From the category archives:

Healthy Hair Tips

Post image for What had happened was…

What had happened was…

by kcurly on May 10, 2012

in Healthy Hair Tips,Progress-Length and Health,Straight Natural Styling,Tips,Uncategorized

 

…I decided to go ahead and flat iron my hair. I was on a No Heat Challenge until June of this year but once I thought about it, I realized that’s insane. I live in Humidity City, USA and by June things will be completely out of hand. Plus I want to get back to the pool by June, both for training and for fun with the kids!

As usual I did things differently than the last time I flat ironed. Honestly, I am still trying to perfect this process. Since I only flat iron every few months, that doesn’t give me a lot of practice. However, I’m improving with each try. Below is what I did this time around.

Here are some pictures of the process

After blow out

 

I put it up in a ponytail because the roots were still a bit damp and I was waiting for them to air dry.That's when I noticed that my edges still had a bit of conditioner in them that I'd neglected to wash out. It was causing a flaky residue.

I ended up having to rinse my edges (very carefully!) to get the product out. I was rewarded with these little ringlets. As you may have read, my edges are recovering from post partum shedding. The area is thin but has had pretty good growth considering that they were near bald at one point

Close up

The product that I used from Garnier was just something I picked up in the grocery store. My main goal this time around was to use a ton of silicones in my products. I normally use a non- silicone deep conditioner and then use ‘cones in my heat protectant or leave in. I figured I might as well use them all the way through. That was my first change.

My second was using flexi rods, which have been under my bathroom sink since Moses was a baby, to stretch out the hair before blow drying it. I think the last time I straightened my hair, I did a  rollerset with an attempt to get it as smooth as possible. This time, I was just trying to stretch the hair out and get it mostly dry. It was faster than rollersetting the other way and I just wasn’t in the mood.

Back to the product from Garnier. What I used is called Garnier Blow Dry Perfector Straightening Balm, Sleek and Shine.

Once I got home with it, I saw that it got ok reviews. And although it doesn’t really say anything about heat protection, one of the first ingredients is Amodimethicone which works as a heat protectant, as do most silicones. I almost picked up a similar looking product from Garnier called Garnier Fructis Style Sleek and Shine Blow Dry Perfector Kit.

This stuff really put doubt in my mind. First, it said that it lasted up to 7 shampoos. That sounds like some kind of relaxer or Brazilian Keratin Treatment to me. And I’m scared to death that one day one of these companies is going to sneak some kind of relaxing agent into their products. Also, there are warnings not to use it on relaxed hair, bleached hair, and you need to wear gloves when applying it? Heck no! Something ain’t right!

So I get home and read the reviews. I dodged a bullet. The reviews on Amazon are HORRIBLE! People’s hair falling out, texture forever damaged. It’s scary what some of these companies will put on the market. Anyway, please don’t confuse what I used with that kit.

 

Anyhoo, here is the finished result. I have to say, it turned out nicely. I pin curled my hair to wear it down but mostly I’ve been wearing it in a bun.

Pin curls

I pinned kind of big sections because I've found that if I use smaller sections, it creates more volume.

Would it be triflin' if I wore this out somewhere? ;)

Pulled my curls forward

Even thought it turned out nicely, I was still a little disappointed that my hair hasn’t appeared to have grown much since the last time I straightened it. Excuse me, I hadn’t retained much length since the last time I straightened it. At any rate, here is my length check.

As my hair gets longer, it gets harder to take pictures. This photo is courtesy of my 5 year old. I knew he'd start earning his keep around here! lol

This was almost a year ago vs today

So I see a little growth. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty happy with my length but I would love to see waist length just to say that I did it. I know that I’ve not been pampering my hair as I should so this is my own fault.

All I can do is try again…no regrets, right?

