Last month on Instagram, I announced that I was making the trip out to Temecula, California to visit Brandie Kekoa and the Be Kekoa team for a much-needed curl reviving miracle. I had reached a point in my natural hair journey where I could no longer ignore the fact that my hair needed  professional care — and I knew Brandie was just the person to do it. But how did I get here?

How I Messed Up My Hair
Full transparency: I've been struggling with the low porosity sections of my hair since late 2017. I talked about my woes in this blog post, sharing various pieces of information I had tried or discovered in my quest for some hair ackrite. Why did the lo-po blues hit me so hard, a whole four years after I completed my transition to natural hair?

A few reasons.

One, during my transition and my first year natural, I still regularly flat ironed my hair ever 3-4 months. Although heat damage did not happen, heat does have a way of raising the cuticle — which reduces low porosity drama. Two, I had been dabbling in color. From box dye in 2014 to salon bleached bright red in 2015 and black in 2016, my hair hadn't been truly truly au natural for quite some time.

But in early 2018, my hair showed itself to be a full-grown fool. I was desperate for a solution, because my favorite products were no longer cutting it. My wash and go's were quickly becoming wash and oh-no's.  So I started experimenting. Clarifying shampoos. Blowouts or a flat iron here and there.

Baking soda.

Yeah, I went there. And foolishly so. Because I'm extra and don't like following instructions, I was just haphazardly adding baking soda to everything — co-washes, conditioners and all. The results were hit and miss, but one thing came of it that was clear — DAMAGE. Y'all, that baking soda literally ate up my hair. My once vivacious (and irritating) curls were straight, limp, and still had the nerve to be frizzy. It was most visible in the low porosity sections.


It wasn't until late 2018 that I'd discover the culprit that likely had the most to do with my issues — hard water. Had I started with these solutions, I probably wouldn't have done as much damage to my hair.

I finished out 2018 biding my time, working my angles, and hacking away at damage. By the end of January, I had had enough. I knew I needed Brandie to work her magic. When my coworker and my friend both hit me up around the same time (without knowing each other) asking about having blessed Be Kekoa hands in their hair, I knew it was a sign.

I booked the appointment, made the drive, sat in Brandie's chair, and told her to have her way with my curls. Whatever needed to go could go — and I was ok with it.

She just had to cuss me out about it first. 😂


The Solution
As you see in the video above, Brandie cussed me out like 22 times, and almost gave me a whoppin' at least five times. Between damage and playing DIY stylist, I jacked my hair UP. You think I would've learned by now, huh?

Brandie's approach involved a custom curly cut, Olaplex (my request) and a deep/steam treatment with Be Lola Intense Hydrating Hair Mask. We got rid of a lot of the length from my bottom layers, and Brandie worked her magic to balance out the choppy sections and holes I created, while removing some damage.

The end result? Beyond magical.

Every time I leave Be Kekoa, I feel like I have a new head of hair — and this time was no exception. My hair looks and feels SO much fuller. The curls have extra spring and body. And that exxxxxtra disrespectful frizz? It's almost like it never happened. They don't call Brandie The Curl Healer for no reason.

The pictures speak for themselves:

Going Forward
During my time spent in Brandie's chair, she had some pretty sound advice (some of which I didn't want to hear as a product junkie). I'll delve deeper in another post, but for now, just know that I'll be:

✅ Seeing Brandie regularly (my goal is once a quarter)
✅ Fine-tuning a consistent REGIMEN for my curls
✅ Continuing to do steam treatments at home
✅ Using Olaplex No. 3 between salon sessions

Although I do (eventually) want length again, I'm more focused on maintaining and improving the health of my hair. More details to come!

More About Be Kekoa
Products and Appointments: www.bekekoa.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bekekoa

My First Be Kekoa Curly Cut
How to Use Be Kekoa Products on Wash Day
Be (Bae) Clean Cleansing Conditioner Review

Are you thinking about a curly cut for shape or to get rid of some damage? Let me know if you have any questions! Leave them in the comments below!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you know I went in on the 28th for a cut and some color! I meant to update you all on this daaaaaaaaays ago, but life has a way of getting in the way.  Honestly, I haven't written anything here on the blog since October 25th -- I didn't realize it had been that long.

