It's Been A Year!... Post Big Chop, that is.

Hey guys,

I haven't blogged much. Been busy with many things. Work, family, moving houses, and mostly life. This life. So hard to comprehend.

It was in October that I realised that my hair was 1 year post Big Chop in September. Last relaxer use was 4th January, 2012. Some will say I have been natural for a year. Okay. So much have happened to this mane since that day of two frustrated different textures, a handy pair of scissors and a very eager makeshift barber. Some details of which I have documented on this blog. We have had MANY failed twist outs and bantu knot outs, only one successful twist out, LOTS of experimenting, success stories and wailing stories. But in all, it's been fun. Do I regret going natural? No way! Perhaps the only regret I have right now is that I didn't go natural much earlier.

Here are a too many few hair photos from the past year.

2 days after BC

1 month post BC. Braided just before bed

 

2 months post big chop

failed twist out. Lol

6 months post BC

Work look

Failed bantu knot out

9 months post BC

twist outs

Found I could make a punk hairstyle out of my hair

Failed twist outs but I loved the outcome still and rocked it. Ignore the background ( ._.)

This was a failed twist out that ended up into a very agreeable style. Ponytail and twist out side bangs. This was the first time I was able to wear a ponytail. Although all my hair could not yet achieve a ponytail.

August in twists

By 1 year, I discovered I had achieved collarbone length

a year in and I could have a ponytail. Finally out of the awkward stage. Yaay?

Twist out with lots of frizz. But we rock it still

I found a grey

First perfect twist out that I gushed about here. Haven't been this lucky since then.

I did a measure of my hair length. Front and sides are 7.5 inches, crown is 8 inches and nape is 7 inches.

 

In my next year of my hair journey, I'm still all about volume, volume and did I say volume? I'm almost obsessed with it now. I'm not forgetting health and length. I think I have been able to achieve some impressive healthy hair thus far. My scalp no longer itches (I strongly suspect my scalp and grapeseed oil are the worst enemies. The minute I removed grapeseed oil from my regimen, I hardly ever itch). I trim when necessary. I finger detangle. No poo in a while. I clarify. I hot-oil. I have reeeeeally soft hair from so much deep-conditioning that I worry that the softness may cause breakage. Lol. Seborrhoiec dermatitis is largely controlled now. When it comes, I use Damatol on my scalp for about a week and the allergy goes. Please, if you suffer from this allergy, I believe you can bend your regimen a bit to allow yourself use mineral oil-lanolin-filled Damatol or any other sulphur equivalent. Damatol works. At least, for me. Oils will not cure it. Afterwards, you can always clarify to remove all build-up. Don't suffer embarrassment and discomfort all because you want to stick to using natural products that won't do jack for you.

 

I have fortified my use of castor oil in a bid to regain the hairs I lost during my unfortunate episode with Dudu Osun and to achieve massive volume whether these follicles like it or not. I think I may have low density hair. Some may disagree but I think it may be so. My mum is surprised by it as she keeps saying I used to have a lot of hair. That time must come back. By fire by force.

Now THAT is volume. My hair crush: Cipriana of Urban Bush Babes. Is it too much to say I'm gunning for her volume? (._.)

In addition to using castor oil, I have incorporated a scalp massage to my regimen. I do that as I apply the castor oil in. Some bloggers are of the opinion that it does nothing to hair growth while others chorus that it stimulates blood flow to the scalp and thus speeds up hair growth. Whichever is true, I'm not knocking this till I try it. It may just work for me.

 

I realise that I am presently at that stage where my hair is more focused on growing out than growing longer. I'm fine with that. Growth seems slow right now but I won't push it. (Err... *whistles*)

 

I realised that during my high-protein diet period, I gained a lot of length. What they say about protein being good for hair is no joke. I'm focusing a lot on eating a lot of protein now to help for further growth.

 

Still working to achieve great hair.

 

Ciao!

Stay beautiful! 

From Transitioning to BC to TWA to BSL (well, soon)

Hi guys,

 

I did promise to post an update when I found pictures of my BC/TWA. Well, I found a few and a few of my transitioning hair.

