[Hair]i.am--WORLD! | Relaxed Hair Blog

My Transition (so far) In Photos

2014-12-03T07:48:00.000-05:00

Tired of reading transition posts? Sorry, not sorry! ;P

If you recall, I posted my transitioning plan from few months ago. Let's just say that I haven't really followed it AT ALL! I've learned that how my transition is actually going is very different than what I had planned!

Also, from observing other transitioners, I see that every person's transition is different (especially long-term transitioners!). While some people master making their two textures mesh well and some people completely hide and steer clear of their transitioning tresses, I'd like to think I've toed the line... I don't want to lose touch with (or love for!) my hair but I also want to listen to my hair and know when it's time to just keep it simple.

Keep reading for a photographic walk down MY transitioning lane!

Weeks 1-20:

These weeks were spent wearing my hair the way I always did during colder months - either straightened or in a bun. New growth during this phase was no biggie as I have always stretched my relaxers between 12 and 16 weeks (many times longer!). At this point, I was not yet in uncharted territory.

Weeks 20- 26:

At 20 weeks post, I had not yet 100% decided to transition, but I knew I was not ready to relax my hair (a.k.a. I was trepidatiously considering what would happen if I ACTUALLY went natural!) I got these "Poetic Justice" braids installed by someone I found via Craigslist (BIG mistake... not knocking anyone who has successfully found hair stylists via CL, but let's just say the quarter-size patch of my edges that is STILL struggling to make a come back decided that CL is not where I should be looking for hair stylists...). I kept these braids in for two denial-filled months but abruptly removed them when one braid fell out and took my edges with it.

Weeks 26-31:
After the crappy experience with getting my hair braided, I decided to attempt to self-install Senegalese Twists. Overall, I liked the style, but they started to look "stale" very quickly (I think because of a mixture of my shoddy technique as well as the fact that the silky textured extension hair did not match well with my kinky hair.) Overall, however, I loved the style while it lasted (and am considering re-twisting my hair soon!)

Week 31-34
After having my hair hidden and out of reach for almost 3 months, I was more than ready to get my hands in my hair and fall in love with it all over again. BKOs (bantu knot outs) were my style of choice while getting re-acquainted with my hair. The picture above was one of my very best sets to date (still have not replicated this!). I wore this style until I ~~got lazy~~ the manipulation started feeling like too much.

Weeks 34-44
I am ashamed to say that I rocked the HELL out of this bun for 10 (more or less) straight weeks! I even used up a 3-4 year old jar of Eco Styler gel in this phase (gotta tame those edges! I finally mastered the scarf method!).

Weeks 44-47

After (in my opinion, quite understandably!) getting sick and tired of rocking my Marley-transitioning-frumpy bun, I decided it was time to wear my hair OUT. First, I tried a flat twist out for the very first time (loved it!) and then, if you've been reading my updates, I got my hair straightened and trimmed - so I rocked my favorite style (sleek and straight!) for a week before going back to my bun (this time, a sleeker donut bun...!)

Grazing APL post trim but dat thickness tho!

And here I am, at 47 weeks post relaxer! I will say, (and I'm tooting my own horn!) that I am so pleased with my hair right now as well as the length and health that I have been able to retain! My hair is thicker than it has EVER been!

I have enjoyed my transition so far and am looking forward to my next protective styling venture - revisiting half-wigs (we'll see how THAT goes!).

But to all my fellow transitioners:

What was/is your signature transitioning style? Has your transition stuck to plan or gone off the rails? Sound off, let's talk about it below!

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Why did I decide to transition?

2014-11-26T08:13:00.000-05:00

Lawd... ya'll are going to be so tired of me talking about transitioning! But it's where I am in my journey, so bear with me!

Hair thinning
at crown

Something I haven't talked about much is WHY I decided to transition. I have never been afraid of a long relaxer stretch (evidence here and here!) but somehow, the decision to "go natural" has always evaded me! Yet here I am, 45 weeks post relaxer, fully committed (and excited) to take this all the way and fully grow out my relaxer.

The decision for me was very simple. Many older readers know that about a year and a half ago, I had a setback. In the time that it took to grow out the damage to my hair (a year, plus, of trimming back to APL!), I also realized that my hair was thinning significantly at my crown. I am not 100% certain that this was the cause of my setback; in fact, I am not sure that the two things are related at all, but both of these things together made me decide that I need to give life sans relaxers a try. I'm not sure that my hair will ever be it's thickest at the crown (I will probably always have to do a mean comb-over that is very effective at hiding!) but I think continuing to relax my hair would only make the issue worse.

