I am loving the ponytail!!!!! Can you post your regime Nichi and pm about Tinnell??? I am going to be in Houston May 2-6 and this would be the ideal time for me to get my hurr did!!!
Thank you again, so much, OP. This makes this whole journey rewarding. I won't forget this.
-As far as my regimen, it can be found on my old threads with pictorials (sort of), but I'll repost here. I washed every week, mainly Thursday to be ready for the weekend. I'd scrub in between the tracks and condition. I used Jason's Biotin Shampoo or Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo and Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. That MY condish. I love that stuff and on the weave, I'd use Suave coconut 'cause it was cheaper and thinner than HEHH.
I'd lift every row of weave/tracks and used my shea butter oil mix and rub it in there. I didn't care if my own hair was greasy. I'd then blow dry and flat iron. I'd just ponytail it and wrap at night.
-When I would de-weave my hair would be mad greasy, but that's fine. Regardless of who's helping me remove it, it's not going to snap and break off because of it being dry.
After doing research, I've discovered the best way to have your hair grow at optimum levels is by having a clean scalp. Clean and moisturized. If your hair pores are clogged and dirty and dry, I can't imagine growth being the best. Hope this helps!
I'll PM you Tinnell's info.
Oh, lawd, that is some nice hair! Did you straighten it yourself---if not, where did you go?
I don't go to salons, the only other people who touch my head are my mom or sister removing my tracks or Tinnell putting them in. I flat iron my own hair at 385 with my Tool Science. This iron gets slept on, but read the reviews. I then silk wrap it under the dryer with saran wrap.
She is such an inspiration, and her hair is BEAUT-I-FUL!! Because our hair types are so similar, it gives me hope that one day I might have gorgeous hair like hers.
AND she's one of the nicest people on this board. She didn't know me from Adam, but she's been so helpful with all of the hair questions I've asked her so far. I really appreciate it, Nichi.
Going to get my weave put in tomorrow, LOL.
You are so sweet. Thank you sooo much! Keep the questions coming. I am only nice on this board to you all because you guys are kind to me. I'm only putting back what I'm getting.
Nichi, I just wanted to echo what someone else has already posted, which is that what makes your hair victories all the better is that you're such a kind person.
You and your hair are beautiful. Thanks for posting more pictures of your straightened hair.
I have to add something else, too. Between you and Amara and Rabs, I'm so proud to see African women growing long hair.
Because truly, I know many, MANY more African women with busted weaves, chewed up ends, etc. here and in the continent. I sincerely believe that continental African women are even more hair illiterate than African American women are. We talk so much about how much we don't know about our hair and how that's why we don't see many Black women with long hair. Well, it's even worse among Africans. I really believe that. 
Wow. So heartfelt. Thank you and you're sooo right about the bolded. A lot come to this country and in an effort to blend in, go over the board with the bad weaves and it leads to damage. Even in Nigeria, there's no real hair care mindset, most just cut it all off. I hope you post pics one day I am sooo curious about you and your hair too. Amara and Rabs are two of my hair idols and I'm only try to get to their level.
Someone asked how I laid my edges down and it's just I wrap it at night IN the ponytail. If kinda rough I use a little fantasia IC gel and brush it down. My edges have grown out well enough to all fit into the ponytail, so I think that helps.
absolutely gorgeous! Amazing progress missy!
I actually only have 4 pics I took of my straightened hair and three of them I posted on my siggy, but here are larger versions. The stand I had them on was kinda wonky and they kinda cut off the bottom of my hair in the pics. Oh well. 
cant wait to get that length as a natural
. Such a treat to see your progress.
). I did the big chop last year (after 9 years of being natural 
) because I never did it and I knew that I had the bone structure to pull off a short look. It was about a quarter of an inch long. The cool thing is that it allowed me to rediscover my hair. 
