Henna and Indigo Results

I finally got around to ordering my indigo so that I could cover my burgundy hair color with something a little more modest.  I'm sure the bright red henna'd hair I had before is appealing to some but it was not my cup of tea.  I wasn't quite ready for the lengthy two step process where you henna first, rinse out and then apply indigo for a jet black result.  Instead, I mixed one package of Godrej Nupur Henna (50g) with 100 grams indigo.  I ordered the indigo powder from Butters-n-Bars.com which is the same online store where I get my raw unrefined shea butter.

I kept the henna mix pretty simple as always and just mixed it with a mug of strong green tea to help the dye release.  I added enough water to give the mixture a smooth, almost pancake batter consistency and let it sit overnight.  The next day, when I was ready to apply it, I mixed the indigo into a paste with just plain water and added it to the henna.  I don't add oils anymore because I read that it can slow the dyeing process.  I applied the "Hendigo" to my hair like a clay mask and covered with plastic wrap.  Then I waited for four hours before rinsing and then co-washing several times to get it all out of my hair.

The application took very well to the majority of my hair but left my grey strands with just a tinge of color.  I'm planning on doing another application to the roots and grey hairs sometime this week 'cause I don't need everybody knowin' how old I'm getting.  If my greys are still too obvious afterward I may reconsider dyeing my hair all black with the two step process.

My stubborn grey strands are still noticeable 

I like the reddish brown tone in the sun

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival 2011

I remember attending the very first Cherry Creek Arts Festival when I was in High School.  I was a budding artist and the concept was so cool to me.  Basically, it's a large scale art event situated right in the middle of the Cherry Creek North shopping district.  There is usually a lot of live music, wine & beer gardens, food and even craft stations for the little ones.  Not only is there lots of cool activities, music and artist booths, but visiting the surrounding shops can be fun too.  Now that I'm older, I enjoy heading to the festival but with the family in tow.  My kids all love to draw so I like to think that maybe the art and artists are an inspiration for them now like the festival was for me when I was younger.  It sounded like a great way to spend my birthday this week which is only 3 days after the 4th of July. 

 Here are a few pictures I took at this years' event.

My Curly Braid out

Lots of good food

Just couldn't resist the Smoked Turky Leg

Festive 4th of July bikes

Heat Damage Again. . .Really?

If you watch my channel, mitchellzee, on YouTube, then you probably already know about the heat damage I have in the front section of my hair.  When I do a wash n' go, I just braid that part up to give it enough texture to blend it with the rest of my hair.  My hair just seems to be really fine in front so even after using 3 different types of heat protection every time I flat iron, I still end up with straight pieces. 

My hair after washing and deep conditioning
No curls; just a mess

So, I was pretty upset when I found even more heat damage after the last time I wore it straight for Easter.  I knew it wasn't the initial press but a touch-up later in the week that did it. 

My rules for avoiding heat damage are as follows:

1.  Always cleanse the hair thouroughly prior to using heat
2.  Do a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment before and after the use of heat
3.  Always use heat protectant
4.  No more heat styling the rest of the time (i.e. styling by wrapping, roller setting, bantu knots and braids instead of using the flat iron again)

The first time I gave myself heat damage I broke rules #1 and #3.  I thought that I could get away with using heat after a braidout left my hair nice and soft.  I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if I could just straighten it now without the blowdrying?"  Well, yes and no.  You can use braids to stretch your hair prior to straightening as long as you don't use any oils which can cause damage when you apply direct heat.  I used a mixture of castor, coconut and olive oils to do the braidout so when I applied the heat....sizzzle!  Also, I didn't even bother with heat protectant and ended up with a piece in front that not only did not revert back, but was straight like relaxed hair.  I eventually cut it off which is why I now have bangs.  This was 3 months after I did the big chop.

This time, however, was a huge dissapointment because I KNEW better!  I broke my own rule #4; no more heat the rest of the time I wear it straight.  I moisturized my hair and sealed it with coconut oil everyday so I knew for sure this had something to do with the new damage I noticed.  Not only that, I oiled my scalp with Wild Growth Oil and it ended up coating my strands from root to tip.  I could have used my Caruso Rollers, to style my hair but was pressed for time and pulled out the flat iron again.  After shampooing and deep conditioning, my poor hair was a hot mess!  I didn't have curls just a shrunken puff ball (see picture above).  The damage looked like it was pretty serious and I was really scared that I wouldn't see my curls again.

Find out how I got my curls back in my next post "Recovering from Heat Damage"

Recovering from Heat Damage

After my most recent bout with heat damage, I wasn't too sure how to go about getting my curls back.  I wore my hair straight for Easter Sunday but decided to use the flat iron again later in the week after using oils in my hair.  My curls did not revert back like they normally did when I wore my hair straight and I was afraid that the damage was permanent.  Was I upset?  You damn skippy I was!  I couldn't believe that I let this happen again.  Not only that, I just chopped off 1/2" of damage at the start of the year which gave me curls galore.  Now I was right back where I started and worse.


What did I do you ask?  Well, I did what I always do when I need answers, I went to the internet.  I was pretty certain that what I was experiencing was permanent heat damage but I was really hoping that someone out there had a magic remedy.  I stumbled onto a YouTube video that I remembered watching by Taren916, where she used the Aphogee 2 step Protein Treatment to help repair her heat damage.  She showed a before shot where her hair was limp and not so curly and another after the treatment when her hair had more texture. 

After watching that, I went to the hair forums and read articles for more info on how the protein treatment worked.  Basically, heat can cause significant damage to the cuticle layer of the hair strand.  This is the protective outer layer (imagine tiny shingles that overlap one another).  Once these cuticles are damaged, the hair is vulnerable and more prone to dryness and breakage.  The protein in the Aphogee treatment helps to fill in the gaps where the hair strand is missing these important little pieces. 

