One Year Natural!

One year natural wash n go.

Hello everyone!  Today one year ago I cut all my relaxed hair off and became 100% natural.  This first year I didn't just style and grow out my hair I redefined beauty and how I perceive what beauty looks like.  I measured my hair and I have 8 inches in the front.  I know the back is longer but considering I started with 1 7/8 inches after my big chop I have grow a little over 6 inches this year which means I was able to retain the average amount of hair growth in a year.  Not bad, I'll take it!

I created a collage of my fro from my big chop to six months to now one year later.  I was sporting some serious big hair yesterday so I thought let's see how big I can get this hair.  I achieved this big hair (one year picture) by picking out my curlformers picked out look I wore this past weekend.  The picture with the blue flower was taken today after doing a wash n go.

I decided to created a one year video of my hair journey this past year.  This has been fun and don't ask me if I plan to cut my hair anytime soon because I'm part of the 2014 hair growth challenge, so I plan on growing it out until then.  I do plan to only do hair length checks every 2 months instead of every month.  I will post sometime next week what I have learned about my hair over this year.  Until next time...
Blessings!

11 month anniversary of big chop

Hello everyone!  I have returned from my week long adventure at the bible conference.  The hubby and I were in charge of the nursery and we didn't get out much.  The good news is that my son is pretty much potty trained!  He only had 3 accidents the whole week and he woke up wet only once at night.  The bad news is that I didn't get a chance to hear many sermons or attend many of the studies.  I think I heard two sermons and three bible studies.  Oh well, the nursery was a lot of fun and I got to know the parents of the children my son's age very well.  In fact one of the parents is a natural and new friend of mine that I will be featuring latter this week.

11 months all natural wash n go church hair.

Anyway, today is my 11 month anniversary of my big chop.  I remember battling with myself this time last year about whether I should transition for a year or just cut it all off.  Well, clearly I didn't do a long transition and I'm glad I big chopped.  My hair is now measuring about 7.5 inches in the front and with one whole month of Viviscal I have noticed that I'm shedding less hair when I co-wash and shampoo my hair.  I have noticed that my thinned out spot is not as noticeable as before.  Maybe because my hair is longer now and hiding that spot better, or maybe the Viviscal is starting to work.  I think it is too soon to tell either way.  My hair doesn't feel thicker, but when I do wash/wet my hair my eyes don't see only scalp on my crown.  I have noticed that my nails are growing longer and if you have weak brittle nails I recommend Viviscal.  I plan to do a full update on Viviscal next month and of course a wrap up in September where I will decided if I will continue with this product or not.  Maybe I will need more time to see the full effects.  We'll see.

Ignore my tired look.  I'm trying to hold my hair and work the camera.

I purchased some Mop Top medium hold gel before my trip and I have been using it for about two weeks now.  Since I'm basically a Mop Top girl this gel works great with the other Mop Top products.  I like the hold that this gel has been giving my hair and the humidity is not affecting my curls at all.  I do want to play with my curl formers sometime this month, but my niece, nephew and mother will be visiting and my son turns 3 this month so, we'll see how much free time I will have for basically a one day hair style.  By the way this is post 100 for me!  Until next time...

Blessings!

Collage of the evolution of my fro

Hello everyone!  Before I washed and twisted my hair yesterday for my twist out I decided to pick out my hair to see how big I could get my fro.  I then looked at my big chop picture and I thought "hey, let's put a collage together".  So, I put together this collage and you can really see my growth over my journey so far.

Big Chop, 3, 6, and 10 month fro.

Until next time...
Blessings!

10 month anniversary of big chop

Hello everyone!  Yesterday  was my 10 month anniversary of my big chop.  I measured my hair and I retained another 1/2 inch of growth this month.  I'm starting to figure out my hair cycle and noticing that every couple of months I get regular growth, sometimes more and then some months with very little growth.  With me starting the Viviscal I'm hoping that my hair doesn't slow down in the growth department and my thinned out spot fills in.  Last month my hair was just barely touching my mole above my lip and now it is curling around my lip and touch the seam of my lips.  So, now in front my hair measures 7 inches.

