Hair Journey Feature | How she achieved waist length in less than two years.

Every so often I will be delighted by an email from a reader who shares the progress of their journey with me.  Not so long ago, Rachie did just that.  Her email proclaiming the achievement of waist length hair made my freakin' day!  I had no choice to but invite her to come to the stage to share the lessons from her journey with the rest of us.  

Ladies, meet Rachie.

Tell us about your hair (relaxed, texlaxed, natural, hair type)?

Texlaxed 4abc hair :-)

Congrats on reaching waistlength! How does it feel?

Pretty cool actually, I sometimes don't fully believe it because for sooo long I never thought it was actually possible for me :-)

How long have you been on your hair journey? What was your starting length?

I started my hair care research about October 2012, and then after I gathered enough information to make a “Hair-Plan” for myself, I officially started my hair care journey in January 2013.

Early on in her Journey

How do you care for your hair daily?

• I try my best to keep my hands out of my hair as much as possible during the week. Most times of late I've had my hair in braids/plaits on a weekly basis. I redo the braids or plaits once a week.
• I Moisturize and seal my hair daily with mainly Profectiv Mega Growth Daily leave-in Strengthener and a Grapeseed Oil + Castor Oil Mix. Of late, I've been using Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus KIDS Extra-Moisturizing Detangler as a spray-on moisturizer for my braids which is quick and easy to apply in the mornings before work, and I seal with a tiny bit of Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk.
• I do the GHE/Baggying method on alternate nights
• I always tie my hair with a scarf (satin) at nights. I'm looking into getting silk pillow cases so I don't always have to wear a scarf, I'll see.

What is your weekly regimen?

• I wash with shampoo once a month (Design Essentials Moisture Retention Shampoo), and Co wash once-twice weekly with any Moisturizing Conditioner I have in my stash: Mane and Tail Deep Moisturizing Conditioner is what I'm using at the moment (A big bottle was on sale, LOL).
• I wash with my braids in tact to reduce tangling and breakage.
• I air dry my hair with braids intact also. If my hair is loose (ie not in braids – usually the first 3-4weeks post Texlax) I'll air dry using the Scarf-method.
• I Deep Condition once to twice a week depending on how my hair feels, Mainly with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner.
• I tend to Oil Rinse also: When I'm about to rinse out my deep conditioner I'll apply a handful of coconut oil to the length of my hair over the conditioner, then rinse it out with warm water. I found that adding coconut oil prior to the rinse helve A LOT with detangling. It also leave my hair feeling very soft after the rinse out while keeping some of the moisture locked into my strands.
• I do ACV rinses after each wash.
• I use a Denman brush to detangle my hair, finger detangling hasn't worked of late since my hair has gotten Longer.
• Once every week or 2, I'll apply an essential oil + grapeseed oil mix to my scalp, very tingly and smells lovely :-)

How often do you trim?

I trim whenever my hair needs it, I may trim soon actually, but in general I trim once every 6-7months.

Do you do anything to care for your hair from the inside?

I was VERY big on juicing (carrots, beets, bananas, strawberries, aloe vera juice) especially in the beginning. I fell off the bandwagon of late with work being so busy/stressful. But my hair skin and body on a whole loved it! So I'm definitley trying to get back in the juicing game! I try to exercise for an hour every other day at least, I drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day and I take Vitamin Worlds Hair skin and Nails Vitamins daily (again of late I haven't been the most consistent). I also used to take fish oil, horsetail capsules, zinc, vitamin C and cod liver oil tablets. I have not been the most consistent with these of late either. But as I said my hair loves them.

Did you have any setbacks along the way? How did you deal with them?

YESS!!! I did a Cassia treatment in late November/ early December last year which I may have done wrong; It left my hair in LARGE DRY CLUMPS, I cried and cried and cried. Lol. I lost half a dust bin of hair, my fiance' had to help me cut out large clumps of hair. It was devastating. In fact that was when I started to put my hair in plaits/braids to reduce manipulation and keep what hair was left on my head ON MY HEAD, lol.

And that was when I started co-washing very often too, to put moisture back in my hair. It felt dry for months. The braids and co-washing really saved what was left of my hair.

If you had to start your journey all over again, what would you do differently?

Nope! I've made mistakes, I've learned from them and I've enjoyed doing so. It's a journey, it can feel like a race in the beginning but after you start to see your hair health improve and you get confidence in what you are doing, that in itself was a major reward for me.

If you're stuck on desert island and can only bring 3 hair related items or products, what would you take?

