Hair Product Hand Me Downs: Shea Butter with Lavender, Patchouli and Vanilla

The benefits of hooking up with other natural hair nuts like myself are numerous.

     One of the best reasons is that you can pick up old products that they might not want anymore but that you are quite ready to bear with because you’re to poor to go out and try making your own purchases.

Hence my post today.

While in DC for my thanksgiving I picked up this nifty little pot of hair goodness.

The above product contains lavender essential oil, patchouli and vanilla.

     Lavender essential oil is great for normal, dry and oily hair, it also has anti- dandruff properties and helps against hair loss by encouraging hair regrowth.

Patchouli is great for its anti-dandruff properties.

     The thing about this product is that the lavender/ patchouli (it may even be the vanilla) smell is extremely strong and I’ve never known lavender in particular to have the ability to hurt my nostrils. I’m taking that as an indicator that there is a high concentration of that essential oil mixed in with the shea butter. Certainly, I’ve never smelled lavender/ patchouli (again, it may even be the vanilla) so strong in any other commercial product.

     The smell itself is on the hair hours later, which is a good thing because I always wanted my hair to have a unique scent and unfortunately my coconut oil hasn’t given me that lasting unique scent I was looking for. The smell is also a bad thing because the initial handling of the product is really strong on the nose.

Still, cheers to great hand me downs,

Hair Update: Cold Weather

 

While in DC for thanksgiving I’ve been forced to walk around looking like this

 

Excuse the huge photo but I wanted you to be able to properly see my nightmare.

My usual dampen, moisturize, comb and slick isn’t working anymore!

Compare the above fuzzy mess to this one

I show the second picture to demonstrate that my hair won’t slick anymore! My old routine simply won’t get me a nice smooth wavy crown no matter how long I leave the front tied or how tacky the gel is.

Certainly, this cold weather is to blame.

Speaking of which, in a few days expect a post about the ways in which the weather affects kinky hair.

In Bad Taste?: Outrageous TMZ Post About Erykah Badu’s Hair

Posted Aug 6th 2007 3:15PM by TMZ Staff

     Believe it or not, TMZ has unearthed a wig so ratty and re-DAMN-diculous — not even Britney Spears would weave it onto her bald ass head!

     After hittin’ up the forest moon of Endor for her Ewok-inspired hair-don’t, neo-soul “Bag Lady” Erykah Badu scurrred up the crowd at Miami’s Chakra Lounge on Saturday. Return of the Jedi!

Ol’ girl needs a gardener not a hairstylist! Think ya better call Tyrone!

__________________________________________________________________________________

Is it just me?

I find it odd, very odd, that when a black woman wears her hair in a natural state, its referred to as “ratty”.

Is this paranoia?

     I get that they are probably just saying it because the most extreme statements evoke the most interest, but really I see it too often that the bad hairstyle is the natural one, the inappropriate haristyle is the natural one or the ugly hairstyle is the natural one.

Yes I know this was an old TMZ post but I came across it again and figured it was worth reposting.

How to Preserve Twist Outs

I’m writing this post because I saw it was a search question that led to my blog; I want to address it directly.

     Here I am with my forespecial (I wonder if anybody gets my obscure Stephen King reference) twist out (twists which were then tied into bantu knots).

So far as I have discovered on my own is that the best way is

1. to not disturb it too much while it is open
2. to tie it (whenever you can) whenever you are going to rest on it with your hands or on the pillow
3. to spritz it with a product like glycowater in order to bring it to life the next day

All three are essential in order to preserve the the hairstyle.

     When using the spritz make sure you spritz well until the hair is damp and then plump it up using your fingers. Essentially all you are doing with your fingers is the claw- using your fingertips to move the hair around at the roots rather than the shaft.  Close you fingers together in an in and out motion to bring more life to the hair. Do NOT fluff your hands through the curls, remember you did the separation step already the first time you undid the twists, anymore will potentially just make your hair look like a frizzy mess.

Do these three steps and you should be ready to go.

     Bare in mind that twist outs will only last two maybe three days at the most. Personally by the third day my hair is beginning to look as though I’m locking it ( I get a large number of questions to that idea). And if I am lazy and I wait too long to comb out the remaining style then it starts to act like locks and become a serious annoyance to comb out (leading to hair breakage).

Plait outs for some reason will last slightly a bit longer.