 

{ 13 comments }

Ask Kcurly- Trying to “whiten” hair when twisting?

by kcurly on January 29, 2012

in Ask Kcurly,Healthy Hair Tips

A comment from shirley:

How did your natural hair grow so much! Your braid out picture is beautiful! How did you get your hair to grow? All I do is wet my hair, co-wash and put gel in it, it kind of curls. But I have trouble with kinks and nearly loc-ing, which I don’t want.

Shirley, thank you for the compliment. I credit my hair length retention to protective styling and proper moisture.

If you have trouble with matting or the hair locing, you may want to dabble in other styles such as twistouts because, in my experience, they decrease the tangles and knots that cause matting. I personally can not do a lot of wash n go’s without tangles, dryness and, sometimes, matting.

It did give me pause when you said you had “trouble with kinks”.

Shirley, one of the most important things, in my humble opinion, to remember when going natural is that you have to love your hair for what it does, not hate it for what it doesn’t do. If you hair curls a little, great. If it kinks a little, great. It’s your hair, it’s part of you.

I’m not going to tell you to love your hair. Only you can do that and, for some, that comes with time. I will tell you to try and focus on the positives instead of what you perceive as negatives. That is a great starting point. (Example: “My hair has never been this thick before!”)

I also advise you to focus on the health of your hair. A lot of people can do wash n go’s with no problem. However, since you said that you are having issues with near locing, perhaps it’s time to ditch the gel (which always does a number on my hair long term) and practice some healthier alternatives. Good luck to you.

———————

This next comment wasn’t really a question, but something I wanted to comment on publicly.

From Anonymous:

I’m so conflicted about twisting. On the one hand I get the length I crave and definition to my curl on the other hand I feel like I’m trying to “whiten” my hair by making it look curly but isn’t twisting your hair to highlight the curl no different than brushing your hair to highlight the shine? It’s not fair we have such a complex relationship with “our” hair.

Anonymous, we only have such a complex relationship with your hair because we make it so. It’s time for a lot of people to stop feeling guilt over ridiculous assumptions.

First, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with curl definition. I don’t really try to define curls anymore but I’m not going to knock anyone who does. The only time the quest for curl definition begins to become a problem is when frustration arises from trying to define something that isn’t there.

Second, I can’t even equate wearing twists and twist out with “whiteness” because those styles are uniquely ingrained in the styling of Afro-textured hair. Braiding and twisting does stretch the hair out but tribes in Africa were doing those styles and more way before they set eyes on Europeans.

Lastly, the only people who are walking around with completely unaltered hair are those with free form locs. And when I say free form, I mean locs like these (no twisting or coiling beforehand to give a uniform look):

There are some people who make the argument that twisting and braiding are an attempt at being white because it changes the look of the hair.  I’m not exactly sure how far you need to go to make these types of people happy (and really, I am done trying).

If I comb my hair, that changes the look of the hair. Therefore, it would appear that the only way to make those people happy would be to just stop combing the hair and let it “do what it do”. That’s “natural”, right?

Nope, sorry. I’ve stopped chemically straightening. This is my natural hair. It is in my heritage to decorate, braid, and further style my hair. It is not an attempt at being white, it is not an attempt at anything but styling my hair.

So, Anon, please rock your hair how you want without the guilt. You know what’s in your own heart and head.

{ 11 comments }

Post image for Ask Kcurly–Hooded dryer/ heat damage/teen hair groups

Ask Kcurly–Hooded dryer/ heat damage/teen hair groups

by kcurly on May 2, 2011

in Ask Kcurly,Healthy Hair Tips,Heat Damage,Rollersetting,Teens and Natural Hair

Hi Kcurly! I stumbled upon your website, and it’s giving me even more encouragment to go natural. But I have a question. Is it ok to roller set my hair while tranistioning and then dry it with a hooded dryer, or would that change the texture of my hair? I’m wondering if the constant heat would make the natural hair straight over time as it grows out. (I didn’t want to do the big chop until a year or so of growing it out.) Thanks for your help, and I love your website!