Hmmm... tough one. I think I'd take my satin scarf, HEHH Conditioner, and Grapeseed oil. Awww man, can I take my Denman brush and my Profectiv daily strengthener leave-in conditioner too? Pretty pleez? Lol.

You meet a stranger on the street who begs you to share with her the tips & tricks so she can too have waistlength hair, what tips do you share with her?

I'd strongly emphasize BEING VERY GENTLE and Reducing Manipulation as much as possible to avoid breakage; a satin or silk scarf at nights to avoid breakage, and keep the hair well moisturized again to avoid breakage! :-) Length retention is key! Everyone's hair grows, its just to figure out how to keep it on your head. My hair strands being very fine are prone to tangling and breakage, so low manipulation is a must!

Moisturizing and sealing is a must too, to reduce split ends and thus reduce the number of trims that you have to do. :-)

Nadege, thank you soooooooo much for featuring me! You have been such an INSPIRATION! Seriously, your blog helped me immensely, especially in the beginning when I was just starting out and wasn't fully sure what a hair-care regimen was exactly. I feel like I've come full circle, to think I'd be featured on the very same blog that helped to inspire me to start my hair journey in the first place! Thanks so much again,

Xoxo,

Rachie :-)

After studying Rachie's regimen, I was reminded of the power of low manipulation.  I love how she was able to turn a devastating set back into a method that enabled her to achieve her length goals.  I also like her idea of applying coconut oil over conditioned hair for additional deep conditioning benefits.  Will definitely have to try this. 

You want more of Rachie's hair journey and regimen details? Be sure to check out her blog as she makes her way to hip length. 

 www.rachietowaistlength.blogspot.com

Inspired by.

Follow me on Pinterest for additional inspiration.

Feature | Divachyk

Really excited today to feature a fellow hair blogger.  As a matter of fact, I requested a chance to feature her journey a while ago because her hair is so awesome.  I love how she was able to leverage her signature style, the bun, into lots of length.  Let's get to know her a little better.
............................................................................

 I go by the name of Divachyk on hair forums and social media. I'm a certified product junkie that loves everything hair, health and beauty. I started this journey after experiencing breakage that resulted from pure hair neglect while dealing with the stress of my husband's health (cancer -- praises to God hubby is healed!) During this time, I did not have the time or energy to frequent a salon so I started looking for ways and tips to maintain my hair at home and the rest is history.

I am relaxed and tend to stretch for 10 weeks on average. I tried stretching for longer without great success so 10 weeks became my norm.

-Wash Day: I change things up based on the needs of my hair but the basics remain the same: cleanse, deep condition and air dry.
-Daily Maintenance: I moisturize/seal and lightly comb 2x daily.
-Relaxer: I am salon relaxed and my current stylist uses Naked by Essations which is lye-based.

 I am not a fan of low-lye and no-lye relaxers because calcium deposits made my hair feel dry and brittle. My stylist then started using Design Essentials Honey Nectar. This is a time released relaxer and my hair took to it just fine. Fast forward several years, my hair began to suffer from breakage. I'm unsure if the issues resulted from relaxer strength or stylist technique.

What is your everyday go to hair style?
- Typically, buns - buns are my signature style.

 What are your every day products that your hair loves (and why)?
 I have all my favorites detailed on my blogsite but the ones I simply cannot be without are:

- Clarify: HairVeda Amala Deep (now discontinued and looking for a replacement). Shampoo: Bee Mine Botanicals Co-Cleanse: HairVeda Amala Cream Rinse Oil Rinse: Wheat GermTea Rinse: loose leaf slippery elm and marshmallow root. Deep Condition: Aubrey Organics Honey Suckle Rose Leave In: Pura Body MuruMuru Moisture Milk Seal: Extra Virgin Avocado Oil Daily Moisturizer: Aubrey Organics White Camellia.

 Share you hair goals and what you will do to achieve them?
 Hair Length: My hair length goal is/was middle back length which I've achieved and surpassed.Hair Health: I revise my goals monthly to avoid complacency. My hair motto is health before length although I've strayed away from this at various times. In the moments that I've strayed, my hair did not flourish whatsoever. Needless to say, I've regained focus and will continue focusing on hair health going forward. My assessment of hair health is a moving target. Hair can be healthy one day and not so healthy the next. Overall, I feel that I've achieved and maintained healthy hair.

