To preserve it, I kept my hair up and two strand twisted the puff. I'll be taking it out soon and fixing it up a bit for work tonight.
Showing posts with label nappy hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nappy hair. Show all posts
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Monday and Tuesday, I wore my hair in a w-n-g. I wanted to twist my hair on Monday night for big, wild hair but had an interview and went for a more subdued look. On Wednesday, my want for big hair hadn't gone away. I decided to try and wear my hair in a puff. I knew it wouldn't be long enough while curly so I did a quick blow out. I wet my hair with water and used a little bit of Palmer's Coconut hair milk. I detangled with a wide tooth comb and then blew it out. I used tons of IC Fantasia gel to slather my hair down and then picked out my puff.
Everyone seemed to really love my hair. I was called everything from Lady of Rage to Cleopatra Jones. I just laughed at these comparisons. It was crazy because I felt pretty sexy with my hair in a simple puff. So I put of the plans I had for my hair and I'm going to keep rocking the puff.
To preserve it, I kept my hair up and two strand twisted the puff. I'll be taking it out soon and fixing it up a bit for work tonight.
To preserve it, I kept my hair up and two strand twisted the puff. I'll be taking it out soon and fixing it up a bit for work tonight.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Detangling
My hair is getting longer and with that, detangling sessions are getting longer. W-n-g's aren't so quick anymore but are still one of the styles I mainly wear. I've been getting fairy knots for the past month or two. I officialy despise those things! I'm also getting more tangled and knotted hair. They are easy enough to get out but still I worry about breakage and splits because of it.
Currently, I detangle using just my fingers. I prefer that to a wide toothe comb because right now, it's easier and it works. I did use a comb one day and felt like I was breaking off a bunch of my hair. It shed the same amount but I just didn't like it. Plus, I felt like it seperated my curls a little too much and gave me a jheri curl type of look. Lol! I love chunky curls. (Guess I won't be investing in a Denman after all.)
I shed a lot so I'm going to continue to detangle a couple of times a week. Stretching detangling sessions would probably be horrific. I'm going to stick with HE conditioners for detangling sessions. The slip they have is awesome. I'll only stray from this line when I go organic (meaning when I have more $$$$). I will continue to use my fingers as I am most comfortable and less scared about breakage as I have more control over what's happening to my strands. I will reincorporate monthly deep protein condish into my regimen because I'm noticing a lot of elasticity when detangling. My hair has too much moisture and very little strength. Gotta get over that protein fear because my hair is telling me she needs it. I will listen!
Currently, I detangle using just my fingers. I prefer that to a wide toothe comb because right now, it's easier and it works. I did use a comb one day and felt like I was breaking off a bunch of my hair. It shed the same amount but I just didn't like it. Plus, I felt like it seperated my curls a little too much and gave me a jheri curl type of look. Lol! I love chunky curls. (Guess I won't be investing in a Denman after all.)
I shed a lot so I'm going to continue to detangle a couple of times a week. Stretching detangling sessions would probably be horrific. I'm going to stick with HE conditioners for detangling sessions. The slip they have is awesome. I'll only stray from this line when I go organic (meaning when I have more $$$$). I will continue to use my fingers as I am most comfortable and less scared about breakage as I have more control over what's happening to my strands. I will reincorporate monthly deep protein condish into my regimen because I'm noticing a lot of elasticity when detangling. My hair has too much moisture and very little strength. Gotta get over that protein fear because my hair is telling me she needs it. I will listen!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Keep it simple
I was reading some hair site, not sure which one, and there was a woman with a fierce w-n-g. She wrote instructions on how she acheived hers. She had a long list of steps that were too much for a w-n-g in my opinion. To me, it's real simple: cowash, shake, moisturize and seal.
One good thing while reading her list was I remembered that my w-n-g turns out soooooo much better if I leave a little of the condish in when I cowash. So, using HETT, I did a cowash. I shook my head (I tend to use a washrag to cover my face so the condish doesn't get on my face). Moisturized with SoftSheen Carson Roots of Nature and sealed with castor oil. I let my hair drip dry so I wrap an old tshirt around my shoulders when I do whatever else I need to do. I've gotten to the point where I don't even blot my hair with the tshirt or a towel. It seems to work better for me that way because my texture easily gets frizzy. But to keep it from dripping too long, I do shake my hair for at least a minute to get rid of as much excess water as possible.
I immediately loved the results. My hair looked like it did when I just get out of the shower. Perfect curls with practically no frizz. And the curls were so well defined. I love it. A couple of people asked if I did a strawset. I've done it a 3-4 times with the same results.
