My love-love relationship is back!

I loves my natural hair. Lord knows I do. But I was 'bout to kill it dead a few months ago. Then I found the Afroniquel You Weekly Deep Conditioning Challenge and I knowed there is a god. Aaaaaaand scene. [If you've seen The Color Purple, you know I'm not grammatically challenged. If you haven't seen it, you totally should.]

So I started the weekly conditioning challenge back in May and I started my journey back to natural-hair love. Before I started the weekly conditioning treatments (which have not always been "deep" 45-minutes is precious time for a stay-at-home-mom), my hair had been through a pretty rough time. The year I had my baby, my hair was dry and went through some pretty harsh detangling sessions. it was long, but damaged. So once I started the treatments, I thought I'd get my pre-baby natural back. Did not happen. My hair was more moisturized, but that was about it. It was still stringy an spongy and broken off in so many places that no matter how I changed up my regiment, my hair still wasn't giving me the love I needed.

So about TWO WEEKS ago I chopped most of it off. I took a mobile photo and posted it to Facebook right after I did it. Check it out here-->. See? I literally chopped it off. The day after that, I cut another inch off and my natural-hair love journey advanced by leaps and bounds. Now that only strong new-growth was there, I could nourish and moisturize my natural and be in love again.

I learned about co-washing (washing your hair only with conditioner--never using shampoo) when I posted a contest for hair conditioning and regiment tips. One of the winners, Reese, told me she swore by never using shampoo. So I tried it. And while my hair loved it, I think psychologically, I just wasn't ready to give up shampoo completely. So now, I do co-wash, but only mid-week after one or two pretty sweaty workouts. I can't go a week without using shampoo. Sorry. It's too hot in Texas and with working out on a regular basis, I need my scalp to have some squeaky cleanness. When I do co-wash I use Suave Professionals knock-off of Nexxus Humectress. I also use it as my regular conditioner when I wash it throughout the week, reserving my Creme of Nature Deep Conditioning for weekly treatments on the weekends. As you can see, I don't spend a lot of money on hair products. Right now Im using ones I got for free. I have limited expendable income and can't stomach spending it on expensive hair products. Even when I had more cashola, I pretty much used inexpensive products. I don't have a need for more expensive brands, especially since the ones I'm using are working fabulously. My hair is happy, which makes me happy.

I'm essentially starting all the way over. Some folks thought I was crazy for going so short, but I'd take short happy hair over long dreadful hair any day.

Comments

[browngirl]

and you look cute! the makeup is very cute in that second pic, btw.

[summer]

Yayee! Glad the love has returned.

[kenn]

What is the philosophy behind co-washing? I've never heard of this before. Any articles to share? Cool blog, by the way.

[AfroQueenShae]

OOhh awesome. I'm happy you took the plunge to cut and rest assured it will grow back. Please keep me updated with the progress and I'll be back to check up on you.

[Alisa N.]

Your hair looks great and healthy! I need to get back to co washing. I learned so much on the longhaircareforum but sometimes it's just too time consuming for me. I still see my stylist on the regular but I had to cut back my appts.