My Texlaxed Hair Chronicles

Hey hey



How have we been? How are our ends and edges holding up? Lol. Well, just as I promised you previously here is the post, though, I took quite some time. Sorry I've been MIA.


Texlaxing my hair was never my intention instead it just kept happening over and over. I have always had coarse hair and getting my hair bone straight after each retouch was somehow a challenge. I think it was everyone's ( I and my sisters') challenge. We kept searching and switching relaxers, and whenever we found one that worked, the next retouch using the same relaxer would turn out to be a nightmare of dry underprocessed hair.


But honestly speaking, I later realised that I loved my hair with some texture in it. I noticed that if the hair turned out bone-straight after retouching, I would be horrified because my hair will lay flat on my head. I would get scared wondering where all that thick hair had gone, but after a week or more, the hair puffs up and ahah, I'll feel alive.


I decided to accept my hair's stubbornness and wanted to find a better way to care for it, as it kept breaking not allowing me to retain much. While researching I stumbled on the term "texlax". So I realised I had been doing something right or at least that my hair had chosen its own rightful path, lol.

I began learning more about texlaxing, and just thought this was what I wanted. But the funny thing was that, the more I cared for the hair, the more the hair behaved itself. It began to grow longer and thicker, it was also able to withstand manipulation. Since I began to enjoy my hair, the more I did not see the need to texlax and would continue to stretch my relaxer. Thus, causing me to texlax once in a year, though, not without a few setbacks.

What are your thoughts concerning  "texlaxing"? Do you think you could try it out? Or do you also texlax your hair?

All About Texlaxing

Hey hey,



    How have my ladies been? How is the hair holding up? Lol, I know its not so easy but we'll surely get there.


    I'm sure most of us have heard of "texlaxing" and also have an idea of what it is. For those who don't know, no worries I've got your back. No more chitchat, let's get to it.


    Texlaxing is when you use a relaxer to intentionally underprocess your hair. We know that relaxers are meant to permanently remove the curls/coils from our hair, but instead of giving the chemical enough time to straighten the hair, it is rinsed out before the appropriate time. This leaves as much texture as you want in your hair.

    This gives the hair a thicker and healthier look than when it is bone straight as the hair still retains some of its natural hair texture. Texlaxed hair is neither natural nor is it relaxed.


How To Texlax
   If you wish to transition to texlaxed hair, you will have to pay attention to some certain things. Before applying the relaxer, you may add any natural oil (olive etc) of your choice to it. This will help slow down the processing reaction while you apply the relaxer over your hair before proceeding to washing it out.
   Applying vaseline, conditioner etc to the already processed ends of your hair is necessary to prevent damage especially for those who already have texlaxed ends so as not to alter the texture. If texlaxing for the the first, you need to decide how much curls or texture you want to retain. You may not know how to attain your desired look unless you practice.



Pros of Texlaxing
• Texlaxed hair is thicker as the hair is underprocessed retaining some of its natural hair texture.
• It also can withstand manipulations better than when hair is bone- straight. • Hairstyles appear fuller with body because of its texture.
• If you decide to have straight hair, that's not a problem as you can easily flat iron it. As they say, you have best of both worlds.



Cons of Texlaxing
• Since it still has some curls or texture in it, it is prone to humidity. So if you blow dried for a straight look or flat iron be rest assured that humidity will get the best of it shrinking it back to its previous state.
• You will need to pay close attention to the line of demarcation when it comes to your next texlaxing to prevent overlapping as well as during your haircare routines.
• Stretching your relaxer is good but when you are texlaxed, the hair is prone to matting when stretched over a long period especially if you neglect your hair. This causes breakage hindering length retention.

    Are you texlaxed or do you wish to attempt transitioning to texlaxed hair? My hair is texlaxed and I'm presently on a 15 months stretch. Do check back to read all about my texlaxed experience in my next post.

All About Relaxers

Hey Hey

   How have my ladies been? Trust you been good. Sorry, I've been MIA.  Well, today, we will be talking about relaxers. Hmm, I'm sure most of you already know about them, but, if you allow me, let's do a quick review on them.


Brief History
   Relaxer was actually discovered by an African American named Garrett Augustus Morgan around the year 1910. He found a lubricating liquid which could change or alter the basic structure of the hair shaft. He called it "G.A. Morgan's Hair Refiner Cream". It was patented as the first chemical hair straightener.


