Monday 7th 2010

 The First Transitional Style Update.

So, just as I guessed, the first transitional style has begun to get pretty fuzzy after only two and a half weeks. Slightly disappointing, since this was a nice easy style which I hoped would have lasted a little longer. But, on the flip side, it's a positive sign of growth in my hair. The braids themselves are still quite tight, but are attached to at least a few millimeters of new hair growth.

I refuse to go to the hairdressers again though, because if my hair is going to be growing at this speed, re-braids may become an expensive habit. So the plan instead is this:

Once I had unravelled my hair, I found it to be quite thick and soft. This was probably because of all the oil I had been using in my hair over the duration of the style. I also found that my hair had grown a bit, although my ends looked in need of a trim, something I intended to remedy, employing the search and destroy method I had read about.

Allow me to explain. Basically, during the transitioning period, if you follow the method that I have chosen -avoiding the big chop-, then, your aim probably is to retain length. Since your hair is likely to be braided a vast majority of the time or styled through braid outs, buns or any of the other protective styles mentioned in previous articles, then, having your ends exactly the same length is probably not as big a priority as when your hair is chemically relaxed and worn in bobs etc. The search and destroy method basically means that you literally only trim the ends of the hair which need it, leaving the healthier strands in tact. This process can be very time consuming, but because my ends weren’t in bad nick, I didn’t have to spend too much time on them.

Anyway, it seems I’ve managed to skip a step or two, so now let me take it back a bit. Right... so hair is unbraided, and soft in texture. The last time I had washed it, I used a co wash (basically washing your hair with conditioner rather than shampoo). But, because my hair had considerable build-up, I felt as though a shampoo was necessary. My shampoos are quite considerably diluted, however, so as not to strip my hair too much. I use a 50:50 ratio of shampoo to water in the bottle. This makes a shampoo last twice as long, since you have twice as much, as well as easier to lather I find.

The shampoo I used was the Megagrowth Progrowth stimulating shampoo by the brand Profectiv. (Click on the image to the right if you're interested in the product). I have been a fan of the Profectiv range for quite a while. I like the amount of moisture it adds to my hair. Strictly speaking, it kind of goes against the 100% natural product regime I had hoped to use, but this is the one product I think can slip through the embargo.

Here is the finished look! =)

Wednesday 9th June 2010