Thursday 29 December 2016

Texlax/Relaxer Update #4

Compliments of the season, trust you had a wonderful Christmas celebration. I did my last texlax touch for 2016, last week at 16 weeks post. I had yarn Senegalese twists installed and kept that in for two weeks. I had a touch-up prep. wash day 5 days before touch day. See here to read how I prepare my hair for the chemical treatment. Unfortunately, for this prep wash day I was out of Aphogee Two Step Protein treatment. I substituted that with ORS Hair Mayonnaise, a table spoon of Tropic Isle JBCO with Sage and 2 tablespoons of Braggs Liquid Aminos.

I followed my normal texlax routine. Deep conditioned with Organics Hair Mayonnaise + Motions Moisture Plus + Honey. I air-dried, then straightened my in approximately 1 inch sections at 180°C. Leave-in: African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Moisture Intense Leave-in Conditioner
Sealant: HairvolutionbyBee Whipped Shea Butter
Heat Protectant: Fantasia IC Carrot Growth Serum
I've been dealing with breakage for the past few months. I still don't know exactly why, so I wasn't really expecting to retain length.

texlaxed hair

length check tshirt
Length check

As you can see, I actually retained length, my ends however, are in a very terrible state. My hair has grown into a very annoying thin "V". I guess you could say this is my first setback.

Ponytail

SETBACK RECOVERY STEPS
Cut off thin ends
Keep relaxer stretches to a maximum of 12/13 weeks
Ensure moisture-protein balance
Reduce hair manipulation by keeping protective styles simple (buns and wigs mostly).
Daily moisturising and sealing

Post-trim hair (I would cut off about 1.5 inches more soon)
I hope your ends fared better than mine this year. Kindly share tips you think could help me with my ends. Catch ya in the comments section.

xx,
Bee

Sunday 11 December 2016

Must Have Hair Tools for Healthy Hair

On your quest for longer and healthier hair, you would get to know about various hair products (shampoos, conditioners, leave-in conditioners, oils etc.). Either you go the DIY route or you buy, the kind of products you use would have an impact on your hair. There are are also hair tools that are very important in determining the overall health of your hair or making your healthy hair journey (HHJ) easier.

Wide-toothed comb: Your fingers and/or a Wide-toothed combs are the best for detangling your hair. Combs with small teeth are a no no for healthy hair. They will snag and snap your strands and this would cause a lot of breakage. Also, note that in choosing a wide-toothed comb, a seamless one is the best. However, if a seamless comb is not within your budget at the moment, just make sure the one you choose has as little seams as possible.
hair comb
Wide-toothed comb

Satin/silk cap/bonnet/scarf: Other fabrics such as cotton tend to draw out moisture from the hair. Satin or silk fabrics are very gentle on the hair strands, help your hair retain moisture and reduce friction/static. All these properties help prevent hair breakage. If you are not a huge fan of covering your hair at night or your better half isn't *winks, a very good alternative is to use silk/satin pillowcases. I personally use both, just because I love the feel and also for nights that I might be too lazy or tired to put on my satin bonnet.


reversible satin bonnet
HairvolutionbyBee Lounge Reversible Silk/Satin Bonnet

Spray bottle: Moisture is your hair's best friend. The easiest way to moisturise your hair is by using a spray bottle. You can make your own moisturising cocktails (e.g. Water + Oils + Essential oils) and dispense with your spray bottle. You really can't do without this and you would probably need more than one.

hair spray bottle

Steaming/ Heat cap: You would need to do a lot of deep conditioning on your HHJ(every wash day), hence the need for a heat source. There are various types depending on your budget and need. There are even cordless ones that you can pop in the microwave or drop the gel pads in hot water. However, if this is not in your budget now, you can simply cover your hair with a shower cap and allow the heat generated by your body to do the job. Note that this would take a longer time, at least one hour.


Heat cap
Electric Steaming Cap

cordless heat cap
Cordless Heat Cap

Butterfly clamps/clips: You would be doing a lot of sectioning, for example during moisturising and sealing, detangling or styling. These clamps will help keep the sections in place and make things easier and faster for you.
hair clamps

Others: Bobby pins for styling, shower caps for deep conditioning, baggying, and when taking a shower, mixing bowls, plastic spoons or spatulas, applicator bottles for oiling scalp and so on.

Which other tools are must-haves for you? See you in the comment section.

xx,
Bee.
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