Hope this helps,

Glycowater and the Cold Weather

 

     This thanksgiving I travelled with a friend to DC. For safe keeping and simply because I can’t live without it, I brought my glycowater along  for the ride. By the time I arrived to her grannie’s house my poor product had frozen over

    

     Immediately I recognised that the coconut oil had solidified because of the low temperature.  I warmed it  up under some hot tap water and all was fine again.

The next night it turned out like this

probably because it wasn’t being  jostled around while it was solidifying. I left it standing on the desk and the oil just rose to the top and did its thing again.

     Unfortunately, I got it to liquify but it simply would not spray anything out the nozzle anymore. I was forced to wing it during my regular hair routine.

     Thankfully though, when I returned in the evening it was working fine again. Therefore, I figure I must not have heated the nozzle fixture itself to a sufficient temperature to liquify the solid coconut oil trapped up there.

Black Friday Bargains!

     I guess you’re thinking, wow I must have splurged on clothing and how the hell does clothing and accessories make itself into a natural hair blog right?

Don’t worry I went all the way to Hagerstown Pr1me Outlets and got myself

Natural Selenium 200 mcg,

2 facial toner (totally a mistake I thought they were two different products)

Dudley’s Hair Rebuilder Penetrating Conditioner

The Selenium was $2 and I got it because it’s a key antioxidant nutrient.

     Among the many claims of health benefits is that the mineral “works as an effective antioxidant to protect cells and keeps elasticity to the hair”. Now that’s just a claim but still selenium is proven to have a positive effect when taken within recommended levels.

Of course I will report to you how this goes.

A Guide to Proteins

This was not compiled by myself. This “Guide to Proteins” was reposted from a discussion board found on the Black Hair Planet website.

Collagen Protein–known for increasing elasticity in the hair

Silk Protein–known for softening the hair

Wheat Protein–a moisturizing and strengthening protein. known for increasing the hair’s ability to maintain & receive moisture also.

Keratin Protein–responsible for keeping the hair strong and pliable. This is the strongest of the(hair product) proteins and is actually the one that hair is made from. This one re-structures hair that has been damaged or broken down by chemicals. It helps to replace the amino acid cysteine which is the main one lost during chemical processing. This is the heavy duty protein. If you see the following as an ingredient

Vegetable protein — Vegetable protein absorbs more easily into the hair shaft [than animal protein] and does not create build-up, leaves the hair very shiny, radiant, luxuriant, and healthy.

Animal protein — Animal protein breaks down into fatty acids, which coat the hair and create residual build-up.

Silk Amino Acids/Protein–Natural silk is the strongest, natural fiber known to mankind. Discovered in Japan and has been used for centuries in all kinds of products that require durability. Silk has a tiny molecule that can penetrate the entire hair shaft deeper than all other proteins without adding any weight leaving the hair feeling clean and non-greasy.

Don’t Eat Too Much Today!

 

New Signature

Hah!

Just made a signature to use on my blog.

I feel proud. Like a new momma.

Feel legit.

LMAO

A Yay Moment for My Hair

A few nights ago I realised that omg! my hair is 4.5 inches.

     That’s almost as long as a 8 inch weave. Well not as long but you get the idea I’m halfway there. I consider 8 inch to be long so if I’m halfway there then I’m halfway there to long hair right. Couple that nifty little point of view with how long my hair looked when I flat ironed it.

   

Jeez, I’m just positively ecstatic! at the notion.

To exciting hair moments,

<3

Chipped Nails and Hair Damage

      The other day as I was about to was to wash my hair I noticed my nails were chipped and all raggedy.

Thus my post today.

chipped nails + hair= hair damage and breakage

     The chipped ends are like razors and I always end up with broken hairs in my nails at the end of a hair wash.

That’s it.

Enjoy,

<3

Hair Update!

It’s been two weeks (maybe even three) of not combing my hair!

I can’t remember why are when I started, but I do know that some people have stated that they don’t comb their hair as part of their hair washing or daily hair routine.

Interestingly enough my hair isn’t doing so bad.

The most combing I’ll do is if my hair won’t slick (when only brushed) because it’s too lumpy. In such cases I’ll just dampen my hair then comb (with an afro pick) out the front. This way the hair lies flat when I gel it down instead of looky like a frizzy unruly mess.

What I have found is that there are some knot in my hair which come out if I was to pull at sections of my hair with my. In such cases I always see a tag at the root of my hair so I’m certain this is not a case of breakage. I suspect that I combing my hair, I’d have far more cases of breakage along the shaft of my hair as the comb engaged in battle with a knotty piece of hair.

