Wash day - 9 weeks post 30/03/2013 (Hair Shedding Update

I had to head to easter mass so I had the quickest wash day ever. I was a little disappointed as I wanted to try all my new stuff

1. I didn't the a chance to prepoo properly but i warmed up coconut oil and Jamaican black castor oil and applied to my scalp. I covered with a plastic cap for about 10 minutes. Hmm wonder if this was just a waste of product
2. Sectioned my hair into four and rinsed out oil with warm water 
3. I followed on with my usual Moisture sulfate-free shampoo from body shop.
4. I applied my new Moisture DC Keracare Humecto creme conditioner and covered with a plastic cap for about 15 minutes. I decided not mix an oils or add heat. I simply followed the instruction on the bottle. I detangled with the DC in my hair
5. After rinsing my DC I applied Paul Mitchell Super skinny daily treatment.  I left this on for about 2 minutes and rinsed out 
6. I wrapped my hair for about 10 minutes in my hair turban thing (I was in a rush) 
7. I followed on by applying my two new leave ins from Aphogee(green tea restructurizer and provitamin leave in) as well as my trusted Paul Mitchell super skinny serum. I used both leavings as am beginning to realise that my hair is stronger when it gets a decent protein boost. The restructurizer  has tea in it so I would hope it does what the tea rinse would usually do. It also contains a lot of protein which  wanted
8. I followed on by applying JBCO to my scalp, moisturised with Scurl and sealed with avocado oil
9. I had to go to mass so ended up blow drying my hair on medium setting. I felt like I was committing a taboo with the heat but my hair looked great. 

Once I was done blow drying, I detangled again and  put my hair in a bun for church and it felt really healthy. 

After my entire wash day this is the hair I lost. I think am doing well.

Overall it was very hard to judge the products as I used everything so quickly. I would hopefully have time to use them properly next weekend and make a final call. Right now its hard to tell.

Wash Day - 8 weeks post 24/03/2013

1. Prepooed overnight with coconut oil. Wrapped my hair in cling film and covered with a silk scarf for bed
2. Following morning sectioned my hair into four and rinsed out oil with warm water 
3. I followed on with my usual Moisture sulfate-free shampoo from body shop.
4. I applied a mixture of (protein DC + Moisture DC + Wonder oil) to my hair along with my make shift heat cap(Hot towel and shower cap). As my new growth is more obvious I focused  a lot on them as well as my ends. I still added protein again his week as I still felt my hair is asking for it.
5. After rinsing my DC I applied Paul Mitchell Super skinny daily treatment.  I left this on for about 2 minutes and rinsed out 
6. I wrapped my hair for about 1 hour in my hair turban thing and applied leave in conditioner and Paul Mitchell super skinny serum 
7.  I air  dried my air in a bun 
8. Once it was halfway dry, I applied jojoba oil to my scalp and followed my usual moisturising, sealing with avocado oil.
9. I put it back in a bun till tomorrow morning

I can't believe it but I am out of leave in conditioner and my moisture DC. You know this means I will be shopping. I have about 5 items in the basket already mainly because I just got paid. Trying to resist so badly. I will post my latest purchases once I receive my items in the post. 

Hair Shedding + Hard water problems = HHJ decline part 2

So to pick up on my last post regarding hard water and shedding, I thought to follow up with a post and the changes I decided on making and how the are working for me.

I tried the apple cider vinegar rinse and let me tell you I HATE the smell of my hair after it. Maybe I didn't do it right but damn I will not be revisiting it again. Instead in my small PJ haul I purchased REDKEN hair cleansing cream shampoo and will be using this once a month.

In my last post I said I was going to probably introduce a protein shampoo but I decided against it as I really want to keep thing as simple as possible. Instead I have decided to add in my protein treatment with my DC any week I feel my hair needs it. I had planned on alternating moisture and protein but at the moment I have used protein DC and moisture DC two weeks in a row and my hair is loving it.

I did a tea rinse one of my was days just to help with the shedding. I think I may be leaving this and only applying it on a need basis rather than on a schedule.

Using a comb in my hair these days is also very minimal. I use it as little as two days during the week as well as my wash day. Finally I stopped wrapping my hair altogether and leave it in a lose bun before my silk scarf at might.