One good thing while reading her list was I remembered that my w-n-g turns out soooooo much better if I leave a little of the condish in when I cowash. So, using HETT, I did a cowash. I shook my head (I tend to use a washrag to cover my face so the condish doesn't get on my face). Moisturized with SoftSheen Carson Roots of Nature and sealed with castor oil. I let my hair drip dry so I wrap an old tshirt around my shoulders when I do whatever else I need to do. I've gotten to the point where I don't even blot my hair with the tshirt or a towel. It seems to work better for me that way because my texture easily gets frizzy. But to keep it from dripping too long, I do shake my hair for at least a minute to get rid of as much excess water as possible.
I immediately loved the results. My hair looked like it did when I just get out of the shower. Perfect curls with practically no frizz. And the curls were so well defined. I love it. A couple of people asked if I did a strawset. I've done it a 3-4 times with the same results.
One thing I can say, I don't like how my hair hangs down when it's dry. I fluff when it's 75% dry. I also think it's funny that the front seems to hang down like bangs if I don't fluff it a lot.
Friday, January 1, 2010
2010!!!!!!!!!!!
My resolutions for my hair:
1. Improve moisture. I don't know what I need to do but I have to work on this. My hair dries out entirely to quickly. It's truly worse since it's winter but I need to figure out something to cure this before winter ends so I know what to do next winter.
2. Retain length. This hasn't been an issue thus far but I want to keep the growing going.
3. Do a slight revamp to my moisturizing dc and protein dc (as well as decide how often to use the proteing dc). I really like my current moisturizing dc but a few months ago while I was experimenting, I liked it better. I will go back and review past post to see which condish I was using that I like the most. For the protein, every one of them makes my hair feel rough for a few days. I have 2 and will find a way to incorporate them together with moisturizers and see how that works.
And, I got a new phone which has a wonderful camera on it. I'm sure I'll be able to post more of the picts I take....such as these two! lol! These are picts of wet hair with no product.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Liquidy yet creamy
If you remember, last week I was talking about the SoftSheen Carson moisturizer I purchased and how it was too liquidy for my hair. I was contemplating whipping it or something to thicken it up. Reason being, I'm broke so even when I get a product that doesn't give stellar results, I'll work with it and see how I can make it work with my hair. I have only purchased 2 products that I haven't used (because they had mineral oils) and even those, I gave away to people who wanted to use them.
Taking the advise of other naturals, I decided to whip the SSC with shea butter. I didn't want to use too much shea butter because I feel it doesn't act as a moisturizer for my hair, but a sealant. I melted the shea using the double boiler method (Or in my case, double cups. I use a microwave safe cup to heat up some water. I scoop shea into a disposable cup and set that inside of the heated water until shea is mostly melted). I poured both into an emptied and cleaned jar that once held Cholesterol deep condish. Since the mouth of that jar is really wide, I was able to blend them while in the jar. I have a hand mixer so just had to remove one of the blades to fit in the jar. I mixed for about 5 minutes and them put it in the freezer to help set it.
Initially I was disappointed. It was still pretty liquidy. I let it sit for a few days before using it and it thickened up a little bit. The consistency right now it okay but it's still not creamy enough for my personal preference. I'm thinking of whipping it again but I'm afraid to add more shea and end up with no moisture making it to my hair.
I've still got quite a bit of this stuff left though. I'm not sure what I'll do with it. Lessons learned from both moisturizers: 1. research before purchase to make sure it's not a protein since my hair doesn't like that stuff. 2. ONLY purchase cream moisturizers as the liquid forms aren't thick enough to work.
Taking the advise of other naturals, I decided to whip the SSC with shea butter. I didn't want to use too much shea butter because I feel it doesn't act as a moisturizer for my hair, but a sealant. I melted the shea using the double boiler method (Or in my case, double cups. I use a microwave safe cup to heat up some water. I scoop shea into a disposable cup and set that inside of the heated water until shea is mostly melted). I poured both into an emptied and cleaned jar that once held Cholesterol deep condish. Since the mouth of that jar is really wide, I was able to blend them while in the jar. I have a hand mixer so just had to remove one of the blades to fit in the jar. I mixed for about 5 minutes and them put it in the freezer to help set it.
Initially I was disappointed. It was still pretty liquidy. I let it sit for a few days before using it and it thickened up a little bit. The consistency right now it okay but it's still not creamy enough for my personal preference. I'm thinking of whipping it again but I'm afraid to add more shea and end up with no moisture making it to my hair.