Sincerely,

Kaity

Kaity,

Thanks for the email. If you’re going to use heat, doing a rollerset and sitting under a dryer is better than using direct heat such as a flat iron. There is also not a bunch of manipulation. However, it is still heat and therefore still has the potential to damage. Think about it, some of those hooded dryers get pretty hot and the rollers can burn your hand when you touch them.

Always use a heat protectant and try to use a “low” setting. You may even want to just sit under the dryer for about half the time you normally would and then let it air dry the rest of the way. Or you could just air dry completely.

Now, having said all that, some ladies can use high amounts of heat without damage. Though I personally would not risk it.

Thanks for reading

 

Hi.
I was reading your review on Bee Mine Deep Conditioner. I love that stuff. I was wondering if it could be used daily and if you do regular conditioner first THEN deep conditioner, or just one or the other.
Melissa

Melissa, I wouldn’t use a regular conditioner before I used a DC. I like to use a DC on relatively clean hair, whether it be freshly rinsed or shampoo’d because I feel it absorbs the moisture better.

As for using it daily…that would probably be too much for me. Not to mention too much money ;) However, that’s not to say that you can’t do it. Just be sure your hair is not getting overly moisturized. You will know it’s too moisturized when it feels mushy.

The best thing you can do is experiment. Just because it doesn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you!

Take care

Hi, my name is Stephanie. I’m 14 years old and have recently decided to go natural after realizing how beautiful natural hair is and how unhappy I am with my relaxed hair. I’ve been going at it for a little over a month now & it is truly a trial and error process finding the right products for my hair. Its been quite fustrating and aggravating. Honestly if it was up to me, I’d chop it all off right now. For the fact that I know how quickly society will judge me, I’ll be getting trims until it’s all gone. I’m just not comfortable yet rockin a TWA. Its times like this I wish I was older, but anywho.

I came across your blog by liking some facebook natural hair groups & they’ve been a lot of help. I saw the article you had on Teens going natural and enjoyed reading about people going through similar things like me. I also realized that I have no transitioning friends and barely any that are natural. I think it would be really good to have a natural teen group or somethin. If you know any of their emails or contact info I would much appreciate you giving it to me because I’d love to not have to just go through this experience alone. Have a blessed day & keep up your blog, its amazing. God Bless

Stephanie.

Thanks for the email. Congrats on your decision to go natural! I know high school can be a rough place in general especially when you are going against the grain. We 20 and 30 somethings think we have it rough changing our hair (and we do) but it’s a whole different animal doing it in a high school environment.

And please don’t wish you were older. Think instead about when you are older, how you will look back on these days and feel such pride that you went natural in spite of those around you.So anyway, on to your question. There are several great sources for teens out there.

Nappturality has a teen forum where you can interact with other teens going through the same thing. I like Nappturality for new naturals because there’s no straight or relaxed hair floating around to take your eye off the prize. Just remember, that they don’t allow talk of heat usage or texlaxing.There’s also a blog called Curly and Young. It’s a blog that caters to young ladies. I’ve checked it out and she’s got not only her own experiences but also features other young ladies.

Also, I am sure that there are probably some other young ladies at your school who would love to go natural but have the same fears that you have. It might be worth starting an after school group where you ladies learn and talk about natural hair. I know there are a few universities that have groups such as this.Anyway, I’m going to post this question on my blog to see if we can get some other suggestions for teen online groups.

Take care and thanks for reading!

{ 1 comment }

Post image for Shedelle Holmes answers your weave and hair extension questions!

Shedelle Holmes answers your weave and hair extension questions!

by kcurly on March 1, 2011

in Braids,Extensions,Hair Blog Highlight,Healthy Hair Tips,Weave

Shedelle Holmes is a celebrity hair stylist in NYC specializing in weaving and blowouts. She has provided hairstyling to top models, actresses, and editorial work, including Naomi Campbell, Whitney of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 8, Bravo TV, New York Fashion Week, and many more.

She’s been kind enough to answer questions posed by you, my lovely readers. Visit her website here for more information! Or check out her Twitter or Facebook!

