Do You Want Your Hair to Grow?

When I first did the Big Chop, all I could think about was, "When is my hair going to grow back?" I had shoulder length hair and I really missed it (we've been conditioned to be obsessed with length). At any rate, my hair has really made tremendous progress and I have 3 tips that I think contributed to my hair making it back to its pre-chop length (actually it's a little longer now).

1. Use more protective styles
Last year I committed to wearing two strand twists and twist outs for 12 months. I'd twist my hair (a few times I went to a salon), wear it for about 4-5 weeks, rock the twist out for a week, wash it and then start the cycle over. Picking, combing, blow drying, and flat ironing all contribute to shedding. The less you do it, the less damage you're causing to your hair. My hair grew exponentially over the past 12 months. However, I should add that my results were a little skewed because I got pregnant-minus the pregnancy though, I still believe this process helped my hair.Plus I read that being pregnant doesn't make your hair grow but instead it makes your hair thicker because you're not shedding as much as you normally do.

2. Get your ends clipped, but not too often
When I first went natural, I tried to keep the same routine for clipping my ends that I used when I had a perm--every 6 weeks. However, natural hair doesn't need to be clipped as often as permed hair because it's not processed. It was hard for me to experience growth because I was clipping my ends so much. Now, I clip them once every 3-4 months.

3. Use Wild Growth Hair Oil
This hair oil has many uses, but I only used it on my scalp as a moisturizer about every 3-4 days. You only need to use small drops. Use your finger to help rub it in. Be careful because if you put too much, it will run.
This stuff worked so well that it scared me and I stopped using it. LOL!! My hair was noticibilly getting longer. I overcame my fear after reading others' reviews and started using it again. Just to warn you, it has an interesting smell.

I believe these 3 things are what helped me over the past year. Do any of you have tips for promoting hair growth? Please share.

Not That Hang Time!

Heatless Curls-Luv It!

Check out this video on heatless curls. This looks like an investment!

Kinky Curly Custard

I've heard a few people say that Kinky Curly Custard worked for them,so I decided to try it for myself. For those that don't know, KCC is used to help define your curl pattern. You apply it to soaking wet hair and either let it air dry or sit under a hood dryer.

I bought the 8oz jar from Target and tried it Saturday morning. I did my abbreviated routine and just shampooed and conditioned my hair. I picked and combed through my hair with the conditioner in and twisted my hair into a few sections. Then I rinsed with the twists still in. Using a spray bottle to keep my hair wet, I untwisted each section, one at a time and applied about a dime sized amount, maybe a little more. It really doesn't take that much. I did just like the instructions said and pulled the product from root to tip.



Then I let my hair air dry.

My hair was a little frizzy, but I'm glad it didn't feel dried out or sticky. I have 4a type hair, so my hair shrank drastically. I haven't found a product, yet, that helps with elongation. My curl/coil pattern wasn't defined as much as I hoped it would be. I think that's because I combed and picked my hair. Next time I will try to rub the product into my hair without combing and just use my fingers to divide into sections.

Saturday night I slept in a satin cap and was nervous to see what my hair looked like Sunday morning. I was hoping that I didn't have to re-wash it. Luckily, my hair wasn't flat at all. I simply mist sprayed some water all over, fingered through my hair, and that was it. I think I could get three solid days out of this style before I have to wash it again.

With all things considered, I liked the way my hair looked and felt. This is the first time I've done a wash and go since my hair has been this long; even though with shrinkage, it looks pretty short. I'm going to try it again later this week and I'll repost then.


If you've ever used KCC before and have some tips, please share!

Thanks:0)

Ladies, You've Got An Edge. Use It!

Ever since I was little, I've gone through great troubles to make sure the edges of my hair were straight and flat. When I had a perm, and my new growth started showing, I would take a toothbrush, water, and sometimes gell, to slick my sides back. My toothbrush traveled with me, just in case those edges decided to creep back in. I didn't want anybody teasing me about new growth.

Even with my natural hair, my edges will crinkle up, coil if you will. It makes a fuzzy look around my face. Whenever I pull my hair back for a puff, I will take a scarf and wrap it around my edges to help them lay down. When I would go out, I'd remove the scarf, making sure my edges were "in place."

But today, I've changed my mindset. I'm embracing my edges! I will no longer feel the need to make my hair lay flat and bone straight. We, as black women, have been fed all of these negative lies, feelings, words, and images about our hair just because it's different from the mainstream. Think about it--nappy, buckshots, beady-beads, kitchen, mess, knotty, etc, etc! It's ok to be edgy. It's ok to be you.

Ladies, don't let society relax you. I'm living on the edge. Will you join me?

Surviving Winter After the Big Chop

I thought about writing this post a while back, but never did. Just recently, one of my friends started a thread on Facebook about maintaining during the winter season as a newbie to the natural world. I have a few tips below.

1. Don't be afraid to rock your tweeny weeny fro. Especially if you did the big chop and don't have much hair, now is the perfect time to wear your fro. It's not a lot of hair to manage and it's shape won't be as heavily affected by everyone wanting to touch it. Pick your hair out and go with it.
At night time, moisturize and sleep with a satin scarf. If your hair is long enough, put a few twists in it. This will help keep it soft. If your hair isn't long enough to twist, no worries; just use a water bottle and spray a light mist to get rid of bed head. Don't drench your hair; you don't want pneumonia! Add moisturizer and go. I recommend Carol's Daughter Hair Milk or Organic Root Stimulator's moisturizer.

2.
If you like your curl pattern, you could wash and moisturize, but don't use a pick. Sit under a dryer or use a blow dryer. Your hair may be a little hard, but you can use a water mist and moisturizer to help soften it. At night, sleep with a satin cap, and use the mist and moisturizer in the morning to revive your curl pattern.

3. Try Kinky Twists with extensions or without, depending on your hair length and what you feel comfortable with. I caution that you go to a professional for kinky twists if you want extensions. They tend to break the hair off around the edges, so be careful with them.

4. Get another protective hair style, in addition to the kinky twist. This will keep you from having to do your hair everyday. You can look through a natural hair magazine or find pics online of styles you'd be interested in trying. Or you could just steal a style from someone that you see. I posted the pics below earlier, but I thought I would do it again. I saw this woman at a wedding and thought her hair was very cute.

Sorry . . .

Sorry followers. I know it's been a minute. Since I started this blog, I found out I was pregnant and then the school year began (I teach). With the combination of the two, I just haven't taken the time to update my blog. I'm only up here now because we have a snow day. More posts to come. I promise.