You are right about relaxers. Now when I see them, rarely do I see them as looking healthy. The only bone straight hair I see that is healthy is that which is naturally straight. I don't know Andrea....I'm thinking real small locs are in my future.

Also, be careful with that beeswax. It has to be extremely difficult to wash out. This kind of stuff will result in breakage also, as you have to use a ton of shampoo to get it out, and that will result in your hair getting real dry.

I'm going to do an extreme conditioning treatment this evening....starting with that funky protein stuff that feels like raw eggs. Then, I will do a cholesterol treatment. Then I will either set it or twist it. Setting is pretty cool too, but I end up with so much body to the hair that I have to pull it up. Oh, the hair woes!

Well, I have now officially started my 14th week (that's 3.5 months) sans relaxer. I gave myself a hot oil treatment yesterday, then blew it out. I didn't like the way it looked, so it is now pulled back in the infamous bun that is slowly becoming my trademark. OK, so now I've been made to feel plain old ugly. For the second time this week, someone has suggested that I wear MAKEUP! I'm still trying to run that 'black girl next door' - thang, and come up with rather clear skin, while everyone else is pushing the illusion! I'm a bit disappointed in everyone. At least no one has come right out and said that I needed a touch-up!

I can truthfully say i'm in love, with my hair!! yeah there are good days and bad days and sometimes more bad days than good days, but I kinda think the liberation comes from the fact that I don't have to hide-out til the hairdresser can squeeze me in. I can go home and take care of the situation myself, on my time, when it pleases me!! wow that sounds good to be able to say (don't know how I'll feel this time next week of course).

Last night I couldn't find my doo rag so I went for the electric blue stocking foot, well I guess I wasn't tight enough or it caused some kinda static thing to occur cause this morning buckwheat paid me another visit. I had to plaster my twists down with beeswax and I then managed to find a scarf that I tied so tight I was near dizzy. The hair is still wanting to misbehave, I have to keep smoothing it down, I feel like one of those brill cream guys.

It has now been 18 weeks since a chemical has been applied to my hair...that's approximately 4.5 months. Actually, I would have thought that I'd be ready to pull it out by now. I do need to schedule a professional trim though, but I'm too fearful to go to Sandra because I think she will get carried away. I may just pull out the phonebook and go to someone. Or, ask my buddy in Port Chester who she goes to and try there.

Every time I think about my hairdresser wanting to chop off two inches right off the bat I get ticked. Haven't spoken to her. Looks like twists are the way to go, however.

What is yours doing lately? Let me know. We may have to start our own Black Hair Care support group!

I do enjoy not being a slave to the chemical process though. I think this was a good decision.

My hair is ugly. I actually took some scissors to it last night...just about a 1/2 inch. My ends are real raggedy. Stuck in the pull back mode.

It really is becoming time for professional intervention as my hair is not short enough anymore to look cute yet not long enough to say yeah, this is all mine and I can wear it however I please, know what I mean? What I'll try to do is twist for a week, then chinese bump / bantu knot the twists for 1/2 a week then undo the twists for the other 1/2 week. That worked out well the last time.

I keep watching TV and flipping thru magazines and such trying to soak up hair ideas. It seems like most of the older professionals are wearing short and natural or locs but definitely something natural. I constantly think about cultivating some locs myself. Whichever way I go, the road ahead looks pretty good!

I tried the hair mayonnaise, and my hair felt great on Saturday...even the relaxed part. My hair is simply drinking up the carrot hair moisturizer stuff. It doesn't look all that great today, but Saturday I sat under the dryer, then twisted it and rolled the ends. I'm surprised that the style is completely gone so fast. This process took me forever to do. I'm kind of disappointed in this aspect of it. I think the Hair Mayonnaise is a good move for now.

My sister says she uses the hair mayonnaise on her daughter who has a relaxer and it made her hair really shiny and its good stuff, and she uses the carrot hair moisturizer stuff on her 3 year old but she doesn't like it for relaxed heads cause its watery and she mixes it with regular hair grease.

My 'edges' around my hairline, especially in front is very fuzzy now, and it requires a lot of gel or something to slick it down. As does the very crown of my head which holds my true evidence of the Motherland! It's rather springy! I only have about two inches I think...hard to tell sometimes where the perm starts because I have several different hair textures on my head. I could use a serious trim but don't know who to turn to.

