Hair Type and Texture

Coil-out

 Coil out with braids

 
I have finally identified my hair type and texture. I am a 4A with some strangely straight curls near the nape of my neck.The overall texture is very coiled and cotton-like. I have the type of hair that has to be immersed in water just to get it soaking wet. This type of hair draws up tighter than its actual length, so it looks like I have a short fro, but when I do a textured style like a twist or coil out, I can see that it's actually longer than it is.I'm learning that it helps knowing what the texture and type of hair you have especially when looking for products, as its makes it easier to decide what you need based on this information.

Curly Hair in Poetry

When researching books on natural hair care, I stumbled across this poem by Harriet Jacobs in one the books I had checked out. I felt it best represents how I felt about my struggle with my hair. I am someone who truly dislikes sitting for long periods of time in the beauty salon, as I really don't understand still why it takes so long. Mostly the problem for me was stylists overbooking, anyhow and add to that the price of beauty equals a very disgruntled chica. I am a low maintenance girl, and I love the fact that if I don't want to style my curls I can just rock a fro. I could go on and on about this but will save it for a later topic.
Here is...

On Extending the Olive Branch to My Own Self

what was i doing anyway
was i crazy did i think 
that by beating it into submission
i would win something
i've witnessed other casualties of war
the eyes of madness 
that wandered through my neighborhood
after nam what made me think
self-inflicted war would be 
more merciful
or that oils and lubricants 
metal combs of fire/chemical assault/all the
forces that modern technology could marshal 
would ever win out over mother nature
& tell me this/what made me think 
that would be a victory 
anyway

a postscript
to my brothers and sisters:

it maters not how we wear it 
but if we begin to wrap ourselves 
just as tightly around each other 
& refuse to let go 
if we rise up mighty like a dark cloud 
& resist all efforts to change nature 
of who we really are
when we learn to stand 
just as unshakable 
in the beauty of our strength
and the strength of our beauty 
then

then...

Harriet Jacobs
If you are interested in more African American poetry or in this poem look in this anthology Spirit & Flame: an anthology of contemporary African American Poetry by Keith Gilyard and Black Hair: Art, Style and Culture edited by Ima Ebong

Still here!

At the moment trying to work on a program at my library for people interested in going natural or are natural and want more information on the process. I personally feel FREE! I love my curls. I am still researching the essential oils for hair but an important thing for going natural as with any new adventure, you have got to do your research on the products and ingredients for yourself. Mostly from there it's trial and error.

Essential Oils

I am currently looking into different types of essentials oils and ways they can be used for my hair and skin. My research has led me to the Aromatherapy Bible by Gill Farrer-Halls, which seems to be an interesting read, however I haven't completely delved into it yet(I tend to skim at first). Anyhow during my skimming I saw a paragraph about using oils to relieve dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis, in my case the latter was of interest to me. I was diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis about year or so ago and the doctor prescribed me this shampoo that basically stripped my hair. Not only did it dry my hair out, my scalp would start itching not even a day after use. Since going natural this has not been as bad of an issue however, I still need some scalp assistance. In this book it suggests using bergamot, sandalwood and lemongrass instead of what is commonly seen in stores such as tea tree.This book looks to have some really nice recipes which I intend to try out at some point and give my verdict.

Rocking My First Fro!

I finally washed out the roller set that I'd had for two weeks, and tried out some new products along the way. Since funds are low, I only bought the Curls cleanser and conditioner from Target. I must say these products smell so good I want to eat them, but I didn't. So first I washed my hair with the cleanser, it doesn't really lather and not sure it's supposed to. After cleansing my hair, I used the coconut conditioner, which made my hair feel so soft. I then rinsed this out and used Aphogee leave-in conditioner, olive oil and rubbed raw Shea butter into my hair. I started to do a twist out but got lazy and it was almost 3 a.m in the morning when I decided to do this process, but alas my hair was and still is soft to touch. I did attempt to rock my bought Afro ponytail but my hair wouldn't go into a ponytail for me to do that and I realized I probably should have done the twist out. What did I do instead? Well, I plopped two thin black headbands on my head and went to church.

My big cut!

It's been a week since I went and had most of the permed hair cut off at the shop. My current hairstyle is tiny rods that makes it appear that my hair is really short. Everybody loves the new do, so I'm content with it. I'm not entirely sure all the perm was cut off, but a huge amount of my hair was on the floor. I'll determine this when i wash my hair next. Speaking of washing, I am almost done using the Shea Moisture products, and I can say that I like the way the shampoo cleans my scalp, and the scalp elixir. I am not 100% on this product line so I am going to try something else. I saw that KeraCare has a natural product line that I would love to try, though I am curious about the ingredients. I'm still hoping to try out the Curls line and maybe Design Essentials. I recently tried the Aphogee Two-Step Protein Treatment with Balancing Moisturizer, it made my hair feel soft and pretty. I also like the leave-in conditioner for this product line. I truly believe that this is going to be an exciting experience once I figure out what works for my hair in products and styles.

What is beauty?

Well many say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yet what if  the definition for this person is the commercialized view of the slender, fair-skinned, straight-haired beauty that we see everyday in the media? What has been seen as beautiful has transitioned over the years, but the idea of being thin has maintained. In the early years women used to suffocate themselves just to have that eighteen inch waist, even foregoing a few ribs in the process. Beauty=Sexy, and apparently sex sells, but at what cost, self -esteem, self-loathing, etc. But anyhow that's whole different blog, my point is about how many people are against going natural, why because of this ideal that straight is beauty and professional and natural is just a nappy mess. Me personally have chosen to go natural because it allows me versatility and is better for my hair. However, I find it unfair that being natural is not seen as what it truly is....EMPOWERING!!!Many women that I've talked to are afraid to take this step because they see natural nappy hair as unmanageable, but if taken care of  properly it actually quite the opposite. I think no matter whether you're natural or straight, its you that defines beauty within yourself, take care of your hair and yourself.

Shea Moisture Products

I recently tried the Shea Moisture African Black Soap shampoo, conditioner and intensive scalp elixir. I also tried the Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque. So, what I did may have been bad, I took out my sew in and just washed my hair, a friend of mine said I should have combed out my hair first, however I never did that before when I've had braids. So, my review of these products may be you know a bit negativo, hopefully I don't have the same situation next time. Basically my hair was a tangled mess afterwards, any way on to the products. The shampoo is really thick, however it doesn't really lather up very well, but it cleaned my hair great. I have dandruff so usually, my hair itches a few days after I shampoo, so this stuff is good. The conditioner honestly wasn't that great, it seemed watery to me.Now, the scalp elixir is GREAT!! I did not care too much for the masque, it was sort of thin to me and smelled too much like perfume for me. My hair however was nice after I took a blower dryer to help me get the knots out...OUCH!!! Head was tender for a few days. Overall, I spent $40 bucks on these products at Target, so I will continue to use them and I'm going to try them out on my cousins hair, and see what the results will be for her.