I'm in Recovery...

Me and my over-moisturised hair

So if you read my last post, you'll remember I managed to set my hair retention progress back some months after I deviated from my usual routine in order to experiment with the Maximum Hydration Method. It's a problem I've encountered during my natural hair journey, the tendency to want to try the Next Big Thing thereby becoming inconsistent. Although my hair isn't quite as long as I'd like it to be yet, I think the important lesson to learn is that CONSISTENCY is worth more than the best product you can buy. You can develop a rock solid hair care regimen, using products which work for you but you have to stick to it over time to see results. Within three -six months you should be able to assess whether a routine is working for you or not.

As part of my recovery, I decided to purchase the the Kindle version of the book "Grow It!" by Chicoro. Yes yes there are hair blogs and vlogs and forums, but sometimes I need information in a condensed, organised, published, single-minded format. "Grow It" provides a really simple, solid framework for caring and growing natural hair. If you already follow some of the popular blogs, such as Black Girl with Long Hair, the information won't be foreign. But like I said, I tend to absorb information much better in a book. I was just reminded to return to practices like gently finger detangling my hair, sectioning, washing in braided sections and smoothing hair during conditioning. Smoothing - literally running your fingers from root to tip - was something I had never practiced before, and it has proven to be an amazing technique for closing the cuticle thereby insuring more shiny, moisturised hair. I promise, I have used this technique for about a month and I LOVE it. Definitely a keeper. Another titbit of previously-neglected information which Chicoro writes about is the need to RECORD your hair journey, both in a journal and in photographs. This I found to be very important. Sometimes you think your hair isn't growing, but you look at a photo from a few months ago to determine progress and find that your hair is now thicker or longer. 

One more extremely important aspect of growing natural hair - be it kinky, coily, curly, thick, thin, etc - is to have FAITH. So often when I mention to friends/strangers/relatives that I'm natural, they sigh and tell me they have thick/impossible/4zzzzz/hard-maShona-type (Zimbos will understand) hair that just cannot be managed unless it is relaxed. Well, to that I say what you believe is what you get. When you truly believe your hair is capable of being long, strong and healthy; even when it isn't relaxed; your actions will follow and it won't be long before your hair becomes long, strong and healthy. My story is a case in point. I didn't know that long and beautiful natural hair was a possibility, I thought only relaxed hair could be beautiful. Change your mindset and your world will change too.

So after humbly returning to the drawing board, here is what my new, simplified routine looks like:

Daily Routine

• Moisturise with a DIY leave-in conditioner consisting of  a bit of Tresemme Nourishing Moisture Conditioner, water, glycerine, aloe vera gel, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and lavender essential oil. This mixture works well on my hair, but I'm still on the hunt for a good leave-in conditioner. Suggestions are welcome
• Seal with olive oil and DIY shea + coconut butter

Weekly Routine

• Detangle gently, using my fingers. Section and loosely braid sections
• Co-wash
• Deep condition with DIY deep conditioner – I find avocado + EVOO to be a rich conditioner which my hair loves OR use a deep conditioning pack – Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula is the one I have available now, and I use it every other week or as needed as a protein treatment.

Monthly Routine (every 4^th week)

• Clarify! I make sure to dilute my shampoo in warm water and pour it over my head, gently squeezing it through my loose braids. My hair hates sulfate shampoos, and I unfortunately do not have a sulfate-free shampoo at the moment. The alternative is…bentonite clay. Messy and time-consuming, but highly effective in clarifying as well as conditioning my hair. I mix the clay with apple cider vinegar (ACV), milk, EVOO and aloe vera gel. My hair loves it.

Every Six Weeks? Every two months?

• Depending on the state of my hair, I may start to include hard protein treatments such as Aphogee’s 2-step protein treatment into my routine. It is advisable to do so as a protective measure, but at the moment I don’t have that kind of hard protein treatment available. Also, reading about how they should be done right or you run the risk of serious breakage scares me a bit.

Protective Styling

My protective style of choice at the moment is headscarves. I moisturise and seal, tie my satin scarf then tie a headscarf over it. This works to keep my ends protected as well as to provide protection from The Elements.

At the moment of writing this I have Ghana braids installed. I wasn’t at all happy with the salon experience, and will avoid hairdressers from now on unless they have experience in working with natural hair. However the style looks good, and I’ve had it in for almost 2 weeks. 

So ya, that's where I am in my journey. Lemme know what your tips are for recovering from a setback!