5 scalp Symptoms to Watch for

 I was ready  to endure curl withdrawal. I said my goodbyes as I  prepared to tuck my curls away for a few weeks. I cleansed, oiled, and braided my hair. I had purchased an new brand of hair I had never her of, but despised to give it a try because I liked the color. By the 2 night I was faced with a serious problem. My scalp was on fire!

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

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.

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 

3 Reasons to Big Chop Today

3 Reasons to Big Chop Today

Tumblr

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.

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.

Meet This Curly Girl | Growing to Love Her TWA

Finding Confidence Rocking my TWA

My big chop liberated me! 

I always said that I would cut my hair when I was ready to make a change. 

And my change finally came.

I've always been a little wary of short hair. I thought I couldn't be beautiful without long, thick, and straight hair. The fact that I had a boyfriend who hated natural hair made me even more self conscious about myself. I was always worried that I looked bad with my hair in its natural curly state.

4 Oils To Re Grow Hair

60 Day Protective style Challenge | Struggle Post

With 14 Days remiaing in this 60 Day protective style challenge, I am struggling. Each day, I peek under my protective style, in an effort to gage just how much growth is going on under there. I am currently expirencing classic signs of curl withdrawl.

What a struggle! The only thing saving this challenge, was my ability to change hairstyles every 10 days. If I had to rely on a salon to install my protective styles, I don't think I would have survived this challenge.  I began this challenge with a partial weave. My curls could not blend with the silky weave for more than a week. I refused to apply heat, and using the banding method was not getting silky results.

Creative Curly Girls

Creative Curly Girls  

D.I.Y. Distressed & Tapered Denim 

How this curly girl maintains her curls, and jazzes up her thrifty finds! She shares how she stays put together from Head to Toe! 

BY CherrieAmore 

My hair gets really dry so I use a lot of moisturizing products. Below are the products that I always have on hand for my hair!

My Hair Must Haves

Shampoo:

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Shampoo

Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo

Conditioner

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner
VO5 Moisture Milk Conditioner (pre-poo)

Deep Conditioners

Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner

Detangle That Fro

Detangling | One Naturals Perspective 

By: MissT of Karif Beauty 

If the methods for detangling seem endless, that’s probably because they are. Various tools include the Tangle Teezer, Denman brushes, the Hair Bean, and wide-tooth combs, just to name a few. Oh, and your fingers. And then there’s dry detangling, oil detangling, wet detangling, conditioner detangling…and the smoothing method…and specific finger motions…and..... you get the picture.

Throughout the natural hair world, every expert has

Looser Curls Over Night | Flexi Rod Set Results, and Details

Looser Smoother Curls 

Over Night 

Flexi Rod Set

By Mionna of JustMiBlog 

Instead of doing the regular twist out, I decided to try something different.


Flexi Rod Set on Transitioning Hair

I bought a set of flexi rods back when I was transitioning. I was at the point where I couldn't wear my hair straight anymore because my roots were taking over!  I only used the flexi rods one time & the results were great!! Here's what it looked like, and here's what I used!

Lets Talk Protein

Lets Talk Protein 

By  MissT of  KARIFBeauty

Like most aspects of being natural, protein is a tricky business. Some people are very sensitive to products containing protein, while for others, and I include myself in this category, it sometimes seems like you can’t get enough…at least if you’re doing it right. So that’s what I’m here to talk about: doing protein the right way. If you’re not sure what category you fall into, check out this chart.

For starters, your hair is made up primarily of protein, which is why its addition to your hair care routine, whether by ingesting it regularly or by adding a protein-containing product topically to your hair, is necessary for optimal hair health. Most naturals with thicker, coarser strands may not require protein products, unless the strands are very damaged. For those of us with finer strands, it’s a whole other story.

Saves Thin Hair, and Grows Thick Curls

Ginger

A Cure for Slow Growth, and Thin Hairlines?





A healthy scalp is the foundation for healthy hair. I have tested Ginger powder and pure Ginger by stirring a teaspoon into a deep conditioning masque, and hair oils. I have found ginger powder aids in scalp circulation, the immediate tingle wakes my scalp up! The moment the warm masque was applied, I could feel the  A pinch of pure ginger powder may be able to benefit those with thinning hair, and slow growth issues acting as a fertilizer to help give hair a natural growth spurt! 

