Covering my New Growth

This is a style that I decided to do since I have alot of new growth in the front and to help cover the braids I took out from my widow's peak. It's not the best but it works for me and the best part about it is I am protecting my hair line! Also my braids are a lil frizzy because I just finished washing them and there's no product in them. The black clip looks kinda dull I may order me a pink one to jazz it up. LOL!

To Henna or not?

If you are relaxed did you know that there is a certain kind of Henna you SHOULDNT use on your hair? Well I didnt know this until a couple of minutes ago. I had been dying to try Henna to see what the hype is about but after reading this I think I will just try the lil bottle og Bigen. It's less complicated and less messy. But this is just my opinion.

According to this site: http://www.mehandi.com/hair/hennahair.html

Who should NOT use henna in their hair?

You should NOT put COMPOUND HENNA on hair that has been straightened, permed, dyed, or bleached in the previous year. The results can range from peculiar to catastrophic. Goat vomit green and swamp bottom black are the most common color results. If you use BODY ART QUALITY HENNA on your straightened, permed, dyed, or bleached hair, you'll probably do just fine, but test first!If you have used ANY commercial hair dye in the previous year, harvest your hair from your hairbrush and henna your spare hair to see if you get the infamous green or if enough of the chemical residue has rinsed out that you get nice results!

Compound henna over Synthetically Dyed Hair = DEAD HAIR!I do mean dead. You can't fix it. This is "shave your head and join a nunnery" dead hair!Start over. Grow it again.If you use body art quality henna on your hair, there won't be any problem.....

Applying an Instant Weave!

Are you taking a break from braids and don't wanna or cant relax your hair because you plan on getting more braids? Well try a Instant Weave! This will enable you protect your hair and continue to look like a DIVA!

Hair Elasticity

Have you ever combed your hair and it stretches.........and eventually breaks off after you comb through your hair? When your hair is stretched does it return to it's normal state? If your answer is yes to the first question and no to the second then that simply means your hair has low elasticity.
Hair with low elasticity is highly susceptible to breakage and it will be hard to curl. Yeah so that's probably why your hair will not hold a curl. Nope! The curling iron was hot enough its just you didn't know about elasticity and your hair. But now you do! :)
Now what might be causing this over elastic hair? The first thing that comes to my mind is too much moisture.

Does Your Hair Absorb Moisture?

Does your hair feel moisturized and then later on in the day it feel dry like you never did anything to it? Well if you try my miracle product I can promise you lighting fast results! SIKE! I am joking! When I was writing this it seemed like I was getting ready to advertise a product so I just ran with it!
But seriously does your hair feel moisturized one minute and dry as heck the next? What's up with that? Well what do you know about porosity and your hair? Oh you haven't heard? Ummm well Porosity is your hairs ability to absorb moisture. This is determined by the condition of the hair's cuticle layer. The cuticles are fish scale look a things on your hair. If they are wide opened the hair too-readily absorbs moisture and overly-porous hair also releases moisture easily and becomes dry and is easily damaged.
So what products do I recommend? Try: Roux Porosity Conditioner. I used it last night for the first time and so far I can actually notice the difference in my hair. I am going to keep using this for a couple of washes to see how my hair turns out.
More info on this can be found at: Hair Porosity

Tip of the Day:

This is the best advice I read from a poster on the forum today:
"Once the hair grows outside of the cuticle it is dead and cannot increase anymore in thickness or so-called strength." posted by: quietone on BHM
This is a great reminder for when we use castor oil or Henna to remember that the thickness is only temporary and will not last.

Chelating Shampoo

Ladies until today I have never heard of a Chelating Shampoo. Apparently from the information I have gathered from other sites a Chelating Shampoo removes calcium and mineral deposits from the hair. The only reason you will need to use this kind of shampoo is if you use a no lye relaxer, swim or your water is hard. The shampoo is specifically formulated to remove mineral deposits and other ingredients in the hair.
Why can’t you just use a Clarifying Shampoo? Because clarifying poo’s remove product buildup only. Just think of Chelating poo as a stronger version of Clarifying poo’s.
Some examples are:

Aveda Detox
Nexxus Aloe Rid
Kenra Clarifying Shampoo

GROWTH CHECK!!

Here's a lil strand test I did last night! I have been using the Sulu Max Gro every other night and co washing with just about anything once a week and doing a regular wash every Monday. So far it looks like the Sulu is giving me the fastest growth. Check it out and let me know what you think....

Review: Mizani Moisturefuse Moisturizing Conditioner

So I have finally found my staple conditioner.

I love it! I love it! I received a tip about this product from the forum and decided to check it out. This little bottle is costly but worth it. $11.95 for an 8oz bottle. It makes my new growth feel soft and moisturized and the affects of it remain after your hair dries. Well at least it did for mine!I can definitely feel the moisture after using this.

I was using ORS Replenishing as a regular conditioner but that is a deep conditioner. So I will now use this Mizani along with the CON Shampoo and whenever I need to deep condition I will use the ORS .

Styling Braids

When styling your braids or twists in a pony tail or bun try not to pull too tight! I see alot of friends doing this crap and they wonder why their edges are thinning. Yeah it looks cute for the moment but in the end it doesn't. Try a loose bun or a loose pony. To me this looks better especially if you are not at work. For on the job styles try to swoop for a bang. Remember baby those edges girl!

