Going Gray

 

I noticed my first strand of grey hair when I was 19 years old. I didn't think much of it other than it must be one super amazing strand of hair to overcome the crazy golden blond color treatment I tried on my hair freshman year. (In all honesty though, I was aiming for honey brown highlights and my roommate and I allowed it to process too long. Anyhoo, I digress.) 

I have gained several more silver strands since then and they do not bother me as much as they seem to bother friends and family members who happen to spot them. I'm only 25 years old now, so maybe when I'm a little older and feel like I'm facing a midlife crisis, I will be bit more 'against' having gray hairs.

I secretly believe that a new strand comes with  every hurdle that I've overcome in life. Sounds silly, but I believe it. Besides, as much as they grow in or convert (or however gray strands end up in your hair), I've also had some naturally shed during the normal shedding process. 

Beau has a multitude of grays in his hair as well and they don't bother him either. They are speckled about and are only truly visible once his hair starts growing back after a really short cut. He says he's had them since he was "12 yo" and to that I just roll my eyes and say, "okay, love". haha. 

Do you have gray hairs? Do they bother you? 

 

**P.S. I've had this unfinished post in my draft for months now and only remembered about it once LaNeshe posted on a similar subject**

Mane Subject

Hair is such a popular subject of discussion among women because in many ways, it defines our personality and style. Styling is often determined by occasion, professional environment, or how we feel on any particular day: 

A sleek bun for an overall polished look, or a super hot summer day. 

Tossled waves for a more laid-back vibe. 

A short pixie cut with color or sharp angles for the edgy, individualistic look. 

  

A couple posts back, I mentioned a haircut and an overall change in the way I wear my hair. What did I do? I stopped chemically straightening my hair via relaxers, grew my hair out for two years, and cut off the chemically processed ends, revealing my true texture: tightly coily/curly hair.

My new look has sparked some negative comments from those around me. I cannot tell you how many times I've been asked if I am "dreading" my hair or if I am now a Rastafarian. I just snarkily respond "no" and think to myself 'Silly people! I spent 2 hours the night before combing all the knots and tangles out of my hair, and furthermore... I wouldn't be in church with you if I was now a Rasta'.

I have to admit, those comments were a little infuriating because people seem to feel obligated to have an opinion about everything you do, as if it is their life to govern. Additionally, it is as if our ethnicity1 has simply forgotten what our hair looks like sans processors or straighteners. Our natural hair is kinky. full of texture, and BIG!  

As a teen I begged my mom for a chemical relaxer until she caved on my 16th birthday. I loved my hair straight, but I also began to miss my coils and the overall fullness of my hair. 

Now that I have that hair back, I'm in love again. Going back to my natural curly hair texture was such a great decision for me; I get to try tons of different styles and learn my hair again.

1In this post, I am specifically speaking of Jamaican ethnicity because that is my nationality and it's people from this ethnicity who communicate their thoughts concerning my hair to me.

Hair Growth & Maintenance

Video of the Day:
-- A short review of how to grow and maintain our hair by Kimmaytube. Check out her channel. She really has some useful tips.

Hask Placenta

I literally just smothered sheep placenta onto my hair... Oh, the things we do for healthy hair. Honestly, I just want my hair to go from looking like this (shoulder length) to THIS (bra strap length)! I'm already well on my to getting that desired length... Just see with this pic.

This sheep placenta that I speak of is the product, Hask Placenta. Hask Placenta is a light protein treatment for the hair. It helps to "moisturize and nourish dry, damaged hair". It can be used as a leave in treatment or a deep conditioning treatment (which is what I'm doing right now). This is my first time using this product, and I'm not too sure how my hair will handle protein, so I only bought a small 'tester' packet at the hair store.


So far, my hair feels really soft and manageable. If all goes well, I hope to use this product at least once a month.

**24 Hour Update**
-- I left the Hask on my hair for 1.5 hours, which was obviously way too long because my hair was left extremely rough and brittle (aka Protein overload to the fullest!). I am now deep conditioning with a moisturizing conditioner to reverse the damage.
-- I guess my overall conclusion is that Hask Placenta: Henna n Placenta is a good product. My hair was noticeably softer within the first few seconds of application. However, the leave in treatment should probably stay in for only 10 minutes as the packet suggested.