Posts filed under: ‘Growth Challenge‘
Hair Growth Challenge Update
Greetings all! I have been away for a while but I wanted to come in and do an update on my growth progress! I My goal was to have 10-12 inches by December 2010. I was wearing a protective style (Senegalese twists) in December on into January so I wasn’t able to measure and update.
At the moment, I am at 9 inches. I am very happy with this! I have dusted about 4 times since my last update. I take off about 1/2 an inch each time I trim. I have a never-ending problem with split ends due to my tight curl pattern so I try to dust at least once a month and deep condition at least twice a month alternating with pre-shampoo (pre-poo) treatments and hot oil treatments.
- 9 inches of natural hair
Add a comment April 14, 2011
Personal Hair Growth Challenge
Well, as promised, I am doing my personal hair growth challenge update. So far, I am at 7 inches. I am kind of disappointed. Either I was happy with the shears when I was dusting my ends or I measure my hair incorrectly at the beginning of the challenge. Being at 6 inches almost 4 months ago, I should have made more progress by now don’t you think? The thing is, I can tell a major difference in the length of my hair fro when I started the challenge so I think I may have been a little gratuitous when measuring my hair before. I can even tell a huge difference when I look at the picture of my afro labeled 6 inches. I know I have maintained more than an inch of length since that photo.
Hair length as of 8/23/10- 7 inches
My regimen isn’t as structured as it could be but I do have a routine. I shampoo about 3-4 times a month depending on my activity level. I alternate between shampooing with coconut soap, castile shampoo, and black soap depending on my mood and what my hair needs. I seal my ends after shampooing with shea butter sometimes blended with another oil. I do my honey deep conditioner about twice a month. I usually band or cornrow my hair down while wet to stretch my hair a bit to make it easier to style. I always air dry my hair. I refuse to use my blow dryer. If completely necessary, I will sit under a hooded dryer to speed up the drying process. I am dusting my hair about every other month.I have worked on increasing my water intake. That has not been too difficult due to the hot summers down in Georgia! I have also added kelp to my daily supplements (check earlier article for kelp and air growth benefits). I have increased my daily MSM intake from 1000 mg to 2000 mg. I am still taking my prenatal vitamins. I do my scalp massage about twice a week. The I did one more caramel treatment since the last one I blogged about and just recently tried the henna. That has been it as far as any extreme things I have tried on my hair to keep in the condition it needs to be in to grow longer! This is a photo update of where I have gotten. As you can see, my hair has gone past my collar bone. I am pleased with my growth no matter what the measuring tape says!As far as styling, I haven’t done any protective styles since February when I had Senegalese twists. I have just been wearing the simple afro or a puff. I will keep you updated on my progress! Thanks for checking in!
Add a comment August 30, 2010
Kelp
Kelp is used by many herbalists as a mineral supplement. It is called “herb from the ocean” or referred to as a sea vegetable. It falls under the Protista family of the Six Kingdoms of Life.
Kelp is one of the fastest growing plants, second only to bamboo. It grows several centimeters daily. Giant kelp can grow up to 100 feet in one year and up to 2 feet in one day.
Kelp is very rich in nutrients. It is 10 times richer in minerals than any known land crop. Kelp contains over 60 minerals and elements, 21 amino acids, simple and complex carbohydrates and several essential plant growth hormones.
It is rich in iodine, calcium, sulphur and silicon. It also contains phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, chlorine, copper, zinc and manganese. It has a small amount of barium, boron, chromium, lithium, nickel, silver, titanium, vanadium, aluminum, strontium, bismuth, chlorine, cobalt, gallium, tin and zirconium. Kelp is also rich in B-complex vitamin and contains vitamin A, C, E and G. It also contains anti-sterility vitamin S, and it has anti-hemorrhage vitamin K.
Many of the abovementioned minerals are vital for optimum hair growth. These nutrients are carried to the dermal papilla through your blood. The more nutrients in your blood, the more nutrients can be supplied to the hair follicle. Kelp is known to prevent hair loss, and there are claims that it can regenerate hair if the follicle is still alive.
Another important component of kelp is alkali. Alkali helps your body maintain the balance between acid and alkaline. Our normal pH is basically 7. Your body’s pH balance is dependent on the food you put into your body. When you are sick, eat a lot of low quality foods or consume a lot of foods with high pH, your body becomes more and more acidic. Taking alkali into your body by taking kelp will help you stay balanced and healthy.
