The Instyler is Pretty Cool. Review and Thoughts:

Hi hair nerds. Again, thank you for your patience and understanding.

Well I’ve got tons of info. While I was gone, I did get my hands on the InStyler (thanks Stephanie!). I’ve got a few reviews and thoughts on it.

Now, anyone with 4B hair knows that you’re still gonna have to do a bit more work with out hair if you want to get it straight. The good news however, is that the instyler does work on 4b hair really, really well. I was surprised. While I knew that totally straightening my hair with this tool might not been possible, it still did really good job on my hair.

More pros for the instyler? It really does leave your hair looking shinier and feeling much softer. And your ends will definitely be nice and straight. It probably has something to so with that rotating iron and brush that’s attached to it, I’m sure. And I do like the brush feature attached… it basically ensures that your hair will NOT get tangled at any point during straightening. It also isn’t as time-consuming as I thought it might be… it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to do your entire head decently.

The Cons? Yeah. If you have 4A or 4B type of hair… you’re STILL gonna have to hit the roots with a pressing comb. while the InStyler does wonders for the shaft and ENDS of your hair… it’s a little tough to get close to your roots without burning yourself, and even if you do, you still can’t hit those roots the way you need to in order to keep your hair straight throughout the day. I WAS able to get to the roots without burning my scalp (with practice), but even so… I went to a grammy afterparty and QUICKLY sweated out the roots, while the rest of my hair stayed straight. But I went into this knowing that I’d still have to break out the pressing comb ahead of time. I know my hair. lol.

On the side of that… sometimes, the InStyler can be a bit hard to master on the mechanical side. What do I mean you ask? Well, the problem with the InStyler is that it only rotates going in ONE direction (or I havent figured out how to get it spinning the other way). This can make it hard to curl your hair in the direction that you want to, ESPECIALLY if you’re a lefty. You also have to make sure that the iron is constantly rotating downwards if you want to straighten your hair to the best of your ability without damaging it. Hopefully with future models, they’ll figure out how to make the rotating iron rotate in whatever direction you need in order to curl/straighten your hair.

Other than that… if you’re just looking for a basic straightening tool that’s cost-effective… or if you’re looking for something that’s one step above your normal flat-iron… this is a great choice for you. Especially if you have hair that’s 3B and below. This InStyler will be a breeze for you. 4A and up women… definitely helpful, and worth the money. But don’t be mad when we gotta break out the Pressing Comb to hit those edges…. You know what it is. But still. A great tool regardless.

Yes, I want to post up a picture. Maybe later. I’m not too keen on that yet. lol.

Also, again, I want to thank you for your patience. A few family members took ill… my uncle just passed of renal failure, and then my mother took ill with gallbladder issues. I’ve been running around taking care of business and other blogs… but I’ve been meaning to get at you guys for a while. Thanks again for caring.

Have fun!

Quick Emergency Post: Hair Dryer Broke. Looking for Hair Vitamins. Taking Suggestions for New Ones.

After 15 years, the dryer finally gave out on me.
now the added expense/work of finding a new dryer is in order.
now im in no mans land, as i have no ideal whats good out there in hair DRYER land.
hoping you guys out there might have some suggestions for me, as to a quality (but not obnoxiously expensive) hair dryer for that good old 4B textured hair.
i see all kindsa things like ceramic ionizing stuf… oh boy. lol. might just call the hairdresser on this one.

im also looking into vitamins for my hair as well… sometimes this just sounds like a scam, but doing the research, i can see how this can play an important role in hair growth. so im open to any suggestions there too.

unless you guys know anything? please share. if not, ill do the research and post about it later. lol.

