Hair Over Health?

"I hope you're not going to put any water in your hair"-my mom

As previously stated, I was super sick all weekend. Today is Sunday and my hair looks a conflab FOOL! Just before leaving my home for school my mother said to me "I hope you're not going to put any water in your hair". Now, if I wasn't transitioning my first response would be "heck no". But I am, and without water...I am lost. Seriously. What am I supposed to do with my hair? The roots are matted and the ends are bone straight! My professors will not allow me into their classes with a rag on my head and frankly, as a leader on my campus, I don't feel comfortable representing myself or my organization in such a fashion anyway. So what's a girl to do? I don't know, but I know one thing..my fever has gone down and I'm about 90% sure that I won't get an excuse to miss class due to my illness and thus, my hair can no longer get an excuse because of my illness. Sorry mom, grandma, and every other black woman who's ever had any kind of influenece on my life but I am most definitely washing my hair while sick. I promise it'll be dry by morning!

Myth Buster

"Give my hair a chance, America!"-DJ

Hello dolls! So I've been sitting here thinking about the past four months of my transition and one thing that sticks out in my mind the most is the reactions that I've gotten from people when I tell them I'm going natural. I've gotten everything from blank stares, to the big eyes accompanied with raised eyebrows, to the outright "why?!". Those things I can handle, I really don't expect people to get my logic on it because four months ago, if you would have told me I would never get a perm again I probably would have given all of those reactions and then some. My issue is when people equate going natural with locs. YES, locs are natural, but why is it the general assumption that if I'm not longer going to get perms that I must Must MUST be getting locs! And just the way that they ask. "So what are you gonna do with it? You gonna loc it?" Ew, first of all no more referring to my hair as "it" I have named her Bre! Secondly, what the hell man!? What are you gonna "do" with your hair?! I'm gonna do whatever the heck I please! Ponytails, puffs, wear it WILD! (oh, my!) I swear they all automatically picture me looking like Ciely from The Color Purple. I've even had "Bre" be told she looks like Ciely when I wear her twisted up. How DARE they be so rude? Matted? Nappy? Oh no! Bre is a diva, digg me? She is just coming into her own right now. Give my hair a chance, America! Why so critical? Why so rude? Why so...so ignorant? Sigh, well...there's my rant. Until next time ladies...Happy Healthy Hair Growing.

All In Moderation.

Hey dolls! Today I'd like to share a technique that I've been meaning to share with you ladies to all give a try. Have you ever noticed on youtube or other natural hair care sites, a lot of the naturals there talk of how they use massive amounts of conditioner when co-washing in order to get the hair totally saturated? I know I have.

"You're doing entirely too much"-DJ

Frankly, I don't have the money to just go through even ONE bottle of conditioner a week let alone two and three. My solution has been simple. When in the shower, I like to apply a nice amount of conditioner to my soaking wet hair and instead of using goo-gobs more, I use my paddle brush to smooth the already applied conditioner through. Sometimes I do add more to my edges in the back, sides, and front, but for the most part I end up with excess conditioner on my hands. The way I see it, there's only so much that your strands are going to soak up in one sitting, why go adding more and more conditioner on top? Pure waste! If your hair is thicker you may want to use the same technique but in sections. I challenge you all to try this out and see how much less conditioner (or whatever other product this technique could be used for) you're using and how much more money (and time on trips to the BSS) you're saving! Until next time, happy healthy hair growing!

P.S., for anyone who's wondering, yesterday marked my 18th week post relaxer! So if you go by the 4 week=1 month rule, i'm 4.5 months deep but if you're going by dates then i'm 4 months and 4 days deep. That's a huge difference! I think I'll go with the 4.5 month count! lol, makes me feel a little more accomplished!

It's Rude To Stare!

But it's sooooo pretty!!! -sigh- so classes began about a week and a half ago and all over campus I am noticing women who have gone NATURAL! Now, granted they could have very well been natural all along and I just wasn't paying it any attention, but now that I do notice, I just can't help but STARE! I know they probably think that I'm looking at them with a critical eye but of course you ladies know that is far from the case! I don't feel too bad doing it when my hair is in a bantu knot out because I like to believe that we share a certain understanding toward one another as I quietly convince myself that they know my stares are those of admiration. LOL maybe I'm right. I haven't gotten any awkward o.O WTH stares back yet and no one has come out to ask "what the hell are you looking at?!" so let just hope the non-negative feedback continues! Until next time ladies, happy healthy hair growing!