Q: I have very dry ends and thin edges, if I get a sew in will that worsen these things?

A: Your ends are most likely dry because they may need to be trimmed and you may not be moisturizing your hair enough. A trim of at least a centimeter every 6 weeks can go a long way (as we call it in the industry, “dusting” the ends). Have your stylist cut the dead ends and start off on a clean slate! If your edges are already thin, I’d advise you not to add any pressure to it by braiding it. For those who’s hair texture is already thin, weaving may not be the best option for you, as the weave may add pressure.

Q: I love getting braids and weaves to give myself a break from my hair and to switch up my look without changing my actual hair. My problem is how to take care of my hair when it is weaved up? With braids I can easily clean and oil my scalp and I know what areas I may have missed. But with weaves you can’t see anything because everything is sewed up and hidden. My question is how do you take care of hair (wash, condition, moisturize) when you can’t see what’s really going on under there???

A: I make sure to always apply a leave-in conditioner directly (in between the tracks) to my clients hair before placing her under a hooded drier (make sure your braids are completely dry). Once she is done drying I apply Top Brass directly to her scalp in between the braid using a applicator bottle. In this way her hair and scalp are moisturized!

Q: What is the best way to put in a weave to avoid damaging to my real tresses?

The braiding pattern in key for a healthy grow out! It determines how flat the weave will lay as well as the amount of tension you’ll feel. If the tension of your weave is overbearing then its definitely unhealthy for your scalp and hair.

A: How long is too long to keep weaving?

It varies by person and the texture/density of your hair. Some can weave for years and be fine. Others may find that their hair can no longer withstand weaving and its time to switch it up.

Q: How do I wear braids without causing breakage?

A: If you’re going to wear braids (i.e box braids) avoid pulling your hair back in a ponytail. This will definitely cause tension and could result in traction alopecia around the hair line and throughout the scalp. Avoid doing this type of service back to back. Give your hair and scalp a break.

Q: I exercise about 4 days a week and swim once a week. I’m currently transitioning and mostly wear sew-ins for about 4 weeks at time. I just took out my last sew-in and noticed lots of ‘matting’ near the back of my head – when removing my braids the hair was very thick and lead to some breakage in the area. What can be done to prevent this?? Should I wear the weave for less time or switch to braids?

A: For active individuals who swim its best to wear your weave 4 weeks at a time. You need to fully cleanse you hair and scalp of any chlorine build up. Make sure your stylist washes your hair with a gentle clarifying shampoo before using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Make sure to use a detangling spray if you have any matting.

Q: How long should you keep a weave in? I hear a varierty of lengths. I’m currently wearing a sew-in while transitioning and have had mine in for about 6 weeks. Is that too long?

A: I recommend 6 weeks. 2 months max!

Q: Is there a best type of braid extension hair? Do kinky twists damage the cuticle? I would imagine the texture of the weave wears at the cuticle, causes splits etc.

A: Using human hair is always best!

Q: Do you know of braiding with wool or yarn? do you recommend either?

A: No I’ve never heard of it and I personally wouldn’t use it.

Q: What tips do you have for transitioning while weaving?

A: Maintenance is key and you will see the true potential of your hairs growth if you take the proper care of it while weaving. Always do a deep conditioning treatment on your hair in between weaves and trim your ends. Never leave your weave in longer than advised and make sure to consult with a professional stylist who is knowledgeable.

 

{ 8 comments }

Post image for Ask Kcurly-Potassium Hydroxide/Weaves/Hair Idols

Ask Kcurly-Potassium Hydroxide/Weaves/Hair Idols

by kcurly on January 15, 2011

in Ask Kcurly,Body and Mind,Healthy Hair Tips,Ingredient Information,Wigs

An email from Lolita:

Hi Kcurly,

I read your blog almost everyday.  I would like to start off by saying thank you for all of the research and information that you share with “us curlies”.  If it were not for your site, I would not have known what to do when I first went natural. You are my hair idol.

