Happy New Year! With the start of the New Year, it's only fitting to make some goals for my hair while I'm still on this natural hair journey. I had an okay relationship with my hair in 2013. I spent 2013 trying to learn and figure out my hair because it started to respond differently to products I normally used, even after clarifying to get rid of build up. My goal last year was to find inexpensive products, mainly a shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in conditioner that were just as good as more expensive brands like Shea Moisture or Karen's Body Beautiful. I bought different products to figure out what worked and what didn't work for my hair, which resulted in me becoming a product junkie because I wanted to try everything! 2013 was also a lazy year for me. I didn't feel like doing anything to my hair. I got tired of doing it, especially towards the end of 2013. I wasn't deep conditioning regularly, and I just got bored with my hair. My hair has definitely grown, but I realize now that I could have retained a lot more length had my hair been healthier and had I stayed consistent. Here are some goals I've created for my natural hair journey in 2014.
Finer Detangle I've decided to give up combs completely in 2014. Yes, it takes more time finger detangling, but I lose a lot less hair when I finger detangle. After watching a video by HeyFranHey, I decided to incorporate finger detangling into my regimen. First, I get to treat my hair to a hot oil treatment before shampooing/co-washing. Second, I lose a lot less hair. Third, detangling with a conditioner should be a breeze since I've removed most of the knots and tangles prior to washing/conditioning. Fourth, I'm not ripping knots and tangles out of my hair, which leads to breakage and little-no length retention.
Co-Washing My hair could use a little more moisture than the daily moisturize and seal. I want to try co-washing instead of shampooing every week because I find that no matter what shampoo I use, my hair still feels stripped! I'll only shampoo once or twice a month to get rid of build up, but co-washing will definitely be a part of my regimen so my hair can get a little more moisture.
Protein-Moisture Balance My hair needs this more than anything! I realize that this might have been the reason for some of breakage I was experiencing in 2013. I kept my hair moisturized, even on the days when my hair was screaming for moisture and I didn't feel like doing it, but too much moisture can cause breakage, as is the same with too much protein. I kinda steered away from protein because my hair is protein sensitive, but that doesn't mean leaving it out of your hair regimen completely. In addition to my monthly protein treatments, I'm going to incorporate a light protein conditioner into my regimen, using it every other week. So, one week I'll use a moisturizing conditioner, and the following week I'll use a light protein conditioner, just to maintain that protein-moisture balance.
Henna?? Speaking of protein treatments, I was thinking of incorporating Henna into my regimen as well. I have very fine, fragile strands, making my hair susceptible to breakage. My regular protein treatments just aren't doing the trick! In addition to incorporating light protein conditioning treatments to my regimen, I figured I'd give Henna a try for that boost of strength.
Deep Conditioning My hair will thank me for this! The reason why I didn't keep up with deep conditioning regularly was pure laziness! But, if I want to see growth and length retention, I have to suck it up and deep condition regularly with heat! Since my strands have low porosity, adding heat to my DC's will open up my cuticles so moisture is absorbed into the hair better.
Protective Styling This will be a must for this year. I love my twist outs and my puffs, but I need to give my hair a break and tuck away those ends. I've been loving mini-twists(I've installed them three times already), so I plan to install those regularly just to give my hair a break from manipulation. I've also been experimenting with flat twisted up-do's so those will become part of my regimen as well. Of course, it's important to moisturize your hair while it's in these styles!
Live a Healither Life This may not sound like a natural hair goal, but believe it or not, what you put into your body is important if you want healthy hair.It's important to feed your body from the inside out, and that means getting rid of all of the junk, incorporating more fruits and veggies in your diet, drink lots of water, and most importantly, exercise! Exercise promotes a stronger hair growth cycle. It's about time I stick with my weight loss regimen!
So, these are my natural hair goals for 2014. My goal with 2014 is to be more consistent, not just with my natural hair regimen, but in life in general. What are some of your natural hair goals for the New Year??
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