Product Review: SULU MAX GRO

So yesterday I received my Sulu Max Gro in the mail and I used it last night. It took me a while to mix the contents in the bottle. When I took the top off the bottle the smell wasn't the greatest but it was not anywhere near as bad as the MTG! So I was happy about that. I did my normal routine and applied it to my scalp and went to sleep. This morning at 0645 I'm sitting at work and I can’t smell a THING! So far this Sulu stuff is okay with me. I plan to use it for a lil while to see how much growth I can get. *Crossing Fingers*
I was hesitant to use this product but I saw MissB on BHM got a decent amount of growth in one month so the P.J'ism in me couldn't resist. Thanks Miss B!
... I will texlax in Feb 08 so I'll post pictures then unless my hair grows 2 inches in one month!

Now ladies... This product goes against my rules of ingredients. It contains:

• Mineral Oil• Sulfur• Glycerin• Zinc Stearate• Oil of Cade • Fragrance

I try to avoid mineral oil and oil of cade but on the bottle it claims it's rectified. I know, I know you cant believe what the manufacture says but if this is indeed just like the regular MTG then I'll have to break the rules a little. In case some of you don't know MTG is a product made for horses but was originally formulated for humans. Some women like to use it as a growth aide. It's works too! Myself and ladies on BHM and LHCF have claimed to received alot of growth with the MTG. And if you don't believe it...just go check out the postings on BHM and LHCF that praise MTG. Anyway its Laboratory and DERMATOLOGIST TESTED so I will see what kind of results I get. **Crossing fingers** This product can be found at Sulu Max for $11.95 for a 8 oz bottle. The MTG can be found at MTG . But warning ladies if you have to be around a large crowd use it lightly!

Hair Ends

How does your hair ends feel? Go ahead and touch it.... Does it feel crunchy? Well its probably dry. Girl get off this blog and go moisturize that hair! :)

My New Protective Style...

This is my new protective style. Deep Wavy Micro's. I will wear this style from October 2007 until February 2008. These were braided at the African Shop in Birmingham, Alabama on October 18 2007.

Yeah I know that's a long time to keep them in but that's when I can return to the states. I hope to be alot thicker and APL when I finally take these out. Also February is the next time I will relax. I am not sure if I wanna texlax or get it done in a salon. I dunno but we will see.

Creme of Nature Relaxer vs. ORS Relaxer Relaxer

Has anyone tried the new Creme of Nature Relaxer with the coconut and oil in it (I think)???

Since I am a big fan of the Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo I was thinking about trying the relaxer again. I remember using the regular Creme of Nature relaxer as a teenager and it worked really good but it stopped working. I am thinking maybe because I didn't know how to properly care for my hair. But anyway before I start rambling I wanna know which one do you think is better or which one has worked for you?

Why Texlax?

Now that I think about it, it makes sense. Ask yourself this: Do you flatiron your hair even though you just relaxed your hair BONE straight?
If you answered yes then why are you relaxing your hair anyway if you are going to use a flatiron to straighten it afterwards. Ummm it looks like you (and me, I'm guilty too) are causing more damage to our strands.
Maybe telaxing will be better for me and maybe you. It might even help thicken up my ends. I'm cheesing now just thinking about the idea! Now if that didn't convince you..think of how much money you will save instead of going to the salon to get a relaxer when you could do it yourself.

My Edges and Micro's

..What! Who ever said that micros make your edges fall out? In my case that's a darn lie. I didn't wanna say it like that but I have been wearing micros straight since 2005 and because I baby my edges they have stayed healthy and full. Watch in a couple of days they fall out! LOL!

Now before you go back saying I don't know what I am talking about.... I agree its true that micros can make your edges fall out if your stylist braids your hair too tight. But its up to you to make sure you baby them suckas :) Take then down if they are to tight and just swoop some braids over that side. Hey you just gotta do what you gotta do if you want that hair girl! Well anyway...here's a picture of my edges. Naww I dont just talk but here's proof. Excuse the hair. I refused to get a perm this time.

Creme of Nature Ultra Moisterizing Shampoo

...I cant believe its been a month since I posted! Sorry yall ,but school has been no JOKE and I went on R&R but I am back and I plan to get back in the swing of things while I catch up on work also.....but anyway......

If you dont know by now I am telling you go out and buy this product. I recently took out my red twists and my hair was sooooooooooo hard to comb through. So when I got to the states I used the Creme of Nature and I swear the comb just glided through my hair. I was so happy. I think this will be a great product for those of you that stretch. Let me know how it works.

ya'll know what I think I have posted about Creme of Nature before but I am too lazy to go back and look.

Review: Wild Growth Oil

I forgot all about my Wild Growth Oil (WGO).....

I am not sure if it really grows your hair cuz I am currently alternating between WGO, BT and MTG which I rarely use because of the smell.

Ummm but anyway its really great for softening up your new growth. No I mean it really softening!! I may try to use this on my scalp once I get my micros next month to ease away the tightness of the braids.

The smell: *Warning* if you use this to baggie it can leave your hair really stinky. I would recommend you let your hair air out at least 30 minutes before leaving the house.

Girl Save That Hair!

