My Hair Issue Problems

Hey I've been working hard to keep better track of my hair obstacles and my actions to improve so here's and update

1. Problem: Short edges | Most recently: I will have to continue keeping close attention to my edges over the next few months to see if they are improving, so far I have still avoiding tight ponytails. Additionally, I have been applying Jamaican castor oil to my edges a few times a week.
2. Problem: Frizz | Most recently: I have invested in a new scarf which I wear at night but I accidentally bought satin fabric instead of silk...I'll make another trip to the fabric store soon. I also make sure to moisturize(Ingredients revealed soon) and braid my hair at night. The combined methods seem to be my answer!
   
3. Problem: Itchy scalp | Most recently: I discovered that there was an absence of H20 to my routine. I had been avoiding my original hair spritz I made after my big chop(glycerin, aloe vera gel, rose water, and water mixture that my hair was in love with that first summer) because I thought it was causing my twists to frizz prematurely. I opted to make a concoction of new and old by beating together shea butter, glycerin, aloe vera gel, rosemary, and coconut oil. The aloe vera gel was the hydration my scalp really needed. I then sealed with castor oil. My hair feels softer and my scalp is a lot less itchy.
   
   My roommate gave me the shampoo and conditioner from the Madame C. Walker line I mentioned a while ago. When I wash my hair I normally get a ton of hair in my drain and I always feel like I'm losing way too much. This time I gave myself a rosemary & EVOO hot oil treatment. Then tried washing my hair in braid that were very loose by the root like in this video
   
   
   
   This detangling/washing/conditioning method worked great for me and I will be sticking to it.

Until later

Boy I am SAD

I may have Seasonal Affective Disorder. See I knew I wasn't making all this up in my head. I've heard ppl talk of something like this before and I really believe I may have it. The moment I feel the temperature drop the and notice the sun staying out less and less my mood plummets. I get terribly moody and irritable. Plus I'm always tired. Since hopefully this is my last time having to deal with a blistering cold winter I'm not going to worry about my case too much...that is if I can make it through the season without a problem. I just had to drive to my lousy minimum wage college job in a blizzard for a freaking two hour shift FML ugh I HATE WINTER!!!

Determination

I have been still working on taking control of the things I can actually control and its working out let me tell u. Money has been sooo tight(or should I say nonexistent) since my interview in TX last month. I was already low on funds before the trip and I didn't expect to have to wait so long on my trip reimbursement. I feel like I'm constantly paying catch up with bills...but soon enough those days will be over bc I got landed a job. I'm very very excited and I finally feel that my dedication and determination are paying off.

Hair Determination Update(updates in purple):

1. Very short edges which I know can be caused by a lot since their so fragile. I hardly pull on my edges when making ponytails, braiding, or twisting. Plus I don't use brushes bc I hate how they feel scraping on my edges. I have been not worn any tight ponys and have been avoiding unnecessary strain(tight twisting/braiding, tying potentially hair scarves around my head). I haven't noticed any difference yet.
   
2. My two strand twists always frizz A LOT on the 3 or 4 day of wear. I tend to do small twists to extend the style. The frizz is always on the crown of my head which is also my area with the loosest texture(3c or less). I used to use shea butter only when twisting...then tried almond oil and coconut oil...now I use a mix of all three. I use a hair moisturizer spritz that contains water which maybe part of the problem. I have began to use a very small amount of my cream nightly, putting my hair in braids, coating my ends with a little additional cream, and wearing a silk scarf every night. I have noticed improved.
   
3. I wear protective styles more than 98% of the time. However, I usually wear them down or in a ponytail with the ends tucked in awkwardly. My ends are retched and I have split ends up the wazoo. I have been braiding my according to how I plan to style my hair the next day. For example, if I plan to wear a high bun I braid in a upward position. This really saves me some time styling in the morning.
4. I forgot to add the fact that my hair has been itching like crazy for a month now!!! I use my cream daily and my hair feels very soft, but the itch continues. I've clarified with ACV to try to give my moisturizing a fresh start...i didn't help one bit.
   
   Yesterday, I prepooed with castor and grapeseed oil. I tried not to shampoo my hair like crazy and instead applied my castile soap mix a couple times. I added castor oil to a Ion conditioner pack I grabbed from Sally's for my dc. I let my hair dry and twisted it with the Madame Walker cream again. Will see how this week goes.
   

Let's Give Castile Soap a Try(Pt. 2)

I have a few updates. I'm still using Castile Soap for my face and body. First off, I miss the lather that the black soap and my old love(Dove's line) gave me. However, my skin always is left feeling refreshed, but I'm not satisfied. My face is still looking clear so I've come to the conclusion that my skin is happy with both black soap and castile soap. I have noticed however my skin feels less dry when using black soap.

I'm still using my toner I threw together over a month ago and its definitely a keeper. I will continue to use the castile mix(I will probably add more of the soap for some added lather). I will probably stick with my black soap mix after this.

