Wiggin It Up

Welp..it's been a while. My internet is kinda touch and go at my new place until Monday so I will do what I can. Anyway, tomorrow will mark the end of my 13 week stretch. I'm getting my hair relaxed baby!!! I have to admit, getting through this stretch was tough but it became so much easier through wigs. This was my first time wearing a wig and I had some things I had to consider before purchasing one. For that reason, I thought it would be helpful to anyone else who is considering wearing a wig to list the things I thought about before walking out the door in my hair hat.

1) Synthetic or Human? Before you buy a wig you have to know if you want a human hair one or a synthetic one. Typically, synthetic wigs are cheaper that human and tend to be really glossy/high sheen (which can be fixed by sprinkling a bit of baby powder on it). A plus of a synthetic wig is that it will hold its style after you wash it so you won't have to reshape it. On the other hand, human hair wigs are more versatile. You can use heat on these wigs and pretty much treat them as your own hair. However, these wigs can get a bit pricy. Knowing what type of wig you want helps to narrow down the field a bit.

2) Are you trying to fool anyone? Ok let me explain this. Some women wear wigs with no shame. They are wearing a wig and don't care who knows it. I am not one of those women. Before I even purchased a wig, I had to make sure to zero in on styles that are similar to the cut of my natural hair. I mean, it would be pretty suspect if I had chin length hair one day and shoulder length hair the next. So I say all that to say, know what goal you want to achieve with that wig.

3) Try, Try Again. This is self explanatory. Don't walk into a wig shop/ BSS , eyeball some wigs that catch your eye and proceed to purchase them. Try them on!! What may look good on the mannequin might not look good on you. Make sure to bring your own wig cap for the trying on process!

4) How are you going to take care of your hair underneath the wig? It is tempting to get a wig and just slap it onto your head. However, this can be detrimental to your hair health. Believe it or not, you have to take care of that hair underneath the wig. Your hair still needs to be washed, conditioned, and moisturized. When I wore my wig, I would wash and deep condition weekly. I would then flat twist my hair. I usually wore 6 flat twists that probably weren't the neatest twists ever. I would spray those twists with leave in daily. You may decide to keep your hair in cornrows or french braids. Whatever you do, DON"T NEGLECT YOUR HAIR!

That's pretty much it. I know that when you first wear a wig and may feel awkward wearing it. I guarantee that if you have done a good job of picking out a wig, a lot of people won't be able to tell the difference. Either way, it is a great stretching style and is extremely low maintenance. It is also an excellent way of keeping heat off your hair.

It's Been a Long Time...

Hey!!

Things have been real crazy for me lately. I am in the process of moving into a new apartment so my time has been limited. Just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgetten about you guys. Hopefully by Sunday I can starting posting again!

Short Hair+ Stretching=???

Happy Sunday!

As promised, I am writing a blog about how I stretch my relaxers 13 weeks. I know it sounds impossible, but trust me it can be done. This blog might be a little lengthy but I do different things at different stages of my stretch.

Weeks 1-8: My hair is pretty easy to deal with at this point. I basically do the following:

1) Wash hair and DC hair 1x/week

2) Wet wrap my hair and sit under hooded dryer for 1.5 hours

3) Flat iron

4) Wrap and cover with silk bonnet at night/ moisturize when necessary

Weeks 9-13: Between weeks 8 and 9 my new growth decides to really make itself known. It is really thick and impossible to deal with while it is dry. For that reason I have 2 options.

Option 1: Flexirod set (this can be really time consuming!)

1) Wash and DC hair 1x/week

2) Set my hair on flexirods using Kinky Curly spiral spritz (takes about an hour)

3) Sit under hooded dryer for 2 hours

4) Remove flexirods and style hair

5) Cover with bonnet at night/ moisturize when necessary

**Note: I love flexirod sets, I really do. They take so much time though! However, once you have your curls in, you can do a fro-hawk, a puff, or even a fro. I love the versatility of it!**

Option 2: Wig it up!! ( Yes what you see is a wig)

1) Wash and DC hair as needed

2) Oil scalp with Wild Growth Oil ( helps me get through the new growth)

3) Flat twist my hair (I usually make 6 really sloppy twists)

4) Place wig cap on top of twists

5) Put on wig and go!

**Note: I love this option! You are able to take care of your hair but not necessarily be worried about your hair looking a mess. Believe it or not, wigs can look really natural and are a perfect stretching style*

That is pretty much how I stretch. As a matter of fact, my most current stretch will end Aug.1. Next blog, I will write about wigs--what wig to chose, how to wear them...everything!

And It Came To Me...Like An Epiphany (Lol)

Some of you guys might be new to hair care and terms like "stretching" and "deep conditioning" might seem completely foreign so you. So I have compiled a list of links that can describe these hair care terms far better than I can.

Keep It Simple Sista (an awesome blog! You guys should check it out!): Traycee gives an excellent explanation of what each term means as well as her own regimen.

http://keepitsimplesista.blogspot.com/2008/01/iam-relaxed-4ab-hair-type.html

Healthy Textures blog (this is the blog that got me started on my hair journey): this link explains what a regimen is and what you should to to build one

http://healthytextures.typepad.com/my_journey_to_healthy_hai/2008/02/styling-regimen.html#more

That's all I can think of at the moment. You can also check out Long Hair Care Forums (LHCF) for more info. It is pretty extensive but it provides some excellent info!

My Super Fantastic Regimen!

Ok...so maybe the title is a little over the top (sorry). After a year of tweaking my regimen, I finally have something that works for me.

-My hair is 4a/b, coarse, and relaxed.

-Relax every 13 weeks w/ Design Essentials Lye Relaxer

-Wash weekly with Elasta QP Creme Conditoning Shampoo

-Deep condition with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner or ORS Replenishing Conditioner 1x/week

-Rinse with Roux Porosity Control after deep condition

-Add Giovanni Direct Leave-In and wet set hair

Yeah....so that is pretty much it. Nothing complex....a little time consuming but simple. However, you might be wondering " how the heck does she relax every 13 weeks when her hair is short?" Well my dears, stay tuned because that will be covered very soon!

What's a Hair Blog With No Hair?

Just wanted to post a few progress pics starting with my sassy cut!

January 2009

Here you can see the grow out process is in full swing!

May 2009

Now my hair is trying to make a little bob out of itself!

June 2009

What'cha think?

Everybody Is Doing It.....

Blogging, that is. Actually, everyone is blogging about hair. So what makes my blog so different? Why should you take time out from your day to read it? My blog is different because I am growing out a short haircut and I am taking you (yes you!!) along for the ride. You lucky readers will be able to see my progress, my hair regimen, and other random hair related posts I decide to put up that day. Hopefully, I can inspire (or at the very least, entertain) you guys while I discuss the trials and tribulations of my hair.

Anyway, I hope you stick around and welcome to The Awkward Stage!