Manufactured Self Loathing: How It Connects To You

I often find myself on what I like to call, "Google tangents."  Google tangents are when I sit at my computer or laptop and Google anything of interest or that makes me curious.  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person that does this in today's world of free WiFi and smart phones, so I'm pretty sure you all know how starting one Google search leads to another and another and another, which is why they become "tangents" in my book.  By the end of any one of these, I almost always feel like I've gained a couple bachelor's degrees from learning so much on one subject.  It was on one of these Google tangents that I was recently exposed to the phrase, "manufactured self-loathing."

Pretty self-explanatory, manufactured self-loathing refers to the feelings of inadequacy consumers are often faced with when exposed to advertising.  This can be associated with any product, but the beauty industry is the biggest source of these toxic emotions in my opinion.  If there was no such thing as eye liner, how many women do you honestly think would feel like their eyes were lacking "depth" or weren't "interesting" enough?  If the hair relaxer or flat iron had never been invented, would the majority of women of color still feel that the only "acceptable" way to wear their hair is stick straight?  Without advertisements for skin bleaching creams, how many dark skinned people would actively seek a way to remove layers and layers of pigment?

So how does this concept of manufactured self loathing - advertisers and product manufacturers convincing people they genuinely need their products or services when they don't - have anything to do with the natural hair movement?  Well, I would argue that there would be no need for a natural hair movement in the first place if we had never been convinced to dislike our natural feature of Afro textured hair.  So many of us have been conditioned to automatically dislike or even despise many of our natural features, we don't even question it.  "What are you going to do with that mess on your head?"  "Did you mean for your hair to look like that?"  "Why would you want to have nappy hair?"  We have these hurtful, disrespectful, and thoughtless comments hurled our way so often, all it takes is a quick Google search for "How to deal with natural hair haters," for lists of tips from women who are forced to endure it on a regular basis.  How long are we going to put up with this?  How long are we going bite our tongues when our friends, mothers, sisters, doctors, and television ads tell us we are less than, or not as beautiful as our non black counterparts?

I was inspired to write this post because I'd like to give my readers some food for thought in the hope that a simple message will resonate and be shared so we might see some change in the way we see ourselves.  YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, NATURALLY!  ONLY YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IT TO MAKE IT TRUE!  It doesn't matter what some TV ad said about that new straightening system.  Why do you need to straighten your hair in the first place?  Is there something wrong with how Mother Nature made your curls and kinks?  Personally, I believe every person on the planet was divinely made, so to say there is something wrong with our construction is blasphemous and I'm not even a Christian.  Appreciate your beauty.  Don't fall into the trap of believing there is anything wrong with you that can be fixed with a purchase off a store shelf.  Love ALL of yourself.

With that being said, what do you all think about this topic.  Is manufactured self loathing real, or not something to be concerned about?  Have you realized anything you believe about yourself is a result of this phenomenon?  Leave your thoughts below. :)

Are Naturals Too Harsh On Stylists... Or Nah??

It has been almost two years since the last time I let anyone else style my hair.  Since completing my transition, I've only gone to a professional stylist twice:  once to even up the big chop I thought I was prepared to do myself, and once for a trim.  Both times the stylist made my hair look cute, but didn't give me what I asked for.  I called the salon in advance both times to make sure that they would be able to style my hair similar to how I style it at home.  That is, stretched and moisturized, not a wash and go.  Of course, both times I was assured it would be no problem to style my hair in a stretched state because this salon was supposed to specialize in curly hair.  

Needless to say, I was given a wash and go that more closely resembled a picked out Afro than an intentionally curly style.  And the Deva Curl products used on my hair made it feel waxy and dry.  Not something I enjoyed at all.  I honestly would rather have my hair chock full of shea butter, weighed down, and stretched than "lightweight," dry, and fully shrunken.  I thought that with this salon specializing in curly textures. my almost $70.00 would be money well spent.  But apparently, it still holds true that I will have to be the only person around that actually knows how to give my hair what it needs at any given time. 

