I'm Back!!!!

Hey guys. Its been so long and I have been extremely busy. I'm getting back on board again. Thanks for all your emails.

Summer Hair Questions Answered!

The summer is here and along with it comes some of our most frequent hair woes.
Dry,Frizz,Split Ends, Breakage,Dandruff the list goes on. Here I'll share some of my answers to some FAQs

My hair is constantly dry no matter how much product I use?

I've always discovered that it doesn't matter how much product you use if you are consistently using the wrong one. I've had my trial and errors when it comes to hair products but one thing I have learned is that any product that contains alcohol and mineral oil is a complete no-no for hair.

Start by experimenting with homemade products, castile soap is all natural and can be used as a shampoo base mixed with herbs and oils. Best of all, there is no sulfate which usually exist in commercial shampoos.

If time is an issue when it comes to your hair routine, try to co-wash twice per week and use shampoo only when necessary(which for me is usually once per week).

I wash and condition my hair regularly but lately I have been getting dandruff
what can I do to get rid of that?

The dreaded dandruff is usually caused by lack of moisture on the scalp and/or lack of scalp circulation. However, most likely it is caused by using harsh shampoos and products on hair scalp. Shampoos that have strong cleansing agents can lead to too much moisture removed from the scalp.

If you already have dry scalp, deep conditioners can help hair to retain its moisture.

Also try to use anti-dandruff product to bring moisture back to your scalp.

How do I get rid of split ends and stop breakage?

The only way to get rid of split ends is to cut it off (sorry). Split ends and breakages are caused by lack of moisture. Hair strands become brittle and break off or split up. Hair coloring can also lead to split ends. Remember if you color, you need to take extra steps in order to retain some moisture in your hair.

Hope this advice helps. Thanks for asking questions. If you have any advice or questions email me at naturalnana1@aol.com

Lace Front Wigs revisited

A few months ago I talked about getting a lace front wig ( which I haven't gotten around to yet). I did my research and got some advice my friend the self proclaimed 'hairologist'.

Anyway I did find out some pretty useful info about lace fronts so I'm gonna share some of what I learned with you.

According to my friend Do not buy lace front wigs online( she told me to put that in bold).

Her Reasons:

• They are low grade quality which charges too much money.

• Custom wigs are not 'custom' if they are not made on top of your head.

• Ready made wigs are not 'one size fits all'. They were made for someones head and are possibly rejects (lol)

• If you got to pay on a payment plan for your hair, you can't afford it (who doesn't have a payment plan these days? For bills? yes For hair? NO!)

So on to the positive advice.

• Research a style which works for your lifestyle, personality and budget.

• Always get your head measured by a professional, preferably the one who will do your hair(especially if you already have your own hair underneath).

• Invest in quality hair care products which will maintain your wig (cheap is as cheap does!).

• It may be fake but treat it like you would your real hair.

So those were her advice on the wigs. Share with me your experience with wigs.

Hair Prep before Shampooing

I am a firm believer in moisturizing and with my hair there is really no such thing as too much moisture.
I have two methods of preping my hair for washing that work wonders.

Method 1

You will need:
Olive Oil
Plastic Bag/Shower Cap
Warm Damp towel

I separate my hair into smaller sections apply Olive Oil on my scalp and from the roots to the ends, especially ends.

Place plastic Cap on top of hair. Wrap with a warm damp towel(optional)


Method 2

I dont use this method much now but it did work for my hair

Blend Shea Butter with some tea tree oil.
Apply along scalp and ends.
Put on Plastic Cap and wrap warm towel over hair.


Now what is the reason for this?

Wet/Damp Hair is porous so it is easier for oils to saturate hair shaft. By applying oils and placing the bags over hair it allows the hair to "sweat" and absorb the oils. Its also necessary if you use store bought shampoos to wash your hair as most of them are drying because they contain sulfates which is not great for natural hair.

Hey guys I'm back. Things have definitely toned down and I'm back on schedule. Thank you for sending me emails with your questions and of course I will be answering and sharing as much as I can in the next few posts.

P.S. I promise to upload some pictures of my hair soon.

Hey guys I'm still around!I know some of you sent messages and I will respond to them. I have been so busy lately that I cant find time to breathe. I will be back I have so much to talk about. Keep sending me your love.

I'm extremely excited about my pick for natural beauty of the month, though not a natural in the sense of hair. She is so natural and beautiful in spirit and I consider her 'a friend in my head'.

She has had a successful yet sad year dealing the death of family members. Of course you all know who it is, Ms. Jennifer Hudson.



Side note:"a friend in my head'-( someone you never met but know if you did you would become great friends)

I've been rocking the twisties lately check them out. Its 3 days old.

So What's Wrong With My Hair?

So recently I was having a 'hair' discussion with a friend who is also a natural. The topic of natural hair and workplace was on the agenda. What disturbed me about this discussion was the remarks she has to deal with about wearing her natural hair to work, which sadly comes from her own African American co workers.

Why is natural hair considered a no-no in corporate America?

