If Worse comes to Worse.......Big chop part 1

Just cut it off.  That's what I did.! 

Ok let me give you the run down.

 On Monday night, I finally took the last braid out of my hair and it felt soooo good.  My head felt about 10 pounds lighter.  Argh! But what was I going to do with my hair the next day? For work?  Well, I put a head band on.  It looked okay enough.  As soon as I got home that Tuesday night, I slathered my hair with Suave Naturals Coconut conditioner, this was my prepoo.  Just applying that to my hair gave me this weird but very pleasant sensation.  Like my hair and scalp were thanking me for taking the twists out and rubbing it.  Scalp massages are very important, and I plan to incorporate them into my routine.

Now that I am natural I feel more confident about developing a routine!

Back to the story.....................

So I put a shower cap over my hair, then a stocking cap, and then a scarf and went jogging.  Mind you I nver combed it at all.  When I was taking it down I untangled some with my fingers, but I never combed. I even left the conditioner in for work the next day and wore my head wrap.  My head began to itch during the day and I realized this could be the reason I have an itchy scalp in the first place, this wasn't the first time I had done something like that.  I was excited to get home and start on my hair.  So I rinsed the conditioner out and proceeded to shampoo with a Juniper and Olive tree shampoo by Korres Natural to cleanse.  (I was using no sulfates shampoos and conditioners before I even knew what it meant, I had purchased this a while ago from Marshalls)  After rinsing that, I mixed Natures Gate Volumizing shampoo with Renpure Organics "I love my hair body and shine" shampoo.  Yes that is the name.

Let me just point out that I made my mistake when I did not detangle with the prepoo conditioner still in tact.  When you braid your hair there are a lot of shedd strands from 4 weeks of not combing that need to be combed out before proceeding with any thing.  I guess I learned the hard way.

 So by the time I applied the second set of shampoos I noticed the clumping and that I had to put a lot of shampoo in my hair, to get into what I thought was just thickness, but was really big knots of tangles.  So I proceeded with my protein condition treatment thinking the conditioner will soften it up and replace some of the oils lost during the shampoo.  I once again mixed Aphogee Keratin 2 minute Reconstructor, Renpure Amazing Miracle Deep penetrating  Reconstructor, and Orgainx Acai Berry Avocado conditioner. 

You're probably thinking, why all the mixing?  It was because I had it and I learned from a beautician when I was relaxed that each product may have something another doesn't and may work well together.  Also I haven't found my staple products yet and these products were in my cabinet already.  Before I buy more I want to utilize what I have.  I can't afford to be a product Junkie. 

I let the protein sit, and I thought all was good.  Yes, it took quite a bit of product to saturate my hair, and yes I saw the clumps, but I thought.................I don't know what I was thinking.  I thought I would save the combing for the last condition and that it would be fine.  Boy was I wrong.  To no avail,  I tried to detangle with the proteins in.  Didn't work.  I rinsed and applied my moisturizing deep conditioners.  Yes, with an 's.  Yes, I mixed. It was Mixed Silk by Silk Elements Natural curls for Natural girls Nourishing Deep conditioner, Renpure Oraganics "my pretty hair is parched moisturizing conditioner, and Crew classics for Men stimulating Conditioner (from Marshalls).  Next I tried to detangle.  It just wasn't happening.  I tried the back first because it was shorter.  Then I went into the length.  No go.

I just can't belive it, but it feels so good!

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Au Natural!

Next day hair after big chop.

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The Big Chop

Here is the video of what happened.  I believe I went wrong by not detangling with the prepoo conditioner in.  As I proceeded with shampooing and conditioning things just got worse.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=actXCQWDMfI&feature=player_profilepage check out the video!

Last days of Kinky Twist going to work

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I WANT MY HAIR BACK!

Okay, I have been strong long enough.  I just can't take it anymore.  I am ready, have been ready, to take these twists out.  I never could keep braids or weaves or whatever for very long.  4 weeks is tops for me.  The thing is, is they are heavy!  I like to wear ponytails, especially with a style like this.  A pony is just heavy, and it pulls.  I can't really say that this is the greatest protective style.  All that pulling couldn't be good for my hair and scalp.

It  has been helpful during my exercise sessions.  Once I take them out, I don't know what I will do!  I sweat in my head a lot, and will not be able to keep a style.  I just noted on my other blog, hallfmarathon4life.blogspot.com, that I will be switching my exercise or jogging time to in the mornings.  But I may have to change that, because morning is not enough time to get my hair dry and style it before wor.

