Humidity: Two rules of engagement that will change the game

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So as a follow up to my last post where I talked about the reprecussions of humidity to the hair, I thought I'd brainstorm some possible solutions to this pesky situation. Like I mentioned before, most (if not all) online suggestions directed me to find silicone containing products to tame frizz. While I do believe that silicones will provide a barrier on the strand that helps the moisture in the air from penetrating, I also can see a dark side to this option.

As women with textured hair, one of the greatest battles we face is that of dryness. We can all agree that air can be a huge culprit in the dryness factor of our hair. If the air is too dry, it sucks the moisture out of our strands leaving it dry and brittle. If the air is too moist, it over penetrates our hair creating an environment of dry and brittleness as the water molecules in our oversaturated hair strands begin to evaporate. As I shared in my last post, the oversaturated strand expands excessively to the point where the cuticle layer is lifted. This is really undesirable because any type of friction can lead to cracks on the hair follicle, spit ends, and breakage. So while I believe silicone can be useful in helping to create a barrier against the humidity, I also think there’s an undesirable side effect to blocking all moisture from entering the strand. For one, the layer of “protection” can turn into buildup if day after day; you are constantly applying silicone products to you hair. This may be a non-issue if you maintain a regular cleansing schedule and can clarify effectively on wash days. But let’s talk about some other options shall we?

For most of last year, I went without an umbrella. I had one previously but decided not to replace it right away once it went missing. Anyway, because of this, I found myself making mad dashes to my car on occasions when I was caught in the rain. Soon the mad dashes turned into calm walks to my vehicle once I realized that getting my hair wet in the rain wasn’t such a bad thing. Why? Because pretty much every time my hair received the moisture from the moderate rain, it felt softer and more moisturized for the rest of the day. For this reason, I’m not too adverse to the moisture in the air, I just think that we have to control it so we can receive the good from it and minimize the undesirable effects.

Rule # 1: You're in control
Whenever I find myself in an environment with lots of moisture in the air, my very first instinct is to reach for my satin or silk scarf. This, to me, provides a very temporary barrier against extreme humid conditions in the air. I’m sure a little moisture will likely penetrate the hair under the scarf but not nearly at the same levels as when my hair is exposed. Having a scarf on hand is much easier now that I’ve created my healthy hair on the go kit. Whenever the need strikes me, I grab the scarf and I’m good. The scarf also keeps the hair secured against the head which helps provide structure for the hair to dry naturally without a negative effect. Remember how I said earlier in the post that the air could be both good and bad. It could deposit moisture into the strands (good) then turn right around and create a vulnerable environment for the hair to become rough if the cuticle layer becomes raised (bad). If you allow a controlled amount of moisture to come in contact with your hair, and then tie down with a silk scarf, you allow your hair to experience the good and reduce impact of the drying after effects.

Another action I made sure I took whenever my hair began to get damp was to seal the hair right away with my nourishing oil blend. Since I always have a little bit on me at all times, I’d just simply seal the natural moisture in, tie down with a scarf and allow the combination to work its magic. In fact, I think it was this technique that afforded me the opportunity of going without purchasing a moisturizer for so long. I remember using a technique last summer (when the humidity was the highest) where I would cover my head with a clear plastic cap for 5 minutes or so to help generate moisture. Once my hair became somewhat damp, I would remove the cap, seal with Gleau Nourishing oil, and then smooth the hair with a silk scarf. That method worked pretty well for me. The moral of the story if you want to avoid dry frizzies and brittleness, never let damp hair dry unsecured….ever.

