Sunday Chat: (Some) Protective Styles Ain't for Everybody

Happy Sunday lovelies!

Wow! A lot of time has gone by since I last posted anything! I guess when I have braids in, I don't have too many things to talk about hair-wise. Either way, this past weekend I had to take those box braids out. My hair was starting to dread...and that was a problem. So I took the braids out and will be rocking my Outre Tammy half wig until I figure out what to do next (meaning: do I want to put in Havana twists OR just go ahead and relax since I'm due for one).

After I took my braids out and gave my hair a good detangling and wash session, I did a bootleg length check (I grabbed a section of my hair to see where it falls vs actually taking the time and effort to straighten my hair). To my surprise, it looks like my hair is at MBL! I can't lie, I got excited. I have been trying to get to that length for over a year. Of course, we will see where my hair is once I do a proper length check but it is definitely something to be excited about.

Anyway, after seeing the retention I obtained with the box braids, I got to thinking. During the course of my hair journey, I have always obtained the best retention with braids while half wigs/phony ponies are a close second in the retention game. Buns, however, come in at dead last. I mean I do get retention but not as much as I do when I'm leaving my hair alone for weeks at a time. It was interesting to me because whenever protective styles are mentioned, they are always mentioned in a one size fits all sort of way. For example, a lot of people advocate bunning for retention but there are some people who simply don't retain their length with bunning. Others can't do weaves or braids, while some people (like myself) get the best retention from them. I say all that to say: there is no one size fits all protective style. Because every head of hair is different, they respond differently to protective styles. It's an interesting find that is rarely ever highlighted.

So this Sunday Chat is about what protective styles work for your hair? Which ones have been a complete and utter disaster? Let me know in the comments below!

Sunday Chat: Mid Year [Hair] Lessons Learned

Happy Sunday lovelies! I hope you all are having a great day so far.

It has hit me that we are in the middle of June...and halfway through the year! I can't believe that 2013 is flying by so quickly! Anyway, I'm sitting here and trying to think about the hair lessons that I have learned so far. I have been in my hair a lot more this year (compared to last year) and I have definitely learned some things along the way. Well really, I have learned one major, major thing these past 6 months:


MY HAIR LOVES PROTEIN!!!
I know it seems like common sense, given that my hair is relaxed and all. It makes sense that hair that has been broken down would love the stuff that builds it up. However, I think it is so easy to get caught up on the moisture bandwagon that you neglect protein in the process. And your hair will show it. It will become gummy when wet, it won't hold on to moisture the way that it should, and you have splits and broken hair galore (even when you don't use heat or manipulate it often). That was my hair before I began to actively incorporate protein into my regimen again. When I started doing protein DCs again, I noticed that my hair behaved differently. It looked and felt different. I noticed the same thing when I did protein pre-poos and co-washes. That's when I finally decided to incorporate protein treatments (read: reconstructors) into my regimen again. And that was the best thing I could have done for my hair. Seriously. My hair became the head of hair that I was familiar with--complete with curly new growth rather than puffy new growth.

That experience was enough to turn me into an advocate for protein. If you are relaxed (especially if you are relaxed), you should not shun protein. Simply put: our hair needs it. Keeping protein DCs and the occasional protein treatment in your regimen will definitely be beneficial for your hair. The frequency in which you use them is entirely up to you (Don't use it too much though..protein overload is real!) but make sure that it has a place in your regimen!

Anyway, what hair lessons have you learned thus far? Let me know in the comments below!

Sunday Chat: I've Come A Mighty Long Way...

Happy Sunday lovelies!

I hope you all are having a wonderful day! Today, I'm writing a just for fun sort of Sunday chat. The other day it hit me that around this time back in 2008, I started my healthy hair journey. After all this time, I still remember standing over my bathroom sink that day in March, looking at all of my broken hair that carpeted my bathroom sink and floor, and deciding that there is no way that this is normal. My search for 'moisturizing relaxed hair' led me to Healthy Textures and LHCF---and I haven't looked back since.

