Healthy Hair Feature: Shae

~3 years of growth.

1) Are you natural, relaxed, texlaxed, or transitioning?

I’m natural, kinky/coily/curly, fine, cottony with some silky in the nape.  I tried to transition but only lasted one month.  I ended up shaving it all off anyway. LoL

Big chop in June 2009.

2) What mistakes have you made in your hair care journey?

I think the biggest mistake I’ve made has been comparing my growth to other ladies with Chia hair.  You know those ladies -- they have SL hair in May and WL hair by August.  Yup, I was setting myself up for failure by comparing my growth to theirs. Once I began to think positively about my growth and even visualize myself pulling my hair down to my goal at the end of the year, I started to see more results.

December 2010.

3) What is your current HEALTHY HAIR routine?

My routine varies by the season. But overall I describe it as: 1) Low manipulation, 2) Low cones/sulfates, 3) Ayurveda and 4) PS 95% of the time.

 In warmer months, I tend to rock mini braids and water rinse or cowash them daily.  I seal in the moisture with either grapeseed oil or a cone condish. I cleanse and DC (protein followed by moisture) once per week. 

In the winter, I cornrow my hair on Saturday, cleanse and DC on Sunday, rock the cornrows under wigs or headwraps M-F and rock big hair for Friday date night :) I tend to water rinse or cowash the cornrows every other day, rub in some condish and seal with EVOO. 

Every now and then I’ll throw in some extension twists or braids for about 3-4 weeks and then go back to whatever style it is for the season. 

I primarily finger detangle (about 90%-95% of the time).  I keep my coily hair stretched at all times; never allowing it to be wet and loose at the same time (I do everything in braids/cornrows).  I M&S daily.  I cleanse and condition with Ayurveda mixes. And I rock a men’s satin skull cap under my wigs/headwraps and around the house to keep my strands protected.

August 2012.

4) Do you have a HEALTHY BODY routine? If so, what is it?

Uh, I plead the Fifth! LoL

But really, this year I’ve doubled my water intake and am doing more exercising by way of dancing.  It’s all about baby steps right?

5) Do you have any advice for those seeking healthy tresses?

Start with the basics:

-Find a good cleanser, conditioner and moisturizer.  You can add on goodies from there.

-Keep your hair clean and moisturized. .

-Baby those ends (keep them tucked away and extra moisturized) and treat your hair like fine silk.

-Take pictures every 3-6 months to track your progress.  It really helps!

-Lastly, have fun! :)

6) Where can we find you (blog, youtube, tumblr, etc.)?

http://public.fotki.com/MzSwift/

Black Hair Media Forum (in the Natural and Growth Sections)

Long Hair Care Forum

Oldies, But Goodies

1. Healthy Skin Tips for the Year
2. Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo for Dandruff
3. Household Makeup Removers
4. Fitness || Truth About YOUR Belly
5. Nutritious Bartending || The Healthier Mimosa

Hair Diary || Caring For My Braid Extensions

I self-installed box braid extensions to be worn for the first two months of the 1in3 challenge.  It took 5 packs of hair and about 9 hours for the install.  Prior to braiding, I washed, conditioned, moisturized, and air dried my hair as usual.  During these two months, my box braid care routine will be: 

-Weekly: Spritz hair with a mixture of water, glycerin, grapeseed oil, and grapefruit essential oil.
-Weekly: Spritz scalp with tea tree essential mixed with water (to keep scalp fresh).

-Every two to three weeks: Prepoo with coconut oil, Wash with diluted shampoo, Condition with diluted Suave, and seal with my shea mixture.

Depending on how well I maintain the braids, I might wear it for longer (i.e., three months).  We will see.  Other than the basic routine above, I will continue to sleep with a satin bonnet to protect my hair and keep the braids from frizzing.  I also plan to plait my braids prior to washing in order to keep the frizzies to a minimum.

Here are some sites to check out for braid or braid extension care:
Box braids only: http://minibraidmethod.com/
Braid extensions: http://www.growafrohairlong.com/braidreg.html

Here are two youtube videos with amazing braid extensions styles that I plan to try:

And here are a few more photos of my self-install, the packs of hair that I used, and the final look ...

100% Kanekalon.  Color: 4.  Each pack was about $2.

Braiding my hair.

Finito.  The braids are about hip-length / tailbone-length.

Healthy Recipes || My Mango Smoothie

I've been on a smoothie kick for some time given that it is an easy way to absorb multiple nutrients (especially via fruits and veggies) at once.  My staples are green smoothies and banana smoothies, but lately I've been wanting to experiment with other fruits -- like the mango.

Mangos are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and vitamin B6.

After playing around with various ingredients and having a few failed attempts, I've finally created a mango smoothie that I find tasty while being nutritious.  It contains mango (vitamins and fiber), peanut butter (protein), almond milk (calcium), ice, and a little honey (optional sweetener).  A banana can be thrown in for extra nutrients and/or in place of honey for added flavoring.

Ingredients
1 cup mango
1-1 1/4 cup vanilla-flavored almond milk (amount depends on your desired consistency)
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
4-5 ice cubes
1/2 tsp honey (optional, depending on your palate)
OR 1 banana (in place of the honey)

My smoothie regimen: one every morning, whether mango, banana, or green.