My healthy RELAXED hair journey was NECESSARY for me to decide to go natural though! Without seeing that I COULD grow and MAINTAIN a nice (for ME!) length of hair showed me that even if I have to cut my hair, it WILL grow back and it WILL be healthy, because I've done it before!

How many of you are currently transitioning or thinking about it? Let me know in the comments!!

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Salon Review: Huetiful Salon - Atlanta

2014-11-21T08:29:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting the Huetiful Salon here in Atlanta and I HAD to come to you guys and share my experience!

As you all know, I have officially decided to transition to natural and I am currently 10.5 months post relaxer(!!) and I have been noticing an increase in tangling. Since I haven't had a trim since my last relaxer, I decided that it was time to get my hair straightened and trimmed. Internet research brought me to the Huetiful Salon here in Atlanta! On to the review!!

Date of Service: November 15th, 2014

Staff (who I interacted with): Audree

According to them: The Huetiful Salon is exclusively focused on providing healthy hair treatments for women with natural or processed hair, wavy, curly, or kinky-curly type and textures. Our treatments are borne from the products that have made Huetiful a globally recognized hair care brand in less than three years. Using research and client insights that have come from the input of thousands of customers, Huetiful's techniques, products and services are both innovative and effective.

My Expectations: I must say, my expectations were pretty high! After stalking their website and Facebook page for an entire day, I was hyped! However, I knew I wanted my hair straightened, so I was a bit hesitant because there weren't many photos of their work with 4C hair on their Facebook page!

Initial Impressions: The location of the salon was not that far from where I live (and most often "play"). Very convenient, especially if you live in-town. The salon-space itself was a little bit hard to find (it was kind of tucked away in a little strip-mall-ish area... [real descriptive, I know...]) but there was plenty of parking once I found it. What I liked most was the fact that it was not located in a traditional salon (think chairs lined up, shampoo room, styling area, etc.). There was a private suite where my stylist, Audree, was all set up with everything that we'd need (including her shampoo bowl!).

The first thing she did was take a look at my hair. I had pre-detangled (a MUST in my opinion when visiting hair salons!!) so my hair was full of coconut oil. I'd also worn a twist-out the week before so my new growth was pretty stretched out. She shampooed my hair and shared a lot of (accurate!) information that I think would be helpful to a hair-newbie (you know, the usual... 'detangle from tips to roots' and 'find a consistent regimen that works for you'). After shampooing twice (once with a clarifying 'poo, once with a sulfate-free poo) she applied Huetiful's Strengthening Hair Masque and sat me under the steamer for 20 minutes. She rinsed my hair and followed that up with their signature hair conditioner. After rinsing again, she applied their liquid leave-in and heat protectant and then blew my hair out. And OH MY GOODNESS did she get it straight with MINIMAL heat! I was floored at how straight my hair got with just a blow dry! Then she flat ironed (1 pass on NG-only and then another pass on the full length) and trimmed 1-2 inches from my ends. I asked her to put some curls in it, which she did with one more pass from the flat iron and I was good to go. I was in and out in under 2 hours! And, boy, was I loving my hair!

Outcome: The final outcome EXCEEDED all of my expectations, guys!

My hair right before going to Huetiful and the final product

Still holding up 5 days later!

My hair was straight, it had body, I did NOT think my natural hair could look like that (and to be fully honest, I was super sad about it and have been really missing my relaxed hair, but more on that later!). Let me just say that this experience COMPLETELY cemented my decision to continue on with my transition. I just LOVE the versatility (so far!) of my 1/3-natural hair!

Overall: I would recommend the Huetiful Salon to any and everyone who will listen; specifically the stylist that serviced me, Audree. She is new to Huetiful but was extremely nice and very knowledgeable! She specializes in natural hair (locs too!). If I wasn't ~~so cheap~~ such a DIYer I would even consider making this like a "regular" (standing 2 week appt)! I definitely give this experience two thumbs up and am planning to go again in January to straighten (again...!) for my 1-year-post-relaxer milestone!

Have any of you been to the Huetiful Salon in Atlanta (or Chicago)? Thinking about going? Let's talk about it!

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

My transitioning plan

2014-06-11T10:28:00.000-04:00

If you read my last post, you've heard that I have decided to grow out my relaxer! However, by design, I didn't share very many details about my plans to transition in that post (that's what this post is for!)

So, let's start with my current stats:

Right now, I am about five months (approx. 22 weeks) post relaxer. A few weeks ago I had some box braids installed (which are a nightmare, but more about that later) which I plan to wear for another two weeks.

The box braids that I have installed right now

Transitioning roadmap:

Just because I like to have all my i's dotted and my t's crossed, I've written out a transitioning plan/roadmap to help keep me focused.

