Winter Hair care

Old man winter is here, bringing frigid temperatures and blistering winds with it. For those of us on the east coast, we may have forgotten what winter is supposed to feel like in the middle of what has been one of our most unseasonably warm November & December months to date.  Now that we are gradually being reminded, what effect does this weather have on your hair?

The winter cold is not "hair friendly," just as much as it isn't skin friendly. Think about how much more you have to fight against ashy legs and chapped lips when the temperature drops. That's because the frigid air is both drying and harsh, as is the heat that you are often using to combat it. To add to that, not only does your hair have to deal with the brutal elements of mother nature but also the drying cotton scarves and wool coats upon which it rubs, as well as the moisture sucking cotton hats which it sits under. So, as you can see, winter is not your hair's best friend.

What can you do to make your hair happy this winter?

1. Increase the moisture: You may notice that it takes more for your hair to stay moisturized in the winter. You may have only needed to moisturize 3 times a week  or only deep condition every other week in the summer. But now, that doesn't seem to cut it anymore. Consider increasing the frequency of moisturizing. 
2. Use a different moisturizer: Some people have to use a heavier moisturizer in the winter time. That light weight leave in might not cut it for you as it does during other times of the year. Maybe you need heavier products; might be time to pull out those butters or to seal more frequently with an oil. Or maybe your moisturizer is heavy on the humectants such as glycerin or honey but isn't as effective in the winter time because of the lack of moisture in the air (Humectant?What?  and List of humectants?). Keep this in mind. 
3. Pin up your hair: One of the worst things for your ends during this time of year, besides the actual weather, is that wool coat & those sweaters. Wearing your hair down allows those fragile ends to rub on these less hair friendly articles of clothing,  thus setting it up for breakage. Keep your ends pinned up as much as possible, even if it's just until you take off your coat when you reach your destination. And if you do want to wear your hair down, consider using a silk fashion scarf to wear around the collar of your coat. 
4. Minimize wearing bone straight hair: Of course you might want to show of your hair at times and leave it out and flowing. After all, this is the perfect time of year for people who want to straighten without worrying about their hair quickly reverting back to a fro.  Cool! But try to limit wearing your hair down every day during this season. As mentioned in point 3, there are so many elements that work against your hair to limit retention during this time of year. If you're going to wear your hair in a "straightish" style, consider rolling the ends of your hair  or bumping the ends under. This limits the direct friction on the ends that you would get with your hair completely straight. 
5. Protective Style: The best thing you can do for your hair during this season is to PROTECTIVE STYLE. Braids, cornrows, wigs, weaves, buns, twists.....whatever you choose, this is the best time to do it. In many of these styles, your hair is protected from the elements, your ends are hidden, and your hair retains moisture better. Then in the spring, you can reveal the fruits of your winter hair hibernation. 

With these tips, old man winter won't have the chance to put a damper on your healthy hair dreams. 

Happy holidays! And Happy Growing, 

Love, 

B

Quick Tip: Decreasing the Shine of Weaves/Wigs/Extensions

We have all seen fake hair that gives itself away due to its over the top shine factor. To "dull out" the shine and provide a more natural looking finish, try any (or all) of these methods: 

So....I got a haircut- First Salon Experience Since Going Natural

On October 31st, I went to Great Clips to trim the last of the frayed ends that I've been gradually trimming off over the course of the year. I straightened my hair two days before and, as expected,I was still APL due to the evening out that I had been doing. I chose Great Clips because I heard that they, as with other similar places like Hair Cuttery, show you what they are cutting as they are cutting it and it's affordable (I paid $13 for the cut). None of that spin you around at the end nonsense.

Hair Growth Chart

Someone posted this cool picture on LHCF to show all the hair growth milestones. It provides a great visual for all of you who wonder what NL, BSB (=below shoulder blade. Some people use this instead of BSL/ bra strap length, because of the variations in how people wear their bras), WL, etc look like.

Just in Case You Didn't Hear: Black Love is Alive and Well

We've all heard and seen how the media has painted this bleak image of "black love."

Black women aren't marriage material. Black men are all in jail or marrying women of other races. There are less and less married homes with black couples.

If we digested all of this information, we would think that our hopes of having a married home with two successful, loving, black spouses is nearly impossible in this day and age.

Regimen Update

Making a few changes to my regimen.

No more twists....I really feel that twists are wrecking havoc on my ends and thus limiting my retention. So, I will be focusing on doing other styles (rollersets, braids, cornrows, etc).

