Each year I do a "wrap up" video of sorts. In this video I give an overview of the previous year in hair and then I discuss what my focus will be moving forward. This year I am focusing on simplicity and maintenance.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/_Djz8JZmlw4
Transcript
Hello Everyone, Kayla here! I'm going to be bringing you the 2017 State of the Hair Address. For those of you who are new to my channel or new to me, I create this video every year talking about the things that happened in the past year with my hair and where i want to go with my hair in the New Year.
Last Year
So, to talk about last year...I was having issues with over-moisturized, mushy, gummy hair. My hair looked dull and lacked movement and was breaking off. Thankfully at the end of 2016 [I] overcame these issues. I managed to bring back the clarifying once a month back into my regimen. So, I no longer have issues with buildup. I have hair that is no longer dull.
I then started to do protein treatments. I did do a hardcore protein treatment. I'm not sure if I did it at the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016. For a little while after that I started to maintain the protein balance by doing a protein conditioner. Now, I just do it whenever I feel like it's necessary. I regularly pick up my strands in the shower and I'm like this [pulls imaginary strand between hands] trying to see what's going on to decide if I need to do a protein treatment or not.
Like, I know this last time I washed my hair I was like "mmm, I'm going to do protein the next time I wash my hair because it needs a bit more. It's a bit toooo stretchy for my liking." So, it’s just something you have to stay on top of. For natural hair I don't think that it needs to be something that you do every single time on a schedule. Not necessary for natural hair!
Also, toward the end of 2016 I mastered the Wash and Go. My Wash and Go technique that I have right now and that I've been doing for months is completely different from my Wash and Go technique at the beginning of the year. The wash and go video that I have on my channel does depict the technique that I use right now. So, I did not film a video with my old technique anyway.
I think I was doing "praying hands" and I wasn't using as much product as I use now and I didn't do the LOC method. It was just a completely different routine that did not produce as defined curls as I get now. I get curls that are defined from root to tip, my hair is moisturized, it has movement, it has a nice little sheen to it when I'm out and about. So, my wash and gos got way better.
I also went on a bit of a mini conditioner journey. At the beginning of 2016 you guys saw me haul a bunch of conditioners--Leave-in conditioner primarily and I also tried out deep conditioners. I found that as far as deep conditioners are concerned I am not a deep conditioner girl. I prefer to use regular conditioners and use them as a deep conditioner. I know that that is going against what is common haircare wisdom.
I found that a lot of these deep conditioners did not have enough slip because I like to detangle with my deep conditioner or they were not moisturizing enough or the size that it was wasn’t worth what I paid and how much I use. I just didn't get into the deep conditioners. I did find some that I liked and there are videos of those but overall I do not regularly purchase deep conditioner anymore.
As far as the leave-in conditioner journey I found that I really, really like the Soultanicals Knot Sauce. Yes I did go back and get in their end of year sale and I did buy a gallon size of it. I do really like Soultanicals Knot Sauce. Another leave-in that isn't as slippery and as moisturizing as the Soultanicals is the Giovanni Direct Leave-in. I like it. It gets the job done but it is getting harder and harder to find this conditioner on the ground. You know, you used to be able to just walk in a Target and get Giovanni. Now it's in less places, I no longer live close to Vitamin Shoppe, and so it is harder for me to get the leave-in. So I'm not sure if I'm going to strike that from conditioners that I really like because if I can't buy it, that's a definite negative strike when it comes to conditioner.
Products aside, I also experienced extremely accelerated hair growth in 2016. You guys saw my 6" in 6 months video. I was in disbelief because growth aids almost never work for me and to see that the routine I did worked so well. I mean, wow! I was just blown away. But, the reason why I don't have Rapunzel hair--even after all of the growing--is because I did do two major chops of my hair in 2016.
At first in Spring ‘16 I did a chop of about 2" off of my hair. I stretched my hair out and just [imaginary cutting] cut off whatever and it came out okay. I did even [it] out though. I cut off whatever and then I evened it out. Didn't cut too much to even it out and gave myself a "U" shape in the back. I originally had planned to grow, then cut some more, and then grow, and cut some more but that didn't go as planned.
In November of 2016 I just went ahead, twisted my hair up, and after wearing twists for a week, I went in and just cut off whatever was rough, whatever was not cooperating, whatever was just not doing what it was supposed to do on my head. I think I put the video up a little after I had already done the cut so I'm not really sure of the dates. I'm going off memory here, okay?
I know that a lot of people had questions about what my new length is. I will tell you that I was a long mid-back length before any of the chops. So, the front of my hair almost touched my belly button and the back was almost waist length. I was almost waist length for a really long time though--for years--due to the things that I talked about struggling with at the beginning of the year. I think they played a factor in why my hair never reached waist.
Now, I'm sitting at a STRONG, strong Bra strap length. So, I actually don't know how much I cut but I know how long my hair is now and it's definitely bra strap length. I just don't know the actual inches like when I did the spring haircut. I know exactly that it was 2". I don't know but I think it was a decent amount to go from belly button hair to hair that's up here [point to chest] in the front.
Last Year's Video
In regards to last year's video. When I first turned the video on to look at it in preparation for making this video--wow. My hair was really long in that video. I'm just looking like "dang, that's me...in that video?" I didn't realize--I guess because I was in it--that my natural hair was that long. I just didn't perceive it. You can still see that kind of dryness, stiffness, build-upy-ness. I would just love to have that length of hair right now and be doing my current regimen and my current wash and go routine on THAT length of hair. OMG! It would probably look completely different.
Anyhow, I notice in the video that I'm not really having any strong goals. I'm just talking about the status quo but I'm not saying "I'm going to do this, this, this, and this." I noticed that. I did mention the waist length thing. Obviously that's not a goal anymore because it's unrealistic to expect me to go from a strong bra-strap to waist length like that in a year. Maybe. Maybe not. But I highly doubt it.
Then I was talking about I wanted layers in my hair. I kept mentioning these layers like "oh, I might cut layers." I did not intentionally sit down and cut layers but when I cut the twists that I had, that created layers. So, I in the last two months of 2016 did eventually have layers though I did not intentionally sit down to cut layers in my hair. I do say that I really do like the shape and I knew that I would be happy with layers. Even in that video I'm talking about it, now I got them.
Goals for 2017
So for 2017 I also don't have any strong goals or things I'm going to do. I know that I'm going to really be in a mode of simplification--seeing what I can take away from my regimen, what I can simplify because in the past it was what can I do, what hack, what can I bring in, what can I improve, what can I do? Now it's what can I take away and still get results? So, I'm definitely in a simplifying state of mind a simplifying place.
I'm also going to try to stay on top of these trims. I actually twisted my hair up in preparation to look at my ends to at least--not necessarily trim--but I'm going to LOOK at these ends. That's going to be my regular thing at least every three months or so. I can see already that on the back almost all of them are still almost in perfect condition. They don't need to be trimmed--at all. I am able to see that because I did take the time to twist my hair.
Another big goal of mine is that I just want to maintain. I've overcome the issues with the breakage and the buildup and all of that kind of stuff so I just want to just...even keel, keep it going and see what I'm talking about in the 2018 video, see where I've gotten to, and maybe I'll pop on the 2018 video and be "wow, my hair grew, it's much longer." Maybe. If I keep up with the way that I'm going I think that anything is possible.
So, definitely set goals for yourself guys, even for something as simple as your hair. Set goals or you're not going to get anywhere.
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