Avoiding The Dry

Hey guys! Just wanted to come to you really quick to share a quick tip. Right now I have my mini twists in. I can't remember if I told you about the last time I put these suckas in, but it was not pretty! I kept them in for about six weeks, mainly because of my busy schedule toward the end of last semester and the convenience they provided. However, they also did some serious, but avoidable damage to my strands. When I took my hair out, the dryness and frizz was intense! I realized this was because I wasn't giving my hair the proper moisture. I wasn't taking care of my hair while it was twisted. I've had these in for about a week now and almost every day I spritz my hair with water and seal in coconut oil. Some days I'll add a leave in conditioner and seal, but most days its just water to avoid product build up. Keep this in mind if you're also wearing mini twists! Hope I helped!

Pretty Puff

Hey you guys, I found this style tutorial on youtube and wanted to share. I think it's more of a summer style than anything but it's cute! Check it out!

Length Check

Hey! Its about that time! Time for a length check. I must say, I was disappointed this go round. My hair has definitely grown but not as much as I wanted. It's right on track though; about 1.5 inches in 3 months. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be more patient! Next length check is now scheduled for May 18, 2011 :)

Following Directions

Over the past few weeks I've been trying something new. I have been following directionsplaced on my conditioner bottle! As naturals, we tend to bend the rules a bit. Sometimes, we just shatter them all together! I can say with confidence that I am not the only one who has left a non leave in conditioner in for longer than the bottle directions advised or even used it as a styling product! I'm sure there's a reason for the advised usage instructions or else companies wouldn't take the time to place them on their bottles, right? Right! Although it's very tempting to just leave my Aussie Moist or Proclaim conditioner in over night, I take the time to rinse it out and use a proper leave in conditioner. For now, I'm using Giovanni Direct Leave In or Mixed Chicks Leave In along with coconut oil to seal my ends. Allowing the conditioner to stay in for the advised time and then rinsing has actually left my hair a lot silkier. However, I do love how it works as a styling product and may eventually return to my bad habits once it warms up outside. Those wash and go's were amazing! LOL, so for now I'm being as good as I can be and following directions. Maybe long term I'll notice some more benefits and be able to compare and contrast. During a hair forum that I attended, I learned that leaving in non leave in conditioners will dry the hair out, but I never experienced that first hand. We'll see though.

Until Next Time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Transitioning Tips

Here's my Top Ten Tips for Transitioners!

10. Get Organized

Create a regimen that you can follow. Hair responds to healthy regimens and you may even be able to carry it over into naturaldom.

9. Youtube It

If you need inspiration youtube is really the place to go! There is a whole community of women on their going through the same thing you are! There are tutorials, testimonies and documented journeys all there at your finger tips. Take advantage!

8. Water Daily

Okay, maybe not daily; but ladies, get used to using water a lot more than you did when you were relaxed. A lot of black women grew up believing washing your hair is a bad thing. Change your way of thinking on that. Water is essential and the only true 100% moisturizer. Instead of washing with shampoo, lots of naturals/transitioners wash with conditioner, a method most commonly known as "co-washing".

7. Stay Outta Rehab

Don't become a product junkie. I know all those natural hair products in their pretty packaging seem irresistible but I think most natural/past transitioners will tell you not to get too bogged down in all of that. Less truly is more. Find a few products that you love and stick with those. It is okay to switch it up every now and then but don't go nuts buying new products because honestly, most of this stuff does the same thing and with going natural being the new "it" thing, a lot of companies are taking advantage and charging an arm and a leg for products that really aint all that.

6. Have Purpose

Don't start this journey for no reason at all. I think that's the #1 reason women fail on their natural hair journey. If someone came up to you right now and asked why you've decided to go natural, you need to have a reason that is near and dear to your heart. Natural hair is not for the weak at heart. If you don't believe in it then you will be very easily influenced by the many negative reactions that you're bound to receive.

5. No Expectations

Don't sit around and look at other natural women's hair and expect your hair to look like, act like or even feel like theirs. No two curls are the same so don't set yourself up for the disappointment of not having you hair be like someone else's. Love whatever you've been blessed with and take care of it accordingly.

4. Treat Your Straight Ends Like Curls

Natural women tend to spoil their curls like crazy! Get into that habit for healthy post big chop hair with frequent co-washes and deep conditioning treatments!

3. No Heat

I cannot stress this one enough! Using heat while transitioning can be very counter productive. If you get heat damage and your hair becomes permanently straightened, it can cause you to have to start your journey all over. Bummer!

