Friday, 17 May 2013

Celebrating African Naturalista Celebs - Nigerian Edition.

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Today I just want us to celebrate AFRICAN celebs (small or big) who are natural. A lot of times, we tend to focus on African-Americans, which isn't bad o - but let's celebrate our own today. This week I want to focus on Nigerians, only because I'm Nigerian and I can find more Natural Nigerians. I'm working on other countries around, so hopefully I have Ghanaian, Kenyan, South African editions in the coming weeks. Please send your recommendations!

NSE-IKPE ETIM - ACTRESS
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DAKORE EGBUSON - ACTRESS
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ASA - SINGER
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ADAKU - SINGER
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CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE - WRITER/AUTHOR
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AINA FADINA - MODEL
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CHIKA EMMANUELLA - MODEL
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TY BELLO - SINGER
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OMOYE 'BROWNIE' UZAMERE - ON AIR PERSONALITY
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GBENRO AJIBADE - ACTOR (TINSEL)
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UTI NWACHUKWU - TV PRESENTER, ACTOR, MODEL, BBA
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DENRELE EDUN - TV PRESENTER
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Hopefully one day, I can be added to this list! #NollywoodDreams :p

Berry





Thursday, 16 May 2013

Get every young black girl to watch this.

Hi Everyone, I just saw the video few weeks ago. Pardon me, I am stale, but it is better late than never.
If you have a daughter with natural hair, please, show them this video, whether they are in love with their hair or not. The goal is to make them love themselves the way they are. There are two videos. One for the really young children, and one for young teenagers.

So if you know any little black girl, get them to watch this video.




And get the young teenagers to watch this particular one, where Willow Smith and Sesame Street have teamed to send a powerful message to young black girls

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

NaturalistasPoll: Will You Style your Natural Hair on your wedding Day?

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Hello Naturalistas,

With my hair texture i have been thinking (Not like i'm ready to get married *side eye*) Would i really want to style my natural hair for my wedding (if it eventually happens), after so much thought I decided i would. Why? After banging and banging my hair and Head last week from the protective style i did, it was such an easy decision to make. 

By the way, Is it not supposed to be "protective"? What is it protecting me from if i have to bang my head when it gets itchy errmm, less then 2 weeks after making it? But thats talk for another Wednesday.

Today, its all about you, Please use the comment box and let us know why you will style (or not Style) your Natural hair for your big day. We have also added a poll on the side gadget where you can vote.

Have a lovely Wednesday. For more ideas on how to style your hair on your wedding day, click here.


Tuesday, 14 May 2013

I AM MY HAIR! (Well,sometimes i feel like it anyway!)

Hiya Beauties!I hope you are all splendid and well.I just wanted to share with you a brief video highlighting some of my Hair Journey!Heres to brightening up your day a little bit!Happy Tuesday all! xx

 Please connect with me on:

https://www.youtube.com/user/KenyanMystic 


Monday, 13 May 2013

Guest Post: Discover the Art of Threading!


Protective Styling & Stretching hair: The African Threading Method
There is an old African technique of stretching the length of air-dried afro hair. Air drying often leaves the hair with about 50%  shrinkage so with shorter hair types this may make it more challenging to style.
Along with dealing with tangles; stretched hair helps reduce single strand knots, shedding and breakage it generally eases styling along with softening the texture without using heat or manipulation.
Stretching the hair length is achieved by wrapping a piece of thread around a small section of hair from root to tip.
Here is a video showing a variation of threading methods to create different styles and effects

