Here it is after I dyed it too dark.
I ended up bleaching it, which just caused so much damage I ended up having to cut it off. The big chop. Seriously, I cried.
After bleach, right before I cut it.
F**K! I ended up having to cut it off because of all of the damage. It's been at my shoulders since then.
Right after the big chop :( Cute, yes. Short, yes.
Well, I have decided to try again! When I was growing out my hair the first time, I was a member at www.longhaircommunity.com which I must say is an INVALUABLE source for anyone looking to grow out their hair! I learned so much and was able to get my hair to grow past my shoulders which I had never been able to do in my life! Now that I am back on the wagon, I will share what I know with you, and what works for my hair.Keep in mind first of all that everyone's hair is different! What works for me may not work for you! I have thin, fine, dry hair.
- Condition, Wash, Condition! This makes my hair incredible soft and happy! I first wet my hair, then I apply conditioner to the ends (Usually cheap like VO5 or Suave). I then wash my scalp with diluted Mane N' Tail Shampoo (LOVE IT! So Gentle!). This way, when I rinse out the shampoo my ends are protected from the suds running down the length. I rinse well, and then I apply a heavier conditioner to the ends. Right now I am using Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine. Rinse again!
- Shea Butter! I also use this to moisturize my face so it keeps the product stash to a minimum. I love products that can be used for multiple purposes! I put a small amount into my palms, rub my hands together to melt it and then apply it to my ends only after washing my hair. The hair soaks it up as it dries so it is not greasy.
- Bunning! I bun my hair as often as possible. I shower at night and put my hair up when it's about 80% dry. This is awesome for giving my hair some volume the next day. There is a picture below of my "go to" hairstyle typically. A messy bun. I make a ponytail, pull the hair through once and then pull it through the second time from the front, leaving a pouf (looks like a rainbow, only without the color, although I may try that sometime! You know, with the color?!). Usually I pin the "tube" part to the top of my head to hide the ends that are sticking out and so it doesn't look funny then I pull out the rest half-hazardly to even things up.
- Castor Oil! Really! I swear by this stuff for my face, and I will swear by it for my hair too! Besides, another product with multiple uses, YAY! Once or twice a week I use a mixture of 50% Olive Oil and 50% castor oil on my roots using a pump bottle like I do for my face in this blog post. I then heavily condition my ends with the Garnier and then bun up, throw a shopping bag and then a towel on it and let it soak in for no less than an hour. When the hour or so is up, I remove the towel and bag and then I SLATHER my hair in VO5 (Kiwi Lime to be specific) and let that sit for half an hour or more. I wash out with my Mane & Tail shampoo and condition the ends again. My hair LOVES this and doesn't end up greasy if I follow the steps above.
Crappy pic taken from the top, you get the idea of what my messy bun looks like though. Pardon my roots, I have stopped dyeing my hair and have decided to let my "stress highlights" shine through! :)
- Stop Dyeing! I have stopped dyeing my roots and am now embracing my "stress highlights". I am strongly debating using henna again, and will post when I decide to do that again. My hair ADORES henna! It plumps it up nicely and gives it a nice shade of red.
- Avoid the blow-fryer (when you can)! Says it all. Although, when I do blow-fry, I use the cool, low setting and stand there until my arm damn near falls off. I always use the blow dryer aiming down not up. This keeps the cuticle smooth.
- Trims! Luckily my hair is long enough to where I can trim it myself, and I am keeping the layers in for now because my hair desperately needs volume. When I trim I do a micro trim. I just trim off the very ends. Hair typically grows 1/2" every 3 months so I feel like cutting off anything more than that would be counterproductive.
