I thought this was a great topic to discuss and get your opinion on. Personally, I've noticed nothing but positives since the beginning of my hair care journey. Since taking back control of my hair, my hair has increased in thickness, length, over strength and my hair remains much more moisturized than ever! At-home hair care has changed my hair for the better. 

Don't get me wrong, I have seen some improvement with frequent salon visits; however, I have to deal with long wait times, limited healthy hair care knowledge/guidance/product suggestion, and the fact that my hair not in my control - not always the best feeling. I still have flash backs of my stylist relaxing my hair from my roots to my ends every 8 weeks! Little did I know. I'm surprised I still had hair on my head!!!!

It's no wonder why I remained at shoulder length for years while visiting the salon on a bi-weekly/monthly basis. Now that I take care of my hair at-home, I've been maintaining MBL (mid back length) hair for 5 years. It's been a drastic change for the better!


I'm curious to know your opinion on this topic!  Let me know what works best for you? 
Salon vs. At-Home? and Why?

I remember when India Arie released “I Am Not My Hair” in 2006 and the popular phrase swept the hair care world by storm. Everywhere you turned, ladies were chanting this phrase to declare that they were more than just their hair journey. According to the song, whether it was a press and curl, jehri curl or a relaxer, India Arie stated that hair does not define nor consume her. She has encouraged women to look inside and go beyond that. While that is true, reality illustrates that women believe the opposite of the statement.

It’s easy to agree that our hair can depict how we feel; it’s an extension of our personality, even our spiritual beliefs. I think our hair is an accessory that can be manipulated to how we see fit. We use it to express ourselves in anyway we feel and chose. It’s possible that we are our hair only because our actions prove otherwise. Women spend countless amounts of money and energy in making sure their hair is looking top notch. We go through great lengths (pun intended) to obtain long hair, a certain hair style or product. At times, our self-esteem increases and decreases depending on how our hair is looking and feeling, according to our preferences.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with one taking pride in making sure their hair is up to their standards. Healthy hair is beautiful and it can really transform the way you feel about yourself. Our hair is an extension of ourselves.

However, we must also understand that our hair should not be the sole deciding factor on how we are to be perceived by others and ourselves. Though our hair a part of us, it’s not all of us. As India Arie greatly put it, we are the souls that live within. At the end of the day, it’s just hair.

Share your thoughts! Do you agree or disagree with the “I am not my hair” statement and why?

Be sure to check out the original article over at ESSENCE.com | Straight Talk: Do You Agree With ‘I Am Not My Hair’ Statements?

I ask this because often times, our hair is in protective styles i.e. buns, wigs, weave, braids etc. day in and day out at an attempt to retain length and keep the hair healthy.

However, constant protective styling (without some freedom occasionally) can rob us of knowing our hair because we never truly give ourselves a chance to understand the characteristics of our hair.

Not knowing our hair = no connection to our hair = greater chance of a setback!

Look at it like this, if your hair is tucked away - all the time- how will you ever know when it's dry? when it needs protein? if it's moisturized enough? if a product truly works? how to manage it when it's down/straight? etc.

I believe that one should protective style throughout their hair journey, however, one should also learn to enjoy their hair as much as they can i.e. wearing it down occasionally, try different low manipulation styles, or straighten it ever so often etc. in order to learn how it behaves outside of the predictable "protective styling environment". Learning our hair in this manner could potentially lead to a greater understanding. Just a thought.

Remember, no one knows your hair better than you!

So, do you know your hair?

Let me know your thoughts...



♥ Sunshyne

What products or hair tools are you loving right now?

How long have you been using it?

Did these products grow on you?

How has it changed your hair?




♥ Sunshyne

Honestly, sometimes I feel like the character in this photo!! LOL

I've been on my journey for almost 3 years now and I still haven't mastered Bantu Knots..OMGosh I feel to scream! Someone help me. No matter which method I do or video tutorial I watch, it doesn't work for me.

Every time I try, I expect a better results but in the end, it looks horrific! I mean the curls are not defined, uniform, and they drop within a few hours SMH.

The fact that I'm this far in my journey makes me feel like this is something that should come natural by now, but it hasn't. I love braid outs and I believe I can do that style well, but I want to be versatile and opt for a different look other than the usual buns, braid outs or my lace front.

Question:

Is there an area in your hair journey/regimen that you STILL haven't mastered? Have you done everything to change the result? It could be relaxers, buns, protective styling, keeping your hair moist, balancing protein & moisture, breakage, shedding etc.

Let's share our frustrated, agitated, and annoyed experiences :-)

♥ Sunshyne

Just the other day, I was at my Aunt's House dropping off my mother. I was wearing my hair down with a simple headband. My Aunt then stops me to ask

Aunty: "Is that all yours?"
Me: "You mean my hair?"
Aunty: "Yes!"
Me: "Of course, this is all me!..LOL"
Aunty: "Oh from when you were little, I never expected your hair to be so long..WOW...blah blah blah" *I kinda tuned out after a while*

My mother told me on numerous occasions that my Aunt never had high hopes for my hair because it was always dry, coarse, rough and short as a child. She always thought my sister would have longer hair since it was much softer & "cooperative", similar to my mother's hair.

So, my question to you is..

Have you changed other people's minds about your hair thus far into your hair journey?
Have you proved the hair haters wrong?

