


Wow, November just seemed to have flown by!
I’m really shocked by that, considering that November was one of my hair months (one of the months I spend damn near $300.00 on my hair, getting it done) and usually those months put such a dent in my financials that they seem to drag on longer than 30 days, in my mind at least.
Well, I’m doing good–suffering from a bit of heartbreak, but hopefully this time next month finds me over that asshole.
Anyways, I’m at the 3 week mark with this Milky Way Straight Weave, and so far so good. The only problem I’m experiencing is a problem I always experience, and that’s a dry scalp. I know it’s not good to do, but I use my fingernails each night to just try to eliminate as much dandruff buildup around the hairline that I can, and then I put my 70% glycerin/30% water spray on it, before wrapping my head in my silk scarf. I’m not going to say I don’t still wake up with a dry scalp in the morning, but I will say that I can only imagine how horrible it would REALLY be if I didn’t just keep cleaning around the edges at night. A combination of my dry skin burden, and the weather just keeps me yearning for this time next year, when I should hopefully be able to wash my hair as often as I’d like to.
Okay, so I wanted to talk about a few finds that I came across. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, every time I think I’ve found out all I could possibly need to know about my hair and hair care products, I get smacked in the face with new facts. I think that’s just it though–if you’re doing the right thing by your hair you’ll always find yourself learning new facts, and trying new products. There’s nothing wrong with having yoru main staple products, but how do you know there aren’t products out there that could take your hair to an even more unbelievable level, you know?
So, anyways, onto my new finds:
Sally’s Beauty Stores: I had NO clue that these were where the really good products are! You want to hear something messed up? I actually LIVE near a Sallys, as out in the boondocks as I am! There’s one right near the supermarket I shop at! I always just glanced at it, figuring it was for Caucasian type hair, like Ulta seems to be (not knocking Ulta, I did get my Sedu from there, but I also got an air of products geared more towards Type 1 and 2 hair…which I have none of…) So, I now know that Sally’s is there, it’s affordable, it’s close, and it has products that are coming highly recommended from the hair site I frequent, and even when I went looking for certain products, they seemed to only be sold at Sally’s, so Sally’s it is!
Blow Dryer With Comb Attachment: I’ve always scoffed at this item. I thought it pointless, considering that I didn’t really have enough hair to comb through like that, and that I had always managed to get by with my comb in one hand, and the blow dryer in the other. Another main feeling was that if I used an attachment on the blow dryer to straighten my hair, the heat would be way too close to my hair (and I’m always reading about how damaging that is), as opposed to being able to pull the blow dryer away when necessary to comb through my hair. Well, the woman at the braid place had to straighten my hair a bit before braiding, and she used her blow dryer with the comb attachment, and it did a good job! It was pretty cool, because my hair was already dry, so all it did was detangle it, and help straighten it more. So, I’m thinking that maybe I’ll let my hair dry a little after washing it next time, and then just apply a heat protectant and a smoothing agent, and use a new blow dryer with comb attachment, which I will definitely be buying soon–chances are, from Sally’s, lmfao.
There’s a few more new finds, but I think I’ll save them for my next entry–besides, I want to do a bit more research on them.
I’ll leave you with a comparisson shot of the front edges of my hair, near the hairline. One is from earlier in the year, and the other is from last month. It’s not huge progress, but it’s still progress!
May 2008

November 2008

Keep in mind that the ends were cut quite a few times, so it might have been almost 2 inches longer. Doesn’t matter though–I’m focusing on health over growth right now. When my hair gets healthy, then I can start to push for growth.
See ya next week!


So…I believe I’ve nearly reached the point-of-no-return with this weave.
Wearing it loose now produces dry tangles, and no matter how much oil/sheen/grease (yes, I’m desperate at this point, lol) I add to the hair, it looks/feels nice and silky when pulled back into a ponytail, but the second I leave it out and it’s brushing against my collar, it becomes dry and unmanageable.
On top of that, the braids are becomming fuzzier and fuzzier, and there’s about half-an-inch of new growth already pushing them up. It’s a good thing–of course, because I WANT growth, but in terms of appearance…it’s not so good, lol.
I really wish I could take the middle section and edges of the braids out this weekend, and redo them, but I don’t get paid until Monday, so I won’t be able to buy any of the shampoos/conditioners/etc. that I want to get from Sally’s until next week/end. I might just ignore all that, and take the braids out and try the whole co-washing principle to see if skipping the shampoo part really makes my hair any more manageable.
I’ve been spraying the glycerin/water mix on my scalp, and it seems to have calmed the dandruff down, but only visibly. I hope these next few weeks really pass by so that I can take all this hair out.
I think I’m going to get the wet-n-wavy installed again…don’t laugh, but I think wet-n-wavy makes me look like a transvestite–it just adds this mannish quality to my features (in my opinion) so that’s why I’m undecided on whether I want to get that, or try for another straight type of hair.
Well anyway, I have been doing a bit of research online, and I’ve found some interesting tips on how to grow your hair longer, using natural methods.
One that I saw advices using Listerine on your hair and scalp. My first instinct was to laugh, because I never would have thought to try something like this, but afer thinking on it for a while I realized that the very worst thing that could happen is that your head has sort of a minty smell. But, doesn’t Head & Shoulders have a minty smell too? And that hair growth aid–MTG, that supposedly smells like bacon grease! So, a choice between using a product I already have at home, or having to order some bacon grease smelling horse product that’ll set me back at least $30.00…no competition.
Another tip was to use Gelatin Capsules, which I found were sold at GNC. I remember hearing about gelatin growing your nails fast, long, and strong, but I just never linked that to hair as well. These pills are on my wishlist for the next month, and hopefully this combined with the Listerine in a spray bottle will yield an inch a month, rather than half-an-inch.
I’m not expecting a miracle, but I would like a little bit of an edge that doesn’t leave me smelling like meat.
Here’s a picture I forgot to add to the other entries.

