Can Your Hair Grow Long If You Use Heat? Natural Or Transitioning

 From the start of our transition, T has opted to wear her hair flat ironed straight half of the time as her styling option.

 From the start of my transition, I mostly wore my hair in it's
natural state (with the help of perm rod rollers), occasionally flat ironing just to see my growth progress. It was pretty encouraging to see how long my hair got during transition!

CAN YOU USE YOUR FLAT IRON AND STILL GROW YOUR NATURAL HAIR LONG?   So many people ask me that question because T wears her hair flat ironed straight for 2 weeks out of the month. The other 2 weeks, she wears her hair curly. It's a fair exchange.                                                                                                        We began that compromise a while back, with the understanding that she only apply heat to her hair 2 times a month. Her flat iron regimen includes blow drying hair that has already been 50% air dried. She uses heat protectant, and she wraps nightly. The temperature that she uses the flat iron to straighten her hair has been tried and experimented with. Basically meaning that she started at a low temperature and worked her way up to the low 300's.                                                                                                                                                                 The main question has been is it okay to put heat to your natural or transitioning hair. Will it stop you from growing long, healthy hair?

Judging from the growth that she's already achieved and retained, I would say that it is very possible to use heat in a safe and responsible way, and grow your hair as long as you'd like. I want to put out there that

the condition of your hair should be healthy before experimenting with heat.

Please understand that using heat on your hair can be damaging. It's very important to assess the health of your hair prior to using heat. Also, determine the best heat settings, and use of the proper heat protectant. Lastly, wrapping the hair nightly to retain the "straight" is best, as opposed to "bumping" it with the flat iron daily.

So back to T and her hair growth. The condition of her hair appears to be healthy, lustrous, and is retaining length rapidly. Her ends are trimmed as needed.

 Some people say that length will be retained only if you stay away from heat. But we will be tracking both of our progress. Me being the "non heat" participant. I use heat once every 2 to 3 months. T being the "heat" participant. We began our healthy hair journey approximately the same time. I had a 2 month head start, as I began my transition in July 2009, and hers began in September 2009.

 We plan to track the following:

1) Length
2) Condition of Hair Ends
3) Hair thickness (as it relates to each individual--mine is thicker than hers naturally)
4) Overall hair health (especially while curly)

Our review will take place in March (towards the end). We will report in a post to advise of our findings. I think it will be really interesting, because the outcome could prove to be very helpful to anyone not wanting to use chemicals on their scalp anymore, but still loving straight hair.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR REVIEW OF HEAT AND LENGTH RETENTION

 We'd love to hear from transitioners and naturals about their experience with heat and hair length retention. Meanwhile, we'll follow up on this post at the end of March with our results.

What's Your Curls/Coils Saying? The Best Wash N Go's

CURL POPPIN' WASH N GO'S

Have you learned how to maximize your wash n go's? To me, the best wash n go is easy to do, easy to maintain, keeps it's definition and luster. I just want to understand how to make it what it's supposed to be! I don't think coily hair was created to be dry. There's the "dry look", and then there's our hair in it's glory (healthy, hydrated, sebum shining, not split or broken, and definitely POPPIN')!

THE CHANGES I'VE MADE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN:

"Clean" Ends on Coily Hair Produce Great Curl Definition

First I had to assess my coils. I needed to know what it does without product. 

1) Is it coily all the way through? Or does it have coils and undefined "frizzy" areas

2) Is it mostly dry? Or does it stay moisturized

3) Are my ends split/broken, are my ends healthy?

4) How often should I put moisture (water) on my hair?

5) Should I "rake" or "shingle" or "clump" my products through when defining?

Popping Coils without Gel Takes Some Product Mixing

Since I found out that my coils are constant through my whole head, I knew I could put my curl defining products on in the same way throughout my head.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DEFINING COILS/CURLS:

1) If your hair seems to be dry most of the time, it would probably be best to try co-washing (washing with conditioner, not shampoo) before you plan to define your coils.

2) Make sure your ends are "clean" and trimmed. This will help reduce single strand knot problems.

3) Choose your curl defining products based on the "hold". Conditioner used as a definer will probably have less "crunch" than most gels.

4) If you use conditioner to define and it doesn't provide the hold you're looking for, try adding a light gel on top. I found that the Shea Moisture Curl Souffle gave me a good top coat for my conditioner wash-n-go. It's fun (and necessary) to experiment with products just to find the combination that works best for your coils. I try to think about what the product says it will do, and what it feels like it will do (check the viscosity, the slip, the oil content, etc).

