Two-Year Hair Journey Update

June is my 2 YEAR HAIR-VERSARY and I am beyond amazed at how far I have come in such a short period of time.  I started out my hair journey with unhealthy thin bone-straight relaxed hair that was a little shorter than shoulder length. Today I still relax, but NOT bone straight. My hair is hovering right at mid-back length and I am well on my way to hopefully reaching my goal length of waist length hair.  I have learned so much about what it takes to grow and maintain healthy hair from those that have successfully completed their own journeys.  Great reads are Grow It by Chicoro, and The Science of Black hair by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy, both available through amazon.com.  I think it was so beneficial early on to gain knowledge and inspiration from ladies on the long hair care hair boards. One of the best is k-i-s-s-.biz (also know as Keep it Simple Sista).  I always say the best thing you can do for your hair is to educate yourself on healthy hair care! Learn what products you need to avoid, what styles to avoid and mechanical devices cause damage to hair. Learn how CRITICAL the moisture content of your is.  Once you realize the impact this has on the health of your hair, dropping certain practices and adding new ones to your regimen will become a no-brainer. Today I LOVE my hair and I NEVER thought I would be able to utter the words.  If I can grow my hair long and strong ANYBODY can.  I always thought long healthy relaxed hair was unattainable if you have had short damaged hair all your life like I did.  This simply is not true.  If you are displeased with the health and condition of your hair, relaxed or natural, take an active approach in caring for it yourself.  If that means ditching your hair dresser then so be it! Black women's hair was made to grow to great lengths just as women's hair of any other race.  I have posted Pics of my progress over the past two years.  I hope you will find it inspiring and proof that educating yourself will allow you to achieve anything : ) Happy Growing!

Start of my Hair Journey June 2010 - Length Check w/ Wet Hair

1 year into my HJ - June 2011 - Length Check

2 years into my HJ - June 2012 - Length Check

Beginning Length June 2010

Current Length June 2012!!!

Update: Loving My Hair!!!

I am almost a year and a half into my HJ and I officially have my dream hair! Its not at my ultimate goal of Waist length, but a full BSL and I just love the length, texture, and fullness! I NEVER thought this hair would be attainable for me. It crazy that I was able to acquire it in what feels like no time flat.  Knowledge really is the key to anything you want in life.

I did my Phyto Relaxer yesterday...DC and styled with all Phyto products and these are the results : ) I hope to be at MBL by my next birthday of June 2012...so cross your fingers! All my readers and followers send me pics of your progress so that I may share them with the world. You can help to inspire just as I have.

My Decision to Texlax

So much has happened since my last post in September!  I made the decision to transition from relaxed to texlaxed.  I had been pondering for a while if I would make the transition...but this all came to be by mistake.  My first attempt at self relaxing (in a few years) was in Spetmeber and because I am soooo paranoid about over processing my hair I rinsed my Phyto relaxer too soon. What I got was still wavy ( but much looser pattern) roots that were very soft and manageable.  I decided then no more bone straight hair!

For those of you that do not know what texlaxing is...it is still relaxing, but the chemicals are left on for a shorter period of time to purposely under-process the hair.  This way more peptide bonds are left in tact and the curl pattern is loosened up a bit, not completely taken out.  I made this decision because it will leave me with stronger hair, allow me more versatility with styling (wear curly or straight), and it will allow me to have much thicker hair.  I will not have to worry so much about over-processing in an attempt to get it bone straight...all in all I think is the best decision I have made for my hair besides the decision to start this healthy hair journey.

A great side to this is discovering that my natural texture is so beautiful.  I love the wave pattern!  I still want to texlax rather than go all natural because I want to enjoy the length with looser elongated curls and allow for easier manageability.  The picture below is the top view of my hair after a co-wash and I am about 9 week post. There is also about 3 months of previously texlaxed hair in there too : ) I am still using my PhytoSpecific relaxer to texlax. Will texlax again around Christmas....6 month progress pics will be posted then, how exciting!