A Brief Natural Hair Journey Story

My TWA after doing the Big Chop
in Spring 2009

I was on Instagram going through my timeline the other day when I realized how many naturalistas I have met since joining in late 2013.  It occurred to me that I haven't really talked about the beginnings of my natural hair journey which is now going on eight years.  I honestly can't get over the fact that I have been natural since the spring of 2009.  Prior to that, I had relaxed hair and didn't even know there was such a thing as, "going natural."  So I thought that I would share a brief "natural history" with all of my new readers
and followers.

My hair journey started all because I couldn't figure out why my hair was stuck at one length.  At the time, my hair was dyed, relaxed and I used heat constantly.  The reason for my stunted growth was pretty obvious but I was completely oblivious.  My store bought, auburn hair color put my hair porosity levels on the high end which meant it was constantly dry.  This was in addition to having a relaxer.  The two chemical processes left my hair with twice the damage.  Then there was the heat.  I loved using heat on my hair everyday.  Sure, I wrapped my hair at night, but I still did touch-ups with a curling iron or flat iron each morning before work.  I basically didn't know how to care for my hair.  I just knew how to style it and there's a big difference between the two.

When I did my research I finally began to see how the combination of damaging practices wreaked havoc on my hair.  I started to consider relaxer stretching.  That's where you apply your relaxers less often.  Then I learned about people who stopped relaxing altogether!  Say what?!  I never even heard of such a thing.  The idea of going without a relaxer was actually pretty scary at the time.  I mean, what was I supposed to do with my hair in it's natural state?  It makes me laugh now but that was actually my mindset at the time.

My relaxed hair before I went natural

After looking into it further, I realized how versatile natural hair was.  I went from being scared to death of the idea to being really excited.  My transition from relaxed to natural hair lasted nine months before I did my own big chop.  I deep conditioned my hair every week without fail.  Sure, I made mistakes like giving myself heat damage and using henna that was full of twigs and dried leaves (don't ask).  It was all good though; I was totally up for it.  My hair grew so fast, I barely had a chance to enjoy my TWA.  I still straightened my hair though so I experienced setbacks here and there due to heat damage (see my previous post).

I've learned a lot about my hair and I'm still learning everyday.  At least now I feel like I have my staple products down.  I like to try new things so I'm looking forward to doing some reviews in the future.  Well, that was my very brief natural hair journey story.  If you go way back to my earlier posts you can read more including how I did my own big chop.  See ya next time!

Review: Hollywood Beauty's Olive Creme for Dry Hair

One of the most popular topics over at the K.I.S.S. hair forum (or any forum for that matter) is which moisturizer works best.  For a long time the word "moisturizer" was a bad word in my newly natural regimen.  I had become accustomed to avoiding products that contained mineral oil and petroleum which is often found in "moisturizers" for curly, relaxed and afro textured hair.  Still, the homemade spritzes and butters I learned how to make were either too heavy or too wet for my hair depending on the style.  For a while I started using leave-in conditioner to moisturize and sealed that with one of my favorite oils.

Finally, I decided to purchase a product to add to my regimen after reading a suggestion in one of the discussions on K.I.S.S. .  That product was by Hollywood Beauty which I have to admit was never a brand I thought of ever trying.  I guess I assumed that there would be a lot of the "no-no" ingredients in their products.  I was surprised to find that their Olive Creme was mineral oil and petroleum free.  Instead I found ingredients like, Olive oil and Calendula extract.  I decided at $4 (USD) it was at least worth a try.  I'm on my fifth jar now and can't say enough about it.

The Ingredients:

Deionized Water (Aqua) , Isopropyl Myristate , Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) , Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive) , Stearic Acid , Stearyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate) , Matricaria Extract (Chamomilla Recutita) , Calendula Extract (Calendula Officinalis Flower) , Vitamin B (Yeast Extract) , Macademia Oil (Macademia Ternifolia Seed) , Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) , Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera) , Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf) , Sage Extract (Salvia Officinalis Leaf) , Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) , Great Burdock Extract (Arctium Lappa Root) , Triethanolamine , Methyl Paraben , Propyl Paraben , DMDM Hydantoin , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Fragrance , Yellow #5 (Cl 19140) , Blue #1 (Cl 42090)

My son likes to call it, "Yoda Creme" because
of the pale green color

While the ingredients are not 100% natural, I still find that this product does a good job of keeping my hair moisturized without leaving a heavy, greasy feeling.  I'm not gonna lie, I didn't really expect much from the Olive Creme but it is now one of my staples.  It even works well when my son's curly (3b/3c/4a) hair is starting to get the, "frizzy halo".  I just spritz his hair down with water first and then apply the creme throughout his hair and we get another two days of soft curls before wash day.  He dubbed it "Yoda Creme" because of the pale green color and we still call it that.  


