Frustration

Usually, I'm pretty happy-go-lucky about my hair and I like to think that I have patience when it come to my hair because the biggest ingredient you need to have concerning naturally textured hair is Patience.

My patience is actually wearing thin. When it comes to the puff, my hair is excellent. The puff is when you basically wear your hair up and tie a scarf or something around the crown. Don't get me wrong, it looks fantastically amazing and nice but I think I rocked this look for a good six months when I entered my natural hair journey, after this style I have still yet to find a style that frames my face well when my hair is down.

My twist do come out looking excellent when I use kinky curly curling custard but it doesn't totally combat shrinkage so my hair shrinks and looks shorter than it is and it doesn't frame my face the way I want it to when I leave it down.

My curly fro does come out looking cute but I don't necessarily wana rock that everyday either because I love variety. That's one of the main reasons why I went natural in the first place. I know it'll be cuter when it grows longer so the shrinkage won't be as drastic. I also that I seriously have to put the scissors away.

I am this close from investing in a really good flat iron, one of those expensive ones, and calling it a day. But I don't want to. (I just sounded like a big baby with that statement I just want my hair to grow by itself, without direct application of heat!

I am trying to keep hope alive but, I don't know. I have entirely too many people with straight hair around me so that doesn't really help. But I love my hair, I'm just very acutely aware of it's potential for greatness and I think that's why I'm frustrated because I know what it's capable of.

I hope this will be the only despressing post that I ever write, by the way.

Forgot about the Magic of the Shower-Cap

So, last night, I twisted my hair with safflower oil and used my ever trusty Kinky Curly Curling Custard to achieve a soft hold. Now, the issue with my hair is that when I put oil and goodies on it at night, it looks shiny and sleek and nice, when I wake up in the morning it's a different story. I have to re-apply the oil and a bit of the Kinky Curly Curling Custard (Only if I don't saturate my hair with Kinky Curly Curling Custard, if I want a soft hold).

Any way it looked so shiny, nice, defined,and soft last night that I didn't just want to put on a scarf and on the hair and call it a night. Then out of the corner of my eye I spied my seldom used shower cap, and a big ol' smile came on my face.

I woke up the next morning and Voila! still soft, shiny and mucho defined (soft hold)!!! Out of habit I still dipped my finger in the safflower oil and then (same finger) in the Kinky Curly Curling Custard and proceeded to unravel my twists - LUV.

Last night was basically the epitome of my coily/curly fro (fro because I keep cutting my hair, I need to stop it). It was loosely coily/curly and ultra adorable. I had to make a pact with myself last night and turn into a Nazarite - No Scissors Shall Touch This Hair From Henceforth.

I don't care how split the ends are, I'll just grin and bear it, as they say, and let grow out way longer before I even think of a little trim. Besides, I know where the split ends came from. Last year I straightened my hair with a cheap flat iron that needs to be thrown in the garbage (or recycled) and a spray that was composed mostly of alchol. Yea, that'll give you split ends in two seconds flat.

So, not only do I have to stay from the scissors, I also have to stay away from flat irons, especially cheap ones. Ok, to achieve the ultimate coily/curly fro if your hair is ultra coilly and prone to instant dryness like mine:

Wash hair
Leave in Conditioner mixed with safflower oil (see favorite things) or coconut oil
Add some Kinky Curly Curling Custard (not too much to achieve a soft hold)
Proceed to twist hair in sections
Slap on shower cap when finished
Tie on hair scarf over shower cap
Wake up, unravel twists
Enjoy ultra soft, shiny, defined coily/curly hair

Next time, if nothing else comes up, I'll talk about my most favoritest conditioner ever!

Deep Condish

I did it backwards...oops! I haven't deep condintioned my hair in a hot minute so its no wonder that I did it backwards. "You're supposed to wash the hair first," is what I said to myself after I realized that I just washed out the egg yolk & safflower combo. Its OK, I'm sure it was still effective.

My deep condition process was:
3 egg yolks
small tea cup full of safflower oil
Blended together
Slapped on my hair
Put on shower cap
Put on heat cap over shower cap
Turn on High
Leave in 30-45 minutes

It's simple enough to do every week or every other week, so I like and need to keep doing it to strengthen my hair because split ends are a no-no.

On another note, I ran out of coconut oil! I'm pretty much amazed at how quickly I used that big 'ol jar of coconut oil - Crazy! But no fear, I have just ordered another jar from this amazing company that sells countless oils and other natural products: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/
I definitely saw a whole bunch of other goodies that I would love to try, but, first thing first, coconut oil is essential for me.