Fresh Ginger root contains magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and vitamins, that help in making your hair stronger, healthier and shinier. One way to extract the goodness of fresh ginger is to warm the chopped, or grated root in olive oil.  I have mixed this ginger oil and used on my hairline. I belive the combinitation of JBCO and this Ginger oil has helped me to re-grow sparse areas, and strengthen my delicate 4c strands. 

4 Trimming Methods for Curly Hair

Keep Those Ends In Check!

1.  Blow Out Hair and Trim Dry-  Cut the hair when it’s straight (or at least stretched with the heat of a blow dryer). This technique is  highly recommended for a proper trim by many stylist. The Stylist can accurately gauge full hair length and extent of split ends. This should be done 2 times a year to minimize tangels, knots, and breakage. 

2. Clipping Curly Hair Wet – Some prefer this technique because the hair is flexible and can be stretched and detangled for trimming.  The downside is that you can’t see ends that need to be removed or the actual shape of your hair.  Curly hair is ribbon shaped. Depending on your curl pattern this technique may work best for you. 

3.  Dusting – There are many Youtube tutorials on this technique.  The hair is plaited in two-strand twist and the ends of the twist are cut.  I use this method every 3 months. Not only is it impossible to see what you’re cutting but your hair will be different lengths.   This is the best way to get helmet shape hair where the hair is flat in the back and lacks movement.  I don’t recommend this as your only method of trimming your ends, But it helps in between trims, keeping ends healthy and knot free in between major cuts.

4. Dry Cutting- which is cutting your hair while it is curly and dry. This method is for shape-styling curly/coily hair. Some believe is the best method if you always wear your hair in its natural curl pattern state. This method is great if you are looking to cut those perfect curly bangs. 

happy trimming curlies! 

Trichonodosis | How To Avoid this Length Killer!

Affecting Strands Across the Globe 

Trichonodosis

How To Avoid this Length Killer! 

Trichonodosis  (knotted hair) A trauma induced knotting of the naturally curly/wavy/coily hair. This traumatic knot can cause breakage, and lead decreased length retention. These Single strand knots are usually found on the lower part of the hair strand. The knots fracture  the cuticle and expose  the cortex where these knots form.  So now these knots are weak points on the hair strand since the cuticle layers are now bent into a knot shape, making detangling natural hair even more complicated. These single strand knots can reduce your length retention. 

These knots are weak points on the hair strand since the cuticle layers are now bent into a knot shape, they simply intertwine with itself or other strands of hair, making detangling natural hair even more complicated, they are normally on one strand of hair, or more than one strand all together in one knot. 

Because tightly curled hair is not oval or round, like straight hair, but ribbon-shaped and does not lie flat, it creates spirals which when pulled and released may lead to entangled hair forming knots

Half-hitch knots have a pattern and possibly could be detangled if they are not tight.

Shed hair, before leaving the scalp, tends to tangle with other hairs forming knots on its way down the hair strand.

 

How to Save Your Tresses

Wrap up your hair at night. Hair that's free during the night will be tangled and knotted in the morning. Use the pineapple or the mini pineapple method to preserve curls, and reduce tangles. 

Wash and detangle hair in sections

Rock Low manipulation/protective styles

Keep your natural hair in a stretched state as often  as possible

Styling should prevent friction and knot creation. Wearing the hair up means that hair is in a fixed position and is not forming meet and greet knots with all of the other spiral hair strands. This is a hard one because I like wearing my hair out and intend to do so when it gets to my desired length. However, because I know when my hair is out it means that it’s freely moving around tangling with other hair, I keep it moisturized  and  finger comb out any loose knots before they form into tighter ones.

If you find yourself with a Single Strand Knot, use a safety pin and put the needle right in the middle of the knot and gently loosen your damp stands. I also unravel loose knots with my fingers using my Home Made Detangling Mist & Lotion For Curly Hair 

Sometimes, when none of the above works. I cut these knots with a pair of barber’s scissors if the knots are close to my ends. If they are too high up on my hair strand, I don’t cut it, I  just can’t bare to. 

Since making adjustments to my styling and detangling, I notice less SSN (Single Strand Knots)  I do not straighten my hair often so the knots close to the root don't bother me.

Keeping your hair moisturized and  your cuticles closed will also cut down on the single strand knots. 

My Curls Smell Like Cookies! And Melts in my Hands!

My Curls Smell Like Cookies! And Melts in my Hands! 

