Relaxer update - Waistlength

So I finally got my relaxer. After stretching for a whooping 8 months! Ok, I didn't set out to stretch for 8 months. I was just too busy (read lazy :-) to relax my hair so I resorted to wearing protective styles the whole time. Mostly Cornrows (underneath a wig) and buns. It was really easy. If you wear your hair out often I don't recommend stretching for more than 3 months. It could cause a lot of breakage if you do. So, here is what my hair looked like after relaxing and flat ironing it:

It's still at waist length because it grew about 4 inches and i trimmed of the same amount because my ends were so scraggly and uneven. I recorded a youtube hair update video. Click here to watch it.

xoxo
Bey

Stretching my relaxer.... 8 months!

Ok, so I have not relaxed my hair in about 8 months. It hasn't been that difficult considering the fact that I have been protective styling and haven't actually worn my hair out in the entire 8 months. I recently took out the cornrows I'd been wearing for about 3 weeks and came face to face with  4 inches of thick, coarse, kinky new growth.

I plan to get my relaxer this week. In the meantime I am wearing mostly buns. I have to keep manipulation as low as possible because  the line of demarcation (where the new growth meets the relaxed growth) is susceptible to breakage. Here are some styles I am wearing:

My high bun

Front flat twists and bun

Excuse the poor lighting and lack of makeup....um what can I say, it was a lazy Sunday afternoon...

Kisses,

-Bey

I got my hair ombred...

So the ombre hair trend has been around for a while now and I know I am about a year late getting on this but I have to admit that when I first saw it I thought it looked like hugely overgrown roots and couldn't be bothered to try it. However, I am an equal opportunity hair trend experimenter so I did eventually try it out and I am soo loving it...

Drew Barrymore                  

Raven Symone

 

Khloe Kardashian

Me and my ombred hair

                                      

Ok, first, I really need to get a better camera. Second, as much as I wanted to try the ombre look you know I wasn't about the bleach my hair so I did the next best thing and hooked myself up with a custom ordered wig from rpgshow (www.rpgshow.com). Specifications are: 1st 8inches color 1b, next 8 inches color 4 and the last 2 inches color 27.

I made it to waist length - Apparently Naija/west african/kinky/4b hair can grow!

Hi ladies,

So I know I have been mia for a while. I have been super busy, but rest assured my hair has been growing. I finally made it to my goal of waist length. I have pretty uneven, somewhat scraggly ends and I will be getting a trim soon but right now I am reveling in my newly gotten rapunzelesque locks! Here are some pictures below:

 

Uneven ends :-(

 

Comparison shots - From April '11 to Jan '12 

Click to watch my January 2012 hair update

 

Click to watch my July 2011 hair update

My ends are thin, I definitely need a 2 or 3 inch trim which is totally reasonable considering the fact that I haven't trimmed my hair since I started this journey in April. I'm pretty happy with my length retention though. My hair grows at 1/2 and inch every month (which is pretty standard) and I retained everything. I don't think I'll trim right away. I'll aim for tailbone length in 3months, then I'll trim to waistlength... Excited much? :-)

Another twist out....I'm loving it.

So, I decided to embark on another twistout experiment.  I'm loving twists outs because they are super easy to do, don't require any heat and I feel that you can achieve different looks by varying your technique.Being that I am trying to grow out my  hair, I'm all for anything that doesn't require any direct hair. So on this
fateful day, I set up to get a huge fierce curly fro.

Did I get exactly what I set out to do? Not really. But it still turned out pretty well. Check out the video below:

Protective Styling - Scarves

Scarves are back! Well, did they ever really leave? I mean, I have been wearing head scarves on and off since forever. I consider them my go-to style for bad hair days. However, recently I have been seeing a lot more of them. On the runways at the beach. In bold colors, patterns and prints. I'm loving it. Even better is the fact that they are a great protective style option. You get to rock a trendy look while protecting your hair and nurturing your goal of attaining beautiful long locks. There are lots of ways to wear this trend.

Here are some pics to inspire you ...

Here are some pics showing my current favorite ways to wear a head scarf:

Check out my video below, demonstrating how to achieve these looks.

Theres almost no wrong way to wear a head scarf...get creative.

xoxo
Lushstrands

How I apply my lace wig (Glueless)

Right now, lace wigs are my favorite protective styles. I mean I like weaves too, but I find lace wigs to be much easier to apply.I don't need to cornrow and sew, I just put the wig on and go. I don't use glue or any other adhesive. Another thing with wigs is that your whole hair is protected unlike with weaves where you
have to leave out some of your hair to cover the tracks. But don't get me wrong, weaves are definitely a good protective style option. Just be sure to give the exposed hair required tlc. When trying to blend your hair to the weave, avoid any damage by rollers setting or twisting and airdrying. For those who may be considering lace wigs as a protective style option, here is how I apply my lace wig without using any glue or adhesive.