So you wanna transition to natural without the BIG Chop huh? Have you been told it's not possible? Well I am not a witness of this myself but my Internet buddy SouthernTease is! This girl is doing her thing when it comes to transitioning to natural and her hair is looking good and thriving! Like most of us she treasures her hair and is tired of the "played out" perm. Since April 2007 she has decided to take better care of her hair and transition. She does not use shampoo but she makes up for it by co washing everyday with Suave Humectant. That is one of her favorite products. Her hair has grown a great amount and she doesn't even use growth aids. She keeps it simple. One thing I like about her is she not only blogs but she shows her hair growth pictures and is letting us know how she got there. She also has a very cool attitude and a laid back approach about it. On her blog she posts her growth progress every three months. Her latest pictures are coming soon around October 15! So be on the look out for this chickie because she is serious and coming hard when it comes to this natural thing. You can check her out at: SouthernTease Hair Blog

Growth Check!

I just wanted to share a picture that I had off my growth a couple of weeks ago. I plan on taking these fire read twists out of my hair October 8- 10! Yahhh! I can't wait to see how my hair turns out. Y'all know I was concentrating on thickness. I am not too much worrying about length. I just want healthy hair! But length is nice..

So far I plan on not putting the "killer relaxer" in my hair. I think that is the only way I will combat the thinness issue. Shout out to SouthernTease for the motivation! That girl is doing her thing. I will post a link to her blog when she gives me permission. But anyway here is a comic picture.

Take Notes!

Do you remember what kind of conditioner you used on your hair last week? Do you remember when the last time you used a protein treatment on your hair? I don't! I am realizing that's its very important for us to remember what we use on our hair to know what works. We might be either be putting to much protein or not enough moisture in our hair. Next time you are out shopping for hair products pick up one of those little $0.50 notebooks and store it next to your hair care products so that way you HAVE to write it down.

Amino Acid

... I think I am going to start looking to pop some more pills. Read this:

METHIONINE(ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID)
A powerful anti-oxidant and a good source of sulfur, which prevents disorders of the hair, skin, and nails; .... to read more click here: I want a cookie (okay, I couldnt help it!) Click the link, it really works.

What is hair? How is it made? Where does it come from?

Hair starts growing from a bulb which is lodged just under the skin. The beginning of a hair is made up of cells, which are bulging with keratin. The cells lengthen and then die, leaving behind protein bundles.

..Yeah, Yeah....Blah..blah blahhhhh...but Where does it come from?

Hair Comes From Where?
Whether hair is growing out of your head, arm, or ankle, it all rises out of the skin in the same way. It starts at the hair root, a place beneath the skin where cells band together to form keratin (the protein that hair is made of). The root is inside a follicle (say: fah-lih-kul), which is like a small tube in the skin.
As the hair begins to grow, it pushes up from the root and out of the follicle, through the skin where it can be seen. Tiny blood vessels at the base of every follicle feed the hair root to keep it growing. But once the hair is at the skin's surface, the cells within the strand of hair aren't alive anymore. The hair you see on every part of your body contains dead cells. That's why it doesn't cause pain when someone cuts your hair with scissors!
Nearly every hair follicle is attached to a sebaceous (say: sih-bay-shus) gland, which is sometimes called an oil gland. These sebaceous glands produce oil.

12 Hair Tips 4 those "NEW" to this Hair Obsession!

Add a tablespoon of evoo or your favorite oil to relaxers.
Use nothing but natural oils or growth aides on scalp. Remember give your hair a break from the growth aides for a couple of days especially if you are using Sulfur.
The more you wash hair the better but remember to moisturize and seal!
Keep those ends away from clothes than can snag the hair. Remember those ends have been hanging there for a LONG time. Try protective styling.
Deep condition when u clarify. Clarifying is stripping your hair of ALOT of moisture.
It is not necessary to clarify more than once a month unless you are using a lot of buildup products. Just make sure you moisturize.
When relaxing hair that’s other than the new growth use oil on ends to keep the perm from overlapping. This is a preventative measurement to keep your hair from over- processing
****Detangle hair b4 using protein or and kind of hardener****
Stay away from heavy protein when coming out of braids
After Shampooing you need to follow with a moisturizing Conditioner
Stay away from brushing your hair when wet.
Try not to manipulate your hair so much by excessive combing.

Remember these tips are what’s working for me. Everybody will have different things that work for them. I have been blessed to learn these tips from BHM and LHCF.

What's that Darn BAD Ingredient in my Relaxer Box that they talk about?

Ya'll ever wondered what's the difference in Lye and no Lye? Or what the hell is Sodium Hydroxide or Guanidine Hydroxide? I want to know but I'm too lazy to actually do a search for it. So if you find out let me know ok! ....................I'm joking y'all.

But first lets talk a lil history. Do you know who first patented the first chemical straightener? No not Madamn CJ Walker! It was Garrett Augustus Morgan around 1910. He was the child of former slaves. His intentions was not to invent the lye but he was working to invent a lubricating liquid for a machine needle and instead created lye!

I just stumbled across this good site and here's what I found out:

"Sodium Hydroxide is the strongest type of principal chemical used in some chemical relaxers because it provides the most long lasting and dramatic effects. However, this same sodium hydroxide is found in drain cleaners which well demonstrates the strength of this chemical. It is what is used in products that are referred to as “lye” relaxers. The strength varies from a ph factor of 10 to 14. With higher ph, the faster the straightening solution will take hold, but the more potential the damage.

Guanidine Hydroxide is the other common option of relaxer chemical used today. This is what is referred to as “no-lye” relaxers. This label can be misleading to some consumers. It does not imply that there aren't any strong chemicals used or that the chemicals used are somehow less potentially damaging. Some have mistakenly thought that with “no-lye” relaxers there are less steps and all the worry of chemical hair straightening is removed. Although this type of chemical hair relaxer can be less damaging than its counterpart, the hair and scalp should be in top condition before attempting treatment, and this type also requires special care when applied."

