Thursday, July 31, 2008

Hair Product Haul

I did a little replenishing of a couple products that I needed. I purchased 3 bottles of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. You're probably asking, "why so much?", well 1 is for my cooking ( I just love that wonderful Coconut aroma in my kitchen) , 1 is for my hair, 1 for my older sis back in TDOT. I am in LOVE with EVCO. PLUS, its wayyyyyyyyyy cheaper out here in North Carolina. I just had to take advantage of the pricing. I also got some Castor Oil to thicken up my hair some more and promote growth. I will be adding this to my DC. Got some more AtOne Botanical Reconstructor (awesome slip!!) and some hair accessories (scrunchies, stretchy headbands). I'm done for now - not.


Sunshyne

Oh how sweet it isn't! Yet another reason why you should limit your sugar intake


A few years ago I was religious about eliminating sugar from my diet. This change came after stumbling onto a website, a while back, and reading of a study where a dog given a diet of only water outlived a dog provided a diet of sugar water. That was the moment that I knew I had to make a decision to limit the amount of sugar I take in on a regular basis.

I then proceeded to eliminate as much refined sugar as possible from my diet. Not buying a pack of snack cakes was easy. But when I found out that my loaf of bread and the ketchup I use both contained sugar, I came to the realization that giving up sugar would be harder than I first thought. I have since backslided from my commitment made years ago to eliminate sugar. No, I'm not to the point of buying snack cakes, but I haven't been as disciplined with checking the labels of common food for sugar levels.

Well, I'm going back to my no-sugar-eatin' ways. The cause of my turnaround was when I found out that, amoungst many other reasons, sugar can cause spit ends. Yes, split ends! I first read about this in a book on healthy hair and when I thought about it, this made perfect sense.

When I studied the effects of sugar on the body years ago, I learned that because refined sugars are devoid of nutrients, the body actually has to use its own nutrient reserves just to break down the sugar in your system. Hence, the reason why we experience tooth decay when we consume too much sugar. We are using the body's calcium to digest it. Along with calcium, sugar also depletes the body's copper reserves. In fact,a recent study found that rats fed a diet high in sucrose experienced three times the reduction in copper compared to rats who were fed a diet rich in starch.

A deficiency in copper, my friend, is one cause of split ends. Copper, in general, is extremely important for the health of your hair. In fact, according to Hair Vitalizer.com, copper stimulates the cells that are responsible for the substances that are present during the hair's growth phase. Without an ample copper reserve, you may not experience the same level of growth that you would normally with a balanced diet.

Sugar should be technically thought of as a poison because it actually robs our bodies of essential nutrients leaving behind only empty calories for which your body has no use for. That is like giving someone your car for thousands of dollars only to find out that the money was counterfeit. You gave up something of value and what you are left with is worthless.

Your hair grows directly from inside of you and relies on your nutritional stores for its healthy state. Because we are choosing to relax our hair, we have to make sure that we are growing the healthiest, strongest, hair possible so that it can somewhat withstand the harsh process. Sugar undermines all of our efforts at achieving great health and we must no longer allow this to happen.

Today, I urge you to begin to look a little more closely at the amount of sugar your are consuming on a regular basis (the average American consumes 2-3 pounds a week). Think of sugar not as the sweet confectionery treat but as a dangerous poison. I know how hard it is to eliminate refined sugar from your diet (in fact, its nearly impossible). Instead of going cold turkey, why not try some simple alternatives like fruit juice with no sugar added or a some ripe grapes in lieu of bit sized chocolates. Fruit sugars, unlike refinded sugars, come equipped with enzymes that aid's its degestion. This means that the body uses less of its own nutrients to digest it. Going forward, I want you to be aware of the sugar levels in the foods you eat so you can make conscious daily choices to limit your sugar intake for your health and the health of the beautiful hair of yours.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight, Pin Straight Conditioner

Product Claims: With a Fusion of Honeyed Pear & Silk The power will go straight to your head. Can I be straight with you? You already think straight. but you want to go flat out. Well, I'll give you a big dose of conditioning to help you get your straight look. Pour on the lusciousness root to tip with my creamy formula fused with honeyed pear & silk. It revives your hair's silkiness and shine and helps it move in a fine line.
Directions: Massage me in. relax. rinse me out. walk straight ahead.

