SL 2013 Challenge!!~~~

[DarkJoy]

Been smooth sailing with my laziness. Not much to report.

However, now I know what folks mean by 'lead' hair. There are some on my slow grow side that are silky straight and 2" longer than the rest. At first I thought it was my daughter's hair as sometimes hers gets tangled in mine if I use her brush. I yanked on one and shrieked! It hurt. There's a few of them. Wonder what they're all about...

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

Hey everyone. Checking in.

It's been about 2.5 months now since I got my last big haircut following a bout of breakage. As everyone knows, I've cut about 8 inches of my hair this year, in stages, after my hair broke off in random places around my head.

My back is growing out nicely and the choppy spots are basically gone in the back with all the haircuts. But I can't tell if my crown has progressed because it was such a hot mess when I started, and still is. Hoping it just needs more time.

Here are my progress picks. The blue shirt is around August 10 and the orange shirt is today after my relaxer yesterday. I stretched 12 weeks. I think next time I will stretch a bit longer, inching towards my goal of 3-4 relaxers a year.

For now just focused on my crown. Spraying it nightly with moisturizer and castor oil, focusing on conditioning it heavily on wash day, and keeping up with my vitamins. Just need to increase my water intake, I am always so busy at work I forget to fill up my water bottle. I think I will be shoulder length by the end of the year but the top layer of my hair has much longer to go. It is so frustrating because it makes my hair tough to style.

Anyhoo, reading thru everyone's posts now to get caught up. Luv u guys.

Your hair is looking amazing! It looks so healthy and I definitely can see a difference.

HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

Been smooth sailing with my laziness. Not much to report.

However, now I know what folks mean by 'lead' hair. There are some on my slow grow side that are silky straight and 2" longer than the rest. At first I thought it was my daughter's hair as sometimes hers gets tangled in mine if I use her brush. I yanked on one and shrieked! It hurt. There's a few of them. Wonder what they're all about...

Not sure but I've heard talk about them b4. Some people cut them...some people dont and supposedly the rationale behind leaving them is that the rest of your hair will catch up.

HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

Okay so here's my starting pic and also proof my hair probably only grows 1/2in or less per month. I've done two trims since my last hendigo treatment on August 3rd and from the pic of my roots I only have a little over an inch of growth for 2 1/2 months :-( sad yes I know. Anyway this way I can accurately see if inversion is helping me. I cropped the pic for a closer look.









HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

 

[Trixie58]

Just getting through posts, I am so sorry for your loss HPG. You are in my prayers.

My hair tends to alternate between 3 month growth spurts and then 3 months of silence. Maybe you just need another spurt to start.

xoxo

Okay so here's my starting pic and also proof my hair probably only grows 1/2in or less per month. I've done two trims since my last hendigo treatment on August 3rd and from the pic of my roots I only have a little over an inch of growth for 2 1/2 months :-( sad yes I know. Anyway this way I can accurately see if inversion is helping me. I cropped the pic for a closer look.



View attachment 230541



View attachment 230543

HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

 

[Trixie58]

9 weeks post. longest stretch of the year thus far. i'm working towards 12-16. Here's the issue though. I can't stand wash days right now. My hair becomes a tragic mess and I'm afraid I'm starting to get breakage. I'm debating if I should get weekly blowouts or just bite the bullet and relax. i reeeeeally don't want breakage.

To help me stretch last time (12 wks) I went to the salon and got it cornrowed and wigged it for the last few weeks. that way I was just getting a few more weeks of growth before my relaxer without worrying about breakage/manipulation. It worked well for me, no shedding/breakage & I think my hair looks healthier post relaxer.

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

Just getting through posts, I am so sorry for your loss HPG. You are in my prayers.

My hair tends to alternate between 3 month growth spurts and then 3 months of silence. Maybe you just need another spurt to start.

xoxo

Thanks....

I hope the spurt comes soon!

HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

 

[faithVA]

HanaKuroi[/USER];19131697]Welp,

I didn't have regular crisco. I only have palm shortening and it is non-hydrogenated so it didn't whip right.

I'll try it again tomorrow. I have it in the freezer and will whip it when it is cold. I will still use it tonight anyway.

Sent from my iPad using LHCF

Did you ever finish your mix?