I've still got quite a bit of this stuff left though. I'm not sure what I'll do with it. Lessons learned from both moisturizers: 1. research before purchase to make sure it's not a protein since my hair doesn't like that stuff. 2. ONLY purchase cream moisturizers as the liquid forms aren't thick enough to work.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Enter the Soapbox
Let me first say, I don't have anything against a woman with a perm. I may be one of the few naturals I know, but I had a perm for a long time and loved it. Second, let me say that I have nothing at all against weave. I had a sew-in for 3 months before my BC.
I have a friend who is a weave queen. She looks fab. The colors and cuts she picks compliment her skin tome and face shape very well. She doesn't wear them until the look messed up. Every few weeks she will purchase a new one. It is extremely rare that anyone sees her real hair. The few special occasions when she is not wearing a wig/hard wrap, she has some type of hair peice added. She feels her hair is healthier than most since she hardly does any manipulation. I have to say, her hair is thick. It would probably look healthier except the weave dries it out. She claims to be growing her hair to APL and then will stop wearing weave. (I say claim because she has been saying this for years and when it gets close, she cuts it in a bob. She does have a perm.)
I always felt she was insecure about her own hair but to each her own. If she wants to rock a wig everyday for the rest of her life, it's cool. Has no affect on me. Since I've gone natural, her insecurities about her hair seem to have mutiplied. Like seeing my hair in it's natural has made her realize her fears of her own hair. She made comments about having nightmares that her hair was short and nappy, causing her to wake up and touch the silky strands of her lace front for comfort. She's told me that my freshly washed hair smells like Jheri Curl. I haven't snapped on her for those comments because I see them for what they are: fear. Right after she makes those comments, she follows them up with statements on how she would go natural but she doesn't have "good hair" like I do. And she doesn't want to cut her hair. I tell her texture doesn't really matter. She'll never know what her's is like until she's natural. And I tell her she doesn't have to BC and that I'll help her through her transition is she honestly wants to try it one day.
The above is no big deal. Just converations we frequently have. What is making me mad is her revelations that she wants hair like a white girl. She has said to me twice in the past few weeks that white girls are lucky because they don't have hair like us. And asked why can't we be lucky like them and have hair like theirs. She feels their hair is better because they don't have to get it done all the time and they can just throw it up in a ponytail whenever they want. We have to get a comb and brush and stand in the mirror to put our hair up. She's upset that even with her weave, she can't achieve a quick pony because she has to make sure the tracks don't show. According to her, it's just not fair that they have better hair.
She's always trying to get me to agree with her on these statements. I keep telling her I don't agree because I love my coarse, thick, curly, nappy, sometimes unruly hair. I love that I can do so many different things. Most white women have the option of wearing their hair up or down. If they want a particular style, it takes hours at the salon, a lot more money than black women spend, and it only last one night. I can get a style for $35 that will last about 2 weeks.
Whether permed or natural, the last thing I envy is another race's hair. I like that I have options with my hair. While hair from anyone's head is unique and beautiful, I will not spend hundreds of dollars a month and never show my hair to emulate someone else's. It makes me angry and sad to see my friend so ashamed of her hair. I used to think the naturals who preached about self-hate in relation to hair were tripping, but I see that in some cases, it really does exists.
I have a friend who is a weave queen. She looks fab. The colors and cuts she picks compliment her skin tome and face shape very well. She doesn't wear them until the look messed up. Every few weeks she will purchase a new one. It is extremely rare that anyone sees her real hair. The few special occasions when she is not wearing a wig/hard wrap, she has some type of hair peice added. She feels her hair is healthier than most since she hardly does any manipulation. I have to say, her hair is thick. It would probably look healthier except the weave dries it out. She claims to be growing her hair to APL and then will stop wearing weave. (I say claim because she has been saying this for years and when it gets close, she cuts it in a bob. She does have a perm.)
I always felt she was insecure about her own hair but to each her own. If she wants to rock a wig everyday for the rest of her life, it's cool. Has no affect on me. Since I've gone natural, her insecurities about her hair seem to have mutiplied. Like seeing my hair in it's natural has made her realize her fears of her own hair. She made comments about having nightmares that her hair was short and nappy, causing her to wake up and touch the silky strands of her lace front for comfort. She's told me that my freshly washed hair smells like Jheri Curl. I haven't snapped on her for those comments because I see them for what they are: fear. Right after she makes those comments, she follows them up with statements on how she would go natural but she doesn't have "good hair" like I do. And she doesn't want to cut her hair. I tell her texture doesn't really matter. She'll never know what her's is like until she's natural. And I tell her she doesn't have to BC and that I'll help her through her transition is she honestly wants to try it one day.
