Will what got me here get me there? My thoughts on achieving the next hair length goal

The other day, while standing in line at a local dine in restaurant, I noticed a customer already ahead of me waiting in line. What caught my eye specifically was her lovely waist-length dark hair. In days past, I would glance only momentarily at such a head of hair before moving on to my next thought. Recently, however, I find myself gazing longingly at low mid-back/waist-length hair. More and more, I am beginning to covet every waist length head of hair that enters my line of sight. I take this as a sign that it's now time to update my hair length goals. Up until now, I rarely focused on reaching specified lengths. I merely focused my energy on discovering ways to impact the health of the hair. While I have gained length along the way, I can honestly say that I haven't focused much on gaining inches as a major priority.

So now I'm in a place where I have to think realistically about how I intend to reach these new lengths. First off, I am not under any impression that obtaining waist length will be easy. On the contrary, I believe that "what got me here won't get me there" with regards to my habits and hair practices. At the moment, I'm at my current length because the consistent actions I've taken up until now create the head of hair I have today. Sure, I may be doing all the right things with regards to washing, conditioning and such, but I'm probably also doing (or not doing) things that keep me at a certain length as time passes.

I'm not making these statements to knock any of my progress thus far. In fact, I'm really happy with all of the progress and learning I've experienced up to this moment. At the same time, I completely understand that with wanting to get to the next level more will be required of me. So now I'm at a place where I am looking critically at all of the patterns and behaviors I carry out related to my hair routines. Without much thought I can easily identify that which holds me back. For the sake of being totally transparent, I'll list some of them below:

• I can't (for the like of me) seem to keep a bun in for longer than 48 hours straight. The thought of wearing a bun for 3-4 weeks (or longer) just pains me.
• Every 10-15 minutes. I fondle my hair. There's no way around it. In fact, I will take various opportunities while writing this post to touch my hair.
• Co-washing between washes feels like somewhat of a burden. Rarely do I wash more than once every 4-6 days.

Mind you, these habits aren't the end of the world, but you can see how I can easily graduate to the next level if only I could overcome the negative repercussions of my naughty hair habits. So now my thoughts are buzzing with the question "can I reach low mid-back/waist length hair if I continue to do what I do today?" If I could honestly answer this question by saying "yes", then I'm in a good place. If, on the other hand, my honest assessment is that I likely won't get to waist length. Then the next question I have to answer is "what's it gonna take?"

Before I answer the "what's it gonna take" question, I first have to identify the negative repercussions of continuing the actions that currently hold me back.

As I review the list above, I come to the following conclusions:

• Lack of consistent protective styling exposes my ends to the drying effects of air. Hair that battles with dryness is likely to be prone to breakage. Breakage is the great hinderer of retention and by stifling my retention rate, I assume the risk of not reaching my length goal.
• Frequent manipulation of my hair can also encourage breakage.

So now I come to a place where I must decide if the repercussions of the negative habits are severe enough to influence a change in my actions so I can experience the results I desire. At this point in time, I'm remain stubborn on not being willing to drastically change those habits. I am motivated, however, to identify and instill some additional strategies that will help minimize the impact of the negative results. This means finding out other ways to fortify the hair to withstand some of the unwanted side effects of frequent manipulation and excessive exposure to air.

.....this will be my area of focus over the next several months......

I don't yet have the solution, but I have implemented a few ideas that have already shown some considerable promise. Some of my other ideas, however, have produced disappointing outcomes. Either way, my focus remains steadfast as I move slowly towards the finish line. The finish line, which seems incredibly far away considering the few unhealthy habits that serve as a handicap. Even though low mid-back may take a bit longer than someone else in the same scenario who hides and doesn't constantly fondle their hair, it is not an impossible task. If courageous individuals born without natural limbs can win foot races, a fondling non-protective styler like me can have long hair.

So what about you?

What hair goals are you striving for at the moment? Do you have any hindering habits that keep you from moving forward? Are those habits worth holding on to despite their obvious repercussions?

You want to take it to the next level....What's it gonna take?

Hair mistake confession: The comb that taught me a valuable lesson

I've gotta hand it to myself, I've been on a bit of a winning streak as of late with regards to my recent hair product purchases. I pride myself in my ability to identify my hair's needs, research potential products, and embed them perfectly into my regimen for stellar results. Burt's Bees, Asience, Cera Repair, and Silicon Mix are some of the big winners that immediately come to mind. Yeah, I was feeling so darn good about my midas touch-like ability to identify amazing products that I allowed myself to let my guard down. As a result, I ended up making one of the biggest hair purchase mistakes ever!

Ladies, let me introduce you to my metal dog grooming comb.

Yeah, that's right. It's not a typing error, you actually heard me say "metal dog grooming comb." Your girl actually paid money to buy a metal small toothed comb.... to use on her hair. I actually went back and forth trying to decide whether I should confess this most horrible of hair sins. I decided to come forth for two reasons:

1. It's all about being transparent whenever possible.
2. There's a lesson to learn in my foolish decision.

So how did this comb come to be? It all started when I was strolling through an online hair board. A product rave thread about a dog comb caught my eye. A couple of people said they tried it and experienced good results. Without thinking about about I browsed through the thread and moved on. A couple of days later, I accompany hubby to the feed store and, while standing in line, I see a shiny silver comb starring back at me. Again, without thinking about it, I picked up the dog comb and went on my merry way. I was less than a block away from the feed store when I knew I made a terrible mistake. That little metal comb I was clutching in my hand was a huge wake up call.

