Deana Zhollis

Almost Ending Transition - 15 Month

January 21, 2012 11:13 PM | No Comments

I cut more of my ends off this past weekend (Jan 14), and the ends are even better to manage than ever. I think there's still a wee bit of perm left though.

I tried washing my hair the normal way again without sectioning, but that just causes knots again. So, I'm back to washing my hair in sections, and putting the conditioner on first and rinsing out each section separately--once a week. I do the three-strand twist with the leave-in conditioner, holding them with the Flexi-Rods, and go to bed.

However, I just watched a YouTube video where they leave their twists in and rinse out the conditioner and says it works fine without unraveling the twist.

Hmmm... I don't know how THAT would work, but I might just try it.

Here's all the hair after it's been cut.

And here's the finished product with the hair cut...

I definitely need the hubby to shave the back of my neck. Heh. Heh.

I'm still using the 100% Aloe Vera Gel and water, and then tying it down with a scarf to keep the sides down. Well, I actually just use the Lady DURAG #141 Black, keeping it together and tying it with a big knot in the back leaving the top open. I LOVE that Durag!

That's about it for this month.

Until Next Time.

Another Cover Up HairDo

December 7, 2011 10:43 AM | No Comments

Got caught again. I washed my hair and now I have to go out to a restaurant to eat.

I had some snoods, but both had unravelled! I decided not to get another one. I then find this thing at a flee market. Someone crochet it and it was pretty solid.

I want more and decided to research HATS FOR NATURAL HAIR.

I ran into several words for the types of hats I wanted: "tams" and/or "beanie" and/or "slouchy"

I put in an order on my favorite place, Amazon, for two of these. I'll see how it comes out.

In the mean time, back to my story. So, my hair is soaking wet, right, and in the elastic twists.

There was nothing I can do about it.

I toweled dried it. Stuck a plastic cap on to cover the wetness. Then put on my nap/sleepy time satin bonnet, and put my beanie on or my favorite Women's Throwback Knit Beret with Brim (from Amazon, but they're currently not there anymore darn! Hopefully it comes back. 4th picture below). The satin bonnet was to just cover up the plastic so it didn't show through the holes of the beanie or beret.

Just add some large hoop earrings and I was okay to go. My hair got the moisture it needed for the day, and I was somewhat decent for the public.

Life was good.

I just need something that looks a bit stylish, and so off to the online store to find them. I'll take pictures at a later date to show how they look.

Until Next Time!

Simple Hair Wash Routine for Natural Hair

November 13, 2011 8:24 AM | No Comments

I just love the internet! People share their neat ideas and they're WONDERFUL!!

I've started a new way of washing my hair, and it's SO MUCH EASIER to do.

I got the instructions from Naptural85 two YouTube videos:

Washing "Natural Hair" Easy Method

DIY Homemade Natural Shine Enhancing

It saves me water being in the shower AND it detangles all at the same time!!

The bottom line is to:

STEP 1) Spray your hair generously with water.

(I sprayed to the point where it's not quite dripping, but enough to maneuver around.)

STEP 2) Section hair and put them up in elastic bands -- I made about 8 or 9 sections. Below is the wet sectioned hair.

(I used Goody Ouchless...stole them from my daughter's stash. I know. Bad Mommy. Heh. heh.)

STEP 3) Take each section and coat it with your conditioner. Twist it and put it back up in the elastic band.

Below is the hair with conditioning--I use Alberto Vo5 Moisture Milks Passion Fruit. This also Helps Detangle!!!

(I have to work with how much conditioner to use. I think I've been using too much which will make me run out quicker)

STEP 4) Go to the shower and rinse each section out, starting with the top, and twist it together again and put the elastic back on it. Rinsing in the shower also keeps the hair from detangling from the downward water motion. And twisting it back up helps it keep from tangling up too.

STEP 5) Place towel around the hair to dry. MAKE SURE to squeeze each twist really good, because it hold a lot of water.