-E

Using Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa Products on Your Hair? GENIUS.

hey people.
well, something interesting i ran across while going through blog details. it looks like someone out there found me through an interesting search term that i wish i would have thought of sooner: “using lay it on thick bath and body on hair.” WOW. well, i got a couple thoughts and ideals on this one for you, if youre out there reading this.

first of all… whoever you are, you are GENIUUUUUS. i dont know why i didnt think about this sooner. maybe i did, and i forgot because i stopped using the product for a year or two. but once i saw that search term, light bulbs started flashing in my head.

now we need to get specific. now while the lay it on thick shea butter is a GREAT moisturizer for your skin and hands (especially in this dry, cold season) and has great potential for your hair… i want you to know about their lotion product that is made SPECIFICALLY for your hands… the Lay It On Thick Hand Cream. this one, the last time i remember, has added biotin and shea oil for brittle nails… which is also AWESOME for your hair. also, its fragrance free, which is also a plus since i dont need any extra chemicals in my hair. i will be watching out for anything like waxes or things like that… dont need any surprises when i try to wash out my hair.

so yeah. thanks for the great ideal. and your timing was even better; they are having a buy two, get two free sale at B&B right now. im going to buy now, and start this ideal with my new braiding cycle. and i will definitely keep you updated.

Top 5 Hair Products of 2009:

1. Shapley’s MTG. (Accelerated Hair Growth)
2. MegaTek Pet Rebuilder. (Rinse Out Version)
3. MegaTek Hoof, Mane and Tail Rebuilder. (Leave In Version)
4. Infusium 23. (Anti Breakage)
5. Darcy’s Botanicals Peach Kernal Nectar Oil. (For Skin and Hair Nourishment)

Why? Well, Shapley’s wins for the simple fact that when consistently used, i can get at least 2 to 3 inches of hair growth within 3 months. yes, i will break out the picture to prove that shortly. its everything that Monistat wants to be, without the hair shedding when you stop using it.

I ranked MegaTek Pet rebuilder over the Mane and Tail just because of what the Pet Rebuilder did for me in terms of stopping breakage, which is my main problem. It singlehandedly solved the issue of breakage Monistat kinda triggered… and reversed any other breakage as result. i use it as the Shower Rinse Conditioner anytime I can. For people who wear their hair OUT tho… I would say the Mane and Tail Conditioner is best for you… it keeps your hair healthy and thick, without having to rinse it out within 30 minutes of putting it in. lol.

Infusium also wins for its anti breakage properties. I like to add this to a little bit of rosemary spray (ladies who follow know whats up) for added strengthening properties. especially love to use this out the shower right before blowdrying.

Finally, Im loving what Darcy’s Peach Oil is doing for both my hair AND skin. in a winter where for the first time… i had dry skin as a result of dry, cold weather (WEIRD)… this oil helped my hair AND my skin in a real way, while leaving me smelling like a fresh peach. :D

honorable mention to Palmers Organic Olive Oil Spray. that was #5.2. lol.
and ladies who have been following, dont think that this is a negative reflection on Ovation whatsoever.  i just havent had enough time with it as of yet. well see where that goes…. along with all the new products i hope to try out soon. Dr. Bonner’s hair line, Surge, and still.. Kinky/Curly.

getting back into the groove of things slowly. thought this might help you ladies with any questions you have or tips you need for new products, and what youre looking for. if you have any questions, feel free to shoot them at me.  ill be back soon to get into Monistat vs. Shapley’s, as planned.

thanks for reading.

Favorite Products Right Now: Dr. Bonners Almond Soap/Lay It On Thick Lotion: Bath and Body Works.

hey people. tryinta keep you updated a bit more often, since i kinda sucked at that last month. lol. i wanted to update with this post sooner, but caught a cold. since im shaking off the flu now, we can get started.
ive got a couple of things to go over. but first, we can start with two of my new favorite body products. well, neither is really new to me, but I havent told you about them, so they are probably new to you. lol.
Dr. Bonners Almond Scented Soap and surprisingly… Bath And Body Work’s Lay it On Thick Shea Butter Lotion.

