Showing posts with label afro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label afro. Show all posts
 |
| Now - Just washed - no product |
Why is it that at every point in a natural hair journey, we think our hair is at it's absolute best? Looking back at old pictures when I thought my hair was at it's ultimate health, I'm now convinced that I was blind. Maybe I'll look back at these pictures in a few months and think the same thing, but to appreciate the journey, it's great to look back at old pictures!
 |
| 2016 - Freshly washed, damaged |
You know what? I was trying (LOL) and it shows that to get somewhere, no matter what it is, you just have to start. At this point I realised how important it was to feed your hair with water, and I'm so glad I took these pictures so I have something to compare to. However, I was washing my hair with shampoo waaaayy too often, which made it dry and brittle.
NOW. My hair now is so thick, to the point where I'm starting to struggle with it a little, but I can't complain because it's so versatile and quite healthy. It's also getting quite long, which means that styles hang a little better and I can pile it all on top of my head, which is my go-to.
So here are my five top tips for growing your hair not just longer, but thicker too, because who wants long, thin hair?
- Patience - this is probably the key to LIFE never mind hair but let's not get too deep, right now I'm applying it to hair. I say patience because it's taken nearly two years to get the thick curly hair I wanted. You also need the patience to try out new hair products, which I still do constantly, and go through a lot of trial and error when it comes to styling. Patience is really important when it comes to styling, as I've only recently realised how important it is to let your hair dry thoroughly for a great look.
- Invest - invest in good hair products, because unfortunately the better ones do cost more for a reason. Instead of spending loads of money on weaves and wigs, why not invest in your own hair that you'll have to live with for the rest of your life? It's cheaper too.
- Stress less - The less you mess with your hair, the more it'll love you, protective styles are good for this, but just wearing your hair up for a week or wearing a hat outside in the cold will relieve your hair.
- Trim it - cutting it in order for it to grow might seem counter productive, trimming dead ends and avoiding split ends helps to maintain and encourages hair growth
- Love your bad hair days - and don't let those days put you off taking care of your hair, because everyone has them
 |
| September 2016 - Thin Hair straightened |
 |
| December 2017 - Thicker, longer hair |
|
| Now - Just washed - no product |
Why is it that at every point in a natural hair journey, we think our hair is at it's absolute best? Looking back at old pictures when I thought my hair was at it's ultimate health, I'm now convinced that I was blind. Maybe I'll look back at these pictures in a few months and think the same thing, but to appreciate the journey, it's great to look back at old pictures!
|
| 2016 - Freshly washed, damaged |
You know what? I was trying (LOL) and it shows that to get somewhere, no matter what it is, you just have to start. At this point I realised how important it was to feed your hair with water, and I'm so glad I took these pictures so I have something to compare to. However, I was washing my hair with shampoo waaaayy too often, which made it dry and brittle.
NOW. My hair now is so thick, to the point where I'm starting to struggle with it a little, but I can't complain because it's so versatile and quite healthy. It's also getting quite long, which means that styles hang a little better and I can pile it all on top of my head, which is my go-to.
So here are my five top tips for growing your hair not just longer, but thicker too, because who wants long, thin hair?
- Patience - this is probably the key to LIFE never mind hair but let's not get too deep, right now I'm applying it to hair. I say patience because it's taken nearly two years to get the thick curly hair I wanted. You also need the patience to try out new hair products, which I still do constantly, and go through a lot of trial and error when it comes to styling. Patience is really important when it comes to styling, as I've only recently realised how important it is to let your hair dry thoroughly for a great look.
- Invest - invest in good hair products, because unfortunately the better ones do cost more for a reason. Instead of spending loads of money on weaves and wigs, why not invest in your own hair that you'll have to live with for the rest of your life? It's cheaper too.
- Stress less - The less you mess with your hair, the more it'll love you, protective styles are good for this, but just wearing your hair up for a week or wearing a hat outside in the cold will relieve your hair.
