Hair Growth

All the years of my life I have always wanted long hair. For years I purchased product after product that promised results of long hair and growth retention. I took supplements in addition to the products and for years I could not attain the length I wished for. I have a 5 year old daughter whose hair I might wash once every three weeks, her hair stays in ponytails, and I hardly put products in her hair. When I do wash her hair I never blow dry and since she's five there is no heat applied to her hair at all. Over the weekend, I wanted to give myself a break from combing her hair in the morning so I took her to get it braided. I washed it before we left the house and I was amazed at the length, it is literally to the middle of her back. I think to myself our hair will grow if you just leave it in its natural state and don't fuss with it all the time. All the products on the shelf's can't help you all they do is harm you. Her hair makes its own natural oils that moisturize her hair and since I don't comb it daily she is able to retain all her length. Take a look...needless to say I'm jealous, but doesn't it look GREAT!!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Michael Jackson

How many of us aspired to dance like Micheal Jackson (the moonwalk - grab the crotch and kick the foot) and emulated his fashion (the glove, the red leather jacket). It is a sad day in our history; he was a great entertainer and performer and humanitarian. Micheal Jackson always gave back whether through his music or foundations, hearing his music in the car gave me chills. Lets take a moment of silence for his passing..........

Its not you, its them ...

Over the past few years it has become quite evident that black woman want to embrace there natural hair texture, young and old. A saying that I live by is "ITS NEVER TO LATE TO BE WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN". I think anyone reading my blog or just passing through should know that going natural is naturally you.

I stumbled upon the video below on another blog but please take a look at the video below...I love the Sex and the City theme music...and oh yeah got bored so changed my template :-)

The Coil Review Re Launch from Tricia (T. Mezz) Messeroux on Vimeo.

Tattoo Choices

I have narrowed my tattoo down to two choices...the first one means "LIBERATED" and the second one means "FREE". I have a favorite already but I'd love to know your thoughts. Sorry for the bad quality I was taking the picture from my laptop.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Nothing much to do.

I've been home all week because my daughter has woken up every morning with a fever over 100, but throughout the day it goes away. The doctor said use Motrin which I ran out and bought this morning, so far so good. The "swine flu" definitely has me a bit on edge but because her fever comes and goes I'm somewhat ok, but I have my eye on her :-(. With that said, I've been almost locked up in the house becuase I don't want her to do any strenous activity and I'm going stir crazy!! TV is not even entertaining throughout the day because its repeats and the same movies over and over!!! I cannot wait until tomorrow because I actually have the day off and I don't have to be stuck in the house and in front of my laptop working!!! Woohoo!!

So my hair has been in cornrows since Sunday night because why take it out I haven't gone anywhere, but I did cut my kitchen off yesterday!!! I do plan to go out tonight to watch the Transformers 2 and get in a workout.

My Kitchen

Lately I like wearing corn rows if I'm just running errands or working out. This morning I took a good look at my kitchen area and to say the least it looks a mess. My hair grows down into peaks but right now they are still to short to get locked and even just Sat my consultant pulled some of it in the closest lock but it came back out. I'm seriously contemplating cutting that area off just to keep a neat appearance. Have you ever done it or thought about it? Because it looks awful to me.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

2nd Retightening Pics

I haven't done anything with my hair since my retightening besides a little spritz but styling has been just a freestyle with a braidout if you can even see from Friday. Going forward I'm going to make sure that when I get my retightenings that my middle part is prevalent so that for the few days that its tight I have a look I can wear. I don't know if you all experience a bit of stiffness the first few days after that you can't place your looks anywhere.....as I looked in the mirror this morning I said "I LOVE MY HAIR"!!!!

My Parts are Back...2nd Re-tightening

After 5 hours and 45 minutes I am now complete with my 2nd re-tightening. It was 7 weeks in since my last one and I have no plans to go that long again. I had one slip out and I actually put it back in myself I don't think I can do it again if I tried. I didn't lose any locks but two were combined in this session my consultant felt one was just too thin. Other than that my re-tightening went as planned. I asked about coloring my tips and my consultant felt that 6 months would be safe, so another few months for that. Who knows by that point I may actually change my mind. Its been so long since I had my hair done that the tightness of my scalp feels good. The picture is on the ride home. Better ones to come once I take my cornrows out, but I see that my locks look fuller this time around.



