Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Then & Now - Unlock Your Growth Potential

[It isn't a real cig guys..lol just one of those candy puffers]

I came across this picture yesterday, and I could not believe the shape of my hair, it was extremely thin, fragile, and lifeless. I wanted to post this picture as a source of inspiration for others who have this as their starting point, as well as a quick recap of how I managed to go from thin to thick hair. Hopefully this helps others along the way.

 [My hair two months ago]

Cut back on the tight ponytails: Hair that is thinning and fragile should be maintained with low tension hair styles. Tension from tight buns, braids, and ponytails can lead to additional thinning around the hairline as well as the nape area. Breakage can also occur around the area of the ponytail holder as well. Opt for free-flowing styles such as braid outs, twist outs, flexi sets, and even roller sets, until your hair is strong enough to withstand the tension from ponytails and braids.

Go heat free for as long as possible: Hair that is damaged due to unhealthy thermal straightening practices needs to be nursed back to health. Going heat free allows for protein regeneration along the hair shaft, which strengthens the Keratin bonds, thus resulting in stronger hair. Try a series of protein treatments to fortify your tresses during this time. I would recommend doing two protein treatments the first month of your journey, then every 4-6 weeks or as needed. My favorite protein treatments are:
Sebastian 2+1 [2 Parts Moisture, 1 Part Protein]
Dudley's Hair Rebuilder [Great for correcting elasticity issues]
Keracare Super Reconstructor [A heavy duty protein treatment well worth it's weight in gold]
Try an Ayurvedic regimen: I maintained a strict Ayurvedic regimen for about the first 6-8 months of my hair journey, this included scalp massages [helps stimulate scalp, which in turn promotes growth], implementing an ayurvedic pre poo regimen, and also regular henna treatments to strengthen my hair. Most of my Ayurvedic products were all natural herbs and oils that are all purported to help thicken hair, and stop excessive shedding/breakage. My favorite oils are:
Bhringaraj - Nourishes hair and scalp w/essential nutrients necessary for healthy hair growth. I purchase this oil from my local Indian grocer.

Brahmi - Is another favorite of mine, it promotes a nice healthy sheen, strengthens hair, eliminates issues with dandruff, and also nourishes your hair and scalp. I use the Ramtirth brand, which has Coconut Oil as it's base vs Mineral Oil. Ramtirth Brahmi oil is infused with a proprietary blend of 22 Indian herbs. I also purchase this from my local Indian grocer. 

The classic wash & go is made a lot funkier by shaping the models hair, and adding bangs.

If you are on your last leg of your braid out/twist out, plop a hat on and pull out some face framing tendrils or bangs to keep from having to slick your hair back into a pony.

Although this is a wash & go - Flexi rod sets are a nice way to cheat perfect coils if you don't have this curl pattern naturally! [Wendy from Honey Brown Sugar shows you how she created this style here]

 A braid out with a side part is also adds a bit of funkiness to a braid-out. 

Air dry [this works best if your hair is shorter and has some type of shape to it]

Twist-out

Instead of bunning on a bad hair day, pin your hair up [similar to the way you would do an up do] and add a over sized chic headband, bow, or statement piece.

All pics courtesy of Fuckyeahcurlscurlscurls

33 comments:

  1. I can't WAIT until my hair grows back... =D

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  2. I just love this posting. You are so right. I try to tell all my natural sistas that blow drying your hair too much does lead to much breakage and thining of the hair. I have been natural since i was 16 years old and i am now 32 years old. I love to do wash and go's especially in the summer. in the winter i do many braid outs. Moptopmaven you do know what you are talking about keep up the work and by the way thank you again for joining my natural hair blog which is www.jesusgirl2010.onsugar.com.
    much love God Bless

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  3. I just read your story on flygirls.typepad....it was sooooo inspiring...keep it up and I wish you the best in your endeavors and life!

    Peace,

    K.Keys

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  4. Very beautiful and lovely post. Your hair is gorgeous. Keeping away from heat and away from tight buns really helped me.

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  5. Lovely Post! I press my hair every two weeks, and I can't seem to go longer than that because of dandruff. I completely agree with going without heat, but it's so hard! And I cannot handle my natural hair...I lose more hair when it isn't pressed. Well, I hope to learn more techniques in keeping the hair fresh...you seem to be doing that quite well.

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  6. great post! you've taught me sooo much!

    but can you go into further details with the scalp massages? i've tried to read all your post and watched all youe vids on youtube(they'de fantastic) but if i've missed where you've gone in depth about ayurvedic scalp massages and how often you do them and all of that please direct me there!