Achieved By:
- Protective styling for length retention
- Stretching relaxers for an average of 10 weeks
- Operating within my comfort zone rather than trying to hang with others
- Accepting what works for me and staying the course
- No bandwagons -- I've done them before but it did not work out so well
- Moisturizing / Sealing daily

Have you had any setbacks in your journey?
Please share the root cause and how you overcame your set back. I've had numerous setbacks! All setbacks and the associated effort to bounce back are detailed on my blog.
 Main Root Causes of my setbacks were:
- Jumping on bandwagons
- Not understanding protein / moisture balance
- Not understanding hair porosity
- Improper detangling tools & techniques

The main takeaways for bouncing back are: 
- Never repeat the mistake that caused the setback
- Remaining consistent with a well-defined regimen
- Protective styling for maximizing length retention

  You've started a blog on healthy hair care, what will readers learn  & experience from following your journey? 

 How to manage low porosity hair.   How to achieve healthy hair no matter if relaxed or natural.

 Someone stops you in the street and asks what they can do retain length like you, what do you tell them?  A well-defined regimen, consistency and protective styling.   

You're going on an extended vacation but can only take 3 hair  related products with you.  What do you pack and why? 

Co-Cleanse: HairVeda Amala Cream Rinse (hair cleanser)Conditioner/ Moisturizer / LI: Aubrey Organics White Camellia. Sealant: Extra Virgin Avocado Oil The three items can assist with wash day without causing an imbalance of protein / moisture or potential for setback. They are very moisturizing which my low porosity, dehydrated hair loves.


 Stay Connected With Divachyk // Relaxed Thairapy
Blog: relaxedthairapy.com
Facebook: Relaxed Thairapy  (https://www.facebook.com/RelaxedThairapy)
Twitter: @relaxedthairapy  (https://twitter.com/relaxedthairapy) 
Instagram: @relaxedthairapy (http://instagram.com/relaxedthairapy)
YouTube: divachyk (http://www.youtube.com/divachyk)

Feature| How she grew from Neck Length to Waist Length

Hey there!  I knew this pics would grab your attention.  Today I'm featuring a wonderful young lady with an extraordinary hair journey.  She went from neck length, damaged hair to long luscious locks.  Would you like to know how?  Keep reading.

Meet Lade.

 Tell us about your hair. What is your current length and texture.My hair is texlaxed and is a little bit past waist length.
 My natural texture is mixture of 4b and 4c.The longest my hair was before my hair journey was grazing armpit length.

How long have your been on your hair journey? What sparked it? 
I’ve been on a hair journey for 4 years and 4 months. I started in on October 17 2009 to be exact. I went through a phase when my hair was breaking badly. What I found most frustrating was that I did not know why.  I didn’t know how to care for my hair and only had various black hair myths as a guide. I visited a Trichologist who wanted me to start using some topical treatments but warned that growing facial hair was a side effect of the products. I decided not to use the products. A few months after, a friend told me about black ladies on YouTube with crazy long hair, I decided to see the videos for myself and became soooooo hooked. I was inspired to start my own hair journey and here I am today.

How do you care for your hair on a daily basis?
My daily hair regimen is very simple, I moisturize and seal once a day, finger detangle if necessary, put my hair in a bun, sleep with a satin scarf and that’s it. 

Lade's hair in box braids (would love to see it in a braidout)

Tell us about your weekly wash day routine.
I texlax my hair every 20 weeks.  For the first ten weeks after I texlax my wash day routine is as follows shampoo once a week ( I always wash my hair in box braids because my hair tangles a lot when I  wash it loose).  deep condition once a week ( protein and moisture conditioners mixed together), apply my leave ins, detangle and  air dry, moisturize and seal, put hair in a bun or a protective up-do style.  From weeks 11 to 19, I start my wig regimen    Hair kept in 20 box braids under u-part wigs Clean scalp once a week with baby wipes, yes, baby wipes!!! Oil scalp lightly once a week with JBCO mixed peppermint and rosemary oils. Mist the box braids lightly every morning with braids spray or Elasta QP feels like silk. Moisturize and seal twice a week.  Massage scalp 3 or so times a week. After 3 weeks I unravel the braids to remove shed hairs, then I put my hair back in 10 large box braids.  I shampoo, deep condition, unravel each braid to apply leave ins, detangle and blow dry on cool air.  I put hair back in 20 box braids and wear my wigs. I realise this is a long wash day but it is what works for me and its only once every 3 weeks so its not too bad.