The above is no big deal. Just converations we frequently have. What is making me mad is her revelations that she wants hair like a white girl. She has said to me twice in the past few weeks that white girls are lucky because they don't have hair like us. And asked why can't we be lucky like them and have hair like theirs. She feels their hair is better because they don't have to get it done all the time and they can just throw it up in a ponytail whenever they want. We have to get a comb and brush and stand in the mirror to put our hair up. She's upset that even with her weave, she can't achieve a quick pony because she has to make sure the tracks don't show. According to her, it's just not fair that they have better hair.
She's always trying to get me to agree with her on these statements. I keep telling her I don't agree because I love my coarse, thick, curly, nappy, sometimes unruly hair. I love that I can do so many different things. Most white women have the option of wearing their hair up or down. If they want a particular style, it takes hours at the salon, a lot more money than black women spend, and it only last one night. I can get a style for $35 that will last about 2 weeks.
Whether permed or natural, the last thing I envy is another race's hair. I like that I have options with my hair. While hair from anyone's head is unique and beautiful, I will not spend hundreds of dollars a month and never show my hair to emulate someone else's. It makes me angry and sad to see my friend so ashamed of her hair. I used to think the naturals who preached about self-hate in relation to hair were tripping, but I see that in some cases, it really does exists.
Monday, August 10, 2009
A black woman is attractive only if...
I was reading a blog today and it touched on two topics that are sensitive to me. Nappy hair and big butts. The blog was touching on how the African features of larger behinds has been accepted but not the African features of nappy hair. click here for the blog.
The subjects are sensitive for me because I just started my natural hair journey. I'm sporting a TWA right now. There is the issue of men finding me attractive because I have not only short hair but it's curly also. I tend to wonder if they immediately dismiss me as being a lesbian or just simply think "she not cute with that short nappy hair." I absolutely love my hair and am not going back to a perm because of this. I love the way I look but I cannot lie and say that at times, I don't feel a bit insecure. These are usually the times when I don't think I've dressed very feminine. Such as if I were wearing jeans and a polo shirt, instead of jeans and a more dressier, non-unisex type of shirt.
As far as the big butt thing goes, I don't have a butt. Never have. I've always felt insecure about it. So many times I have heard, "She would be okay if she had an ass." I hate buying jeans because they have to be really tight so that they aren't baggy around my butt or if I buy them more comfortably, they sag and I look like I have even less of a butt. I've dated guys who have asked why I don't wear clothes to make it look like I have a bigger butt. This lets me know that although they seemed to think I'm cute, they've had issues with my body shape. I actually feel a bit inferior when I'm with friends who have big butts. I feel like they will automatically get all the attention because that is the first thing a guy even bothers to look at. Ass first then face.
So with the combined issues of me not having a butt and now having short, nappy hair, I'm thinking I'm not going to have a man for quite some time. Part of me is laughing at this because of how shallow it seems. The other part of me is sad because I am not so naive as to realize that physical attraction is a big part of any relationship. Especially when first meeting someone. If I have a lack of attractiveness in the two main areas that black men seem to care about, how can I possibly find someone? Please do not misconstrue this as an effort to book a pity party, I'm just stating facts.
The subjects are sensitive for me because I just started my natural hair journey. I'm sporting a TWA right now. There is the issue of men finding me attractive because I have not only short hair but it's curly also. I tend to wonder if they immediately dismiss me as being a lesbian or just simply think "she not cute with that short nappy hair." I absolutely love my hair and am not going back to a perm because of this. I love the way I look but I cannot lie and say that at times, I don't feel a bit insecure. These are usually the times when I don't think I've dressed very feminine. Such as if I were wearing jeans and a polo shirt, instead of jeans and a more dressier, non-unisex type of shirt.
As far as the big butt thing goes, I don't have a butt. Never have. I've always felt insecure about it. So many times I have heard, "She would be okay if she had an ass." I hate buying jeans because they have to be really tight so that they aren't baggy around my butt or if I buy them more comfortably, they sag and I look like I have even less of a butt. I've dated guys who have asked why I don't wear clothes to make it look like I have a bigger butt. This lets me know that although they seemed to think I'm cute, they've had issues with my body shape. I actually feel a bit inferior when I'm with friends who have big butts. I feel like they will automatically get all the attention because that is the first thing a guy even bothers to look at. Ass first then face.
So with the combined issues of me not having a butt and now having short, nappy hair, I'm thinking I'm not going to have a man for quite some time. Part of me is laughing at this because of how shallow it seems. The other part of me is sad because I am not so naive as to realize that physical attraction is a big part of any relationship. Especially when first meeting someone. If I have a lack of attractiveness in the two main areas that black men seem to care about, how can I possibly find someone? Please do not misconstrue this as an effort to book a pity party, I'm just stating facts.
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