"It is not polite to stare!" -Everbody's Momma

ACV Rinse

Hey ladies! Over the past couple days my hair has been feeling really aquatic! Since Sunday, I've been co-washing everyday (I know it's only Tuesday but usually I wouldn't have co-washed until Wednesday)! After seeing more and more about ACV I decided to give my Bragg Organic Raw~Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar solution (1 part ACV: 2 parts water) another shot. I tried it about a month and a half ago and was not moved. In the shower, I put a little conditioner (Herbal Essences Hello Hydration) in to make my hair a bit more moveable and brushed it through with my paddle brush for even distribution. I let that sit for a little bit, about the time it took for me to handle my hygienic business, and then rinsed. Once most of the conditioner was out I parted my hair in about 1" sections using a wide toothed comb and used my applicator bottle  to distribute my ACV solution. As I was applying, my hair felt noticeably softer and silkier. So far, so good! I'm going to let it sit for about an hour with a plastic cap and then rinse it out and be back with the details!

"My hair plays hard to get..."-DJ

**************1 Hour Later**************

I'm BACK and I'm in LOVE!!! I don't know what I was doing a month and a half ago, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the outcome of my ACV rinse this time!!! Apparently, my hair likes to play hard to get with all these new things I'm trying. Set in it's ways. Well not tonight, baby! My hair is softer than I think it's ever been! I waited an hour, rinsed and applied the following products to my hair in the following order:

1.  Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner

 2. Herbal Essences None of your Frizzness Smoothing Conditioner

3. Raw Shea Butter

4.Sweet Almond & Jojoba Oil 

After applying very little of each product, I brushed through for an even distribution before continuing to the next product. Remember, oil is always last since it's what's going to seal in the moisture and other effects of the preceding products. Next I'm going to do a bantu knot set and allow my hair to air dry. I haven't used a towel to dry my hair in weeks now since towels tend to damage and break the hair. Tomorrow I'll be back with pictures of the final outcome! Until next time, happy healthy hair growing!

Reading Is Fundamental

As a transitioner, I'm trying to learn as much as possible about hair care in order to grow out and maintain my healthy natural hair. In doing so, I've learned a lot about products. What  makes a good product good? A bad product bad? A misleading product misleading? Well, I can tell you one thing, those jazzed up bottles with the pictures of the sistas who have their flyy hair swangin' in the breeze certainly aren't going to have "I'M THE WORST THING EVER FOR YOUR HAIR" written across them in big bold red letters! Girl, no! Not in this lifetime. People are trying to make money and "black hair care" is where the cash is at! We as "the enlightened" (naturals & transitioners) have to continue to research to figure out what the hidden evils are; the trick bags! As many of you already know, mineral oil and petrolatum are two things that are in the majority of "black hair care" products. In addition to being all up and through in our hair care systems, they're also horrendous for curly/kinky hair which is what is consideredto be "black hair". So how are ingredients like these helping to strengthen and better your hair? Simple, they're not! Mineral oil adds the sheen that curly/kinky hair types lack due to the difficulty that light has bouncing and reflecting off the coils. This adds a healthy look to the hair, very deceptive. Actually, what our hair needs more than anything else is MOISTURE! Mineral oil fails miserably at moisturizing the hair, but instead coats it, leaving the actual hair thirsty for the moisture that you may think you're supplying. Petrolatum, found in many greases is also a wolf in sheep's clothing. I know I speak for many when I say it aint nothing like a good scalp greasing to sooth an itchy, dry scalp. While there has been no scientific confirmation that petrolatum is "bad" for the hair, if used directly on the scalp it can cause the pores to become clogged and thus slow the growing process of your hair. I haven't used greases in my hair in over a year. Mainly, because I didn't like how it weighed my hair down and prevented it from blowing in the wind the way I liked. 

Now I know you all are curious about what else could be lurking in your favorite products and unfortunately it would take a forever to sit and go through every possible ingredient; time that i just don't have hunny! So instead I'll provide you all with a link to an ingredients dictionary that I came across and found to be very helpful! Every since I've began to do my research on what's actually in my products I've become a BOTTLE READER and thrown out a lot of wolves in sheep's clothing! Remember ladies, reading is fundamental! I encourage you all to become BOTTLE READERS as well and learn as much as possible to keep that hair in your scalp and off the floor! 