On Monday the 27th, my sister gave birth to the newest addition to our family -- Ian Michael Charles Brown. He's the cutest little/big thing ever (he weighed almost 9lbs and was 22 inches long at birth). While she was in the hospital and my brother in-law was by her side, I had to step in auntie style for my 10 and 3 year old nephews. We had a blast, but they wore me out! So much so that as I write this, I'm battling the ickies.

On Tuesday after dropping them off at school, I headed over to Devachan Culver City to be a hair model for their master class. The opportunity called for a free cut, color, and Devachan products. I had only been to Devachan once before -- last December for my chop by the super fab Sergio. This time around, I had no idea who would be working with my hair. As it turns out, I would get some amazing work done by the super awesome Carleen Sanchez.

The master class cut was pretty much identical to my first experience at Devachan. Carleen did a consultation with me, and we discussed what I wanted. A few weeks ago, I thought I wanted a drastic cut and some bangs. But as I got closer to the date, I realized I just wanted to take off a few inches to maintain the shape of my original cut. Carleen obliged, and totally made me comfortable in her ability to deliver what I wanted.

Here's a little "before" hair action:


My hair wasn't in bad shape -- it had just gotten a little flat and less voluminous than I remembered. This was mainly because as it grew, the length of the looser/longer back half really took off -- leaving the front half with the tighter wave/curl looking like a janky mushroom. Really, all I wanted was to get some of the shape back that I remembered from earlier in 2014:

Circa July 2014.

Yeah, something like that.

After explaining the cut and color I desired, Carleen worked her curl artistry magic using the Devachan method. I received the acclaimed dry curl-by-curl cut, followed by a custom color highlight job. While most ladies in the master class wanted blondes and browns, I leaned more toward red -- for a few reasons. One, I've still got some of that auburn Garnier color in my hair, and I didn't want to do anything too drastic that would wreck my curls (like blonde). Two, I henna -- and henna is red. Red on red = red, so no issues there. Lastly, I just think red is a fun color. At the end of the day, I didn't want anything drastic, just something a little different.


As far as the amount of hair cut is concerned, the most that came off was about 3 or so inches. In the front, Carleen took off less hair, as it is shorter and more shrinkage-prone. This is one of the major benefits of getting a Deva Cut -- cutting the hair dry in its natural state means no surprises, and no "oops, we cut too much".


Those two little curls are from the back of my hair. They don't look like much, but when you see them stretched, you realize how much was actually cut:


At any rate, I ended up sacrificing some length for volume -- which is exactly what I wanted. After my cut and color, it was time to wash and style. Carleen cleansed my hair and gave me theeeeeeee most heavenly scalp massage (you know these things feel a bajillion times better when someone else does it) with Deva Care No Poo (with the white label), and conditioned me with Heaven in Hair. To set my style, she left some Heaven in Hair in, and applied the Deva Curl Styling Cream on top.

After styling my hair soaking wet at the sink, I sat under the hooded dryer until my hair was about 75% dry and then got it finished off with the Devafuser.


With the Deva Curl styling method, it's all about super-defined, frizz-free curls. And that's cool. Carleen really did an awesome job. But ya'll know I live for the big, day 3 lookin' hair! So you know I was feeling it when I woke up on day 2 with bigger hair:


I have since washed my hair and styled it with my own products. I like Deva Curl products, but I'm not wild about them. I loved my cut and color even more after I let my PJ stash go to work:


That's day 1 hair with Shea Moisture JBCO Leave-In and Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream (review coming soon). It rained last night while I was out at Universal Studios Halloween Horror nights, so my hair looked like this today: (don't judge my icky sicky photos)


You can see more of the color here:


Before my cut, my hair was below the bra strap, which made me mid-back length? I think? I'm never too sure about these things. After my cut, I'm at or just above bra strap length.

Don't mind the rolls, I'm workin' on em.

