Transitioning Update: Braidout Success!!

So after my mini chop I kept my hair straight for a full gross 6 weeks lol. I am somewhat ashamed (somewhat not) about that because that means I didn't wash my hair the entire six weeks I wore it straight. I maintained it with oil and by wrapping my hair and that's pretty much what I did.

Part of my reasoning in my head for this was honestly, I was nervous. I knew once I washed my hair and it reverted that with the shrinkage it'd be a lot shorter and I wasn't sure how it'd look if I tried braid outs or Bantu Knots on them. 

WELP!!

Something had to give because I was starting to become ashamed of my dirtiness lmao (it really wasn't that bad only I knew I hadn't washed my hair but I just feel like 6 weeks is too long if you aren't protective styling lol). So yesterday I washed my hair, and used my new hooded bonnet to deep condition (review coming soon =D) and then after that I braided my hair into 8 plaits and air-dried overnight. This morning I unbraided (and my boyfriend HAD to get involved as usual lol) and I have been super excited all day! I can't wait til my natural hair is longer and it looks fuller. I feel like this was pretty successful for me.

Anyone else having a good hair day? 

Mini Chop!!!! =D

So I've been tryna get my boyfriend to take pictures of my hair since I cut it almost a week ago. #FAIL! He gladly presented himself when I was taking some of myself lol but for some reason he does not wanna take a picture of my hair for me. He must be too distraught since every so often he looks at me and says "I can't believe you cut my hair off" LMAO.

My mini chop honestly was a pretty big chop in the back lol. I have an asymmetrical bob type thing goin on! So the front of my hair is about shoulder length and the back neck length.... I was close to bra strap length in the back before! 

But even the stylist at the salon was feeling my pain when she washed my hair.. When it came time to rollerset it, it was almost impossible for her to keep the relaxed hair untangled/unmatted. That actually made me smirk a little cause I thought it was a complete fail on my part and then I realized it wasn't just me who couldn't keep it together #score!

Anywho, I'm loving the hair cut! I'm excited to see my curls once I wash my hair again to see what's goin on back there and feel how much easier it is to handle cause I'm pretty sure I'm almost if not completely relaxer free in the back!! 

Wash day post coming soon?? =D 

My Lame Excuse for a Length Check [5.5 months post!]

Dirty mirror, looking HIT and all LOL. Sorry, you guys get the general idea right? LOL. this was me rushing and making sure I had pictures to show you guys (and really my momma) cause I plan on mini-chopping tomorrow and then no one will see my progess.  But see all that beautiful new growth *cheeses* I'll try to catch some pictures of my length tomorrow when my hair is actually dry so you guys MAY be able to see it but you know how they do at the hair salon... they're always anxious with the scissors! 

Wish me luck beauties!

Transitioning Problems {The Line of Demarcation}

I haven't posted about my hair in a while because I had a sew-in for almost 6 weeks. I've pretty much established that sew-ins are a bad idea for me... I actually blogged about that when I took out my last sew-in this life update where I briefly mentioned how I wanted my hair to be thicker and how sew-ins are still preventing that. Yea.... still a bad idea. My scalp cannot handle not being washed weekly. By the time I took my hair down, the buildup was so horrible even though it had been washed while I had the hair installed. So yea I need access to my scalp.

Anywho... the line of demarcation is the point in your hair where your new growth, and relaxed hair meet. 

Pic courtesy of diryprettythangs.com

This is the most delicate part of your hair. It's the point that needs to be moisturized the most and it's the point that has to be treated the most delicately. On my head, it also happens to be MULTIPLE points on my hair shafts. I guess all the self relaxing there are multiple points where my hair is a different texture so I definitely have some breakage. I'm ready to chop it all off but everyone is SO opposed to it. I will be doing a mini chop next month for my birthday and ill also be 7 months post relaxer (so a hair update with pictures will finally be posted) so I'm super excited about that  because I know with less relaxed ends the hair will be much easier to manage. 

What do you guys do to manage the two textures? How are you managing taking care of the line of demarcation?

Stay Inspired [[Natural Hair that I Love]]

From Top Left// HairCrush, NaturallyTash, Biancaalexa, MahoganyCurls

They are giving me hair life!!!! If I could wake up and have any of this hair on my head tomorrow it'd be amazeballs!.

Transitioning Advice: Find someone to keep you inspired. I know it's highly possible that my hair wont ever look like any of them.. but they're too amazing for me to not drool over. I want to be half as hair-amazing as them!

[[Transitioning Hair Problems]] - Snagged Nails

The title itself probably makes absolutely no sense... but seriously... this is an issue for me.

