If you’ve been following along with me on my natural hair journey from the beginning with my initial natural hair post, you know that I’ve been fully natural since December 2015 after transitioning for one year. That would mean I am currently 2 years & 6 months natural! The time has flown by so fast! That also means I am well over due for a natural hair update.
For the summer, I’ve decided to give protective styles a small break (well, we’ll see 🤔) & give my natural tresses some time to shine. I always wear my hair in protective styles because I hate having to comb it & I just feel like it was at an awkward length so I just couldn’t style it & I was not ready to cut it into a style/shape.
Yes, yes, I know health is more important than length BUT let’s be real, we all want to see some length on this journey, unless you’re a pixie/short cut kind of gal.
I’ve always thought my hair was just permanently just short, I didn’t notice just how much my hair has grown until I randomly started looking at some old pictures in my phone. In between my protective styles I always take care of my natural curls & I knew they were growing, yes, but it just felt like it was moving at a very slow pace. Taking pictures is so important in this process because I really was out here thinking my hair wasn’t growing that much.
The Struggle..
Finding products that work with your hair is without a doubt a struggle when it comes to curly hair. Products that your favourite hair guru loves could literally be epic fails when you use them. The products that give everyone else an amazing twist out? Absolute nightmares for me. Been there, done that & the products have failed me countless times. Everyone’s hair is different so finding products that work can turn into a very expensive guessing game. For example, just in case I haven’t mentioned it before, my hair hates coconut oil! Everyone always talks about how good it is for their hair & skin but for me, it’s a definite no! Coconut oil sits on my hair making it heavy & greasy. However, I have found a some products that do work well in my hair. (Anything not pictured I have completely run out of & need to repurchase pronto!😩)
Conditioners
Leave In Conditioners
- Aunt Jackie’s “Quench” Leave In Conditioner
- Curls Blueberry Bliss Leave In
- ORS Olive Oil Butter Whipped Leave In Conditioning Creme
- Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deep Conditioner (I use this as a leave in)
Treatments/Deep Conditioners
- Aunt Jackie’s “Fix My Hair” Intensive Repair Conditioning Masque
- Garnier Whole Blends Nourishing Mask
Edge Control Products
Gels
- Aunt Jackie’s “Don’t Shrink” Gel
- Eco Styler Black Caster Oil & Flaxseed Oil Gel
- Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Jelly
Styling Products
- Aunt Jackie’s “Curl-la-la”
- Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
- Pantene Gold Series Hydrating Butter-Creme
Growth Oil
- Curls Blueberry Bliss Hair Growth Oil
- Mielle Organics Mint Almond Oil
- ORS Hair Repair Coconut Oil & Baoba
Rockin’ My Curls
I’m a simple girl as far as styling my natural curls. I’m only extra when it comes to my protective styles, you can find me in either a bun, puff, ponytail, half up half down or a top knot. I’ve tried to do a few creative hairstyles every so often however, between my arms getting tired & my hair just being fuzzy & not perfectly slicked down & neat I’m over it so I stick to my boring styles. I cant really go wrong by being boring, lol.
My Hair Type “Changed” ?
During the transition phase I think most people think they have “loose curls” because the weight of the relaxed ends stretches the curls. My recommendation? Just cut it! Even if you aren’t ready to rock that TWA you can braid it up til you’re ready just like I did. By cutting the ends however you get a chance to even learn your hair type in between protective styles. In my last natural hair post I think I stated that I had anywhere from 3B-4A curls. I think this is still pretty accurate.
The hair in the back of my head is where my loosest curls are while the front is somewhere in between & the centre of my head has the tightest curls. The hair in the front however is the hardest to deal with because it has very low porosity. My hair in this region just never feels like it gets truly wet therefore it is very difficult to moisturize & style it along with the rest of my hair which has normal/high porosity. You can somewhat see what I mean by the different textures & porosity levels in the photos below. The top of my head doesn’t stay nearly as wet as the back after a few minutes & the curls are very different.
Curl Definition
Recently I decided to get my curls defined at Asherlee Naturals hair salon. My curls came out BEAUTIFULLY! Sherelle defined each of my curls individually after washing & treating my hair. After the defining process, I sat under the dryer to have my hair dry completely. The shrinkage was insane to me! My curls went from resting on my back to almost not even grazing my shoulders. After a few days of wearing my hair like this they did fall a little bit & get fluffy which I loved!
(When i define my curls on my own I use my Denman brush to distrubute my styling products evenly instead of going curl by curl with my hands.)
Is It Even Growing?
Lets check out some progress pics below, I think they speak for themselves! There has been A LOT of growth since I cut off my relaxed hair in December 2015. Imagine, I didn’t think my hair was growing! I recently did a small cut to give my hair some layers & a shape (optional bangs included).
People often ask what I do to get my hair to grow & to be quite honest, I don’t do anything special. I manipulate my hair minimally (because it is a struggle!) & often do protective hairstyles. The one thing I must say I am consistent with in my journey is oiling my scalp. I currently love using my Curls Blueberry Bliss Oil, it maybe helping, I can’t say for sure but I use it warm sometimes. From my experience, I can say I hardly notice my hair growth until I look back at photos. Without looking at photos it always feels as though my hair is at a standstill & just not making any progress at all so pictures are very important in this process. The natural hair journey is one that requires all the patience you can find in your soul!😂
If you guys have any questions, feedback or product recommendations please comment below & help a sister out! Hopefully, next time I do a natural hair update post I’ll have some practice with doing creative styles! 😄
Until next time..
xo Justine-Renee
Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog & follow my social media pages!
Instagram: @justinerenee__
Twitter: @justinerenee___
Shop My Favourite Products: Amazon Store
**Some affiliate links are used, which means I may receive a commission should you decide to click that link and make a purchase. My content is 100% not influenced by brands, PR products received, usage of affiliate links, or brand partnerships.**
I really enjoy reading all of your weblogs. Simply wanted to inform you that is obligatorily you have people like me who appreciate your work.
Hello… love ur story … yes patience as you said, but wanna know which hair product can I use for curls …your hair is really beautiful… like … amazing