Making Hard Decisions

I'm halfway through my No Puff Challenge and I've been doing AMAZING!!! I'm using protective styles, washing my hair and trying to keep it moisturized. which brings me to two issues: 1. My hair is like straw and I don't know if I can fix it, and 2. The ends are so damaged that I don't know if I can fix it.

Using the LOC method when I washed my hair the other day really seemed to help. I had only finished the twists in the front when I won't to bed and when I got up the next day, the undone portion of hair was still very soft and moisturized (I also sleep in a satin bonnet). I figure that this is a step in the right direction for fixing problem one of my hair. Which brings me to problem 2. These raggedy, dry, brittle, single strand knot filled ends. They need to be cut. DESPERATELY!! The only problem with that is that I need to cut off at LEAST 2 inches but probably more like 4-5 just because of how uneven my hair is (at it's shortest point that's not from breakage it goes to my earlobes but at it longest point in the back, it's BSL). I feel like I want to BC again now that I know so much more about how to take care of my hair. Plus, having that short hair would feel awesome this summer. But my hubby would have a heart attack if I did that so I'll have to cut the ends, but by but. After I'm done with these twists I'll probably stretch my hair and then straighten it so that I can have my ends cut. Hopefully this will help me along my journey to healthier hair!:-)

<3 Mae

Twist It Up

Things got a little hectic this week. Although I took my hairstyle from last week out on Monday evening, it wasn't until Wednesday evening that I was finally able to wash my hair.

I shampooed with V05, did a DC using Queen Helene Cholesterol under a shower cap and a knit hat (it was about 2 hours. Long enough to eat dinner and do Family Worship), then did an ACV rinse (for the first time), rinsing that out with a blast of COLD water. I then tried the LOC method, that I read about the other day and used water, olive oil, and Hawaiian Silky lotion and begin to style my hair into twists. It took me two days to finish them but it did:-)

My plan is to leave these in for at least a week, touching up as necessary and then rocking a twist out for a few days, just to bring me back to Monday Wash Day. They turned out nicely so I think it'll work.

<3 Mae

Flat Twist to the Side Protective Style

On Tuesday evening I washed my hair and decided to put it into a few large twists to stretch because my sister is graduating on Saturday and I wanted to try the cute roll, tuck, and pin updo I featured the other day. I made about 10-12 individual twists in the front and was planning on doing chunky twists in the back, when I decided that I would try to flat twist it and see how it turned out. So I started from my left ear and went across my hairline. It came out nicely so I tried another one. I figured I'd just keep going and use that to stretch it. Well, I ended up with 5 flat twists all stopping behing my right ear. I decided that it looked cute and I could totally turn it into a protective style so I flat twisted straight down where all the ends were and then tucked it up and under itself and secured with hair pins. I then added 2 cute flowers to accessorize. I LOVE it!!! I also got a really nice compliment when I went out today! I will probably keep this style until next Monday (Wash Day). I wonder what I will come up with next :-)

<3 Mae

Style of the "Day" II

Well, unfortunately I didn't wash and twist my hair the other day. Fortunately, I HAVE been sticking to my challenge:-).

I was gonna do the Roll, Tuck, & Pin from THIS post for the meeting tonight but my hai wasn't stretched out enough. Then I was gonna do a roll twist headband but I wet my hair too much and it poufed up huge! Finally I decided on a flat twist headband. I think it turned out nicely :-)

Until next time,
<3 Mae

Roll, Tuck, & Pin Updo II

On Sunday I saw my friend Teandra and she had the CUTEST roll, tuck, & pin updo that she found in a magazine. She said that it was originally flat twisted but she doesn't know how to flat twist so she did a roll, tuck, & pin instead. She did a rod set on the top but I might try twisting it. I LOVE it and can't wait to try it myself!!

It looks really good on her!

Still on my quest for cute styles and I'm doing well on my "No Puff" challenge. Gonna wash and twist my hair tonight. :-)

Happy tresses!
<3 Mae

No Puff Challenge

In the last 2 years, the "puff":

 has been my go to style. Bad hair day? Puff it. Too tired to twist it? Puff it. Super dirty and tangled and in dire need of a wash? PUFF IT!!

While the puff is a beautiful style, that I think flatters my face, I wear it WAY too often. Like, 90% of the time. As a result, I have noticed breakage in the crown of my head as well as along my edges. I think that the pulling of my edges are worrying me the most because, when I was relaxed, I had a couple spots in the front of my hairline that just wouldn't grow in/very long and I thought it was just the way my hair grew. When I stopped getting relaxers, that hair gradually grew in, evening out my hairline. Now, my puffs are killing my edges again.

So...

I am challenging myself not to wear a puff for 2 months. I had this idea last Saturday and since I twisted my hair last Monday, I'll use the 16th as my start date. No more puffs until June 17th! After then, I will try to only wear a puff 50% of the time. My goal is to stop the breakage in the crown and edges of my hair, and I think with less manipulation into the puff I will be able to achieve that. Since I won't be able to "puff it" as usual, this will also force me to come up with other styles and REGULARLY wash and style my hair. I'm thinking of lots of twist/bantu knot outs, roll, tuck, & pin styles, and my knit cap for those really horrid days. Anyway, we'll see how this works out. I'm excited!!! :-) As always,

<3 Mae

Scream, Shout, and Twist Out!!

Monday evening I decided that I wanted to do a twist out on my hair. I washed it with V05 shampoo and then used my trusty Suave Naturals conditioner.

This is the freshly washed hair:

I sectioned my hair, spritzed with water, and applied my Shea butter/Vitamin E oil mix (need to go to the store soon and replenish my supplies. I'm all out of jojoba oil). I twisted my hair into medium sized twists but then flat twisted two twists going across my hairline. This is the finished result:

I then wore the twists under a grey knit cap for a few days, mostly just because I didn't want to take the twists out until today and also because the last couple days have been really busy so I haven't had time to really do my hair. Here is the style:

I took the twists out today. I sprayed some Curls Lavish Curls Moisturizer into my hands and ran it across my twists and then slowly unraveled and separated. I think it came out nicely!

<3 Mae