All in all. My shedding has reduced a whole lot in the last two weeks. Check out my wash diaries for my last two washes on the 10th and 17th of March

Loving my hair still...

Its 9pm but I thought it was worth it to make this post.

I don't know if it is the Paul Mitchell stuff I got but honestly my hair still feels so soft. Even my new growth is shocking me at how soft it is. I have been focusing my moisturising regime this week on my new growth and ends. I was one of those girls who would relax the hair once a month just because my roots were making a debut and highlighting how horrible my hair care was. My nape and temple areas are seriously nothing compared to what they used to be in the past when the hair was overdue. In Nigeria we refer to them as "coco waves". Yep no coco waves on this chick's head *Victory dance* .For the first time I am considering stretching my relaxer beyond the 10 weeks I planned. Although I am dying to get it relaxed so I could go to my stylist for a nice trim. I made a rookie mistake by not getting a good trim before the start of my journey but I'll cut my losses if I have to. I am just thrilled at the feel of my hair.

I thought I would never do a product review but I think I will start doing them soon. I just want enough time to see the results and I will defo be doing them.

Summary of today's rant is that my hair feels the business. Night Night

Wash day - 7 weeks post 17/03/2013 (Includes Paul Mitchell and Redken products))

If you read my latest post on my mini product haul you will know how excited I am about this wash day. Getting really adventurous and hope my hair loves it. Today's wash day is inspired strongly by Jenny from JGA so here goes

1. Prepooed overnight with coconut oil. Wrapped my hair in cling film and covered with a warm hat for bed
2. Following morning rinsed out oil with warm water and yes you guessed it , I shampooed with Redken Hair Cleansing cream. **NEW**
3. I followed on with my usual Moisture sulfate-free shampoo from body shop. I felt this was necessary if the clarifying shampoo has stripped all the goodness off my hair.
4. I applied a mixture of (protein DC + Moisture DC + Wonder oil) to my hair along with my make shift heat cap(Hot towel and shower cap). I focused  a lot on my new growth and ends. In case you are wondering why I used wonder oil its because it contains seven types of oil and tones of herbs. But the ones that tickled my fancy in this were Wheat germ oil(contains ceramides), safflower oil, Rosemary extract, Henna extract and jojoba oil. The benefits of these ingredients on my hair was just what it needed this weekend.  Note that although it was my moisture DC week I added a very small amount of protein to my DC as I could tell the difference in my hair the week before. Hmm. Lets hope am hearing my hair correctly. **NEW**
5. After rinsing my DC I applied another new entry to my collection, Paul Mitchell Super skinny daily treatment. I am hoping this does hat it says on the tin "smoothing and reduced drying time". I left this on for about 2 minutes and rinsed out  **NEW**
6. I wrapped my hair for about 30 mins in my hair turban thing and applied leave in conditioner and Paul Mitchell super skinny serum which is also "smoothing and reduces drying time"
7. I have my hair air drying now in a bun This is a change but lets see how it goes  **NEW**

My hair is done air dryiig and I hereby declare my faithfulness to Paul Mitchell Smoothing range. My hair was dry in half the time, my new growth that is normally really annoying feels so so soft and fluffy. I haven't moisturised and if you felt my hair you wouldn't even know it. Love, Love, the Paul Mitchell products.

Week 4 Maintenance - NO comb + NO wrapping

Last week I was moaning about shedding and tried to avoid the comb this week. Epic fail. The first 3 days were fine and on day 4, I couldn't help but get my trusted wide toothed comb out. To my greatest surprise, there was hardly any shedding. The tea rinse and avoiding the comb for three days must have worked.

I noticed an improvement in the strength of my hair which I was really pleased with.

Also at night I didn't wrap the hair at all this week, I just stuck it in a low loose bun and wrapped with my silk scarf.

I made a small change to my moisture and seal routine, I only did it once a day as my hair just did not need it twice a day at all. I was more adventurous with my buns during the day, I was adding quiffs and getting tonnes of compliments. Check out the bun styles in this video specifically the last one. Its great for SL hair http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=a0e03tCrWtk

HHJ starter products - Additional Treatments, serums etc.)

Hi ladies. The product junkie in me has been unleashed ever so slightly. I will be updating this page soon with how I found my previous products. I have been using them for a month and sort of know what isn't working at this point.

