My Hair Bible Pt. 3

WARNING: Sulfur is NOT meant to lay in hair for more than a few days unless used with heavy oil and/or grease. Even then you should not go mare than 7 days without removing it. Please do NOT try if in braids, weave or any style that prevents you from thoroughly washing your hair to remove grainy residue. This could cause excessive dryness that can lead to breakage. Always do a patch test for skin sensitivity as well.

UNDERSTANDING & ANALYZING INFORMATION

Average is defined as: 

• a single value (as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values.

• an estimation of or approximation to an arithmetic mean

• a level (as of intelligence) typical of a group, class, or series <above the average>

• a ratio expressing the average performance especially of an athletic team or an athlete computed according to the number of opportunities for successful performance

Roughly is defined as:

• with harshness or violence <treated the prisonerroughly>

• in crude fashion : imperfectly em>roughly dressed lumber>

• without completeness or exactness : approximately em>roughly20 percent>

SOURCE - MERRIAM - WEBSTER DICTIONARY

How fast does human hair grow:

• hair grows an average of 1/2 an inch a month

• The speed of hair growth is roughly 1.25 centimeters or 0.5 inches per month, being about 15 centimeters or 6 inches per year. With age the speed of hair growth might slow down to as little as 0.25 cm or 0.1 inch a month.

SOURCE... I don't really have one :o( 

Why did I start this blog this way?

What has been on my mind for over a year is the scientific sources, and detailed data on hair growth. How can I grow my hair if I don't even understand how my body and DNA work?

I went from National Geographic to The National Institute of Science to get answers because I don't trust nameless, faceless bloggers who DON'T NAME THEIR SOURCES!

I wasn't the best science student by any means in school but the few things I did learn is to explain the findings from your experiment, and/or name your sources. You can't just say something without proof.

To back up a step, I wondered why everyone who has published this on the internet without listing their sources always uses words like "average" or "roughly" before giving the answer.

Yet when I'm on hair sites people automatically interpret the words "average" and "roughly" to mean "absolute" or "exact".

Most people don't even think about the details of a study. Exp:

• What was the diet of the people tested?
• How much water were the subjects that were be tested consuming? 
• Were both men and women tested?
• What was the age group tested?
• How frequently was the scalp cleansed (daily, weekly, monthly) per person during the experiment?
• Were all scalps bare during experiment or did some individuals grease their scalps?
• Were any chemicals present from harsh beauty products (relaxer, hair dye, ect.)
• Were people with natural hair tested against people with chemically treated hair (possible chemical residue on the scalp)? 
• What were the levels of oil production for the individuals being tested?
• What was the individual vitamin intake (daily, monthly, weekly) during your experiment?

None of these questions were answered in any study I have looked at leading me to believe that the lack of thorough examination lends itself to the use of the words "average" and "roughly".

So the question remained, was I going to listen to unproven internet chatter that lacked solid evidence? Or was I going to do some research of my own?

ME, A LAB RAT? THE EXPERIMENT!

When I started in late 2009 I was getting less than half an inch of growth a month. My scalp with filled with dandruff, and was always terribly itchy.

I mean INCREDIBLY itchy. My scalp had been that way as long as I could remember. When I was natural, AND when I was relaxed it was this way.

In 2009 I made the decision to experiment on myself. Threw out every bit of knowledge that had been passed down from generation to generation in my family.

The main one being cleansing of the scalp. In part one a talked a little bit about  family history but I'm going into more detail here.

Family history or genetics?

I asked my grandmother, who was born in 1928, what people washed their hair

with when she was young. She was mostly raised by her grandmother who was born in the late 1800s. She told me that her grandmother washed her hair with the same thing they washed their bodies with...

... LYE soap!

You should have seen my face O_O Lye was used to wash a lot of things. Primarily it was used on clothes though. It's no wonder hair wash days were feared.

We take things like conditioner for granted but as my grandmother says, "It didn't exist."

I couldn't imagine ever using that to wash my hair but these were the times they lived in. Passed down from the generation before it. On top of that in my family it was a no no to wash your hair frequently. In fact once a month was the average.

But again, I really couldn't blame that. I mean lye soap? I can't. My thoughts, if we didn't have the proper products to cleanse with, how could we teach our youth how to properly care not only for their hair, but also their scalp.

As I wrote in part 1, Cathy Howse was the first woman of color I had ever heard suggest washing hair twice a week. Most people follow Madame C.J. Walker's every 2 weeks rule. 

I also mentioned the fact that women in my family go bald. I was told that, "We all have dandruff. When it finally stops that's when the hair falls out."

