Hair Update--Coming Soon!

I have not posted any entries on my blog in a long while, but I have still been taking pics and updating my Fotki (now private), so when I get my relaxer this weekend, I will post update pics and pics from my haircut in May. My hair has grown a lot, but I have a lot of damage to reconcile, so I've found a length I want to stick with for the next year or so until I have grown out the ends to my liking. This cold weather we are having has kept my hair pinned up most of the time, but that's working out for me, so it's cool

Stay tuned.

Relaxed Hair Care Part 2: Maintenance

Ok, so once you've figured out where you stand with your hair and you have a good stabilization routine down (being doing it anywhere from 6-12 weeks), you then start looking to maintain what you've built with your hair. By this point, some new hair has grown in, or the scalp has calmed down, so your focus can switch from a "911" mentality to more of a "critical care" mentality. Depending on what you had to deal with in part one, this can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years. I know when I started my hair journey, I had to stay here for 2 years to grow out all new hair. (Unfortunately, I recently had a couple of setbacks & fell back into Stabilization phase, but I'll get to that.) So it's up to you and your hair to determine how long Maintenance will be.

In maintenance, you can do more with your hair in terms of styling. For example, if you air-dried only in Part 1, you can wet-set your hair in Part 2. Your hair has built up enough strength to withstand the manipulation of wet and dry combing due to your intense conditioning regimen, so your style variety expands here (finally!) What you shouldn't do is use your blowdryer or flat iron just yet. Any damage you have that isn't completely shot and broken-off could easily go off the deep end due to incorrect styling, so don't EVEN go there!

Think of it this way: When we break an arm or leg, we rush to the ER to get the injury assessed and repaired (or more accurately reset), but as soon as we get that cast put on, we can't just go out and do whatever we were doing before (throwing a baseball or running a mile). We have to sit it out and wait for the break to heal completely. And in some cases, we might have to enroll in physical therapy to "re-learn" the proper use of the arm/leg. Then once we heal completely we have to be mindful of the injury and try not to do it again, which will cause more damage if the limb is injured again. Same thing with hair! (and skin, too.) So take your time, and give your hair a chance to get better :)

I feel like I am always in Maintenance, lol! My hair is often quite fragile, and one wrong move can have me right back in the Hair ER. So this is something I have to mind for myself, too. You know, when your hair starts feeling good, isn't really breaking and is behaving, you begin to think that all is forgiven and your hair is CURED!! Fat chance, girls, that damage is still there and you have to GROW IT OUT or CUT IT OFF. Sorry, but trust me (a chick who is starting her hair journey over again...) this is the only way to deal.

If anyone feels discouraged or frustrated in the purgatory of Step 2, leave a comment. Let's get through it together :)

xoxo

A.

OMG, where have I been??

LOL! I don't even know. Seriously, work has taken over my life, prompting me to subsequently slack on all the things I love--hair, skin/makeup, nails, etc...I'm making an effort to get back on my beauty grind, so please be paciente, mmkay?

xoxo