Wash day Bantu Knot Out

Extra fluffy Air Dried Hair

about 50% dry

This past wash day I just passed 2 weeks post and decided I wanted to really treat my hair. After wearing straight hair for 2 weeks I was ready for some textured styles. Me and my mom were very excited that our stand up hair steamer came in the mail over the weekend as well!

I pre-pooed for an hour with hemp oil under a conditioning cap. I also used tea tree oil on my scalp because it was extremely dry.

This week I clarified with my Redken Cleansing Cream, and did a slight protein treatment with Aphogee's 2 minutes Reconstructor, then t shirt dried for about 10 minutes.

Next I deep conditioned under a cap for about an hour using KeraCare's Humecto, then steamed for about 20 minutes. I loved sitting under the steamer, which is crazy because I hate sitting under the dryer lol.

I rinsed everything out and followed with Paul Mitchell's Smoothing Conditioner, for a few minutes before rinsing.

I t shirt dried for about 15 minutes then applied my leave-in, Elasta QP, Kinky Curly Knot Today, and Paul Mitchell's Skinny Serum. I allowed my hair to air dry about 85% before installing 9 bantu knots.

BKO set after work

I absolutely loved my results, and I had not realized it had been 9 months since my last set. The wigging challenge almost made me forget how much I love some of my favorite styles.

After this week I will be protecting my hair again, and I am considering installing box braids or twists!

Relaxer Update 2.2

So I may be ready to start self relaxing...

My wonderful beautician did a great job relaxing my hair today (yesterday) but she is just too scissor happy! She asked if I wanted a trim after blowing my hair out and complimenting me on how great it is growing out. Of course said no, but she assured me that I really needed it. I went ahead and obliged and assumed she would not take off too much. Sure enough I started to see 2 inch pieces falling in my lap and I'm instantly pissed. She's always cutting my hair, I've had a trim 4 times since my cut and I know my ends have not been bad. For the sake of my length progress I just think I need to stay away from her.

She also has these little habits that make me cringe like combing wet hair with a fine toothed comb, or blow drying my hair with the heat cooking my scalp. I know being on a hair journey makes you over critical about anything hair related, so I may just need to take over everything. I've always wanted to self relax but I'm afraid of messing something up. But I think it's time, what do you guys think? I spend $60 to have my hair relaxed when I can do my own for close to $10. It's really hard because I've grown very fond of my hair stylist over the years, and she still does my Mom's hair regularly, but it's time for a change.

Anyways my hair is doing great here are the results.

  

 

 My hair is still at about line 3 but this is not an accurate length check because my hair is flipped at the bottom and slightly curled. I will wait to update the relaxer update page when my hair is actually straight. p.s. my relaxer prep paid off, absolutely no burning this go round!

Relaxer Day Prep!

Finally, tomorrow I will be ending my 12 week stretch! I know to some of my fellow bloggers, 12 weeks is a breeze but I'm not at that point yet lol. However, I will say that my new growth was not totally unbearable, and I could have gone a few more weeks. Thorough detangling sessions were beginning to take up to an hour towards the end of this stretch, and ain't nobody got time for that. Anywho, on to my prep...

looks like about  an inch of ng all around

1. Last Sunday, five days before relaxing I did a protein treatment on my hair using ORS Replenishing Conditioner. This is as hard of a protein treatment as I go, for fear of protein overload. I perform light protein treatments (aphogee 2 min reconstructor) biweekly and I've never had a protein issue to my knowledge. Plus my hair absolutely loves those little yellow packets.

2. I had my mom braid my hair into my usual 4 braids that are worn undeneath my wigs to stretch my new growth.

3. No scratching, sweating, or re-wetting, all week.

Night before...

4. Removed braids and finger deranged with oil. I try to refrain from manipulating my hair too much during prep week. Even texlaxed hair has shrinkage, see below.

5. Oiled my scalp with a mineral oil/ petroleum based product. I literally found this buried, under my sink but it did the job. My December relaxer burned so badly that I take many precautions to prevent that feeling.

6. Sectioned hair into 4 and used my favorite Mane and Tail detangler & seamless comb to work through each section.  Most if the work had already been done by my fingers earlier.

7. Bantu knotted each section when done and applied castor oil to the parts.

* note tomorrow when I visit the salon I will have her base me again just to be safe.