Last summer Glamour Magazine had to deal with an issue pertaining to insensitive racial comments made by a former white staffer who branded black hairstyles as no-nos because they were considered political.Though I'm not surprised by this comment I'm disturbed that the wrong hair could affect your job, in this case Afro hair.

While I don't subscribe to the belief that you should be free to wear your hair however you want in a work setting. I do have a problem with being penalized for the hair that grows naturally from my roots.

Have you had a notable experience with your hair and job?

Feather Hair Clip

OMG just found this hair clip, aren't they the cutest! You can find them on wetseal.com for $6.00.

Cutie Booties

I was perusing the Steve Madden website, when I came up on this cute pair of boots. They cost $99.95 but I'm sure I can get this from Baker's for less.

Random Hairness!

Believe me, there are some days when I have a love-hate relationship with this hair. I am all for healthy hair but the process to get there and maintain is so tiring. My hair is so thick, it makes grooming even more time consuming.

Now don't get me wrong, I adore my hair but sometimes I'm too lazy to spent time on grooming, couple that with the fact that I'm not the most skilled hair stylist. My hair is a endless stream of routine and regimen which gets boring after a while.

Ahh lets not forget the endless hair products available for every hair condition. The list gets daunting. The choices are too many. The benefits are too few. It seems everyone else is pretty chirpy about their hair.

*sigh.. maybe its just me?

Nneka

Check out Nneka.... love the beat!

Simple Hair Clarifier

2 cups warm water
1/2 cup lemon

Mix together apply to hair. Great for breaking down product buildup. Use this before shampooing or between shampoo and deep conditions.

Herbal Shampoo

Do try this at home. Re-work the recipe to compliment your hair.

7 oz distilled water
4 Tbsp liquid castile soap
6 Tbsp Herbs
Glass jar or bowl
Plastic 8oz bottle( you can use a spray bottle)
Pot
Strainer
Spoon


Choose 2 or 3 herbs for your hair(check my herbs list for reference).

Pour distill water in pot and boil.
Place herbs in strainer over glass jar or bowl.
Pour hot water over herbs allow to steep for at least 10 minutes, if you want a stronger mix leave it longer( don't get herbs into the water).

Pour castile soap in the other bottle, then pour herbal water into the bottle.

That's it! Pretty simple. This should take approximately 20 minutes to make, including steeping time.

Beautiful Natural Hair Chicas

There's nothing I love more than seeing models,actresses,entertainers and regular ole folks wearing their natural roots.

Ayo

Jessi M'bengue

Hayley Marie Norman

Sophie

Wakeema Hollis

Nneka

YaYa

Bre

Alek

Lace Front Wigs

Lately I have been thinking of wearing more protective styles for my hair. The easy go to for me is a wig. I have only owned one in my lifetime but I absolutely loved it.This is great for when I'm feeling lazy about styling my hair.

My last wig was a straight bob, very flattering for my face type, but I do so love curly hair so I'm thinking of investing in a curly lace front wig.

I've been doing a bit of research since I have absolutely no clue about fake hair, so I'm basically in the dark about hair quality and so forth.

I'm looking for something in this region.



Or Maybe



I've always admired Erykah Badu's array of afro wigs. I've got to hand it to that woman, even her fakes are true to who she is, but I need a bit of something to wear that in public.







Here are a couple of her refine styles that I like.

I love this Turban Headband from forever21.com. Use in place of your regular hair scarf for an alternate look. They come in different colors too. At $3.80 a pop,they are very affordable.

Honey Hair Conditioner

Try this at home. It's easy, cheap and effective.

2 Tbsp Honey
4 Cups warm water
1 tsp Baking soda

Mix it all together and apply to hair. Cover for 15 mins then wash out.
Look at how your hair glows.

Why honey?
Its molecules retains moisture which is great for dry hair.



Mix and Match recipes and find what works best for you. Don't go overboard on honey unless you want to attract bees!

Stuck in a Hairstyle Rut

That's it-! I'm in a style rut. My hair basically falls obediently into place for my usual ponytail. It's not that I don't have the time to style but I have gotten pretty lazy with my hair routine. My whole shampoo, deep conditioned styled hair is boring.

Now I know there are many styles out there to experiment with, but if you are like me with minimal ( I mean minimal) hairstyling skills then its not hard to see where the challenges lie.

The upsweep, twisties, ponytail and full 'fro is all I'm skilled to do. I see so many others with effortless style, but even with step by step tutorials my hair always looks very different from the original style.

So my resolution this week is to try a new hairstyle everyday and I'm sticking to that( at least I'll try)

Natural Beauty Danielia Cotton

I am excited about this month's natural beauty and I must admit I know next to nothing about her. The pictures of her dreads are exquisite.... Sigh- I wish I was brave to enough to loc my hair...well maybe sometime in the future.

Her name is Danielia Cotton and she is a rock artist. She released her first album in 2005 called Small White Town. Since I love me some rock I'm gonna check this out. Get back to you with that!