Putting the fate of my crowing glory into someone else's hands just because they say they know what to do with it is just asking for trouble.  So, it was with this fact in mind that I recently Googled natural hair salons in my area, hoping to find one that didn't just work with "curly" hair, but actual Afro-textured hair.  I found one very close to me and read up a ton of reviews for it, most of which were glowing.  So, I figured that if other naturals were having such a great experience with this establishment, they must understand the needs of natural hair and cater to that.  So I went ahead and booked myself a consultation.  I had already learned how bad it was to schedule appointments with people I had never met so I hoped to alleviate any anxiety I might still have by meeting with the woman in advance and getting a feel for who she was as a stylist.  Boy am I glad I did!

My "consultation" went so badly, I left this message in the "Contact Management" section of the website.  As a courtesy to the salon owner, I have changed the name of the salon and stylist in question for publication on the blog:

I just wanted to explain why I was dissatisfied with the service I received here in the hope that things may improve.  I have been natural for just over 3 years and have not had my hair professionally styled in almost 2.  My hair is about waist length when flat ironed and very highly textured.  I called the salon to schedule a consultation because I wanted to sit down with whoever might be doing my hair before booking an actual appointment in order to gauge her ability and mentality where natural hair was concerned.  In my experience, mindset in natural hair care makes all the difference.  

I expected to receive a confirmation phone call the day prior to my consultation, but did not.  This was my first hint that this would not be "an upscale salon experience" but I didn't let it deter me.  I arrived for my consultation and was informed I'd be meeting with [Ashley.]  She walked over to me and asked "what you havin' done?"  I informed her that I was not looking for any services, I simply wanted a consultation.  We sat at the front of the store and I asked, "So what is your philosophy on natural hair?"

She responded, "What you mean?"

I rephrased, "How do you approach natural hair?  Like, how do you handle it?"

"You mean like, what products I use," [Ashley] asked. 

At this point I was almost certain that I would not be utilizing her services, but I thought I would give her a third and final chance to impress me with her prowess.  She did not.  I went on to explain that I was looking to understand how she treated natural hair differently from chemically treated hair and she again went back to the product discussion, telling me that she uses what the salon supplies, Mizani.

I said I'd never used that particular line of hair care products, so I had no judgment on it for natural hair.  It was at this point that [Ashley] began to offend me.  She told me how "it seems like everybody is tryna be natural now."  But "with how some people's kitchens be with those naps and beady beads... some people just need to go back to the creamy crack.  Not everyone needs to be natural."  

Personally, as a natural hair advocate and aspiring cosmetologist, I was amazed she would be so flippant with a prospective client about natural hair.  I'm not sure if she picked up on my emotions, because I maintained a smile on my face through the entire conversation, but she did try to clean up her remarks slightly by telling me that it looked like I have "good hair."  Again, this is an offensive term in my eyes.  The implication was that I and some others are blessed with genetics that make our hair "good' no matter how it is treated, while for some it is the exact opposite.

I'm sure [Ashley] wasn't thinking about her statements in such cut and dry terms, but that is how they were received.  And as a hair care professional, I would think she would exercise a little more discretion and tact when talking about the hair textures of the clients she serves.  I found [Salon Name] by Googling "natural hair salons in [my area]."  I don't think women with natural hair would like to pay to have their hair taken care of by someone who disparages their texture, tells them to go back to chemically processing, and complains about her fingers hurting from dealing with such "rough" hair all day.  Rather than offer her clients education on how to properly care for their hair at home so it won't be so "rough," it seems like [Ashley] would rather laugh and ridicule.

If your salon truly does strive for five, this is a poor representation of that mentality.  I hope this comment will be taken seriously, and something will be done to impress upon all the [Salon Name] employees that how you speak and even think about the hair you are taking care of makes a huge difference in the overall experience of the client.

 I'm hoping that after reading my review, the owner of this establishment will speak to all of her employees and explain why making disparaging comments such as those I heard is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.  Part of what made me Google natural hair salons in my area in the first place was the doubt I had about whether my previous salon experiences would be repeated if I went to a different establishment.  I can't say they were  because this stylist didn't actually touch my hair (which was something I expected her to do for a consultation, but whatever) but I think they very well could have, had I not insisted on having a consultation first. 

