hormones and hair

So having 2 kids has relaxed my hair.  At first, I thought it was neglect, because….. you know… 2 kids.  But now that I’ve had several months to make sure my hair was properly conditioned and cared for, and trying in vain to get my curls back, I’ve decided for sure that the texture really has changed.  And I’ve decided to just try to embrace it.

I know at least 2 other women who have experienced this.  Out of curiosity, I’ve been researching, trying to find what causes it to happen.  Apparently, nobody really knows.  We all know that hormones play a part in hair texture.  I mean, raise your hand if your hair got curly when you hit puberty.  And it is known that the increase in progesterone during pregnancy causes the hair growth phase to last longer, resulting in longer thicker hair.  It is also known that the shape of the hair follicle determines the texture of hair.  Round follicles produce straight hair, oval produces curly hair.  The flatter the follicle is, the curlier the hair is.  Several sources I found speculate that some hormone increase or decrease causes the hair follicles to actually change shape.  But it has never been determined which hormone does it or why.

Regardless, here I am now, starting almost from scratch, searching and experimenting to find what works for my “new” hair.  Wish me luck!

30 days of hairstyles

Follow me on Instagram for Torrin Paige’s 30 days of hairstyles challenge!  The whole month of April – 30 days, 30 styles!

Click here for my Instagram

Click here for Torrin Paige’s youtube channel

tangle teezer revisited

I had written a review about using the Tangle Teezer a few years ago. (read it here)  I wasn’t all that impressed by it, really.  For a long time, it just sat in my drawer, hardly touched.

Fast forward to having 2 small children, a lot less time, and about 6 more inches of hair.

Because I have much less time to spend on it, my hair is not in as good of shape as it used to be.  Yes, it’s thicker and longer than it has ever been (thank you pregnancy hormones!), but it’s dry and frizzy, and hard to manage.  I’m certain this is due to lack of care on my part.

My hair has never been prone to tangles.  Even with it being naturally curly, at any given time I could run my fingers through it fairly easily.  But over the past couple of years, that has changed.  Drastically.  My hair now gets horrible tangles and becomes a matted mess.  I know dryness is responsible for part of it.  A big part of it, I think, is also due to the  sometimes excessive fall-out I have (thank you pregnancy hormones).  The loose hairs just get all wrapped up in the mess and create more mess.

And because of having 2 small children, I get less time in the shower.  Normally, I would detangle in the shower with a ton of conditioner and a wide tooth comb.  But when the tangles are so bad that it takes 15 minutes just for that…… ain’t nobody got time for that!

So I started detangling after my shower, while my hair is still wet.  Oh. my. goodness.  The Tangle Teezer has been amazing for this!!!

After my shower, I wrap my hair in a t-shirt for a little while.  My hair still needs to be very wet for it to work well, but not soaking dripping wet.  I divide my hair in half and then work through small sections.  The Tangle Teezer gets through it sooooo much easier than a comb!  I’ve been quite impressed with it.  When I’m all done, I put a generous amount of gel all through my hair and scrunch it.

No, I don’t get good curl definition this way, but let’s face it, I wear my hair up 99% of the time these days anyway so it doesn’t really matter.  I get it detangled and get rid of the fall-out.  If I don’t do that, my hair is a disaster.

 

long hair problems…

You know you have lots of hair when you’re going for this….  and you end up looking more like Princess Leia. 

hair growth

This is what it looked like last time I trimmed my hair.  It has never, I repeat… NEVER, looked like this before.

My hair has always been somewhat thick, but always naturally tapered drastically.  I end up with more hair on the floor when I trim my bangs than I do when I trim my hemline.  That’s the way it’s always been.  As long as I can remember.

And did I mention the 8 inches I trimmed off last year to maintain length?

Pregnancy has been kind to my hair.  🙂

no-poo success

So I’ve been doing the baking soda and vinegar routine for about a month and a half now.  I can’t tell you how impressed I’ve been!  I didn’t have any transition phase.  I haven’t used “normal” shampoo on a regular basis for years, so my scalp really had nothing new to adjust to.  My hair feels soooooo much better!!  It also looks considerably better, as you can see from the photos.  The curls are coming back, it’s shiny, it feels soft and healthy.

