Diary of a Hair Obsession

Today I started thinking about what length hair I prefer. Do I like it short or do I like it long? Truth is I like both, but I have to admit that long hair has certain advantages especially if you’re lazy like me.

I love love love the cut that I’m rocking right now and very often I consider keeping it this length for a while. It’s cute, fresh, snazzy without being over the top and frankly a nice change from what I’m used to wearing.

The challenge comes in the maintenance. We all know that shorter styles need more commitment. There’s straightening or curling to be done just about everyday. I do neither on a daily basis so I think you can can understand my challenge. In many ways I’m torn between the cuteness of a short cut and the ease of maintenance of longer hair.

This is my list of the pros and cons for short and long relaxed hair:

Pros & Cons for Short Hair:

Pros & Cons for Long Hair

In my opinion, long hair is ultimately more affordable to maintain and enables my laziness so it may reign supreme in the end.

What do you prefer? Short or long hair and why?

Meet my sis-in-law Kaela Reece- A 28 year old living in London while pursuing graduate studies.  Kaela has experimented with every type of hair “processing” and style except locks.  Be it texturized, relaxed or Wave Nouveau curl she has done it all.  Last year Kaela opted for a short pixie cut but in her journey of growing out her style, she  is now considering returning to her roots – i.e. going natural.

Kaela got creative a couple weekends ago and devised a neat way to get the natural look without the commitment.  Using her spare time and some afro-kinky weave she came up with a look that was not only ingenious but looks quite nice as well.   I’m really loving this look and have already negotiated having her do mine when next we meet .

This is how Kaela achieved her natural look:

	First I separated the front that would be cornrowed. Then I cornrowed the rest back.  I had to use braid [i.e. extension braid for the cornrows] because the back of my hair isn’t long enough to hold the plait.  Used two mirrors to position the base row, then sewed it[the weft] on to the braids – regular stitch, nothing fancy.
	I used hair pins to pin up where the next row would fall. So I would go to the mirror, line up the hair weft, mark it with hair pins, then cut the weft to match and sew it.
	Here you can see the front section that was parted for cornrowing later.
	Almost done.  When all was done I plait the front in cornrow and merged the plaits into the weave, holding them with hair pins.
And now for the final look:
Front profile	Side angle

You can check out Kaela on Hairlista.

Yesterday was wash day – a lazy one. A lazy wash day is one where you know you need to wash your hair but you don’t have the will or energy to do it so you take numerous shortcuts. That was me yesterday. It was nothing special but I took the opportunity to try some products that were sitting in my product stash. I didn’t pre-poo this weekend (lazy wash day remember?)… I just didn’t have the time or rather I didn’t plan properly because I should have done an overnight pre-poo. I shampooed with Kenra MS and followed with Keracare Dry & Itchy Scalp Anti-Dandruff Moisturizing Conditioner. In retrospect I should have also purchased the Anti-Dandruff shampoo when I bought the conditioner but for whatever reason I didn’t (kicks self). Anyway I was impressed by this conditioner. It detangled my hair nicely because even though I’m only 3 weeks post, my new growth is already getting ‘pouncy’. I might even go as far to say that it detangles better than Humecto, but I’ll reserve my final opinion until the review.

After deep conditioning and rinsing I put on a mixture of Ojon Hydrating Styling Cream, Mizani Thermastrength and IC Organic Carrot Growth Serum followed by Keracare Essential Oils and flat ironed. I was happy with the results. You can see the before and after pics below.

Before

After

I don’t claim to be the most religious person, but in recent years I make an effort to ‘give up’ something for Lent.  I’m not one for traditional fasting, but I try to think of something small yet impactful that will count as a true sacrifice.

In previous years for example I’ve given up pork (I’m a pork mout’ – I love pork – all parts and in all forms) and chocolate.  Those might not seem like a big deal for some, but they are an integral part of my life so it becomes a challenge to succeed at eliminating them.

This year I have decided to give up two things:  all beverages except water and tea and hair purchases…yes I said hair purchases which include products and accessories.

How I made my decisions?  These are things that I can’t do without – or so I believe.  I LOVE juice.  I don’t know where it comes from but I really enjoy drinking fruit juices.  Whether orange, grapefruit, cranberry, mango – what have you.  It doesn’t matter, once it’s juice I’ll take a swig.  When there’s no juice in the house it’s equivalent to a crisis.  It’s almost like junkie phenomenon – I have to use whatever means possible to get a juice stash and fix as soon as possible. To make it a little more challenging I threw in all other beverages besides water and tea.  Guess I won’t be having a ‘drink’ on my birthday this year.