I of course love to add it to my Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel along with some Castor, Coconut and Grapeseed oil for my DIY Eco Styler Custard.  I also use it after applying my leave-in conditoner when I pull my hair back or braid it up for air drying.  The only thing I would complain about is the scent.  It's not like some of those other products out there that smell good enough to eat.   It just has this faint, old fashioned women's cologne smell or something.  It doesn't matter because I just ignore the scent.  I can always add some fragrance oil to it to make it my own.  I'm just glad to have found a product that works well and is affordable for me and my family.

DIY Eco Styler Gel Custard Recipe

After many months of searching for an alternative to Eco Styler Gel, I finally resigned to the fact that it's the only gel that gives the hold and definition my curls crave.  Still, I always got the dreaded dry, crunchy feeling everytime I used it.  I usually apply a leave-in to my wet hair and seal the moisture in with an oil underneath the gel.  No matter what, I kept getting the same result.  After reading through the book, Curly Girl, by Lorraine Massey, I found out that the crunch or "cast" the gel leaves behind is actually a good thing.  This is when you know your curls have been set into place.  I found this to be true because after air drying, I'm usually able to fluff and style my hair without worrying about losing my curl definition.  The book suggests that you scrunch the hair to remove the crunch but I sometimes kept getting a dry feeling after this step.

I figured out that the combination of an oil and a mositurizer underneath the gel gave me much softer hair.  This however led to applying lots of products one by one.  By the time I reached the front sections of my hair it was dry and not as manageable.  I wanted a way to apply the products quicker so I decided to just whip them all together and came up with a nice custard consistency.  I'm realizing that this is a much easier way to apply my products and my curls love it!  

Here's the recipe I came up with



Eco Styler Gel Custard

6 oz. Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel (or fill a 12 oz container half way)

2 Tblsp. Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme Hairdress for Dry Hair*

1 Tblsp. Castor/Coconut Oil Mix**


Place ingredients in a small container.  Whip together until all ingredients are combined.   The mixture will have a pudding like consistency. 

*You can substitute another moisturizer; one that pairs well with Eco Gel

**I use a 50/50 Castor/Coconut oil mix to seal my hair.  For this recipe I just used 1 Tblsp of my pre-mixed oil.

The Application

After cleansing and conditioning, I apply my leave-in conditioner (currently Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner) to my hair while it's still wet.  Next I section my hair into four sections to keep my hair up while I'm styling.  Within each section I make small parts and apply my Eco Gel Custard.  I use a smoothing and raking motion to help give the curls definition.  I've also started sealing the hair with oil after applying the gel custard for an even softer hold but this is optional.  Then, I let it airdry for about an hour or so before I use a blow dryer on the roots.  You can also plop the hair with a T-Shirt to help with the drying time or just continue to air dry.

Final Thoughts

I'm finding that the mixture also works on my edges when I wear my hair up.  I haven't done a braid-out or twist-out with it yet but it looks like it may give good results.   I'm going to continue to play with the recipe but this version seems to work well on my hair which is a 4a/4b texture.  I've also started using it on my son's curly 3b/3c/4a hair and it is also responding well.  The only thing I noticed is that I'm getting a lot more shrinkage because my curls just love the moisture.  To get more hang time I usually just stretch it by pulling it back at night.

Henna and Indigo Results

I finally got around to ordering my indigo so that I could cover my burgundy hair color with something a little more modest.  I'm sure the bright red henna'd hair I had before is appealing to some but it was not my cup of tea.  I wasn't quite ready for the lengthy two step process where you henna first, rinse out and then apply indigo for a jet black result.  Instead, I mixed one package of Godrej Nupur Henna (50g) with 100 grams indigo.  I ordered the indigo powder from Butters-n-Bars.com which is the same online store where I get my raw unrefined shea butter.