  

I finally bit the bullet and ordered some good shampoo and conditioner.  I’m not sure yet how I want to continue….. stick to no-poo for a while?….. switch back to shampoo and conditioner?….. use a combination of both?  I’m undecided.

product troubles

If you’ve read much of my past blog, you probably know that my biggest complaint is finding a shampoo or conditioner I love……. and then they change it.  And the hunt for the right product starts all over again.  The past few years, things have been up in the air with products for me, never quite settling on one I love.  And in the process, using my husband’s Pantene in between.  😝

I finally settled (as in, I bought it more than once) on one my hair mostly likes, but it’s about $8 a bottle, and I can only get it online. (No stores around here carry it.) But money got tight, and I stopped ordering it. I used Pantene for a few months, just because we already had it, but my hair felt gross and got really tangled on the under side (a result of cones).  So, I stripped my hair and tried another product.  It’s organic, no cones, cheaper than the one I order, and I can get it in local stores.  However, after using it for a couple of weeks, my hair feels like it’s coated in wax!

So……. with all that, my hair is not in good shape.  It’s limp and heavy, it waves instead of curls, it frizzes as it dries, etc.  The only time I wear it down is when I flat iron it. 🙁  I seriously need a change.

Last week, I decided to get real basic and try the baking soda & vinegar routine.  I’m giving up shampoo and conditioner entirely for the time being.  I can already tell a difference after only one wash!!  I won’t be doing this long-term because I’ve heard it can be damaging.  I’m just hoping to get rid of all the build-up and get my hair back into decent shape.

On the up side though… my hair is thicker and growing faster than it ever has before!  (I’m sure it’s due to pregnancy hormones, since I just had my second child.)  I trimmed off a total of about 8 inches last year to maintain my length.  8 inches in 1 year!!!  How exciting is that?! 😊

Here is a video showing the baking soda & vinegar wash routine.

 

oil vs water

Years ago, when I first began my hair journey, I quickly discovered that some of the widely accepted and practiced methods for growing long healthy straight hair did NOT work for me at all.  In fact, sometimes it made it worse.  One of those practices is stretching the time between washes (as in, don’t get your hair wet in the shower) so the natural oils will have a chance to soak in.  Another is to apply oil to the ends of the hair where the natural oils never get a chance to reach.  I tried this for a few months.  It made my hair look and feel awful.  What I hadn’t yet learned was that curly hair is generally dehydrated by nature, and that my hair actually NEEDED the water I had been depriving it of in the shower.  I do try to shampoo only once a week or less, and I use a gentle shampoo, to keep from stripping away all the natural oils on my scalp and hair.  But I still get it wet, even when I don’t wash it.  Doing this improved the health significantly.

This article does a good job of explaining why.

---

Written by Jonathan Torch, owner of Curly Hair Solutions

At the base of every hair on every human, there is a gland that secretes a waxy material called sebum. The sebum is essential for supplying nutritious minerals to the follicle that moisturize and protect the skin and hair. The sebum has a tiny molecular weight that allows for deeper penetration and absorption of these minerals without blocking or clogging any other pores and cuticles – and to make it even better, the sebum evaporates without any residue.

When it comes to oils and our hair, we have had quite a long track record of using them! All around the world, humans have been using and bathing in oils; to try and replenish the missing moisture that preserves youthful glow and energy. Cleopatra, the infamous Queen of Egypt, was constantly in search of a more miraculous oil to preserve her beauty. The more exotic the oil, the bigger the price tag, and therefore, the more in demand it was. It was seen and believed to be cosmetic elixir.

To this day, oils are still extremely popular in hair care and therapy. Sales of oil-based products continue to grow every year, as more and more exotic and potent oils enter the beauty industry – and it`s completely understandable, as the benefits of oil on hair are so easy to notice. In particular, the look and feel of soft, shiny, and supple hair is most appealing to everybody who uses oils.

When I started to focus on naturally curly hair as my specialty, it became increasingly obvious to me that while oils make the exterior of hair look beautiful, there is a tremendous difference in the quality of the hair when comparing oil-based products and water-based products. My focus was on the end results: Style Management is incredibly easier to have when there is absolutely no silicone or oils coating the hair. Water is the healthiest moisturizer in the world – it is what makes up our atmosphere, it is what our bodies are made of, and it is an integral part of the hair. Water is essential to life, and hair automatically responds as a natural moisture magnet – it sucks up all the moisture it can, particularly when water is involved.