- Trim it - cutting it in order for it to grow might seem counter productive, trimming dead ends and avoiding split ends helps to maintain and encourages hair growth
- Love your bad hair days - and don't let those days put you off taking care of your hair, because everyone has them
|
| September 2016 - Thin Hair straightened |
|
| December 2017 - Thicker, longer hair |
The Preparation
This is probably the most important part of the process if you want to make your big bouncy afro smooth and sleek. I find that my hair straightens the best when it is just washed so use something very clarifying! When I intend to straighten my hair after washing, I use the KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo as it makes my hair feel really moisturised and I have noticed that it reduces frizz. I then used the Shea Moisture Deep Conditioner. I comb out my hair in the shower and twist it into sections so that it is easier to manage later on.
I don't usually towel dry my hair but when I'm planning to straighten it anyway I speed up the process by towel drying it. When it is still damp I spray it with the Argan Oil Heat Defence Leave in Spray and then apply this amazing Vatika Coconut Hair Oil to lock in the moisture.
The Tools
Nicky Clarke Hairdryer
I use this to dry and stretch each section and separate it into small sections before straightening, sounds time consuming and yes it is but if you want it really straight and sleek it's best to do it properly first time round.
This Hairdryer is great because you can make it cool, warm, hot, I am pretty sure most hairdryers do that but its great for natural hair as you don't always want it on the hot setting. It isn't too heavy either, and if you have a lot of hair that's exactly what you need.
Wooden Comb
I prefer to use a wooden comb these days, I find that it doesn't snag and doesn't hurt my head as much as a plastic one.
Thin Comb
This is KEY to getting hair looking layered and bouncy. I straighten my hair in tiny sections, split off from the already quite small sections and always make sure to curl it round and the ends. To me, dead straight ends on natural hair makes it look a bit lifeless.
Lee Stafford Hair Straighteners
Before Straightening I apply the Creme of Nature Smooth and Shine Polisher and I love it. It smells amazing and is really light weight.
I straighten it on quite a hot setting, I do this because I don't want to keep going over the same spot of hair over and over again.
Freshly Washed and Damp
Blow-dried
After Straightening, I spray it with hairspray if it is for a night out, I used the Tresemme Firm Hold spray and my style stayed in tact until the next day! I then wrap the top with a silk scarf. Before I go out I then fluff it out again with my fingers to make it full!
The Finished Look
The Preparation
This is probably the most important part of the process if you want to make your big bouncy afro smooth and sleek. I find that my hair straightens the best when it is just washed so use something very clarifying! When I intend to straighten my hair after washing, I use the KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo as it makes my hair feel really moisturised and I have noticed that it reduces frizz. I then used the Shea Moisture Deep Conditioner. I comb out my hair in the shower and twist it into sections so that it is easier to manage later on.
I don't usually towel dry my hair but when I'm planning to straighten it anyway I speed up the process by towel drying it. When it is still damp I spray it with the Argan Oil Heat Defence Leave in Spray and then apply this amazing Vatika Coconut Hair Oil to lock in the moisture.
The Tools
Nicky Clarke Hairdryer
I use this to dry and stretch each section and separate it into small sections before straightening, sounds time consuming and yes it is but if you want it really straight and sleek it's best to do it properly first time round.
This Hairdryer is great because you can make it cool, warm, hot, I am pretty sure most hairdryers do that but its great for natural hair as you don't always want it on the hot setting. It isn't too heavy either, and if you have a lot of hair that's exactly what you need.
Wooden Comb
I prefer to use a wooden comb these days, I find that it doesn't snag and doesn't hurt my head as much as a plastic one.
Thin Comb
This is KEY to getting hair looking layered and bouncy. I straighten my hair in tiny sections, split off from the already quite small sections and always make sure to curl it round and the ends. To me, dead straight ends on natural hair makes it look a bit lifeless.
Lee Stafford Hair Straighteners
Before Straightening I apply the Creme of Nature Smooth and Shine Polisher and I love it. It smells amazing and is really light weight.
I straighten it on quite a hot setting, I do this because I don't want to keep going over the same spot of hair over and over again.