I kept the henna mix pretty simple as always and just mixed it with a mug of strong green tea to help the dye release.  I added enough water to give the mixture a smooth, almost pancake batter consistency and let it sit overnight.  The next day, when I was ready to apply it, I mixed the indigo into a paste with just plain water and added it to the henna.  I don't add oils anymore because I read that it can slow the dyeing process.  I applied the "Hendigo" to my hair like a clay mask and covered with plastic wrap.  Then I waited for four hours before rinsing and then co-washing several times to get it all out of my hair.

The application took very well to the majority of my hair but left my grey strands with just a tinge of color.  I'm planning on doing another application to the roots and grey hairs sometime this week 'cause I don't need everybody knowin' how old I'm getting.  If my greys are still too obvious afterward I may reconsider dyeing my hair all black with the two step process.

My stubborn grey strands are still noticeable 

I like the reddish brown tone in the sun

Biking with Natural Hair

My Bike Helmet
with Flat Twists Underneath

My family and I love going on outdoor adventures.  This summer we have been doing a lot more bike riding together.  I always make sure that the kids wear their helmets but I haven't really been into wearing mine. 

That was until I noticed nearly every other adult on the bike path wearing theirs.  At the very least they had on a cap for sun protection.  So I decided it was time to get out the old bike helmet.  Never mind the fact that it makes me look like Kazoo from the Flintstones.  Safety first, right?  The only thing I had to figure out though was what to do with my thick, curly hair underneath. 

When I go for a bike ride in the morning, the solution is pretty simple.  My hair is usually in twists or braids from the night before so I just wait until after the bike ride to take my hair down.  This means shuttling the kids to school while wearing a satin scarf on my head but hey, I know I'll be cute later on in the day, so that's alright.  I don't even bother removing the scarf because it protects my hair while under the helmet.  Another option is after a braid out when my hair is more flexible, I can get my hair to "lay down" under the helmet without too much of a fight using bobby pins. 



Flat Twists under Helmet
Back View

 Other times though when my hair is up in a bun or puff, the helmet doesn't really work.  Still, in Colorado you really can't get away without some type of sun protection.  The high elevation here can make for some serious sun exposure so I still like to wear a visor and leave my hair up on top of my head like in the pic below. 

So there you go Natural Hair Queens and Curly Goddesses...now there is no reason not to rock your head gear while on your bike ride.  Be safe and happy riding.

Rockin' the Bun with
My Visor

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival 2011

I remember attending the very first Cherry Creek Arts Festival when I was in High School.  I was a budding artist and the concept was so cool to me.  Basically, it's a large scale art event situated right in the middle of the Cherry Creek North shopping district.  There is usually a lot of live music, wine & beer gardens, food and even craft stations for the little ones.  Not only is there lots of cool activities, music and artist booths, but visiting the surrounding shops can be fun too.  Now that I'm older, I enjoy heading to the festival but with the family in tow.  My kids all love to draw so I like to think that maybe the art and artists are an inspiration for them now like the festival was for me when I was younger.  It sounded like a great way to spend my birthday this week which is only 3 days after the 4th of July. 

 Here are a few pictures I took at this years' event.

My Curly Braid out

Lots of good food

Just couldn't resist the Smoked Turky Leg

Festive 4th of July bikes

Denver Natural Hair Meet-Up: The Re-Cap

Me and Sabrina Perkins of
SeriouslyNatural.org

I'm winding down and letting my feet rest after all of the days' activities.  There were plenty of things to do today before the meet-up downtown but we managed to pull it off.  The great thing about all of this is that Sabrina (of SeriouslyNatural.org) and I have lots of ideas for the next event.  Getting ready for tonight was like opening up a whole new world of possibilities.  We met lots of great contacts and found support from places we didn't know were there. 

The Rio Grande Mexican Grille served up some excellent strawberry margaritas and mexican dishes.   Thanks to the friendly staff who were also very accomodating, we had an enjoyable evening.  A big thanks to everyone who came out to our first event.  It was really great to get a chance to speak with everyone and share our tips and experiences.


