My natural hair texture!

Parts of my hair are spirally curly, thick strands. I tried to capture it as visible as possible. I am 9 weeks post relaxer. My hair has gained so much thickness! :D

How to: Garlic and Onion treatment

''Garlic is not just good for our body, but also for our hair. Garlic extract can get rid of and destroy dangerous toxins and stimulate blood circulation, essential in the scalp for proper hair care and growth and avoid hair loss.

Onion (Allium cepa) recognised with healing qualities incorporate their antibacterial, cleansing, stimulating, and nourishing powers. Onions contain a number of important minerals and vitamins, such as vitamins C and B6, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and germanium. Onion also has a high sulfur content. Sulphur is a mineral present in every cell in our body, with its greatest concentration in hair, skin and nails. It has typically been referred to as the “beauty mineral” and the “healing mineral” simply because of its ability to promote circulation and reduce inflammation. These qualities also lend to the theory that adequate amounts of sulphur can jump-begin hair growth in individuals with deficiencies. High amounts of sulphur in onions make them particularly powerful in regenerating hair follicles and stimulating hair regrowth. In addition, naturally-concentrated sulphur compounds have been confirmed to show additional hair-restoring.
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One of my main hair goals included growth of my edges, my temple and nape. I researched on methods to tackle hair loss and I stumbled upon these natural treatments - onion and garlic. I tried something. For just 3 days I rubbed on a mixture of grated onions and garlic with olive oil and I had began to notice growth! I stayed away from castor oil because I wanted to see how much it would grow without the great castor oil. Well, the result was amazing! Garlic and onion treatments are not common, having searched through youtube hair tutorials however I found some videos and the girls all said they experienced hair thickness! Now, my main goal for this hair is to achieve thickness so I had found a way to incorporate this treatment into my regimen. Who knew onions and garlic could be so beneficial to hair! So, I tried out what this girl did (today, and I shall let you know how it goes throughout the year):

[Someone asked on the comments of this video if it truly worked and she replied that she had to stop one time because her hair began to get too thick (as if that's a problem!).. I think I went mad for a bit! I HAD to try this and I shall continue to.]

I shall be doing this treatment every two weeks (added to my hair track duties list). Exactly what she did. So thanks to her! 

How you do it: just slice up half an onion + 2 garlic cloves and boil them with a cup of water  (tiny spray bottle size) till the onions become see-through and garlic turns white. Let water cool down a bit, take out the vegetables with your spoon (warmth is good) and pour into a spray bottle. Spray  it generously through your hair, letting it soak into scalp and hair. Put on a shower cap and leave it for 1 hour. Make sure you cover your shoulders with an old towel and clip it on tight to the neck as the onion water may drip down. The smell did not affect me, if any. Wash hair and condition as usual.

Benefits experienced:

- increased thickness

- reduced shedding

- shiny and stronger hair

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF ONIONS!

more info #1

more info #2

No braids for a while...

My edges on the right have been damaged. Set back. So for a while, no braids. However, gained general thickness.

This year's hair goal! HappyNewYear 2013 guys!

Hair goals for this year:

• Thickness - I want to focus on the thickness/health of my hair. Prior to my journey, my hair was very thin from all the over-relaxing and improper use. I have noticed substantial thickness after starting this journey. After attaining the right thickness, I shall focus even more on length. When I put my hair down, going out, I always wrap a beautiful satin scarf around my shoulders. I never let it rub against my cotton clothes, especially in this cold season.
• From shoulder to armpit length? Just before armpit length is my ultimate goal for this year. (check my progress) Hair is meant to grow six inches/15cms a year on average. Hopefully with the right steps, my hair can grow that long by December!
• Grow out my edges/temple/nape

Note: I did about an inch of a trim in November. 

Some hair science for you!

Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage.

Rele AS, Mohile RB.
Source
Research and Development Department, Nature Care Division, Marico Industries Ltd., Mumbai, India.

