Natural Celebs Inspiration

My first and foremost hair inspiration is Yaya Dacosta because she has never had a relaxer and I admire her for that. She didn't fall prey to use a relaxer and love the way God made her hair. 

My second inspiration is Solange Knowles because she is brave to step out and embrace what she was born with in the face of opposition. When she went natural I thought she was stupid for doing that, but now I understand she started to accept herself the way God made her with natural hair; therefore she became my inspiration. Her smile just says 'Im happy, I love myself the way I am and I don't care what you think about me.'

My next hair inspiration is Janelle Monae. She is in a class by herself she is happy with her hair and she follows no one when it comes to her hair, (heck) she doesn't  even follow anyone on twitter. Her mom gave her a relaxer when she was smaller but grew it out once she hits 18. She sets her own style and she is confident.

Whipped shea butter for hair

I found the must have to moisturize natural hair and that is whipped shea butter. Last Saturday I washed my hair and just left it until the next day to do anything to it. (Don't ever do this to your hair). The next day my hair was hard as a rock and look unattractive. I mixed some shea butter and apply it to my dry hair with my home made spritz and it totally moisturized my dry hair.      

Air dry hair (before shea butter)

before shea butter.

After moisturizing my hair with the shea butter and hair spritz.  I put my hair in braids for a few days and take them out. Shea butter restore softness, manageability and shine to natural hair. I will forever use this stuff. 

                                                           Look how shiny my hair is.

Meet my Fro

My last relaxer was Jan 2012. This is my hair growth 1 year and a half without relaxer. 

Sensationnel Easy 27 wig

I've been wearing the same wig for over a year and that includes sleeping in it for 6 weeks when I went overseas. This wig only has one comb in the back and two side tabs for added security. I usually put 2-4 bobby pins in the front for more security. This wig is pre-styled, human hair and it doesn't shed. I paid $24 online. I am currently wearing the other of the two Easy 27 that I purchased because I felt like I've been wearing the same one for over a year and I need a change. (I can still wear the old one if I want because it is still in good condition.)

  Overall great I would repurchase again. A lot of people tell me they like my hair and if I say its a wig they are shocked (lol)  because it look just like my own hair. (whenever I wash this wig it restores back life and fullness to it). 

http://www.hairwigharlem.com/sensationnel-100-human-hair-bump-collection-wig-easy-27.html

Make shea butter for your hair.

"Pure Shea butter is coveted throughout Africa for its natural skin care benefits. Several great benefits of Shea butter are: Use as a shaving cream for a smooth silky shave, stretch mark prevention during pregnancy, fights the effects of aging, repairs rough damaged skin, treatment of dry skin, eczema, minor burns, pain relief from swelling and arthritis, improves muscle relaxation and stiffness, sunscreen, due to its rich content of vitamins E & F, Treats dark spots, skin discolorations, blemishes, diaper rash and as a hair conditioner." THE IS WRITTEN ON THE CONTAINER

To make whipped Shea butter I used.

Coconut oil

Caster oil

Olive oil

Grapeseed oil

Vitamin E oil

Eucalyptus oil (1 teaspoon for preservative )

Shea butter

I don't measure my ingredients, I just place the Shea butter in a large glass bowl then keep adding oil to the mixture to get the consistency I want. I use a hand mixture to blend all the ingredients together. (You want the consistency of a cake mix when you are done.) Keep in mind you don't have to use all these oils just use what you have. You can purchase raw Shea butter online or locally at health food stores.

Ingredients

                                           Before I blend the ingredients together.

HEADBANDS TO SPICE UP NATURAL HAIR

I was in Beijing for little over a month and I purchased the cutest headbands. In all, I think I paid less than $30 US for all these. The are so beautiful and classy. I plan on wearing the clips and pins when my hair gets longer. Sometimes I feel like natural hair is dull and boring so I bought these to spice up my hairstyles. 

I STORE THEM IN A VICTORIA SECRET BOX.