On another note, last night I washed my hair and used the last of my SL starter shampoo so I purchased the Jamaican Mango and Lime tingle shampoo. I figure its made for traditional locks and have no detangling ingredients so I should be in good shape. Have any of you used any other shampoo besides the SL?









Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Aloe Vera Gel

I'm sitting here getting a pedicure and I noticed my guy cracked open an Aloe Vera leaf and applied the gel to my leg. Just wanted to share another wonder about Aloe Vera Gel that obviously the Asians are already aware of.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Roots before Retighening

Finally, I'm going for my second retightening tomorrow and seriously it is so necessary. Here are two pics of what my roots look like today, but my locks are looking much thicker now. I will post a picture after my retightening tomorrow. Nothing much else going on with my hair today :-)

3 months exaclty

I was locked on March 18th so today marks 3 months exactly. I have had my ups and downs, definitely more ups than downs and I am soo glad that I found SL's and a place to express my happiness, wows, and journey with others. I only wish that I can be an inspiration to the lurkers out there who are still wondering what it will look like, how they will be accepted by friends, family, and co-workers, and whether or not they can handle the dramatic change. Although there are so many styling options you become a little more cautious working with your hair because they are so brand new that you don't want to interfere with the process. Just know its your hair and all the options and styles you were rocking with micros or weaves you can create even better with your own hair. Yes you're own hair isn't that just the best thing to say!!!!

I've felt so liberated and free that I am thinking about getting a tattoo to express that. Either a butterfly or an Asian symbol that means freedom --yes at my age still getting tattoos...LOL!!!

Random Photo

Yes - a random photo actually not taken in my car (SMILE)!!! And I was way too happy to be out with my girls... can you tell from my cheesy smile!!!

Daily Spritz Part 2

I've gotten some feedback about my daily spritz so I wanted to show the exact products that I am using. Again aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, green tea oil, peppermint essential oil, and water. I did not use distilled or even bottled water just my tap water. If you are going to try any of these combinations just remember that you also need to use more water so 3:1 for each part. When all is said and done, the picture to the right is what my spritz looks like (settled). I shake it up everyday to disperse the oils, water, and gel together. You see the obvious separation of the oils and then the aloe vera gel and water mix together. I love this mixture, I have not had any slippage related to my locks (well the obvious places of course front edges and back, which was going on even before this). I have experienced a much less "crunchy" lock after working out and daily. Although right now humidity is still my number one eliminator of crunchy locks....

Looser Curl

I admit I loved the lock loops when I first got them because they gave my locks a new and improved look other than just the freestyle with a headband. As time goes on I realize that although I like the curls I don't want a tight curl which is what the lock loops give. By day 2, curls from lock loops are looser and I like but on day one feeling a little too old school. So I've brought back out some spiral rods that you can buy at your grocery store. You know the ones that you can bend in any direction they are long and slim. The good thing is that it doesn't take much for your hair to take shape with these. Yesterday I put them in @ 9am and out by 12 and I got a bit of light curl which is what I was looking for. For now this is what I will be rocking until of course I get bored which will be in about another 3 or 4 weeks.....n excuse the half scowl on my face ... And I need to take pics before I leave the house. I always remember as I'm driving!!!

Just adding to this post since I was on my blackberry, here is the picture of the spiral rods I was referring to. These are the two sizes I'm currently using and I only put some of my homeade spritz on the ends for a slight curl.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Humidity...oh yes I like!!!!

Normally my locks feel a bit hard to the touch and I'm trying not to use any creamy moisturizer, like my favorite shea butter by ORS on my locks until they lock. Last night I took my daughter to the local Carnival and was outside for about two hours in the humidity. On my drive home as usual I was playing in my hair and my locks felt sooooo soft. I kept touching them and thinking why can't I get this feeling all the time. This tells me that during the summer my hair is going to feel great -soft and luscious but in the winter months I'm going to need a really good moisturizer to mix with water to keep this feeling.

I say this only to point out to everyone that you should pay attention to what your locks like and don't like. And how it behaves with the weather.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Close Up

I decided to take a close up shot with my camera (these camera phones have great clarity..as they should for 400 bucks). Anyway I digress, not sure if you can really see the growth but trust me its there, today is 6 weeks since my last retightenings. Do you notice they are getting fuller? I have to admit I don't want them to get too much fuller, but in any event at least my scalp looks nice and clean.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

What a difference

Last night I washed my hair and actually took the time to separate each lock. I have been very diligent in making sure to braid and band my hair each time I've washed my hair, but not so much when it came to separating them afterwards.