Weekly protein....It's official. My hair needs protein on a regular basis. I used to think that it was protein sensitive but it's really about using the right types of protein. I've started incorporating a weekly protein treatment with Rusk Cure Vitamins & Protein Strengthening Treatment (found at Ross; I think it's been discontinued). 


I will be getting a professional trim in two weeks after straightening for my graduation pics:-) 


Wash and moisturizing methods still remain the same. 




Hoping for better retention next year with these changes. 


-B

Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care: 5 Hair Care Mistakes Most Naturals Make

Check out this article that was posted on Curly Nikki. I agree with all that was said (and I've been guilty of at least one).

Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care: 5 Hair Care Mistakes Most Naturals Make: source: Le coil by Jarmelia of DIY Hair Care Blog

Minestrone/Italian Sausage Soup

Click to enlarge

The weather is slowly cooling down which means time for soup!! There's nothing like a warm, hearty bowl of soup on a cool fall day (even better on a cold winter one!). I adapted this soup from this recipe http://allrecipes.com/recipe/Italian-Sausage-Soup/Detail.aspx?prop31=5 with my own modifications of course. As I've mentioned before, I don't measure. I study recipes and then do my own thing. So, as I provide meal ideas,
I'll often give you a link to my inspiration (if there was one) or just tell you all the things I used just to give you an idea. My main goal is to get you thinking about meal ideas.

Ok, what I used for this lovely minestrone: 

Decoding the Technology of Heat Styling Tools

Using the right tools for you hair can make a world of difference. As you go about your healthy hair journey, it is important that you pay attention to what things you use in your hair. This is particularly important if you are using heat.
I'm sure you've wondered what all those names that seem to be thrown around on the blowdryers, hooded dryers, flatirons, and even vent brushes, mean. Well, to summarize, the technological advancements that are present now, weren't available in the past.  Those heat tools from before were extremely drying and damaging, often leaving people with dry, brittle,  damaged hair, because of the nature of the tools.
Today, we have a lot more at our disposal. Although too much heat is still damaging overtime, the latest technology does more to slow the process and to add some benefit to the hair. Therefore, if you are opting to use heat, it's best that you use a tool that utilizes some of the latest technology.

Here is a summary of the different technology on the market.

Just in Case You Didn't Hear: Little Girl Singing Super Bass

Comments: 

A) How in the world does this girl know all of the words to this song? Amazing (though I don't think I'd want my child singing any of Nicki's songs but that's a separate topic). 

B) She's going to be a star. Do you hear the voice range? And do you see how she's already an entertainer in her own eyes? This is how it starts. She's going to be on Ellen this week too. 

C) She's a little diva. And the little girl beside her is like her hype girl. Too cute. 

Hair OTW: Aevin Dugas; World's Largest Afro

Ms. Dugas takes rockin' the all natural look to another level. She has been natural for 12 years and now holds the title of "world's largest afro" by the Guiness Book World Records. All I want to know is  what  HER regimen is?!?  

How I twist my hair

People have been asking me how I twist my hair for awhile. After getting the push to finally upload the video I recorded awhile ago (thanks Nnenna!) here it is. Don't mind the dry appearance. I had just woken up. Hope it helps! 

And it starts.....

I got my first interview offer two days ago on the 13th, and my second and third yesterday! The excitement that I felt when I saw those words on my screen is indescribable. I honestly didn't expect the invitations to come so soon but they are veeery welcome. I truly thank God because I'm an average applicant with average grades and not the greatest board scores. But despite that, I'm getting interviews and for me, that's a testimony. Heck, me getting this far through medical school is a testimony itself. So rejoice with me because God is good!! I look forward to all that He has in store for me in this season of my life. Let the interviews (and traveling...yay!) begin!

Jukebox: Fred Hammond More of You

This song is on replay for me this week.  Every time the choir sings this song at church, something rises up in my spirit ( I really wish they would make a CD or something but I digress) because I know I need more of Him.  If you can't get enough of Him, check out this song.

Ten years later: Aaliyah

I looooved Aaliyah back in the day! I bumped her music, sang to her songs on my homemade mic, and made sure to learn every dance from her video. Aaliyah made it cute to be a tomboy and showed us that raunchy lyrics, being half naked, and dancing like a stripper didn't make you sexy. She did this while always seeming very down to earth and genuine.