At one point I was wondering if my insistence to be my own stylist and keep my hair out of other people's hands was over the top or irrational, but now I see that my concerns were well founded.  I'm not saying that there are no stylists in my area who are competent with natural hair, but I haven't found one yet.  And now I see just how important it is to consult with someone before letting them anywhere near my head with a comb or some scissors.  Now I know that my paranoia is well founded.  If a stylist can't pass my initial "test" or answer my questions to my satisfaction, she can't do my hair.  It's a simple as that.  If you find yourself needing or wanting a stylist for your natural crowning glory, please interview the person you are considering first.  I promise it will make a world of difference...

"I Would Rather $$Buy$$ My Fabulous..."

Who doesn't like retail therapy?  I know it's typically deemed a woman thing, but seriously.  Can all men really claim that spending money on things you want for no other reason than, "it made me feel better" is something they never do?  I don't think so.  And even though this is a blog dedicated to a decidedly feminine issue, I think in this particular instance, we can all understand the issue at hand to a certain extent.  Even the frugal among us understand retail therapy.

That's why I'm currently grappling with something said to me.  I should be able to understand it, but I'm seriously having trouble reconciling myself to accept it. The it in question is something a coworker recently said to me.  I was walking past her while she was having a conversation with someone else and revealed that she just spent $500.00 on some hair bundles and is currently waiting for them to arrive.  I was completely flabbergasted!  Flummoxed!  Amazed!  Even when I had a relaxer, as the woman in question does, I simply couldn't understand spending that kind of money for such a "shallow" reason.

I no longer think that spending money one one's self for reasons of beauty, self esteem, and self image is shallow, but where is the line drawn?  When does it go from retail therapy to exorbitant and unnecessary spending?  When I heard my coworker's plans to have this "fabulous" hair installed so she can say, "I woke up like this" on Instagram, it honestly made me sad.  I told her as politely as I could that there is no need for her to spend that kind of money on hair of all things when she has plenty of strands growing directly from hr head.  She responded that her hair "can't grow past [her] shoulders."  I'm pretty sure most of you reading this know that that isn't true.  Just about everyone has genes that allow hair to grow to at least mid back length.  Perpetually shoulder length hair is a tell tale sign of self inflicted damage!  Change your hair habits, you change your hair!  When I voiced this, I was just met with "Girl, ain't nobody got time. It takes too long."

That's why I'm having such trouble understanding the mentality that says it makes more sense to deplete my finances for someone else's hair rather than put in a little effort and grow my own for free.  You can either spend over $500.00 (because I'm sure she still has to pay for the install) and have "nice" hair for maybe a few months and have your own hair stay the same length year after year, or you can save that money and have your own hair getting longer and longer with each passing year.  I just don't understand what would make someone choose the first option other than believing that the second option isn't really possible.  It's unimaginable to me that someone would make that decision for any other reason.

But it is possible.  I'm living proof!  I was the girl with thin, damaged, broken off, shoulder length hair.  I knew nothing about proper hair care.  I thought my hair was the length it was because of my genetics, not what I was doing and NOT doing to it.  The state of one's hair, no matter how poor or desirable, is the fault/responsibility of none other than the person whose scalp it grows from.  Ladies, please don't concede defeat before you've even made an effort to improve the state of your hair.  It CAN and WILL grow as long as you'd like it to.  Just give it the treatment it needs to get there.

Review:: Cantu Argan Oil Leave In

Hair Oil: Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Hair Oil: Benefits of Coconut Oil for "Natural Hair"

Good Hair = Good Hair Habits, Bad Hair = Bad Hair Habits

This post is going to be a bit of a rant, I warn you now.  If you don't like opinion posts/rants, feel free to navigate away from this page, I won't be upset. Now that we have that out of the way, lets jump right in.

It's no secret that as a general rule, black women struggle with their hair.  Length retention is almost nonexistent for many black women and stagnant length is something most of us just come to accept as a condition of our genetic predisposition.  Basically, black people don't have "good hair" genes, or so most of us have been told.  We believe that our DNA dictates that we will have short, unhealthy, dry, brittle, unattractive, undesirable hair for life and there's nothing we can do about it.  I myself can even remember telling a white classmate in middle school that I wished I had hair as long as hers, but would likely never achieve it because black hair just doesn't grow past a certain length.

