3 Awful Ways To Trim Natural Hair

I can't even count the times that my hair was butchered at a salon. You go in asking for a trim and come out with INCHES missing or you ask for a blunt cut and come out with layers. I've made so many mistakes when it comes to trusting that a stylist knows what I want, which is why I researched DIY techniques to trim my hair. But I was searching, I stumbled upon 3 of the most AWFUL terrible I-can't-believe-they-are-serious ways to trim/cut curly hair.

The Tunnel Cut

The premise of this cutting technique is to reduce the bulk your curls without affecting curl formation no matter the curl type. The stylist cuts diagonal "tunnels" into the sides of the hair at the root.

An actual, supposedly trained stylist did this. *hangs head* This atrocity is the absolute worse natural hair trimming technique that I've ever seen. I actually wanted to cry for her. I understand that BIG hair ain't for everyone but this cut CANNOT be the solution. I mean, can you even imagine what her hair will look like as it grows out?

The Razor Cut

Razor cuts thin out your ends and supposedly prevent that heave mushroom shape as your hair grows out.

If you're a curly girl that only wears straight hair, then the razor cut pixie look can be a totally chic look. However, when you wear your hair curly, don't be surprised if your ends look thin and limp or if your curls are frizz and piece-y. When you add the fact that most curlies have more than one curl pattern, razor cuts lack styling versatility.

The Straighten First Insist

In this method, a stylist insists on straightening your hair before cutting or trimming in order to "more accurately cut.

I've debated this technique so many times that it makes my head hurt. The truth of the matter is that you don't need to straighten your hair just to trim it. In fact, you can do your hair more harm than good when excessive heat and high manipulation are involved. Because I'm still learning my curl pattern, I want to learn ways to work with my curl instead of against it---and that includes how I trim it. Here are 5 ways that you can trim your hair without using heat.

What's the worse method or technique that you've seen to trim your hair?

Besitos!
KLP

Caruso Steam Rollers on Natural Hair | The #WashDayExperience

In honor of today's #WashDayExprience theme, I took a break from attempting to perfect my wash and go technique so that I could throw my hair up in some big ol voluminous curls.

Here's what I used:

Deep Condition- DIY Moisturizing Mist (tutorial here) + Jessicurl Deep Treatment Conditioner (review here) + Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Clay Rinse- How I get my curls to POP!
Leave-Ins- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Why EVCO is AMAZING here) + Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner (why I love this stuff here) + DIY Hair Butter

And here's how I did it:

I started my spritzing the ends of my hair with my DIY Moisturizing Mist (tutorial here). Then I slathered my hair in Jessicurl Deep Treatment (review here). My hair was super dry so I sealed in the conditioner with a little Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (here's the kind that I use $) then left it in overnight.

RELATED: Why I Deep Condition Overnight

The next morning, I hopped in the shower, rinsed the conditioner section by section then applied my Clay Rinse with a narrow tip applicator bottle. I still adore how this treatment makes my curls perfectly springy, defined, and moisturized. Out of the shower, I t-shirt dried for a couple of minutes then applied little more Extra Virgin Coconut Oil + Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner (why I love this stuff here) as my leave ins. Then I faux banded my hair to stretch it a little while it dried.

RELATED: How To Stretch Natural Hair Without Heat

I thought about doing bantu knots, but then decided to try an oldie but goodie: CARUSO STEAM ROLLERS!! It's been forever since I rocked a set of big fluffy steam curls so I wasn't sure what to expect.

RELATED: How To Use Caruso Steam Rollers on Natural Hair

I set my hair on the rollers using a little Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie as my styler/holding product. I'm pretty shocked that in 3 years, I haven't done an official review on this stuff. Just know that it's amazing and EVER so perfect for setting perm rods, bantu knots, and twist outs. Plus the scent is to. die. for.

I let my rollers air dry for about 30 minutes then sat under the dryer for another 15 minutes just to make sure that they were dry. For my chicas with super thick hair---you know the struggle to get any kind of roller set dry in a decent amount of time.

I'd forgotten how much I love how steam roller curls look on me! My hair is uber moisturized and has tons of volume. The next day it rained so I wore it up in the high puff  + bangs situation.

How was your #washdayexperience? What's your favorite way to get big voluminous curls? Share all the dets below!

