THIN HAIR =(

My hair is thin and breaking.

I am not happy at all!!!

That being said, I got my hair washed and DCd at Reflexions exactly one week ago. The last 2 days, my hair has been wrapped up and hidden. Thank God.

Here's the plan:

I'm going to continue to condition and baby my hair as best I can. I have anywhere between 3/4 to an inch of NG and I will use BT until the last week of November. I will get a relaxer in Dominica on either the first or second week there.

Till then, I will try to keep my hair hidden, use the olive oil silk elements conditioners I got, combined with protein and get my hair DCd with heat at the hair salon during Thanksgiving weekend or earlier if the opportunity presents itself.

So help me God.

YAKI WIG ARRIVED...

Very good quality but super long. It didn't shed and the color and lace color were very good. For the price, it was worth it. I cut it a little bit with hair shears and put some product in it. I also tried to curl it to no avail. I did manage to make it look super sleek when I used my flat iron on it. That worked wonders.

I however gave it my niece because while I liked it, it was too long for me at 16 inches. I am however considering the purchase of another wig. There is another ebay seller selling synthetics at $39.99 plus $5 shipping. I think a wig with some curl and body would be a good idea. His/Their (divaluxurysupplies) rating is at 97.9% which is not bad. I just wish the shipping was free. 

Here are the options I am considering:

Synthetic Hair Lace Front Body Curly Wig

Synthetic Hair Lace Front Deepwave Wig

There is also the option of purchasing a human hair wig from the seller (donnaqualitywigs) I bought the other wig from. I wish they had a synthetic similar to the ones at divaluxurysupplies because I would buy one immediately, despite the complications from last time.

Here are the human hair wigs that I am considering:

Wig Curly 100% Full Indian Remy Human Hair

Spanish Wave Full Indian Remy Human Hair

I will keep deliberating on which one to get. I do think that it will be smarter to purchase a synthetic curly unit prior to getting a human hair one. That way, I can learn how to take care of it without the expense of a real one that will be approximately 3 times more in cost.

WIG DELIVERY UPDATE

I got a phonecall from a "Chris" on behalf of donnaquality wigs giving me an update on the delayed receipt of my exchange wig.

It has been over a week of waiting and I sent an email on Saturday evening informing them that I wanted an immediate update on what was going on. I received an email on Sunday saying the wig would arrive on Tuesday, plus an apology.

Tuesday came and at 12:59pm I got a call from 410-224-5877 and Chris explained that indeed the hair I received was a #1b and not a #2 and that he had to order new hair. He also mentioned that he'd run out of light lace and thus had to get some of that as well. He then apologized and said that the wig would arrive on Wednesday morning (tomorrow). I asked for a delivery notification number and he said he'd email it to my ebay account.

We shall see.

HAIR WASH

I washed my hair on Sunday. I put some oil in it as a prepoo in the morning.

When I finally washed later that day, I shampood with Suave coconut shampoo, then put keratin treatment for about 3-5 minutes. I later put the Silk Elements con in my hair and left it on for about an hour. When I rinsed it out, my hair felt a little too mushy so I applied the keratin treatment again and my hair felt better.

I then let it airdry. Once 90% dry, I applied my moisture mix, CHI silk infusion, CHI keratin spray and sealed.

My hair feels fine. I moisturized it after my run on Monday and I continue to moisturize my edges and ends. I am aiming to hide my ends this week and keep my hair moisturized, as winter is coming and the weather is getting cold/dry.

Will apply BT on my scalp today. I need to maintain a regular 2-3 times a week regimen with that. Hopefully, I will grow about an inch by my next touch up.

HAIR LENGTH CHART IN INCHES FOR WIGS

I'm considering buying a new wig and was trying to figure out what the lengths would mean for me. Looking at the pic above, a 16" wig would be just fine. I'm going to buy this wig -

 

I'm getting it in 16". It is a synthetic but is only $39 and is free shipping. The seller "donnaqualitywigs" has a feedback score of 99.3% on ebay and has at least 150 transactions as of today. So, I will place the order and hope for the best. My reasoning for buying this wig and not one of her human hair wigs is that:

1. price: very affordable what with free shipping being included
2. cost effective: I doubt I will wear the wig on a regular basis, so for price, it seems like a steal
3. Synthetic: I don't have to baby it like I would my own hair. And, given price, I can always buy another one if I like what I have and just want a back up.

Okay, off to purchase. Yipee!