All relaxers require conditioning treatments before and after application.

...sorry you had to read all that, but was it helpful? What did you say? Speak up I cant hear you. No not really... well keep reading on at this site: Chemical Relaxers . It's well worth it and takes about 10 minutes!

Tangles!

Having trouble getting those tangles out? If you are tender headed like me then you will love this method. I hope this works for y'all.

If your hair gets tangled badly try sleeping with some oils in your hair overnight. Of course you will need to put a plastic cap over your head! You don't want hubby to slip out of the bed! The results will give you oily and softer hair and it should combat the tangles.

(I wish I would have knew this information when I had a bad brand of wet and wavy hair and my braids tangled soooooo bad!)

See picture. Matted Mess! (look up)

Are you trying to find a use for a oil or that fruit?

Well then check out Emih19's post on BHM. I just received some Avocado oil in the mail today and I was wondering what to do with it. Did you know Avocado's are rich in vitamins A, D, E, potassium, sulfur and chlorine, this fruit is used in facial and hair packs and is deep penetrating.

From her post I was was able to get the Beer Shampoo Recipe. Beer has proteins in the malt. So before you alcoholics decide to gulp down a beer try this recipe:
Beer Shampoo
The proteins from the malt and hops in the beer coat the hair and build it up and help repair damage. It leaves the hair with wonderful body.
3/4 cup beer (any cheap brand)1 cup inexpensive shampoo
Boil the beer until it reduces to 1/4 cup. Cool the beer and add it to the 1 cup of inexpensive shampoo. * I haven't tried this yet but I'm shooo curious as to how it works!*

...Wanna know more? Check her out her posting: EMIH19. Thanks for the info Emih19! You are putting out great info!

Do you "Baggie?"

...No, no that kind of baggie!
For most of the women who are aware of this method they use a plastic shower cap to baggie but because of my XL head I like to use saran wrap....but that's besides the point.

Why do I baggie?
Right now the temperature in Afghanistan is 120 in the sun and my hair gets very dry. I need to make sure I am keeping that much needed moisture in my hair and my ends are protected. Did you know that your ends are the oldest on your head? This makes them the driest and it makes them more prone to breakage. Imagine how much them bad boys have been through. When I hear my ends whispering in my ear telling me they are thirsty that's when I run for the moisture. LOL!
Yes, I wear braids but I still need to baggie. Remember its important to treat your hair as if you are not in braids.

How do you baggie?
I learned this method from one of the member's on BHM who has been very successful with it. Here are the simple steps:
1. First find yourself a good moisturizer.I like to use SCurl. Spray this on the ends of your hair.
2. Next find yourself a good sealant. Most people like to use 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) or other natural oils as coconut. I like to use Jamaican Black Castor oil since I am trying to work on thickness.
3. Next take your shower cap and place the ends of your hair in it and secure it with a "safe to use" scrunchy on top of the bag and hair.

Yup, that's all to it! Using this method you are able to maintain moisture on the ends of your hair while you sleep or through your normal day activates. Uh huh..yup I said it....through your normal day activates. How? Some of the women on the boards like to baggie their ends and style their hair in a bun. This way the plastic shower cap is concealed if you do it right. So you are protecting your hair and looking good at the same time. You do it girl!

The Appearance of Thicker Hair....

Why does your hair look thicker after you blow dry or color it?

When you look at a strand of hair under a microscope you will see something that resembles a fish scale. If you have a virgin head of hair that has never been touched by a chemical process, this scale will look smooth, just like it lays neatly against the fish close to its side. Highly bleached, tinted and permanently waved hair will have all the scales up and open. The coloring mixture opens the cuticle and colors inside and out. This is why you appear to have more volume in your hair when you color. The texture appears thicker and fuller because the scales are wide open. (HairFinder)

..... And if our cuticle is open our hair is prone to all kinds of damage!

Wash that comb or that brush.....yup.... Right NOW!

Clean hairbrushes and combs are a lot better for your tresses than dirty brushes and combs. Hairbrushes and combs collect debris and the transmitted buildup is not good for your tresses.

It is easy and quick to get a clean hairbrush or comb in many ways.

Get either one hairbrush and one comb together, two combs together, or two hairbrushes together before shampooing your tresses. Wet the (aim for bristles and not bodies of tools) brushes, combs, or brush and comb under warm running water. Then, place a small dab of shampoo onto the bristles of one of the brushes or combs. Carefully rub the brush's bristles together when cleaning two brushes at a time. Information taken from: HairFinder

You Ever Wonder The Difference B/W Leave in Conditioner and Deep Conditioners?

Yeah I was just wondering why I need to buy so many darn conditioners. I'm already trying to recover in Product Junkie anonymous! Why use a leave in conditioner when I just washed my hair with conditioner? What in the world would make me want to just RINSE a conditioner through my hair? Ladies I have finally found the answer so PLEASE gimmie a Cookiee

Here's a picture. HTH's! Also here is a great site I retrieved this from: HAIR

Ummm so you cant see the little bitty writing in the picture? Here's what it states:

1. A Rinse - Through Conditioner: Coats the cuticle and deposits moisture and sometimes protein



2. A Deep Conditioner: Swells the cuticle, replenishes protein and restores strength



3. Leave in Conditioner: Coats the cuticle and protects the hair.
   

Review: Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo

Are you looking for a moisturizing Shampoo?

