14 DAY HAIR CHALLENGE
I’ve had an interesting relationship with my hair for years now. I’ve gone from not caring about it at all - the days in boarding school where it was cut super low. You see, in Cameroon, where I grew up, all the girls had their hair cut low- they wanted us to focus on school and books and not waste time on our hair and worry about how we looked or what the little teenage boys thought. And so my relationship with my hair was limited-as were the hairs on my head.
Then came my college/law school years and this was experimenting- colored, straight, permed, braided, manipulated beyond recognition and I could barely tell you which chemical or concoction I used. I wasn’t having a love affair with my hair, I was trying to find the hair I could love.
Then came my early career years- feeling uncertain in my poorly fitted suits as I made my way through courtrooms and office meetings- my hair was not to be a distraction, I was not to stand out, gone was the color, no more crazy manipulations- my hair was to be devoid of character. My relationship with my hair was a second thought at the time.
And that brings us to the present. I have fallen in love with my hair, with its kinks and coils and I am determined now more than ever to do right by it. My hair is a part of me- it tells people who I am, it makes me feel good about where I am and who I am- my background, my culture. My relationship is acceptance and love.
And with acceptance and love, just as I take care of my body and mind. I’m learning new ways to embrace my hair and keep it healthy. I’ve made some mistakes over the last few and I’m happy to have the support of a company like Pantene- who have been here through the years and who challenged me to 14 days to show some love to my hair- 14 days to get my hair to a great Hair hair day.
Here’s the recap of how my Pantene 14 Day Challenge it went:
Day1: it’s so tempting to use too many products or too much of a product. I was determined to keep the regimen to only 3 products: Gold Series Shampoo, Conditioner and the Curl Pudding. I wanted to be able to isolate any gains or losses by only using these products.
The shampoo was easy- and easy is a big win for me. An easy wash means I wasn’t struggling or having my hair overly dried and tangled. My scalp felt clean but not stripped. I followed with the conditioner - any kink that had made it through the shampoo couldn’t resist the slippage of the conditioner. Under 30mins after I began, I was done- a small miracle.
I twisted my hair as I always do using the curl pudding- which is both moisturizing but also provides gentle ghold and definition for twists.
Because I used so few products, my hair was dry super fast without heat and my twists came out defined but bouncy- a lot of body.
Day 7: I completed my second wash and this was the real test of the products- how much breakage was I going to experience. Besides some minimal spritz and a small reapplication of curl pudding- I hadn’t put much else in my hair.
There was some breakage but about 50% less than the previous week. (For there record, I have been paying for those previously discussed bad hair decisions).
Day 12: I make a note to self- is this really happening or am I having less shedding/breakage? I don’t know, but it really seems that way.
Day 14: wash day- it’s an important day- for someone with natural hair like myself- it’s the day and time you really invest in gauging how your hair looks and feels. I could already tell before the wash that this would be different.
Final thoughts: if this is what 14 days can do, then I need another 14 days cos this can only get better from here.
I’ll be sticking to the Pantene Gold Seriesis regimen for a little while longer as I am so encouraged and can’t wait to see what happens next. Stay Tuned! Pantene has products for a wide range of hair types so go ahead and take the challenge for yourself and share your experience in the comments.
@Pantene #pantene14daychallenge #GreatHairDay #BadHairDay #moregreathairdays
This Post was #Sponsored by @Pantene