From Locs to APL in 12 months!! Bluetopia's 1st Year Progress pics.(pic heavy)

Beautiful story, you got me welling up
Beautiful hair

And you are a Beautiful girl

Congrats

Loved that story...especially the end..I didnt read all the responses but did you mention what your reggie is....sorry i should be sleeping but my eyes wont let me off this site...gonna be a long day at work tomorrow lol

simply amazing!!!! excellent progress and an equally explanatory detailed explanation and pictorial of such progress...wonderful!

stephluv said:

Loved that story...especially the end..I didnt read all the responses but did you mention what your reggie is....sorry i should be sleeping but my eyes wont let me off this site...gonna be a long day at work tomorrow lol

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Been meaning to respond to this for weeks. Since we're snowed in and I just washed my hair yesterday this seems like a good a time as any.

First off I have 4a/b hair that prefers to only be washed every 2 weeks or so....and right now low manipulation and high moisture are the cornerstone of my K.I.S.S regimen

Blue's Winter 2010 Regimen

1. I section my dry hair in 6 parts, apply deep conditioner and then steam it using the hot towel steam method for about 30 mins.

(if you want to know how to steam without a steamer check out this quick tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et17m_A2B0M&feature=related)

2. after the steam treatment I wash out the deep conditioner in the shower and apply Porosity control and leave it in for about 1 minute

3. after i rinse out the porosity control I oil rinse (do a search on oil rinses there are plenty on here)

4. after I rinse out the oil I apply some aussie deeeeep conditioner and fully detangle my hair.....only rinse out some of the conditioner and jump out the shower

5. once out of the shower I section my hair in 6 plaits again (split in half and three plaits on each side; one in the front, middle and back)

6. I apply a combo of Qhemets Detangling Ghee AND Amla and Olive Heavy Cream to each section and do a ponytail roller set on my hair.

*the pony tail rollerset is simply for airdrying NOT style... which is why i only use 6 big rollers.

7. I let my hair airdry all day and when its dry I...
a.) lightly spritz it with a homemade combo containing: Keracare conditioner, Knot Today, water, and jbco
b)moisturize with some more Qhemets & seal with a combo of evoo/jbco c)make 6 braids in my hair that I will rock for the next two weeks under my half wigs.

And then VOILA! I'm done and will simply condition my hair every day under my winter hats and other hair pieces.

Here is a response I wrote on another thread that may be helpful as well:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?p=9856982&highlight=#post9856982

right now my main priority is to let my hair rest and keep it as moisturized as possible.

After my birthday in April I may just rock braids off and on all summer. Haven't decided yet.

Hope that helps!

Thanks OP..this was a great post and thanks to whomever bumped it

Love your hair and your story.

thanks for sharing your story... and your hair looks beautiful by the way hopefully I can share one of my own come the end of the year

beautiful! you hair grows so fast.

First off, I'm glad to see you've had such great progress!
Second, that stylist needs a for not reading what your appt was for! I was so mad reading that she put Phyto on your head again when it was supposed to be Mizani! And then try to blame your detangling abilities on the outcome!
And third, it warmed my heart that 3 generations of women were receptive to learning healthier hair practices from you!

This is great progress. Your so pretty.

Wow. i am so jealous

Great post! Great pics! I'm sorry about the mix-up with your stylist but your spirit is positive and I'm sure you'll overcome it and come out victorious.

what beautiful hair and you have such a pretty face

Great Progress!! Your attitude is the reason your hair is growing.

winnettag said:

First off, I'm glad to see you've had such great progress!
Second, that stylist needs a for not reading what your appt was for! I was so mad reading that she put Phyto on your head again when it was supposed to be Mizani! And then try to blame your detangling abilities on the outcome!
And third, it warmed my heart that 3 generations of women were receptive to learning healthier hair practices from you!

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Update: so I go back to my stylist for the first time since the "Phyto-Gate" a week and a half ago - for a blow out - and would you believe when I go sit at her chair I see a bottle of Aveda Damage Repair protein leave in...

and I'm sitting there staring at the bottle like "No...she wouldnt dare use that after what happened last time"

And to my amazement/horror when she walks back to me she squirts a big dollop of that stuff in her hand and attempts to touch my head!!!!



