I wanted to share some more information about straightening treatments that are not permanent but will help you get your hair straighter easier with a bit of curl loosening and defining during the period the treatments lasts.

It's official name would be Brazilian Keratin Treatment (BKT), which is a curl relaxer. Some also call it Brazilian Hair Straightening or Brazilian Blowout. It first came to the United States a few years ago. It has slowly gained more popularity since then with hairstylists in the US.

Some of you have heard of Japanese hair straightening which was hot a few years ago, it is called Thermal Reconditioning. This is a natural cornstarch-based hair relaxing system which makes use of a more gentle form of ammonium thyoglycolate, which is free of the traditional relaxing waxes or lyes along with special straightening irons. However, ammonium thyoglycolate and sodium hydroxide (standard relaxers) are still harsh chemicals. Most relaxers and straighteners have those chemicals in them.

The key part of BKT is that it is not a strong chemical process. It utilizes Keratin, which is the same protein our hair is made from, of course it is a different keratin, but nonetheless it is a similar protein. I would equate it to the difference between the hormones women naturally produce and the hormones taken orally for birth control. It changes how our body operates bit, but it is hormones we generally already produce.

PROS: Aside from the gentleness of the active ingredient, Keratin, there are other pros to this treatment. Another key part of this treatment is that it does not permanently straighten your hair as relaxers do. It also works better and longer on color treated hair or chemically processed. Another plus is that there is no demarcation line between the treated hair and the new growth. Additionally, the process is also a treatment that helps your hair because the keratin fits around the cortex of your hair and strengthens it, just as any keratin treatment does. The only difference is that this one is sealed into your hair.

CONS: As my brother would say, "if its too good to be true, its not true," so here are the bad sides to this treatment. The formula contains formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen that will irritate the eyes and lungs.Make sure your stylist is highly practiced and trained in this process, you will need a room with good ventilation and protect your face and eyes when they start to blow out your hair to keep from getting any on your face and in your eyes. There are some cases where people break out into rashes or hives the next day from exposure to the chemicals in rooms without proper ventilation. It has been noted that the process contains levels of formaldehyde that is against OSHA regulations. OSHA designates that .2ppm of formaldehyde is acceptable, while brazilian treatments have 3ppm and up. The FDA will be investigating this in the coming months [Source: ALLURE October]

Prices: Prices for this treatment start around maybe $180 but can range up to $300 and $400, especially for the more curly haired, coarse haired women. You know they always jack up the price when we walk in the salon...smh.

Time: the process lasts for about 2 hours and it keeps your hair noticeablly more manageable and easier to straighten for about 6 weeks to a few months (maybe 3 or 4). It also lasts longer on chemically processed hair or color treated hair. The life of the treatment also depends on how often the hair is washed.

Hey Ladies!

Here is an article I found on the MSM I've been taking with my Biotin, as a hair growth supplement. I found this article at Hair Garden.

MSM Supplement

I started taking MSM back in October after reading a wonderful article about. I speak very highly of and a lot of people are curious about what it is and it benefits. I put this together to shine a little light on this wonder supplement

What is MSM?

MSM stands for methyl sulfonyl methane. It’s an organic sulfur compound that occurs naturally in plants and animals. It is found in the lignin of pine trees. It greatly differs from regular sulfur (sulfuric oxide) which is processed into sulfuric acid and is toxic to the human body. MSM is white and regular sulfur is a yellow color.

MSM is the most important raw material for building new cells during the healing process. It is an acid forming mineral that is part of the chemical structure of the amino acids methionine, cysteine, taurine, and gluthione. Amino acids are the building blocks of our body’s proteins. The more MSM our body has to work with, the more protein we develop resulting in faster hair and nail growth and healing of the body’s tissues. MSM is considered food so it is easily absorbed and utilized by the body.

What does it do?

MSM is found in human, hair, skin, and nails. It’s also found in hemoglobin and all body tissues. 1/3 of the hair’s strength comes from disulfide bonds (sulfur bonds). After your body assimilates the MSM it turns into an acid which becomes part of the amino acids that produce the protein in the hair (ethnic hair is 93%-97% protien), skin, and nails. The more MSM your body has to utilize, the more it has available to build the necessary proteins needed for faster hair and nail growth and healthy, new skin cells.