Besitos!
KLP

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5 Ways To Trim Natural Hair

I'm scissor happy and cut apprehensive all at the same time. I'm not at all afraid to trim my hair. I know that my curls will look better, feel healthier, and behave properly when my ends are maintained. But I just don't want to over do it.

My goals for trimming my hair are simple:

Keep length

Remove splits

Create shape

Without using heat

I want to keep my length, while removing any split or rough ends, and give my curls some shape, all without having to straighten my hair with heat. I know I know...I'm asking for a lot here. So I took to YouTube in hopes of finding a few tips to help me beyond a better DIY trimmer. Here's what I found:

THE TWO STRAND TWIST METHOD

Time consuming but thorough. I like this method because it allows me to wash, trim, and set my hair all at once. However, I doubt that it will give my hair shape.

THE STRETCHED FRO METHOD

Because my hair is typically stretched from a Curlformer set, the stretched fro method would definitely be convenient for me. I sort of used this method during my last trim, but I found that I snipped off a tad bit more length than I would have liked because my ends love to curl up on itself.

THE CURLY SEARCH & DESTROY METHOD

I love this method because it truly takes into account what your ends look like while wet while concentrating on getting rid of single strand knots. There are times when my stretched ends will look wonky and uneven but once it curls up---it's perfectly fine. Again, this method is tedious but you're guaranteed not to take off too much length.

THE DIY DEVA CUT METHOD

I won't lie, this DIY Deva Cut Method is personally the scariest technique that I found because it's all about achieving that perfect shape. I don't trust my trimming skills enough yet to even attempt this free hand method, but I'm saving it for that day when I feel bold!

THE BANDING METHOD

I love the way that Laila uses a hair tie to determine where to trim her ends. She concentrates on keeping the trim even, only snipping off the splits and keeping her layers in tact.

What are your tips for trimming your hair? Have you tried any of these methods? Share your dets!

Besitos!
KLP

Volume Check

My hair is stupid dense.

Sometimes I feel like I have a million of the world's teeniest tiniest curls.

The changes that I've made in my regimen have made a world of difference in the way that my hair feels.


But does it look longer? Meh...not really.

When I found this picture from 2015; I had to really mediate on what indicators actually mark progress for my curls. Length is great, but it can't be the only factor worth considering.

My hair is probably 2-3x more voluminous than it was last year.

My hair is shiner, fuller and much more defined.

My ends clump and form these perfect little coils.

My hair has evolved and I think that it's time for my mindset on progress to evolve too because all of this volume and definition is giving me LIFE.

So I'm wondering, should I start doing volume checks in addition to length checks?

Besitos!
KLP

[Hairstyle] Bouncy Curls Using Steam Rollers | #WashDayExperience

Between Turkey Day, my half-marathon training, getting sick, and trying to be fabulous for my 10 year high school reunion (OMG...I can't believe it's been TEN years since I graduated high school!), then doing it all over again, I've washed/co-washed my hair 3 times​ in 7 days!

I wanted big bouncy curls for my reunion but I knew that I wouldn't have time for either perm rods or my signature bantu knot curls. So I whipped out my steam rollers. I think that it's safe to say that I love these things---and Jessicurl!

1. Deep Condition- My hair was well detangled from my previous 2 co-washes, so I jumped right into deep conditioning. I applied Jessicurl Deep Treatment from root to tip then massaged in a little extra virgin coconut oil to seal the conditioner in. I left it in for about 5 hours. 
2. Detangling treatment- Then I rinsed each section. applied a dollop of Matrix Biolage Detangling Solution, worked it through my roots and rinsed.
3. Air Dried- I added a bit of Chi Silk Infusion to 80-85% wrapped in a cotton t-shirt.
4. Leave ins-I used Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner to moisturize and a dab of hair butter  to seal, then I blew out my roots with cold air to stretch it and set on Caruso Steam rollers for about 30 minutes.

Don't judge my bathroom selfe

The Results

Bantu knot-like curls! My hair felt super soft and well conditioned. I love the curl pattern and half way through taking down the rollers, I totally wished that I had more smaller rollers than the larger ones. Hmm...looks like I have something else to ask Santa for this year!

My besties

Every wash day, I'm reminded of how much my ends need a trim. I mean, when the heck was my last real trim? July? That's kinda sad. I totally know better than that. 

