Since I have already done the Burgundy look, I am switching colors and going with Jet black and T1b Blue!!! How excited am I about this??? VERY!!!
It has been 7 weeks since I first installed my long and beautiful T1B Burgundy / Scarlet Red kinky twists. I was thinking that I should keep them in for another week, and then give my natural hair a breather for about a month or so!!! It is funny, but I am really REALLY used to wearing my hair like this. So I know that I am going to be missing the convenience of just jumping up and going after I finally take them down!!! But that is okay. I am actually curious to see if I have retained noticeable length after having my hair in this state for almost 2 months.
One thing I will say though... I am starting to get the hang of moisturizing my hair more!!! I am sure that I have kept my hair moisturized with this set of twists far better than I ever have in the past when I used to get my hair braided. ( Back then, I never even washed my braids/ scalp. I just let it do what it did!!! YIKES!!! ) The main thing that I have done differently was washed my scalp and tried to keep my scalp moisturized. I am certain that I have a certain amount of product build up because let's face it... anyone that has had their hair braided or twisted for more than a month has seen some of that weird dust bunny looking stuff keeping the new growth roots locked together. LOL. This time, however , I have discovered a new way to make sure that I do not remove more hair than is necessary from my scalp when I take my twists down.
First - After I separate and remove the extension hair from my hair, I am going to saturate my scalp and the parts of my hair that suffer from the most product build up / dirt /grime and lint with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, water and aloe vera gel. I will make sure that my hair is as close to soaking wet as possible so that I will be able to easily remove everything that does not belong in my hair.
Second - I will finger detangle my hair. It will take some time to get through my roots, but the first order of business is finger detangling enough to be able to separate my hair into 4 large sections. Once I have done that , I will focus on finger detangling each individual section and then twisting the section after it had been finger tangled to my satisfaction. I can then resection the hair into 8 sections to make it easier for me to work through my thick hair.
Third - While the ACV mixture is still in my hair ( if my hair is no longer wet, I will reapply the mixture to my scalp and needed areas ) I will take down the twist separating the part and detangle it once more with my tangle teezer brush. After I am satisfied that my hair is thoroughly detangled, I will place that section in a twist again and start on another section.
Fourth - Once all of my hair has been through steps 1-3, I will apply my deep conditioner to my hair section by section. Cover my head with a plastic bag or a hair cap and let the mixture penetrate my hair and scalp for 30 - 45 minutes.
Fifth - I will rinse the ACV and deep conditioner treatment out of my hair section by section. After each section has been rinsed completely , I will detangle each section once more with my tangle teezer brush, apply my leave in conditioner and oils , and proceed to style my hair in an easy protective style that keeps the ends of my hair tucked away.
Naturally since I have gone a long while without having my hair trimmed I will check to see if I believe it is necessary to trim my ends. If my ends do not seem drastically jagged, then I will leave them as is. I'll make sure I apply product to the ends and put my hair away. If it looks as if I do need to snip snip some of my ends, then I will make sure to clip the minimal amount. Makes no sense to cut off all of the length that I might have gained just to make my hair even. So in that case , I will just have to see.
Well, I plan on leaving my hair alone in it's natural state without twists for at least a month to see how well it has done. After a month or so, I will be installing possibly a smaller set of Caribbean Twists using Black N Gold's Caribbean Twists Braid hair. I am sooooo excited about this because the hair is different than the kinky twists, the color is sooo much different, and I am anxious to see how much better I have gotten at being able to install twist extensions.
Okie Dokie Artichokies...
That about does it for me today!!! As always I hope you enjoyed reading , and I hope to blog again soon!!!
Alright Ladies and Gents... as I promised a couple of days ago, here is a detailed account of all the prep work and items used and upkeep information for my new hairstyle!!! (^_^)
After watching numerous video's on youtube featuring various women ( and a handful of men ) and their techniques, hair purchases and product lists, I decided I had gathered enough information to do my own.
In the previous blog I wrote a list of items that I used. So let me just get straight to it...
On October 10th I washed and deep conditioned my hair.
I washed my hair with a combination of Aztec Secret Bentonite Clay, apple cider vinegar, water and aloe vera juice. I made sure that the mixture was very watery opposed to paste like ( remember how I talked about the ayurvedic kalpi-tone experience??? Well, I was not going to make that mistake again ) With the mixture thin opposed to thick, it made the formula easy to apply to my scalp and the rest of my hair without pulling at my roots or messing altering the textured of my hair. Naturally because the mixture contains clay, the ingredients start to stiffen while drying. I allowed the product to do their thing for about 20 minutes, then I washed the DIY shampoo out of my hair with first warm water, detangled my hair under the showerhead via sections, and re-rinsed my scalp and hair with ice cold water. The idea of using the warm water/ ice cold water was to keep the hair shafts first closed to rinse out majority of the cleaning agent, and then with the cold water , open the hair shafts again to suck in as much water as possible. I then took my Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque and generously applied the conditioner to my scalp and hair. I did not wash the conditioner out of my hair because I wanted to make sure that my hair was very well conditioned before I installed my twists. I then pulled my hair into a lose bun and covered my hair with a silk scarf. On October 14th wet my hair under the shower head making sure that my hair and scalp were wet. I then re-applied the deep conditioner with leave in conditioner and sectioned my hair into 5 parts, finger detangled my hair via section, and twisted each section. The 5 parts that I made basically served as a dividing template for how I was going to start installing the twists. Since I have never actually installed any form of extensions in my heir before , I knew that I wanted to be able to see what I was doing at least in the beginning. So the first section I started working on was the right side of my head. But before I speed ahead... let me back track a little bit!!!