MSM has many other important benefits to your body. It supports the connective tissues like tendons, muscles, and ligaments. It makes the cells in the tissue more permeable, allowing fluids to pass through more easily, therefore, releasing toxins and reducing inflammation. This makes MSM helpful to those suffering from arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, gout, muscle pain, and constipation. It is used by many athletes because it accelerates the healing process. It’s even given to race horses to prevent muscle stiffness.

MSM is also needed for insulin production so it is good for those with diabetes. It also disinfects the blood, helps the body resist bacteria, and protects cell protoplasm. It’s beneficial to those who have problems with acne, allergies, asthma, yeast infections, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, migraines, and ulcers.

MSM deficiency can lead to problems like scar tissue, wrinkles, varicose veins, hardened arteries, digestive disorders, dry skin, joint problems, and inability to fight allergies.

How much MSM can I take? What can I take with it?

I have seen recommendations of dosages ranging from 1,000 mg- 6,000 mg, but the amount you take all depends on your body size, age, and the severity of MSM deficiency. It has an extremely low level of toxicity, similar to water. Excess MSM is secreted through the urine within 12 hours of consumption.

Studies show that when MSM is taken in combination with zinc, silica, and biotin, the skin reaps the most benefits. Vitamin C depends heavily on MSM for optimal absorption. The more vitamin C your body is able to absorb, the faster the healing process.

MSM can be found in sulfur rich foods such as onions, garlic, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, sunflower seeds, lentils, soy beans, turnips, wheat germ oil, and red raspberries

WARNING: MSM should not be consumed by those who have kidney issues. It makes you more susceptible to kidney stones.

I hope this has given everyone a good idea of what MSM is. I purchased MSM from GNC, but recently saw it at Wal-Mart for $1 cheaper. I take my MSM about 1-2 times a day in addition to prenatal vitamins ( for hair, skin, and nails only! lol). I am going to add biotin to my cocktail now. While taking prenatals and MSM alone, I experience about 1/2 inch+ of growth a month. Make sure you drink plenty of water when taking these supplements to aid in flushing the toxins out of your body!

DID YOU KNOW? –>The disulfide (sulfur) bonds that MSM creates, which accounts for 1/3 of the hair’s strength, are the same bonds permanently destroyed by chemical relaxers.

This is a great article she had written on the supplement that includes all of the benefits of the supplement. Be sure to check out her blog!! http://hairgarden.wordpress.com

Love, love!

LADIES!!

Have a look at this link to the news report sharing this story of a woman who visited the ER because of her braids. This story is so sad, it is horrible that something like this can happen. I have personally never had braids done by anyone- my sister did them once when I was little (like 7 or 8). I have never gotten them since then and I don't intend to- barring the fact that I refuse to pay for them. What are your thoughts ladies?

Hey!

CeCeUNedited was on Mane and Chic today!!! Please go vote for my tip as one you would use!! Here is the actual article/tip I wrote:

yay!!!! love, love,

Trichonodosis is also known as One Strand Knots, Single Strand Knots, Fairy Knots, Pixie Knots and Peppercorn Knots. They are one of the most frequently occurring and annoying things about having naturally curly to kinky hair.

People tend to ignore them because they are so frequent with curly hair and difficult to get rid of if you have shorter hair. Over time, you begin to learn how to reduce them and get rid of them. So here are a couple of tricks I have picked up along the way...

