Bangs Save the Day

So last year I went with the grain and joined the bang movement. Now I've always had a love hate relationship with bangs. I yearn for them when I don't have them and after about a month or so despise them when I get them. I've had them for quite a while now and I'm beginning to endure the same never ending battle yet again, should I or shouldn't I? I decided I should...the reason why is I realized how much an integral part of stretching my bangs have truly been. That's right my bangs have been the MAIN reason I've been able to push my stretches to the limit. Although I mainly wear my hair back in a bun or phony curly phony, when it's time to go out I pull down my bangs, apply some heat protectant spray, bump the ends with my curling iron on low heat, slick the back in a pony, add some hair to make a sleek chignon and voila! Whether its date night with the hubby, hanging with the girls, rushing to a business meeting or some type of special occasion or event, I end up with a nice quick and classy style that suits all occasions.

R.I.P Michael Jackson

So I just walked in and I know by now you all have heard Michael Jackson has died. I am awestruck and deeply saddened by the news. I know there have been not so nice reports etc about him the past few years but seriously folks this man has done so much over the years for music: breaking down barriers, crossing color lines, setting records that STILL are not broken from decades ago. MJ proved that "black music" wasn't just R&B or Blues, that we can do Pop and be successful. He's opened the doors for sooooo many artist that its unbelievable. For those people who have nothing good to say and cant show the respect (and there have been a few throughout the day) understand this....if you like, Ne-yo or Usher or Chris Brown, or Beyonce, you like Mike because EVERY last one of them, and countless others, have sampled, his style, his dance or his music. I am proud to have been brought up in a generation where Mike was THE MAN and if you come from that era I know you feel the pain. He will truly be missed!

Listening to YOUR hair

So I will be 7 weeks post this Sunday and I am seriously woofing. Since stretching is so new for me I'll be the 1st to say it ain't easy!!! Learning to be creative with your styles, laying your hair down and keeping it that way. Not to mention fixing your hair for special events and occasions...My week is full with evening events and sad to say I'm thinking more about my hairstyles than what to wear. Not to mention the mission of battling new growth, being more gentle than usual to avoid breakage etc. Whew...so now that that's out I will tell you this, you can make things a whole lot easier on yourself if you pay attention to what your hair is telling you. That's right, listen to your hair. Keep using what works! If you want to try new products try incorporating them one at a time and try each one for a couple of weeks or tries (at the very least) b/4 you introduce a new product. If one is hurting your hair and one is helping how will you know which one to terminate from your regimen? I've learned a lot about what my hair likes over the past couple of months and stretches. Hair are some things that work for me at the end of my stretch aka the breaking point-lol:

1 - Decreasing my washes to a maximum of 2x/wk and only cowashing
2 - Moisturizing my "alopecia patch" 2x/day (for some reason at about 5 wks the hair in that spot gets extremely dry and brittle and requires extra moisture)
3 - At around the 6th week - upping my protein (light) treatments to 1x/wk at (prior I do them 1-2x/mo)
4 - Prepooing w/heat (I always prepoo but the heat really softens up that new growth)
5 - Using my hair steamer (let me tell you this is a real life saver - can you say softness?!)
6 - Decreasing the number of x's I oil my scalp w/castor oil (the less digging the less breakage).
7 - "laying down" my edges etc at night b/4 bed so when I repeat the process in the morn I get a much neater/sleeker look.
8 - Detangling b/4 my wash (I dont need to this step before 5-6 wks but it helps tremendously when you get to that point - oh and I let the detangler sit on for about 2 minutes, while I massage it in before I start the detangling process. It really loosens up the hairs this way)

That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure I'll start noticing even more things that work as I continue on my journey. Hope some of this helps at least 1 of you but also remember everything that works for me may not work for you. So again. Listen to YOUR hair because it's definitely talking to you!

Wen vs. Hair One

Okay so I finally got my Wen, which I ordered back in April but let's not even talk about that. Once I saw that my order was gonna take a "couple" of wks to get here I went out and purchased Hair One (yes I'm impatient but I wanted to do a fair comparison and not rule something out b/c of price). Now I know some of you may wanna curse me for saying this but I wasn't impressed w/Hair One. I purchased the Olive Oil cleanser and it just doesn't float my boat. Just not a fan. It was okay but that's it. Great tingle however!

So finally my Wen comes in the mail the other day and I used it yesterday on my wash day. Now I wasn't excited b/c of the mediocrity of the Hair One so I waited to use it but I must say Wen is all the rave! Immediately when I applied it to the scalp I felt a huge difference in the two products. Wen automatically felt smooth and thick on my scalp. It felt very soft and moisturizing. It felt more like a conditioner. The only thing that was better about Hair One is that it tingled more but I may have had some build up, idk. To be fair, I will give it another shot and use Hair One with the exact same pre-poo that I did for Wen to see if I feel the same but so far Wen has my vote hands down!

Hair Tip

Hair's tha thing....When purchasing products for chemical and coloring services most companies advise you to base your hairline, nape ears etc with petroleum in order to prevent staining. Some companies even provide you with small packets. One concern I see many bloggers and followers in the hair community discussing is the use of petroleum. It "suffocates the scalp", "it's too greasy", "hard to wash out".

If you didn't already know, here's a great tip. Instead of using petroleum, you can use your favorite condish or a cheapie to base those areas. (I use either or,they both work great). It's easy to rinse out and not only does it prevent staining just as effectively but your strands are getting added conditioning while you perform your chemical services!

Try it and let me know how you like it - Happy Hair Growing!

PR - Hobé Naturals

(pronounced ho-bay)I came across this product line while shopping in Vitamin Shoppe replenishing my Jojoba oil. Each bottle read 100% pure with vitamin E and I thought hey why not. I am very particular about my oils b/c I've tried so many and I've content with my faves thus far but the pj in me couldn't resist. Plus the jojoba was 10 bucks and each bottle of Hobé was 4.59...2 for the price of 1 is better for me anytime! I purchased the Apricot Kernel Oil (AK)- Nourishing Humectant for Sensitive Skin and the Sweet Almond Oil (SA)- Soothes and Softens for Beautiful Skin and let me tell you I'm in love. These oils are definitely going into my regimen (posting soon).

My pre-poo contained the AK Oil and immediately when I rinsed all the dryness I'd been feeling disappeared, my strands felt moisturized. I knew it was the oil b/c that was the only thing I'd changed in my prepoo mixture. Likewise with my deep condish I added the SA oil and immediately when I rinsed, my strands felt silky, smooth and soft to the touch. With this product you get the benefit of your favorite oil plus the added softness of vitamin e w/o the oily buildup that comes along with it. I love this stuff!!

AK Directions: Lightly massage AK oil into skin areas requiring deep moisturization. Can also be used in a base for premium massage oils or aromatherapy products.
AK Ingredients: 100% pure Apricot Kernel Oil, Natural Vitamin E

SA Directions: Lightly massage SA oil into skin after cleansing. Can also be used in a base for premium massage oils or aromatherapy products.
SA Ingredients: 100% pure Sweet Almond Oil, Natural Vitamin E

Cosmetic grade quality. Contains no synthetics, oil fillers, fragrance or coloring agents. Cruelty free.