Not a Word :)

She said not one word about my hair :) Yes! So, I didn't go with my original plan, but I tried something new...kind of. I wore my hair like this to work on Wednesday, but it was higher up and I didn't really like it. Yesterday, I got it exactly where I wanted it and was pretty surprised that the front was long enough to stay in the band. I like, but I know I'd have a headache if I wore my hair like this every day with that darn ouchless band, doubled.

Thanksgiving

After that last comment from Grandma, I'm really tempted to go to her house with a straight up fro tomorrow. But since I never wear those and don't know how to style it, I may just do a no product day. I could do some big braids and a braid out tomorrow, but I think the compacted look of a shrunken fro is a better statement. Definitely no products, maybe leave in a little conditioner. I'm thinking about parting it in the middle and doing afro puffs with the front halves. I'm preparing my speech as I type.

My 90 Year Old Grandmother...told me...

...that my hair looks terrible. Then she added, "But I guess that's the style." Her initial question was, "Why are you wearing your hair like that?" I decided to keep my response simple, "Because I like it like this." That's when she said, "Well, it looks terrible..."

I mean, dag! I don't suppose she's really been feelin' it since it grew out of it's twa anyway. I was speechless. I declare I don't know why people...particularly family...feel it's okay to be rude! It blows me. My cousin said she made another comment about my hair when I wasn't at the table. I mean, this is how my hair grows out of my head...yours would look the same if you didn't put chemicals in it. Why is there a question about why I choose not to put caustic chemicals on my scalp and hair? Geez. I may go ahead and prep a little lesson for the next time she comes out her mouth with something like that. I'll just try to make it concise without going into the whole slave mentality thing. I usually try not to say much about my decision, because I know it can offend those who chose to use the chemicals, but this rudeness has got to stop.

Acceptance

I was perusing hair albums the other day and saw a girl with hair that somewhat resembled mine. Her curls appear a little looser and her hair is probably finer, but her twists behaved exactly like mine except I thought hers looked beautiful. And I think mine look like crap. So it got me thinking that I probably need to stop with these attempts to stretch out my hair because it never works and only frustrates me.

So I was trying another hair experiment...brushing the front and wearing a scarf for 30 minutes to see what it would do. The last time I did this my hair was a lot shorter and the front of my hair was damn near straight. So anyway, I removed the scarf and proceeded to put on my ouchless band like I normally do and it slid right on back and formed a pony puff. I didn't think it looked cute at all with my big face and forehead, but I wore it that way for the remainder of the day.

That evening, I said...well, the front is stretched from wearing the puff and it's always my most challenging area to style anyway so I began twisting. I finally finished after more than 2 hours, I think and I'm going to try to stick with it for as long as I can. My goal is 7 days; if I can exceed that, I'm in business. I figure if some of them start looking crazy, I'll just redo the individual twists instead of untwisting my whole head. We'll see...

Another failed experiment...

So I tried the banding thing, which was fine to dry the hair and stretch it some, not much. But my twists were just as crooked as they could be and looked worse than twists done on wet hair. I've spent all day on NP and just can't wait until this hair grows. I ended up wetting it, because I planned on going to run some errands...which I didn't do because I've been on NP all day. So anyway...just trying to wait patiently and it's extremely difficult. I want a new style, but can't seem to have much success. I saw some flat twists that I like, so I should probably practice those, but I haven't...maybe I'll do that next weekend.

Cool Videos

There was a post on NP with these links:

Hair Wars I
Hair Wars II

It's growing! I've reached 5"

I should definitely have 6 by January. I was reading about banding today and I think I'll try that when it gets longer so I can stretch it out safely to try twists on dry/damp hair.

I have more pictures in my fotki album.

Shrinkage is something else...I have waaaay more than 50% on this head. More like 75-80%.

Trying to get unfrustrated

Okay, so I've determined/discovered that the shrunken fro is a protective style. I really love the way my hair feels without product, which is how I wore it today. It's much more fuzzy and soft this way...no curl definition over here. I really don't feel like spending the time doing coils. I mean, that's one of the benefits of having natural hair...not spending hours styling it. I think when it gets longer, I should be able to do twists in 2 hours or less. I was looking at this woman's album today and almost puked at her growth. It's been close to 2 years for her though, so if I treat my hair right, then hopefully I can have almost as much success.

It's really hard not to think about the growth and maybe if I stayed focused on the health, I would have more growth...anyway...these are the rules from here on out...

1. No heat
2. Deep conditioning at least once a month
3. No over manipulation...gonna try to just do wash and go

I'll keep ya posted on my progress. I'm at 4" and my goal is 5.5" by the end of January. I do not think my hair grows the full .5" per month, so I'm estimating a little lower. Hopefully, by summertime...July...I'll have at least 7.5" and maybe by December 07 I'll have close to my starting length of 10". That would make my estimate of 2 years to grow my hair back pretty accurate.