Most of you reading, may be able to relate to the hair purchases decision.  I’m always buying new products to try.  Once it catches my attention, it doesn’t matter if I already have 10 conditioners, I will find a reason to buy it.  This Lent I’m giving up my impulse-hair-product-purchases!  I didn’t even rush out to stock up, so wish me luck with the withdrawals that are bound to kick in.  I’ll be forced to utilize what’s already in my product stash.  To clarify, I will still be maintaining my hair with existing products, I just can’t buy anything new.

This year Lent started on February 17th and will last until April 3rd.  It’s been 3 days so far and I’m doing well.  No challenges yet.  Let’s see what the next 43 days have in store.

If you’re thinking about giving up something for Lent and it’s your first time, give up something small to start.  It’s not a competition, it’s more of a personal accountability.  Everyone can’t give up the same thing because the same thing has different meanings to different people.  Imagine asking a vegetarian to give up meat? It’s inconsequential and doesn’t have the same impact as if you ask a meat lover to do the same.

Wish me luck and good luck if you’re also fasting.

Hamadi Claims: Hamadi Shea Leave In adds body and shine to fine hair without weighing it down. Creates soft looks, straight of wavy, with no trace of stickiness.  Natural sunscreen in shea butter protects hair and scalp.  Dehydrated, heat-damaged hair will benefit the most from this hydrator, while all hair types can gain a silky, luminous texture.

Essential Oils:  Lemongrass, Verbena, Ylang Ylang and Lavender.

Made with 100% Organic Essential Oils and Plant Extracts.  Completely Biodegradable.  Absolutely No Artificial Ingredients.  No Perfumes or Colors.

Ingredients: Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Laurate, Ceteareth 12, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Rice Amino Acids, Tocopherol, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Levulinic Acid, Litsea Cubela Oil,  Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga Odorata)*, Diazolidinyl Urea, Xanthan Gum, Shea (Butyrospermum Parkii) Butter*, Potassium Sorbate, Lavandin (Lavandula burnati) Oil*, Beta Carotene, Caramel.

* From organically grown (EOCCERT) or wild crafted plants.

Price point:$20 something CDN

My 6¢: Let me start off by saying that it should be illegal to use a title as part of the name of a product if that title does not account for at least 50% of the total product. Let me explain. This product is called Shea Leave In. So pray tell why is Shea Butter (the motivation for the name of the product I’m assuming) the 16th ingredient in a list of 20? If ingredients (as I understand it) are listed from highest content to lowest content then I’m sorely disappointed by this product.

I bought this product when I guess I wasn’t so much into product ingredients and deciphering the good from the bad or the legit from the BS. Unfortunately I’m sure they are a lot of other consumers out there that fall into the same trap. These kinds of marketing gimmicks really need to stop. Anyways I digress – the review.

This particular moisturizing cream has more the consistency of a lotion. It is light/weightless as Hamadi indicates, however I did not find it to be particularly moisturizing. Due to it’s runny consistency, one has to be cognizant not to apply too much to curled relaxed tresses, otherwise you will be left with a limp mass.

As far as ingredients go, there are some decent ingredients in there like lavender and beta carotene but not a plethora of them.

Scent – something of a cross between lemon and lavender. Not my favourite of scents – too herbally for me.

Maybe this product would be more suited to a 3a-c hair type. For my 4a/b hair it did little. I will not be re-purchasing for two reasons:  1) it’s too expensive for the mediocre results I experienced.  I felt like I paid for the Hamadi name more than anything else and 2) the name of the product is misleading, if  the name is Shea Leave In, I expect Shea to be one of the main ingredients .

My overall rating: (2/5)

Carol’s Daughter Claims: The Tui Leave-in-Conditioner is a delicious herbal blend that weightlessly conditions with hydrating ingredients while controlling fly-aways, unmanageable hair and restoring hair’s natural health. Used as a daily leave-in or revitalizing mist, Tui Leave-in Conditioner’s excellent detangling properties replenish essential moisture delivering a delightful cocktail of fruit fragrances!

Benefits:

• Replenishes essential moisture, controls fly-aways and unmanageable hair
• No harsh, moisture-stripping detergents
• Infused with lavender, calendula, chamomile, rose, marigold and larkspur flowers
• Paraben-free, No Petroleum, No Mineral Oil, No Artificial Color

Ingredients: Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Water (Aqua), Ceteth-20, Cetrimonium Chloride, Peg-8, Polysorbate 60, Glycerin, Peg-12 Dimethiconeglycerin, Phenoxyethanol (and) Hexylene Glycol, Fragrance, Panthenol.