 How often do you relax? What is your touch up process? How often do you trim?
I texlax my hair twice or at most three times a year.  I tend to stretch for at least 5 months, and I recently ended a 6 month stretch.  I self texlax at home.  I shampoo and protein condition my hair about 4 days before I texlax.  On texlax day I part my hair into 5 sections, protect my scalp and previously relaxed hair with JBCO.  I mix 2 spoons of olive oil in the relaxer to weaken it. Applying the relaxer and smoothing takes me 18 minutes max.  I neutralize at least three times. Deep condition and blow dry.
I usually trim whenever I texlax and dust my ends as and when necessary. 

 You seem to do a great job at stretching your relaxer, what is your secret? 
 Thank you.  I love stretching and believe my hair is better for it.  My (not so secret)secret to successful stretching is wigs.  My hair can become really difficult and time consuming when I am stretching so I use wigs to keep manipulation to a minimum and reduce the time spent on detangling and battling two different textures.  I have discussed my wig regimen above.  Wigs make stretching by hair a breeze.

How do you deal with the issues that come with long term stretching?
By having a game plan for my stretches.  As I mentioned above I strategically use wigs to help me stretch.  Because my hair is hidden deep into my stretch, I reduce manipulation, tangling and find it easier to access my roots to keep it moisturised.  Please see my wig regimen above.

Neck length to Waist Length

Tell us your retention secret.
I believe that protective styling, protein and moisture balancing and moisturising and sealing are the keys to retention for me.   Luckily for me I love buns so I am more than happy to wear them majority of the time.  I also have loads of fun wearing wigs whilst protecting my hair at the same time.  I see it as a win win situation.

 Any setbacks in your journey?
 What caused it and what did you learn? I had all the set backs a lady could have BEFORE I started my hair journey.  I had experienced severe tangling, relaxers gone wrong, scissor happy stylists, self inflicted heat damage etc.  By the time I started my hair journey I was so determined to get it right that I spent three months researching black hair care on blogs like Relaxed Hair Health, Hairlista, KISS and Youtube.  I started my hair journey confident and clued up.  I haven’t had a setback throughout my hair journey and I pray that it remains that way.  Knowledge is a beautiful thing.

 What do you do internally to support the health of your hair?
I try to eat right, drink water, exercise and all that good stuff. The truth is I fail majority of the time. I go through periods when I am tea total and then I fall off the wagon and find myself eating a sneaker bar at two in the morning.  I am not proud of this especially because I know how great I feel when I take better care of myself.  I sometimes wonder what my hair would be like if I was more consistent with a healthy lifestyle.   I guess that’s a journey I need to start and stick with.
PS – I haven’t taken any hair care or multivitamin pills since starting my hair journey.

  Do you work out? I so, how do your protect your hair?
I work out off and on ( yoga, pilates, body pump and legs, bum and tum).  If I’m exercising at home, I simply cover my head with a scarf.  If I’am at the gym I wear my hair in a bun and I try to avoid rubbing it excessively on the exercise mat.

 If you could describe the top two or three  things that contributed to your growth, what would they be? 
I would say regular cleaning and scalp massages (a clean healthy scalp) stretching ( to prevent over processing) and texlaxing( to allow my hair to retain some of its natural elasticity) 

If you could describe the top 2-3 things that contributed to your retention, what would they be?
I wish I could list two or three things but there six things that helps me with retention and I wouldn’t want to leave any of them out. 
They are:

• Moisturizing and sealing regularly
• Protective styling
• Combing only on wash days
• Air drying
• Doing EVERTHING in sections 

 You are stranded on a desert island and can only take 3 hair related items with you, what are they and why? 
Is it weird that I’ve always wanted someone to ask me that?
I would say Creame of Nature argan oil shampoo( cos its sulphate free and my hair loves it) ORS Replenishing Conditioner ( only because its moisture and protein balanced and my hair is okay with it) and Elasta QP Fells Like Silk H2 Leave in ( because it makes my hair feel perfect, like can’t stop touching it perfect) 15. 

What advice do you have for someone who wants to achieve similar results as you but without the wig regimen?
Wigs are a major part of my hair regimen, however I would advise ladies who want to achieve the same retention without wigs to focus on the type of protective style they wear.  I would say keep it simple.  The less manipulation required to create your style, the better.  Remember it's ok if your hair style isn't perfect.  I love messy buns and so can create them without manipulating my hair too much.  Also I would say avoid styling your hair every single day if possible.  Sometimes I simply tie my scarf over an existing hair style and neaten it up the next day.  Another tip I wold recommend that I know works great for me is combing only on wash days.  I finger comb through the week.  I must say that I don't rake my fingers through my hair when I finger comb. I simply detangle and use my fingers to pul/smooth my hair downwards very gently in sections.  I hope that makes sense.