By understanding this common-sense fact, it became obvious that eliminating oils from the styling process makes it far easier to moisturize and style hair. Oil and water do not mix. While they both have their proper roles and benefits, they are very far apart in what they do. Oils act as a lubricator, cosmetically softening – and weighing down – the hair. When there`s a coating surrounding the hair, it becomes very difficult for each hair to group with other hairs to make a beautiful curl or a ringlet. Because of this effect, any movement to the hair causes flyaway hairs, essentially encouraging frizz. On the other hand, water fills the hair cuticle, encouraging grouping and joining of each hair, and this automatically creates a frizz-free curl. Water works every time in every scenario of curl formation in all weather conditions – and it`s the most natural thing I could base my products on.

length update

Here’s the latest pic of my hair.

After taking this photo, I realized that there’s not enough contrast to see the ends very well.  So I took another one wearing a white robe.

You know, it really is a good idea to take pics every so often.  So many times I start thinking that I’m not making any progress, and then I look back and realize I really am!  All this time I’ve been thinking about how much my hair has suffered the past year during this total lack of attention.

Then I compare it to this pic, —> taken about a year and a half before.  My hair looked pretty sad back then.  Much better now, in spite of everything.

The roots have flattened out quite a bit and I’m not getting as much volume.  Part of that is lack of trying, but a lot is due to the length weighing it down.  Even when I put out a lot of effort to get volume at the top like I used to have, it just doesn’t happen.

post-pregnancy update

As far as my hair is concerned, I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is that I’ve allowed myself to settle into the terrible damaging habit of wearing the same hair style every day (and even at night).  I recently began noticing the results of that – lots of broken hairs around my hairline.  I’m trying to break that habit before I do some serious damage.  Also, because I’m wearing my hair up 95% of the time these days, my curls aren’t looking so great.  Which makes me just put it up again because it looks bad.  Ah, the vicious circle………

The good news is my shedding is drastically reduced!  During my pregnancy (especially the first trimester) I was shedding by the handfuls.  With each wash, I would end up with a wad of hair that looked like large mouse.  Now, I can literally count the hairs!  Like an average of 5 or 6 hairs come out with each wash.  That’s crazy!  I’ve never had so little fall-out!  I hope my body is building back all the thickness I lost during pregnancy.

From the bit of research I did online, I found that I’m in the minority concerning the hair loss.  Most women will experience thicker healthier hair due to increased estrogen, then will experience a massive fall-out after delivery when the hormones go back to their non-pregnant levels.  Some sources suggested hair loss during pregnancy may be a result of morning sickness not allowing you to get sufficient vitamins and nutrition.  Other sources said it could be a thyroid issue.  I experienced both of these.  (my doctor believes I may have pregnancy-induced hypothyroidism)  So I guess that could explain it?

baby loves my hair

I had my hair in 2 braids.  He grabbed them while I was leaning over him talking to him.  He was trying to eat the braids and the curly ends were tickling his face. 🙂

 

it’s a boy!

quick update

Just looked at my blog and thought, “Wow!  Has it really been that long?”  I’ll be 40 weeks pregnant tomorrow, so yeah…. it’s been that long.  I had several ideas of things to post about and every intention of doing so, but this pregnancy has really drained my energy!  I haven’t forgotten about this blog or decided to stop posting, I’ve just needed to focus my efforts on other areas and conserve my energy for more important things.  I hope to get my health back in order after I have the baby and be able to return to a more normal lifestyle.

As I said in my last post, my hair has suffered simply because I don’t feel like messing with it.  The last half of the pregnancy has been better, but still not my usual routine.  It’s been so long that I almost feel like I’ve unintentionally created a new routine.  I think it will be difficult for me to get back to where I was before.  But that’s my goal.

Don’t give up on me!  I have things I want to post about and questions from you girls that I haven’t had a chance to address.  I will do my best to get to it soon.  In the mean time, thanks for stopping by and continuing to send new people my way!

new photo

Took a preggie pic today.  Thought I’d share it since it shows my hair pretty well too.  Hennaed and flat ironed 4 days ago.