"I am an avid bottle reader!"-DJ

Getting To Know You

"My hair said Girl, No!"-DJ

One of the most amazing things about transitioning is the serious relationship that you will inevitably find yourself in. No no no ladies, going natural won't land you 'the one', but you and your hair will develop a serious, serious bond. Today I had a little chat with my hair. It was pissed. Apparently, my hair does not like protein! Not one bit!! Protein treatments/leave ins are not our friends! Last night I did a co-wash, rinsed my hair and proceeded to put Hydratherma Naturals Protein Balance Leave-In Conditioner in my hair (obviously as a leave in). I let my hair dry over night and spritzed it this morning with H2O to get my hair manageable enough to do my transition style. About ten minutes ago I took my hair down and it felt as though I had wood glue in it! HARD as ever! I always wondered what the hype was about protein/moisture sensitive heads and now I know that I belong in at least one of those categories. As far as moisture goes, my hair seems to be responding very well to all the moisture it's been getting and hopefully that wont change. So if you're wondering which of these categories (if either) you belong in, don't worry..your hair will let you know with the quickness!! Well, that's all for now ladies! Until next time, happy healthy hair growing!!!

Scissor Happy Intervention

"The celebration of me and the death

of conformity."-DJ

When I first became interested in the health of my hair, I first began by getting trims every 6 weeks at the hair salon. Not long after, I purchased my first set of hair scissors. Now, I've never really had an issue taking a pair of scissors to my hair. As a child I would cut a tiny piece of my hair "just because" and in high school I cut my own bangs regularly but NEVER would I dare give myself a full trim. That is, until recently. I've become obsessed! Any little split or damaged end I see has GOT to go! No hesitation, no demonstration..it's a wrap and that sucka can't stay! It quickly became a problem though as I was cutting my hair about every two weeks only to become frustrated with my short (but split free) hair. So in this process of transitioning, I've become super eager to get rid of these relaxed ends and just break free! However, I know myself well enough to know that a short hair cut is NOT gonna fly with me. My best bet is to just hold off as long as humanly possible to keep my swag in tact. And hence, the intervention of myself, from myself, by myself! I have set a 6 month no scissor challenge for myself which also means that I will be transitioning for a minimum of 9 months before getting rid of the relaxed ends. I had originally scheduled my next trim for the 20th of August but that has now been pushed back to January 30, 2010! I am super excited and eager to get on with this process!!! Every couple of weeks I notice more growth and more curl in my new growth. I love feeling my hair! My new growth is like the hypest party and my ends are like the saddest funeral. But you know what, that's exactly what it is. The celebration of me and the death of conformity.

I think I'll end this with that. :)

here are a few pictures of my hair; relaxed/wet transitioning hair/daily transition style

Regimen, or lack thereof..

"Treat your hair like a spoiled brat and give it

anything it asks for"-DJ

So as you all know, I'm in the transitioning stage or as I like to call it the "trial-and-error" stage. I'm seeing what works and what doesn't, as all transitioning women (or men) should. So this regimen, or lack thereof will be constantly growing, evolving, and changing until I get it right! Here's what I'm doing (for the most part) now:


As Of July 31, 2009

daily:
- Co-wash with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Conditioner 
EVERY OTHER DAY OR EVERY THREE DAYS MAX 
- Leave-in with Herbal Essences None of Your Frizzness Smoothing Conditioner
AFTER EVERY CO-WASH

bed head (extreme inconsistencies depending on my desired style for the next day):
- Moisturize & flat two strand twist. Sleep with satin bonnet.
- Baggying technique. Moisturize with Herbal Essences None of Your Frizzness Smoothing Conditioner. Sleep with satin bonnet.

- Moisturize & bantu knot set. Sleep with satin bonnet.

- Moisturize & roller set on flexi rods.

[if you haven't been able to figure it out yet, my hair likes moisture. :)]

weekly (Sundays):
- Shampoo: with Aubrey Organics Glycogen Protein Balancing (GPB) Shampoo
GREEN BOTTLE
-Condition: Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner
YELLOW BOTTLE
- Deep condition: Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (1 hour with or without plastic cap)

Jump In, Jump Out...Innntroduce Yoself!

Hello all, my name is DonnaJenay, or just Donna. I am a 20 year old college student on the road to naturality! This post will serve as an introduction to get you all more familiar with me and my story. Well let's see..it all started in April when i put a Just For Me in my hair and it broke off terribly. and i was PISSED too cause i had just got it strong and healthy with no breakage...so i had been scared straight...or curly, i should say. i vowed not to put another box perm in my head unless someone else was doing it or i was at the salon. being a broke college student and taking summer classes on my campus about an hour away from home and unable to afford salon prices, i stretched it. my friend told me to look into bantu knots and i did. in my research for those, i ran across a lot of natural women and thus my (conscious) transitioning began sometime in June. I'm super excited and am planning to be in this for the long run!!

"the moment you decide to go natural, 

it's no longer "just hair". it's a topic for debate. 

a political statement. a huge personal decision." -DJ