Nowadays, I know better, and so do many black women but the majority of us still hold on to those misconceptions that lead us to have negative self images where our hair was concerned, and convinced us that only certain lucky black girls and mixed kids got "good" aka desirable hair.  The majority of us still believe that black hair, in its natural and unprocessed state, is only acceptable on little girls below school age.  Our little boys rarely even get the opportunity to grow their own hair, being conditioned to believe there is something wrong or inappropriate about males who allow their hair follicles to actually do what they are programmed for and produce hair.

To me, all of these things serve as a reminder of the inferiority complex ingrained in people of color the world over, since the transatlantic slave trade.  I know many people the frequent hair care blogs, forums, and websites hate when others draw connections between slavery and the current state of black hair across the African diaspora, but if the shoe fits...  We were taught that everything about us, from our skin color, hair type, facial features, spiritual practices, clothing, and even language was wrong and less than.  When these lies were internalized, the outcome was the mistreatment of not only our hair but our entire bodies, as well as a loss of knowledge for how to properly care for them.  So instead of focusing on water, aka moisture, as a key component to a healthy hair care regimen, we put excessive emphasis on greases and oil based products that actually do nothing to truly moisturize our beautiful and delicate strands, only sealing it in or out.  Instead of being patient, loving, and gentle with our hair, we manhandle it, believing that this rough treatment is necessary for our "rough," "tough," and "nappy" hair.  And to top it off, we further abuse our tresses by frying them with flat irons, blow dryers, and curling irons.

After being denied true moisture, literally ripped from our heads, and fried to oblivion, it's no wonder most women of color have very short, brittle, damaged hair.  I didn't even mention all the high tension, neglect fostering styles we like to wear that make us feel like we can go weeks, sometimes months, without doing a thing to our real strands, like cornrows, braids, weaves, and wigs.  We are so convinced that beautiful, healthy, long hair is only a matter of genetics that we completely remove the human element from the equation.  We don't want to admit that we may actually be at fault for most, if not all of our hair woes.  We want to believe that we can chronically neglect, abuse, and mistreat our hair, and still have it grow long and thrive.  Sorry to tell you, but because afro textured hair is the most delicate of all known hair types, how it is treated day in and day out will determine its health and length over time, not DNA.

Being related to someone who is of Native American, Latin, Asian, or European decent does not make an individual any better than someone who claims nothing other than Black or African ancestry.  And it certainly doesn't guarantee "pretty" or "good" or easily managed hair.  Someone may be born with an aesthetically pleasing curl pattern, but if those responsible for their hair care don't properly moisturize it, rip it when then attempt to comb, constantly fry it with hot tools, put too much tension on it from tight braided styles, and neglect it for weeks at a time, it will visually reflect all the bad treatment it receives.  That's when the more judgmental among our community take the opportunity to call someone's baby "nappy headed" or say they have "bad hair."  I'm certain most of you reading this would be surprised at the complete 180 a persons hair can do when bad practices are thrown out and replaced with good ones.  If you want good hair, employ good hair care habits.  If you think you have bad hair, take a look at how you treat it then ask yourself if it's really your hair, or its owner that's bad.

Jojoba Monoi Deep Conditioner by Eden Bodyworks Review || Natural Hair

"You Can Touch My Hair" Discussion

I May Be Changing My Hair Goal

When I first found out that Black women could, and regularly do, grow exceptionally long hair, I was floored.  No one in my family has really long hair and all the Black female celebrities with long hair use weave or extensions of some kind (In fact, most female celebrities period wear some kind of hair extensions, but that's an altogether different topic.) so you can hardly blame me for buying into the hype.  Add in the fact that my mother never really took the greatest care of our (me and my sisters') hair, I was almost doomed from the start to accept the "fact" that my hair couldn't grow long, doomed to accept that only the select few Black women blessed with "good" or "pretty" hair could grow it long without a problem.