8/23/11: The day I experienced an earthquake

I was at work in Philadelphia at the Crisis Response Center when the earthquake struck. I was sitting down in my chair, in a room of five people, when I felt the back of the chair slightly jolt me forward. "Hm....ok did the person in the room behind me hit the wall?" I thought. Something seemed weird about that. I looked around and no one else seemed frazzled. So I ignored it. Then I felt the ground tremor. "Maybe a patient fell on the floor and shook the unit. But it continued. Finally someone said "do you feel that?" Then it dawned on me...this was an earthquake. And for a split second, a thought of how things could end at that very moment.

It's now a day later and although I can now chuckle about the biggest east coast earthquake in decades and at all the jokes being thrown at us by west coasters, I have a newfound appreciation of things. For that one minute, the ground that we walk on and usually consider  stable, actually moved. We had absolutely no control. I saw videos of people running, but in reality, where could we run? I think about all of those who lived through serious earthquakes and those whose lives were lost at the hands of an earthquake. Just to imagine how much devastation can occur within the span of a few seconds....especially on our side of the coast where are infrastructure, security measures, and natural disaster preparation is poor. And to think....how absolutely terrifying such an experience must have been for those in Japan.

God reminded me yesterday of a few things.

1) Your whole life can be changed in the blink of an eye. Remember what you were doing when the earthquake struck. Imagine if that was your last moment or if all that you had was destroyed just like that. Never get too comfortable that you forget how precious this thing called life is.

2) He has the ultimate control. God controls EVERYTHING. At his command, he can cause the ground to shake and open, the seas to rise and take over the land,  and the winds to blow. As powerful as we as humans think we are, we are nothing compared to Him.

3) Never take the little things for granted. The ground we walk on, the air we breath, the views of the ocean, the birds in the trees.....everything is a wonder. And we should learn to appreciate every single little thing that we have.

So with that, I say thank you God for not allowing this East coast earthquake of 2011 to be something of devastation. But also, I thank you for the lessons learned from it.


Love,


B

Bronzegoddess01 is preaching!! Knee Jerk Reaction

 Bronzegoddess01 is one of my favorite youtubers because she is so real and gives some of the best advice about life (plus she has gorgeous locs!). Please please PLEASE, check out this video! She talks about something that we all struggle with: making knee jerk reactions.

Hair OTW: Naptural85

This week's hair inspiration comes from Naptural85.

Par for the course: Preparing for marriage

I want to get married one day. That is a fact. However, I know that without leaning on the Lord and seeking his direction, that a) won't happen or b) will happen but land  me in an unhappy marriage.

I don't know about you, but I don't want either situation.

I found my winning combination!!!

One of my goals for this year was to figure out what my winning hair combo is. Over the course of the year, I've played around with things a bit here and there but I quickly realized certain attributes that my hair needs to thrive; particularly a little bit of protein and no silicones. After trying to hammer it down for years, I've finally found  the answer. My hair has never felt the way it has felt most recently. It is soft and fluffy, smooth & almost satin-like to the touch , and not as frizzy. There is not the littlest feeling of crunchiness and there is more sheen. It maintains moisture for days on end and it has elasticity. And none of these factors are do to artificial coating of silicones or any other ingredients. It is JUST where I have wanted it to be and I'm in love:-)  In this video, I summarize what I've been doing and products that I've been using. 

Moving back in again....

What's going on, you ask? Well, as some of you all may know, I moved to onsugar last year to provide a better experience for you all and a better blogging experience for me. And while it's been ok, I've been having some problems with it. Many of my posts won't post to facebook (not sure if this is a blog or FB issue), and since the subscribing experience isn't as easy via onsugar, many people don't see them. People have also expressed the preferred ease that blogger allows for following blogs. Blogger offers the ability to follow via email, google reader, and a slew of other methods. And as for me, it enables me to blog and post pictures on the go, and provides a relatively simple interface.Furthermore, it has autosave so I don't have to worry about all of my long typed posts disappearing as they often do on onsugar. Soooo....here we are, hopefully to never move again. For the next few days, I'll be reuploading some of my posts from onsugar, so as not to bombard your FB feeds with all 100+ of them at once. For now,  take a look around, catch up on some readings, subscribe, and enjoy! 

PSA

"Just because he got you pregnant, does not mean you just got a pass to change your relationship status from single to married."