It was then that I realized that I broke the the cardinal rule of the healthy hair journey. "Always buy according to your hair's need." The very last thing my hair needs is a little metal comb. What's worse is that I have over half a dozen wide tooth, hair friendly combs at my fingertips. This purchase was foolish and unnecessary. I allowed my judgement to be influence solely by what others thought was a decent product. And maybe it is..... But what I failed to do was think critically and ask myself whether this product would be good for me. What value would this product add to my routine? How would my hair benefit?

None of that conversation took place. I just heard about a new thing, saw it, and bought it on a whim. That is part of the reason I am deciding to keep the comb. Yes, that's right, I'm keeping it. This comb will serve as a lesson to me so I never forget. This hair journey is one that should be filled with wise, strategic choices that bring us ever more closely to our ultimate hair goals. We don't have the time or money to be bothered with frivolous hair choices that don't bring us closer to where we want to be.

As I type this post I look down at my little metal comb laying next to my keyboard. The comb means so much more to me now then it did when I first bought it. I now understand how crucial it is to take a direct path to our goals without any side roads or unscheduled stops. Maybe I'm making too much out of this but I believe there's a shiny gold nugget in every circumstance. Thank you little metal dog comb, for helping me to refocus myself on my hair priorities.

Thank you.

Healthy Hair Resolutions for 2010

2010 is fast approaching. With only a couple weeks left in the year, I knew that I'd had to take the opportunity, now, to set my hair intentions for the year to come. I believe setting intentions is a powerful way of guiding the outcomes we experience in life. Without clear intentions, we are leaving our results to environment and chance. There's no way I'm letting chance be the decider on what happens to my hair.

So here we go.....

First I'l start by taking a look back. This past year was the year I was introduced to many staples. Some of them now include: Burt's Bee's Avocado pre-poo. 2009 was also the year that I experimented with little known products such as the Asience product line. Last but not least, my most favorite addition in 2009 was the purchase of my beloved facial steamer which I now use weekly when I pre-poo and deep condition. This past year was also the year I began creating online videos and product giveaways on my blog.

So now we're at a place where it's time to look forward. My focus now is geared towards the days and months ahead. I'd like to take both my hair, this site, and my youtube channel, to the next level. I've heard that one should always dream big, that way even if the biggest goals aren't reached, you are likely to still end up a lot further than if you dreamed small.

Let's start dreaming big shall we?

For the past two years, I've used this blog as a means to share my thoughts and ideas about creating healthy hair. Moreso, this blog, for me, has been a tool I've used to address my own hair issues and find solutions to the hair dilemmas I was experiencing. This year will be no different. My greatest hair desires still remain. I still wish to elevate strength and moisture levels of the hair. My topics of discussion will continue to revolve around these topics. Recently, I've had random thoughts popping into my mind about increasing elasticity levels in the hair. Moisture, strength, and elasticity are the holy trinity of healthy hair so I'll be seeking out ways to promote these three qualities with every action I take. Not only that, I'll also want to focus on eradicating the actions, products, and methods that work against achieving the big three.


The dilemma we face, as women who subject our hair to chemical processes, is having hair which is robbed of moisture, strength and elasticity every time we undergo a chemical process. Don't get me wrong, chemicals aren't the only culprit but it's certainly a viable enemy. So of course I'll make it my mission this year to find out the little known secrets of supporting the development of the "big three."

On a more personal level, the intentions for my hair health are as follows:

* Rehabilitation- I talked a little in my deep conditioning post about treating areas of damage with a more effective deep conditioning method. In 2009, I identified some real opportunity areas in my hair where the length and health isn't evenly distributed. In other words, I've got some damage. Actually the areas aren't as damaged now as they were when I first identified them. But now, I'm in intensive repair mode. This year will be the year when those areas are brought back (length and strength) levels of the healthiest parts of my hair.

* Thickness-More often than not, my ends are exposed to the open air. Manipulation is also a major detractor in my routine. As a result, I feel I'm sacrificing much needed thickness especially on the ends of my hair. So my objective this year will be to promote retention and health from root to tip (focusing on tip). How will I do this, I'm not sure yet. There's obviously something amiss in what I'm doing now which causes my current results. So this year I'll closely scrutinize what I do day to day to find solutions to this issue.

*Elasticity-I would love to create a documented systematic process that is proven to increase elasticity in each individual strand of hair. I'm not sure what that looks like yet but I salivate at the thought of making this possible. Look out for more posts on this topic to come.

*Moisturizing-I'd like to compile a powerful moisturizer that could incorporate into my routine. This moisturizer would work hand in hand with the oil blend I now use to create hair that is absolutely fabulous.

