I am rough and tough with my afro puffs

Big news guys……dum, dum, dum (that was me humming the anticipation /announcement tune) I am now au natural in the hair department!!! Yes LPM lovelies, I am currently sporting a fro and proudly singing …I’m rough and tough with my afro puffs…hey…

So, let’s back up a little and give you guys a bit of history. A little over a year ago, I looked at the state of my relaxed hair and realised my hair just looked tired, thin and plain raggedy. All the years of relaxing it was starting to take its toll and it just wasn’t a pretty sight! Deciding something needed to be done, I started watching or rather stalking some amazing naturalistas. (please check out FusionofCultures and SimplYounique on Youtube – two fantastic women who truly inspired me as I watched their hair journey)  One day feeling embowered, I decided yeah, I can do this too! Fast forward to the next day where I am sitting with my previously arm pit length hair now down to a scary chin length bob, and I completely panicked thinking, OMG what did I just do?!! I then proceeded to hide under weaves and braids for the next year.

I essentially transitioned for a year (I still have a few relaxed bits at the end of my hair) , but unfortunately didn’t take very good care of my hair during that time, which meant I had quite a bit of breakage, a thinning front where my extensions were pulled too tight and it’s also quite dry. Looking at it recently, I decided it was time to really start taking care of my hair and to bring out the fro

Here are a few pictures with my first week of protective buns and my first ever twist out. They are both far from perfect, but this is where the fun comes into it as I begin my journey to find out what works for my hair.

The products I used for my first week (I don’t want to give you a review yet, until I know how they really work for my hair, but so far so good) are Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner for my deep conditioning treatment, Keracare Natural Textures Cleansing Cream as my shampoo, Tresemme Naturals Conditioner for co washing, Cantu Shea Butter Leave in Conditioner for my leave in and Coconut oil for sealing. You should be able to find all the products at your local beauty shop or Boots.

My blog won’t become completely focused on natural hair, but seeing as it is now a part of me, I will probably give you regular updates about my journey and the products I try along the way. So far though guys, I have to say that I’m loving my hair!It is taking some adjusting to and definitely requires more time but I'm happy I made the decision. To be completely honest, I was a little nervous to begin with and I had a few people telling me not to do it! but this is why you need to have your own voice and know what you want, otherwise you will easily be swayed by what others think.

Are any of you natural? Do you have any tips for a newly natural? If so please share

xxx

Love Hair Online – Virgin Brazilian Hair Review 2 months

I am currently transitioning and haven’t relaxed my hair in about a year eeek!!! …more about that in a future natural hair post.,…. To be honest I haven’t quite figured out what to do with it yet, so for the last year I have mainly had my hair in a variation of extention type protective styles, be it braids, twists, weaves etc…So about two months ago I decided to install a weave using virgin brazilian hair and this is my personal experience and review.

I bought the brazilian hair from Love Hair Online and actually went into their office as I wanted to see the hair before I bought it, however you can also buy the hair directly from the website. I bought 4 packs of hair in three 18 inches, one 14 inch and a 12 inch top closure.

The Bad

When I went into their office, I was told that they had recently had a huge sale so unfortunately didn’t have too many options of hair for me to pick from. Additionally I noticed that some of the packs had quite a few of those annoying white strands of hair.

I bought a closure to use in the front as I really didn’t feel like leaving my hair out and for some reason whenever I curled my hair I found that the curls in the closure hair just didn’t last as long. Also I didn’t really like the texture of the closure hair after a few weeks as it felt a little rough.

The biggest negative for me is that the hair sheds quite a bit, it’s almost like it’s trying to get off the weft as quickly as possibly!!! especially when I comb/brush it or run my fingers through it…this is very annoying as two months into it you can see that it’s not as full as it used to be. If you are someone who likes a very full head of hair then you will definitely need more packs to balance out the shedding

The Good

Now onto the positives, I have to say that this brand is one of the most competitively priced virgin brazilian brands that I have found. They are actually a wholesale company but sell their hair to the public and regularly have a “mega sale day” where they offer the hair for even cheaper….be warned though the queue to buy the hair on those days is meant to be ridiculously long but as a friend mentioned “worth it”

I had originally planned to attend a mega sale day but they changed the date at the last minute. I still went down on that day as I was traveling shortly afterwards so couldn’t make it to the next date. To the brands credit they gave me a 10% discount as an apology which I thought was great customer service.