But thank the Creator I've been enlightened and no longer buy into any of that BS.  Now I know that Black women are no different from women of other races.  Some of us have slow growing hair, some have hair that grows very quickly.  Some have an anagen (growth) phase of a few years, and some of us have growth phases that can last up to ten years or even longer.  The one uniting factor between Black women and women of all other ethnicities concerning long hair is that effort must be put in for the results we want to achieve to become a reality.  Whether someone's hair is stick straight or full on nappy, you have to work with what you have in order to grow it long.  The problem is, most Black women don't want to put in the work, or simply don't know what that work should consist of.

How many people do you know that can honestly say they know the difference between the sound of a brush or comb passing safely through their hair, and the sound of individual strands breaking?  How many people know the difference between mechanical (and therefore preventable) hair damage, heat damage, and breakage due to dryness?  My guess is, unless you come from a family that has a strong ethic for hair care, you don't know that many.  I want to change that.  And not just with a few people here and there.  I want to change it on a large scale.  I want it to become the norm for Black women to be seen with long, big, natural hair.

And I think the best way to go about doing that is to lead by example.  You may or may not know that my end goal with my natural hair journey is to grow my hair long enough to touch my waist when stretched.  But recently, I thought, "Why not go longer?"  The fact of the matter is, the distance from the top of my head to my waist is not that long, due to my height.  I'm under five feet tall, so my torso is drastically shorter than those of most other women, so my hair doesn't have to grow as long to reach my natural waist.  Well, 18 inches isn't exactly anything to sneer at, but you catch my drift.

I'm thinking I may change my hair goal to hip length hair, just for the hell of it.  I'm super short, so I think I should be able to manage that.  Unless my growth cycle is set to some abysmally short number of years, I think I can handle having hip length hair, because that means it would probably hang somewhere around my waist when dry, which would be suuuuper hot!!!  What do you think?

Closing Out My First Year With Natural Hair

If you had asked me two years ago if I'd ever "go natural," I don't really know what I would have said.  Wearing my hair any way other than straight was not something I had ever considered.  "Curls?  What curls?  My hair is nappy," is probably how I would have responded if someone had tried to convince me I had curly hair.  But the little curly, wiggly locks of hair the sprout from my head would argue otherwise.  And the same can be said for a lot of Black women who have never worn their hair in its natural state.  The fact that they actually have curly hair would probably amaze them.

Some people try to argue that there is such a thing as non-curly, plain ole nappy hair.  I disagree.  In the past 11 months since I cut off my relaxed ends, I've learned that the further hair moves from stick straight strands, the more inherent curl there is.  Without the hair curling in some way, there wouldn't be all the glorious texture that Black hair is known for.  They may not be perfectly shaped "S" curls, but they are indeed curls.  What else can you call them?  Certainly not naps, because that would mean short sleeping sessions.  And no one grows short sleeping sessions from their heads.

As I get close and closer to my one year anniversary, I just can't help but feel a little saddened that more women of my race don't try to know and understand their hair without chemically altering it.  I understand that this is something that has be ingrained into our culture for generations now, and isn't likely to change on a mass scale any time soon, but I still wish that wasn't the case.  Our little girls are accepted with their natural hair, but our grown women aren't.  And our women are often discouraged and ostracized for wanting to wear their natural hair.

If I can make a wish for my anniversary, it's for more Black women to stop hating natural hair so much, and instead embrace it.  Natural hair isn't for slaves.  Natural hair isn't for poor people.  Natural hair isn't for overly Afro-centric people.  It's for everyone.  Because it's what you were born with.  It's how you were made.  No matter how many times you slap that chemical on your roots, they will keep growing in with the texture your genetics determine you are supposed to have.  It's just who you are.

Now, there's nothing wrong with switching up your style and wearing your hair straight, blue, purple, or pink.  But to permanently alter your hair to be so is... just a little sad to me.

So, Apparently Dr. Miracle Is Getting In On The Natural Hair Game Too

I just found out that Dr. Miracle is going to be coming out with a new hair care line for us curlies out here "free of sodium, sulfates, parabens and phthalates."  The line, called Curl Care, is supposed to come to drug stores in March of this year and will have a total of six (6) products, each being under $10.  They include:

1. Rehydrating Shampoo ($9.49) - Sulfate free, with vitamin A, vitamin E, and panthenol.
2. Nourishing Conditioner ($9.49) - Contains vitamin E, coconut oil, and jojoba oil.
3. Frizz Control Serum ($8.99) - Contains vitamin A and olive oil. Supposed to help smooth, add shine, and help fight shrinkage.
4. Soft Hold Creme ($9.49) - The line's main styler.  Formulated with aloe.
5. Weightless Moisturizing Creme ($8.99) - A lightweight moisturizer with coconut and vitamin E. 
6. Boosting and Defining Leave-In ($8.99) - Also meant to be a detangler. Contains jojoba and proteins.