Ingredients: Water, Stearyl Alcohol, CyclopentaSiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Dimethicone, Honey Extract, Pyrus Pyrifolia/Pyrus Bretschneideri Blend Juice (Pear), Hydrolyzed Silk, Fragrance, Glutamic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Red 33


The Truth: I tried this conditioner out of sheer curiousity. I figured that since I'm stretching and the new growth can be kinda kinky and annoying at times, that this conditioner will straighten that out for me. I noticed that my hair and ends were straigher than normal which was a plus. My new growth was laying down more flat then usual too. However, this conditioner made my hair slightly tangled and kinda on the dry side. So, nothing spectacular here. Would I repurchase? Now thats a straight up NO.

Price: $2.97 CAD
Hairlicious Rating: (2.5/5) Just Okay



Sunshyne

Monday, July 28, 2008

Black Emo Hairstyles Photo Gallery

black hair

black hair styles
If you are looking for an all black emo hairstyle pictures, check out these diverse looks. Whether you want that sophisticate chic look, a natural do, sleek or just wanna look exotic and mysterious. You will be amazed by the many different hairstyles for black emo hair that are available. SammyxMariiie Gallery will help you pick an emo or scene hairstyle that is perfect for you. No blondes, no highlights, just black.

Black Emo Hairstyles Photo Gallery

black hair

black hair styles
If you are looking for an all black emo hairstyle pictures, check out these diverse looks. Whether you want that sophisticate chic look, a natural do, sleek or just wanna look exotic and mysterious. You will be amazed by the many different hairstyles for black emo hair that are available. SammyxMariiie Gallery will help you pick an emo or scene hairstyle that is perfect for you. No blondes, no highlights, just black.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

My Hair Obsession: The Humble Beginnings

As long as I can remember, I have always had a fascination with all things hair. It all started when I was a young lad, my earliest hair related memory is one that I actually don't remember. My mom tells of a time when I was merely a toddler just embarking on that time in my life when most youngin's start to explore. For me exploring would lead me to my first true love, my hair.
According to my mom, she was busy tending to the household when she finally realized that she hadn't heard the normal rumblings of a child playing nearby. That is when she decided to investigate and find out just what I was doing. It wasn't until later that she found her child, in a room by herself, with a nearly empty container of hair grease. The contents of the container were spread all over my hair, my clothes, and other unfortunate places in that room. Thus it began..........

My personal memories start to solidify at around 7 years of age. My mother, wanting to make her child happy, would buy me these dolls that stood almost as tall as I was. The purpose of the doll was for a child like me to take my new play friend by the hand and walk side by side. I, on the other hand, saw much greater purposes from my new possession. I devised clever schemes of how I could somehow transplant the doll's long, luscious hair to mine. One day my mom came home from her long day at work and asked my brother and I if we wanted to visit our local park. I told her I needed a few minutes to get ready and proceeded to create my own version of fusion weave by taking a portion of my doll's hair and somehow attaching it to the end of my braid with the help of a little aluminum foil. The end result was a poorly constructed braid consisting of type 4 hair on the top half and silky doll hair on the bottom half.

Though my attempts at creating lengthy hair was extremely lacking, I still felt like a million bucks because I was able to gain several inches of length overnight. I still remember getting a second look from a cute boy at the park that day though I can't quite decipher if the look was one of admiration or mere curiosity.

Fast forward a couple of years when I would ride the school bus to receive my public education. Being one of only a hand full of minorities, I often stood out in the crowd as different from most others. I remember riding home on the bus and staring at the girls as they brushed their hair from their faces as the wind from the open bus window swept their hair in every direction. That was the moment when I had decided that I had outgrown my ponytails.

