Cayenne Pepper Challenge Update

As you all know, I conducted the Cayenne Pepper Challenge (part 1 &2) on BHP which was held from the beginning of this year, until the 1st of this month.

The 1st of every month everyone were to post an update about their experiences using cayenne, and what have you,  of course I do as well. The challenge ended the 1st of this month, and again, everyone were to post about experiences, and post pics if possible, and thought it be a good idea to share my pics with you guys, so maybe you can get a sense of how cayenne pepper can be beneficial for hair growth! I think Castor oil has also been extremely helpful.

 I put cayenne pepper paste on both bald spots for a hour or more at a time with cap. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of my bald spots every month, so I only have comparisons from May 2010 to July 2010. You are more than welcome to post and let me know if you see any difference. (I started using Cayenne February of 2009, before then, those spots were completely bald)

First set (May 2010):The first is the left side, second is the right side.

Second Set (3rd & 4th pic)(July 2010)- Left side, then right.

HTH, Until Next Time! Naomi~

Cayenne Pepper Challenge (Part 2)

As you all know, I have a Cayenne Pepper Challenge on Black Hair Planet. part 1 began January 1st, and ended March 1st. The challenge requires participants to use ground cayenne pepper (must be ground cayenne pepper, oil is not an option) in a paste, using anything they so chose, water I feel is the best option, but oils are good too, the are to put the paste in an area where they feel needs growth, and leave it on for a minimum of 30 minutes, although I feel the longer, the better, for at least 2 times a week.  Pretty simple, you can do it while prepooing, or do it before cowashing or shampooing, but I definitely recommend doing either or after using cayenne as it helps it get all of the pepper out of your hair and scalp. The mixture does tingle, but to me it is a sign that is working.

Anyway, since I have more participants, I decided to go ahead and start the challenge again. It began April 1st, and check is the 1st of every month it ends in . We recently had check in, and I thought it would be cool to let you guys see how it has been working out.( Part 1 of Cayenne Pepper Challenge) 

(Part 2 of Cayenne Pepper Challenge)

Until Next Time, HHG to All! Naomi ❤

Update

I usually try to post at least once a week, but I haven’t been doing that lately and I apologize! Life has been kind of hectic for me for the past couple of weeks, and I have not been able to give my hair the baby treatment as I usually do! Lol, but in the past weeks I have flat ironed, which lasted for about a week and a half, and then I did two strand twists again last Sunday. I might take them out tomorrow, even though I’m sure they could probably last for the whole week, we’ll see. Anyway, I don’t have my camera, so I won’t be able to post any pics! Which I know sucks majorly, but I will be purchasing a new camera soon, so all my pics will be nice and crisp.

I am going to start posting tutorials, in which I do my styling so any of you naturals, or transitioners, or even relaxed ladies (depending on the style), can see the steps in which I do particular styles, and do them for yourselves, or just use it an idea to form your own styles.

I will also try to keep updates on how my growth is going with the use of my cayenne pepper treatments. 

Thanks for the support, and keep following, or start if you are not already! Please post any comments, ideas, or questions!

Until Next Time, HHG to All! Naomi ❤

Rod Setting Natural Hair

                                         (Ignore the date)

I had a wedding to attend, and I already had my dress and shoes together, my accessories, but I still needed to do my hair. I don’t go to salon’s nor do I know of any good one’s. I also don’t like spending money on something I can do myself! The problem was, I was having a hard time deciding whether to flat iron, or do a roller/rod set. My boyfriend said it didn’t matter, but he never really has an opinion when it comes to my hair.

I then turned to my sisters on BHP and asked what they thought would be the better choice. As it turned out, a lot of them, including those who were relaxed suggest that I do the roller/rod set instead. Another thing that factored in my decision was that I am part of a no heat challenge, and I want to try my best to stay away from using direct heat on my hair.

I use perm rods and Motions Foaming Wrap Lotion for my rod sets. If you ever wanted to try this rods out, my only suggestion is that if you prefer a looser curl, go for the bigger sized rollers, the smaller the roller, the tighter the curl will be. I like small curls but I plan on purchasing more of the gray colored rods for when I want a looser curl.

I only mixed them because I ran out of yellow/blue rods lol.

I prepooed the night before, then I did my cayenne pepper treatment, washed with diluted V05 Moisturizing Milks Strawberries & Cream Shampoo, cowashed with matching conditioner, and then deep conditioned with a cap, without heat, for two hours with, Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Conditioner. (In the bottle, same formula, make sure to buy see through bottle, the solid colored one has a different formula)

I sealed with my mixture of oils, and then did my hair in four sections, put Motions Foam Wrapping Lotion in the section I  was doing, and did that for all four sections, and put the rollers in downward, and made sure the roller was close to my root,( do not bunch the hair in one section of the roller, actually make sure it wraps around the length of it) and got the results of the picture above.

I left the rollers in overnight, so it would be fresh for the wedding which was the following day, and I split the curls, and it was done! The style can last a whole week, but I usually keep it for 3 days or so.