Hair Inspiration of the Week: KinkyKurlyQueen

KinkyCurlyQueen is what I would call a low manipulation natural. Natural for about 3.5 years, KKQ keeps her 4a/3c hair in twists quite often; so much so that she has become known for her gorgeous mini/micro twists. Check out her youtube page:   http://www.youtube.com/user/KinkyKurlyQueen#p/u/19/IBckpLGjdag , her website http://naturallyobsessed.net/ , and her fotki http://members.fotki.com/KinkyKurlyQueen .

 

**I do not own this picture. Property of naturallyobsessed.net

 

Figuring out what products work for your hair

One of the hardest things to figure out during your healthy hair journey is what works for you hair. While some people may luck out and figure out their "go to" products early on, many others take months or even years to truly master their product combination. Here are a few tips to consider when trying to figure out what products work for your hair.

 

1) Avoid trying multiple products at once. Doing so will only confuse you when it comes time to figure out what does and doesn't work for your hair. If your hair feels dry now but you changed your shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer, how will you know which one is the culprit? The best thing to do is to change only one product in a given week. This allows you to compare if the state of your hair has changed for the better, worse, or remains unchanged with the new addition.

2) Pay attention to what your hair is telling you. At each step of your hair regimen, pay attention to how your hair feels. If your hair felt soft up until you put that conditioner in or your hair got tangled when  you put the shampoo in, or it stayed soft & moisturized for days after using that new moisturizer, then that should tell you how your hair is reacting to that product. Also, it is important for you to learn about your hair in general. Is it dense or fine, thick or thin, porous or not, damaged or healthy, protein hungry or moisture hungry, etc? This is helpful to know because it may help to point you towards a certain product line that caters to porous hair & thus has a lower pH in their products (ie: Joico) or one that specifies that it's for fine hair, etc.

3) Read ingredients & take notes. Pay attention to what products your hair responds to both favorably and unfavorably. Take note of the ingredients in each and note trends. By doing that, you may start to notice that your hair reacts poorly to products with X ingredient or that your hair tends to love products with Y ingredient, making it easier for you to choose what products to try or not try.

4) Take product tips from hair cousins. These are people who have the same hair qualities in density, strand thickness, porosity, reaction to products and environmental factors, etc. These can be people who you know in real life or people on hair forums, fotki, or youtube. Though there is no guarantee that what works for them will work for you, it is more likely that you'd have better luck with asking them versus someone else who does not share similar hair qualities.  Just because Sue is black & natural, doesn't mean that the products that work well for her thick, dense, low porosity hair hair that thrives with oil based products, loves silicones, and butters, will work for your fine, thin, overly porous hair. But if Ashley also has fine, thin, overly porous hair that also seems to frizz easily, does well with henna and with light protein, seems to hate shea butter & glycerine based products, but thrives with water based products just like your hair, well then maybe you should be more inclined to try the products (and even hair care practices) that she has found suitable for her.

5) Don't become a product junkie. It's easy to spend tons of money on products because of all of the youtube or forum raves, or because this person and that person swear that it's the best product. What happens is that you quickly begin to accumulate tons of products and waste hundreds of dollars,  although you've found several that worked well for you. Rather than wasting money and time by doing this, remain focused on figuring out what works for your hair and be systematic in your approach to trying products by applying some of the previously mentioned tips. That way, even if you're initially a product junkie (which is not atypical early on in your journey),  at least there is a method to the madness. Likewise, if you find something early on that works fine, keep it in the rotation. In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

6) Look for product samples when you can. Some lines allow you to purchase sample size products which helps to save some money and prevents you from collecting liters of products that you realize that your hair hates. Also, some hair forums have product exchange opportunities where you can swap hair products with someone else at no cost or buy  half used product that didn't work for someone. Take advantage of sales and promotional codes to try new products. Or get them for cheaper at places like Marshalls and Ross. All of these things can help you save money while trying to find your holy grail products.

7) Break up product lines. Contrary to what some believe, just because you use the shampoo of a particular brand doesn't mean you must use the conditioner and moisturizer from that company as well. In fact, it is not unheard of for a company to have great conditioners and poor shampoos, and vice versa. Let go of the " I have to use all of the Organics products" mentality and instead, mix and match to figure out what hair products from what companies work for you.

 

With these tips, you'll be on your way to finding the products that work for you in no time.

 

 

Happy Growing!