U know I can't stop making new concoctions so when my diy lotion/oil started to run low I had to whip up a new batch...hmm I need a better name for it than that...any suggestions? I had been noticing that when I was using mostly coconut oil and a little shea butter my skin was ashy by the end of the day. I can't lie and said I thought really long an hard about it because when I make things I kinda just throw things together spontaneously but I did ponder about what would increase my skins moisture. I had recently done a little research for a friend on whether grapeseed oil would help with ingrown hair. While, I didn't find that specific info I did I find that it could help with moisture. So mixed:

melted some shea butter(my first time using the yellow kind)
coconut oil
EVOO
grapeseed oil
rosemary EO
tea Tree EO
purified H2O

I played with the amts to find a creamy consistency. I love this stuff I have used it on my hair and skin for about a week now. Although it contains a great deal of oil it does not leave me feeling greasy and the moisture stays throughout the day.

Need a Solution

(Post written October 30, 2010)

I'm having a horrible weekend so far. My car decided to make loud noises on my hair to my professors office hours yesterday morning. The result....I missed his O.H., missed work yesterday, missed an hour of work this morning. Ugh I don' t have the money to tow the car to the shop so it will be sitting patiently in my complex's parking lot. Normally, I'm constantly worrying and forever stressed. Since I know that I only have so much control over things that happen I need to redirect myself to some things I can actually change....like my hair. Me and my hair have always had some issues when it comes to my edges, my two strand twist frizz, and retaining length. I am going to start doing some research and make a few trial regimes.

The problems include:

1. Very short edges which I know can be caused by a lot since their so fragile. I hardly pull on my edges when making ponytails, braiding, or twisting. Plus I don't use brushes bc I hate how they feel scraping on my edges.
2. My two strand twists always frizz A LOT on the 3 or 4 day of wear. I tend to do small twists to extend the style. The frizz is always on the crown of my head which is also my area with the loosest texture(3c or less). I used to use shea butter only when twisting...then tried almond oil and coconut oil...now I use a mix of all three. I use a hair moisturizer spritz that contains water which maybe part of the problem.
3. I wear protective styles more than 98% of the time. However, I usually were them down or in a ponytail with the ends tucked in.
   

Details soon!!

Let's Give Castile Soap a Try(Pt. 1)

So I used my liquid black soap on my face, body, and hair for about 2 months. I can really tell my face loves it, but I still want to keep trying other ingredients I have under by bathroom sink. I still have a small amount of black soap left that I will continue to use on my face. My next experiment was with my peppermint castile soap.I found a few recipes that I thought I would try out. I can't remember exactly what I used, but it consisted of distilled water, castile soap, and a few oils(I really wish I remembered the ones I added so I can repeat it again :( ).

I decided to take my ACV toner up a notch. I found a recipe that used strong green tea brewed with distilled water. I added 3 organic green tea bags and about 1/3 cup of distilled water in a small saucepan. I heated the water and moved the pan to a cool stove eye. The plan was to leave it out for 30 min(I forgot about it until the morning). I added some ACV(not a lot), the tea and some rose water. I use this toner twice a day after washing my face and it leaves my face o so clean. The combo of this stuff plus the black soap works wonders for me. Short story: I was out of the state interviewing for couple days and didn't keep up with my face regime. A day later I noticed an ugly pimple on my chin. I used this stuff and I noticed it shrunk super fast. I touched it a couple times throughout the day but it hadn't disappeared yet. The following morning it was still there. I applied my ACV mix and I swear I couple hours later it was completely gone. I'm keeping this stuff as staple for sure!!!!!

Recently, my hair felt sooo odd before my wash and I knew it was time to clarify. I threw together some ACV and some oils. I normally would have added a ton of water but my only free bottle at the moment was tiny so while my head was full of lather I gave my hair some sprays of the ACV clarifier.

I also tried a dc I made with mayo, rose water, vitamin e, and jojoba oil. I detangled my hair while it was still in my hair. SN: I think its time for me to get a wider, BIGGER comb.

Finally, after I washed my hair I let it air dry and I tried my roomie'sMy hair turned out pretty nice and I liked the product more than I thought I would. My hair felt very soft and my front(my problem area) stayed in place better than normal. Although, when I applied the product it was very oily(bc it basically only consisted of oils) it absorbed in my hair quickly. Me being cheap I have a mind to find the oils in the cream myself and make my own. .

Baby and/or Marriage?

I guess I missed the memo about the NMNW Campaign last week, but I'm happy I found out today. I know it is already causing drama, but its time for a change ppl. I was having a conversation with my boyfriend last night about our future. He seemed to be having a hard time picturing himself in a marriage with children, so when I read one of the articles on the NMNW website these words caught my eye

"No black woman should ever feel that she might not ever get married because of statistics"

"It is inexcusable that college-aged black women and black women in their 20s are already preparing to be alone and planning for single motherhood. It is heartbreaking for a 25-year-old to talk about how she’s investigating adoption or sperm donation so that she can make a decision about parenthood if she’s still single by 30."

Well this is exactly how I feel(minus the sperm donation part), but how can I get over it when our men can make it so hard. I'm turning 25 in February and I'm ready to start thinking about my next move. I won't get too deep on my personal life, but somehow our generation got left behind. My eyes almost came out my head when I read that 72% of black children are born out of wedlock...wowwww are u kidding me? Is this something we can change? How can we really start educating the ones that need the message? Others will disagree that there is anything wrong with it at all and if you have good reason keep believing it. But believe me this is not an issue that I will ignore.