Threading for protective free-flowing styles
Protective styling is handy especially if you are short on time as you can keep the style for at least 2 weeks!
I prefer  threaded protective styles to double strand twists or braids as a protective style as there is less manipulation on the hair strands AND it stays neat for longer. Plus it is easier on the fingers and arms if you know what I mean!
And as you can see from the video you can get the same twist effect using the thread.
Instructions for protective threaded style
After shampoo and conditioning apply our nourish and smooth moisturising leave in  to damp hair to help to elongate curls, and lock in the moisture with seal and shine hair finishing oil afterwards  (note: dry preferably with a long-sleeved cotton t-shirt to prevent frizz and rough cuticles.
Comb through from tip to roots then section hair into 6; 2 at back, 2 middle and two at the front.
For shorter hair types; If you want even smaller sections you can separate the individual sections into 2 to make 12 sections in all.
Secure the sections you are not using then cut off a piece of weave thread that you can buy at any black beauty supply store slightly longer than your own hair and tie at the ends of the thread to keep the plait from unraveling
Then as the video instructs wrap the tied end of the  thread around individual section from root to tip and tie again just before the end of the plait to secure.
Threading for the stretched blow dried effect
Instructions for super-stretched “blow dried” threaded look.
Right after shampoo and conditioning apply our nourish and smooth moisturising leave-in to damp hair  to help to stretch hair and lock in the moisture with seal and shine finishing  hair oil straight afterwards (note: dry preferably with a cotton t-shirt to prevent frizzes an rough cuticles
Then separate hair into six sections and create six threaded “plaits” tie together to create 2 plaits, tie a silk scarf around head and allow to dry overnight.
Undo the next morning and apply ample amount of seal and shine to the hair or coconut oil until entire head is saturated  then re-do the threaded plaits the same as before and  leave in for as few hours or if you wish overnight
Unravel and voila! you will have a stretched sleek ”blow dried-esqe” effect.
It can last up to a day or two so if you wanted a longer lasting style  you would have to use some type of heat.
Happy threading  and remember practise makes perfect!
By Angela of Haven Organics

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Are you a product junkie?

Hi Naturalistas
There is a vast majority of ladies who complain about spending money on products as one of the challenges they face as naturals. Sometimes you hear people say "Natural hair is expensive to manage". I am not oblivious of the fact that there are a lot of products out there that claim to make your journey extremely blissful and one can easily be carried away by these claims, especially if you do not even understand what to do to your hair. You realize that most new naturals tend to depend a lot on products that have heavy claims and since there are a lot of them out there, they tend to spend so much collecting products rather than actually caring for their hair.

Being a natural with great tresses is not expensive as most people seem to believe. I personally, spend less on my hair these days compared to when my hair was relaxed. You just need to understand why you shouldn't really spend the money on the products you do. It is as easy as that.
Here are a few tips to help you get by:
1. Understand what your hair needs
Your hair doesn't need all the products that is being sold for naturals. Every hair has its peculiarities.
There is really no point buying every product out there in the market when your hair doesn't require them. Why are you buying that particular product? Always define this for yourself and you will curtail your excesses.

2. Verify the claims
Be inquisitive. Research. Ask questions. Read reviews. You have to understand that sometimes people just write stuff to sell their products. Perhaps, all you wanted was a product that helps soften your hair, and the product claims to do that but you only realize after spending your money and time on it that it is just not it. You have to understand that most of these people are marketers and they may just know the best lines that will sell the most. Ask questions I repeat.

3. Compare products
Sometimes you see a very catchy product and it just feels exactly like the solution to your hair problems. Turn it around and read the details. What is it made of? How is the new gel you just saw different from the one you have already? If it has the same constituents, then, it probably just does the same thing just with a new name and maybe hype.

4. Look for cheaper alternatives
Apart from styling products, I do not really buy manufactured products for maintaining my hair. Most of what I use to manage my hair on a daily are natural ingredients you can easily find and do not need to spend so much on.
Watch out for a post on the products I use soon and why I use them. I'll probably just put it together as my regimen, so watch out.
Until next time, don't forget to keep your heads high and rock your kinks with pride

JB

Friday, 10 May 2013

Stuff Girls Say - The Naturals vs Relaxed Versions

Hey ladies!

At the end of 2011, there was a video meme centered on S*** Girls Say. A lot of different ones were made, such as Stuff Black Girls Say, Stuff Nigerian Parents Say, Stuff White Girls Say to Black Girls, Stuff Italian Mums Say, etc. The parodies were endless! Well, today I want to share with you 3 different ones - Two from the "Naturals" camp and another from the "Relaxed" camp. There are multiple videos on each side, but I chose the best ones, so happy viewing!

