Affirmations for Natural Girls

Look 

in the mirror and repeat the following: 

I am more than good enough
I am everything
I am All that I need to be
Fear is a Liar
Doubt is a Liar 


Love the versatility of weave? Enjoying the results of protective styling? I'm not talking to you!
I'm reaching out to the girl who feels that she is not enough. I'm writing to the woman who is submerged in self doubt. I want to provide her clarity. I want to share another perspective.

3 Steps to detangle 4c hair

Often times in life you have to do things you don't want to do. Life sort of forces you to do unpalatable things like satisfy Obligations, pay bills, and dangle your hair. At lest one of these things can be painless. 

Keep reading for my top tips when dangling fine 4c hair.

When attempting to detangle fine, kinky hair, you  must remember  1 thing: be gentle! Your kinky curls and delicate treat each strand with love, as you section, separate, and remove shed hairs. Because your hair is tightly coiled, shed hairs often get ensnared in your mass of curls. These rogue hairs can cause tangles as the work their way down, ultimately leading to breakage. How often you detangle  Depends on the condition of your hair, and current hair style. If you are wearing your hair in out styles, (twistout, braidout, fro, bantu knotout) you should detangle once or twice a week. Limiting how often you manipulate your hair will lower your risk for mechanical damage. While on the other end of the spectrum, going long periods of time without taking time out to  detangle will lead to knots, locks, and breakage.  Having a successful natural hair journey will require you to find  balance when caring for and styling your kinky hair.

3 Steps

Meet This Curly Girl!

Kathie

Student

NYC

Meet This Curly Girl

IndigenousCurls       How long have you been natural? What is Your hair type?   How was it received by family and friends? 

Kathie: I have been natural for a year and a half. My last relaxer was in August 2011. I big Chopped in October 2012. My hair is definitely in the 4 range. Whether I'm 4a, 4b, 4c, or a mix of all three, I don't know. 

Dont Play the Waiting Game... Live it Up!

Waiting

We spend a good portion of our lives waiting. We wait on lines, we wait in traffic, we wait on hold over the phone. One study shows that we spend hours, and hours of our lives waiting. Over the course of your life you will spends months, or even years waiting! This begs me to ask: Are you waiting for your curls to grow out?

Many curly girls patiently , anxiously wait for the day their curls can fit into a puff.  With length check t shirts, miracle growth oils, and methods that  encourage you  do everything including, hanging upside down, it’s hard to miss the constant push for longer thicker curls. However, those curly girls who are waiting for their curls to grow, are missing something magical. 

4c Kinks: No Definition, But Plenty of Influence

Picture this: You see a woman strutting down  the street, fly from curls to toe. Her care free attitude, the sureness in each step, she exerts “Dopeness’  with each gesture, and you cant help but notice! You think to yourself “YASSSSS” or, you want to do a slow clap to celebrate her fierceness.  We have all seen this lady. In fact, sometimes we Are these ladies. She is an influencer.  Her style, her attitude, or general way of life captures attention. Some will  admire her. Some will make fun of her and say ‘who does she think she is’? One thing is for sure, most everyone will notice her. This is what is like to have natural 4c hair, in a world of relaxed and weaved styles. Some will embrace & complement it, & even join in on the journey. Others will make fun, or suggest a relaxer. Everyone will notice.

The Point of No Return : How to Bounce Back

The Point of No Return : How to Bounce Back

After years of abuse, your hair is giving up.  Years of bad practices have taken its toll on your hair and scalp. You have done each and every hair no-no twice. You slept without a bonnet. Went weeks without conditioning. Kept the same weave in all year. Braids have serious Hang time? Avoided trims. Relaxed your hair every 3 weeks. Used the iron on the hottest setting every day. Skipped the heat protectant. I’m talking about all the naughty things. Now you are left with thinning hair, bald spots, and splitting ends. Is your hair is getting shorter, but you are not cutting it. What do you do? Don’t fret There are a few things you can do to get your hair on track.

Lazy Naturals Short Guide to More Moisture

Lazy Naturals Short Guide to Adding Moisture

Hello! I am a lazy natural. I avoid styles that take long to install, I avoid tedious techniques. I use short cuts, and simple tricks to streach the time in between wash days, and keep my tightly coiled curls happy. Here are just a few of my tricks for LAZY Naturals 

I went natural, Now What

I went natural, Now What

So you did it! You did the big chop, or you canceled your next relaxer, indefinitely. Congratulations!

So Now What?

Expect some looks. If you wore your hair long and straight all your life, it is only natural for those around you to react to your big chop. Some will be shocked. Some will be pleased, others will be confused. The only thing that matters, is

4 Brands of Gel Natural Girls Can Use

4 Brands of Gel 4c Natural Girls Can Use

Let’s face it, there are so many gels and styling products on the market, it can be hard to know just what is good and what is bad for your hair. Not all products that claim to be good for your hair, will give you the hold, and performance you need. Kinky, tightly coiled hair can be a pain to  lay down. Here are a few brands of gel that not only keep kinky hair looking sleek, they  keep my curls defined. My preferred gels are extra sticky, and goopy. Applying the sticky gels to wet hair is easiest. However, I apply gel on damp hair if I am looking to minimize shrinkage, and have the most defined look. I use gel on wet hair to get the sleekest bun. Using gel on wet hair, usually gives me a shrunken puff, as the curls are not that defined.  I notice my hair shrinks more when the gel is applied to dripping wet hair. No matter the look Im going for, these gels leave my hair happy!

3 Reasons to Big Chop Today

3 Reasons to Big Chop Today

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1.        Transitioning Strands Can Be A Pain.

   I transitioned for weeks while rocking  protective styles. Each time I removed the protective style, I was presented with more and more new growth. I quickly grew bored with braidouts, and twistouts, and began to long for other styles that showcased my curls.

Open Letter

Open Letter to a Transitioning girl

Dear Transitioning Curly Girl

Your curls are growing every day, no need for a daily length check! Whether you are newly natural,  or returning to our curls, there are some things we need to talk about.

Do NOT Go Natural If….

Do NOT Go Natural If….

Lets face it; what works for some, may not work for others. Before starting a natural hair journey, you will need to take a few things into consideration. What should you expect?  Take a good long look in the mirror, ask yourself if you are really ready, this is a long term commitment.  There will be days when things are out of control, can you deal with that? If you love pin straight hair all the time, if you are a control freak, if you cannot imagine life without the salon, if you are looking for the easy way out,  if you are impulsive, put the scissors down, you may not be ready to go natural. This journey is not for the faint of heart. Ok I’m being a little dramatic, but really, don’t go natural if…..

TRUE LIFE: I kept an emergency relaxer for 2 years

TRUE LIFE: I kept an emergency relaxer for 2 years, then something changed

A year into my journey I was still stumbling towards healthy hair. Pressing my new growth in an effort to blend the textures, was starting to damage my strands. I was uneducated on kinky curl care, and I was making major mistakes as I transitioned. I used high heat frequently, I manipulated my hair daily, and when it was in protective styles, I would often forget to moisturize. For the 1^st full year, length retention was stunted by my bad practices, regardless, each day I would blame nature for giving me unmanageable HARD hair.