Stay Away from the Heat

Tired of crappy looking twists

I mean...they look like coils and have all of this space in between. I am so not feeling them. Not to mention they all flattened while I slept and so it looked 10 times worse this morning. I'm seriously contemplating trying a rollerset this evening. I hope I can find the blowdryer to sit under. I don't think I got rid of it. I'm going to have to sit for a while because I know it will not air dry completely overnight. I totally prefer to twist/handle my hair while it's wet because it is sooo much more manageable, but these things look like crap. Hopefully the rollerset will be better...

Naked Hair

I just conditioner washed my hair and didn't put anything in it. I love my naked hair...it's so soft. I'm so obsessed with length that it isn't funny. I'm hoping to get my 2 inches back by January. I have terrible hair envy of other girls on NP. Most of them have been natural for 3 years, so I guess I may have a way to go...which sucks big time. I'm hoping by the end of next year I'll at least be content and be able to retain whatever length I gain.

Still Sad...

I'm still sad about losing those 2 inches. It took soooo long to grow it. That will teach me to stay away from the heat. It's really weird how when I was younger I got my hair blowdried and pressed every 2 weeks and never suffered damage. It was long and seemingly healthy. I don't ever remember crispy ends. I suppose our hair does change as we get older. I suppose it's a little more fragile now...which sucks!!!

I've been on NP more lately, trying to get inspired. It saddens me to see everyone else's thick locks growing and I'm starting over...kind of. I know others have chopped more than once for the same reason, so I'm not the first to learn the lesson the hard way. Good news is hair grows...

Tried Something New...to Fight Depression

So, I was feeling pretty bad looking at my boring fro and decided to do finger coils. I had tried a few before and want' thrilled. Now I can't say that I am now, but at least it's a protective style that should last for the better part of the week. I couldn't figure out how to ge the ones in the front to go towards the back instead of the sides. I tried but they went their own way. I'm sure they'll be smushed in the morning, but hopefully during the course of the day they will be normal again.

Depression...lost hair

It has taken me months to grow my hair and I just had an additional .5 inches cut. I feel like I'm not quite back at square 1, but closer to square 2. It doesn't shake anymore...I'm just sad. It looks like I've been left with 4 inches and I was pretty darn near 6...I want to cry but I know it won't make my hair grow back. I don't know if it was the blowdrying I'd done in the past few months or if it was already like this. I guess I'll just stay away from the heat, except to prepare for my bi-monthly trim. I really liked my twists and now I have to wait several months before I even have enough hair for them to hang like they had begun to. I don't feel like doing anything. Every time I look in the mirror I'm saddened. I've never seen my ends in such bad shape and wish I knew exactly what I did to cause such damage. For now, I'll just go back to my boring wash and go...and wait...and try not to obsess about my hair growth...

Trim

Oh my goodness! My ends were a knotty mess. I thought it was just my hair, but I realized my ends were in desperate need of a trim while I was straightening it for my AM trim this morning. I went ahead and trimmed most of it off. I refused to walk in there with my ends looking like that. She'll probably take off a little more to even it up, but my goodness. Not good...not good at all. I know I cut at least 1 inch. It's hard to tell when it's all crispy like that, but it was at least 1 inch. I'm going to have to go every 2 months for a trim like I used to. They weren't that bad when I straightened it before earlier in the year. I'm trying to decide if I should do wet twists or what. Most likely, it's the result of my hair being out so much, but I did blowdry it twice and that probably didn't help. I'm not sure, but I definitely have to join a protective hair challenge and I'm going to stay away from the heat just in case. I really liked my twists better stretched out, but I'm going to have to use other means and take more time to do it if that's what I want.

I hate walking out of the house with my hair like this, but I'm not nearly as vain as I used to be so I'm going to suck it up. I gave away all of my hats because I knew they wouldn't fit on my fro...dag I wish I kept at least 1...My nappiversary is about 1 week away and I'm going to have do better for the next year.

Look at my year's worth of growth!

Big Twist Out

Oooowee! This is what it looked like when I woke up this morning...fluffed right on up! LOL

New Twists---week 1

I started over this week and ended up pulling the front back. It looks much better this way.
They may have shrunk a little during the week, but they are much better than they were when I twisted it wet. I hate applying the heat, but I may have to do it until I can adequately stretch it and keep it untangled without it. Please excuse my greasy forehead LOL. I'm going to see if I can get this to last for at least 2 weeks. They look fine to me now. I don't plan on rinsing them or anything. That just seems unnecessary. They feel soft and I put so much moisturizer on them when I twisted it that I can't imagine it will get dry anytime soon. The twist out from the blowdried twists was fluffy and soft. Not much definition, but that was cool with me. It was a mess to detangle though.

Going to try again

These twists are shriveling up LOL...Virginia humidity. I think I'm going to redo them tonight. I am still deciding. I don't really feel like it, but it would probably make more sense than doing it while I'm out of town.