I'm thinking about doing some sort of optimal care/protective styling challenge this month and through December. Let me know what you guys think!

If you're in/around the Reno, NV area be sure to look up Carleen Sanchez at Hair Cut Color & Design!!! Word on the street is she has a waiting list, but her services are well worth it!

Any questions about the Deva Cut? Leave em' below :)

My hair over the years....As you can see, I used to LOVE me some blonde!

I've kept no secrets about my journey to natural hair. My blog has been a very open space where I can share the ups, downs, highs, lows, accomplishments, and failures I've had along this journey to natural hair.

That's a lot of ground to cover, given that I re-launched The Mane Objective in March of 2012. Want the abridged version? Head on over to the Ouidad Blog and check out my feature as today's Guest Blogger! I share pictures of my before, during, and after transitioning hair, as well as a synopsis of my journey. Plus, I have 5 tips for embracing your hair!

Thanks for all the love and support you guys, each and every one of you that visits the blog, follows, comments, likes, shares, and subscribes -- ya'll are so dope. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You guys make this blogging thing so fun <3

After mulling it over for 24 hours, I called back, and changed my consultation to an appointment with Sergio. I decided to stop dragging my feet and just go for it. Here's my hair before the cut:


After that, we went right into the cut. Yes, on my hair just how it was. With the Devachan method, hair is cut curl-by-curl (literally) while the hair is dry. Not dry and straight - but dry and textured. The rationale for the dry textured cut is that while wet or straight, hair is elongated. There is the chance that too much hair will be cut, and when it is washed, it will be a lot shorter than you might have bargained for. For someone not concerned about length, that probably isn't a big deal. But I have a big head. Length is definitely a concern -- and one of the reasons I transitioned instead of big chopping. Here's a little chop action (and yes, that's Sergio behind me):


And immediately following the cut, before washing and styling:



While soaking wet, she applied B'Leave-In and Ultra Defining Gel to my hair to set the style, and scrunched the excess water and product out with a microfiber towel. I was then taken under quite possibly the most futuristic-looking hooded diffuser ever on earth. Once my hair was dry, Sergio went in again with the shears to clean up anything that had been missed or overlooked.

The final look with their products (this was my next day hair):


And this is my hair after being washed, conditioned, and styled with my own products:


Now I'm 2 months in the game, and looking something like this:


All in all, I don't regret a single thing about getting my DevaCut. Styling has been amazing, and I am something like a wash and go pro - at least for my hair. I thought my world would dramatically shift in some ways after my cut, click here to see what that's all about. Sergio encouraged me to come back in 4 - 6 months, so we could get some more shaping action going. And I'm certain that I will, well, after this Manetabolism Challenge I'm doing ends.

Here are my takeaways from the Devachan Salon Experience:

Pros:

• Consultations with stylists are free-99.
• The staff and stylists were incredibly friendly.
• They will do everything in their power to make you feel completely comfortable.
• They take the time to understand your hair before jumping right in to the cut.
• They consult with you along the way, asking for feedback and direction in terms of shape, style, and how much is cut.
• The scalp cleansing felt like the most heavenly massage...ever.
• The ambiance was nice, clean, and had an upscale feeling.
• There is no set price - stylists range from $80 to $150 or more depending on popularity, experience, etc.
• They did my friend Megan's hair for free (washed and set, no cut) while she waited.
• I absolutely loved No Poo, One Condition, and Heaven In Hair!
• I am WILD about the cut (it took me a day or two to get there)!

Cons:

• Although the ingredients in the products were good, I still felt like my hair was missing some softness. I needed a cream or butter after my leave-in.
• I wasn't wild about the diffusing. I hadn't used a diffuser at all before, and after this experience I probably won't ever. My hair seemed a little more dried out than normal, and shrunken.

For those that are curious, here's what my DevaCut looks like when I straightened (I flat ironed my hair in December for Christmas), and used these products and ingredients to prevent heat damage:



Here's my final recommendation: By all means, have them use the DevaCurl products on your hair. You can even purchase the ones you like in-salon. But I highly recommend that within the next day or so following your cut, to start over with washing and styling your hair with your own products to get a true feel for the cut. I liked my cut the day of, but I didn't LOVE it until I washed and styled with my own products.