5) Use a moisturizer or oil under your defining product (especially GEL).

 Wash N Go's on Coily Hair Have Been My Weekly Experiment

 1) I usually want my coils to be defined, not a lot of frizz (some is okay, makes it look more natural).

2) I also want some shine (the eco styler gel is good for shine and define). But I mostly use conditioner to define, so I add the Shea Moisture Curling Souffle for the Oil Content and shine. 

3) If I want my edges slicked down, I will add some Eco Styler Gel only to the edges.

4)  To get my length from my wash n go, I wait until it dries, then I will band it downward. 

5) To wake up my coils, I will spritz it with water (or Aloe Vera Gel mixture) in the mornings.

 I DREAM OF WAKING UP, SHOWERING, WETTING MY HAIR, GETTING DRESSED, AND GOING OUT THE DOOR!

I love to keep maintenance to a minimum. 

Are you a low maintenance girl too? 

It's not hard to keep things easy,  I just have to pre-plan 

 GOODBYE COMMERCIAL SHAMPOOS

GOODBYE SPLIT ENDS

PEACE OUT DRYING PRODUCTS

Want To Brighten & Even Your Skin Tone Naturally?

In a search for even toned "brighter" skin, as opposed to "dull" skin, I began to use Amla mixed with water in a paste or mud consistency. I didn't see any results right away, but I understand this is a process that you would need to do consistently over a matter of some months. My skin is extremely sensitive, and showed signs of irritation from the Amla mix (red in areas, some swelling in areas). That's not unusual for me, as I'm basically allergic to everything, so if you don't have sensitive skin, this is a treatment that you may want to integrate like once a week into your skin care regimen. How did I benefit from it? None. Due to my adverse reactions, my daughter urged me to stop trying.


HOWEVER, I DID benefit from mixing Amla with Turmeric! Turmeric, that seasoning you may have in your cupboard (but never use), is a plant from the Ginger family. It's used in Ayurveda treatments for many different reasons. Regarding the skin, it is said to be an antimicrobial. This paste is said to improve the skin, and is boasted as an anti-aging treatment.

It seems the turmeric eliminated the irritation symptoms that I got from the Amla. What this mix does to my skin is just beautiful. After the mix is applied, and then washed off, my skin tone appears even and brighter. The results lasts for 2 to 3 days. THIS IS NOT PERMANENT. I thought I would look like "umpa loompa" Hahaha, but I didn't. My typical skin coloring is normally yellow/orange base with brown forehead (so you can see why I would try to even it out). When I use this mixture, I can omit foundation/concealer! This is an all natural treatment, a great alternative to chemical skin lighteners/eveners.

Amla + Turmeric Treatment:  

2 Tablespoons of Amla + 1 Teaspoon of Turmeric + 2 to 3  Tablespoons of Water (You want a Mud Consistency that's a Little Runny). USE GLOVES, THE TURMERIC STAINS FINGERS. Mix well, dip a cotton ball into the mixture and apply to entire face. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove with lukewarm water, and follow up with a cold water rinse. Apply toner, and moisturizer as usual.
* You may notice the Amla has a slight stinging sensation. This is normal unless redness or pain persists. To be on the safe side, test on the inside of your arm and note any adverse reactions.  

My Skin Tone After the Amla + Turmeric Treatment. No Foundation or Concealer Used That Day

 

This is My "Naked" Skin During the Winter Months. Nothing But Lip gloss

FINE HAIR: Going From Flat Ironed Straight Back To Coily Without Tangles

 FINE HAIR: FROM STRAIGHT TO CURLY WITHOUT TANGLES

After 2 weeks of wearing her hair straight, Miss Dimples was ready to get her coils back. Yes, at 5 years old, my girl has decided that she rather prefers her coils. She had the biggest smile on her face after her hair responded to the water in the way that it knows how.

I'm not sure what went down during her straight hair styling at school, but she always came home a bit frizzy. Lets face it, she's always coming home frizzy, but with her hair straight, the frizz just seemed more exaggerated. Oh well, whatever it was, I'm glad she feels more at home with her coils, because her hair is not the type to be close friends with heat.

FINE HAIR: CARE OPTIONS WHILE STRAIGHT

Her hair easily tangles, also, some of the ends were "matted" in the process of straightening, and is prone to breakage if combed dry, I didn't comb her hair while it was straight. 