 I did a wash n go this morning and used the Eco Styler Olive Oil as my gel.  The temps and humidity are high today, so I thought what the heck lets do something firmer.  Since reading Curly Girl I have been finger combing my hair more and using my wide tooth comb less.  I like the results, but I won't be giving up my Hello Hydration or my Denman brush any time soon.  So, I take what works for me and I do it.

Wash n Go with Eco Styler Olive Oil.

This entire week I did wash n go's almost everyday.  It's because I've been thinking about doing a twist out, so I would co-wash my hair then lose energy to to twist my hair for a twist out.  Since school is out I have my son full time and running around after a toddler is exhausting.  The hubby is volunteering at a bible camp with my dad and my mom is with me and my son.  We have gone to the zoo, swimming, and shopping and I'm just to tired to twist my hair for a twist out after I'm done co-washing it.  I also feel like I have to wash my hair more when I'm outside a lot.  I've been gardening and walking more and the wind has been blowing dust around so I touch my hair and feel the grit and think "yuck, I'm co-washing".  Yesterday, we were rained on at the zoo.  When you can feel the gel and conditioner being washed out of your hair you got to replace that so your not a frizz ball.  Until next time...
Blessings!

9 month anniversary of big chop

Nine months ago yesterday I cut off all my relaxed hair and started my natural hair journey.  I almost forgot that it was my anniversary!  Wow how times flies.  Nine months ago I was getting ready to go back to school and now I'm writing my finals and getting my seniors ready for graduation. 

 To the right is how I wore my hair today.  I really like my "curly" fro hawk.  I used my Denman brush to help define these curls in the front.  I might even do a video on how I get this look.  It only takes me about 10 minutes in the morning.  Considering some mornings I'm dealing with a cranky toddler who refuses to sit on the potty, this style comes in handy because I can do it and run out the door.  I always get compliments when I wear my hair like this, so it's become my go to style usually on day 2 or 3 hair after a wash n go.

My hair in the front is now touching my upper lip when it's wet and measures about 6.5 inches in the front.  I did pull a shed hair from my brush and it measured 7 inches.  So, I know that my hair in the back is probably longer then the front and I'm happy with my growth.

The castor oil is making my hair really shiny and I'm loving the softness.  I have used castor oil in the past to help with my edges and if I knew then that it would make my hair soft I would of used in on my entire head.  I'm actually considering adding castor oil to my leave in conditioner because I love the results so much.

As you can see in the picture on the right my edges are very healthy, so let's pray that the castor oil works on my crown.  Since I'm talking about my crown.  Denise over at It's Perfectly Natural checked out my blog the other day and she is recommending some products.  I'm really considering purchasing them after reading about her struggle with hair loss.  I wouldn't be a product junkie if it wasn't for the thinned out spot on my crown.  I would basically have a gentle cleaner, a rinsing conditioner and a great leave in conditioner (maybe some gel for styling), but no that spot makes me jump at any natural remedy to help it fill in.  I will say that I'm pretty good at hiding it with my curls, but I do feel like I pull a lot of hair forward to try and hide that spot on my crown.  I really notice the pulled down effect on my day one hair where I have the flat top hair because my curls are really defined and that spot is too visible if I don't pull my hair forward to cover it up.  If I decide to purchase the two products she recommended I will do a product review and an update.  Until next time...
Blessings!

8 Month Anniversary of Big Chop

April 8, 2012 Fro Hawk with flower Easter Hair.

On Easter I celebrated my 8th month anniversary of my big chop.  My hair in the front is measuring at 6 inches and it is completely curling around my nose.  I wore my hair in a fro hawk with a pink flower that matched my dress for Easter.

I learned that it is really hard to measure and do length checks on conditioned wet hair.  Next time I will measure with just wet hair.  My hair is loving most of the Mop Top products, I need to order some more of the Daily Conditioner.  I used the deep conditioner again and found that my hair is a little protein sensitive, so I will limit the Mop Top Deep Conditioner to only once a week or less.

Hair measures 6 inches.

I found that my hair felt dry and really course this past Saturday, so I did the Porosity test with a few strands in a glass of water and sure enough I have low porosity hair.  I had never heard of porosity until I read a post by Curlilocks.  Thank you sweetie you saved me from trimming my hair!  So I completely rinsed out the Deep Conditioner and just used the Daily Conditioner for my leave in and presto, problem solved smooth shiny hair again!  I'm praying to have some really healthy growth in the next 4 months because my goal is to have my hair touching my chin by my one year anniversary this August.  Until next time...