Smoothie suggestion: If you want to incorporate berries (antioxidants), I'd suggest blueberries and blackberries.  Stay away from raspberries because they tend to give the smoothie a sour taste (unless, of course, your palate does not mind).  Some strawberries can also do the same but not as intense.  If you do use raspberries or strawberries, I suggest sweetening their flavor a bit with the addition of a banana in your smoothie.

My green smoothie.  Contains kale, banana, almond milk, peanut butter, ice, and sometimes blueberries or blackberries.  (I no longer use soy milk.)

Healthy Hair Feature: Jay

1) Are you natural, relaxed, texlaxed, or transitioning? (And how long?) 
I've been natural for 3.5 years. My last relaxer was March 2009 and I BC'd in August of 2009.

2) What mistakes have you made in your hair care journey? 
My biggest mistake was thinking that some things were just normal for my hair. I have extremely fine strands that are very fragile and prone to breakage. I thought breakage was just a property of my hair and something that I would have to put up with all my life. My hair really turned around when I realized I didn't have to just deal with it. I can prevent breakage by using protein weekly and using only my fingers to detangle.

3) What is your current HEALTHY HAIR routine? 
I keep my hair in braids most of the time. I prefer wearing mini braids with just my natural hair. I cowash at least twice a week with either Tresemme Naturals or Giovanni Nutrafix. I'm not loyal to any shampoos. I don't shampoo often and I avoid sulfates- Bentonite clay is my preferred method of cleansing and I use it before and after I wear mini braids. I DC with LeKair Cholesterol weekly when my hair is loose and biweekly when my hair is in mini braids. I use Shea Moisture products as a leave in and seal with grape seed oil. I've recently added ayurvedic powders to my routine, which I use about every 6 weeks.

4) Do you have a HEALTHY BODY routine? If so, what is it? 
I always struggle with this one. I start the day with good intentions but I don't stick to healthy body practices as much as I would like. I'm newly vegetarian (It's been about 8 months) and I end up eating far too many carbs. I'm still learning how to keep healthy foods stocked in my kitchen so I don't have to reach for something easy like some toast. I don't work out as much as I should but my plan is always at least 30 mins, 5 times a week. I have a muscular build so I see better results from intense workouts like kettlebell or interval training. One thing I'm good at doing is drinking water. I drink anywhere from 3-4 liters a day of pure water.

5) Do you have any advice for those seeking healthy tresses? 
The best advice I have is to learn what works for your hair and don't settle for okay. Always strive to have your hair in the best shape it can be. I would also advise not to compare your hair to others. My hair grows slower than average and it can be discouraging to see others reach milestones way before I did. I always had the longest hair growing up so it was surprising to find out that my hair grows so slowly.

6) Where can we find you (blog, youtube, tumblr, etc.)? 
I have a hair blog on maintaining mini braids at minibraidmethod.com. I'm also on tumblr, which is my catch-all personal blog. Some things are NSFW. The address is jayneofalltrades.tumblr.com.

Oldies, But Goodies

1. Ingredients You May Not Want In Your Food
2. Twist Series: Mini Twists & Micro Twists
3. Hair Growth Tip - Green Tea?!
4. Women's Fitness: What's True & What's False
5. Interview with a Fine-Haired Natural
6. Dietary Fiber and Colon Cancer

1in3: Let the Challenge Begin!

Starting length: Approximately 1 inch
until waistlength (WSL).

Today, October 1, is the official start date of the 1in3 challenge!  (For challenge guidelines, read this post.)

So, what's in store for this month?  Well, our goal is to retain 1/3 to 1/2 an inch (depending on your monthly growth rate) in 31 days.  If you really think about, that leaves little to no room for trimming, breakage, slacking on your regimen, and slacking on your health.

I've been scissor happy, loose hair happy, and heat happy since the end of our first challenge.  Cuts (I wanted to diminish my naturally forming mullet) and out styles (I did more twistouts this summer than I've ever done) and heat galore (I think I've flat-ironed my hair 4+ times this summer).  Fortunately, my hair did not take a turn for the worse, BUT I did not retain as much length as I could have since almost touching waistlength last winter.  Thus, getting back to this challenge will be a real 
motivation for not just you all, but for me as well. :o)  

So what is our focus for this month?  It is the word focus.

• F is for "Firm".  Remain firm with your plan.  Do not get lazy or sidetracked.
• O is for "Onward".  Progress onward to meet your goal.  Do not dwell on previous setbacks.  Do not compare yourself to others.  The path to achieving your goal is in front of you, not behind you or to your right or left.
• C is for "Care".  Retaining length requires proper care of your hair.  Look to the challenge rules for strict guidance.
• U is for "Undaunted".  If you do face obstacles this month, remain undaunted.  Do not become discouraged along the way.  Keep on pushing ... onward.  Remain ... firm.  
• S is for "Success".  The first step to achieving your goal is to believe that success can become a reality.  In spite of the fact that my hair never grew past my collar bone for most of my life, I believed it was possible to break that barrier ... and I did.

So stay FOCUSed this month!  This month is smoothies galore and box braid extensions for me. :o)

So, ladies.  What is your hair care plan for this month? What style(s) will you wear?

Photos of my box braid extensions coming next week!