However, what tickles me the most about my hair journey is how much my products have changed! I can say that the products I used at the start of my journey are definitely not the products that I use today. Back then, I used the following:

Shampoo--CON Detangling Shampoo (green label)

Conditioners--ORS Hair Mayo; Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner

Leave In-- Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave In

Moisturizer-ORS Carrot Oil

Now, yall know that I have never made mention of any of those products on this blog (well except maybe the ORS Carrot Oil since I use that occasionally)! It is amazing to see how I modified my products based on what was best for my hair or because I had to replace them because they were discontinued ( :cough: CON green label). I guess it all highlights that fact that you have to be pretty flexible in your hair journey--what you start with is not necessarily what you end with.


What products did you use at the start of your journey? Have they changed? Stayed the same? Let me know in the comments below!

Sunday Chat: Are Natural Hair Care Lines Ignoring Relaxed Heads?

Happy Sunday lovelies!

I hope you all have had a great weekend. Mine has been busy, busy, busy but I can't complain. Today's chat topic is something that has been on my mind for awhile. I have noticed that myself and other relaxed hair bloggers sing the praises of hair care lines such as Qhemet, Bee Mine, HairVeda, Kinky Curly, Shea Moisture, and others. However, I have noticed that those lines rarely ever acknowledge us.

Let me explain.

If you ever follow some of this hair care lines on Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media, you will notice that they always highlight the natural hairstyles. Oftentimes, those hair styles will be a gorgeous twist out or puff or whatever but I'm always left saying: Us relaxed heads use your products to style too. Our styles are never prominently featured (yes, we do more to our hair than just wear it straight) At most, all relaxed heads will get is 'oh y'all can use our products too.'


And this is a problem.

To me, hair product is just that...product. Some may serve to moisturize while others provide hold-whatever. I think for those cases it doesn't matter if you're natural or not. The problem comes in when I have folks approach me as though I'm natural because I use 'natural products' (whatever that means) and that lets me know that these lines are not targeted towards us (by us, I' mean relaxed heads) even thought lots of us use those lines with great results. It really makes me kind of sad


This is why I try out products of all sorts for my blog. You guys will notice that I never focus on 'relaxed hair only' lines because my hair simply doesn't work like that. I highlight what works and hopefully it will make others see that what was previously thought a 'natural' hair care line can work for them too.


Anyway, do you think relaxed heads are ignored by natural hair care lines? Do you think is right? Do you think they should make an effort to be more inclusive? I'd love to hear with you think!

Sunday Chat: Hairstyles You're Dying to Try for Spring/Summer 2013

Happy Sunday lovelies!

This post is coming to you a tad bit late this Sunday. My day has been particularly busy since I had to go into lab and work all day (blah!). So as you can imagine, the first thing I did when I came home today was sleep! Nevertheless, I couldn't go to bed this evening without a post for Sunday Chat.

Anyway....


One thing about me is that I am, for the most part, a planner. I have moments where I try to freestyle things and sometimes it works out. Most of the time it doesn't. So, I just stick to planning. And planning how I'm going to wear my hair for the upcoming warmer months falls into that whole 'Sharday likes to plan things' category. Last spring and summer I wore a lot of top knots and messy buns. And that got boring. Fast. This year I am dying to switch things up a bit and do the following to my hair:

1) Sleek chignon: Something about this style just looks so put together and it is a definite change from all my hair plied on the top of my head. I just love it and I think this would be a great style for early spring. Plus, I plan on wearing a lot of color this spring and the last thing I need is big hair on top of color. I think I would like like a reverse stick of cotton candy. I'm just trying to keep it classic and chic here.