Blessings!

Length check in the back.

Length check on the side.

7 Month Anniversary of Big Chop!

Hello!  Yesterday was my 7  month anniversary of my big chop!  This month I retained some growth and now in the front I have 5.5 inches of hair.

Wash n go with a little Mop Top gel.

My hair is now curling around the tip of my nose.

My hair in the back is inching closer to my collarbone.

Don't mind my tired expressions.  I'm bone tired because my son has another ear infection, which means sleepless nights and very tired parents.  By the way, I have nothing in my hair in the bottom 3 pictures.  The top picture I have my Aussie Moist and a little Mop Top gel.  This is my go to style when I'm tired (which seems to be most days lately) because It's so easy and the curls always pop so nicely.  Until next time...
Blessings!

6 Month Anniversary of Big Chop!

Wow, it's been half a year since I cut all my relaxed hair off!  This month I measured my hair and I did a fist pump in the air when I saw I got a half inch of growth bringing me to 5 inches in the front.  I think the stress of the holidays and being sick for 6 weeks straight really hindered my growth last month.  I have been healthy and drinking a lot of water the past several weeks so I think my growth is back on track.

How I wore my hair today.

Check out those curls!

Feb. 8, 2012 Hair is touching the tip of my nose at 5 inches!

Feb. 7, 2012.  Check out the fro!

Aug.8, 2011 just finished with the BC!

So, I included the last two pictures to show my growth from my BC to now.  I have made so much progress and I can honestly say that my hair is healthy.  No split ends, no breakage (that I have noticed) and finally really soft touchable hair that I absolutely love.  I used my Mop Top products again this morning and I really like them!  Sigh...  The hubby would totally freak if I started buying these products regularly.  I might splurge and rotate the Mop Top with my Aussie Moist.  I have to think about it.  Until next time...
Blessing!

5th month anniversary of big chop

It's been 5 months since my BC.  Yesterday I washed my hair and did about 30 two strand twists all over my head.  This morning I took the twists out and I really liked the look.  I measured my hair and guess what no length this month.  Last month I was at 4.5 inches in the front and this month I measured at 4.5 inches in the front.

5 month anniversary hair two strand twist out.

4.5 inches in the front.

Length check in the back.

Length check on the left side.

So, I think that the reason why I didn't have any length this month is because I have been sick the entire time.  I know that I don't have any breakage because I would have seen the broken hairs either in my sink or in my comb.  No broken hairs, but no length.  I'm not going to worry about the no length this month.  My hair feels thicker and fuller and it looks healthy.  Until next time...
Blessings!

4th month anniversary of big chop

Well this past month I have been trying some new things.  Most recently I have been rocking my fro!  I haven't been doing the wash n go's this week because it has been sooo cold here in MN.  Today I went to work with a temp of 4 degrees!  My length is 4.5 inches in the front, so I have had over 2.5 inches of growth in 4 months.  I'll take it!  So check out the pics below.  I'm rocking my fro with the ringlet bangs in front.

Next month I think I will start to try to take pictures of the back of my head.  My length has not changed much in the front, but the sides seem much longer.  Until next time...
Blessings!

Three month anniversary of Big Chop!

It's now November and time for another length check.  My 3 month anniversary of my big chop is tomorrow, but I will be busy so I decided to do my monthly length check today.  I measured my hair again and found out that my hair at my crown is about 4 1/4 inches long while the hair in the front is 4 inches long.  When I measured my hair after my big chop my length was 1 7/8 inches long (just under 2 inches).  I did some math and figured that I have had 2 3/8 inches of growth since my big chop that's almost two and a half inches of growth in 3 months.  That puts me just under an inch above the average hair growth most people experience.

Regular shrinkage without any fluffing.

Hair fluffed with my fingers.

One thing that I have noticed in the past month is my curl pattern.  I really love how my hair curls up and my new length is allowing me to do some different styles.  I have updated my hair regimen so check out what I am doing now that it's colder here in Minnesota.  I'm gonna try to do some flat twists again.  I did some more research and found out that I was doing it right, I just need to practice to make the twists look neater.  Watch for the results of my second attempt at flat twists.  Until next time...
Blessings!