So....about this chop thing.

I've been working on trying to get my Devachan Salon experience video together, but unfortunately, I'm having some technical difficulties...like half the video is a green square difficulties. I don't know how or why. So while video technology conspires against me, I figured I'd do a little reflective/update piece that will hopefully answer a few questions and shed some light on the chopping experience. Without further delay, here are 5 things (in no particular order) I thought would happen when I chopped my heat damage...but didn't.

1. I would regret it/miss my length
Wrong, wrong, WRONG! As I was preparing to have my dead ends cut off, my stylist asked, "When was the last time you had a haircut?" I laughed and replied "May of 2008." Yes, I had trimmed away at my ends little by little, and increasingly more in the months leading up to it. But a legit haircut that resulted in more than 2 inches of hair cut at once? Definitely 2008. Check the grid I put up on Instagram of my short blonde cut if you don't believe me. Because I was so length obsessed (hence my reason for transitioning instead of starting from a big chop), I automatically assumed I would miss my bra strap length hair - damage and all - the second the scissors severed us. I won't lie, the chop was a shock. And to date, I haven't done a "length check" (although it has only been a week) to see where my hair actually is. I just know that in the truly natural wash and go state, it rests comfortably/slightly beyond my shoulders. The truth is, I'm glad I got the cut and don't regret doing it for a single second. It is thicker than I can ever remember my hair being, the curls are off the chain, and I had one of the best 3 day wash and go runs I've ever seen to date. My hair has volume like I've never seen before, and moves with amazing body. I can't say that I miss the length, because I've been so over the moon with the volume. But by no means am I going to stop my quest for growing longer, healthy hair. I tend to shoot a quick *side-eye* when people say they value health over length, because to be honest, I value both. I've had short hair before. It isn't for me. A lot of folks look down their nose at naturals who desire lengthy hair, for reasons I can't understand. Seriously, what's wrong with wanting long, healthy, natural hair? Granted, you won't catch me doing headstands for half an hour or rubbing Monistat on my scalp, but I will do every reasonable thing to help my hair be as long and healthy as possible.

2. I would know my hair type.
I'm still laughing at myself for this one. In every transitioner article that I've written addressing texture typing, I've pretty much advised that transitions stay away. Not because I generally disagree with how typing can easily turn into a natural hair hierarchy, but because relaxer/heat damaged hair can distort your hair's true texture. At best, I had surmised that all my hair fell somewhere within the 3 category; and I just knew as soon as I chopped it, I'd be able to identify it for sure. To be honest, I still don't know. Every time I begin to try to understand the parameters of what separates 3b from 3c and 3c from 4a, I get confused and give up. My hair has some loose curls, some tight curls, some fine hair, and some waves. It's all over the place. I will probably never be able to concretely define what my hair type is, and I'm okay with that. I'll just settle for products that work and don't work.

3. Detangling would still suck.
This one came as a total shock. In every article I read about detangling, some natural is always lamenting about the arduous task of finger detangling into the wee hours of the morning with a jar of coconut oil and some reruns of Law & Order: SVU. As a transitioner, I understood. Trying to carefully detangle two textures of hair was a complete pain in the behind. Even when I could glide my fingers through my natural/new growth hair, the ends would inevitably snarl and tangle (I guess because that's how heat damage rolls). Sidebar: with relaxed and heat damaged ends, the cuticles are damaged/lifted, which makes them rough and more prone to tangle and attach to each other. Sorry, I just had to get that out. But with my new all-natural hair, detangling has been nothing short of a miraculous breeze. I'm sure things will get more complicated as my hair grows, but for now, I am able to completely tackle my entire head in about 20 minutes - maybe less. Yes, this is meticulous finger detangling. Not only is detangling a breeze, but I am experiencing way less hair fall and breakage. So no, detangling does not still suck. In fact, I don't mind it nearly as much as I used to. Don't worry! Soon, I'll drop a post about which products I'm using that make this process a breeze.