This news makes me feel good because it goes to show that the natural hair movement must be catching on and gaining some momentum if a brand that I previously only knew to cater to relaxed women is making a line for "curly, kinky and wavy hair."  I'm not sure if I'll actually try any of the products, but then again, I just might.  Lately I've been interested in trying out a serum to see if it helps with frizz control, but I've been hesitant because all of the serums I've come across contain some type of silicone, usually within the first five ingredients.  There was nothing in the Drug Store News articles that suggested the line would be silicone free so that gives me pause.

But, all in all, the line looks like it will probably be a good addition to the options available to the natural hair community and I can't wait to see how it's received when it finally hits the shelves.  Do you plan on buying any of the products?

Drug Store News Article

Be on "True Life" When You Go Natural!!!

Image credit to publicmediacorps.org

So I was browsing the internet and I found out that MTV's "True Life" is currently casting for African American women who are making the transition to natural hair and plan to do the Big Chop.  For anyone not in the know, the BC is when a woman cuts all of her relaxed ends off to become 100% natural.  I think this is absolutely AMAZING!  I can't believe we've come so far that a major network wants to document what it means for women who decide to forego relaxers.

There is so much misinformation and disdain concerning Black hair that I think it's time something was done to finally stop the madness and set the record straight.  Seeing what women go through when they decide to go natural, learning the reasons behind it, and understanding why this is such a huge decision has the potential to change so many different aspects of our culture, not only as Black people, but as American people as well.  Imagine if women didn't have to worry about employers not hiring them because they don't understand that natural Black hair looks a certain way?  Imagine if more Black men understood the affect it has on Black women when they give ultimatums like, "Straighten your hair, or we can't be together anymore."  Imagine if the nation as a whole understood that the main reason Black women have so many issues with their hair is because they were forced to assimilate into a culture that broke down everything about their race and made it negative and undesirable after enslaving their people for over two centuries?  Just imagine that...

I'm know America won't all of a sudden become super enlightened about the journey that is going natural and start to look at Black hair with some form of understanding once this episode of "True Life" airs.  But this is definitely a step in the right direction for this one day becoming a reality.  Knowledge truly is key, and I can only hope MTV casts women who have done their research and know their hair.  I encourage anyone who is planning to do the big chop, is between the ages of 15 and 28, and wants to document their transition to send an email to casting@lintonmedia.com.  Include your name, location, phone number, recent photos of yourself, and your hair story.  Good luck to everyone who chooses to apply and don't forget to spread the word! :)

Daily Giveaway's For The Month of September

One of my favorite sites, NaturallyCurly.com is doing a giveaway a day for the entire month. At the end of the month there will be a grand prize worth $1,000 at the end of the month. I believe each of your entries counts as an entry for the grand prize. If you love hair products, or just want a chance to win some free stuff, I say hop on it.

I noticed that the banner advertising the giveaways says the grand prize is $2,000 but that's incorrect. It must have just been a typo, so don't be upset if you enter and see the grand prize changed to $1,000. That's still more money than I've ever spent on my hair!!

What Is The Green House Effect For Hair??

Hi guys. I wanted to tell you all about some of the things I do to maximize my hair growth so I'm going to start with the Greenhouse Effect or GHE. Now, what on earth is that, you may ask. Well, basically the GHE is using a plastic bag or shower cap along with a scarf and bonnet, or possibly a hat during the night to create a warm and moist environment on your hair while you sleep. The excess heat and moisture trapped on your hair by the shower cap and other layers help to promote the natural oils in your scalp, known as sebum, to come out in greater abundance than they normally do. Sebum helps to nourish and moisturize hair, helping it to grow long and healthy.