I admit, I’ve been extremely lax in my hair care since I got pregnant.  I went through a phase of about 2 months (at least) where I really didn’t care what I looked like.  I felt that bad.  Putting on makeup, fixing my hair, painting my toenails, lotioning after a shower…. all things that I normally am very particular about, a thing of the past.  There was even a period where I didn’t even put gel on my hair after I showered!  If I wasn’t going anywhere, what was the point?  Too much trouble. lol

My hair was badly in need of a DT but I couldn’t seem to gather the energy.  I was also badly in need of touching up the henna, it had grown out at least 6 inches.  I’ve been feeling much better the past couple of weeks and finally got around to doing both.  My hair felt so dry that I was afraid to henna without first doing the DT.  I was afraid it would be too harsh on the ends.  I decided to try coconut oil this time.  I’m really pleased with the results!  I hennaed a couple days after, also with good results.  It feels good to be getting back into the swing of things.

tangle teezer

A few weeks ago, while I was in the process of writing the last post, a friend actually bought a Tangle Teezer for me as a gift.  I very rarely brush or comb my hair while it’s dry, so I finally took the opportunity to try it out today.  In preparation for a deep conditioning treatment, I wanted to detangle my hair so I could get the oil through it easily.  It was rather more tangled than usual, and I’m still having quite a bit of fall-out which makes the process a little more difficult.

For comparison, I divided my hair in half and used my wide-tooth horn comb on one side, and the Tangle Teezer on the other.  The side with the comb took about 5 minutes to get it completely detangled.  The Tangle Teezer worked through the tangles much quicker, but it was difficult to get it through the thicker parts of my hair.  I had to divide the half into more sections to make sure I didn’t miss anything in the middle.  It felt quite good on my scalp…. when I could feel it.  Again, I had to divide my hair into sections, especially around my crown area where the hair is thickest, to be able to reach my scalp with the brush.  Then, I felt the need to do a once-over with the comb to make sure I got it all (because the teeth of the comb will reach all the way through my hair).  Because of all this, it ended up taking just as long as using the comb, and (in my opinion) was more trouble.

My conclusion:

• I think it may work well as part of a process…. such as using the Tangle Teezer when I encounter a knot during the combing process.
• If you have issues with tangles, do give it a try!
• You may like it better than I do if you don’t have really thick hair.

tangles & knots

I don’t personally have a lot of experience with tangles, so I’m probably not the best source of information on this topic.  But I’m still going to share with you what I know because many times tangles is what keeps you girls from growing your hair long, or makes you want to cut it off.  If you are the type to brush through your hair, ripping out the knots as you go…. imagine me slapping your hand and saying “NO!” 🙂  Believe me, that’s the worst way for you to deal with it!  Few things make me cringe more than a child crying out in pain as her head is being yanked around by a brush in her mother’s hand.  The mother always saying, “She just hates having her hair brushed!”  Many times I have asked for permission to take over, and the little girl sat calmly and quietly as I detangled her hair.  No, she doesn’t hate having her hair brushed, she just hates the way you do it.

Like I said, I have limited experience.  I have been blessed with hair that simply is not prone to tangle.  I think it’s because it’s more on the coarse side.  However, I have dealt with a lot of different types of hair on other people, including very fine hair, tightly curled thick hair, and children’s hair.  Please keep in mind that different hair types have different needs.  These are just some basic principles that I have discovered to work well for me.

Tangles are very damaging to the hair and cause weak spots and breakage.  Here are a few rules to follow to avoid tangles, and to deal with them when they do happen.

1.  Avoid letting your hair loose on a windy day.  If your hair tangles easily, please follow this piece of advice!  I knew a girl who had to cut her knee length hair off at her waist because she spent a day outside enjoying the feel of wind in her hair.  She ended up with a huge knot.  Three different people worked on it over the next few days with very little success.  She cut the knot out, but it left a gap that was too noticeable, so she cut it all off.

So put your hair up or in a braid if you’re going to be out on a windy day.  The same goes for riding a motorcycle, riding in the car with the windows down, etc.  Don’t let the wind whip your hair.

