Sea Salt Curl Enhancer (Review)

So as promised, I tried the sea salt curl enhancer! I filled my spray bottle up and added about a half teaspoon of sea salt and shook it up. I spritzed my hair and scrunched the solution into it and allowed my hair to air dry. The results? Blehh. Not really my style. My curls were most definitely enhanced, though! I would describe the sea salt water as a curl tightener, if anything. I could see how someone with wavy hair would gush over the results but I'm pretty content with the diameter of my coils.

In other news, I have a mini twist set in that I plan to keep for about 3 weeks. Last time I had them in I don't even think I informed you guys but a couple things have changed! For one, they've grown a little bit and I'm a lot more comfortable wearing them down as opposed to my usual frontal flat twists. Also, I've started wearing them in different styles. Hopefully I'll remember to take pictures to show to you guys over the next few weeks! As far as care goes, I spritz them with pure water before leaving the house. Sometimes I add a little leave in and seal with coconut oil for added moisture. Even though these twists are very low maintenance, I don't want to neglect my hair's basic need for moisture. If you're also wearing a twist set, or plan to in the future, be sure to give your hair the same amount of TLC as you would normally. And as always, Happy Health Hair Growing!

Sea Salt Curl Enhancer

Hey guys! So I did some digging around and word on the street is that sea salt water is a great, natural way to boost your curls! A lot of natural women rant about how their curls pop when their at the beach and sea salt sprays are where it's at. Now, the women talking about this said their "waves turned to coils" which leads me to believe that their hair type is a lot loser than mine but I'm still willing to give it a try! Be advised though that we also know that salt can erode the hair, which is a bad thing. This is the reason most curlies co-wash after heavy workouts. Maybe the sea salt makes the difference. I'm gonna mix sea salt and water and spritz my hair the next time I wear my fro and keep you all posted! Toodles!

Wonderful Concoction

Hey guys! Just wanted to come and share this hair recipe that I recently discovered. It left my hair feeling not only super soft but clean as well! Give it a try!

Proclaim Olive Glossing Conditioner - pretend you're only going to be putting this through your hair section by section and use the appropriate amount.

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cap full of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Mix these ingredients in a bowl and apply to freshly washed or co-washed hair section by section. No matter what I do, I part my hair into 4 equal sections and start at the back right section of my head. Similar to my flat ironing video, I part (with my fingers) a smaller subsection and run the mixture through my hair. Once I've ran the mixture through enough hair to make a medium sized twist I twist my hair up and continue until my entire head is twisted up. Whatever is left over, I apply all over my head rubbing into my scalp. Leave the mixture on for about an hour with a plastic cap on. The last 10-15 minutes is spent under a hooded dryer with the settings on high heat. Untwist/Rinse simultaneously in the shower or wherever you rinse your hair and you're all done! Style as you normally would. I apply Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil: Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion and coconut oil to 4 equal sections and allow my hair to air dry in medium sized twists.

Straightening 102

So after posting my own straightening video, I came across this one. Now, while I DO NOT recommend you do everything that she does (more specifically the way she handles her blowdryer) I do plan to use her comb chase technique in the future. Try it out!

Straightening 101

"Five Freakin Days!"-DJ

Hey guys! I don't know if you all remember or not, but last December I reached the conclusion that my hair's natural enemy was the blow dryer and vowed never to use it again to dry my hair. Each time I used the blow dryer, my hair needed a serious trim to get rid of all the split ends and dead hair. Well, I also said that I would be straightening my hair for my senior portraits which are now to be taken on tomorrow afternoon! You also know that I've had my hair in mini twists for the past 2-3 weeks. So what did all of this mean for me? A LOT of work! I literally spent 5 days on my hair! Crazy, right? Let me break it down for you. Monday, I decided to take my twists out which consumed my entire day. By the time I had finished unraveling each individual twist toward end of Monday, I knew that washing my hair, and all that that entails would not be possible. Tuesday I shampooed, conditioned and detangled my hair and allowed for it to air dry in bantu knots. The issue with that? I had somewhere to be later that evening and had to take them out before they were fully dried. Once I returned home that evening I braided my hair into individual braids to try and reverse some of the shrinkage and tight curling that had taken place and allowed it to continue to dry overnight. The next morning (Wednesday), I took my hair out of the braids and straightened. Thursday, my plan was to get my first professional trim since I did my big chop, but I chose not to since my ends weren't all that bad. Today, Friday, I added my Sabino Moisture Block! ...Five Freakin Days!

