This is, by far, one of my favourite up-do hairstyles! 

I discovered it about a year ago and I just love the simplicity of this style. Originally, I saw this style on many natural haired ladies.  I decided to give it a "go" on my air dried relaxed hair since it's much fuller and textured in this state. Relaxed hair is versatile too :) 

All I do is section off my hair in 3 (vertically), put ponytail hair ties around each section, fluff & lightly twist the hair from each section, pin it and go! I find that it's an elegant hair style for any occasion - most importantly it's heat free and a protective style for my ends! Can't beat that :)

Tip: An old braid-out is perfect for this style. The added texture really adds more appeal & character to the overall style!

I've been on my hair journey for several years now and I still love going through my old photos of my hair just to visually see how my hair has transformed. I've always used it as motivation to meet my next goal. Nothing speaks louder than a photo! Sometimes we feel as though our hair isn't making any progress, but until we look at an old photo, that is when we really notice a difference :)

The photo on the left (APL - Arm Pit Length) was back in November 2008 when I went to a salon for a relaxer. They hacked off at least 4-6 inches of my thin ends when all I wanted was a trim. It was actually a blessing in disguise. From this beautiful disaster, I was able to really understand the needs, likes, dislikes etc. of my hair that I never understood before. The photo on the right (BSL - Bra Strap Length) was taken in October 2009. So technically speaking, I made BSL in 9 months (August 2009) but this photo was taken in October.

What I changed in my regimen to get to BSL?:

1. I consistently started using S-curl No Drip Activator daily. My ends were craving the extra moisture.

2. Increased my protein treatments to once a week (followed by a moisture deep condition) to ensure my hair remained moisturized yet strong & fortified at the same time. 

3. Applied Jamaican Black Castor Oil to my scalp 2-3x/week. This helped to promote growth and thickness in my hair. 

4. Protected my ends in wigs and buns 90% of the time. I left my hair alone!

5. Moisturized and sealed in sections (5-6) ensuring all of my ends were covered in my moisturizer preventing dryness!

That's it! All you need is consistency & patience :)

The Coconut Oil Challenge is still live on Hairlista.com. The challenge will end in less than one month (August 24th). Although, it's been quite difficult keeping up with the challenge, my hair has benefitted greatly from weekly use of Coconut oil. My hair feels stronger, softer and smoother with every use. The moist air from the steamer along with the Coconut oil are a great combo! 

My favourite way of incorporating Coconut Oil into my hair regimen is by going under the steamer with it for 30 minutes. I apply the oil to dry unwashed hair. I slather it on from root to tip and then clip the ends up. No plastic cap! The steam allows my cuticles to open up and absorb the oil and all it's nutrients.  Once 30 minutes is up, I proceed to co-wash my hair with a creamy instant conditioner (lately I've been using Aussie Moist Conditioner). My hair is then full of slip making it extremely easy to detangle. Overall, I love this oil! Coconut oil really helps to add fullness and strength to my hair which comes in handy since I'm almost 8 weeks post relaxer!

What your favourite way of using Coconut oil in your regimen? What have you noticed since you've incorporated it into your hair routine?