P.S. - Please don't take offense to either video - they're just all in fun. We should be able to laugh at ourselves, right?



Stuff Relaxed Girls Say to Natural Girls






Hey, some of the things she said were in one of my previous posts!!! LOL!


Stuff Natural Girls Say

I wanted to find one that wasn't too long, but couldn't find a short one that really captured the essence of us natural girls. So I'll post 2 short videos. Enjoy!



Don't lie, you KNOW you've said some of this stuff before. Hang on, I need to go spray my hair - MOISTURIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZE!

Berry Dakara

Thursday, 9 May 2013

9 reasons why your hair is probably NOT growing


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Hello ladies,

First of all, the title of this post is intentionally misleading. This is because everyone's hair grows at a particular rate, at least, as long as your hair follicles are not damaged. So if you see hair on that spot, then your hair is growing. But not everyone sees these growth manifest because they are not able to retain length.

In my last post titled, After trying, what next, I remember encouraging the natural chicas to just be patient and watch your hair grow and blossom in time to your desired length if you've tried all.
But what I forgot to include was, The things that you're probably doing and NOT doing that will actually leave your hair stagnant or retard hair growth.

  

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1. Everyday Moisture: For a while, most especially in this region of the world, we believed right from childhood that once you can get lots of cream or grease on your hair, your hair will be so soft and free from dandruff that results from dry hair
How wrong we were.
Moisture is water, and this should be sprayed unto your hair everyday. In the morning before going to work, and at night before bed while covering with a satin bonnet.
I've been negligent often, sometimes, we get so tired we just slump on the bed and doze off, neglecting the fact that we need to add our water and olive oil therapy before going to bed.
And then, we add to the whole complications by sleeping on your duvet or a cotton bedsheet or pillow hereby leaving your hair dry and brittle, whereas, the cotton has soaked up the little oil you had in your hair.
this bad habit can lead to hair breakage and will prevent your hair from growing well if practised often.

2. Too much grease applied unto the scalp in order to boost shine can actually clog your pores and hinder your hair from growing in time. Don't forget you get approximately half an inch of hair every month. So don't try doing things that will retard hair growth.

3. Towel drying; Have you ever noticed the way our salons are when a lady has just washed out the relaxer from her hair and then the towel scrubbing drying begins and it's like they're gonna pull of the hair strands? well, as for natural hair, DO NOT TRY IT or your hair will fall of in time. Rather,you use an old cotton shirt or material which is light to sparingly dry the air and also air dry. If you make any attempt to towel dry your hair, don't be surprised when your hair begins falling out little by little

4. Leaving a style/protective style on for too long: I used to do this before, and so I wasn't surprised when @ilola's hair was longer than mine though I had been with the natural hair for a while. I would do these yarn braids and then leave it for more than a month or two due to school work and the rest.
But little did I know what I was doing at that time. Even the twists done on natural hair could be harmful if left for too long. It gets tangled up and the roots can get clogged due to dirt and dust.
And so, whatever happens, do not leave a style on your hair for too long. It will only break your hair and take so much hair with it. I really lost a lot of hair through this process.

5. Finger detangling and twists; Not everybody's hair can undergo the two mentioned above. Just because your friend finger detangles doesn't mean you should do the same. same for twists. If you've done the twisting thing on your hair more than once and you found out that you lost much, then try looking for another style to suit you. as for me, the last time I used my fingers to detangle, I lost so much hair and i felt so bad. thank God I didnt cry..sniff#

6.Combing hair when dry: Yes, you hear a crunchy sound when you do this and it sometimes feel your hair ripping off. PLEASE STOP!! That's why you have your spray bottle containing water and olive oil and whatever you want to add again. always spray this before combing or rub in a detangling hair lotion that you know will do the job before combing.

7. Sleeping with a naked hair.: Just like i mentioned in number 1, whatever happens, make sure you don't sleep with your hair bare on a cotton pillow or couch. If you know you can't do without dozing off, just get a satin pillow case.



