Be Persistent

Hey guys, so just a little heads up in terms of what to expect when it comes to hair stuff!

Every hair is different, so when searching and experimenting different products just remember that it may not have the exact same effect on you.For instance, my cousin has tried different hair relaxers too, some of them work and some don't. She has even tried the brazilian progressive blow dry too, which she emphasised was a big mistake. Still to this date, she has not found a hair relaxer that satisfies her needs... 
Nevertheless, whatever relaxer you use, you need to learn how to take care of your chemically treated hair and with time you will learn what type of products are best to try on.  Be persistent and patient, so don't expect to see results within a day or even a week, you should wait at least 1 to 6 months until you start noticing any differences. Mind you, it took me a very long time to understand my hair needs and I had no references nor guidance! So don't give up, because now there's lot more information out there to help!!

My AfroHair Story

So today I woke up and realised that I haven't told you guys yet, how this 'fight' for healthy looking hair began... I'll tell you this much now, it was pretty funny!! 

The tomboy fase

When was little I never cared about how I looked, what I wore or my hair style, I even got my hair cut really short many times because I'd sleep with chewing gum, which, eventually would stick onto my hair (how embarrassing!). All I really cared about was football (Yes, I was I tomboy!). Until I was 13 I used baggy clothes, tied up hair or plats as it was very easy to deal with every morning. But in return I'd be called 'steel wool' in school, because the bun did resemble a piece of steel wool, which at the time I actually found amusing too...

Out with the 'Steel Wool' and in with the 'Silkiness' 

As I grew up, I decided to change my style and wear girly clothes, and take care of my hair too. So when I turned 14 I relaxed my hair for the first time, I loved it, it was long, silky and shiny, it was a new me!  

The nightmare

Like a lot of people, I didn't know how to take care of my hair and neither did my mom. We always thought that a shampoo and some hair cream would do the job. Well soon enough, I realised that my hair was breaking like 'there was no tomorrow', I would use different hair relaxers, different shampoos, hair creams etc. Nothing would work, I even stopped relaxing my hair for a good 8 months, but there was no results... The hair was weak, with inconsistent length (shorter at the back and longer at the front) to which I would lie and say I got a bob cut. Still I would dye my hair and have highlights. Like a said a nightmare, until I met...

Hair extensions, anyone?

I was introduced to hair extensions in 2006 by my hairdresser, at the time she would use bonding glue to apply a couple of tracks. So again,  I fell in love with the new look, and would renew it every 15 days. Well that was a lot of money spent, so I decided to use something a bit more permanent, such as 'weave on' (where the hair needs to be braided). Well I always heard that braided hair helps hair growth, and yes it did at first, but it completely broke my hair the second time around. And there I was back to square one, with my hair long enough reach to my ears. 

The brazilian way

So I got too used to having hair extensions, and felt I could not leave without it and moved on to brazilian hair extensions, which would last longer and was said to not damage the hair. They were usually applied in small strands of hair tied up in a tiny knot close to the roots, or bonded with solid keratin. Although the results were incredible (in terms of hair growth) my hair would still break a lot, and it was still very expensive too do every 3 months. Finally I met the 'clip on', I used them for nearly 3 years, they were easy to apply and washable (which meant I could wash and take better care of my hair too). I would put them on every morning and take them off every night. However, after so many years of clipping and scratching the scalp, I got bold patches in some areas...

A strike of luck

As I was very concerned about the health of my hair  I started searching on websites, dermatologists, beauty channels, anything I could find that would help, as the hair relaxers would leave my hair with a straw like texture and opaque. One day as I was shopping for hair products whilst on holidays in Portugal, the shop assistant recommended I would try something different given my fine hair texture, the 'brazilian progressive blow dry', which is a relaxing treatment based on keratin and formol. I spoke to my hairdresser about it and we did some tests. Guess what? It worked!

How I Wash My Hair

The way we wash our hair is also very important as it ensures we get the best out of the products we wear, and get a healthy looking hair. So here's some tips...

1. Shampoo
When shampooing my hair I like to use tepid to cold water, in this way maintaining hair shine and strength. I shampoo twice before conditioning,  in order to remove all dirt and open up hair pores to receive treatment.

2. Hair mask
I love a good hair mask! Every time I wash my hair (once a week- max. twice a week) I apply a hair mask onto dump hair avoiding the scalp , and massage it in order to warm up the product on my hair concentrating on the ends. 

3. Conditioner 
As the hair has received the treatment, I apply a conditioner afterwards in order to seal the hair pores and finalize the treatment, leaving the hair with a silky like texture.

4. Serum
Now onto the styling... The serum will protect the hair from daily agressions, such as heat styling processes (hot styling tools) and the weather (the cold and the sun). Furthermore, the serum will add lots of shine and a lovely smell to it!!

Try it out and let me know!!