While washing my hair I use the same routine except I don’t comb out, instead I drag my fingers through my hair slowly and carefully stopping and start whenever I meet hair resistance.  Same goes for when I am styling my hair as part of my daily routine, I leave out the combing  part and just fluff wherever necessary.

One thing I’ve noticed though, there is knottyness at the ends of my hair, not so bad though but I’m worried my fro might start looking like a pile of knotty ends. Hence, I’ll probably do a comb over once a month.

Hope that helps you join in the adventure that is natural hair.

To trying new routines,

<3

Changes to the Blog

Hi,

I’ve been fiddling with the blog a bit; trying to make the blog more user friendly.

As a result,

my little bio is no longer at the right sidebar instead you can go to my “About“  page to learn a bit more about me

there is now a Contact page with all my relevant contact info, facebook, twitter and email

I have added aSsubscribe widget to the right sidebar

I have posted a “Take a Poll” section on the right sidebar, where, for future reference most if not all polls will eventuall be found under. Because of this new poll section I have changed the “Leave A Mark” page to a survey which can be found under the “Take a Poll” section. In a week or so the actually page version will probably be removed, I’m not sure yet.

I also deleted the “Hairing Stories“, I’ll figure out how to spin it better

Hope you enjoy,

<3

Tacky Hair Gel

     Have you ever bought hair gel and discovered that it was watery? Was it supposed to be strong hold but either wasn’t holding much or took so long to get tacky that you couldn’t do your hair quick, fast and in a hurry?

     Well my practical little solution is to leave the jar of gel uncovered for a few hours. If I get a watery batch I’ll leave it open for the day and when I return it’ll be tacky, nicely tacky, wonderfully tacky. Tacky means that as soon as you put it in your hair it’ll get the job done, strong hold, sleek, quick hold.

Be sure not to leave it uncovered for too long or else it’ll be so tacky that it’ll be flakey when it goes onto your hair.

     Also, remember that the amount of the gel in the jar will determine how quickly it gets tacky. Don’t leave it for a day if you know you only have a small amount left in the jar you’ll end up with hardened crud.

By the way, EcoStyler and Fantasia IC are my favorites because they don’t contain alcohol and feature very little ingredients. For me, very little ingredients mean less chance of me finding out I’m putting harmful stuff in my hair. At least that’s how I think of it.

To tacky hair gel,

<3

Edgy Kinky Hairstyle Spotlight: The Noisettes

 More precisely, the lead singer Shingai Shoniwa.

Damn.

      I wasn’t going to get into the whole celebrity hairstyle thing but a few moments after putting my thinking cap on I saw the music video for one of the Noisettes’ latest songs. I couldn’t help thinking, “Here is a stellar example of edge and 4b hair”.

     Of course I’m not nearly as bold or eclectic as Shingai but her style has given me some inspiration to unleash all my edgy goodness. Note, all her styles feature a wacky hawk. I’d never have thought there were so many ways to do the same version of a hairstyle. The first photo in the last row is her hair actually just brushed straight up in a pseudo flat top style. I likey though I’m not sure how I could adapt that for my kind of do.

     Still, it’s awesome to have such high fashion photos to view. Now I wish that I could get an interview with her. I wonder what hair type she is; I wonder what her hair regime is; I wonder what her inspiration is; I wonder if she ever permed her hair; I wonder I wonder I wonder!

The dreams of a newbie to the natural mane,

Go ahead, edge it out!

Go ahead and check out my own attempt at an edgy hairstyle.

<3 Kinjee

Post ‘Poo Evaluation

During this last wash I realised that my hair was still dirty.

I was using my sodawater ‘poo.

What I do to check and see if my hair is really clean?

Simple.

I lightly drag my nails across my scalp.

Especially since I’m using sodawater, if I come up with any residue I know my scalp still has on last week’s oils.

Expect that if you are using regular shampoo or a co-wash, that you will get some residue for whatever product you put in your hair.  But generally, if I wash out as much as possible of any product I use and I still come up with residue after the evaluation I either

1. run more water through my hair

OR

2. reach for the commercial (really just a sudsy) shampoo

Because sodawater is a presoak kind of product, using it while in the shower while my hair is wet is pretty pointless (I’d have to jump out the shower and wait all over again), so, cutting corners, I just use the regular shampoo if the situation is that dire that running more water does not work.