Measurement of where my hair reached in early November, shoulderwise:


So I finally got paid on Monday (I get paid once monthly, so it’s like a BIG deal when I get my paycheck, trust…)
I’ve been itchin’ to get my ass on over to Sally’s, to go nuts browsing through all the products, BUT…I am glad that other errands have taken me away from making a dash to that store so quickly. It’s for the best that I did not go when I got paid earlier in the week, but instead will be going tomorrow night. This will give me time to make a list of all the products that I want to try, so as not to walk in there with my money taped to my forehead, and greedy sales people pointing me towards all these expensive products that won’t do shit for my hair. I want to go into that store with a list and a plan.
I’ve been perusing reviews through Google, and on hair sites, and have narrowed it down to certain products/product lines, and do not want to lose my focus when I walk into the store. I’m sure I’ll get someone who’ll direct me to a corner of the store geared towards my “type” of hair, and I’ll get all turned around–but not if I have my list clenched tightly in my first. It is for that reason that I will make sure to prepeare, and I’ll used this entry to help me do that.
First off, I want to start by saying that I do not plan on using shampoo on my hair, come the weekend of 1/17/09 – 1/18/09. I cannot find a shampoo that doesn’t dry my hair, and it’s not as if shampooing is taking care of my dandruff problem. I can’t imagine just using conditioner, so I will find a cozy nitch in between shampooing and co-washing–baking soda. I’ll use it in my hair twice. Nice cleanser, doesn’t leave a smell, washes out easily, and leaves my hair feeling just as moisturized as it started out. That’s good enough for me.
I will be undoing the braids around my edges this upcoming weekend, however, and have decided to give one shampoo I’ve seen reviewed pretty well a try. If it doesn’t work, baking soda in January it is.
Okay, so on my list will be the following products:
For use as my shampoo: Nexxus Therappe Luxury Moisturizing Shampoo
Now, I’ve read that it worked for a lot of people, and didn’t work for some…hopefully I’m part of the majority that it did work for. They claim it really moisturizes your hair and leaves it silky. I’m hoping so. It’s not really expensive, so at least that’s a plus. My first time trying a Nexxus product (at least that I can remember). I’ll cross my fingers with this one.
For use as my conditioner: Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner
They say it’s supposed to be as good as the shampoo, so I’ll believe them. Besides, I like the idea of using the same brand of conditioner to the brand of shampoo I use.
For use after washing out the conditioner: Silk Elements Megasilk Moisturizing Treatment
I’ve heard TONS of great reviews about it–especially from those with really coarse hair. So I’ll basically leave this on my hair, under a plastic cap for maybe half-an-hour or so, and then wash it out. From what I read about other’s experiences with it, it’s supposed to make your hair REALLY soft, which is what I’m going for. Some have complained that it made their hair TOO soft, but as far as I’m concerned the recollection I have of how hard and dry my hair felt after I blow dried, NOTHING is “too soft” for me.
As my protein treatment: Motions Oil Moisturizer Silk Protein Conditioner
I seriously thought all protein for your hair made it harder. I know people with perms need lots of protein to repair what the chemicals do to their strands, but I had no clue that there were different TYPES of protein! This is the protein I need to make my hair softer and silkier. I have never used Motions (once again, not that I remember) so I’m hoping for wonderful things from it.
As my heat protectant: Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide Protective Smoother Very Dry Unruly Hair
This is a really hard product to find. I’ve just found out that Sally’s does not sell Redken products. Kmart/Walmart/etc. sells Redken products, but not this particular heat protectant. I will have a looksie at the BSS.
As my daily oil moisturizer: BB Oil Moisturizer Hair Lotion
I know that hair lotions get a bad rap, but I have recently heard good things about this one, and am willing to give it a try.


So, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Chanukah to all!
My apologies for ending my last entry a little abruptly–it was getting late, and I wanted to head over to Sally’s before it closed.
Well, I got my first Sally’s experience, and I can’t really say that I’m impressed. I mean, it wasn’t horrible or anything, but I just thought it’d be so much more. For one thing, as I stated in the entry above, they do NOT carry Redken products, which sucks. For another, the store is pretty small–I mean, I know you may wonder just how big I think a hair store should be, but I’ve seen BSS (Beauty Supply Stores, for those who are wondering) that were twice, if not 3 times as big–so it’s a damn shame that these Sally stores seem to be on the miniature side.
There were a couple of things that I didn’t end up getting/finding. I didn’t find the silk protein from Motions that I was looking for–they didn’t have it in stock (fail on their part). I also forgot to get the Denman brush (fail on MY part). I guess I’ll be going back to their stores every once in a while, but I think I’ll stick to the regular old Beauty Supply Stores, because I feel they offer a wider selection.
So, last weekend I decided to undo the braids in the middle section of my hair–it was starting to take on that “are they braids, or are they dreads” look, so I had to do something about it.
Snapshot of the hair after I took the braids out. It was so soft, and stretched out to about 4.5 – 5 inches in the middle. I almost didn’t want to wash it.

When I laid my hair flat against my scalp, it reached down near my ears. I’m more than hopeful that this time next year I won’t need to microbraid anymore, and will just be able to wear a few rows of sew-in tracks under my own natural hair.
So I took the braids out, and proceeded to use the Nexxus shampoo and conditioner. Was not impressed. It smelled absolutely fantastic, but so what? I’m not going to review it yet because I want to use just the conditioner on it’s own to see if I feel a difference in moisture. So far though, I see no reason to have spent the money on this line.
I put on a small amount of heat protectant (I’ll insert the name of it once I get home) and combed it evenly through my hair.
I used all the products that I mentioned last entry, and there was still no difference in moisture. My hair didn’t feel silky or anything. I was so disappointed.
THEN…I plugged in the new Gold N’ Hot blow dryer I purchased from Sally’s; ceramic and tourmaline, if I’m not mistaken, and proceeded to use the comb attachment to comb through my hair as I blow dried it on a medium heat setting. Let me tell you something…out of all the things I purchased from Sally’s that night, that blow drier was the best buy. Not only did it dry my hair quickly (and on a medium heat setting too!) but it dried it straight, and IT WASN’T NOISY!!! My old hair dryer was so noisy, it sounded like an airplane landing–and my hair always came out so rough!
So, after marvelling at how straight and healthy-looking my hair was after drying, I then broke out my Sedu and (with so much fear of burning my hair off in my heart…) I set it to about 310 degrees, and proceeded to flat iron.
Let me tell you something…the blow drying makes all the difference in how straight the flat iron can get your hair. I mean, I was only on 310, I can’t imagine how much straighter it would have gotten if I raised the temperature (which I plan to do next month, when I take everything out).
I was so happy–no crispy edges, no dryness, no dull/puffy hair, just straight, healthy strands. The heat protectant did a good job, but I still want to buy Redken’s smooth down.
Snapshot of my hair after blow drying and flat ironing:

A friend pointed out that my hair looks shorter from this angle. I never thought to take another pic with it standing straight up in mohawk style, so that you could see the length–I will next time.
So, anyways, I have to do the edges, but I’m procrastinating. I just don’t feel like spending my time taking the braids out and then putting them back in. Besides, now that the middle is rebraided, my hair looks a lot neater, so I’ll try to hold back on doing the edges for as long as I can.
Once again, happy holidays!


So, I still haven’t gotten around to doing my edges yet…well, okay, let me not lie–I HAVE the time, I just don’t wanna. Like I said in the last entry, the middle part of my hair being redone has given my style a new breath, and I just don’t see the point in messing with the edges. Besides, I’ve gotten this babyhair thing going on with the strands from the edges kinda coming out of the braids, and it’s kinda cute. See for yourself:

So, I have 2 more weeks to go, and I think I can make it without having to redo the edges.
Okay, I’ve gotten the name of the heat protectant that I used right before blow drying my hair. It’s called One n’ Only, and I got it from Sally’s. It looks like this:

I’ve come to the conclusion that sprays are a no-no for my hair. My hair needs creams, oils, and gels to function/look at its best. When I use a spray, I notice that sizzle the flat iron makes, and I hate it. I know people say that’s just the product burning off, but I can’t help feel like that’s just the products burning off…with my hair. One n’ only is a cream that goes on pretty light. You don’t need a lot, and it absorbs really quickly. The smell isn’t the best in the world (honestly, it smells a little musky) but it’s not horrible, and besides, the scent doesn’t stay on your hair and follow you around. Not everything can smell like coconuts, you know? Lol.
So I put a little on before blow drying, being sure to comb it as evenly through my hair as possible, then I blow dried, and added a bit more throughout my hair (combing through once again) before flat ironing. No sizzling sounds, no burning smell–everything went well.
I’m pleased with the results it yielded, but curious about this Redken Smooth Down protectant…I know it’s a spray, but when I hear really great reviews about a product from other Black women, I just have to know if it’ll work for me.