Rio Grande Mexican Grille
in Downtown Denver






Hair talk and good food

 


Me with Shanae Smith and Ayanna Blueford
Loved talking with you ladies

 



 


Goodie bags with free samples

Thanks to all of the businesses that offered items for our gift bags including:  

Kinky Curly

Curlformers

Sephora Shops at Cherry Creek Mall and Northlands



Giveaway Prizes

(Carol's Daughter & Ojon Samples) More Than Curly Salon in Aurora (Ouidad Samples)



We look forward to doing it all again in the future so be sure to email either Sabrina or myself if you would like to receive info on upcoming events.

curlyincolorado@yahoo.com

Seriouslynatural4@gmail.com







Godrej Nupur Henna Review

I've been using henna for the past year and a half now and can say that I have tried a few different types.  I use it to blend my greys with the rest of my dark hair and keep my scalp issues at bay.  Previously, I ordered it online but now purchase it locally from an Indian Grocery store.  Recently I picked up a new brand from Ananda Bazaar in Aurora, that I heard others rave about in the hair forums.  It's called Godrej Nupur and is actually a mixture that includes brahmi (promotes hair growth), shikakai (cleanses hair and scalp), amla (darkens hair and prevents scalp infection) and bhringraj (conditions).  Finding all of these in one package is quite a deal.  I figured at $1.49 (USD) per package, the Nupur henna was definitely worth a try.

I added green tea and juice from

half a lemon

One package of Godrej Nupur henna holds 60 grams so I used two packages for my hair which is past shoulder length and very thick.  I kept my mix pretty simple and just added green tea and juice from half a lemon.  I added enough water to make it into a yogurt like consistency and let it sit for a few hours.  Before applying it to my hair, I added a little more water so that it was creamy enough to work with.  One thing I noticed is that the texture of the henna is a lot smoother than some of the others I have worked with (i.e. Reshma and Jamila).  This made it very easy to apply.  The color took very well and did a good job of staining my greys that were starting to peek through. 

Added plain water until the
henna was a yogurt like
consistency

I have used the product twice since purchasing it and can definitely say that my hair appears to be darker which is more to my liking (I found out last year that my adding honey to my henna applications caused it to lighten my hair a little).  I was looking for a darker result so the Nupur henna works for me.  Even so, my hair still looks a deep burgundy color when I'm outside.  For this reason I'm currently looking to do the 2 step process where you apply henna and then indigo to go completely black.  Overall though, I enjoy using the Godrej Nupur and will make sure to keep it stocked in my ever growing henna stash. 

Denver's Natural Hair Meet-Up is Almost Here!

I can't believe that the Denver Natural Hair Meet-up is finally coming up this Saturday, June 25th.  Naturals, transitioners and anyone considering going natural are all welcome to join us for what will be a "Girl's Night Out" style gathering.  We'll talk hair and swap stories while enjoying some great food.  We'll each be paying for our own eats but hopefully we can pick-up a sponsor for future events.

Sabrina of the blog, Seriously Natural, has done a great job talkin' the event up to local stylists who we hope will also be in attendance.  She has even gathered samples of hair goodies from companies like Kinky Curly and Carol's Daughter!  I'm excited too because this will be the first hair meet-up I've been to.  Hope to see you there!

Source: SeriouslyNatural.org

Don't Forget to R.S.V.P.

seriouslynatural4@gmail.com



Enjoying Your TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro)

A wash n' go style with Eco Styler Gel
 at 3 months Natural

Sometimes I find people in hair forums who are trying to figure out what to do with their TWA a.k.a. "Teeny Weeny Afro".  Everytime I see this I think to myself, don't they realize how good they've got it?  When I was new to being natural and my hair was shorter than ever, I embraced it.  It was so much fun!  Now don't get me wrong, it took some getting used to.  However, after a nine month transition, it seemed like my hair wasn't short for very long. 

When I think back on it, all I can remember is how easy it was.  My routine was pretty simple.  Each day I either re-wet my hair with my homemade spritz or co-washed it in the shower with a cheapie conditioner.  I didn't really use a lot of products.  I moisturized my hair with leave-in conditioner, my aloe/glycerin/water spray or shea butter.  I tried a few different hair gels and realized that Eco Styler worked the best for making my curls pop.  Other than that, I played around with finger coils, the conditioner only method, and hair accessories.  This was also the time when I started wearing earings more often which turned out to be a great compliment to my short hair. 

