The Struggle Part II: Trail & Error

This year has been full of trail & errors while trying different techniques/methods as well as products. My goal has always been healthy hair because I believe with health comes length thus length retention. 

Here are some things I've tried in 2013:

LCO Method vs. LOC Method - I have always used the LCO Method but decided to try the LOC Method for a couple of months.  The LOC Method is okay but LCO works best for us and quite frankly makes more sense to me. Her hair definitely stays more moisturized using this method.

Exclusively Finger Detangling - I know finger detangling is a healthy practice but this method ALONE is just not enough for my daughters' Type 4 hair.  I found that I actually had more knots and tangles b/c her hair wasn't being thoroughly detangled.  Finger detangling is incorporated into her regimen just not exclusively.

Hair Tools - Simply Put.  Away with seamed combs, I am loving the seamless combs by Hercules Sagemann (using since April 2013) which prove to be way more beneficial to the hair in preventing breakage and snagging.  (More to come on a later post)

Re-Visiting Sulfates - Bad Idea!!  Was the hair clean? Absolutely, but after consistent use, her hair became even more tangled and drier!!!  Not good for Type 4 hair...so I'm ditching the sulfates FOREVER!

Products/Ingredients - It is really important to find which ingredients your hair likes and dislikes.  While trying the many many products I mentioned HERE, I've learned what BG "S" hair dislikes which helps when making new purchases.  Being aware of allergens your child have is also important.  Still narrowing down my HG's but we're getting there and I'm in a good place...

Staying Away From Protein Completely - Since learning my daughter's hair is sensitive to certain proteins I made the mistake of eliminating it completely from her regimen with the exception of the natural light protein like the Greek Yogurt DC (which I LOVE BTW).  But I learned I just had to find the RIGHT Protein.  I gave her a protein treatment using the Curl Junkie Repair Me! and OMG, although it made her hair feel stronger it also brought her hair back to life and it was soft!  So I had to remind myself that our hair is made of protein, so I will be more consistent with monthly protein treatments to keep that necessary moisture/protein balance.

Deep Conditioning (Before or After Shampooing) - For those who have been following for a while, you know my preference have always been to DC before shampooing which has worked fine.  But I decided to switch it up a bit and try DC after shampooing.  Well...needless to say the biggest difference for me was the extra conditioning/protection her hair got before shampooing which allowed her hair to stay more moisturized during shampooing and detangling which I like to do before washing. But I would detangle during DC'ing after shampooing which seemed more difficult (this is because I completely omitted detangling as my very first step).  So I'm still trying to determine which method is best for us after using all steps.

Trimming/Dusting - I am very comfortable with the scissors, lol.  I have trimmed and dusted BG "S" hair on several occasions with no regrets.  This really helps with the health of her hair and keeping SSK to a minimum.  I'll continue dusting/trimming when necessary as this aids in the growth retention process but I definitely want to cut back a bit.

Remember to stay positive and keep pressing forward, this journey is really all about learning what works for you and your hair...

What have you tried in 2013? And what if anything will you do differently in 2014 with your hair?

Kids N Curls Event in Maryland

Just sharing:

For additional info, click HERE

The Struggle: Hair Products

The past couple of months have been a struggle to find the "perfect" product combo or products at all for that matter.  My youngest daughter is only three and I have been thru a ton of products.  Throughout this process I have learned what her hair likes and dislikes!!! #atruejourney

A little background:  BG "M" hair can use most if not all and any products.  BG "S" hair on the other hand is protein and panthenol sensitive and acts funny with glycerine and MOST products have these ingredients.

To get an idea, here is a list of the brands I have purchased with my own money and tried.  The number beside the product line indicates how many products I have tried from that line.

Terressentials (1), JessiCurl (1), As I Am (2), Blended Beauty (5), Shea Moisture (14), Original Moxie (2), Alikay Naturals (3), Eden BodyWorks (4), HoneyChile Hair Love (2), Qhemet Biologics (7), B.A.S.K (2), Ynobe (5), Carol's Daughter (7), Darcy's Botanicals (6), Curls (3), Oyin (4), 4Naturals (1), Luv Naturals (3), Entwine Couture (3), Obia (4), Camille Naturals (2), Noire Naturals (3), Curly Q (3), Kinky Curly (3), Trader Joes (2), All Things Natural (3), KeraCare (2), Beautiful Textures (2), Taliah Waajid (2), Karen Body Beautiful (3), Herbal Essence (2), Uncle Funky's (1), Jane Carter (3), Koils by Nature (1), Reve Essentials (1), Giovanni (3), TresSemme (1), Bee Mine (1), Aubrey Organics (2), Eco Styler (2), Cara B (3), Dr. Miracles (1), Nothing But (1), Curl Junkie (3), MyHoney Child (1), JessiCurl (1) and more...

Here are a few pictures of just some of the products I have purchased...

So as you can see, I have a lot of product reviews to do, lol. I won't be doing reviews on some products because some products just didn't work, not any fault of the product but because they contained ingredients that her hair just didn't agree with, so in all fairness I won't post on them.  However, if you have a question about a product feel free to ask ;)

And just in case you're wondering, any products we disliked or couldn't find a permanent place for in our regimen we sold!!!

Stay Tuned...Product Reviews on the way and our newest staple products!