But there is always a silver lining, now isn't there? Because I so rarely straighten my hair, and because the survey you all participated asked for more tutorials, I took this oppourtunity to make a video tutorial on how I straighten my hair. It can be seen below as well as some shots of my hair through the various stages. Check it out!

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!

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.

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.

Oh...Okay...

Here's some tips/knowledge that you may find helpful!

The Correlation Of Exercise & Healthy Hair

Lack of physical activity will definitely lead to brittle or lusterless hair. It’s a surprising fact but there is a direct correlation to exercise and healthy hair. If you spend endless amounts of time in front of your computer or TV and have a bad posture then rest assured, you will have unhealthy hair.

Such behavior or posture results in the poor circulation of blood in the head. Combined with the ill effect of stress and age, it makes for a potent combination when it comes to hair loss. Like any other part of the body, your hair needs nutrition, as well as, exercise.

Increase Flexibility

You simply cannot exercise your scalp; hence you must exercise those parts of the body that will directly promote the circulation in your scalp. Hence you must undertake those exercises that increase the flexibility of your neck and back. Once the blood is circulated in a proper manner, nourishment of the hair follicles will take place, and these result in hair that is healthier and more in volume.

Exercise Help you Relax

Extreme pressure at work and also at home is the order of the day, in these modern times. You are under constant pressure to perform both at work and at home. In the meanwhile, you health goes for a toss and more often than not you will suffer from severe stress. This results in irrevocable hair loss.

Exercise not only gives you flexibility of muscles, but also helps you relax and feel happy. All in all, this combination will be good for your hair.

Exercise and Diet

You must combine your exercise with a generally nutritious diet. This is great way to combat hair loss and have healthy hair. After all, hair is also a part of your body, and if the body gets nourishment, so do the hair. If you do suffer from a continuous hair loss, you must take in a vitamin friendly diet as they would help in hair growth and the strengthening of hair.

No Medication

Regular exercise precludes the need to take medication for your hair loss problem. It’s a long process but an effective one. More importantly, you no longer have to search high and low for those miraculous drugs that claim to minimize hair fall. It has been medically proven that exercise helps in the reinvigoration of the body, and at the same assisting the hair growth.

All Good At Home Goods

Hey guys! I just got back in from a little shopping in my nearby Home Goods. Home Goods is a store best known for its furniture, bedding and, well, Home Goods. However, I think it's a great place for natural girls to head to when re-uping on those good ole oils that we love so much! I bought a 500 ml bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), a 500 ml bottle of Grape Seed Oil and 2 14 fl oz jars of Coconut Oil. The EVOO ran me $4.99 and the Grape Seed Oil and the Coconut Oil just $5.99 each! Even better for me, I was using a gift card! A couple weeks ago I went looking for some Coconut Oil at a Natural Market and almost ran out of there when I saw that price tag of $13.00 for a jar about the same size as the one I bought today! I highly recommend you all to search to see if there is a Home Goods near you and check them out as soon as possible. It's a really great store!

Most of us use the oils (and some others) that I mentioned above to seal in the moisture that we put into out hair or just for a bit of added shine, but did you know that these oils can also be used as a natural heat protectant? Each oil has its own burning point, or max temperature it can withstand before burning. Until an oil is exposed to that temperature, it does a great job of protecting your hair from heat. I hear Grape Seed Oil does a great job at protecting and also leaves hair feeling silky smooth after straightening! Give it a try! Here's a link to a chart that tells you exactly how much heat your favorite oils are built to withstand! Compare this with the temperature of your heated hair tools to choose the right natural heat protectant for you!