Freshly Washed and Damp
Blow-dried
After Straightening, I spray it with hairspray if it is for a night out, I used the Tresemme Firm Hold spray and my style stayed in tact until the next day! I then wrap the top with a silk scarf. Before I go out I then fluff it out again with my fingers to make it full!
The Finished Look
I straightened my hair properly for the first in months last week, and I was a little bit worried about it not reverting, especially as I have been working so hard to get a good routine going! Luckily it bounced back (literally) bigger and better than ever so I thought I would blog about what I used to make the transition as smooth as possible.
STEP ONE
So first of all, before i washed my hair I made sure it was fully combed out, free from any grips, because they tend to get lost in there, and I sprayed it with some water to get the process going.
STEP TWO
I then washed it with my ALL TIME FAVOURITE shampoo, the Aphogee Shampoo for Damaged Hair. I think this shampoo is around £5.99 but it lasts quite a long time and is great at clarifying my hair, defining curls and reducing frizz.
You can see my wash routine here. However I am probably going to update it again soon!
STEP THREE
I then made sure that was rinsed out and then, if I am honest I then shampoo'd it AGAIN with Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo. I find that this one adds a lot more moisture and adds a bit of 'juiciness'.
STEP FOUR
Then whilst it was damp, I separated it into four sections using clips and used the Shea Moisture Strength & Restore Treatment Masque throughout the sections from root to end. I then wrapped my hair in a plastic bag and then used the hairdryer on a warm setting over the top for about 20 minutes. This is to restore my hair after all the heat I used last week, I was a little sceptical about buying it as that little tub was £12.99 but all the reviews convinced me! I definitely think it is a good product, my hair is much curlier and springy and the shrinkage was more than usual!
STEP FIVE
I then washed this out and blotted the water out with a t-shirt. Then I applied a mixture of argon oil and coconut oil to the damp hair all over. I would usually added castor oil but I didn't have it with me this time. I then split my hair into four sections and made sure it was moisturised. I used the Keracare Hair Milk, Daily Hair Sustainer after that to lock the moisture in.
STEP SIX
I then got my Creme of Nature Argon Oil Twirling Custard and did a medium sized twist out. I slept on this in a pineapple style wrapped in a silk scarf.
THE NEXT DAY....
The next day may hair looked a bit flat, I still haven't mastered the twist out, so whilst I was in the shower I flashed some water on my hair to add some life back in and that worked a treat. I then got out the shower and shook it thoroughly and used the blowdryer on a cool setting to make sure it was fully dry.
THE DAY AFTER THAT....
I applied more oil each day and slept with it in a pineapple wrapped in a scarf. I took this picture 2 days after washing and as soon as I woke up so nothing is on my hair at this stage.
Disclaimer - I am not a professional and I am still learning, everyone's hair is different so things that work for me might not work for you and vice/versa. :)
I straightened my hair properly for the first in months last week, and I was a little bit worried about it not reverting, especially as I have been working so hard to get a good routine going! Luckily it bounced back (literally) bigger and better than ever so I thought I would blog about what I used to make the transition as smooth as possible.
STEP ONE
So first of all, before i washed my hair I made sure it was fully combed out, free from any grips, because they tend to get lost in there, and I sprayed it with some water to get the process going.
STEP TWO
I then washed it with my ALL TIME FAVOURITE shampoo, the Aphogee Shampoo for Damaged Hair. I think this shampoo is around £5.99 but it lasts quite a long time and is great at clarifying my hair, defining curls and reducing frizz.
You can see my wash routine here. However I am probably going to update it again soon!
STEP THREE
I then made sure that was rinsed out and then, if I am honest I then shampoo'd it AGAIN with Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo. I find that this one adds a lot more moisture and adds a bit of 'juiciness'.
STEP FOUR
Then whilst it was damp, I separated it into four sections using clips and used the Shea Moisture Strength & Restore Treatment Masque throughout the sections from root to end. I then wrapped my hair in a plastic bag and then used the hairdryer on a warm setting over the top for about 20 minutes. This is to restore my hair after all the heat I used last week, I was a little sceptical about buying it as that little tub was £12.99 but all the reviews convinced me! I definitely think it is a good product, my hair is much curlier and springy and the shrinkage was more than usual!
