A lesson to learn

Have you ever wondered to yourself ifu there is a connection between your hair coloring habits and your limp, dry curls? Well, after my own hair adventure today, I am here to say...absolutely yes there is!

Here is a picture to prove it. Compare to pervious pictures of my curls and you should be able to see how much more limp it looks now.

Folks don't do this at home. I did (again hazard of the profession) and 5 hrs, 3 processes, and a head full of 3rd degree chemical burns later (hey, once you start there is no turning back ... unless you like looking like a freak) I emerged with what you now see.

All I can say is that I am soo glad my hair was in GREAT condition before I started! I don't even want to begin to imagine what it would have been like if it wasn't.

My poor curls! :'( Not to fear though, if you do choose to follow in my footsteps, your curls will bounce back to healthy a whole lot faster, because the methods you use to care for your hair are so much more gentle and strengthening for your hair. From the inside, out.

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Hazards of being a cosmetologist

There are many benefits to being a cosmetologist. You get to work your own hours, meet lots of new people and hopefully make lots of new friends. But there are some some hazards. One being that, because you're always working on everyone else you don't have time to have your own hair cut or colored. And occasionally you get so fed up with it that you do something drastic, but not at the salon like you should, but rather at home in your bathroom.
Let's just say folks don't do this at home...

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Silicone or Not? What’s in a Name?

The link below will lead you to an article I recently read, at naturallycurly.com, about silicones. I found it to be extremely helpful in understanding the nature of silicones and why some are okay while others are not. I hope you find it to be as enlightening.

Silicone or Not? What’s in a Name?

Biking and hair

With spring upon us we've started crawling out of our homes and enjoying the sunshine. Just yesterday I rode my bike 8 miles. It was a beautiful day but also very windy.
That got me thinking, " how can I protect my hair from sun and wind damage?". This is what I came up with;
1. braid it or keep it in a high ponytail
2. keep as much as I can tucked up and hidden under my bicycle helmet
and
3. possibly coat the hair with sunscreen before I begin my ride.
I'm not so sure about the sunscreen but I'll try it out and tell you what I think. In the meantime, please feel free to comment on what's worked for you.

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Using Suave conditioner to Co-wash

Are you co-washing? Have you tried using suave or VO5 conditioners to co-wash with? Not all of the conditioners made by these two labels are suitable (because they have silicones) but their are some that are perfect for the job. My two favorites are Suave Green Apple and Suave Cherry Blossom. Using these conditioners are a very cost effective way the co-wash without having to break the bank. Just substitute the one of these conditioners for your shampoo and save the more expensive conditioners to actually condition with. I think you'll be happy with the results. ** Warning, do not undertake co-washing if you haven't first been taught how to properly do it.**

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Homemade flaxseed gel

Made my own flaxseed hair gel and I love it! My curls are bouncier and better defined.
To be honest I've had the flaxseeds sitting in my pantry for the past year. I've been procrastinating making it because I thought it would be harder and a lot more messy. It wasn't either. It was pretty simple and took hardly no time at all to make. The great thing about it is that once you understand how to make the basic recipe you can easily customize it to your hair needs(ie. no humectants and oils for those with fine hair, or no protiens for those with coarse hair) adding other ingredients to make it unique to you. Cool huh?
Since I know you're going to want it, here's the recipe.

Basic flaxseed hair gel recipe:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup flaxseed
2 cups water

Tools you'll need:
Medium sized pot
Wire mesh strainer
Bowl
Squirt bottle with pour spout

Directions:
Pour flaxseed and water into a medium size pot. Place on stove and set heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and then allow to boil for about 5 minutes; stir often. Pay close attention during this time because you don't want it to overflow, adjust heat as neccasary. After 5 minutes turn heat down to low. Continue stirring until mixture thickens and makes a long slimey trail from the tip of the spoon down to the mixture, when you lift the spoon out of the mixture. It should be the consistency of egg whites.
When the gel is at the right consistency, turn of the stove and pour the liquid through the wire strainer into the bowl. You want to try to remove all the seeds, cause nobody wants seeds in their hair. :) Once gel has cooled slightly pour it into a squirt bottle with the help of a funnel. Allow to finish cooling and then put it in the fridge. It should stay good for up to two weeks in the fridge. You'll know when it's time to make more cause it will smell funny or it's all gone :)
Enjoy and let me know what you think.

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Growing pains

Well this blog has grown out of its britches and it's time to face facts. I have been trying to pretend that it could live the life of a split personality (half website and half blog), with out running into any issues. But I am positive that I have been deluding myself. So to remedy the situation I am in the process of creating a website to help clear up some of the issues I have run into. Please bear with me as I sort things out, but I promise you will be hearing a lot more from me in the near future.

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