Remember learning about the terms hydrophilic and hydrophobic in 6th grad science class? If not, let me refresh your memory. Hydrophilic means “water loving” while hydrophobic, on the other hand, translates to something that doesn’t love water. As a general rule, if you want to minimize the effects of extreme humidity, try laying off the heavy humectants. Humectants usually draw moisture from the air and attract to the hair. This is a great thing in the winter but when the air is already laden with moisture you may be promoting frizz. So for example, when I use my steam setter, I generally don’t have to use moisturizer because the steam roller will be transferring the water particles directly to the strands. If I apply extra moisturizer, the hair remains too saturated and the curl doesn’t hold or it comes out our frizzy and puffy. On the other hand, if I just use a little oil to seal, I experience different results. If your hair is already drawing a ton of moisture from the air, you should think about whether your regimen requires less hydrophilic products (humectants) and more hydrophobic products such as natural oils. The cool thing about natural oils is that even though oil & water generally don’t mix, they compliment each other perfectly when it comes to your hair regimen. Do oils provide the same layer of protection against moisture as silicone containing products? My guess is no. But I actually appreciate the fact that oils will allow for some moisture penetration while still helping keep frizz at bay. After all, moisture isn’t entirely a bad thing.

When it comes to dealing with your hair in a high humidity environment, low manipulation is critical. In the study I mentioned in my first post, there were images of the hair samples used during the experimentation. All of the hair samples had one thing in common, they we allowed to dry loose and unrestricted. This is a recipe for disaster for textured hair. If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know that I’m not one for protective styling. It’s just not my thing. Now with that said, I still know better than to walk out of the house with my hair loose when the humidity is in full effect. If a silk scarf isn’t handy, I’ll put my hair in a single braid, a bun, or put by hair in an upsweep. The only way I take my hair down is when I’m inside in an environment where I know my hair will be safe. Again, sometimes I allow some absorption of the moisture, then apply some light oil, tie down for further penetration then remove the scarf when I arrive at my intended destination. Sometimes just a few minutes under a silk scarf is enough to make a difference.

Rule # 2: Seal the deal
For some reason, when the weather warms I suddenly have the urge to break out my cute summer dresses while sporting braid out styles. Within a few short hours my once defined waves turn into a puffy mess. While I appreciate the thickness I experience as my hair succumbs to the humidity, I hate the fact that my hair looses definition as the hydrogen bonds are broken. I think back to the days when I frequented the Dominican salons. All that blow drying really helped seal my cuticles which helped preserve my style. In fact, one visit to the salon would equal bone straight hair for up to two weeks no matter how humid it was outside. From this experience, I conclude that using heat to seal the cuticles is another option. I’m not talking about the indirect heat from sitting under the dryer while roller setting, I’m referring to the direct heat of a flat iron or blow dryer. Like silicone, excessive use of either of these techniques tend to hinder your hair’s moisture levels in the long run so make sure you work smart when ever using direct heat. This means using quality heating tools that are less harmful to the hair. Just make sure you get enough moisture in the hair from your deep conditioning process before you seal. Whenever you decided to use direct heat, you’ve got to take extra precautions to make sure your hair isn’t harmed by the whole experience. Try to get as much moisture into the strand as possible beforehand. You also really got to make sure you step up and use quality heat protecting products. Lately I've been hearing a lot of good things about Nioxin Bliss Thermal Protector. I just picked up a bottle last week. High on the list of ingredients is wheat protein and amino acids (it also contains one silicone ingredient) I really hope it lives up to my expectations.

Which leads me into another point, one important note I also remember from my reading of the study was how porous hair absorbed more water molecules than virgin hair. Again, let’s assume for the sake of argument that those of us who relax have porous hair. So to me this means I have to make sure I’m giving my hair exactly what it needs in terms of protein and ceramides. Protein will strengthen the strand and fill in the cracks, ceramides will help seal the cuticle layer. Together they work together to create hair that’s less porous and therefore less likely to attract all that excess moisture. Think back to the "healthy hair experiment" that requires you to place a strand of hair in a bowl of water. Damaged, porous hair absorbs the water and soon begins to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Healthy hair floated on the water's surface as it was able to protect itself from absorbing all of the water around it. If you haven't done that test in a while, maybe now is a good time to revisit.