In watching the youtube video's there were a lot of people talking about whether they blow dried their hair or flat ironed their hair before installing their set of kinky twists. To me, since I have not used any form of heating tools for close to two years and I was going for the natural texture look of my hair , I preferred to do my hair while it was wet opposed to blow dried or flat ironed. I also wanted to make sure that the products that I was going to be applying to my hair would be applied the same way I always applied them when I was putting my hair in two strand twists. Another thing I noticed in watching the video's was that there were quite a few people that were having difficulty installing their twists with the invisible method especially if they had decided to install medium or smaller sized twists. Some of them complained that with hair product it was very difficult to attach the added hair and their natural hair firmly. So they decided to install with the braid in method. I just simply did not like the way that looked , so I decided from the very beginning that I was going to take as long as I needed to achieve the invisible twist in method opposed to the braid in method.
So... after I had made sure my hair was parted properly, and moisturized, I set up the items I needed to install my twists:
First... After I re-moisturized my hair and scalp on October 14th, I opened two packs of the T1B/ wine/burgundy tip hair. With each individual piece, I ripped it in half and put it in a pile. ( The pieces of hair are already cut into specific portions, but I pulled them apart because I wanted to maximize the length of the hair and make the pieces the size I wanted for the desired thickness of each individual twist) I used my rat tail comb to create the box size I wanted for my twists. Then I used the clips to keep stray hair or the other pieces from falling into the already parted and boxed hair. I took two pieces of hair
from the pile and staggered the pieces so that one piece was about 5 or so inches shorter than one side, and about 5 inches or so longer on the other. What that did was extended the hair length from 17 inches to closer to 25 inches long.
Second... I began to install the twists on the right side of my head. That way I would be able to see what I was doing in the mirror. It took me a while to get the hang of starting the twist with the invisible method, but after a while I got the hang of it. I divided the box'd part of my hair into two pieces, placed the extension hair in the middle crating an "X", twisted my hair in with the extension hair on the right side to the right about 7 times or so, and then twisted the left side of my hair and the extension piece in the opposite direction. I then crossed the twisted pieces over and continued twisting all the way down the hair. Before I created each twist, I made sure to spray my hair and scalp with the oil, water, leave in conditioner mix spray bottle and also apply my shea moisture curling soufflé and kinky curly curling custard gel mixture to my natural hair from root to tip. My hair easily blended into the textured marley hair without any of my hair sticking out. I credit that breakthrough to not blow drying my hair and leaving it in it's natural state prior to installing the twists.
I managed to repeat this activity for the entire right side of my head and completed the section in close to 4 hours, and then took a 2 hour dinner break.
Third... I took the pack of M1B/ Red with Red tip hair and separated about 1/3rd of the hair from the pack in the same manner I divided the T1B/wine/burgundy with burgundy tip hair. I then started working on the bottom back portion of my head taking one of the pieces of the M1B/Red hair and one piece of the T1B/wine/ burgundy hair and staggering the hair the same way I extended the length of the hair for the twists I installed on the right side. I used the same parting method to make medium box parts for the twists I was going to make, and installed them. I only used this color combination on the bottom back portion of my hair to create a bright highlight hat did not over power the hairstyle that I was looking to achieve. Basically it gave a very convincing ombre look to my twists when the whole thing was completed.
Fourth... I finished the far back high light colored section, and then completed the rest of the back using only the T1B/wine/ burgundy hair. I also finished the left side of my head. That left only the very front and the middle sections of my hair to complete. But I had stopped working and wrapped my hair in a silk scarf once the clock read 4am.
Fifth... I finished the last two sections of my hair. After looking at my handy work, I realized that there were several twists that were really loose ( mainly on the right side of my head, which was to be expected since I had not really gotten the hang of how to use the invisible twist in method all that well until I got into the back part of my head), so I had to take them down and re-do them in order to make them tighter at the roots. I started the front and middle sections at 12pm on October 15th and finished both sections as well as re-did the twists that were in need of repair by 4pm.
Sixth... I dipped the ends of my twists (which literally reached the middle of my butt ) in hot water to make the ends smoother and look less like puffs of unattended hair...just tamed them up a bit. Then I cut the ends so that the length of all my hair was hovering around my hips instead of my tailbone. After everything was done, I made sure to spray my scalp with my oil, water, leave in conditioner mixture. It stopped my head from itching like crazy the first day I was able to wear them out!!! (^_^)
M1B/Red with Red tip hair on the left.... TIB/wine/burgundy with burgundy tip hair on the right!!!