I have never jerked away so quickly from anyone in my life!!!

She was like "It'll be fine Blue"

and I'm like "No. No. No protein in my hair. I'm sorry No" as I duck and weave away from her.

Finally she sighed and put the container away (I'm guessing she rubbed the protein leave-in on a towel or something)

I was really shaken because it's official now that she isnt taking my cries of "protein sensitivity" seriously and thinks I'm just batsh!t crazy.

At the end of my appointment she declares "You need a deep conditioner treatment next time"

Little did she know I had been pre-pooing under my winter hat all day at work before my appointment and that my still thirsty strands are really due to....*drumroll please*.....PROTEIN OVERLOAD.

I feel like a broken record ladies. No matter how many times I cry protein overload she thinks I'm crazy.

I've decided to do another longterm stretch...wear braids for the Spring....and figure out my next steps in the early Summer.

I sincerely don't want to switch stylists...I just need her to take me seriously.

Oh and she burned my forhead when she pressed my edges too. It took 3 days for the scab to peel off...

ok...reading this back it sounds like I'm in denial and do need to switch stylists afterall

Vonnieluvs08 said:

Great Progress!! Your attitude is the reason your hair is growing.

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Thanks! I try to keep a sense of humor about things. Life is too short to take yourself too seriously. I'm shocked that my hair is thriving even with the clumsy 1s year I've had.

Wow, awesome progress and very pretty hair.

lose that stylist ma! She gonna rape your head with protein

Bluetopia said:

Update: so I go back to my stylist for the first time since the "Phyto-Gate" a week and a half ago - for a blow out - and would you believe when I go sit at her chair I see a bottle of Aveda Damage Repair protein leave in...

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What protein leave-in does Aveda make??

BTW, great story and progress. I can't believe you prefer Mizani over Phyto! Mizani relaxer = head on fire for me.

Strangefruittree said:

lose that stylist ma! She gonna rape your head with protein

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bwaaaaahaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaa

why that is just funny!!!

thank you for the laugh cause this whole situation has had me in the dumps the last few weeks.

Solitude said:

What protein leave-in does Aveda make??

BTW, great story and progress. I can't believe you prefer Mizani over Phyto! Mizani relaxer = head on fire for me.

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I've actually never tried Mizani - It's just the only other brand that salon carries and I'd heard some decent things about it so I was willing to give it a chance. Now that I've started hearing how strong it is and how it burns, I've decided to grow my hair out indefinately until I figure out my next move.

I think the leave in was this:

http://www.amazon.com/Damage-Remedy...=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1269009820&sr=8-10

It's part of the Damage Remedy line and since the protein in the Damage Remedy shampoo and conditioner made my hair get hard and knot up, there was no way in h#@$l I was gonna try the leave in.

Love this post OP! Great progress and beutiful hair!

Amazing progress! Your success is making me want to BC soooo bad!

Well Done! you have such beautiful hair.

This was a great story

Oh! this was sooo touching, I'm so happy to see that you got past all this, and figured out on your own what your hair really wanted. And this;

This is more than "just hair" ladies....in our own little way everyday we show people that black women are privy to the same heights of beauty as everyone else and that "Impossible" is nothing more than a myth.

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really really made my day because I still believe that this lie 'black women don't have hair' is a huge fabrication. If the hair industry catered to black hair properly and stopped putting all this damn mineral oil in our products many women will have phenomenal results.

Amazing hair story and progress!!

Qualitee said:

1 year? Wow! great progress!

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seriously...

ETA .. I didn't remember posting in this thread before

Raspberry said:

What an awesome thread! Love your pics and progress...

I also have "slinky hair" (lol) and locs... so I'll be sure to bookmark this thread in case I want to go a different route in the future. I also have fast growing hair so I have no doubt I could have similar results.

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VERY NICE!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing the ups and the downs!