And of course after every wash I want to make sure I use a little apple cider vinegar during my final rinse to lower the pH level of the hair and scalp. And let’s not forget that during the summer months is the perfect time to make sure we use cold water when rinsing out product. Both of these actions help create that sealed cuticle layer which is so critical in fighting humidity. O.k so I went a little longer in this post than I usually do. That’s because I wanted to offer up some options on how we can leverage all the “free moisture” that’s available to us in the form of humidity while still keeping frizz at bay. I understand there will be times that our hair has to look perfect and using a silicone product is the answer, but I also think there are other (healthier) options available to us as well.

Humidity: When too much moisture becomes a bad thing

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March 20th is officially the first day of spring this year. Since I live in a warmer climate, thoughts of spring and summer weather have been on my mind for several weeks. One question in particular has plagued me since last summer and today I decided to do my research to see what I could uncover. The question is this, "does high humidity weather have adverse effects on my hair?" Where I live, I'm subjected to 100% humidity day after day in the summer time. Even though we're still in the month of March, the humidity levels in my city today is expected to reach 80%. For years it's been more of a nuisance to me than anything else but recently I've asked myself, "could there be more to this humidity thing?'

Not too long ago I received an email question from a reader of this blog. In it she mentioned how her hair seems to do better when flat ironed weekly that if she wore braid outs etc. My response to her was that it likely had to do with the "sealing" that occurred when she flat ironed which kept the cuticle layer down and frizz at bay. Little did I know, at that time, how detrimental frizz actually is to the hair.

From my search I learned that the hair strand tends to quickly absorb the water particles from the air in a high humidity environment. Logic would tell you that's a good thing but that's far from the truth. In actuality, a study done in 2007 determined that the more water content inside the hair (from a high humidity environment) the less hydrogen bonding occurs and the hair becomes less elastic. In the study, they also found that bleached hair absorbed more water than virgin hair. For all intents and purposes, let's also classify relaxed hair in the same category as highly porous hair and likely to absorb moisture at greater levels.

So wouldn't the ability to absorb moisture at higher levels be a good thing? Not necessarily. Porous hair can take in so much water that the hair follicle actually becomes swollen. According to the study published in the cosmetic Journal of Cosmetic Science, the absorbed water molecules break and replace hydrogen bonds inside the hair. Since, these hydrogen bonds are responsible for 50% of the hair elasticity, more absorbed water means less elastic hair which could mean more breakage. That's why they say "wet hair is more susceptible to breakage." Oh, by the way, this intense swelling could also raise the cuticle layer which is why the hair feels so rough in high humidity conditions. Rough, brittle and porous hair is the perfect recipe for breakage so now we have to create a plan to combat the effects of humidity before the summer gets here.

When I checked online for possible solutions, over and over again I was told to reach for silicone based products. While I do agree that silicones offer a beneficial barrier against moisture, I wonder if there could be a better way. So my next step in this process is to look at some alternative actions I can do help minimize the the adverse effects of humidity. I'll discuss more in detail on a follow up post. Stay tuned........

The most important thing you can do to avoid dry winter hair

I live in the state of Florida and, as you know, one of the things I have to deal with for the better part of the year is how hot and sweltering it can get in the summer time. Currently, the weather is beginning to change and many of us are breaking out our jackets and sweaters. One of the last things we think about when the weather starts to shift is the amount of water we are taking in the a regular basis.

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Last year, while siting down having a conversation with my supervisor. I looked down at the palms of my hands and noticed something peculiar. My palms were white with dryness and I had tiny little areas of where my skin began to peel. I quickly picked those areas of skin out of embarrassment hoping the problem would soon go away. Days later, the entire palms of my hands were flacking and peeling. I'd never experienced anything like it. I thought I'd been infected with some type of skin eating bacteria. The more I peeled the loose skin, the worse it became.

