wash and blow dry

Okay I think I am okay with my hair. Whilst I was having my hair canerowed. My friend suggested I leave the back out. I didn't but it looked so fab. Now I feel it is too cold for my hair to be out over here. So when it gets warmer look out for my new colour and bravery. I do need to let my head of hair breath.

Anyway here are some pics of my hair freshly washed and towel dried. The second picture is blow dried but not salon blow dried. All this hair and I still cant think what suits me. I guess I am stuck in how I see others as opposed to what suits me.

Any style suggestions please leave a comment.

My hair my blog

I think I have been brainwashed or shamed into believing that I can only wear my hair one way. In its unaltered natural state. But is that me. Is it really who I am. No it's not. I like the fact that my hair is 100% natural and I am no longer limited in what I can do. But........I like change. Don't panic. I will not be relaxing my hair again. Decided that because of the constant style changes twists braids extensions canerows weaves you name it. Such a move would be unhealthy. 

I do intend to try harder to get to grips with natural style more often. However if I want to put on a curly or straight hairpiece that is what I am going to do. I love single braid extensions but I can not stand them after a month. Nor can I afford to get them done so often.

What may be best for me to do. Is to use this blog more effectively. I will develop it so it is not just my hair journey and more a place to find out what can be done with natural hair. Showcasing my love hate relationship with my hair, and inspirational folk. My fave YouTube videos and blogs etc.

Yeah I think I will take it there. Once that is in motion properly I might need to tweak my blog name.

Now if only I could create an html worthy banner for all my blogs

Urban Therapy

I am indeed a bit of a product junkie. But I am trying to slow down on that. So far I have not bought anymore hair grease and wil just use what I got for now.

Anyway I was in a store called Home Bargains. They sell branded goods really cheap. I came across a few products by Urban Therapy, their twisted sister range. One of those products was a relaxing straightening creme. I also bought their curl activator and 30 second curl spray.

I have only tried the straightening creme. It feels nice in my hair and smells nice too. I just used it to blow dry my hair and then flat ironed using my FHI ceramics. I didn't add any further products and I am pleased with the results. But we have torrential rain and I am not going outside.

I went out the other day and everyone thought I had styled my hair out. I will be styling my own hair for daily wear but as you may have gathered I do not seem to be doing too well on the DIY hair styles. Even more so the hair magazines are not catering to me. Plus my young gifted hair braider is at college so I will struggle to get my hair did.

Might end having to get twist extensions for winter but will see. Any style suggestions please let me know. My hair when blow dried is shoulder length or just below.

My lush braids

Just a short post to show off my braids. This is the best picture I could get hold of. I used synthetic hair called Bulk Ultimo by Aftress.

Why oh why

I really do love my braids. They are longer than what I generally like but they look so good on me. H0wever I am going to have to take them out. Those white bulbs are showing on my hair line. So I guess they got to go. I really wanted to keep my hair in braids for a while. But I will have to give my hair a break.

Then again I might change my mind in a few weeks.

Braid it up

I have had my hair in single braid extensions for 2 weeks. I have been fed up with styling it or doing nothing do this will do. I might even rock this look throughout the coming winter. All depends as my mood often changes with my hair.

My edges are fine so far. I have been applying Profective Anti Thinning creme. I am also making sure that I do not pull my hair back non-stop.

I will probably get bore and need a change soon. But I am determined

Thinning edges and new products

I am having that problem again. I am kind of addicted to the versatility of instant weaves as and when I need a quick style. I have yet to make my hair look effortless. My friend M has been natural for a while now and she rocks her natural beauty in all its glory. She was a fashion student and has that quirkiness that fashion folk have. It spills over to her hair.

My hair does not form a nice fro no matter what I do. But I guess I need to keep trying to do something with my own hair as best I can. I looked in the mirror last week and woah where did that come from. My edges have thinned out and dropped out. Luckily hair is still there so I might be able to save it once again. The maddest thing is that I will be putting my hair in single braid extensions. I should be okay. My hair stylist will go gently on my edges.

The last time I had this problem I canerowed my own hair for a few months and let it be and it recuperated. This time I will be using some product assistant. not sure if it works but will see.

Whilst in London last week I bought some products. I can get carried away and my friends think I am addicted to buying hair but I am not. I just like to stock up when I can so when I want canerows I can have them done or singles.

Anyway products I bought 'Profective Anti Thinning Circulation Stimulant'. Its thick and creamy. It says to apply twice daily. Well a little goes a long way. Other items I bought were for hold and sculpting and moisturising. They are 'Organics by Africa's Best...Shea and Tea Tree Oil Moisturiser and the 'Olive oil twist and lock gel'....'IC Fantasia ice pomade' ( recommended by another natural hair sister so I thought I will try)...Dark N Lovely Naturally Calming tress and hold gel.