Using a large, snap barrett
for something different

My only piece of advice for anyone who is wondering about caring for their short fro is to consider what season you'll be doing the Big Chop.  Why?  Think about it, the only way to work with your newly natural hair will be when it's wet or damp.  So, doing the BC during the winter months is probably not the way to go unless there's no way around it.  This is precisely why I decided to cut the last of my relaxed ends off in May of 2009.  By the fall, I had enough hair to do braid outs, blow-outs, and individual braids.   Other than that, I think you should enjoy your short and sassy TWA.  It's fun and easy to care for.  Ultimately though, for anyone who is going Natural for the long haul, it is also just the beginning.

My new Pre-Poo Method



My shiny, supple hair
after using a
Moisturizing Pre-Poo with honey,
olive oil and conditioner 

 I always do a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment on my hair prior to straightening it with my flat iron.  This usually means either using a conditioner that doesn't contain any protein like Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose or making up my own concoction using a cheapie conditioner as my base.  I like to add oils but this is too heavy right before I use heat on my hair.

A few months ago I rediscovered a video by Patchouli85 on YouTube that explained how to use a moisture rich deep treatment before using direct heat on the hair.  The only difference was she suggests that it be done prior to washing the hair with shampoo.  This would make it a Pre-Poo and means that it goes on dry hair instead of damp hair like I was doing before.  Her recipe was pretty simple and I improvised with what I had at home.  I think that the ingredient that made the biggest difference was the honey.  I have been deep conditioning my hair at least one time each week ever since my transition days.  Using her method was the first time I noticed a huge difference in the way my hair felt as I was rinsing it out.  My hair was a lot easier to detangle and I also had a much easier time with blowdrying. 

You would think that since you wash the treatment out with shampoo, you wouldn't get the full benefit.  I'm guessing that since I'm applying it to dry hair and then using heat to open up the cuticles, my hair is absorbing the treatment so much better than before when I did it on wet hair.  When I straightened my hair after that first treatment, I could not believe the shine and how supple my hair felt.  It's been so effective that it is something I have since decided to incorporate into my weekly regimen.

                                         My Pre-Poo Recipe

Conditioner (I use Suave Naturals Coconut)

1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tblsp Honey

1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil  (I use Vatika Oil for this part)

**You can also add 3 Tblsp of Mayo or Cholesterol conditioner depending on what your hair needs

I combine the above ingredients in a small plastic bowl until well combined.  I use as much conditioner as I think that it will take to make sure all of my dry hair is completely saturated.  Then I separate my hair into 4 sections and apply it while it is still dry, starting at the ends.  If there is any left, I go back and coat my hair again making sure to use up all of the mixture.  I put on a plastic cap and then sit under the dryer for 30 minutes.  Then I co-wash or shampoo it out depending on what style I'm wearing next.   

Length Check-February 2011

Since I'm on a hair growth journey, I can get antsy sometimes because I don't always get to see my hair's true length under all this shrinkage.  Last month I decided to straighten my hair out to see where it's at right now lengthwise. 

Since I have layers and bangs, the longest part is in the back which is why I take pictures so I can see where it falls.  At first I didn't really think that it looked like much because I still have a ways to go before I reach my current goal of APL.  However, when I compared it to a picture that I took last year I actually saw how far I've come.  The other thing I noticed is that my hair isn't as short as I thought it was since my cut in January.  I was scared that maybe I cut a little too much since I did it on slightly stretched hair.  Am I going to make it to APL by May...my 2 year Nappiversary?  For me, it's still hard to say.  Either way, I can see that I am making progress.

YouTube Inspiration: Trimming Natural Hair

This is the video that inspired me to trim my hair in January.  Normally I just wait to do trims when my hair is straight.  This showed me that I can still get a nice even cut without using heat first to stretch my hair out.   When I straightened my hair out recently I checked to see if there were any long pieces that I missed but was surprised to find that my hair was pretty even.  This method definitely works so I thought I would share.




Video by  YAISnyc

Henna Gloss How To

I like to use Henna to blend in my grays and strengthen my hair but I don't always have time to do a full Henna application.  I read up on Henna glosses sometime last year and now I'll do that when I'm short on time or just want to stretch my Henna stash.  It's like doing a deep conditioning treatment with Henna added.  This way you get some of the benefits of Henna without the long, messy process.