Easy. Breezy.

Hair’s to clean scalps,

<3 Kinjee

Clean scalps will certainly help you avoid my shocking revelation.

Scalp Pimple:(

Since my latest hair washing, I have noticed a pimple in the back of my head .

Apparently, this could well be a sign of too much oils on the scalp. In effect suffocating whatever it is that needs to breathe.

I’ll be taking this as a sign to:

1. decrease the amount of glycowater I use on my hair

2. be more thorough on with my soda water ‘poo

3. look into the white vinegar method everyone has been raving about

Apparently sodawater is very good at drying out any oilyness on the scalp and is great once used sparingly. This bit of news is a double treat for me since I use soda water to avoid using commercial shampoos.

I haven’t gotten around to the vinegar as yet because as I’d have to actually go out and purchase some vinegar and I’m a cheap college student. When I do get around to it you can be sure I’ll do a full post on the experiment.

Hair Controversy

Recently cam across this video.

I thought it was heartening as well as very interesting.

The author addresses serious issues related to black women and natural kinky hair.

Knowledge is power,

Empower yourselves.

<3 Kinjee

Edgy Hair Style for 4B Hair

I’m a 4b.

My hair is also only 4.5″.

I’m doing the mohawk thing, but I’ve been stumped with the question

“What other edgy hairstyles are there for the kinky haired girl?”

And on this one, I am truly truly stuck.

So, I’ve put my thinking cap on….

I understand that the outfit helps alot but I want a stand out definitely edgy hair do…not a do thats helped along by the outfit…

Hopefully tomorrow I have some results to show you.

To an edgier you,

<3 Kinjee.

[Editor's note : check my post on some edgy styles I found.]

Research Project: The Mechanical Properties of Black Hair

 

General Idea:

This is my little pet project on the Mechanical Properties of Black Hair. Along with many other things Black hair will of course have to be defined.

I want to talk about more than what hair looks like. I want to get into the scientific nature of things, not the anecdotal stuff.

Anyway, we’ll see how it progresses, more than likely I’ll divide up the information into several articles over a period of time.

There is so much great scientific information out there.

When I am close to wrapping up research on this project, there will be a blog post saying as such.

Stay tuned to your facebook and your twitter, also subscribe to follow this blog  so that you can keep yourself up- to- date.

Great things come to those who wait!

<3 Kinjee

Healthy Hair and the Vitamins You Need

So I haven’t been taking my vitamins nor do I consume , in my opinion, a healthy balanced diet, this  unhealthy situation got me wondering about how vitamins affect my hair.

I found a wide range of information about vitamins, but since I’m a beginner I’ll just give you the digestible version.

Vitamin A – Antioxidant that helps produce healthy sebum in the scalp. Food sources: Fish liver oil, meat, milk, cheese, eggs, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, apricots and peaches. Daily Dose: 5,000 IU. Warnings: More than 25,000 IU daily is toxic and can cause hair loss and other serious health problems.
Vitamin C – Antioxidant that helps maintain skin & hair health. Food sources: Citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, pineapple, tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes and dark green vegetables. Daily Dose: 60 mg.
Vitamin E – Antioxidant that enhances scalp circulation. Food sources: Cold-pressed vegetable oils, wheat germ oil, soybeans, raw seeds and nuts, dried beans, and leafy green vegetables. Daily dose: Up to 400 IU. Warnings: Can raise blood pressure and reduce blood clotting. People taking high blood pressure medication or anticoagulants should check with their doctors before taking Vitamin E supplements.

Biotin – Helps produce keratin, may prevent graying and hair loss. Food sources: Brewer’s yeast, whole grains, egg yolks, liver, rice and milk. Daily dose: 150-300 mcg.
Inositol – Keeps hair follicles healthy at the cellular level. Food sources: Whole grains, brewer’s yeast, liver and citrus fruits. Daily Dose: Up to 600 mg.
Niacin (Vitamin B3) – Promotes scalp circulation. Food sources: Brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, fish, chicken, turkey and meat. Daily dose: 15 mg. Warnings: Taking more than 25 mg a day can result in “niacin flush” – a temporary heat sensation due to blood cell dialiation.
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) – Prevents graying and hair loss. Food sources: Whole grain cereals, brewer’s yeast, organ meats and egg yolks. Daily dose: 4-7 mg.
Vitamin B6 – Prevents hair loss, helps create melanin, which gives hair its color. Food sources: Brewer’s yeast, liver, whole grain cereals, vegetables, organ meats and egg yolk. Daily dose: 1.6 mg. Warnings: High doses can cause numbness in hands and feet.
Vitamin B12 – Prevents hair loss. Food sources: Chicken, fish, eggs and milk. Daily dose: 2 mg.