Finally aside from the shedding the hair had very minimal tangling and 2 months on it still looks great. Additionally the texture of the actual weave was quite nice

Maintenance and pictures

To maintain my hair at night I either put it into two bantu knots or a couple of plaits. Here are a few pictures of the hair, I simply took it out of a couple of plaits (I was going for a boho look) and bare in mind that its two months old so my regrowth in the front is quite shameful J - lol, don’t judge me guys J it’s coming out very soon.

The hair retails from £40 for a 12 inch to £110 for 32 inch and my top closure cost £60, check out their site for more information http://www.lovehaironline.com/

The hair before I used it - this is just some leftover hair so you can see what it looks like 

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#35 Hair Obsession

Women all over the world, regardless of race all share many of the same things. Be it dreams, aspirations, shopping, love, heartache or a love of chocolate but there is an area in which we differ greatly and that is with our hair.

It’s funny how we women of colour, but black women especially are completely obsessed with our hair. There are always discussions about whether you have good hair or not, and if you do - what you do to it! Women are stopped in the street by other women for their hairdressers details, several women are very pro natural hair while others straighten their hair or go for the longest of weaves aka Beyonce style!

So I guess the question is why are we so obsessed? I actually believe it’s just in our nature as well as in our upbringing and culture. Many women can attest to the long weekend routines of getting your hair done – which started way back in childhood where your hair was washed over the sink, combed till you cried, oiled and plated! This same routine then followed us into adulthood where we spend hours in salons with other women waiting to get our hair done while peddlers come in and offer to sell us “3 DVDs for £5” or sitting on a pile of cushions on the floor in some woman’s house usually in the middle of nowhere, with snotty nosed kids running around and the smell of African food in the background - trying to get our braids, cornrows or whatever other style done.

In America there has been quite a bit of interest recently about hair and what is Good Hair? – With Tyra Banks finally displaying her real hair to the world and with Chris Rock deciding to make a film that would answer that very question. He was inspired to make it when his daughter came up to him crying and asked, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?”

Personally I think that good hair is hair that’s clean, soft and looks, feels and is healthy. I believe that it’s up to you to decide on what you want to do with your hair but whatever you do – please remember that the objective is to look good so if your hair is breaking go to the hairdresser, if your braids are hanging on by a thread –girl please get them taken off and if your weave has moved all the way to the centre of your head – you need major help and only the hair police will do!!

Check out the clip below for Chris Rocks film Good Hair - annoyingly it’s not coming over to the UK! Please also see the link below for an article/audio by the NY Times with different women discussing how they like to wear their hair be it straightened or natural, and their attitude towards it. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/08/27/fashion/20090827-hair-interactive.html It made for a very interesting listen – my favourite has to be Michelle Lewis who likes to wear a weave and her husband didn’t know! Don’t ask me how that happened – but apparently she normally wraps it up before he gets home but one day he walked in and saw the hair on the table. Too funny!!




Xoxo

# My Frizz Free Hair

So I was sent some John Frieda Frizz –Ease products to test out and having tested them out I have to say that I really quite liked the range. The Straight Ahead Daily Shampoo and Style Activating Conditioner are said to have a straight defining complex which helps to smooth and tame hair strands and yes I agree that they did. While washing my hair it felt like the strands had been coated with moisture and they also felt sleeker than they normally do. The only negative I have was that it didn’t detangle my hair as much as I would have liked so I needed to apply a bit of elbow grease with my comb. The product that I like best, however, is the Miraculous Recovery Strengthening Triple Creme Masque which left my hair ultra shiny, completely hydrated, eased the styling process afterwards and left me looking ‘like I just stepped out of a salon’. The range is available at Boots and Superdrug Stores.

Xoxo

#5 Hair care tips for relaxed hair

So about a week ago, I finally took out my weave and what can I say after 4.5 months of not relaxing my hair!!! I was rough and tough with my afro puffs hey!….. so I decided to pull out my afro power look for the week till I could get it done – yep I was all scarf wearing combined with my huge gold hoops and I have to say that after a series of incidents where my comb got stuck as I tried to comb my hair and a few too many “ how are you doing my sister?” greetings from brothers on the road (why oh why?) I was mighty relieved to go and get my hair relaxed and treated with my hairdresser extraordinaire Dupe Oyeleke…..

Now for those of you who don’t know Dupe I will let you in on a little secret – the first time I saw/met her she had ridiculously long flowing locks down her back and I remember that while I was being introduced I was literally itching to put my fingers in there and check to see if it was a weave as I thought surely NO!! It’s not possible! She has since chopped off her locks into a hot short crop ( I know sacrilege!!) and is now (a) such a good friend and (b) an amazing hairdresser to boot – she styled my hair for my wedding last year and it was fab, fab, fab. Dupe used to work as a top stylist for a high end salon but is now a Trainer and Assessor for NVQ hairdressing students as well as being a Field Educator for Avlon.