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8. Regular heat: Heat styling tools such as blow dryers, hair coilers and hair straighteners are not bad at all, but using them too often like every month can do a whole lot of damage leaving it limp and weak. If you're aiming for a full and long hair like the ones you see on youtube and pictures on our blog, then you're so NOT going to achieve that by using a hair straightener all the time. DON'T get me wrong o, once in a while, you can indulge. About 2-4 times a year isn't bad, it;s just like ice cream, you indulge once in a while, but it shouldn't be a new hair therapy for you. There are other ways one can achieve hair straightening which you can find here.
And when you use a hair straightener, you should apply a heat protection serum in form of liquid or spray before straightening.
If done well, it should even carry you for a month or 3 weeks.
When getting a straightener, make sure you get one that you can regulate it's temperature to it's desired degree so that you don't end up burning your hair and the house doesn't smell like burning tobacco. A minimal temperature from 100 degrees is not bad at all.
Hair burns at 451 degrees. Make sure you don't get to that temperature and know the type of your hair in particular. If your hair is fine, leaving the flat iron on that area for long will lead to serious damage.


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9. Bad Eating habits: Eating junk and drinking small amounts of water won't get you anywhere if you're thinking of growing your hair to it's desired length. Even if you have a busy day, make sure your diet contains loads of vegetables and take good amount of water. If you're thinking of the multivitamin tablets that you require for your health due to the stress and other things you go through everyday, make sure biotin is included.
And ginseng shouldn't be excluded as well in order to keep you going for the day.

so, I ask, are you guilty of any of the above and you complain that your hair is not growing?

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Mane Matters with Akibo Tobiloba



Hello Naturalistas, We are here again with Mane matters, Today we are going to be featuring a student 'Tobiloba




Q: Whats your name?

 'Tobiloba

Q: What do you do for a living?

I'm a Student

Q: How long have you had your natural hair?

July Last year, so.. 10 months now.

Q: What was the motivation behind it?

 nothing really, I just cut my hair and didn't want to grow it back but my fickle nature made me start again and I decided to try the natural hair route.

Q: so big chop or transition?

A great big chop
Big Chop
Q: What were your fears?

 I was just worried I will get tired of taking care of my hair and I wont be able to maintain it.

Q: do you have a regimen that you follow for your hair? 

 really I don't I usually go with the flow. wash and condition occasionally.

Q:Whats your must have product?

 well, water and oil. I always have Shea butter and conditioner

Q:Enjoying your journey so far?

I kind of am, when I'm not trying to pull my hair out.

Hair length now

Q: Advice for anyone that wants to go natural?

It will be great to know exactly what you are trying to get into.

Thanks for your time.


Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Variation on a Traditional Bun Hairstyle!

Hiya Lovelies! Buns! We have all resorted to our beloved Bun hairstyles every once in awhile, when we get tired of dealing with our hair! Here is a cute variation to a traditional Bun to fire it up a little bit! Enjoy,and do connect with me on:

https://www.youtube.com/user/KenyanMystic




Monday, 6 May 2013

Guest Post: How to train your hair stylist

Hair stylists, especially those in Africa, are notorious for damaging hair and scalps.They are usually trained to make you look good,not feel good. A common saying you're likely to hear is 'Beauty is Pain'. Even the natural hair salons that are supposed to have a bit more expertise are not really better because they only style and don't know how to really take care of their clients' hair to grow it and cause no pain. In order to hep minimise the damage likely to occur from salon visits,here are a few helpful things to do.

1. Include your salon visits into your regimen and take responsibility for them
Here's what I mean.Don't just go sit in the chair and let the stylist do whatever they want. Plan your salon visit the way you would plan your own hair care if you were going to do your own hair. Determine what day you will go, pack your hair products in preparation and have your money ready..lol. Plan your salon visits so that you know which days you get a protein treatment or a hot oil treatment.Remember those are important too! Prepare for your visit and tell yourself you're going to get pampered, not hurt. A positive outlook helps!