 

My last relaxer was put in on the 4th January, 2012. I remember the date because my last relaxer before that had been put in in September, 2011 and I was already playing with the idea of going natural from there forth and making that my last relaxer. Before going natural, I didn't retouch my hair so often. It was always a quarterly thing. I never much fancied relaxers and I always wanted to be far gone with my undergrowth (read new natural hair) before I put in another relaxer. So I usually retouched every 4 months. However, after my September 2011 relaxer (my lovely sister {she's going to read this} even went natural around this time), when I had decided that to be my last relaxer, I chickened out. My colleague and friends thought it was the most ridiculous idea. They couldn't understand it. I must admit, it all got to me. So one weekday, 4th January, 2012 (I remember because I really didn't want to but had decided that that would be my 2nd last - whatever that is - relaxer so I needed to start counting from then), after work, my colleague and I went to the salon after work and got relaxers in. It was even Dr. Miracle's, my staple relaxer at the time, that I used. Anyway, I started counting from then. After that relaxer, I decided that was indeed my last relaxer and I started working towards growing out my relaxed ends.

 

Let me admit to why I transitioned. It was simply because I was scared of what people would think of my looks after it. This is funny now but then, even though it was, I couldn't admit it to anyone. You see, I didn't have a boyfriend at the time. ( ._.). Almost a year. ( ._.) ( ._.). The years were counting. My ovaries were upset! (._. ) (._.)( ._.). Hey! Don't judge me! I asked public opinion (read male opinion because I thought it mattered at the time) what they thought if I had a hair cut. Needless to say I got negative responses. Even from my mum. No one wanted it except for my paddy, my wonderful buddy, Olumide. Most importantly, I asked the one guy I fancied at the time and who seemed to fancy me. Seemed, yes. He was the most vehement about me not getting a hair cut. He said he was never going to speak with me if I did. I knew and know that was ridiculous but honestly, I just couldn't do it after that. Before you preach to me about how I should do what I want for me and forget anybody else's opinion and how if he couldn't like me on a TWA, he wasn't worth it, don't worry. I knew all of that at the time. I was just... I don't know. But I knew.

 

Funny thing is, I had had a low cut before. Just before I went to the university. Everyone said if suited me just fine and some people kept saying, after I grew my hair out, that they preferred me on short hair.

 

Well, I transitioned basically because of public opinion. But I itched to have a hair cut. Seriously. I wanted it! I remembered my days of a hair cut and I wanted it back. I knew it was going to suit me. I guess public opinion mattered more. 

 

During my transitioning period, I wore a lot of braids (extensions) just to grow out the hair. Below are too many some transitioning pictures.

 

 

Little base natural hair. See my poor edges :(

Just had a wash here. I now used fresh blended aloe vera gel as a leave-in. Bloody thing left my hair with particles that took forever to wash out.

 

Trademark hairstyle at the time.

 

 

As the hair grew longer, the two different textures became really tough to deal with. The relaxed ends were beginning to break seriously. And packing the hair into a pony tail was having a clownish outcome. One mid-summer afternoon (yimu. More like mid-rainy season) in September, after I took out my braids, I was so frustrated that Mr. Fancy or no Mr. Fancy, Vox Pop or no Vox Pop, I wanted a hair cut and I was getting one. Since I live alone and there was no one else to help, so I didn't cut off the valuable natural hair, I went off armed with a scissors to my co-nache friend, Notey's, place and told her to cut the darned relaxed hair off. And you guys, I still looked great!

 

That was how I stopped transitioning. I know the URL of this blog is no longer appropriate, but I'm too lazy to think up anything else.

 

 

So how long have I been natural for? Do I count post relaxer or post-BC? Am I 1 year, 6months gone or 10months gone? Does it even matter? You guys have seen the present length of my hair here though.

This is my hair back in March so it's grown longer now but I just particularly love its look here.

I had some braids put in last Sunday. It's called 30 pieces here. I love it. That should keep my attention off my hair for a while.