What's next for you on your hair journey?
I have reached my hair length and health goals, so going forward I am focusing on maintaining my hair at its current length.  I think my ends are a bit on the thin side so I trimming them of gradually so I have thicker ends with time. I lived in England for over a decade and moved back to Nigeria about a year and half ago so I am doing my bit to promote healthy hair care in Nigeria via my blog, rehairducation.com.

Thank you so much for featuring and for inspiring me.

Actually, it is me who should thank Lade for sharing her story with us.  These pics of her progress are beyond inspiring.  Here are the main takeaways I got from her journey.

-Washing the hair in box braids to avoid tangles.  I will definitely try this method next wash day.
-Cleaning scalp with baby wipes!  This is something new that seems very promising. Especially for those who workout daily and sweat a lot but don't want to cowash every day.
-Do not neglect the hair while protective styling.  Lade has a detailed regimen for her hair even while wearing wigs.
-Keep your regimen simple.

Please check out Lade's blog for more detail on her journey and to get "schooled" on healthy hair tips.

Fitness Journey Feature | How she created her new body

 Today is an exciting day for me.  Months ago, I set an intention to share fitness and weight loss stories of inspiration on the blog.  And here we are with our very first fitness feature!  The moment I saw her before & after pic, I immediately wanted to learn more about her journey.  Miss Celiabug was gracious enough to tell us her inspiring story.  Let's learn from her.

Tell us about your relationship with your body growing up.
I've always been heavier than my friends growing up and it affected my self esteem a lot.  My family was also healthier and active and I tried to stay healthy by playing sports and exercising but I never really had much motivation and didn't understand why my friends could eat what they wanted but I couldn't without gaining wieght. It was frustrating.

What made you decide to start your fitness journey?  How long has it been?
When I moved out to go to college, I gained 30 lbs and it was affecting my social life as well as my physical health.  I could litterally feel myself becoming more and more unhealthy.  When I met up with an old friend from high school and she commented on my weight I realized I had to change. It's been 2 years since my highest weight.

What are your current goals?
My goal is 145 and I'm currently at 155 lbs.  My goal used to be 135lbs but then I came to the conclusion that 135 is too low for my height (5'7) and frame.

They say that creating a new body requires a new lifestyle. What has shifted in your life since your journey began?
No more late night eating!  That was my biggest issue. Also I'm an emotional eater and since starting my journey, I have started going to the gym when I'm having an emotional moment instead of pigging out.

How much weight have you shed so far?
Around 30 pounds.

Tell us about your daily/weekly workout and eating routine.
I try to go to the gym everyday for the least 45 min. I don't have much of a routine, I just try and work up a sweat. Three days out of the week I go in the weight room and I do squats, lunges, and leg lifts and that's about it.  I plan on working on coming up  with a better routine once I have more time.  As far as eating is concerned, I have a calorie counting app on my phone.  I've been counting calories so long that I pretty much know how many [calories] are in what I eat.  I'm not exact with it but I usually know the range of calories I eat. I try to stay at around 1500 a day.

What has been the greatest challenge so far?
My greatest challenge has been staying consistent with the gym. I have a busy schedule and sometimes don't make it to the gym everyday but I try to run around my neighborhood if I don't make it.

What has been the most rewarding?
Being able to fit into my clothes and to hear people tell me I look good. Having pants that used to fit tight now fit loose is really motivating to keep on pushing.

What do you do when you are tempted to eat junk for or skip your workouts?
When it comes to junk food, I have to buy it in small quantities and not keep it around the house otherwise I will eat the whole thing.  Sometimes I give a bag of candy to my roommate and tell them to only let me have one piece every once in a while. It helps.  And I force myself to go to the gym when I have a day when I don't want to. I put on my exercise outfits and it makes me much more likely to go than to stay home and be lazy.

How do you take care of you beautiful hair while working out and afterwards? Has this new lifestyle impacted your hair journey?
I keep my hair pulled back and co-wash frequently.  I think that a healthy lifestyle really helps with my hair.  I always notice that when I eat more protein, my hair seems healthier.

Based on your before & after pic, you seemed to tone up a lot in your midsection. What do you think contributed most to that result?
I think that my waist is mostly due to trying to eat clean.  I don't do much ab work in the gym but I think the running I do helps to it up enough.

