Hair Update

Recently I wrote a post about transitioning back to my natural hair. This post is intended to be a reminder for myself of how I'm doing six months after my last relaxer and an update for any readers who might be interested.

The girls and I all have about the same amount of new growth (1.5") but we differ in how we want to deal with our transition.

--I'm pincurling my hair at night so I can wear it in loose waves that camoflauge the different textures on my head.

--C1 and C2 have both opted for braid extensions. I did C1's braids with yarn and C2's braids with synthetic hair. I've never done yarn braids before, but if C1's hair doesn't have any significant damage when I take the yarn out then I might try them on C2's hair next time.

--M, who has the longest hair at the moment, is on the fence about transitioning. She likes her hair long and straight, but she hasn't been clamoring too loudly to get it relaxed again, either. I think she is waiting to see how our hair is going to look.

One thing I've learned is that I haven't been using enough product in my hair. That may sound like I've succumbed to someone's sales pitch, but it is the truth. I dug through all the hype and figured out that there are five products that I need: shampoo, regular conditioner, leave-in conditioner, gel for the hairline, and an oil product to style with and lock the moisture in. In the past I would wash my hair and throw grease in it -- no deep conditioning or anything. I didn't even use a lot of grease because I can't stand the feeling of too much product on my hands or in my hair. I still don't like to use a lot of product, but I have to admit that my hair looks better now that I use all these things. Right now I'm using products that I already have on hand, but I am looking forward to using some of the specific products that I've seen being used by women who have hair that I really like.