*Styling-Even though I vehemently vowed several times never to go back to a Dominican salon, I still keep going back. Why? Because I absolutely can not deny the wonderful results of having perfectly silky hair. But it never fails, I always seem to suffer some type of set back shortly after my visit. This last visit in September was no different. In 2010, I'd like to go the entire year without visiting the salon. Now that I think about it, there is a reason why I might go back. There's this girl who attends frequently who has some bomb hair. I salivate over her tresses every time I visit. It never seems to fail that every time she steps into the salon, some admirer begins to interview her for her hair secrets. What I love about her is that she's always willing to give her hair tips. I would love to interview her on this blog next year. Either way, my focus next year is to perfect a method of creating professionally looking results from home.

I think I'll wrap up my list there for now. I'm sure many more goals/intentions will become areas of focus for me next year. Until then, I'll start marinating over these as a starting point. I'm really excited about these and everything we'll accomplish next year.

What about you? What hair intentions are you working on this for 2010?

Beautiful hair even when the funds aren't there

If you're like most people, funds might be pretty tight for you nowadays. Even if you're fortunate enough to have maintained the same level of income during this economic downturn, you're most likely still making more cost conscious choices on how you spend your money. Chances are, you are probably not able to jump on every new product bandwagon like the good 'ole days. Long gone are the days when we'd just swipe up a product off the shelves simply because it looks pretty. Nowadays, we absolutely have to make smart hair buying decisions without compromising the fabulous-ness factor of our beloved tresses.

So what's a girl to do?

Here are some simple tips to fabulous hair on a limited budget:

Tip #1: Use what you got!

There are times of plenty and times of lean. Chances are, during the times of plenty, you bought up every brand name product raved about. Now, even though you're not able to purchase as much as you used to, you've probably got enough in your stock pile to last you 'till the next economic upturn. So take a good look at your hair product closet. Probably half of what you now have works pretty decent. Now's the time to use it up. Who knows you might even fall in love again with one of your oldie but goodie conditioners.

Tip #2: Focus on the ingredients

Do you notice that every product you tend to buy has avocado oil or coconut oil? Take a look at the products you already have, if you're seeing a trend in the main ingredient, why not save some money by purchasing the avocado oil straight and adding it to what you already have. Sure, you could spend another $10 on a moisturizer with jojoba oil or you can spend $10 on straight jojoba oil and add to your conditioners, pre-poo and other moisturizers. You'll get the effectiveness of jojoba in everything you already have without having to go out and buy a bunch of other products. Now that's a smart move!

Tip #3: Go back to the basics

Yes, quality products are a major part of an overall healthy hair routine but without solid techniques, you are only half way there. During times of plenty, we look for miracle products which sometimes take our focus away from the foundations of a solid hair routine. How beneficial is your pricey conditioner if you're not taking the time to part the hair and apply to each section? How impactful is your strengthening product if you opt not to sit under the dryer for more intense results? No matter how fabulous the product, if you're loosing length because your detangling skills are lacking then you're waisting your efforts. Good hair practices aren't pricey. Take the time now, to really work on the basics of good hair care. Your hair, and your wallet, will thank you.

I personally have made a decision to curb my overall hair product spending. But to tell you the truth, I started by focusing on my technique and results. When I wanted to increase moisture levels, I would ask myself "what can I do to increase moisture?" I didn't say "what can I buy to increase moisture levels?" As a result of asking (and answering) those types of questions, I began to find alternatives that really worked. Sure, I've bought some products here and there, but I'm making more calculated decisions about what I do chose to buy.

One more thing, when I do buy products, I only get items that specifically address issues that I am working to eradicate. In a recent post, I advised that we target one major concern at a time. This means that any purchase you make should be of a product that has been proven (based on the intensive research you've conducted) to be effective at responding your issue. You have do not have the time, or the money to waste on a "nice to do" product purchase when you have real hair concerns that need addressing.

Take my word for it, this temporary pinch on your finances could actaully turn out to be a good thing. Now, more than ever, is the time to buckle up your bootstraps and get back to the business of haircare 101. Focus on what you can do to improve on the health of your hair. Take calculated steps in the right direction. Make educated decisions on what products are best for you right now, and enjoy the bountiful fruits of your labor. Yes, times are lean right now, but that doesn't mean that you will have to sacrifice on the essentails of life which are food, water, and glorious hair.

Till next time.

Are you struggling to perfect your hair routine?

Photo: limpciano



Some of you have experienced this...you've revamped your hair routine, you have what you would consider to be pretty healthy hair, but for some reason, you just can't seem to realize (or retain) any length. Believe me, I know how incredibly frustrating it is to continue down a path which seemingly has no reward. We all know that a hair journey requires a great deal of patience but after a year of going on a journey, you'd expect to be a lot farther ahead then when you first started.

Right?

We'll today, I'm here to talk about those frustrations and how we can work together to find those pinhole leaks in your hair routine and stop the bleeding once and for all.

I use the pinhole leak analogy because we should all know by now that our hair grows pretty consistently every month. For those of you who aren't seeing the fruit of a year's worth of hair growing, you can safely assume that something is happening-daily-weekly-monthly, that's chipping away at all the wonderful growth you've been experiencing. I should know, I'm in the same boat.

For this reason I've been really scrutinizing every hair move I make in order to self-identify what I'm doing wrong.

*Either I am not doing something I should be doing.

*Or I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing.