 

B

Online Hair Terminology

If you're new to the world of the online hair communities, you've probably been at a loss trying to figure out what all the abbreviations mean. I know I naturally use some abbreviations myself but may forget to explain what they are. To help with the situation, I'm giving you a list of common hair lingo that may help you to navigate the hair boards/forums/yt videos. I'll add to the list as I remember more.

ACV: apple cider vinegar

APL: arm pit length

AVJ: Aloe vera juice

AVG: Aloe Vera Gel

AO: Aubrey organics

AOWC: Aubrey organics White Camelia

AOHSR: Aubrey organics Honeysuckle Rose

BC: Big Cut; This is most often used to describe the final cut that eliminates the rest of ones relaxed ends/locs to become fully natural or a loose natural.. Others may use it to describe a major cut of >3 inches.

BSL: bra strap length

CON: Cream of Nature

CON green: The holy grail original formula of CON that everyone seems to love

Cones: short for Silicones

EVOO: extra virgin olive oil

EL: Ear length

HE: Herbal Essences

HE LTR: HE Long Term Relationship

HTH: Hope that helps

HH: human hair

IMO: in my opinion

KCKT: Kinky Curly Knot Today

KT: Kimmaytube

LHCF: Long Hair Care Forum

LF: Lacefront

MBL: midback length

NG: new growth

NL: neck length

SLS - sodium laureth sulfate

SL = Shoulder length

 

 

HTH!

B

couchsurfing.com

Red Lobster 4-course Seafood Feast for $15

That's right! Red Lobster is offering this steal of a deal until July 25th!!

So what do you get?

A choice of soup:  New England Chowder or Potato Bacon Soup

A salad: Fresh Garden Salad or Caesar Salad

An Entree, from which you can choose between:

• Shrimp-and-Scallops Alfredo
• Spicy Coconut and Citrus Shrimp
• Garlic-Herb Shrimp and Chicken
• Wood-Grilled Tilapia
• Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp
• Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo
• Hand-Breaded Shrimp

 

And dessert:  Sweet Cinnamon Doughnut Bites, Triple-Chocolate Brownie a la Mode or Key Lime Pie.

Not to forget the unlimited melt in your mouth cheddar bay biscuits.....mmmmmm......

 

So whether you're looking for an affordable girl's night out, a chance to take that special girl out on a simple & affordable date, or a family dinner for a great price, Red Lobster is a great option for the next week.  I'll definitely be taking advantage of this deal.

 

Happy Feasting!

 

B

Thank you

First off, I want to say Thank you to the great God almighty who sustained me through these last two months. As some of you may know, I was studying for the second part of my medical board exam. The board exam is a 8 hour exam, taken during the course of a 9 hour day, that is meant to test you on all of your medical knowledge over the previous years. There are 3 parts: the first taken between 2nd and 3rd year of medical school, the second between 3rd and 4th, and the final during your intern year of residency. The completion of all three of these exams allow you to be officially licensed to practice medicine. But aside from that, those exams may dictate whether you get to move to the next school year, what type of specialty you'll be able to practice, or the caliber of residency program for which you'll be eligible. Needless to say, it's a pretty big deal.

So, please understand the celebration that exists in my heart now that I'm done (I'm trusting and believing that there will be no failing). Though I won't receive the scores for another 6 weeks, God has already given me the victory over this exam. So I am thanking Him for what He's done for me and what He will continue to do for me.

The other big thank you goes to all of you guys. Your prayers, kind words, encouragement and understanding while you got a little less attention, mean the world to me! Those things do a lot when you're getting burned out and tired of studying.  I pray that God will meet the needs of every one of you. Amen.

 

A toast to moving forward and higher in life! A new chapter begins.

 

 

Love,

 

B

 

 

Free Slurpee Day at 7-11

In honor of their birthday, 7-11 is giving away free slurpees all day. FYI the slurpee cups are a mini size, 7.11 ounce cup (how fitting....or cheap?) . But hey, it's hot outside and it's free.  Another FYI, you might have to ask the cashier because the location I went to seemed to be trying to keep it on the DL.

 

Unh Unh. Not with me honey.

 

 

Enjoy!

B

 

Repost: This site will KILL any diets that you might be on!

**I'm reposting this because I JUST realized that the link was incorrect in the original post. And I'd HATE to be the person who kept someone from discovering the deliciousness of this website:-) It has been corrected. Sorry to those who may not have found it.