How It Works
   Relaxers are chemicals used to permanently straighten the hair. These chemicals usually come in a creamy form. A process called lanthionization occurs by breaking  down the disulfide bonds (protein or keratin) in order to alter the curl pattern by loosening the hair shafts. The cortex is elongated making the curl alteration permanent.      There are specific time frames for which the chemicals should be left in the hair to allow it relax. It can be used on curly, coily or wavy hair textures. They are also come in regular, super and mild strengths. The regular is for normal hair, mild for those with fine hair and super for coarse hair. These strengths depends on how much chemical is deposited into it.


Types of Relaxers
   There are three types of relaxers namely;
Lye Relaxer - This relaxer contains Sodium Hydroxide. I belive they are the most popular. They can be harsh and can cause damage to the hair or/and scalp if not used properly.

No lye Relaxers - This contains Calcium Hydroxide. It is formulated for mild and sensitive scalps. It is believed to be less harsher than lye relaxers. But I know better because they are both chemicals and must be used with utmost care. It comes with an activator which must be mixed with the base relaxer. It also comes with a neutralizing shampoo which deactivate the alkalizing chemical process. It leaves the hair feeling drier than usual.

Thio Relaxers - This contains Ammonia Thioglycolate. The disulfide bonds are reformed after they are broken during the relaxing process compared to hydroxide relaxers in which they are broken permanently and cannot be reformed again.
   After usage, it must be oxidized with a special solution of Hydrogen peroxide or Sodium bromate. Hydroxide relaxers should not be used interchangably with Thio relaxers as it can damage the hair resulting to serious hair loss.

The Relaxing Process
   It is advisable to do a strand test to be sure that the relaxer is suitable for you. Hmm....but seriously how many of us bother with this. Avoid overlapping (retouching already processed hair) as this can cause hair damage. So it is advisable to stretch your relaxers by waiting about 6-8weeks to ensure there is enough new growth, and for the hair to regain its strength after the previous relaxer.
   Base your scalp with petroleum jelly or any other oily but thick substance. When I'm out of some jelly, I use Shea butter which works for me. This is meant to act as a barrier to prevent burns.
   If it is virgin hair, apply the relaxer from roots to tips. It is said that the roots process faster than the tips because of the body's heat. Don't wait for it to tingle your scalp before rinsing it out.
 

   I'm more of a lye relaxer fan. I have medium to coarse hair and lye relaxers works for me. What relaxer type do you use and what has your experience been? Did you suffer any damage from using any relaxer?

Determining Your Hair's Oiliness

Hey Hey


   How have you ladies been? Trust we've been good. Determining your hair's oiliness is important as having such knowledge can help you create a proper haircare regimen.

   To know your hair's oiliness, you may decide to try this method using a tissue.

• Wash your hair with a shampoo preferably with one that contains sulphate(s) to remove any trace of dirt or residue. Follow this with a conditioner, and rinse your hair properly.

• Let your hair air dry. Do not use a blow dryer or add any products to your hair as this can alter your result. Ensure that you do not do any strenous activity that may cause sweat as this too can alter the result.

• Allow for a period of 8-12 hours or till the next day before you carry out the test. This is to give enough time for the hair to produce oil.

   Once this is done, part your hair at the crown, take a tissue and press gently against the scalp. Do not rub the tissue against your scalp just a firm but gentle press will do. Do the same to the part of your head behind your ear. You may continue to check the other parts of your head if you wish.

• Dry - If there is nothing on the tissue, then you have dry hair.
• Medium - If there is a trace of oil on the tissue, then you have medium hair.
• Oily - If there is a lot of oil, then you have oily hair.
• Combination - If there is no oil from one part of your hair but little or a lot of oil from another part, then you have combination hair.

   Knowing this can help you determine what type of hair products you need such as conditioners, moisturizers, shampoos etc. I have dry hair so I use products that are very moisturizing, I keep away frim drying products, I try to avoid using sulphate shampoo regularly except when needed.

Do tell me what is your hair' oiliness like. Do you or will you create a haircare regime using this as a guide.

Classification Systems ( Hair Typing) PART II

Hey hey


   This is a quick follow-up to my previous post. I decided to split it to prevent an over- lengthy post. The Andre Walker system might be well recognized but is not the only system used to determine curl patterns.


FIA HAIR SYSTEM
   This is a method that is classified by curl pattern, hair strand thickness and overall hair volume.
           
                         CURLINESS
Straight

• 1A - Straight- stick.
• 1B - Straight but slight body wave adding some volume.
• 1C - Straight with body waves and one or two visible S- waves.

Wavy

• 2A - Loose with stretched S- waves throughout.
• 2B - Shorter with distinct S- waves.
• 2C - Distinct S- waves, some spiral curling.