But trimming requires straightening and straightening requires 3 hours of devoted time with a flat iron. Ain't no body got time for that!

Oh and these are my day after bed-head waves. I didn't wrap, set, moisturize, anything. I am not a good role model. Do not try this at home. LOL. 

How was your #washdayexperience? Share the dets below!

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[Hairstyle] Caruso Steam Rollers | WashDayExperience

I'm so bored with my hair I could just scream. Usually, I have a plan of attack and style in mind before I start my #washdayexperience but this week---nothing. Nada. Zip. I love me some perm rods but I'm not that quick on the installation tip (it takes me roughly 1 1/2 hours), my bantu knot curls have been hit or miss (with mostly misses and updos), I've been really itching to give myself a good flat iron + trim (especially since my terrible detangling mishap caused me to snip several knots out of my hair). As I sat looking stupid at my freshly deep conditioned hair, opted for the down and dirty quick route: a tension blow dry and caruso steam rollers. Plus---I've gotta hot date with the hubby tonight. #woot Here's how my #washdayexperience went:

1. Pre-Poo-  I detangled my hair in about 8 sections then applied Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from root to tip. I covered with a plastic cap and let it sit for a few hours.
2. Shampoo- Working in with each section, I massaged a little diluted Matrix Hydrasource Shampoo, lightly detangled and rinsed. 
3. Extreme Deep Condition- Next, I applied Matrix Hydrasource Conditioner to my roots and Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe from the line of demarcation to my ends. Afterwards, I applied a little extra virgin coconut oil from root to tip to seal in the conditioner. I covered with a plastic cap and let marinate overnight.
4. Tea Rinse- I hopped in the shower to rinse the conditioner section by section. Then I applied my tea rinse of 2 green tea bags + 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of glycerin. I let the mixture sit on my hair for about 5 minutes.
5. Detangling Treatment- I rinsed the tea then applied a Matrix Biolage Detangling Solution.
6. Air Dried- I applied a bit of Chi Silk Infusion to 80-85% wrapped in a cotton t-shirt.
7. Leave ins-I used Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner to moisturize and extra virgin coconut oil to seal, then tension blow dried my hair.

The results:
Towards the end of last week, my hair started to feel awkward. A little coated and a lot dirty.  My moisturizer wasn't absorbing like it usually does. I knew that for this wash day, I'd need to shampoo. Shampooing once a month typically does the trick for me. In between, I'll use my shampoo bar or cleansing conditioner if necessary. 

I don't tension blow dry my hair often because I well---I'm not just not that great at handling my blower. I kinda fumble with the controls and always find a way to spray air into my face. I have no clue how Jeni (the bestest co-host in the world, btw) does it so flawlessly!



I let the steam rollers cool for about 30 minutes before unraveling and apply a little Chi Silk Infusion. If you guys haven't realized by now...I love that stuff! I apply it to my freshly rinsed deep conditioned hair to aid in detangling and for a light shot of protein. I also love the way that it gives my hair super shine. 

How was your #washdayexperience? Share the details below!

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Perm Rods + Tangles | WashDayExperience

 
I learned a lot about my beautiful multi-textured hair this week. 1. It's defiantly stubborn. 2. It's a bit bi-polar and 3. Without a good stretch on wash day---the rest of the week is miserable. I refused to repeat my mistakes from last week, so I broke out some old faithfuls from Jessicurl and dusted off my perm rods. Here's how my #washdayexperience went:

1. Pre-Shampoo- I slathered my hair in extra virgin coconut oil whilst I detangled. I put my hair in about 6 bantu knots to keep my hair sectioned.
2. Shampoo- with Jessicurl Cleansing Cream applied to each section.
3. Extreme deep condition- I deep conditioned with Jessicurl Deep Treatment on the length of my hair. Then I massaged my stands with extra virgin coconut oil, covered with a plastic cap and left it for a few hours.
4. Tea Rinse- using 1 black tea bag and 1 green tea bag steeped in 2 cups of water + 2 tbsp of glycerin.
5. Smoothing Treatment- with a large dollop of Matrix Biolage Detangling Solution.
6. Air Dried- I applied a bit of Chi Silk Infusion to 80-85% wrapped in a cotton t-shirt.
7. Leave ins-I used Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner to moisturize and the teensiest amount of Tangerine Vanilla Whipped Hair Butter to seal then set my hair on about 35 orange perm rods and left in overnight

It wasn't pretty for a while y'all. I had to cut out 3-4 knots. My nape was a tangled nightmare and suffered the worse of it all. Pre-wash detangling took about an hour vs my usual 15-20 minutes. I'm nervous that whenever I get around to straightening, I'm gonna have a janky hemline. *shudders* I'm still kicking myself in the butt.

