When Things Just Don't Go Your Way

...Rock out with a bun. An easy go-to hair style!

Natural Hair Dilemma...

Why does my hair have three different textures???

The top of my hair has a very loose curl pattern. The front-left side of my hair is little loose and always looks damn near straight on the ends. And the front-right and back of my hair is coily. I prefer the latter. But blending it all in makes it a styling nightmare. 

It's not heat damage. This loose texture is from root to tip. It's just the way my hair grows. It's so bad that I have to put a rod on the braid in the front of my hair because it barely curls on the end.

I haven't been rodding the left side because the right side curls with no problem and I have a dilemma in my head where I have to do for the right side of my body whatever I do for the left and vice versa. 

Kind of like how you can't wash one hand without washing the other. 

I've done some research but Youtube videos and forums suggest curly gals to twist the hair around your fingers. Let me tell you, that doesn't work! It only makes it worse! 

I was thinking about cutting the left side so that appears to be the same length as the right side.  But when my hair is stretched they are the same exact length.

I know I can't be the only one out there with a variety of hair textures!! 

Left side - look at those straight ends!

Right side - hair love!

Back of my hair - *drool* (if only all my hair looked like this!)

Written by Danielle Elle

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In My Bag

Referring to my ends of course! I have been feeling like my growth has become stagnant....feels like I have been stuck at the same length for far too long. The reality is that retention helps with hair growth and I believe retention is my problem.  I have decided to become more determined than ever on my hair journey. I'm stepping up my 'hair game' a notch.

This includes:

More Deep Conditioning!
More Protective Styling!
Bare Minimum Amounts of Heat!
annnnnnnd
'Baggying' my ends at least 5x a week!

I am currently using Jane Carter's Nourish and Shine (review coming soon!) and African Pride's Hair Scalp and Skin Oil on my ends. I'm not going to do any length checks until the end of the summer. Hopefully these interventions will help!

Bunning (and insecurities)

Hi, my name is Elle and I hate bunning.

Well I love and drool over other people's buns. But I hate my own buns. Why?

Because I want an obnoxious bun that will block people's views at the movie theatre,
Because my hair doesn't get as sleek as I want it to on the edges,

Because I hate how it accentuates my round face and big forehead...

But this month I've decided to push all my insecurities to the side and bun for at least 14 days during the month. I am already on day 6 (I started on February 1). I felt that my hair needed a little vacation from the rollersetting. No worries, I will be back to rollersetting as soon as I have completed my personal challenge. But for now I'm bunning!

I find that adjusting my buns has helped to ease my insecurities a bit:

I opt for the loose high bun rather than the tight high bun...
I am trying to wear earrings that are eye catching like hoops and ones with colors
I am also trying different styles with the front, like a pompadour or front swoop...something to give the front some *personality* and take the focus away from the shape of my face.

Here are some recent pictures...

The *Easy-Going* Braidout

My hair has multiple personalities. Some days she's a wild child. Other days she's laid back. Then there are times when she is elegant.

Today she's rather calm.

Baby...Why Do You Do Me So Wrong?

This weekend I decided enough is enough. I have been dealing with unexplainably straight hair on the bottom 1/4 of the hair on the front of my head. I could wash it, scrunch it, twirl it, zap it...nothing would get this hair to curl. I already have a loose curl pattern in the front, but these straight hairs were just hanging there limp and lifeless. When doing braidouts, I rod set my ends on my entire head. But the front would only last for about half a day before the curl would drop. 

Then I thought about it. 

This has to be heat damage. Well, well, well.

See, I have dropped the flat iron like a bad habit. I only straighten my hair about four or five times a year. But about two years ago, I was straightening my hair daily. 400 degrees on the flat iron. I'm surprised I'm not bald. Though the hair has grown out, the bottom 1/4 left is from the heat damage of these daily flat iron sessions. 

So I said to heck with this. 

Snip, snip, snip. Goodbye heat damage! You can see here clearly, the hair was damp, but where is the curl???

(Please excuse my hanger strap sticking out on the side of
this shirt -- my new fav H&M shirt for 14.50! What a steal!)

I only took one hurried picture this weekend of my braidout, and here it is with my "new look". The hair in the front, which used to be APL, is now to my jaw when stretched. I like it though. (I will take better pictures this week and post them on the blog). This style only lasted for one day. I put about 8 twists in my hair instead of rebraiding....and it was a complete disaster. I couldn't even stand to take a picture of it. It was just that bad (hence, the title of this blog post: "Baby...why do you do me so wrong"). Later!