Henna Gloss using
Henna, Conditioner and Natural Oils

Basically, instead of using enough Henna powder to cover all of your hair, you only need a couple of tablespoons.  You still mix it with water, green tea or lemon juice which will start the dye release process.  I add enough to make it into a pudding like consistency.  Then, when I'm ready to apply it, I add lots of my Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner for a creamy base and then whatever natural oils I chose for deep conditioning.  Recently I even added plain yogurt to the mix and was really surprised by the results.  My hair felt so lush afterwards it wasn't even funny!

I like to dampen my hair before applying the Henna gloss because it seems to go on a bit easier that way.  After it's all in I sometimes sit under the dryer with a plastic baggie for maybe thirty minutes and then leave it on for awhile after that.  Rinsing it out is waaay easier than rinsing out a full henna treatment.  The conditioner gives a lot of slip so it comes right out.  Then I like to co-wash to make sure that I got it all.  It's easier but still helps to blend my gray strands...can't beat that.

Back to Basics: The Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

I was never really a big fan of doing Apple Cider Vinegar Rinses when I started out on my natural journey.  I kept reading how it worked as a clarifier.  I even watched (and understood) KimmayTube's videos on pH Balance and knew how it worked to close the hair cuticle.  Still, no matter how many times I tried, it just didn't seem to do anything for my hair.  Then I found out about the Organic Apple Cider Vinegar by Bragg's.  I thought maybe that would make a difference but it still seemed like nothing was happening.

My hair after an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
(detangled with the Denman Brush)

Recently, I decided to get "back to basics" and start washing my hair more often.  I don't want to use shampoo everytime so I sometimes co-wash and then follow that with a vinegar rinse.  At first, I kept getting the same blah response.  Finally, by accident I think, I poured more vinegar into the container than usual.  Then, I filled it the rest of the way with water from the shower head like I always do.  I could tell right away that something was different.  I could feel the conditioner slipping down my strands.  It was actually removing all of the extra and giving me a clean feeling without leaving my hair stripped.  I left it in for a few minutes before doing a lukewarm rinse.  When I got out, I noticed how soft and fluffy my hair felt. 

I honestly couldn't believe how good my hair looked.  I didn't even want to put anything else in it because I was afraid to mess it up.  Now, whenever I do an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse, I always make sure that I'm using enough vinegar.  I always eyeball it but I would say it's at least a 1/4 cup (at the bottom of a tall water bottle) and then I fill it to the top with regular water.  I'm so glad I decided to try it again.  It definitely works for me...finally.

I Did My Own Big Chop

My hair after 9 months of Transitioning;
Relaxed ends and lots of new growth

I have been doing my own haircuts and trims ever since I graduated from high school.  Still, I wasn't sure if I could successfully do the "Big Chop" myself.  I transitioned for nine months so it was very easy to see where to make each cut.  I guess I was mostly concerned that I would end up with a fro without the right shape.  I had never worn my hair shorter than ear length so the shape of my hair was going to be pretty important to me. 

For awhile I considered going to my Dad or Brother who are both trained barbers.  I even asked if they would be willing to do it when the time came.  I could tell that my Dad was not going to give me a buzz cut because he's so used to seeing me with longer hair.  My brother however had done the Chop for a few other ladies who were starting their journey so he was up for it.  Before I made my decision though I decided to check out some videos on YouTube to see how other naturalistas got it done.  It seemed to me that having someone do it at a salon meant getting a little more length taken off than I wanted.  This was because of the shaping that was done after the relaxed pieces were cut away.   That's when I decided that I would just do it myself because then I would only have myself to blame if I there were any mishaps.  Anyway, I could always have my brother fix it if it came to that. 

My hair the day after the Big Chop

During my transition, I made it a point to cut off a little each month so that I wouldn't have very much relaxed hair left to part with.  I started out by putting my hair into small sections and cut the first piece right in the front.  No turning back!  My fro was bigger than I expected which was a plus.  The following day, I used some Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-in Conditioning Cream, aloe vera gel and shea butter on my wet hair to encourage my first little curls to come into view.  I was so proud of my new hair and how the cut turned out. 

1400 YouTube Subscribers!

Many of my friends and family are amused when I tell them about my YouTube videos.  Most of the time I don't even want them to watch because I feel a little silly.  All I talk about is hair so I figure they won't really get why I do them anyway.  As for my YouTube family, there is still so much I want to share. 