How do you stay inspired to get going everyday?
Looking in the mirror and at my pictures motivates me. I also follow of a lot of weight loss and fitness Instagram pages and seeing those every day is encouraging.

What advice do you have for others who want to create their ideal body?
Don't get discouraged by setbacks. I've had many setbacks but you've got to get over them and forgive yourself and start again. Learn from then and keep it moving. Set short term goals for yourself. Also, put away the scale!  I try to weight myself once a month because it's easy to get caught up on a number when it's how you look to yourself in the mirror is what matters.

I love the statement you made about not getting stopped by setbacks.  Could you share a set back experience and how you came back from it?
One set back was right after my last break up. I gained 10lbs in a month and I didn't go to the gym the whole time. After the post breakup sadness, I got back out there and managed to lose all the weight and then some.

I absolutely love Celiabug's commitment to her fitness above all else. She identified her weakness (emotional eating) and turned it into a strength.  I also admire her discipline around eating clean ensuring that her food contributes to her goals (instead of working against them).  Most of all, I appreciate the words of encouragement around how to overcome a set back.

Thank you Celiabug, for being an inspiration to all of us.

Nicole Murphy shares her fitness ritual

Every so often I'll happen upon a candid pic of Nicole Murphy casually strolling about while flashing her exquisite abs.  Then I remember that this woman is in her mid 40's and has given birth 5 times.  Her fit physique represents true inspiration no matter our age or what our bodies have gone through. 

 

It's only natural that we'd want to learn more about what this woman does to keep herself looking absolutely amazing.  Just by taking a glance at the food pic below, we can all assume that Nicole eats a pretty clean diet.  Meaning that she probably avoids processed foods and eats a high protein diet with lots of vegetables, while managing her carb intake.  They say that "abs are made in the kitchen" and it looks like Nikki (as she calls herself) is making certain that her meals help her work towards her goals, not against them.

According to an interview, Nicole works out 4-5 times a week, even when she travels and incorporates at least three variations of abs exercises into her work outs.  In her words, "it's part of a lifestyle."

 

I paused to let that sink in a little and reflected back on my fitness journey.  Could I honestly say that fitness was a lifestyle commitment?  No, for me it was more like a thing to focus on when my body wasn't looking the way I wanted or a way to get ready for an upcoming beach vacation.  This year, as I make new goals and commitments, I am becoming the type of person who works out consistently as a part of my weekly routine..........as a part of my lifestyle.

You can check out the interview here. Or follow @nikimurphy for more updates and inspirational pics. 

Five fabulous Instagram celebrity hair reveals

Probably my most favorite thing to do on Instagram is to stare endlessly at images of lovely hair.  Every once in a while, an unexpected hair reveal image appears on my timeline from a "celebrity."  Those moments are truly special because we rarely ever see their real hair under the extensions. So today I'd like to celebrate some of my favorite hair reveals to date.

Let's get started.

@angelasimmons

@blacchyna

@porshadstewart

@karlieredd

    

@thekenyamoore

Protective styling really does pay off.  Look out for more hair reveal posts in the future. 

Inspired By....

Feature: How she got 2 inches of growth in a month & created the perfect moisture/protein balance.

I'm really excited to share this latest feature with you all.  This young lady is no stranger to us here.  We got familiar with her as she schooled us on the details of Japanese straightening.  Yahya had such great information that I asked her to come back and tell us more about what she did to create her gorgeous hair. This has to be one of my favorite features. It's chock full of valuable information that will help a lot of people.  Please sit back and enjoy.

How long have you been on your hair journey?

I started my hair journey the year entering high school, so that was approximately six years ago.

Before Japanese Straightening which relaxer did you use?  How often?

When I first started my hair journey a family friend would use Luster's Pink relaxer kit on my hair. As my journey progressed, I started to use ORS olive oil. Unfortunately, this was about the same time our family friend stopped doing my relaxers and I was having trouble on relaxer days due to being unable to find a stylists with improper technique. I would stretch for at least 12 weeks, and did it gladly as I was beginning to hate relaxer days. It seemed like every time I went to a stylist, they would either under process or over process my hair. My hair was finally saved by Hair's Talent. I think she had used Mizani.

Share a little about your daily regimen?