Extra Dark Jamaican Black Castor Oil
I really have no idea how log it literally took me to complete this hairstyle. But, my guess is that it probably too between 13 -15 hours to complete. The great thing about the entire process is that I discovered that I was able to twist my hair faster and with pretty good accuracy after I got the hang of twisting the hair close enough to the scalp to make the twist tight. My fingers never developed blisters or were sore. And I know that is something really important . I remember installing braids in my baby sister's hair many moons ago, and I had sore blistered fingers like you wouldn't believe. But that to me just proves that there are some hair brands that make your fingers bleed , while other synthetic brands feel and act like real hair. I was pleased with the outcome of my hair because I realized that whenever the twists started looking old or loosened to the point of detachment, I can easily take them apart and redo them in less than 5 minutes. I do not have to schedule and appointment for my hair dresser to charge me half the price of my original hair style just for 3 rows of part detailed twists ... because I am my own hairdresser!!! Thank goodness for DIY ( Do It Yourself ) abilities!!! I have had these twists in for 10 days now, and I have re-done a few twists here and there since the original setting, but to be honest, I am very VERY pleased with my overall look and very proud of my accomplishment!!! I think I did a pretty good job, and I have the confidence that the next time I install them, I will be able to do them in 8 hours or less!!!
The front portion of my head where you can clearly see the invisible twist roots!!! (^_^)
*** Maintenance ***
One of my biggest concerns with wearing my hair in this style was whether my scalp and roots would become super dry and unbearably itchy. I also did not want to cause more damage than good by having them in this hairstyle without being able to keep my scalp and roots moisturized the way I would like to. But so far...there have only been a few days where my scalp was absolutely itch central. I have parts of my scalp that have minor alopecia patches, so for those locations I made the twists larger and made sure that I kept those area's properly moisturized with water and oil. At one point I was worried that the itch would lead to my hair falling out in those itchy patches. So I looked up information on itchy scalp with kinky twists, and this is what I found from blackgirllonghair.com
Of the many problems that plague women and hair care, a HUGE concern is how to alleviate or get rid of itchy scalp. Sometimes scalp irritations are minor annoyances due to product build-up or changes in the weather. While no one is excited to see loose flakes of dandruff dotting their clothing, most times this will clear up with a specially formulated shampoo for dandruff. But in other cases, itchy scalp goes from a mild inconvenience to a full-blown, scalp-on-fire, can’t-keep-your-hands-out-of your-head type disaster of epic proportions. Anyone who has experienced these symptoms knows the pain of scratching or even massaging your scalp to the point that your whole head begins to feel inflamed and tender to the touch. Chronic bouts of itchiness will leave you wondering which came first – are you frantically digging your nails in your scalp as a result of the inflammation, or is the inflammation a result of all the scratching? It is a chicken-or-the-egg conundrum of the worst kind, and at the end of the day, who really cares which came first? All we want is relief.
Luckily, there are a few natural remedies you can try to see if you can finally win the war against the “itchies and the scratchies.”
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
A staple in the world of hair care, when diluted with water apple cider vinegar is used for its clarifying properties as well as its ability to help reduce hair porosity as a rinse due to its low pH balance. It also has anti-bacterial qualities that make it particularly helpful in treating an itchy scalp that is caused by bacteria build-up, and against any fungal condition (yeast on the scalp). Yeast don’t like an acidic environment so swabbing the scalp with an ACV solution can be helpful. Just be careful to make sure that you dilute it enough to a level where it is comfortable enough to put on your scalp, or else it will sting like crazy, especially if you have any abraded skin. The raw, unfiltered organic ACV is the best kind.
2. Aloe VeraIn case you decide to try the ACV, consider having some aloe vera gel on hand to soothe any stinging sensations that you may get. Aloe Vera can be used straight from the plant, or the organic gel can be bought commercially. Naturally emollient and calming, it is a great balm for the scalp that will also soften the hair and feed your roots.
3. Tea Tree OilMelaleuca Alternifolia, or simply “Tea Tree Oil” is ubiquitous in shampoos and conditioners for this very condition in large part due to its highly antiseptic qualities. It’s a triple threat to scalp irritations because of its anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Again, Tea Tree Oil should not be used full strength and is best when used with a carrier oil. Which brings us to the next tried and true product…
4. Coconut OilEver seen a moldy coconut? That’s because the capyrilic acid in coconuts inhibit the growth of fungus. Incidentally, caprylic acid is also an active ingredient in a lot of vitamin supplements for women who are trying to suppress an overgrowth of candida (yeast) throughout the body. As always, look for the unfiltered, unrefined, organic extra-virgin coconut oil, cold-pressed if possible. It’s especially effective when infused with a few drops of tea tree oil.
After I read this information, I was immediately relieved because I had a spray bottle of aloe vera juice already waiting for me to use. So I sprayed my scalp with it, and no longer had the itching problem that I was experiencing. I also make sure to spray my scalp with my water, oil and leave in conditioner mixture every night before I go to bed. Every other day I try to apply a thin coat of extra dark Jamaican black castor oil on my scalp too because it is supposed to have remarkable healing properties as well as ingredients that are said to help you hair grow!! And I am all about that life!!! LOL
So... that in a nutshell is my complete Kinky Twist hair process. I hope you have enjoyed today's detailed blog!!! I shall return soon to give you an update on some of the new styles that I am going to try and experiment with since my twists are no longer too stiff to style. LOL
*** Special shout out to LaReinaMcMeanie on youtube. She was the ONLY woman to post a tutorial using the colors that I eventually ended up purchasing to create this style!!! Thank you soo much!!!***
**** THIS POST WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 23RD 2013... BUT I AM JUST NOW ADDING IT... SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION ****
Hello ladies and gents!!!
