I know…I know…It’s been forever since I’ve updated my blog! I got a little caught up with work and just life in general, and I completely fell off of with my blogging. Well, I’m back! I must say that I’ve definitely missed talking hair, style, food and whatever the hell else I find myself rambling about on here. That’s what I love most about blogging; it gives you a platform to share the things you love and your experiences with the world. With that said, let’s talk hair. 🙂
Hey there, Naturalistas!
I get a lot of questions regarding my hair care regimen, so I wanted to share it with you all. My regimen below details how I care for my hair on a day-to-day and week to week basis. Check it out!
I set aside one day a week to pamper my hair. My schedule can get pretty hectic at times, but I ALWAYS make time to pamper my hair once a week. I do EVERYTHING to my hair in sections. Sectioning my hair into four ponytails makes it a lot easier for me to work with my kinky/curly texture. I begin my pampering session with a pre-poo or pre-shampoo. A pre-poo is a treatment that is applied to the hair prior to shampooing to add moisture, soften the hair and make the cleansing process easier. I normally pre-poo with a combination of conditioner and oils by mixing the two together, applying the mixture liberally to my sectioned hair, covering my hair with a plastic cap and letting it marinate for 30 minutes to an hour. Heck, sometimes I leave it in for a few hours or pre-poo overnight. By the time wash day rolls around my hair is dry, tangled and yearning for some TLC. Pre-pooing helps tremendously by adding moisture to my hair follicles, softening my hair and making it a lot more manageable prior to shampooing.
Hey hey, Naturalistas!
So, let’s talk protective styling. If you aren’t familiar with protective styling, it’s any hairstyle that shields the hair from harmful elements such as extreme weather, heat, and stress on the hair strands caused by daily styling and manipulation. Sometimes it’s just necessary to give your hair a break! Protective styles allow you to give your hair a break and tuck your hair away for an extended amount of time. It reduces and/or eliminates the need to comb, brush, pull, tug, and apply heat to your hair, which in turn minimizes the amount of damage to your hair, and allows your hair to grow freely without any added stress.
Buns, twists, braids, and sew-in weaves (when done properly),  are just a few examples of protective styles. Although some of these styles are made to last for months at a time (braids) while others may last just one day (buns), they all aid in protecting your hair from harmful elements we encounter on a regular basis and minimize or eliminate the need to manipulate the hair. Low to no manipulation, protection and proper upkeep results in hair growth and length retention.
For the past few years in the natural hair community all the rave has been about hair steamers. While most Naturalistas are used to the “cap and hooded dryer” method of deep conditioning, many are now using the steaming method of deep conditioning. Hair steamers emit steam to infuse and hydrate hair strands with water a.k.a moisture. The warm steam is supposed to lift the hair’s cuticle to allow moisture to penetrate the hair strands intensely and quickly. Applying a conditioner and/or essentials oils to the hair prior to steaming is said to enhance the steaming effects.
I received a Huetiful Hair Steamer for Christmas two years ago and have been using it faithfully every week (sometimes twice a week), so I feel compelled to share my experience, the good and the bad, with you all since I’ve been using it for two LONG years.
Hey TNC Fam! 🙂
There are a lot of ladies out there who have taken the plunge and made the decision to go natural. I’m sure you have a lot questions regarding the transitioning process, what to expect and how to handle the hair fiascos that will have you on the verge of smacking a relaxer in your hair (don’t worry…the hair fiascos are sure to come). I’d like to share with you some helpful tips that I learned throughout my transition that made the process a lot easier and enjoyable.
If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m a huge fan of Shea Moisture products.  A while back I tried and fell hard for their Purification Masque from their Organic Black Soap line of hair products. Let me just say that this is the best damn deep conditioner that I have ever used in my life! Yes! It’s that serious! So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of my love affair with this product.
So, let’s talk trimming. I touched on the importance of trimming your hair in a previous post. It had been about 6-7 months since my last trim…well it was more like a cut. I chopped off my relaxed ends in February of 2012 and my hair was very uneven and choppy. I needed a good, even cut to set the foundation for healthy and strong ends. I waited a few months after my big chop and my sister (…who’s pretty damn good with hair but doesn’t like to admit it 🙂) cut about an inch off in June of 2012. So, it had been a good while since my last trim/cut.
We all want long healthy hair, right? Well, before you consider length and reaching your goal of shoulder length, bra strap length or even waist length hair (yes…there are girls who’ve grown their hair down to their waists), you should first focus on the overall health of your hair. My personal thoughts – it doesn’t matter how long your hair is; if it’s dry, brittle, thin and damaged it’s not healthy and it’s not cute! (Just sayin’!!) If you first focus on the health of your hair, the length and growth will come. Here are several vital hair care tips that I learned and use faithfully to maintain my healthy hair. I am not a licensed hair expert whatsoever; however, I am an expert at maintaining the health of and styling MY HAIR. What has worked, and is currently working for me may not necessarily work for you. I encourage all ladies and (and fellas…can’t forget about you :-)) to learn what works for your hair.
The Naturalista Chronicles 