Day 4

I washed out the pre-poo gunk and shampooed with a vegetable soap bar and then J/A/S/O/N Biotin shampoo. The pre-poo was not good for detangling for me, but I saw a difference in how my hair responded to shampoo. It worked kind of like a deep treatment for me. I’m going to try using EVCO instead of regular coconut oil next time.

This is right out of the shower with damp hair.

My ends need to be trimmed badly. I did a ‘chunky’ twist out.

These are the twists after drying.

This is after untwisting them, not separating or fluffing though.

This is after some fluffing and separation. Because of the dire state of my ends I’ll probably be combing it out.

Day 3

Day 3

Air drying pool hair. One little piece is stretched out. I cowashed after I got out with a Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (HEHH) & Herbal Essences Totally Twisted (HETT) mix and I’m about to add Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO) to the mix as a pre-poo for tomorrow. I think I’ll be doing a twist-n-curl tomorrow.

Day 2

I have been bunning for a consistent week and this is the aftermath of a bunning style I started back when I was transitioning. It was much easier with permed ends, and I recommend it to those who are transitioning or still perming. I’ll do a photo (possibly video mehh..) tutorial soon. I basically pull my hair into 2 ponytails (one if I’m early into transitioning or still permed) and braid and curl the ends. This time I didn’t have enough time to let my ends dry so only the front had curls and the back was/is frizz.

This is what the style looks like with majority permed ends.

Hair Journey - Day 1

Last perm: July 18, 2009
Transitioned until: November 28, 2010

Transition length: 71 weeks or 17 3/4 months
Natural for: 42 weeks or 10 1/2 months

I have been growing my hair for 114 weeks or 2 years 4 1/2 months.

I will be spending the next 365 days trying to retain length and keep my hair healthy. My goal is that my hair will be almost at mid-back length in a year.

This is my wash-n-go length currently.

This is my blow dried length currently.

M.I.A. and new hair products

I'm been in-between nothing and 'vacations' so forgive me for my extended absences. I also just got a new laptop (today!) and haven't had access to a working computer for a while. When I have less time to do my hair I will have to do different styles therefore I will not be wearing small twists as much therefore I will post more and have more to post about. My hair is considerably longer, since I ended up basically doing a grow-out challenge through the twists, so I'll be able to try more styles. I'm looking forward to doing bantu knot-outs, twis-n-curls, and I also will be working so I'll be able to let my PJ run wild. I did get A LOT of the products I wanted to try.

My wonderful mother got me (from Target):

• Jane Carter Leave-in conditioner
• Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
• Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shea Butter Wash
• Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier
• Ten Thousand Villages Cucumber and Jasmine Vegetable Bar Soap

So far I like Jane Carter, Shea Moisture CES, and Taliah Waajid. I'll post more in depth reviews as I have more time to feel out the products. I was painfully neglectful to my twists for the last week and they were dry and felt like straw at the ends (I know, I need to deep condition) and I applied the CES in small amounts to all the twists, and sprayed both JC and TW all over my head. My hair today feels MUCH stronger and more moisturized already. My hair tends to be dryer in the summer and I need to put a moisturizer (leave-ins and oils don't work, I need a cream or something usually) to keep my hair healthy. I also plan on trying Brahmi oil or some products that have the oil in them because my edges are suffering as of now. Just around my temples they have thinned out a lot due to shedding and the twists. It's all grown back VERY fast (about in an inch as of now) but I want to try and prevent it and to correct it.

I have yet to use the to soaps, I will soon though. I like to use soaps with the right ingredients on my hair sometimes. I have been using the South of France Organic Shea Butter bar soap to clarify before hennaing. Speaking of hennaing, I need to do that ASAP. I haven't hennaed since... I don't even remember SAAAAADDDD. I also haven't DC'd in about the same amount of time. I'm been neglecting not only my hair, but myself as well. Something about having summers off because of school throws me off. Anyways, I'll have some pics up in the near future of this last bout of twists (done in 3 days for a concert [Warped Tour]) and my in-between style.

Super small twists vid FINALLY!

This is my process for doing small twists. Of these I had 600ish. I started with the front of my head and then moved from the nape of my neck up. They took 15 hours over 5 days. I started them June 1st and they lasted until July 14th. So about 6 weeks of wear. I was able to swim with them (in the ocean 3 times and in the pool twice) and wash them each time after that. That made it a lot more difficult to take them out though.

Super small twists are my favorite summer style.

Vacation!

I went to the beach and Delaware with my fam for a week. My twists held up very well actually. I am ACHING to take them out, but I have to wait until I get back to Richmond.

They held up really well and just shrunk a couple inches. I swam 3 times and washed it 2 times. There are tangles at my roots, but no matting or locking. I think I'm going to wait a week and then do small twists again. They are working wonders for containing my hair in the summer. The vid (**humongous sigh**) will be up soon .

please excuse the weird picture.

Technical difficulties

I've been working a basketball camp this week so I haven't had a chance to edit my video, as well as it's too large to be uploaded straight here (which I wanted to do and then put the edited version on youtube and a link here).

I'm still rocking the twists, but I've taken to keeping them pulled up in a bun. They've been in for 3 1/2 - 4 weeks and I said in my previous post I want them to last for another 2-3 weeks.

Super small twists: the process.

I did them very similarly to the last time this time around. I banded with twice as many scrunchies, and blow dried in sections on warm and then on cool. This was the result:

I wore pigtail puffs for a day before I started. After starting I would pull it back in a ponytail or a bun.

I find it easiest to do it section by section, I usually kept mine to at most a 3"x 3", but I prefer 2" x2" sections. When I wasn't twisting or I was doing another section I would braid the other sections as seen above. I found that easier than using clips or pins to clip off sections and prevent loose strands. I t also kept my hair stretched out so the twists wouldn't start off shrunken. Im my experience the shrinking starts about 3-4 days in and the best way to stretch them back out is to band. They'll never go back to being as straight as when I started, but they will lengthen out a little.

It seems like there's a lot going on in the pics, but really I only deal with one of the components at a time. I prefer to use as many clips as I did to optimize visibility in the back, but I've seen curly vids where they only use 2-3 clips for the whole process. I use at least 6 at all times.

1. the bottom right
2. the bottom left
3. the loose halved side
4. the first side in the front that's done
5. the other side in the front that's done
6. the hair in the part I'm not dealing with
7. the line of twists I'm currently working on

And the end result (drumroll please...)

These were taken today (technically yesterday) about 2 weeks in, and I plan to keep them in for 4-5 more weeks. I wore the twists pinned up (seen above) to an interview earlier today actually. I hope I get the job :D.

Btw, my touch up method for my ends (they get frizzy and dry every 3-4 days) is to just put a dab of Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter to each end. I do this at night before I go to sleep. It takes about an 1-1.5 hours so I only do once a week. I hate the smell of the stuff, and it's kinda gooky at first, but after I wake up my ends are wonderful (I hope you can see in the pics)

More pictures... lol I have no explanation other than I was bored. These are a week in and before the touch-up I did last last night for the interview.

Random pics done. The video should be done and up in a day or two. Let's see if my computer wants to cooperate...

New Twists finally done!

They are considerably smaller and took much longer as well. Over the course of 6 days and 18 hours from June 1 - 6 I did them. So far they are holding out well, safe about 10-15 loose strands of hair that got pulled out of the twists. The loose strands annoy me and I'm too lazy to fix them soo...

Pics and video later in the day (when my technology is charged)