I have tried both gels and they do hold my hair in a way. The other gels I have bought just slide off my hair but these seem to add moisture and hold at the same time. I wonder if I can use them with water...mmm. I do love the moisturiser. Its not another pink oil that sits on your hair. It does add moisture.

I am interested to know what works for people too. Will update and hopefully get some more pictures soon.

Scalp is on fire

I did enjoy the twist out while it lasted. However I had to comb that out so that I could attack my scalp. For a few months now I have been experiencing dryness that creates sores which scab over on my scalp. I have been looking into what I can use to combat this.

Many product suggestions have tea tree oil. I tried making products from scratch but not sure if I am that committed. I just want to buy it in a tub and not pay customs tax. I hope customs haven't taken any products I ordered. Those brutes.

If you can think of any decent product that will help my scalp let me know. If I go out tomorrow It will be to purchase one or 2 products I saw mentioned on Afrobella.

Twist and Shout

Ok as you know I am not the greatest fan of twists. However I have been wearing my hair in twists for just under 2 weeks. I have kept my hair under wraps though wearing cute hats etc when out and about only because I seriously believe twists do not suit me. If my hair was longer and thicker or even just thicker maybe I would like them on me. Also there is my weight issue. So sometimes I feel certain hairstyles make me look um not so good. I do wear instant weaves and hair pieces and just about all my friends and more have seen my hair out and about.

Anyway the picture you see if the resulting twist out. This time around I washed and blow dried my hair. Oiled my scalp with Organic Root Stimulator Jojoba oil. For my hair length I applied IC Fantasia Frizz Busting Straightening gel. I applied Anita Grants whipped butter also.

When I took out the twist I rubbed through some more of Anita Grants whipped pudding. This time I wore it all out. I just put a headband on as the front was not looking the way I hope. Once dye my hair I think I could rock this style on a regular. The twist out that is.

Not sure if I can maintain

Ok so I have not really been keeping my hair journal up to date as I should. I have reached a cross roads with my hair. I go to a hairdressers for deep conditioning treatments once a month and also to have trims when required. She is really good, however I always leave feeling that I should relax my hair.

I asked my wonderful friends their honest opinions regarding me going back to the chemical process of relaxing. They were unanimous in saying that I have been natural for so long and they felt that I should just stay as I am. Arguments being the long process to get of a relaxer and other hair options opened to me. Such as pressing when I want a straight look, instant weave or natural hairstyles that are maybe more adventurous than what I have tried before.

I was lucky to be selected as one of the winners on Afrobella for the creme of nature competition. I just hope customs are not red eye and deliver my goods to me etc. Whether I recieve them or not one thing for sure it does mean to me maybe I should try a bit longer.

I have twisted my hair. I am not a fan of twists. Simply because I do not believe they suit me. I also do not like my weight right about now. I see twist on sisters on youtube and various blogs and think wow they are cute. But the twist have done are simply so I can do a twist out. I have a few more days to go. If I dont like the twist out I will just comb it out. What I do to my hair then I just do not know.

I think I need to get a ghana braid or weave or just some singles to mull over my hair for a while.

treatments please

Ok well i want to dye my hair. I'm thinking of 2-3 shades of highlights all over. My friend says my hair is long but its just shoulder length when stretched.

my aim for the next 3 months is to have treatments every two weeks. I am not sure which treatments to do or try. The easiest would be hairdresser as i am due a trim and dont like snipping my ends myself.

I would love some colour suggestions

style challenge

Right now my main style is canerows. i do love the curly fro pieces that are about. big hair

but its soooo cold in england right now
so its strictly protective styles now

canerow every week

Not much in hair land
i have tried out anita grant's wonderful products.
trying to save to buy more

i am on the look out for something to soothe my scalp. its dry it flakes and if i dont wash it before it begins to itch i am suffereing.

i was addicted to my curly fro instant weave. but i have let that go.

i found when i was on my hols in caribbean i did no need any oils. the heat just brought out my natural oils

anyway i will give this a better update soon

canerow tension

My friend canerowed my hair for me just before christmas. Which i was grateful for. As you can see from the pic the point parts were also along the hairline and her grip was tight.

However when i came to take them out there were oads of white bulbs around my hairline. My hair was basically being pulled out from the root. I thought at first it was a product i used. but no. Anyway my hairline is damaged. Though one of my friends says its not bad and could be worst.

I told my friend who did my hair about the damage and she was apologetic but at the same time i should have said to make it less tight.