*Or I'm doing something ineffectively

I've narrowed it down to these three statements for the sake of keeping this process simple. As you transition from having mere interest in your hair care to becoming a student of the hair of healthy hair, you need to equip yourself with tools. For me, one of my greatest tools has become my all important hair journal. With this journal I've been able to internalize and express the fears, frustrations, joys, and successes related to my hair care. I've had many of aha moments simply by documenting my journey one step at a time. I encourage you to read my post on creating an effective hair journal if you haven't done so already.

As you look at your hair routine holistically, you should first identify the major buckets of hair care. For a lot of us it's the wash routine, daily/weekly styling, relaxing, nutrition, and the nightly routine. I would say that most of what we do with our hair does have something to do with one of these five areas. Your job now, as a healthy hair apprentice, is study the fine art of perfecting each one of these areas.

No, you cannot, nor should you, try to master all of these areas at once. Doing so will only heighten your frustration levels. In order to master each portion of the hair care routine, you must first pick an opponent, focus on it intensely, and dedicate all of your mental capacities to eliminating any inefficiencies that secretly hide within your routine. Are you struggling to maintain moisture levels? Good...now you have a target. Now you live and breathe increasing moisture until your hair has no choice but to react. You contemplate day and night on how to inject more moisture into your routine if only just a little. You know that a little more moisture every day will eventually lead to hair that is more elastic. Elastic hair leads to less breakage, less breakage leads to healthy hair.

In my experience, the more I focus in one specific area, the more opportunities are revealed to me that I couldn't see before. I heard a proverb once that said "the man that chases 100 rabbits catches none." I love this saying because it's so applicable to everything we do....even our hair care routine. I'm not saying that you totally neglect one area of your routine while focusing on another. Doing so is like squeezing one end of a water balloon (all the water travels to the other end of the balloon and we receive no benefit). If there are several areas of opportunities, work on both.....but focus on one.

When I say focus, I mean that you should be working on eliminating the issue. Your goal should be to comfortably exclaim that you have no issues with [fill in the blank] because you have overcome. You are now the conqueror. This year for me has revolved around one single-minded theme- find the enemy and eliminate it! Yes sometimes I feel as if I am playing a game of whack-a-mole as I focus in on my intended target. But when I look at my progress as a whole, I am content. Content with the fact that I have made progress on this journey. Every step along the way is (and was) not in vain. I take comfort in the fact that, even though I have a long journey ahead, I am not standing in the place where I first started.

I hope you take comfort in that fact also.

Be well, my friends.

So this is what I've got coming up......

I have so many hair related ideas and updates just floating around in my head.  I figured that I would just put them in writing as a mini-post.  We're all family here so I figured that I could give you guys a quick peek on some of the topics that I'll be working on in the upcoming weeks.

First of all, please excuse the randomness of this blog post.  It's really just me putting my thoughts down quickly in writing.  But I just had to share because I'm really excited about what is to come.  

So here it goes.......

• My Asience conditioner and hair mask has arrived.  I can not wait to review it.  You couldn't believe my frustration when I just finished my most recent wash and set only to find the mail man at the door with my package.  It took almost everything I had inside not to jump back in the shower and redo my hair just to try this product out.   
  

         Review coming this weekend!

• I've purchased some PH strips and had some fun playing with my hair products.  I was surprised at the PH levels of some of my products.  I'm still learning and testing but I can't wait to share my experiences with you all.  I may even turn some of my experiments into a video.  

• I have an idea about a way of  improving on the satin/silk scarves we use to tie our hair down with.  I'm playing with the idea of finding and using other types of material that will protect the hair and not absorb the precious product we put on the hair.  I'm not even sure such a material exists but I hope to experiment until I uncover a better hair scarf.  

• In my never ending quest to create better than expected hair, I've stumbled upon an oil blend that really makes a difference on the look and feel of my hair.  Ever since putting this blend together, I've pretty much forgone every other leave-in moisturizing product I've ever used.  Just recently I provided a sample of this product to my mother-in-law while she was down on vacation.  She was sooooo happy with the results that she literally left her hair products in my bathroom when she flew back.  She even called me days later telling me that she received multiple compliments on her hair from both her sister and her coworkers.   I'm thinking about putting this blend together in sample sizes and seeing if  others experience some of the same results that I and my MOL are experiencing.   Time will tell......

"Sigh," 

"I feel so much better now."

 

Quench your hair's thirst with these healthy drinks

I can't believe how hot the temperature is this summer. July hasn't even hit yet and I've already become a victim of spontaneous sweating in the early morning hours of the day. One huge side effect of this extreme heat is the rapid fluid loss occurring in such a short time frame. We all know the importance of staying well hydrated, especially during summer months, but I'm here to spread the word about the wide array of healthy fluids we can use to satisfy the thirst of both our bodies and our hair.

As I sit here, people watching at my local sandwich shop, I'm taking note the myriad of people purchasing iced lattes and cold sodas in hopes of experiencing some type of refreshment. What they aren't thinking about are the missed opportunities to provide the body nourishment not only with the sandwiches they consume but also with the drinks they wash them down with.

I'm constantly trying to figure out how to give my body (and my hair) more of what it needs most. I think right now is the perfect opportunity to replenish, not only what the body losses, but also what it's missing, by consuming highly nutritious fluids. When you are out and about this summer, consider including the following thirst quenchers into your day-to-day.