Anyhow I will be back to update this post soon

Update below and pics of my new products. Excited about my wash day

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment
Where to Buy: Joseph Kramer Hair studio Wicklow street ( Branches also exist in Stillorgan and Sutton) Zeba on south william street stock some Paul Mitchell, but this particular range I could only find at Joseph Kramers
Cost: €20 Approx
Why did I choose this: My hair dries like a frizz ball and takes ages to dry. The packaging says "Helps reduce dry time so you get smooth style faster. Helps repair and protect hair against damage". Ticks the boxes for me
How will I use this: I will apply this after rinsing out my deep conditioner and rinse out


Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum
Where to Buy: Joseph Kramer Hair studio Wicklow street ( Branches also exist in Stillorgan and Sutton) Zeba on south william street stock some Paul Mitchell, but this particular range I could only find at Joseph Kramers
Cost: €20 Approx
Why did I choose this: My hair dries like a frizz ball and takes ages to dry. The packaging says "Helps smooth hair fast with reduce dry time. Helps control frizz and adds shine". Need I say more :)
How will I use this: I will apply this alon with my leave in conditioner on wash days

Wash day - 6 weeks post 10/03/2013 (Includes ACV)

Today's wash day involved a few things. If you read my previous posts from the last week, you will see I was complaining about shedding. I have now included some of the remedies in today's wash without having to purchase a new product

This week is my protein DC week so here we go...

1. Pre-poo overnight with coconut oil
2. Rinsed out with warm water and shampooed hair in sections
3. I then followed on with a tea rinse, this time I applied the tea with a spray bottle to ensure I got my scalp and every hair strand
4. After about 5 minutes I mixed some protein DC and moisture DC in a bowl and applied to the hair sections. This was a change to my regime. Normllay i would do these separately
5. I warmed up a towel by dipping in some hot water and squeezing. I placed this directly on my hair and covered with a shower cap.  In this time I went ahead and did my other stuff like wash my make up brushes etc.)
6. After about 20 minutes, I rinsed out with warm water and followed up with my instant conditioner. 
7. I detangled while the conditioner was in my hair and rinsed out
8. In another spray bottle, I mixed 2 cups of water and 3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and sprayed on my scalp and roots (Does not smell great)
9. I then wrapped my hair in my new hair turban my friend got me (Thanks Jocelyn :) ) 
10. After about an hour or so in the turban, I applied my leave-in conditioner and left to dry
11. Once it was dry, I applied jojoba oil to my scalp and moisturised my hair and finally sealed with avocado oil

Just a bit of feedback on my ends from last week, I certainly think the avocado oil has been working but I will wait till i get my next touch up  and trim and re evaluate again.

Hair Shedding + Hard water problems = HHJ decline part 1

So on Monday i noticed hat the hair in my temple area seemed to have reduced drastically. To put icing on the cake my hair felt like it was shedding more than usual. I mean it wasn't a case that the bathroom floor was covered, it was just that since I started my HHJ, it had been cut down but it definitely was not as bad as it used to be.

I started investigating on blogs and hair experts and I found couple of reasons for this

• Hard Water
• Not enough protein in hair
• Constantly wrapping hair in same direction or tight buns
• Over manipulation of hair

I pretty much ticked every box there. Below is my plan on how to tackle these

Hard water

Chelating shampoos exist to remove mineral deposits in hair that could be caused by hard water. Well how do you know if you have hard water without having a Phd in chemical substances. Its easy. Does the inside of your kettle accumulate limescale very easily? Check out your shower head, do you notice build up there? 

You know this means product purchase and my idea is to keep things cheap and easy. After much research I found you could just do an Apple cider vinegar rinse after each wash to counter act the hard water. Not only does it counter this, it also helps to remove the build up of products you may have.

This does not mean am against purchasing the shampoo am only wary of the shampoos because the ones I found all contain sulphates. I  saying that I may be grabbing one soon I will be getting either Joico K Pak Chelating shampoo or Paul Mitchell Clarifying shampoo three. In Ireland, locating Paul Mitchell products can be tricky but you can find them in Zeba on south William street in Dublin city centre or Universal Hair and beauty in the GPO arcade of Henry street  in Dublin or Joseph Kramer Hair Studio on Wicklow street. Joseph Kramer stocks a fuller range if you want options.However the Joico products are in many European hair salons. Paul Mitchell is more available in the UK if you are out and about there

Not enough protein in hair

Many ladies have the problem of hair shedding early in the hair journey and this is usually the main reason. Once again a Paul Mitchell product caught my attention courtesy of Sunshyne of justgrowalready. 