My peeling palms were very embarrassing but the most disturbing part was I couldn't figure out how to stop it. So finally, after days of throwing around ideas and inquiring to myself about what could have caused this, I got the notion of increasing my water intake. The amount of water I was drinking at the time was very minimal. Like now, the weather was cooler and the desire to drink water was not that strong. I figured that since I wasn't thirsty, I didn't really need to drink much water.

So for the next couple of days, I faithfully filled my water bottle and proceeded to drink water at every opportunity. I think my goal was to drink at least 2 liters a day. I promise you that 3-5 days later, the peeling stopped and by the next week, my hands we back to normal. That experience was huge for me because it really taught me the power of drinking water and, more importantly, the consequences of being dehydrated.

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That whole experience got me thinking. Could the reduction of water intake during the winter months also have a negative impact on the health of my hair? Let's think about what our hair experiences during summer:

• Circulation is improved, growth is increased.
• Shedding is minimal
• The hair thrives overall

In the winter, I normally experience the opposite: super dry scalp, increased shedding, and slower growth rate. I used to think these results were just a normal part of winter but the whole palm peeling incident has really made me think. "Is it possible that some of my hair's winter symptoms have to do with my water lower intake?" When the body's water supply is insufficient, it uses whatever little water it has for critical functions such as making sure the brain and other organs are operating at proper levels. This leaves very little water for our extremities which leads to such things as dry hands, feet, lips, etc. We can see and experience dry hands and feet. But instead of moisturizing our bodies with water, we slather on lotions, butters, and lip balm to cover the problem.

The last thing I was thinking about, when my palms were peeling, was the possible impact of my dehydration on the scalp and my hair follicles. It's important to reiterate the hair strand is 25% water. Not only is the strand made up of water, it also relies on water to carry to the strand nutrients, vitamins, and proteins. If the palms of my hand were suffering at the hands of dehydration, what was going on with my hair? Looking back at my old posts from last fall/winter, one reoccurring message in my posts was about my constant shedding. Because of this, I'll make an un-proven assumption that the amount of water I drank had something to do with my dry, itchy scalp, my massive shedding, and my dry brittle hair. Once I remember being stranded on the side of a highway and, while waiting for the guy to come bring me gas, I read through an entire thread on Longhaircareforum on drinking a gallon of water day challenge. Those who managed to stick to the challenge faithfully boasted of experiencing more moisturized hair along with other desirable benefits. More specifically, they noted that their hair was more able to retain moisture overall. One member, amara11, provided us her opinion on whether increasing water intake actually could affect the already existing hair, not just the new growth. I took the liberty of posting her comment below for your reference:

Quote:

Originally Posted by locabouthair One thing to remember is that the water will ony affect the hair the new growth not the hair that is already on your head.So if your hair still feels dry after drinking lots of water, dont get discouraged, you have to give it time for the new growth to come in.

"This is not true. It's a common misconception.

The hair strand is continuous, and though hair is dead, it has layers that are continuous and feed right from the bulb. What you give to your body is not only apparent in the new growth, it is also spread throughout the core of the hair- (again because the entire strand is one continous length and it feeds out from the bulb). Since there is no disconnect between the bulb and the rest of the hair, what is available to the hair at the root, will eventually spread out to the tips/ends of the strand. You may notice it first at the new growth, but it will also make a difference in the hair that has already grown out (though this may take longer).



You can see between the root (bulb and papilla) and the rest of the strand, there is no division or block to the spread of nutrients and minerals to the rest of the shaft. This is one of the main reasons doctor can take tell whether you have ingested certain drugs by studying your hair strands (whether the roots are in tact or not!) "

This year, I'm not taking any chances. I have a new mindset when it comes to what my hair will experience this winter. It's inspiring to know there's something I can do to help manage my dry scalp and the health of my follicles. Along with the help of ultra-moisturizing hair products, I must focus on drinking enough water to make a difference this winter. Now, my water drinking will have a purpose. This purpose is motivating enough to encourage me to drink water even when I'm not thirsty. Hopefully you too have been inspired to really make a commitment to yourself regarding how much water you drink on a daily basis. I know for some drinking water isn't the easiest thing to do in the world. Heck, I only drink water and even I struggled to keep myself hydrated in the winter months. So now comes the time when we talk about some practical ways to turn our water drinking habits from a desire to reality.

