Perfected the Bun! Sorta

So, after many months of trying, without even trying I managed to get my hair in a bun for the gym. I hate the way my hair flops when I am on the elliptical machine so I’m really happy I found a solution. It’s a fantastic protective hairstyle (my ends are tucked underneath with bobby pins) and to slick down the front of my hair I used a dollop of aloe vera gel, which also moisturizes and hydrates. Nothing else…although previously there was some chamomile water and Shea butter in my hair from the morning. If I can do it again…it will definitely be my hairdo of 2012 because I’m getting so sick of the afro puff.

I don’t know if it is because my hair has grown that putting it in a bun is easier. It’s hard to tell if your hair has grown when it shrinks and grows on a daily basis. I didn’t brush out my hair or anything. I know there are some flyaway pieces and it’s really kinda…not that neat..but I’m giddy. Yay, I did it!

Instant Love: Argan Oil

 

I bought this conditioner on sale for ten bucks at Shoppers Drug Mart about a week or so ago and have used it twice. I definitely love that it is sulfate free! I finished my JASON jojoba conditioner and read somewhere argan oil is like jojoba, but works better. So I gave it a try and I love this product because it really softens my hair and smells wonderful. And my hair seems thicker! I used it in a deep conditioner for 2 hours and my hair was really lovely afterwards! I would definitely get more Organix products for the cheap price point, and more argan oil like the concentrated oil itself. Known as Moroccan Oil, it really is a wonderful aid for natural hair. It is one of the most expensive oils but they are sold everywhere from health stores to Sephora . (I love Sephora!! :D) . I do not regret this purchase. I love using this conditioner and using natural, organic products is something I’m adamant about.

I love using it for deep conditioners and adding avocado, eggs and olive oil to it. Definitely try it out!

Defining My Hair.

My 4b/4c hair is sooo dry and so thick! It naturally grows thicker–like a sphere, not down towards my shoulders. It will get big–like a big balloon or Afro around my face but it won’t likely ever hit my shoulders. Having long hair and having a lot of hair are two different things, and I think while I help my hair become healthy and strong–I’m going to have a lot of it.

It isn’t a bad thing. If my hair decides to just get big, good for it. I’m not going to manipulate it or use certain products that will change the way it grows. Some natural girls have a very defined curl pattern but…I don’t! My hair, even though it is twisted every night, is very straight. Yes, it is straight. It’s like a ball of fluff. Fluff isn’t really curly, is it?

<—This is my hair after a twist-out with tons of product in it. Maybe I should have had more defined curls, but no…I just had no definition it it…it still looked the same as it always has. My hair doesn’t “curl”. I guess I do just have Afro hair, and not curly hair. It would be such a misconception to call it Curly hair but not having an curls in my hair.

I used to get soo much hair envy when I saw naturals with all this endless hair but I realized my hair is not like their hair. My hair is just my hair. If it will get long and thick, boy am I going to work for it, but my hair isn’t going to magically grow, sprout curls and be perfect. I’m not going to walk into a hair and beauty store looking for the “solution to my hair” because my hair is not the problem. My negative views about my hair is the problem. Whether I like it or hate it, my hair is going to remain the same.

I can understand why going natural can be so daunting. You see all these beautiful women with long, gorgeous curly hair and you wonder how your own dry, coarse cottony hair can ever look like that. And the best thing to do is just be realistic, don’t set absurd expectations about your own hair. You could be pleasantly surprised or deeply disappointed. Not everyone is a hair mixtress or a Youtube diva, and not everyone has the time or money to do what those girls are doing to their hair. And you guys have different DNA and different hair and bodies. You eat different foods, exercise differently. It is hard to say if your hair will turn out the exact same and grow in the same amount of time as the Youtube girl. Just love your hair, even if you don’t know exactly what it is.

My Hair Growth Secret

I know it sounds absurd, but I rubbed my scalp down with Vick’s Vapour Rub yesterday. Yes, it is for colds and it definitely works in helping you breathe better but when I looked closely at the bottle I noticed it contained three hair-stimulating ingredients: camphor, menthol and eucalyptus oil. These are best for the scalp, which needs stimulating. It’s a good way to wake up your sleeping hair cells! I rubbed it on, twisted my hair as usual for bed and oiled my ends…but when I began to sleep, OH BOY, did my head BURN with the goodness of Vicks. It burned in a good way–not like a perm. More like a soothing minty way. And I could really smell the Vicks smell. So I decided I could massage this strong concoction in my hair prior to washing it out so I’m not left with very strong burning and the insane scent.

My hair has been fuller so I see it is growing, and I am really hoping using Vicks will help stimulate a few inches of hair growth. It is all just commitment and patience, though. You have to commit to moisturizing and protecting your hair, and using the right products and be patient because black hair grows…but not at the speed of life unless you were born with a special gift.