It seems like I only have time to update on Saturdays, which are incidentally wash days!
The yogurt-honey wash certainly did help bring some moisture back into my hair. It felt incredibly soft and moisturized; however, my ends were still a problem (though I think I have them figured out now!) Anyway, here is a picture I snapped a couple of days after the honey wash.
During the week, my hair was alright, but my ends started drying up on Monday/Tuesday. So, every night, I did an intensive ends-only treatment. In the past, when my ends have been slightly dry, I have just put shea butter on the last inch or so before I slept. However, this was more like 4-6", and MUCH dryer than I have ever had before, so every night I did this:
- Misted the ends down with my distilled water/rosemary EO/almond oil mix
- Applied a thin sheen of almond oil
- Coated with shea butter
Then I braided (usually my folded braid) and went to bed. My ends have improved after that, but a couple of days ago I was hit with a revelation.
Oh! Before that! (lol) I forgot another pic I took. This was from Thursday. I wanted to leave my hair "down" and soft around the face, but I knew the bottom length wasn't looking/feeling great. So I folded the bottom
underneath the rest of the hair and secured with a ribbon. Here is the result.
And now to my revelation!
In the past, my routine has been: Saturday - conditioning wash; Saturday - herbal (clarifying) wash; Saturday - conditioning wash... etc. However, for the past month or so, I have been applying methi on my ends during my "clarifying" herbal wash, when methi is actually SOLELY a conditioner. Thus, I had herbal build-up on my ends, causing them to be crunchy and dry! That's why it wasn't just the bottom inch as usual; and was rather the last 4-6" - where I had been applying the methi! Once I figured out I had build-up - which was rather difficult to figure out seeing as how I usually don't think about it; my herbal wash takes care of it - I knew that this weeks herbal wash had to
exclude methi and use only bhringraj, shikakai, amla, aritha, and sandalwood. I combatted the after-wash dryness by oiling my hair first (I used to do this before as well, before I discovered methi, and it made it MUCH softer than had methi) with EverydayMehndi Lavender Hair Growth Oil on my scalp and bhringraj oil on my length. Then I made a thin mixture - thick enough to feel a bit squidgy, but thin enough to not feel like mud and to be easily applied to the hair. I applied this only to my length at first. Then I covered my palm with some and just gave one "swipe" through the ends. Too much means dryness, but just enough cleanses and clarifies. Then, with the tiny bit that was left in the bowl, I added water and made a rinse. I dunked my scalp only into the rinse and then wrapped everything up into a shower cap and towel.
This morning, all I did was rinse and shampoo my scalp with my Body Shop Honey Moisturizing shampoo. I am awaiting the results! I hope I was right and the clarifying will help my ends!
Love,
~*Leia*~
Pic from August 3, 2005
*Special thanks to Carlynn for this gorgeous doll!*
2bMiii
Current length: 39.2" (July 2005)
Goal: Short term goal 40"
Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".
Leia's Hair Journal
Last Updated: August 27, 2005