I was talking to a good friend of mine in Chicago last night. She said she's been wondering what was the deal with my hair since I started growing it out. I told her I had my good days and my bad days...that when I was having a bad day, it was a REAL bad day. But or the most part that I was comfortable with my decision and glad that I had made it. Especially since on the good days, I manage to scrounge up a compliment or two!

One of her friends was thinking about going natural, but once finding out that I was going through this process, wanted to wait to see what kind of 'trials and tribulations' I underwent before taking on the task herself. I told her to let her know I was still committed, and that it's been 8 months now, and more than likely this summer I will have the remaining relaxer wacked out. She was like more power to you, but couldn't see herself going that route unless she was wearing dreads.

I told her about your website, but didn't actually have the address on me so I could pass it along but will do so later. There is a quiet revolution out there! Sistahs are tired of the chemicals! We are tired of running in from the rain! Some of us actually LIKE being in a pool, and want to go under!

Hey Andrea, Last night, after washing my hair, I began to set it on sponge rollers. Then I realized that I hadn't taken scissors to it in quite a while. So, yep! I took off approximately 2 inches of old relaxer with each section of hair rolled. This morning, I am convinced that there are huge sections of my hair that are completely natural. It's rather curly/frizzy right now, but it's not bad. There is no way that I can now pull it back in a pony tail though. Those days are presently behind me. So, as you can see, the natural commitment is still here. The only true thing that needs to happen is for me to find the right beautician to twist my stuff up this summer when I am ready. At that pont, the remaining relaxer will have to be eliminated. What a process. I still have a friend pulling for me and my endeavor in Chicago....she routinely asks a mutual friend how I'm doing with this. Although many of them want to go with locs, I guess I will be the first one that can possibly go that route.
How's the website going? Any new styles available or what?

oh my! 2 inches right off the bat!! you are truly committed. i find my hair grows much faster in it's 'natural state' also. how does yours look now? i'm dying to see it. i twisted up my sister's hair on friday nite, she's made a committment also, her hair is around 1 inch in length. i must admit though, i do sometimes miss the pampering of a hairdresser. on memorial weekend i will no longer add braid extensions etc. i intend to wear my own hair for at least the summer. on sat nite my sister and i went to a party, i could not believe all the 'kinky heads' out there, it was a wonderful sight and so inspiring. i've added a new section to kinks r us (thanx for the name) called hair stylin i've taken photos of my sister and a natural friend and that page will be called 'everyday people' or something, i hope to add it soon and get some more photos of regular natural people. please take a look when you can.

I'm actually liking my hair sans the two inches of dead relaxer. I'm thinking about trying this relatively new salon on Main St in Stamford for twists in a few months...only after there is no more relaxer to interfere with the final look. How did your sisters twists come out? How big are the sections you twist up? I know that once the relaxer is fully gone, twisting will be easier because it will have a tendency to hold better than relaxed ends do right now.
I'm sure that a true beautician would feel that my cut job was merely a hacking process. I tried to be careful, but in all honesty, if it's all curled up, it's not like I'm trying for a specific shape. Just trying to get down to healthy hair before it splits all up the hair shaft!
Right now, it's just pulled back (as far as BACK can be!) with a headband. I find that I wear them a lot. But, I think this will no longer be necessary once there aren't two drastically different hair textures to contend with.
I found a couple of pictures of me a few (read LOTS) of years back with a huge head of natural floppy hair! I was like 'I WANT THAT HAIR BACK!!!!!' It was on the wild, untamed side, but really cool. I don't expect to see that much hair on my head before the end of next year but it's on its way!
It does absolutely ABSORB all moisture/oil etc. I feel a slight temporary tint coming on. I'm very excited to be at the end of this journey though. Probably in about a month it will not be noticeable that I cut so much off. I'll be sure to check out the site!

Day Two

Help! I need encouragement!!!!!! After having cut enough relaxer out that theres more nap than perm I am starting to NOT feel too good about the decision....This is normal, no? My options at this point seem so limited. My relaxer WAS nice when I had it, right? People have been looking up at my head in a funny way, like, whats WITH your hair?!!! I just keep going like it's their problem but I'm not feeling all that confident right now! ARGH! It may be time to see a natural hair care beautician before I planned!!!!

