So, what exactly is going on with my progress? I am currently about an inch or two away from bra-strap length and will be wearing protective styles such as weaves and braids until I feel comfortable with my length. I am close to four months post, but since my last relaxer reverted, it feels more like six. And I am wearing a sew-in (Bobbi Boss 10" Yaky cut into a bob).

I think that's it. Oh, I am also taking garlic pills to minimize shedding. I will post pictures when I take out my install. Happy hair growing!

The hair growth cycle is controlled by a chemical signal called the epidermal growth factor or EGF. EGF plays an important role in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation (when a cell becomes specialized). Human EGF is made up of protein, amino acid residues, and disulfide bonds (what holds hair proteins together).

"During pregnancy the increased levels of estrogen in your body freezes hair in the growing (or "resting") phase of the cycle. Hair that would normally fall out stays put, resulting in thicker hair. After you give birth and your estrogen levels decline, however, all that hair that was resting starts to fall out. This usually starts the third or fourth postpartum and ends by six months, says Joanne Stone, MD, an ob-gyn at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and coauthor of Pregnancy for Dummies (John Wiley & Sons). But some women say it can last for a year. This temporary hair loss doesn't mean you're deficient in nutrition or vitamins, says Dr. Stone. It's simply hormonal."

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The minerals in hard water can actually cause hair loss. Selenium, mercury, lead, zinc, and aluminum are usually found in hard water and contribute to hair loss. So, keep your hair healthy by getting a water filter!

And...

"Even some brands of bottled water have been found to contain high levels of contaminants in addition to plastics chemical leaching from the bottle." (Source)

Right now, I am loving my CURLS products. The CURLS Quenched Moisturizer + the CURLS Milkshake combo is perfect. My hair is loving me right now.

What product(s) is your hair loving right now?

C'mon, let us in on your favorite product(s)... Give us your honest opinion!

1. Joetta H-S
What I love most about it is simple: I neglected and abused it for 10 years and it never turned its back on me...it just waited for me to see the light.

2. Rachel
I love the fact that my hair has a mind of its own. It's like I have 2 personalities! Not in a creepy crazy way though ;) It says something about me and the decisions I make, the way I like to live and shows my fun loving, laid back spirit before I utter a word.

3. Necolia
what I love most about my hair is the fact that it's uniquely mine. That God took the time to code each strand specifically for me and that no one else has the same. I love being able to wear twist outs and puffs and two strand twists and wear them confidently because may hair may not be what society holds as a standard, it is what I want it to be and I wear it with pride.

4. Cynthia
I think its the fact that I've learned to love my hair is the reason why I love my hair so much. When I was younger, I didn't appreciate it as much as I do now, maybe because back then, having natural hair was just not an option. If you had naps, you weren't pretty. I've been the ugly duckling for such a long time, so when I got my perm, it gave me my self esteem. That was in 7th grade. As soon as sophomore year of high school rolled around, my hair was shorter due to breakage, and I was getting bored. So my mother suggested going back to natural hair. I was skeptical, and worried that I wouldn't feel pretty anymore. But I was already bored with the hair I had. I had to try something different. Well, when I went natural, I got great responses. People I had never spoken to came up to me in school and said my hair was beautiful, and that built my confidence. Now, I can't get enough of my hair. I can do many things with it, and I feel different. Nowadays its all about wigs and weaves. I'm starting from the roots I was born with. My hair has a waviness to it, and a kinky/curly vibe that makes me feel all giddy inside. Not only that, but I have blogs such as Coarse Hair to thank keep my hair healthy. To think, I hated the beautiful tresses that I have now. Tsk tsk tsk. Shame on me.

5. Camille
What I love most about my hair is its thickness. Even short, it is very thick and instead of trying to make it appear thin, I'm proud to embrace it as is. Thick and full of life!

We'll add the poll later and you can commence to voting for your favorite finalist!