Yeah...the thought of joining that club was terrifying. I was told it was genetic, but was it?

Hair grows from the scalp so that should be my first place to conduct my research. I began to observe family traits, while asking a few questions here and there.

• LACK OF CLEAN SCALP: A common practice was not washing the hair for weeks and scratching at the flakes that accumulate with a comb. 
• COATING OF SCALP WITH HEAVY STUFF:Also applying petroleum to the scalp. I noticed this formed a barrier that moisture or rather water could not break. Shampoo would have to be used at least 3 times to break it up. 
• BUILD UP UNCHECKED FOR WEEKS: I also observed that a good percentage of the dandruff was product build up. Because it never penetrated the scalp or the hair, after a few weeks it would ball up.

It was becoming clear to me that DNA wasn't the issue, bad habits were and those can be passed down within a family for generations.

So what does my scalp look like?

Two things I didn't know when learning about my scalp was:

1. My scalp has pores.
2. Everyone regardless of racial background has sebaceous glands producing oil.

The funny thing about that is I knew this about my face but not about my scalp.

I just had to stop and think to myself, would I ever put my face through what I put my

scalp through?

Would I pile petroleum based product on my face repeatedly and not wash it for 30 days? How about every 2 weeks?

I was the latest generation in my family to put my scalp through hell. Something had to change. I had to change. I gave Cathy Howe's method a 2 weeks trial.

After 2 weeks of washing my hair (cleansing my scalp) 2x a week my dandruff was gone, and the itchiness was gone. I was amazed that this had done what no over the counter scalp medicine could do.

              (Below is a picture of my flake free scalp. Note: I did not go bald:o)

I continued into 2010. By the summer I increased my washing to 3x a week because I noticed that the itchiness returned the minute the temperature shot up.

By fall I noticed an increase in growth rate that remained consistent right into the winter (in winter I was 2x a week again). I went from 3 - 4mm to 0.5 inches a month. I also noticed that my scalp began to naturally produce more oil.

Could I have been blocking my pores and possibly the sebaceous glands ability to push natural oil to the surface? All this time I wasted greasing my scalp so it wouldn't be "dry" and all I needed to do was cleanse my scalp?

I'm sold!

Test 2: Frequent Hair Rinsing? 

Fast forward to this summer (2011). I decided to be a test dummy again. It has been blazing with heat and humidity this year so I decided to do yet another experiment. Here we go again :o)

I had a fresh cut in June removing the last of my relaxed ends leaving only lightly texlaxed hair and 3 months of new growth. The blunt cut ends would allow me to track my progress during this new experiment.

I decided that for the rest of the summer I would co-rinse (see My Hair Bible Part 1 for details) my hair frequently during the week, and shampoo on Sundays. I ended up on a schedule of co-rinsing 4 days a week, and shampooing 1x a week.

By the middle of August I noticed a change in my hair's texture...

Back up...

... maybe I should call it a reveal of my hair's TRUE texture! My hair became softer, smoother, well balanced with moisture. (Note: I'm currently 6 month post in the pics below)

My scalp produced so much oil I did not need to apply oil to my roots. I actually needed to either cut back or balance it out so I reintroduced peppermint oil and apple cider vinegar into my routine.

My ends remained thick. There is zero breakage or thinning. I had released myself from the mental chains that bound me about black hair care :o)

                                     (Close up picture of my ends)

I'm free!

The sulfur experiment! 

(Note: if you try this do a spot test for allergy)

I went from 3mm of hair growth to half an inch a month. I do believe in a genetic component to hair growth, but I did not know my own at the beginning of this hair journey.

Had I been asked two years ago I probably would have said my hair will only grow 3mm a month. Ask me one year ago I'd say half an inch. Now ask me this year... and... well...

In January I came across quite a few posts on beauty boards of young ladies using hair growth products.

Most of them had the main ingredient of sulfur. At this point in time I was also into essential oils and was admiring peppermint oil.

I decided to do a search to see if anyone made their own sulfur oil, or at least knew the percentage.

I came across NJoy...

...Shout out...

....on longhaircareforum. She was in a sulfur challenge and posted the percentage of flowers of sulfur she used.

In a week I received my sulfur ($3.00 from Amazon.com) and my peppermint oil (I think $7.00 from GNC). My mix was simple:

• 1 heaping teaspoon of flowers of sulfur aka sublimed sulfur (not more than that because I read over 10% could be dangerous or cause a negative reaction to skin)
• 25 drops of peppermint oil
• 4 tablespoons of castor oil
• fill the rest of the 7 ounces with coconut oil

I had just cut 2 inches off of my hair for the start of the new year. By the end of the third week I was shocked when learned that I had grown an inch of hair. Shocked I tell you!

