Becky's Next Chapter: April 2016

OH MY GOODNESS! Words can't describe how lovely my hair feels today!!! And I can still lightly smell the soft, floral scent. Love that!

I forgot to mention last night, that there isn't the usual waxy build-up feeling in the back and underneath. It feels light and flowy and my fingers comb through easily without getting stuck... just the way I remember it feeling when I was (much) younger and my hair cooperated with me. 😆

And when I brushed it this morning I only pulled ONE (count that), ONE strand off my hair brush. That's a massive feat! My hair wasn't a snarly mess either.

Every time I woke up in the middle of the night, I had to touch how soft it was. I might become obsessed with soft hair. {Because I need something new/more to be obsessed about.}

Today I've opted to just wear a little clip to pull the front out of my face. Typically I look like I've had my head out the window after being outside. Not today! It's laying down nicely and even after being in the breeze.

I know a hair system isn't going to make me absolutely bonkers about my hair. There are far too many things about it that annoy me. But I can already feel after just one use that I like it a teensy bit more. 😀

And while I know I shouldn't complain about how thick my hair is... I miss out on tons of cute styles because most of them have thin-medium thickness. When you have tons of hair it's takes a ton of Bobbie pins and/or product. Double UGH! Not a fan of using either.

I've donated my hair a few times and I have this attitude about my mop: Someone else is going to LOVE the hair that makes me CRAZY! And that to me, is such a wonderful feeling!!!

The first two times were to Locks of Love. I read a few years ago that they sell a lot of the hair, and I was turned off. Additionally, they chard some for the wigs. It's not free for everyone that may qualify. I know that real hair wigs are expensive to make... But should these families really need to worry about coming up with that money too (even if it's a sliding scale)? I don't think so!

Here's a link to the article I found a few years on Forbes. Perhaps things have changed since 2013, but some things have a tendency to stick in my mind.

So I have my hair from the 3rd time. And some of my mom's hair from the 60's or 70's. BTW, it's dead, so it's not that creepy. Tehe. Once my hair is long enough again I will donate some to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths and some to Children With Hair Loss.

Pantene's Beautiful Lengths wigs go to women suffering from cancer. I like that they are FREE! And the minimum hair length is 8". Not 12", like some.

And Children With Hair Loss supplies FREE wigs to children with a variety of conditions that have caused them to lose their hair. Not just cancer. Their minimum hair length to donate is also 8".

I've got plenty of time to contemplate these things.

Here are some pics of my hair donations from 03-09-2008. ☺️

Here are some pics of my hair donations from 10-18-2009. I still have this hair. 😀

I got so way off topic about Monat. But... You can see what my ultimate hair goal is. 😁

Have a wonderful day! 💐

A friend (who works at my old orthodontist's office) has been posting pictures of her hair since she started using Monat hair products. I was intrigued. Sometimes it helps to see the results of someone you know, who wouldn't fib to get sales.

Since then, I've been looking online and checking out blog posts. And... I continued to be intrigued. I haven't seen very many poor reviews. Additionally, they have an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau.

So last Friday I took the leap and joined as a VIP customer ($19.00) and purchased the Balance Treatment System ($99.00 MSRP, $84.00 VIP 15% discount). This is the most I've ever spent on hair care products! I suspect this is the case for many women. And if I like it, I'll probably join so I can get 30% off products.

Per Monat's site:

Our patent-pending age-prevention formula of ingredients seep hair with incredible moisture, reducing dry and brittle texture to deliver new life and hydration to every strand. MONAT features powerful active botanicals and bio-functional catalase that serve as UV protectors and prevent thinning, free radical neutralizers that keep hair looking and feeling naturally healthy, and an exclusive blend of vitamins and minerals to combat oxidative stress along with proactive amino acids that repair and replace essential nutrients. You’ll see and feel the difference in an instant, and with regular use, you’ll discover a brilliant, youthful glow to your hair, along with long-lasting conditioning results.

Some people have magnificent results in growing their hair quickly... Which is what I'm looking for. My goal is to donate it again. And it would be awesome to do that sooner, rather than later.

Some find that they have regrowth where it was once thin.

And most find their hair becomes sleeker and smoother. Not to mention healthier. Not a bad thing, when you consider how much abuse our hair endures. Okay, so my hair doesn't get abused, cuz I don't invest much time in it.

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Anyhoo, today I received my order of Renew Shampoo, Restore Leave-In Conditioner, and Replenish Masque. Let me tell you- it smells amazing! A very pretty floral scent.

I couldn't wait to wash my hair tonight! As someone who *hates* washing her hair, that is something new, different, and noteworthy.

To get ready for this new hair "adventure," I had my hair trimmed about 1.5". That way I can start with cleaner strands. After getting it cut, it is about 15" long from my center part to the ends.

Some things about my hair:

It's pretty thick, but has finer strands. Some are a little more coarse underneath (those are almost a kinky black-brown).
The center, back of my hair has a little bit of wave... Not sure why it can't be all over my head. LOL
It's predominately brownish-red with some blondish strands. Oh and some shiny silver ones interspersed. 😖
There's usually quite a few strands lost in the washing process.
Even after washing, it feels heavy and almost waxy. A build-up that only several washings can get rid of. But after a few days, it's back.
After towel drying, it stays wet for a pretty long time.
Once dry- it isn't super parched, but it isn't soft and supple looking either.

As for my low-maintenance hair routine:

I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week. And most of those showers are spent with me rinsing shampoo and conditioner out.
My shampoo and conditioner is called FAST by Nisim. It is for maximum hair growth. I used this back in 2003 and was able to grow my hair 3" in 3 months.
Since I wash my hair at night, it air dries. I very infrequently use a hair dryer.
It only gets curled *maybe* 5 times a year.
Just like getting curled, that's about as often as it gets styling products.
I'm a ponytail (scrunchy), giant hair clip kind of girl.

Here are my observations after my first washing.

Renew Shampoo:

Not sure on the bottle. Hard to close when you have shampoo in your palm. I rested it on the side and some shampoo came out. I'll figure it out.
Feels creamy and lathers up nicely.
It feels silky and my hair instantly felt soft and smooth.
It rinses out better than I had hoped. I didn't spend the whole time rinsing.
It towel-dried relatively quickly after washing.

Replenish Masque:

Easy to apply and felt wonderful.
I was able to comb through easily with minimal strand loss.
Rinses out easily. (I left it on for about 10 minutes)

Restore Leave-In Conditioner:

It only took about 4 squirts to work through my hair from root to tip.
Easy to comb through.

Overall first impressions:

I washed my hair almost 3.5 hours ago and it is about 90% dry and STILL smells amazing! Usually after a short time, I can no longer smell my shampoo/conditioner.
My hair feels amazing! It's soft, silky and it might just be dry before I go to sleep.
The words "silky, smooth" and Zohan come to mind. 😜

I look forward to seeing how my hair looks after being slept on. And how it combs out after a night of tossing and turning (the back is usually pretty snarly by the AM).