Traction alopecia is no joke. some people recover some dont. so you know i am now on nappturality reading there alopecia forum to see what is what.

Do people learn lessons mmmm who knows but I intend to get a weave for my birthday. I have never had one. plus i dont wish to straighten my hair and a weave is just a style option I',m gonna see if i like it.

If when your hair is done you cant smile cause of the pain speak up and say lessen the tension my dear.

twists to go

Since my hair was in need of some TLC from the micros i did the following.....

I detangled my hair combing through ends to root. section at a time. Then i lavished my hair with Vatika as a pre-shampoo treatment. I left it on for half and hour. Then I shampooed with creme of nature shampoo. I have yet to find and alternative..suggestions are welcomed. Usually i use my Lush conditioner bar its a green one but cant remember the name off hand.

I squeezed excess water from hair and sectioned it off into four sections and applied to each keracare essential oils, keracare moisturiser, glycerin (which i have found that i need to buy a vegetable based one) and castor oil. each item listed i only use a small amount as the water that is still in my hair helps to spread it through easily. Due to time constraints I had to use a blowdryer. I dont blow dry my hair straight.

Then i just oiled my sclap using organic root stimulator jojoba oil and twisted my hair all over. My hair needed trim so i snipped the ends as explained by Motown girls diary. Oh yeah the front i flat twisted as my canerow didnt look good. I took down my twists just before i went out. The pic looks good. I recieved loads of compliments with this twist out. So looks like me and twists have a new relationship but just for twist outs

tight micros and lesson learned

My good friend Mary did these micro braid extensions for me. She says there is no excuse for a mother not to have her hair styled. Bless her.

If they look tight that is because they are.

My hair has been braided using Jazzy Kanekalon fibre. It is only braided about an inch and half which meant lots of my own hair is left out. Then the hair is braided into 5 or 6 big tight braids hence the extra tension on my scalp.

Then the hair is dipped into boiling hot water for about a minute. This curls the hair or gives it a waved crimped look. Now when this was done in my hair the hair was unraveled wet. Which meant when it dried although moisturised my hair frizzed up, Next time my hair will be left in the big braids untill completly dry so that my own hair stays in that style shape.

Now i have taken these out but found one of the braids came out by itself. From my investigation it was on my hair line. Which feels tender. Lesson learned. Next time i will insist my hair line is not braided so tight and that i take them out sooner.

Oh yeah please note yet again it took me over a week to take these out even though it wasnt plaited down to the length of my hair. micros and newborns are a no no. if it wasnt for another friend i would still be taking them out now

twisted

These twists were done all by me in august 2005. I got a bit lost as to what to do with them. The picture makes them look better than i thought. Though you can see the gaps which only reinforces my hair being fine. but hey. i did get loads of comments when i wore my hair this way. i think i just ran out of ways to style it that i felt looked good on me. practice makes perfect i say.

progress

Well my hair is au natural now. I dont have any set routine. Yes i do wear my hair in braids and canerows. but i also wear my hair out. right now its just in a pony puff but i am finding my ends are getting knotty. any solutions much appreciated.

Looks like i will be twisting my hair up tomorrow as i will have a busy friday.

I love the castor oil. but it is thick. so i use it sparingly. I wore my hair in a twist out to church and everyon was so in awe. so i know that is one style to keep using. but rain and mist caused frizz. mmm solutions

wearing my own hair

Yes thats right. I am wearing my own hair and have been for the past week. This is week 2. i have it styled with canerows in the front and the back is left out. i usually do a braid out which i am am so proud of or i put in a pony. I never realised people could be so obsessed with my hair. quite shocked that some people asked me if it was my own hair. they werent black those that asked.

my two newest purchases have been organic root stimulator jojoba oil it came with a free sample of soy oil and palmers frizz ease serum. now i use the frizz when i set my hair as it makes the style look sharp.

my scalp is still flaking up so i may have to wash it more often. unsure really.

to be honest i thought wearing my hair out would be bad but it is really nice. i am loving it. now i just need to work out how i am gonna do an afro puff for summer.

micro madness

I cannot believe that it has taken me 4 days to take out my micro humain hair extensions. I cut my own hair as i forgot my hairs lenghth. It was just pure madness. Luckily my friend helped me with the last few.

Now i am in style limbo. So my hair was seriously dry that my hubby pointed this out to me. So i gave my hair a pre-shampoo oil treatment. of coconut oil, amla etc. its called Vatika and indian hair treatment 100% natural. it felt nice in my hair i am tempted to use it as a daily pick me up when my hair needs it.

After my micro hell i am considering canerows som much easier to take out. I did try doing my own hair myself but i cant canerow backwards the way i would need to make the style work.

Well as they say practice makes perfect