I am going to be purchasing a new phone and / or a new tablet very soon. I want to share some of the new pictures that I am going to be taking very soon with you all. I have some hair pictures that I am going to share ( so that you can see the new growth and how my hair is coming along ), AND... I am in the middle of deciding if I want to go ahead and to put Kinky twists or Senegalese twists in my hair!!! All I have to do is take a trip to the beauty supply store , and pick up my hair!!! By that time I will be able to tell you which style I am going to go for!!! (^_^)
*** FRUIT OF THE MONTH!!!***
These are Pluot's!!! And what the hell are those do you ask??? Well, let me tell you !!!
Pluots, apriums, apriplums, or plumcots, are some of the hybrids between different Prunus species that are also called interspecific plums. In the United States and Canada, these fruits are known by most regulatory agencies as interspecific plums. The strangely named "pluot®" is a hybrid plant grown from a plum and an apricot. Pluots® are extremely sweet, due to very high sugar levels, and are available in a wide range of varieties. The actual ratio works out to around 70% plum and 30% apricot and they mainly look like plums. They have a great deal of nutritious value and are low in fat, making them ideal for snacking or sweetening up other dishes.
Common Varieties
Pluots® are sometimes also referred to as "Dinosaur Eggs®" due to the strange dappled coloring on some types of the fruit. The name has actually been trademarked by a California pluot® grower, though there are still a wide range of available types with other strange-sounding names. Varieties such as the "flavor grenade," "dapple dandy," and "flavorglo" are fairly common, as are the "hand grenade" and the "last chance." The "flavor heart" is one of the largest types of pluot®, heart shaped with black coloring and yellow flesh, while the "candy stripe" has pink and yellow stripes with spotted red skin.
I have always been a fan of plums, especially the hard kinds that are bitter to the taste and have a sweet aftertaste on the end of the bite. What I like the most about these are that the flavor is so very delicious and tasty!!! I will be eating these until they no longer have them in season!!! And yes this is an image of Organic Pluot's. I am not sure how long they are in season for, but you better believe I am eating them damn near every day!!! (^_^)
Hey you guys !!! I know I had been talking about it forever, forever, forever like for over a month!!! But On October 14th and 15th ( notice I mentioned two days) I finally installed Kinky Twists!!! (^_^)
Am I satisfied with my hairstyle??? HELLS YEAH!!! Did it take all of my life force to complete this task??? You had better believe it!!! BUT... I would not change the learning and installing process for anything in the world!!!
Let me first start with the basics:
Items Purchased and Used:
6 packs of Black and Gold Marley Dreadlock hair in the color T1b/ wine with burgundy tip
1 pack of 1B/ Red with Red Tips marley hair
1 aluminum rat tail comb
1 pack of 5 sectioning clips by Goody
8oa bottle of Jamaican Black Extra Dark Castor Oil
Mixed a container of Shea Moistures's curling soufflé and kinky Curlie's Curling custard
1 water spray bottle filled with water, leave in conditioner, and multi oil mix
Out of the items I purchased, I only used 3 and 3/4th packs of the T1b/wine/burgundy tip hair and about 1/3 of the 1B/ Red with red tip hair. The hair I purchased from ikickshins.net was $5.99 per pack which is amazing in comparison to all of the other prices online and in the stores. The other thing I liked was that the hair was long enough @ 17 inches. Although some of my hair is a little longer then 17 inches, I was able to stagger the hair to make it long enough to achieve the length I wanted (which I will explain in detail in the next blog). Plus, they have a wide variety of colors to choose from that really made it an easy decision for me to purchase my hair from them. I purchased the Jamaican Black Extra Dark Castor oil on ebay for about $18.00 with free shipping. Totally worth it by the way!!! The rat tail comb was also purchased on ebay for like $3.00. And I can tell you right now that I needed that comb in order to make the parts as straight as I managed to make them. All of the other items were available at Target.
All in all with taking breaks , eating dinner and flat out going to bed... I would say that it took me approximately 13 -15 hours maximum to complete this hairstyle on myself. Some of the reason it took so long was because I wanted to use the invisible twist in method. This method makes the hair look as though it is growing straight out of your scalp. Plus it bypassed that braid in method. For me I really REALLY had no interest in installing the twists by having to braid the hair in. I just wanted twists and only twists. I just think it looks better when the twists start at the root and go all the way down. There are plenty of people that braid the hair first and then twist, but I did not want to be one of those people. As a result , I think my hair came out very VERY well. The method that I chose was more difficult when it came to installing the extension hair . I can admit that. This is part of the reason it took me soo long to complete the look. Because there were several twists that I had to re-twist because they were either too loose, or they did not look as good as the twists I had managed to do when I finally got the hang of setting the hair and making the roots tight.
Anywho, I just wanted to share the pictures with you all and let you know that I installed them!!! In my next blog, I will give you the complete details of how I did them, and everything else!!!
Until then love bugs ...Недо следующего раза (^_^)
I have been talking a great deal to my facebook hair friends about my decision to try Kinky or Senegalese Twists.
