5 Minute Natural Hairstyle For Newbies

I’m newly natural and enjoying wearing my natural hair but sometimes, I have a bit of a problem. From time to time, my hair is simply uncompromising and I just can’t seem to style it the way I want to. I was rushing one day, and found my Five minute quick fix to my natural hair blues. It’s very straightforward and should work regardless of your hair condition. I included a video for those of you who are visual.

                                     

1.       The first thing I did was part my hair in a boomerang shape to create the part for the “faux fringe.

2.       I went ahead and pulled as much hair as I could into a banana clip so that my edges would look neat. I could only fit about half of my hair in it without it snapping open so I went ahead and pinned the rest down to create a Mohawk.

     3.       I went ahead and got the fringe part and tucked it going all the way around and back to the banana clip area; pinning it as I went.

That’s all there is to this very simple hairstyle that you can use whenever your planned hairstyle fails. I hope you found this to be useful and feel free to leave feedback and join me on my other sites where I share more on hair topics.

My YouTube Channel

My Facebook Page

My Twitter Account

Mastering my Wash and Go:  A Natural Milestone 7 Years in the Making

In 2008 I was in the full swing of being natural. Experimenting with everything from twists, braid outs, straight hair, to the ever-popular and often practical wash and go. I would apply a leave in, quickly smooshing it through four voluminous sections of my incredibly thick and very curly hair, or leaving in literally every precious drop of my detangling conditioner without washing it out. My hair would be big, soft, and kind of defined for a day or two, but when day three rolled around, the dryness and tangles would begin to return hardcore.  After transitioning from an ill-advised texturizer in 2009 and being natural again here in 2012, I think I’ve finally cracked the code of the ideal wash and go after lots of trial and error. Here are a few things I’ve changed in my routine that have made a wonderful difference in helping me achieve a defined, moisturized, and relatively tangle-free wash and go (that lasts a  full week to boot! ) 

1. Start with a well moisturized foundation

I make sure that I cleanse my hair before every wash session now, usually once a week for a wash and go style and every two weeks when I’m doing a protective style. I use either a sulfate free shampoo, cleansing conditioner, or my new favorite, shampoo bars. I then deep condition with a silicone free conditioner for at least two hours. Happy, well conditioned hair leads to longevity of my wash and go since moisture retention is increased from the very beginning of my styling session.

2. Moisturize and seal

This crucial change in my styling routine is probably the one that I credit most to finally being able to rock a successful wash and go. After applying my leave in to about ten sections of hair in order to ensure even distribution of product, I go back and seal my hair with a nice emollient butter, such as avocado, hemp, or sweet almond. I used to use oil to seal, but I find that the weight of a butter helps to provide a buffer and decrease single strand knots from forming because of my hair rubbing against my clothes, as well as keep my hair smooth and moisturized longer. The butter also helps to decrease the slight crunch I get from the use of my stylers and my hair is touchably soft.

3. Apply Styler of choice in small sections

              Two gels that I have been loving lately are Curl Junkie Pattern Pusha and Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic. These medium hold gels help to “freeze” my curls into place and my hair stays full and defined throughout the week, no need for restyling. Applying to small sections helps me to concentrate the product and make sure no strand is left behind! 

4. Nightly/Daily maintenance

               The pineapple has been a lifesaver for me at night. Before, I would smush and wrangle my hair into a bonnet with some of my scarves, and wake up with a Frederick Douglass-esque mullet that called for tons of shaking. Now before bed, I use my trusty satin covered, straight out of the 80’s scrunchie to gather all my hair into a high ponytail on top of my head, cover with scarves and a bonnet for good measure, and go to sleep. This method prevents any smooshing, and leaves my hair with tons of volume, keeps some of the frizz at bay, and also prevents shrinkage due to the high ponytail. I usually don’t have to do anything as far as daily maintenance until day five, when I start to gets a tiny bit of dryness and flyaways. I use a very light oil, like jojoba or camellia on my nape and over my hairline and canopy to add shine.

