Archive for April 2011

Mixed Chicks Product Review

I tried the Mixed Chicks sample travel trio back in July! I know, I know i'm late. I moved temporarily and just never got around to writing a review. I first used these products at the very beginning of my healthy hair journey. I figured since i'm a category 3 curl girl and my daughter is a category 4 curly girl I could give a review for a broader range of curlies.


Gentle Clarifying Shampoo
First off, the smell is amazing. All of their products have the same delicious smell. My some 3 some 4 hair: After washing my hair with the shampoo, my hair felt squeaky clean. Since I have dry hair, I probably wouldn't use this conditioner on a regular basis unless I did a pre-poo. Her type 4 hair: Her hair got really clean. I use quite a bit of oil and moisturizers in her hair and I think they acted as a buffer.

Detangling Deep Conditioner
Immediately after shampooing, I used the deep conditioner. I am in LOVE with this conditioner. My hair was soft, and smelled delicious. I was most impressed with how manageable my hair was. Detangling was a breeze and my hair stayed detangled while styling. Her type 4 hair: My daughter's hair was not as soft as mine but it was still soft. It would be a great detangling conditioner for her.

Leave-in Conditioner
The leave-in had the same affect on both our hair types. It froze the curls in place without making them crispy. Although they weren't crispy, I couldn't really run my fingers through them. It definitely felt like a styling cream. I'm not crazy about the results with the leave-in so I won't be using it.

The deep conditioner is the only mixed chicks product I am in love with. The clarifying shampoo doesn't serve my dry hair well and the leave-in is more of a styler. If you are a mixed chick or have a loose curl pattern, these products are worth a try. They sell a travel trio on their website for .99 cents which isn't bad at all in this economy.
Coupon Code: nofrizztweet
Savings: %10 discount

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Protein Treatments

Mayonnaise Treatment (Mild)

The Mayo treatment is convenient and effective. The great thing about this treatment is that you probably already have all the ingredients.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Commercial Mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 egg
Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients together in a plastic container. Saturate hair with mixture from roots to ends. Cover with a processing cap and let sit for 15-30 minutes. Rinse out completely
Tip: To remove the mayo smell, follow up with a moisturizing, fragrant conditioner.



ION Reconstructing Treatment (Medium)
This treatment is for seriously damaged and stressed hair. It can also be used once a week for more severe damage. I buy the sample packages at Sally's Beauty Supply. Since my hair is not super thick, I can use this package multiple times.

Ingredients:
  • ION Reconstructor Treatment
Instructions:
Shampoo and towel dry hair. Apply small amount of solution from roots to ends paying special attention to the ends. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Tip: Always follow up any protein treatment with a moisturizing conditioner to soften the hair.

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My Story: Heat Damage

I hadn't noticed damage until I started flat ironing my hair. I was like a heatorexic. My hair was getting thinner and shorter and I was flat ironing it once a week on the highest setting. I should have been at 300 and I was at 410. People around me kept telling me how pretty my hair was and how they thought I had a perm. I was totally oblivious to the split ends, the weak hair shaft and how thin my hair was getting toward the ends. Someone finally bluntly told me, "You're frying your hair out." I was taken back and a little insulted until I took pictures of my hair.

July June

These were taken at the begining of my hair care journey. As you can see my ends were very thin, a result of flat ironing my hair once a week at 410 degrees.

Goal

December 2009. My hair was healthy in this picture.
I was only pressing my hair once every three weeks.

What is it?
I tried natural styles but they almost always failed. You can see through to my scalp in some areas and the thin ends really ruined the style.

These pictures were taken after a protein treatment April 2011.

Close up of my ends which used to be straight.
I got frustrated one day and just cut them off. I'm glad I did :)

I love they way my hair is now. Heat damage has taught me a valuable lesson.
One that I will never have to be taught again.

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Hair Growth and Retention

I'm putting this post in two different sections because I really want to get this information out there to people who need help growing their hair :)


Don't cut corners!

I can't stress this enough. If it takes you two hours to wash and condition your hair then use

that two hours and more if needed.


Detangle

Take your time with this. Invest tools that gently detangle your hair. Also if you hair is in a

kinky state, do not detangle dry. Detangling dry kinky hair will cause breakage and can cause

your hair toknot up. Wet hair with water and conditiner for easier detangling.

Tip: Most grocery stores sell inexpensive versions of denman brushes


Denman Brush


Sulfate-Free Products

Sulfates are harsh detergents that can remove your hair's natural oils. They are usually one of

the first five ingredients found in most name brand shampoos and conditioners. Some people

can use these shampoos without incident. My theory is that if you exercise vigorously and

have an oily scalp you're ok. If your have a dry, itchy scalp or you suffer from dandruff,

sulfates may exacerbate your symptoms. Some products claim to be sulfate free and still have

one listed in the ingredients so always check the label.


Stretch

Stretching you hair makes styling easier and helps ensure hair stays detangled. Here's how I

stretch my hair after a shampoo and condition:


  • Section into medium sized sections
  • Tie each section with an ouchless hair band
  • Twisting each section
  • Secure the ends with either hair clips or rollers
  • Air-dry until the hair is completely dry



Trim/Dust

Split ends are fragile and will continue to split. Trims are a good way to quickly eliminate

most split ends. Dusting is simply cutting individual strands of split ends. I prefer dusting to

trimming simply because my hair appears longer.


