My original project knee length was based on the frustration of not feeling my hair length progressed. Classic to knee length took me a full 3 years! Since thighs don’t have any “milestones” it really felt like I was going nowhere! It wasn’t until I decided to not trim in the entire 2011 that I felt like I actually moved forward.
I have no decided goal length for 2012, but I would like to gain a bit of length I think. Doesn’t have to be much, but I think staying at the same length might make me frustrated. Knee to ankle is as long as classic to knee and I ended up regretting the trims I had to slow me down. But then again, it’s at least a 3 year stretch so if I decide my ends look decent enough to keep going longer, I think I will get frustrated with the slow progress no matter what.
My observation has been that since I have outgrown my arms reach, it made hair handling a lot harder, but so far it haven’t mattered if its 2 cm longer or 20 cm longer than my arms. I predict it will be the same difficulty to comb it even at below knee length. But time will show.
Resolutions for healthy hair 2012
- Breakfast protein smoothie
- Buy a silk sheet/ silk pillows/ silk bonnet
- Buy better combs
- Covering my hair
- Do more Ankylosaurus overnight
- Experiment with more hair styles
- Gym
- S&D
- Supplements
- Treatment schedule
- Trimming
I have never been good with eating breakfasts. It’s one of those things that health nut-friends and family have repeatedly hit me over the head with. But I’ve always figured that it’s unhealthier to eat when you really, really don’t want to than to eat because someone “I know better than you” wants to force you to. But as part of the diet I put hubby and I on, I’ve been experimenting with protein smoothies to make sure I meet my protein requirement (Why yes, that’s mainly because of my hair!) and I think maybe I can get myself to drink one for breakfast. The ones I make are about 35g protein and 247 calories. It’s a bit high on the protein for a single serving, but I think it’s slightly lower since I filter the milk and protein powder before mixing with frozen berries to blend and I always have about ½ teaspoon of clumped up powder stuck in the filter.
Buy a silk sheet/ silk pillows/ silk bonnet
Also one of those things I really should have done ages ago. Unfortunately I have a strange aversion to silk (Apparently not as rare and weird as I thought?) Getting something better to sleep on should limit a lot of friction damage from sleep, especially at the fragile temple-bits. I think a bonnet might work better since I wouldn’t get as much skin in contact with it as a pillow. But most bonnets are made for buns or hair packed close to the head, so it would require some scissoring and work to adapt to my sleeping braids.
Buy better combs
I really should buy better combs than the cheap old plastic combs I use for 95% of my handling. It’s something I should have done years ago but I find habits die hard. I need a couple of good plastic (Or water-safe) combs. Probably a wide toothed for detangling and a finer toothed, “normal” one for smoothing my hair when putting it up would work.
Covering my hair
I will continue my experiments with hair covering. In the summer it’s to protect my hair against being bleached and my scalp being burned by the sun and in the winter to protect my scalp and hair from wind, moisture and cold. I want to get better at un-religion my summer scarf styles and find good, warm hats for the winter that will conceal my buns.
Do more Ankylosaurus overnight
I really should do these more often. It’s such an easy way to do a length conditioning. You just go to sleep and rinse it out when you wake. How often can you do an 8 hour deep conditioning without being bothered by neck aches or dripping?
Experiment with more hair styles
Even though I have some 10-20 up dos and variations I can do, my absolute go-to style is the braided nautilus bun. It’s sturdy, pretty and quickly done out of my usual braid. I would still like to add at least one more up do to my list or find another bun that would work as a go-to.
Since blogging has become a habit, maybe I should try to do a “Hairstyle of the week” post to make sure that at least once a week I try to do something cool I haven’t documented before?
Gym
My interest in the gym comes and goes, but I really should aim for going at least 2 days out of 3. Improved circulation is always good for hair growth and for health and well-being in general (And thus better for hair growth) Maybe I should come up with a reward-system for dragging my lazy ass there? I do want more pre-tied bandannas, a silk bonnet or silk pillow cover, some bun-concealing winter hats, more Flexi 8s and new combs…
S&D
In 2011 I had the beneficial Morocco Method dates written in my calendar and tried to do S&Ds on those days. However, I think I should simply keep my S&C scissor around the monitor and try to remind myself to look over my ends. A “bad” date shouldn’t keep me from S&Ding. A bad split should be removed as quickly as possible, so maybe I should give my ends a quick looking-over once a day? It doesn’t take more than30 seconds to run over my braid in front of the computer.
Supplements
Hubby has a certain discouraging effect on my supplement routine. He has become less discouraging over the last year, but I still feel like a weirdo for taking pills around him. It helped that I started offering him a vitamin pill once in a while. However, I have been thinking maybe I should keep a vitamin, a fish oil and a fiber tablet at my contact lenses to make sure I take one dosage of supplements a day. Heh, just like when I was on birth control.
Treatment schedule
I will give the scheduled treatments another try. I thought about it a lot and think I have come up with a better system.
I added more oils to my hair care in 2011 and found that my hair didn’t react badly, so I think I want to try adding even more oil. Since my ends respond better to oil, I’m assuming it has to do with wear on them. I can easily do overnight oiling in Ankylosaurus-form and rinse the excess out in the morning-shower. Since my hair is almost always up, any oily ends are hidden anyways.
Another experience is that I have a hard time getting myself together to do deep treatments on weekdays. It’s simply better to do on weekends when I know nothing will interrupt it.
Just like 2011, I will “cycle” treatments to try to get around everything in my treatments.
Week 1
Monday: CO wash
Wednesday: Walnut oil (In an Ankylosaurus overnight)
Saturday: Cholesterol
Week 2
Monday: CO wash
Wednesday: Olive oil (In an Ankylosaurus overnight)
Saturday: Coloured hair conditioner
Week 3
Monday: CO wash
Wednesday: Hemp oil (In an Ankylosaurus overnight)
Saturday: Cassia treatment + moisture
Week 4
Monday: CO wash
Wednesday: Coconut oil (In an Ankylosaurus overnight)
Saturday: Protein conditioner
Trimming
I know I’m my own worst critic, but I think I would like to take about 20 cm of the ends. Of course that would mean trimming away a full years’ worth of growth! I’m not entirely sure I want to do that. I could trim 2 cm every 3 months and still gain 10 cm in a year. Hm?
I know I would probably not regret getting rid of the ends that I don’t feel entirely happy with, but I don’t like the idea of an entire year where I gain no length at all. I guess it’s a bit silly, but it’s a pride thing. Maybe a trim every 3 months and taking off 2 cm or so?