STEP FIVE
I then washed this out and blotted the water out with a t-shirt. Then I applied a mixture of argon oil and coconut oil to the damp hair all over. I would usually added castor oil but I didn't have it with me this time. I then split my hair into four sections and made sure it was moisturised. I used the Keracare Hair Milk, Daily Hair Sustainer after that to lock the moisture in.
STEP SIX
I then got my Creme of Nature Argon Oil Twirling Custard and did a medium sized twist out. I slept on this in a pineapple style wrapped in a silk scarf.
THE NEXT DAY....
The next day may hair looked a bit flat, I still haven't mastered the twist out, so whilst I was in the shower I flashed some water on my hair to add some life back in and that worked a treat. I then got out the shower and shook it thoroughly and used the blowdryer on a cool setting to make sure it was fully dry.
THE DAY AFTER THAT....
I applied more oil each day and slept with it in a pineapple wrapped in a scarf. I took this picture 2 days after washing and as soon as I woke up so nothing is on my hair at this stage.
Disclaimer - I am not a professional and I am still learning, everyone's hair is different so things that work for me might not work for you and vice/versa. :)
As you can probably tell, I couldn't think of a short title for this post! I have been styling my hair without heat for about 6 weeks now and I cannot believe the progress it has made, and I thought it would also be a good idea to start documenting it.
Both pictures were taking straight after washing. The white residue you can see is my leave in conditioner, I use the Cantu Shea Butter Leave in which is so easy and quick to use. I have also been trying the Aphogee Pro Vitamin conditioner, I thought I would prefer it because it is in a spray bottle, but I totally prefer the creamy texture of the Cantu one.
As you can see in the top picture my hair is quite limp and is practically straight on the ends due to heat damage. I never thought I would be able to do a wash and go style like below without doing a huge chop, but with time and patience I have learnt that your hair will love you if you love it back! I
The main thing that I think has brought the body, fullness and curl back into my hair is of course cutting down on using heat. Secondly, I have been washing it about twice a week with non sulphate shampoo and using products that emphasise having lots of protein in them and stating that they are for damaged hair.
(I am hoping to start making my own protein masks but I haven't got round to it yet)
In-between washes I have been using the LOC method as a way of keeping the moisture in, and spraying it with water constantly because there really is no better way to moisture your hair than H20!
I have stopped using towels to dry my hair as this just causes frizz, and the texture of towels will rub against the curls in your hair. Instead I use an old t-shirt and just wrap it round to stop it dripping. I know it is best to air dry it but my hair takes ages to dry and I hate feeling it drip down my neck. EW!
So, for now I think I have perfected my wash routine. I use the Aphogee Shampoo for damaged hair. Then I put loads of the Cantu Shea Butter Leave in Conditioning repair cream and let it air dry for about 20 minutes, then put a t-shirt on it (whilst I do my makeup). After that, whilst it is still damp i put coconut oil onto my hair by sectioning it and making sure it is mostly on the roots. Sometimes If I have somewhere I need to be I will use my hairdryer on the cool setting to speed it up a bit!
The creamy set product is my new favourite, it sets curls just like eco styler gel but without the stiffness, and like all these products it is available in your local hair shop. I didn't buy any of these things online.
I get quite a few people asking me what I use, so I hope that helps.
If you have any suggestions for products feel free to comment below!
As you can probably tell, I couldn't think of a short title for this post! I have been styling my hair without heat for about 6 weeks now and I cannot believe the progress it has made, and I thought it would also be a good idea to start documenting it.
Both pictures were taking straight after washing. The white residue you can see is my leave in conditioner, I use the Cantu Shea Butter Leave in which is so easy and quick to use. I have also been trying the Aphogee Pro Vitamin conditioner, I thought I would prefer it because it is in a spray bottle, but I totally prefer the creamy texture of the Cantu one.
