MY Hair Update 2018 + Dye Issues.

Hiya, curly mamas! 

It's probably been forever since I talked about MY hair.

This picture (s) was taken and edited last month, I believe. I had just redone my pink color over my blonde again, and it looked wonderful, as you can see. However, if you have dyed your hair before, then you know how fast reds and pinks can fade. LOL

So, I bought an Herbal Essences color shampoo and conditioner to see if they would hold the color in longer. I have yet to see if that's true or not. I am still experimenting with that. 

As far as my hair health goes, my hair is in a really healthy state right now. It's flourishing and growing! I had mentioned in a Youtube video last summer that I wasn't gonna cut my hair at all for any reason for a while, and I hadn't. I only gave myself a light trim a few months ago, and that is only because the hair at the crown of my head is always way longer than the rest of my hair (kinda don't like that) AND those ends were kind of split. So I cut off like a half an inch and trimmed some split ends off the rest of my hair, which were probably caused by bleaching.

Just two years ago, I said that I would no longer dye my ends. Apparently, I lied. I love the way that ombre hair looks and I love having my bangs fully colored. I just have to take care of my hair BETTER than I did 2 years ago, when I was still preggo with baby Kyanah. 

I have also learned more about my hair and I have been sticking to just TWO product lines as much as possible, as far as moisturizers. I will elaborate more on that soon.

Thanks for reading!

~Curls of Innocence~

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Flat Ironing Done Well!

Sup, curly mamas? Any good hair news?

Yesterday, I uploaded a video showing that my hubby has no heat damage from his first ever blow drying and flat ironing experience. I did a good job, I believe. Haha!

I didn't really expect for him to have heat damage, but I always put it in the back of my head as a maybe. I didn't put the temperature too high, I used heat protectant AND grapeseed oil, and I took my time, even though it was mega late. But that was the only free time that I had to get his trim done, while all 5 kids were knocked completely out for the night. That was the main reason why I wanted his hair straight to begin with. The trim was really needed. His hair is already kind of choppy and damaged from him previously having locs, so I'm working on getting it back to better health, starting with getting rid of dead, split ends.

I am impressed with this flat iron. It's still fairly new. I just got it this spring, I believe. So far, it's done well. I still have yet to straighten my hair with this thing really well, except for the one rush job I did back when our water heater was broken and I couldn't wash my hair too well. But the cooler weather is coming, so I will definitely be straightening my hair for real soon. I want to see the length and because of less humidity, I usually flat iron during the colder months anyway and don't have to worry so much about my curls reverting back.

Do you have a favorite flat iron? What is it? How often do you straighten your hair with it? Got any recent heat damage? How did you go about repairing it? Let me know!

~Curls of Innocence~

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Avoiding Fairy Knots & Splits

New video! This is how I 'cure' my bushy ends. ;) #curlsofinnocence

On another note, have you guys always wondered what to do about fairy knots and bad splits in your natural hair?

 

Yes, this is the best (actually, only) way to combat this. You can't 'repair' them. You can't detangle those tiny little knots and somehow get them out; I have tried! LOL! I have 4A type hair in the front sides of my hair and that's where I get the most breakage and splits for some reason. It knots easier than the rest of my type 3 hair. Occasionally, I'll examine my hair and I'll come across something like what you see above. Yes, you will lose a tad bit of length cutting it off with shears, but it's better than to have it still sitting there, splitting the rest of your hair off and breaking.

Tips to avoid fairy knots:

-Detangle with fingers first before using a wide-toothed comb

-NEVER use a paddle brush until you've at least attempted finger detangling first

-Only detangle when your hair is wet. Not damp, WET, preferably with conditioner or coconut oil

-Keep your hair in a stretched state

-Avoid products that have a lot of chemicals, they tangle and dry your hair more

Hope you enjoyed this post. Peace out till later, curly mamas! ;)

~Epic Realist~

 

Repairing Split Ends? Hair Fact #1

Hair Fact: There is absolutely no way to repair split ends. Do not be fooled by products that claim to do this. All they do is temporarily 'patch up' the split so it doesn't appear that way. Keratin is one of the ingredients that 'patch up' split ends.

The only way to get rid of split ends is to literally... get rid of them! That means that you have to cut the split part off. Then the hair is free to grow as it needs to without splitting all the way to the top of your head and breaking completely off. #hairfacts #naturalhair #curlsofinnocence

~Epic Realist~

Mini Braids and Insanity Workout!!!

