curlsunfurled - Updated 2/18 - Thank You and Great News

Hello All,

I am curlsunfurled. I have lived in the Houston area practically all my life. This month will be the second anniversary of the last scalp burning relaxer I foolishly convinced myself I needed to put on my hair. I thought what better way celebrate than to join you fabulous ladies and journalize my living naturally curly experience. This may be a challenge because part of my job involves documenting and when come home--it's the last thing I want to do but, I've noticed a few of you can be convincing and could keep in me line (at least weekly)!!

As some of you know, Houston's summers are HOT and HUMID. Prior to August 2009, I wore kinky twists and this will be the first summer that I'll attempt to wear my hair loose. I'm hoping to find a style other than a twist out and this is a great venue to try them out.

P.S. - I'll try to update the avatar - while I'm at it.

curls--i know what you mean..., I've noticed a few of you can be convincing and could keep in me line (at least weekly)!!

Someone convinced me to come over here, too!

Welcome to Curl ST

curlsunfurled wrote:Hello All,

I am curlsunfurled. I have lived in the Houston area practically all my life. This month will be the second anniversary of the last scalp burning relaxer I foolishly convinced myself I needed to put on my hair. I thought what better way celebrate than to join you fabulous ladies and journalize my living naturally curly experience. This may be a challenge because part of my job involves documenting and when come home--it's the last thing I want to do but, I've noticed a few of you can be convincing and could keep in me line (at least weekly)!!

As some of you know, Houston's summers are HOT and HUMID. Prior to August 2009, I wore kinky twists and this will be the first summer that I'll attempt to wear my hair loose. I'm hoping to find a style other than a twist out and this is a great venue to try them out.

P.S. - I'll try to update the avatar - while I'm at it.

Girl I called myself going to SplashTown today cause it was so hot! But I changed my mind about going because I decided I did not want to at this moment(I do that sometimes) but it was hot today!

Welcome to the Curl Street Journal!!! I'm glad you join us!!

Yes, I konw about the hot summers in TX! My family reunion was in Houston, TX July of 2006 . I was like, this is unreal!!! I thought it got hot here in MS but you all have us beat!!

I cant wait to see pics and hear about your regimen!

Welcome ....

Welcome to Curlstreet!!

Welcome!!

welcome, you are going to love it here

Okay ladies, here is my story:

I did all of my growing up during the 70’s and 80’s. As a relative once stated, “Girl, you had more HAIR than you had height!” He wasn’t joking. The picture below is of me when I was about four or five.

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I was between four to six years of age when I had my earliest recollection of anything associated with my hair (probably because I was school age). It was thick, soft like cotton, and TANGLED like you would not believe. Thankfully I was not tender headed. My mom was primarily responsible for the upkeep of her hair, my hair, and my sister’s hair (who was is VERY tender headed). At least every other weekend she would only shampoo our hair. Afterwards, she would use Johnson & Johnson’s “No More Tears” detangling spray for me because of the tangles. That stuff was a joke - my neck would snap back so hard when she began detangling my ends (sort of like the girl in “The Color Purple” without all of the OW….OW…OW’s – Mom’s wasn’t having that!) but, I survived. After detangling, the hair grease of the day was used (Blue Ultra Sheen, Green Ultra Sheen, Soft Sheen, Sulfur 8 , you name it) and our hair was braided. At either age seven or eight, I began to get my hair pressed. Sometimes mom would do it and occasionally she would take us to have it professionally done. Picture of my sister and I (on the right – sorry, picture was already out of focus…I’m not sure why). Sis takes animated pictures.