UPDATE (Oct. 6): Purchased wig and it arrived in about a day. However, the hair came all the way down to just about 2" above my butt. I sent it back for a 16" and asked for the lace to be a light brown instead of a medium brown. I mailed it back on Saturday and it arrived in FL on Monday. Now waiting to receive the replacement wig.

HAIR PROCESS

Washed my hair last night. I started using my Suave Clarifying conditioner instead of shampoo, but with all the BT, tea tree oil and other products on my scalp, the cowash was a no go. I had a lot of gunk on my scalp and I know from experience that only causes problems.

So I went upstairs and got hubby's moisturizing shampoo. I put in my hair and went at my scalp. I then rinsed. After that, I applied the clarifying conditioner. Then I put Aphogee 2-min keratin con in my hair for about 5 minutes. After rinsing, my hair felt sooo good and I didn't want to do anything else.

Anyway, I applied the new Silk Elements Mayonaise and left it in for approximately 45 minutes. Once I rinsed, my hair felt very good. I then let it airdry for about an hour and a half. Once 95% dry, I sprayed my moisture mix, applied Chi silk infusion and then sealed. I also applied tea tree oil to my scalp. Hair feels good but we'll see what it looks like once completely dry.

=)

CHANGES TO HAIR REGIMEN

It seems that my hair has been at pause since at least January 2009. After months of trying to grow it out, it seems that I have lost length and remained at the same 'grazing APL' stage.

Thus, it is time to figure out what changes are necessary to improve my regimen and my hair growth journey.

MOISTURE: I think I need to include baggying into the routine. Maybe on Saturday nights, I can baggy my hair. I probably will baggy once a week until I know whether it makes sense or not. I also will pay special attention to my edges and my ends. I tend to do a good job keeping the length of my hair moisturized but need to step up the attention the rest of my hair and scalp receives.
GROWTH AIDS: I want to use BT 2-3 times a week as well. I know it works and will guarantee at least an inch of NG within an 8 week period which is what I need. I also want to use JBCO to thicken my hair and help it grow but will only purchase once my BT is finished.
DUSTING: I need to step this up and actually do it once a month. I dusted about 2 weeks ago and must keep it up.
DCs: I thought I was doing okay but maybe I need to step this up as well. I think heated DCs once a month at least, will be helpful to my end goal. I however do not like the way my scalp feels after sitting under a dryer so therein lies the irony. Nevertheless, I will do a heated DC once a month and will also have longer DCs of 45-60 minutes.

WIGGIN' IT TO GET TO APL

Looks like I have been grazing APL for a while. Since I want to get there, I think I will wig it up, again, as a protective style this winter. Here is the wig I will get



Malaysia* Light Yaki Synthetic Full Lace Wig
http://www.nassnig.org/nass/news.php?id=96

It is a synthetic wig though but it looks incredible. Also it is long enough so I can cut the hair when the ends start to go nutty.

HAIR PROGRESS PICS

JANUARY 2009




 JANUARY 2010


APRIL 6, 2010

JUNE 15, 2010

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

RELAXER & CORRECTIVE

Got a relaxer ans was left underprocessed!!!!


Thank goodness I adequately combed out my NG so that wasn't an excuse. My hair relaxed in the middle but not around the edges all over my head.

Two weeks later, (Friday, September 17th), I went for a corrective. Thankfully, I only had to pay for a wash and set. The relaxer was better but still have unprocessed hair. I also had burns because I didn't plan on getting a corrective =( I have been using tea tree oil on my scalp and moisturizing my hair as much as possible. My hair has been curly and I actually love it. It's different and I simply do pin curls at night and my hair comes out looking great.

Since I will only be stretching for approximately 10 weeks, my plan is to use BT for 8 weeks at least 2-3 times a week. Then I will get a relaxer from Ines in Dominica by God's grace. If she is as good as she was the last time, my whole head will be processed. I will evaluate my length at that point and see how close I am to APL/BSL. I aspire to get to BSL by summer 2011 God willing. After my next relaxer, I will use JBCO (Jamaican black Castor Oil) as a growth aid. Hopefully it will help make my hair a little thicker.

Up next: some hair length pics.

NEW PURCHASE: SILK ELEMENTS MEGASILK INTENSE CONDITIONING MAYONAISE

Just bought the above mentioned product at Sally's. Once opened it looks very different from the previous conditioner I used to buy and this has little bits of what look like herbs in it. Will see how it works.