When doing the GHE it's recommended to use a natural oil of some kind to coat your hair strands from root to tip to provide extra moisture and lubrication to the hair than can be produced from layering alone. Jamaican black castor oil, extra virgin olive oil, and extra virgin coconut oil are a few really popular ones. It's all about finding what works best in your hair. Personally, I use castor oil from Walmart and massage it into my scalp before putting on all my layers for the night. I don't choose to coat the length of my hair in oil simply because I don't think I would be able to go multiple days between washing and styling my hair if I did. When I first went natural and began to identify my hair as curly I learned that curly girls should never run their fingers through their hair because it can muss up the curls and separate all the units. So running my hands down the length of my hair with oil seems counter intuitive to me.

Normally hair grows at a rate of about half an inch per month, but with the GHE people have been able to get anywhere from one to one and a half inches of growth every month! I think those results speak for themselves. The GHE works better the more often you do it, so I try to do this at least every other night. I recommend you guys try it out for a month or two and see how your hair likes it. Maybe you can speed up your rate of growth! The Greenhouse Effect is part of a larger regimen, which was started by Meeka Jael on YouTube. She has a new channel called RealQueensRegimen where you can get all the info on the GHE and the overall regimen. The Real Queens Regimen also has a group on Hairlista for women who follow the regimen or do the GHE to help each other out with tips and experiences. If you decide to add the GHE to your current routine or to completely switch over to the Real Queens Regimen let me know in the comments.

Later, loves. :-*

Detangling Tools! :)

BOV Number 2

This is late, but it's finally up. Here's the vlog promised in the last post. Enjoy and leave your comments below. :)

Hair Experiment/Product Combo of the Day

For the past week or so, I've only been using the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie plus Eco Styler gel to do my Wash n Gos. This has given me really nice results, but I wanted to see what, if anything, else could work well with the gel without giving me that gross product reaction.

So today I decided to try out a product that I previously hated. For whatever reason, the Curls Creme Brulee did not work well with the Curls Goddess Curls Gel AT ALL!! I hated those two products together. And the fact that they come from the same line/brand kind of added to my dislike for them. I felt like the Brulee did nothing to really define my curls and the gel felt like all it did was lock in the frizziness that I always got with those two products.

But surprisingly, the CCB plus ESG worked really nicely for my hair. I basically had to use the CCB as nothing more than a moisturizer and stop looking to see if it would give me any definition on its own. That's just not happening. But so far, I'm really pleased with how my hair turned out, and it smells freaking fantabulous!!! I'll update with either a BOV or pictures of the day later. :)

Naturally Curly Hair Growth Prediction/Theory

It should come as no surprise that I examine my hair very often. It's still something new to me so I try to learn as much about it as I possibly can. So, every now and then when I'm bored, I'll sit in front of my mirror with an index card and put it behind my hair to examine it piece by piece. I also study photos of curly hair that I come across in every day life.

These examinations have caused me to come up with a theory about my hair, that can be applied to curly hair in general, concerning the way curl units grow. In the very front/top of my hair, there is almost no curl definition. The hair there is just wavy with no real units forming until you get to the very end of the strands. After about the first four to five inches, the hair no longer waves and starts to curl all in the same pattern, and become a defined, visible curl.

I've seen this on all kinds of curly hair, not just highly textured African-American natural hair. So, that lead me to the conclusion that some hair has to reach a certain age before it begins to grow in the same pattern as the hairs around it and form a defined unit.

Hair grows from the scalp at about half an inch per month, so the ends of our hair are the oldest parts and hair closest to the scalp is the youngest. If I have 5.5" of hair, and the first 5" has grown in random waves and the last half inch all comes together in the same curl pattern, that tells me my hair has to be at least eleven months old for it to grow in the same pattern as the hair around it and become a true unit. So, the first 5" of my hair might always be randomly wavy, but if my theory is correct, all hair after that will be in actual curl units.

What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments. Later, loves. :-*

Pictures of the Day

I decided to experiment with my hair again. :) This time I used my Tresemme Naturals conditioner as a leave in, applied raw unrefined shea butter on top of that, and finished off with Olive Oil Eco Styler gel. These pictures are what my hair looked like just after I finished styling it. I'll try to update throughout the day. Enjoy!! ^__^