Has EVERYONE Gone Crazy for Natural Hair!?!

Who knew?!  The number of naturals I have been spotting is awesome.  I'm not sure if it's a result of my recent move to the ATL, but there are naturals everywhere I turn.  I recently took a class where there at least 6 black women in attendance and 5 of us were natural.  It's such a welcomed pleasure to see women who are embracing their natural hair and bucking the rules that say only straight hair is pretty and acceptable.  Kudos!!

I've Used Products Others Rave About But....I Hated It!

Hi addicts! 

Have you ever watched a video or gotten a good hair tip on a product and it just did not work well for you?  You are not alone.  We have to keep in mind that the old adage "Everything ain't for everybody" is so true with respect to our hair.  We have to keep in mind:

1)  Our hair type may have a lot do with why a product may work for one but not another.
2)  Density and porosity.  For instance, my hair hates coconut oil.  It's all the rage in the natural hair community but I believe that because of the density of my hair, it just doesn't work as well and really weighs my hair down.

Just remember that learning how to maintain and style your natural hair, will be a lot of trial and error.  But don't fret, addicts, with time and patience, your own "personal" regime is well within reach.

TTFN

Scared to go to a salon....you aren't alone!

First off, let me apologize for not posting over the last several months.  I moved from New Jersey to Atlanta and I am just getting settled (sorta:))

I have been actively looking for a salon in the Atlanta area for about 2 months.  I actually visited a salon in Smyrna, GA which isn't too far from where I live.  The salon was trendy, clean and somewhat friendly.  I say somewhat friendly because the stylist wasn't warm and fuzzy, however, she answered my questions.

I haven't actually gotten up the courage to go and here's why.  I AM SCARED TO DEATH!  I've heard many horror stories when a natural goes to hair salon and they come out with a bad cut or heat damage.   Although there are more and more women sporting their natural hair, how do we find the courage to go to salons when we've just gotten the courage to wear our hair in a healthy, natural state?  One must admit, we have been conditioned to believe that a lot of salons aren't into healthy, natural hair and if they have been, it hasn't been for long.

How do we get over this?

All comments welcomed!

Special Report - 'Going Natural'-Don't miss this!

As you may know, I do not have any daughters.  Therefore, I have not been faced with the task of waking up early to do hair, wash hair, detangle a child's hair or, for that matter, dealing with the pressures young girls may go through when it comes to their hair.

I came across this wonderful video that discusses black women and the hair care industry, a mother's story about her little girl being teased for not having "straight" hair like her friends and a newscaster who clearly shows that natural hair can be polished yet professional.

Please review and comment.

Enjoy and....TTFN.

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