Sometimes everyday, sometimes every other day, sometimes every two days (it really depends on how my hair is feeling) I'll spritz my hair with my kimmaytube inspired leave-in. I use it as a moisturizer and leave-in. The ingredients I use in it changes, but the conditioner I've used include V05 conditioners, Trader Joe's nourish spa, Hello Hydration, Aubrey Organic's honeysuckle and white camellia. Oils include Trader Joe's jojoba oil, Hairveda cococasta, olive oil, and grape seed oil. After moistening my hair, I comb it with a seamless wide tooth comb. If I'm freshening up my hair from a low manipulation style, I'll only comb the straightened hair and finger detangle my new growth. About every other time I moisturize I'll seal with grape seed oil or vatika coconut oil.

What is your nightly regimen?

Hmmm... I don't really have much of a consistent night time regimen. I just tie my hair up, in a bun or braid, and go to sleep on a silk pillow. If I have a lot of new growth, sometimes I'll spritz it and sleep with a scarf so it flattens in the morning. Currently, I've been doing a personal challenge of testing all my growth aids in different ways and have been doing the *GHE (green house effect) method nightly. This has helped me in managing with my blooming new growth.

Tell us about your weekly wash routine?

This varies a lot, too!

I wash once a week, sometimes once every two weeks when new growth starts really blooming and I flat iron my roots.

I apply moisture deep conditioner, protein deep conditioner, or prepoo oil, on dry hair depending on how hair feels. I apply my deep conditioner on dry hair for better penetration as applying on wet hair blocks deep penetration due to the water. If doing a deep conditioner I'll put on a cap, wet my turban towel with hot water, and go under the dryer for 15-30 minutes. if doing a protein deep conditioner, I'll do a moisture one after washing. If a prepoo, I'll put on a cap and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Unless I'm clarifying or there's build-up, shampoo is only directly applied on the scalp and roots and rinsed into the length of the hair

After cleannsing my hair, half the time I'll squeeze the excess water and follow up with Roux ph corrector.

I will follow up with a normal conditioner or moisture deep condition (if I did a protein one before washing or am clarifying). If it's a normal conditioner, I'll squeeze excess water, apply in shower, and let sit for 2-10 minutes. If I'm deep conditioning I'll squeeze excess water and gently towel or t-shirt dry hair, apply, and steam for 15-30 minutes.

Half the time, I'll rinse out half of the final conditioner and do a acv rinse. If I plan to keep my hair tied up all week, I'll do an oil rinse right after the acv rinse.

I'll rinse my hair thoroughly or un-thoroughly depending on how my hair is feeling, t-shirt dry hair, and apply my luv natural leave-in usually after it's at least 50 percent dry.

If I don't have much new growth I'll let my hair airdry 70-80 percent, apply coconut oil and/ or grape seed oil, and then comb. If I'm starting to get new growth I'll strart the scarf method before my hair is 50 percent dry.

Sometimes to manage my new growth, especially if I'm leaving my hair out, I'll do bantu knots while my hair is damp and go under the dryer. When if really starts blooming up their I'll flat-iron after the bantu knots, every two weeks.

How often do you wear your hair out versus protective styling?

My hair is always tied up at home, usually in a bun. That might change to a braided ponytail/ pigtails. So about half the time my hair tied up. During this relaxer stretch, however, I've been keeping my hair in a low manipulation style 23/7. I say 23/7 because I only really take out my braided pigtails to detangle and on wash day, maybe for a specal ocassion. This is because my current goal is to thicken my ends, and this will prevent me from loosing extra hairs due to my line of demarcation.

Do you use heat? If so, how often?

I only use direct heat throughout my hair on Japanese Straighteningday, as the process requires it. When my new growth starts to bloom, sometimes after washing I'll go under a hooded dryer with damp bantu knots to semi-straighten the curl. Further in my stretch, when my new growth really starts coming in, I'll do a caramelization treatment of my new growth and flat iron my roots solely. I might not do that this stretch as I'm doing 23/7 low manipulation styles.

Please tell us the secret to your retention?

I honestly think that low manipulation styles have an advantage to protective styles. Protective styles hide your ends in order to keep them from rubbing off different surfaces, to prevent split ends. Hair rubbing on different surfaces is just one factor out of several that causes split ends. The main cause of split ends in girls with naturally dry hair is, well, dryness. Before tying my hair in a bun, I'll usually moisturize my ends exclusively before tucking them away. This kind of acts like wet bunning.