4. I could rid myself of texture blending "tricks".
Cue more laughter. Inasmuch as I no longer had to battle healthy and damaged texture blending, I thought my manipulation days were over. I was so focused on my heat damage being gone that I neglected the fact that I still have a bajillion different textures across my head. Yes, they did seem slightly more in step with each other. Nonetheless, they're still different. So to rock my wash and go's, I'm still pulling the front/center hair back to stretch and avoid mushroom helmet hair. My braidouts still have satin strips on the ends. Whenever I do get around to twistouts (the bane of my existence for some reason), perm rods will still be on the ends. I don't know if I haven't mastered the methods, or if my hair just doesn't "curl" at the ends like everyone else's on YouTube. Either way it goes, all the tricks I've adopted along my transition will still come in to play.

5. I would go through an awkward "IDK what to do with my hair" phase.
I don't know why I thought this would happen. I suppose after reading about so many choppers and their awkward growth phases, I just knew it would happen to me. But then I said to myself, "Christina - what the heck  have you been growing out your hair for 21 months for? Just to have an awkward cut you hate? Girl, bye!" Yes, I really do talk to myself. And yes, I do answer myself from time to time. Turns out I was right - 21 months had been incredibly generous to my hair, and Sergio (my Devachan stylist) cut my hair in a way that not only flattered my face, but made it incredibly easy to manipulate my hair into wash and go's, buns, and even ponytails. My hair is still just as versatile as it was before I chopped, and now I think even more so. I think I made the mistake of buying too much into other folks' anxiety, rather than being in step with how I truly feel.

Bottom line is, thinks weren't as bad as I thought they'd be! In fact, they're better. Hopefully, I can get this video together soon and give you all the full Devachan Salon experience!

Me at the Devachan Salon in Culver City, CA...no, that's not Sergio :)

Originally, I was supposed to just meet with Sergio to get a consultation. Two days ago, I was just *considering* the possibilities of just getting rid of the rest of my heat damage. Then after doing some serious soul searching, and reading all the encouraging comments on Instagram, I changed my consultation appointment to a haircut appointment with Sergio, whom I had virtually stalked via Instagram (@devachanculvercity) and on YouTube.

I'm saving all the amazeballs details for my video & photo compilation, but I just want to drop 3 things really quickly:

• It wasn't as traumatic as I expected,
• The Salon staff are all HECKA nice...and the salon is too!
• The cut was $80, which was totally worth it. The whole process from start to finish (the photo above is them diffusing my still wet from my morning wash and go hair, before my cut) took about 3 hours. They dry cut (the Deva way), cleansed, conditioned, styled, and dried my hair - all while giving me care and education lessons along the way.

I'm super excited about the cut. I can't wait to show ya'll the full experience!

Next day hair with my Deva Cut!

I haven't done a transition update in a while.

I've been so busy doing features, reviews, and dispensing hair care tips that I neglected to return to the launching point of it all - my journey to fully natural hair. So let me get cracking with a few items -- where I am in my transition, frustrations, successes, tips, and more. FYI: for those just catching up, I'm transitioning from heat damage, not a relaxer :)

Transition Status: Almost Natural
I rocked my very first wash n' go on Friday, May 31st. I remember it to the day. I had just finished an EXHAUSTING End of the Year Celebration for my program staff and students, and was literally running from pillar to post. Normally I'd take some time to "cutsey" up my hair for Friday date night with the BF, but on this particular Friday, I didn't have it in me. So I decided to venture where this transitioner had never ventured before -- wash n' go status. My very first wash n' go looked a lil' something like this:

I set this particular wash n' go with Giovanni 2Chic Avocado & Olive Oil Conditioner and As I Am Smoothing Gel. I sealed it off with a lil' Apricot Oil. My curls were in the building, and I was feeling myself.

Then, I got a little antsy about my scraggly-looking ends, and this happened:


After my hair dried and everything, this was the end result:


That first snip session led to a slew of others. Some were caught on camera. There are at least 3 other times where I didn't gram my snippage.