I washed, conditioned and detangled my hair, rinsed and plopped dried my hair. I applied this to my hair in sections. Immediately my hair was softened and I could feel that my hair loved everything about this stuff. Section after section my hair felt amazing and the smell... Mmm heavenly, like my favorite cookies! I left this on overnight and rinsed in the morning. 

My hair felt soft, and smooth. It rinsed out clean and didn't leave a residue feeling. My type 4  curls were  hydrated and frizz free. And I could feel that it had penetrated my hair. I noticed a bit of a strengthening affect because there was less shedding when I was styling my hair afterwards. The packet was 2$. And I'm glad I decided to go with this out of the other options.  I am very pleased with this, will buy again and would suggest this to anyone who likes macadamia oil, needs a moisturizing treatment or just want to revitalize their hair. 

My only gripe... I just wish they made this in a jar or bottle size, it would just make it a bit more convenient. 

What it promises: Macadamia oil hydrating deep conditioning hair treatment with keratin, is an ultra-restorative, moisturizing treatment that will rejuvenate dry damaged chemically treated or over processed hair. Macadamia oil, native to Australia, is known for its absorbing deep penetrating and cuticle sealing qualities while leaving even the most damaged hair soft and nourished for incredible shine. Treat you hair with this nourishing treatment. I have a feeling Australian’s know a thing or two about curly, frizzy hair.

                                                                                               

Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE Going Natural

Transition with Easy Tips

Transitioning is a physical and mental journey. Heres what Curly Girls Need to know

Girlfriends & Curlfriends You'll need both!– Like any major change in your life, you’re gonna need the support & advice of loving people who can relate to what you’re going through.  Some of your girlfriends may not understand, so you might have to add some new CURLfriends to your circle! There are oodles of natural Facebook groups & online sites with hundreds of other curly girls waiting to connect with you.  Join in & make a friend!

      But WHY? Heres Why! –  Be ready for the questions you will be asked once you go natural.  I’ve gotten everything from “Is everything Ok?” to “What are you going to do with It?” Some people will never understand your decision, while others will embrace you on sight! Both groups, though, will be curious, so share your story defenselessly & go on your curly way!
 

2.   

4.   Keep Your Receipts – You’re probably gonna try 20+ different products in your search for the perfect curl or protection while transitioning. The good news is most beauty & haircare items can be returned to major chain stores, so keep your receipts or you'll end up with an overstuffed bathroom cabinet of “trial & errors.”
 

5.   Experiment - feel comfortable experimenting with different products & styles to find what works best for you & your locks. Frohawlks, afro puffs, and coils, go nuts!

6.   Find Your HAIRSpiration – I often hear people say “What’s the big deal…it’s just hair?” That’s true to an extent, but I also understand that our hair is an extension (no pun intended) of who we are. Whoever or whatever it is, find something that inspires & encourages you to realistically start your journey. 
 

7   

      Change Your Status – If you’re currently single, you can go ahead & change your FB status to “In a relationship.” Your transitioning journey is going to require you to nourish it with the same goodness you would a new beau – patience, care, commitment, understanding, flexibility,  forgiveness & most importantly love. “It’s complicated” will be your new status if any one of these are missing along the way…

8.   It’s a Wrap – I spoke with The Great Curldini & she predicts bad-hair days are in your future. Ahh, but hold up! She sees a solution…HEADWRAPS! If your crop is acting up, wrap it up! Head scarves, headbands, & beanies are accessory necessities…get a few in every color.
 

9.     When in Doubt, Twist it Out – The two-strand twist out is by far one of the easiest & cutest natural hairstyles that works for all textures & lengths.  Jazz it up with jeans or be dashing in a dress!

Do YOU, Boo Boo! – Last, but most certainly, not least… BE YOU!  This journey is personal, and everyone’s path is unique. Don’t let anyone “define” what natural is for you.  If deciding not to chemically relax your hair opens your mind to other aspects of healthy, natural living, go for it!  But if you wanna rock your curls with freshly manicured tips eating a double cheeseburger with blue contacts, that’s fine too!

All Important GENERAL TIPS 

• Avoid heat.   Heat can really dry out and permanently damage our hair. The worst thing that you can do to your hair is to press or flat iron to blend the two textures.  This will cause the hair to break at the demarcation line, which is the line where the relaxed hair meets the natural hair aka new growth. The demarcation line is the weakest part of your hair when you are transitioning.  If you must have it straight do it once every 2 months. 

