My babies / newest addition

My babies: Kaylynn (3) and Alyssa (2 and a half months)

Wet length comparison - goals

The picture on the left is of my current hair wet length. The one on the right is of my previous natural lengths wet hair. It also looks as though it's double the length. So based on that I should be close to this length by my Dec 2009 date. Sooo many hair goals for Dec 2009.

Only 9 more months to go :O

My hair history

My hair life

I've been short , long an inbetween. Now if only I can get to and past waist length!

Photo Update

It's been forever since I've updated, it's just been so busy around here. Last time I wrote about the big BIG chop I did in June 2008. Well It's been 8 months since then and my hair is well on its way to my previous natural length. I'm still holding out for 8inches per year, my last measurement had me at about 7 inches so far since the transition! And march 22nd (my last relaxer date/ start date of my transition) is just around the corner. I also recently decided to straighten my hair lightly just to see how my progress was coming, as of Feb 2009 I'm at an inch past collarbone. Hopefully I will be able to make my goal of underarm length by Dec 09 (year and a half after the big chop) if all goes well bsl should be right around the corner!

June 08 - long time update

Wowza!... So I haven't updated in the longest time.

A lot has changed. I recently.. found out I'm expecting my second child! I'm 16 weeks right now and feeling great. I'm due Dec 12 and *if* I have my way.. lol.. I'll be having another girl.

Well, onto my hair. Very long story, short.. I manged to color damage my hair by using store bought color instead of the professional line I usually use. So I ended up with dry, horribly frizzy, dead hair.

In the end I decided the absolute best would be to just Big Chop the whole thing off, and start afresh. So here I am. July 2nd with about 3inches so far. Hoping to be somewhere close to my past (shoulder length curly) length by Dec 2009. Hopefully..

Right after big chop:




One month after bc:

Feb 2008 update

Not much is new, I'm just patiently growing out my hair. Trying not to pay to much attention to it.

People have been telling me that it looks a little longer, but I can't tell as much. I hope it is lol. As you can see I'm not updating as much. So I'll probably just do a monthly small update like this one to chronicle any major or not so major events.

Feb 2008 Back to black:

Jan 2008 update

Happy 2008!

Can you believe its another new year? Another great year for hair growing ;) Hope everyone had a great holiday season.

I used my one exception in this first of 4 sessions in the 2008 "challenge". I used it to lightly flat iron my hair on new years eve.

I decided to use that as my starting point for this year. As part of my goals for healthy, strong hair, I'm also trying to meet my goal of at least 7 inches retention this year. Since I've calculated my hair grows about 7.8-8inches a year (based on 2 years of growth), that only gives me 1 inch exception. But I'm up for the challenge!

Photos Jan 01 2008.

A natural inspiration

Maybelline model Tomiko Fraser.
Her skin looks perfect, and I love this shade of green on her.

A natural inspiration

Singer, songwriter Amel Larrieux.

Poll results so far

Recently I put up a poll to decided what I should do to my hair. So far the results look like I should either leave it as is (normal black color), or do a jet black rinse.


Since I just did an impromptu red hilites session (to bring out the xmas goth in me ;) I'll leave the poll running till May for when I'm ready to flatiron. Whatever the results show is what I'll do to my hair for my May photos :)

I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow, so have a great holiday season. See ya'll in the new year!

Seeing (a little) red

While I'm waiting for my hair to get on the grow, I decided to add some spice and jazz it up with a little bit of red hilites.

They were 7 foil hilites added only to the top portion of my hair. I prefer that to full color which can ruin perfectly good hair and I wouldn't like the constant upkeep.

Dec 20 hilites.
Wash n go dry hair, with Paul Mitchell and Paul Mitchell quick slip as leave in.

Comparison shots for next year

Being that its sooo close to the end of the year and I'm not about to straighten my hair any time soon. I figure I'll post some pictures for comparison next year.

These are from the beginning of December.

Natural hair shoulder length. Stretched to almost brastrap after major cut last month.

Hair is pretty much all one length, including my bangs and I don't plan to do any trims until I reach my stretched goal of waist length. Hopefully end of 2008.

Minor Dec update

I've switched to using Paul Mitchell shampoos and conditioners. I especially love Paul Mitchell's The Detangler. Their products leave my hair soft and frizz free both during and after a wash. I still use Matrix or Tresemme or Fantasia leave-ins when needed.

I haven't been doing too much with my hair (which is great) other than washing and going. So I think keeping my mind off my hair, and not worrying about cutting it will be easy for the time being. Hope the new year brings tons of growth.

HHG.

Dec update

I love my hair again. lol. I've decided to sacrifice a lil silky shine for volume. My hair is just too "small" in its normal state. Now I'm all for fluffing it up. And DYK that yesterday was only the second day that I've worn my hair OUT, EVER! Isn't that crazy. But I got soo many compliments and of course looks. I'm definitely more confident wearing my natural out now, and I hope to do it a lot more.

All in favor of volume say I :)

p.s It's getting quite busy here with the holidays and everything so I may only update here and there untill January 08. If I don't, see ya'll in 2008!

I think I need a little change

Maybe something else? What do you think?

All I want for xmas....

..... is some patience.

How is it that the last two years went by so quickly but my third year natural is taking so dang long to get here. And thats not even the milestone I'm looking forward to. I'm wishing I was 4 years natural .. like yesterday.

Maybe some LOA can save me, visualize, visualize. Well in the least get me an inch or two closer to my goal by the holidays.

Wet hair: part two (shower washed)

I like my hair shower washed better than sink washed. At least in the shower I have more room to work and my hair is hanging down and not all "tangled" in a small space.

Anyway I decided to rewash my hair today because I attempted to try that Fantasia gel in my hair again....... Unfortunately I think it hates me. lol. Everyone has given this product great reviews, I don't know why but it just leaves my hair .... dull. Amazingly enough I get more shine just co-washing my hair and not adding any additional products.

Onto the pics. These are of the wet hair, co washed and detangled, no product added.

Wet Hair: part one, (sink washed)

I've had a couple fotki PMs asking how my hair looks when its wet. Since I've only posted a few since my big chop I thought I'm due for another.

Nothing spectacular just damp hair, detangled and waiting to airdry. Product sampled Fantasia IC gel.

Fantasia IC hair polisher: styling gel

I've pretty much giving up gel from my regimen. The last time I tried it was right after my transition (big chop). The only thing it did to my hair was make it frizzy looking and dry. But I have been able to use conditioner gels pretty well. For example Tresemmes' smooth and silky conditioning gel and Matrix curl life conditioner gel.

Today I decided to try Fantasia IC gel because I've heard positive comments about it. I did a co-wash, after the rinse added gel to wet detangled hair and let air dry.

The first thing I noticed was that my hair definition was the same.(Sometimes gels have a tendency to give my hair more shrinkage). A major difference from the conditioner gels that I noticed was the look. I was missing my usual shine. Instead my hair look somewhat dry. It felt soft, not dry at all but the look was off. Ironic since the product promises the "greatest shine" I'll ever have lol.

I may try it again sometime but I think I'm going to stick with my conditioner gels for now.

Airdried wash an go. ............... I guess it doesn't look too bad. :|

A natural inspiration

Jennifer Freemans' lengthy curls.