The picture above (yes, that is a Shea Moisture jar...don't judge me) is about half of what I recently snipped about a week ago. In totality, between Late May/Early June and Early October, I've taken off anywhere between 2 and 4 inches of hair, depending on the area of my head. I've been on kind of a search-and-destroy mission, but instead of looking for splits and knots, my main objective (haha) was to eliminate stringy/tapered ends.

Fast forward to late September/Early October, and my wash n' go looks more like this:


My hair has definitely grown out, but it has also grown in length. Instagram tends to crop out most of my heat damage, making me look further along than where I actually am. So here's what my heat damage looks like right about now:


As of now, I've got anywhere from 1-3 inches of heat damage left, depending on where you look in my hair Before I get into my tips/lessons learned, here are a few quick stats about my hair at this point:

Hair Length: Stretched or straightened, the longest part of my hair (around the sides and back) is about mid-back length. I do have layers in the front, which are below my chin and going toward shoulder length...if not there already.


Hair Type: As someone who is still transitioning, I don't particularly place too much stock in hair type/texture. But I must admit, that I do find it helpful when it comes to determining what types of products (mainly for wash n go's) will work for me. That's about it. I don't let it deter me from trying out a different product just because it is designed for a certain type of hair. But with that being said, The majority of my hair falls in the 3c category, with some 3a/b near the back and something on the fringes of 3C and 4a in the crown. I've got a lot texture-wise going on, but I'm able to manage with a few tricks. As far as density and porosity are concerned, I don't concern myself too much with either. My hair is thick. It dries out when I don't moisturize enough, but at the same time doesn't care for a ton of heavy sealing product (I can't go oil and butter crazy). Take that however you wish, lol.

Hair Regimen: I've never been once to concretely embrace a regimen or routine, but I do have a general situation that I stick to. Fair warning: I am a product junkie, therefore I refuse to stick to one particular product in each area. You've been warned.

• Pre-Poo, Detangle & Cleanse: I go through this process about twice a week, maybe more or less depending on how my hair feels. I pre-poo and detangle with my trusty Q-Redew, and a product of choice (right now I'm digging Kurlee Belle Banana Nut & Avocado Deep Treatment, Soultanicals Knot Sauce, and Trader Joe's Nourish Spa. After detangling with product and the Q-Redew, I allow it to sit under a plastic or shower cap for 15-20 minutes. I cleanse my hair in the shower, using any number of shampoo bars. I don't do too much in the way of co-washing or using regular shampoo now. I prefer poo bars, and you can read all about why here. My favorite choices for shampoo bars are Obia Natural Hair Care Coconut Shea Shampoo Bar, Brown Butter Beauty Rhassoul Herbal Tea Shampoo Bar, and AfroVeda Carrot Seed Clarifying Shampoo Bar. Whenever I can remember to (which usually is about once a month), I will do an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse on my hair. I'll probably up the ante on that pretty soon.

• [Deep] Conditioning: I use a deep conditioner every time I cleanse now. If I can leave it in longer than the duration of my shower, then I do. If not, I settle for 15-20 minutes in the shower steam while I handle the rest of my shower business. Regardless of which method, I never skip this step. It is vital to the overall health (moisture and elasticity) of my hair. To get my hair right, I rely on Alikay Naturals Honey & Sage Deep Conditioner, Darcy's Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner, Shescentit Riche Moisture Masque, Camille Rose Naturals Algae Renew Deep Conditioner, or All Things O' Naturall Natty Cupuacu & Rhassoul Deep Conditioner. 

• Leave-In, Sealing, & Styling: Earlier in my transition, I didn't really pay too much attention to leave-ins. I would throw something water-based in my hair, and keep it moving depending upon which products I used to style. Now, I throw a leave-in in my hair no matter what I'm about to do. My favorite leave-ins include Ynobe Shop Hibiscus Marshmallow Leave-In Conditioner or my new holy grail, Shescentit Coco Creme Leave-In Conditioner. To seal moisture in, I rely on Pura Body Naturals Sapote Hair Lotion, Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Butter Cream, or any of the goodies from the Kyra's Shea Medleys line. For styling (99% of the time I rock wash n' go's) I mix and match between Obia Natural Hair Curl Enhancing Custard, Soultanicals Curl Blaze Hair Glaze, Darcy's Botanicals Natural Coils Curling Jelly, and Shecentit Macadamia Fixing Gel.