This is just a few characteristics that I feel are common of the different hair densities, textures, etc. Like I always say, "Listen to the hair".  Not combing her hair did not effect her styling. Mostly her hair was in ponytails (cleaned up with a soft bristle brush). Small amount of gel used at the hairline to try to "hold it down" during the school day. Moisturized daily with the Jane Carter Nourish & Shine (good stuff). Focused on the ends.

Working in Sections Helps Avoid Extra Tangles

FINE HAIR: BACK TO CURLY PROCESS

I didn't just wet her hair to revert it back. Why not? Her hair just needs one good excuse to tangle up! Here's What We Did:

1) Rub Tresemme Anti Breakage Conditioner onto the ends of her hair, then put it into 4 sections.(This made it possible to section the hair without breaking the dry ends).

2) Saturate each straight section with the Tresemme. Even after the hair was saturated, it still stayed straight. I'm guessing the Nourish & Shine created a coat that was not quickly penetrated by the conditioner.

Shampooed/Conditioned, Can You Tell Which Section Has No Leave In?

3) Rinsed out one section at a time. As the conditioner was rinsed out of 1 section, then I shampooed that section with Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo. Concentrating on the scalp, I gave her a good massage with the balls of my fingertips.

4) After each section was shampooed, I used the Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor as a protein treatment.

5) Detangle the hair in Sections, then rinse out the Aphogee.

6) Her hair was placed into 4 Plaits and towel dried with a microfiber towel and/or t shirt.
At her nape area, I noticed a section of loose curls that I don't recall being there before. I'm not sure if this is heat damage or just because product still remains on the hair shaft. I find that after a flat iron session, it really takes a good mud wash to remove products that were flat ironed onto the hair. Also, product remaining on the hair for 2 weeks without any water may prove to need more than one quick wash.

Possibly Heat Damage or Product Still Sits Into the Hair Shaft

I plan to do a Cassia Obovata Treatment and a steam session on her hair this weekend. I didn't have time to do a deep condition to her hair when I reverted her hair back to coily because I had to do it on Monday (the Dr. King holiday), and was still running around on schedule that day.

FINE HAIR LEAVE IN MOISTURIZER:

I did something differently this time with her leave in. It may have not been the best time to do this, but I've been wanting to see what her hair is like without any leave in product. Yeah, pretty scary, but I did it to half of her hair. On 2 plaits, I used the Jane Carter Nourish & Shine Leave In. On the 2 other plaits, I used NOTHING. Once her hair dried, you want to know what the difference was between the two sections? Appearance: SAME   Feel: The section without product felt silky   Movement: SAME

Have You Used Little to No Product on Your Hair after Your Wash/Condition Session? It would make a great baseline to establish the true needs of your hair. Without seeing it "naked", you may not really get to figure out what you hair may or may not need. I plan to try this soon. Real Soon.

How To Go 5 Weeks Without Hair Breakage

5 Weeks Little to No Breakage Styling:


WEEKS 1 through 3 1/2: TWO STRAND TWISTS
WEEKS 3 1/2 through 4 1/2: TWIST OUT
WEEKS 4 1/2 through 5: SPRAY N GO


Not one of these hair textures called for styling that required combing, brushing, teasing, heat, or any other form of manipulation. I did some light styling that used a few bobby pins, maybe a scrunchy, also a banana clip, but basically my ends were secured and always moisturized.

Speaking of moisturized, I had to moisturize way less when I had the two strand twists in, than I did when I had the twist out. The spray and go required a spritz daily to awaken the coils.

THE BENEFITS OF NOT WETTING MY TWO STRAND TWISTS:


1) Minimized knotting and tangles (wet hair seems to maniacally twist up on itself)
2) Last much longer, less frizz, wear and tear
3) Much easier to take down
4) Less Breakage when taking down (due to less tangles)
5) Easier to take out the shed hair when taking down
6) Twist out is almost guaranteed to look better
7) No hair shrinkage

THE PROBLEMS I HAD WHILE NOT WETTING MY TWO STRAND TWISTS:


1) Itchy Scalp (That was fixed by rubbing tea tree oil all over scalp)
2) Dry Scalp (that remained a fact)
3) I personally missed water (we're pretty close friends) 



  My twists were done on dry hair, that was previously stretched. I used Jane Carter Nourish & Shine to twist. From time to time I would allow steam from my shower to give a little "mid week moisture".  I rubbed Tea Tree Oil on my scalp every other day (or as needed). This got rid of itchy scalp, and it smelled good to (not everyone likes the smell of tea tree oil). A little goes a long way!