It's important to baby your ends when trying to retain length, and curing the major factors you'll see the most improvement. So when trying to prevent split ends, it's more important to keep your ends' moisture and protein balance stable. Keeping them from rubbing against surfaces is good, but it's more important to fix the biggest problem. Another thing I do to my ends is treat it with more protein compared to the rest of my hair. Our ends are the oldest parts of our hair, is has the least amount of protein while the top has the most. Therefore, the ends should get the most protein and our roots should get the least.

I said before that low manipulation styles are better, this is because I feel breakage occurs more with combing and low manipulation styles keep hair from tangling. This cuts the amount of combing and cuts the amount of breakage.

How do you maintain moisture & manage breakage?

I think it's important for chemically treated heads, especially relaxed heads, to use ph correcting supplies to correct their hair's increased porosity. This helps us keep moisture in our strands longer. I do this through roux ph corrector, apple cider vinegar rinses, aloe vera, and oil rinsing.

My regimen is mostly moisture based, as my hair's scale is about a 70 percent moisture and 30 percent protein balance. As a result, when my hair starts experiencing a little extra breakage I usually do a protein treatment. When applying protein, like stated before, I tend to do it in layers. My ends get the most, my hair up until the line of demarcation gets a normal amount, and my new growth gets the least. I find when strengthening the line of demarcation during stretching, my hair's strength becomes more even by only treating my chemically straightened hair. The most important was of knocking breakage, for me, is to do an elasticity and porosity test. This way I know I'm going in the right direction or I find out I have to temporarily change something,

Do you do anything internally to promote healthy hair?

I take a multivitamin, omega fish oil, and garlic supplements on a regular basis. That's pretty much it. Currently, I'm testing bamboo tea.

Have you experienced setbacks in your journey? If so, how did you bounce back?

My first, worst, and only major setback was about a year ago when I went through a protein overload. At first I did not sure what was going on, and so I probably was making the problem worst by not completely cutting off protein. After overcoming this episode, this lead me to make a post that labels hair symptoms in detail here. I also wrote about the regimen that finally got me out of protein overload here.

Has your regimen change before Japanese straightening vs. after?

My regimen changed quite a lot. I didn't start applying protein in layers until after Japanese straightening. I also became more casual with my hair, taking care of it more by feel than a schedule. Before, I would deep condition every wash and wash every week. And I would hardly ever deep condition before washing, it always came after. Some of these changes were due to my protein overload experience. As soon as I had gotten over my protein overload, I Japanese straightened my roots for the first time. But as most of my hair is still relaxed, the major change due to Japanese straighteing is just that the Japanese straightened section of my hair requires less product. I still treat my hair as if it's relaxed as most of it is.

You're stranded on a desert island and can only have 3 hair related items with you, what do you choose and why?

A good moisture conditioner like Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil. I picked these because I can mostly do everything I need with them. I can combine the conditioner and coconut oil to make a deep conditioner, and dilute it to make a leave-in. I can use the coconut oil as a sealant and to retain my hair's protein. Coconut oil rinsing and apple cider vinegar would keep my hair's ph in check. Acv would also keep my scalp clean. If I have a lot of new growth when I'm stranded I could also do the loc method using the diluted leave-in, the coconut oil, ad than the conditioner.

If someone who wants to reach your length as a goal, what advice would you give that person?

Don't trim your hair to get rid of split ends, trim to keep your ends even. Trimming because of split ends is kinda pointless because your not getting the splits throughout your hair, only the ones on your very ends. It makes much more sense to dust or *search and destroy.

Health should also come before length. There's no point in trying to grow your hair if your getting a considerable amount of breakage. When your hair is healthy, growth aids are a great way to gain length. I've seen some healthy hair care girls say that people see a difference with growth aids because they are taking more care of their hair, but this isn't true. I couldn't see my growth rate triple just from taking better care of my hair. Recently, I had done the GHE method for a month and got 2 inches of growth. Even more recently I did the GHE and *inversion method for a week and got another 2 inches. Everyone's head is different and what grows my hair might not grow another's, but with all the growth aids out there, there's most likely one that will increase your growth rate. Growth aids aren't mandatory for growth, you can get better growth just by keeping your hair healthy, but they sure speed up the process.
......................................................................
*{GHE Method}-The process of using a plastic cap to generate heat on the scalp. This will promote blood flow to the scalp and can help boost moisture levels. You can put the plastic cap on for hours at a time or go to bed with it. 

*{Inversion Method}- The process of allowing blood flow to increase to the scalp by hanging the head in a low position.  (See link for more info). 

*{Search & Destroy}-The process of eliminating split ends by trimming in very small sections or trimming individual split ends as they are visually identified. 

Inspired by