Until Next Time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing! :)

Side note:, with the exception of the coconut oil, these are the exact brands of oils that I bought today. My EVOO was in a different packaging but it's the same brand. My coconut oil is by Sonoma Harvest.

Homemade Miracle

"before I fried, dyed and laid my hair to the left side" -DJ

Hey there! Here are a few treatments that I found while sniffing around online. They're quick, simple and can be achieved on a budget using a few ingredients that you more than likely have lying around anyway! I plan to give a few of them a try as I try to get my hair's strength back up to what it was before I fried, dyed and laid my hair to the left side! Just as soon as I take my twists out which I foresee happening sometime during the week ahead. Let me know which ones you're gonna try out and how they work out for you! I hope this helps you ladies out!

Honey-Banana Hair Pack: Take ½ banana, 1 tbsp each of honey and lemon juice. Mash banana and mix honey and lemon juice to it. Beat the mixture until it is frothy. Apply this mixture when hair is dry. After 20 minutes, wash it with mild shampoo.

Olive Oil Mask: Take 4 Tbsp of olive oil and take two whole eggs. Blend both the ingredients thoroughly. Apply it into the scalp evenly. Now cover it with a shower cap. Wash your hair after ten minutes.

Hair balm prepared from milk: It is not a preparation; it is just a simple application. After you wash hair, rinse it with some milk and leave it as it is for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse it with little warm water. This simple procedure helps to bring back the softness and shine of the hair.

*Hair mask prepared with honey and olive oil: Take three tbsp of olive oil and ½ cup of honey. Blend them well and apply into the scalp and hair evenly. Coat all the hair. Cover your hair with shower cap. Leave it for half an hour and wash with shampoo. (I plan to use this treatment but in doing research I found that applying pure honey to the hair strands first worked best for a lot of women so I'll be putting that spin on this treatment and reporting back.)

To increase volume of hair: You need one tablespoon, each of honey and vinegar and ½ cup of warm water. You will also need a spray bottle. Mix all the ingredients and pour into the bottle. Shake it well. When you shampoo your hair, let it dry a bit. Now spray the mix into your hair and gently rub it through. Do not rinse after that.

Treat Damaged hair: Take Fresh juice of a lemon, yolk of two eggs and white of one egg and one-tablespoon honey. Blend all the ingredients and massage gently into the scalp and hair. Wash it with shampoo after ten minutes.

Quick Tip: applying a dollop of aloe vera gel (from the plant) can help to provide smoother hair.

Fly Away & Static Control: Apply a small dab of organic hand lotion to the palm of your hand. Rub hands together and apply to roots of hair. Purchase by clicking here.

Terrific Twist Out

While browsing BlackHairMedia.com I came across these tips from one of the ladies on their on how to achieve a great twist out!


"1. Start with clean, conditioned hair (less frizz to begin with means less frizz to end with)

2. Use a holding product (gel or whatever gives you hold). Butters won't do much if there isn't a hold factor to them. Unless you started with wet hair to begin with. I prefer dry and stretched. But that's me.

3. Give it time to "set" Day after twisted doesn't work for me. At least a few days is best.

4. Oil before undoing and don't pry them apart like you're at war. Gentle now. Unless you want frizz

5. Go smaller for more definition

6. Don't ignore your hair when in twists. Moisturize and seal as usual. Very important

7. Get the pins and hair accessories out!!!"

Recessionista Quick Tip

Hey! Here's a quick and practical tip you can use to cut back on your heating and water bill. Since so many of us like to detangle in the shower (and for good reason) I was thinking; what if instead of allowing the water to run without purpose down our back and down the drain, we simply turned them off? Given the length and thickness of your hair, detangling can be a real process; a time consuming one at that! Don't allow your money and hot water to slip down the drain when it isn't necessarily being put to good use. Handle your showerly business as usual, and then proceed to detangling your mane with that faucet off! Afterwards, rinse if you must, but don't let the water just run.