The reason why I'm also raving about it so much is because it's making my hair softer, noticably softer, and it's cutting down the density. Now if you have extra coily hair you know a little about mass over volume. I swear my hair is really the true definition of DENSITY. I think it's the combination of coconut oil and heat, not direct heat, but the heat from the over-head dryer that I use mostly when I put curlformers in my hair.

I've noticed the softness a couple of times now, especially when I finish washing my hair, it's noticably Less dense. Usually when I wash my hair it comes out in all it's puffy glory, dries quickly, and dries hard. But it's been staying softer longer and just coming out less dense.

I will definitely keep a closer eye on my hair's behavior and write it here, especially, since I ordered Extra Virgin Coconut Oil this time! Never tried the extra virgin before, its supposed to be the purest of the pure, no additives, cold pressed and the maximum goodies you can get. I am very excited about it!

Ms. Natural Hair Herself - India Arie. Luv This Video!

Natural Hair Star of the Month!

It's february and yes, it is that time again, to introduce another "natural hair star of the month - Karen!

When and why did you decide to go natural?

For as long as I could remember, I always loved the way that loc’s / dreadlocks looked on men and women. I was fascinated by how beautiful they looked. I could actually sense the amazing freedom that came from them just being themselves. I would always stop what I was doing if someone walked by with beautiful loc’s. Something about loc’s just made me want to know more about the whole experienc. But unfortunately, for the longest time, I ignored what turned out to be my love of natural hair.

I was so caught up in trying to fit into the mainstream ideal of beauty – which was long straight hair. So for years I spent so much money, time and energy on getting extensions and weaves. Enduring the pain of chemicals and glue being put into my hair and on my scalp. All to achieve a look that had nothing to do with who I was. I felt like I spent years trying to please others with what I thought was beautiful.About 4 and half years ago, I finally realized that I was not being true to myself or who I was as a person. I did not like how the weaves looked. I did not enjoy putting chemicals in my hair. And I did not feel beautiful. So I said enough is enough! I am going to finally do something about it, and go natural. And from that point on, I felt so empowered and in tune with who I was from inside and out. I no longer needed the fake hair or the chemicals to feel beautiful. My hair was and is beautiful all on its own.

Who does your hair mostly, i.e. hairdresser, aunty, yourself, e.t.c.

I maintain my own hair. Once or twice a year – I might treat myself and go get my hair done by my loctician.

What are your "IT" Hair Products?

Dark and Lovely Peppermint ShampooIC Liquid ConditionerOrganic Loc and Twist gelAfrican Pride OilSilk Scarf

Who is your natural hair inspiration?

There are a lot of people that inspire me. But a few that really stick out are: Bay Area artist Goapele. She use to have really beautiful loc’s (she cut them off recently). When I first started the locking process, her natural beauty really inspired me to continue even when I doubted myself. Another person that inspires me is model Wahidah Fowler. She has beautiful thick loc’s and she owns them! And I think it is wonderful to see a natural hair model who is both successful, but an amazing artist and person. So she continues to be a hair inspiration for me.

Words of Wisdom to natural hair folks or those considering it.

Embrace it! If you want to do it - go for it. Don’t let someone else tell you who you should be or how you should live your life. And if it seems hard at first, you are not alone. In the beginning it is going to be hard, but there is so much information and knowledge out there to guide you. And if you don’t have that encouragement in your own life to be natural, join a local group or search for groups online where natural hair is cherished and celebrated.

Split Ends!... Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where did all this split ends come from!?! As I looked in the mirror, the one downstairs in my bathroom that magnifies every pore on your skin, to my horror all I saw was how much split ends my hair had, especially in front.

I mean really split ends; the kind where I could literally see the hair split and pull it apart! I am horrified, totally and completely disturbed, but I now know what I have to do and the importance of deep Conditioning! which I think I've done a total of 5 times since I've been natural - 1 year and a month!

I will endeavor to deep condition my hair every two weeks now with: egg yolks (3), safflower oil, and maybe 1 whole banana. But the egg yolk and safflower will be the staple deep conditioner ingredient. The banana will most likely be a variable.

So, of course, upon seeing these horrific split ends I immediately pulled out the scissors and took to choppin' I cut about 2-3 inches of my entire hair. These are the little details you find out for yourself when you go natural. You will still have to take care of your hair and deep condition it every 2 or 3 weeks just like you did when you had a relaxer!

As usual I will be back with an update of how my deep conditioning experience went. I plan on 15-30 minutes with a shower cap and a heated hood.