My first video was just to show others how I transitioned from Relaxed to Natural Hair.  I was so happy to see all of the positive comments and decided to do update videos to show my progress.  With each video, I received questions which ended up leading to another episode. 





The first time I saw that I had subscribers on my YouTube channel I was shocked.  I didn't really think that I had much more to offer than any other Natural on YouTube.  This is what sort of kept me going though.  Ever since those first two subbies, I've been posting more and more content on my hair journey.  I checked to see how many I was up to today and saw that I have a little over 1400 subscribers!  I know that there are "Hair Gurus" out there who have waaay more but I am blown away by that number.  These are all people who for one reason or another genuinely would like to see more content from lil' ole me! 

I wish that I could post more often but my dinosaur of a computer is a real drag when it comes to video editing.  Hopefully I'll be able to push out a couple of vids here soon to feed the masses.  In the meantime, I just hope that my place in YouTubia is a help to someone out there who is looking for more information on how to go natural.


CLICK HERE to see my Channel, "mitchellzee", on YouTube

Rockin' My Fluffy Fro





Early on in my natural hair journey I started trying styles that I could do at night.  I was finally understanding that my hair would thrive if I could just stay away from the flat iron every morning.  Little did I know that there would be a lot of trial and error.  The braid-out style has always kept me guessing because I could never get it quite right.  Either I chose the wrong products, separated the sections too much or it simply wasn't dry in time. 

I've come to realize that every braid-out I do is different depending on so many different factors.  So instead of cringing at the first sign of poof, I'm learning to just go with it.  In the end, the technique is altering my tight, curly fro and stretching my hair.  This helps with tangles and those nasty little single strand knots.  While I am pleased when the style results in lots of definition and curl, I'm also learning to accept the big fluffy look I sometimes

get.  Most importantly, I rock it in public so that others can see that big hair is beautiful and it's here to stay.

YouTube is a Natural Girls Best Friend

I'm a YouTube fanatic!  I love it so much I even started making my own videos.  Before I decided to go natural, I discovered tons of videos where ladies would explain what they did for longer, healthier hair.  When I noticed how damaged my own hair was, I turned to the internet for an answer.  All of these videos kept popping up.  Some were about the best flat iron to use, while others showcased hair styles that required little to no heat.

Not knowing where to begin, I used the YouTube search bar to locate videos on growing african american hair longer.  I found a video by Saleemah Cartwright, founder of  Hydratherma Naturals.  It was a picture slideshow of her hair from completely shaved to length down her back! I later found MacherieHair's video (no longer posted)on how she does a silk wrap after doing a rollerset for straight and bouncy hair.  This one was a shocker!  In the beginning her hair is completely wrapped in saran wrap.  Then she starts to comb it out...whooaa!  Her hair was long, healthy and full of body.  So that was all it took...I was completely hooked. The videos about growing healthy hair led me to where I am today.

My Favorite Transitioning Style

Once I decided to go Natural, I considered how long I should go before doing the Big Chop.  At only 3 months post relaxer, I was certain that I wanted to grow my natural texture out a lot more before this step.  Normally I wore my hair straight but I was beginning to see how damaging all of the heat was.  The next best thing was Rollersetting. 

My Hood Dryer

I personally had never Rollerset my hair before.  I had seen it done in the salon but that was about it.  From what I could see on YouTube, there were a lot of ladies who did it each week instead of using flatirons and blowdryers.  I also kept hearing about how handy it was to have a hooded dryer at home for this style and to do deep treatments.  I figured I would give it a go.

I went to my local Sally's beauty supply and purchased the Ion hooded dryer with multiple heat settings for about $40.  When I got home, my husband thought I had gone mad.  I explained that it was an investment and that I would get a lot of use out of it. 

My Curly Fro

As for the rollersetting, I really didn't know how it would turn out but it was worth a try.  I watched plenty of videos before going for it.  I used the small grey perm rods so that the two textures of my hair would blend together better.  The end result was a cute and curly little afro.  The style often lasted  a whole week which meant less stress on my hair.

It's almost 2 years later and I still rollerset my hair.  I didn't realize it then but it's a technique that can also be used on Natural hair.  I'm glad that I learned how to do it during my transitioning phase because now it's one of my staple styles.