Previously published results showed that both in vitro and in vivo coconut oil (CNO) treatments prevented combing damage of various hair types. Using the same methodology, an attempt was made to study the properties of mineral oil and sunflower oil on hair. Mineral oil (MO) was selected because it is extensively used in hair oil formulations in India, because it is non-greasy in nature, and because it is cheaper than vegetable oils like coconut and sunflower oils. The study was extended to sunflower oil (SFO) because it is the second most utilized base oil in the hair oil industry on account of its non-freezing property and its odorlessness at ambient temperature. As the aim was to cover different treatments, and the effect of these treatments on various hair types using the above oils, the number of experiments to be conducted was a very high number and a technique termed as the Taguchi Design of Experimentation was used. The findings clearly indicate the strong impact that coconut oil application has to hair as compared to application of both sunflower and mineral oils. Among three oils, coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product. Both sunflower and mineral oils do not help at all in reducing the protein loss from hair. This difference in results could arise from the composition of each of these oils. Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft. Mineral oil, being a hydrocarbon, has no affinity for proteins and therefore is not able to penetrate and yield better results. In the case of sunflower oil, although it is a triglyceride of linoleic acid, because of its bulky structure due to the presence of double bonds, it does not penetrate the fiber, consequently resulting in no favorable impact on protein loss.


 I was researching whether sunflower oil was good for the hair and I stumbled upon this. Pretty interesting! It made me glad that coconut oil is my sealant.

Book to buy: The Science of Black Hair *IMPORTANT HAIR EDUCATION*

See, many of us have carried out various online researches ranging from blogs to vlogs and youtube channels etc. However, it is important to be able to have a nearby source of information that is portable. One that you can look for whenever you're in need of a quick reference or advice. Well, The Science of Black hair is a good one. I've read reviews and ofcourse, my Lisa told me about it and I really want to read it! I shall buy it one day! It is equipped with so much information that will be essential throughout your journey or if you are at the start of one or considering beginning one. I am excited! If you want to know the basics about healthy hair care, check out the links below!

Click here for the details on Amazon

I checked out the authors website! Some really useful basic information is on there which I shall read now:

Regimen building basics

About shampoos

About conditioners

A guide to length planning

Relaxer prep

New (permanent) Deep Conditioner! & last shopping

Okay see, you can always keep track of my current products in the Hair Duties Track List page. I have finally gathered all my hair products. I did my hopefully, last hair products shopping a couple of days ago with Lisa. I like to just have all my needs catered for in one go instead having to go back and forth. I know my staple products and they should last me for hopefully more than 6 months or a year. Before the start of my hair journey, I never had this many products but I am pleased to say I care.

I bought  a new deep conditioner, having paid a much closer attention to my old one by Elasta QP. The Soy Oyl DC contained petrolatum and lanolin oil. I had a constant battle with myself because I wanted to make a commitment to myself and my hair regarding these bad substances, however the cost of it made me consider just sticking to it. But you know what, I should respect my hair a lot more and care for, regardless of the cost or energy required. I want to make a good start. Indeed, one thing about this journey is you will learn and realise on the way and such should be embraced.

For some reason, the bottle in the picture looks smaller compared to the actual bottle. I bought this Professional bottle size for £6.45. I tried uploading my own but it wouldn't let me. This bottle is 1Litre. I bought it because it did not have any sulphates, lanolin oil, petrolatum etc. In fact, the second ingredient is soybean oil. The ingredient list is listed according to the percentage content. So as you read through the list from left to right, the percentage of that substance in the bottle is lower. The third ingredient is glycerin, then olive oil. This really impressed me and I bought it, after a long search around the shop for an affordable and healthy staple product. You would be surprised by the amount of hair products that contain harmful substances. You have to be determined to search specifically. It wasn't a problem for me because my love for my hair helps me with it. It wasn't so much a mission because I love hair product shopping! I will miss it for a while but right now I am comfortable having purchased everything now. This product should last me for  about a year, hopefully and I find I will be using DC often. It is both moisturising and a light protein which can be used after my egg protein treatment aswell.

I also bought:

- Biona Virgin Coconut Oil: this actually smells like real coconut! It makes want to eat it, yum! The coconut oil I was previously using did not smell like coconut oil at all, but I didn't think it matteed because it moisturised my hair and strengthened it. However, thanks to Lisa (omg, get yourself a natural hair buddy!) she enlightened me and showed me where to buy this one she bought. It was about £5 but so worth it! She's used hers for about 6 months now and she's only half way. A little a day goes a long way.

- Applicator bottle: I will be mixing my oils in here for my hot oil treatment to make it easier for me to apply it to my scalp.

- Tiny spritz bottle: use during braids, to spray oil on my scalp

- Another spray bottle: one for my water and rose water mix and the other (older one) for anything like conditioner/shapoo mix for my braids