[img][/img]

I REALLY enjoyed having it professionally done because the lady would “bump” a curl on the ends and I could wear it loose. However, the style would be short lived because Houston’s humidity was the baking powder and my hair was the bread dough and after five minutes of exposure to the elements, my hair was going to RISE……POOOOFFFFFFF (pictures of the POOOFFFF action are at my parent’s house and I’ll share another time). My parents thought because my hair was soft that a lye relaxer (what was available at the time) would be too strong. They explained it to me and I was fine with the idea until middle school. There was not a miracle concoction available to control the explosion that was about to happen when I stepped outside. Until – someone created the “no-lye” relaxer. So, as a birthday present at the age of fifteen, I got a Fabulous Fabu-laxer (does anyone remember this stuff?) Before this process, no one told me not to scratch and it did burn. So from the age of fifteen until two years ago, my hair endured my crazy hair do’s – the Cobra (layered to look like a cobra’s head), the Bob, the Tree (ya’ll remember those hard spritzed curls), the Tree with one side of the front shaved (Mom had a very special look for me with that do….”Ain’t you supposed to be looking for a job!” “Who is going hire you lookin’ like that!”), the Sista curl set , French roll and tapered in the back (after wearing it shoulder length for while). My hair has been quite forgiving.

So why go natural? First, though I could maintain length, my hair was limp. No volume, no POOOFFF. Second, I read an article about who was making Black hair care products and was shocked that only a few were Black/African American. The reality set that my money was filling someone else’s pocket and they may not care about the community they are making their living from. So after other failed attempts, almost two years ago I got my last relaxer. I have not looked back and I’m enjoying my little Side-Show Bob do ---



[img][/img]

POOOF!
More pictures to come!!

I like the pics! And yeah it is getting a little bit too hot here!

Curly_Aquarius wrote:I like the pics! And yeah it is getting a little bit too hot here!

Thanks. It is just early May....hate to see what July and August will be.

Hair Regimen for the week of May 3^rd:

The products I use from week to week vary because my hair tends not to like to have the items used all of the time. Last week’s style was a twist out.

Saturday evening I shampooed and conditioned hair using Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.

Detangled hair using wide tooth comb and parted hair into 4-6 sections. Using a spray bottle I’ll spray water on my hair as I go if it’s feeling dry.

To style, I two strand twisted hair using Taliah Waajid’s Kinky, Wavy, Natural Easy Herbal Comb Out and sealed ends with Qhemet’s Olive & Honey Hydrating Balm. I usually have about 10 twists per section. I do not think I have the length to use big twists.

[img][/img]

Allow hair to air dry. Kept hair in twists all day Sunday.

Monday morning I started with my hair like this.

[img][/img]

Untwisted hair and put a little coconut oil on hair for sheen. By Tuesday, my hair looked like this.

[img][/img]

Thursday night, I re-twisted my hair using Qhemet’s AOHC. Friday’s hair looked like this.

[img][/img]

This was the first time I used Taliah Waajid’s products for styling. While my hair felt very soft and moisturized, it was “EHH” overall. I’m not sure if humidity was a factor but, there was some frizz. However, I was very pleased with Thursday’s retwist results.



This week, I did a Twist and Curl using Shea Moisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Curl & Style Milk.

Your hair is so thick and long! I can say with the frizz that humidity in the H is REAL! So it can be what is causing it.

I love your twists out results. I remember at the meet-up thinking you have a lot of hair!!! After reading your journey to the present I see you retained your thickness!!!

You know my hair liked Taliah Waajid's products for about two weeks. That's about all I got out of that produce.

How did you like the Shea Moisture's Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Curl & Style Milk!!

Also, have you heard of The Original Fragrance Shop? It's some where on my side of town. (North Houston) The hair care products there has gotten a couple of nods!! Check it out!!1

Well...I'm moving on down the road!!

See you later!!

KNH

@ktoliver - Thanks for the compliment! Last week the H gave us a taste of what to expect this summer. I had a meeting in downtown Houston and my manager was attending. We parked acrossed the street from the building. From the time it took to I step out of the car and into the building my began to look like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket - it wasn't pretty!

@KNH - Thank you. I really, really like the Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Curl & Style Milk. This is the third time I've used this product and the results have been consistent. It has light hold and is moisturizing. I think it could be a HG! I'm not sure what to do with Taliah Waajid, I give it away to either my sister and a cousin who has a little girl. I have not heard of the Original Fragrance Shop but, I will check it out. I'm always down for a road trip!

Well...let me know when you take that road trip cause OFS is on my side of town. Maybe we can go together.