Do you have any other helpful hints for saving money and/or helping the environment? Let me know in a comment!

Keep It Cute

So last night I did a fabulous wash-n-go and I want to come and share it with you all! As you all know, one of my favorite conditioners is Aussie Moist. I absolutely love the smell and its moisturizing effects! I stated in the last post that I would not be putting any heat on my hair until Christmas and so I of course had to wash my straight look away. I did a heavy duty co-wash with Aussie Moist (of course), rinsed completely and did another wash. My first intentions were to do a deep conditioning treatment by simply leaving the conditioner on for about 25 minutes but the fact that I was waiting on the pizza delivery guy kind of got in the way of that. I instead took my blow dryer and diffuser attatchment and diffused (dried) my hair that way. My curls were left very defined and rather cute if I do say so myself! I popped a headband on and made sure that before going to bed I slicked my front edges back with some Eco Styler gel and wrapped a scarf just around my edges. Just to make sure my edges came out smooth the next morning, I loosely tied a knee high stocking around my hair, the same way I do my puffs for some added tension. The next morning (this morning) my edges were like butter! Perfect! All I had to do was take the scarf and knee high off, pop a headband on and do a little 5 second fluffing and I was good to go! Pictures coming soon!

Twist Regimen

"look beautiful, longer"-DJ

Being as though it takes me upwards of 8 hours to do a twist set on my hair, I like to keep it in for at least three (3) weeks. During those three weeks, I also like to look decent. This requires me to take care of my hair as to prevent frizz and unraveling (although I'm not sure if that's even possible on natural hair). Here are some tips and tricks if you are also trying to get the most out of your twist set:

1. Moisturize: since washing and co-washing aren't an option during the time that you will have your twists in, moisturizing will be key in keeping your hair healthy. Honestly, water is the only real moisturizer but I find that adding any product with slip will keep your hair from frizzing, breaking and also adds a soft texture with shine. I use Silicon Mix by Avanti once a week but bear in mind, any products with silicones must be washed out with either shampoo or a baking soda rinse. This is just a quick fix for the time being. I follow the mix with pure grapeseed oil to seal.

2. Stretching: due to unforseen circumstances, your hair may begin to shrink over the course of time. Maybe you forgot to wear a shower cap, it was really humid one day or your hair just naturally shrinks over time. To combat this issue, I braid my hair in medium sized invividual braids all over to "stretch" the hair. I usually end up with about 10-15 braids. I think the longer your hair is the less you'll need. I just try to make the small enough to stay in. A huge braid will unravel itself instantly! So anyway, I usually keep the braids in overnight and take them out in the morning. Not only does my hair appear longer but also a little crimped from the braids.

3. Tieing: this one's a given. In order to maintain your hair you mus tie it up at night with wither a silk or satin scarf. Bonnets are a lot easier, however, if you're anything like me, you apprieciate how the scarf lays down your edges every night.

Hopefully these tips and tricks help you all to preserve your twists and keeps you looking beautiful, longer! Hope it helped! Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

P.S., here's a quick shot of what the Silicon Mix I was talking about looks like. You can find it at any beauty supply store for about seven bucks.

Day T-H-R-E-E

Hey guys! Here with a quick shot of my hair three days after doing my wash-style-and-go with olive oil eco styler gel. In case you didn't read the post from yesterday, I've been keeping this style by simply tying it up at night with a satin scarf (though a satin bonnet would probably be better) and simply taking my hand under the faucet to gently press water into it in the mornings and finishing off with one fierce SHAKE! Check me out! Also, peep my favorite headphones. I was jammin out to Free by Bilal. Amazing song! Check that out too on youtube by clicking here! And in case you're really feeling the song, that particular upload includes a download link in the info box!

