Sunday, May 1, 2005

I thought this would be a good place to keep a record of what my hair has been up to lately...what I'm doing that works/not works, etc., etc.  Then I can refer back to it and get ideas for the future, or something...

Well, on Friday night I oiled my hair with coconut oil after washing/towel blotting it.  Then I blowdried it and braided it.  Usually I put a quarter-sized dollop of conditioner onto it after I blowdry it almost dry, and then I blow it dry completely--afterwards adding some coconut oil to my braid--this creates instant "fat hair" and volume and shine. However, I wanted to see what just the oil would do, and in the morning I discovered why I had started adding the conditioner in the first place.  Totally thin-looking/feeling and slippery and un-voluminous hair!!!  That night I did not wash my hair but I added the customary conditioner.  It soaked in fast and I did not have to use the dryer.  It instantly felt fat and thick.  I braided it and coiled it around the top of my head, and I was not disappointed this Sunday morning!  I was grateful that it looked good for Mass.  I just don't feel happy all around if my hair doesn't please me.  I like it to look soft and feminine and romantic at ALL TIMES!!!

It's almost 8:30 pm now, and I want to get in a half hour of dancing before bedtime.  That would be at 10---I have resolved to be faithful to this appointed time no matter what!  I even forced myself to read the Sunday paper this afternoon instead of my usual late-night hour.  No more of that for me...10 sharp it is.  So I had better sign off for now and start dancing, and then maybe do some other relaxing thing until 10!  BUT 10 IT WILL BE!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, May 3, 2005

I made a mistake yesterday, about my current hairstyle--drawing back the hair ABOVE the ears and gently draping it, before pinning it at the neck, is what works for me.  I had tried it drawn back starting at the temples and also below the ears--each way gave a different variation of the style.  Definitely *above* the ears is what works and looks best, hanging "just right".

I washed my hair last night, and remembered to slather on a palmful of coconut oil BEFORE the wash. This keeps the length from getting too dried out and listless looking.


It is DAY 2 of my coconut oil face moisterizer trial.  So far, so good!  My face feels soft and healthily glowing.  I hope this keeps up...today I mixed aloe vera with the CO.  If I don't do that, I have to use way more oil to get all bases covered and I don't want to overdo it. First I anointed my face with witch hazel, of course.  That stuff is great, it really seems to do a good job on my face!

I don't think I like the 5-inch rule for curling my ends after all.  It looks too kinky/frizzy.  Well, maybe I can smooth out the frizz with a little coconut oil!  It does do wonders!  The benefits of the 5-inch rule are otherwise good--more waves near the ends of my hair.

Thursday, May 5, 2005

I never did wash my hair last night--too tired!  I really messed up on my 10 pm deadline for getting ready for bed.  Instead I shampooed my bangs and the hair around the front of my face--that got me through all right.  Sort of a mini scalp wash.  Maybe I should do scalp washes more often?  I haven't found a really good method, though.  I often end up with practically my whole updo soaked even though I try to place my head strategically under the shower spray. 

Day four of the coconut oil face moisterizing trial--I can't believe how good this is going so far!  Just so I remember for all posterity:  first rub witch hazel onto my face, followed by a fingertip's worth of coconut oil melted in my palm, and a dime size amount of aloe vera, mixed together well.  I spread it all over face and neck, plus a TINY amount of CO around my eyelid area.  Can't get too much near my eyelashes, for fear of inflammation.  I have to soak and scrub my eyelashes every day with baby shampoo and Q-tips or else they get inflamed.  I had to give up makeup forever last year after a bad infection, sties, etc.  Now I'm used to it, and it's great.  So natural and free and clean. 

I was researching the safety of aerobic dancing on concrete floors--that's what I have in my room, covered with tile of course.  It's supposed to cause all sorts of problems.  I'd better make sure not to leap around barefoot or sockfooted anymore, or even dance so much in my heels.  My pair of old, tight leather tennis shoes might be a better option for dancing and working out--but you just can't leap gracefully in tennis!  The shoes are not tight fitting, but I can draw the laces tighter and wear thick socks. Better that than shin splints, back problems, foot and leg problems, etc.
I watched a behind the scenes video of Riverdance once, and the lead dancer was practicing in tennis shoes!  So I'll give it a try.

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Hi diary, it's been a couple days.  Here's what's new:

HAIR:  I think I am going to try COing.  Shampoo (currently Pantene) seems to leave my hair sort of dull.  Then I have to use lots of leave-in conditioner to give it volume, and coconut oil for shine. Problem is, my scalp gets oily after a day or two.  Will COing work for me?  Diary, I'll let you know!

FACE:  Forget coconut oil.  And soap.  Coconut oil is not a sufficient moisterizer, I don't think.  And the soap I have been using is what is irritating my skin--not the store bought moisterizers I first suspected!  I think!  Am I right?  We shall see.  Last night after washing with soap some bumps on my face started to bleed, besides being red and rough.  I smoothed on some Cetaphil lotion.  Ahhhhhhhhh, instant relief.  By morning my face looked and felt great.  I gently soaked my face with hot water and a washcloth this morning, and then applied Dove Day Lotion, adding the heavier Cetaphil over my "bad" cheek.  What shall I do tonight?  Shall I "CO" my face as well as my hair?  I'm going to try it.