Check our Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo. I used it last night for the first time and it does EXACTLY what it states on the bottle. I didn't know that it was sulfate free so that's a plus. It's not all creamy neither.

Do you have a hair REGIMEN yet?

In order for us to grow our hair we need to have what is called a regimen. It consists of the essential stuff for your hair, ie..Moisturizer, Deep Conditioner, Stimulant and sometimes a growth aid. It can also consist of other stuff that accommodates your hair.

Dabur Amla Hair Oil

Since my Vatika oil worked so well when I used it as a pre - poo. I think I will break out the bottle of Alma oil and try it as a pre- poo.

Tips about oil...

Oil hair a day before washing or 30 minutes to an hour. The oil provides a protective coating and makes your hair shiny. A good oil massage also helps stimulate blood circulation and promotes hair growth.

Essential Oils enriches your hair, protects it and the massaging stimulates better hair growth.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO)

This stuff has many uses...
Raw, unrefined Jamaican Black Castor Oil is a rare commodity. Only a handful of elderly women in Jamaica still engage in the art of producing this product.

Castor oil is used to give hair a fuller, thicker look. This can be used to seal the hair or on the scalp.

Can be purchased at: Sam's Caribbean

Price: $9.99

DABUR Vatika Coconut Hair Oil

Vatika Hair Oil is a delicate mix of pure coconut oil with special hair care herbs including henna, amla and lemon. Blended together to strengthen each strand of hair from within

Since my "No Shampoo" trail is officially over I decided to pull my old dusty bottle of Vatika oil out of storage and use it. I do not care for the smell of coconut oil so I never really used it. But this time I decided to use this to Pre-Poo my hair along with Suave Apple after I clarified it.

Results: It gave my new growth a nice gloss. I think I will use this when I am to lazy to mix some oils.

Can buy at: Indian Blend

Price: $4.99

What do split ends look like?

I've always wondered this myself. Today I ran across this picture. Hopefully this will help someone. I never knew that hair splits took on so many shapes. Whenever I take these twist down I will check out my ends.

Stuff I want to try: Color Showers Cellophane Black

What it is: A Dominican Product for coloring hair

The professional tones of the Olive Oil Plus line are the only semi-permanent colors made with natural proteins and Virgin Olive Oil. These tones contain natural ingredients that provide volume, shine and softness to your hair and total coverage of grey hair if present. They do not contain peroxide or ammonia. (description taken from Round Brush Hair website)

Where can you buy this at? Round Brush Hair

Price: $19.99

Benefits: It's 100% natural and safe for your hair.

Baking Soda Shampoo (A natural way to cleanse your scalp)

Baking Soda is a natural clarifier for your scalp and hair. It is cheaper than purchasing a clarifying shampoo and better than using a SLS harsh ingredient that's found in most shampoos. It seems as though most people take about 4 cups of warm water and a tablespoon of Baking Soda and mix it together. I would suggest using a spray bottle or an old shampoo bottle and spraying on the roots and massage it in and rinse. Results: I haven't used it yet but alot of people claims it makes their hair soft. Tomorrow (Monday) is wash day for me. So since I still have 6 days left until my "no shampoo challenge" is over I will use the baking soda to cleanse my scalp.

MTG... I'm jumping back on this bandwagon!

After reading LadyZ's hair album yesterday, I decided it was time to pull out my old bottle of MTG and at least use it once or twice a week. I stopped using it because the smell was really getting on my nerves. Well it wasn't the smell, but these men at my work place smell every darn thing so I had to stop. I will continue to use my Boundless Tresses but I will use the MTG at least once or twice a week.

In case some of yall are late as to what the hype about the MTG is:

It a growth aid that some of us users on the forums are using. It's actually for horses but rumored to originally be made for humans that had a scalp or hair condition but now its advertised more to horses. LOL! Yeah I know its crazy but this stuff really works. I know from experience. But be careful when using because it runs. It smells bad because it has sulfur in it but if you add a couple drops of peppermint oil you will mask the smell a lil. Try it!

She is BALD b/c of Optimum Relaxer! (1996)

Court case against Carson/Lloreal:

...From my posting below ya'll know I am reading Cathy's book on relaxer and thinning edges. Tho I don't have a problem with either yet this link Jejora82 sent me is rather disturbing. I damn near passed out. I wanted to cry. I felt sorry for this lady and I think it confirmed my decision about wanting to not use relaxers anymore. As much as I hate to say it I rather burn the strand of my hair with a flat iron instead of getting chemically burned from the scalp.

Read below or click on this link: Optimum Relaxer

Copied and Pasted:

Court case against Carson/Lloreal The Optimum relaxer caused Isabella Broekhuizen to go bald and forced her to brake off her US modelling carrier. Now she is back home in Maastricht, the Netherlands fighting for justice.

Isabella broekhuizen was diagnosed with chemical burning caused by sodium hydroxide, the main ingredient in lye relaxers. She sues because her aspiring modeling career is over, her bald and burnt scalp still hurts and she has to wear hair-prostheses for the rest of her life. Here is her story.

Isabella this is quite a story. How old were you when you first started to use relaxers and what were your reasons to straighten your hair?I was 12 years when I started to use relaxers. I straightened my hair because I thought it improved my looks.