There were a few tears shed and there might have been a few fudge bombs dropped. But, it all changed once I slathered my hair in Jessicurl Deep Treatment. Omgosh, this stuff is amazing. My hair simply soaked it up. I didn't use heat---I just let it sit for a few hours. And when I went to rinse---Ladies----we were back in business!

I still suck at installing my perm rods. Maybe I'm too meticulous---or maybe my fingers are still getting the hang of it all, but I feel like 1.5 hr installation time is ridiculous! I'm off to YouTube to find a quicker way! In the meantime---LOOK AT ALL THIS STUPID SHRINKAGE! Yes---I'm still amazed at how I go from MBL to barely even chin length overnight. Shrinkage is the devil!

It's pouring rain in my part of the world, so in a high bun all those curls went and I was on my way! Take a look at my roots---no gel, jam, or edge control. Glory be to perm rods for what they do to smooth my roots! And check out that silly straight end that never wants to act right! There's always one right?

I hope you had an amazing #washdayexperience chica!

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Flexi Rods | #WashDayExperience

I've only done the bare minimal to maintain my hair over the last 3 weeks. I moisturized and sealed just enough to pull my hair up and keep my top knot from becoming a top disaster. I didn't comb. I barely detangled. I totally don't recommend this! It's so weird---again---this wash day, when I took down my hair it was super moisturized, super fluffy, and relatively tangle free. I know that neglect can easily turn into breakage, but I can't lie, I'm totally enjoying the simplicity of it all in the midst of my super hectic cross state move, getting my little people ready for school, and trying to enjoy the last few days of summer. The only thing that's been consistent are my wash days. Here's how today's went:

1. Pre-shampoo- I lightly detangled and slathered my hair in extra virgin coconut oil.
2. Co-Wash- with Shea Moisture Co-wash Conditioning Cleanser.
3. Extreme Deep Condition- I applied Matrix Ultra Hydrasource Conditioner to my hair root to tip, then I massaged my stands with extra virgin coconut oil, covered with a plastic cap and left it in overnight.
4. Tea Rinse- using 2 chamomile tea bags steeped in 2 cups of water + 2 tbsp of coconut oil.
5. Detangling Treatment- I applied a large dallop of Matrix Biolage Detangling Solution
6. Air Dry-  wrapped in a satin scarf for about 30 minutes.
7. Leave ins- I used Chi Silk Infusion to aid in detangling and smooth my strands then rolled my hair on flexi rods in about 1" sections. 

The Results:
As I detangled, I snipped a few frayed ends as a part of the 30 Day Split Challenge. Then I re-wet my hair with water and pretty much followed Jeni's Essentials For Great Flexi Rod Sets guide to install my rods. The process was super tedious. I skipped moisturizing with my beloved Jessicurl Too Shea! for fear of weighing down my strands. I figured that if all else failed, I'd co-wash in a day or two. I ended up sleeping in the rods because I wanted to make sure that they were dry. OMGosh!! Worst. Idea. Ever. If I ever do that again shoot me. No seriously. SHOOT ME. It's going to take several cups of coffee to make up for the sleep lost and several yoga sessions to get the kinks out of my neck. Oh yeah, did I mention that was the WORST. IDEA. EVER?!? 

It was challenging to keep my ends wrapped on the rods, so if I ever do this again, I'll definitely have to use end papers. I'll probably pick up some wider (think fatter) flexi-rods because although I loved these little sprial curls, if you know me---and I think that you do---I LOVE me some BIG BOUNCY curls. 

With all that said, these curls are sooooo cute. Y'all should see me shaking my head all over the place. It's truly truly sad how silly I get when I'm having a good hair day and I think that no one is looking! #dontjudgeme!

How was your #WashDayExperience?

Besitos!
KLP

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