2. Find A Transition Style

Transitioning is like stepping into a whole new world. You won't be able to continue on with your relaxed routine of flat irons, sleek ponytails or a simple pin up for very long. The two textures, depending on how different, can be very difficult to style. You need to find a transition style that works for you, doesn't use heat and looks great!

1. Research

Don't find yourself in the mix and lost without a clue! Know what's going on! It's a a lot easier to deal with the challenges and frustrations if you understand exactly what's going on or what steps you could take to help alleviate the problem.

Trim Trim Trim

Hey guys! Just coming to share this article with you on different methods and the proper way to trim your own hair! Currently, I am using the search and destroy method which allows me to keep my length and continue on my long hair journey! Hope this guide will help you as well!

Search and Destroy

This basically trimming individual split ends. It is a good method to use occasionally when you see split ends here or there. If you're new to learning how to trim your own hair, this is a good method to start with. It can help you retain length while getting rid of some damaged ends. It is not a solution if you have severe damage and split ends. If you do too much, you'll just end up with uneven hair. So, it would just be better to go to a salon and have it trimmed evenly. The simplest way to do this is in front of the mirror in the bathroom. If your hair is dark and the bathroom counter is light, it will be easy to see the split ends. Take a

pair of scissors specifically for hair trimming (not the old scissors in a drawer for cutting open packages!) and snip of the hair just above the split end. It can get tiring so maybe just do one section a day. This is not a fix, just a way of getting rid of any spare split ends. This method is sometimes referred to as dusting because when you are done, you will see a "dusting" of hair lying on the counter.

Twist and Snip

A good way to find split ends that need to be cut is to take a section of hair and twist it. The hairs that stick out are most likely split ends. (If your hair is in layers you will find this not to be true.) Some people just cut all of the hairs that stick out without looking to see if they are true split ends. My suggestion is to still look at the hairs and determine if there are split ends. Then cut them individually. Cutting all the hairs that stick out is a really bad idea because it could thin out your ends if you do this too often.

Have curly or natural hair? Click here to read my article on natural hair trimming.

Dusting

Dusting your hair is a trim of 1/4 and inch or less. This method is also referred to as dusting because even though your hair is being trimmed evenly, it is so little hair, that it just looks like dust on the floor. Getting to where you only need this type of trim is a good goal to shoot for but don't put yourself there before you are ready! This method to trim your own hair should be combined with the ponytail and scrunchy method below.

Ponytail Method

An easy way to trim your own hair is the ponytail method. The ponytail method is pretty simple in that it just means to take your hair and put it in a ponytail. Then you cut off the desired amount of hair. If you do a low ponytail, you'll end up with even blunt hair. If you do a high ponytail, you'll end up with subtle layers. If your hair is shorter in the front, this method may have to be combined with other methods.

Scrunchy Method

The scrunchy method is just another version of the ponytail method but I think it's the easiest way to trim your own hair. It is taken from the method that Feye describes on her web site where you put your hair in a low ponytail with a scrunchy and pull the scrunchy down to the desired length that you wish to trim off before trimming. The scrunchy acts as a guide.

View Feye's tutorial for pictures of her trimming methods. I have been using Feye's trimming methods for my own hair for the past 2 years and they work very well. You can vary and adjust it for your own hair's needs. For example, sometimes I do a tiny dusting layer by layer to make sure I'm not missing any splits before I proceed to the ponytail scrunchy method.

Conclusion

The biggest piece of advice I can give you in learning how to your own hair is to only trim off a little at a time until you are more comfortable with it. You can always go back to trim more if you need to.

Additionally, do not become scissor-happy with your own hair. I have a habit of trimming one month and instead of waiting for my two month time table, I'll trim again the next month because I see split ends. The truth is that it's practically impossible to eliminate every split end on your head. There's no need to be manic about split ends. If you couldn't trim your own hair, you'd wait that two months, right? So, determine a trimming schedule and stick to it.

Search and Destroy

This basically trimming individual split ends. It is a good method to use occasionally when you see split ends here or there. If you're new to learning how to trim your own hair, this is a good method to start with. It can help you retain length while getting rid of some damaged ends. It is not a solution if you have severe damage and split ends. If you do too much, you'll just end up with uneven hair. So, it would just be better to go to a salon and have it trimmed evenly. The simplest way to do this is in front of the mirror in the bathroom. If your hair is dark and the bathroom counter is light, it will be easy to see the split ends. Take a pair of scissors specifically for hair trimming (not the old scissors in a drawer for cutting open packages!) and snip of the hair just above the split end. It can get tiring so maybe just do one section a day. This is not a fix, just a way of getting rid of any spare split ends. This method is sometimes referred to as dusting because when you are done, you will see a "dusting" of hair lying on the counter.

