More Than Half My Hair is Natural.

Hi!

I've been gone soooooo long. Updating is really hard now that I have limited internet access. My computer ONCE AGAIN is out of commission (kind of.) I can only use the internet when I'm in "safe mode" (which is the most basic and primitive settings a computer can operate in,) so it's been tough. This is also why I haven't been making videos lately...while I can use the internet in "safe mode," the audio doesn't work in it. 

-_- 

Grrr.

Anyway, I'm finally checking in with a growth update. As of today, I am 16 months post-relaxer!!!

More than half my hair is natural. =]

My curl pattern is pretty crazy:

 The curls towards the nape of my neck are really tight and defined. 

I love them, and they pop really easily.

But the hair that immediately frames my face and sits all around the crown of my head, not so much definition.

The curls there are a lot looser and I wouldn't even call them curls- they're waves.

They are also drier than the rest of my hair and tend to get more frizzy.

I don't really know what to do with them and it's pretty dang frustrating. 

The bad thing about long-term transitioning is that I don't know why the hair at the top of my head is like this.

I don't know if it's actually really curly, but because the hair at my crown has more "dead weight" (longer relaxed ends) it's just being weighed down and my curl pattern can't take control...I would know this if I had big chopped.I also don't know if it's due to too much manipulation from slicking it back with gel when I wear buns OR if my hair is just naturally mixed textures. I think this is the answer. I'm guessing both manipulation and the fact that I live in sunny L.A and the sun is always beating down on (and drying out) that spot on my head have caused these curls to be drier and looser. *Sigh* If that's the case, I know I'm not alone because multiple textures, and specifically, looser curls at the crown, seem to be a common issue. 

Anyway, I decided to "trim" my hair, to get rid of more of those limp strings. 

One side trimmed.

There's definitely still a good amount of relaxed ends still hanging on, but with this trim, I certainly have more natural hair than processed hair on my head. 

Anyway, I'll be updating again soon! I'm trying to get back to updating at least weekly or bi-monthly!

I'm sorry for such a long hiatus! Thank you for sticking with me! =)

Have a great week!

Curl Pattern!

Hi all!

Now that I'm a full year into my transition, it's much easier to see my true curl pattern.

So I took a few strands out of my comb and laid them against a sheet of paper.

Here's my curl pattern nice and clear, it looks like a little bed spring! =)

Most of my spirals are around these sizes:

The really tight ones on the left and the ones that are a bit looser on the right.

And here they are with respect to the diameter of a pencil:

I don't know..I'd still say I'm probably a 3C?

It's exciting to see my natural curls for once and not the weighed-down curls that look like waves

or the curls I create with straws to blend the roots with the ends.

I can't wait to cut it!

Well, that's all for now.

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!



1 Year of Growth!!!

Hi all! I'm sorry for the hiatus! I just moved and started the teaching credential at a new school. On top of this, my computer decided to crash and is now out of commission for who knows how long.

Here's a quick hair growth update!

September 20th made it one year since my last relaxer!!! :)

I've got another year to go to hit my time goal. It flies by though, so I'm not too worried (yet.) Here are 2 quick pics of my new growth and of the point it reaches (my fingertips) when stretched!

Happy October! :)

Ethnic Background Does NOT Dictate Hair Type

Hi all!

I definitely frequent YouTube hair Vlogs more than I do hair blogs. After watching a video by MsAriella89 (LOVE her videos,) I found that I agreed with her position; your ethnic/racial makeup doesn't matter when it comes to your hair type. There's not a specific type of "biracial hair." You could be mixed and have the coiliest, kinkiest curls. Likewise, you might be born to two Black parents and have a head full of much looser ones. I decided to share how my sisters and I are a PERFECT example of this. Each of us has very different hair even though we have the same parents and come from the same ethnic background.

Here's the video MsAriella89 posted:

Here's my video response. It includes a very short Q&A session with my sisters:

Another look at our hair and hair types. 

Remember, this is my hair in a straw set. 

My natural curls are close to a 3C/4A.

Sister in the middle has 3B curls.

Sister on the far right has 2B curls/waves.

So again, there's no such thing as "biracial hair!" 

Individuals, regardless of their racial makeup, have different hair.

Finally Took Out my Flat Iron 11 Months Post-Relaxer

The 20th, it marked the 11-months post relaxer mark!
Since I consciously began transitioning to natural hair, I've only flat ironed my hair once.
What I mean by consciously is that after I got my last relaxer, I flat-ironed it for 2 weeks straight because I had not yet decided that relaxer would be my last.

I went to a house party thrown by my coworkers this past weekend and decided to try it again. So, this was my 2nd time flat ironing.

After I straightened everything, I curled my ends in with the same flat iron.

Doing this tends to camouflage any dry or split ends and makes my hair look even healthier.

Plus, I like the added volume/bounce.

I do like the look. A lot actually.
But, I'm not feelin all the time and effort it takes to get it this way.
It took approx. 3 hours from start to finish.
And for all that trouble..it came out in the humid house. -_-
I think I'll definitley rock this look again, but only if I'm spending the day somewhere.
Like at a museum or a park or something.
But I doubt I'll ever flat iron it for any type of party or night out dancing.
I'll just end up sweating it out, and that's not worth all the trouble to me.

In other news, I'm moving this weekend! So I'll be really busy. But I'll update as soon as I can!

Thanks for reading!
Until next time! =)

Feather Extensions For Curly Hair (Part 2)

Hi all!

I promised I'd try curling my feather extensions and share the results. Here's how they turned out:

Here's the same photos in the video for a better view. =)

A sidenote: This hair accessory is not my favorite thing ever, but after searching high and low for pictures and video of feathers for curly hair, I decided I'd give it a shot anyway for any curly-heads out there who might be curious. =)

 That's all for now! =)

CLICK HERE  to see the feathers in their natural, straight form.

4 Easy, Stylish Ways to Bun Your Transitioning Hair

I'm currently 10 1/2 months post relaxer. Woot! When I'm too lazy/tired to set my hair at night, or running short on time to do it in the morning, I don't want to sacrifice my transitioning hair to a boring bun. Here are 4 of my favorite ways to make a bun stylish in 10 minutes or less.