So you were quite familiar with the process when you used the Optimum relaxer. So what went wrong that day? Was this the first time that you relaxed your hair yourself?No it wasn't the first time I relaxed my hair myself. So I think it was the brand. Optimum was probably too strong.What exactly did you? Can you explain what happened?I used the relaxer same as usual. What do you mean ‵the same as usual. Can you be a little more specific? I used the relaxer the same way everybody does. I added it to my roots, close to my scalp to make it as straight as possible, from roots to ends. Then I wanted to let it sit for a couple of minutes like the directions said. According to the box I could have left it on for 13 to 18 minutes but it started to burn immediately. I thought the relaxer wouldn't straighten my hair if I rinsed it out instantly so I left it on for 4 minutes. After that I could not take it anymore and rinsed it out.Did you neutralize? No. There was no neutralizer in the box. I suppose any other brand includes a neutralizer in a home use kit. The Optimum instructions said rinse with warm water and condition afterwards. When did this all happen? How long is this ago? In 1996.

When did you realize you were loosing your hair and how did long did it take to loose all of your strands? I realized I was losing hair after a couple of months and within a year I was completely bald.I suppose you go crazy when you see that you are loosing lots of hair. What did you think was causing you loosing your hair and what did you try to do against it?I realized it was caused by the relaxer and I did go to hospital. They gave me a heavy dose of vitamin A. You went to 3 different doctors. What did they say? What was causing the itching and what caused you to go bald?About 60 doctors examined me in total. Each on of them diagnosed me with chemical burning caused by sodium hydroxide. This ingredient also caused itching. It was a main ingredient in the Optimum relaxer and as I understand now in lye relaxers in general.

Are you against the use of relaxers?No, I'm not against the use of relaxers but I think its very important to inform people about the hazards of using them. I really wasn't aware that relaxers were so hazardous that one could get injured for live. No one ever told me that they were hurt by the use of a relaxer? All I heard was ''it burns a little but it will be over before you know it. So I truly never saw any harm in relaxing my hair. And even now when I try to warn people, they don't listen. They act like nobody has ever has a problem with relaxers and that something like this won't happen to them. That's why I think the product needs a more explicit warning, especially for home using. A warning like those on the cigarette boxes. It explicitly says that cigarettes can cause long cancer etc. Relaxers need a warning like that. It should be clear what the implications can be. Because believe me. If only I had known, I would have been very alert and way more careful.

Cathy Howse says...

It is mission critical to keep the relaxer off your scalp. I just recieved her latest book in the mail and I am sitting here at work trying to sneak and read it but these people keep coming in and out of my office so I figured I would act like I was working by typing in my blog. Sneaky aren't I! But umm yes back on topic I think many of us have forgot to not apply the relaxer to the scalp. Many make the mistake of smoothing the relaxer and letting it touch the scalp. From what I can remember this is how I have always been getting my perms. Yes it is totally wrong. I am surprise I am not bald headed. Speaking of bald-headed Cathy says on the back cover of her book: "If you knew your next relaxer could render you bald headed would you still chemically relax your hair?" That kinda struck a nerve with me because I hate to say it but I would. But only because I am not fully educated on the whole relaxer thing. Today I definitely will be looking up some stuff on relaxers. I think this is kinda of my clue that I should try not to perm my hair. If I look at it I really have no reason to perm it. I keep braids or twists in my hair because I am in Afghanistan and I get them redone every 4 months so what's the point right?

I think my problem and many others is that we are so used of the hair that's laid without a strand outta place. Ladies, yall know what I am talking about. But if we cherish our hair and want to see it thrive then maybe we can leave the perm alone until it does. Umm... I dunno. I guess after I finish reading this book my decision will be made.

Now on the flip side I am thinking that our hair can still be healthy if we just take care of it and apply the perm like we are SUPPOSED to. Am I just making an excuse? LOL! I will keep ya'll updated as I read the book.

Castor Oil in Conditioner / Washing hair with Vinegar

Last night I decided I needed to cleanse my scalp because it felt dirty so I mixed half water and half of regular vinegar in a plastic bottle and poured it on my scalp and let it sit in my hair for 5 minutes. After letting it sit I let water run through my hair while I massage my roots. Man ole man my roots felt SOFT! I was loving it! I will definitely be using vinegar periodically after I complete my personal no shampoo for a month challenge. I was kinda skeptical about using plain vinegar because I have heard so much about people only using "apple cider vinegar" instead of the regular stuff. Being brave I decided to try it and I was happy with the results. Oh yeah my scalp felt clean to. It wasn't that squeaky clean neither. Some people say that when you wash your hair squeaky clean that means you have washed your moisture out of your hair. So I try not to do that. Okay before I get too far off topic let me write about this Castor oil in conditioners.
The first time I washed with a certain brand of V05 Conditioner I forgot I added a couple of drops of Castor oil in it. I remember raving on how soft my roots felt. Well i tried it with the AO conditioner I used last night and Man ole Man was my hair super soft. LOL! My twists even felt lighter. So next time you wash with conditioner add a lil Castor oil to it. This is also known to thicken the hair.

The Importance of Neutralizer After Perming Hair

This was taken from a post on LHCF:

The importance of a neutralizer cannot be stressed enough. It is needed to stop the processing of the relaxer. It should be left in the hair for a minimum of 5 minutes. It takes at least that long for the active ingredients of the neutralizer to penetrate all three layers of the hair shaft and bring the pH of the hair down to normal. If the neutralizing shampoo is rinsed from the hair too soon, the neutralizing action may stop while the pH of the relaxer is still in a high alkaline state. This can cause breakage and shedding because some of the relaxer’s active ingredients are still in the inner-hair causing rapid deterioration. If your hair was in good condition prior to relaxing, and then starts to break or shed after the relaxer treatment, this is probably due to improper neutralizing. For more click on this link: LHCF PH Levels
...ummm very interesting. I wonder how long have I been keeping my neutralizer in.

