Relaxed Hair Tings

I briefly mentioned my relaxer in the last post but it's taken me a while for a proper update. Hair is still curly. Even though I use extra strength relaxer and for the longest recommended time my hair does not relax straight. I am grateful that I can put a comb through it and that's the main thing for me. Last stretch I was trying to see how I could manage with just bunning my hair. While it is the simplest way to have my hair up at my current length there are a few challenges especially as the stretch goes on. By the time I relaxed I was more than ready. It's not a major deal breaker but when you are going through a challenging season taking your bun down so you  can moisturise and seal your hair and put it back up can be just one task too many on your list. Sometimes even wash day has to be pushed back a few and that may add more work down the track. I am going to try different ways of putting my hair up and see which ones work well for me. I generally don't like hav...

One of the things that doesn't get talked about a lot is how your overall health can impact your hair growth, look and feel. If you are not eating healthy food adding various products directly to your hair may not give you the results you are after. By eating well it helps your hair as it comes from the scalp. Like everything else there are times when I haven't been able to stay on top of things like exercise and making that healthy choice when I'm too tired to cook and order out. The past couple of weeks have been challenging for various reasons. My scalp has been irritated and my schedule packed. I had to move my relaxer day because an irritated scalp can result in relaxer burn. Doing my wash routine was more than enough to tire me out and it's not that strenuous.  I found someone to relax my hair which was good. It did remind me of one of my frustrations of not having a great hairdresser I can rely on. Sometimes having someone else do your hair is so good! I would lo...

Grateful for another day. Last time for my wash routine I was a bit rushed and didn't give enough time to the process. Now I am getting closer to relaxer and got some breathing room. Yesterday I washed my hair. Made myself comfortable with my moisturiser and wide tooth comb and made sure my hair was detangled.  I already have plenty of new growth. Hard to believe it's only been 6 weeks post last relaxer. The tangles and knots don't play. I have a very tender scalp so getting on top of the tangles before relaxer is a priority for me. You don't want to be trying to detangle and applying relaxer at the same time! As we know life happens and sometimes you might not get to washing your hair or detangling it. The best way I have found to help me not look completely crazy is to have a routine in place with some go to styles for those challenging times. Having a routine helps keep things manageable. Even if it doesn't always go as planned you can work things for next round....

The first wash day of the month I usually use a clarifying shampoo instead of my normal shampoo.  Clarifying your hair helps remove the build up on your hair. It also helps remove 'cones' like silicones from shampoos and conditioners. It's like a mini reset for your hair which helps keep your hair able to absorb what it needs. How often do you clarify?

This is a shot from last relaxer day after the process. My hair has been detangled and no product in it. I am currently using ORS No Lye box relaxer in extra strength. This is the result that I get a looser curl pattern and my hair is more manageable. 

My regimen this time has been on the simple and boring side. I believe it's good to have that in your arsenal. When you get busy and life throws things at you sometimes all you can do is the bare minimum if that. Knowing the bare minimum when it comes to your hair will reduce the number of things you have to worry about. When you go and try a new regimen and it doesn't work quite well this bare minimum regimen can help you reset and probably figure out what didn't work.  The bun is my default go to bare minimum style. I have been practising my braiding skills and now my hair is even long enough to put into two braids. So I can change things up and still keep my regimen simple. As my hair grows out I have a whole list of styles I want to try. The best part is that they fit with my simple regimen. If I can keep to this regimen as best as I can those dreaded tangles and matting also keep away.  The number of products I need is also minimal. Shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser an...

Happy hump day! The week is still ticking along. Around this time I start thinking about wash day. It's coming up so I check my schedule and plan for it. Depending on what's happening I might move it up a day or so, or push it back. So far it's looking like Saturday.  How has your week been so far?