Curly

• 3A - Big loose spiral curls.
• 3B - Bouncy ringlets.
• 3C - Tight corkscrews

Very (really) Curly

• 4A - Tightly coiled S- curls
• 4B - Z- patterned (tightly coiled, sharply angled).
• 4C - Mostly Z- patterned (tightly kink, less definition.

                     
                            STRANDS

Fine

   Thin strands that sometimes are almost translucent when held up in the light. Shed strands are hard to see against a constrasting background. It feels like ultra- fine strand of silk.

Medium

   Strands are neither fine nor coarse. It feels like rough cotton thread. It is not stiff or rough.

Coarse

   Thick strands which can easily be identified against any background. It feels hard and wiry, and may hear it if you roll it between your fingers.
                     
                           VOLUME

Volume by circumference of a full hair ponytail.

Thin- Circumferences less than 2 inches (5 centimeteres).

Normal - From 2 to 4 inches (5-10 centimetres).

Thick - More than 4 inches (10 centimetres).

LOIS HAIR SYSTEM

   This system compares hair strands to the letters L, O, I, S. Take a strand and compare it to the shapes if the letters.                            

                       CURL PATTERN

   The bends, kinks and coils will or may resemble more than one of the letters.

• L - The strand will look like the letter L with right angles, bends and folds.
• O - Your strand resembles the letter O or spirals into several Os.
• I - The strand is straight with little or no curves or waves .
• S - Your strand is wavy and curves back and forth like the letter S.
• Combination - Your strand may have a combination of two or more letters. If this is the case, then check a few more strands all over your head to know which of the letters is more dominant.

                         STRAND SIZE

• A strand of frayed thread is about the same size of a medium sized strand of human hair. If your strand is larger than it, then, your hair is thick. But if it is smaller than it, then your hair is thin or fine.

                           TEXTURE

   Shine is a sharp reflection of light while sheen is a dull reflection of light.

• Thready - Hair has a low sheen with high shine if the hair is put in a braid with little frizz. Wets easily but dries out quickly.
• Wiry - It has a sparkly sheen with low shine and low frizz. Water beads up or bounces off the hair strands. It never seems to get fully wet.
• Cottony - It has low sheen, high shine if it is held together with high frizz. Absorbs water quickly but does not get thoroughly wet very fast.
• Spongy - Hair has high sheen with low shine with compacted looking frizz. Absorbs water before it gets thoroughly wet.
• Silky - Hair has low sheen, a very high shine with a lot of low frizz. Easily gets wet in water.

   Personally, I do not consider hair typing as necessary in terms of hair care. Though I have heard of some ladies using it as a guide to creating a hair regimen. Do note that even if you are a 4C or 3C as the next lady, it does not necessary mean that what works for her will work for you because every individual is different.

   

   Do tell me which if these hair typing systems you prefer or which you can easily relate with.

Classification Systems (Hair Typing) PART I

Hey hey


   How have you all been? Hope all is well? There are various systems used to determine curl patterns. It is possible to have more than one kind of hair type on your scalp, for instance, a mixture of 3a and 3b.
   If you want to know your hair type, then, you must start with a clean scalp. Wash and condition as you normally would. Do not use a hair dryer (just air dry) or add any product to your hair as these may alter the result. Then, you may take hair strands from different sections of your hair or simply look at the hair from your scalp area, and compare them to the description of each hair type.
   It is actually believed that having knowledge of your curl pattern could help you in creating a healthy hair regimen. Without further ado, let's get to it.


ANDRE WALKER SYSTEM
  I believe most would have heard of this system as it is the most widely used to classify hair. Andre Walker who happens to be Oprah Winfrey's hairstylist came up with this system to help determine curl patterns. According to this system, there are four hair types each with three sub-categories.

• Type 1(straight) - Hair has no curl in it at all.
• Type 2 (wavy) - Hair is wavy but does not curl much.
• Type 3 (curly) - Hair is curly with a 'S' shape and holds a definite curl pattern.
• Type 4 (coily) - Hair is tightly curled or kinky often with a definite 'Z'. It can stretch and return to its coiled shape when released. Type 4 hair might shrink up to 75% of its actual length.

                           TYPE 1: Straight

• 1A (Fine/Thin) - Hair is soft and cannot hold a curl.
• 1B (Medium) - Hair does not curl but has more volume.
• 1C (Coarse) - Hair does not curl and is rather coarse.

                           TYPE 2: Wavy

• 2A (Fine/Thin) - Hair is wavy resembling the letter 'S'.
• 2B (Medium) - Hair is often frizzy with a definite wave.
• 2C (Coarse) - Hair is very frizzy with thicker waves and  is more resistant to styling. It is the most coarse in this category.