Anyway while Dupe was taming my tresses into submission I decided to pick her brain and expert knowledge on hair, products, tips etc

Q – A number of black girls think their hair doesn’t grow or can’t grow past a certain length – what are your thoughts?

A – It’s a myth that afro hair doesn’t grow. As long as your body is healthy and functioning properly – your hair has to grow. If you think about the fact that after 6-10 weeks most girls are back to touch up their roots for a hair relaxer it means their hair is growing.

However if your hair is in bad condition it won’t grow. This is because weak, damaged hair will break easily and is prone to split ends. I see a lot of girls walking around with scraggly thin ends determined to keep the length on the hair – buts its so no worth it, first it looks bad and will only get worse. The best solution for this is to get your hair regularly trimmed every 8-12 weeks otherwise the split will keep travelling up the hair shaft and to have regular salon based treatments to repair the damage

Q – What would you recommend for girls who relax their hair?

A – Never try and relax your hair yourself or get a friend to do it. Your hair should always be professionally relaxed
Professional relaxers are always better than store bought ones – this is due to the conditioning ingredients that are added to it
Ideally before you relax your hair you should have a consultation with your stylist to discuss your hair type, concerns and aims for your hair
Treat your body well with the right nutrition, diet and exercise. It all affects the condition of your hair

Q – Are there any particular products you would recommend?

A – Everyone is unique so what works for one person wouldn’t necessary work for someone else so its difficult to just recommend products without seeing the persons hair.

Ideally I would recommend that you stick to salon brands as they have usually put more research into the products and they are designed to work as follow on products from your salon treatment. Additionally it also means you can speak to an expert to get recommendations on what to use for your hair type and you will also be able to try the products before you buy them.

I would never rule out any kind of brand or say it’s only meant for European hair or afro hair. It’s really all about what works for you. Personally some of the brands I like are Mizani, Keracare, Paul Mitchell and L’Oreal.

Q – So what essential tips and products do you need to have in your bathroom cabinet?

A- As an absolute basic you need a good shampoo and conditioner. Your hair care starts from the moment you wash it and not from when you are styling. What you use to wash and condition your hair will impact how your hair looks when you come to style it. Always use something that adds moisture to afro hair as afro hair is quite dry.

Try to have a treatment at least once a month. If you get it done in a salon it is usually protein based, try not to do a protein treatment at home as if it’s not handled correctly it can actually damage your hair. For home treatments you can use your usual conditioner or a more intense one and either sit under a dryer for 30 minutes or if you don’t have one put on a shower cap or use cling film and wrap you hair in a warm towel.

Always apply products to your hair when wet /towel dried as everything you put on dry hair doesn’t actually do anything to your hair – instead it just sits on top

Use more moisturising based products rather than oil based products as they can weigh your hair down

When combing Afro hair, always comb from the ends working your way up to the root in order to reduce the risk of breakage
Always use a wide-toothed comb to detangle, preferably with a conditioner

Wash your hair at least once a week this helps remove product build up, lets your hair breath and eliminates dry and itchy scalp

When you go to sleep always wrap your hair in a silk or satin scarf – this helps your hair retain moisture.

Q – What is your take on using hair straighteners?

A – Straighteners are not necessarily evil as some people seem to think. You simply need to ensure you don’t overuse them and use heat protectors. Keracare’s silken sheen acts as a great heat protector. I would suggest that you only use it to style your hair every other week as it is a lot of heat to apply on a regular basis.

If your relaxer has done the job it’s meant to do then you should be able achieve straight hair by just blow-drying it with a brush. Mizani’s strengthening serum and Keracare’s blow-dry lotion are quite good to use for this as they act as a moisturiser and will leave a nice sheen afterwards.

Allow your hair to dry partially, then use a bristle brush which with your blow-dryer it will help you achieve a much smoother look.

Q – What cost saving tips would you advise for girls who can’t afford to go to the salon regularly but want to keep their hair in good condition?

A – Go to a reputable salon for a thorough consultation – even if you can’t use the salon afterwards. The consultation is usually free and they will educate you on what to use for your hair

Go into hairdressing schools and colleges as they offer the same treatments as salons for much cheaper prices. Alan D School of Hairdressing is a good one to go to however most schools will always provide this service so you can find one more local to you. You need to remember that students will be doing your hair however they are always supervised.

You can take in your own products that were recommended for your hair type and the students will be happy to use those

Use those same products at home to maintain your hair afterwards

Well there you go girlies – hope Dupe’s tips help

Xoxo