Did you know?

*Now I havent tried this yet myself but I just thought I would share. This was posted on a hair forum*

For thicker and healthier hair, steep 1/2 cup rosemary leaves in 1 cup water. Add the infusion to 1/2 bottle of your favorite shampoo and wash once a day. Rosemary promotes thicker, healthier hair by unclogging pores and hair follicles, and also adds great shine. Rosemary tea, drank once per day, promotes better circulation and also aids in better hair growth.

Deep Condition Once a Week!

Why is it important to deep condition at least once a week? When you deep condition you apply conditioner to the hair and wash it out. Some of the helpful ingredients remain but when you deep condition the conditioner is able to penetrate your hair strand and follicle and really condition. The heat from sitting under the dryer helps the conditioner to penetrate. You can either choose to do a protein deep condition or a moisture deep condition. If you are doing a protein deep condition please follow it with a moisturizing product or else your hair will be very dry.

My favorite moisture deep conditioner is the ORS deep Replenishing pack. (See picture right) It leaves the hair so soft. Make sure you apply a shower cap on your head before sitting under the dryer. I would rec commend you sit under the dryer for 30-45 minutes. And yes to the ladies with micro braids or twist..we can deep condition while in those styles. But beware of slippage. Good luck!

STOP Mistaking Grease 4 Moisture!

Would you put grease on a plant to make it grow?

No you wouldn't. Now what makes a plant grow? Yes to all of those that answered water and not Blue Magic Hair Grease or any other kind of grease.

Okay girls stop using that darn grease. You are doing nothing but clogging your hair follicle. When you put grease on your scalp its like placing saran wrap over your entire scalp and expect it to breathe. No, No you just suffocated your hair. Are y'all understanding? This is another reason why most woman care not to use products with petroleum in it. Grease first ingredient most of the time is petroleum.

You ever wonder why you can grease the hell out of your hair one day and the next day it looks dull? Yup, exactly grease is not moisture. Your hair needs moisture. So I would recommend you go to the store right now and get you a moisturizing product to use. Water also works. Just make sure you are locking that moisture in with some carrier oil such as jojoba. You don't believe me? I dare you to try it and notice the difference in your hair.

The Unbraider! Need help removing those braids?

The Unbraider

If you are like me you hate to sit up there all day and night taking out micro braids. I absolutely hate trying to cut or unravel those knots while trying not to cut my hair. Damn those braiders! Why do they sit up there and knot it like 50 times. To me one little knot is all it takes! If you really want your braids not to unravel then I am sure you will take care of it. Some people think that just because you have braids you don't have to do anything to your hair! And the funny part is they wonder why they hair falls out or matts once they wash it after taking the braids down. But that's off topic. Back to the knots... my life would be so much easier if there was another method instead of those knots. Don't y'all even think about telling me about glue. That's insanity there. Believe me. I am writing from experience. When I was "not educated" when it came to my hair I let this young lady put krazy glue on the supposedly part where my hair ended in the micros. HAH! Well I wore those suckas for almost 5 or 6 months and that krazy glue was still HOLDING! On top of that I guess she was blind because she had some of the glue attached to my real hair. (I'm off topic again!)

Okay the reason I posted this is to let you all know about this big azz comb that helps to unbraid you hair. I tried it and I don't think it works to great on micros but I can see where it would be beneficial to those of you who wear cornrows or bigger braids. It's called the "Unbraider." It has a tip at the top of the comb especially for taking out those knots. Here is some info I copied and pasted from the site:
What are the Benefits of the UnBraider?
The UnBraider is a hand held tool that will allow you to take down your braids 8 times faster.
The UnBraider is engineered and designed to take down Micro Individuals, and Corn Rolls.
The UnBraider is engineered and designed to minimize hair breakage and loss.
The UnBraider is designed to both take down braids while at the s ame time comb out unbraided hair. This is the 2 in 1 process.

..Now dont go blaming me if you dont like this. :) All I am saying is, it kinda worked for me. :)

Also I highly recommend their comb out conditioner. It made my braids allot easier to comb. It made my hair melt. I am not sure what the ingredients are so beware!

Review: Lacio Lacio and Salerm Dominican Leave in Conditioner

Dominican Products

According to some ladies these are some "What's HOT!" products on the market right now. I got mine in the mail yesterday and decided to try it on my twist. I didn't want to overdo it so I used the Lacio Lacio first since that one gets the most raves. Here's how I applied it:

Even though it says to put on wet hair I decided not to. I was to lazy to wash my twist. Instead I sprayed some S curl on my ends applied the Lacio Lacio, Boundless Tresses on the scalp and sealed my ends with Castor oil. Last night I decided to baggy. Results: The Lacio made my twist very soft. Its a keeper.

This morning I applied the Salerm 21 to my ends. It's kind of two creamy. I thought I was going to have to sit up there and rub it in my twist forever but it dissolved right in. I think I would prefer to use this one on my real hair without the twist.