(The left side is where I split the curls, the right is how it looks when it comes out of the roller)

Try rod/roller setting at home, the results are rewarding!

Until Next Time, HHG to All! ❤ Naomi

Cayenne Pepper Challenge

As you all know, I use Cayenne Pepper for hair restoration/growth, and since I started using it, my hairline is coming back, and I have hair where I never did before, but I was the only one using it regularly in my regimen, so I decided to enlighten my sisters on Black Hair Planet Forum about the benefits of using cayenne to help with hair growth, and made a challenge.

Well really it is the second part, but since people were not too sure about using cayenne, I made it a mini challenge of 3 months, starting from January 1st, 2010- March 1st 2010. I did not get the immediate response I wanted, but it was requested for the challenge to be restored!  So I gave everyone and newcomers a month break to get their mixtures together!

The challenge calls for Ground Cayenne Pepper (Must be used) to be made into a paste, using water, or water and an oil, or pretty much anything you prefer. The cayenne paste must be applied 2-3 times a week, and left on for a minimum of 30 minutes. There is no direct measurements but I will say that the mix should contain more cayenne than oil or water, otherwise you will end up with a liquid instead of paste, which can run, and cayenne stings eyes!( I do not suggest heating it up. If using water, it does not matter whether you use cold or warm water)

The second part of the challenge Begins April 1st, 2010 and will end July 1st. Everyone is to check in 1st of the month until July. If everything is going well I plan on extending to the end of the year.

This challenge is open to everyone! So if you would like to join, just subscribe and comment!

Wash Day/Regimen

I love wash day because it gives me a chance to feel pampered and baby my hair! To me it is like going to the Salon, because it takes hours to get to the results I want (by choice) but in the comfort of my own home, which is the best part! Who like sitting in a salon for 3-4 hours? Not Me! lol

 My wash day comes once per week, and that is the day my hair gets the works. Everybody does not have the same washing ritual, whether natural, relaxed, or texlaxed. Some people wash once a week like me, some people twice a month, or once a month, so it varies depending on the person an the hair type.

I decided on once a week because I found that after two weeks my scalp is dirty, and hair is limp, and packed with product I have been adding over the days. Plus it starts to itch then lol.

I start by prepooing. Prepooing is a lot like deep conditioning, except that it is done on dry hair before Shampooing. It depends on my mood, but I do oil only prepoo’s, and conditioner prepoo’s. For my oil only I use Home Health Castor Oil, and Africa’s Best Organics Ultimate Herbal Oil. For my conditioner prepoo I use V05 Tea Therapy Calming Chamomile with a few drops of the same oils I use in my oil prepoo. I like to leave it overnight with a plastic cap, if not done that way I do my prepoo a couple of hours before I plan on shampooing, same method.

I then rinse, and then do my Cayenne Pepper Treatment for an hour or two, rinse, then shampoo. I clarify 1-2 times a month using V05 Herbal Escapes Clarifying Kiwi Lime, if I clarify I use the matching conditioner to cowash, if not I use V05 Moisturizing Milks Strawberries & Cream.  Cowashing can be done in between wash days, as it helps keep your hair moisturized and clean. When I am not using my clarifying shampoo, I am using my moisturizing shampoo, V05 Moisturizing Milks Shampoo Strawberries & Cream. I tend to wash my hair in one big bunch, some braid their hair in plaits and wash their hair in sections. 

I then deep condition using one of my three conditioners which I alternate, Africa’s Best Hair Mayonnaise, which I use as my protein, Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Conditioner as my in between, meaning it contains both protein and moisturizing ingredients, and Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol, which I use as my moisturizing. I believe Mineral Oil is an ingredient in the (bolded) conditioners I use, but I does not bother me if it is far down in the list of ingredients. Many people try to stay away from mineral oil, and petroleum in products, because it is said to coats, and acts as a barrier, but it works fine for me. I have great results using all three of these conditioners.

After, I seal with my mix of Home Health Castor Oil, Africa’s Best Ultimate Herbal Oil, and Lavender Jamaican Black Castor Oil. I put pure LJBCO on my balds spots and edges.

Sometimes I use V05 Moisturizing Milks as a leave in, and then I style!

I what is called low manipulation styling, which means to style without direct heat. Styles such some featured on my blog, and others such as braid/ braid outs, (two strand/flat) twist/ twist outs, bantu knot outs, puffs, pin curls, roller/rod sets, etc.

Every once in a while I may do a protective style, which is styling that keeps ends protected. Such as individuals, and kinky twists, but you can also do buns, pony tails, wigs/lace fronts, cornrows, etc. This type is styling is suppose to help in retaining length.

My low manipulation styles usually last me two to three days. Unless it is wash day, I then cowash, seal, and style again!

I find that it is good to have a regimen to know what products works for you, and to know what treatments your hair may need throughout the week. Remember it is different for everyone, and some products may work for others, may not work for you, so it is trial and error, but at least it gives you a chance to get to know your hair!

Until Next Time, HHG to All! Naomi ❤

Part II of, Why Use Cayenne Pepper?

