What's Rachie up to? - Hair Update Week 3, 2014... :-)

Hey there! So in keeping with my new years resolution to be more diligent with my blog posts, I've decided that I'd like to do a weekly hair update. Just a little summary of whats been happening hair-wise for that week, any new ideas I may have, things I'd like to try or have tried etc.

Here goes!
Captains log 17/01/14 0700hrs... Lol jokes

Last relaxer date: October 10th 2013
Currently: 13 weeks and 1 day post relaxer
Next relaxer: Boy... Not sure, I'm either doing a very loooong relaxer stretch or I'm POSSIBLY transitioning to natural ;-) I'm not fully sure just yet (Don't hold me to it!)

How I'm feeling about my hair today: about 8/10 today :-)
Points gained: I'm very happy with the progress I've made over the past year:

From this...
 :-(

To this...
 :-)


I haven't done an official length check picture since November 5th 2013, simply because I haven't relaxed yet, and I don't want to put heat in my hair right now ( ie blowdry and flat iron). I would like to do an official length check in about 2 weeks or so. Lets see how my hair cooperates. If I'm getting too much breakage or shedding I may just relax (texlax), but so far so good.

So as you can see my hair is in single braids as my protective style for almost 2 months now. My hair likes the braids, go figure! Twists didn't work so well because I noticed way more tangling with them when it came time to take them out.
So so so grateful for all the help and support and info from friends family and different blogs and youtube channels I've joined.

Points lost (ie 8/10 instead of 10/10) because my scalp issues acting up - I think the hard water at home may have caused the flare up, so I'm nurturing my scalp back to its pre-holiday healthy state :-)

What have I been up to???

Well since my cassia incident in early December, which I will post about with details soon, I decided to throw my hair into braids to minimize brushing and thus mechanical trauma to my already traumatized strands. As a result I also put off relaxing. Its NOT good to relax hair if its not in its optimal healthy state! ;-)

I've been wearing these braids, or plaits as we call them at home in Jamaica, since the first week of December. Its my own hair, no extensions added because again I was afraid of the rubbing or friction on my own hair by the synthetic hair.

I've been cowashing twice a week and deep conditioning once to twice a week with the braids in. After washing and deep conditioning I may oil rinse depending on how my hair strands feel.

I think I have yet to learn how to properly cleanse my scalp with the braid in and without messing the braids up too too much, which for me causes tangling, yes tangling while in braids believe it or not, I tell u my hair is trials!!!! Lol!

That being said, I redo the braids once a week.

I have also been moisturizing and sealing in braids too. I mixed a leave in conditioner mix while at home, because I didn't have my usual arsenal of products, I had to make do with what was available at home and in the local pharmacy.

I winged it and made a daily moisturizing spritz with: 

1. Neutrogena Triple Moisture Leave-in Conditioner 
2. Tap water
3. Olive oil
4. Grapeseed oil and 
5. A "toops" (little bit) of Tresseme Naturals Moisturizing Conditioner 

All mixed in a spray bottle and sprayed on my strands daily. The moisture was then sealed in with a bit of olive oil and castor oil rubbed in the palm of my hands and spread gently along the braids.

Now, braids as a protective style for me so far has been good, BUT I was getting tired of the same ol' same ol'. Plus, at home, these small braids made me look really really young lol, so I decided I need to learn how to spice it up a bit. So I joined pinterest and created a "hair styles and hair inspiration board" and basically started looking for braided hairstyles and SCARF ideas (I love scarves). That was a really big help! I came across a pin that had an interesting scarf braiding idea and I knew I had to try it:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/448741550342691708/

Yayness!!
I'll be trying new ideas while I have these braids in and I'll show you guys how they turn out!

The holidays were  BUST when it came to eating properly and drinking my 3 liters of water per day, daily exercising and taking my vitamins. But it was the holidays! :-D So its all good.
Now that I'm back to real life, sigh, lol, I'm definitely going to be more diligent with my:

• Daily exercise
• 3 liters water per day
• Vitamins!
• 5 Fruits and Veggies per day
• Adequate protein intake daily

Yeppers Peppers!
So that's what I have been up to! Hopefully I can stick to my plan until the next "weekly update post".

I hope you guys have a great day!
HHJ!

Xoxo,
Rachie :-)