Note:  It is a good idea to always put your child’s hair in a protective style (braid, bun, etc.) when she goes out to play.  Especially if she has very long or very curly hair.  Why subject your children to long, unpleasant detangling sessions when it can be prevented?  It will save you and her a lot of time and frustration.

2.  Condition!  I know you’re going to get tired of hearing me say this.  You’re probably thinking “that’s her cure for everything!”  Well, you’re not far off.  🙂  If your hair is dry or brittle, it will be much more likely to tangle.  A good conditioning routine can take care of this.  Proper hydration means your hairs are smoother and less inclined to catch on each other and knot together.

3.  Use a wide tooth comb.  This is something I started doing about 20 years ago and I never looked back.  I know there are many different types of styling brushes.  If you want to use a brush for styling, ok.  But don’t use it to detangle.

4. Start at the bottom and work up.  Never start combing or brushing at the top, even if you don’t think you have any tangles.  This can create tangles.  Also, work in sections.  If your hair is very tangled, smaller sections work better and you don’t get frustrated as easily.

Something that I found to work really well for my hair is to always detangle in the shower while my hair is soaking wet and conditioner applied heavily.  I usually stand under the shower head so the water runs down my hair while I’m combing.  You’ve probably heard that you’re not supposed to comb/brush wet hair because it will stretch and break the hairs.  It’s different when it’s coated in conditioner.  The comb slides through without stretching the hair (unless you run into a knot, at which point you will immediately stop and pull out the comb, then gently work on the knot).  It’s much easier for me than combing it dry.  By all means, do whatever works for you.

I’ve heard good things about the Tangle Teezer.  I have never personally used one, but 3 of the hair girls I watch on youtube rave about them.  If you’re not opposed to using a brush, it might be worth a try.

my current favorite style

My new favorite way to wear my hair lately has been a high messy bun with a big flower toward the front.  I normally wear a flower toward the back or near my ear, so this is different for me.  This way feels more fun and playful.  I love it as a summer look!

growing out curly hair

I happened across this video today…. It was on my “recommended for you” list on youtube.  I thought her advice was great and I wanted to share it with all of you.  I know your first reaction might be “I don’t have African hair, this won’t help me.”  Trust me, it’s not a matter of race, it’s all about hair texture.  I figured out a long time ago that products and techniques African women use for their hair will many times work perfectly for me!  Straight hair and curly hair are cared for and maintained in different ways, sometimes the information will even contradict between the two.  That’s ok.  Methods will even differ depending on how curly your hair is.  Choose what works best for your hair type.  So if you have curly hair, her tips will be helpful to you.  I do almost everything she lists here.

I browsed her youtube channel and found it interesting that she had been relaxing her hair since she was a child because her mom didn’t really know how to care for it.  She grew up not even knowing what her natural texture was!  Her hair wasn’t super damaged from it, but out of curiosity she cut off all the relaxed part and started fresh and has been growing it for two years.

I think this is a great example of what has been happening for ages with curly girls.  Especially when the mom has straight hair, she has no clue how to deal with a curly haired daughter.  She treats the daughter’s hair the exact same way she treats her own straight hair.  And it doesn’t work!  I see this a lot and it makes me sad because the daughter grows up hating her hair and thinking the only option for making her hair look good is a flat iron or blow dryer.  Ladies, do your daughters a huge favor….. If their hair is a different texture than yours, learn about how to care for it properly and teach her how to as well.  Don’t help her grow up hating her natural hair!

time to find a new conditioner, yet again

I cannot even begin to express my frustration!  Why?  WHY?!?!  do companies insist on changing their formulas if everybody loves it the way it is?  I know I’ve ranted about this on here before.  This happens to me on a regular basis.  I find a conditioner that I love.  My hair responds perfectly, it looks and feels amazing.  I use it exclusively for a couple of years.  Then I walk into the store and see a new label on it, or a newly designed bottle, and my heart sinks.  I know that a new container means a new and “improved” formula.  Just let me say, it is never an improvement.  The new label is a signal for me to look for a new conditioner.

You may remember my post about Yes to Cucumbers conditioner.  I started using it just about 2 years ago.  I’ve loved every minute of it.  There has been nothing about it I did not like.  When I saw the new bottle, I immediately read the ingredients to be sure that they had not added cones (that’s the most common change).  Nothing stood out to me.  I was hoping for the best.  But…….  About half way through the new bottle, I noticed my hair starting to feel waxy.  I took note of it, but my hair was still behaving pretty well so I let it go.

