Hair chronicles: A follow-up to my Miss Jessie's trial and what's going on with my hair now

So, a few months back I stepped out on a limb and purchased a whole bunch of Miss Jessie's products to help tame my post-chemo curlies. After some trial and error with the application - primarily trying to figure out how much wetness to product ration would produce the best looking curls, and how I could style my hair the fastest way possible, etc. - I fell into a good rhythm with the products.

I learned that I liked a few things:

  

*         I really like the lather-less shampoo and the conditioner.   They really make my hair feel extra soft and wonderful. Clean, but not squeaky clean. Didn't think I would like that but I really do.

*         Curly meringue is nice. Not too much hold or tackiness but a nice lightweight product. I like the smell of it too.

*         Curly pudding is very nice. I'm not sure how well it will work with my hair as it (if it) changes back to its original level of curly/kinkiness. It provides more curl definition and I like the smell of it as well.

*         The baby buttercreme was nice but nothing to write home about.

*         The rapid recovery treatment was EXCELLENT! Whoo... I can't say enough good things about it other than I really loved it.

That said... a few of the negatives:

*         Miss Jessie's is ridiculously priced. RE-DAYUM-DICULOUS! Ya hear me?? I know that the line just pushed out to Target and I am happy for the two young ladies in this step in their endeavor but on my "breast-cancer-is-my-beyotch-budget" I can't afford to look that cute. Just simply cannot do it. $58 bucks a pop for products is not working for me.

*         The curly meringue and the curly pudding are nice but (for me) they take entirely too long to dry. I knew I was getting in too deep when I purchased a hair dryer just so that I could speed up the styling process. I have this quirky thing about wanting to do my hair every day. I haven't been a part of the once a week, or once every two weeks tribe for many, many years. Honestly, I don't want to go back. I enjoy wetting and/or conditioning and/maybe shampooing my hair daily or at least every other day.

*         Miss Jessie's requires far more work, time and effort than I am willing to give. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my curlies and it was an interesting experiment. But Nic is a rock-and-roll sort of girl... I like my hair to be the quickest part of starting my day, not the longest. And I definitely do not like trying to do my hair at night and hoping that it looks presentable in the morning. I don't have time for do-overs if it doesn't.

*         I was disappointed to learn that Miss Jessie's has mineral oil in it. I'm sure that it's in there for production quality or something like that but you would think that if you were mortgaging your first child in order to keep your curly hair looking fly you could AT LEAST get a product that didn't have bad for you ingredients in the list. (shrug) Disappointing for real.

I am almost out of curly pudding and curly meringue. I have been out of baby buttercreme and rapid recovery treatment (I bought the small sample size of both). I have lots of shampoo and conditioner left. After trying so many items in the product line, I can say that I probably won't bother purchasing more. Maybe the shampoo and conditioner - but that's only if I can't find something else just as nice but more budget friendly. And assuming that I grow my hair out again.

Surprise!

About a month or so ago, I got totally fed up and chopped off all my hair. So I'm back to wearing my uber-low fade and pretty happy about it. (I was very tearful in the beginning but I've gotten used to the shortness of it) I've been using some ridiculously cheap Am-pro clear gel to help with styling my curlies. Less than $2 per jar. And honestly, I'm cool with the results. (shrug)  Guess I really am not a high-maintenance chick after all.

Love ya Miss Jessie's but you're out of my league.  The next step in the hair chronicles is to find a protein treatment that will help to strengthen and grow my hair. Part of the reason I cut my hair way down was because I was noticing some serious thinning in a few spots. People around me seemed to think I was seeing things but I thought I saw bald spots emerging and there was no way that I was going to sport cute curlies speckled with bald spots. Nope. I may be cheap but I'm still vain.

Will let you know how it goes with the protein treatment and what I decide to use. Meanwhile, I can check Miss Jessie's off my list and go purchase more clear gel.

Hair chronicles: More work with the curly post-chemo hair

So, I've been using my Miss Jessie's products for curly-haired folks and I'm really digging it. It cost a pretty penny but the products are good quality and my hair seems to be responding pretty well to them. I am sort of pleased. Well, that doesn't sound quite right. I am pleased with Miss Jessie's and I am happy with the way that it helps my "new" curly hair look springy and shiny and happy.