I mixed up 1/2 batch last night. I should have let the AVG get room temperature. When I mixed them together they just remained separated and the crisco just clumped. It looked like curdled milk. So impatiently I threw it in the microwave to warm it up and then mixed. This morning it is pretty soupy. So sometime this week I will add a little more crisco to get it a bit more solid. I will add a tablespoon at a time until I get a better consistency.

My grapeseed oil was bad and I didn't want to use my hazelnut on an experiment so I used olive oil and castor oil. It feels a little greasy on my hand but hopefully it will soak into my hair. If not next time I will just add a little hazelnut oil and some EO's.

 

[HanaKuroi]

Did you ever finish your mix?

I mixed up 1/2 batch last night. I should have let the AVG get room temperature. When I mixed them together they just remained separated and the crisco just clumped. It looked like curdled milk. So impatiently I threw it in the microwave to warm it up and then mixed. This morning it is pretty soupy. So sometime this week I will add a little more crisco to get it a bit more solid. I will add a tablespoon at a time until I get a better consistency.

My grapeseed oil was bad and I didn't want to use my hazelnut on an experiment so I used olive oil and castor oil. It feels a little greasy on my hand but hopefully it will soak into my hair. If not next time I will just add a little hazelnut oil and some EO's.

Precisely how mine looked. When it was partially frozen I was able to use the stick blender. It started coming together but I couldn't incorporate all of the avj. I stuck it back in the freezer and forgot about it and now it is totally frozen. I dod use some on my nape and I liked it. It wasn't greasy.

Maybe we should try zantham gum or something to help bind it. I might try a little mango butter and see what happens. Maybe I'll add 1/8 c of MB since it is a very solid butter.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

 

[faithVA]

HanaKuroi[/USER];19138369]Precisely how mine looked. When it was partially frozen I was able to use the stick blender. It started coming together but I couldn't incorporate all of the avj. I stuck it back in the freezer and forgot about it and now it is totally frozen. I dod use some on my nape and I liked it. It wasn't greasy.

Maybe we should try zantham gum or something to help bind it. I might try a little mango butter and see what happens. Maybe I'll add 1/8 c of MB since it is a very solid butter.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

I think I will just use less AVG next time. As I mentioned before most other recipes I have seen call for more crisco than AVG. I have seen the recipes more like 1/2 cup of criso and 1/4 cup of AVG with butters and oils added.

Yesterday I used 1/4 + 1/8 cup of AVG and 1/8 cup of crisco. Maybe next time I will try the 1/4 cup of AVG with 1/8 cup of crisco and 1 tbsp of oil. I will doctor what I have by adding 1 to 2 tbsp of crisco.

I won't add any butters because it will be too greasy for my hair.

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

Prepooing tonight with KeraVada coffee oil.

HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

 

[HanaKuroi]

I tried adding a tab more shortening. It did get a bit better but I still had too much avg. I softened a tab of mango butter and blended that in and that did the trick. I used mango butter because it is a hard butter and isn't as greasy and some butters.

Eta: tab means tablespoon, I should have written T. I added 1 T shortening and 1 T mango butter.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

 

[faithVA]

I tried adding a tab more shortening. It did get a bit better but I still had too much avg. I softened a tab of mango butter and blended that in and that did the trick. I used mango butter because it is a hard butter and isn't as greasy and some butters.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

Cool I will let you know how it turns out once I add the additional crisco. I didn't make a full batch so I should be able to add 1 to 2 T of crisco and that be enough.

Once I get this whip straight, I will try mixing equal parts of the whip with a leave-in to see if I can create something to seal with or to twist with.

 

[auntybe]

Here's the recipe ladies

The recipe is:

3/4 cup aloe vera gel
1/4 cup crisco
2 tbsps grapeseed oil
1 tbsp castor oil

HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

I am trying this on Saturday.

 

[faithVA]

I am trying this on Saturday.

Let us know if you get it to work out for you. I think BraunSugar has a yt channel. I just need to go find it.

 

[PeaceFlow]

What is this Crisco stuff? I live in the UK so maybe there is an alternative, IDK.

 

[faithVA]

Sumra[/USER];19139973]What is this Crisco stuff? I live in the UK so maybe there is an alternative, IDK.

