February Relaxer Update!

After 12 weeks of stretching, I finally relaxed on February 20th! The night before I relaxed, I prepped my hair by sectioning it in 6 sections. Then I used Mane n' Tail detangler to detangle my roots in each section. Ladies, please....if you're going to stretch for a long period of time, please detangle your hair the night before the relaxer to prevent hair loss from a frustrated stylist! Trust me, I learned my lesson! After detangling, I applied coconut oil on my previously relaxed hair, then twisted up the section and moved to the next section.

My cousin (a licensed cosmetologist), came to my house to relax my hair for me. She relaxed with Affirm, then neutralized with Mizani Neutralizing and Chelating shampoo. I wanted to try a Jet Black rinse. Since my cuticles were open after the relaxer, she applied the rinse to my hair so that the color can absorb better. This was my first time ever getting a rinse. I love it, but I hate that it leaves stains :( Then, she conditioned my hair, blow dried, trimmed and flat ironed! I was very pleased with the results! I was actually a few strands away from reaching APL, but my cousin gave me a blunt straight across trim, which left me at full shoulder length. She understands my hair journey, and wants me to have thick even hair from the roots to the ends. I'm not mad at her. My hair seems to grow quicker with trims anyway. I loved my hair and got so many compliments! Enjoy the pics!

The Process:
After relaxing, applying the rinse, then treating, she blow dried my hair.

This is my length before the trim she gave me.

This is my after the trim.

My bangs before the trim.

My bangs after the trim.

Flat ironing for the finished looked. Those black stains you see on my neck/ears/scalp are from the rinse.

Finished results (the back).

Finished results (the front).

I want this so bad! Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Flat Iron!

For months, I've been looking for a really good flat iron. Keep in mind i only flat iron my hair no more than once every 2 or 3 months. But since i will no longer be getting braids, It's hard for me to stretch my relaxers past 12 weeks. I want to be able to stretch my relaxers to 4 months max. I was thinking that maybe once a month, i would flat iron my roots only so that i wont go crazy and slap a relaxer on it sooner. I already own a Maxiglide, but truthfully, it straightens "o.k" but not the best, and its too bulky. My arms start to get tired when i do the back. My new growth is very course and resistant, and the Maxiglide doesn't give me that straightness that i desire. Since this past summer, I had my eyes set on a flat iron i saw from a tutorial on Youtube. The model was black and her hair seemed to be quite similar to mine. The hair stylist was straightening her hair and it looked like silk afterwards! I did some research and came to find out that the iron he was using was called the Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Ultra Slim Straightening Iron lol..i know..long name right? But the magic i saw that stylist work on his clients head immediatly had me sold to the product. To view the video, please click here. First of all, the iron is very lightweight and its "ultra slim", which means it can get very close to my scalp. Another woman did a flat iron tutorial, and she mentioned in her video that this iron gave her better results than the CHI straightener, at a fraction of the cost as well. It is also a Titanium flat iron. I read that titanium irons heat up faster and give you better salon quality results than ceramic irons, which is why most flat irons in quality hair salons only serve with titanium irons. It is also safe for your hair, helping in sealing the moisture in your hair cuticles. It only comes in blue, but i wish it came in pink or purple! The blue is nice though, I could deal with it. I plan on getting this iron sometime in November. There are not many reviews on this iron by Black women on Youtube, so i think i will be one of the first ones to give a review of this iron on thick type 4b/c hair. I've been searching Youtube high and low for a review of this iron by someone who has a similar hair type as mine, and have not found a great video yet. I guess i will be the first! The price varies depending on where you buy it. It shouldnt cost more than $199 dollars. To read more details on this iron, please click here. What more can you ask for? Lightweight, straightens very well without the damage, gets close to your scalp, gives salon quality results, and did i mention it comes with a 4 year warranty? I think i might be in love!

Product Features:

• Straightens hair up to 40% faster
• Titanium: Provides superior heat conductivity, exceptionally resistant to chemical corrosion, as strong as steel with only 60% of its density, the smoothest surface available in styling tools
• Ionic Technology to smooth the hairs cuticle, sealing in moisture and shine
• Nano Technology  Existing materials are reduced in size, enhancing their natural properties for maximum efficiency
• Built in Digital Ionic Generator