So I used to get acrylic on my nails ALL the time! I was in the nail salon every 2 weeks faithfully getting my nails filled in or redone... no one could tell me anything!.. Before I decided to go natural I decided that I wanted my nails to be more healthy. My own nails! Because for those of you who don't know.. acrylic is crap on your nails. It makes them brittle, it was turning my nails yellow... and it was just not doing me any good... So I took off the acrylic and started to take care of my own nails. But of course this means taking care of the dry brittle nails until my nail grows out from my salon overuse..

Its driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!

And really only because my hair keeps getting caught in my snagged nails. The nails are cracking and breaking which I don't mind because 1. I knew it was going to happen and 2. I can just file it down when I'm home and be on my merry way... BUT when its time to wash my hair and strands get caught in those cracks or snags... up-FRIGGEN-setting... Im already going to have shedding and breaking... just because of what my hair is going through.. but now I have to deal with my hair getting stuck in my nails too?! Give me a break... I don't want to have to wash my hair with gloves because in my weird brain I cant tell what I'm doing with gloves on.. but forreal though... it makes me want to cut off a finger when my hair gets caught up in there...

Rant Over
xx Tanay

Hair Update: What My Hair Loves Right Now! (&& updated navi bar)

**So its really common for girls (and maybe guys too!) that are transitioning to natural hair to spend a lot of time searching blogs/google/YouTube for methods that work for other people and to just have someone to relate to during their transition.... at least im praying that's normal cause that's what I spend half my free internet time doing now LOL. that being said I've updated my navi bar so that anyone who stumbles upon this lovely blog can take a peek at my hair posts if that's all they'd like to read =)**

I am officially three months relaxer free (as of two days ago lol)! It's getting harder... I'm not even gonna lie.. Ive already had my "OK tanay, are you on drugs?" moment... that moment where you just want to go to the closest store and pick up that beautiful box that made your hair so easy to comb through but so lifelessly straight... yea I wanted to do it... but I knew sooo much that after my hair was straight... I'd hate it.. and I'd be very very upset. so I'm sticking it out. I spend half my life touching my new growth... begging bf to touch it... or looking at hair on my laptop/ipad.. so much so that whenever I'm on the computer at home my grandma asks me if I'm looking at "big hair" again lol. I'm also itching to cut it already but I can already tell how real my shrinkage is going to be so I'm sticking with my initial goal which is to cut either at 1yr, dec 2014, or feb 2015 right before my 25th birthday depending all on my hair growth but I'm so sure I wont make it passed a year lol.

Top 6 things making my hair(life) easier right now:



 

[1 My Sock Bun] I am almost positive it'd be impossible for me to live without it! It helps me on my roughest of rough hair days.

[2 Goody Ouchless Detangling Comb] There is no such thing as ouchless detangling.. I promise you that! But prior to growing out my relaxer I combed my hair with a small rat-tail comb and that would definitely be a no-go around here now!

[3 Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie] When I first tried this I hated it! I didn't understand the hype.. I thought everyone was crazy.. then the other day I took a shower without covering my hair which ended with me looking crazy lol.. my boyfriend has this in his house (don't ask me why he's a weirdo) and I applied less than before.. to my damp hair.. and it was amazeballs! The first time in a long time I didn't feel extremely dry. He wont let me take it home so I have to have some extra for when I'm doing my hair here.

[4 Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask] This is great for me because my hair is dry dry dry! But I am a true lazy girl (not as bad now actually) so when it comes to doing my hair the fact that I can get a good DC and only wait 15 minutes?! Score for me! (my roots love it the relaxed ends aren't much of a fan)

[5 Coconut Oil] I honestly don't even know if this is the brand of coconut oil I have because it was given to me by a friend and its not in the original container anymore but my hair likes it! It's definitely helping to keep it moisturized and shiny and it doesn't weight the hair down.

[6 GNC Ultra Nourish-Hair] There's a good possibility that this isn't even making my hair life easier but I felt like I should include it since I just started taking them. I've only been taking them for a week now so its impossible for me to know the effects thus far but I have hopes that I'll see some hair progress from this.

 

xo - Tanay

 



Grow Baby Grow!!

excuse my emotionless facial expression! LOL

Blogging from the iPad again :D. I love my iPad lol (Thanks again baby!). Soooooo my hair is the longest it's been in a loooooooooong time. I don't even remember since I started cutting my bangs (like 6 years ago at least) when the last time the front of my hair was this long. It's growing. I'm freaking ecstatic. My boyfriend is excited (only because I am and he'll pretend to be excited about anything for me lol) ... And I just want it to grow so I can cut it all off LOL. This is the first real time I'm taking my own hair seriously. As you can see its long but when it's permed its really thin. So I have no problems retaining length I'm looking for fullness. I'm excited to keep transitioning even though it's been less than 3 months but I am a little nervous about what it's gonna look like once I have more new growth.. Especially since I plan on starting hair vitamins next week *fingers crossed for some good hair things happening*. How exactly am I going to manage the different textures?? It's gonna b crazy.... But I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to long huge healthy hair!!!!