Hair Growth Frustration!

Hey Fellow Curlies!

I'm just venting a bit...As you know I have been obsessed with growing my hair and really have been frustrated at slow growth process. However the process hasn't been that slow with all things considered. I recently started taking vitamins and extra care of my hair. My hair has grown about an inch since I started the process. The process seems slow to me because I am length obsessed. So in order to cure my madness I am taking on a new journey. I am turning my length obsession into a health obsession. I will worry about what the health status of my hair is rather than how long it is. Are you length obsessed?



side note: have I told you how much I love the summer weather. I will be outside this weekend and if I remember to snap some shots I will definitely post them!!

As Always,

XOXO

Love your curls!!

What Ingredients Are You Putting In Your Hair?

Obsessed with what goes in your hair? Ever question why this product does/doesn't work for your hair? Wonder if products carry harmful ingredients for your hair? Well, for all those ingredients junkies out there I have previewed and approved this excellent website by a fellow curly. She descriptively labels a plethora of ingredients found in many of our everyday hair products. Who is this ingredient goddess who took the time to research nearly every ingredient? Her name is Teri Laflesh a.k.a Tightly Curled. She is deemed credible in her knowledge and research.

In the ingredients description she labels the ingredient as either good, okay, caution, and avoid. You can also find a brief description and reasons for the labels. I find this online dictionary very helpful to know what its being put in my hair. The link to her blog is found below:

http://www.tightlycurly.com/ingredients/

Until the next time,

XOXO

Love your curls!

Go Natural/Why?

Hola Curly Chicas,

Lately I have been a YouTube fanatic. It started by wanting to learn different tips and suggestions about styling and maintaining healthy hair. I instantly became addicted to YouTube. (Side Note: I'm in awe at how it has expanded in the last year or two. To think that Vlogging on natural hair is a new thing amazes me. I'm so proud at all the vloggers because their information is really helpful. Kudos to ALL natural hair vloggers!!)

Through watching videos on YouTube and visiting various blogs, I have noticed a few things about naturals. First, naturals are into all types of products because it helps maintain sexy but healthy styles. Naturals also like to wear accessories to help spice up the game. Most distinctively, my fellow curly gals usually choose to become natural for two reasons: 1) go natural just to trash that “creamy crack” and/or to really embrace a different type of beauty or 2) to make a lifestyle of using all natural products. Both reasons are what makes being natural so beautiful and free. In order to determine where you stand, you have to define yourself as a natural. In fact, you can really do what you want, as a natural and still maintain a healthy glamorous look. The decision is yours but first you must really understand why you want to be natural.

My personal outlook for beginning my natural journey was mainly reason #1. I was majorly addicted to that crack that is sooo creamy because it was the easiest way for me to manage my hair. However I hated my thin, limp, neck length hair. Plainly, my hair was not healthy at all. I was also afraid of long term negative affects women experience (hair loss, scalp irritations etc.). So to make a long story short my friend and I decided together to go natural after we attended another friends wedding. My last perm was in April 2006. I loved the whole process because it was a "new" me! I felt sexy and different and LOVED it. My natural hair texture was surprisingly even more soft than my permed texture...goes to show that believing my hair wasn't good enough was all in my head ;0) Anyhoooo, I had fun my first year. My goal of appreciating my hair and maintaining manageable healthy styles was accomplished! YAY! Now I want more! Although my main reason falls in #1's category, my new outlook has more to do for the second reason. [I want to transition myself into an all-natural being. For me being all natural is more for health than hair. I'm embarking on a completely unrelated health journey (will discuss later) that has nothing to do with my hair.]

Here are some pictures of my permed hair versus my natural hair.

Pic1: ponytail pic of permed hair '05

Pic2: recently permed in humid weather

Pic3: natural up do. can't get that tight ponytail because of fullness and length. LOVE IT!! :0)

Pic4: natural blow out in '07 after being a year natural.