RELAXER PREP

So, there's another You + 1 event this Friday and I'm going to have to put my best face and hair forward. =0

In order to get my hair in order, I have to get a relaxer. Thus, I will wash my hair today and take care of my NG in order to get it ready for Friday. I just called Reflexion II and Evelyn said I can bring my kids with me. Since the salon opens at 9:30 am, I will aim to be there by 10am or 10:30 am with the boys strapped into their stroller. I will take crackers, bags of chips and juice boxes for them. The entire relaxer will likely take 2-3 hours. As long as I give them a snack every 30-5 minutes they will be fine. I will also take strawberries in their spiderman containers.

As for prep work - I will shampoo then apply Aphogee 2 min Keratin con for about 5 minutes. Then I will apply Silicon mix for about 30 minutes and rinse. Once the hair airdries, I will apply some KODL, CHI silk infusion and blow dry. I will blow dry in sections and will comb and brush out the NG. I will also put castor oil pomade on my scalp. Once completed, I will seal with castor oil.

WIG UPDATE

I tried the Mira wig again and was not feeling it at all. It is possible that the fact that Bomboy was misbehaving was a factor in my inability to focus.

Anyway, I have decided upon the following.

I will wait until next week to get a relaxer. I will take a good look at the condition and length of my hair. I will use BT for approximately 8-10 weeks, 2 - 3 times a week. Around November, I will purchase a new wig for myself. It must be human hair, must have at least 2 inches of parting space, must be between 14 and 16 inches.

The wig i am now considering is the Sensationnel Ashley

It costs $119 at hairwigharlem.com as of today. It is similar to my mariah wig but it is human hair so it will last longer.

Hope this plan works.

SETBACK

So after 3 weeks of straightening my hair, I experienced a set back.

DUH!

Its my first setback in almost 18 months. I have lost approximately 2 inches on the left side of my head in the back. It is very frustrating especially as I am so close to full APL. I plan on dusting my ends and getting a relaxer next weekend. I will not get a trim however, and will instead, wait until Dominica to get a trim. Then I will trim again at the next relaxer.

Until then, I will use BT, post relaxer to grow my hair in the setback area and hope it will all catch up and look okay by summer 2011. I hope by then I will BSL and have no setbacks.

What I have learned is that, I probably should not use the CHI curling iron anymore. I think that is partly why it broke off. My FHI flat iron is probably a better option for when I want to straighten my hair. I can use the CHI to tame my roots but should stick to the FHI. The way the CHI clamps down on my hair is likely no good.

*sigh*

POTENTIAL NEW WIG PURCHASE

I discovered the Beshe Mira wig and I'm in love!!!

It is a human hair wig and cost $120 at the wig outlet in new carrolton. I however found it for $79.99 at hairwigharlem.com and will order it.

Yes, I have not used my Mariah wig in almost a year and technically I do not need a wig. However, with the setback I suffered when I straightened my hair 3 weeks in a row, I am reminded that my wig prevents the need to apply heat at home and preserves the integrity and health of my hair. If I am ever going to get to APL and full BSL, I have to be aggressive in maintaining length. My no-heat approach obviously works towards that goal and I should not mess around. I remember when I had a setback of uneven ends and breakage when I was going to Sintia's while stretching.

So, I will purchase the wig and use it when I need to go places and don't want to style my hair. I will also purchase a plastic wig stand from the wig outlet so that I can house this wig properly. I will have to be careful cutting the lace and caring for the wig. I should find out what to do with my old wig....

APHOGEE REVIEWS

I have used Aphogee thrice and like it. The first time, I left it in for about 10 minutes and followed up with SECon. The next time, I left it in for about 2 minutes and followed up with Silicon Mix Bantu. I didn't like that combo, Silicon Mix always makes my hair thin.

The 3rd time, I had shampooed, applied 10 en 1 for about 10 minutes, rinsed and applied SECon for about 15 minutes and then put some Aphogee throughout my hair but particularly on my ends and then rinsed.

I applied Silk Infusion and Keratin spray, then blowdried. My hair felt dry so I sprayed my moisture mix and curled my hair. Once completed, I added some more silk infusion and then sealed with CO Pomade. It looks good and I will add a little oil mix to my scalp later on today.

NEW PURCHASE: APHOGEE 2-MIN KERATIN RECONSTRUCTOR

So, I gave in and bought the bottle for $10. I have been using the product's sample packages for a while and decided to simply buy the bottle. It works on my hair.

I used it on Thursday evening and left it in for approximately 5 minutes, rinsed and then put Silk Elements Con in my hair for a few minutes in the shower and rinsed. My hair felt just fine.