STEP 6) Take down each section of your hair, apply your Leave in Conditioner on each section, and let air dry leaving the elastic band off and untwisted

STEP 7) When 90% dry, section hair again and apply your oil(s)

(I use Coconut Oil and then put in my Three-Strand Twist--8-9 sections)

And you're DONE! I've been doing this for the past few weekends and it's been working great!

I also did this with my Protein Conditioning: 2 Eggs, 4 spoons of Mayonnaise, 2 Tablespoons of Honey.

But you have to get into the shower TWICE--1) to rinse out Mayo and 2) Rinse out Conditioner. I'll try this again with my sprayer in the sink to rinse out each section of Mayo hair, and then putting conditioner on the sections and then go and rinse it out in the shower.

When Twist Out's Don't Work--Three Strands do!!

November 3, 2011 8:00 AM | No Comments

So yeah, my twist-outs with the normal Two-Strands just don't work anymore. I don't know whyyyyeee (I'm whining here).

You know how it goes with natural hair. It's natural, alright, naturally free to do what the heck it chooses to do. It can't make up it's mind... it keeps changing what it wants to do....it wants to do one thing, on one day, and the next day, it wants to do something else.... Just like a darn woman, I tell ya! :)

I found out that my hair liked the Three Strand Twists instead. I kept wondering how the women on the YouTube videos and other pictures have these twisted braids that look so thick and shiny. I kept thinking maybe it was because my hair was not completely natural so it wouldn't create thick, pretty twists. But now I'm thinking their Twist Outs were created with the Three-Strand twist. They just say "Twist" so maybe it's Three. That's what it looks like.

I know I said I wouldn't be doing the Three Strand anymore, but the darn hair stated otherwise. It was hard to do...at first. Now that I've been doing them for a few weeks, yeah it's a bit slower than the Two-Strands, but it looks a lot better. You can take a looksie at my 1 year Transition pictures to see.

But yeah, the Three Strands Works better than the Two-Strands, so if you're having a bit of time, I would give it a try out...

Make sure your hair is damp and the ends coated with Coconut Oil.
Starting with Three strands of hair, always take the outer strand and wrap around the two other strands.

A over B and C
B over C and A
C over A and B
A over B and C again.

At first they would unravel at the roots, but I kept thinking "ROPE" and twisting all the hair tightly as I twisted the strands. That kept the roots from unraveling. Sometimes I use a clip close to the roots to help.

I'll be sticking with the Three-Strand Twists...until my hair "DECIDES" it wants to change next month....or next week. Heh.

Until Next Time!!

1 Year/12 Month Hair Transition!!!!

October 29, 2011 7:45 AM | No Comments

1 YEAR!! Really?!!! Did I finally make it!?? I guess I did. It's late October and that's when I last had my perm, so it's been...

ONE WHOLE YEAR

Am I going to cut off those ends yet? Nope. I still don't feel comfortable enough to have the shorter hair. It's actually at a nice length for me now, especially after having to cut so much around month 5-7 because of the fariy knots.

It's not much difference than Month 11, but below are some pictures of the hairdo I've been wearing lately.

I know I said I wasn't going to do that Three Strand Twists, but, I couldn't help it. It worked better! I'll make another blog on that.

So here's the hair. I know it's covered up with the scarf, which is actually kind of do-rag with long ends that split that I can twist in the back for a bun. I found it somewhere, but I don't remember where and I want another one! Don't you just hate that!

Anyway, here's the hair at 1-year Transition. You can stillsee the permed ends, but all the hair flat against my head is all natural.

I like the waves. Pretty cool. I just use water and 100% Aloe Vera Gel and wrap it down with a scarf over night. Sometimes I can just do it in the morning since I have a 45 minutes commute. It's flat by the time I get there.

That's it! I made it!

Funny that it's been a year and I was just going to TRY to do the natural thang...not making any promises if I'll continue. But so far...I'll just keep trying it out. Heh. Heh. :)

Until Next Time!

