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?

Product Review // SheaMoisture Organic African Black Soap Purification Masque

MY SCALP IS DRY!

&& when I say dry, I mean like Sahara Desert dry. When I started transitioning in July I decided that I was going to begin with cowashing and I was going to do it once a week because I know for a fact my hair needs the moisture and if I leave it much longer I'll be patting away at my head like nobody's business!

Sooooo it began, and really cowashing and deep conditioning weekly (or week and a half-ly LOL) hasn't been that bad.. it works for me personally. BUT MY FRICKEN SCALP! At first I thought it was only because of the perms... I was one of those girls who come hell or high water was going to get her touch-up every two months faithfully! && I would be scratching at my scalp the night before KNOWING that I'd be picking scabs out after my grandma permed my hair the next day. I thought that's where the itchiness came from. NOPE. I guess I just have dry scalp. I don't really know the cause of it. What I do know is when I first started this whole process... It would be only a couple days after my wash day and I'd be looking like King Bey up there ^^ (and head patting has to be one of my boyfriends biggest pet peeves LOL... he HATES when I do it).

But oh SheaMoisture.... =D

... I picked this up from Duane Reade when it was on sale for $5.99 (I think its regularly double that price but I don't really know cause I'm unfortunately not THAT conscious of price when I really want something) and it has changed my life! From my first use I was hooked!

1. It definitely gives your scalp that tingly feeling while it soaks into your hair (I think that's the tea tree oil?) which in my book, tingly = working!
2. It smells super yummy.

And most importantly I went a full week without feeling like I wanted to dig my brains out, which is what I NEED! Something in this wonderful concoction is definitely doing my scalp justice and it left my hair feeling moisturized too. That's all I need in life. I'll definitely be keeping this around, otherwise I'll go bald from the scratching! SheaMoisture never seems to fail me =)


* All opinions stated in this post are mine, and as previously stated are an OPINION. I am not a professional in any way, just merely sharing what works for me and products that I enjoy. I was not compensated in any way, nor did the company reach out to me to share my opinions in this post.*

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!

Hey Sooo..... When are you going to do your hair?

I'm not gonna lie.... I had a horrible hair week last week! When I say horrible I mean... Tuesday when I washed my hair... it all went DOWNHILL.. it was dry.. it was crazy looking... It was... a mess... FA REAL! I never said I was going to be a pro at this transitioning thing.. I actually warned some of my friends that I was transitioning and that I've always pretty much SUCKED at doing my own hair and so that while I'm getting the hang of it there WILL be some bad hair days... and I wont care. So about mid-week when I decided that I was going to stop allowing myself to look like someones homeless child... I moisturized that hair up.. grabbed my Shea butter... and did two flat twists into a bun... HAIR SUCCESS... I was not going to touch my hair for the next 4 days at least and it was "protective styling" right? I went to work satisfied..

Funny when I got to work one of my male coworkers asked me.. (half joking but completely serious)... Soooooo...... When are you just going to do your hair??

.....................................*record scratches*.............................................

*internal thoughts*... Now I KNOW this [expletive] didn't just ask me when imma do my hair on the one day I've made a conscious motha[expletive] effort to look like a normal person and not like I've had my finger in a socket all morning. My hair looks well [beep]ing groomed today! Is he forreal with life? Am I being punked? CAN I SLAP HIM PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

And just that soon... 3 1/2 months into my transition I realized that a series of people throughout the course of this transition are not going to understand what's going on at all! And I honestly could care less... I've never been one to get all in a huff about what people think.. My appearance isn't to please you and certainly my hair is NOT going to make everyone happy... but I've spent a long time being a people pleaser... Tanay is about herself right now... My hair is about ME.

xx- Tanay

[[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

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!!!! 

Let's Talk..... Life Update

Hey blog beauties!!

So much is always going on. It's so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind that is LIFE! I know I owe you guys a hair post but honestly this is another post coming from my cellphone and  I cant seem to get into a consistent schedule to have time to sit in front of the computer.

Currently I work full-time but only 4 days a week.. That means every shift I work is between 10-12 hours. It's a lot for me. By the end of those days the only thing I feel motivated enough to do is sleep. I haven't opened the computer in so long that I even do my homework assignments on my cell phone! This is another reason I reaaallllllyyyy want an iPad. At least I'll have bigger screen space to type and I can organize my thoughts a little better. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.  I'm trying to get it as a gift *hint hint* LOL.

As far as hair... I'm transitioning to natural. I wanted to write this long elaborate post about what it really meant for me but time is not on my side right now. So the short and sweet version... I want healthier hair.... I want my hair to grow.. && as much as I love  my extensions... They aren't doing anything for the thickening of my hair... So I'm giving them a rest. I already have moments where I'm like... Hmmm maybe I should rethink this... But I know the end result will make me feel better... So I'm sticking it out!!

P.S. I've recently had the pleasure of getting to know the beautiful Miya a little more.. && it's nice to make new blog friends! Give her a visit... She has big things coming soon that could interest a lot of people.

Catch up soon! Promise it won't be long.
xXNay