Get healthy folks, it really does have an effect on hair growth and quality!

<3 Kinjee

 

Hair Mystery: Snapping Hair

Just recently I found a hair follicle lying around with the tag and all. I picked it up and I wondered what happens to hair when its pulled apart till it snaps?. As thought, as done. I pulled the hair till it snapped and the hair end resembled a asymmetrical angle. It sloped along the shaft till it was thin and tapered off.

Unfortunately, I tried to refer to slides of hair under a microscope but none actually spoke about how healthy or damaged hair should look when broken along the shaft.

In my opinion, the hair snapped with a long end, as though it had been razored badly leaving behind one assymetrical length of hair. I found a slide which showed what bad razoring could do:

Consequently, I begin to wonder, is my hair healthy? Just what should it look like under the microscope?

Split ends occur from hair damage which eventually wears the cuticle down to expose the good stuff on the inside, the results in the hair splitting into two or more strands. These strands are thin and are usually visible.

I haven’t noticed any split ends in my hair.

Initially I thought maybe split ends were caused by some kind of hair breakage which when occuring on a damaged cuticle results in the hair being unable to recover. This inability to recover or heal itself (again my initial hypothesis) meant that the cuticle and what was beneath it split apart.

Either way, this isn’t the case, so why then does the hair appear to be split, or incorrectly razored, when broken along the shaft.

Looking at a slide of  hair which has damage along the shaft:

This condition called Trichorrhexis Nodosa appears as swelling on hairshafts. Breakage occurs leaving the ends frayed (almost brush like). The condition can result from: excessive heat, exposure to hydrogen peroxide, hair dyes, alkalis, mechanical traumatism.

This is listed as a defect which makes the hair break easily. From the pulling I had to apply I don’t think this is the case for my hair.

Thankfully my hair does not appear to have this condition. The hair when broken does not resemble the slide.

I imagine that if I pulled my hair and it resulted in the bursting effect, then I could possibly have some serious hair damage inside the cuticle. But for now it seems inconclusive, and I’m quite happy with that, I’ve searched through the most dire slides and none resemble my hair mystery.

Unfortunately I have found knotted shafts at the nape of my neck. Just one or two though but somehow I feel bummed to think that they exist in my hair.

 

So I do have knotted shafts, but what should a healthy hair look like when it it pulled apart?

When I pulled apart my hair it snapped with with the ends looking more like this ] [. I’m at the position that that would qualify as a healthy break.

Can you help me solve this?

<3 Kinjee

The Hair Project: Geneva Williams

Exciting stuff!

My friend G will let me follow her as she negotiates the terrain of natural hair.

She is two months free from the creamy crack and has been braiding her hair for four.

All articles about my friend’s experience will begin with the title, The GW Hair Project:, so check ever so often to see what progress we’ve had.

The adventure begins!

<3 Kinjee

How to Plait Hair

 

Recently, I noticed incoming Google searches which featured key words about how to plait hair.

The realization that some people won’t know how to cornrow/canerow, braid, or twist hair finally hit me.

I’ve decided to do a tutorial on it. At this point I’d like to do video, but I don’t have administrative privileges yet to use that feature in my webcam. I’ll figure out a way though. I may eventually just use photos.

Learning as we go,

<3 Kinjee

Tip of the Day

     If your hair looks bad after using your favorite shampoo, it may be because it is leaving a build up on the hair.  All you have to do is get a nice gentle clarifying shampoo to clean off the “gunk” and your hair should be back to normal.  These types of shampoos are generally a bit more expensive, but you should never forget that you get what you pay for.

p.s. I saw this great tip on a hair care website, unfortunately, my browser closed so I have no idea who to give credit to .

DIY Hair Juice: Glycowater

Glycerin+ Coconut-oil+Water= Something spectacular for your hair

     The key to any hair care regimen is to have a moisturizing regimen which you do every morning or styling time and which is easy to do in a hurry.

     That said, the major trick under my sleeve is using glycowater. This is my savior when it comes to my hair. The mixture I’m speaking about (glycowater) can be adapted for use with any glycowater mix.