As you can see in the top picture my hair is quite limp and is practically straight on the ends due to heat damage. I never thought I would be able to do a wash and go style like below without doing a huge chop, but with time and patience I have learnt that your hair will love you if you love it back! I
The main thing that I think has brought the body, fullness and curl back into my hair is of course cutting down on using heat. Secondly, I have been washing it about twice a week with non sulphate shampoo and using products that emphasise having lots of protein in them and stating that they are for damaged hair.
(I am hoping to start making my own protein masks but I haven't got round to it yet)
In-between washes I have been using the LOC method as a way of keeping the moisture in, and spraying it with water constantly because there really is no better way to moisture your hair than H20!
I have stopped using towels to dry my hair as this just causes frizz, and the texture of towels will rub against the curls in your hair. Instead I use an old t-shirt and just wrap it round to stop it dripping. I know it is best to air dry it but my hair takes ages to dry and I hate feeling it drip down my neck. EW!
So, for now I think I have perfected my wash routine. I use the Aphogee Shampoo for damaged hair. Then I put loads of the Cantu Shea Butter Leave in Conditioning repair cream and let it air dry for about 20 minutes, then put a t-shirt on it (whilst I do my makeup). After that, whilst it is still damp i put coconut oil onto my hair by sectioning it and making sure it is mostly on the roots. Sometimes If I have somewhere I need to be I will use my hairdryer on the cool setting to speed it up a bit!
The creamy set product is my new favourite, it sets curls just like eco styler gel but without the stiffness, and like all these products it is available in your local hair shop. I didn't buy any of these things online.
I get quite a few people asking me what I use, so I hope that helps.
If you have any suggestions for products feel free to comment below!
It is affordable and is widely available on the high street
The packaging is cute and the tub can definitely be re-used
It is very moisturising and has a nice texture. I would say it is better as a moisturiser than a curl definer as it isn't sticky and it prevented my hair from drying out after being in the cold and wind!
My ends did stay curled!
It is affordable and is widely available on the high street
The packaging is cute and the tub can definitely be re-used
It is very moisturising and has a nice texture. I would say it is better as a moisturiser than a curl definer as it isn't sticky and it prevented my hair from drying out after being in the cold and wind!
My ends did stay curled!
It has been 1 month since I embarked on my journey of heat free styling!
The main reason for my decision to cut down on blowdrying/straightening was simply because of boredom. I was bored of wearing it the same everyday and I think that the natural texture of my hair has a lot more versatility. I follow a lot of the natural hair bloggers and pages on Instagram that inspire me and I didn't want to inflict any more permanent heat damage on my hair.
I'm not saying I won't ever blow-dry it or straighten it again, but at least I know what I can do with it now!
So here is a few things I learnt this month!
- Curls will come back! It's all about patience. As you can imagine I had quite a bit of heat damage on the ends (luckily not as much as I thought) so that initially put me off wearing it as an afro, but I just bit the bullet and you will see that straight ends will start to revert.
- It takes a while to learn what works on your hair and what doesn't. Not everything that you see hair bloggers use will work on you so prepare for a few rough looking days when things go wrong!
- It takes WAAAY more time getting ready in the morning now. I thought it would be the other way round!
- You don't need to have a lot of money to achieve different styles. My go to's are Ecostyler Gel and Water!
It has been 1 month since I embarked on my journey of heat free styling!
The main reason for my decision to cut down on blowdrying/straightening was simply because of boredom. I was bored of wearing it the same everyday and I think that the natural texture of my hair has a lot more versatility. I follow a lot of the natural hair bloggers and pages on Instagram that inspire me and I didn't want to inflict any more permanent heat damage on my hair.
I'm not saying I won't ever blow-dry it or straighten it again, but at least I know what I can do with it now!
So here is a few things I learnt this month!
- Curls will come back! It's all about patience. As you can imagine I had quite a bit of heat damage on the ends (luckily not as much as I thought) so that initially put me off wearing it as an afro, but I just bit the bullet and you will see that straight ends will start to revert.
