Hey girl hey!

I'm back with another relaxer update! I know, it's been a while but here we are so...let's get to it!

HA I R   S T A T S:

Relaxer: ORS Olive Oil Lye Relaxer Normal Strength

Relaxer Stretch Ended: 13 Weeks Post Relaxer

Trim: Cut ends to Maintain APL/BSL Length - still in love!

Relaxer Results: Slightly under processed in the middle and nape area

Relaxer day went fine, nothing out of the ordinary to report really - I did my same routine that you see here on my blog & YouTube.  However, by the 2-3 week, I noticed waves at my roots in various sections in my hair. This was a bit alarming as nothing changed in my relaxer application routine (we smoothed, combed through the roots etc.) yet there's still lots of texture at my roots. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about leaving SOME texture behind in the hair for extra strength and elasticity - plus it gives the hair a fuller appearance - but this is definitely more than I typically experience.

It's hard to tell from the photo above that I have several under processed areas - my hair was flat ironed - but my roots are very wavy in an air dried state. It feels like I ended my relaxer stretch just to start another one *sigh*.

So my plan moving forward is to NOT do a corrective relaxer now, or in the next 6 weeks, but to just wait it out for a little and relax no later than 10 weeks post relaxer. I would rather wait and do my touch up earlier (as opposed to 12/13 weeks) while correcting the under processed areas. 

In the meantime, I'm keeping my roots extra moisturized to prevent any unnecessary breakage between the various textures, sticking to my usual wash day regimen and I'll most likely maximize my fave low manipulation styles i.e. braid outs to help blend the textures together.

F A L L ' I N G   B A C K   I N T O   P R O T E C T I V E   S T Y L E S

Now that Fall is here and my roots are slightly under-processed, I've been thinking of implementing some protective styles just to help keep my hands out of my hair. The way I see it, the less manipulation the better right now. Also, in my "10 Things I Don't Do To My Relaxed Hair" YouTube video, I expressed that I'm leaning towards experimenting with headband wigs. I know, I'm late to the whole "headband wig scene" - but I'm curious to see if it's something that I will enjoy as I used to wear wigs throughout my hair journey with no issues.

Straight Headband Wig

In my mind, this style would be reserved for times when I just don't feel like styling my hair, towards the end of my relaxer stretch or when I need to run out of the house in a hurry for whatever reason (typical mom-of-two-type-behaviour right?! lol). Honestly, I haven't worn a wig in yearsssss! I think 2010 was the last time I wore one. I love wigs for the versatility and the ease in which I can remove it nightly to tend to my hair and stick to my hair routine. I'm a little nervous to jump back in the wig game..just baby steps... so headband wigs it is!!

Stay tuned for that...

V I T A M I N   U P D A T E

I will admit, being consistent with my vitamins was a chore over the Summer. Being out and about with the family, out of town, camping, doing activities and just enjoying ourselves kinda threw my vitamin routine off. Now that it's September and we're back into a routine, I find myself getting right back on track. 

In addition to that, I've now included iron in my vitamin regimen to increase my ferritin levels (found out during my yearly check up). I wasn't diagnosed with Anemia (never been either) nor did I have the symptoms of someone who is anemic but an iron treatment was suggested by my doctor to boost my ferritin back to where it used to be (I think this played a role in the shedding that I was complaining about). Part of me wishes I caught this sooner, but I'm glad that I'm taking measures to improve my health.

With that being said, let this be a lesson and reminder to you, get your blood work done, sis! It's so easy to place emphasis on the external but our internal health is equally important, if not more! Other than that, I'm still taking my usuals: Multi's, Vitamin D, Biotin, Omega 3's and Vitamin C.

H A I R   P L A N S

I've been really enjoying and maintaining my new length - just above BSL. I love the ease in taking care of my hair at this length. I don't know what it is, but this length is just really attractive to me. It catches my eye every time I see ladies with this length either on Instagram or Pinterest. I guess since I've had long hair for a very longggg time, it's just something new and different for me - bare with me during my little phase y'all lol. 

I remember mentioning in my previous relaxer update, on my Youtube Channel, that my plan was to maintain this length for the Summer and possibly grow it out toward the end of the year. For now, I think I'm going to stick to this length maybe until the end of the year and then go back to my usual "happy place" - mid back length or longer...*wink*

That's it, sis!