Up to this point I have reviewed youtube video after youtube video, read various blogs and how to web sites and I have made many discoveries . So I am going to take the time right now to share with you what I have stumbles upon in my research!!!
First... let me talk a bit about the various types of twists and their respective differences.
Kinky Twists - Also known as Marley Twists, Nubian Twists, Spring Twists and sometimes called Havana Twists. With this hairstyle the definitive identifying quality is the type of hair used to achieve the look. Kinky twists by nature are designed to look and feel as close to our natural hair texture as possible. When attempting to achieve this look, the hairstylist will use marley hair or a marley dredlock hair ( separating the synthetic strands and puffing out the hair before twisting into the desired style of the customer ) Size wise, kinky twists can be installed in small, medium and large. Typically small and medium are the most common size for this style however. The larger the twists, the more hair is needed per twist. There are several companies that make kinky textured hair that can be used for this style, but I have noticed that the length and the color variety seem to be rather sparse. Based on deductive reasoning, I have come to the conclusion that choices are limited based on the idea that this hairstyle is designed to look like your natural hair. And since African American's are not perceived to have / grow authentically natural hair that is also long, the average length for these kinky strands tend to range between 8 - 20 inches. This proves to be one of my biggest challenges to date. Especially after recently doing a length check and discovering that the average length of my hair is between 16 - 18 inches long.
Havana Twists - Sometimes interchangeably called Kinky Twists. The definitive identifying quality used to represent this style is the over all size of the twists. Havana twists by nature are chunkier and require far more hair per twist in comparison to Kinky Twists. Also, there is a particular hair brand called Havana hair that is associated with this look . You have to buy the hair online though @ www.fingercomber.com . Havana hair is also kinky textured synthetic fiber, but the major difference with this brand is that this hair can be used again, whereas marley hair and brands similar to it can only be used once. The fibers used to make Havana hair is supposed to be more durable , hold the texture longer, and keep the hair looking presentable for a longer period of time.
Senegalese Twists - Unlike Kinky and Havana Twists, you can instantaneously determine the difference with this hairstyle because of the smoother and silkier look and feel these twists have. The reason for the difference rest with the fact that Senegalese twists are made using kanekalon hair or hair that is typically used for braiding. Another major difference the separates this style of twists is the length and color selection. Because a specific type of hair ( i.e. kinky textured hair ) is not required for this look, the hairstylist can select from a wide variety of lengths ranging from 8 - 84 inches long. They can also chose from virtually any color imaginable ( because braiding hair has a fantastic array of subtle & realistic to magically impossible hues to choose from) Size wise, these twists are usually installed in small to medium width, but can also be styled in a larger thicker/ chunkier form as well.
Yarn Twists- Although this is a pretty self explanatory style, I will explain anyway. Yarn twists are made by using yarn instead of the synthetic or human hair. These twists can range from whatever length or color that the person chooses. They can also be styled / made and installed in small , medium or large widths!!!
Now for those of you who are into the whole D.I.Y ( Do It Yourself ) movement like I happen to be, you are not even thinking about paying someone else to put any of the previously talked about hairstyles in your head!!! First of all it is expensive as all hell, and to be honest if you really want to get the maximum out of the hair style you are going to have to get a certain amount of it re-done after a few weeks if you are at all serious about keeping protective styles in your hair without having to switch it up often. Like I stated previously, I have watches youtube video's, blogs and the likes. Naturally I have retrieved enough information to become a professional hair stylist at this point. LOL. But, since we are talking about installing these by ourselves, here are a couple of installing methods that I would like to share:
Braid in Method - Simply put, you braid your hair in with the hair pieces that you are going to be using to create your hairstyle. First you braid your hair and the extension pieces like you would an ordinary braid approximately an inch or two down. This is to make sure that your hair and the extension hair are secured and will not unravel or become undone as soon as you begin the twisting process. After you have braided your hair and extension hair you then divide your hair into two sections. You evenly distribute your hair into each to the extension pieces, and begin two strand twisting your hair into the extension hair. Continue twisting until you reach the desired length. Depending on which type of hair of fabrics you are using, you may dip the ends in boiling hot water, burn them with a lighter or loop a small knot at the end of the twist to insure that the twist will not unravel.
Alikay Invisible Roots Method - My favorite and possibly the more challenging of the two methods is the Alikay invisible root method. Here the objective is to twist your hair from the root directly into the extension hair. This is done by measuring the size of your twist creating a small, medium or large section. Divide the portion of hair that you have selected into two even pieces. Place the extension hair in between the two pieces of your own hair. This should form an "X". Holding one section of your hair and a section of the extension hair, you begin to wrap the piece of your hair around the extension hair clockwise. Do the same thing to the other piece of your hair and the remaining extension piece, except twist your hair around the extension piece counterclockwise. Continue twisting the hair down in both sections individually about 1-2 inches. Then with the two pieces , you begin two strand twists. Make sure that your hair blends into the extension hair so that when your hair stops, it can successfully remain in the twist without altering the look of the hairstyle. When you twist your hair using this method depending on the color you decide upon, the hair looks as if it has grown out of your head and you merely styles it like this.
