Day 10 - Best thing about being natural!

Okay, so it has been a little over a week and let me tell ya....I seriously thought that the women on the message boards and youtube were joking when they say that your hair grows faster once you cut it. But I am a WITNESS. Yes, it really does. It has only been a week and I can tell that it is growing, especially in the back and at the crown of my head. No complaints. I am still getting use to how it looks on me. I am getting a lot of compliments from random people so that always helps so I guess it is growing on me and I must say, my hair has never been so soft, manageable and healthy.

Now, people have all of these list and countdowns about reasons to go natural or the best thing about being natural but let me just tell you this, in my mind there is only one reason I will never go back to a relaxer (outside of the painful a$$ scalp burns). The best thing about having my hair natural is that I can go workout as hard as I want to and get as sweaty as I want to and get into the shower and put my WHOLE BODY, HEAD AND ALL under the water. There is no feeling like this in the entire world. I feel so much cleaner after a shower and I have no idea how I lived without doing this for so long. It is the #1 best feeling in the world AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! For those of you who don't know what it is like there is no way for me to describe it. It is not the same as getting in the shower to shampoo your hair. No sir! It is....I just can't describe it. I am sorry. Anyhow, lovin my hair and as soon as I find the camera chord I will post the pictures of my new do.


Peace, Love and Showers
~GNH~

Day 6 - New Regimen & Hair Pledge

For the past two weeks I have been trying something new. I noticed that my hair was abnormally dry and it felt hard.  You know, crunchy.  I thought that it was because of the weather. I consulted the forums, google and youtube.  Then I started to take a good LONG hard look at the products that I was using. Protiens and silicons are not a friend to my natural hair.  I think that I have found what works for me. I now cowash everyday (every other day before the BC) with Suave Naturals. I do a cold (cool) water rinse and leave my hair SUPER DUPER wet and in the palm of my hand I mix some coconut oil, grapeseed oil, aloe vera gel and garnier fructis sleek and shine cream conditioner. I do not use a lot of any of these since it all has to fit in the palm of my hand. I then rub my hands together (over my head) and apply all over massaging into my hair using the pads of my fingers.  I then try not to touch my hair until it dries to minimize frizz.  My dry, hard hair is now a thing of the past.  Yippee!!! Also, once my hair dries I spritz with my vegetable glycerin/water mix. This helps my hair retain moisture all day in this has cold and dry weather. I love my new soft hair but I am still trying to get use to how I look with this short hair. It is defiantly shocking. I do not regret doing it at all I just need time to take the "kinks" out of my mind. I have to realize that I need to just do me and not worry about what other people will think or say because what other people think about me is none of my business.

My hair pledge:

From this day forward I will ACCEPT you for who you are.

I will not get mad when you frizz or don't coil the way that I want.
I will let you do you.

I will stop comparing you to others.

I will do my part and keep you clean & moisturized.

When you tell me to, I will do a protective style so that you can have a rest.

We are a team.

No matter what each day brings I will let you do your thing.

Below are pictures of the conditioners I now use.

For my cowash.  This stuff works for me and is super cheap.  I got it from Walgreens for like 87 or 97 cents.  These are the two smells that I like.

For my "leave in" and styling

The Aloe Vera Gel and Glycerin

It is amazing that the products that I started off using I no longer use.  The cantu shea butter leave in no longer works for me.  Other than the essential oils and coconut oil I do not use any of the products that I originally started with.  However, I do moisturize at night with the raw unrefined shea butter.

Peace, Love and Accepting the Kinks

~GNH~

Hair Inspiration

This is so beautiful....just beautiful...

Day 1 - YEP, I CUT IT ALL OFF

I JUST CUT OFF ALL OF MY HAIR!!!!  I'll take a picture once I stop freaking out.
Oh goodness.  I guess it is what it is right?  My hubbie seems to be cool with it but you never know with men.  I am gonna have to get use to looking at this.  Super short is all I have to say about it.  I really don't care what other people think or have to say anymore.  If they don't like it then they ain't gotta look at it.

Merry CHRISTmas to my hair.

Peace, Love & BC
~GNH~

Day 100 - Whoops, I got a little scissor happy

Yeah...I know!!!! I will explain the title in a second because you must understand what happened to lead me there. I met with the woman on Friday about getting gypsy twist. They are soooooooo cute. I made an appointment for Dec. 29th. While is was sitting there waiting for my consult I was looking around her salon at the 2 ladies (and one 8 year old) who were there for appointments. Their hair was FIERCE!!! Do you hear me?!?! FIERCE! I mean the stylist had some banging curls too. The little girl had the most beautiful hair I had seen in a long time. She was sportin twist on her 4B hair and rockin it. So I met with the stylist (who only does natural hair and uses natural products) and told her my hair story and my hair goals. When I left I could not stop thinking about how beautiful their hair was. I was thinking...what in the HELL am I afraid of? What someone else will think or what I will think?

So I went to the gym and got my workout on (still thinking these same thoughts). When I got home I deep conditioned my hair. then, as I was putting in the leave in conditioner I thought about cutting it off, but I didn't. I went all day yesterday obsessing over my hair. Should I or shouldn't I??? Well, my husband and I were lying on the couch last night watching a movie and I have some serious hand in head going on. I am pulling at the curls behind my ear and I realize that there is not much relaxer left in that section. I start thinking...what if I just cut this part of to see what it would look like? Well, you know what happened next, I cut that section off. I liked what I saw. So then I did from ear to ear across the entire back of my head. I sprayed it with leave-in conditioner/oil mixture and used some shea butter to put the area into two strand twist. I took the twist down this morning and LOVED IT!!!

So now I am trying to gather enough nerve to cut the rest of it. I am sure I will. I just think of it this way, if I don't like it that is fine because I will get the twist put in next week anyway.  See the picture below.

Peace, Love and Scissors
~GNH~

Day 95 - To braid or not to braid? That is the question.

I am at that point where if I don't either chop it off or get braids or twist or something then I might just go crazy. I am not one for getting the standard weaves (tracks, sew-ins etc.) so I already know that isn't an option. I have been toying with the idea of getting some twist with extensions. I found some cute cute cute pictures and I think I might give it a try. I am looking for a salon that specializes not just in natural hair styles but products as well. Also, I need a salon that understands transition hair and how to do the braids correctly so that they are not too tight and won't damage the hair line. I just don't want to ruin all of my hard work. I have a consult appointment with a salon in downtown Raleigh on Friday. The salon information is
https://www.sophiasunflower.com/Home_Page.php

Now, if I go through with this I will need some help on how to care for the braids as well as my own hair. So if anyone has a clue let me know. I am not ABOUT to pay someone to shampoo/condition/moisturize. I ain't made of money.


Peace, Love and Braids
~GNH~

Day 89 - Conditioners

I was surfing youtube and saw this video.  I found it helpful cause I have a WHOLE LOTTA natural hair now and I am looking for that "perfect" conditioner.  I knew all about silicone and what it does to your hair (didn't really care at first cause I had more relaxed than natural hair) but I didn't know which conditioners to use/get.  I could have gone to the store and read every bottle but why do that?

Any - who check it out below.



Peace, Love & Silicone Free Conditioners
~GNH~