One tip that I'll never forget is to start the day off with a large glass of water. At night our bodies are diligently working away to collect toxins. By drinking water first thing in the morning we jump start our digestive system and promote the removal of the toxins collected overnight. Once you've consumed your morning water, fill a couple of water bottles to take with you for drinking during your work day. When you return home refill your bottle and sip until you've drank close to half your body weight in ounces. Before getting into bed, refill another bottle so you've got water waiting for you for when you first awake in the morning. It's a process so don't get down on yourself if you don't drink as much water as you like one day. Just raise the amount even a little bit the next day.

So don't let the cooler weather rob your hair of the vital moisture it needs to thrive. We already have to deal with harsh external factors such as winter winds and lower humidity, the worst thing we can do is deprive the strands of water from the inside. Make the commitment today to combat winter dryness with plenty of water. Your hair will thank you.

Finally, my chance to try WEN Cleansing Conditioner is here!

Ever since the early days of this blog, I've sang the wonderful praises of Hair One Conditioning cleanser. For those of you who aren't in the know, Hair One is a cleanser that doesn't lather and strip the hair like conventional shampoos. I've received emails from some of you asking about how to increase moisture levels in the hair. For me, Hair One was a huge addition to my overall moisture regimen. Once I started using a conditioning cleanser, I was finally able to sync every step in my routine to focus on creating/maintaining moisture.

Even though I'm head over heels in love with the results I get with Hair One, I still can't help but consider if I'd get an even better experience by using WEN products. You guys may have seen the informercials featuring various women with lustrous hair thanks to the help of WEN Hair Care System. I've put it off for long enough and I feel I have to finally give in to my curiosities and give WEN a shot just to say I did. Not to mention the fact that my hair could benefit if WEN is indeed a superior product.

So one of the pluses of Hair One is the accessibility and, of course, the price. Any local Sally's store stocks up to four varieties of the conditioning cleanser. And at around $11.00/bottle, Hair One has a huge cost advantage over WEN. Amazon or QVC are pretty much your main source for WEN products. A 30-day supply kit will run you around $30.00. Not knowing if WEN was superior enough to Hair One to justify the price, I never took the plunge. That is until now......

I seem to have stumbled upon a really amazing offer to purchase the same 30-day supply which includes the cleansing conditioner, styling creme, and Intenstive Remoist Hair Repair Mask for just $5.99! Yes, you heard me right, I said $5.99 (plus $5.99 shipping and handling). You should also know that this is considered an introductory offer which automatically enrolls you to receive the 90 day supply shipped to your home every three months for $29. 95 a month. Of course, if you are not happy with your product, you can contact their customer support line and let them know you would not like to continue with the 90 day enrollment program.

I don't know about you guys but this offer, to me, just seems to good to refuse. Finally, I get a chance to try WEN for myself so I can really see if Hair One really is the one. Of course you guys know this experiment will lead to a "Battle of the Cleansing Conditioners" post at a later time. I know a lot of you are just foaming at the mouth right now wanting to know more about how you too can get your hands on this amazing $5.99 WEN introductory offer. Well say no more, my friends, you magical offer awaits with just one click of the mouse

(you can thank me later).

WHY is protetive styling so important?

*Picture of damaged hair follicle.

 It may not look like much when you see your hair in the mirror,

 but under the microscope its much worse then you may have imagined!

Many women in the natural community have reported hair breakage, dry hair, uncontrollable split ends, and the list goes on! Could there possibly be a connection between a failure to practice protective styling and damaged hair? I am going to conclude that there is a distinct positive correlationg between the two.