"Fickle is woman"--is that how the old saying goes????  I don't know if it's me or my skin or what!!!  Something's always changing!  Except my hairstyle.  It seems not to be happy any other way than in it's current fixture.  I added a new accessory to the clip (in the low back) that holds the drape of the sides, though---a backwards-facing 2-inch black butterfly clip gives a neat look over a plain black barrette, adding lift and keeping hair neatly in place.

Well, it's almost 4 pm...time for a nap!  I have to mow the lawn tonight, the grass is SO tall...I wish my hair grew as fast.  I am going to start pinning up or braiding my hair when I work outside.  I used to just wear it down, but I think I am risking breakage that way.

Gotta go!!!!!ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Actually I've been COing for a while now--my length only.  I've just never tried it on my scalp.  I tried it last night and knew as soon as the conditioner failed to spread on my scalp that we were headed for trouble.  I used my customary palmful of shampoo on my head instead.  I have lots of oil in my skin/scalp, so shampoo is really necessary. 

Before I washed I remembered to thoroughly drench my hair, especially the ends, with coconut oil.  Afterwards:  SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SMOOOOOOOOTH and soft.

I towel dried my hair, then blowdried it a bit and added aloe vera.  I braided it and pinned it up for the night.  Morning:  flat and limp, no volume.  Nix that.

My face:  washing with Noxema at night, soaking with warm water in the morning and applying lotion is working! 

Monday, May 23, 2005

Feeling much better today!!!  Was able to get up and about!!!  Plus:  an AWESOME HAIR DAY!!!  Here's what worked:

Last night:  A generous saturating with coconut oil.  Good thing it's cheap and you get a ton of it in a 2 pound tub, because this stuff is SO effective on hair!  A non-greasy oil----amazing!  Rubbed it onto my length and ends before shampooing.

Shampoo:  a squirt of shampoo in my empty squeeze bottle that lives on the shelf in my shower, plus half a bottle of water. Shake together thoroughly, apply to scalp.  Cleanses VERY effectively. Saves on shampoo, too.

Condition:  a straight palmful of conditioner as usual on the length, running my fingers through to detangle.

Drying:  Towel blotted dry.  Gentlly rubbed scalp with towel, let air dry as I made my final preparations for bedtime.  Blowdried for a couple minutes.

Braiding:  I tried something different--I added no conditioner or gel or anything.  I scooped my hair into a banana clip way on top of my head, and braided it into a single braid.  The banana clip somehow draws your hair right to the top, and you get waves close to your scalp.  I braided almost to the end of my length, then took about half of the braid plus the end and coiled that around near the base of the braid--not real close to the scalp, but farther down.  I enclosed the coil with a piece of material and secured with a claw-clip.  Then I pinned the coiled braid against my head with smaller claw clips.

Sleeping:  I found a 100% silk scarf in my dresser drawer last night, and I tied it around my head for sleeping--securing the knot near my forehead.  What a pleasant sleep it was--the silk was so smooth and comfortable! Best of all, good for my hair--no snagging or tearing!

This morning:  Oh, oh, oh, the curls and waves were gorgeous.  I made a little poof in front and let my length flow down my back, without drawing back the sides any.
Some squirts of hair spray completed the look and gave volume/hold. 

I think I may start shampooing EVERY night.  I certainly have enough oil on my scalp...my grandfather is 84 and he still has an oily scalp!!!  I guess I'm set for life, then! 

When I was a young teen (I'm in my 20's now)  I shampooed every day, brushed and curled and dried and colored and teased and tore, and my hair grew magnificently.  Now, it seems the more I pay attention to it, the less it grows.  While not intending to be harsh to it, I am going to just wash it every day and see what happens.  It's summer now, after all...

Oh yes, one more thing.  I NEVER brush or comb my hair now, and I never will.  I massage my scalp in the shower, and besides, whatever hair needs to come out comes out in the shower.  I think brushing needlessly damages one's locks.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

I tried something new last night:  two side braids before I went to bed, with the ends curled up and clipped in place onto the length of the braid.

In the morning:  stunning results.  I was shocked.  The waves were nice (though not as close to my head as when I make a single high braid) and the end curls were simply fabulous!!!  I sprayed and scrunched with hairspray to make them last.  They are still here as I write!

I will try this tomorrow (or tonight, rather!) and see if the results are the same--or better!  Now if only I could find a scalp wash method that pleases me...

Also, I gathered up the hair from the front lower part of my ears into a poof on the top of my head.  It seems nice...better than gathering it by the temple area. 

Thursday, June 2, 2005

Last night I bleached my dark brown bangs with peroxide.  I figured some highlights would look nice, especially in summer, and so I did it--figuring, of course, that it wouldn't really be permanent since I trim my bangs maybe a half inch every month.  HOWEVER...I got some bleach farther up than my bang line, and I have sort of a neat looking highlighted streak in the little poof above my bangs!  But....

I wish I'd never done it!  Yet, part of me thinks it adds flair to my hair...

I wish I could get the bangs part a little blonder.  Probably if I peroxide it again and go sit out in the hot sun, it will bleach lighter and lighter.  Maybe I'll try it, maybe I won't...God knew what He was doing when He made me a brunette.  And my natural color is so nice.  Why am I not satisfied???

Well...I justified my actions this way: I have nice natural black eyebrows, and I figured that a lighter bang would show them off even more!!!  They say your eyebrows should be lighter than your hair color, but I disagree.  I think darker brows with lighter hair is nice.  Not TOO dark or out of place, but a little darker...

Okay, the deed is done.  Might as well go all the way. I'm going to apply more peroxide on the bangs and go sit out on the porch in the sun for a little while, before supper.