It would be a shortening like Trex, or White Flora in the UK

 

[auntybe]

Let us know if you get it to work out for you. I think BraunSugar has a yt channel. I just need to go find it.

Ok. I will let you know.

 

[HanaKuroi]

BraunSugar should I refrigerate my mix?

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

 

[BraunSugar]

BraunSugar should I refrigerate my mix?

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

No, not unless you used food grade aloe vera gel. If you used Fruit of the Earth or something like that then you can leave it out and it doesn't go bad.

 

[soulglo]

Thinking about going to get my hair straightened tomorrow. I know I need a professional trim. I haven't had my hair straightened let alone been to a beauty shop in ages but I want to see where my hair is at. I have a feeling my hair will end up braided back next week

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

Thinking about going to get my hair straightened tomorrow. I know I need a professional trim. I haven't had my hair straightened let alone been to a beauty shop in ages but I want to see where my hair is at. I have a feeling my hair will end up braided back next week

Girl I was just thinking the same thing. That I was going to do a protein treatment overnight and moisturizing dc and str8en. Why....just because lol

HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

 

[faithVA]

BraunSugar[/USER];19140303]No, not unless you used food grade aloe vera gel. If you used Fruit of the Earth or something like that then you can leave it out and it doesn't go bad.

So are you using a Fruit of the Earth type gel in your mix? If so that would make a difference.

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

Ummmm no str8ening for me...kind of changed my mind. So my hair is twisted back up.

HPG

Don't judge...Sent from my Galaxy Note II using LHCF

 

[HanaKuroi]

I was using lily of the desert food grade avg.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

 

[faithVA]

HanaKuroi[/USER];19141569]I was using lily of the desert food grade avg.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

So am I. So if she is using a gel like Fruit of the Earth, then are results would be way off

 

[HanaKuroi]

So am I. So if she is using a gel like Fruit of the Earth, then are results would be way off

I am so glad you figured that out! Now we need to figure out how to fix it.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

 

[BraunSugar]

So am I. So if she is using a gel like Fruit of the Earth, then are results would be way off

I am so glad you figured that out! Now we need to figure out how to fix it.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

faithVA & HanaKuroi

I have used food grade and Fruit of the Earth from the drug store on my hair (not in the crisco mix). What I've found is that the food grade kind flakes in my hair. Idk if that would be an issue in the crisco mix, but as far as helping my hair's pH and helping me retain moisture, they both work the same.

How do your mixes look? Are they creamy? Lumpy? As long as it isn't separating then maybe they will act the same? This is me guessing. I should have been clear about what kind of AVG I used. I only switched up because of the flaking issue.

 

[faithVA]

BraunSugar[/USER];19141749]I have used food grade and Fruit of the Earth from the drug store on my hair (not in the crisco mix). What I've found is that the food grade kind flakes in my hair. Idk if that would be an issue in the crisco mix, but as far as helping my hair's pH and helping me retain moisture, they both work the same.

How do your mixes look? Are they creamy? Lumpy? As long as it isn't separating then maybe they will act the same? This is me guessing. I should have been clear about what kind of AVG I used. I only switched up because of the flaking issue.

You can't interchange them in a recipe. The Fruit of the earth has Carbomer in it, which is a plastic derivative which gives it the gel consistency. AVG doesn't have anything like that.

Using AVG at the ratio given, the mix will come out runny and won't mix. There is too much AVG to crisco for them to bind together.

If you look at the Fruit of the Earth bottle, it is 100% Gel but it isn't 100% AVG, even though it does have AVG in it. So we all thought you meant Aloe Vera Gel and not Gel with Aloe Vera.

We think we understand now and will make the adaption.

 

[faithVA]

I am so glad you figured that out! Now we need to figure out how to fix it.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y

I think if you just have AVG, it would be better to add the butter for your mix. The ratios are off now and it would require too much to really fix it.

I know understand why when I looked at other recipes they were different. the other recipes I saw called for 1 cup crisco, 1/4 cup of AVG, 1 T butter and 3 T oil. That will probably blend much better.

It is probably easier to start over than to spend too much time with the previous mix. If you have the Fruit of the Earth Gel or any other gel you can mix that.

I may try mixing a gel and the crisco at a later point.