I recently bought some Uncle Funky’s Daughter Extra Butter and read the ingredient list.  This is supposed to be a natural product, and I purchase it as a moisturizer.  However, I noticed “Potassium Hydroxide” as the 12th ingredient.  I am concerned about this ingredient.  Do you know this to be “Lye or No Lye” like in relaxers and is it dangerous to the hair.  I did some research and all I found were negative things about this ingredient.  Have you heard of Uncle Funky’s Daughter and what do you think of Potassium Hydroxide in a hair care product.  Should I use this product.  I have not used it as I am afraid that it will damage my hair.

Thank you so much for all of the great informatio that you put out.  I hope that you have the time to answer my question.

Your Curly Fan,

Lolita F.

Hey girl, thanks for reading and for the email :)

The presence of sodium hydroxide (lye) and potassium hydroxide in hair products (non straightening products, I mean) often cause alarm in the natural hair community. I myself had a bit of a conniption upon discovering it in my shampoo while transitioning.

Is it damaging to the hair? Will it relax the hair? Short answer: No, it should not. Since I am was very happy to leave chemistry behind after graduating college, I will refer you to the Natural Haven for a more complete answer. She does a good job of explaining the difference between lye in a relaxer as compared to lye in say, conditioner.

As for the safety of the ingredient itself, you can check out Skin Deep for a more detailed effect as far as health is concerned.

An email from Kunbi:

hey kcurly:

My name is kunbi. I just want to start off by saying that I absolutely love your website. It has inspired me to rock my hair natural. My hair is natural now. I started my transition in 08 and I cut off the last of my perm hair this march! BUT I’ve been rocking my hair in weaves. But now I am interested in rocking it completely natural but I’m bit scared. I read about the different products to use and what not to use but I’m scared bout experimenting and I also am very self conscious about my huge forehead! Also, I dont think my hair could get like yours…..i feel like genetics and the fact that my hair is real coarse wont allow me to get to that point

Basically, what advice can you give me bout getting through this and getting to “all natural” potential!! Also do you think the weaves could be hindering my growth???

Thanks for setting up a website like this! it has been very informative!

look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks,

Kunbi

Kunbi,

Congrats on being natural! Hmm, what to address first…

The weaves hindering growth? No ma’am it won’t. Hair will grow as long as you are healthy and there is no damage to the follicle.

Now, there can be problems with retaining said growth with a weave. If you’re going to keep weaving, be sure to take care of the hair under the weave. Moisturize it as needed while the weave is in and also make sure not to wear it so long that it encourages matting and tangling.And for goodness sake, please don’t use glue. Be aware that some people experience damage to their hairline and have the appearance of bald spots. See any recent picture of Naomi Campbell as reference.

Eeek!

I know you’re scared to experiment and, trust me, I spent many a day with a disaster on my head while I was trying out my styling skills. I do think that if you stick with weaves completely, you will never get comfortable with your hair.

So, here’s my suggestion: Why not switch to wigs? You can  experiment with your hair and then, if things don’t turn out well, you can pop on your wig. Also with a wig, you can slowly ease yourself into wearing natural styles by wearing your natural hair out a few days of the week.  You may even want to choose a “natural” looking wig to help your brain adjust. Just be sure to continue good hair care practices while wearing the wig.

As for your hair being too coarse to look like mine….well, mine isn’t exactly baby soft. In fact, someone at work mentioned how soft my hair looked. I had them feel it because my hair feels very wiry most of the time. She was very surprised at how coarse it felt. It’s just the way it is.

And your hair probably won’t look like my hair because it’s your hair. It’s nice to have “hair idols” but you have to realize that at the end of the day, you’re going to have your hair and they’re going to have theirs. That was a hard lesson I had to learn. You have to learn to love what is growing out of your head. I had some hair idols whose hair I loved but once I spent some quality time with my own hair, I loved it 10 times more than I loved anyone else’s.