Fresh Food Juices!

The list is endless but I'll attempt to name a few and allow you to get creative. But a general rule of thumb you should follow is, "if you can't get it into you diet then drink it!"  If  you've been missing opportunities to incorporate greens into your daily eating, drink it! Nowadays you can get a variety of prepackaged organic fruit and vegetable juices chilled and ready to drink. Bolthouse, Odwalla, and Naked are just a few brands out there with lots of different choices ranging from carrot juice to green super-foods to high antioxidant fruit juices. Whenever I'm not being a good girl with my eating habits, I also make sure to pick up a bottle as a way of making things right.  Check out the back label of this juices when you get a chance, they are loaded with nutrition and best of all the liquid vitamins go straight to the bloodstream.  

Don't let the choices stop there....you can also drink up the myriad of other health food drinks available like coconut water, aloe and acai juice the list goes on and on. Don't forget about nut milks that are loaded with protein. By the way, Acai contains essential fatty acids which is always a good thing. A general rule of thumb you should use when reaching for a drink should be did it once come from a fruit or veggie? Is it in it's most natural form possible? 

**Disclaimer** Whenever reaching for juices, make sure to read the label so you are not consuming drinks that have high (man made) sugar contents.


Supped-Up Smoothies!
Ok so when it's reeeeally hot, you start looking for an icier beverage choice. Instead of an iced coffee, why not a smoothie? I'm talking about the specialty smoothies that use real fruit/veggie bases.  You can also pay  a bit more for healthy boosters like multi-vitamins, spirullina, protein, and so on. Sure these drinks cost a bit more than if you were to just buy a soda but think of all the fabulous benefits. Also, most of the time they sell these smoothies in large serving sizes which can really fill you up. Smoothies often serve as meal replacements for me on those days when I don't feel like grabbing a heavy lunch. Again make sure that you are opting for the most natural options available and treat yourself to the health boost option of your choice.

Good 'Ole Fashion H20!
If your budget won't allow for fancy drinks then water is the next best thing. Actually, you should keep a bottle of water handy at all times. That way whenever the feeling of thirst comes upon you, you'll be only an arms reach of some refreshing h20. Water is the most natural form of rehydration out there. Water helps your body on so many levels it's not even funny. Think about it, without water for three days, you're dead.
You skin, your nails, your hair, your organs, your cells, all of it is depending on you to give it as much water as it needs to thrive. Not survive, but thrive. Start right now to incorporate more water in your daily habits. Drink some first thing in the morning and keep a bottle handy at all times. 

High Antioxidant Teas!
In our quest for cooling ourselves down let's not forget about the traditionally hot drink, tea! Of course in the summertime you can opt to have your tea served on the rocks. I know what you're thinking, "what do antioxidants have to do with healthy hair?"
That's a great question! As you may already know, healthy teas are revered for their high antioxidant levels. Antioxidants search out and destroy free radicals in our bodies. So what's that got to do with our hair? Well just as free radicals cause premature aging in the skin and cells, so can they also create premature agin in our hair follicles. This means are shortened life for the hair strand. Shortened hair life means that you'll have a tougher time reaching those coveted hair length goals you've been dreaming about. Do your self a favor and enjoy a nice cup of  antioxidant-rich tea.

Stimulating Lemonade!
You know how everyone was doing the Master Cleanse for weight loss and whatnot, well after reading about the nutritional benefits of the fresh squeezed lemon, the cayenne pepper, and maple syrup, I thought to myself, "why can we drink this anytime?" According to the online Master Cleanse manual, the ingredients of this weight-loss lemonade provide the body the necessary requirements to function optimally even while we forgo solid food. Think about how great it would be to start off your day with a stimulating nutrient filled lemonade. Best of all this drink is relatively inexpensive and easy to make at home. Another benefit is that you can control the sugar content by adding as little or as much maple syrup as you like. This drink wakes up the digestive system and improves circulation all over the body. Don't wait for your next cleanse to enjoy this healthy lemonade mix.


With so many nutritious beverage choices out there you have no excuse to but drink healthy. Why even bother drinking yucky soda that does absolutely nothing for the hair and is worse on the body. I've done my part in spreading the knowledge. Knowing is half the battle, the other half is up to you.

Happy Hair Growing!

Is your stylist using her powers for good or for evil?

It’s been a long time since I’ve visited a salon on a regular basis. I’m not talking about going into the salon for a special occasion, I’m talking about entrusting the health and vitality of your precious tresses to another person. I learned many a lesson in my younger days when I wanted so desperately to experience fabulous hair. In those days, anyone with decent looking hair were the one’s who “got their hair did” on a regular basis. I was extremely impressionable and wanted so badly to have great looking hair. That's when I made the decision to get me a stylist!

To me, a hair stylist has so much power. This person has the ability to transform the look and feel of the hair within just a few short hours. If only these people would use their magical powers for good and not evil. I’ll share with you my story and give you some examples so maybe you too can differentiate if your stylist is you hair’s best friend or it’s enemy.



Evil power #1: Your Stylist stuns your hair’s growth.