Back to the Basics: Keeping It Simple

Boy, what a journey!  I decided to begin this month on a "new" healthy hair journey with BG "S".  Why?  Well, it has been about 5 months since removing her locs.  Since then I have done trims/dustings throughout those months (altogether it can be classified as a mini-chop, lol).  I am finally at a place where I can wash and detangle her hair without having a matted mess on my hands and getting completely frustrated.  I also finally got rid of those nuisance ssk's and there were A LOT!  We have also tried tons of new products and have had our share of ups and downs with ingredients, so I pretty much know what works and what doesn't work for her hair.  She will also be 3 this month!!!

This brings us to the basics of keeping it simple!  I found myself getting off our regular hair regimen a little bit just to experiment but it wasn't yielding the results I wanted or had in the past.  I veered off trying new things and following the masses such a finger detangling and other methods of sealing, etc but I am back on course with following our regular hair regimen! Her hair flourishes with our regimen.  I love my Grapeseed Oil and will continue to us it during daily moisturizing but I will be going back to sealing with my shea butter mix on wash day (I have altered the recipe a bit to avoid refrigeration).

The only thing left for me to try is the Chicoro Leave-In and if that doesn't work I will be sticking to my faithful Kimmaytube Leave-In Recipe! I have also been trying out shampoo bars which I like so far. :)

This is the amount of hair I have trimmed after her 1st initial trim of 2 inches after loc removal.

This is a comparison of pics between Jul 12- Jan 13. July 2012 (before loc'ing), Dec 2012 (after removing loc's and cutting),  Jan 2012 (hair growth)

Current Pic (April 2013, I trimmed last in March) at a good place.

So here we go...healthy hair journey AGAIN! :)

"No-Buy" Plan and Getting Rid of Products

So, in an effort to cut back on PJ'ism, I am putting myself on a "no-buy" plan!  Yes, that's right, there will be no purchasing of any "new" hair products.  I just purchased my last "new" ($20-it better be golden) product for now and pray I love it.  I need to use all hair products (old & new) I currently have or get rid of them somehow.  I will be trying out Lola's Green Hair, a free source for buying and selling gently used hair products!  If you haven't heard about the website, go check it out!

**I will only be re-purchasing products that are currently used in my daughters' hair regimen.** 

What have you ladies done with products you didn't like?

**Analyzing Your Hair**

Hair type systems are one of the primary ways that describe how our hair looks (wave pattern).  Hair typing is something that can be very beneficial in aiding with the selection of hair products, how to manage your hair and creating a hair regimen.  Most products now are made specifically for various hair types.

Learning my daughters' hair types have helped my learn what products may work best.  I also look for tutorials with similar hair types to get a feel for desired outcomes of styles or products.  Some people choose not to use the hair typing system because they feel it makes one hair type "superior" over the other.  I don't think its that deep!  I think it is simply a guide!

My girls hair is very different in many ways and therefore require the use of different hair products.  What works on one does not work on another!  It took some research and trail and error before understanding this concept.

There are also many other factors to consider when attempting to describe our hair.  Other hair factors to be considered are hair's density, elasticity, texture, porosity.

Density
Hair density is the amount of hair strands on the head. Generally, it is measured by counting the number of hair strands found in one square inch (2.5cm) of scalp. When a stylist tells you that you have thick hair, it is high density he/she is describing.

Generally, the classifications of hair density are thin, medium, and thick, and are unrelated to the texture of the hair. The average head has approximately 2,200 strands of hair per square inch, and a total of approximately 100,000 hairs.
Elasticity
The hair's elasticity is the measure of how much the hair will stretch (and return to a normal state). Healthy hair, when wet, will stretch up to 50% of its original length and return to its normal shape without breaking, while dry hair will only stretch about 20%.

Elasticity is rated as being low, normal, or high. Hair's elasticity comes from the side bonds in the hair shaft. Hair with normal and high elasticity is easily styled with wet-roller sets, thermal styling tools, etc., while hair with low elasticity may prove hard to curl, or lose its curl quickly.  Hair with low elasticity is highly susceptible to breakage, will be hard to curl.
Texture
Hair texture is the measure of the circumference of the hair strand itself. Professionals classify the texture of hair as being "coarse", "fine", or "medium".  Coarse hair has the largest circumference, and fine hair has the smallest. Medium texture indicates a middle-range of the size of the hair shaft, it's considered normal and poses no special considerations regarding processing and chemical services

Hair texture varies from individual to individual, and can be different in separate areas of the same head. You may have coarse hair on the top of the head and fine hair at the nape of the neck. Race and ethnicity are irrelevant in determining hair texture, as coarse, medium and fine hair can be found among all racial and ethnic groups.

PorosityPorosity is the measure of the hair's ability to absorb moisture. This is determined by the condition of the hair's cuticle layer (the overlapping scales of the hair shaft), and is rated as low, normal, and high. In normal, healthy hair, the cuticle is compact and inhibits the penetration of the hair shaft by moisture - both moisture going in, and moisture coming out. When the cuticle is overly compact and prevents the penetration of the hair by moisture it has low porosity.

Credit: Hairfinder.com

You get additional information here:

NaturallyCurly.com

Hair Porosity -Yea, It's Kind of a Big Deal

Product Junkie: Part II

Getting away from being a PJ:

• Read/watch reviews before purchasing (we all know products work differently from person 2 person, but you can get a generally idea of the product before spending your money.)
  
  
• Find a product you like and stick with what works (if you love it and it works, why change?!)
  
  
• Get what you need (if you don't have a need for it, don't get it!)
  
  
• Find a way to use what you have (if its manageable....mix it and give it a try, you may like it.)
  
  
• Take a look at what have been spent on products that don't work for you (depending on your preference for hair products, this habit can get expensive!) o_O

I want to find the best products for my girls' curls and get the best results!  So far, so good....