Texture Thursday: July 2013 Length Check!

Tuesday was my 3 month trim.  During these trims, I get a press and trim and afterwards; I do a length check to make sure I'm on the right check for length retention.  The Summer is usually when I have problems retaining length and I have to do a mini chop.  For the first time in 4 1/2 years of being natural, I passed my length threshold!

Here are my April and July comparisons:


Click here for my past 3 length checks.

And here was my regimen for the past 3 months:
Red: Change from my usual regimen

Washing -

• Once a week: co-wash, leave in conditioner, deep conditioner
• End of the month: sulfate-free shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, leave in conditioner

Styling -

• Wash night:
• Put my hair in 4 twists and dry with a shirt on my head for 15-20 minutes (or when my hair is 80% dry).
• Water + leave in conditioner + oil/butter (LOC Method).
• Create 6-9 flat twists or Pineapple my hair.
• Unravel in the morning with oil + style.
• Every night or when my hair feels dry:
• Spritz with water + oil/butter (LOC Method).
• Create 6-9 twists or bantu knots or Pineapple my hair.
• Unravel in the morning with oil + style.
• Every 3 months: Press and trim.
• Once every 3 months: Protective style for a month  - Marley Twists 

My products -

• Co-wash Conditioner: Tresemme Professionals
• Shampoo + Conditioner: Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus
• Deep Conditioner: Organics Hair Mayonnaise
• Leave In: Shea Moisture Hair Milk Coconut and Hibiscus
• Oil/Butter: Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Creme or Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier

I think I love my new regimen.  Hopefully, I can keep this up!

What do you do to retain length?

Texture Thursday: Length Check

Length Check:  What a difference a year can make!

Every 3-4 months, I get my routine trim.  I'm not a big fan of straighten hair because I have fine hair, but it is nice to change my hair once in a while.  Yesterday, I got my much need trim.  The difference between this trim and my previous trims is that I changed my co-washing regimen.  Here's the my story: 

In February 2012, I started co-washing.  My hair thanked me and it was better moisturized.  Around this time, I also perfected my L.O.C. method.  April 2012, my hair was to my shoulders!  My hair hadn't been this long since college, so I wanted to make sure I did everything right.  During the Summer of 2012, I didn't have the money to get my regular trims.  I thought by moisturizing my hair alone, my hair would be saved when I finally did.  By September, I noticed that my ends looked raggedy and my hair stopped responding to the co-washes.  Thanks to a couple of my friends, they got me to change to a better moisturizing conditioner and stop using a lot of proteins.  I used coconut oil in all my products: shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, deep conditioner and moisturizer.  This made my hair feel semi-hard. It felt like I used a sulfate shampoo with product on top of it. I don't know if it was because I needed a trim or if I had too much product build up. Even when I used a sulfate-free shampoo to remove the build up, afterwards, it still felt semi-hard when I co-washed again.

After I trimmed my hair in October 2012, I cut back on the coconut oil and only used it in my shampoo and leave-in.  I also switched from Suave Naturals to V05.  When I changed my regimen, my hair felt better than ever.  I also started installing Marley Twists as a protective style to keep the stress off my hair.  When I got my trim today, I realized it was a year since I first co-washed.  I decided to compare my pictures in 6 month intervals to see a difference.

And here are the results:  Growth and fullness!


Front.

Back.  My hair is much fuller after a year of co-washing.

Thanks to all my curly heads who helped me change my regimen!  My hair may be at the same length it was a year ago, but it is the healthiest it has ever been.  I'm going to get to my hair goal in no time!

Click here to check out the rest of my regimen!

Easter Wrap Up

I do not feel like posting.  I just ate lunch and I’m semi-sleepy.  I know if I don’t do it now, it will never get it done.  So here I go:

Saturday –

I decided that it was time to get a much needed trim so I went to the hair salon at 9am.  By 1030, I was out with a new do’.  I can't believe how much it's grown since I got my wife chop July 2011. 

Growth

Also, I think Mr. Tibbs thinks I'm a different person.  At 9am, he was hissing at me when I had my hair flat twisted into a side bun.  When I got back from the salon, he rung his bell for me and gave me air kisses.  Weird little bird.

Sunday –

Easter!  This was Brian and I’s first Easter being married and his first Easter away from his family.  After church, we made dinner early.  My in-laws gave us enough money to buy something to eat for Easter so we decided to try the Honey Baked Ham restaurant a couple of cities over.  Here was our menu:

Ham

Turkey

Ribs
Sweet Potato Soufflé

Homemade Mashed potatoes

Broccoli

Rice

Afterwards, we called our parents to see how they were doing and watched t.v. for the rest of the night.

This Week –

I am aiming to finish the last 4 hours of my IDP.  Tomorrow, I am heading to School S to resolve an unforeseen condition with the new Dry Storage Kitchen addition.  On Thursday, I am going to School B to do a final walkthrough of the school.  Afterward, it will be test time!  To help me prepare for the test, I joined a Spring Book Club with my fellow knotties.  I use to love reading as a kid.  Once I got into drawing, reading wasn’t my favorite thing to do anymore.  Afterwards, the only time I touch a book was for business, never pleasure.  To get back in the groove with reading for pleasure, I want to start with subjects I love first then with the test materials.  Hopefully, that will work!

3 Day Weekend Recap

This weekend was a very eventful weekend.  I was able to get my hair straightened, bond with Mr. Tibbs, and clean up our house.

On Friday, Brian and I discovered fried pickles at our favorite restaurant, Zaxbys.  I'm in love!  Hopefully, we will make the healthier version after we buy groceries.

On Saturday, I finally made an appointment to get my hair trimmed and straightened.  Before the wedding, I was stressed out and I didn't take care of my hair properly.  So between Feb 2011 - April 2011, my hair broke off in the middle.  When my hair stylist did my hair a couple of days before the wedding, she told me I would eventually have to cut my hair.  So on July 2nd 2011, I decided to have a wife chop.  From then on out, I decided to take better care of my hair.  My goal for 6 months was to get my hair back to where it was before I damaged it and I made that goal!  Too bad she had to cut 1/2" - 1" off of it because I waited 4 months to get a trim.  My new goal is to protect my ends.

On Sunday, I tried to take a nap after church.  Before I was completely out of it, I saw a yellow blur fall behind the cage and fly around the room (barely missing the wall), and landing on the edge of the bed.  Because of this, my nap was gone.  I picked Mr. Tibbs up and let him sit on my arm while I laid down.  When I tried to get up, he pooped on my arm...and I was wearing a sweat shirt.  :-(

Monday was MLK day.  Since it was my day off, Mr. Tibbs was not happy because I threw off his schedule.  While he had mixed emotions about it, Brian and I had a clean up day.  In the middle of it all, Mr. Tibbs wanted to show off:

His "Good Morning" whistles.

Mr. Tibbs doesn't like my camera.  Around :25, he realizes that not only did I touch his bell, but I'm recording him.  Brian's response: "Some celebrities just don't like being recorded."  Gotta love "Tibby TV."