Hey guys! This is just a post about my experience with mini braids, and that I took my mini braids down yesterday, washed my hair, and now it feels fresh and free once again. LOL!
I haven't worn mini braids since I was a teenager... maybe 14 years old... before I got my first perm at 15. That was my staple hairstyle. That was all my mom knew to do with all the hair I had, with out-of-this-world thickness. I didn't like them then because that was practically all I had my hair in, but my hair had always grown long because they were in for at least a month.
My hair wasn't that healthy because I know my ends were split and straggly like mad, and regular hair grease was used to braid my hair, but it still grew. I thought about that more recently, and although braids take longer to install, they tend to last longer. So I did the mini braids in my hair last Monday and left them in for a week and a half.
I used EcoStyler gel on damp hair. Awesome technique. It worked well, and I honestly didn't get much noticeable frizz until the second week. I don't use gel like that, but for this it worked like a charm. They also looked great on me.

 Now, they're not as small as some people would probably do theirs, but ain't nobody got time fo'dat! Not with three kids! This size was great for me. Bad enough it took two hours to do, which is a miracle for my hair.
When the second week began, the itchiness began. My hair likes being washed at least once a week and it goes crazy if it isn't washed once a week. So, you see my dilemma. I almost tried washing it with the braids still in, but I knew already that that would cause major frizz. The gel would be washed out of it, and the manipulation and the water would cause the braids to be frizzy afterwards and I knew this. Plus, it would also be hard to condition my hair. So that was it. My scalp was too itchy, no matter how much I spritzed my scalp with my water/peppermint oil concoction. It was time for the braids to go! I was kind of sad taking them out, but I could easily find the time to do them again if I wanted to.
Besides, with the working out that I have been doing lately, my scalp needed the wash to remove sweat. I have started doing the Insanity workout program. Yes, the crazy hard one, with Shaun T. It's AWESOME. I've got some major pounds to lose, about 30, and since I've changed my eating habits greatly, I've already lost 3 pounds. Combine that with the biking and other random exercises that I have started doing (push ups, jump ropes, crunches, squats), I've added INSANITY to the mix and have lost 3 MORE pounds. So happy! I am seeing my baby gut go down finally.
If you do INSANITY, too, let me know. How far are you in it? Challenges? Given up yet? I've only done the first two videos so far.
Ever done mini braids? How long did it take? Did you like the results? How long did they last before your scalp was on it's knees, begging for shampoo? Tell meh! I like hearing hair stories.
Peace out till later, curly mamas!

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Conair Paddle Brush Review

Hola, curlies! I purchased a new brush yesterday. I haven't bought a new brush in years. I have two other really soft brushes, but I have been really wanting to try a de-tangling brush, aka paddle brush. So I came across an epically cute one in Publix for four bucks and just had to have it!

As you can see, it's way too pink and adorable to pass up. Hubby let me have it. Yay!

 I was very excited to try it, so during Syriah's bath, I co-washed her hair with my trusty Tresemme conditioner. As it sat on her hair, I smoothed it through with my fingers first and then began to use the new brush.
Let me tell you, it was AWESOME! It smoothed through her hair like melting butter and every tangle was GONE. I was somewhat afraid to try it, because usually when you see a brush like this, you automatically think 'white people brush' lol! But lately, a lot of black people with mega thick hair have been using these types of brushes without their hair breaking off, probably because we are learning how to take care of our kinks so they won't be so nappy when it's time to comb or brush.
I think that this type of brush is great for people with type 3 hair. I'm not sure about type 4, although I've heard of some using them and were fine. But so far, I love it on Syriah's silky hair. I tried it on mine this morning when my hair was damp. I re-twisted my twists with shea butter, and de-tangled every section with this brush. My curls were tangle free and defined. Yes, some hair did come out when I used it, but my hair is falling out anyway at the moment due to either stress, thyroid issues, or both. Sigh...
I will also be using this brush for even distribution of natural oils and also for massaging my scalp. Woo hoo!
-Conair Impressions Detangle and Style Paddle brush: A+ + +!
I will keep testing this brush out because I do know that you have to keep trying something to be sure that it's working for you. Long term use could be detrimental if you're not paying attention to the signs. I'll have to see that after using this brush for a period of time that Syriah and I don't develop split ends from it (like the horrible reviews that I've heard from the Tangle Teaser). I haven't seen split ends in my hair for about a year now and I'm not going to start back seeing them now. :-) Syriah hasn't had split ends since she was two and she'll be four in March. So, yeah. If I see one split end on either of our heads, this brush may be to blame. I've worked too hard on our hair so far to damage it all over again because of a brush.
So, that's my little review. I say give this brush a try and use on wet hair for best results.

Peace out, curlies!

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~Epic Realist~