NIGHT TIME MAINTAIN: I didn't use a scarf, I just tied back my hair, and slept on a satin pillowcase.

How To Deal With Dry Braid Outs & Twist Outs During the Cold Winter Weather

Pulled Hair Back into Ponytail After a Disappointing Braid Out

Yesterday, I took down my 8 plaits (that were previously moisturized, mind you), to reveal a semi defined, braidout. That wasn't the bad part. I was disappointed that my hair felt dry, felt hard, and looked like it felt! I'm not even joking when I say it felt like hay (okay, maybe I haven't felt hay in a while), but it was feeling crunchy. I wish I had taken pictures with it out (shown above in high bun). I was in a rush to get out of the house, and was getting frustrated. To fix this, I could re-braid everything that night after I thoroughly moisturized, but I felt like I already used enough products the first time. Here's what I used to moisturize on day 1:


1) Spray bottle mix of 1 ounce aloe Vera gel, and 2 tablespoons of Castor oil


Later that night.....


2) Jojoba oil (generously) and re-braided only the front. Put the back portion in a low ponytail





After that, I couldn't understand why my hair stayed dry. I remembered when I had my hair in two strand twists, and how soft and moisturized they stayed during the entire 4 weeks of twists.

Two Strand Twists are the ULTIMATE Moisture Keeper!

When I had the twists, I only had to moisturize about 1 time every 2 to 3 days! I used the Jane Carter Nourish & Shine, but nothing major, just a tiny amount.

Last night I attempted to moisturize again, thinking to change my technique, and my products (slightly). I  don't like re-braiding my braid outs, mostly because I'm lazy. Secondly, I just don't like to manipulate my hair really...at all. Here's what I did differently:


1) 1 finger full of Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Mask, mixed in my hand with a squirt (not very technical) of Castor Oil. Rubbed my hands together, then rubbed this mixture into the ends of my braidout, and then moved on up nearing to the roots. I didn't section, just took the big bush of hair and applied this. 


2) Did 1 small plait at the bang area (because that went totally flat), then took the rest of my hair and did a high bun on top of my head (to let me sleep in peace without a big bulge at my neck). I tucked in the ends into the scrunchie, so that they weren't exposed. The next morning, my hair felt soft, and looked moisturized. Not just the ends, the whole body of hair. 

Keep the Moisture by Bulking Your Hair Together at Night

Braidouts, Twistouts, Winter Moisture Capture on Natural Hair

Evidently, moisturizing my hair with something "a little bit stronger", and then "bulking" my hair into a mass (while ensuring the ends were tucked in), gave me a moisturized result. I'm sure if I added a scarf or even a plastic shower cap, I would have gotten more moist results, but I'm not one for all of that LOL! I do use a satin pillowcase nightly, though.


With a little night time "tweaking", I got shine and moisture. Not much define, as I'm not one to re-braid nightly. I don't mind just using the stretch for my "big" hairstyle. LENGTH RETENTION 2012, Remember? Hahaha!! We're gonna do it ;o) Meanwhile, I'll enjoy a few braidouts, but I know I have to pile all of my hair together at night after I've moisturized with something a little "strong". 


Do you have the proper moisturizers and technique for winter braid out/ twist out wear? 


Will you even bother with braid outs or twist outs while it's cold?

Week FOUR: Ultra Defined Twist Out & I'm Having A BALL

Twistout on Natural Hair Using Jane Carter Nourish & Shine, and 3 weeks Low Manipulation Styling

Today is week four of my "no wash" twist and twist out styling. My hair feels so soft, my scalp is not complaining, my hair smells great, and styling has never been easier. I love to experiment and share what I find, so I hope you find this post helpful for your hair care journey. My main goal has been low manipulation, or better yet--no manipulation. These past 4 weeks have been the ideal setting for little or no manipulation of my hair strands, especially the ends. 

With that thought, I may well retain the 1/2'' that hair is said to grow over a four week period. On top of everything, I actually LOVED the styles. Sometimes in the past I've done low manipulation styling that I wasn't to in love with, and that can mess up your whole week.