Today, at exactly one week post wash, my hair feels crappy, but that is because I have been sweating. It also feels a little under moisturized, I must confess. I have put some of my oil mix in it and will wash tomorrow (Friday) after our trip to the pool.

I have avoided going to the hair salon, but I think I will go there next Thursday when Husband is home from work. It will be nice to get my scalp cleaned and get a heated DC.

ANOTHER FAB HAIR WEEK!

I washed my hair on Tuesday to excellent results, again.

I shampooed, then put KOProtein con in my hair for 20 minutes and then Silk Elements Olive Oil Con for 10 minutes

Once washed, i left my hair to air dry for about four hours My hair was silky and straight. I applied moisture mix, Silk Infusion and a little jojoba oil. I also applied castor oil to my scalp the next day and sealed with castor oil pomade My hair looks lovely and feels fabulous.

I am really enjoying the results i am getting from these deep conditioners. My next wash, I will try the same regimen and see if the results are similar. If not, then the following weekend, i will go to Reflexion and get a DC without the blowout.

POST RELAXER WASH

10 days after my relaxer at Reflexions, I washed and conditioned my hair. I used suave tropical coconut shampoo and scrithed the hell out of my scalp.

I then applied aphogees 2 minute keratin reconstructor which I left in for about 15 minutes. After rinsing out, I applied silicon mix bambu for 10 minutes. My hair felt like butter and I was so happy. I let my hair airdry a bit and then I put some moisture mix, a little KODL, and some oil mix. The next morning my hair was still damp but I applied silk infusion and sealed with castor oil pomade.

My hair was gorgeous! Soft yet strong. Hardly any breakage and no shedding. I wonder if this regimen every week would be too much fir my strands. Neverthless, this weekend, I will use the KO protein con and silk elements con. Hopefully, my hair will love it. The weekend after that, I will go back to Reflexions for a deep conditioner.

It's been a great hair week so far. Yay!!

RELAXER UPDATE & NEW SALON

So, after 9 weeks, it was time to get a relaxer and on June 5th, i got one. Being that my last relaxer at Sintia's was whack and that their management insinuated that I was lying about the underprocessing, I opted to go somewhere new. I went to Reflexion instead, located on MLK Blvd.

Nice spot, clean, friendly staff. Lila (sp?) gave me a touch up and could not believe I was barely 2 months post. I used Alter Ego and experienced some burning, but the Lila was very careful and worked hard to not only keep me comfortable, but get my hair straight. The burning was obviously a result of the major scratching I engaged in just the days before.

I got blown out by Rosie/Rosa and she was very careful to not burn my scalp which is a skill no Dominican has exhibited before while doing my hair. Still, my scalp has been itching and I wonder if it is the relaxer or something else. I got a trim and spent a total of $60 because there was a $15 off sale on all procedures. It took the same amount of time as it would have at Sintia's and quite frankly, I don't think I will go back to Sintia's anytime soon, especially since it wasn't like a hair factory at Reflexion.

Currently, I need approximately 1-2 inches to get to APL (AGAIN!) Frustrating as it is, I just have to stay focused. I plan on stretching for 13 weeks until September 4th. I will then try to stretch another 13 weeks with a relaxer on the 4th of December.

MISS KEYS 10 EN 1

My good Lord! What a horrible product.

I purchased this and was so excited to use it only to be disappointed. It did not moisturize my hair, but instead left it feeling crunchy and dry. I am not sure why. I added some oils and then used it on TE's hair, with the same result.

I am not quite sure how I would implement this product into my regimen and therefore, I will not try.

=(

WASH DAY AFTER SWEARING IN

I was sworn in as a US Citizen, yay!!!

Well, I needed to wash up my hair so, I shampooed with Castille Soap and then conditioned with KOProtein condition and left it on for 25 minutes. I then DCd with Silicon Elements Olive Oil for 40 minutes.

My hair felt incredible afterwords. Very strong and I noticed little to no breakage or shedding.

However as a week approached, I started to notice shedding and am preparing to wash and DC with Miss Key 10 en 1. I hope my hair will like it, but we will see. I will simply leave it in for about 35 minutes.

NEW PRODUCTS

I now am the proud owner of

Silicon Mix Bambu which I took to the salon some weeks ago for a deep condition.

 And,

Miss Key 10 en 1

My hair felt good after using Silicon Mix bambu but all that heat left my scalp dry and unhappy. No mas!

HORRIBLE RELAXER RESULTS

I AM NOT HAPPY WITH MY TOUCH UP RESULTS!!!