Xoxo

Over the weekend I went to GNC in Buffalo, NY and grabbed a few packs of these tasty Hair, Skin and Nail soft chew vitamins. I'm so excited to share this because these soft chews are my current hair obsession! I've tried them in the past but because I wasn't consistent enough, I didn't bother track my results.... but I did receive great results i.e. increased growth!

I know there are tons of HSN vitamins on the market; however, these vitamins are by far my favourite. Why you ask? well for starters, they taste so good i.e. grape juice! In fact, I always remember to take them because they taste so good:) Not to mention they help promote hair growth, healthy skin and stronger/longer nails...and I don't have to swallow them!! I'm such a big baby when it comes to swallowing pills, I'd rather chew :)

These hair candies vitamins ($22.00 US), come in packs of 60 filled with the following (info based on one(1) soft chew a day):

• Vitamin A - 1000 IU
Vitamin A a multi-functional antioxidant that promotes healthy skin, hair and nails and also enhances the immune system. Vitamin A allows the scalp to produce sebum which aids in the thickness and shine of hair.
• Vitamin C - 60 mg
Vitamin C helps to build collagen, a protein that is crucial in the progress of hair growth. Effective in the treatment of hair loss. Aids in the health of the skin and enhances the immune system. Increases scalp circulation, which aids in hair growth.
• Vitamin D - 400 IU
Vitamin D3 Plays a key role in preventing hair loss as well as fostering hair growth. Enhances the immune system.
• Biotin - 3000 mcg
Biotin (B7) B-complex vitamin useful in the prevention of hair loss and premature graying. Promotes elasticity within the hair’s cortex while thickening cuticles to eliminate breakage. Decreases itchy dry and flaky scalp. Supports the health of the hair, skin and nails.
• Type I & Type III Collagen - 250 mg
Collagen type I is abundant in the skin, tendon, ligaments, bone, teeth, and in between organs. Collagen type III is abundant in the muscle, blood vessels, and skin
• Silica - 25mg
Silica helps regenerate skin, hair and nails by repairing connective tissue, which may result in hair growth and a significant delay in greying.
• Hyaluronic Acid - 5mg
Hyaluronic acid can improve your skin’s moisture content and strengthen skin’s barrier. 
• alpha-Lipoic Acid - 5mg
Alpha lipoic acid protects both cell membranes and the inside of cells against oxidative damage, helping skin attain a youthful and healthy appearance.
• Lutemax 2020 Lutein - 500 mcg
Provides skin hydration.

You may ask, "so why are you taking hair vitamins at this point in your hair journey?" Well, I have goals in mind for this Summer and I think using a vitamin, this time around, will help expedite them!

Hair Goals:

a) Longer, thicker hair
b) Stronger nails
c) Clear smooth skin

As I mentioned before, I experienced a large amount of growth while taking these vitamins in the past while being inconsistent.  This time around I want to be consistent & document it! Can't wait :)

What are your favourite hair, skin and nail vitamins? why?

I'm set and ready to go. I have everything!! I have my Multi-Vitamin, B-Complex, Vitamins C and MSM!! (Missing my Omega 3's in the picture, which is located in the fridge for freshness).  My intention is to feed my body with the necessary nutrients for good health, strength and energy. Healthy hair is just the added bonus. In my previous blogs I mentioned that I wanted to get back on track with my vitamins (for overall health and aid in eliminating shedding), well it's about to begin. The Black Tea Rinse really helped to eliminate the excess shedding immediately (noticed a difference in 2 days), however, these vitamins will help restore any areas that are deficient in my body i.e. Calcium, Iron etc., these categories are vital to healthy hair growth and maintenance.

My plan is to take:

1 Multi-vitamin daily
1 Super B Complex daily
1 Vitamin C daily
1 MSM every other day
1 Omega 3 (not in picture) daily

Materna has been my Multi-vitamin of choice since my pregnancy (2010). It's a "one tablet a day" vitamin, which I love so that I never forget to take it, plus it's easy to swallow. The B Complex is loaded with B vitamins along with Iron (prevent shedding) and Biotin (increase thickness). Vitamin C helps to absorb all of the nutrients and enhance the immune system. In addition, the MSM helps to prolong the growth phase during the hair growth cycle, thus shedding is significantly minimized. I definitely have to increase my water intake to ensure that the nutrients circulates properly. Just so I can keep track, I plan on getting a vitamin organizer to monitor my daily dosage :)