It's going to be 1 year in 22 days! I can't believe it. I need to a comparison shot after I wash my hair to put beside the baldie shot! LOL. I think I'll be pretty pleased with the growth in the next year if I get at least as much as I got last year.

I need to schedule a professional trim some time next month.

I think I like these

I'm posting these pictures to my blog, because I ran out of space on Fotki.com.

I think I like these twists. I only received 2 compliments, but that's okay...
I blew my hair out some before twisting this time and they came out a lot better.

Random Thoughts

It's growing and taking on a life of its own. I measured a solid 4 on top this morning. And although I love it, I'm getting a little bored. I need to get serious about figuring out this scarf thing. That might give me some options that I'm looking for. A few weeks ago a colleague asked me how I comb it...uuuh, I don't. I run my fingers through it (somewhat) in the shower. Combing is so overrated for natural hair. Then another colleague said it would loc and I'm like...no, it won't. I rinse it every day. Yeh, I don't suppose some people couldn't grasp it if they wanted to. I'm going to try flat twists soon and try the twistout again with the headband. That first experiment didn't go to well, but it's worth a try.

I got a funny look from a family member yesterday. I'll see Grandma on Sunday and I'm sure she'll do the same. It bothers me some, but they'll get used to it...I guess. The truth of the matter is the look changes as my hair grows. I think, as I previously determined, that people accept the short natural look more readily. It's so much more common. I just read an article about people's reactions to this congress woman's natural hair. People just don't know how to take it. A friend of mine said that he took up for me when his friend questioned my hair. That was nice of him. I appreciate it, but I guess I shouldn't let it bother me because that's just the way it's going to be. He understands that I'm going through a process of letting it grow and eventually, I'll do some different things with it. [Gosh, I should be at work] Everyone is in love with the long flowing locks, but I just don't buy into that standard of beauty. My hair is healthier in its natural state and I know it loves me for my choice, no matter how difficult it was and will continue to be. It's a little lonely, but It's a very personal decision. I'm looking forward to pulling it back in a puff when it gets longer...so lazy. I mean, I don't do anything now but wash and go. I'm going to make an appointment for May or June, before the end of the week, to get my ends professionally trimmed. I'm not excited about the prospect of getting it straightened, but it may be a necessary evil to get a good trim. I'm hoping she can style it too and I'm really hoping that I'll like it since I know I'm going to pay a grip for it.

6 Month Nappiversary!

It really doesn't seem like it's been that long. I am totally not impressed with the growth if it's been that long. It's approaching 3.5/4 inches, but I just knew I'd have a solid 4.5 by now. Oh well, I guess there's no need to sweat it.

I just saw Madea's Family Reunion and this girl's hair was beautiful. Her twists were off the hook!

New Style

I've been sporting a few headbands. I like them; I think it creates a more feminine look. When I looked at my pictures, my edges looked pretty thin and that bothers me a little. Maybe that hair is just thinner anyway? I don't comb or brush it. I brushed it the first time I did the puff thing, but it didn't seem like a good idea to stress my edges to make them lie down. I don't mind the waves and curls that escape the band. Hopefully in a year they will thicken. I am really looking forward to gaining a few more inches so that I can venture into scarves. I just think that they will look better with taller hair :)

I Trimmed it Myself

I had really been going back and forth about making an appointment for a trim. I didn't want to sit in a salon and I was afraid of the heat. I didn't think a barber would be better, because he's not used to working with longer natural hair. When I went the first time, he encouraged me to keep it short. So anyway, a lot of people on NP had been trimming their hair themselves and I decided to give it a go. I figured, I couldn't make too much of a mess and I don't wear it blown out anyway. So, if I didn't get it perfect no one would know.

I went to Sally's and bought a cheap pair of shears...$10. They can get pretty expensive, but I'm not a pro, I don't intend to do this often and I'm not rich. I contemplated trying to cut it wet, but I knew I wouldn't be able to see clearly, so I blew it out. Of course after reading all of the horror stories, I was nervous, but I blew my hair dry for 15 years before I permed it so I decided not to freak. I even increased the heat so that all sections would be equally stretched. I could definitely tell that the ends needed to go. I sectioned it off and began snipping away. I probably cut 1/4 of an inch and I think I did a pretty good job. I like the blow out with the headband better than the straight fro.

It's Definitely Growing

I need to remember to take pictures from the same angles so that the growth is evident. My napps on the sides and in the front are tighter than those in the top and the back of my head...fascinating, I tell ya. I think both of these pictures were taken after I washed it.

I checked out my fro in a 3-way mirror in a dressing room today. It definitely looks chunky. I get so inspired when I see other people's hair albums. I'm thinking about getting a trim some time this month. I'm not sure if I want to go to the barber or the salon. If I decide to go to the barber, the following conditions apply: 1) No edging up, 2) Keep it as close to even all over as possible. I'll keep thinking about it. I'd love to get it trimmed without heat, but I don't trust myself to do it. The barber may be the best bet, because he used low-medium heat.