At around 10 years of age, my aunt came to town and asked my mom if she could take me to the fair. In preparation for the event, my aunt asked my mother if I could wear my hair down. I begged and pleaded for the opportunity to allow my hair to flow (relatively speaking) freely on this very special day. My mother, being the traditionalist that she was, agreed to allow the back half of my hair down only if the top half was placed into some sort of ponytail.

That half up, half down, hair do was the beginning of what would become my hair emancipation. For it was after that occasion that I had to have the dreaded conversation with my mother relinquishing her from her responsibilities of doing my hair. Much to my surprise, she had grown tired of messing with it and happily stepped down from her role as my personal hair stylist.

It was then that I began a long and arduous hair journey that created some frustration over the years. As a teenager, I was too often swayed by what others saw as suitable ways to treat their hair. As a result, the physical state of my hair fell short of my expectation time and time again. It was only after I began to search the farthest reaches of the internet for any and all available information that I began to witness any notable change.

Today, my hair journey has evolved to the creation of this blog. Is this blog here because I know everything there is to know about relaxed hair? On the contrary, this blog exists because of my desire to gain as much knowledge on how to perfect my hair as possible. My journey is no where near over but I am pleased to say that I am relishing every single step of the way.

Short Hairstyles For Men in White

short frequent trips to the barbershop in order to keep its shape, but otherwise can be easily managed with a comb for most men, and gel or styling paste if your hair needs a little help staying in place.

Mens short haiestyles
Mens short hairstylesMens short fringe hairstylesMens short layered hairstylesMens Trendy short hairstyles

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Stretching Your Relaxer 101


Embrace your new growth!

If some of you don't know already, I am 12 wks post relaxer and this has been my best stretch by farrrrrr!! Im so happy! Yes I did get tangles and the ocassionaly matting going on, but nothing one couldn't deal with. I will be relaxing next week at 13 wks. This will be my 3rd relaxer this year (1 more to go) and I've never gone passed 12 wks before. I came up with a couple of tips as to how I got through my stretch along with the pro's and con's.

Stretching is a term normally used by those with chemical relaxers in their hair. Stretching your relaxers means to prolong the amount of time in between realxers. So instead of relaxing every 6-8 wks, you can stretch that time frame to 10-12 wks. Some are so good at sretching that they can go up to 6 months with a relaxer.

Is stretching good or bad? Stretching can be very beneficial to your hair. By giving your hair a rest, from relaxing it frequently, allows the hair to thicken up over time, become stronger, less prone to damage, little to no over processing. However, if not done corectly, stretching can do more harm than good i.e. breakage, excessive dryness, brittle hair, shedding.

Stretching Tips For Newbies

- If you have not stretched before, take baby steps so that this process will become easier for you. If you're used to relaxing every 6 weeks, push for 1 more week (so relax at 7 wks) until you relax. Keep doing this until you reach a point where you cannot manage your new growth any longer, then you know its time for a re-touch (for me thats about 12-13wks).
- Deep condition the hair 2x week with a deep moisturizing conditioner for 30-45mins with heat, 1hr without heat.
- Use protein when needed (if hair is very mushy, soft, or limp).
- Apply your Deep conditioner to the demarcation line of the hair, so that area can be strengthened because this is where breakage can occur.
- Add oils to your Deep conditioners. For example, Coconut Oil, Extra virgin olive oil, Jojoba Oil, Safflower oil for extra lubrication and to soften your new growth and ends.
- Up your co-washes!!! This is important because the longer you stretch the more moisture your hair requires. Cowashes are a quick and easy way to refreshen the hair and give it added moisture. Plus it also cleanses the hair in a
very gentle way. With this particular stretch I've been cowashing my hair almost every other day and my hair has become much more manageable. Plus its additcing :)
- Do steam treatments for 20-30mins.
- Moisturize and Seal as usual. Keep hair moisturized at all times.
- (optional) Blow the roots out with a brush and blow dryer so the new growth is smooth & tame allowing you to stretch even longer, if possible.
- Air dry in braids or roller set the hair.
- Do braid-outs or twist-outs to blend new growth with already relaxed hair.
- Use low manipulation styles. While stretching your hair is very fragile so be very gentle.
- One week prior to relaxer remember to do your protein treatment to strengthen the hair for the relaxer process.
- If you are going to be using shampoo, remember to use a shampoo with great detangling properties or just detangle before shampooing with a conditioner.
- When you have tangles, comb starting at the ends first then work your way up to the roots with a wide tooth comb. Make sure there is some kind of moisture in the hair when taking out the tangles.