That’s it! A few simple changes have made all difference to me being able to enjoy wearing my hair in a wash and go! I’ve been enjoying them so much this summer that I’m already plotting and thinking how I can tweak my routine to carry them into the Fall and Autumn! Come check out my YouTube channel for some fun hair chat as well Curlypad! Happy wash and gos ladies!

Steps to a Better Bantu Knot Out

One of the difficulties that we encounter with natural hair is achieving a certain look without the use of heat. We love our kinks, but sometimes we want to trade them in for a smooth spring curl without sacrificing the integrity of our strands to a heat styling tool. We resort to braid outs, twist outs and bantu knot outs but sometimes, what should have been curls ends up being gathered tufts of our original kinks. This weekend, I decided to do a bantu knot out on my hair to monitor every little thing that I do to achieve my spring curls. I came up with some pointers that could lead to better results.

Minimal moisture: The amount of moisture that you put in your hair determines the amount of time that you will spend waiting on it to dry. Try moisturizing with very little product; just enough to dampen your hair. Minimal moisture means your hair will set in two hours, whereas too much moisture will have your hair taking its sweet time drying since bantu knots have an unusual way of holding onto moisture.

                               

Use a curling aid: If your hair is as kinky as mine, you'll likely need all of the help you can get to make it hold a curl. Also, the natural hair care industry has evolved so much that we are able to get products that are designed to hydrate and define our curls. Coco curls curly styling aid is a great curling aid to use on your tresses.

Water and oil mix: Moisturizing and sealing our hair goes back further than we think. My mother used to use water and pomade to soften my hair. She adopted this method from her mother and I’m sure it goes back further than I can imagine.  Now we can moisturize and seal with a variety of product choices that suit our preferences, but the fact still remains that this method will give you a more polished look when you remove your bantu knots.      

    

    Tension rules: You must tension your hair properly if you want a smooth curl. This does not mean that you should pull your hair tightly. What you want to do is firmly twist your hair in one direction. Once you get to your ends, loosen your hold just enough to form a slight loop at your roots. This will happen naturally and is the foundation of your knot. Wrap your hair under the loop until there is none left and I can almost guarantee that the vast majority of your curls will look the same. This method will also ensure that the hair at your roots will be straight.

      Add a little slip on the ends: There’s nothing more annoying than having the perfect curl with a tuft of kinks on the ends. To avoid this, add a little more oil to your ends to provide enough slip so that you can tuck the remainder of your hair underneath the knot. It will be a tight space, so there will be no need to secure the hair with a bobby pin.

    

Size matters: The size of your knots should be based on your natural hair length and texture. If you have tightly coiled hair, you want smaller sections for your bantu knots. This will result in tight curls like mine, but they will be smooth and they will loosen over time. Try to section your hair in 1-1.5 inch cubes. It may take more time, but you will be pleased with your results. If your hair is longer than shoulder length, you can easily get away with larger bantu knot outs regardless of texture.

    

    

     

      Tease them out and twirl them loose: Removal can be tricky and you must be careful not to ruin the curls in the process. Lightly oil your fingers then place two fingers on your knot and rotate from side to side until it loosens. Once loose, you can twirl your strands loose and be sure to only separate two or three sections with your fingers to avoid fizz. If you're going for bigger curls, you can section the hair more. 

                                     

Essentially, these are just methods to achieve a more polished look. Bear in mind that bantu knots can be damaging to your hair if you do not take the time out to be gentle with your hair. I decided to pin mine up for a classy look, but sporting a curly afro with a scarf is a nice casual chic alternative.

Joyous Curly : Iknowlee

Hi, Iknowlee. Please Introduce Yourself!

My real name is Helecia and I am 24 years young. I am a Houston Native.....a city girl! The name IKNOWLEE originated from my nick name "Lee Lee." I always had trouble with people mispronouncing my name and that nick name was not only common but memorable.  People almost go to the point where they never learned my real name and they would say, "Oh, I know Lee Lee!" It just stuck so I came up with the youtube channel entitled IKNOWLEE.