Woe is me.

 In the mean time, here are a couple of pics I took of my final kinkytwist hair style.  Its a high bun on top and hanging in the back.  First I put half of my hair into a high pony.  I seperated the twists and wrapped half of them around my pony.  I used bobby pins to secure it.  I then took the other half and wrapped the opposite way and bobby pinned again.  I added a little decoration on the side for flair.  Cute huh!

My son took this one, a little blurry, but still cute!

What color should I use?

So I went on 6-foot-long-hair, Ms. D's, blog today and she had a post about a comment another blogger made.  Ultimately it was about the term "good hair" and the impact it has had and continutes to have on women of color and children of color.  In adding my 50 cents, and going some what off topic, my son does not call black people black, he calls them brown.   My co-worker's,who is caucasion, son calls caucasion people pink or used the flesh colored crayon instead of white.  I think about this and it is so correct!  Just like the good hair/bad hair term, why don't we change this outlook too!

  I have even adapted to my son and say brown from time to time.  It really breaks my heart to think that his innocent way of thinking may soon become tainted by what society deems as proper.  I even hate marking African American on applications and such, because I don't really identify with that.  As a matter of fact I am going to stop altogether, with the paper work and the African American or black.

The funny thing is when I told my grandmother this, she said, "now there are some black people out there." I just laughed at her.  As far as I have seen, even those people are just dark brown. 

In addition, this morning we were listening to the radio and they said African American, and my son asked me about the term.  He said "mommy, are we African American?  What does that mean?"  My son being the inquisitive and opinionated person he is, at 7 years old, came up with a definition of what he thought it meant.  He figured the same way as anyone who heard the term, that we came directly from Africa.  Thats what I get too.  Yes, some of our ancestors originated in Africa, but as far back as I can go, I am as American as apple pie.  Don't get me wrong, I am proud of my heritage, but when it pidgeon holes me and stereotypes me into something I am not, it is down right belittleing and degrading.

My girl Naptural85 recently had a post on her website about a similar topic.  So did my girl LongHairDon'tCare.  There is room for change people, but it must start with us.  I look out in the world today and see so many brown women embracing their natural hair and it is beautiful, encouraging, and hopeful.  We are all God's people, and there is nothing wrong with the way He made us, naturally.

Well, one might wonder why I am doing the texlax then?  I say, it is a woman's right to change her mind.  I changed my mind from relaxed to texlaxed, and when I hit my first goal, I plan to set another one to go from texlaxed to relaxed.  This is my journey.  I invite you to join me.

Pics of the Twists

I must say that the kinky twists came out pretty well!  I remember sitting between my step-mothers legs letting her braid my hair and soaking them in hot water to get a curl. (Which I plan to do tonight).  She taught me how to braid a long time ago.  A skill that was much needed, especially when I began to take care of my own hair.

So, it took me a long time because I would have to wait until I got home and after I dealt with kids and hubby.  So when we went on our trip to New Jersey, I was brainding my hair while my husband was driving.  He drove the whole 18hours!  A notable deed  and contribution if I do say so myself. 

Okay I must note that when I started I was frustrated because it took me a minute to make it work.  Then it just happened!  I used this Nexxus foaming stuff at first (I'll post the name later) and some aloe vera gel because I didn't have the Eco-styler gel that so many of my you-tube sisters speak of.  My hair kept sticking out and I was about to give up.  I studied some more you-tubers and discovered that when it got to the ends of my hair I needed to pay more attention to how I was twisting and to get the hair twisted up.  It got to the point where I stopped using the gel altogether.  Oh I did wind up buying the Eco-styler  morrocan oil gel.  They had so many differnt kinds it was hard for me to chose! All in all they turned out pretty good for my first time.  Here are the pics.

I like this pic, I look cute.  I was on my way to work!

Braids for me are a little annoying though.  I am ready to take them out already and it has barely been 3 weeks.  But since I am training for a 1/2 marathon, it is the best thing for me so I will be keeping them in until then.  Check out my other blog,  http://halfmarathon4life.blogspot.com/.  Of course I will take them out in between and put them back.  I am also considering a sew in, but not sure yet.  One mistake I have made is not washing my hair yet.  I need to take the cues from Ms.D at 6-foot-Long-Hair.  Thanks for posting a comment Ms.D.  It really made my day, you are truly a healthy haircare inspiration!  I will post another pic of the twists all curled up!