So I've officially reached my goal of Mid Back Length. Whoohoo!! I feel like I just graduated. LOL

My 3rd year anniversary passed Fall 2010, but I never had the chance to upload a comparison photo from start to finish. Just to re-cap, I've been on my hair journey since Fall 2007 and I reached Mid Back Length Summer 2010. Finally! Though I've experienced it all i.e. porosity issues, dryness, moisture overload, protein overload, chopped off 4'inches etc. it's been an amazing journey thus far. I've learned A TON of new things about hair, my hair and I'm truly proud of myself for being determined and dedicated. If you are unfamiliar with the drastic cut I got back in Fall 2008, you can read about it here.

Although I've reached my goal in length, that doesn't mean my hair journey is over, oh no no no. At this point in my journey, I will be exploring more products, making new goals and focusing on helping others rather than myself. I'll still be doing updates here and there but not as frequent as before since I'll just be maintaining MBL (cutting it to MBL each relaxer, no waist length for me..lol).

So in a nutshell, 2011 is all about maintaining this length, thickness and experimenting with other products, items and tools. Just keeping it very simple...I guess :)

Have you been experiencing...

• Excessive dryness
• Stiff hair
• Hair that breaks off easily with little to no effort
• No Shine
• Hard Hair
• Rough Hair
  

If so, chances are you have "Protein Overload".

It's no secret that protein overload is commonly feared in the hair care world. One tends to avoid getting diagnosed with this title because it can easily cause a set back and it takes weeks to correct. There's no doubt about it, protein is essential in building healthy, strong, thick hair. Protein is supposed to make the hair hard and stiff to guard against breakage and normal wear and tear.

What is protein Overload?

"Protein Overload" is a term used when there is an abundance of protein vs. moisture in the hair.

Here is an example of how you can rid yourself of "Protein Overload":

First, Clarify the hair to remove all product build up. This is necessary because the products you use after will have a better chance at penetrating.

Do a 30-45min deep condition with a thick moisture rich conditioner under heat. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Optional - Follow up with an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse to help close the hair cuticles and lock in moisture.

Use a moisturizing leave-in conditioner, then style.

It's recommended that you follow this "moisture based routine" for 2-3 weeks since it does take more than 1-2 washes to see an improvement.

Ways to avoid/overcome "Protein Overload":

• After using a protein based conditioner or reconstructor, always follow up with a moisture rich deep conditioner for 20-30mins with heat or 1 hour without heat.
• Stay clear of moisturizers with proteins in them i.e. Collagen, Keratin etc. (unless your hair responds well to them).
  
• Moisturize and seal daily.
• Baggy your ends often.
  
• Use protein treatments maximum once a week, if you're relaxed, or once a month if you're are natural.

♥ Sunshyne

12. Banding
- Ultimate Summer hairstyle making it easy to retain and show length.

11. Banana Pin Curl Style
- Simple protective style I loved to rock this year.

10. ION Effective Care Intensive Therapy Treatment
- Used this product at the beginning of the year and I had to revisit it towards the end. Great moisture/protein balanced deep conditioner.

9. Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo
- Great sulfate free shampoo that leaves your hair moist and helps promote growth.

8. Creme of Nature Creme Conditioning Shampoo
-Contains a mild sulfate but nonetheless a wonderful shampoo that doesn't make your hair feel stripped.

7. CHI Pink Camo Flat Iron
- The absolute best flat iron for my hair. I've tried others but none compare. I pass and my hair is straight. Love it!!

6. CHI Rocket Blow Dryer
- Love this tool. I used it at least once a week. I mainly use the cool shot button to help speed up the drying time while I air dry my hair. It leaves my hair hanging straight and my cuticles laying flat.

5. Coconut oil treatment on dry hair
- Awesome way to revitalize your hair. This treatment always made my hair stronger and fuller looking.

4. Jamaican Black Castor Oil
- This product is on my list again!! LOL Where would my hair be without this oil? I have no idea. It's a must-have for me. It promotes growth and thickness all in 1.

3. Scurl No Drip Activator
- This product wins again!! My absolute favourite moisturizer, leave-in conditioner and new growth softener. It's my BFF

2. Low manipulation
- Tried my best to bun and finger comb as much as I could and I reached my goal of MBL.

1. Self Relaxing
- This was a huge MILESTONE for me in my hair journey. Very monumental. With the help of my sister, I am stylist-free when it comes to relaxing my own hair!

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and Happy Holiday! This is my favourite holiday by far and life usually gets quite hectic around now i.e. spending time with family, traveling, baking, shopping etc. With all the running around, remember the reason for the season! Be sure to spend it with those you love, I know I will :)

P.S. As for hair updates, I won't have any until the new year 2011.


♥ Sunshyne

Question:

"Well I've been hearing a lot about perms and I am 13 weeks post because i thought my beautician was over-processing my hair when i went to get a perm. So when you get a perm aren't you supposed to perm only the new-growth? Because she perms the new growth and then applies the relaxer throughout my whole head from root to end? Isn't that over-processing?"

Advice: YES! You should speak up and let her know that there is absolutely NO NEED to relax previously relaxed hair! Putting relaxer on the entire head is only acceptable when performing a virgin relaxer, meaning, you have natural hair and you want to chemically relax your hair for the first time. Only in this case should you relax from root to tip. Once your hair grows out, 2-3 months later, you should receive a "touch-up". A touch-up is when you relax the new growth ONLY. There's no need to re-relax already relaxed hair....it's already been chemically altered to remain permanently straight.

Relaxing already relaxed hair is called "Over lapping". Repeatedly relaxing all the hair on your head is a good way to damage your hair and cause thin hair strands which eventually leads to breakage. When performing a touch-up, keep the relaxer on the new growth as much as possible and avoid re-relaxing previously relaxed hair. Many hair professionals are careless and lack vital information when it comes to maintaining healthy relaxed hair. They typically misuse these chemicals by relaxing previously relaxed hair from root to tip or they leave the relaxer on too long, also known as "Over processing".

Tip: Prior to applying relaxer to new growth, be sure to coat the ends of your previously relaxed hair with some type of conditioner, oil or Vaseline. This precaution will help prevent over processing of previously relaxed hair since the relaxer will have a hard time penetrating. Overtime your hair will become healthier. Also remember to condition before and after your relaxer :)

♥ Sunshyne