Do you turn your nose up at those who aren't natural??

For many years, we have fought for our right to vote, our right for equality and currently in the news, even rights for gay marriage.  With that said, don't we have the right to rock our hair any way we see fit? 

I will be the first to admit that ever since I went natural, I have seen the dramatic benefits of doing so.  From my hair growing beautifully and the overall health of my hair.  I love being natural, however, I wouldn't dare force my beliefs on someone who chooses to live differently. 

For whatever one's reason to don a wig, sport a weave or use a relaxer, they are making the decision that they deem best for them and their lifestyle. 

So let us naturals be cautious and not so quick to shake our finger at those who do not choose to embrace the natural life.


TTFN

Product Reviews - BEWARE!!

As a rehabbed product junkie, let me say this....I love love love a great product review.  There is nothing like finding a review on a product that you have been dying to try.  Let's face it!  Why spend your hard on money on a product and you have no idea if it may work, the smell, yadda yadda yadda....right?  Sure!  We all are money conscious these days and don't have money to wash down the drain (no pun intended). 

But let's be cautious.  How much do you know about an individual giving a product review?  Will it be an unbiased review?  Are they secretly being paid to "hype" a product? 

I just saw a video on You Tube and it was clear to me that the individual was being paid to promote a particular brand.  How can you tell, you ask?  Let's discuss below.

1)  When someone is overly hyped!  Hey...I love a great product too but guess what?  I'm not going to look like the women on QVC when I review a product.  No offense to QVC women but they could sell a pig bacon!LOL 

2)  Sounds rehearsed.  They reviewer probably wants to make sure they say everything that needs to be said and it comes out sounded scripted.

3)  They are strongly encouraging you to purchase the product and hey while your at it, purchase the entire product line.  Recommending a product is fine.  Strongly pushing you to purchase....beware.

4)  A good reviewer should give details on the products, lists pros and cons, if any, and state what it did for their hair.  Period.  No one else can insist that these same products will do the same for you. 

Just giving you food for thought and beware of bogus product reviewers!!

TTFN

My Experience with Going Natural!!

The decision to go natural is done either by accident, inadvertently or with very careful thought and planning.  Personally, my transition was inadvertent. 

For 7 years, I'd been wearing micro braids (hey...don't judge me!lol).  I finally decided in 2007, it was time for a change.  I was becoming known as "yeah, you know here....the girl with the braids!".  So with that label, I made the decision to take my braids out.  However, prior to doing so, I was faced with "What will I do, where will I go" (sounds like I was lost in the wilderness, eh?).  So I decided that after I took out my braids, I would NOT get a relaxer.  For the next few years after removing my braids, I went to the Dominican Salon (bad move for me....we will chat about that below...stay tuned!), as I now say, for my bi-monthly fry job.  Not armed with any natural hair knowledge, I was so "proud" that I was not wearing a relaxer. 

So one day I decided to go you You Tube....oooohh You Tube!!!  That changed my life!  I saw so many girls rocking beautiful natural hair styles I was in awe.  I would spend countless hours looking at videos until one day I decided to give it a shot!  After all, I was "natural" since I hadn't had a relaxer in years!

So off to the beauty store I go with list in hand.  Ready to purchase products that would help give me the beautiful curls I so desired.  The beautiful curls on heads of black women that I saw in the street and always envied...I was excited.  It was like it was Christmas and I was 7 and I was going to get the gift of bouncy, sexy curls.

I returned home and could not wait to shampoo, condition, and blah blah blah (you get the idea).  The disappointment was overwhelming!!!!  What was wrong?  What did I do?  Did I miss something?  I purchased the products other women used but my hair was bone straight after washing it!  My long beautiful hair would not curl!  I didn't know what to do but I wasn't going to give up! (That's the Sag in me;)

I researched (and that's the former paralegal in me:)) and found out what was wrong.  You guessed it HEAT DAMAGE!!!  Going to the Dominican salons for all those years, allowing them to blow dry my hair super bone straight and to use extremely hot flat irons, destroyed most of my curl pattern! 

