years so this will be a nice little challenge. 

I'll try and post the results of the conditioning treatment tomorrow!

Looking back at my goals 6 months on!

ITS JUNE! The month summer officially begins (in my eyes) and my birth month! YAY! 

Summer Summer Summer Time! 

So Will Smith isn't the best lyricist in the world but this song will forever remain a summer classic & so it is only right that I add this to my first Summer post.

This blog post is going to look back at the goals I made 6 months ago to see whether or not I have achieved them and to help me focus on the goals that need the most attention.  

Here is a link to my first ever blog post: 

Ok, so my first goal involved

stretching for longer than 6 weeks (yes i know SHOCKING) to every 3 months/holiday season (which means Christmas, Easter & Summer). 

My first relaxer (of my HCJ) was on December 21st 2011, the second 30th March 2012 (3 months later) & my third is due to be done between the 18th and 21st of June (so roughly 11 weeks). So by the looks of it i have been able to meet my first goal. After my relaxer at the end of June, I'm not too sure as to whether I will relax again in September (before uni starts - so 3 months later) or wait until my one year hair anniversary and relax in December.

My second goal was:

Weaving protective styles (either weave or braids) for 8 out of 12 months.

Which I have been doing!

My third goal involves:

Following my regimen to the tee! (this is a big one as until now i have never had a regimen and i'm not a fan of rules/boundaries - i like to go with the flow).

Alright so I guess have not exactly being doing BUT I plan to do during the summer as for the first time I will have my hair out for the whole duration of my three month stretch (more on that to come).

My fourth goal was:

*Perfecting a regimen that I will stick to in the future - this included finding my staple products. 

This has not happened as instead of listening to whether or not my hair likes a product, I have been following what other people say are good products (on YT/K.I.S.S/Hairlista). I feel at though ATM I have a good enough selection of products (only things missing are EVCO and a moisturising DC) and so this summer I plan on listening to my hair and letting it decide my staples. 

& Last my fifth goal added 3 months in was:

Finding a new salon/Hairdressers and not going back to my Aunt. 

My main reasons for this was due to the fact that my Aunt kept overlapping my relaxers and over-processing my hair (check out my Finding a New Hairdresser + Side Note post ). So in March for my first update I found a new hairdresser in my area but now my problem is with under-processed hair  (ironic I know) so now I'm trying to decide whether or not to stay with my new hairdresser or go on a hunt for another one.

So that's the outlook on how things are going 6 months later! Sorry for the lack of posts I've had exams/been ill.