Caution:

If at any point you experience severe breakage (small broken hairs) or shedding (long hairs with white bulb at the end) stop stretching, do a protein or moisturizing treatment (assess your hair and see what it may need) or use a garlic shampoo or supplement for your shedding. The following week relax your hair. Everyone's hair is different, Stretching may not be for you.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Random Thought #1: My cousin will be bald by the end of this year


Random thought:

I have a female cousin who is not in tuned with the basic fundamentals of taking care of her relaxed hair.

Last week while at a family function, she nonchalantly moved a section of her hair aside so that she could reveal a massive area of baldness on her scalp.

I gasped in horror and quickly told her to cut off as much relaxer as she could (if she was willing) and to allow her hair to grow naturally (even if for only part of the year) before relaxing again.

She then proceeded to reminded me of a family wedding occurring in just a few short weeks and reaffirmed the fact that she could not attend the function without a fresh relaxer.

I then flashed back to the days when she would openly mock me for allowing myself to be seen in public with more than a quarter inch of new growth.

That's when I realized that my words were futile and no change would come about until she literally has no hair left on her head.

On the bright side......the red hair color she sports looks really nice.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

My first 30 Day Challenge for healthier hair

For the past several of years I have had a very strong interest in the area of personal development. One of my favorite PD bloggers is Steve Pavlina writer of Personal Development for Smart People. His website is chock full of valuable content geared to help you become the very best person you can be. One of my favorite posts of his was the 30 Day trial entry.

The basis of the 30 Day trial is to develop a habit by committing yourself to doing just one thing every single day. Once you commit to beginning the trial, you must remain faithful until the full 30 days have passed. If you miss one day, you need to start over. Once you have successfully completed your 30 day trial, you can make a sound decision on whether or not to continue with this habit based on your results. Chances are, your new behavior will continue after the 30 days simply because of the consistent action that you have been taking.

I've decided to take on a 30 day trial that will benefit my hair. I thought long and hard about an activity that I can do every day that will make a positive impact in the health of my hair. I finally came to the conclusion that for the next 30 days, I will:

Focus on improving my nightly routine. I will add my favorite oil/moisturizer to my hair every single night sometime before I go to sleep. I'll take extra care to focus on areas that need it the most including my ends and any other weak areas. Along with this I also plan on making sure to tie my hair down properly using the best scarves, wraps, etc that will stay on overnight and keep my hair protected until morning.



The end result of my actions will (hopefully) be shiny, healthier looking hair in the morning, every morning for the next 30 days. My hair will also become stronger because of the reduced friction now that my wrap will be secured more properly to stay on all night. My hair will also be nourished from the nutritional properties of the plant oils that I will apply every single night without fail.



Let me just say that I have made this promise to myself before. My downfall usually occurs when I fall asleep while watching a movie or something and neglect to moisturize/oil my hair before bed. When that happens, I grab whatever head wrap I can get my hands on, and manage somehow to tie my hair down with both of my eyes closed. This action is extremely futile because my hair is already in disarray when I secure the scarf.

Understanding fully that I am functionally a morning person, I will overcome my obstacle by putting in place some measures to help me in my success. First I will set a daily alarm on my blackberry (Yes, its that serious)informing me of my need to prepare my hair for bed. I'll set my alarm for 6:30 m or 7:00 pm so I can make sure to do my deed way before the Sandman comes to visit. My second safeguard will be to segment my 30 day challenge into a 7 day challenge for four weeks. For me a 7 day challenge will seem more manageable(achievable) and I can assess my success every Sunday. During my assessment, I will notate any noticeable benefits and use the progress to motivate me to keep going strong the following week.

Wish me luck. I'm off to start day one.

Some TREAMENTS and SOLUTIONS for your HAIR.