What I eventually learned was just because you have heat damage, doesn't mean you can't get curls.  For the time being, I just have to do braid outs.  No wash and go's or twist outs.  My hair would be so soft and straight, if I attempted to twist it, it would simply unravel.

It's now been 5 months since I've visited the "fryers" a/k/a Dominican stylists and I have been doing my hair myself.  I've also seen a drastic difference in my hair's curl pattern.  The roots are curly after being wet and I've learned to "dust" my ends and occasionally will snip what looks straight.  I have A LOT of hair and wouldn't think about doing a BC. 

Hopefully by years end, by continuing the regime that works for me and using little to no heat, I'll have the beautiful curls I so desire.

TTFN

The Curl Addict - Tips on how "not" to become a product junkie!

Happy Tuesday!  And this day just so happens to be my son's birthday!  Happy Birthday sweetie!

Show of hands....How often have you had to will yourself away from the local beauty store because you just heard the latest and greatest product and what it's "supposed" to do for your lustrious mane?  I fell into this trap and want to share some tricks not to fall victim to become a PJ (aka product junkie).

1)  Tip #1:   Find what works, afterwards, stick to it!  Remember the old adage "If it ain't broke..." (you get the idea).  Same holds true to maintaining our natural hair.  Sure, in the beginning, you won't have a clue what to use and it will be a process in finding just the right remedy for your hair.  But once you've gotten there, there's a great chance that anything else purchased afterwards, will be a waste of money.

2)  Tip #2:  MONEY!  If I could show you every product I ever purchased and used once or not at all, you would be amazed and would have a much bigger bank account!  I'm sure there's something more valuable you could spend your hard earned money on besides one more product that promises the moon.  If you find it hard to walk by the hair care aisle (spoken like a true, yet reformed, PJ), give yourself a 24 hour grace period.  Instead of purchasing it immediately, give yourself 24 hours and if you still need it, go back and make the purchase.  However, chances are you don't. 

Let's Foil Some Natural Hair Misconceptions!!!

Let's just call this post, for some giggles, the Snopes of the Hair World.  Like, Snopes.com, we are going to debunk some "urban hair legends"!!

1)  My hair won't grow!!   Let's set the record straight...All hair grows!  Because you are not retaining length, doesn't mean your hair isn't growing.  Hair will grow out of your head regardless of what you do or don't do.  However, it's what we do once it grows, that will determine length retention.

2)  Purchasing products that claim to make your hair grow?  DON'T DO IT!  You are wasting your hard earned money.  You will, however, find products that strengthen hair, which in turn will lead to retention.  There is a caveat to this.  If you don't give love and attention to your ends, breakage will occur, thus giving the appearance that your hair isn't growing because you aren't seeing length.  There will be a post coming your way soon regarding caring for your ends.

3)  You must have "good" hair to wear it natural.  This is the one myth that gets my undies in a bunch!  "Good" hair....are we still using this term??  All hair is good hair.  No matter what your hair type 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b or 4c, you can wear your hair natural.  (If you aren't familar with hair typing, there are tons of websites dedicated to explaining what hair typing is).  You will have to figure out what works for you because not every natural style will work for your "type" of hair.  YouTube is a great resource for understanding natural hair and exploring protective styling options.

4)  Purchasing products that make your hair curly!!?!?  No product is going to make your hair curly....period.  If you see a product promising this, run the other way!  Most reputable curly hair products will claim to DEFINE your curls.  No product on the market can give you curls if you don't already have a curl pattern.  So if you are experiencing heat damage (see my video on YouTube above) or if you have a relaxer, purchasing curl defining products will not work.  You can however, do twist outs or braid outs but you will have to either big chop or wait until the heat damage grows out before you can do a wash and go, or any style that requires putting product on your hair without twisting or braiding.