Relaxed hair journey post – In retrospect – 2009
Update on my setback…
As I am writing this, I am a little sad. The setback I noticed at the beginning of this month has gotten worst. I do not know what is causing the breakage. I lost hair at the crown and going down to the nape. I just don’t know why, so I can’t stop it.
My symptoms : my scalp is itchier and itchier in the area in question (I never noticed itching before), my hair has a different texture in the area it feels really weird to the touch (like it’s dryer than the rest of the hair even though I moisturize), the hair in the area breaks very easily, it is thinner and the care I’m giving it is not working. I also think I burnt my scalp in that very area with my hair therapy wrap.
Conclusion : Although I’ve been babying that area and it is still not getting better.
I know how Ateeya and FM (from Hairlista) felt. For me, this is a major setback because I really thought I was on the right track. I was hoping it would be just a small setback. I had noticed just a very small section at first, 1/8 of an inch. This is my first real setback since I started my hair journey. I am sad but resilient. I will overcome it all.
Looking back on 2009…
I am very happy that I stumbled upon Sunshyne’s You Tube channel when I did. I wasn’t even into You Tube back then. Learning about hair care changed my life.
What has stuck to me the most is that my hair NEEDS moisture. I moisturize and seal every day. I wash 2-3 times a week. I air dry. I stretch my relaxer to 12 weeks now. These are things that I NEVER did, not even less than a year ago.
Looking ahead : in 2010, I will…
* Prepoo, wash, DC, do protein treatments, air dry, roller set with the same regularity
* Continue stretching my relaxer 12-14 weeks (if this is not the cause of my breakage – if it is, I’ll go for 10 weeks max)
* Self relax (I will only go to a stylist for 1 relaxer per year – I honestly can’t trust anyone – I did try though)
* Find out the true reason of my recurrent hair loss
Mostly, what I’ve learned is that doing my hair myself is the best choice for me. Although I understand that I can talk to the hair dresser or stylist and tell her my preferences, it is not of any interest to me to tell them what to do every step of the way.
I understand that my journey will be filled with peeks and valleys, ups and downs. I did wallow in self pity for a couple of days. Now, I’m ready to work and solve my problem.
HHJ to me and to everyone.