LAST SUMMER I STARTED THE CURLY GIRL METHOD(CGM)

While on my journey I discovered the Curly Girl Method.  I  watch utubers  that had been using this method to keep their curly kinky hair moisturized.  Everyone knows how Gray hair has the reputation of being dry.  So I was interested in this method.  I ordered the book(The Curly Girl Method..Author Lorianne Messey) on my phone and read the few pages that was dedicated to Afro American  Kinky Coily Hair.. I followed it exactly for about 3 months..
My hair have never been so moisturized.  I loved it.  Now the first  week or so my hair reacted funny.  My scalp dried and itched(I will give recipe for my anti-inch oil that I use for my scalp tomorrow.) and the hair seemed dry..I  stuck to it and to my surprise it worked better than I can say. 

Since then I modified a little but basically I do the CGM...Using this method, I use a lot of conditioner and not much shampoo. My Video when I started the CGM and a photo about 4weeks later.. Both are wash n go's.  Notice the shine in the photo...

HOW I CONCURRED THE YELLOW

I had a problem with my gray turning yellow.  The next day after getting the big chop my Teeny Weeny Afro (TWA) had a yellow tint in the front.  For the next few days I trim off the yellow until I couldn't  cut any more.  Then I bought the blue shampoo. The shampoo was ok but not the best.  It was drying my curly gray afro hair out.  But it got the yellow out.  I just added moisture, like Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and Olive Oil.  I looked around for a better shampoo and conditioner that would work on the yellow.  I found Clariol lights for Gray/Blonde hair.  I didn't have much to choose from, not saying they're not other brands out there but I couldn't find them.   Now,  with the blue shampoos I still had to wash my hair often.  I couldn't figure out why the yellow was winning.  Finally I was told by a blogger name GrayHairTwists, not to use any product with color in it and especially not Olive Oil because of the deep yellow greenish color.  Any product with color would settle in my hair and turn it yellow or give it a yellowish tint.
With that information I bought only products without color.  That was a big deal I had concurred the yellow...YES!..One thing that still was a issue was my shampoo and conditioner.
I needed to find a shampoo and conditioner that had no sulfates and para bans.  The few blue shampoos I could find had those ingredients.  Well, I got this idea..What if I add blue food coloring to my favorite shampoo and or conditioner????? Can you believe it worked for me and I've been using it in my favorite conditioner ever since..Only when I need to and there are no problems with the condition of my hair.  This video is when I first experimented with the Blue Food Coloring..

MY 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY IS ALMOST HERE...

I can't believe its been more then a year since I posted.   Soon it will be 2 years since my big chop and me wearing out my GRAY hair...I remember being so self conscious then, and now I love my Silver hair.
I plan to post everyday in July.
August 1, 2013 will be my 2 year anniversary of my big chop and when I started wearing out my Gray/Silver hair.
I will share info on things I've tried that made caring for my hair easier.  I may share things that was a complete fail too.  (Trails and Errors).

Since I've been natural I don't use heat much in my hair.  Believe this. my hair now is as thick as my hair was in High School.   I've straighten my hair about 4 times in 2 years and that is usually to do a length check.  By the way, I used Crisco shortening as a heat protectant.  I didn't use a blow dryer and went though the hair once using the chase method....  It was so easy to straighten especially when properly moisturized..  

MY FAVORITE NATURAL HAIR STYLE..MINI TWO STRAND TWISTS..

My most favorite natural hairstyle is the Mini Twists.  I have been waiting for my hair to grow long enough for me to be able to twist my hair.  There are people that can do mini twisties on their hair when it is super short, but I can't.  I had to wait.  This is my second attempt doing mini's since my second big chop.     When I went natural in 09 I did mini twisties on my hair many times.  I loved it.  So last Thursday I cowashed my hair and then as a leave in conditioner I tried something called Shea Butter Conditioning Repair Cream Leave-in.  I like this product it was white and didn't stain my silver hair.  Next I started twisting, but I was in front of the TV and wasn't paying attention to the size of the twists.  The twisties are so tiny my daughter said it doen't look like I actually have twisties.  I think shes right but my hair does hang differently and looks a little different.  What do you think?

  To keep the twistie neat and moisturized I put coconut oil/shea butter and band the twisties in sections.  I throw on my bonnet and then in the morning the twisties are soft and neat....

TWIST OUT ON GRAY NATURAL HAIR.

When I do a Twist Out on my hair the hair will feel very soft and shinny.  I choose styles that will keep my hair from looking dry and wirely.  Gray hair has that reputation.  I 've notice if I moisturize and keep my hair clumped together as much as possible I can wear it loose and it will look soft and stay that way.  When I say clumped together I mean braided or twisted or something like that.  At night I make sure my hair is moist twisted  braided or tied down.  Then the next day its ready to style..

On this twist out I used Coconut Oil and Shea Moisture Leave in..for moisture.  On dampen hair I twisted my hair that night into about 12 twists.  Took about 15 minutes. 

The next morning, carefully unravel.    Using only my fingers I fluff it out and thats it..Thats all...No wirely or dried out hair....

This is my results.  I will cover at night with a bonnet and the style will last for days.....

ALMOST 8 MONTHS SINCE BIG CHOP...MY FEELINGS NOW..

Its been a long time since I've posted.  I have actually since my first couple of post done a 180...I now love my hair.  The first 3 months was hard, only because  people around me brought it to my attention.  "Omg your gray," Omg you cut your hair'.  See, I did a big chop so all the dye was out of my hair and my hair was growing back naturally gray.  Now mostly everyone I know know now so nothing is really said out loud to me.  My youngest , bless her, always tell me my hair is cute, especially when I style it.  Everyone else that I know or close to me tend to ignore the hair.  Strangers always come up and tell me how they love my hair and how soft it looks.   Well I appreciated that and now on my own I'm embracing my gray. 

To get thru the first few months I hide my hair with handband and scarfs. 

Whats Important?

There is so many things going on in the world today..My hair shouldn't be on my mind like it is. but it is.  2 years ago I went natural (no perms).  I was losing hair, getting older and all. I decided to go natural, but one thing I didn't change, I still colored my hair.  Seems everyone is saying   "30 years of coloring now I tired," me too.  Being natural and taking care of my hair made my hair grow super fast and my roots started growing out overnight.  Fighting to keep my roots covered took to much of my time.

I did the big chop again. and now I'm growing my hair back without coloring.  In one way its more freedom, but to chop off my hair and be gray all of a sudden is like a shock.  I tried to let the gray grow in naturally  for about three months.  The stripes of all the faded dye was so terrible looking, one day I went to the shop and said: "chop it off ".  So I'm trying to embrace...

How to embrace my gray, when my makeup needs to change, Really...my clothes the colors clash, what to do...What are your challenges with your gray, silver, white hair...I do have many.