Then, last week, I had the most horrible experience!  I went to put my hair up, finger-combing to pull it back.  I was startled as my fingers caught on the biggest tangled mess I think I’ve ever had in my hair!  I’m not exaggerating.  There was a matted knot at the base of my head that was 2-3 inches across.  My hair does not tangle.  As curly and long as it is, I’ve never had issues with tangles!  Being on the back of my head, I couldn’t see what I was doing and it took me quite some time to detangle it.  I was beginning to wonder if I would have to cut some of it out.  Gladly, I didn’t.  Only a couple of days later, after washing my hair as usual, I noticed that my hair felt sticky as it was air drying.  I tried to put gel on and it just literally stuck to my hands.  I could hardly get gel through it because of it.  The drier it got, the worse it felt.  It felt stiff and would not curl at all!  It was turning into a huge frizzy sticky mess!  And I was due to leave in an hour for my friend’s birthday celebration!  I became so frustrated that I cried!  I finally gave up and decided to wash my hair again, even though I knew it would still be dripping wet when I left.  I washed it twice with a mixture of shampoo and baking soda to strip it, then applied conditioner.  It felt and looked much better after that.

I really do not want to continue using this conditioner.  I had bought two bottles because there was a sale, but be assured I will be taking the second bottle back for a refund.  I don’t have an old bottle to compare the ingredients and see what they changed.  They still have the old one for sale on their website, along with the new one.  They have the same ingredient list for both.  Maybe it updated for all the products, rather than just the new ones.  I don’t know.  But I know they did change something, because the conditioner itself looks different.  I also sent a complaint to the company and left a negative review on their website.  Apparently, I’m not the only one dissatisfied with it.

places to get hair stuff

I recently encountered a small list of hair related Etsy shops and I want to share them with you guys.  I haven’t personally tried any of their stuff, so I can’t recommend them from first-hand experience.  I just thought I’d put them up here to make you all aware of some new options.  Be sure to check them all out.  There are some very unique and beautiful pieces!

Sherry’s Potions & Lotions – handmade natural hair care products

NativWomn – handmade hair accessory organizers/travel bags

AKC Woodworking – hand carved wood hair sticks and hair swords

Grahtoe Studio – hand carved wood hair forks

Lark’s Hair Sticks – uniquely shaped hand carved wood hair sticks

Sirius Hairtoys – hand carved wood hair forks

Willow the Wisp – hand carved wood hair forks

RavensCroft – hand carved wood hair accessories (currently out of stock)

Mairzy Dozy – handmade metal hair forks (plain and decorative)

3 Grrrls Handmade – handmade hair sticks, decorative hair clips, and hair-friendly elastic hair ties

Aliarose – handmade hair sticks, some of which glow in the dark

SilverSkulls – handmade hair sticks

hair everywhere!

I remember a story a long haired friend told about how her coworker found one of her hairs in his house.  She had never, ever been in his house.  Thinking back, he remembered that he had sat in her desk chair for a few minutes one day at work.  Apparently one of her hairs that had been on the chair attached itself to his clothing and hitched a ride home with him.  She said “It’s a good thing he wasn’t murdered, I might have been blamed when they found my hair on the scene!”

Probably the biggest annoyance to me that comes with having long hair is that you find it everywhere.  Evveryyywheeeerrre.  Because the hairs are so big, they’re noticeable.  They’re easy to find.  Or more like… it’s easier for them to find you!  They lurk in the carpet and wrap themselves around your toes.  They thread themselves through your clothing and drop off at inopportune moments (like in the kitchen).  They collectively sabotage your drains and vacuum cleaners.  It seems that no matter how hard you try, no matter how diligent you are about disposing of them, they still end up everywhere.

