KNOTTYKINKYMOMMY---MAJOR UPDATE--PIC HEAVY

Well first off, thank you for taking the time to enjoy my chronicles. I first went natural on September 12, 2006. I've done many Big Chops since then...probably between 8 and 10. I would get frustrated and cut it...BALD...and I even texturized my hair twice...those were a horrible two months.

Anyhow, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in March of 2009. She just turned one and has a head full of kinky hair. I figured, I have to deal with her hair, so why not just learn to deal with mine in its natural state. So, me and my daughter are on this road together. By the way, both of our hair types are 4B although my daughter has a bit of 4A mixed in.

I will be using this space as a hair diary. A place to chronicle the ups and downs of me and my daughter' s hair.

Here is a slideshow of my first Big Chop as well as my latest Big Chop. The pic of me in blue is my hair as of April 2010. The last picture is of my daughter's hair. A friend of mine styled it and it was so cute.



As far as products:

I am currently using:
Avocado Butter
Carol's Daughter's Healthy Hair Butter
Pink Short Looks SazzAFraz Spray
Kids Organics Olive Oil and Shea Butter Moisturizing Shampoo
Aussie Moist Conditioner

Ashanti is currently using:
Avocado Butter
Kids Organics Olive Oil and Shea Butter Moisturizing Shampoo
Kids Organics Olive Oil and Shea Butter Moisturizing Hair Lotion


In terms of a regimen:

My Regimen:
Shampoo and Deep Condition Hair Once a Week
Co-wash once during the week
Moisturize with Spray and Butter as Needed

Ashanti's Regimen:
Shampoo and Condition Hair Once a Week
Moisturize with Lotion and Butter as Needed

Styles:

Me:
I will be rocking my picked out fro, a headscarf or a wig...depends on my mood.

Ashanti:
Ponytwists or Ponypuffs with barettes


That is all...
KnottyKinkyMommy, Over and Out...

Welcome! You can really see how your edges filled in within the first month after your BC. Look forward to reading more on your journey

Thank you! I'm off to check out your thread

Welcome!!!

Welcome...you motivated to put my daughter on some type of regimine. She was bald her first 2 years of life but not that she is 4 has a head full of hair and is tenderheaded or shall i say has no patience for getting her hair done. Even thogh she wants big hair like mommy.

Welcome!! That's great that your daughter has a regimen! I'm loving the pictures too

Welcome to the challenge!

Welcome KKM~

Congratulations on you FINAL bc!! You will get a lot of support here, and with your natural experience provide support an input as well.

I do have a question, and I hope this doesn't sound like an interview. However, what has been your frustration in the past that cause you to bc about 8 or 10 times?

I ask because I've ofter wonder if I should start over for several reasons, and a co-worker has expressed doing a bc again as well.

I look forward to following your journey!

KNH

Thanks for the warm welcoming everyone!

@KinkyNappyHappy: I Big chopped the first time because there was a brittle patch at the crown of my head that I was having problems with. I chopped a couple of times after that because I could not find a good moisturizer and I'd get frustrated with my hair breaking off everywhere. I texturized my short fro and big chopped a month later. Then I did the dame thing again! I thought maintaining permed hair would be easier. Boy was I wrong. I hated it and big chopped two months later. That last chop was in February and this time I'm not chopping anymore!!!

@NPMoore: Thanks for dropping by! How do you get your daughter to sit still when you style her hair? How often do you style it?

Also @ all of the parents: How do you get your child to sit still when you style their hair? How often do you style it?

Welcome and Thanks for joining the Challenge!!!!! As for my DDs. The 4yo get her hair done 1/week unless she is just wearing ponytails. I keep her still by putting in a movie and we take breaks to dance, sing, play, just entertian so she won't get board. From start to finish her hair takes about 3-4hrs. My 10month old get her hair done every other day. She doesn't have much, so she just gets a ponytail on the top of her head. For both of them, I co-wash weekly and moisturize as needed. For the oldest I shampoo 1/6weeks and clip her ends every 4months because she is transitioning.

@KinkyNappyHappy: I Big chopped the first time because there was a brittle patch at the crown of my head that I was having problems with. I chopped a couple of times after that because I could not find a good moisturizer and I'd get frustrated with my hair breaking off everywhere. I texturized my short fro and big chopped a month later. Then I did the dame thing again! I thought maintaining permed hair would be easier. Boy was I wrong. I hated it and big chopped two months later. That last chop was in February and this time I'm not chopping anymore!!!


Thanks KKM

Same frustrations, just trying to stay focused and looking at the big picture!!

