My (hair) stimulus package

I recently decided that I was not happy with my hair. It was starting to look dry and stiff and just blah. It happens to the best of us.

From President Obama's administration, I've learn that the best way to get yourself out of a bad situation is to whip up a stimulus package. But for my purposes, I needed a hair stimulus package. I needed to take dramatic and immediate action to get myself back on track.

The major component of my hair stimulus package was foreign aid, by way of the Dominican Republic. If you don't already know, Dominicans have perfected ethnic hair styling. Unfortunately, in the south, Dominican hair salons are few and far between. This means that a blow out that would cost you $20 in New York costs $45 here. Instead of coughing up $45 for a hairstyle that will last me a week, I decided to recreate my own Dominican-inspired salon at home.


I used Dominican hair products to shampoo, condition and rinse, then styled my hair by setting it on rollers, then wrapping it after it was dry. I was 7 weeks post relaxer when this picture was taken, so I had to straighten my roots. I used a mini flat iron instead of using the traditional Dominican technique of using a blow dryer with a round brush.

I will review the products and tools that I used, as well share this new regimen in upcoming posts. Stay tuned!

Hair regimen: Week 2

For week 2 of my hair regimen, I am currently using the following products:

Products

1. Castor oil, currently using Home Health Castor Oil
2. Moisturizing shampoo, currently using Hair One Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner
3. Moisturizing conditioner, currently using Motions at Home Moisture Plus After Shampoo Conditioner
4. Leave-in conditioner, currently using Aphogee Pro-Vitamin Leave-In Conditioner

Tools
I normally use the same tools that I used during week 1 so that I can do a stream treatment. Sometimes I cut corners and just cover my hair with a plastic cap.

Steps

1. The pre-shampoo is the same as week 1.
2. I shampoo with the shampoo listed above.
3. After rinsing out the shampoo, I get out of the shower and use the conditioner listed above. I deep condition for at least 20 minutes using the steam treatment again or just a plastic cap.
   
4. I rinse out the conditioner and comb my hair out under the running water to prevent breakage.
   
5. I squeeze out the access water from my hair, apply the leave-in conditioner and style.
   

Hair regimen: Week 1

As promised, here is week 1 of my hair regimen.

Week 1 starts the first time that I wash my hair after a relaxer. I am currently using the following products and tools:

Products

1. Castor oil, currently using Home Health Castor Oil
2. Clarifying shampoo, currently using Neutrogena Clean Replenishing Shampoo
3. Strengthening conditioner, currently using Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Breakage Defense Conditioner
4. Moisturizing conditioner, currently using Motions at Home Moisture Plus After Shampoo Conditioner
5. Leave-in conditioner, currently using Aphogee Pro-Vitamin Leave-In Conditioner
   

Tools

1. Plastic cap
2. Terry cloth turban
3. Rubber gloves
4. Microwaveable bowl
   

Pre-shampoo

1. To get started, I fill a medium-sized glass bowl with water and pop it in the microwave. My microwave is very very old, so I set the timer for 4 minutes to make sure the water gets nice and hot.
2. While the water is heating up, I work Castor oil into my hair (I started using Castor oil because my hair was looking very flat and it's supposed to make your hair thicker. FYI, the texture is a bit sticky. I wasn't expecting that when I first got it).
3. When the water's ready, I slip on a pair of rubber gloves and pour the hot water over the terry cloth turban and squeeze out the excess water. I use the thick rubber gloves used for cleaning so that I don't scald my hands with the hot water.
4. I put the turban put on my head then cover it with a plastic cap. This whole technique with the turban and plastic cap is a modified version of a steaming treatment that I found on the Long Hair Care Forum (LHCF).
5. I let that sit for at least 15 minutes before shampooing.
   

Shampoo, deep condition and leave-in

1. I shampoo my hair with the shampoo listed above. Nothing special there.
   
2. Next, I get out of the shower and mix a strengthening and moisturizing conditioner together in a bowl and make sure to slather it on super thick from root to tip.
   
3. Then I do the whole steam turban thing again and leave it for at least 15 minutes.
4. While rinsing out the conditioner, I comb my hair out under the running water with a wide tooth comb to help prevent breakage. This is another tip that I picked up on LHCF.
   
5. I finish up with a good leave-in and style.