we’ll start with Dr. Bonners, since ive touched and talked about this product in the past. always a great product for all over body use, 100% natural and organic, and always for fair trade. ive been using it since i was a kid… it was all mom ever bought. mostly because one bottle can last you for up to 3 months, if you dilute and use it correctly. well over the years, their product has expanded to different oils and scents, and i just found almond. man this stuff smells great. all of it smells great really, with peppermint being my favorite… but if youre looking for a non-minty, milder version of this great soap, this is the scent youre going for. this was great for those long tub soaks, and the oil in the soap is a great skin softener. you should really try it out sometimes.

so then, when you get out the shower, smelling all nice and fresh… youve got to put on lotion, right? now the problem is dry skin for me. normal lotion hasnt worked on me for years… even good old lubriderm left me ashy after a few hours. after a while, i just switched over to cocoa butter and vitamin e oils. after hearing about my troubles, a coworker introduced me to her new favorite lotion, called Lay it on Thick. now when anyone mentions buying products at Bath &Body Works, i usually am suspicious. they are great for scents, but their lotions… i wasnt too sure about. until this.
Now they werent lying when they named it “Lay it on THICK.” lool. the product ($20 for a big 10 oz bottle) is so thick coming out the container that you have to squeeze extra hard to get it out. which is a good sign for me. made from shea butter, macadamia nut oils, vitamin e, vitamin a extract and several other yummy ingredients for the skin… it goes on like a thick, rich cream over the body. the best part about is that the product absorbs into the skin so fast… youre rarely left with any over-oily or greasy feeling on your body. it kept my skin moist for the fully day… with no ashy or dry spots popping up at any point. and scented like almonds (yay!) with a touch of vanilla… the smell is another nice win. nice, but never overpowering. i had stopped using this product for a while because i was really into my bio oil and vitamin e set up i had going… but after running out of bio oil, i broke out what was left of this lotion, and was reminded of how kickass it really is. if you need a little heavy moisturizer this winter season, id say give this a try. ill be switching to this while i give the bio oil a well deserved break.

well, thats all i have for now. im rusty with this after a while. lol. well be getting back to the hair shortly. making decisions on whether i wanna go get a trim or leave it growing for as long as i can. also, since im almost out of ovation (and you will be hearing about that shortly)… im planning out what product to move to next. i think ill finally be giving Surge a try.

ill be back later.
-E

The New Power Combo: Ovation Cell Therapy and Darcy’s Botanicals.

hey people. hope all is good in hair land.

so after researching and digging deep for the new hair product combo for the next few months… i decided that i was gonna roll with the Ovation Therapy for washing and conditioning, and Darcy’s Botanicals for oils and hair cremes and whatnot. Darcy’s came with a strong recommendation from another hair blogging pro who knows her products. made from all natural, 100% vegan products, its great for naturally curly hair. plus, they have a hair and body oil scented with peach nectar… im intrigued to see what it feels and smells like.

as for ovation, im going with the product to see what the exact difference is between it and MegaTek… since they are from the same company. i had great results with the leave in and wash out MegaTek conditioners stopping breakage with my hair, so i want to give ovation a try and see if theres any real difference between the two. i ended up ordering the special system kit… 6 ounce bottles of the shampoo (which i never use up anyways), creme rinse and conditioner for about $55 dollars. its alot cheaper than ordering the 12 ounce bottle set, which would be $110 easily. ill keep you updated on progress with that as well.

a little later, ill get into the results from shapleys as well. its been REALLY good for me… so well start going through the pros and cons in a little bit.

thanks for dropping by,

-E

Yeah. I heart MegaTek: More Results.

hey people. hope everything is good out there in hair land.
i just wanted to give you the updates on the hair and product results ive been getting.
also, its time to choose new hair products. always a hard decision. but well get into it. first, lets talk about the MegaTek.

well, a few days ago, i took out the braids for rebraiding and washing. i was worried the whole time… concerned about shedding and breakage that was happening earlier this year (due to monistat usage on hair). i bought in MegaTek leave in conditioner (Mane, Hoof, and Tail for horses) which i had been using on a daily basis, along with their rinse out conditioner (coat and pad rebuilder for cats and dogs.) id use the leave in on a daily basis, and use the rinse out whenever it was time to wash out my braids or hair. now while i love what the megatek did for the over all thickness and health of my hair, i have to admit, i think it was the rinse out conditioner that did the most for me when it came to stopping the breakage. which it did wonderfully.