Dandruff Remover

Dandruff is dead skin on the scalp. Skin cells always die and flake off the body, but if the rate is increased and the scaly flakes are not removed they can remains and be seen on the head. Smkin cells die and are replaced around once a month, but with people with dandruff, the process is speeded up to approximately once every two weeks.

The Ingredients are following:
-Water - 1/2 cup
-White Vinegar - 1/2 cup

The Instructions
Combine ingredients. After that apply directly to the scalp. Use before shampooing. Apply twice a week.

Hot Oil Hair Treatment

The Ingredients
-Soybean oil - 1 teaspoon
-Castor oil - 2 teaspoons

The Instructions
Mix up ingredients then warm on low heat. Massage mixture into the hair and scalp. Wrap hair in a hot towel for fifteen minutes. Wash & rinse out.

Rosemary Hot Oil Treatment (Recommanded For Dry Hair)
-Dried rosemary leaves - 1/2 cup of
-Olive oil - 1/2 cup

Mix up ingredients then heat up until warm. Strain. Coat the entire scalp and ends of hair with the oil mixture. Wrap hair in saran wrap and a towel over that then leave on for fifteen minutes. Shampoo hair twice to remove the oil. Use this treament 2 times a month or when your needs a deep conditioning. Leaves your hair shiny and rehydrated.

How To Remove a Gum From Hair

The Ingredients
-Peanut butter or Salad Oil

The Instructions
Work the peanut butter or oil into the hair where the gum is, slowly take it out. Shampoo hair well after that to remove oil. Works very well!

Recipe No 2

-Petroleum Jelly
Put the jelly around the gum, work it into the hair until the gum is removed. Shampoo hair thoroughly after that.

Monday, July 21, 2008

What Hairstyles do you like?

Have you been styling your hair pretty much the same way for years? It seems like I search for a brand new hairstyle every so often and comb many online sites and magazines for ideas. I come out with a photo of a hairstyle that I absolutely love.

Then when I take this hairstyles photo I love to the stylist to get it cut, I find out that the style is pretty much exactly the same way me hair is right now with a few minor additions or changes.

Maybe I will add a wispy bang, full bang or even choppy bangs. Maybe layers around the face is the change this time. But all the styles look the same.

Sometimes it is really hard to break out of the same hairstyle rut. Drastic measures may be necessary, such as going from a long hair style to a medium or short one. Or adding some highlights or even changing your color completely.

The best advice for breaking out of the hairstyles rut is to do everything gradually. If you want to go with the cute short bob hairstyles that all the celebrities are wearing, take it slow. Try out the long bob first, then go to medium length before making the plunge to very short hair.

A great way to try out new looks, without having to go near a pair of scissors is to try them on. Check out some of these Free Hair Demos for great hairstyles ideas.

Medium Length Hairstyles for Men Short

Medium length hair styles for men can have many definitions. But no matter what its variation, it can be that stylish. Choose one of your favorite hairstyle for your next hairstyle.
Hope this medium length mens hairstyle can help you.
Medium Length Hairstyles for Men Medium Length Hairstyles for Men Medium Length Hairstyles for Men by Daniel Billett
mens hairstyles 2008
Medium Length Hairstyles for Men
mens medium haircuts
Medium Length Hairstyles for Men
mens medium hairstyle
Medium Length Hairstyles for Men
medium hairstyle for men
Medium Length Hairstyles for Men
Medium Length Hairstyles for Men
Medium Length Hairstyles for Men

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Hairlicious on Twitter


Yup that's right! Now you can get live updates on what I'm doing in my "day-to-day" routine and what I do to my HAIR. You can follow my twitter updates via my blog or via my twitter URL listed below.

I'll be updating regularly so tune in...


Follow me : ) http://twitter.com/Hairlicious


Sunshyne

Links We Love

If you would like to see your Beauty/Fashion Related website listed here, Please Contact Us with your URL and the reciprocal link to view our URL on your site! Keep checking back to see your URL below.