While wearing your hair out and curly is very fun and cute when you first go natural, there are all types of damage your hair will endure. Therefore we must know how to avoid these types of damage the best we can.

Sun and Wind Damage: 

If you know you will be in the sun for a long period of time, plan ahead.

Bring a colorful scarf, or a floppy hat. In addition, be sure to moisturize your

hair and tuck all of your ends under. If I know I'm going to the beach, I generally

 braid my hair and load it up with moisturization (if that is a word! lol)

Heat Damage:

No need to overload your hair with heat! Take the time to braid, air dry

 and undo your hair instead of blow drying. Flat iron very seldom

 (1-2 time a year max for me). Avoid hot curlers, hot sticks and curling irons.

Instead opt for roller sets, foam rollers, bantu knot outs, pin curls and twist outs.

Excess Manipulation Damage:

 You have to be very careful how often you are combing, brushing and

styling your hair. If you have twists one day, twist out the next, puff the next,

blowed out fro the next and high bun the next, there is a big problem. All of the

 combing, tugging, pressure on the hair, brushing, etc, leads to breakage. Pick a

 style and keep it for 5-7 days. If your hair must be out, limit it to twice a week!

Lack of Hair Moisture = Damage

If you are not moisturizing your hair daily or every other day at least,

you are damaging your hair. Our hair is very thirsty and we have to make sure

we are giving our hair the adequate amount of moisture. WATER is the best way

to moisturize your hair. I use a spray bottle of: purified water, aloe vera juice, tea tree

oil and carrot oil. I spray it on my hair every night before I tie it up. It makes my hair

verymoisturized and quenches its thirst! Moisture is a MUST! A MUST!!!

 So WHAT do you do to overcome all of these damages and still have beautiful hair? No one wants boring hair and no one wants to wear the same styles!! Well.....

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Protective Styling!
It isn't boring!!! Here is a list of MANY different protective styles you can try along with 2 featured protective styles. I have included 6 style ideas to keep you stylish for the rest of the week. No one will ever know you are "protecting" your hair :)

• Twists on dry or wet hair: from large to small
• Monday: Wear your twists in a pin up style

• Tuesday: Pull your twists into a low bun. Tuck the ends under.
• Wednesday: Put your twists into bantu knots overnight, wear curly and down
• Thursday: Pin up your twists in curly pin curls all over your head. Play with the texture
• Friday: Wet twists completely in the shower and allow the ends to curl, wear down and pinned back
• Saturday: Rock a twist out!
• Braids: from medium to small
• Monday: braid the braids into two french braids or french twists
• Tuesday: undo the french braid or french twist after being in overnight. Wear hair out to show off crimpy/wavy texture
• Wednesday: dampen hair, put foam rollers on the ends and leave over night. Wear in a low pony tail to show off curly ends
• Thursday: Pin up in a french braid with curly ends out at the top. Take out a small amount on the top and put into a pin curl
• Friday: Wet hair in the shower and wear down and pinned back

  

• Saturday: Rock a braid out!!

Many other styles (all featured  on my blog):

• Cornrows
• Flat twists
• High bun
• Bantu knots
• Pompa-Poof
• Pixie Twists
• Halo-Inspired

 

In the words of a little boy from my church,

"Kendra wears her hair A LOT of ways!!"

Do YOU have any style ideas or pictures??

Please share!!!!

Saving one nappy head a day

I am going to propose that there is definitely a positive correlation and a distint link between the two.

Hair Steamer??

Yes hair steamer!!

This is something I came across on youtube and it looks so cool!!It is a literal hair steamer. You know those cheap conditioners that you wished worked because the price is right? Well you put some of that on your hair and sit under the steamer. The humidity it expels on your hair is supposed to moisturize it to the point that your hair is softer than it has ever been! In some reviews women expressed dramatic differences in their hair for up to 6 days after using it!!