i have to tell you, when i took out the braids and thoroughly washed my hair and started to blowdry…. i saw a complete drop in the amount of hair that was breaking off. a LOT. REALLY happy about that. were back down to the  normal 100 to 150 strands. even when blow drying, i noticed that NO hair was breaking off during the process. its great. so im really happy with the results im getting from megatek. great growth and thickness from the leave in, and GREAT results with stopping breakage from the rinse out conditioner… which is what i wanted.
i officially suggest this for anyone trying to do ANYTHING regarding length with their hair. youll definitely get results.

now the hard thing is… making the decision as to what the next product is. ovation is obviously first in line, but darcy’s botanicals got a strong recommendation from a hair blogging pro. id like to keep megatek somewhere in the rotation, but again, there are options like devacurl and kinky curly out there. then you have to figure out what has sulfates in them… because its best if we avoid them, is the word.

i got a few days before i need to get on the interwebs and search out things for purchase, so ive got some time. but its so hard to pick one for sure. im usually stuck with it for another 3 to 4 months… unless it absolutely sucks. i guess im going to look out for the products with the sulfates and avoid those… and narrow it down from there.

if you have ANY suggestions… feel free to let me know. im up for anything.

thanks.

-E

Ladies: Monistat Antifungal Creme and Your Hair.

Yup.  Its time to go there. Get comfortable ladies… Im going in.
so this is what most of you have been waiting for… the use of Monistat Creme on your scalp for Hair Growth.
now i ALREADY know what youre thinking…. “monistat? ewww. omgwtfbbq are you doing?” and “omg! it doesnt go there!” lol. i know ladies, i know. and everything youre thinking right now is exactly what went through my mind when i first started to hear about it. but as i started to research it more, and found that women were getting real results with it… i figured that it was time to consider it. maybe give it a try.

before i did that, i decided to do some basic research, figure out what was going on, and what was making Monistat Antifungal creme so hot in the streets for hair growth. well, from everything ive pulled and researched on hair and Monistat, it goes a little something like this. all women of all colors EVERYWHERE seem to have a natural bacteria which inhibits hair growth. men seem to have very little if NONE of this bacteria on them… which explains how a LOT of men are able to grow long tresses without even trying at times.  what exactly this bacteria is, iont know. but i am googling as youre reading this, be aware. lol.

so it seems as if Monistat’s main ingredient, Miconazole Nitrate  (pronounced as mye-KON-a-zole, an Antifungal creme), seems to neutralize this natural bacteria on our scalps, allowing for hair to grow at normal to above normal speed. this seems to be incredibly true when it comes to African American ladies and our hair. they say normally that your hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch every month. but some of us out there know that it doesnt always go like that. for me, my problem was that when my hair tends to hit a certain length, growth seems to stall out, making it harder for me to get the length that i want.

so how did i run into this weird method, and what made me try it? well, in january 2009, about 2 and 1/2 years after cutting off all my hair and starting it from scratch in june of 2006, i noticed that my hair (while thick and healthy) was beginning to reach that point where growth stalls out hard for me… around about (upper) shoulder length. that was about the time i decided to hop on the interwebs and start searching for new products and methods out there. this was about the time i found out about MegaTek, Surge, Shapleys… and Monistat. now at the time, out of all the brands mentioned, Monistat seemed to be getting the most… and best feedback. i was intrigued and weirded out all at once. lol. but i decided once i got all my new hair products in, i would give this a legitimate try.

so now we get into the method i used, and the results that ive gotten thus far.
back in february, i decided to start slow and easy. i didnt want to spend too much money, so i went and purchased some store brand antifungal creme. i also didnt want to overwhelm my hair with anything it wasnt used to, so i purchased the 7 day creme… the one with the smallest amount of Miconazole Nitrate in it.

