4 Month No Heat Challenge Results

I finally completed my No Heat Challenge which went from October 1, 2013 to February 1, 2014.  It may sound crazy but it was the longest that I had gone without using heat since my transition to natural hair.  At first, I thought maybe I was going to succumb to the urge to straighten my hair or use a blow dryer.  Once I got the hang of styling my hair in other ways, it ended up being easier than I expected.




During the challenge I allowed myself the use of my hooded dryer for roller sets and drying my wash n' go curls.  Other than that, I usually just air dried my hair.  My favorite styles ended up being braid outs and ponytail roller sets.  These were easy ways to stretch my hair that also gave my hair manageability.

WATCH HOW I STRAIGHTEN MY HAIR AND MY 

NO HEAT CHALLENGE LENGTH CHECK

My Current Hair Length
February 2014

Once the four month challenge was over, I straightened my hair for a length check.  I was happy to see that my layers were finally growing out.  After flat ironing my hair I decided to give myself a much needed trim.  One of the things I noticed though was how many single strand knots I had to cut out.  Not good!  My thoughts on that were that maybe I should stay away from tightly curly styles until I get to a length where I'm comfortable with just maintaining.  For now, I'll be using stretched styles to try and keep the knots under control.

I've decided that I'll probably go another three months before using heat to straighten my hair again.  I really liked how the new hair growing in felt so much thicker and healthier.  I don't want to damage it by using excess heat.  Overall, I'm pleased with the results and am glad that I challenged myself in this way.  I learned a lot about my hair and what it needs, which will help me obtain my goals.

Have you ever participated in a hair challenge?

Re-Visiting My Caruso Steam Rollers

Using Caruso Steam Rollers on
my Straight Natural Hair

I recently wore my hair straight a few times and decided that rollers were the only thing that really gave me the curls I desired.  Overnight I used my Satin Rollers which I originally picked up at Walmart.  Sometimes though, I went to sleep protecting my hair only with a satin bonnet and woke up with hair that was just blah.  It was then that I remembered the Caruso Roller set that I practically begged my husband for over a year ago.  When I first got my Caruso, I remember that it was a little awkward working with the steam and rollers.  I've used it several times since then and it is a lot easier to use now.

How I use the Caruso Steam Rollers

Since I've always used it on hair that was straightened or previously stretched with rollers, I used to worry about reversion.  I think the only time this actually happened is when I left the rollers on the steam base way too long.  Soggy rollers on natural hair = reversion.   For this reason, I only place the rollers onto the steam base for seven seconds before promptly rolling the hair.  I also make sure that my end paper is already wrapped around the ends of the section of hair I'm working with.

The steam base

The Results
soft curls with no reversion

Another factor is there is always the possibility for frizz when using the rollers because of the added steam.  Using end papers helps to keep my ends smooth.  A light serum or coconut oil also helps to combat frizz.  The last thing I do is leave the rollers in for about 30 to 40 minutes to ensure the hair is completely dry before taking the rollers down.

In my opinion, the best way to style the curls is to use your fingers because brushing or combing will just result in poof (and we don't want poof).  Using the Caruso Rollers can be tricky at first but they are a great alternative to styling the hair with direct heat.