I can remember it like yesterday, I walked into a local hair salon for the first time. I think the reason why I selected this place in particular was because of it’s presence in the area. The place was large and prominent. It had been there for years. I figured that people liked what they’re getting if such a large salon could remain open and profitable for so long. That’s why I made a point to visit this place early on a weekday morning so I would receive one on one attention. I was right. I walked in and found one stylist eager to help me. Not knowing what I wanted, she offered up a glossy hair magazine to help me make my decision. Back then I was enamoured with the blunt cut bang so I selected a pic of a model who’s look most closely resembled what I wanted. She then proceeded to relax my hair and work her magic. Hours later I had a blunt cut bang………and a neck length bob. During the styling process, I was deterred from looking into a mirror. Otherwise I would have noticed that my trim had turned into a full blown cut and style.

What happened?!?!

The picture I showed her was far from a bob. In fact, I purposely spent ample time seeking someone with at least hair past her shoulders in an effort to avoid any confusion. I smiled grudgingly when I saw my new hair style and proceeded to pay for something I did not ask for. I left the salon vowing never again to return.

If your stylist makes the decision that you have too much hair on your head, she’s using her powers for evil. Stay away from a stylist who appears to suffer from longhairphobia, its time for you to move on.



Evil Power #2: Your Stylist creates false results

One thing I do love about going to the salon is the flawless look I get almost every time. The feeling of sporting silky, flow-in-the-wind hair is like no other. If only that feeling would last forever…but alas the fresh out of the salon feeling soon fades. I’ve accepted the fact that the just stepped out of a salon look doesn’t last forever, what I can’t cope with is experiencing massive amounts of breakage as a result of all of the crazy practices your stylist uses to create the fresh, fabulous hair look. Is your stylist creating healthier hair or just better looking hair? If your stylist has to trim dead ends every month, chances are your hair isn’t getting any healthier. That’s when you have to decide if your hard earned money is working against you and your lovely hair.



Evil Power #3: Your voice is powerless against your stylist

I visited a salon once at the recommendation of a friend. When I sat in the chair the stylist asked me what I wanted to experience during my visit. Impressed by her level of interest, I decided to proceed with my desire to have a rollerset done after the wash as a setting method. The stylist then proceeded to talk me out of a rollerset stating that my hair would not benefit from this practice. I tried to reiterate my request to no avail. I remember on another occasion I asked a stylist to rollerset my hair in a certain way in order to produce a different result. She responded simply by saying “no” and proceeded to go about her business like I hadn’t even said a word.



Evil Power # 4: Your stylist knows not of healthy hair

I firmly believe that the purpose of visit a salon and paying your hard earned money is to obtain beautiful, healthier hair. Your stylist should have a vested interest in the overall health of your hair. He or she should talk to you about what you’ve been experiencing and what you want to accomplish with regards to your hair. Does your stylist inspect the health of your hair regularly? Does he or she care about how your hair is acting between visits? If your stylist is using her power for good, then your hair should be reaping the wonderful benefits. If you are not reaping the rewards, you are better off cornrowing your hair, buying a wig and using the $50-$75 you spend every other week on full body massages instead. The person doing your hair has (hopefully) spent a countless number of hours training in the art of hair. You should not feel anything less than sheer bliss every time you visit your stylist. If he's using his powers for good, your hair will show it.

I'm not saying that all stylist are evil. In fact, I've come across a few that were very supportive to the health of my hair. I'm here to just make sure that you are selective in who you chose to take your hair to the next level. If your stylist is not taking your hair to new lengths, cut her out of your life.

Get fabulous touchable legs with Coconut Oil!

I know that this is a hair blog featuring topics mainly having to do with hair care but I just had to share this with you all. Coconut oil is one of my favorite oils that I always make sure to have handy. I'm addicted to the shine and suppleness I experience whenever I use coconut oil. I tell you truthfully that I wouldn't trust my braidouts to any other oil. Recently though, I discovered yet another use of this fabulous oil-shaving cream!

Yes, you heard me right, I spread a thin layer of coconut oil (in liquid form) on my legs the other day as an alternative to shaving cream and let me tell you.....I am never looking back. This stuff makes for an incredibly smooth shave leaving your legs silky smooth. I can't keep my hands off them. Now I know I'm sounding like a Nair commercial right about now but I feel that I have a moral obligation to spread the good news of this all natural way to shave. Best of all, I know I'm not slathering a bunch of synthetic ingredients from a product bragging to have an ounce of of plant oil mixed in with their chemicals.

For those of you who have questions about using oil for shaving let me first say that the oil does not interfere with the razor's ability to do its business. And no, the oil won't clog up the razor. The best part about coconut oil is that its a "watery" oil that is basically liquid in warm temperatures. Once you've stepped out of the shower and towel dried, you will not believe the difference. Soft, incredibly moisturized legs. I've even used this method in "other" areas and was pleased with the results.

So there you have it.....a quick tip on how you can have fabulous legs this summer with the help of coconut oil.

Enjoy!

Can you attract the hair you want?

Ever since watching the movie The Secret, I've tried vehemently to incorporate the Law of Attraction into every part of my life. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Law of Attraction (LOA), the basic premise is the we are constantly attracting into our lives what we are experiencing based on our predominant thoughts and our beliefs. Most people who chose to use the Law of Attraction often use the universal law to attract a better job, fulfilling relationships, or abundant wealth.