Basically, my regimen while wearing the two strand twists was as follows:

Leave In Moisturizer: Jane Carter Nourish & Shine

Seal With: Jojoba Oil 

Wash: NONE

Condition: NONE

Anything Extra To Note: Sometimes I would allow steam to go into my shower cap, just for enough moisture to keep me soft and unbreakable. 

Night Time Maintain: Nothing Special. Just Moisturize with the Jane Carter Nourish & Shine, then sleep on a satin pillowcase. Sometimes I would ponytail with a scrunchie, just to get the hair out of my face.

The twistout seems to be a little more difficult to maintain. I used Castor Oil to keep my ends soft and moist. I still let a little steam pass through my shower cap. 

NIGHT TIME MAINTAIN: "Pineapple" Method (really I just put my hair in a high ponytail on the top of my head with a satin scrunchie). To moisturize, I put Castor Oil on my twist out.

I think I can get through the rest of the week with this twistout, but that will be the end of that! And that will take me to a full 35 days of low to no manipulation styling. I love it.

Ultra Defined Twist Out on Natural Hair

Flat Ironed Hair Update: Days 1 through 4 with "Natural Hair"

Bantu Knots on Flat Ironed Hair: Slight Wave

To my surprise, Lil miss Dimples kept up her flat ironed hair! Day 1, I tried to do a wrap with the satin scarf, and of course she sleeps so wild that the wrap came off. That wasn't the bad part. The bad part was when she came into our room at 3am in the morning asking if one of us could fix it!! Her Dad said he didn't know how to fix it (big shock), and so he woke me up and asked me to fix "the thing".

Day 2 and 3 I opted to put some Bantu knots and pin it down then scarf it down (y'all could tell that I didn't want any more early morning disturbances). That worked out well, but I think I used the wrong product that night for hold. I used the Jane Carter Nourish and Shine (which is great for shine and moisture of sorts), but I needed like a lotion for all day hold of the Bantu knot curls. You can see them on the right side of her head LOL!

By Day 3 (Wednesday), we stuck with the Bantu knots, and that was a safe bet. She was enjoying her straightened hair, but was no longer overly excited. I'm glad because I don't plan to flat iron her hair more than 2 to 3 times a year. The main reason being that her hair is very fine, and I don't think fine hair was really ever equipped to handle a relaxer or too much heat. If you check it out, most of the people who struggle with getting length and thickness on their relaxed hair, their unprocessed hair is probably in the fine category. That's just my take on it....

 This ponytail was miss Dimple's request by Thursday. We kept up with the Bantu Knots at night. I didn't comb through her hair at all. The reason being: Her ends seemed to be "matted" together during this heat process, and I didn't want to risk breakage by continuously trying to detangle hair that was seemingly frozen together. That didn't cause any problems with her styling, so not a problem. I have a different mentality on detangling now. I will not force hair to detangle while in a fragile or vulnerable state. I can just wait.

I put some of the tea tree on her scalp too (I did a patch test first). She typically has itchy scalp too by day 5, and this time--she has not been scratching her scalp. This is great news all the way around! Longer style time with two strand twists, flat ironed hair, the sky's the limit!

Bantu Knots held better when I used the Shea Moisture Styling Milk. I just used a little bit. This was a good product to choose because it's pretty thick, while adding great moisture. It didn't revert the hair, and it gave a nice style aid.

Uber Defined Braid Out On Natural Hair & What Products We Used

WANT AN ULTRA DEFINED BRAIDOUT? TRY THIS..

Ultra Defined Braid Out On Natural Curly Hair

Hey All! So I promised my girl T that I could do a sweet braidout on her hair (seeings as she's not a braidout enthusiast on her hair).

What she wanted was to keep some length (you know how first day braidouts steal the length--for those of us that even care).

WHAT I DID:
1) On hair that was about 75% dry, I did corn braids. The hair was sectioned horizontally at the crown area. This way, I could do vertical corn braids of about 5 on the top section, and another 5 on the bottom section. Basically, this allows for those of us who are not that great at doing corn braids to stop halfway through before we get into problems. At the forehead area, that section was braided towards the forehead so that she could have the hair "in the face" look. She actually liked how this braidout turned out!

PRODUCTS USED:
1) Jane Carter Nourish & Shine
2) Taliah Waajid "Lock it Up"
3) Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner
4) Giovanni's L.A. Hold Hair Spritz

Braidouts Done on 80% Air Dried Hair Gives Some Length

The products you use for a ultra defined braid out will also depend on your hair texture. Looser curls will use different products for definition than tighter curls. Also, differing hair thicknesses will need different viscosity products. I will review that information in a different posting, as it will take a lot of guesswork out of styling. "Getting to Know" your hair will be the best thing for you to save time on "failed" styles.