The back of my head did not texlax, talk less of relax. I am experiencing breakage and after spending $65 plus $10 in tips, I am far from pleased. I am going to call the salon today and ask for a refund or at least half off on my next relaxer. Will see how that goes.

ANOTHER RELAXER

After 13 weeks, I finally got a touch up yesterday. I used Mizani butter blends and got a heated deep con for 20 minutes, which was nice. As usual, I didn't get a blow out but came home and put some castor oil on my scalp.

My hair looks thin as usual and I am not pleased. Additionally, in some spots, the relaxer did not 'take'. My nape on the right is disgusting and will require a lot of work to build that spot up again. I will give myself a trim and dusting very soon.

This morning, I sprayed my moisture mix in my hair just to add some moisture. Tomorrow, I will likely spray my Keratin mix and follow with the silk infusion. I will keep products to a minimum however and come Friday, my BT usage begins again. I also plan to go get a deep con in 2 weeks and try to that every 2 weeks between now and when I get a relaxer in 8 weeks right before my trip to Nigeria.

My relaxer was done by Margarita, who i would use again
Wash and set was done by Elise, again such a wonderful person

PRE RELAXER TIME AGAIN

I just washed my  hair on Sunday. I prepood before going to  the gym - some Silk Elements con, and oil mix in my hair. Left my hair looking really good, actually. When I returned about 3 hours later, I washed with castille soap and then did a quick protein con in the shower. I then put silk elements olive oil con in my hair for less than 30 minutes, rinsed and my hair felt alright.

I let it airdry and then blow dried. When I pull my hair on my chest for a length check, I am almost at APL.

Although i want to get a relaxer this weekend, I think I will wait until next weekend. I spent most of my money buying domain names and hosting for a project that might not even happen. So, I'm very low on funds right now. So, i will spend the time between now and relaxer day, prepping my scalp and hair for the process.

VISIT TO SINTIA'S

I went to Sintia's to get a DC last night but was a little disappointed.

The lady who washed my hair, Elise, was just fine. However, she only put me under the dryer for about 10 minutes. After about 5 minutes of being under, the lady that usually relaxes my hair asked me to come out. I told her I had only been under for 5 minutes. Then, this big lady, used to work at the Bowie Dominican place that shut down, said that 5 minutes is fine, to which I responded that I planned to stay under a little longer. The dryer soon shut off and because all the ladies were busy with other people's hair, I sat for another 5 minutes with conditioner for almost a total of 20 minutes. I mentioned to the evening manager, Heather (I think) that I did not appreciate having a conversation on the matter.

I did not get a blow out and am very happy about that. My hair did not need the extra heat and it swangs and has incredible bounce without it. Based on this experience, I don't think I will get a blow out EVER again. It just isn't necessary unless there is something going on.


Anyway, before going to bed, I put some oil on my scalp and wrapped my hair. I left my hair wrapped the next day until it was time to pick TE up from school. My hair looks and feels great. I am convinced that my hair is doing okay. It could be doing better but so far so good. I will do a seek and destroy/dusting this weekend and when next I wash my hair, I will use the Silk Elements con I purchased. I wish I had a hooded blow dryer so that I could sit under for a little bit. I think that would help prepare my hair for the next relaxer which is in 2 weeks.

Well, overall, I am happy with my hair. The shedding/breakage of earlier this week has stopped for now. The thinness I was experiencing for all these months is done for now and I simply need to keep my hair happy between now and my next relaxer. I hope to accomplish that with head massages, low manipulation and not exposing my ends and hair to the elements as much as I can.

Once I get relaxed, I will go back to BT and use it 2-3 times a week for the first 8 weeks. For the last 2 weeks, I plan to relax before traveling to Nigeria, I will moisturize my scalp once a day with oils.

Hoping for the best

PROTEIN OVERLOAD IS NO GOOD!

 It appears I gave my hair too much protein over the weekend as I am experiencing significant shedding.

I have been managing the situation with moisturizers and just blow dried and straightened my hair so that I can determine what my hair will look like for an interview this weekend (wig or no wig).

Oh boy. I plan on going to get my hair washed and DCd at Sintia's as soon as possible so that  I can rectify the situation.

I will not get a blow out, but will simply have my hair wrapped and leave.

I am 10 weeks post today and hoping to go another 2 weeks before a relaxer.

PROTEIN SUNDAY

I had planned on doing a henna treatment this weekend, but the weekend flew by so quickly, it just never happened. So instead, I turned to what I had at my fingertips and got it cracking.

