Hair Update... hanging by a thread... no pun intended!

I'm so disgusted at myself, still. All this carnage (lol) is from when I "undyed" my hair with the hair remover, then turned around (because I forgot) and textlaxed, back in September (I think). I'm so tempted to chop it all down to the length in the back, but I just trimmed the right side (bottom pics). So basically, I have a bob... kinda. The curls are nice, and I can brush and gel it up and try to keep it moving. I could start over... but I'm going to hold on to it for as long as I can. I'm still dreaming of the Rex 12" malaysian that I'm going to try to slide in next pay period. I haven't had a wig on since maybe September or October. I may have to go back to them full time for the winter months, just to keep my head warm. I'll keep you posted.

I HAD to do it... don't hate me!

Before:

After:

I know I said I would wait until January 2011, but I couldn't. I had to textlax! There was no way in HELLO that I could stretch that long. The last time I did a full textlax was the disastrous time on July 27th (I did a touchup on my edges on Sept 23, for all of a minute or two). I did it correctly this time - front section, shampoo, back section, shampoo. I did not comb through the roots this time. There were very few strands in the sink (yea!), and I immediately followed up with an Aphoghee 2 Minute Reconstructor. So far, so good. My new growth was off the chain. I was starting to dread up (see second right picture above). I did love my curly new growth nape hairs (from the bad breakage area), and upon closer inspection just now, I didn't straighten them. They're just looser. Hopefully, I won't touch the creamy crack until January. That breakage scared the crap out of me.... but it was my own doing (the color remover experiment gone wrong).

I Had To Do It!

I had to textlax my edges today. I warmed the relaxer (top left picture) in the microwave for 1 minute (should have done it for 30 seconds - lesson learned). I waited until the mixture cooled, then squirted it on my edges only. I left it on for no more than 3 minutes. I didn't want completely straight edges, but I didn't want the beady beads I had.

I should have taken pictures before, but I wasn't thinking. I did part my hair so you can see the beady beads in the center (and the devastating breakage on the back left side). I refuse to cut my hair. I'm going to let the breakage catch up with the rest of the hair, then when the breakage reaches my shoulders, then cut the older hair the same length. That's my plan. I think I'm going to totally hold off textlaxing the rest of my hair, until I get some significant growth in the breakage areas (I am scheduled to textlax again on Oct 15th, according to my textlax calendar). As long as I keep my edges manageable, I think I can handle the different textures, since I'm not flat ironing my hair. Just water, conditioner, and my oil mixture (to seal)... and to keep doing the Aphogee 2 Step Treatment every six weeks.

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.

I'm So Mad At Myself!!!

Okay, I did what I said I wasn't going to do... I textlaxed! And guess what? Gobs of my hair came out! My precious hair.... I'm not bald or anything, but gobs! That was my lesson learned. That's what I get. I don't want to see another bottle of relaxer in a loooooooong time! Totally my fault. I'm trying to figure out what did it. I'm wondering if it's because I Mega-Tekked the other day. Maybe my hair was still weak from the coloring fiasco last month. I think I'm over proteined. After I rinsed out, I put more Mega-Tek on the ends (as opposed to the roots) and slathered Silk Elements Luxury Moisturizing conditioner on my hair (sitting with it on now). I'll rinse and let it air dry. The only thing I'm doing next week is braiding up and slapping a wig on. Big lesson learned. I will diligently take the biotin and drink water. Also on payday, 2 big bottles of Nexxus Humectress ($32 each).

I just uploaded the pics above. From the pics, I can't see the breakage. That damn relaxer is like crack... must.... stay away... from .... the jar...

Textlax Day!

I textlaxed today. I was trying to hold off until maybe August, but I've gotten several requests to do a textlax video. I did the video today, and I'm in the process of editing it. I think reaching my goal of shoulder length by December is more reality than dream. I was scared that I left the cream on too long, and that I would run out, but I didn't in either case. I did run out, but I had enough to finish. I like my new method, of parting from ear to ear, still working with the front section first, then I made two parts to create three sections (middle, right and left). I do vertical partings, then I do horizontal partings, still combing the roots just a bit. The ends are safe and curly, so I'm going for hangtime now. I'm very happy with the results:

^^before the textlax


^^after the textlax, wet with Noodlehead Leave-In Conditioner scrunched throughout


^^air dried

Hopefully, I won't text again until September. I won't even buy anymore until then, just to be on the safe side. I'm still using Silk Elements MegaSilk Mild formula. I think I'll MegaTek tomorrow. I'm so close to having my beach hair, I can feel it (the wind blowing through my hair). I just realized that I totally missed May's growth update picture, so I have to blow it out sometime this week and take a June pic.

On the lace front (ha), my last application, that I removed yesterday, was an all adhesive app, with tape just behind the ears. It felt lighter, if that makes sense, and the removal was quicker, but I'm going back to tape. The front began to peel back, and if I'm not mistaken, with it being so hot here lately, I was in a job interview and when I got out (two hours later) I looked in the mirror, and I could see the adhesive in the very front. Instant mortification. I'm sure that when I use tape and adhesive, the lace does not slide back. Lesson learned.


The babies are so out of control, but sometimes they're really sweet. Cygnus has an independent personality, and Lyra has an almost needy personality. Most times, I can't tell them apart by looking at them. Lyra loves to snuggle up on my chest while I'm working at my laptop. They love to steal drinking straws. Overall, they're sweet babies.

Back to the Drawing Board...

Eventhough I did a great job on my cornrows (imo), the style didn't work out for making a head template. I shouldn't have made the ponytail on top of my head. I don't know what I was thinking. I'll try it again next week. For this weekend, it's back to the curls:





I think the pronounced color in the back is so cool. Once it's shoulder length, I may blonde some of the strands out. That last picture looks like I'll be textlaxing soon, but I'll hold off as long as I can. I have to fix the three wigs I still have, and that's going to take awhile, because I'm still learning to ventilate.

Happy weekend!

Textlax Day!

This is pre-textlaxed hair:


This is after the (2-step) textlax:





I had to do it today, because we're in the process of moving, and it would have been too hectic around the 19th. I'm so happy with the length of my hair. I'm combing the roots a little bit while the cream is on, but keeping the ends curly. Still doing the conditioner/MegaTek thing. I put Nexxus on it in the pictures. I'm hoping to get a virgin Malaysian loose curly for the Rush show.