If you do plan to take a kelp supplement, take only one or two tablets a day, and take 2 days off a week and a week off each month.
Those suffering from hyperthyroidism or have heart problems should not use kelp. If you want to begin taking kelp but are not sure if it is right for you, please contact your physician before adding this supplement to your diet.
Thanks for stopping by!!
2 comments August 19, 2010
Sealing Your Ends
Once your hair leaves the root, it depends on you to maintain its health and moisture. Sometimes applying the product to your hair with open palms doesn’t get the product everywhere it needs to be. Sealing my ends is part of my personal natural hair care regimen. My hair has low porosity, which means it is harder for it to absorb moisture so sometimes I have problems with my ends being dry. Sealing your ends evenly distributes the product to each strand and smooths the cuticle.
I seal my ends while my hair is still damp after every shampoo or co-wash and once in between depending on how long I go between washes. I seal my ends with a different mixture products depending on my hair needs at the moment. I use different combinations of shea butter, aloe, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, and essential oils. I often slip and become a little heavy-handed with the product making my hair extremely oily. Be careful not to do this because it can end up clogging pores, making hair clump and unmanageable and resulting in hair getting dirty faster.
Sealing ends is very simple and can be quite relaxing. I enjoy the time I get to spend exploring my hair and massaging my scalp. I do it while watching my favorite television show or listening to music. I take my hair in tiny sections, ranging between about the size you would use if doing a micro braid or box braid, depending on the length and density of your hair. I separate the hair with my fingers and rub a small amount of product between my thumb, index, and middle finger and proceed to smooth it down the strand of my hair from the scalp to the ends. I make sure I focus on the ends in particular because this is the whole point in sealing! I continue this process until I have sealed my entire head. I go through it with my extra-soft boar bristle brush to smooth and catch any excess oils, detangle with a wide tooth comb. I usually do this before bed so I braid it down before I go to sleep.
I can tell the real effects of the products I’m using because they are now reaching the places they usually miss. In the morning when I take the braids loose and comb my hair the result is a super-soft, shiny afro!
1 comment May 17, 2010
MSM Supplement
I started taking MSM back in October after reading a wonderful article about. I speak very highly of and a lot of people are curious about what it is and it benefits. I put this together to shine a little light on this wonder supplement
What is MSM?
MSM stands for methyl sulfonyl methane. It’s an organic sulfur compound that occurs naturally in plants and animals. It is found in the lignin of pine trees. It greatly differs from regular sulfur (sulfuric oxide) which is processed into sulfuric acid and is toxic to the human body. MSM is white and regular sulfur is a yellow color.
MSM is the most important raw material for building new cells during the healing process. It is an acid forming mineral that is part of the chemical structure of the amino acids methionine, cysteine, taurine, and gluthione. Amino acids are the building blocks of our body’s proteins. The more MSM our body has to work with, the more protein we develop resulting in faster hair and nail growth and healing of the body’s tissues. MSM is considered food so it is easily absorbed and utilized by the body.
What does it do?
MSM is found in human, hair, skin, and nails. It’s also found in hemoglobin and all body tissues. 1/3 of the hair’s strength comes from disulfide bonds (sulfur bonds). After your body assimilates the MSM it turns into an acid which becomes part of the amino acids that produce the protein in the hair (ethnic hair is 93%-97% protien), skin, and nails. The more MSM your body has to utilize, the more it has available to build the necessary proteins needed for faster hair and nail growth and healthy, new skin cells.
MSM has many other important benefits to your body. It supports the connective tissues like tendons, muscles, and ligaments. It makes the cells in the tissue more permeable, allowing fluids to pass through more easily, therefore, releasing toxins and reducing inflammation. This makes MSM helpful to those suffering from arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, gout, muscle pain, and constipation. It is used by many athletes because it accelerates the healing process. It’s even given to race horses to prevent muscle stiffness.
MSM is also needed for insulin production so it is good for those with diabetes. It also disinfects the blood, helps the body resist bacteria, and protects cell protoplasm. It’s beneficial to those who have problems with acne, allergies, asthma, yeast infections, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, migraines, and ulcers.
