1 year post!!

Wow, I made it to 52 weeks... At points, I didn't think I'd get this far, but after I decided to let go of hair rules and strike a...

Wow, I made it to 52 weeks... At points, I didn't think I'd get this far, but after I decided to let go of hair rules and strike a balance between listening to my hair and having fun, I'm getting the hang of it. I just snipped 1/4-1/2" off my hair, but that's pretty much been it chopwise - I still have 4-10" of relaxed ends on various parts of my hair. I have 4-5" of natural roots. As I texlaxed for close to a year before transitioning, it can be difficult to see my line of demarcation, especially in areas where I have a looser texture, like my fringe area and crown.


 Mini length check on freshly washed hair! Note the huge mushroom that is my 'fro popping out from under the relaxed tendrils

What do I do? I have a solid list of staple products and hair accessories (post upcoming) that I can use to reliably style my hair week after week. I usually tension blowdry my hair, then bantu knot it for soft waves that last for a few days. When the curls drop, I pin them up or bun. If I have time, I go for a greater stretch with curlformers. I wash my hair on average 2x a week because I find it easier to detangle that way, as well as being more moisturising than the LOC method, which I feel leaves my hair greasy.

If I want to dry detangle my hair with a comb and oil, I do so. If I want to finger detangle with conditioner, I do so. If I want to do it with a comb under the shower, I do that, too! I'm being very flexible - anything to get me through to the next wash day. 

 
Here's an example of my tiny coils, where I finger coiled some hair, then pinned to stretch and these were the results the next day. Most of my hair is like this. I've also cut the few bits of relaxed and texlaxed hair remaining at the back of my nape off. That's how I judge my growth accurately.

I henna - which I have noticed has definitely made changes to my hair texture. My 4c curls are less tight, but in a way I think only I would notice. However some now seem to be more of a 4A texture. The greatest change is in my fringe area, which has always been looser. However, I now have S shaped curls there instead of coils that clump heavily, which is strange. There's not much shrinkage there either whereas the rest of my hair shrinks 70% or so. I love the tint though, and my hair is so much stronger.

Red tint under strong light from henna

I think as the time comes for me to transition chop, I will switch to protective styles, but right now, I'm enjoying the easy length while I have it! I used clip in hair extensions for a while, but as I continue to transition, I dislike synthetic/added hair more and more because with my natural volume it makes my hair waay too big.

And just a comparison - this is 4 months growth progress from 26/08 to 24/12!!!:


xx Lam

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