57 Months Natural
It has been way too long since my last real length check! While I was taking my blog break, I tried to be mindful and jot down ideas here and there. I KNOW I took pictures of my hair with my length check shirt on, but so much has gone on over the course of the past few months. I've searched high and low for those photos and I can't seem to find them anywhere.SO! The next time my hair is straightened, I'm going to get things rolling again with more routine length checks. I also need to get a post out to get my blogger legs back, so this post is more than a must.
The Last Time
The last time I wrote a straight-haired length check post was almost 2 years ago. My hair has grown a lot since then: |
| December 2015 - 3 years, 11 months |
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| October 2016 - 4 years, 9 months |
Handling Stress
My wedding was a success, to say the least, but the stress of putting it all together was more than two hand fulls! At times, it was difficult balancing it all. I got through it but I also earned a good ol' bald spot right above my forehead from the stress of it all.I was seeing my cosmetologist regularly, so my hair was getting the attention it needed; regular washes, protein treatments, trims, the works!The hair has grown back but the hair there is noticeably shorter than the hair around it.
While things have slowed down a bit, stress is something we all have to deal with. Finding outlets for stress has been difficult but my best bet has become making personal time for myself. I'm also in the process of "creating normalcy" for my hair - which I will discuss further down.
Diet
When I first made this goal, I was doing the green smoothie challenge. Since then, I've cut out the green smoothies and started my journey of healthier eating. We went on our honeymoon in July. Two months before we left, we decided to completely clean up our eating by counting macros. My husband had been dying to train me, so I handed the reigns over to him. He was in charge of my all of my workouts and my diet.
I was eating healthier and leaner. My doctor recommended more cardio a couple of years ago, but I hated cardio, so I didn't listen. Now, the tables have turned. I love cardio and hate lifting!
During those 2 months, I lost a total of 11 pounds...just in time for our honeymoon. I came back from the cruise and got extremely too relaxed. I've put every single last one of those pounds right back on! BUT I am going to get back on track...soon...hopefully!
Increase Water Intake
While I was dieting, I also increased my water intake. I'd gotten up to drinking at least 8 - 16.9 oz. water bottles a day with no problem. I was working out twice a week and eating healthier, so drinking the water came naturally with this process.Protective Styling
I've had SO many protective styles since writing that post that it's not even funny! It clearly deserves its own post, so be on the lookout for it!Regular Trims
This has been a great big FAIL! During my 4 year naturalversary, I discussed wanting to create normalcy for my hair in DC during the year of 2016. Has that happened? Absolutely not! I got married at the beginning of the year, so I spent most of 2016 traveling back to my home salon; trying different styles for the wedding. The October picture was taken right after I got a protein treatment and right before my hair was put into an updo for somebody else's wedding. So, yeah, let's just say I've been busy!Going to my home salon made it a little easier to keep up with my trims and treatments, but now that things are getting back to routine around here I have to make getting regular treatments a focus again. I was due for a protein treatment and trim in March. It's September...I still haven't had one! My hair continues to feel very dry to me despite what I do to it and I have yet to find a salon or stylist that does a protein treatment that gets the 'ok' from my cosmetologist.
I found a stylist I could trust to at least trim my hair and keep it in protective styles and I've deep conditioned my hair once but I'm still searching for someone who can give me approved protein treatments.
Quality Hair Products
I talked about my goal as it relates to quality hair products in this post, and I've stuck true to this goal for the most part. I've changed conditioners and I'm now using Influance It's Natural Honey Almond Conditioner. I also started using my old deep conditioner, Alikay Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner because it'd been so long since I've had a salon quality protein treatment that I had to do something. I'm afraid to use anything too strong so I will do what I can with what I have. I still use the LCO method. The products I use for that are Creme of Nature Argan Buttermilk (because I've run out of Influance moisturizer), a shea butter/avocado oil mix, and Dark & Lovely Twist Gel 'N Butter.Things have changed so much since I've last been here, but I've got to get back into the swing of things, for my sake if for nothing else. This is my place for me. I'm documenting my "life with natural hair". So to honor myself and my word, I need to continue to keep you all up to speed about what's going on with my hair, my hair routines, and with some of the "life" things.
Since it's been so long, I'm wondering if there's anything you're curious to know about my hair or my routine since I've been gone? Drop any questions below!
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