Summer Nights

Hello everyone! I want to apologize about my lack of updates in the past and also in advance for the future. However! I have not forgotten about my beloved blog! I am currently interning in my hometown Newark, NJ for the public school board for the next few weeks. Work is strenuous and my days are long; real long. But all of that is besides the point. I've come to share a hair tip that I think you all might find some use in for these hot summer nights!

Now, if you're anything like me you get your showering done at night and more than likely, your co-washing gets done at night as well. Well, since I see it completely unprofessional to roll into the office with a mane that drips watery conditioner all over my crisp button down, I figured out a way to keep my hair moist enough through my sleep so that I can do my p

uffs in the morning. (sidebar: i'm a little torn as to whether or not I should put in another twist set with my days being so hectic now-a-days. I'd be able to just get up and go but I really hate how dry my hair becomes without the frequent co-wash/rinses my daily puffs allow.) Anyway, I digress! So for the past week, I've been co-washing with my Aussie Moist conditioner and using either Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 or Just For Me's Curl Smoother Creme as a moisturizer and pulling my soaking wet hair into two low pigtails. I sleep with a satin scarf tied around my head because honestly, I'm terrified to find out what would happen if I didn't! The results in the morning are perfect for doing a quick pony puff like the one I posted a picture of in a post a couple entries below. The hair hanging out of the pigtails are usually dried, but once I take them from the ponytail holders, everything underneath is just damp enough to wiggle my fingers through and distribute the remaining moisture to my ends. Below are a couple pics of my hair when I use the method described in this entry:

Checking In

"Your hair can actually be in a state of shock from the big chop alone!" -Nicole Simone

Hello all! Today is Monday April 12, 2010. I am two days away from my FIRST full month since big chopping on March 14, 2010! Yesterday when I was washing my hair I noticed that my hair felt a tad bit heavier and longer. Now, I could just be trippin' but I think that I've gotten a little bit of length! I've found myself getting a little length happy, daydreaming about what my hair will transform into over the next 11 months and what styles I'll be able to wear on my 1 year anniversary. While I know I haven't been blogging all too much lately, I've been having an absolute BLAST with my hair! I've been learning all types of new things as I play around with products and techniques. (Sidebar: I'm no longer in Product Jail. I feel as though I've recovered from my PJness and I've bought a few new products [but not in excess]. Reviews coming soon!) Part of the reason why my updates are so few and far in between is that my digital camera has officially died on me. That's right, I am without my lovely camera and it breaks my heart. No more stunning texture shots, etc. until I am able to buy a new camera.

On another note, I want to give this piece of advice to anyone who has recently big chopped or plans to big chop in the near future. If you've been following my blog, or at least read the last few updates, you'll know that my hair really had me on a roller coaster immediately after big chopping. My texture was bananas for the first week to week and a half. As I asked around trying to gain as much knowledge as possible on what I thought was my new 4b/c texture, I was informed that your hair can actually be in a state of shock from the big chop alone. My friend who had also very recently big chopped told me to just give my hair a few weeks to reveal it's true texture and in no time things would start to make a little sense. Now, that's not to say that 4b/c texture is a "bad" or "undesirable" texture to have, it's just that during my transition my hair appeared to be 3c/4a and I was simply confused. As I was saying, I immediately went to seek knowledge in order to find styles and other measures of care for the texture in order to fully embrace it. I say all that to say this: don't completely freak out if when you first big chop your hair is an unruly frizz ball. Do a couple deep treatments and most importantly give it time. Also keep in mind that as your hair grows, it's texture will eventually change and loosen as the hair's weight will pull it downward with the help of gravity.

I hope that this entry helps and keeps another head naturally beautiful. If you all have any direct questions please feel free to email me personally at DonnaJenay@aol.com. I am truly passionate about natural hair and helping other women understand the beauty that God has given us all. Nothing hurts me more than to hear a woman say "I just couldn't keep up with it". Ladies, it's really not that difficult. We're all ignorant to something...but if I can I would love to cure that ignorance with the knowledge that I've acquired on this journey.

Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!