Beauty Sites:

Wellness/Health:

www.heyphatgirl.com
Love for Fitness, Fashion, Beauty & Hair Care
The Divine Wellness Center

Fashion Sites:

Glamour and Love
Hush Puppies Shoes
Sneaks Of Swag
The Wardrobe Closet

Hair Sites/Blogs:

Afro-Deity
Baby Girl Hair
Beautiful Hair
Black Hair Beauty

Black Siren Hair
Braids 4 Grow - Grow Baby Grow
Campus Hair
Crown & Glory
From Sassy to Classy
Hair-A-Mania
Hairlicious Inc. Hair Fotki
Hairlista Inc. Blog
Hairly Obsessed
L.A.D.Y(Love And Delight in Your Hair and Skin)
Long Hair Don't Care
Nics Nacs & Kinks
Rauney's Place
Songbird's Hair
Southern Diva Natural
The Coarse Hair Diary
The Long Hair Diaries
Vanna's Hair & Things
Compare hair transplant prices from the top hair restoration surgeons


Online Community/Hair Education:

Hairlista Inc. Social Network





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Friday, July 18, 2008

Hair Styling Tips

Always use a protecting spray when blow drying your hair, this helps from damaging your hair. Then do a few more quick spray of the protector before straightening it. To really get a good hold use an extreme hold hair spray.

Colors are always a good way to make an emo style stand out. For those who can't color their hair, pick up some non-permanent hair color. It is temporary and will wash right out. You can find them in sprays and gels. All colors too- red, black, purple, blue, pink, green, teal, yellow, aqua, etc. You can always use more than one color!

The cut says it all. Short or long- it doesn't matter. Cut or have your hair cut in choppy, uneven layers. Side bangs are the bomb! Throwing some color in them will def. draw some attention. Using a razor will give you more texture- which is a great thing with emo hair.

If your hair is thick and you want it thinner to style better- use or have your stylist use a thinning sheer- this while thin out your hair (but not too much) and also give you texture.

thanks to Crystal

Hair Styling Tips

Always use a protecting spray when blow drying your hair, this helps from damaging your hair. Then do a few more quick spray of the protector before straightening it. To really get a good hold use an extreme hold hair spray.

Colors are always a good way to make an emo style stand out. For those who can't color their hair, pick up some non-permanent hair color. It is temporary and will wash right out. You can find them in sprays and gels. All colors too- red, black, purple, blue, pink, green, teal, yellow, aqua, etc. You can always use more than one color!

The cut says it all. Short or long- it doesn't matter. Cut or have your hair cut in choppy, uneven layers. Side bangs are the bomb! Throwing some color in them will def. draw some attention. Using a razor will give you more texture- which is a great thing with emo hair.

If your hair is thick and you want it thinner to style better- use or have your stylist use a thinning sheer- this while thin out your hair (but not too much) and also give you texture.

thanks to Crystal

Simple Steps in Fighting Excessive Hairfall

Having excessive falling hair is a condition that is commonly shared by a lot of people. Many factors contribute to this, such as stress and tension, poor diet and malnutrition, hormonal imbalance, over-processing of the hair, and frequent use of styling products and chemicals, to name a few. Just because it is a common condition does not mean that it should be ignored and left untreated. If you allow the condition to persist, you might find yourself dealing with bigger problems in the future, such as hair loss and baldness. If you suffer from excessive hair fall, here are some simple steps to follow in order to arrest the problem.

Reassess your diet and eating habits. Make sure that you are providing your body with the right amount of vitamins and nutrients. Eat a lot of food rich in protein and Vitamins B and E, as these promote the growth of healthy and lustrous hair.

Avoid combing or brushing your hair when it is wet and refrain from putting it up on a ponytail or a tight bun. Hair is at its weakest when wet and brushing or combing it makes it prone to splitting and breakage. Fixing your hair up in a very tight hairstyle may also cause unnecessary damage to the hair follicles and may result to hair loss.

Lastly, always keep your scalp clean and free of dirt or product buildup. Wash it on a daily basis to get rid of dirt, grime, excess sebum, and styling product buildup. Massage it every so often to aid in the circulation of blood to the scalp. This allows the scalp and the hair follicles to breathe and to stimulate the growth and production of healthy hair.