Let me know...I know I did with my aunt and it feels GOOD..LOL.

Plus..I'm not done yet =]

♥ Sunshyne

Well for me...

Hit:
1. S-Curl No Drip Activator as a leave-in conditioner! This stuff absorbs way better on wet hair leaving your hair incredibly soft, moisturized and fluffy when dry. Highly recommend for those with 4a/b/c texlaxed hair.

Revisit:
1. Aussie Moist as a co-wash. I adore this conditioner. I used to use it all the time early '08!! It's up there with Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship conditioner. I'm going to be using it for the Summer 2009 Co-wash Challenge on Hairlista.



♥ Sunshyne

Dull lack luster hair is something that we all don't like and try to improve on throughout our Hair Journey's.

Dry dull looking hair is normally the result of poor diet, lack of moisture, porous hair, chemical treatments etc.

I know there are a lot of products on the market nowadays that don't live up to their promises, so ladies, let me ask you this....

What products and/or techniques give YOUR hair intense shine?

How do you do it?

How long does it last?


♥ Sunshyne

Let's face it, many of us are scared of protein! We feel that protein in the "enemy", we will get "protein overload", it will cause more breakage, its bad for you etc. etc.

The truth is, protein is great for our hair, especially if you have relaxed hair. Relaxed hair, as opposed to natural hair, needs a proper balance of both moisture and protein in order to maintain good health. Protein gives our hair body and thickness, while moisture gives our hair elasticity and softness.

Remember, when we get relaxers, the protein content in our hair is almost completely stripped away !!! The chemicals in relaxers relaxes the curls simultaneously making the hair more weak and fragile. That's why it's highly recommend that we do a protein treatment before and after a relaxer to replenish and strengthen the protein loss we just encountered during the relaxing process.

Believe it or not, you can use a light protein treatment in your regimen once a week or biweekly without going into protein overload, if you use a moisturizing treatment afterward. Rule of thumb: Always backup your protein with a moisturizing conditioner to return softness and moisture back into the hair.

How do you feel about protein in your regimen? Are you scared of it too? Or do you welcome it with open arms?

♥ Sunshyne

I started out by finding a hair twin (someone with the same texture and/or starting length as me) and then I took a look at their products and mimicked their regimen. As I went further along in my hair journey, I began to learn new things & experiment, which eventually led me to my regimen now.

So how did you learn to build your current regimen?
Was it all from trial and error?
Did you copy from a hair twin?
Or was it recommended?


♥ Sunshyne

September is over! This month flewww past me *sighs*

Anyway, its about that time again, what were your hits & misses for this month? What about any revisits (products that worked well for you in the past & you tried it again with the same/better results)?

Hit:
1. Jason Sea Kelp Shampoo
2. Creme of Nature Detangling Shampoo
3. Pantene Relaxed & Natural Breakage Defense Mask

Revisit:
1. S-curl (I don't know why I stoppped using this!)

Miss:
None


♥ Sunshyne

So, we are now down to the last days of August and I'm curious to know...

What are some of your Hits and Misses for this past month? What products have you tried that have been working for you and what products have been a miss?

HITS:

Hot Six Oil - It has been growing on me. I gave it another try and so far it leaves my hair smooth andseals in my moisturizer very well.

Egg Treatment - Left my hair soft, thick and strong. Definately a staple!

MISSES:

None

What about you?...

♥ Sunshyne

Since the beginning of my hair care journey, I have learned so many little things that has helped me maximized my resluts in a very big way. Here are the tips that I have used with success :

1. Air drying my hair with a scarf around my hairline to get roots straight and hairline smooth.
2. Adding 100% pure glycerin (at times) to my favourite deep conditioner to maximize moisture.
3. After shampooing, I gently squeeze out excess water with towel right before deep conditioner. So that the conditioner can penetrate better.
4. Baggying ends with a little bit of moisturizer since a little goes a long way.
5. Using water based moisturizers with glycerin as the main ingredient to moisturize hair.
6. When shampooing, scrub the scalp only, not the hair itself. Less tangles this way.
7. Moisturize hair in sections that way all of my hair is moist not just the outer layer.
8. Tilting my head upside down, after I've applied my deep conditioner, to gather all my ends at the top and then covering it with a plastic cap so they get the most conditioning effects while under the hooded dryer.
9. Applying deep conditioner in sections as if I'm going to cornrow my hair or grease my scalp. The conditioner is applied to my roots then my tips using this method. My hair has changed so much with this!
10. Using cool/lukewarm water as my final rinse when rinshing out my deep conditioner. This closes the cuticles.
11. Applying moisturizer to my ends first (last 2-3 inches) then to the rest of my hair.
12. Adding EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and Honey to my moisturizing deep conditioners. This has given me slip and the tangles slip right out plus its very very moisturizing!! Love ITTTT
13. Only comb on wash days (I like very low manipulation) and finger comb in the week.
14. Putting glycerin based products on new growth while stretching to keep it extra soft between washes.
15. Last but not least, detangling in the SHOWER. I was one of those girls that washed and rinsed my head over the tub and ended up with TANGLES for DAYS. Those days are long gone and rinsing my hair and detangling with my wide tooth comb in the shower has been amazing for me.

♥ Sunshyne

P.S. What have you done throughout your hair journey that has helped in a BIG way???