• Mid-Week Moisture: Because I wash my hair at least twice a week, I don't have a need for heavy duty midweek moisture. But before bed and to refresh my wash n' go curls, I rely on two main products that I simply adore: Soultanicals Fluffalicious Curl Nutricious and Hairitage Hydration Pink Lemon Berry Mimosa. At night, I will add a little of either product throughout my hair before pineappling and calling it a night. In the morning (if needed) I will Q-Redew in large sections and apply a little more product on top. 

• Special Scalp & Deep Treatments: As you all probably know, I have psoriasis (part of the reason I wash my hair so frequently) on my scalp which lends itself to itching and flaking. There is no cure for psoriasis, so many treatments are a shot in the dark and help with relief as opposed to remedy. For hair and scalp health through most of my transition, I've relied on Jamila Body Art Quality Henna. I normally do treatments once a month, but I've been slacking for the past few months. I need to get back on that, especially with Winter around the corner. I also love Purgasm Shop's Wild Cherry Treatment Hair Truffles as a moisturizing clay treat for hair. In addition, my scalp has taken a shining to Jar of Joe by Hairitage Hydration and Vanilla Growth Foundations by The Pomade Shop. Both products have helped tremendously in terms of slowing down the re-growth of flakes and scales. If I do scalp massages with JBCO, Coconut, or another oil, I add in a few drops of Rosemary Essential Oil and Peppermint Essential Oil. To add protein to my hair, I find myself relying on Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioner, and Shescentit Okra Reconstructor. Yes, okra!

Night Time Routine: I CAN PINEAPPLE NOW!!!! I don't think ya'll understand the excitement.


Because I've reached the length where pineappling isn't detrimental to retaining a pattern, I can go ahead and get my version of the sleepytime updo on. In the above pic collage, I showed IG followers how I do my satin scarf pineapple, sans scrunchie. Because I'm a PJ, the products in the first box are always subject to change - but the method is still the same. I apply a nourishing product to my edges (gotta keep those in check), apply one of the aforementioned pomades or oils to my scalp if necessary, throw on a little moisturizing product, and pineapple.

Staple Styles: As mentioned previously, I rock mainly wash n go's. They're easy, I pretty much have them down to a science, and I can make them last 3 or more days. After that, I may resort to bunning or an updo of sorts if I don't have time to wash properly. I still rock the occasional Satin Strip Braidout or Curlformers Set. Heck, I can even wear mini-twists now! The last one is huge because as a transitioner, it's difficult to get twists to stay in. But with majority textured hair and a little help from some perm rods, I can make them last forever, like Keith Sweat. Just kidding. They last about a week, because that's about all I can stand.

                                                   

All in all, I'm really enjoying this leg of my transitioner jouney. I feel like my natural hair is "coming into it's own", and I am on the path to be able to rock some amazing hair and styles. Stay tuned for more tips and information - this week is ALL about transitioning!!! :-D

PS - I have some reviews done on products mentioned here. Others are on the way!

Reviews:
Ynobe Shop Hibiscus Marshmallow Leave-In
Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioner
Q-Redew Handheld Steamer
Soultanicals Curl Blaze Hair Glaze, Knot Sauce & Fluffalicious Curl Nutricious
Obia Natural Hair Care Curl Enhancing Custard & Coconut Shea Shampoo Bar
Purgasm Shop Wild Cherry Treatment Hair Truffles

Do you have any questions about successful long-term transitioning? E-mail me at info@maneobjective.com!

Happy Monday everybody!!! Before March ran out, I wanted to make sure I did a lil' something to commemorate my 1-year mark in transitioning from heat damage. I'm really excited about all the progress I've made and knowledge I've gained. The journey to natural hair is so rewarding. Keep going everyone!!!