I, unlike most other people, I find myself using this wonderful law to attract perfect hair. That's right, I am using the LOA to create fabulous hair.

Here's how.

Talk about what you want
Once upon a time I used to have self-defeating thoughts about my hair. Whenever I examined my hair, I would say or think things like, " my hair is so dry," or "my hair is always breaking." I'd even go as far as to say that my hair would never reach mid-back because of how unhealthy it looked or felt. Those types of thoughts were counter intuitive to what I really wanted. The more I thought about everything negative about my hair, the less progress I would make, no matter how hard I tried. The LOA states that we bring more of what we think about into our lives and the more I thought about how damaged my hair was, the harder it became for me to make any impactful changes in the health of my hair.

Nowadays, when I assess the condition of my hair, I'm careful not to use such negative terms so I don'tstart feeling defeated. Instead of saying, "dang my hair feels so dry, I'll say something like, "what can I do to help improve the moisture levels of my hair?" See the difference in approach to the same issue? Whenever I find my hair looking and feeling unattractive, I think about exactly what I want. What I want is healthy, shiny, supple, moisturized, hair. Therefore I focus all of my energies to thinking about my hair as I want it to be.

Visualize what you want
Another important facet of the LOA is the act of seeing exactly what it is you want to attract. There was a time when I would view pictures of lucky gals who had to die for tresses (before the LOA), I would feel so miserable after seeing pictures of those who have achieved what I wanted. Now pictures of fabulous hair are my inspiration. In fact, I have a look book which includes pictures of perfect hair that I would like to experience. As I review my inspirational hair pictures, I get excited about what will be. It actually feels attainable instead of depressing. The more of these feelings about my desired outcome I am able to create, the closer I get to my ultimate goal. Next time you see an image of a head of hair that makes you want to drool, become motivated that these results are attainable for you.

Be grateful for what you have
One sure fire way to attract more of what you want into your life is to be grateful for what you do have. Get rid of your pathetic case of hair anorexia and start being grateful for what you do have. So maybe you are not yet at the length you desire but you probably have thickness that others would give up their tax return check for. Play off your hair's strengths by being grateful for the head of hair that you have today. Gratitude helps us to focus on what's right in our lives. As long as we focus on the great things going on with our hair, we'll experience more of what we are grateful for.

Speak on what will happen as if you already have it
No matter what my hair looks like, I always talk as if I have the most beautiful head of hair I know. I say things like "I'm enjoying my luscious head of hair. My hair is healthy, strong and beautiful." Saying those things is not enough, I also try to feel the feelings having the type of hair I imagine having. The more I talk in that fashion, the more believable it becomes to me.

So why even bother putting into practice the habits that I listed above? Because the feelings of excitement that I create from my positive self-talk and visualization cause me to take actions that are in line with someone who has the hair I want to have. I ask myself, "what types to things would I do to create the hair I desire" then I take the right actions to get there. While using the LOA to improve my hair, I've "manifested" some wonderful hair enhancers like the L'Oreal Hair Fixer and my shea oil. Both have come into my life fairly recently and both have made a huge impact in the overall health of my hair.

You've tried everything else, why not use a natural law of the universe to help bring about the beautiful hair you've always wanted?

OMG! I think I have Trichotillomania

As part of my morning Hour of Power routine, I normally listen to some personal development audio or pull up an inspiring clip from youtube. This past week I've been watching videos from a guy who works with people with unusual fears or complexes and frees them from their own behaviors. One of those videos feature a woman who has trichotillomania, or an obsessive compulsion to pull out her hair.

It gets worse, because she's been pulling out her own hair for years, she's actually developed some bald spots that she cleverly has to cover with hair thickening aids. Not only does this poor woman unconsciously pulls out her hair, she actually eats it afterwards! As they described her story, the showed some video of her reading a book when she suddenly begins to play with a small portion of hair near the back of her neck. When asked if she feels pain from pulling her hair out, she responded by saying that because she's been doing it for years, her brain understands what she is about to do and numbs the area so that she feels no pain.

O.k. so now I start panicking. Why? Because I have developed a habit similar to her (no..I..am..not..eating..my..hair.) Usually on drives home, or when I am sitting at home in front of the computer, I begin to "detangle" by hair with my fingers.
There's nothing wrong with detangling with our fingers, in fact, in Long Hair Learning 101, we all learned that detangling with our fingers is much more conducive to protecting our lengths. The problem with me is that when I detangle, something deep down inside expects to see a shed hair or two in every small section. I examine every hair lost during the process ever so closely to verify if the casualty was the result of shedding or breakage. If the hair was shed, I smile secretly knowing that I just saved myself the heartache of what could have been much worse in the long run. If the hair was broken, I curse my heavy handedness and move on to another section in search of more shed hairs.

Take a look at this expert from an article:

Gary R. Gaffney, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, explains that other, less dramatic features that fall short of hair pulling are associated with trichotillomania, including examining the hair root, twirling it off, and pulling the strand between the teeth.

You are probably thinking..."there's nothing wrong with that, you're just making sure your hair stays healthy." The problem with my little "habit" is that I do it at the most in opportune times. Looking back, I think the process is more therapeutic then hair related. The reason why I say that is because while I'm driving home, I usually have a million thoughts running through my head and I'm probably not consciously thinking about what I am actually doing. I sometimes even detangle my kitchen area when I am sitting in a business meeting Who knows? I am actually be pulling my hair out and not even know it!

