Hair

My Winter Hair Update

If you saw my Protective Phony Pony and "Natural" Makeup post, then you know that I have chosen to use fake ponytails as my protective style for the winter. Since I live in California, my winter experience is obviously not the same as it is for those of you who live on the East Coast, but, I do travel enough to know whether or not my hair care methods work in other parts of the globe.

During my recent trip to Michigan, I decided to take my phony pony with me, and let me tell you, it was a lifesaver! Choosing to "hide" my hair for the winter made it much easier to travel, for I didn't have to pack a bunch of products or large bottles of leave-in conditioners/moisturizers, as would have been the case had I chosen to wear my hair curly. Instead, all I took with me was:

• A spray bottle (I later filled it with water and used it to spritz my hair daily to add moisture)
• A small jar (3 oz or less) of Isoplus gel (To slick down edges)
• A small jar of pure coconut oil (To seal in moisture, particularly on the ends of my hair after spraying them with water)
• Bronner Bros. Extra Lite Super Gro (I use this on my edges each morning and at night to seal in moisture. I also used it on my ends to seal in moisture if I felt the coconut oil wasn't sufficient. I packed the full size jar, although I could have transferred some into a smaller jar like I did the gel and coconut oil.)

And of course, I packed the phony pony. Although I wore it during the trip, I didn't wear it at the airport. Call me paranoid, but I was afraid the bobby pins I used to hold it down would set off the metal detectors, and I didn't want to have to go through the embarrassment of having to remove my phony pony! You may think I'm crazy, but the underwire in my bra has set off some machines, so you just never know. Plus, although I didn't wear it while I was travelling and opted for a bun instead, the female security guard had to pat down my head just to make sure I wasn't concealing anything in my bun!

Speaking of buns, since I've been home, I have not worn the phony pony, but have instead decided to just wear buns:

I don't think it's good to apply tension to your hair or scalp in the same manner for extended periods of time, and those of you who have ever worn a phony pony know that the combs can stress out your crown, or whichever area of your head you choose to secure it to. Plus, for those of us with tender edges, slicking the hair back can stress out those edges. I have therefore decided to not wear the phony pony every day, and will switch up my hairstyle, opting for buns on some days, and letting it hang free on others. Wearing buns will enable me to protect my ends, but will cause less stress than the phony pony since I can change the positioning of my buns (sometimes high, sometimes low).

As for my free flowing styles, I have chosen to rock braidouts:

To achieve this look, I simply spritz my hair with water at night before bedtime, then apply Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturizer in sections prior to sealing with pure coconut oil. I then place the hair in a few plaits, put on my satin bonnet, and go to bed. In the morning, all I have to do is remove the plaits and fluff the hair with my fingers. Sometimes I wear my hair all down, or half up/half down as pictured above.

As we head into February, I plan to keep my ends moisturized and protected as much as possible. I've also decided to lay off of heat for a while. I don't want to make any vast declarations and say, "I'm not going to use heat for X amount of months..." because I don't want to make any promises I can't keep. I do however know that abstaining from heat will only help my hair grow long and strong during my waist length journey, and I need all the help I can get!

How are your locks fairing this winter?