BEAUTIFUL SILVER, BLACK AND ORANGE SILK SCARF.

                                                        12 TRENDY HEADBANDS (incl 2 HAT HEADBANDS)

                 
                                                                      HAIR CLIPS

 

                                       MY FAVORITES ARE THE 2 HAT HEADBANDS ON THE LEFT.

VO5 for deep conditioning natural hair

I love vo5 for deep conditioning my hair because it is cheap, readily available and it works for my hair. These conditioner run for .79 to 1.00 depending on where you buy it and for the price you can't beat it. The conditioners are excellent for natural hair because it has no cones and it moisturize and help to detangle natural hair. My favorite are any of the moisture milk conditioner. Call me crazy, but sometimes in the week I also use the conditioner to moisturize my hair instead of a regular hair moisturizer.

*I use the shampoos years ago, but now I don't because they have sulfate. My favorite shampoo to use was the volumnizing shampoo. I now use sulfate free shampoo.

Deep condition on dry hair.

I used to do this on relaxed hair, but since I became natural this is the only way I do deep condition treatments. I prefer to deep condition on dry hair because it detangles my hair, moisturize, conditions and give shine to my hair. If you deep condition on dry hair it allows your hair absorb much more moisture rather than doing it the old fashion way. (Deep conditioning on dry hair is like prepooing with conditioner)

*Comb your hair out to remove tangles.

1. Use a spray bottle to damp your hair, then put your deep conditioner over your let it sit or go under a dryer to let the conditioner penetrate into your hair.

2. Once satisfied with the amount of time the conditioner is on your hair, then shampoo your hair.

3. Then use a little conditioner to condition your hair. Rinse style as usual.

*If you think deep conditioning on dry hair is too expensive, you can use cheap conditioners like vo5.

4A/4B hair

So I come to the conclusion that the back of my hair is 4a hair because when it is wet I can just some gel or moisturizer over the back of my hair and it curls up. I wish I could do the same for rest of my hair. I would classify the crown area towards the front and side area as 4b hair because it does not curl easily as the back.
Do you guys have the same problems?

I am still trying to figure out my hair pattern because I did henna and while the henna was in my hair my entire   head transformed into the most beautiful curls I've ever seen, but as soon as I rinse my hair out all the curls disappeared. I got the idea that if my hair could curl with henna then maybe there is some product out there that could make my hair curl. (I think I have a false hope.) I wasn't into curls that much because I just thought that my hair would never curl so beautifully, but with henna in my hair, it changed my whole idea that my entire head could curl if I could find a miracle product.

Curl Pattern

When I first did my my big chop I was wondering if I am 4A, 4B, or 4C. I couldn't tell what my curl pattern was. I thought I was a 4b or 4c because I couldn't see a any curls. I think my true curl pattern is enhancing more and more with time, deep condition, and proper hair care. A month after my big chop with deep conditioning I see curls setting in. I think I am 4A.


          12/15/2012. (Freshly washed hair, I didn't think of taking a pic with conditioner in my hair, but I didn't notice a definite curl pattern when hair was wet)

                                                                          1/20/2013 (Hair with conditioner)

Do you guys notice curls start to appear in your hair a while after big chop? 

1 year natural hair ponytail

                                                                Picture 1/19/2013

I took my braids out and  attempt to see if my hair could go in a ponytail and I was successful. I don't wear my hair out in public because (I'm not good with twist extra yet, so I prefer to wear wigs.) My hair is 5" long, so the sides did not complete catch in the ponytail, I had to hold them down with bobby pins, I didn't use any gel. This post is for others who are wondering what their hair can do after 1 year of being natural. 