I plan to transition for as close to two years as I can get (however if I make it to next summer and just can't wait anymore, I won't feel too bad for chopping hehe!) I say two years because I want to still have the option of enjoying my hair periodically and if I'm honest, I know that I will not enjoy a TWA. So long-term transition it is! :)

With that in mind, I plan on wearing long-term protective styles for most of my transition (because what's the point of not BCing if your relaxed hair is hanging on by a thread!). See my (very rough) detailed plan to take me to 1 year post-relaxer below:

Week 23 & 24: Continue wearing box braids
Week 25 & 26: Remove box braids and wear various short-term, low-manuipulation styles (e.g. braid & curls, BKOs, curl formers sets)
Week 27-34: Wear (self-installed) Senegalese twists, refreshing as-needed
Week 35-42: Wear sew-in
Week 42-45: Remove sew-in and straighten for trim/assessment of relaxed ends
Week 46-53: Wear long term protective style

Seems easy enough, right?? **slightly sarcastic voice**

In all honesty, I know that just like with everything else so far in my hair journey, my plans are subject to change based on my hair's plans.

Are any of you transitioning? Have you laid out a transitioning plan to guide you on your new journey? I'd love to hear about it!

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Big Announcement!

2014-06-09T09:12:00.000-04:00

Whoa, it's been a long time!

So many times in the last year and a half I've "decided" to start blogging again, and for some reason or another decided not to. But dare I say, I am back. I won't spend too much time making excuses for myself :) but I genuinely thank anyone who has kept me on their radar over the past 18 months!

So.... what's this big announcement that I'm holding on to?

Well...

I've decided to grow out my relaxer and have a go at learning my "natural" hair! Yes, Shika who said she was soooo happily relaxed! Yes... Shika who bemoaned relaxed hair bloggers who reached their goals and then abruptly went natural...

I still love relaxed hair (I mean, let's be honest, I love healthy, beautiful hair of ALL persuasions!) And a lot of different factors brought me to this decision (a post to come about the reasons that I decided to transition), none of which were related to the health of my hair.

Now that I've officially made this decision, I'm super excited and re-energized about my personal hair journey (and of course sharing my experiences as a [hopefully!] long-term transitioning 4b/4c [I think!] chick!) and I really hope that you'll come with me on this journey!!

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Dandruff Remedy (guess I'm on the tea rinse wagon!)

2013-01-28T08:15:00.000-05:00

So as many long-time HIA readers know, I have some serious bouts with dandruff/itchy-flakey scalp. After reading several posts on tea rinses in the past couple of weeks (like here, here and here) and how it helps with hair shedding, I decided to do a bit more ~~googling~~ research on my own. I found out that not only does tea-rinsing help with shedding, but green tea-rinsing has been found to help soothe the scalp irritation that comes along with conditions like heavy dandruff and psoriasis and maybe even naturally treat them (source). Once I read that, let me tell you, I was all in.

And my fellow reforming PJs will be happy to know that I happily get the best of both worlds: I got to join a random bandwagon (tisk tisk!) but I didn't have to buy a new product because I already had everything I need around the house!

So on my mid-week co-wash last week, I added one more step and did a green tea-rinse before deep conditioning. I added a little flair to it and put a few drops of tea tree essential oil to my brew. I made about a cup of tea and used a spray bottle to apply it it my scalp and hair (because green tea is also said to strengthen and condition the hair).

We'll see how it goes!

Do any of you guys swear by tea rinses? Or tried it and hated it? Weigh in!

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

I trimmed again! (Pics!)

2013-01-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Happy (?) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day!

I won't give you my cynical issues with naming the (or a) day after just Dr. King and not also the thousands of African Americans (and people of color around the world) who fight/fought and even died for equality. I will say that I hope that those who were able to have the day off spend even part of the day in service to others to honor this important date!

Yes, you read right, I trimmed my hair again (though all of you who follow me on twitter won't be surprised!)

I got to a point, in these last three weeks, that I just wasn't feeling my hair too much... it wasn't falling right and I was ashamed to wear it out! I couldn't have that. I realized how silly it was to be holding on to these last few inches of hair just to say "I'm APL" and if any of YOU did it, I know I would be an advocate of just cutting it off already. So. I did.

And I love it!!

Still a bit that needs to go but much better!

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Priteva Challenge Week 3 Check-in!

2013-01-19T10:31:00.000-05:00

Ooh! Random, unscheduled Saturday post! Woot woot! =)

Well, it's the start of the third week of my personal Priteva challenge. I have to be honest and say that I have not been the best at keeping up with taking these vitamins daily. In a 7 day week, I remember to take them 5-6 days... not bad but definitely not daily as I am supposed to.