........Or at least threaten to kill it....fast. Now, I'm a foodie y'all. A hard core one. You know, the kind that can tell you exactly what's cooking with a few sniffs? The kind that can tell you what seasonings went into a meal by it's taste? And definitely the type that can go on websites like the one I'm about to give you, and just drool for days. Mmmm.........

Ok, so I'm giving any of yall who are on a diet a warning. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT  go to this website if you don't want to be tormented. It is that serious! lol

Now that I've warned you, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THIS WEBSITE:  www.foodgawker.com . I've known about this site for over a year now and it has got to be one of my favorite food sites. I haven't even made a recipe on there yet but I just go and literally gawk at the deliciousness on my screen (....what??.....don't act like you don't do things like that! ) . I anticipate my schedule freeing up a little more very soon. And when it does, I'm going to be all over those recipes!

Anyways, check it out! Let me know what you think. And tell me that you don't have a big kid moment when you're on there!

 

Happy drooling!

 

B

Rain, Thunder, and Waiting for you

Dreary, rainy weather, plus boring studyiing = mushy moments and  daydreaming about where you are.....

Quick Fix: 5 min salad meal

Salads are always a nice healthy meal to turn to. They are quick, easy, and healthy. This is a prepacked romaine lettuce based salad ( forego iceburg for darker greens which pack more nutrients), topped with tuna made my way (recipe for another day), chopped eggs (which were already boiled and in the fridge from a previous day) and tomatoes. Serve with a light dressing of your choice, and you have a nice lunch or light dinner in no time.

Hair Inspiration of the Week: Ninapruitt

Nina is a long term transitioner who has been on the road from relaxed to natural for almost 2 years. For those of you who are considering long term transitioning or who have started the transition and need some tips  on how to do so more effectively, check out her videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/ninapruitt

 

PSA

"You should never give someone else the power to make you persistently unhappy in your own life. "

PSA

"God shouldn't hear His name being called only when things are going bad in your life. "

Short Posts

If you follow me on facebook, then you know I'm in hibernation mode while I'm studying for the second step of my medical licensure exam.  As a result, I don't really have time to make long thought out blog posts. However, that doesn't mean I shouldn't blog at all, right?  That said, I've decided to blog daily, but I'll be keeping  things short and sweet. So what can you expect:

1. The return of quick tips  and  hair inspiration of the week.
2. Finally posting some of the millions of pictures that I keep taking for hair style and meal inspiration.
3. The beginning of a new post series called PSA (public service announcement). These will be short 1-2 sentence long messages of random things that float through my head. Beware-there are a lot of random things that float through my head lol.
4. Links to articles or videos that I like or think  may be helpful

 

I hope that you guys will enjoy the daily blog posts!  And please keep  me in your prayers for this exam. I need all that I can get.

 

 

Happy Sunday!

 

B

Jam of the Week: I love my life by Demarco

This song is on repeat this week. Even though i'm studying for the boards and having my life slowly consumed by it, I'm still thankful for the life I have. I love my life! You should love yours too:-)

Officially a 4th year

I'm a 4th year!! Woo hoo!!! 4th year brings a bag of mixed feelings. On the one end, I'm almost officially done with medical school which means I'm almost a doctor!! On the flip side, I'm almost officially a doctor :-/ .

You see, it's exciting because the end of 4th year will make me the very thing that I've always wanted to be since I was a child;  a physician. Even though this journey has made me question my decision to pursue this field, this doesn't negate the fact that this was my dream and  that at this time next year, I would have fulfilled that dream with His help. It will be the very thing that propels me into the next major phase of my life. On the other hand, it's hard to think of little old me bearing the responsibility that becoming a physician brings. People are going to be asking ME to make decisions about THEIR lives & health. Ahhhhhh!!! Crrrrazy! I often wonder if i'm truly ready for that. But I have no doubt that as God has brought me this far, He will continue to keep me and make me a great physician for my patients.

The other things that 4th year seems to bring is more stress and anxiety. Having to schedule away electives, being under scrutiny while doing subinternships, deciding where I want to do residency, filling out applications,traveling for  interviews, and the big one next year: the Match: the very thing that will tell me where I will be spending the next few years of my life. It's a lot. I'm just trusting God to work it out this year. There's so much to do. Keep me in your prayers!!

 

4th year, let's go!!

 

Best wishes on your endeavors in this next year!

 

~B

Documenting your hair journey

As I sit here with conditioner on my head, I figure that I might as well take this time to type something up.