2. Get a bag for the salon
In your salon bag, you would keep all the products that are a normal part of your regimen.You will be needing a good sulfate free shampoo or natural cleansing product if you plan to shampoo, a conditioner for use after shampooing or for washing your hair if you co-wash,a good deep conditioner for deep conditioning after washing your hair, a leave-in conditioner and an oil/butter such as a shea butter mix to seal in the moisture. If you will be doing a protein treatment that day, you need your protein treatment. If its a hot oil treatment day,make sure the oil is in the bag. Depending on the style you plan to get, put a styling product in the bag if you need one. Whatever be the case, be prepared.

3. Be ready to speak up
If you're going to just plomp yourself in the chair and expect your stylist to do everything right, then you have another thing coming. A lot of these stylists have no idea what they're doing to you or your hair. It is your job to tell them when they aren't doing it right. I know, I know. They will get annoyed or whatever. But remember tip 1? TAKE RESPONSIBILITY! What I like to do is to tell myself that this is an investment for my hair. I use the same salon all the time and chances are 

Crazy twist-out 
so do you. If that's the case try and have a relationship with your stylist and tell him/her that you want to try and grow your hair. Therefore you're going to need their help to do so. You're going to need to tell them when they're hurting you or trying to run a fine toothed comb through your hair,for instance. Tell them nicely and they might not get offended. If they do, then you might need to find someone that doesn't get offended. You need to make sure that they don't keep doing the same thing to your hair that causes it to damage so be ready to talk.
If you feel any pain on your scalp, speak up. Tell them you like your edges and not to braid them too tight. Tell them to detangle your hair after deep conditioning with wide tooth comb and not a tiny comb. Be ready to do the detangling  yourself, if need be, to show them how to do it. This is why its important to have a relationship with the stylist. This way, you can talk to them and they're not likely to get angry.

4. Be ready for the long haul

Perm rod set on 4C hair
Don't be a salon jumper for too long. Try and find a salon that will let you stick with one stylist otherwise you will be saying the same things every week. Its easier to call ahead and make sure your assigned stylist is ready for you. That way you don't have to go and subject yourself to someone else who does't know what you need. Be prepared to spend about 2 hours in the salon whether you're relaxed or natural. Be ready to pay for good service when you do find a good salon.

5. Your hairstyles should be helping,not hurting you
This is an important tip. If you want healthy hair,you have to make sure your hairstyles are helping with your aim. Pick hair-dos that are lovely and chic,but will not put strain on your hair. Some hair styles will put so much strain on your hair edges that you have to spend time growing them back. Others will result in such tangled hair that its just not worth it. Its important that you remember this. If you want to grow long hair for example, it might be better to get a low manipulation or protective style that will protect your hair from the damage of daily handling. Whatever style you pick, also remember that you have to take it to school or work and it needs to be appropriate.

Kinky twists
In conclusion, if your scalp hurts when your stylist is doing your hair, they aren't doing it right. It shouldn't hurt unless its getting damaged. Show them what they should do and go with the products you need. Remember that we do not scrub the scalp with our nails. We use the soft pads of our fingers to wash our hair. If they begin to vigorously scrub your hair(like they used to do to me so much so that I got a headache) have them stop. If they try to use heat on your hair too often too much or with no heat protectant, tell them to stop. Be ready to train your stylist.It won't be easy,but beautiful healthy hair with no pain and a great stylist will be your reward. Totally worth it I'd say!

By Yvonne Nyavor of Ghana Natural Hair Chick

Sunday, 5 May 2013

Bliss - A hair story

I felt my head nagging with pain
I let stress get to me again
I can't keep popping up these pills
I know better than to indulge in analgesics
It never does the body any good

I filled my tub with fresh water
Not minding my freshly made twists out
I dumped myself inside
I soaked in there for about an hour
And all the pains were gone

I can't remember the last time I experienced such bliss
Perhaps when I was a kid
Not having to worry about messing up my perms or weaves
I felt the water seeping through my head and feet
I'd love to feel that more often

I towel dried my hair and combed it out
I made a quick dash in front of a mirror
In less than 5 minutes, I had a whole new look
Oh the versatility of natural hair
Why did I ever hesitate in making this move?