• Put your hair in protective styles As often as possible . Where you're not obsessing about hair length every minute of the day. Find styles that will blend the two textures such as perm rod sets ( very small rollers originally used for curly perms you can find them at beauty supply stores), roller sets, braid-outs, twist outs, bantu knot outs, box braids, micro twists, and kinky twists or sew in weaves.
•  Have your braids touched in between appointments. If you are using braids to transition, get the front and sides touched up between braiding. This is where a lot of product and gunk builds up. Having it touched up every two weeks between full braiding’s will keep your hair looking nice and keep the edges from being so tangled when your take them down.
•  Always detangle from tip to end, Preferably with your fingers. Detangling transitioning hair requires patience.First you will want to start from the ends of the hair while you have conditioner on your hair. Separate the hair into four sections, and apply conditioner to each section. Detangling your hair is very important!! Failing to detangle properly will lead to hair breakage and failing to detangle at all will cause the hair to matte.
• Keep your hair moisturized. Dry hair breaks. Nothing beats water when it comes to moisturizing hair,this is the time you can start using natural hair products to seal your hair. 

• Protect Your Edges. Avoid transitioning styles that put too much tension on your temples and the nape of your neck. These areas are much finer and delicate!!!

TRIMMING

• Set a cutting/trimming schedule.
• Only use hair scissors to trim your ends. Never cut anything else with those scissors.
• If you feel uncomfortable trimming your ends ask the help of a friend or go to a salon. I twist my hair in sections and snip the ends of each twist for a trim.

QUICK TIPS

• Use sulfate-free shampoos when shampooing, or co wash
• Detangle from ends to roots.
  
• Minimal styling to prevent breakage.
• Do not flat iron or press the hair to match textures
• Deep condition every other week especially right after a shampoo.
• Keep the hair moisturized with a water based product.
• Do not use products with petroleum or mineral oil as the first ingredient.

My 4c Wash & Go

Type 4  |  Wash & Go

 “Wash and go” For type 4 curls, This is such a misleading term. You assume, all you have to do is wash your strands, and head out the door..  For my dense, kinky hair, that’s far from the case! My “Wash & Go’s” take me 30 min from beginning to end.

Type 4 hair is the most  tightly curled hair. The curls are so tight, they often curl around themselves or, each other, causing tangles, knots &, eventually breakage. Type 4 hair also has a tendency to shrink, and swell. This combination of shrinkage, swell, and coils, can lead to a mess at the top of your head.  Here is what I do to obtain a “Wash & Go” Look, with all of my coils, and no tangles.

It starts in the Shower | All about technique

My type 4 hair, can easily become dry. To avoid dryness, I  only cleanse my hair with conditioners, and I always seal in moisture using butters, and oils.   I let the water saturate my hair, until its heavy with water. I use 2 handfuls of conditioner and smooth (Not rake) through my hair from tip to root.

I allow the conditioner to sit-in my hair for 10 mins, then rinse 90% of the product. I love my type 4 coils, epically when wet. This is when the hair is easiest to work with.  Taking my hair section by section, I work in the  remaining conditioner, &  add my favorite oil (Tee Tree- Itching  /  Castor- Growth ). While still in the shower, I begin to twist my hair into 10 chunky twist (5 on each side). Adding  water, and oils as needed, for bouncy, wet twist, from root to tip. Twisting while in the shower, with a little conditioner and oil, takes me another 10 mins. After all 10 chunky twist are complete, I smoosh a leave in conditioner over the individual twist. And step out the shower.

Wash | Twist, Stretch, Moisturize |  Go

I allow my hair to drip dry, for a few moments,  then gather the twist in a tee shirt to avoid frizz. To achieve a more stretched look, I gather the twist into a high pineapple, then wrap  my hair in a tee shirt. I let dry for  10-15 mins (However long it takes me to get dressed), then remove the tee shirt.  I coat my hands in Shea Butter, and  take down the Pineapple, Smoothing  the twist with butter. At this point my hair is 60% Dry.  I begin to untwist starting at the nape, making sure my hands are well coated with a rich butter, or oil. As I remove the twist, They are not  completely defined, but stretched, moisturized, and detangled. I make sure to keep my hands out of my hair until it completely dry’s..  This ensures the least amount of shrinkage. How do you wash & Go your Kinky Hair? How many steps is your wash & Go.