- It takes a while to learn what works on your hair and what doesn't. Not everything that you see hair bloggers use will work on you so prepare for a few rough looking days when things go wrong!
- It takes WAAAY more time getting ready in the morning now. I thought it would be the other way round!
- You don't need to have a lot of money to achieve different styles. My go to's are Ecostyler Gel and Water!
So this is the first tutorial on my blog and I am very excited at how it turned out! I have a lot of improvements to make but we've all got to start somewhere.
L - This stands for liquid. As I said, this is a budget version so I just used water! Water is the ultimate moisturiser so you can't really go wrong! However most other tutorials use a water based leave-in conditioner, If I had it, I would have used the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner.
O - This stands for oil. The oil works as a sealant to keep the moisture locked in. I used Jasmine Oil because it was to hand, but Coconut Oil is a popular alternative.
C- This stands for cream. I used Shea Butter as it is quite heavy, but really a styling cream is supposed to be used for this. Next time I would like to try the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie but I think this worked for now!
I then used Eco-Styler gel and twisted my hair to save myself some time in the morning to define the curls, I then put flexi rods and curlers at the ends because I do have some heat damage on the ends and it ensures that it is curly all the way round. I then wrap my hair with a silk scarf.
I will keep you updated with how this keeps the moisture in my hair, I have read other blog posts that say their hair stayed moisturised for a week, so let's see if that works!
So this is the first tutorial on my blog and I am very excited at how it turned out! I have a lot of improvements to make but we've all got to start somewhere.
L - This stands for liquid. As I said, this is a budget version so I just used water! Water is the ultimate moisturiser so you can't really go wrong! However most other tutorials use a water based leave-in conditioner, If I had it, I would have used the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner.
O - This stands for oil. The oil works as a sealant to keep the moisture locked in. I used Jasmine Oil because it was to hand, but Coconut Oil is a popular alternative.
C- This stands for cream. I used Shea Butter as it is quite heavy, but really a styling cream is supposed to be used for this. Next time I would like to try the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie but I think this worked for now!
I then used Eco-Styler gel and twisted my hair to save myself some time in the morning to define the curls, I then put flexi rods and curlers at the ends because I do have some heat damage on the ends and it ensures that it is curly all the way round. I then wrap my hair with a silk scarf.
I will keep you updated with how this keeps the moisture in my hair, I have read other blog posts that say their hair stayed moisturised for a week, so let's see if that works!
- Its a decent price for a lot of product, I think all of the tubs are 500g which is a good amount.
- The packaging is quite nice and it just does what it says on the tub. You could also reuse the tub for something else.
- The best thing I like about this mask is that my hair felt really moisturised and light after using it.
- The smell makes you feel like you are really doing something for your hair, but it doesn't tingle or feel like it has any harmful chemicals in.
- It completely detangled my hair after washing and made it super wavy.
- Personally I would have preferred the mask if it turned hard like clay because I think it would be easier to wash out and you could easily see if you left any product in your hair.
- The packaging doesn't tell you how much to apply which is annoying, I think this is a bit of marketing because if you use more than you need you are obviously going to run out quicker.
Overall I had a good experience with this mask and I will use it again.
Let me know if you have used this mask before or if you have any suggestions for more products to review! xxx
- Its a decent price for a lot of product, I think all of the tubs are 500g which is a good amount.
- The packaging is quite nice and it just does what it says on the tub. You could also reuse the tub for something else.
- The best thing I like about this mask is that my hair felt really moisturised and light after using it.
- The smell makes you feel like you are really doing something for your hair, but it doesn't tingle or feel like it has any harmful chemicals in.
- It completely detangled my hair after washing and made it super wavy.
- Personally I would have preferred the mask if it turned hard like clay because I think it would be easier to wash out and you could easily see if you left any product in your hair.
- The packaging doesn't tell you how much to apply which is annoying, I think this is a bit of marketing because if you use more than you need you are obviously going to run out quicker.
Overall I had a good experience with this mask and I will use it again.
Let me know if you have used this mask before or if you have any suggestions for more products to review! xxx
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