I measured repeatedly in disbelief which wasn't hard to do because my new growth was quite visible.

I used it for another month then stopped because I texlaxed. For the next couple of months after I experimented with supplements but my hair only produced a half an inch a month.

Who else tried it?

One of my best friends flew down to see me in late April. We started discussing hair and she told me about her experience for the past year and showed me the damage to her nape.

I agreed to help anyway I could even though it would be from a distance (she lives waaay up north, I live in the deep south). We decided to take a starting picture and from there her hair journey began.

When she was leaving in the first week of May I gave her a small bag of my sulfur. She called me when she got up north to ask the exact amount to mix. I didn't know what to expect but I was hype that she was on this journey with me.

Three months later we were talking on the phone and she decided to send me a picture. I was AMAZED when I compared it to the picture I took. I put them side by side and sent it back to her. With her permission I'm posting these results:

It's no joke, it works. Her hair type is a 4b/c while mine is a 4a and it worked on both of us! Why? A scalp is a scalp regardless of what hair texture emerges from it. Like me my friend now washes her hair 1x a week, co-washes 1x a week.

Her fear of washing her hair, and cleaning her scalp is non-existent. She has adjusted her mix a bit. She prefers it to be 50% castor oil and 50% coconut oil.

One more for the road!

So my last experiment is yet again with a growth oil. I agreed to use potion for one month. How did it go? Good, but not great.

Full disclosure: I did not use her exact recipe. I replaced her garlic & onion oil with sulfur, and her black tea with coffee oil. I also made my own cayenne oil.

During week one the itchiness was crazy. I haven't gotten an itchy scalp since 2009 so this worried me. I poured half of my mixture out an added coconut oil to make it lighter. This was okay but greasy so my routine was:

• Wash every other day (or rather co-rinse)
• Apply potion at night and GHE

I did this 4 days a week.

At the start my hair measurements were:

• FRONT - 10.2 to 10.5"
• SIDE - 10"
• TOP - 13 1/2"
• BACK - 11"

After 2 weeks of using this stuff my hair measured:

• FRONT - 11"
• SIDE - 10.5"
• TOP - 13.5 - 14"
• BACK - 11.2 - 11.5"

The  growth was okay but it wasn't double what I normally get with my sulfur. Now week 3 was a little different. I ran out of my potion mix because I was washing it out so much and I only made 6 ounces.

I went back to my original sulfur recipe.I also had a bit of a summer cold so I stopped GHEing and decided to just apply my sulfur oil everyday. 

After week three my hair measured:

• FRONT - 11.5"
• SIDE - 11"
• TOP - 15.4"
• BACK - 12

I don't know what happened on the top of my head other than me being sloppy applying that mix to the rest of my head (I'm really sloppy about the back) but I actually have the pictures to prove I'm not crazy.

Although my sanity can be questionable at times :o)

                                                     (Below First WK of August)

                                                  (Below-Last WK of August)

To a lesser degree check out my sides. Note: My hair is the same length on both sides of my head. I know because I measured when I chopped off the last of my relaxed ends in June. However the back of my head is slightly uneven do to breakage at the nape (was less than an inch long back then. Time flies) I had around May of 2010. Though I am please to report that the hair is catching up measuring in at 9 1/2" while my U shaped cut measures 11-12"

                                                (U know the drill--> Last wk of August)

I didn't have a great measurement of my back because I should have used from ear to ear as my guide but I measured fro the hairline back and got 21" which is an inch longer than last month so I'll go with that.

Anyway, call me an abomination because my DNA seems to have defied conventional wisdom but I'm so sure of myself I'd gladly and freely sign up to be scientifically tested in a lab to further prove my results to be true.

Now will this continue for a year? I can only pray for it. And inch a month for 12 months is 12 inches a year. Yikes!

Listen, I'd be happy if I just get 8 inches in a year. Why? Because I'm only 8 inches from WL. That would mean I'd reach my goal in 1 year! We shall see, but i think half of it depends on me being consistent.

Yall know by now I love to repeat myself, so here we go again...

It all depends on me being CONSISTENT! Not doing the same routine for a week. Not even doing it for a couple of weeks. I have to do this for months! Little Miss Kimmyatubelikes to call it "disciplined" which is cool too. I like to also say dedication can become a comfortable routine once you find your comfort zone.