Hair Transitioning Month 11

September 26, 2011 3:17 PM | No Comments

Here I am! Almost up to a year! And still complaining. LOL!!

Man. I hate having to deal with this HAIR!! But here we are.

Month 11 has been a bit easier on me. It's appears to be more manageable. I now can feel the natural hair and actually SEE it. The perm hair looks even more odd than ever. But, I think I'll keep it in until I can't stand it anymore, or it all breaks off (which it appears to be doing anyway), which isn't very good, but it keeps happening.

I have more pictures for you. And a new style I began to work with. This month, I really couldn't do the twist-outs anymore..again. The ends just lay limp and I couldn't get it to work. I don't know why. It just stopped.

Then I decided to pull my hair back and do the THREE-STRAND TWISTS. You know, I kept wondering why some of the twists in the YouTube videos looked fuller. I kept thinking it was because they had all natural hair, but I'm beginning to think it's because of the Three-Strand Twist. I'm not very good at it and it took me too much time to do. But I kind of figure out how to do it.

Here's a diagram of how you take three strands of hair, and pull the furthest strand over the other two strands, and you keep doing that. I'm not an artist, so I couldn't draw how it looks all wrapped, but I did kind of draw out what it looks like when you do it. How to position your fingers and hands...I have no clue. I think, after awhile of doing it, you get to figure it out. As for me, I won't be doing them anytime soon again, because they took too long for me to learn.

Hope this helps you out on the "theory" of what to do.Just always take the outer strand over the center and other strand.

I've also just roll my twists up all the way to my head. I stopped trying to roll just the ends months ago. They kept coming out anyway. I think I did about 11-13 rollers. Sorry, I forgot to write down the number and then tried to figure it out in my picture.

In the morning, I use wet fingers to comb it all back, and my Tangle Teezer hair brush to pull back just the front and sides. Then I use the Aloe Vera 100% Gel and tied it down with a satin scarf. My commute is about 45 minutes, so it flattens down pretty good by the time I get to my destination...and it lasts all day.

I wanted to show you what happened with newly washed hair and then trying to rush out the door when the hubby wanted to go to a fancy restaurant at the last minute.

So, here's my hair all wet after washing it with VO5 Passion Fruit Conditioner and coating with the Hair Mayonnaise Leave In Conditioner.

And here's m hairstyle that didn't work so good with the hair pins and twists.

S I had to put on a snood to cover it up. Mine you, it's freshly washed and wet, but this worked just fine.

I put on some large, hoop, earrings, and we went out the door.

Wow. Lots of pictures this month, I know, but I had to make up for missing Month 10.

Until next time!

Hair Transitioning Month 10

September 1, 2011 3:16 PM | No Comments

I just wanted to put up an entry for Month 10. I don't have any pictures, but just to say Month 10 was the same as Month 9.

But I got LOTS of pictures for Month 11.

Just so that this month won't be too brief...I wanted to put two things down.

In the past, I would read posts and watch videos of women stating not to do this or that...but they never give the reasons WHY? Like, one said not to keep transitioning past 1 year. Why? And other said not to wash your hair in the sink. WHY?

Well, I think I found the answers for those two statements...I think.

1) Statement: Stop transitioning after 1 year

Maybe Answer: Because everything keeps breaking off! LOL! You should have enough hair now to pull your hair back, and the line between the natural and the perm hair (the demarcation line) gets harder to deal with. I'm getting a lot of balls of hair just hanging and falling off.

2) Statement: Don't wash your hair in the sink

Maybe Answer: I didn't understand this one since I use a strainer for the hair if any comes out, but, someone else stated to wash your hair in the shower to avoid having to detangle so much. So, to wash your hair, you should not pile it up on top of your head and in a sink, it kind of does that and it gets a bit tangled.

Okay...NOW on to Month 11....