                           TYPE 3: Curly

• 3A (Loose) - Hair has a definite 'S' pattern and tends to combine thickness, fullness, body and/or frizziness.
• 3B (Medium) - As 3A but has tighter curls like a spiral.
• 3C (Tight) - Hair has the tightest curls like corkscrews.

                          TYPE 4: Kinky

• 4A (Soft) - Hair tends to be very fragile, tightly coiled and can feature a curling pattern.
• 4B (Wiry) - Curls resemble a zigzag pattern looking like letter 'Z' with less visible curl pattern.
• 4C (Wiry) - As 4A and 4B but with almost no curl pattern.

   Do tell me what you think about hair typing. Do you know what category your hair falls in? Do you believe hair typing is necessary or can be used to create a regimen for your hair?

The Hair Growth Cycle

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  How have you been? Trust we are good. Today, we will be looking at the process of hair growth. The hair growth cycle consists of three stages or phases namely; Anagen, Catagen and Telogen. The names are derived by using the Greek prefixes ana-, kata- and telos-, meaning up, down and end respectively.

Anagen Phase
    This is the growth phase of hair follicles. During this phase, the hair grows about 1/2 an inch every month usually faster during warm climate than cold climate. This phase lasts about an average of 3-7 years or more as it also depends on genetics. Normally, 85%-90% of the hair follicles are in the anagen phase.


Catagen Phase
    This is known as the transition phase. It occurs after the anagen. It signals the end of the growth of a hair follicle. This phase lasts for about 2-3 weeks. The hair follicle will shrink about 1/6 of its original length. The lower part of the hair will be destroyed as its blood supply will be cut off. During this process, a new hair (club hair) will be produced. After this, the hair enters the telogen phase. About 1%-2% of  hair follicles are in this phase.


Telogen Phase
    This is known as the resting phase. The hair is released and eventually falls off. The follicle then remains inactive and does not grow any hair. This period lasts about 5-6 weeks. Overall about 10%-15% of the hairs on our scalp are in this phase. Once it is over, the anagen phase begins again. Thus, completing the hair growth cycle.

    The time these phases lasts varies per individual. Different hair colour and shapes of follicles also affect the timing of these phases. Note that each hair strand goes through these phases each at its own pace and not altogether at once, if not all the hair on our scalp will fall out once they reach the telogen phase. Lol.
 
    Even our eyebrows are not left out as they also go through these phases. The anagen lasts about 4-7 months, catagen for about 3-4 weeks, while the telogen lasts about 9 months. Hmm, now that's a long time.

Hair Science

Hey hey


  First things first, I'm not a scientist or anything like that, lol, but I'm going to be sharing with you just a little study about hair.


HAIR STRUCTURE
 Hair is a protein filament called keratin that grows from the follicles found in the dermis or skin. However, hair is usually referred as two distinct structures;
Firstly, the part beneath the skin called follicles, or bulb (the whitish part) that is when it is pulled out of the skin, and;
Secondly, the shaft which is the hard, visbile and filamentous part extends above the skin surface. Surprisingly, it is also considered "dead" as no biochemical activity takes place there.

  This shaft is divided into three layers namely;

1.The Cuticle is the outer covering of the hair which consist of several layers of flat, thin cells overlapping one another.

2. The Cortex , or middle layer contains the keratin bundles in cell-like structures. It is the primary source of mechanical strength and water uptake. It also contains the melanin which colours the hair fibres (hmm, interesting). This melanin consists of two hair pigments which are produced in the hair follicles.
  Eumelanin is the dominant pigment in brown and black hair. While, Pheomelanin is dominant in red hair. Blond hair is the result of having little pigmentation, whilst gray hair occurs when melanin production decreases or stops.
  The shapes of the follicles are determined by the shape of the cortex, and the shape of the fibres relates to how straight or curly your hair is. Straight hair has round fibres while wavy and curly hair have oval and other shaped fibres.

3. The Medulla is the innermost layer of the hair shaft. This nearly invisible layer is the most soft and fragile. It serves as the pith or marrow of the hair.

HAIR GROWTH
  I think this is the part most of us are really interested in. Well, it is believed that an average human's hair grows half an inch per month. This does not pertain to every individual as everyone is different. Some experience a quarter of an inch while others might be an inch or even more per month. One should not compare themselves to others in terms of hair growth as it is said that hair growth varies per individual as genetics play a role in hair growth.

   Do tell me, do you experience half an inch of growth. Do you believe that genetics can determine one's hair growth?

The Art of Detangling Part II

Hey hey


   
   So this is a follow up to my previous post. If you remember I did mention that detangling was a skill for you know how much hair one can lose if not done properly. I know most ladies love smooth and neat looking hair especially when the hair is pull into a bun. Enough chitchat, let's us get to it.