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  7. Huge hair transformation! How much time passed between the 2 pictures?

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  8. those hair styles are lovely

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  9. This is a grat post! Thanks for the great tips. I'm a new natural (3 months) and I have already seen amazing hair growth. Now I just have to get to my local Indian grocer and find some of the great products you mentioned. Your hard work is greatly appreciated!

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  11. Hi love ur blog! The girl with the blue nail polish is Wes from the blog HoneyBrownSugar, her hair so beautiful. That's a simple wash and go and it looks like flexirods!

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  12. Thanks for the curlspiration! My hair was still very thick...even with relaxers since I did a lot of stretching. The only thing that stopped me was the concept of cutting my hair. Well, I cut my hair and then I decided I'd had enough of the relaxers. So excited to see my hair grow out. I'm not even sure how my curls will look. My mom always blow-dried my hair for braiding when I was little.

    Keep on curlspiring!

    http://toya-quarterlifechronicles.blogspot.com

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  13. you/your life seems so perfect! perfect hair, skin, style...i'm borderline jealous!

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  14. Thanks! There's an Indian grocery store right by my campus, so I'll keep an eye out this coming semester.

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  15. i've got to work on the no tight ponytail thing :-/

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  16. You are absolutely right about thermal heat damaging your hair. I'm going to take your advice about how to strengthen it to nurse it back to health.

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  17. Do you have any suggestions for people who are protein-sensitive? My hair has been very dry and brittle. However, all the recommendations for strengthening it include intense protein treatments. Any ideas how to strengthen hair without the protein?

    Thanks!

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  18. Anonymous said...

    great post! you've taught me sooo much!

    but can you go into further details with the scalp massages? i've tried to read all your post and watched all youe vids on youtube(they'de fantastic) but if i've missed where you've gone in depth about ayurvedic scalp massages and how often you do them and all of that please direct me there

    ************************************************
    BUMP! I was just thinking about starting my oil scalp routine and would also like to hear about yours.

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  19. Where's the girl you used as an example for a braid-out from?? I love her hair!

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  20. Beautiful progress, and I can not wait to try the Honey & Hot Oil Treatment.

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  21. I cant wait until I finish my transitioning .These photos are so Inspirational!The tips are so helpful as well!

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  22. Love this post! You have just inspired me to start wearing my own hair out again (2 textures and all)!!!

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  23. I'm in my 7th month of transitioning and I wanted to know if you (or any commentators) have tried Deity America Deep Penetrating Conditioner for Damaged Hair as a protein treatment? I've only tried it once and I wouldn't say it was that great but I do think it stopped the shedding.

    I'm confused about whether or not it's a protein treatment or a deep conditioner with protein in it or if the two are one and the same???

    Here are the ingredients, in case it's helpful: 100% Tibet herbal essence, ginseng, ganoderma lucidum, angelica, pseudo-ginseng, wheat, protein, avocado.

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  24. Thanks for the great post! It would be really helpful if you can do a post about what your Ayurvedic regimen is all about. I'm trying to get into henna'ing and using powders such as amla but there's a lot to learn.For me your explanations really are the best and one on how you got your into the shape it is in now by using Indian herbs would be really helpful. Thanks!

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  25. Moptop, can you come to my city and conduct a personal styling session with me, LOL. I have very healthy hair but none of my twist-outs, etc. ever look as good as some of these pix!

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  26. so in love with the hair! cant wait to try the twist outs & braid outs!

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  27. great post! i love your hair!

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  28. Can one mix both oils (Bhringaraj + Brahmi) together

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  29. love your post i am thinking of going natural. what is a henna treatment and where can i get 1 becos i live in london

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  30. Moptopmaven, I want to thank you so much for the information regarding the detangling process. I never thought of using distilled water with a few drops of conditioner in a spray bottle to dampen tangled hair and make it managable. My hair was so tangled after I tried a new style that I almost cried at the thought of detangling it, but your advice helped me so much and i had almost no breakage. You are a transitioning girls dream come true. Keep the helpful info coming beautiful! :)

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  31. The girl with a braid out comes from France. Her name is Fatou N'Diaye and she also has a blog: black beauty bag.
    Moptopmaven, I like your blog and your information about taking care of our hair are precious. Thank you for your advice. You are a talented girl.

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  32. Can the Bhringaraj and Brahmi oil be used independently with other products or only in conjunction with the strict Ayurvedic regimen?

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