For the next two weeks I plan to take them each and every day (this should be easier since I am back to my regular daily schedule and off of winter break... sigh).

Enough chatter, here's my progress so far (see my starting pictures here)...

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Rainy Day Deeper Moisturizer

2013-01-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

My bun: Not fancy but it was sooo soft!

Good morning!

My fellow Georgians (and people in the Southern US in general) would know that this week has been pretty wet and yucky...

If you read my last wash-day post, you'll know that I was feeling pretty upset with my hair's moisture levels (or lack thereof...) since my last relaxer.

I decided to use the rainy weather to my advantage! Here's how:

The night before, I moisturized my hair heavily with a moisturizer that contains glycerin (I chose to use HairVeda's Busy Izzy Gets Buttered Up) and baggied overnight. The next morning, I fashioned my hair into a sleek bun and headed out the door.

Because glycerin is a humectant, when used in your hair it pulls the moisture from the air to your hair! And on a rainy Atlanta day, there's plenty of moisture to spare!! (Note: if you live in a dry/cold/arid environment, using glycerin may not be such a good idea as it will have the opposite effect--sucking moisture from your hair.). All day I couldn't stop smushing my super soft bun!

After doing this for three days in a row, my hair feels super moisturized (even though it looks a reverted, textured H.A.M.).

How do you use the weather to maximize your hair regimen?

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Post-Relaxer Wash Day

2013-01-14T07:22:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I did my all-important post-relaxer wash day.

I have to be honest, this wash day made me realize that being a no-lye relaxer girl is not in the cards for me... I don't like how my hair feels and I feel like the task of getting it to feel like it usually does (or used to, I guess) will require too high maintenance of a regimen for my liking. My hair feels dry and it does not have the "swang" that I have grown to love!! This, in turn, makes me feel like I don't like my hair-liking my hair is an important part of my hair journey because when I don't like it, I neglect it.

Some of the products I used on my wash day

I am determined to find a way to LOVE my hair while keeping my scalp happy... but right now it's feeling like those two things are mutually exclusive....

Anyway, enough ranting.

This week, it was important for me to make sure that my hair is nourished after the trauma of relaxing. The first (and one of the most important) step was pre 'pooing. This week I used a combination of VO-5 conditioner (I finished it!!) and coconut oil for an overnight pre 'poo. I also oiled my scalp with a combination of EVCO, peppermint essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, and tea trea essential oil and gave my self a 5-minute scalp massage.

The next day, I clarified/chelated my hair with the ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo. Following that I did a hard-protein treatment using the ApHogee Two-Step Protein Treatment and then deep conditioned with a mix of Mizani Moisturefuze Conditioner, Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner, Hemp Seed Oil, and vegetable glycerin. I left the DC concoction on my hair for about 1.5 hours.

My "talk nerdy to me" look lol

To prepare for styling, I applied ApHogee Pro-Vitamin Leave-in, Paul Mitchell The Conditioner, and Kera-Pro Anti-Frizz Elixir. I then roller-set my hair using my wire-mesh rollers and saran wrapped my hair. The next day, I was not feeling my hair! It felt dry and slightly crispy (protein overload?)!! I heavily moisturized and sealed my hair and caruso set it. Even after the caruso set my hair felt and looked subpar so I pulled out my handy dandy EZ-Comb and styled my hair into a messy updo.

Obviously I have a couple of months before I can make any changes to my relaxing regime but I know for sure that my next relaxer will not be no-lye...

How was your latest wash day? Was your hair more cooperative than mine?

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Priteva Challenge

2013-01-07T06:45:00.000-05:00

One of my biggest goals for 2013 is to be consistent with my vitamin intake for the year.

The folks at Priteva were kind enough to send me a bottle of their hair vitamins to test out and review. Several women on a hair board that I frequent have had some decent results with Priteva and have even compared them to the famed (discontinued) Nioxin Recharging Complex.

This couldn't have come at a better time, right? So, for the first two months of 2013 I will be having my own, personal, Priteva Challenge!

I will update you with progress pictures bi-weekly and hopefully, after two months, I will have seen a nice growth spurt.

Here's week one's pics (aka my starting pics!)

Have any of you taken the Priteva Vitamins before? If not, what are your favorite supplements/vitamins for hair growth?

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

2013--Goals, plans, and realities

2013-01-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!!

Well, it's that time of year again! Hair goals, hair plans, and hair realities! I don't even want to think about how I did on my goals for 2012 so it's onwards and upwards. The following are my goals for 2013... come hell or high water I'm achieving them!