So, another length check

Little over 4 inches.

So, I wasn't satisfied with my last length check on October 8, 2011 that I decided to do another quick length check today.  I think this hair came from the crown of my head where I'm starting to believe my hair is longer.  The front of my hair measures a little over 3.5 inches while this hair is a little over 4 inches.  Right now for me a half inch is a big differences because my TWA isn't quite so weeny any more.  I think I'm getting into the teeny phase of my fro.

Two Month Anniversary of Big Chop!

Well today is my 2 month anniversary of my Big Chop and my hair measured at 3.5 inches.  My hair was less than 2 inches the day after my big chop back in August and now I have grown over 1.5 inches in just two months.  Not bad for growth.  My hair feels soft and healthy.  First time in my memory.  Below are some pictures I took today in the bathroom mirror.  Sorry, no makeup so only love my way if you comment.

I ran out of my V05 conditioner and tried Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner today and I liked how soft my hair felt this morning.  Hello Hydration I think is going to become my new co-wash.
Blessings!

October 8, 2011 two months post big chop.

Side view length check Oct.8, 2011.

Side view Oct.8, 2011.

Front view length check Oct.8, 2011.

Quick Length Check

October 4, 2011 3.5 inches.

I just couldn't help myself.  I was combing my hair this morning and a few strands were in my comb.  So, I taped one to a sheet of paper, laid a ruler down, and took a quick picture.  Sorry that the quality is not very good, but you can see that this strand is about 3.5 inches long.  My two month anniversary of my BC is later this week and I think my growth is coming along well.  On August 9, 2011 the day after my BC I measured my hair and it was just under 2 inches.

I got two compliments about how my hair looked longer and thicker today.  I have realized that some of my hairs are thin while others are much thicker.  I also have noticed that I have multiple types of  curls in my hair ranging from wavy, to spirally coils, to zig-zag z shaped curls.  I plan to take some pictures and remeasure my length on my 2 month anniversary October 8, 2011.  Until then...
Blessings!

Length Check Mistake

Well, I remeasured my hair today and with help from my husband I found out that I don't have 2 3/4 inches but actually it is a little over 3 inches long!  Wow, over one inch of growth in a month!  I use to believe that my hair didn't grow.  Now I know that it did grow, but broke off because of the relaxer that was making my hair weak and brittle.  I am 35 years old and had relaxed hair for 32 of those years.  Every time I tried to grow my hair past my shoulders I suffered from severe breakage especially in the back of my head.  Now that I am natural, I believe that with proper care I will be able to grow it past my shoulders.  Wish me luck and lots of healthy growth this next month.

Blessings!

One Month Anniversary of Big Chop!

Big Chop Day August 8, 2011

August 8, 2011 hair is just shy of 2 inches.

Hair 1 month after big chop September 7, 2011.  About 2 3/4 inches long.

Tomorrow will be one month since my BIG CHOP!  I had been transitioning my hair since March 2011 (last relaxer), but decided to go natural in May.  My husband has been a big supporter to me and he wanted to video record the whole process at the salon.  I on the other hand just wanted pictures. 

This past month has been very eye opening!  My routine is very simple.  I basically wash and go.  With my hair so short I don't have the styling options that I will have once I get some length.  I measured my hair the day after the BC and it was just under 2 inches.  I measured today and I have about 2 3/4 inches.  So, almost an inch in one month.

I read Teri LaFlesh's book "Curly Like Me" and have been following her method.  So, far I love the simplicity of this routine.  Basically just conditioner and a Denman brush, but since my hair is so short I have been using a wide tooth comb.  I co-wash instead of using a shampoo, but I do shampoo my hair once a week.  What I have really noticed is that my hair is NOT breaking off!  The relaxer was really harsh on my hair and when my hair was relaxed I had broken hairs in the sink all the time.  Teri LaFlesh - Curly Like Me

Well, I am thinking about playing with my hair in the next couple of weeks and trying some flat twists and or coils.  Wish me luck on my new hair adventure!

BTW I am not wearing any makeup in these pictures, so be kind if you make any comments. 

Blessings!