I am displeased with the lack of shape that my hair has -- but that's my fault because I am too chicken to get it cut into a shape. I am displeased with the fact that the products are a little thick and take some time to dry. I'm used to washing and going -- literally -- out the door. I am just a smidge unhappy with the fact that my hair looks good the third day after I wash it -- instead of looking fabulous from the first day I wash it.

(shrug)

But, those are really little things to be concerned about. My hair is growing pretty well and most of the time I'm okay with my spongy, curly afro. Even if I don't really know what it will look like from day to day -- I can live with that.

I am slowly getting comfortable with the notion of actually having to DO my hair. I do miss my carefree barbershop days. And I am still thinking about going back to my super-low, sleek cut. But, until I make a definitive decision... I'll stick with my Miss Jessie's regimen and enjoy the little curlies all over my head.

Some days... they are really kind of cute. Post-chemo hair is a happy part of the breast cancer journey for me.

Hair chronicles: Getting started with Miss Jessie's

Sigh. Me and my hair. (laughs) What a journey it has been so far.

As a little girl, I did not like my hair. I did not enjoy those long Saturday sessions with my mother and the hot comb. Burnt ears and tears is truly not a way to enjoy the weekend. Luckily for me, the 80's came along and brought with it the miracle of the jheri curl.  I rocked that slimy style throughout high school and into college. And there, I really realized that my hair was not the same as the hair my white roommate had.

Years of soul searching and trying to figure out why I couldn't wash my hair everyday like my roommate, or why my hair would shrivel up at the thought of water... basically sent me to the new addiction of the hair salon.

I became enslaved to the salon. I had to have my hair done all the time. And I could not do it myself. It was too complicated, too intricate... more than I could handle. So, even though I hated it... I trekked to the beauty salon. And when I didn't feel like it was right, I found another one. And another one. And another one. Until I realized that I was losing a lot of my life sitting in salon chairs and spending money that could have done other things... I started to get angry but there wasn't a way out of the trap.

But there was.

One tragic trip to a new hair salon caused me to have the knee-jerk reaction of going to the barbershop and cutting off all of my hair. I went natural and had the BC (big chop) without even realizing there were terms for that. (laughs)

I experimented with rocking a short fro, a low ceaser, braids... anything that didn't require going to the hair salon on a regular basis. Eventually, I found my groove and the ceaser fade was it for me. I rocked that "baldie" for 12 years and loved it. Going to the barbershop was FREEDOM. I didn't have to make an appointment. It rarely cost me more than $20. I would be in and out in less than 30 minutes -- an hour if it was busy. It was fabulous. Getting my hair done no longer had to tie up my whole day. Glorious freedom and sexiness too. Loved it!

So, now that I'm growing my hair out after chemotherapy took it all out... I am at a loss about what to do. I have brand new hair. It is not the same hair that I had going into chemotherapy. The texture is different, the color is slightly different and its very soft and fragile. I've been listening to my natural hair friends and have learned quite a bit. I kept hearing a buzz about Miss Jessie's products for naturally curly hair and I finally decided to take the expensive plunge and order some products. http://www.missjessies.com/

One trip through the website (be sure to watch the videos) convinced me that this may be what I've been looking for. Something that will tame and control these curls and give me some of my sexy back.

Of course, after I placed my order I learned that Miss Jessie's now contains ingredients that I may not want to put on my hair -- mineral oil, petroleum, and parabens (known links to cancer) -- but I've decided to give it a try anyway. My oncologist told me last year that I could not dye my hair or put chemicals in my hair. So, I'm definitely searching for ways to manage my curly hair without falling back on old habits of feeling forced to straighten my hair.

If I'm going to embrace a new me, embracing my curly locks has to be a part of that.  2010 will be the year of "redefining my sexy".

I'm going to give the products a try and I will let you know how it all works out. (They were having a fabulous sale at the end of the year, so I got a lot of products to try)