As for the forehead, girl, that’s the least of your worries :) Check out my post on it:

High Foreheads

Another note on foreheads…I was so worried about having my forehead exposed because it was so “big” when my hair was shorter. Now that my hair is long, I still have my forehead exposed most of the time because it’s not like I have bangs. Just like I’ve accepted my hair texture, I’ve accepted that a high forehead is not something to be ashamed of.

Everything above was said with the utmost love.

{ 2 comments }

Post image for HatSoMe! Silk and satin lined hats with a discount!

HatSoMe! Silk and satin lined hats with a discount!

by kcurly on December 8, 2010

in Hair Accessories,Healthy Hair Tips,Winter Hair Tips

It’s winter again and we know what that means: dry air and  moisture wicking materials on our precious locks! A good solution is the use of satin or silk lined hats. HatSoMe contacted me about their beautiful hats and hooded scarves.

These silk or satin material lined hats range in price of $24.99 to $39.99 with free shipping in the US. They also have hats for the, ahem, bigger haired individual.

For NewlyNatural readers, HatSoMe is offering a holiday discount of 10 percent off orders of 25 dollars or more. The discount code is NewlyNatural10 and expires 12/31/10.

I will be reviewing a sample soon. I can’t wait!

(Just a tip: If you’re looking for some great kids’ satin lined hats for the winter, try Curly Zebra ! Here’s my interview with the owners from last year.)

{ 6 comments }

Yikes…Protein Overload

December 3, 2009

This post is a bit late, but I finally had my first (and few) instances of serious protein overload. For those of you who might not know, hair has to have a healthy balance of moisture and protein in order to feel and look great. My hair usually loves protein, but I overdid it this [...]

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In Regards to Moisture–Part 2

Thumbnail image for In Regards to Moisture–Part 2 November 17, 2009

One of my first posts on this blog was how I keep my naturally dry hair hair moisturized. I’ve decided that I can expand on this a bit more. So I present to you lovely ladies the second part of this post. Deep conditioning on dry hair I know I already mentioned deep conditioning on [...]

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Urbanella’s Winter Tips

September 4, 2009

Keneesha Hudson’s Winter Tips for Keeping Curly Hair Happy & Healthy!! CEO of Urbanbella, the Curly, Kinky, & Wavy Hair Salon and Apothecary www.urbanbella.com Keneesha Hudson, CEO of Urbanbella Hydrate As the weather starts to cool down curly hair (already prone to dryness) gets even drier due to the crisper hair.   Counteract this by [...]

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End of Summer Hair Tips and a homemade treatment from CURLS

August 25, 2009

Mahisha Dellinger, curly hair expert and creator of the CURLS (www.curls.biz) natural/organic line offers some End of Summer Hair Tips and an At-Home Milk & Honey Tress Smoothie Treatment to bring those dull tresses back to life.  Along with those hot summer months comes the daily assault of taxing chlorine compounds, drying sea salt, and [...]

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You: Being Beautiful; hair and diet tips

January 19, 2009

I plan to do a more indepth review on this book once I finish it completely, but here are a couple of tips I read in it about hair and diet. I am working on doing a major diet overhaul (or rather I’m working on getting back to the way I used to eat) and [...]

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Shea Butter

January 5, 2009

One of the first things I ran out to get upon becoming a newly natural (once I got some senes and did some research ) was shea butter. Unfortunately for me, the local wholefoods grocery store was always out of raw, unrefined shea butter. I finally caught one last container of it after weeks of [...]

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Biggest Mistakes Part 2

December 24, 2008

Every Tom, Dick, and Harry A lot of people might think they know about natural hair, but they probably don’t have the first clue. It seemed like most people who were doling out advice on how to handle natural hair had no idea what their own natural hair looked and felt like…and especially not mine. [...]

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In regards to moisture

December 7, 2008

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about dry hair. My hair is inherently dry. It’s always been dry, it will always be naturally dry. But there are things that I’ve done since becoming natural that have helped me in my quest for moisture. Here they are in an informal list. Cowashing Washing with conditioner, [...]

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