Be careful though not to knock the balance out of your hair This link really talks about moisture/protein balance quite well http://blackhair101.com/hair-care/moisture-and-protein-maintaining-the-balance

Sunshyne talks about few products she introduced into her regime. NOte that it was a protein shampoo and a moisture DC. http://www.justgrowalready.com/2010/08/my-biggest-hurdle-breakage.html#.UTy6uNbHbow

I am happy with my moisture DC and am really trying to ensure I don't turn into a product Junkie. Instead I have chosen to probably introduce a protein shampoo into my regime. I think I may use this shampoo once a month on one of my moisture DC days. I haven't quite decided so haven't purchased yet. I would like to hold out first and see how the other changes in my regime are affecting my hair

Constantly wrapping hair in same direction or tight buns

This part is simple NO MORE WRAPPING else i would gradually become bald. Instead a loose bun to protect my ends at night and my silk scarf goes on but not too tight. I think I was tying this to tight to ensure it didn't slip off. Lesson learnt. After all the whole idea of protecting before you sleep is your ends and to keep the moisture locked in

Over manipulation of hair

This I am totally guilty of. From now on I will leave my comb until my wash day. During the week I would finger comb only. Its really easy to say that now but at 6 weeks post, its hard not to be tempted to just use the comb to get a smoother bun. But I will surely try.

Week 3 Maintenance

So this week I noticed that the hair around my right temple was thinning. I nearly died as I know how long it took me to grow the hair out there.

First things first I stopped wrapping my hair at night and instead switched to putting my hair in a bun. I also made sure that my buns we not tight bot during the day and at night.

My ends seem to look so much better now. I stuck to my moisturising and sealing daily but just changed my sealant to avocado oil .

Wash day - 5 weeks post 03/03/2013

Wash day as delayed till Sunday as I was out socialising. Still didn't stop me though :)

As promised I said I would tell how my hair was responding so far and you can see my journey so far. Any way this week was my moisture DC week and it was effortless. As always below are the steps I took this week

1. Prepoo with coconut oil overnight(Wrapped in cling film and silk scarf overnight). 

2. Sunday afternoon I section my hair and braided, then used warm water to rinse the oil out
3. I then added just about a tablespoon  of shampoo to each section and massaged into the scalp gently and rinsed out with warm water
4. I then mixed a tablepoosn of jojoba oil, 2 tablespoond f avcaod oil and a generous amount of my moisture DC. I applied this  to each section and massaged from scalp to roots and ends. To allow the treatment to be more effective, I placed a shower cap and hot towel over the hair for about 30 minutes
6. Rinsed out the treatment with warm water and put in some instant conditioner. I didn't do this on my last moisture DC but since i tried this last week, I was looking forward to the wonderful scent and softness in my hair.mmmmmmmm. I'll rave about this conditioner till the ends of the earth. 
 I loosened out the braids and de tangled with my comb while the conditioner was on and rinsed out with lukewarm water
7. I followed up by t-shirt drying for a while and then applied some leave in conditioner.

8. When nearly dry apply jojoba oil to scalp, moisturiser on hair and seal with avocado oil. 

Week 2 Maintenance

This week  I started noticing some dry and frizzy ends and had an emotional hair meltdown. I did a bit of research and found that avocado oil was great to moisturise frizzy ends

I was moisturising and sealing day and night except that I changed my sealant to avocado oil and it was amazing what difference it made. 

I also had a party to attend on Friday night and was worried about what way my hair would turn out. But i got one of those bun things and planned to add extensions to fill the bun. Goodness me, it took about 1 hour before I realised I had to ditch the extensions. I was so happy to find that my hair fit into the bun without any gaps. Yay. Welcome back volume. I could hardly believe it. Its a pity I didn't take a picture of the hair fully but this one below just shows a glimpse of it . Yep its 100% my hair. Actually from my next touch up day, I would start taking proper pictures