Want stronger hair? Maybe you should start with your relaxer

As you all may know, I'm going through a phase where I'm searching for the most optimal means possible of adding much needed strength to my hair. So far I've been introduced to the Nanokeratin system by my stylist. Along with that, I also bought Silicon Mix w/Pearl Extract in hopes of benefiting from the strengthening pearl ingredient.

Today, while browsing various blogs online, I noticed Dr. Ali Syed shared with his readers a fabulous presentation on the type of damage that can occur to our hair during the coloring, styling, and relaxing process. His presentation will be shared with professional hair dressers on his visit to Europe.

I am most grateful that he shared presentation with us. He presents some great information that we (common folk) may not see on a regular basis. That's because most of the information is highly scientific in nature.
Dr. Syed immediately grabbed my attention on slide 48 where he shows the amount of cuticle layer loss which occurs during the relaxing process. Knowing how important the cuticle layer is to the health of our hair, I was disheartened to see how much loss occurs using a traditional traditional relaxer. According to the graph, the loss which occurs at the cuticle layer is about 90% more than in untreated (virgin) hair. Just before I started contemplating going natural, I noticed a third comparison of cuticle layer loss with the use of a fiber guard relaxer. According to the graph, the amount of cuticle loss with a fiber guard relaxer is about half of that with a normal relaxer.


I immediately went searching for more information on the fiberguard system. Apparently the fibergaurd system is one that is exclusively used in the Avlon's Affirm Relaxer with fiberguard. I found some reviews online and I thought I would share one or two of them with you.

This one was excerpted from a blackhairmedia.com thread:

"I use Fiberguard and I LOVE IT! It retains the tensile strength and elasticity of the hair, and it is excellent for color treated hair. My hairdresser uses Affirm and Fiberguard on my hair, depending on whether I have used color recently or not. Both relaxers work great. I used to use optimum before I switched to a hairdresser who used Affirm. That was 7 years ago, and I will not use any other relaxers. I urge you to try Affirm or Fiberguard."


Here's another post from LHCF:

"My stylist also uses Affirm Fiberguard on my hair, too. I have not had as much breakage since he's been using it. My last stylist used Affirm...not sure if it was Fiberguard and I always had really thick hair. After Hurricane Katrina I went through a stylist search and ended up using other brands. I had so much breakage and thinning. I found my new guy and he used Affirm FG and it is healthier. It is a plus for preventing/slowing breakage IMO. As far as CONS, maybe switching brands after using it for years was not a good idea. That is the only thing I can think of."

According to Avlon's website, strengthening polymers in the relaxer creme penetrates hair fibers leaving hair with significantly more tensile strength and elasticity after relaxing. The four-step system is also said to preserve up to 40% more of the hair's strength compared to conventional relaxers.

This information came to me at the most opportune time because I'm currently on the hunt for a new relaxer and I am seriously leaning towards ordering this product.

Right now I am experimenting with Mizani but I'm not totally sold yet. I have to admit that my hair feels extremely silky and soft right after application but after a couple of weeks, I'm no longer impressed with the appearance of my hair.


Prior to Mizani, I was faithfully using Deep Brilliance. I had no major concerns with Deep Brilliance, I just stopped using it because I could no longer purchase it from my local BSS.


To be completely honest with you, I have now reached a new level of thinking with regards to my hair care. I no longer want a mediocre product. I want a product working hard to protect the strength of my hair. I want my products to go to war against the evil powers that be which seek to damage my hair!!!!
I will continue to search both near and far until I can honestly say that I have thee absolute best products for my hair.

With that said, I will politely finish off the rest of the Mizani relaxer and quickly replenish my relaxer supply with Affirm Fiberguard. If Avlon's claims are true, by this time next year my hair will be a force to be reckoned with.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Mens hair 2009

very short hairstyle for men
 very short hairstyle for men

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

New Growth + Gel = WAVESSS

After deep conditioning (which I did overnight and turned out great by the way) I decided to spray some S-Curl on my new growth (11 wks post relaxer this week) to define the curls, add some Fantasia IC Gel to my new growth, brushed the top and edges repeatedly and slicked it in a pony tail since its pretty hot here in North Carolina. I then put on my black satin scarf (20-30mins) to make the new growth lay down flat and to also get my edges straight. The key thing to remember is to do this style on damp hair after shampooing/deep conditioning.