Just thought we might take a few seconds and appreciate what we have :)
Wish y'all a great Sunday

JB


Saturday, 4 May 2013

Transitioning to Natural Hair? Tips for maintenance

Hello Kinylets!

So are you thinking of going natural but scared of doing the BIG CHOP? If your answer is yes, then this post is for you! I have had many ladies come up to me asking for tips to go natural. The first thing I ask them is if they are ready and can be committed to their hair. Then secondly, I ask them if they want to do the BC or transition. If they want to transition then I give them tips for maintenance and useful hairstyles below...

TIP # 1 :BE PREPARED FOR TWO DIFFERENT TEXTURES
 Are you prepared for the two different textures? My advice is be patient and try and manage them. Remember to treat your relaxed ends and the demarcation between the relaxed and natural hair with extra caution, oil them constantly because they are prone to breakage. Also, keep your new growth moist and healthy at all times.

TIP # 2: EMBRACE PROTECTIVE STYLES
In other for you to remain sane and not yank your hair out because of the different textures, try doing different protective hair styles, this will help keep your hair looking neat and tidy, also preventing breakage. Below are a few simple hairstyles you can imitate.

Flat cornrows with a flower by the side

Curlouts/ braidouts with side parting and a flower on the side

TIP #3: AVOID HEAT
Heat from straighteners, tonging iron, and blow dryers can cause your hair to be brittle and frail. Blow dryers and not necessarily bad if its on low-medium heat. The reason I think using heating tools for your hair is bad is because the demarcation between your natural and relaxed hair is very weak, and if heat is applied to it constantly it will cause breakage and spilt ends. If you have to apply heat to your hair, then its best to use heat protective serum before and after heating, this will seal your hair and prevent heat from penetrating directly to your hair.

Heat Protectant  sprays

TIP #4: DRINK LOTS OF WATER
This cannot be overly emphasized! Water is the key agent for growth and healthy hair. If you want a healthy head of hair water should be your best friend. It not only nourishes your body but it extends its nurtients to your hair keep it moist and healthy! So sisters start drinking gallons of water today!


I hope this helps and gives you insight on how to handle transitioning!

Friday, 3 May 2013

Does being natural mean I have to care for my hair myself?



If you've noticed in the past couple of weeks, my posts have dealt with Natural Hair Fail and Typical Regimen. Maybe I'm the only one out there who thinks that taking care of our hair can be quite tedious and time-consuming sometimes... actually, a lot of the time. With the typical regimen showing a 9-step process, that can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, with the amount of money spent on looking for the best hair care products (for YOU), and all the time spent perusing Google and Youtube looking for different styles to wear, it can be SIMPLY EXHAUSTING!

So! I'm toying with the idea of just making my regimen work at a salon. Never fear, I'm not saying I'm leaving my hair to the total care of someone else. I just mean that I want to engage a stylist at a salon near me and [painstakingly] teach him/her how to take care of natural hair, using my head. Now now, there are somethings that must be put in place.