Useful General Information about natural hair

About natural hair
Hair types and texture

1 year Protective Styles challenge

This challenge is from December 29, 2012 to December 29, 2013. Because I did the big chop and I'm in the military going to school. I am planning on doing a protective styles for 1 year because I'm really busy. My plan is to wear wigs until September 2013 and then do braids or sew in. I want to be able to put my hair in a bun again. I can't wait for that opportunity. I got my hair braided December 29, 2012 and I will wear my wig over it for 2-3 months. I paid $20 to get my hair done into this Beehive cornrow style. 

Beehive cornrow

Big chop Dec 15, 2012

My last true relaxer was January 15, 2012; however, November 2nd 2012 I did do a relaxer using the silky hawaii no base relaxer in mild but it did not process my hair at all. I thought about going natural, but I kept pushing it off by using different treatments to cure my breakage problem. No treatment really helped my breakage problem for long term. I hated the fact that when  I wash my hair I would loose so much hair, sometimes it would make me cry just to wash my hair. December 15 I deep conditioned and wash my hair as usual. ( I did not plan on doing  a big chop at all) I felt that my hair breakage problem was not improving and I knew in my guts I had to cut my relaxed hair off. I got out my scissors and cut my relaxed ends off! I was a little nervous because my hair was grazing waist length. My long hair was beautiful when it was blow dried and flat iron. I experience little breakage when my hair is in its dry state, but the process of drying and flat ironing would let me loose so much hair.  I always get compliments when I wear my hair out straight, but I just hate my hair in its wet state because of all the breakage. I know I was really ready to go natural this time for the health of my hair. My first big chop in 2007, I never really give my hair a chance to thrive. I was really impatient with my hair and since I am military and was not in the states to get all the right products for natural hair I gave up and got a relaxer. Now I am better educated about natural hair, and have ease of access to the right products.

I measured my hair and I have at least 5 inches of  natural all around my head and some parts is 5.5 inches

After my big chop my hair is 100% better.  This is the my breakage after my first wash. I am so excited.

.
I am wearing my hair in wigs now because it is easier for me to take care of my hair that way now. My plan is to keep  wearing wigs until I can put my hair in a bun.

Product junkie update #3

                                                           Hair product stash
This is the update of the hair products I have as of 11/2012. It's exactly 60 products. I have a few of them that are repeats because I like those products. I will not be buying anything else for the next 10 months except a relaxer. I have not gone crazy buying stuff like I used to a year ago. My goal is to have no more than 20 hair products on hand at a time.

12/15/2012 Even though I bought my relaxer in preparation to relax my hair, I decided to do the big chop. I gave away some of these products because I knew they wouldn't work for my natural hair. 

Controlling hair breakage

This is my hair after I took my hair out of wearing cornrows for 3 months. I lost a lot of hair, I cried. Maybe it's all the dead hair from not combing my hair in 3 months + breakage. 

 August 31, 2012 as you can see the amount of breakage covers my entire palm!

                                       I use pennies to get a better idea of how much hair it is. 

Hair breakage Sep 21, 2012. 

So this is my hair breakage after I wash, deep conditioned and styled it. (Oct 6, 2012) I started using Joico products, aloe vera juice and hairfinity for the past 3 weeks. I am so happy that my breakage is becoming lesser and lesser.  I don't think it is the hairfinity, but I think it is the Joico and the aloe vera juice that is decreasing my breakage. 

HAIRFINITY

I started taking hairfinity on Sept 21, 2012. I bought 4 months supply because I want my hair to grow a little more so I can cut a an inch or two off to make my hair more even and healthier. Each bottle is about $24 so if I do not see any results I will not be repurchasing these vitamins. I am getting a relaxer in December so I will post an update.


                                                This is my first youtube video. Hairfinity

Long hair under wig

I am currently wearing wigs as a protective style. This is how I keep my hair under my wig. I paid $30 to get my hair cornrowed. I had my hair cornrowed since May 21, 2012. I use braid spray and castor oil every day or every other day depending on how I feel. I wash and deep conditioned my cornrows once a month because I want to keep them in for 3 months. I plan on taking them out the end of August. I am crossing my fingers that my hair won't get matted and dried out.