 Now I know with kinky curly hair, its difficult to keep my hair moisturized! However, this thing didn't get one bad review (unless of course, the bad reviews were trashed.. hmm) OH WELL! I'm gullible!! So I am going to look seriously into getting one of these babies :) Once I get it, I will let you know how it works. But in the meantime, you can check out the website and see what YOU think about it!!

To check out the website click here!!

saving one nappy head a day

Aphogee 2 Step Treatment

I was on BHM (as I always am) in the hair breakage section. The consensus pointed to the Aphogee 2 Step Treatment, so I went to Sally's yesterday and got some (along with their version of Nexxus Humectress, and some Silk Elements Moisturizing Leave In, in a tiny jar - wish it was in the large bottle). I couldn't get to it because I was giving my two LFs the "Tootsie's Mom's No Glue No Tape method":

I still need to work on the temple area and the sideburn area, but with the clips, it seems like it will hold tight. I'm going to braid my hair on Friday night and wear them all weekend, because the concert is Monday night. Stay tuned.

So I got around to doing the Aphogee 2 Step Treatment today. I followed the instructions to the letter (comb the hair to untangle, put the treatment on - wish I would have gotten the large bottle, because I had to use both of the packets I bought; pile the hair on top of the head, sit under a dryer until dry and hard, rinse out completely, put the Balancing Moisturizer on, for 2 minutes, rinse out and proceed with further styling). My hair is still coming out, but I'm being very careful not to comb it or be rough with it. I also rinsed it with the Clairol Beautiful Honey Brown (my go to color). I've slapped a lightweight head band on and I'm letting it dry. Hopefully, I can recover from this. This is totally my fault because I started with the relaxer in the back and did my whole head, instead of doing the back first, rinsing, neutralizing, THEN doing the front. I've made a MS Works calendar and I've set my textlaxing schedule on it. It's going to remind me EVERY THREE MONTHS to textlax. My next textlaxing session should be in November. I'm not even blinking about it. I'm going to keep moisturizing more often than proteining. I'm still going to Mega-Tek when in braids (under my LFs). I've got to recover from this. I'm confused on how the 2 Step Treatment is to work. I'm still researching it.

As for new products, it's all about moisture, so when I get paid again, I'm going to get more of the Aphogee Balancing Moisturizer and the Aphogee Deep Moisture Shampoo. I've got to start "listening" to my hair.

After the 2 Step Protein treatment, the Balancing Moisturizer, and the Honey Brown rinse:

^^ where the end of the headband is and where my fingers are is where most of the breakage occured. That's the area that I textlaxed first.

My new textlaxing oath:

1. I will NEVER textlax my whole head at one time.

2. I will NEVER start in the back.

3. I will ALWAYS part my hair in as many sections as I need (starting in the front and working my way to the back, that way I can rinse a section and move to the next section without getting the subsequent sections wet.

If my hair bounces back from this travesty, this will be a hard lesson learned.

Product Alert: Cream of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo

While looking for some obscure shoe store,we went to Sally's. I got the Cream of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo. So now I have my protein (Mega-Tek, Mane & Tail) and my moisture (HE Hello Hydration and Cream of Nature). I also got a clarifying shampoo (Suave Daily Clarifying). So I'm good to go. I saw that ORS Hair Mayonnaise. I wanted to get it, but it can wait. I also found the Dark & Lovely Sunkissed Brown (because they didn't have the colors I wanted). That's the bad thing about living in a town with few black people. No products, not even at Target or Walgreens. The manager at Sally's had to get the D&L from the backroom. It wasn't even on the shelves. It was like it was some secret stuff... on the hush hush. Whatever... I'm getting excited about the coloring process. I'm trying to hold off on doing another textlax. I don't really see my hair that often. I hope that's a good thing.

It's time to take this app off. I still have on the hybrid unit. I've had it on since the application video. I may have to trim more lace on the new unit. I may spray some Sun In on the top of it, just to break up the monotony of the #2 (although it looks like a 1B). I want to wear my hair out for a week or two.