Relax no more than four times in 2013... while I don't plan on stretching for 30+ weeks in 2013, I do want to continue my 12-16 week stretches to maintain my hair's overall thickness.
Trim as needed (every relaxer until I get rid of my thin ends!)--my length goal for 2013 is to reach full bra-strap length... I will not limit my trims but I do want to keep my scissor-happy tendencies in check!
Keep direct heat usage to a minimum-- only one (optional) direct heat pass a month
Continue on with Project Use it or Lose it. By 2014 I want to ensure that my stash is comprised of mostly staples with only a few PJ buys (because it's the opposite now!)
I sound like a broken record every year but in 2013 I really want to try to be more consistent with my regimen... usually when life gets hectic, my hair regimen takes the first (and biggest) hit...
Vitamins and water will be the theme of the year... I aim to take my vitamins (including a multi-vitamin) and drink at least 2L of water daily!

These are my overall goals; throughout the year there will be other, smaller goals (e.g. PSing for XYZ amount of time, rollersetting for ABC amount of time, etc).

What are your 2013 hair goals?

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

2012--the year of reckoning... (Lots of pics!)

2012-12-31T05:35:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how fast this year went by! The older I get, the faster the years just pass me by! It's just unbelievable This year was definitely a year of reckoning as far as my hair goes. I had the first major setback of my HHJ and it was absolutely devastating. When other people experience setbacks, it is so easy to say "Oh, it's just hair! It will grow back longer and stronger!" and you fully believe it when saying it to others. But when it happens to you, those words don't seem to dull the pain/anger/irritation that you experience when you look at your damaged strands. Yeah. That was me this year.

So for newer readers (welcome!) as well as for my own documentation purposes, I want to do a review of this year of my HHJ.

January

This is where my hair was at the beginning of 2012

Some of my sets from January 2012

The year started off strong! I was participating in Longing4Length.com's roller-setting challenge and was setting my hair on a weekly basis. I enjoyed trying new things (curlformer sets, hot roller sets, flexi-rod sets, etc) and discovered my love for mesh rollers!

February

My hair-style progression from one week in February

In February, I realized my love of ACV rinses! My hair had never been better, it was growing, it was healthy, it was shiny! I was L O V I N G my hair at this point.

March

Breaking away from roller-setting and doing a BKO

In March, my roller setting slowed down quite a bit (as the weather began to change and as I got more new growth). It was during this month that I finally accepted the fact that I didn't have a regimen (which may have been foreshadowing for my setback that I suffered over the summer). In April, I also achieved full armpit length.

April/May

Much of my energy for these months was spent focusing on my weight loss journey. An unfortunate reality for me is that when I start working out my hair can't be cute! I sweat entirely too much in my head. Therefore, these months were strictly for bunning with the exception of my college graduation!

Graduation hair!!

June/July/August

Although my focus had shifted (unfortunately) from my WLJ, the summer is where I believe my setback occurred. With the exception of a few occasions, I primarily wore my hair in buns, buns, and more buns. I was neglecting my hair like never before! I don't even want to think about it! Here are a couple of the styles I gravitated towards when I chose to style my hair: It was also in this period that I started to recognize the first signs of my setback.

September/October/November

When straightening my hair to prepare for an installation of box braids, I was able to fully assess the extent of the breakage in the back of my head. I was horrified at the amount of breakage. From here out I entered heavy PSing mode, utilizing box braids and my Exotic Hair Los Angeles wig to hide my hair.

December

After stretching since my graduation, I finally relaxed in December and was able to fully assess my setback. Although it was devastating to have to cut so much length (and to know that there is more to be cut!) I was able to end out the year only slightly shorter than where I started, at APL.

A shorter, thinner APL but it could
be worse!

There were definitely lessons to be learned in 2012 that I will take with me on this life-long journey with my hair! However, I feel blessed to be able to say that I made it 3 years into my HHJ without having to do a major cut.

This post will be the last time you see me refer to what happened this year as a setback! It will no be nothing short of an epic come-back, I'm putting that out into the atmosphere!

What hair (or otherwise!) lessons will you be taking with you into 2013?

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Relaxer Day + Setback Update + TRIM!

2012-12-27T18:17:00.000-05:00

Look at all that NG!!

I finally relaxed my hair last night at 34 weeks post!

Every time I stretch for a long time I say it's my last stretch and this time was no different. But let's get right into it!