When people decide to embark on their "healthy hair," "long hair," "transition to natural hair" or whatever journey they decide to take with their hair, often times they neglect to actually document the journey. As with any journey in life, a hair journey can be repleat with ups and downs, surprises, enlightenment, times of frustration, and things in between.  Sometimes you will feel that your hair isn't growing or has gotten thinner. Other times you may think that a certain relaxer left your hair more underprocessed than another, or that one product left your hair shinier than another. Whatever the situation, these things can be effectively declared by documenting.

Now what do I mean by documenting?

1) Write!! Start a blog. Have a designated journal (online or hardcopy). Start a word or powerpoint document to show milestones. You figure out what you prefer to do. But have some sort of written documentation of big things in your journey. Examples of things that I think are important to note include:

• Changes in your haircare routine (styling, overall regimen, product use)
• Products that your hair did or didn't respond well to
• New tools or products
• Setbacks (ie: breakage, heat damage, over or underprocessing of a relaxer, thinning, etc)
• Growth changes/milestones

 

2) Take pictures!! Pictures are worth a thousand words. There are times when you will feel that your hair isn't growing or that it appears different or a style looked better on you, etc. Pictures help you to actually see your journey and remind you of how far you've come. It can help you to prove that you've had a setback or that your hair has grown more than you thought. A useful tip is to use the setting on your camera that allows the dates to be posted on the pictures. This ensures that you always know at what part of your journey you were in when the picture was taken. Just make sure you set the right date on the camera. Alternatively, you can upload the pictures to your hardrive by date. Another tip, you can link your powerpoint journal or blog and pictures together to have everything in one place.

3) Record!! Maybe you're the type of person who doesn't want to write or type or take pictures. Make video clips of yourself doing things to your hair or measuring your hair or what have you, just so you have as a reference. And if you decide that you want to share your journey with the world, there is always youtube or facebook.

 

No matter how you choose to do it, just do it. It doesn't matter where you are in your hair care journey. It's never to late to start seeing how your goals are being fulfilled.

 

Twists 5 months into my journey

 

Good luck on the journey!

 

B

True love

I'm a sucker for love; true love that is. You know the type that is emitted in everything a couple does? From what they say about each other, how they treat each other, how they  look at each other  or how  they touch one another.  The type that you can see,  even though they are across the room from each other,  that lets you know that he is hers and she is his. That " I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I was blessed when I was granted the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with you EVEN when things are hard" type. Yeah, THAT type of love.

Many people would say that this type of love is becoming extinct. In a world where "till death do us part" really means "till you get on my nerves enough" or "till things get too hard," one wonders where the examples are.  The words "I love you" is tossed around like a salad so much that people don't even know what the words truly mean. Husbands and wives aren't dating each other anymore; heck they are barely speaking to each other! Couples don't show appreciation of one another; things are just expected. Love isn't being reaffirmed beyond the early honeymoon phase of marriage. And the couples that choose to stay together are looking like they get run over by a truck every time they go home. It's a sad situation.

However, I say all this to say that despite how gloomy the love outlook may appear, true love does still exist. I am fortunate to see and speak to some couples at work that exemplify what I consider real love. I love speaking to them and hearing their stories and advice about relationship longevity and maintaining love in a relationship. It's inspiring.

I want to share a video clip with you. I hope you will be touched by it just as I was.

True love does exist. Wait for it.

With love,

B

5 month update....and PS I suck

First of all, I'm extremely pissed because I typed up a long detailed summary of my 5 month update just for all of it to get deleted. I don't understand why this thing doesn't have auto recover!! Ughhh. Now I double suck because I've been m.i.a from blogging for so long and now I just deleted all the details after being on the last paragraph. This means quick summary time now. Womp womp.....

I've been maintaining my regular wash and conditioning schedule and keeping my hair in twists or buns for the most part.

Things that I've adjusted or tried:

Shampooing: I now dilute my shampoo by squeezing enough to cover just the bottom of an empty water bottle and then filling the rest up with water. This has been gentler on my hair. I still use ORS Aloe or CON depending on my hair needs.