Price point: $22 CDN

My 6¢: This is a very interesting leave-in. It’s chock full of herbal extracts (rosemary, sage, lavender and nettle for example) and what I find interesting is that water is halfway down the list of ingredients instead of at the top. This is not a bad thing, it just means that I’ve become used to leave-ins being mostly water and the wholesome ingredients being further down the list. This I found to be a welcomed difference about this product.

Smell – y’all know me, I’m a fragrance fanatic. It took me back to 4th form Chemistry when we made esters and my teacher at the time described it as having “sickly sweet” smell. If you don’t know what esters smell like, if you can imagine the smell of a mixture of rose petals and guavas and mangoes ripening in a box or brown paper bag then you’re pretty close to knowing what it smells like.   You can smell the rose flower extracts and the blend of passion fruit, guava and mango fragrances intermingling. It is definitely a nice smell, but it took me some getting used to because it would always make me flashback to Chemistry – a subject I despised with all of my being  (maybe I should have embraced it more and I would have an easier time understanding all these hair products). My bf tells me that it smells like pineapple – I translated that to “Nice smell, I like it”.

I originally bought this to use on a daily basis, however, I would always start to use it then stop, then start back after a few weeks or months of pushing it towards the back of my hair closet (it’s not really a closet, but it really should be). I guess it wasn’t what I was looking for at the time I purchased it.  At the time I was looking for something to really help detangle my unruly hair after I had washed it. Tui didn’t do a great job of detangling my hair but I found that it worked better on dry hair – a couple spritzes, to help pull back your hair in ‘one’ aka ponytail and you’re set.  I could see it being a good choice for baggying.

The Tui Leave-in really shone for me was when I had my hair braided. I added it to my braids spray mix and it not only left my hair smelling amazing, but it helped moisturize my cornrows.  As I don’t wear braids that often I don’t think I will be replacing this particular product, however for all you natural ladies out there – if you’re rocking a ‘fro for I would definitely add it to your wish list.  Give it a try, I can see it softening those curls and giving that ‘fro some bounce.  Just my opinion.

If you’ve used Carol’s Daughter Tui Leave-in, leave a comment and let me know your experience.

My overall rating: (3.5/5)

My new growth had some serious attitude so I had to lay that to rest. Combing was close to impossible without making my scalp extremely sore so I thought it best to relax early instead of making a bad situation worse by trying to stretch longer. I relaxed yesterday at 9 weeks and 2 days.

For those of you following the blog, you know that I’m having some unexplainable excessive shedding. Still don’t know the culprit for sure, but stress is coming to mind since I’m long off all the medications I was on and I’m back to my regular products and it’s still occurring. They’re not many reasons to explain losing hair by the handful, but stress will do it to you every time. From discussions with my stylist it’s really not an uncommon occurrence. She sees it often and reassured me that my hair loss is nothing compared to some of the cases she’s seen. That made me feel a little better but still it’s a major setback for me.

When I walked into the salon I was mentally prepared to lose 2-4 inches. My stylist however was disappointed when she saw that she’d only need to trim 1-2 inches lol. She was ready to give me another cute cut, but instead she did the honourable thing and fessed up that it wouldn’t be necessary to trim that much.

Mizani Butter Blend was the relaxer of choice. I also received a heavy protein treatment with a Dudley product – DRC 28. This is some heavy stuff…not for the faint hearted or the scent sensistive (it smells terrible) but after using it my hair felt very strong. Mizani Scalp Care conditioner was then applied to moisturize my hair and help curb my itchies. It had a nice tingling feel to it, no doubt from peppermint oil. (Peppermint oil seems to be the new ‘hip’ ingredient in shampoos and conditioners. Have you noticed?)

No pics this time around because my designated picture-taker was not available, but no length progress either because of the last 2 setbacks.

P.S.  The photo at the top of this post is my hair inspiration….one day.

Since starting the Hairlista Coconut Oil Challenge, I felt that it was as good a time as any to do some research on this powerhouse of an oil. I knew it had benefits, but what exactly about this sweetly aromatic oil made it so beneficial to a beauty regimen?

This humble oil is one of the most popular oils used in soap making, one of the best natural ingredients for skin care, weight loss, improved digestion and relief from heart disease, cancer and HIV. While the benefits are vast, this post will concentrate on the benefits of coconut oil as it pertains to hair.