My washing routine is nothing short of simplistic. I grab some hair while sitting in front of the TV, braid it up and throw a rubber band on the end, then grab another section and keep doing the same thing until I'm done. I jump in the shower put my head under the stream of water, which by the way feels great and I pour the starter shampoo on my scalp and on my braids and really just do a lot of patting. I have yet to scrub my scalp. My scalp isn't itchy so I don't take chance of getting fuzzy roots so I pat. I jump out the shower take the braids out shake it up with my fingers and normally go to bed, with a semi-wet head. Last night I took each section down and really separated each lock before I took another section out. As I was doing so I had to literally use force to separate my roots. If I had not done that I would have a matted mess on my head.



So ladies...make sure you are braiding, banding, and separating its all part of the journey!!!





Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

New Consultant

Ladies - I went to visit the recommended consultant yesterday and I am happy to say that I was very pleased with her. The drive was not bad at all, its about the same in distance from my first consultant but the traffic pattern is much better so I won't hit any traffic. Based on our conversation yesterday, she is what I'm looking for, she was open with information, pleasant, friendly, and knowledgeable. The first thing I noticed is that she had SL's herself; they were down her back and healthy. What better way to advertise your work than on yourself? I walk into the house and her mother also has SL's, through conversation I find out that her daughter, son, and sister-in-law all have them which were installed and now maintained by her. This speaks volumes to me because not only do you maintain them you believe in the them as well.

When she first saw mines she complimented them and said they looked really good. I respected that fact that she complimented the work that my first consultant did, because most won't comment on another persons work besides saying it was wrong. Since I was there and I did have two that slipped out she put them back in and tightened a few around my edges so I can see her work. She used the correct tool, and she was extremely particular about washing her hands before and after working in my head. Another good quality to have. She also mentioned that my locks are definitely on there way to locking and that they are not coming out and I have a full head of hair...yeah, yeah, and yeah!!!! I told her how I care for them (my spritz combo) three times a week, I wash every two weeks, and that's pretty much it. She said I'm doing everything correctly, the only thing she said is that I shouldn't go longer than 7 weeks for a re tightening. I was glad to hear that because my first consultant scheduled my second re tightening for 8 weeks out and I can feel my fingers getting caught in the new growth and its only been 5 weeks.

Needless to say I made an appointment for later this month. I must say I think I have a winner!!!!

3 Month Comparison

Coming back to put comparisons up!! We all need them. The first top right is Month 3 and the other two pics are from Day one!!

This weeks look

This is what I rocked this week!!!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Daily Spritz

I think my daily spritz has definitely aided in the growth of my SL's the products are aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, green tea oil, and water. I looked up the benefits of each and I feel like I have a good combination that I will stick with. The smell is very pleasant due to the green tea and after reading about each component on its own it convinces me even more. BTW...sorry for the lengthy post but I wanted to give you some more information on the products.

In short aloe vera gel is good for growing new hairs, jojoba oil is good for absorption into the hair follicle to keep the locks moisturized and also shine (oh yeah), and green tea stops hair loss. So using these products all in one I am keeping all the hair on my head moisturized and shiny all the while growing new hair, and we all know that water is just great on its own.

Aloe Vera Gel (Lilly of the Valley)

Aloe vera is the best treatment for the hair loss. Most of the people are using aloe vera products for centuries which maintain their healthy and thick hair. Aloe vera gel is applied on the hair and scalp in order to prevent hair loss. Aloe vera contains the enzyme which is helpful in stimulating the growth of new hair. Aloe vera also consists of anti-inflammatory properties which are beneficial in fighting against Androgenetic Alopecia and prevents hair loss. Aloe vera protects the scalp and hair from being damage from any disease.

Most of the people think that there is no such product which can help in reducing hairs. The people spend too much money on various hair products and all the products provide no positive results and some also contain side effects. So, aloe vera is treated as the magic substance for the growth of hairs.