The other night while "detangling" in front of the pc, my husband walks by the room and goes "why are you pulling your hair out?" I quickly respond by saying, "I'm not pulling my hair out, I'm detangling." I then proceed to discount his the quality of his vision for wrongfully accussing me of such an obsurd behavor (but what if he's right?)

When I am really detangling my hair, like before a visit to the Dominican Salon or something, I stand in front of a mirror, I break out my extra large comb and I take my time to carefully work out the shed hairs from the ends up. Yes, I do examine the shed hairs but I don't put as much emphasis on the individual hairs as I do the finished product. When I'm engaged in the mindless detangling,on the other hand, I run my hands down the length of the shed hair to verify the cause of loss. When I'm involved in an official detangle I quickly asses the hair with a quick glance and only verify when a glance isn't enough.

Since I am probably reaching that grey area that lays somewhere between presenting lots of information and babbling, I end this post with some good news. If I do have trich, I don't have it that bad, I've seen some pictures online and believe me, it ain't pretty. I don't think I have trich but knowing what I know, I've decided to consciously avoid my behavior before any thinning or baldness occurs (thank God I have no thining or bald areas unlike most trich sufferers). I used the technique featured in the youtube video and it seems to be working. Going forward, whenever I detangle, I will avoid doing it when I'm not completely focused and only conduct the activity in front of the mirror where I can remain in the present moment.

What do ya'll think...am I crazy?

Krill oil for mega omega power!

Krill? What in the world? That's what I thought when I first heard of krill. Is an ingredient in hair products? Do I just buy the oil straight and rub it all over my hair?
The answer is neither. That's because krill is an crustacean which closely resembles a shrimp. Don't be fooled by the name, the oil from this little creature is said to be 48x more potent then that of fish oils. Yes, that's right, 48 times more powerful!

How can that be? Apparently the composition of the oil is one that is more readily absorbed in our body than regular fish oil. Another benefit of krill is that it doesn't have the fishy after taste that we normally experience when taking fish oil supplements. Krill, unlike fish oils contain high levels of antioxidants which contributes to its high shelf life. Its also said that high mercury levels is not prevelent in krill because of the remote arctic waters where the krill is harvested.

Here's some information taken from aboutkrilloil.com describing the wonder oil.

"Unlike fish oils, Krill oil carries omega-3s in the form of phospholipids, which are liposomes. This is then delivered to your body’s cells. The compounds EPA and DHA are carried more effectively by these phospholipids. Fish oils do not have the phospholipid complex and instead their omega-3 fatty acids are contained in the form of free triglycerides which are less effective.

The phospholipids are known as the building blocks for your cell membranes. They control the cellular transport and this helps to protect the cell membranes from free radical attacks. The control helps omega-3 fatty acids as it allows them to pass their molecules into your intestine wall.

Astaxanthin has great antioxidant benefits. In studies it has been shown to be 10 times more effective as an antioxidant than carotene. It has also been shown to be 100-500 times more effective than Vitamin E. Other studies have shown the antioxidant benefits of krill oil is more than 300 times greater than that of measured Vitamin A and Vitamin E and 48 times greater than Omega-3 18:12 fish oil."


We all know that in order to have truly healthy hair we absolutely need to have an ample amount of omega 3's in our diet. Its crucial. Any lack of this essential nutrient will result in dry hair, dull skin, brittle nails. Not to mention the lack of concentration and other health effects.

I don't know about you but I'm super-excited about this product! I'm all about bigger and better so this is a perfect find for me. I'll definitely be adding this product to my arsenal.

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.

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.

The Top Ten Ways to Know if You Are Spending Too Much Money on Hair Products

I'm feeling a bit lighthearted today so I decided to list my top ten ways to know if you are spending too much on hair products.

Here we go.....

#10. Every time you go to the grocery store, your first and last stop is the hair product aisle.

#9. You researched all the non-traditional holidays to see if there are any more that involve buying of gifts. If necessary, you will convert and participate in whatever rituals just to have another opportunity of receiving new hair products as gifts.

#8. You have all of the email addresses of major hair product manufacturers in your contact list.

#7. When you receive a credit card offer for 0% intrest on purchases, your very first thought about is about placing your hair product wish list order.

#6. The guy who owns the beauty supply store knows you by first and last name.

The number five way to know that you are spending too much money on hair products...

#5. Your carpel tunnel starts acting up again when you post your long list of hits and misses on LHCF for the last month.

#4. You start to exhibit crack head like behaviors when purchasing new products.
First you ask the girl in the counter "you got dat new.... Then you proceed to clasp the product with both hands before sniffing it for potency. You quickly put the money on the counter and run out of the store without a bag or the receipt.

#3. You are now to the point where you have to hide your hair product purchases because at first everyone thought you were doing good things to your hair, but now everyone thinks you're crazy.

#2. Every time someone on the forum lists the new product you get all excited only to find out that you have it already.

The number one way to know that you are spending too much money on hair products.


#1. You spent all of your grocery money on hair products so you reason with yourself that you and your family can consume some of them because they contain natural ingredients.