   Use your fingers to run through your locks like you would do with a comb. Try to seperate any action against knots or tangles you may find. Your fingers are gentle and will cause less damage to your tresses.

  Once you are done, you may now use your comb starting with a wide-tooth comb. For best results use seamless combs. They have smoother and well refined teeth as compared to the ordinary ones. The wide spaces between the teeth reduces the risk of damage. Begin by combing the tips of your hair and slowly work your way up. This process is efficient as it eliminates unnecessary breakage by creating easy passage for the teeth as you detangle from the bottom to the top.
                                 
                    

   Once you are done,  you may follow this with a medium tooth comb. Obviously, its teeth are smaller and will give you a sleeker look. Don't forget to work your way from the tips to the top as well.

    I believe that you must have accomplished a beautiful look by now. Except if you wish to use that tiny comb which I dread, lol. The rat tailed comb as it's popularly called should not be the first detangling tool you use even after you may have finger detangled or not. It can cause more damage as the tiny spaces between the teeth can rip through your tresses especially if there are tangles. This comb should not be used too frequently. Most times I use it to brush the top of my hair once it's in a bun and not that I run it through. I only do that if I'm wearing a weave or wig.

   Do tell me what type(s) of combs you use or have. Do you follow this method to detangle?

The Art of Detangling Part I

Hey hey

 

   Detangling is one of those things that is necessary when it comes to hair grooming. Most times, we are eager to have smooth and neat hair that we ignore whatever damage we might be doing during the process of detangling.
 
   Personally, I experienced the effect of poor detangling skill. Yes, it is a skill one has to learn in order to keep one's hair on her head. I used to complain about stunned hair growth. Well, it was not like it was not growing, but my method of detangling was causing more damage that I even imagined.

   Everytime I removed my weaves, I will proceed to washing my hair without detangling first. Wrong move. Once I was done, and the hair had dried, I will use a comb to rip through the tresses. Wrongest move as the hair strands were breaking seriously. I never bothered because when I looked at my hair, I will notice that it had grown an inch longer or so.

   But little did I know what was coming. I began to notice that my hair was really thick from the roots up to about half of the hair length, and then starting from that mid-section, the hair will taper down to thin, dead looking strands. Obviously, they were damaged beyond my belief. I did not expect it.

   Immediately I knew that it was due to my impatientness and lack of knowledge when it came to detangling properly. So I read up, and discovered that the first detangling tool to use was your fingers. It was a little difficult but I did get the hang of it. I began to finger detangle which made a lot if difference to my hair.
 
   Using your fingers will help you locate hidden knots which can be loosed before proceeding with a comb. This will prevent unnecessary breakage and damage to your tresses.

  Above is a picture of my finger detangled hair. I had not run a comb through it. Do tell me your experience(s) with detangling. Have you tried finger detangling before and did it make a difference to your hair?

Beautiful Beginning...

Hey hey



  Since I was a child, I have always craved for long, smooth and shiny hair. I don't think I am the only one in this. I thought my hair was not growing, but apparently it was, only that it was breaking.

  From my natural to my relaxed hair days, I witnessed stagnant hair growth. This is what prompted me to understand the situation if my hair. Why I had not retained length, I mean, I knew my hair was growing but I was not seeing anything.

  So I began my research. I went on google and was amazed at how much information was available. This was in 2014. I read and read until I was sure I had enough tips to pursue my hair growth goals. Since till now, it has been no turning back for me.

 Above is a picture of my starting point. I was armpit length. Do tell me what or why you decided to start your healthy hair journey. What hair tips did you learn along the way?

Hair Preambles

Hey hey

  This is myyyyy first blog post. So I will be talking about hair language. Does hair have a language? Hmm, yeah, well when it comes to the hair community, there have been several words coined and used on a daily basis,  and if you are new to hair care then it is best to get to know these things. Before what happened to me happens to you (Lost World). Without too much hassle, let's get to knowing just a few.

  NL - Neck length
  SL - Shoulder length
  APL - Armpit length
  BSL - Bra-strap length
  MBL - Mid-back length
  WS - Waist length
  TBL - Tail bone length
  HL - Hip length ; and beyond....


 These are references to hair measurements, so if your hair is currnetly brushing your shoulders, then, you will say you are shoulder length. If your goal is to grow your hair pass that to the middle of your back,then you will say your hair goal is mid-back length.


   Do tell me what your current hair  length is and what your hair goal length. I'm currently grazing waist length and my hair goal length is tailbone length.