I have found a few ways to help in this area.  I used to have to clean out my shower drain about once a month simply because it would stop draining.  What I pulled out looked like a drowned mouse and smelled like death.  Because of that, I started sticking my loose hairs to the shower wall during my shower.  Any hairs that I find on my hands or stuck to my body will go on the shower wall.  I detangle my hair in the shower, so I get a ton.  It ends up looking like this —> by the time I’m done.  (this is an actual pic of my shower)  After my shower, I simply wipe my hand across the wall to gather up all the hair and drop it in the trash.  It may seem gross, but it’s not near as gross as the dead mouse drain thing.  I also have one of these, a drain strainer, to catch anything that I don’t.  It even traps my husband’s hair which is only a couple inches long!  You can pick one up somewhere like Walmart.  There are different options for drain shapes and sizes.

Another indispensible item in our house is a rubber broom.  Several years ago, my mom saw one in a magazine and decided to give it a try.  With three long haired people living in the house, it was part of our regular vacuuming routine to sit and dig hair out of the vacuum cleaner!  We hated that so much!  I’m telling you, this broom will find more hair than you ever imagined was lurking in your carpet.  And it will pick up more hair than your vacuum will.  You can also use it on your furniture or in your car.  I bought mine online at simplygoodstuff.com, but they’re available on several different sites.

I hope these little tips will help you out.  Let me know how it goes for you.  If you have any more suggestions for capturing these rogues, please share!

lose the towel!

A big issue with long hair is damage.  The more damaged your hair is, the harder it is to gain (or maintain) length.  Also, the longer your hair is, the easier it gets damaged.  Some of that, you just can’t help.  It’s nature.  But there are some things that we commonly do on a regular basis that actually cause damage to the hair.  Towel-drying is one of those things.  In case you haven’t noticed, towels have a very rough texture.  This texture grabs your hair and pulls and tugs it in different directions.  This can cause breakage.  And please tell me you’re not rubbing the towel over your hair to dry it!

Several years ago, I stopped using towels on my hair.  I learned first about plopping and started doing that with my towel with great success.  But a towel is heavy and hard to secure in a plop.  When I heard about using a t-shirt, I tried it immediately and never looked back.  A t-shirt is very soft (usually 100% cotton) with a smooth texture that doesn’t grab at your hair.  I had a lot less frizz, and over time, less breakage.  I simply love it!

If you have curly hair and you don’t plop, you should try it!  But drying with a t-shirt is not limited to curly girls!  Here are a couple of videos showing how to use a t-shirt to dry your hair.

This one is for those with straight hair that don’t want to plop.  She made this video at my request!  How sweet! 🙂  By the way, she has some great style tutorials so be sure to check out her youtube channel Torrin Paige. 

This one is for plopping.  There’s a lot of talking at the beginning, but the plopping explanation starts at about 8 minutes, so you can skip to there if you want.  This is basically how I do it.  You won’t need an extra long shirt, no matter how long your hair is. 

fake a crown braid on yourself

~~~~~

I tried this and it works beautifully!

 

I was finishing it up literally as we were walking out the door so I didn’t get to tweak it like I wanted to.  I didn’t realize how lopsided it was until I got home and took these pics.  It turned out that way because I just pinned the braid tails on either side of the dutch braids, and the right one was thicker.  If I’d had more time, I would have pinned it a little differently.

In spite of that, I think it looks awesome and I love the way it turned out!  Like she says in the video, I agree that it looks like I have a lot longer hair because there are 3 layers of braid in some areas.  I will definitely be keeping this one in mind since I’ve never really effectively been able to do a real crown braid on myself.

for Valentine’s Day

How about some heart hair styles….

(click on the pics for instructions)

and from my own gallery (no tutorials)

length update

I measured my hair for the first time in a couple of years.  It’s now at 41.5 inches!  The tips just reach the bottom of my bum.  A new record for me!  😀  I need to trim, though, to thicken up the ends.  I’ll probably be doing that soon which will put me back up to about tailbone length again.

Here’s what my length looks like now.  The ends look too thin, I’m not happy with that.  I’ve been trying to do better on my hair care, getting back into routine DT’s and microtrims and all that.  I had also sort of cut a few layers to try to lighten the weight of the top layer so it’s curlier.  It hasn’t helped very much so I’m going to let them grow back out to give more fullness at the ends.  My hair is getting long enough that it’s going to weigh down the top no matter what I do.  I think I’m ok with that.  Looking back at pics, it looked its best about 6 years ago and I would really like to get back to that.  I don’t know if I can without cutting it back to that length though.  Crossing my fingers…….