 

 

I may not post much on my hair for a while. I didn't intend for this blog to be all about my hair. It seems to have taken over. I'd give that a rest for a while.

 

I try to write about my hair to keep me motivated and focused on my hair journey and taking care of the hair. I don't have any fantastic way of keeping my hair. I just hope the way I keep it is good and keeps the hair healthy.

 

Part morale of this story? Never let people's opinion decide the choices you make in life. It's just not worth it. It delayed my natural hair journey and made me transition when I never wanted to do that.

 

Till next time,

 

Dalu. (Please tell me this is 'goodbye' in Igbo X_x)

Ciao!

 

Stay Beautiful!

 

 

 



Oh Dear! Where were we?

Hullo!

 

You're going to have to forgive me...maybe? No post since last year! That was not the plan. There is no excuse good enough to explain this away so I'd just apologise to anyone who happened to manage a stop by here most likely with the help of Google than anything else. So, sorry!

 

So much has happened to my hair! I don't even know where to start. It's grown, it's had its moisturised days, it's had its dry ones, it's experienced some breakage (can that ever stop?), it's suffered a lot of experiments, it's eaten all sorts of foods... I had a BC! Yes! I ended my transitioning journey and just put scissors to mane! I got so frustrated working with two textures and my relaxed locks were experiencing a lot of breakage. Had to end that. Here's what it looks like right now.

 

Look at that. Not quite sure what to make of that. But it's longer now, no?

 

Cannot quite find the pictures of my early days after my BC. But we'd have to make do of the records I've got for now. Will upload others later.

 

This is about 2 or 3 months after my BC. See that little white patch there? No, not the one in the middle of my hair. That's a hair clip. I mean the patch closer to my hairline. Yes, that. Well, thanks to my sister, while she was helping me take out my weave, she mistakenly used the razor blaze to take out all that patch of hair. Eeek! Needless to say I freaked out! E dey pain. Glad the patch's grown back and no longer obvious but I never let her forget it. Another reason why you shouldn't put in weaves (Nah! I don't mean that).

 

Twist-out gone wrong. Don't try this at home. Ok, well, maybe try it in a better way.

 

 

Rock that funky fro!

 

So there, that's some of my hair story. I promise to blog more often. Promise!

 

Stay beautiful!

 

My Summary Hair Story

This will probably be my first something akin to a post and it's going to be about my hair. :D
Yes, I am presently on a transitioning journey from relaxed hair to natural. Excited much! \(^_^)/ This natural hair journey just came upon me when I realised my once extremely full mane was now really thinning out and I was slowly but surely developing Iya Iyabo type hair (my edges were chopping off) >_<. Upon some research, I came to the realisation that my hair was losing it's life and essence because of the relaxers I was using to weaken it. I wanted my hair back in all of its glory and hence made the decision to go natural. Yes!
And so! 6 months post relaxer and transitioning - I never got to rock a TWA :( (Story for another day). I am still at that stage where I am finding what works best for me. I hope to update my blog on my discoveries, failures and successes in this respect.
Here's a photo of my hair before I put in braids last weekend for protective styling. You can see I'm a bit gone with the natural hair.

Here's my braids photo. I love them, by the way ;)

I would (notice the use of "would" and not "will". #LazyWomanTalking) post an update on how I care for these braids and progress so far.
Ok, so today, I got 2 hair products from Park n Shop. Park n Shop is right next to my office (which is just pure torture, btw!) so I get most of my hair care products from there. Which means I spend at least 2 days in each week, ogling their hair aisle. The hair aisle is not exactly favourable to black naturals but you can see get some pretty interesting stuff over there. So today, I got myself a Parachute Coconut Oil which I've been using from the get-go and totally love!

And also, Alberto V05 Moisture Milks Moisturising Conditioner which I heard a lot of wonderful reviews about.

I am going to try out the V05 and see if my hair loves it. Good thing is, it's not pricey so experimenting will not be a problem.
Oh yes! Almost forgot! I got this too :D For my tea rinse. Details on that subsequently

Ciao now!
Stay beautiful!