What does your current hair regimen look like?

My current hair regimen is actually very simple. Its the products that get people confused.  I wash and deep condition my hair weekly. I always apply a leave in and usually do a twist out. Then I retwist my hair every night and sleep with a bonnet. 

How long have you been natural? Did you big chop or transition?

 I have been natural two years and two months. I hit my two year mark on May 24th, 2012. I wanted to transition but I didn't have the patience. I wore weave for about two months just to let my perm grow out. Once I took the weave out, I decided to just do a big chop. I ended up with about a half of an inch of hair. 

Why did you decide to go natural? How did people react to your decision to go natural?

My sister encouraged me to try something different mainly because she was going natural.  I loved changing my hair so I took the risk and just went for it. When I told people that I was going natural, they didn't really respond at all until I actually cut off all my hair. People were extremely shocked and I mostly got extremely negative responses. 

What advice do you have for transitioners and persons that are curious about natural hair?

Natural hair is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get! Go for it! If you want to go natural just try it and if you don’t like, go back to a relaxer. Be patient and give it some time to adjust.  

Do you think that there are DO’s and DON'T’s for maintaining YOUR natural hair or natural hair in general? 

Absolutely NOT. Everyone's hair is different so different things work for different people. You can set rules because in some cases they might not apply. The only DO is to keep it moisturized!!! 

How has your natural hair changed/affected you?

My natural hair has helped me gain self esteem and accept who I am.  Until I went natural, I didn't realize how society viewed natural hair in general. I had to accept what I had and work with it to the best of my ability even if others didn't view it as socially acceptable. For a while I was outcasted because of my hair. Because I rocked it with confidence, people began to accept it and also love it. 

Where can people connect with you?
 You can check my YouTube Channel or like my Facebook Fan Page.

The 10 *New* Rules of Black Beauty

By Vanessa of Onyx Rose Online

As I read Ben Arogundade's article, "Black Beauty - The 10 New Rules", I kept saying to myself, "Yes!". Many of his points illustrate how I've been feeling about natural hair, relaxed hair -- black beauty as a whole. The following are statements that stuck out to me the most:


All hair and hairstyles are good.
Providing you choose them for yourself, rather than through any forms of pressure or coercion, from family, friends, haters or society.

Know your black hair history.
Knowing the cultural history behind the hairstyle you choose empowers your choices. For example, for those who wear wigs or weaves, this type of adornment dates back over 5,000 years to ancient Egypt, where they were worn for ceremonial occasions, and as sun protectors.

Know your own hair history.
For many black women, their preference for straight hair is driven by bad childhood memories of being teased and tormented at school about their natural hair, or being made to feel insecure by parents who insisted on the hot comb or hair relaxer. Understanding your own psychological back-story, and the way it has influenced your choices today, is fundamental, thereby raising ones consciousness from "choice" to "informed choice".

Black men -- be more supportive.
The black Nationalists of the civil rights era chastised African American women who didn't give up their processed hair during the aesthetic revisionism of the 1960s. Today's black men should support black women in their aesthetic choices, whatever they may be. They should be more empathetic and less chastising.

End black-on-black hair conflict.
Black women are under attack again, only this time from each other. Curly against straight, natural against processed. The two styles are billed in opposition to one another -- like a face-off between a pair of heavyweight boxers -- always with the word "VERSUS" separating them. In reality there is no reason why these two styles should not co-exist in harmony, with both factions accepting, instead of attacking the other. These feuds are divisive, and distract black women from life's more important battles.

and my favorite:


Perceived meanings can't be trusted.
Reverting to natural hair is often talked about alongside adjectives such as "self-acceptance", "freedom" and "political awareness". But these terms could just as easily apply to a black woman with a blonde weave, who chooses her style while being fully "aware". All assumptions based on aesthetics alone must be outlawed.

Read more at huffingtonpost.com.