Alright... so now I have completely spilled the basics and quite possibly more than that to you all!!! LOL. As I mentioned earlier, I have been wrestling with whether to install Kinky twists or go with the Senegalese twists. Although I love the smooth look and the many different colors that I can choose from if I were to install Senegalese twists, I am missing the kinky coarse hair texture that I am craving. Plus from what I have read , it take a considerably longer amount of time to install Senegalese twist in comparison to Kinky Twists. And as the wise ol lady who had escaped from her burning apartment stated " Ain't Nobody Got Time fa Dat!!!" So, I am thinking that I would prefer to install Kinky Twists.... BUT... the hard thing that I am going to have to figure out, is if I can actually find kinky hair that is in fact 20 inches or more so that I do not have to worry about the twists unraveling or not twisting part my real hair. Because the objective is to keep all of my hair tucked away inside the twisted hair. I can't do that if my hair is the same length as the extension hair is!!! Hopefully I can get the second color and install the Kinkies the way I originally planned to do!!! Wish me luck!!! (^_^)
So... I am hopeful that I will be able to find kinky hair that is long enough and comes in the colors that I am looking for ( 1b for the front half of my hair and T1b/Burgandy and T1b/ Red )
* The "T" in T1b/Burgundy means that the hair is 1b at the top part of the hair and bleeds into the second color (burgundy in this case ) and the tip is Burgundy. T = Tipped hair
Well... I think I have covered a considerable amount of information in this particular blog!!! So I shall end it here!!! As always thank you for tuning in. Hope to see you soon to check out my next installment!!! Until then...
Well hello there love bugs!!! It has been a little minute now hasn't it??? BUT... I have managed to check back in before the year was out... better yet before the month was out!!! You gotta be proud of me for that . I know I am!!! LOL
Well, let's see what I have for you today!!! Well... today I took the time to wash my hair with another ayurvedic approach. I used Indian Healing Clay that was mixed as a really REALLY watery batch. The clay itself is called Bentonite clay. Many of you may know what that is ... but just in case you do not ... here is a brief introduction:
What is Bentonite Clay?
“Bentonite, also referred to as Montmorillonite, is one of the most effective and powerful healing clays. Bentonite can be used externally as a clay poultice, mud pack or in the bath and, in skin care recipes. A good quality Bentonite should be a grey/cream color and anything bordering “pure white” is suspect. It has a very fine, velveteen feel and is odorless and non-staining. The type of bentonite offered by Mountain Rose herbs is a Sodium Bentonite.” Bentonite Clay is composed of aged volcanic ash. The name comes from the largest known deposit of Bentonite Clay located in Fort Benton, Wyoming.
What Does it do? Bentonite Clay is a unique clay due to its ability to produce an “electrical charge” when hydrated. Upon contact with fluid, its electrical components change, giving it the ability to absorb toxins. Bentonite is known for its ability to absorb and remove toxins, heavy meats, impurities and chemicals. Bentonite clay carries a strong negative charge which bonds to the positive charge in many toxins. When it comes in contact with a toxin, chemical or heavy metal, the clay will absorb the toxin and release it’s minerals for the body to use. Bentonite also helps get oxygen to cells as it pulls excess hydrogen and allows the cells to replace it with oxygen instead. Bentonite clay is a common ingredient in detox and cleansing products. It has an alkalizing effect on the body and when taken correctly, it can help balance gut bacteria.Most ladies mix their bentonite clay with water to create a paste to apply to the hair and scalp, but some mix the clay with aloe vera juice to lower its pH down to match hair’s naturally acidic pH. There are several types of bentonite clay, each named after its respective dominant element, like magnesium, potassium, aluminum, etc. It has been said NOT to mix the clay with a metal spoon or tool supposedly because the minerals will interact with the metal and decrease its effectiveness. The most popular bentonite clay for hair seems to be Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay which of course is the clay that I am using!!!
Other Types of Clays: Naturally there is more than one clay that you can use for your hair and skin needs. I have listed a few others just to give you a feel for the different varieties. I specifically chose to use Bentonite clay mainly because it was easy to purchase, was readily available, and I believe it is one of the most common or basic forms of clay that most people are familiar with. I believe that once I get more involved in selecting clays for cleansing purposes, I will probably learn more towards the Rhassoul Clay. But for the time being , Bentonite is doing a pretty good job!!! (^_^)
Rhassoul Clay: Also known as Moroccan Ghassoul Clay, this mineral-rich clay is found in the Atlas mountains from Morocco. It has the ability to absorb impurities from the hair, unblock pores, reduce flakiness and dryness of both the scalp and skin and aid in detangling. While this clay also cleanses, unlike bentonite, it is said to leave the hair very soft so it doubles as a natural cleanser and conditioner. It is a bit pricier than Bentonite, some of the most popular brands are Kae Natural and Anita Grant Rhassoul Deep Conditioning Cubes and it is most commonly mixed with hot water and applied as a hair mask.
Kaolin Clay: Also called white clay, Kaolin is the most commonly used cosmetic clay. It is rich in silica and can also detoxify hair along with restoring moisture to dry and brittle hair.
Multani Mitti Clay: Commonly found in Indian groceries, this clay is a type of kaolin and is the result of decomposed volcanic ash. It is a very popular facial cleanser and mask but may also be used on hair to naturally cleanse tresses by absorbing oils and detoxifying the scalp. This is most commonly mixed with rosewater and your favorite oil and applied as a paste to the hair.