So, the very next day, I shot over to Sally's and made a B-line for the Aphogee products.  I still wasn't too sure if this was all I needed so I grabbed a silicone based conditioner (the GVP version of Paul Mitchell's The Detangler) and said a prayer.  After the application and rinsing it all out, I was very surprised to see curls where there was once very non-descript strands.  The treatment actually worked, but the curls were still looser than before (as you can see from the photo).  My hair was still much thicker at the roots.  Afterwards, I decided to go back to an old regimen I employed when I used to use semi-permanent color on my natural hair. 

Damaged hair regimen:

• Deep condition 2x per week- 1x with moisture; 1x with protein
• Stay away from heat...lol
• Protective styles to avoid further damage



My curls 4 weeks after the treatment.
Using braids to protect hair from too
much manipulation

• Silicone based conditioner for detangling and co-washing

I added the silicone conditioner because the primary reason for using silicone in hair products is so that it can help mask damage incurred by heat styling, hair color and chemical treatments.   Thankfully, my hair is back to being nice and curly but is just a bit more stretched than before with a few lazy curls here and there.  Some people use heat for this effect but that was never my intention.  Needless to say, me and my curls are stepping away from the heat for a good, long while.

YouTube is a Natural Girls Best Friend

I'm a YouTube fanatic!  I love it so much I even started making my own videos.  Before I decided to go natural, I discovered tons of videos where ladies would explain what they did for longer, healthier hair.  When I noticed how damaged my own hair was, I turned to the internet for an answer.  All of these videos kept popping up.  Some were about the best flat iron to use, while others showcased hair styles that required little to no heat.

Not knowing where to begin, I used the YouTube search bar to locate videos on growing african american hair longer.  I found a video by Saleemah Cartwright, founder of  Hydratherma Naturals.  It was a picture slideshow of her hair from completely shaved to length down her back! I later found MacherieHair's video (no longer posted)on how she does a silk wrap after doing a rollerset for straight and bouncy hair.  This one was a shocker!  In the beginning her hair is completely wrapped in saran wrap.  Then she starts to comb it out...whooaa!  Her hair was long, healthy and full of body.  So that was all it took...I was completely hooked. The videos about growing healthy hair led me to where I am today.

Chataqua Park--Boulder, CO

The view from the park entrance

With the mountains so close, there is always something to do that involves nature.  Normally we settle for hiking close to home at a nearby resevoir or nature reserve.  Since we were in Boulder to see the Celestial Seasonings tour, we just had to stop and take a hike at Chataqua Park.

Colorado University campus down below

The park is located off Baseline road which makes it pretty easy to access.  It sits just west of Colorado University, home of the Buffs.  What I love about the park is that all of the trails are easily accessible (without getting lost) and have great views of the city below.  Near the entrance there is a nice open park and playground where families can picnic.  There is a Ranger station where you can learn more about the trails and pick-up maps and a restaurant for a bite afterwards. 

Flat Irons

I have hiked Chataqua with just my oldest son (8 yrs old) and myself before, but this was the first time at the park for the twins who are 5.  My boys and I have been hiking ever since they were very young and now hiking is just how we roll.

The only way to get to the trails is up.  I noticed right away that I was huffin' and puffin' a lot more than the last time I was up there.  I'm glad my husband was there because the boys were jumpin' on every boulder in site. The outstanding views made for a great payoff.  I figured, "What the hay, it'll be awhile before we make it back," so I trudged on. 

Celestial Seasonings Tour

Boulder, CO

Nestled in the Foothills of Boulder, Colorado is the headquarters for Celestial Seasonings Tea.  The company was founded in 1969 and has been producing herbal teas ever since.  Here in Colorado, it is common knowledge that the company offers a free tour of the facility.  So, we packed up the kids and made the 40 minute drive out to Boulder. 

Our "Tickets"--Packets of Herbal Tea

While waiting for the tour to begin, we sat down and enjoyed some tea samples.  The visitor area was decked out with lots of original artwork and information about the companies' history.  Next, we viewed a short film about how it all began during the, "Summer of Love," when life (and the company) were much simpler.  It went on to talk about all of the places throughout the world where the tea leaves and botanicals for the herbal teas are produced.

After the viewing, we were led on a tour through the factory.  We were all fitted with lovely hairnets prior to entering.  My husband laughed when I could just barely fit my curly fro into mine.  I got my revenge when he was outfitted with a "beard net" for his facial hair. 

One of the highlights was the much anticipated Peppermint room.  The smell was so intense from all of the Spearmint and Peppermint stocked to the ceiling, that it cleared the sinuses and irritated our eyes a bit. 

Lastly, we ended up in the Gift Shop where we bought a few boxes of tea at discounted prices.  We love drinking tea on a daily so we were in "tea heaven". 

Welcome to my Blog, Curly in Colorado!

I'm excited to have a new blog where I can share what I know (and am still learning) about Natural Hair.  I have been Natural for over a year now and transitioned for 9 mos before actually doing the Big Chop.

Why I started a Blog
I have a YouTube channel called mitchellzee where I post videos on how I do my own naturally curly/ kinky hair. Editing video is pretty time consuming so I'll be sharing some things here that I may not have time to put into video format.

Upcoming Posts
I really like all things hair and makeup. I plan on doing some product reviews on items that I have discovered that work for me. I'm also a mom...a little bit of a Domestic Diva if you will so I'll also be sharing some of what I've learned over the years raising my three sons (we call them the "Curly Hair Crew").

Stayed tuned for info on hair, beauty, shopping, food, and just plain tips on what I do to make it all work.