Do you agree with Ben Arogundade?

Summer Must Have: Glycerin

Hi Naturalistas!

This summer, sure you should stock up on sunscreen, drink plenty of water, and find yourself to the beach at least once, but you should also make sure your products are stocked with ingredients that will truly benefit your hair. One of these products is glycerin, which is usually found in your leave ins and moisturizers. Glycerin is a humectant which is just a fancy term that means that it traps moisture from the air to soften and moisturize your tresses. For those naturals who live in dry climates, you want to be cautious when using glycerin because it can work adversely and make your hair dry and brittle. For other naturals who are living in areas with humidity and moisture in the air, you hair will most likely LOVE glycerin.

Another warning about glycerin is that because it traps moisture in the air and into your hair, it can turn our beautiful twist outs into to a full out fro if the dews are too high. Of course, there is no complete formula to gauge how glycerin will affect your hair so you really have to test it out and observe the weather patterns in your area. However, when used correctly and in the right amounts, glycerin is AMAZING. It will leave your hair soft and supple. Who doesn't love soft, touchable hair right? If you're looking for products that contain this fantastic ingredient try Karen's Body Beautiful Luscious Hair Mask and Sweet Ambrosia or Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion.

Hope that was helpful!

Who's using glycerin this summer?

7 Reasons Your Hair Won't Grow

By Nia of My Kinks and Curls

For the most part, all hair grows. On average hair grows about a 1/4 to 1/2 an inch a month but sometimes (or should I say a lot of the time) it seems that our hair growth stunts and we can't reach our ideal length goals. The truth is to gain longer hair we have to: retain hair length, avoid doing things that lead to hair breakage and shedding, and stimulate hair growth. In this article, I've listed my top 8 reason why your hair doesn't seem to grow and helpful tips to counteract them. Enjoy!

1. Lack of moisture

Without moisture hair dries up and eventually breaks off. With curly and kinky hair textures it is important to keep the ends of our hair well-moisturised as the scalps natural oil find it harder to reach these parts. Use a water-based moisturiser concentrating on the hair ends followed by a hair oil or butter to seal moisture in the hair longer. I recommend using Olive Oil, Jojoba or Coconut Oil. Check out my article on How to Moisturise Effectively.

2. Constant manipulation

Daily styling, brushing and combing can cause a lot of wear and tear to the hair. Protective styling can reduce the amount of stress you put on you hair in the long term. You can also try style that require less manipulation  and little up keep like buns, puffs and ponytails. Furthermore try to not part in the same places and vary styling options.

3. Product build-up on the scalp & hair

Products can build up on your scalp and clog the pores, pausing hair growth. Heavy products like hair greases, pomades and gels are especially inclined to doing this. Therefore always try to uses light natural products like oils and avoid using hair greases. Make sure you cleanse and clarify your hair and scalp you every 7 to 14 days depending on your hair texture and product usage. Check out my article on How to Shampoo.

4.  Heat damage

If you've followed this blog from the beginning you'll know that I had a lot of heat damage in the beginning of my natural journey from using heat styling tools. Heat damage basically is when your hair is over exposed to heat and the outer layer of the hair (the cuticle) becomes damage, this causes your hair to be dry, frizzy and kills curl definition. To avoid this minimise your usage of heat styling tools, use heat protectant and do not use the hottest setting on heat styling tools. Check out The 411... On Heat Damage for more information

5.  Colouring

I love playing with hair colour but the truth be told colourants are very harsh chemicals. When you dye hair bonds in the hair are broken and this means more care needs to be taken in looking after your hair. Protein treatments can temporarily repair hair bonds stripped by colourants.

6. Pulling hair

Pulling hair to tightly can cause not only hair loss around the hairline but sore and acne on the scalp. Make sure you are gentle with hair in these area as it is quite fragile and negligence can lead to traction alopecia.

7. Diet
A poor diet can lead to a stunt in hair growth or hair loss. Make sure you are eating a balanced diet and are properly hydrated.