My pre-relaxer tools

The process for this relaxer day was the same as any other. The difference, however, was in the fact that I used a no-lye relaxer for the first time in my HHJ. After much deliberation, I decided on the Optimum Care Salon Collection No-Lye Relaxer in regular strength. I sectioned my hair into 4 and pre-parted my hair, as always. I also used the pre-relaxer treatment in addition to my regular relaxer base to protect my previously-relaxed ends.
I took a total of 25 minutes to relax my head from initial application to rinse. I DC'd with KeraCare Humecto mixed with Hemp Seed Oil I used pretty much everything inside the kit except the oil moisturizer.

My uneven texture... I will possibly need to
do a corrective relaxer in 4-6 weeks...

After DCing, I examined my hair to find that I did not smooth the relaxer far enough down my strands which resulted in a that was straight at the root, very textured in the middle, and straight at the end. Even still, I roller-set my hair with gray magnetic rollers and straighted out the under-processed portion with my flat iron. The results were super cute (and even fooled me for a second, with all the curls, that my setback wasn't as bad as I thought it was!

My hair, curled, pre-trim

But, I was wrong! After my relaxer, I got to see the full extent of my setback, and guys it was bad! I had a whole entire section of my hair that was pretty-much nonexistent! I knew it was going to suck cutting it but it was so hard! I used ZanAndRob's method of evening up the ends although I will need to go through and dust the rest of my hair over the next week. I really needed to cut more than I did but once I got to APL I refused to cut it any shorter! I thought I could be strong but I just couldn't let go of that last 2-3"! Anyway, enough jibber jabber-here are the pics of the trim (and my end-of-the-year length pics)!!

Before trim and after trim ... I can't wait to get back to my pre-trim length with even, thick ends!
(as you can see there is still a lot more that needs to go!)
I'm APL...... STILL =(

Excuse my fugg face! The front post-trim (I also
cut my own bangs in the front for shape)

My baby pony-tail!

So overall, relaxer day went as well as expected. Regardless of the shorter hair, I'm glad that I can style my own hair for now (before I get back into PSing in a couple of months!). And I am glad to say that I will be trimming my own hair from here on out (unless I want to get my hair cut in a specific style!)

To those who have suffered setbacks, were you happy to get rid of the unhealthy ends or were you sad to lose your length? Weigh in!

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!

Image Source

First and foremost, be safe! And have a happy holiday!

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Taking it back: Revisiting Staples

2012-12-24T07:26:00.000-05:00

We've all had that moment... when you look back on your hair journal (or in my case, blog) and read your own thoughts on your favorite products from the beginning of your hair journey. You know--EVOO, EVCO, HEHH, HELTR, and the initials (and products) go on!

Personally, I am going through a stage where I am re-visiting a lot of staples that got forgotten as my ~~PJism~~ hair journey progressed. Here are some of my oldies but goodies!

EVCO (Extra Virgin Coconut Oil): before the fancy hemp seed oils, wheat germ oils, and grapeseed oils, my old faithful was coconut oil! In my experience, coconut oil is perfect for pre 'poos, as additives to DCs, and (my favorite) as a light weight sealant!
HELTR (Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship [old formula]): This was a favorite on the hair boards that I frequent. It is the perfect lightweight leave-in--never too heavy on straightened hair and a definite must-have in my stash.
Shea Butter: I allllwwwaaaayyys forget how much my NG loves shea butter! Yes, it's a bit heavy but when wearing styles like braid-outs, BKOs, or even hiding my hair under wigs, it's the perfect heavy-duty sealant to keep my hair moisturized.

What are some of your ~~forgotten~~ oldies but goodies?

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Random Hair Chatter

2012-12-20T08:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I had a random hair chatter post!

I've started using shea butter and EVCO again (I haven't used them since the beginning of my journey!!). I guess there is something to be said about getting back to the basics!! My NG loves shea butter. Just a little shea butter and it's soft as butter and stays that way for days!
The level of my PJism is kind of sad! I realized, last weekend, that I had TWO bottles, nearly done, of the same product! #WhereTheyDoThatAt??? The good news: I was able to use up three products with this past weekend's wash day! (SN: Check out my new page for Project Use it or Lose it!)
I really love my NG... no wonder I always toy with the idea of transitioning! However, at the same time, I can't stand having to manage two extremely different textures of hair! And we all know the psychological trauma that comes along with shrinkage!!
So... we all know that I had my relaxer dilemma 2012! I eventually decided to switch back to using no-lye relaxers, particularly SoftSheen-Carson's Optimum Care Anti-Breakage relaxer. However, after a little more research, I think I will try one more lye formulation (particularly the well reputed Linange line) on my relaxer after the one this month (#11days!)
I am actually excited for my upcoming hair cut! Even though my hair will be much shorter, it will be healthier and just fabulous! =)

What are some of your hair-related random thoughts?