Love Thy Roots

When I first dipped deep into my hair journey I joined a 6 month stretching group. It was one of greatest things I have ever done, but it was also one of the hardest.

The importance of stretching to me is to give your hair a break. Allow it to grow strong out of the roots, which can increase thickness.

It also helps to prevent overlapping during chemical services which breaks down previously chemically treated hair.

This causes weak points on the hair strand that can lead to... the horror... breakage!

My flat iron can catch up my roots well. I can even do my own Dominican blow out, but I don't rely on heat to handle my roots.

In fact Almost treat my tresses like a plant. I water them with H20, and fertilize them with sulfur while regularly keep the environment clear of debris so it doesn't have anything in its way as it breaks through to the surface.

PAUSE for a word on line of demarcation...

...the point were chemically treated hair and natural hair meets can become extremly weak especially if that chemically treated hair is damaged.

What kept me in the game is to try my best to match the keratin and moisture level of my natural hair to my relaxed hair.

Protein treatments were a must! What was that? Protein treatments were a MUST! My relaxed hair has altered keratin so I needed to fake it to make it.

Once a month was a "Strong" protein treatment followed by a moisturizing deep conditioner.

Repeat... repeat...

... once a month I did a "strong" protein treatment followed immediately by a moisturizing deep conditioner.

I think the most valuable information I learned about my roots is to A) Keep them moisturized and B) Work with the natural curl/coil/wave pattern, NOT against it. I'm not a big fan of trying to straighten my roots or using heat much at all (I'm on a once a month diet).

I prefer to accentuate the natural beauty of the textured hair. I do this through sets. If I am not trying to make coils with conditioner and oil, then I'm setting my hair in (click the highlighted text to view tutorial videos):

• 2 strand twists
• zulu knots aka china bumps and knot outs (video)
• 2 strand flat twists 
• twist outs and flat twist outs (video)
• braids and braid outs (video)
• rollers

I love all of these styles because they not only allow me to blend 2 (and even 3 textures when I had relaxed ends) together but more importantly they also allow me to constantly moisturize, condition, and seal while not breaking from a proper cleansing routine.

Hold up... wait a minute! I should repeat a part of that...

Moisturize, condition, and seal!

That's my thing right there! Instead of moisturize and seal I added condition to this because it's soooooooo important. It doesn't matter if you're relaxed or natural finding a conditioning leave-in...

again...

...a conditioning leave-in is a must for strength, softness, and shine!!!!!

                                                   (My Braid Out Close UP)

Now if you have been reading this since part 1 then you know me, I love using VO5 Straberries & Cream or Aussie Moist as a leave-in. They have NEVER done me wrong.

Even if I water it down and use it as a spray leave-in I love it (see my other blogs for details). Anyway I LOVE my new growth! Each new inch of it means I'm closer to my goal.

I'm hype that I can proudly say that in the next few days I will reach 7 months post for the 2nd time (first time I stretched for 6). I'm going for 10+ because I want to see 6 inches of natural hair on my head. I'm halfway there.

What I've Learned

I have learned that DNA is a factor in hair growth but it is different for everyone. I also learned you'll never know the potential of your own DNA if you don't give your hair and scalp a fighting chance.

The reason why there is an "average" is because there are too many internal, and external environmental factors to ever be exact.

People can tell me "roughly" what the amount is per month for hair growth but they can't tell me how fast my hair grows.

I can't even tell you for sure how fast my hair grows every month.

The experiments I wrote about above were the first I'd ever done. I'd never measured my hair before starting my HHJ. I'm still learning about how my body works and reacts internally and externally to things.

What I do know for sure is internally my body reacts well to minerals, and silica. Externally my skin reacts well to sulfur applied topically, peppermint, and lite oils like jojoba, olive, and coconut.

Oh, my bad, a few more things I should add about my experiments to be clear:

• Tests done on women 30+
• Water intake was 3-4 8 ounce glasses a day
• Only vitamins taken were in the B family. It wasn't consistent
• Scalp was cleaned at least 2x a week
• Hair and scalp were free of harsh chemicals for 3-6 months
• Diet was normal, not great but not terrible either. Basic food pyramid.
• Oil production was between normal and below normal at start of trials

Conclusion

As the summer draws to a close I'm pretty happy with my growth. With all that I have learned I'm even more excited to see what the future brings. What will my hair look like in the summer of 2012?

I think I have a good idea but until then here is what my hair looked like in the summer of 2011. I can't wait to come back here next year and look at the past.