I'm Getting Married :)

It's been months!

Life is just a whirlwind and I have not even worked on a new blog, at. all.

But please follow me on Instagram @justhairblog to see what's been going on and catch some hair ideas.

The biggest news I can share is the fact that I got engaged just before the 4th of July :)
We are still narrowing down a date, but if I do get a new blog up and running I will post some of the details of the wedding and reception planning. It will not be typical ;-) #blackdiamond

I also became an aunt just this past week.  My younger brother just had his first child, and my mom is now a grand mom!

I am still fighting with my teeth/orthodontist. I got my braces off over a year ago last July and one of my front teeth is still not stable. A space opens up every day as the hours pass, and then closes at night with my retainer. The top and bottom teeth don't fit together at that point, so that tooth just can't be happy. Grrr. I've been back 3 times in the past 2 months and I'll go again in a few more weeks, hopefully for a permanent resolution that does not involve shaving any more of the back of my tooth down :(
Should I get a second opinion on this whole thing?

A few weeks ago I also cut a bang back into my hair.  I just can't get through the grow out stage. I've been wearing my bun and buff over and over again.  It's just so easy and quick.

I am gardening this year, but it's been so dry and I've been so busy! I have also not counter-attacked the squirrels so they've made off with all my tomatoes grrr.
But I have had some success regardless.

I've tried a few new products including Superwet gel (yes), the As I Am line (yes!) and I revisited Curls Arc-Angel (NO).  I also tried some small company products that as of yet, are nothing to write about. But of coarse I will mix and re-mix until I exhaust all the options. I've learned not to discredit things so fast (as I did with the now altered-beyond-recognition Kiss My Face gel that I grew to LOVE and have now had to replace.) 

Since I've had this ring on my finger I've also been plain with nail polish a lot more than I used to.  L'Oréal and Essie have some amazing polish out.

And that's it for now.  Follow me on Instagram and I will sort my online presence out soon. Nice to see you! 

The Teeth

2 months progress on my bottom teeth. From now (top) going back 2 months. I now have two wire ties on the bottom (painful! see oddness on left bottom of pic) still have the wire tie across my top front two, and a chain across ALL my top teeth now... sigh. Got grey bands on the bottom this month. Silver stained something awful! I think I will stick to colors on the bottom going forward.
Much of the overlap is gone now however. They are def moving!!

UPDATE! I made a gif! lol 

Braces Update and coils picts after trim

I swear my visits to the orthodontist sometimes feel like a test of my pain threshold. You know that moment when you know someone is going to do something to hurt you, and there is nothing you can do about it- so you brace yourself?  Then you can stand practically anything for like 10 seconds. A shot, blood drawing, splinter or ingrown hair... whatever.  You can handle it.

SO at the ortho- they go to take the bands off, which always hurts. My bottom teeth are still super sensitive though, as they have been moving all month. (see exibits A and B below.) So I brace myself... ok taking bands off. It extra hurts but it has to be done. cool. cool.  I only flinch a little.

She says I'll get the same wire. Cool.  Then she takes the wire out after looking around a bit... hu?  Then she comes back with a file looking skinny thing, and tells me its like a nail file and tells me I'll feel pressure between my bottom teeth.  My super crowded, can hardly get floss in, sensitive bottom teeth...

I have but a split second to brace myself, and then it feels like the most cruel sandpaper being forced between my aching teeth. I flinched hard and she asked if I was OK- to which I quickly responded YES (part of the bracing of self hardcoreness I was attempting).

So she moves on to the other side of the tooth and, NO I'm not OK, and I am about to stop her and she's like "awww I know these teeth are sensitive, I'm almost done..."  so I refrain.  BUT DAMN. She attempts to go between one more, which I know I won't be able to tolerate, but this time she can't even get the "saw" in between the teeth. She says "wow, some very tight contacts here, this tooth has nowhere to go" and gives up.  Pheeewwwww!! After re banding them- which was a breeze in comparison, she sends me off saying lets watch my bottom teeth continue to "unravel."

Now my whole bottom jaw is aching. Great.

But look how much they moved over the past month. (yep switched to silver on bottom after debating purple for a sec lol.)
May 21st > June 25th


As for my hair...
I had been severely neglecting it over the past few weeks as I dealt with some ailments and tragedies in my family and around home. I had been starting off with a wash and go and then not moisturizing, not protecting it at night as I slept in various places (such as hospital suites, my childhood bed, a chair... standing up lol).  I hardly had time to wash and de-tangle once in those few weeks, not at home, no deep conditioning, no time to protective style. So last week when I returned to work, while drifting off  at my desk I was partaking in a nice hand in hair session when I noticed an abundance of single strand knots and hair that was simply coming off the end of my hair in my hand. Perturbed, I actually took my work scissors and cut away some of the worst offenders right then and there, rather than have them get lost in my hair again and begin to work in more innocent bystanders.

After another day of making the same discoveries knew I had to cut some hair off my ends all over and be done with it. :-(
I cut my hair wet with conditioner, with my professional sheers, practically curl by curl.  I ended up taking off 1-1.5" all over.  Hardly noticable while shrunken, but if I press again I've set myself back a few months.

Now imagine- some naturals never protect their hair at night, and don't know how to properly moisturize or seal their ends.  3 weeks and I effectively knotted up the ends of my hair. There really is something to taking those few extra steps to preserve length!!  At home I have silk pillow cases, and I use castor oil to seal, steam in the shower, a few different leave ins... It doesn't take much, but it takes something. 

