Twisting up 2.5 months of new growth

**Lots of pics**

Yeah! I haven't touched my roots for a LONG time (since February ha!) and, well, I don't care :-) see, I want my locs to have healthy strong root beds and for my hair type, latching it once a month was TOO much stress on my hair! So, I let it be, until yesterday. I knew I did NOT want to latch, even though it is WAY convenient for me when I'm working out etc.

Over the weekend I went to this little beauty supply shop to check out some products. I must have been there forever reading all of the labels to make sure nothing gross or full of chemicals was going in my hair :-) I left with the Taliah Waajid Black Earth Lock & Twist gel. I picked this gel since it was water based, non flaky, had no alcohol and smelled pretty decent too!

Anyways, as I was going through my hair after my clarifying adventure, I noticed a few of my locs had married themselves lol which is ok, because they were pretty thin to begin with - Apparently they have been that way for a while because I wasn't able to pull them apart, so I just let them be.

I decided I definitely was not twisting up my whole head, but I would at least do the front half of my head and let the back be (plus, I like how full it look in the back so, yeah I'm leaving that alone) it didn't take long at all to twist up my roots, maybe like 35-40 minutes in total.  So, below are the pics and results! *click to make bigger*

That's it for now! Ciao!

*B*

Clarifying...

...blah! Do I hate this! haha! Dear apple cider vinegar, can you please not smell so PUTRID?! - signed, me!

So, the other day I was looking at my locs and thought about the last time I used some *nasty* ACV lol! it was a while ago! BUT it was definitely needed as my locs were looking rather D U L L! ugh, I don't like it when my hair doesn't look full of life and is dull/drab in color!

Over the weekend, I went to buy my supplies - ACV from Trader Joes, I also picked up their Tea Tree tingle shampoo - couldn't resist, it was only like $2! So anyways, I dreaded using the ACV as I just detest and LOATHE the smell - it's nasty! ok! Oh and I got a small bottle of Dawn to keep in my bathroom lol for clarifying purposes!

So I begin! I poured the ACV in an empty spray bottle (I recycled from some curly hair product I used to use) and went to spraying! I think this technique will be my favorite rather than dumping the mess all over my head as I did in the past.  I like this method better as it allows the ACV to sit, soak and absorb into my locs. **Side bar** I was sneezing like crazy spraying that stuff all over my hair lol! The smell isn't AS bad when it's sprayed, but still! **end** I didin't spray too much that it was dripping all over me, but my locs were good and saturated with ACV.  I let it sit on my head a little over 30 minutes while I did some stuff.  I took a look in the mirror to check out my locs and I could already see that the dullness had subsided, GOOD!

So off I go to wash/rinse this stuff out! My hair felt S O dry! This stuff is incredibly drying to my hair :-( oh well. After a good long, HOT rinse, I got out to check on my locs again to make sure whatever may have been or could have been in my hair was gone! Oh and to see how sparkly, squeeky clean my locs were! My hair looked good, but I believe I am paranoid and thought I saw something so back I went to put a *little* bit of dawn on my hair, for good measure! This was even MORE drying to my poor hair! ugh! So after another good, long, hot rinse I ofcourse wanted to put something moisturizing on my hair to make it feel better lol! I felt bad for my hair! it felt so brittle and rough *sad*

I washed with that Tea Tree Tingle shampoo - oooh! I love it! it's all tingly and smells DIVINE! I like all the certified organic stuff in it too! So I am finally done with my hair, so I wrap it up to get all the excess water out, then let my hair air dry. Thankfully it doesn't take too long for my hair to dry since it is still pretty short.

Oh yeah, I do use my pantene clarifying shampoo once a week, but CLEARLY it wasn't doing the trick, so it looks like I'm going to have to use that *nasty* ACV every other week, or at least every 3 weeks or something! I don't like my hair looking dull! While I realize it isn't going to shine the way it used to, there is still no excuse for dull hair :-) even if I have to endure the assault to my nostrils ahem, ACV!

Month six - W O W!!!