 My 30 min Wash & Go

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       Make Your 4c curls Soft

Make Your 4c Curls Melt | 4 Simple Steps

Make Your 4c Curls Melt   |   4 Simple Steps

“If you called me names, & deprived me of the things I need, I wouldn't cooperate either” I read this in another Hair blog, and completely agreed.

Hair Feel Like Steel Wool? Keep Reading!

“Hard”

My 4c curls were HARD and CRUNCHY for a whole year. 

It wasn't my hair, it was ME. Your hair is not HARD, its dry. Yes, you may condition it. You may even use grease, and oils. Is your hair soft the 1^st day, then dry soon afterwards.. Unbelievable shine AND feels like straw? 

Keep Reading! I have some advice for you!

Soft to the Touch 4c Hair  Is Possible! 

Step 1  |  Moisture Starts BEFORE You Wash

I PrePoo 

Take a mixture of your preferred Oils and apply generous amounts on the hair, while finger detangling, tip to root. Take your time, making sure not to snap, pull, or break the hair. Everyone’s hair is different experiment and see what oils work best for you. My 4c hair loves heavy oils. Here is my mix:

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Lanolin Oil

Coconut Oil

Soybean Oil

Sunflower Oil

Proven to Penetrate the hair shaft and nourish dry hair 

Proven to Regrow Hair

I mix 3 or more of the oils together and let it saturate in overnight. I  pineapple my hair, and cover my head with a bonnet. When my hair was too short to pineapple, I would Wrap my head with a silk scarf, then put on a bonnet.

Step 2 | Co Wash

I don’t use shampoo often. Most of the time I co-wash. Using only conditioner (and a lot of it). I saturate my hair with water, then apply conditioner, tip to root. To make things easier I cleanse my hair in sections. I section my hair in 4, pin up 3 sections and apply conditioner to each section, tip to root. I make sure to smooth the sections with my palms (Not raking with my fingers). Without rinsing, I pin up the saturated section, and continue with each section. Once conditioned,  I remove all pins, and rinse. I reach for a wide tooth comb

 and while the water runs over my hair, I pass the comb tip to root, to remove any shed hairs.  I apply a quarter size amount of conditioner to my hair as a leave in. This whole process takes me 10mins.   I only shampoo if my hair is really dirty, and I always follow-up  with a deep conditioner.

Step 3  |  Deep Conditioner

 I deep condition once a week if my hair is not in a protective style. There are a lot of conditioners on the market. Experiment to find what works best for your hair. My 4c curls love heavy creams, and butters. I Always search for thick, creamy, conditioners with lots of slip.  I leave the conditioner in for 30mins the least. If my hair needs more TLC, I will leave  it in overnight. The one pictured above is my current Fav. 

*Watch out for protein overload. Ever heard of too much of a good thing? Protein is one of those things. If you are constantly conditioning your hair with protein based conditioners, it can make your hair brittle and dry. Be sure to switch up between alcohol based conditioners and protein based conditioners.

Step 4  |  Seal

 

After PrePoo & Co Wash -- My  Naked 4c Hair

After  taking the time to detangle, cleanse, and nourish, you want to hold on to those results. The best way to keep you hair soft for days, even weeks after washing, is sealing.  Coating your hair with nourishing oils, butters, and water will help maintain your style.  I seal every 3 days If my hair is not in a protective style. Here is what I use

Water

Butter (Shea, Coco, coconut)

Oil

Aloe

Conditioner

Hairband/Pins/Clips

In a spray bottle I  add water,  a squirt of conditioner or pure aloe gel.  I Section my hair in 4, working 1 section at a time, I spray the mixture until my hair is damp (Not  dripping). I Take some butter, (I love shea butter) and smooth each section tip to root. I often take this time to detangle as well.  You should begin to notice you hair softening with each stroke. I gather the section, and twist it into a tight little bun, securing it with a pin. I continue this on the other sections,  ending with 4 small, well moisturized buns. I remove the buns 20mins later. Allowing any water to dry.

1 week old hair, sealed & stretched with a Braidout

I coat my hands in oil, and smooth the sections before removing the buns.When the buns are removed I have stretched soft to the touch 4c curls!  If your hair is not friendly with heavy oils, and butters, you should still seal your ends using lite products.  Sunflower Oil, Grapeseed, and Coconut oil may work better for your hair. 

No matter how you wear your hair healthy hair is good hair. Be good to your hair. Peace & Love

IndigenousCurls

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