The last time I tried the whole powder mixture thing , the paste was so thick my hair started coming out. THIS time I made sure that I liquefied the formula so that it would be easier for me to saturate my hair with it as well as get my scalp coated. I LOOOOVVVEEEEDDDD IT!!! I will certainly be washing my hair with this clay again. I did not try using the boiling hot tea water though. Instead I mixed the clay with alo vera juice, water and a little bit of Apple Cider Vinegar. My curls were so beautiful after I finished applying the mixture all over my head. It was actually a shame to have to rinse it out! Speaking of rinsing it out... remember how I complained that the Kalpi- Tone would not rinse out no matter how hard I tried to get it out of my hair??? Well, I had absolutely no problem at all getting rid of the watered down clay mix. It was sooo refreshing, and my hair feels sooo clean!!! I believe it made it that much easier to detangle and style my hair as well.
As I mentioned earlier, I also managed to check the length of my hair. Yes, I know that I have been writing blogs for over a year and have yet to tell you the length of my hair!!! I know I am fired for this... And you are right!!! What have I been thinking??? Well, first of all I have not had the proper tools to even measure the lengths of my tresses!!! But , I changed all that last night when I purchased a cute little measuring tape specifically for the purposes of measuring the length of my hair. Although I never fully disclosed the official length of my hair before I began the waist length hair journey over a year ago, I can tell you that the most common length that I seemed to have was between 14-15 inches. I might have had one or two patches that stretched out to 16 inches, but by and large for the most part my longer strands were 14 or 15 inches long, and the shorter lengths 12 - 13 inches long. Well early this morning after I took my twists down ( I have been twisting my hair up in about 8-14 large twists , applying products and then wrapping my head with a scarf and keeping my head wrapped. ) and started measuring my hair. The most common length seemed to still be around 14 - 15 inches in length, only this time the longest patches of hair were around 16 - 17 inches long. Mind you , I did these measurements with dry hair that has not been pressed, flat ironed or manipulated in a manner to stretch the tresses to maximum length capacity. So basically , I was not getting a really accurate reading. So, after I finished washing my hair with the clay, I detangled , applied product and then measured my hair in all of the same places once again with my trusty little tape measure. This time, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Although I am certain that I was still not 100% accurate, I believe that I had more of a truer sense of how long my hair really was after measuring the lengths after washing my hair. So after that discovery, the most common lengths were between 16 - 17 inches long. With the longest patches of hair reaching 18 inches, and the shortest parts of my hair ( mainly the back part towards the nape ) measured between 14 - 15 inches long. To say that I was stoked is putting it mild. I also thought that I very well could have grown my hair a bit longer still if I had not been trimming it the way I have been. So, As of now, I have decided that I will no longer be trimming my hair at all. I am going to be working on wearing my hair with the least amount of manipulation, and keep it tucked away in some form of protective style majority of the time. So, it looks like I will be installing a set of kinky twists in the very near future!!! (^_^)
Well, that is all I have to share with you all about what has been going on lately. Hopefully I will be able to wrote another blog soon about various foods that I have decided to work into my diet!!!
I hope you have enjoyed today's post!!! And like always, I look forward to sharing with you all again very soon. Until then...
I am just going to get straight into it!!!Okay, I told you guys that I was going to start using Ayurvedic oils and powders to cleanse my hair right??? Well, last night I decided to try using Kalpi Tone. First of all, I believe I did maybe 5 things that I was not supposed to do.
#1: I had my hair in an old twist out. What that basically means is that my hair was extremely tangled to begin with.
#2: I only had one box of Kalpi Tone that was supposed to be applied to my entire head. Seeing as my hair is exceptionally thick, and has a decent amount of length to it ( from the front my hair stretched reached the middle part of my breasts, from the back it is below bra strap length ) I had to keep adding alo vera juice and water to the mix in order to stretch the content.
#3: I did not use shampoo to get the remains of the Kalpi Tone mud mixture out of my hair and scalp. #4: I did not wear gloves. So I had the mud paste caked all in between and betwixt my finger nails. It took me hours to get that crap from under my nails... there are still some grains stuck between the nooks and crannies.
#5: And the last thing that was a definite no no was the fact that I did not have more than 3 hours to devote to applying the application, sitting with the mixture in the sauna, rinsing the mixture out, having a successful detangling process.
With that said, I will tell you what I experienced first hand.
When I first applied the mud/ clay to my scalp, I was under the impression that it was going to be smooth and easy to manipulate and work into my hair and ends. Boy was I naïve. I tried to smooth the paste through my hair, and I felt my hair actually snag... multiple times!!! I mean... seriously, I was waaaaaayyyyy out of my element. It was like dragging my hair through a cheese grater. It was just that bad. Granted, I should have detangled my hair first. So, when I decide to tackle this experience again... I will most certainly make sure that my hair is in a more manageable state. Another thing that I will be doing , is making sure that I have enough powder AND that I make the consistency much thinner than how I first made the paste.
Did I notice a difference in my hair after rinsing out ( attempting to rinse out ) the mud/ clay mixture??? I might have been able to notice something if I was not so busy trying to detangle my hair from it's locked state!!! But I think my hair was a bit softer. Not sure though. I am going to have to have another go at this entire process in order to have an objective perspective!!! My curls might have been more defined , but I honestly could not tell.
