Veronica Directs!!!

 I love Vero!! And I know you will too. She gives us a really detailed glimpse into her hhj! Enjoy!! And don't forget to leave her nice words in the comments section. OOh and QUESTIONS!!

1.Your hair is........(relaxed includes texlaxed, natural, loc'd)(Include how you started your journey)

. My hair is texlaxed. I started my hair journey accidentally one day. I came across an article I think which led me to you tube and I discovered Miss ‘longhairdontcare’ (RIP) on YouTube and that completely opened another world to me. That was like a day of enlightenment. I was astounded, and proceeded to tell my sisters and my close friends about it. I have not looked back since then it was and I’m still going strong although I’m trying to make some tweaks here and there.  

2. What's your current length? 
My current length is somewhere between APL and BSL I’m not sure I try to stay away from heat most of the time but I'll be due for a heat pass soon. 

3. How long have you been on a hhj and how long did it take to get to your current length? 
I’ve been on my journey since December 2012 so I guess about 2 years and 3months. I started with bone straight hair but I cut of the ends last year in July so I’m fully texlax now, all the hair on my head was therefore grown in the last 2yrs and 3 months. 

4. What's your daily and weekly regimen like? 

My daily regimen, well I use the Liquid Cream Oil method of moisturizing and sealing, I do this mainly at night and spritz during the day but if for some reason if I don’t do my usual LCO(liquid,cream,oil) at night then I do it in the morning. I also sleep with a satin hair bonnet and I have satin pillow covers but I sometimes forfeit the pillow covers for a large satin cloth that I got before I found the pillow covers I’m a gymnastic sleeper heheheh, well, not really but I do move around a lot. Weekly I do a sulphate free shampoo then deep condition with light protein followed by a moisturizing deep conditioner sometimes I use a balanced deep conditioner instead of doing both. I used to have two wash days a week but I've simplified to one. Only if my hair is excessively dry do I add an extra day of a co-wash or dc or if my scalp is itchy. Monthly I clarify and do a henna treatment or a hair mayo treatment then follow with moisture. I also like ACV rinses and add things like oils, honey, molasses, Aloe Vera juice, egg and coconut milk to my deep conditioning sessions sometimes.

5. How do you like to wear your hair. ( i.e your go to protective style)
My go too protective style is wigs. I used to be so scared of the idea of wearing one but now I’ve grown accustomed to them. I’ve also found that they are a good protective style especially when one has a lot of growth or if u suddenly want to wear your hair different…sometimes taking them off like a hat is a huge bonus. I now have full wigs, half wigs, three quarter wigs and my newest is a crotchet wig that fits nice n snug. I wear them a week or 2 at a time and between that I’m in buns or some low maintenance style I probably invented in while starring at the mirror. 
 

Top left is my new crotchet soft dread wig and top right is a 3 quarter wig that I’m wearing as a half wig...hehehe bottom left are clip-ins styled up into a ponytail and the bottom right is a short full bob wig I bought.

6. Do you use direct heat? If so, how often? 

I use direct heat sometimes but only wen I’m plaiting my hair like for braids or cornrows that’s usually once during a stretch (I stretch usually between 12 and20 weeks depending on if I feel like a superhero or not), when the hairdresser switches on the blow drier I cringe and watch her like a hawk. If I can get away with it I go to the salon with prewashed and stretched dried hair. Otherwise I have not flat ironed since my journey began so I only flat iron wigs. 

7. Are you on any diet or are  taking any vitamins to promote healthy hair growth? 

Well as of last week actually I’ve been trying not to ignore the fruits in my fridge, this week I’ve started drinking more water and I’m also on a 10 week exercise challenge, I do hope this healthier lifestyle is here to stay. Hmmm I have sum multivitamins somewhere that this question has just reminded me to take so thanks Mira lol. In the past I’ve taken biotin, msm and some hair skin and nails supplements as well as ordinary vitamin C (but those was for overall health), I also have started sleeping much earlier to allow my body to get the rest it needs for a more productive day, hopefully it will also grow longer hair as I dream away. However on my supplement wishlist is Manetabolism and Hairfinity especially the former. 

8. If you could have 5 hair related items, what would they be and why? (Briefly)
Well I can’t live without a wide tooth comb, castor oil and coconut oil mix, rose water and aloe vera juice mix (for my leave in) my ors hairepair intense moisture cream moisturizer, ors replenishing conditioner (renewed love) this 5 items thing is too small I have more loves in reserve. They are

crème of nature sulphate free shampoo and queen helene cholestral conditioning cream (which is finished #tears.
 

top left picture is a full wig with a deep parting (I love those) its styled into a ponytail by plaiting the hair with a scarf. On the left is a deep curl half wig bottom left is me in cornrows…I loved this style but I don’t do cornrows or braids often to save my edges from murder. On the bottom right is a crotchet hair style I did with maxi dread hair piece with braids in the front.

9. What do you wish you knew before your hhj?

. I wish I knew that our hair is actually drier than all other ethnicities. I would have not flat ironed it so much or tried chasing hairstyles I had no business chasing every day of my life. I would also have stopped relaxing my hair from root to tip and would have moisturized and washed it more and also deep conditioned...a lot of women still don’t know what that is. Hmmph the things you find out accidentally. Thank God for the internet lol.

 

Along the way I’ve also experienced setbacks. In this specific one I had to cut off my bone straight hair due to tangling issues which was causing breakage (3a). I wasn’t happy but I had to pick health over length so one night after not being happy with my hair I picked up the scissors and cut off all the bone straight hair.

10. Encourage someone on a HHJ?

Well what I can say is chuck away all the hair myths you know and start of small, firstly by reading information on hair care and understanding why your hair needs a protein and moisture balance. You can find information on this blog and a lot of other international blogs, but don’t get information overload just yet. The information that you come across will help you to formulate a regimen that will improve the health of your hair and as you do this you will be able to retain more length. My advice is to follow someone who inspires you and who already has hair that is at your health and length goal and who preferably has the same texture you do and hopefully the same hair porosity (eeeek…hit google now!!!) 

 

This picture below is my hair 2months before my hhj started…I had just relaxed it, see how straight it is and it looks a bit thin. It was still considered long though I did all the wrong things to it.

Lastly your hhj can be fun…don’t let it be boring…the pictures of different styles show that it’s an interesting journey and does not mean you have to be limited to certain styles,  I've left out so many in this feature but there are plenty of ideas on blogs, YouTube and Pinterest. As long as you treat your hair with care while you are in them you will reap the benefits. Oh and don’t become a hair product junkie.

Have an awesome HHJ

Cheerio,  V.