  1. KNOW YOUR HAIR - Hopefully you've spent enough time caring for your hair and know the ins, outs, curl patterns, textures, etc of your hair. Does your hair need more protein? Is your scalp itchy? Do you have dandruff? If you know what your hair is like and what it needs, you're on the right path to having control over how it's treated at the salon.
  2. KNOW YOUR PREFERRED REGIMEN - Do you wash once a week or twice a month? Do you deep condition every other week? Does your hair need a protein treatment? Whatever your routine is, know it from A to Z and be in command of what your stylist does at every single step.
  3. TAKE YOUR PRODUCTS/TOOLS WITH YOU - You know what products and tools work best for your hair. You don't know what kind of combs,  shampoos and conditioners are available at the salon. Take your preferred oils, butters, shampoos, moisturizers, brushes, comb, etc with you and know what's being put in your hair.
  4. SELECT YOUR SALON/STYLIST CAREFULLY - I constantly go up to other natural ladies and ask them where they got their hair done. It's the fastest, easiest way to know where other naturals go and if their hair looks good, then you're almost positive that you'll be in good hands.
  5. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN - Watch your stylist like a CRAZY HAWK! Heaven forbid she tries to dump half a bottle of Ecostyler gel on your head (happened to me once). Are they trying to "trim" off 4 inches of growth? Did they reach for a different product than what you brought? I heard a story about a girl who went to a salon and they texturized her hair without her consent!
  6. BE ASSERTIVE. SPEAK UP/OUT - You know your hair best. Is the stylist being stubborn and trying to force something on your head? Ask for a different person. Is the stylist refusing to listen to you and doing what they want? Girl, threaten them with hell fire and brimstone if you have to, but make sure they do what YOU want.
  7. SAY NO TO HEAT OR DRY-COMBING! - If you won't put your hair under heat at home, then don't let the stylist talk you into applying any heat. I almost had my head yanked off by a stylist trying to comb my hair while it was dry and using a fine-tooth comb (wasn't at a salon though). Just SAY NO!
  8. KNOW WHAT STYLE YOU WANT AHEAD OF TIME - If you have a tab or phone that plays videos well, and there's a Youtube video you want to reference, bring it out and show your stylist. If you have pictures of what you want, whip them out. I'd also advise that you research the least manipulative ways to achieve said styles, and communicate to your stylist.
Of course, there are downsides to going to a salon (cost, stubborn stylists, etc) but if you put the aforementioned points into practice, it just might work for you. 

*fingers, toes and kinks crossed*

Thursday, 2 May 2013

I've got a Kinky Hair, by J'odie


I don't know if you guys are aware, but I have mentioned on this blog before that the human inspiration behind me cutting my dreads and letting my natural hair out was my university friend, the Nigerian soul musician, Jodie, the Kuchi Kuchi crooner. You can read her guest post on this blog here. I have known J'odie personally since my UNILAG days, and I know she's one person that stays true to her roots. So I wasn't really surprised when I saw what she did with her latest video.

It wasn't until the end that I realised that what she was saying over and over again was "I've got a Kinky Hair, Kinky Hair." I was so proud when I heard that and shouted way to go girl. If celebrities like J'odie are not ashamed to showcase the true beauty of our natural hair, it means there is hope for Nigerian women who look up to these celebrities. In the video, she mentioned how people were saying our hair is strong and hard, lol. She goes on to say "African Woman, where you got that Kinky Hair?"

The funny thing is that the facebook page J'odie started in those days for hair, which I stumbled across, was named 'I love my Kinky Hair'. I think she's just in love with that phrase, lol. Watch the video, African Woman. I can tell you would enjoy it, and you would be proud to be a natural hair carrier after watching it.

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Style Inspiration for Type 4C Hair

Hello Naturalistas,

Majority of us have the type 4 hair in this part of the world, and particularly I have had challenges thinking up how to style my hair since getting the curls is a struggle, so I decided to bring you style inspirations for your type 4C hair. Errrmmm GoodLuck ;)

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Stay Inspired!

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Nina Simone inspired Bee Hive!

Hallo my lovelies! I trust that you are all well and beautiful as per usual! I come to you today with a Bee Hive hairstyle inspired by the musical icon that is Nina Simone. (I loooove this woman and cannot wait for her biopic to be released, regardless of the numerous dramas as a result of the casting!) This look is quick,super easy and super duper cute! Enjoy ladies! Please stop by my channel and do subscribe while your there, its FREE! Bless up!

Connect with me on: https://www.youtube.com/user/KenyanMystic



Monday, 29 April 2013

Words of a man in love with a struggling Naturalista


This note was written by the husband of one of the naturalistas who left a comment on this post about another naturalista's husband's reaction to natural hair. After cat calls for his opinions by other naturalistas, well, here you have it. The man has spoken.

Natural hair! Natural hair!! Natural hair!!! Where do I start from? Well, let me start from the beginning. A few months after I started dating my wife, I accompanied her to the salon she wanted to have a perm. I noticed that after having a perm, her hair was very thin and scanty, and I could almost see through her hair. When I mentioned it, she told me that her hair was a cause for concern. She said she had been praying and fasting for the growth of her hair for as long as she could remember.