What is coconut oil?
Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera) is the oil extracted from the mature coconut palm meat through a wet process or dry process. In the wet process, coconut milk is made and then the oil is extracted from the milk, whereas in the dry process the oil is extracted straight from the coconut kernel. Coconut oil has long been touted as being an excellent oil for the hair and scalp but why?

The Benefits
For one, it is an excellent emollient. Coconut oil is comprised of some 92% saturated fatty acids which help retain moisture in the hair and thus deter moisture loss. It is therefore good as a moisturizer and deep conditioner.

It is also one of the few oils that penetrates the hair shaft. Studies have confirmed that the ability of coconut oil to penetrate the hair shaft is likely due to its low molecular weight and straight linear chains. These characteristics coupled with its high affinity (or attraction) to hair proteins cause the coconut oil to penetrate the hair shaft.

It is easy to see how the ability to penetrate the hair shaft and the high affinity to proteins makes coconut oil so beneficial for the hair. Not only does the high affinity to proteins help it penetrate the hair shaft, but it also discourages protein loss and reduces the occurrence of hygral fatigue. Studies conducted in India confirm that when compared to mineral oil and sunflower oil, “coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product.” Another study suggests that coconut oil reduces the ability of the hair shaft to swell and thereby reduces the likelihood of hygral fatigue. Hygral fatigue is caused when the hair swells and constricts due to the absorption and loss of water.

But the benefits don’t end there. In addition of all the aforementioned, coconut oil also comprises of antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial properties due to the triglycerides (Caprylic Acid, Capric Acid and Lauric Acid) which kill bacteria and fungi. This makes coconut oil an excellent treatment for keeping the scalp clean and eliminating dandruff.

To realize the full benefits of coconut oil, you should use virgin coconut oil or coconut oil that has not been refined. Virgin coconut oil is made from fresh coconut meat or non-copra whereas refined coconut oil is made from dried copra. Scent and taste are the main differences between virgin coconut oil and refined coconut oils.

Virgin Coconut Oil vs. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
No industry standards currently exist to differentiate between “Virgin” and “Extra Virgin” coconut oil. Even though some manufacturers label their product as “Extra Virgin”, it is likely a marketing gimmick or just some arbitrary classification. “There is no official classification or difference between “virgin” and “extra virgin” as there is in the olive oil industry, since the two oils are completely different in fatty acid composition, harvesting procedures, and terminology.” Something to remember the next time you go shopping for coconut oil.

Sources:
Aarti S Rele, R B Mohile. Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. Journal of cosmetic science (2003). 54(2):175-92.
K Keis, D Persaud, Y K Kamath, A S Rele. Investigation of penetration abilities of various oils into human hair fibers. Journal of cosmetic science (2005). 56(5):283-95
S B Ruetsch, Y K Kamath, A S Rele, R B Mohile. Secondary ion mass spectrometric investigation of penetration of coconut and mineral oils into human hair fibers: relevance to hair damage. Journal of cosmetic science (2001). 52(3):169-84.
Tropical Traditions. Virgin vs Refined: How is Coconut Oil Produced?

H & S Claims: Head & Shoulders advanced Smooth & Silky shampoo and conditioner are formulated with moisturizers to restore a silky smooth look to dry and frizzy hair, while leaving hair 100% flake free*.

Starts at the scalp to smooth each strand and to calm dry frizzy hair
Gentle and pH balanced for everyday use even on permed or colour treated hair
For best results on hair and scalp use Head & Shoulders conditioner

*visible flakes with regular use

Active Ingredients: 1% Pyrithione Zinc

Inactive Ingredients: Water,Sodium Laureth Sulfate,Sodium Lauryl Sulfate,Cocamide MEA,Zinc Carbonate,Glycol Distearate,Dimethicone,Fragrance,Cetyl Alcohol,Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride,Magnesium Sulfate,Sodium Benzoate,Magnesium Carbonate Hydroxide,Ammonium Laureth Sulfate,Benzyl Alcohol,Sodium Chloride.

Price point: I received a 50ml sample for free.

My 6¢: I received this shampoo as a sample.  To be honest I didn’t have high expectations of this shampoo because it’s a dandruff shampoo and those tend to be inherently infamous for being drying.  With pessimism in tow I decided to suppress my reservations until the sample was used up.  It’s been a few months since I first used it so now I get to voice my opinion.