     The thing about glycerin is that it has to be mixed with water in order for it to not dry on the hair shaft itself with its humectant properties.

What You Need

1. Glycerin, preferably vegetable glycerin
2. Water,  water from the tap will suffice, but if you can boil it first to get rid of potential impurities, I sometimes use bottled water as well.
3. Coconut oil
4. Spoon
5. Spray Bottle
6. Towel/ napkins
7. Measuring cup

    

Cleaning Spray Bottles

For someone like me, who uses alot of natural ingredients, I have to be especially wary about bacteria possibly growing in my hair care DIY products.

You should be wary too.

Bacteria build up is just plain nasty and dangerous, to your hair and to your body.

To properly clean out my spray bottles I separate them into their smallest parts.

Next I fill the bottle to the brim with hot water. Slosh it around a little then empty it.

I fill it again with more hot water, this time I use some soap (could be dishwashing liquid or hand soap), the idea is to get something which will bond with the oils and form scum. The choice of soap is completely at your disgression.

I leave the soapy water for a bit- maybe five minutes.

Meanwhile, I soap down the spray tube and run water over the nozzle and the tube as well- all this for about a minute or so.

Afterwhich, I then empty the soapy water from the bottle and refill and empty it several times with the tap water.

At some point, while the bottle is filled with clean water, I insert the tube and nozzle and spray and spray and spray until all the old water possibly caught up in the tube is expelled and only clean water remains.

For my own paranoia, I’ll do the above step more than once.

Finally, I empty the bottle and empty the spray tube (by spraying the water), wipe the parts dry and set them down on a clean towel to air dry.

Now, I am ready to refill with a next batch of whatever DIY hair care product I decide to make.

Hope this helps,

<3 Kinjee

Hair Update: Length

!

OMG

One year has passed. I am now 4.5 inches long.

WHoopeee!

See more on how I managed to measure my hair here. I recommend measuring your hair, it’s an crucial part of any proper hair care regime.

Enjoy my glee,

<3 Kinjee

Measure Your Natural Hair

What You’ll Need

1. Ruler
2. Contrast paper in this case white
3. Clear tape
4. Pencil, pen, marker
5. Hair sample- full strand including tag

Last year when I made the lil big chop, I had about an inch maybe one and half inches of hair on my head.

Today I worked up the confidence to measure my hair properly this time around.

To create a sample, I plucked two strands out.

I did the plucking by pulling on the strand from the root in order to prevent the hair breaking off prematurely along the shaft. The idea is to get a hair strand straight out of the scalp with the tag intact.

Hair Mystery: Texture Appearance

My hair is curlier:

Rather than its usual kinky uniformness:

Here is my hypothesis.

    I plait my hair as a protective style after the mohawk on Saturday night. I had all intentions to rock a mohawk for Monday but as it turns out the hair just was not cooperative, so I did my hair in my usual head band- slide back.

     Now on Monday my hair was piecey due largely to the fact that the hair had been in plaits for two days.

     Today on the other hand my hair is another texture all together. I figured it would reverse back to my regular uniform afro (because I was lazy I didn’t replait my hair, instead I just covered it with a head tie and went to bed) but it didnt, it came out curlier, as in, more defined coils of hair wrapped around each other rather than individually.

    My style regimen was not all that different. I woke up this morning and spritzed my hair with my glycowater mix (I just came up with this term but I like it so I’ll be using it again, it means glycerin, coconut-oil and water) threw the head band back in and wala! At the end of the day I realised that the hair had coiled differently.

     I’m thinking that it may also have something to do with how I initially styled my hair on Saturday. Because I washed my hair a few hours from my intended expedition to the club, I covered the plaited ends of hair with gel, the key thing is that (1) I was unable to let my hair dry out completely so I had to undo the plaits before they were dry and (2) I used a blow dryer. Immediately after I unplait my hair on Saturday, I noticed a coil difference, but I thought it would do as it usually did and dry out completely and go back to being an undefined mess. Interestingly it didn’t and now I’m wondering if I could recreate this hair texture again.

     Also of note is the fact that for the first time since I dyed my hair, my hair feels soft and moisturized again and not dry and brittle. I am certain this has something to do with my glycowater mix as well as the deep conditioner I did.

<3 Kinjee

P.s. I think it’s intriguing that both hair samples are approximately the same length, looking at them and how much they have kinked up, who would have thought? This really goes to show, I think, that kinky hair does grow and it is possible to have short long kinky hair!