Hi and Bye 2012!! What I’ve Learned About My Hair

Well well well... Where have you been all my life??

People…2012 has been such an interesting and ever-changing year. It’s truly been a whirlwind! I’m so sorry that I have completely abandoned my new years resolution to blog more. I’ve pretty much done the opposite =(

And now I’m left trying to cope with the fact that it’s almost 2013!! A whirlwind I tell you!

There have been soooo many changes in my life this year and the state of my hair is no exception. Unfortunately, those changes haven’t been so positive. It started last year when all the pampering slowly began to cease. Lack of protective styling (especially overnight), reckless and impatient detangling, and improper moisture infusion led to some pretty upset follicles. It seemed my interest in my hair had peaked and slumped. No wonder I hadn’t posted in a while. =(

95 percent of the time, my hair is worn in its naturally curly state. And my curls seem to hide their pain and frustration when really, they are being abused. By the time I find out my hair is damaged by way of unreasonable tangles, hair coming out in clumps, loss of definition, dull appearance, haystack dryness even when moisturizing products are applied, and refusal to respond properly to straightening or any kind of set (roller, twist or braid out, etc.) it is already too late. I knew what had to happen...a second big chop.

Actually, there were several chops over the course of a year. A snip snip here and there. It seems that no matter how much I cut, there were still damaged ends remaining. Man had I fouled up with my hair!!

In that period of time, my hair (stretched) went from this…

To this…

Good Grief!!! And as you can see, there were still some scraggly ends left when this picture was taken… so more was cut since then!

Needless to say, I’ve learned some pretty big lessons about the importance of listening to and caring for my hair.

I’ve also come to accept some things about my hair…

· My hair is pretty fine (but dense). This means that it is quite prone to breakage if not pampered like a babies butt. Detangling needs to be gentle and unhurried.

· My hair needs moisture like a whale needs water and for my texture (coily hair usually has trouble retaining moisture from root all the way to the ends) that means twice daily moisturizing sessions with water, a creamy leave-in (like Giovanni Direct Leave-in…more on my love for this product later), and sealing the ends with oil. Whenever I don’t have the time or energy for this, I at least spritz with a mix of water (rose water if I’m feeling fancy) and olive oil.

· I cannot forget about the things that have worked for me in the past JUST because I’m bored and/or lazy. i.e. sealing with oil, dusting (clipping) my ends periodically, holy grail products.

· My beloved “wash n go’s” must be kept to an absolute minimum. This is the most painful acknowledgment for me. I LOVE my wash n go’s. It’s an easy no-brainer style and I feel most comfortable in my untouched curls. But unfortunately my hair likes to hug itself and it becomes a nightmare to unsnarl if left in its natural state for too long. So…

· Protective styling is a MUST. At least most of the time. This means leaving my hair in twists or braids, tucking my ends, or otherwise leaving my hair unfooled around with for periods of time. I’ve been experimenting a lot with this lately. Some styles worked and others… not so much.

Besides my usual semi-chunky two strand twists, I’ve tried…

Crochet braids

The first attempt…I hated. Not me at all.

The second attempt was a little better.

I wouldn’t mind trying these again. I like them because they are super simple and quick to do. I did them myself with a little help from my sister.

And my absolute favorite!!!…

Senegalese twists!!

I wanted these for soooo long. The only downside is the cost (I paid about $200 which is actually on the reasonable end) and the time it takes to do them (13 hours!!!! OMG!) Neither factor am I used to bearing as I’m a DIY type of girl. But I would actually consider having these done again. I loved them so much. They were very versatile and I loved the feeling of having long luxurious hair again.

So the experimenting part has actually been fun =)

Becoming familiar with what works for my hair rather than what I prefer or what’s easy will be key in not only achieving, but keeping length. And even more important than retaining length, tender loving care will result in a healthy head of hair. “Your hair is your crowning glory” as my granny would say.

So enough about me…what about you?

Have you ever had to do a second big chop?? Tell me about it!

SPC

P.S. Be on the lookout next week for my very first giveaway!!! Yay!!