1. SHAMPOO YOUR SCALP ONLY! By shampooing the hair, more tangles are created leading to more knots, thus unless you must shampoo the hair directly, stick to just the scalp! Try to keep your shampoos to 1-2 times a month TOPS. Depending on your build up, sometimes applying the shampoo to your scalp as if it was grease while it is dry will help work out any extra build up on your scalp. Shampoo can strip old fragile ends which can cause more peppercorn knots! Also using latex gloves to rub your scalp helps keep from having snags with your nails in your hair.
2. When detangling natural hair, gently start from the ends. Use wide tooth combs and finger combing together. Wide-tooth combs do not detangle natural hair fully and sometimes you have to put down the comb and use your trusty dusty fingers along with water and conditioner to dismantle a knot. Then, finally, go through small sections with a fine tooth comb, do this once a week at least with your deep conditioning treatment. The key to the attack is to try to attack the peppercorn knot when it’s loose rather than making it tighter with a comb. Detangling should take a LONG time to do, it is not done quickly and in a rush. Detangle as often as every other day or whenever you wet your hair, but keep in mind that a 100% detangle can only be done once or twice a week and takes loads of time.
3. Protective styles and up dos. When deciding what styles to choose for your hair remember that wearing your hair up means that the hair is in a fixed position and is not forming knots with all of the other spiral hair strands. When your hair is left out that means that it’s freely moving around tangling with other hair, so if you keep it really moisturized, you can finger comb out loose knots that might have formed into tighter ones.
4. Wrap up your hair at night and protect it while you sleeps. Hair that is free during the night will end up dry, tangled and knotted by the am. If you wear silk/satin bonnets or scarves to bed, as well as, braid, twist, bun or low ponytail your hair it will help keep it from coiling on itself and knotting as well as make it more comfortable for you to sleep. Additional benefits of some of these styles are that you wont have to detangle your hair in the morning and you won't wake up to a matted misshapen fro.
5. Use a safety pin and put the needle right in the middle of the knot and gently loosen it- this generally only works for newer knots that haven't been pulled tight and for people will longer hair, so that you can see the strands in the back as you unravel the knots.
6. Moisturize your hair in the morning and at night before bed. Use a moisturizer with loads of moisturizing natural ingredients such as water, glycerin, and hydrolyzed ingredients such as protein. Add oils as a sealant to keep in the moisture also make sure that your hair is thoroughly moisturized before you do this. Hair that is moisturized thoroughly is less unruly and less likely to for knots.
7. Keep your hair in protective styles, minimize wash and gos because those foster one strand knots. Letting your hair dry as it stands straight out from your head causes these knots. Some of these styles include twists, braids, braid outs, twist outs, rod sets, straw sets or roller sets. If you set your ends in rollers with end papers it will further fight against one strand knot formation. Although summer is the prime wash and go season, you will need curb this habit and take more care and pay more attention to your hair if you want to keep it healthy!
8. Deep condition or use deep treatments on your hair weekly and really focus on taking care of your ends. Also twist or braid your hair when you are deep conditioning for extended periods (i.e more then 5 minutes). As a good rule of measure, if you simply co-wash and wash your hair in sections and twist those sections while you work on others, you will also reduce peppercorn knots!
9. Use a method called oil rinsing. This is where you oil hair that is wet and has conditioner in it in order to seal the moisture in your hair. One way is to deep condition, apply oil and use a heat cap or wear the treatment overnight. Another way is to shampoo, oil, condition and rinse the hair. This makes the hair easier to detangle and prevents knots and matting.
10. Stay away from cotton towels and microfiber towels. I never ever use any towels or cotton on my hair, including the microfiber that everyone raves about. If you take your hand when its dry and in need of lotion, and run you hand against the microfiber towels, you will feel the snags and feel how much it clings to your dry hands, it does the same thing only WORSE to your hair. I would recommend using a pillow case or a t-shirt to dry your hair and place a towel on top of it to absorb the extra moisture. Towels snag on curly, coily and kinky hair, causing split ends and those pixie knots.
11. Smooth your hair like you are flat ironing it with your fingers! Before styling or setting your hair and WHILE you style it, run your fingers down sections of your hair as if you are flat ironing your hair between your fingers. Whenever I use a product for curl defining I use my smoothing technique and literally run my fingers through my hair until I feel the product making my strands smooth. This will reduce frizz, stretch, smooth and also lessen the chances of getting knots. I also helps with curl definition depending on the hair styling product you are using.
12. REDUCE HIH (hand in hair syndrome)….Keep your hands out of your hair!!! Messing with your hair too much can will scratch the cuticle, causes frizziness and can lead to split or splitting ends and pixie knots. Also putting your hands in your hair frequently introduces more bacteria to your hair which can cause slower hair growth.
13. And of course the best way to heal strands with pixie knots is to trim them, better yet search and destroy. So cut the knots close to your ends with a pair of hair shears. If some of the knots are too high up on your hair strand you may not want to cut them, which is understandable. Keep in mind that if you straighten you hair they will be more noticeable.
14. To keep from an unlucky 13 steps… I will say give your precious strands lots of TLC to keep them healthy and happy.

Good Luck Ladies!!

love, love,