Yes, I still get like this but not as often as I used to. To tell you the truth, that's why i throw braids in there now and again so i don't even have to see it. I feel like I'm on a constant mission and I'm not sure how I'll know when it's accomplished.
When I get to feeling like this I usually refer to my natural hair books and surf the net looking for natural hair resources to provide some encouragement and support.

What are you and the hair up to this weekend? Don't do anything crazy !!

lata

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP conditioning then twists and PRAYERS!!!!!!!! Security guard told me i was pretty today....INSPITE OF MY NAPPY HAIR!!!!! (Maybe BECAUSE of it!!!!)
Have a good one and don't do anything desparate!!!!

Here's the deal: First of all, I need to stop somewhere and get the film for a polaroid, then I can send you a couple of pictures. I used the Hair Mayo over the weekend and let it sit for approximately 20 minutes, then followed up with what was supposedly a deep conditioner designed to eliminate frizzies that a friend gave me. This I left on for 3 minutes. I then twisted in small sections (this is real tiring on the arms, huh!) and pinned each section down. It turned out cute...real tight curls/twists under the now infamous headband. I'm afraid to go without the headband. It's like a security blanket right now.

I think this week though, I am destined to go to the Paul Mitchell lineup. I always liked the supercharged conditioner with my relaxer...left it real shinny and soft, so maybe it will be great on natural hair. Right now I think the key is that I HAVE to do something to it EVERY night or suffer the consequences! And those consequences can be ego-altering to say the least! All of a sudden, you think you are real ugly and every sister that passes by with a fresh relaxer is Tyra Banks or something...Hard to measure up!

Still too scared to approach the color route yet. Since a lot of the perm is out, I may not have to do it though. Perms always started to turn my hair a burnt red color. The new growth is extremely dark brown with no hint of that awful fake looking color about it.

so you actually kept the twists in this time? did you go under the hair dryer? was your hair still wet? sounds nice and the fact that you ACTUALLY LIKE IT is wonderful, you're on to something here.
i can't believe it has been almost ten months cause when i update 'hairscapades' seems like were jumping ahead but i guess not. is it actually called 'supercharged conditioner?' how long does that stay on the hair for? you gonna take the twists out after one week or see how they fair?

Well, I guess my email was a BIT misleading....I untwisted it, but it's so tight and took so long that I didn't untwist EVERYTHING, but I still thought it was cute.
The Supercharged conditioner by Paul Mitchell is kind of expensive....When I was really doing it right I would leave it on for about 20 minutes and sit under the dryer with it. My hair would be real shinny and soft. Perhaps I will do that during the week. Actually it's kind of fun coming up with something. I wish i had enough hair to deal without the headband though. Just seems as if my head is too big.
I'm heading home for my sisters 25th wedding anniversary. I was telling a male friend of mine that I had to look real cute for it and he asked if that meant I was going to get a relaxer!!!! I was insulted! I said I did NOT go through all this hair draaaaaaahmaaaaaaaaaaaah to turn around after 9 months and relax it! Then he says that he actually think the way I'm wearing it is cute, and that he could see me rockin' some locs! So, it looks like they are definately in my future!

Mine is on the cute side again today! Two days this week! The key is finding just the right number of twists to do....it has to be done on wet to damp hair for me, and I have to use some kind of mild lotion or oil. Then twist in at LEAST 12 sections. Anything under that it looks too wild

The twists are two-stranded....I section my hair off into sections approximately the size you would section your hair if you were rolling it up on sponge rollers. I twist them then pin-curl them down to my scalp so that the ends are tucked in. When it is dry the next morning, I untwist them but whatever you do, do NOT...and I repeat....DO NOT comb through them! You can then untwist them, then pull through with your fingers (but not to the very end unless you want to eliminate some curl). If you can still see sections of your scalp after you have finger combed your hair, you can use a pick to gently lift the hair (only at the scalp). Just do not comb through to the ends, otherwise you get (or at least I do) major frizz. This look is real conducive to a head band. Cant bring myself not to have one for it seems to add some bit of control over the curly kinky mess. You just shape it around the headband...maybe allow some ringlets to fall down over the band itself. Can be really cute.

You realize that this Friday marks the end of my first 9 months?!!!!!! And I've survived without going bald, as most beauticians would have you believe!