Hello and welcome to my hair journal! I have been relaxer/texturizer free since May 2002. I am so happy that I decided to stop relaxing my hair. I cut off all of the relaxed ends in November of 2002 and it was such a liberating experience. I felt so free! I only wish that I had done it sooner, but better later than never. I am so proud to wear my hair in it's natural texture and show off the beautiful crown that God made for me. I hope that you enjoy this peek into my hair journey of discovery and growth.

Peace&Blessings

~Topaz~

Music Courtesy of Prince 0(+>

My routine is pretty simple. I usually rinse and  condition everyday. I do a conditioner wash about every 2 or 3 days. After that I gently blot the excess moisture and apply my leave in conditioner. If I'm going to wear a fro I'll dry my hair a little more and begin to pick it out while wet. If I'm going to wear a shake and go I will only blot the excess water and apply my products and finger comb gently so as not to disturb the coils. Then I just go from there and finish the style, either by pulling it up with a bra-strap headband or other accessory of my choice. I have listed some styling tips that work well for me below.

Styling Tips: 

>Style when wet.

>Finger comb whenever possible.

>Whenever you detangle be very gentle and try doing it in sections.

>Condition,condition,condition

>Do protective styles to give your hair a rest.

>Keep ends trimmed.

One of the things that I love most about wearing my hair without a relaxer is the variety of different styles that can be done. I look forward to trying new styles all of the time and I almost have to force myself not to play in my hair but I guess it's not that bad. I'm just making up for lost time. Below are some of the styles that I most commonly wear and how I achieve them.

Afro

Step 1: First I condition and rinse my hair.

Step 2: Then I gently towel dry. I apply a leave in conditioner and Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey. 

Step 3: Next, I gently pick my hair and pat it to make it even all around. Sometimes I may wear a headband and if I do I usually smooth a little Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel around my edges.

Afro Puff

See step 1 & 2 under afro.

Step 3: I gently pick or finger comb my hair and apply Fantasia IC Gel and lightly brush my hair up, back or in between depending on whether or not I want to wear my puff in the back, on top or in the middle. I usually hold it up with a bra-strap headband or panthose headband.

Wash-n-Go

Step 1: I rinse and condition my hair and I leave it as wet as I can. After that I apply my leave in conditioner and Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey and sometimes a little Aloe Vera Gel.

Step 2: Once the products are applied I usually pull my hair back with a headband, scarf or panthose headband.

Tip:For this style I try not to manipulate the hair too much so that I won't disturb the texture. 

Two Strand Twists/Plaits

Step 1: I start with freshly conditioner washed hair and I apply shea butter and section the hair off into four puffs.

Step 2: Starting in the back I take down one puff at a time and part and twist/plait until done. Before twisting/plaiting I prime the hair with a little Aloe Vera Gel and I make sure to run a wide tooth comb through the hair before I twist/plait.

I'm going to be trying some new styles soon so please check back for updates.