I did a KOProtein DC for almost an hour. Once I rinsed, my hair felt alright but it clearly needed some more strength. So I mixed some of my oil mix, an egg, and some Silicon Mix, put it in my hair for about 25 minutes. The results were what I was looking for. My hair felt heavy and strong. After that I put some more Silicon Mix in my hair and combed it out. Lots of shed hairs, which was disturbing as usual. But my hair felt so silky smooth after that, it was amazing.

I let my hair airdry and then applied some moisture mix. I am going to put some silk infusion in it later and hope for the best. Because of an upcoming interview, I will put some heat in my hair this week, just to see how it behaves, as it has been a while since I have applied heat myself. If it works out, then I will style my hair for the weekend. If not, I will go to Sintia's to get my hair done.

Hoping for the best.

HAIR STILL FEELS GOOD

It took me 2 weeks to finally wash my hair because i was sick. That, combined with extreme dry conditions in the house, left my hair super dry.

So, I did a quick wash with TJCS, followed with a cowash. Then, I applied th ORS RP Con and left it in my hair for over an hour. After washing it out, I again did an ACV rinse.

Post wash, I sprayed Keratin mix, moisture mix and then left it to dry. I later sealed.

My hair ended up feeling a tad dry still, so I continued to add moisture mix until it felt better. I sealed with Jojoba oil. IT seemd to take a whle, but my hair feels good. Not as great as it did the last time, but it still feels very good.

We are going to NC this weekend, so if I don't manage to wash my hair on Friday, it won't get washed ntil MOnday at the latest. I plan on going back to my old method of doing a protein DC followed by a Silicon Mix DC. I will then do an ACV rise and hope for the best.

NEW PRODUCTS

I re-upped on conditioners. I purchased the KO protein con that works on my daughter and I's hair. I also bought Silicon Mix con. It was $9.99 instead of the normal $12.99, so I bought it instead of the Silicon Mix Perla con.

I also boght a dye applicator comb for use on TE's hair when I need to part her hair for plaiting. I need to keep it out of the boy's reach however, because the rattail comb on it is pure metal and thus, dangerous.

FANTABULOUS HAIR

So I washed my hair yesterday and got some fabulous results!

My hair was a mess after lots of running during the week. I washed with my TJCS and made sure to remove any buildup on my scalp. I then put an ORS Replenishing Pak in my hair and left that on for over an hour. I rinsed out the conditioner and then did an ACV rinse.

I let my hair air dry a bit and then put some Keratin Mix in it because as usual with ORS RP my hair seemed a little too soft for my liking. After that, I sprayed a little bit of my moisture mix (which now includes grapeseed oil and almond oil). I let that airdry for about another 2-3 hours and then I sealed with my oil mix (olive oil, castor oil, grapeseed oil) and then wrapped up my hair for the night.

This morning, I combed out my hair and it was incredibly soft, luxurious and shiny. It felt the way it did in Dominica after getting it done at the salon, but of course, I added no heat. I am very pleased with the result. The last few weeks, I have wondered whether this ORS RP is a good fit, and apparently it is. I will still purchase my Silicon Mix, KOProtein and Silk Elements CONs over the next few weeks. But, this last experience with ORS RP has me convinced that for the winter time, it is a good product for deep CONs and so I will purchase it (saw small bottle for about $6 at supermarket).

POTENTIAL NEW PRODUCT

ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner.

I currently use the pak (1.75 oz) which costs $1.22 at Safeway and I think it has the right balance of protein and moisturizer for my hair, particularly in the winter. Additionally, it allows me to skip an entire process, as I used to dc with protein and then moisturizing con.

It seems to be available for about $12 (12.25 oz) so I'll look to buy it when I run out of paks. There is also a larger bottle (23 oz)

HAIR LENGTH UPDATE

Seems I need about 1.5 to 2 more inches to graze APL. I don't like how long it is taking me to get to APL. At this rate, I will not be fully APL until August/September 2010. =(

IT'S BEEN A WHILE...

I didn't wash my hair for 3 weeks! And when I did I used the ORS Olive Oil Replenishing pak (45 minutes deep condition) and it left my hair super soft. However, I used my Keracare foaming wrap lotion and followed up with my moisture mix to horrendous results. I ended up with a sticky film in my hair but it seemed to evaporate each time I went outside and that cold air whipped my hair.

Anyway, as of today, my hair feels great! I have been moisturizing since Wednesday and sealing with my grapeseed/olive/castor oil mix and that seems to work. I will likely wash my hair again on Monday. I need to dust my ends though because in the last few weeks, I haven't hidden them as I should.