Twist and Snip

A good way to find split ends that need to be cut is to take a section of hair and twist it. The hairs that stick out are most likely split ends. (If your hair is in layers you will find this not to be true.) Some people just cut all of the hairs that stick out without looking to see if they are true split ends. My suggestion is to still look at the hairs and determine if there are split ends. Then cut them individually. Cutting all the hairs that stick out is a really bad idea because it could thin out your ends if you do this too often.

Have curly or natural hair? Click here to read my article on natural hair trimming.

Dusting

Dusting your hair is a trim of 1/4 and inch or less. This method is also referred to as dusting because even though your hair is being trimmed evenly, it is so little hair, that it just looks like dust on the floor. Getting to where you only need this type of trim is a good goal to shoot for but don't put yourself there before you are ready! This method to trim your own hair should be combined with the ponytail and scrunchy method below.

Ponytail Method

An easy way to trim your own hair is the ponytail method. The ponytail method is pretty simple in that it just means to take your hair and put it in a ponytail. Then you cut off the desired amount of hair. If you do a low ponytail, you'll end up with even blunt hair. If you do a high ponytail, you'll end up with subtle layers. If your hair is shorter in the front, this method may have to be combined with other methods.

Scrunchy Method

The scrunchy method is just another version of the ponytail method but I think it's the easiest way to trim your own hair. It is taken from the method that Feye describes on her web site where you put your hair in a low ponytail with a scrunchy and pull the scrunchy down to the desired length that you wish to trim off before trimming. The scrunchy acts as a guide.

View Feye's tutorial for pictures of her trimming methods. I have been using Feye's trimming methods for my own hair for the past 2 years and they work very well. You can vary and adjust it for your own hair's needs. For example, sometimes I do a tiny dusting layer by layer to make sure I'm not missing any splits before I proceed to the ponytail scrunchy method.

Conclusion

The biggest piece of advice I can give you in learning how to your own hair is to only trim off a little at a time until you are more comfortable with it. You can always go back to trim more if you need to.

Additionally, do not become scissor-happy with your own hair. I have a habit of trimming one month and instead of waiting for my two month time table, I'll trim again the next month because I see split ends. The truth is that it's practically impossible to eliminate every split end on your head. There's no need to be manic about split ends. If you couldn't trim your own hair, you'd wait that two months, right? So, determine a trimming schedule and stick to it.

Can I Ask You A Question?

Hey ladies! I have a few questions to ask! I feel like I don't really know my readers and so I've put together this survey for you all to fill out. It's 5 simple questions plus and opportunity for you to give any suggestions or comments you'd like. Please take the time to do this for me! I would greatly appreciate it!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Name That Style

"All I had were the bobby pins in my head!"-DJ

Over the weekend I went to visit my old campus where I spent some time with my sorority sisters and my college friends. While I was there, there was a party on campus that I unexpectedly attended. Unfortunately, I was ill prepared. I really wasn't expecting to do anything extravagant to myself while there and didn't bring any hair supplies! All I had to work with were the bobby pins in my head! Thankfully though, my old roommates helped me out with some extra pins and a ponytail holder and I was able to throw together this style. It's another, more funky version of the muted ponytail. One of my sorority sisters said it was reminiscent of Janelle Monae's spunky, offbeat style; a compliment that I enthusiastically accepted! I really can't think of what to call it so it's really up to you guys. It was simple enough to achieve. Like I said, all I had was a ponytail and some bobby pins. Want a tutorial? Let me know!

(Note: my sides were not yet gelled down in these pictures!)

Twenty Minute Twist Out

Don't you hate the time it takes for your hair to dry in your twists for the next day?! Well, here's a simple and easy trick to get the same result in about twenty to thirty minutes!

First, co-wash your hair and install your twists as you would usually do. Add tension to the front part of your hair by twisting your roots tight and securing with a bobby pin. Lastly, pop on a dryer bonnet with your blow dryer set on HIGH COOL and let it dry for about twenty minutes! Untwist and style as usual! Here's a picture of a dryer bonnet. It's a much easier and more comfortable alternative to sitting under a traditional hooded dryer.

For those of us who don't own a dryer bonnet, you can simply use the concentrator nozzle that came with your blow dryer. Take each twist, stretch and dry individually. This may take a bit longer but not as long as air drying.

Remember, keep your dryer settings on cool to avoid any heat damage! Hope this helped! Until Next Time...Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Sidenote: if your twists are still wet after the twenty minute period, untwist and sit with the bonnet for an additional 10 minutes/continue to blow dry the untwisted hair.

The Muted Ponytail

Hey guys! Check out this cute natural style! I call it the Muted Ponytail. If you'd like a tutorial, just let me know!