Reduce Heat

The heat you use, the more damage may occur. If you like to wear your hair straight, try

rollersetting or air-drying hair. I like to air-dry my hair by sectioning my hair off into six

sections with ouchless rubberbands. Then, I twist the hair and let it dry over night.


Hair Vitamins

If your diet isn't exactly the best, supplement with a multivitamin.I take a hair, skin and nails

vitamin that contains MSM. MSM prolongs your hair's growth phase. If you can't afford

Hairfinity, OneSource makes a multivitamin that contains MSM. I mentioned it in my

products I can't live without post.


Low manipulation styles

Leaving your hair alone is the best way to retain length. Last year I had a huge problem with

always wanting to do something to my hair and my hair suffered from it. If you like to wear

your hair straight, weaves and wigs are a great option. You can have the style you want

without putting heat on your own hair. Natural styles are a great option for kinky and curly

hair. Kinky girls, for braid outs instead of sectioning the hair and braiding, try doing a corn-

row out. This provides wave to the root. I love that look and twist outs on 4as.


Care for your scalp

The health of your scalp is just as important as what you do to your hair. I have dandruff and I

know how important it is to address my scalp. Use a scalp treatment that will moisturize

your scalp. This can be either a conditioner or a pre-poo. I have this scalp treatment that my

mom got from Ross of all place. It gives my hair a cool, tingle. Its like a spa treatment for my

scalp. I use a mixture of olive oil, almond oil and tea-tree oil as a pre-poo. This mixture has

been effective for me at relieving dryness and itch.

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Review: The Virgin Hair Company UK


My Review
I came across this company early in my search for affordable hair extensions. Their prices are very reasonable considering how much other companies charge for Virgin Indian hair extensions. Most of the hair pictured is from this company. I have about 2 ounces of my hair addicts right at the top.


How does the hair behave?
This hair isn't silky and it barely tangles however, when it comes to shedding, this hair sheds more than any other hair i've tried. It sheds when you brush it, touch it, run your fingers through it, wash it etc. The trade off for shedding is affordable soft hair. I get complements on this hair whenever I leave the house. My biggest problem with this hair....... the wefts. The wefts are a mess and I didn't even sew through the tracts! It looks like a hair jungle. Everything was fine for the first couple of installs but by the fourth install, it was clear that there was a problem.

Summary
Other than the more than moderate shedding and the jungle wefts, I like the hair. If you just want some Virgin Indian hair and don't want to pay an arm and a leg, this company is good. Since i'm looking for premium virgin hair, i'm going to keep looking :)

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Getting Natural Hair Bone Straight







My Technique For Straightening Natural, Ethnic Hair








Here are the steps:

Wash
Before I shampoo, I put conditioner in my hair and detangle with a large tooth comb. Once the hair is tangle free, rinse the conditioner out and proceed to wash. Use a natural moisturizing shampoo if you have ethnic hair. Massage the shampoo into your hair and scalp. Repeat if necessary.

Deep Condition
Once the hair is clean and the shampoo is rinsed out completely, apply conditioner. My favorite conditioner is ABBA because it is mostly natural. Comb the conditioner into the hair with a wide tooth comb. Apply a splash of water to evenly distribute the conditioner. Cover with a processing cap and either apply medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cold water.

Moisturize
CHI silk infusion is the best product for softening kinky, curly hair. I use a quarter size amount of CHI and a small amount of Hair One Olive Oil.

Blow-dry
This is what determines how straight you want your hair. For silky, bone-straight hair, use a barrel brush. Blowdry small sections of hair on the medium setting. I also like to use a heat concentrator on my blowdrier.

Flat Iron
By this time, your hair should be soft and have flow. I use just enough coconut oil to coat my palms then I work it through my hair. To straighten your roots effectively, pull the section you're working with. Also, use a small tooth comb in front of the flatiron to detangle and straighten more effectively. This technique has been working for me for years and the results are always the same.

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Natural Hair Update

My Natural Hair Wet

I am very OCD when it comes to my hair. For some reason, I just can't leave it alone especially when it's in a natural state. I tried no-heat hairstyles last year and maybe its me but it just never turns out right! Don't believe me? Ok.....




Hot steaming mess! No, I did NOT go out in public like this nor did I think these styles were cute. The roller set it something I would try again. I know what went wrong with it. Early in my hair journey, I was inspired by many natural hair gurus on youtube and they were very knowledgeable about their own hair. My hair is obviously different and needed a different approach. I either put too much moisture in or not enough plus my scalp was itching constantly.

I have decided to take a new approach to my natural hair........ i'm going to hide it! Not because I don't think it beautiful or because I don't want to deal with it. My hair needs a restraining order against my hands because I can do some serious damage if i'm left with gel, Hawaiian silky and rollers unsupervised. My new strategy it to wear hair extensions and to gently care for my leave-out. I am not a hairstylist. I'm simply a person who can accomplish anything I seriously want to. Plus, I don't have the money to go to the salon and get it done. I do my own weaves and they have turned out much better than my futile attempts a natural no-heat hairstyles.

Blowdried



Flatironed


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