My ends look great now! I took a few flicks of a chunk I pulled down yesterday.  I have in it Paul Mitchel's The Conditioner, Eco styler gel and had refreshed with steam and Nubian Heritage (read this! the same thing happened to me in CVS when I picked this up) Heat Protect Leave-In Conditioning Cream Honey & Black Seed. It has a VERY strong scent and I'm not yet sure if I can deal, but I will keep you posted when I am able to try it alone.

Pressed again for trim. Picts!

I decided to press it to trim it again. It had been since Feb 15th, when I last pressed my hair and I desperately needed a trim.  There were a few sunny days coming up on the forecast so I went for it late Wednesday night last week. I used the same process and products as last time and I trimmed off about 1/4 - 1/2 inch all over.

What I did not consider is how busy I would be during the weekend!!  I had friends in town from Boston and a jam packed, sleepless schedule ahead.  I slept in my clothes and makeup several times lol.  I even ended up cooking on the charcoal BBQ grill for several hours on Saturday! So needless to say- I was NOT feeling the pressed hair in terms of upkeep! I only slept in curlers for one night, and the curl fell quickly thereafter, nary to return again.  I ended up bunning for almost the entire weekend, but I came up with the Meagan Good (or maybe Kerri Hilson) inspired bang thingy and rocked that for several days.  I only had to pop a curler in front- for as little as an hour before heading out.

So here are the picts. It's definitely grown a lot (APL in places) and the new color is actually a bit subdued while straight.

 

Party Time!  Graduation cookout on Sat with my best homies and Jemima's family!

I plan to RUN home and wash it today. It's been raining for the past few days and I have lost control of the press. I'm soooo done with it!

And..... I got my bottom braces!! Monday. And curse them!! They hurt.  I got blue bands so that I could see the bracket placement easily and embrace the metal I had to get on the bottom (vs the ceramic on top).  

They are alllllllll over the place and I clearly have a long ways to go.  

Teeth are twisted that I didn't even know were twisted.  sigh.  

I am also slowly starving to death, though I am no longer in pain when I'm just sitting still today lol.  But my teeth don't meet properly if at all any more already.  and I hit the bottom brackets with my top teeth if I'm not careful (ouch!) and.... I have a lisp, because making the "S" sound hurts the worst.  Awesome.

March Braces update, if you can call it that...

Feb Braces and hair update vid

I just got my braces tightened on Wed so here is my update video!

Curious about my adult braces? Read this and watch these

I still am, hence my continued research today lol. Thought I'd share a few of the best vids!

I find myself doing a lot of explaining because it's not clear why I needed braces so badly to get them at age 31. People ask why did I get them if my teeth were "straight."

I have a Deep Bite.
.

I have a complete, 100% deep bite = no bottom teeth atallll. This has gotten progressively worse over the years and as of last year my teeth have begun to chip up top, and my bottom teeth are turning completely 180°, though no one can see them lol. Every dentist I have EVER seen in my life has told me I "need braces/should have had braces/better get braces" to save my teeth.  And the new one who saw the little chips insisted I look into it before it got yet worse.  So I did!

So I have only top brackets (white ceramic) on for up to 6 months time until my bottom teeth start showing/become accessible. 

THEN I will get my bottom brackets put on and be using some sort of bite plate like below to prevent damage as seen in the animation.  This may happen Feb 1 after only 4.5 months! I'm hoping my teeth have moved enough already- she seemed optimistic last visit.

I already have a bite plate now I wear only at night.  It's crazy whack.  But guess what?  Unlike the pic here, I see bottom teeth now! and they look crazy upset lol. No one has seen them forever.

See bite plate video below.



If your dentist suggests you need braces, look into it and save your only teeth.  However, if no doctor or dental professional tells you to get braces- DON'T do it! lol  it sucks.  I thought I'd be fine because I hadn't had any chipping or jaw pain, despite dozens of advisories.  I did not want braces.  ever.
Until this year.  Chip a tooth a few times and things change lol. I also finally subscribed to an insurance plan that pays half even for adults.

Plus the technology has gotten much better over the years.   In previous consultations I was told I'd need extractions, to wear braces for 3 years, that I could only have metal brackets because of the force needed to move them so much, and that I'd need to wear a bite plate the entire time.  I walked off like no thanks- my teeth are fine.

Now that they finally are not fine, I'm on a 2 year plan, with ceramic brackets and thus far a removable bite plate...

Wish me luck!

Imma share some honest and graphic teeth picts below.  

Turn away now if you don't want to be all up in my mouth. lol

Me today... Wire chain, smoke colored bands, no braces on bottoms yet- but they show a bit now! and look a hot mess...

Bottom teeth- ugh!  They are suffering/turning/falling further in and I was warned I'd loose them in another decade or two. 

Braces update with... NEW webcam :-)

New video- Braces update and PRESSED hair!

Braces, bang and bun. Video!

I got braces!

 

I got ceramic braces with clear bands :-) 

I have a severely deep bite, and have known I needed braces for almost 2 decades lol.  But for various reasons, mostly aesthetic in my 20s, I put it off.  Well this past year a few trips to the dentist confirmed that I needed to hurry up and correct my bite before any more damage could occur.  So TA DA.  Here I am.  I will have them up top for 6 months to open my bite enough to get them put on the bottom.  So far they don't hurt and I'm tolerating them well! No speech impediment lol

Here is a quick, silent vid about what I am having correted.  My bite is over 100% and looks similar to the teeth below :-( 

My hair?  Bang and bun again lol- but I added a flower headband. KMF gel :-)