Fast forward to my life as a married man to a beautiful wife with hair problems, I would chuckle each time she told me her prayer points included the growth of her hair. One day, after some research, she announced to me that she was going natural. This was after trying different hair styles from Mohawk to twists. I knew she was nervous about the whole thing so I decided to do a little research of my own to see if there was any way I could help her. As you know I am her knight in shinning armour, and my job is to make her life as comfortable as I can (big grin), secretly I have always loved the natural look.

In doing my research, I found out that black hair can actually grow very long, and also have a lot of interesting textures and styles, but it requires a lot of the right kind of care. In my wife’s quest of having healthy hair, she hadn’t taken the time to actually take care of her hair or even know what kind of texture of hair she had, things like being careful as to what one puts into one’s hair, using a lot of olive oil which I discovered is very good for the hair, heat not being her best of friends etc, so she started the natural hair journey. Now I must say my wife isn’t a very patient person, so on several occasions, she would lose her patience and decide that she wants to have a hair cut. I always discouraged this because I knew that she was just being frustrated and was going to regret it in the end.

In all. I must say her hair has become fuller, longer, and healthier. I will never forget how she looked on our fourth wedding anniversary. She had combed her hair out with a wide tooth comb, she was excited that it had grown. I too was shocked but pleased that it had grown, and was very healthy as well. How could I resist my own African Queen with such luscious kinky hair?

The Kamsons on their 4th wedding anniversary
Did I mention that my wife is very impatient? Yes I am sure I did. Well she would love the length of her hair to get to her bottom, I would love that as well but not in 6 months. It doesn’t work that way. For now she is hanging in there, watching the hair grow and getting to love it.

Will I continue to support her? Yes I would and all the naturalistas out there, because it takes a brave woman to stay different, I love your guts. In fact I am so into making her natural hair journey a success, that I am watching videos on how to take care of little girl's hair, as I wouldn’t mind being my daughter's hairstylist and prevent her from getting damaged hair to begin with.


Signed 
A naija man in love with a struggling naturalista.
Bolaji Kamson

Sunday, 28 April 2013

Caring for your hair while transitioning


Hi Naturalistas!

Last time I started talking about managing your dual textured hair, that is as a result of transitioning. If you missed it click here
One of the problems most people have is breakage. This is due to the different textured hair growing as one. Usually, the hair splits where the two of them meet resulting in massive hair loss.

Here are 7 helpful tips:
1. Avoid heat - Some people make the mistake of promoting this massive hair loss by using a lot of heat in an attempt to straighten the hair to make the two parts blend. Like I mentioned earlier, the best thing to do is to treat your whole head as though it were all natural. It is the safer alternative. Excessive exposure to heat will dry the hair out and cause fizziness and breakage

2. Moisturize - moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Never stop moisturizing. It will prevent your hair from drying out and breaking off. Deep conditioning your hair is a nice way to ensure maximum moisture retention.

3. Use natural hair friendly styles: try the braid outs, the twist outs, the Bantu knots and the pin ups. 

4. Protective styling: if need be put it away under a nice weave or with braids, or wrap it all up with a scarf.

5. Avoid tension: Avoid the excessive combing. Invest in a good wide tooth comb, moisturize the hair well before combing and remember to finger dentangle to ease the knots.

6. Avoid harsh chemicals - Check your hair products and make sure they promote natural hair growth as opposed to maring your efforts. 

7. Take the extra steps - for example, you will need to guard your hair from rough textures by using a nice satin bonnet when sleeping, do not neglect it just because you have the processed parts overlapping it, it still matters.

I'll be back with a few hair styling pictures just to give you a visual interpretation of some of the styles I mentioned, and maybe a step by step tutorial for some of them. 
Let me know what ever style you would like me to take you through, I or our style expert can give you a step by step guide on how to replicate it.
Until then, keep your heads high and rock your kinks with pride.

JB

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