I was pleasantly surprised by this shampoo.  It is a white shampoo (not some crazy psychedelic blue) that is not too runny but not too thick either.  The smell is pleasant.  A couple floral notes, but nothing overbearing.  Prior to the first time using it, I had mentally prepared myself for the detangling task up ahead.  You all know what I’m talking about. Wet hair + dandruff shampoo = insane tangles.  Or so I thought.  I applied a small amount, worked it into my hair and let it sit to do its thing.  To my surprise I could still run my fingers through my hair after it had been sitting for some 3 mins.  This was an unusual experience for a dandruff shampoo.  In doubt I checked the container to make sure that they had shipped me the correct sample. They had!! I was impressed.   When I decided to do subsequent lathers however, I noticed stripping.  My hair was no longer “smooth and silky”.  For that reason when I use this shampoo I try to either restrict myself to one lather (if my hair is not too greasy) or do a first lather with a moisturizing shampoo and then lather with the Smooth & Silky shampoo.  Either of these methods yields the best results in terms of reducing stripping and tangling.

As far as being 100% flake free – In my experience it did stop the itchies (if only for a few days), however I seem to have stubborn dandruff so the problem would resurface after a week or two.   To be fair I probably should have used the product every week for a few weeks to fully alleviate the problem but such was not the case.  I only used it when I felt the itchies.  In addition I did not follow with the Head and Shoulders  Smooth & Silky conditioner (which they recommend for best results).   Despite all that I still think it did a good job of curbing my itchies.

As far as the “smooth and silky” claim goes, it does provide some smoothing due to its silicone content and pH balancing, but my friends don’t expect a miracle.  Your hair will not feel like “butter”.  Sorry, let me correct myself – my hair did not feel like butter.  I still had to follow with a moisturizing conditioner to give me the slip I love.  I can’t really speak to the results in combination with the  Smooth & Silky conditioner because I only used that conditioner once and can’t say I was overcome by smoothness or silkiness from its use.

Ingredient wise it doesn’t have the best line-up of ingredients, but neither do a lot of other products on the market.

Overall this is good product to get rid of dandruff and limit tangles if used moderately.  However, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it you can use it daily.  I think that would be too drying for us with textured hair.

My overall rating: (3.5/5)

Last weekend I paid to have my hair braided.  Now this is more of a rant than a post so be forewarned.

To make it easier on the braider (and on myself to be honest), I took the time to scour the Internet and find a style that I liked and could envision myself wearing.  I figured that would eliminate any misinterpretations that might arise if I tried to describe what I wanted.  It took me about a week to find the perfect style… it was the cutest thing.

Once I found the style I searched for a braider.  I didn’t necessarily want to go to a salon because there are many talented braider out there that can do the job for a fraction of the cost.  The challenge became  finding one.  Long story short, I contacted a braider and they agreed on price.  Appointment booked!  Hair purchased!  I was excited!!

I arrived at the location and showed the braider a video I had found of the style.  It was quite a comprehensive video.  Now if I take the time to show you a photo,  I’m expecting my hair to look similar to the photo…not exact but relatively similar.  However, if I also show you a video of the style being created from start to finish I sure as hell expect it to look EXACTLY like in the video!  Such was not the case after my cornrows were finished.  It looked similar, but not exactly like the style I wanted and for that reason I was grossly disappointed.

The technique the braider used to add hair was not the best and you could see where each join occurred along the plaits.  Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t look totally bad, in fact the bf quite likes it, but I had my heart set on a particular style and that’s not what I have.  Maybe I’ll try my luck with another braider so if you know any talented braiders in the Toronto area that can:

• do modern cornrows (not single braids);
• look at a photo or video and replicate the style;
• braid so I don’t feel like I’m also getting a face lift and
• listen to their clients

Please, PLEASE  send me their contact info.

Despite the disappointing results I decided, I’d paid for it, it wasn’t hideous so I was going to wear it as long as I could. To help maintain the braids I mixed together Infusium 23, Better Braids Braid Spray, Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-in Conditioner and Keracare Essential Oil into a spritz bottle and applied it to my braids once a day. I covered my head with a wig cap and the remaining ponytail with an old pants sock. All that was then rolled up in my silk scarf before I went to bed.

Around mid week, I changed my braid spritz to just Better Braids Braid Spray and Virgin coconut oil. There was nothing wrong with my previous spritz mixture….I quite liked it but I just wanted to see how my hair would respond to coconut oil in the mix. I can’t speak to the results yet, but I do love the smell….uuummm virgin coconut oil smells so yummy.

Originally the braids were to last me 3 weeks, but I doubt they’ll survive that long. Since my hair is relaxed the straight ends are starting to fuzz. After I wash them this weekend, I’ll re-evaluate whether I need to take them down this weekend or whether they can last another week or so.

This is the style I wanted and below are the pics of what I have *sigh*.