store brands FTW.

ill run you through the first two times i used the creme.
i was being extra careful (paranoid) with it, so i decided to try out the creme a day or two before i took out my braids… so that i could wash the creme out if i felt like there were any problems or issues with my scalp or hair. so heres what i did. i took small amounts of creme, put it on the tips of my fingers, and applied it directly to my SCALP. not my hair or hair shaft. from what i read at that point, i understood that its best that you avoid your hair as much as possible and focus on your scalp… where the bacteria lives. i started off on the back of my scalp, and let it sit for a day before applying to my entire head. now, the feeling i got from the monistat on my scalp was admittedly nice. a warm, intense tingle, followed by a little bit of itching (clean scalp that itches = hair growth, according to old wives/gramma tales). once the first day passed and i was sure that there were no adverse effects, i went ahead and applied it to my whole head, and let it sit for another 2 or 3 days before taking out my braids and thoroughly washing my hair.

not exaggerating…. the results were instantaneous and obvious for me. i literally had immediate growth from application within a week. and it was noticeable growth… enough that even the boyfriend made a comment on the growth. i kid you not… it was no less than an inch of growth within 2 to 3 weeks. unheard of… and not really seen again until i started using Shapleys. i figured the results were connected to the fact that i had never used it before… so i decided to braid up the hair again, and do the same thing towards the end of my braid cycle again. this time, i decided to up it from the 7 day creme to the 3 day… just to see if the results would be any different. did the same thing… applied the creme to the scalp, waited about 2 days, took out the braids, gave it a thorough wash.

this time was a biiiit different. while the growth continued… and it was ridiculous… i also began to notice that the breaking/shedding of my hair was slightly more pronounced. nothing really serious… but enough to make me take notice. a little more than usual, and looking like the breakage was taking place closer to the scalp rather than towards the ends of my hair. i was a little bothered by this… but incredibly impressed by the results. at this point, i had gotten no less than 3 inches of growth in 2 and a half months. i decided that i wouldnt be greedy and give my scalp a break… focus on stopping the shedding and breakage, and maintaining the amazing new growth i was getting. i immediately broke out the old school natural conditioners that are great for breakage… the avocado and egg conditioner. it took a while, but the breakage slowed down greatly. and yes. one day, i will blog about the egg and avocado hair conditioner and how to make it for you. :D

now i have to admit, while the growth has been amazing… the shedding that i get from using the creme can be a deterent from using it even more. from the additional research ive done, it seems as if the shedding increases after using it for a while and stopping. but i never really used it like that… on a daily basis. more like a once every 4 weeks treatment. as of the last time i used it (about 2 weeks ago, before rebraiding again), the growth was continuing in LARGE amounts. but now,  im only using the creme probably about once every 3 to 4 months, just as an extra growth boost. they also suggest that you dont use the product too much on the packaging, so ill follow their lead. i also dropped back to the 7 day creme just to be sure i wasnt doing too much with the Miconazole.  another step i took is to wash the creme out within 24 hours of putting it on my head… no more than that. literally, ill put it on my scalp at night, wake up the next morning, take out my braids and wash out my hair thoroughly. and ill be honest… the results that ive been getting from Shapley’s is comparable to what i was getting to the monistat… without the breakage. so ill be switching the product in and out from time to time.

so in the end, im a bit torn on monistat. but im still giving it two afropicks up (LoL). i definitely will continue to use it once in a while, but the added shedding of hair will always be on the back on my mind. however, the growth and results are so amazing, frankly… im willing to take that chance. ive finally passed that hair growth threshold i felt like i couldnt get past,  and am finally getting close to the length that i want. and i really have to credit that to my usage of Miconazole from a few months back. hopefully, with the help of good old fashioned rosemary and Shapleys… we can keep this growth alive while cutting out the shedding.

