length Archives - Curly in Colorado

New Year, New Hair Goals

Posted on by Michelle

Wiggin’ It!
Wearing my new everyday
lookby Freetress

I want three more inches! My hair has been stuck at APL (armpit length) for what seems like forever. Part of this is due to my frequent trimming to even out my layers and add thickness. Now that my layers are growing out, I want to concentrate on overall hair growth.

At the end of 2014 I started looking into ways that I could retain more length in the new year. Of course a lot of people with longer hair contend that protective styling is what got them the hair we all lust after. I for one am not keen on putting my hair away for months at a time. I love variety and my scalp does not do well under such conditions. It looks like cleansing my hair multiple times per week is preferred. So any type of long-term protective styling is out.

I do still want at least three more inches though and I want them this year! I’m thinking along the lines of protective styling on the go with wigs and half wigs. I can braid my hair up underneath the wig and no one would be the wiser. This would also allow for washing and co-washing whenever I need to.

So far, I only have two wigs and a diy u-part wig which requires that I leave some of my own hair out. My current wig selection is okay but, I’ve got my eye on a couple of styles that may be more in line with what I’m craving right now. I don’t want to wear anything too outrageous. Just something to get me through the next few months while I quietly hide my real hair.

Same wig with shorter bangs

As far as haircare goes, I plan to keep my hair in good condition by doing deep treatments weekly. I will probably use things like light protein treatments, moisturizing deep treatments and hot oil treatments. I have videos for how I do these on my Youtube channel. I’m also putting away the scissors. I can’t seem to get enough of those blunt cut ends but I’ve been cutting off all of my progress. I do like to do a light trim on my ends every three months though so we’ll see. Here’s to reaching new lengths in the new year. . . fingers crossed.

4 Month No Heat Challenge

Posted on by Michelle

Finally! I’m gonna stop being stubborn and just own up to the fact that using heat on my hair is keeping me from achieving greater lengths. I had my suspicions of this earlier this year but now I’ve decided to put myself to the test. Even though I like the look of straight hair, I’m going to go without using my flat iron until February of 2014. This may sound like a walk in the park to those of you who gave up straight hair a long time ago. For me though, I’ve actually kept up with wearing my hair straight every other month. Sometimes I even straighten twice in the same month.

Of course I saw how other naturals who were gaining two to three inches of growth every time they decided to lay of the heat for a 4-6 month break. Still, I kept up with the same regimen hoping that maybe my light protein treatments would rescue my curls. After having to trim some loose curls last month I decided that that was the final straw. Using heat means I’m gonna be up for a trim so the more I use it, the more hair I lose. I just can’t keep doing it so it’s time for me to step away from the flat iron and just style my hair in other ways. Here’s a video discussing the, “rules,” for my personal no heat challenge. Feel free to join in!

4 MONTH NO HEAT CHALLENGE

My No Heat Blow Out

Posted on by Michelle

I’ve been straightening my natural hair nearly once each month ever since I went natural over three years ago. I used to blowdry my hair every time but found that it made my straight hair feel dry. I also felt like using two heat styling tools in one session was too much heat for my hair. I decided to start using another method to dry my hair before using the flat iron while stretching it at the same time.

Air Drying
Basically, I let my hair air dry which takes longer but works great for me because my hair actually absorbs the product better. My favorite method is to use ponytails with the ends two strand twisted. This way the roots lay flatter and the hair dries in a smooth wavy pattern. You can also use braids but I found that the twists dry quicker and serve the same purpose; stretch the hair while it dries. Another favorite is to pull all of my hair back into a bun with the front and sides slicked back. I’ll wear this as a style for a whole day and then at night, part it down the middle and do two french braids to help dry the center.

Brush it Out

Air drying overnight using ponytails with
two strand twists

The final step of the process is to take down the twists or braids and brush the hair out. I like to use a paddle brush but a wide tooth comb also works. I realize it’s considered a no-no to do this on dry hair but this is possible because of the products I use. While my hair is still damp, I always apply a creamy leave-in conditioner, oil and a hair serum on each section. This makes my hair soft enough to comb through once it is dry.

The Result
When my hair is dry and brushed out, it still looks just as big and stretched as a blowout. It amazes me that so many naturals grab the blow dryer whenever they want to have stretched hair. Sure the blowdryer is faster but why risk the damage? Since I discovered how to do this it has become the method I use to stretch my hair everytime I want to straighten it or see some length.

I use a Creamy Leave-in Conditioner and Hair Serum
for dry hair soft enough to brush through

Wearing a bun all day gets the edges smooth
while drying