I mixed Apple cider vinegar in the paste just to make sure that my scalp was going to be clean after I rinsed the mixture in my hair. And, to help with healing properties, I also added alo vera juice to cool my scalp. I don't think I mentioned this before, but for the past week or so my scalp has been very sore in different places. This tends to happen I believe once a year or so. Maybe a bit more often, but I have not paid it much attention to know for sure. Well, I had been putting extra dark castor oil on the problem eczema like scabs of what I originally thought was flake like dandruff. I still don't know what it is, but apparently Kalpi Tone I supposed to improve the health of my scalp. So, I am going to try this another time when I have more time.
Now, before I started using the item... naturally I read reviews and read some pretty funny stuff. One customer stated that some of the mixture got in her eye. She said she was shocked by how much more her eye burned by using the product than it had ever been when soap got in her eye. And that burning sensation did not let up until about an hour later. I laughed my butt off... that is until some flyaway hair covered in paste landed in my left eye. It burned so bad!!! I could not believe it!!! The only description I could imagine that would imitate what I was feeling was if someone were to say they experienced having a drop of gasoline drip into their eye. So yeah... you damn near have to wear protective eye glasses while applying this stuff. It's that serious.
Anywho, I do not have any pictures yet... because I do not have a phone yet to take said pictures. But the moment I get another phone, I shall take pictures throughout the paste making process, application, rinse and style.
The next time I do this, you better believe I am going to be far more prepared than I was this first time around. I guarantee you that !!!
Welp, I hope you enjoyed my post today. Hopefully I will have something more exciting to share with you soon. So, Until then...
довиждане (^_^)
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Hey now !!! Guess what ??? I just got that extra dark castor oil by Sunny Isle!!! Do I love it ??? Or do I LOVE IT!!! Man... can I just say that this was probably one of the best purchases that I have purchased in a hot minute!!! Some people have complained about the coffee / ash/ earth lik fragrance, but I <3 the way it smells!!! I noticed right away that my hair held more moisture with the coating of the thick oil on both my roots and the ends of my hair!!! It has been stated in various vlogs and blogs alike that this particular dark version of the well known oil is supposed to be able to grow your hair. But more than that, it is supposed to decrease the amount of split ends that one experiences, gets rid of dandruff and keeps the hair well hydrated. That in and of itself should promate that ability for the hair to grow.
Sunny Isle Extra Dark Jamaican Black Castor Oil
So, what I plan on doing is monitering how well this works on my hair by looking at how long I can keep my hair in the double strand twists before removing them. What I have planned on doing is spraying my scalp and hair nightly with a mixture of water and oils that I have mixed together in a spray bottle. With this new routine, I am trying to make sure that my hair remains moisturized daily. With summer getting ready to take off in full hot as hell strength, I have to make sure that my hair does not dry out in the process.
I still do not plan on straightening my hair to see exactly what the length is, but, I am pretty sure that it is below bra strap at this point. ( From some side pieces that I was detangling, the hair stretched to the side of my breasts and stopped there ... in the middle I would say) I might have to get one of those shirts that have measurments details on them so that in the mirror you can tell how long your hair is. LOL.
Fruit of the month:
Ranier Cherries
Cherries ladies and gents!!! If you have not picked up a bag of cherries yet... you need to take your self over to the closest grocer and pick up a pack!!! They are especially sweet this time of year, and they are packed with nutients, antioxidents and so much more good stuff it is imporssible for me to write it all. It is also known as a super food!!! Does it help in hair growth??? I have no idea, but there is no way it could hurt!!! I am going to pick up another pack as soon as I am done writting thig here blog!!! LOL
So anywho, that Extra Dark castor oil is a big YES on the list of items to add to the regular routine!!! I purchased the 4oz bottle from http://www.outerbeautysupply.com . Actually this site has a great deal of awesome products for people with natural textured hair!!!
Well, that is all I have to share for now!!! I hope you enjoyed the post!!! Like always, I hope to see you back again soon!!! Til then...
I decided to start a new Blog since we are now looking at year two from the original goal of achieving waist length hair!!! Okay, so let's face it ... I am starting this Blog some 3 months tardy!!! BUT... in my defense, I have learned soooo much new information that I can now share since my hiatus.
But, first... I am just going to make this post. Brief and to the point.
Currently my hair rests just below BSL ( Bra Strap Length ). My current goal is to achieve waist length hair by April 2014. Well in order to meet that goal I would have to have about 4 - 6 inches of new hair growth. At this point, I believe that goal is possible. Mainly because I have a completely better understanding about what I have to do in order to maintain both the health and strength of my hair.
In the months to come, I will be discussing some of the new products I have placed into regular rotation as well as some of my go to low manipulation hair styles. As often as possible I will talk about various foods and oils that will promote better health and how to visually see a difference in your hair skin and nails by eating an drinking healthy organic produce and beverages.
I will also start divulging information that I discover about Ayurvedic hair care and what that means for the health of your hair.
In the mean time ... here is a hair chart with some important information on how to grow your hair... and for folks like me ... pay particularly close attention to the curly hair part!!! (^_^)