2) Senegalese twists: Lawd I want these soo bad for the summer! I haven't had my hair braided in AGES and I think these twists would give my hair a break for awhile. I also like them because they seem to be 'long hair friendly' (unlike micros) and they are just cute! The only problem is: I don't think anyone in B'ham does them (I swear B'ham can be so slow on the uptake sometimes) and I may have to drive to ATL to get them. I'm hoping that I can find someone to do my hair, in B'ham, by May.


3) Braidouts: I have waited so long to have long enough hair to get a decent braid out and when I get long hair, I do like 1 braidout lol. That has got to change! I love the summery look of braidouts and I look forward to perfecting my technique.


Have you thought about the styles you would like to try for Spring/Summer 2013? Let me know in the comments below!

Sunday Chat: The No Hair Assumption

I know that this particular chat is a day late. I know.


But...this chat is about the 'no hair' assumption. As of late, there has been a surge of celebs (or pseudo-celebs) feeling the need to reveal their 'real' hair on social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. It seems to me that a lot of these celebs are eager to prove that underneath all the weaves that they wear, there is actually hair under there (hey, that rhymes!).

My question is: why should they even have to do that?

Maybe because I have been so entrenched in my healthy hair journey for years now, I see weaves (and wigs) for what they are: protective styles. The real shock for me comes when folks wear weaves back to back and their hair is jacked all the way up. But to wear weaves and have hair? It makes perfect sense to me.

So where did this 'no hair' assumption come from? And why is that the default assumption when it comes to weaves and wigs? Have you ever experience this first hand?

Sunday Chat: Does Use of One Hair Care Line Give Better Results?

Happy Sunday lovelies!

I'm going to make this post quick and to the point since it is Super Bowl Sunday!! Some of y'all may be throwing Super Bowl parties, attending Super Bowl parties, or merely waiting for Beyonce to perform. Either way...this post won't take up too much of your time.


Anyway....


Lately, as part of my wearing my hair straight most of the time regimen, I have been using more KeraCare products than I ever have. Prior to now, I just never really saw the need. However, now that I am using the sulfate free 1st Lather Shampoo, the creme hairdress, and the oil sheen, I see that my hair is responding pretty positively to each product. And that got me to thinking...

Are hair care lines meant to be used together? Does using one hair care line exclusively yield better results?


It's a question I'm interested in finding out and I have been toying with using one product line exclusively for a month but I don't know if I could stick to it. I just have too many staples from varying product lines.


What do you think though? Do some of you use one product line exclusively? Or do you think using one product line is a bunch of bull?

Sunday Chat:...But It's My Hair Though....

Happy Sunday lovelies!

I type this particular Sunday Chat as I sit under the hair steamer (aren't you guys glad that I've been up on my posting game?) but it is based off of something I noticed a few weeks ago.

About 2 or 3 weeks ago, I mentioned something on FB about cutting my hair. You guys have to understand, prior to my hair journey, I was that girl who cut her hair every 2 years. Like clockwork. I just like a short cut. So every now and again, I long for a fierce cut but I don't do it because I know I would be crushed (you don't put in years of work to grow your hair just to cut it off). Anyway, I got a bunch of posts saying "Nooooooo! Don't do it!" And that tickled me.

Every time I have cut my hair, I have always gotten comments from other people. Back in '09 when I got my cut, the entire salon went dead quiet as the stylist put those scissors to my hair (no lie---you could hear a rat piss on soft cotton in that salon). After it was done, I heard comments like " I'm trying to get my hair to where hers is and she's cutting it." Ma'am.....it's my hair. If I want to cut it, so what?

A similar thing happened in '05. I cut my hair short on whim ( I literally woke up that day and wanted my hair cut). I get back on campus to attend a game and I am bombarded w/ questions as to why "I cut all that hair off" ( mind you, I was a raggedy SL at the time). Again, it's my hair and I felt like it.

It always tickles me how folks are so invested in your hair and what you choose to do with it. It used to frustrate me when I was younger but now I'm just kinda amused by it all.


Have you noticed this in your day-to-day life? How do you feel about it?