Why have you chosen to become a fellow curly girl?

Buenas noches,

As Always,

Love your Curls!

xoxo

Protective Styling

I'm currently learning on how to protectively style my hair to maintain length and healthy hair. I have to be honest, I have heard of protective styling before but never really thought I would be interested because I did not want to look like a teacher from "Little House on the Prairie"(btw: LOVE that show). I recently watched fellow curlies on YouTube discuss why protective styling is important and how to protectively style your hair. I learned some valuable insights.

Basically black women that have curly hair also have dryer hair (the tighter the curl the dryer the hair). When the hair follicle is dry it is susceptible to breakage. Moisture sometime isn't enough so we must protect it from natural outside irritants (sun, wind, etc..). The weakest part of our hair will need the most protection of course. Unfortunately, the weakest part of our hair is the part that we want to show off, the end. So in order to maintain a healthy length then we must protect our ends.

As you know I have type 4a,b hair so my hair get dry. After watching videos I wanted to become a "natural" at wearing protective styles. I recently straightened my hair (much rather it curly again...will discuss later :) and have been practicing with protective updo's. While testing out new protective styles, I learned how to make them work for my hair and style.

Do you protectively style?

Picture 1: high loose bun
Picture 2: added a purple flower for some fun
Picture 3, 4, 5: I couldn't take straight hari much loner so I slightly wet and flat twisted my hair then let it out. I used the sock bun method with just my curly hair and added a blue head band for some extra spice

Until the next time,

Love your curls!!

Nightly Routine

I love wearing the twist and curl style but found that it only lasts about 1 day before it looks flat and dry. I tried moisturizing more often but it did not seem to cure the flatness! My routine included; moisturizing with shea butter and using either a satin cap or a scarf. I found this to be a problem with my schedule. I would have to re-twist my hair during the week which did not work with my weekly routines. Well I now try the "pineapple method". I tried it and loved the lasting effects on my curls. My curls were full the next day and very moisturized. I love this method!

Always Love Your Curls,

XOXO
Caramel Curls

Blogging Again

I recently just started blogging and did not realize what it really takes to blog. It's a commitment! My schedule has been very crazy lately and I have not made the time to blog. So, even though I just started I stopped just as recent. I miss blogging though. For me blogging was a great way for me to share something I take pride in. My natural hair!

This is another commitment but I have not let the process of maintaining healthy hair fall off the band wagon. 4 months ago I made a commitment to stay heat free until my birthday. It was a trying time for me. There were times when I would look at the blow dryer and flat iron and get very tempted to just straighten my hair. I new that if I reverted back than all the money and effort spent would go to waste (once I buckle in then I'm like an addict). Blogging has helped me within the 4 months stay true to my natural hair. Well I recently had my birthday and was very surprised that I was very reluctant to straighten my hair. As a promise to myself I did and hated the process but loved the results. My hair was both healthy and shiny. I took extra precaution which made for extra time. 4 hours later on Sunday my hair was straight and I am pleased to say that I have reached my hair length goal (color bone length).

I'm working on a new long term goal for myself and once I made this goal I will share. My very short term goal is to keep my hair moisturized while it is straight and work on styles that do not require added heat on my hair. One Sunday of heat is enough! Thanks to blogging I am able to share this process. I'm a firm believer that it takes a village to raise strong healthy hair.

Jamila Henna

Greetings all curlys,

How has your New Year been thus far? Mine has been supper busy. Back to teaching and back in school myself. Super busy!

Anyway, I have a link about Jamilah Henna. I know that many of us curlys use either the foil packaged henna (with the date on the bottom) or the cellophane bag. If you are using either don't panick. Both are not harmful but the cellophane packaged henna is more highly recommended for hair. Check out the information: http://www.mehndiskinart.com/facts_about_jamila_henna.htm

Please follow the link and post comments you have.

As Always,
XOXO
Love your curls