Hey...I haven't gotten the e-mail yet...can you forward it to me? Let me know if you need my personal e-mail address.

I'll check back with you later!!

KNH

WELCOME!! maaaaan, that heat in houston CLEARLY is no joke! i visited a few years ago (my brother went to texas southern) and i swear...i aint step out til AFTER 9p and it was STILL like 80-90 degrees of dry air at night. In the daytime i told my brother to start the car wit the AC on blast before i step foot outside! it was clearly no need to wear makeup cuz i just wanted to walk around n splash my face wit water every 10 min. Mind u this was my permie days so you KNOW it was so hot i didnt even care about my edges. i started off wit cute shirley temple curls n ended up wit a poof i didnt even want!

i love the hospitality of texas tho. i would go to the mall n folks would just start convo out the blue. i aint use to that type of niceness in the DMV!!

I just realized I hadnt been over your house yet!! Welcome to the neighborhood....Loved the blast from the past pics and the retwisted twist out!!

@ nubie - That's called Southern Hospitality!!

Thanks ladies for stopping by !

@ KNH - I'll send the meet up notice to you today. I may visit the OFS during Memorial Day weekend. It will give me plenty of time to pick goodies.

@ nubie - LOL, yeah it takes a while to get use to Houston's weather. Did running the AC in the car before you travelled help? There are days when I'll turn the AC on and it's still hot 30 mins. later. By then I'm already home. I have a friend who moved here (in June) from Baltimore about 12 years ago. That summer, a group of us went to New Orleans for a weekend. We walked from the hotel to Jackson Square (about 2-5 minutes) and she was covered in sweat. New Orleans humidity is about 10 times Houston's. I felt fine but, she was suffering - poor thing. Overall Houstonians are friendly people but there are times when you'll run into a "special" person and southern hospitality gets thrown out the window.

@lynnieluve - Thanks for visiting! I'm discovering re-twisting adds length. I really want to try some other hairstyles but, I get impatient and go back to the twists. You're very versatile with your hair. I hope to get there some day.

Hey Curls! Girl I been kinda absent with school and work but I'm loving the hair results! And it has gotten a lil to hot for me to even go to the mailbox in the afternoon I wait until like 5-6 pm now, and this rain is gonna make it worst!

Memorial Day weekend? That would work for me...I'll PM you and we can come up with a time!!

I e-mailed loveself247 she's going to send me the meet-up information. I can't wait to see you, JnB (if she comes) CurlyA and all of the H-Town CN curlies!!!

I am so going to be late for church....and I didn't get home until late last night so I gotta go!!

I'll check back with you later!!!

KNH

@Curly Aquarius - That's quite alright. I do understand. The job was exhausting last week and I did not feel much like doing anything when I got home. I like the new do!

@KNH - Hey, you go girl with that new avi, hairstyle, and henna!

Sorry for not checking in earlier but, work was giving me the BLUES last week...

This week I did a twist and curl using Shea Moisture's Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Curl & Style Milk. This is about the fourth time I've used this product and so far it has not failed. Not to mention I can pick it up at Target for $10.

Shampooed hair with Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure Castille Soap and Chagrin Valley’s Babassu & Marsh Mallow Shampoo Bar

Conditioned hair with Yes to Carrots (I let sit on my hair for about 30 – 45 minutes). Rinsed and detangled my hair.

Sectioned hair and began two strand twists using Shea Moisture’s Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Curl & Style Milk. Sealed ends with castor oil. When my hair began to get dry, I would spray it with tap water (just enough to dampen hair). Used pink/fuchsia perm rods to curl ends and let hair air dry.

I kept my hair twisted Sunday. I had a serious headache Monday and just untwisted my hair. I was not feeling fussy and I did not care if the front flopped in front of face – my sister said I looked like a poodle. Tuesday, I tried something different and used to small hair clip to keep the hair out of my face. See the avatar for the results.


Next week I think I'm going to try bantu knot outs!

I had a difficult time inserting the picture for my update and decided to just change the avatar instead. I'll get the hang of this eventually!