Hair Transitioning Month 9

August 12, 2011 9:52 PM | 2 Comments

MONTH 9 (JULY)

So, my sister convinced me to make skinnier flat two-strand twists. I don't like doing it. In fact, I hate it. It takes me 30-40 minutes to do the darn things. I'm NOT a hair person. The picture below has 11 flat twists and that took me 35 minutes. My sister tells me that they still aren't skinny enough, but they are skinny enough for me..any more twists and I'd be at it for an hour! She insists that I would get faster at it. It's been a little over a week of doing this, and I'm not getting any faster. 5-10 minutes a night doing my hair is my thing. That's what I'm used to. HOWEVER...taking the 30-40 minutes to do these twists (spraying each individual section of hair with my spritz of oil and water) actually is easier to detangle as I go. AND...I can do this one night, and simply roll the ends up the next night (3 minutes top) and wear the hairstyle again. So far, I've only been able to do just every other night, so that's actually not too, too bad. I spritz my hair in the morning (rollers still in or left still twisted), wait for the 20 minutes for it to dry, and take the twists out.

11 flat two-strand twists

I have NOT had knots this month. HURRAY!!! And I'm thinking the many cuts, the leave in conditioning (after washing my hair with conditioner) and mayonnaise (that you can eat on sandwiches... REAL Mayonnaise) for 5-6 weekends, did the trick.

I also bought a leave-in mayonnaise conditioner. Of course, as you know, I'm not a shopper and I don't like products, so why did I get a leave-in mayonnaise conditioner? I was on vacation, visiting my sister who has been natural since the late 1990s, and she goes to the Beauty Supply Store. She was asking questions to the sales person, and since I was there, I asked for a leave-in conditioner and was suggested this: Africa's Best Organincs Mayo Leave In Conditioner. It's just as good as my other leave-in conditioner, but I think it's a bit better.

I had to get use to my FRO roots, which the leave-in conditioners seems to bring out even more (and also making it soft). so with skinnier twists, it's getting the roots curled up as well and not having too much of a Afro-look at the roots for my twist-out curls.

My Routine for Month 9 (JULY) and the time it took for me

SATURDAY or SUNDAY

1) Wash hair every weekend with a conditioner -- 10-15 minutes (in shower-- 20-30 minutes)

2) Apply leave-in conditioner -- 1 minute

3) Put one quarter size of oil in my hand, spread it around in my hair, and put another quarter size of oil -- 2 minutes.

4) Wait for hair to air dry (I use my fingers to detangle as it air dries) -- 20-30 minutes.

5) Spritz (jojoba, almond, coconut oil 1/3 and water 2/3 ) for each section of the hair before I flat-twist, and then curl the ends with flexi-rod, rim-rod, etc-type of roller -- 20-30 minutes

MONDAY*, TUESDAY, THURSDAY NIGHTS-- 30-40 minutes

1) Use fingers to section hair

2) Use spritz on section hair

3) Flat twist hair

SUNDAY*, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY NIGHTS

1) Roll up ends of hair -- 3-4 minutes

2) In morning, spritz hair and air dry -- 20 minutes

3) Morning -- Unravel twists, and then use finger tips, JUST AT THE ROOTS, to remove lines in hair by scratching/massaging them out -- 5 minutes

4) Put on bonnet for drive to work or whatever destination (helps shape the hair as well)

(*) = If Washed hair on Saturday

As stated before, my routine seems to change as my hair changes...or if I goof up, like I did with month 3-4 and being lazy and get all the knots in my hair. This is definitely NOT something I signed up to do. It is taking A LOT more time now than before when I had permed hair. I NEVER spent this much time just working on my hair. If I did make-up (which I don't...not even lipstick) then that would be more time taken away for all this womanly stuff. Ugh!

Though I don't like the time doing this, what's driving me is .... what is it going to look like? I'm just really, really curious about how my hair is going to look like in the end. That's what's keeping me on this path.