MSM deficiency can lead to problems like scar tissue, wrinkles, varicose veins, hardened arteries, digestive disorders, dry skin, joint problems, and inability to fight allergies.
How much MSM can I take? What can I take with it?
I have seen recommendations of dosages ranging from 1,000 mg- 6,000 mg, but the amount you take all depends on your body size, age, and the severity of MSM deficiency. It has an extremely low level of toxicity, similar to water. Excess MSM is secreted through the urine within 12 hours of consumption.
Studies show that when MSM is taken in combination with zinc, silica, and biotin, the skin reaps the most benefits. Vitamin C depends heavily on MSM for optimal absorption. The more vitamin C your body is able to absorb, the faster the healing process.
MSM can be found in sulfur rich foods such as onions, garlic, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, sunflower seeds, lentils, soy beans, turnips, wheat germ oil, and red raspberries
WARNING: MSM should not be consumed by those who have kidney issues. It makes you more susceptible to kidney stones.
I hope this has given everyone a good idea of what MSM is. I purchased MSM from GNC, but recently saw it at Wal-Mart for $1 cheaper. I take my MSM about 1-2 times a day in addition to prenatal vitamins ( for hair, skin, and nails only! lol). I am going to add biotin to my cocktail now. While taking prenatals and MSM alone, I experience about 1/2 inch+ of growth a month. Make sure you drink plenty of water when taking these supplements to aid in flushing the toxins out of your body!
DID YOU KNOW? –>The disulfide (sulfur) bonds that MSM creates, which accounts for 1/3 of the hair’s strength, are the same bonds permanently destroyed by chemical relaxers.
Add a comment May 12, 2010
My Growth Challenge
Doing a growth challenge at home. I am currently at 6 inches and am aiming for 10-12 inches by Christmas. My hair grows about a 1/2 inch a month. With the aid of a healthy hair regimen, dietary supplements, better eating habits and the wonderful sunlight, I am confident I can achieve this goal! I’m going to attach a photo of my hair after my 2nd bc. I did not measure my hair back then, because I had not even thought of doing the growth challenge back then.
Here is my regimen:
I shampoo once weekly with my Hair Garden Shampoo (castile base) only after a pre-conditioning treatment with cholesterol conditioner. I co-wash about twice a week with a cholesterol conditioner. I braidout with shealoe and let air dry. I use absolutely no heat. My hair is very prone to dryness (because most natural hair is) and split ends due to me using a hair pick almost daily so I am careful about using any type of heat in my natural hair.
I seal my ends with shealoe about once a week and massage my scalp with shealoe and castor oil or Nature’s Blessings. To avoid having to do big trims (an inch or more), I dust my ends monthly. I twist my hair in several small two strand twists and clip the ends of the twists. I have been dusting for about 3 months now with good results.
I do hot oil treatments with olive and canola oil about once a month and have incorporated caramel treatments every other month (I will post another blog about caramel treatments later). When my hair is feeling dry I baggy it (moisten hair lightly with water and oil- leave-in conditioner if u like, and cover with shower cap) for about 3 hrs while I’m around the house and braid it out for the night. I always cornrow my hair in 2-3 braids at night or at least put it in two puffs before bed. I only go to bed with my hair unbraided if I accidentally fall asleep before doing it.
As far as supplements, I am taking prenatal vitamins and MSM daily. Biotin has been recommended to me and it seems great, but I have read it has negative effects if taken daily so I am refraining until I do more research on the topic. To get more info about MSM go to dherbs.com. It is a wonderful natural living site that has changed my life. The site goes into detail about MSM and how it’s beneficial to black hair.
While watching TV, I massage the hair at my temples and my entire head. Stimulates blood flow to the follicles and is just really relaxing. Gives me time to explore my curls and have an intimate moment with my natural hair I call it making love to my hair. I love it and by massaging it and caring for it I am expressing that love so that means I am making/creating love right?
My protective styles range from micro braids, 2-strand twists, cornrows, to styles with my own natural hair. I am excited about this growth challenge because I can see my results monthly! I’ll be posting a photo diary of my growth challenge. Just want to see how long my hair can actually grow since I am relaxer free and don’t have to chop off all my hair due to heat damage from constant pressing. We can grow hair, we just destroy it before it gets a chance to leave our scalps! Remember: If you pay attention to something, it will grow!
(Natural hair at 6 inches)
Add a comment May 9, 2010