This Braidout Had Hold Thanks to The L.A. Hold Hair Spritz by Giovanni

A Successful Regimen For Long, Fine, African American Hair

Straightened Hair with Front Section Pulled Back For School

A Regimen For Length: Fine, Afro Textured Hair  


Quick Background on Dimple's Hair:  It is extremely coily, seems easy to break. To look at it in it's coily state, you would make the mistake of thinking it was thick. Probably because it has extreme shrinkage, and it has great coil definition. However, I find her hair to be fairly fine. And to compound the situation of fine hair, this little diva chopped off approximately 3-4'' of length on about 8 braided plaits. This not-so-funny incident occurred about 18 months ago (when she was about 4 years old). It can break easily, so the following info is the best regimen for length retention that I have figured:

PRE - (SHAM) POO (Conditioning and detangling or Oil/Conditioning before washing):
It took me a while, but I figured out that her hair must be conditioned for slip and detangled before I even wash it. I take a spray bottle, mix some conditioner and water (maybe oils sometimes), and spray her hair so that I am able to section (never manipulate dry coily hair). Once her hair is sectioned into 4, then I saturate the ends in the conditioner mix, and detangle each section. Put each section into a two strand twist until ready to wash.

WASHING/CONDITIONING/DEEP CONDITIONING: I wash her hair in sections (either 2 sections or 4). The hair is already in 4 sections from the PRE-POO that was done. With the pads of my fingertips, I massage her scalp with a small amount of shampoo. Once the shampoo is rinsed out, I will put the conditioner  on the section, and place the section into a Bantu knot. Same process for the other 3 sections. Once all sections are in Bantu knots that have saturated in the conditioner, I will rinse out in sections. I deep condition her hair once every 2 weeks. I steam treat her hair at least once a month.

STYLING: I do low manipulation styling on her hair. That, for me, includes wash n go's, two strand twists, box braids, braid outs, or most styles you can think of. How I make those styles low manipulation is by creating the texture on wash day, putting the hair into the style of the week, and keeping the style for the rest of the week (between 7 to 10 days). So basically, we don't change the style up and risk split ends, or any sort of breakage.

DETANGLING: I only detangle her hair during a pre-poo with the ends saturated with conditioner/mix. I begin by saturating with water/conditioner, then use my fingers, then with a wide tooth comb, then use a specific paddle brush to finish up the detangling process. I detangle in sections (4 sections minimum).

 African American Girl With Long Length Hair

It took me about a year to come to this regimen. I will be consistent with it, because it works well for her. Going by the motto "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Not everybody's regimen will work for you, but if you are a coily girl with fine hair, and experience breakage easily, as well as knotting easily, you may want to try this if you haven't quite yet figured out a regimen.

The Fro Hawk Styling with Two Strand Twists

TWO STRAND TWISTS, FLAT TWIST COMBO: THE FRO HAWK

Feeling in a different mood, I tested out the true versatility
of my two strand twists. Also I guess I've been "spoiled" by being able to just get up and go. And with this whole "no wash thing" I've got going (putting that tea tree oil up on the scalp for relief), I pretty much jump  at the opportunity to style my hair (only every once in a while). I see in the picture below that I missed a few twists. Oh well, that adds some authenticity.

Two Strand Twists & Flat Twist Combo: Fro Hawk Styling

 I barely just swooped each side towards the middle and then pinned down vertically to secure. Took about 5 minutes, but it definitely gave me a different look. Probably gotta re-do the flat twists once a week for that "clean" look. So Monday the 2nd of January started my 3rd week with these twists, and I haven't gotten tired of them yet. I am shocked.

My hubby called this hairstyle the predator hair style. I ain't gonna hate (although the kids said he was hating because I looked cute LOL) --those crazy kids. But yeah, I'm going to agree that this is the hair style that the predator wore (hahaha the predator didn't wear no hair style. That was his head!!). What ever! I enjoyed my predator hair.

Consistent Actions For Expected Results: Are You Consistent?

I know most people make New Years Resolutions in regards to Losing Weight, Going to the Gym, Getting Fit, and other life changing actions.