I'm finishing up Month 9 (July) and on to Month 10 (AUGUST). Until next time :)

Hair Transitioning Month 8

June 28, 2011 8:53 PM | No Comments

So, I'm back and have, of course (heh. heh.) MORE PICTURES! As I stated in my Fairy Knot Horror Movie blog in May (which I just posted up today but put it for the May month), I had to cut some more hair. I've been doing the Mayonaise and Leave-In Conditioning every weekend and it's making my hair very soft and manageable. However, I had to cut a bit more hair every weekend as well. But I think I'm done now... I think.

Ayway, I also bought this brush to help keep my roots for twisting and help with detangling. I really, really like this brush. It make my roots puffy though, but that's what my natural hair is turning into and what I will start accepting as my hair. My new growth of natural hair is not like the natural hair I've seen in other videos, and I remember one video stating not to make the mistake that YOUR hair is going to look like HER hair. It's VERY different from what I was expecting.

Tangle Tweezer

So here's my 8th month transition pictures.

At this point, I can feel the natural hair, and I also see the stringy permed hair when it's wet. It looks funny.

But on some good days, like below, I can get the twists just right.

I'm hanging in there, despite all the mishaps. I'm really gonna keep going.

My husband keeps asking me, "Uh, so how is this easier than what you were doing before?" LOL! It's NOT because I'm still learning what I need to do and every month it keeps changing. For instance, in Month 7 & 8, my flat twists stopped working and I had to go back to just twist outs. Then that stopped working and I went back to my flat twists. Go figure. I don't know why. Something to do with the new growth...WHICH I CAN FEEL NOW!

Month 7 didn't look much different than month 5, but after I started my conditioning and cut out that bad hair, month 8 is a big difference in my roots growth. And I'm so looking forward to it being longer again...which would be another year or two.

Until Next Time! :)

Home Remedy for extreme menstrual flow

June 1, 2011 5:35 PM | No Comments

Okay, this of way off topic, but I had to share this. Please note, that the below might seem a bit graphic to some, but hey, we're all women and have this every month so why can't it be discussed! It's something that happens EVERY MONTH, which is weird that it's such a hush, hush topic. Every month? It should be the talk of the day!

So here I go....

Yes, there is a home remedy for extremely excessive menstrual bleeding, and the golden, wonderful, beautiful, unbelievable, magnificent, incredible item is...

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

It's one (1) bottle, for those who don't know, not two separate things; and you can find it in your grocery store where they sale the regular vinegar. I'll give you the ingredients on how to use it and then I'll tell you my story.

2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

12 ounces of very warm water

1-2 Tablespoons of Honey

How To Take it: Once a day during your menstrual bleeding. If you can take it a few days before you start, it would provide more additional help. BUT DON'T MISS A DAY, and take it the around the same time every day during those 4-7 days during your flow or it will really come down the next day. Start taking it the very first day you start your flow and continue until it stops.

NOTE: Some people take it three (3) times a day, but I found once a day is good enough to me. I don't want to use it excessively since, it is vinegar, you know, and I don't want my stomach or kidneys to get upset. However, on really heavy days, I might take another dose before bedtime, making a double-dose, for only 2 days out of my 7 day flow period.

It tastes awful, believe me, NASTY! But the Honey helps a bit (just a bit). The very, warm water helps to melt the honey. And that awful taste is just really, really, really, really worth it.

SIDE NOTE: NO, I'm not a doctor, opinion only so this is not a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment...you know the drill.

MY STORY

Here's my history. I have fibriods gallor...EVERYWHERE in my uterus. It bothers my bowel movements, it makes me anemic, and it causes really, really, really, really painful cramps!

I've had surgery to have them remove in 2000, 2008, and 2009 (the last time was during my daughters birth during the circumcision because they grew while she was in there and they had to remove them in order to close me back up (otherwise it was pretty hard for them to close me up). That's how bad my fibroids are.

As for my menstrual flow...a lot of women can't believe how much I bleed. They think I'm making it all up. One would think I was hemorrhaging. Sometimes I had to run to the bathroom and stand in the tub to allow the flow to come down. I messed up the office chair and rug at work, which told me that I had to start wearing depends. Then even with the depends, I wore five (5)...yes FIVE Overnight Always-with-wings sanitary napkins, which I had to change every two hours (Yep...always 2 hours on the dot).