Here are the results!



















Tools You'll Need:
















Sunshyne

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Silicon Mix w/ Pearl Extract Review


Saturdays have become the primary day I set aside for washing and setting my hair. This Saturday was a bit more exciting than the usual, for me, because earlier in the week, I stumbled upon a new product that I was dying to try. The product isn't exactly new, its actually a new formula from the makers of one of my favorite products, Silicon Mix.

While on a recent trip to Miami, I ventured upon a newly opened beauty supply store that I could not help but explore. The shelves were barely full but that didn't stop me from gingerly strolling down the aisles in hopes of finding a special treat for my hair. The first product that caught my attention was Salerm Deep Impact moisturizing deep action mask. If it weren't for the price tag of $22.00, that product would be in my grips right now. I walked away from, and back to, the product a few times before finally deciding that this purchase was not meant to be. Looking back, I am glad I did because I just found in on Amazon for $15.00!

After tearing myself away from the Salerm mask, I found the product which eventually became my reason for stopping into the store in the first place, Silicon Mix Fortifying Hair treatment enhanced with Pearl Extract. Though pearl extract is mainly used in skin care products because of its wonderful effects on the skin, the high amounts of proteins, amino acids, minerals and micronutrients, also make it a superb ingredient to include in a hair product. Without hesitation I snatched up the smaller of the two sizes available for purchase. Next I quickly mumbled a short prayer asking God to make this product available in my city if I needed to replenish my supply.


Once my hair was thoroughly washed, I quickly reached for my latest purchase and opened the jar. The first thing that struck me as I twisted the top is the color of the conditioner. Its a light blue (I guess that goes with the pearl theme...not sure). After getting over the weird color I was introduced to its strong scent. Please be aware that this product has an extremely strong scent. The scent isn't bad, it's a mix between Febreeze blue rain air freshener and mountain breeze scented candle. I'm sure the makers had the best intentions but this stuff is really strong. I washed my hair yesterday and as of right now my hair is still scented. I don't mind it much, I just want to make you very aware of that possible side effect. If you plan on trying this product, you want to make sure to open in the store to see if you like the scent.

The texture of the product was much thicker in consistency than the regular Silicon Mix. For some reason thicker conditioners make me feel like I am applying a more potent product to my hair. Once the conditioner was in I put on a plastic shower cap and wrapped a Turbie towel around the cap then headed to my hooded dryer for deep conditioning. Before washing the product out I carefully combed the conditioner through my hair with my newly purchased shower comb for a bigger impact.

Rinsing this product out was not at all like rinsing out the regular Silicon Mix. The regular Silicon Mix leaves my hair silky and soft with tons of slip. Not with this one, this one left my hair feeling o.k. but not like the original. During the rollerset is when I could tell that something was different with my hair. The hair felt strong and protected (all while smelling like a freshly mopped floor). Once I took out the rollers I could immediately see the impact of the product. My hair was shiny, healthy looking and had a silky feel to it. The my curls were more loose than normal but did not frizz up in this 100% humidity (a huge plus). I immediately tied my hair down with a scarf and proceeded to let my hair settle (the reason I tie my hair down after removing the rollers is because I do not normally use heat to finish the hair after a rollerset. I use the tension of the wrap to tame the hair thereby creating a sleeker look). My hair has been hidden for most of the day but I did take it down for a few moments to play with it a little. I am absolutely loving the results and can't wait to use my new heavily scented product again next week.

I definitely think that this is a good buy and would recommend to anyone who likes the Silicon Mix brand. I absolutely love the way my hair feels right now. Even if you don't like Silicon Mix, this product is different enough from the original to make you change your mind about the line.

Take a gander at my pictures taken a day after my wash and set.










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