I've been a part of that group, and decided that this year, I was not going to make that same mistake. Lets be real, by the 2nd month (if that), all bets are off--and I'm back to the same foolish eating, and seated position in front of the t.v. 

 What I plan to do differently concerning my fitness, exercise, activity level, and food intake--is to be real. What does that mean exactly?  I don't plan to "work out". I really want to just go outside and look around. Enjoy the smells of Fall, and take in some of the sights. If your climate/weather permits it still, it's a nice change from the gym to just get outside and run around. Chase the kids, chase a Frisbee with the kids, do some cartwheels with the kids (safely if possible)!

I've been jogging with T at the park, and it's been incredible. We found ourselves at the Cheesecake Factory this holiday (more times than we'd like to mention). To offset the start of a possible bout with laziness, we just decided to go outside and see what happens. Of course we had on our tennis shoes and work out clothes (just in case).

 Well, what happened next was short of miraculous. We "ran around" AND we LOVED IT! We walked fast, we talked fast, we broke out into a settled jog at a pace comfortable for both of us.

Because we enjoyed our time outside, we looked forward to doing it again the next day. And that we did. Three more of these days of "running around", and we built a consistent pattern of behavior that was being executed only because we enjoyed it.

 That's more likely to stick around and become a lifestyle more so than an "exercise regimen". We plan to incorporate other activities that will encourage sculpting, but for right now, we're happy with the cardio work.

Do you have an exercise regimen right now? If so, what do you enjoy about it? Is it consistent?

Consistent actions will provide results. Inconsistency will lead to no results, and impending frustrations. These feelings of frustrations usually lead to the decision to give up all efforts.

Since my previous New Years plans to commit to an exercise regimen has failed me consistently LOL, I will try this alternative for now, and just consistently "run around" outside for 4 days out of the week. No set regimen, just hanging out with my girls and "running around". Lets see what happens. 2012 asks for consistency and guarantees results.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Bantu Knot Attempt. But I Worked It?

 Part of the Holiday happenings was that hubby and I got a chance to catch a movie. We haven't been to the theaters in a while, and I wanted to go see "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". I'd never read the book, all's I know is that I saw the preview a while back and knew that movie was going to be raw.

Well, raw it was (but not in the sense that I originally meant). It was great, but don't bring your young teen to watch it---I'm glad I didn't. I must've not read the ratings!

Anywhoo, I can't stop thinking about the hairstyles that were done in this movie!

 When the actress, Rooney Mara first walks into the scene, you are in for a shock. Hair, clothes, piercings, tattoos, the works. And at first, I Hated (with a capital H) the hair cut. I thought "hideous". She had a 1/4'' bang laying down--leaving a go-head-fo-head situation. Her sides appeared "scraggly" for a lack of a word (and why didn't my spell check blow up on that word)? Her sides were stringy and longer than the crown and the nape. Pair this with the 1/4'' bang and fo-head, then you have a mess.

Well, as the movie progresses, there were a variety of hairstyles done on this cut that were phenomenal in my opinion. Apparently, the 1/4'' bangs were able to be covered by the longer section of hair behind it. Those longer strands were sometimes pulled over the crazy looking bangs, and that gave a totally different look! There were a few styles with Mohawks, Bantu knots (yes, Bantu knots), cornrows (yup), ponytails, buns, beanie caps, I mean, you


name it--they did it. You have to see the movie to believe it.

 It just goes to show, hair doesn't have to be long in order to be sexy. A cute cut that allows a little length for some versatility will work wonders for a person who likes to change up their look often. This style here--I couldn't forget the Bantu knots they did on her hawk cut in the movie, and I tried to replicate it a little bit with my twists. It definitely wasn't the same, but I enjoyed the style anyways. I don't know what that blue thing is in my hair, but it wasn't supposed to be there.

I put a black banana clip about 2'' above my nape, and left about 3'' of hair out at the front (from the forehead, and going back). I did Bantu knots all the way up and down the middle section. It's a work in process for me, and I will try it again to get it less sophisticated LOL. And amp up the "punk" look!

 This served as a great protective style. I was ready to get all that hair off my shoulders and out of my face, so this saved the day while I did a little after Christmas shopping.

I couldn't remember what they did with this style at the front in the movie. I'm telling you, when you see this movie, don't blink and miss 1 hairstyle!

 So I worked it, and made it my own. That's what you gotta do. I just braided up some twists in the front and pinned them up so they could loop around some.  See this is why I love two strand twists. They allow so much versatility.