I have been meaning to post a picture of the mixture I use to give you guys an idea of what it looks like, in paste form, I almost forgot again, when I used half of my batch up lol. I use to make a batch for the week, but in order to keep it fresh, I left it out unopened, and it would dry out a little bit, and I would have to add water to get it to turn into a paste again, but I figured doing that to a batch 1-2 times over would ruin the potency, so I only make enough for one use. It can be covered if stored in the fridge, but if you leave it out, it cannot have a lid on, or else the batch will get moldy lol.

I like my paste to be on the thick side, because I found if it is made to watery it will run. The batch depicted in the picture is consisted of only ground cayenne pepper, and water. I find that it is stronger this way, because I get more of a tingle, to me that indicates that it is working. If you do not want it to tingle you can add an oil. I sometimes use olive oil, canola oil, or castor oil. I also like adding paprika, when I remember too.

If you are wondering why I use cayenne pepper for hair growth, check out part one of this entry!

Until Next Time, HHG to All! Naomi ❤

Shingling, Mini Product Review

Not sure if you guys know, but, today was hair day! I prepooed with V05 Tea Therapy Calming Chamomile, mixed with a couple of drops of Home Health Castor Oil, Africa’s Best Ultimate Herbal Oil, and Herbal Infusions Hair Mayonnaise. The concoction was mixed in my spray bottle, and I put it through out my hair, and put on a plastic cap which I left on for about two hours.

Then I did a cayenne Treatment ( I have to remember to take a pic of!) and left it on for close to two hours as well. Then I washed with Miracle 7 Color Protect Shampoo. I never tried it before, nor is my hair colored, I got it free with my sally’s order, I guess to replace the fact that they did not ship my Roux.

Anyway, the Miracle 7 Color Protect Shampoo was pearly white, and thick, and had a really nice lather. My hair did not feel stripped after using it, it actually felt soft. I do not know how good it is as far as maintaining color treated hair, but my hair felt clean, so I am pleased, but I would not purchase this product only because it is pricey in my opinion. From Sally’s it is $12.99 USD for a 10 ounce bottle. I would give it a 4/5 based on it’s cleaning ability, not as far as protecting/preserving color on color treated hair.

After Shampooing I followed with my Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol (moisturizing dc) I left it in for an hour with a cap, and rinsed and detangled. I then put LJBCO on my bald spots, and then used my applicator bottle to put my oil mixture to seal. (mixture of Castor oil, LJBCO, and Africa’s Best Ultimate Herbal Oil).

Then I used New York Style Gel (14 X-treme hold) which I purchased for $1.19 USD from a store called Conway, in New York City, to shingle. Put it throughout hair, and then combed through. I blow dried my hair, did not dry, it is actually still drying. Anyway here are the results.

Until Next time, HHG to all! Naomi ❤

Why use Cayenne Pepper?

I have bald spots on both sides of my head, and have had them for years. Last year I made the decision to transition, and decided that I wanted to do something to see if I can get my hair to grow. I went to dermatologists when I was younger, but no growth came from the medicine they prescribed. So from there I decided to do my own research. I went and looked for things that promote growth, and then came across this thread that said cayenne pepper could help with hair growth. I decided to look more into it, and it is true!

Cayenne Pepper contains Capsiscum, Capsicum contains Capsaicin , which is the chemical that produces that burning sensation, when you eat peppers. When made into a paste, and is placed on the body, it has that same ‘burning sensation’ (if you only use water), the ‘burning’ sensation, produces blood flow to the affected area, which helps stimulate hair follicles, and an in essence, helps produce hair growth.

To furthermore prove the efficiency of  Cayenne pepper, it is used in as a key ingredient in hair growth aids such as:
Organic Root Stimulator Scalp Scrub
Organic Root Stimulator Fertilizing Temple Balm
Organic Root Fertilizing Serum

Now I love me some Organic Root Stimulator, but I refuse to pay for something I can make at home, and have in it’s purest form.

I do not use exact measurements, but just to give you guys an idea of how you can make your own, I use for my own paste
A Small Plastic Bowl
Cayenne Pepper, and Water (if I want the mixture to be strong)
If  I do not want such a strong mixture, and have that ‘burning’ sensation I add an oil, you can use any oil you like, but I personally have used,
Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, and Castor Oil (Cold Pressed, Cold Processed)
I also add Paprika if I feel to

Whatever liquid I use whether it is just water, or both water and an oil, I do not add too much so that it is loose, it will not still to your scalp if it is watery, it will also drip, which is not great because it can burn your eye, it won’t damage it or anything as far as I know, but it would hurt momentarily.

I leave it on for a minimum of 30 minutes, and then rinse it out by cowashing or shampooing my hair afterwards, to make sure all of it comes out. In my opinion, doing this process 2-3 times a week can help fill in bald spots. After doing this for a year, my hair is filling out, if you have a smaller spot, it would not take as long, that and the fact that I do take 1-2 month breaks when I get my hair braided, but if I stay on it, it will be filled out this year.

I will post a picture of the mixture, and pics of my spots a bit later.