would i suggest this? well, if you are just not getting any growth, or if youre at a point where you feel like growth has stalled out, i would say yes. all the way around. it can be a good start point if youre just NOT getting the growth you want. but PLEASE. go into this knowing that your hair WILL SHED a bit more than usual. if you dont have any extra hair to spare (lol), i would suggest that you fall back and try Shapley’s MTG FIRST. if that doesnt work for you… THEN step your game up to the monistat.

now heads up… if youre weirded out or just NOT comfortable using Monistat on your scalp, there are TONS of other options with the same key ingredient in it. they are ALL antifungal tho, so either way, its gonna be some non typical stuff being put in your hair. lol. but here are some other options for you…
Neosporin AF, Lotrimin AF, Micatin and Monistat Derm.

now i THINK i covered basically everything… but as usual, if youre reading this, and you have questions… please reach out, leave a comment or a question. id love to get back to you and share my personal experiences with this, or cover any detail that i missed.

you know i dont blog about it unless it WORKS. :)

hope this helps you ladies out out there.

-E

Quick Update: Birthday Week.

ive been out and away, partying for the most part.
but that doesnt mean im not watching my hair. lol.
Quick Hair Update:
i have to give it to my friend @inaccuratemap (twitter).
she put me onto shapley’s, even though i was a a bit reluctant to try another product. especially equine. lol.
but she was right. shapley’s is the truth.
i have new growth (the amount of new hair thats come in since braiding) coming in on my braids as if i have left them in for 6 to 7 weeks.
monday was officially week 4.
looks like ill have to take them down and out next week and get it rebraided.  you cant let new growth your hair get too long while braided, as you risk pulling the hair out at the roots. especially around the edges.
MegaTek has been amazing as well. ill see how it really went once my hair comes out of braids, but it feels so healthy right now. we’ll see.

on another note, bio oil is great for your face as i mentioned,
but like i thought… it IS a bit oily and i have had a couple of breakouts.
its okay. im going to neutralize that with some proactive i just reordered.
i also ordered that Green Tea Mosturizer. ill make sure i report back on that.
now, while i love what the bio oil does, but i hate the breakouts.
my skin in general is kinda craptapular, and likes to scar and bruise easily.
that also applies to breakouts, of course. and the older i get (eek),
the slower it takes my face to clear up completely from any scarring.
oy vey.

i also had my first professional facial this week. interesting experience. we’ll get to that too.

in the meantime, if you have any suggestions on any good facial moisturizers i should use,
along with anything thats good for making your pores disappear (help me. theyre getting bigger.) let me know.
i have to start getting into skincare products more.
be back with more soon.

-E

Infusium 23 is still Chocked full of Win.

just putting you on to some old school awesomeness, infusium 23. a water based leave in conditioner, its a great product if youre looking to stop hair breakage, split ends, and promote stronger hair.

now as a kid, my mother would always use this product (along with the TCB, lol) when doing a leave in treatment. i would get a lot of hot oil treatments as a youngster, as i was on tetracycline as a kid for ear infections… and tetracycline is a total over loss when it come to hair growth (once again, this will probably be a blog of its own one day).
even then, i noticed that it stopped my from breaking off in large amounts… and really great as a weekly hair conditioner.

now i had stopped using this product for a good 7 years. mostly because i had forgot about it while using a ton of other products, and mostly because the shops around me weren’t selling it for whatever reason. i finally ran into it a few months ago while purchasing hair for my braids.

now, while it is a great standalone water conditioner for after shower usage, its also great as a styling aid as well (if you wet set your hair… this stuff is a dream). what i really like to do, for an extra growth kick, is add in a little bit of rosemary tea to it. from there, i put it in a spray bottle, and mist down my hair (or braids) every other day with it. its a great daily treatment if you want to strengthen your hair, while promoting its growth with the rosemary.

i know it might SOUND weird to some of you, but for me, its been nothing but hair growth win. the combo of that rosemary along with the infusium has done wonders.

if youre not into doing all of that, i still suggest you use the infusium as a standalone leave in if you have breakage or split end issues. its bound to get you some results in that category.

-E