**6 month pics**

OK!!! What! 6 months! CRAZY!!! and Amazing :-)

Six month hair stuff:

- ok, as always.....I LOOOOOOOOVE my hair! just thought I'd let you know!

- my hair is still getting thick *check that 3rd picture*

- see that last pic? yeah well I haven't done anything to my roots...and don't plan on it! ha! I'm letting my hair just.be. and it is wonderful!

- I'm still using all natural hair stuff *that coconut oil is my absolute favorite*, except when I use a clarifying shampoo :(

- Lush BIG is still one of my favorites, but I recently started back using my mop c hydrating shampoo. I used this stuff when I rocked my curls because it is 1. organic 2. hydrating 3. sulfate-free 4. preserves color (which was important to me since I had platinum blonde hair!)  5. it has mango, black currant & orange - the cirtus-y scent is perfect after my morning workouts!

- ***BIG UPDATE*** ok, so recently I've noticed my hair is getting stiffer and harder *yippee* my hair is starting to condense! WOOP!!! it's so cool just to see the transformations my hair goes through, seemingly over night!

- the condensation isn't up the whole loc, just yet, but it is hard  in some places and not as flexible as the rest of the loc!!! I was super excited to notice this cool change in my hair! Also the tips of my locs are definitely sealing and getting hard

So that's it! Just some quick updates!

Thanks for stopping by,

*B*

5 months!!

Wow! That really is all I can say! My hair is doing it's own thing and changes like overnight! It's so amazing!!! It's like I look in the mirror and am amazed at how much my hair has grown, has plumped up and how it's taking its own form of locing up! It really is cool!

So, March marks, my 5 month mark and it seemed my hair wanted me to try something new! Now, I don't use any products, except shampoo. Well, because of that, my hair started feeling real dry at the end of month four. I did a little research and read raving reviews about coconut oil.

Last week, after the gym, I went to my vitamin shoppe to pick up some Ceritfied Prganic Extra Virgin, UNREFINED (this is important) Coconut Oil. The one I got, pictured below, is a product straight from the Philippines! Score!

So I took this SUPER light weight oil and liquified it and massaged it into my hair and scalp and let it sit for an hour or more. After that, I washed with my clarifying shampoo. The first thing I noticed was just how soft, lush and moiturized - not brittle feeling after using a clarifying shampoo - my hair felt!

Just like that, my hair was literally transformed by adding the nourishing coconut oil to my locs! *Why haven't I used this sooner?* Well, I didn't want to use any oils because I was afraid of build up. However, coconut oil is the LIGHTEST oil EVER and adds shine to my hair and strengthens it, as well.

I used it here and there all last week after washing or rinsing and I just loved the affects! My hair just looked so healthy! I just did another treatment where I saturated my hair with the coconut oil and my hair feels SO.AMAZING!!!

I am glad I found out about this coconut oil, but don't just get ANY kind of coconut oil! It has to be ORGANIC and UNREFINED! Pure coconut oil! I got mine for $9 and it's the best $9 I've ever spent :-)

Here are some pics of my hair; It is getting SO thick! I love it!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Ciao,

*B*

Fun!

Four Months in!

Yay! So, my little babies are 4 months *smile* They are just changing before my very eyes! and that is VERY exciting! It's so cool to see what your hair can do when you leave.it.alone!

This past month I became a product junkie and bought lots of shampoos for my hair: a clarifying shampoo (hated it!), Organix tea tree mint (LOVE IT!!), Dr. Bronner's peppermint bar (love it!!!) and Dr.Bronner's Tea Tree liquid soap (I didn't like it as much as I like the peppermint bar).  Now that I am back to working out regularly *yay, go me* I pretty much rinse my hair daily and shampoo whenever I like (like 4x a week)

Anywho, here are pics of my hair @ four months (click images for close ups) :

It's filling in nicely back there!!

Healthy roots & dark red tips (idk how that happened)

Texture close up

Fun colors (I have not dyed my hair, this is from my previous coloring b4 I loc'd my hair)

I now twist the top and latch the rest

                      

Cute curly ends

before...i loc'd - a picture post

See my picture slideshow after the break! :-)