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Celeb Hair: Raven goes PINK???

2012-12-17T08:54:00.000-05:00

I've seen some of my fave WOC celebs go blond (e.g. Amerie and Angela Simmons) or the infamous Rihanna Red...

Over the weekend I came across this picture of Raven-Symoné...

Image Source

Is her hair.... pink?? Her natural hair that she talked gushed about on CurlyNikki?

I really hope it's a wig.

Thoughts?

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Mobile Post: 32 weeks post!

2012-12-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

I am still in disbelief that I am 32 weeks post relaxer! That's 8 months, ya'll!! I will say that as much as I love my fluffy NG, I can't stand my shrinkage and I can't wait to see how much my hair has grown!! #countdowntorelaxerday #16days!!

HIA's TOP 5 posts in 2012!

2012-12-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it is "that" time of year again... year end photos, next year's goals/resolutions! I love the online hair community but particularly at the end of the year! So, kicking off HIA's year-end posts will be my favorite posts from the year! Mixed in this list are some of the posts with the most traffic as well as some of the posts that I enjoyed writing the most! Enjoy!

Wash-day at 15wks post!

Wash-day in pictures and NG shots were an overwhelming favorite of the year! Check out my NG shot at 14 weeks post and my Wash-Day in Pictures at 15 weeks post from August 2012!
In February of this year, I wrote a post detailing some of the myths that I have seen about Dominican Salons across the web (on other blogs and on forums). Click the link so read my thoughts on the issue.
Project Use it Or Lose It has been a major success so far, and it seems like many of you guys are following along "at home"!
One of my favorite styles last winter was roller-sets! And ya'll know I was in LOOOVE with my mesh rollers! In February I wrote a post answering some popular questions about mesh rollers, check it out!
In October, I shared the best decision I EVER made!

My steps to installing mesh rollers

I hope you enjoyed that brief walk down memory lane!

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Q&A: Listening to your hair

2012-12-06T08:41:00.000-05:00

Kristina asks:

Hello. My hair makes me want to give up and cry. My hair breaks and sheds a lot. As I moisturize my hair at night (I do it nightly and seal) it breaks in my hand. I think I have mid strand breakage but don't know what to do about it. I need serious help so I just want to know what to look for or listen for when listening to your hair. I need serious details and anything you can think of. Thank You

Hi Kristina!

First, take a deep breath! It's alright, I promise! =)

Second, it sounds like your hair may be in need of some moisture. Do you deep condition? Do you co-wash? Sometimes nightly moisturizing and sealing may not be enough. Also, consider the moisturizer that you're using and make sure that it is up to par for what your hair needs! Those may be some parts of your hair regimen that you need to amp up.

Third, is your hair in balance? Moisture-Protein balance is something that is not quite often talked about but VERY necessary for healthy hair! You have to first determine your hair's sensitivity to protein. I did that by starting off with mild-protein conditioners. if my hair felt strong (not hard!) then I stuck with it. If my hair felt hard, the product had too much protein and if my hair felt "mushy" (or too soft) afterward it wasn't enough protein. But remember, always follow protein with moisture!!

HTH and HHG!

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

I'm a liebster!

2012-12-03T06:34:00.000-05:00

Thank you to one of my fave bloggers/tweeps/instagram pals Kim at Fancy Flair Lady for awarding me with the liebster award! The concept was so cute and I'd never seen it before so I decided to award it to some of my favorite bloggers as well (I'll try not to duplicate hers!)

How the Liebester Award works:
~~1. Each person must post 11 random things about themselves (optional).~~
2. Answer the 11 questions that the tagger set for you.
3. Choose 11 bloggers who you would like to give the Liebester Award.
4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you have tagged with the award to answer.

LIEBSTERS! (not quite 11... sorry!):
1. Jenna at The Jenn Chronicles
2. Dani at LongNaturalHair.info
3. The Mrs at From Mrs. to Mom
4. Aly at It Better Grow
5. Sharday at The Awkward Stage
6. Ms. D. at SIXFOOTLONGHAIR
7. Nadege at Lush.Hair.Chronicles
8. Brittney at One & Twenty

My Questions:
1. What was the last movie that you watch?
Waiting to Exhale--CLASSIC!

2. What or where is your happy place?
In my bed, when I'm sleeping or just being lazy

3. What's your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is not knowing what I want to do with my life, career-wise... I am so conflicted and sometimes worry that I am not moving in the right direction.

4. If you could ask any one person any one question, what would it be?
Hmm.... I don't know!!!!

5. How tall are you?
5'1 & 3/4" lol

6. What describes you on most days: Save or Splurge?
Splurge... sadly... my S.O. keeps me in check for the most part though.