Aloe vera is used in various products for the hair growth like shampoos and conditioners and even in hair oils. One can use a soft shampoo and conditioner on the hairs and massage it on a scalp and hair regularly to prevent from hair loss and dandruff. Massaging shampoos on the scalp will increase the circulation of the blood in the scalp and avoids excessive mental labor and stress.

Native Americans, Aloe VeraIndians and Caribbeans have been using aloe vera since ages for the promotion of healthy hair and prevent the hairs from loss. Aloe vera heals the scalp from inside and balances the pH of the scalp and is also beneficial for cleaning of the pores. Aloe vera gel with coconut milk mixed with the small amount of wheat germ oil and is used as a shampoo and provides excellent results to many people.

Aloe vera shampoos and conditioners contain the perfect combination of natural oils, shea butter, herbal extracts and vitamins. These products of aloe vera are suitable for all types of hair like dry, normal, thin and oily.

Each shampoo and conditioner is formulated without petroleum-based ingredients or alcohol and is pH balanced. Aloe jojoba shampoo moisturizes, cleans and nourishes the hair and gives a soft and healthy shine to the hairs. These products can be applied daily and conditioner should also be applied on the hairs to prevent hair loss and makes the hair soft.

So, aloe vera is very useful for the growth of hairs, preventing hair loss and gives shine and softness to the hairs.

Jojoba Oil

The use of Jojoba oil in hair care products is very common and those who suffer from dry, damaged hair or scaly, flaky scalp will benefit greatly from Jojoba’s ability to deeply penetrate the scalp and hair shaft. Jojoba oil dissolves sticky build-up on the scalp that can form from daily use of other hair products such as mousse, hair spray and hair gel. Many scalp problems occur as a result of such build-up, which can keep the hair follicles from functioning - ultimately killing the follicle - resulting in damaged hair.

With continued use, Jojoba oil ensures that hair stays healthy and clean, with a natural shine. In addition to Jojoba oil’s use as a scalp treatment, many hair conditioners, shampoos and herbal products contain Jojoba oil as its key ingredient. As with skin care, Jojoba oil can also be used on its own as a homemade treatment. As a leave-in conditioner, simply pour some Jojoba onto your hands and run them through your hair and comb through with a big-toothed comb until it is evenly distributed, or add one teaspoon of Jojoba to a cup of water in a spray bottle for a more convenient conditioning hair spray.

Green Tea Oil

Incorporating green tea into your diet may help combat or help prevent hair loss. One of the most powerful antioxidants in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Studies conducted by the Saitama Cancer Center Research Institute in Japan and the Seoul National University College of Medicine both show evidence that EGCG stimulates hair growth. The Saitama study reports that green tea inhibits the production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), a molecule that has been linked to cancer, arthritis and hair loss. In the Seoul study, hair follicles were treated with EGCG in a lab setting. Test cultures showed increased hair growth and hair follicle elongation when compared to control cultures. A green tea tincture containing 10 percent EGCG was also applied to the scalps of human volunteers, yielding the same results.

Whats New!!

Tomorrow I have a consultation with a new consultant. I spoke with her over the phone and the conversation was definitely easy-wish me luck on that one. The prices whew....I'm not even going to say I can definitely work with it. The one thing that concerns me is that she doesn't actually have the certification but she has been doing SL's for 7 years. I can certainly understand not going for the certification if you don't want nor plan to do SL's F/T. Any thoughts from you ladies?

I plan to go to my appointment and if all goes well I'm going to schedule a retightening for next week with her. My retighening with my initial consultant is not until the 29th of this month. If this doesn't work out tomorrow I definitely have to call and bump it up a few weeks, because 2 have fully slipped out one in the back and one in the front and the growth on the others my fingers are getting stuck in when I try to style them. Thats hot for the growth but not the pulling on my scalp.

This week was a bad week for me, for two day I wore conrows, I will post that shortly and the other two days I wore a low ponytail which I mentioned earlier. Over the week none tickled my fancy. The wrap a loc that I mentioned in an earlier post I have not ordered yet. Although I love the curl look I'm in no rush for a new type of roller. So for now I am going to rock my freestyle.

Not everyday is a good day

And today wasn't a good one. My hair is definitely growing and I love that of course but the styles that I used to do just don't seem to be working. I ended up with a low ponytail and a bang today. Pictures of that one, I wouldn't dare :-).

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T