The only thing that could control the bleeding was birth control pills. I have taken them for eight years, but when you're trying to reproduce (i.e. pregnancy, babies), you can't be on the pill. So, I had to work with my job to stay at home at least 2-3 days every month.

Thank Goodness, I got pregnant quickly so I didn't have to do this for too long. I had hoped that the pregnancy would help with the fibroids--sometimes they do. But unfortunately, not in my case.

I had to get back on the birth control pill. AND I HATE THE PILL! It makes my body feel...restricted, and there's always something going on with the pill that may give me headaches or cause me to gain weight. And yes, I did the whole thing of having my doctor give me new pills. To be honest, I didn't have this much problem with the pill during my younger years 1990-1998. It was around 2007 that I started having the massive bleeding problems, and it kept increasing until I had to have the surgery again in 2008, but it didn't fix the problem.

So, here I am again, wanting to reproduce, and hoping I can do it again (the first time was a miracle in itself) and needing to get off the pill and deal with the bleeding. And I didn't, DID NOT, DON'T WANNA have to deal with taking off work and dealing with this bleeding again! I mean, you know work, the first time, they don't mind working with you, and when the months started dragging on...I mean, how long can you keep taking a few days off work...and every month? Fortunately for me, I could also work from home, but I could feel the frowns. Honestly, trying to get pregnant could take years.

Yeah. Stressful times.

Fortunately for me, it took just 4 months after my wedding. And now I want to try again, but the taking off work thing.... it was going to be an issue.

I then went online hoping I could find someone who had someway, somehow, anything, natural I could do to keep this bleeding down. And TA-DAH!

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!

Like many women online, I was skeptical. It couldn't, COULD NOT, be that easy. But then, I remembered something. Being a woman, you sometimes get UTIs (urinary tract infections), and online said to take some Apple Cider Vinegar to help until I got to the doctor. I didn't see much difference with taking it along with and Cranberry juice and drinking 8 ounces of

water every hour. But I did notice that month, which I was taking the birth control pill, that my period was practically non-existent. I mean, I didn't hardly have to use any of my overnight pads. I figured it was just a funky month, because the next month, it poured down hard, as usual, but not as much as when I was off the pill.

I then decided that, perhaps there might be some truth to it. I tried it. And being that I had just recently got off the pill, just the month before, I figured the lighter amount of menstrual flow had something to do with some remnants of the pill. But then I skipped a day of taking the Apple Cider Vinegar, and BOY did I see a difference!

This is now my Fifth month of doing the Apple Cider Vinegar, and I still haven't had to go back to the FIVE Overnight pads with depends. I'm down to TWO overnight pads and depends during work, and at bedtime, I can wear just my TWO overnight with underwear.

It's not taking it ALL away, but it's taken it enough so that I can go to work and don't have to worry about the Mt Rushmore of blood flowing. It is now manageable

So, there you have it. That's my story. And please Comment and share if you have experienced the same thing.

SIDE NOTE: Someone also said it works with Menapause, but since I'm not of that age yet (and I only experienced Menopause symptoms when I was on the Lupron shot, which sometimes have to take before the surgeries to remove the fibroids), so, I can't tell you much about that. Then again, I honestly wouldn't want to take this stuff EVERY SINGLE DAY. Doing it for Seven Days is a lot for me. However, if the Menapause was causing me a lot of problems, I would do what a woman has to do.

Apple Cider Vinegar can also be used for warts and acne (be careful because it may irritate the skin, so use a bit of Vaseline on the skin and only put the Apple Cider Vinegar directly on the warts and acne). Look it up online, you'll see all the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar.

That's about it for me. I hope this is beneficial to those who need a little more help during those moon times :)

Later!!

Transitioning From Relaxed to Natural Step-By-Step