Conditioning: I bought and tried Silk Elements Megasilk Conditioning treatment from Sally's after using the sample and loved it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get the same results. It seems that the product doesn't get absorbed into my hair but rather sits on it. In addition, I felt that my hair started to feel coated overtime, probably because of the cones in the conditioner coupled with the cones in my leave in . So I decided to go back to trying my cone free Aubrey organics white camelia last weekend. This time I added coconut oil and castor oil to it and deep conditioned on dry hair. Followed up with my diluted shampoo and final conditioning with Giovanni Smooth as Silk conditioner. Hair loved it. Now, I'm sure the add ins kicked it up a notch (definitely try adding oils, honey, etc to conditioners if you haven't) but I want to do a little experiment with Aubrey organics honeysuckle rose as well as the rest of the silk elements to see if the add ins will help those.

Leave in: Still using the modified kimmaytube leave in. I love it. I've noticed a significant  difference in moisture and softness when I don't use the leave in. I love it the best with the HE LTR but I ran out and currently am using it with Yes to Cucumbers conditioner as a base. While it's good also, there's still a difference so I might just continue using HE LTR, just making sure to stay on top of clarifying every now and then (unless I can find another cone free alternative). If you haven't tried her leave in recipe and are struggling to maintain moisture levels, definitely give it a try. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXi2k4cFFhI.

Detangling: Using the tangle teezer. I'll say that this is a great detangling tool but you have to pay close attention to how it works best for your hair. Some find sucess in using it on stretched dry hair; others on damp hair while others prefer wet hair. Some can't press the brush completely into the hair while others find that the best for them is to gently comb through at an angle. So it's trial and error. I've tried a couple of ways , and I realize that it works best for me when I very gently use it from tip to root,  after deep conditioning, on condition drenched wet hair. This way, I don't get much if any breakage, versus the other ways that left me with pieces of broken hair everywhere. It smoothens and detangles my hair unlike any other tool I've used so I will continue to use it.  However, take caution if you decide to try it as there have been some people claiming that they've noticed and increase in splits or midstrand splits with it. Remember, everything doesn't work for everyone.  So pay attention to your hair and how it reacts.

Maintainence: I trimmed another 1-2.5 inches in March, continuing my goal of gradually trimming off the midstrand splits and weathered pieces of hair  that plague the last couple of inches of my hair. I'm not sure how much this will be helpful since some research that i've done has shown that some people are just susceptible to these and that some have experienced their return despite continued cutting. So, I'm still trying to determine if I should continue to cut large amounts or just return to just dusting the ends. There aren't as many left though which is great. I'll decide at my next trim session in June-July.

 

That's it for my hair updates. Nothing too exciting. I'll try to stop being lazy and do some more posts.

 

Happy Hair Growing!

 

Mineral Oil Versus Coconut Oil: Which is better?

Mineral Oil Versus Coconut Oil: Which is better?

Tangle Teezer

If  you are an avid follower of the hair care community, then you may have heard about the new detangling product on the market called the Tangle Teezer. According to the Sally's website, Tangle Teezer is "your perfect hair care partner! A Tangle Teezer hair brush will break the cycle of broken hair and give tangled hair the brush off. A revolution in detangling hair, it has the ability to flex and not pull upon contact with tangles, gently and effortlessly delivering smooth and shiny hair in an instant." It is marketed as being great for all hair types.

 

Now, on first glance, that thing looks scary. It looks like a recipe for hair breakage. But, something about the close and staggered bristles and the way it is held has gotten everyone reviewing about its miracle detangling and smoothing properties on even the most coily hair textures. Just do a search. Blog post, Youtube videos, forums.....everyone is raving about it! So now my interest has been peaked. I've been mainly finger detangling for the last 2 months, only using my paddle brush maybe once a month. BUT, i'm curious and I think I want to try this Tangle Teezer, especially if it can decrease the time or make my hair smoother for certain styles . At $10 at Sally's, I think it's worth a shot! So, I'm going to buy it and let you guys know how it goes. If you have one, share your reviews!

 

Thank God

Yesteray I found out some news that I had been waiting for. Won't go into detail but I just wanted to make a simple post:

 

God is good!

Thank you Lord!!

:)

A New Day

""This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good." author unknown"

I stumbled on this quote while doing a search and wow, what a great quote it is. How much better our world would be if we took this perspective on every day of our lives? Just a thought. A challenge: Consciously do something meaningful everyday for the next month; something that makes you say "today was a good day" everyday. That may be from doing something meaningful for yourself or someone else. Something as simple as a compliment can be meaningful to others. Spending that extra time with your family may be meaningful to you. Whatever it is, let us challenge ourselves to make better use of our day to day lives. Hopefully a month becomes a lifetime of good days. After all, we only have one today. Why not make it good?