For more information on transitioning, check out these posts:

My 9 Month Transition Reflection

A Little Inspiration

Help for Heat Damaged Hair

Transition and Still Enjoy Your Hair

Safe Heat Styling

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

Left: January 2012 -- Right: September 2012

Left: May 2012 -- Right: September 2012

I let August come and go without touching heat. I thought about letting September roll by too; but the temptation was too great. I was far too curious. Back in March, I began my No Heat Challenge -- the path to transitioning out my weak, brittle, and thin heat damaged hair. This was a huge step for me, because I straightened my hair quite regularly -- around every 2 or 3 weeks. And while it was flat-ironed, I was compounding the problem further with my daily curling iron use.

Fast forward to May, for my first check-in. I was excited that I recouped the length I had chopped off (2 inches), my hair was thicker, stronger, and shinier. Read all about that experience here. Now we stand, on the cusp of Fall and I am blown away by how much my hair has improved. I am noticing definite gains in length, thickness and overall health. Here are some of my best practices:

I'm sure you've heard that healthy hair starts inside. Diet, exercise, supplements and water  are all things we can work on that don't involve touching a single strand of hair. I try to eat decently (I am a work in progress, with a penchant for all things chocolate), drink plenty of water, work out 4-5 days a week, and take my supplements daily. As far as supplements go, I take a multivitamin, b-complex, biotin, and MSM. Also on my to-do list in helping hair internally is sleep, and stress reduction. I haven't quite gotten the hang of those two, but when I do... I'm sure my hair will grow 37 inches, lol.
I have said before that I don't have a real regimen, and that holds true. I just do what I need to do to my hair, when it needs to be done. But here are some pretty basic steps I follow (just not according to any set schedule):

May-September.. Those used to be bangs!

• Exclusively finger detangling. I'm comb free!
• Pre-poo treatments with conditioner and Coconut or Vatika oil
• Section washing + co-washing
• Shampoo wash when necessary
• Deep conditioning
• Apple Cider Vinegar rinses
• Moisturize and seal
• Protective styling during the weekday, "out" styles on the weekend
• Monthly Henna-ing
• Dusting ends when necessary

I'm really trying to condense this list to the products that I can count on as staples. I really do want to be a no-frills kind of gal. But here's where I'm at thus far:

• Finger detangle with pre-poo mix (Tresemme Split Remedy + Coconut or Vatika oil) and Infusium 23 Renew & Repair Leave-In
• Co-wash with Aussie Moist
• Shampoo (when necessary) Shea Moisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo or Everyday Shea Vanilla Mint Shampoo
• Deep condition with Shea Moisture Yucca & Baobab Anti-Breakage Masque + TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal &Honey Conditioner mix
• Moisturize with my recession-proof leave-in spray (Aussie Moist + water), seal with my "Cohiloe" mix (Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie + Aloe Vera Gel)
• Vitamin Shoppe brand Apple Cider Vinegar (raw and unfiltered, with "mother")
• Henna with Jamila BAQ (sorry, after one use... I ditched Light Mountain like a bad habit)
• ApHogee Green Tea & Keratin Restructurizer spray (talk about giving hair life!)

Another May-September comparison

As with anything, you must always do what works for you. While there are certain truths that will hold universal, many factors in natural hair care remain largely dependent upon the individual and their goals. My goals were to regain my thickness, and grow my hair out as long as possible (waist length would be nice... if that's in your plans for me God). While I still have much to learn and much to improve upon, I have found these things to be truths (for me) while on this journey:

• Henna = 99% psoriasis-free scalp. Read all about that here.
• Protective styling = length retention and less frequent trims. In fact, I have transitioned to light dusting only (yee!)
• Finger detangling = less breakage. While more time consuming and a little more cumbersome, I have discovered that when you use the right products the results (deceased shedding and breakage) are amazing.
• I can have a healthy relationship with heat, and it gets easier as time goes on. I blow dry on low or medium heat, and my flat iron never passes 320 degrees. Once every 3 or 4 months gives me plenty of inbetween-time to nurture my hair.

What are some of your transition lessons and best practices?