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.

Asian Suggests Hairstyle

I went to pick up my dry cleaning today. The owner, I presume, says he likes my hair and proceeds to describe it as a NY style. Then he goes further and draws me a picture of this style he thinks I should try with curls coming down in the front and something else that I couldn't quite understand. Interesting. I just smiled and nodded. Wow.

I bought the famous Denman Brush - the D3 model. I'm trying an experiment tonight. I read it on NP - blowout without heat. Although, I'm not sure what I hope to achieve, I figured I'd try it and see what it looks like. I wet the front and top a little, brushed it with the Denman and tied a scarf around it. Okay...I just took a peak and the first inch or so of my edges is straight. What in the world? I don't know what I have on my head. I mean, I know it's hair, but it never ceases to amaze me. I'll have to check it out in the morning. I can't wait until it's longer and I can wear a ribbon as a headband and it will be long enough to stick up high and have true dimension.

Pressing

Found this on NP. It's taken from another source. The author is responding to a question about damage:

However, as you witnessed, this process is not without risks, especially on fine, fragile hair like yours. Pressing combs typically have a temperature range of 350F to 500F, which is intense heat when you consider that water boils at 212F! The more resistant your hair is to being straightened (as is true for most African-American hair), the more heat (and tension) is needed to achieve results. What can happen when the pressing comb comes in contact with the hair, especially if you leave it in one place for too long, is that the water inside the hair shaft literally boils, which causes the hair to break or rupture in that area, resulting in patches of frayed, broken strands. It also burns away the hair shaft's protective cuticle layer, exposing the fragile cortex (the inner portion of the hair strand) and making it more vulnerable to damage. And this type of repeated damage to hair adds up quickly.

Oyin Update

I really wasn't impressed with the products, but I luuuuvved their smell. Mmmmm!!! The mango butter has been most moisturizing. I've recently been adding olive oil and aloe vera gel (the same one I use on my face) to the mango butter.

Random Thoughts

I went to the library today and the librarian, a really nice white lady, said, "I like your hair. I wish I could wear that style." I said, "Thank you," and proceeded to my car thinking...If you hair was tightly curled/coiled, I could bet you lots of money that you would not like it. Interesting, I thought, quite interesting.

I went to a Christmas party last night and saw some people who I haven't seen since by BC. They were surprised and I received the same positive feedback that I've continued to receive...thank goodness. I'm so afraid that the moment someone says something ignorant about my hair, I will show my black azz. At any rate, I am still quite curious about people's reactions to my hair in a year.

It's actually growing quite nicely. I have 3 inches in some spots. I think my fro has a chunky look. I think I'll just have to accept the level of chunkiness I get from a wash and go. I love Bai's chunky fro the best, but texture plays a role and the diversity of the texture from head to head and even on one head is so amazing. It's all beautiful, versitile and eye-catching.

A girlfriend of mine remarked that she didn't want to sweat out her press and curl. I declare I cannot adequately express the joy that I feel because I have freed myself from that existence. Whoo!

I just read a really good thread on NP about heat. It discussed it from a scientific point of view and was really informative.

I had someone say that they couldn't even remember what I look like with long, straight hair...Good, cause you'll never see that again :) I'm still really excited about my growth. I need to do a deep conditioning treatment tomorrow. I'm going to visit my daddy later this week for about 1 week. I'm going to start packing tomorrow, so I don't forget anything. I must have all of my hair products - shampoo, conditioner (regular and deep), mango butter. I can't forget my olive oil and aloe vera gel for my skin either.

Another Experiment

I ended up using all of the Oyin products by 3:00 p.m. today. Not the plan. They all smell wonderful. I don't think the Shine and Define or Greg's Juice provided enough moisture for me. I added the Whipped Pudding after the fact, then spritzed my hair with water...then I got this idea to twist it. So, I flat twisted the front and did individual twists in the back. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if the twist-out looks like anything. It was pretty easy to twist it wet, which is what I thought. I think it will look pretty good when it's longer. I hope to have plump twists.

My Oyin Arrived!

Woo hoo!!! I'm deep conditioning this morning with the Honey Hemp Conditioner with Aloe and Silk. It smells sooooo good. Everything smells really good. I want to try one product at a time so I can get a good idea about how my hair likes them. The Whipped Pudding is first. I'll be back to report my findings.

A Cautionary Tale (not mine)

In the 'heat' (pun intended) of all these burning the hair straight/blow-drying threads popping up, thought I'd add my own cautionary tale.

I am pretty new to this site and before I found Nappturality, I had this mindset that my natural coarse hair had to be tamed into submission with blow-drying, but not burning the hair straight, oh no, because that would damage my hair and I didn't want that...

So every week, or every time I took down my extensions, I'd heat up that blow-dryer to the *hell* setting, saturate my hair with moisturiser and fry my hair, of course, it would be just a teeny-tiny bit brittle but that didn't matter because I was going to protect it under those extensions. HELLO - THE DAMAGE HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE!

So, if you want to blow-dry your hair regularly, remember what will happen:

1. You will LOSE YOUR NAPS

Yes you read that correctly, you will L O S E them! Now, I used to think I didn't have naps, that I just had course afro hair that was a bit wiry on a bad day. Then I found NP and decided to give up the heat and learn to be kind to my hair result, softer, coilier hair. Granted, I'm a 4-a but there is a bit of a kink in there. But I digress.

About a week ago, I was looking in the mirror with my hair all combed out and I notices that while the roots were nice and healthy, the ends were limp and wiry. Then it dawned on me: it was heat damage. This made even more sense because I had a couple of patches in the middle with short stubby hair and some limp bits hanging out - and I know I hadn't taken scissors to any patches in my hair. Now I realised the truth, I'd been too blow-dryer-happy on my hair.

2. Your hair will break and split

In addition to the limp ends, I had the most a atrocious breaking, with split ends going all the way up the shaft. Some split ends had splits; some splits even began right in the middle of the hair shaft! So when I pulled out a clump of hair to gauge the length of the healthy hair, I had nearly two inches of breaking splitting ends!

So much for protecting the hair while blow-drying! I thought if I put enough moisture on my hair it would protect it. Think about it: when you put oil on food and apply heat to that food, does the oil protect the food? No, the oil helps it to fry!

3. You will lose length

It's no biggie if you're not going for length but I was. The hair on my longest side was reaching then end of my neck, now with all the trimming and levelling a rocking and almost gown-out TWA. So much for getting a BAA by the end of the year! Still you live and learn, and I'm glad I learnt my lesson sooner rather than later. So please remember, blow-drying can be just as damaging as burning the hair straight and the damage can be irreparable, so look after your God-given naps.