7. What is your favorite thing to blog about?
Duh! Hair!

8. When did you start blogging?
I've been "blogging" for ever! Since high school! But HIA was my first blog that was meant for others to see hehe

9. What was the first thing you learned to cook?
Spaghetti! And I used to want to cook it all the time until my mom broke my heart and told me she was sick of my spaghetti... lmao

10. What trait from your zodiac sign best describe you?
I'm a secretive scorpio to the letter...

11. Do you exercise?
Sigh. I don't want to talk about it! LOL... I am one of those "New Years Day, it's ON!" kind of people. #noshame

My Questions to those Nominated:
1. What do you love about your hair?
2. What was the last thing you drank?
3. If you had to eat at the same fastfood restaurant for a month, which restaurant would you choose?
4. Harry Potter or Twilight?
5. What was the last concert you've been to?
6. What is your favorite holiday?
7. What do you do for a living?
8. What does your most recent text message say?
9. Where is your dream vacation destination?
10. Who is your biggest celebrity crush?
11. What did you do last weekend?

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Have you noticed? + Thank YOU!

2012-11-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

This post is going to be boring! (You've been warned!)

I am sure that many of you have noticed the changes in the regularity of posts around here at HIA! Those of you who follow me on my personal twitter page or just talk to me outside of HIA will know that I started graduate school in August. It has definitely been one of the most trying and exciting periods of my life however, HIA definitely fell by the wayside in the beginning!

As I have attempted to get my life back in order and balance, I've devised a new posting schedule for HIA. I quietly piloted the idea in the month of November and was quite successful in posting "regularly" throughout the month, so I have decided to share it with you all!

From now on, new content will be added to HIA on Monday mornings. During the week, as long as time allows, new content will also be added on Thursdays. Keep me accountable!

But above all else, I want to take a moment to thank all of you guys who support me through my flakiness (hehe!) who continuously read, support, shout me out, tag me, and all that lovely stuff. I truly appreciate it and would be remiss without dedicating a post to saying that!

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Exotic Hair LA Burmese Straight Hair--Initial Review

2012-11-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've been wearing the Exotic Hair LA Burmese hair for about a month now... it's time for an initial review!! First, let me remind you of the hair's specs:

Seller: Exotic Hair Los Angeles
Type: Virgin Straight "Burmese"
Length: 16" on the bottom, 14" on the top
Installation: U-Part wig made with the EHLA U-Part wig cap (I reviewed it here!)
Price: I was given a slight discount for the hair but the retail cost is $212.00 according to the seller.

Pros:
Nice and coarse (thick strands)
Zero shedding (even though I had to cut some of the wefts when laying the tracks on the wig cap)
Minimal tangling (nothing that I can't detangle with my fingers)
Very soft to the touch, it feels so luxurious!

Cons:
Lots of split ends (and I don't use direct heat on this hair)
The color (originally similar to a 4, I had to put a rinse in it to match my hair color)
Does not hold a curl for anything (might just be my techniques... no direct heat)
I have to use too much heat to blend my hair (I am 29 weeks post...) with the EHLA hair...

Overall: So far so good! This hair is SEXY! One thing I will say, the hair was brown when I got it--I had to put a rinse on it when I got it so that the hair would match my natural, slightly off black color. However, I am really enjoying this hair and have gotten tons and tons of compliments on it!! I've been using hot rollers, carusos, flexi-rods... but I have not used direct heat on the hair but I do typically wear it in Caruso curls or hot roller curls. Here are some pics of a couple my favorite "styles" so far:

Excuse weird-smile... Blending my hair as well as possible at 28 weeks post!

My b-day... excuse "drunk face" in the right picture hehe (you can see how much the curls fell!)

Let me know if you have any questions about the hair!!

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com

Project Use it or Lose it: UPDATE!

2012-11-22T12:35:00.000-05:00

Project Use it or Lose it is in full effect!

I lost them...

So I bought this!

I knew that I would NEVER EVER EVER use those Diane mesh rollers (see why in my post comparing this brand to the Annie brand mesh rollers) so I threw them away (because I never give away anything that I wouldn't even TRY on my own hair!) and that "freed up" room for me to re-purchase a staple from earlier in my HHJ, EVCO!

To all my "Users and Losers," (especially you, Jeni!!) how is it going so far? Have you used up enough products to justify a Black Friday hair product binge??

(Project Use it or Lose it is an on-going personal challenge but feel free to jump in at any time and keep us updated!)

Until next time,

Questions? Additional comments? Email me at shika@hairiamworld.com