Salerm Ingredients :

AQUA (WATER), PROPYLENE GLYCOL, CETYL ALCOHOL, GLYCERIN, CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, SERICA (SILK), PANTHENOL, PARFUM (FARGRANCE), AMODIMETHICONE, SODIUM METHYLPARABEN, CITRIC ACID, TRIDECETH-12, DISODIUM EDTA, C.I.19140 (FD&C YELLOW N'5).

Lacio Lacio Ingredients:

WATER, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, HYDROLIZED SILK, DIMETHICONE COPOLYOL, CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, PANTHENOL, DMDM HYDANTOIN, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, FRAGRANCE, COLORANT FREE.

Cathy Howse New Book...Whoa...

Whoa I thought she gave up on writing because people were bashing her left and right. I read her second book. I will say that the chick is kinda cocky but she puts out some good knowledge. It is often things we disagree with that we don't normally hear. One of the things I learned from this book is that our hair needs to be moisturized daily! Many people have claimed that after following here methods they were able to get 6 inches in a year. Its all about consistency and deep conditioning weekly. If you out there Cathy...girl thanks and keep doing it and growing another 6 inches in a year! This book is available on her website: Thinning Edges or on Amazon for $19.99

So you got a "Fresh set of Braids".... Are they pulling?

Are they too tight? Are they pulling those edges girl? But they look good right?

Yes we are all guilty of it so don't feel bad.

We all want those micros that won't slip because we just paid $200.00 to get them done. Some of us like myself have to keep them in for 3 1/2 to 4 months so we endure the pain of the stylist using her knuckles and fingertips to catch our hair. Its amazing the whole strand of hair don't just give up and come out. Yeah they look nice in the beginning but I don't know about you but its a painful experience for my head and scalp after she is finished. I hardly sleep that night because if I lay on my head it hurts. If I reposition the hair it hurts. I'm just S.O.L! Spraying oil sheen on it helps for like 5 minutes and its back to the pain. Did you know that oil sheen has alcohol in it? So its just drying your hair out and if your scalp is dry and there pain do you actually think your scalp is going to be relieved? Okay enough of my preaching...

How can you ease the pain? Get you a carrier oil such as jojoba (my favorite) or some Castor oil and apply it to the roots whenever you feel your scalp hurting. If it hurts to rub it in the scalp get a nozzle tip bottle and use it. Try to massage it in your scalp without messing up the braids. This definitely works for me. When I got these twist this time around it felt like my head was on FIRE! I didn't have any jojoba oil so I used some other kind and it worked. Man was I happy! Also when you start getting those little bumps try using some Castor oil or 100% pure Aloe Vera at the first sign. Believe me it HELPS. You can purchase the Aloe Vera and Jojoba oil at www.drugstore.com

*Also ladies remember the most important thing is just because there is something to help ease the pain we should at all cost avoid getting them put in to tight. If you get them put in too tight and you do not take care of your hair it can lead to serious problems down the road that sometimes are not always reversible. But if this has already happened to you don't feel bad just pick yourself back up and educate yourself on it! HTH's!*

Review: Gold N Hot Heat Cap (How I Deep Condition)

See that picture to the left of this text? That is what I was using to deep condition my hair instead of a regular dryer.

...Yeah right HOT! It gets warm and that's about all and they have the nerve to have temperature settings. I had it on the hottest temp and it STILL was warm. It did not even cover the hair on my nape area. I guess you can say I have a big head or its the size of these twists. I am in the desert right now so I do not have the luxury to use my salon dryer at home. After the frustration from using this thing today I decided to give it up and purchase another one under the same brand. It is the Gold and Hot Ionic Soft Bonnet Dryer. (See picture below) I have used this one before and it works. Maybe there is a difference between a heating cap and a darn dryer.

Review: Silicon Mix

Silicon Mix (Dominican Product)

This product is available at BLUEBEEZ. They give you a 2% discount on all purchases and they have all sizes available. I never ordered from them so I do not know about shipping.

I was in heaven when I went to this site....until I found out they do not ship APO! In no way am I affiliated with this site. I am just trying to pass the word on how to save a buck.

Now on to business with my review of this product!

First I turned on my heating cap and let it sit while I applied this product to the roots and ends of my twist. After I finished I placed a shower cap on my head and sat under the heating cap for about 50 minutes. I was going to do it for an hour but I was getting sleepy.

Next I went to the shower and let the water rinse the product out. (I didn't use my hair net) I noticed my hair felt kinda hard.

After the product was rinsed out I co washed with Suave Vanilla and Honey. After I finished my shower I applied some Giovanni Leave in to the ends of my hair, sprayed the ends with infusium 23 leave in and sprayed my whole head except my scalp with S Curl. After all of that I sealed with Castor oil. I decided not to use the Boundless Tresses because I wanted to see if the Silicon Mix actually softened my hair because it was still feeling hard.

In the morning I woke up and applied the Giovanni Leave in to my ends and went to work. I didn't want to put anything on my scalp since my roots were still damp and remember I wanted to see how soft this stuff made my hair feel.

Time now: It's 12:30 noon in Afghan. I have been touching my roots ALL day. I am amazed at how my roots feel moisturized. My hair hasn't felt this good in a while. I cant believe it because in the shower it felt kinda dry. I was wondering if the product was just "coating" my hair. But the more I think about it when I touch my scalp and look at my hands they are not greasy. So I guess its not coating. I posted a thread on LHCF about coating so I will see what the others say.

Overall if this product is not "coating" my hair. I give it a 10 ++++++! Could this possible be another staple of mine? We will see!