Good luck this time around, and if you hang around here there are a lot of curlies that will give you support!!

Have a blessed day!

KNH

Welcome! I look forward to reading more of your (and your daughter's) hair journey.

I try to do style with my daughter that will last a week, like braids or twist. If I don't then I will comb it everyday or every other day depending on if her bonnet stays on. She is 5 and I give her a snack and turn cartoons on but she still fake has to use the bathroom like a gazillion times . I also try to do it at night when she is tired because if I'm luck she will fall asleep

@ NHappyJackie and MellowOne: Thanks for the tips. I wil try to keep them in mind when I'm styling Ashanti's Hair. Yesterday I put her in the highchair, turned on Nick Jr. and she actually sat there and let me style her whole head! I was in shock! YAY!!!

@KNH and Latoya28: Thanks

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Hair Update

Yesterday, I shampooed and conditioned my hair. Afterwards, I towel dried and applied my Pink SazzAFrazz Spray. But my hair was just so crispy and crunchy. I would just put my hand to my head and it would be filled with broken off strands.

And I am also noticing some single strand knots which are annoying as H E double hockey sticks! So this morning I drenched my hair in Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter and sprayed my SazzAFrazz on top. I'm hoping that this remedies the problem. My hair LOVES butter! Because of this little issue, I am not going to comb or shampoo my hair for an entire week. I'm just going to drench it in butter and spray and keep it moving.

Ashanti on the other hand sat in her high chair and let me style her whole head. I'm so proud! I used my SazzAFrazz spray on her hair and it was decently soft without any residue. I think the key to styling her hair, is to do it while it is wet, damp or drenched in product because as soon as it dries it beads up.

Good Morning and welcome ...

Hello and Welcome!

WELCOME!! I look forward to reading your journey.

KKM, maybe you should try and put down the shampoo for a couple of weeks. Shampoos can strip your hair of natural nutrients, so we follow-up with conditioners to replace that. Most conditioners are strong enough to clean your hair just as well as a shampoo with out the stripping. Try to co-wash and see if that will help with the breakage and dryness and knots. Follow-up with an oil to seal in the moisture (you probably already know all of this info) and only use a comb on your soaking wet hair. See if it helps. And if your hair is breaking off, try doing a protein treatment. I DC'ed my daughter's hair with Giovanni Smooth as Silk because her hair was breaking off terribly. The very next day I noticed a difference and now, a week later I am still not seeing any breakage.

Look at your NHJackie giving out that great advice. I would like to add you do weekly deep conditioning treatments as well. Olive oil and coconut oil works really well on my hair.

Lynnieluve wrote:Look at your NHJackie giving out that great advice. I would like to add you do weekly deep conditioning treatments as well. Olive oil and coconut oil works really well on my hair.

Thanks for the shout out Lynn!!!! I knew I forgot something.

That's great that she let you do her whole head. Yes I would say definitely do it while it wet you may even want to get a spray bottle with water to style on none wash days just to get it a little damp. I have started deep conditioning my daughters hair also and I have noticed a change. I have only done it like twice so there are still some of those little poppy hairs but not as many as before. She has really dry hair so I am trying to find a moisturizer without mineral oil in it that works for her. Its all a learning process, hopefully we can all help each other

@ NHappyJackie: Thanks for the advice! In my attempt to stop "picking/combing" my hair, I put my hair in twists. I am going to try my best to only comb it when its loaded with conditioner. My hair hates protein but as for cowashing, I haven't done it in ages. Maybe I will try it again when I take my twists out.

@LynnieLuve I never deep condition my hair--ever. Perhaps this is the problem. I have coconut, olive, shea olein and babassu oils here...as well as tons of butter...aloe, avocado, olive and sweet almond. Perhaps, I will attempt to make me a deep conditioning concotion because I'm trying not to buy any more hair products.

@ MellowOne Thats cool. I avoid deep conditioning Ashanti's hair because she hates the water so much. Maybe when she gets a bit older I will start doing this because I'm sure it would help.

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Hair Update!!!!:


I can't believe it, but I was able to put twists in my 1.5 inches of hair. The camera really isn't doing me justice because they look really good. My brother even complimented me on them--which is RARE!!!

I love it!! Like I said on the other thread, I am glad you tried it. Maybe you will inspire some other curlies with TWAs to give it a try!!

My first set of twist looked so pitiful. Yours look great!

WELCOM AND HAVE FUN HERE

THERE IS A CURLYPARENTS SECTION ON CN. CHECK IT OUT FOR TIPS ON YOUR DAUGHTER'S HAIR.

on your first twists!!! Lookin good!!!