BGLH remix: accessories!

We've profiled some great accessories on BGLH...











What are your must-have, go-to accessories? How do they work for your hair?
And if you have accessory photos you want to share, email them to contro_versial@hotmail.com!

shedding: how much is too much?

Question for J from Jae:
Hi J,
I've noticed that a lot of hair has been coming out when I detangle my hair. I'm just not sure if I should be losing that much, maybe I'm a little paranoid. But if it is breaking, I really want to handle it before it goes haywire. Sometimes even when I slightly manipulate it, I'll see some falling out.

Some hair background: I wash my hair twice a week, deep conditioning when I do. I use an all natural shampoo and only shampoo once per session. I use burdock root butter from Qhemet for moisture and the balm for my scalp. Shea butter, too. I use a leave-in treatment. Oh, and also, I have no skills when it comes to styling, so I just rock a twist-out fro-ish thing.


I think my texture is 4c, though the back and sides are a bit softer. Middle is waaay kinkier. I'm attaching a pic of the hair I shed when I detangle.

Oh and before I forget, my hair gets sooo dry. Know any good moisturizers for 4c hair? Thanks for reading. In love with the blog!! Thank you guys for such an awesome blog!

J's response:
It is said that it is normal to lose 50-100 hairs a day. This number can vary depending on how often you comb your hair. Of course, this is not something you can easily tell just by looking, especially with the texture and thickness of natural hair. The easiest thing to do is to keep track of your shedding for a few months at a time, especially if you are a recent natural. You may need to get used to what your natural-shedding looks like in contrast to relaxer-shedding. Shedding can increase at certain times of the year, can be linked to changes in a woman's cycle and after child-birth (hormonal), medication, illness, malnutrition, or stress.

Try reducing the frequency of hair washing. Twice a week is not a lot, but it is more necessary if you have a lot of product buildup. Many naturals don't realize it, but with curlier textures washing is actually a lot of manipulation, especially due to the tedious process of detangling. This doesn't matter as much with shorter hair. When my hair was short, I washed it almost every day with no problems. But with longer hair, this type of manipulation can lead to breakage, especially with the use of shampoo. Cut the shampooing down to once a week or try co-washing. My hair thrives better with co-washing. It also retains more moisture and stays softer. I do an occasional shampoo or co-wash with baking soda only if I have a lot of product build-up. Does your shampoo have sulfates in it? Because that can also dry out the hair. (Jae replied back that she uses a natural shampoo that is sulfate free.)

For your hair type, the less you comb the better. This does not mean you should neglect detangling; because this may result in knots and tangles leading to breakage when you finally do detangle. It is up to you to decide which detangling routine works best and to pick styles that discourage tangling. Continue with the deep conditioning for moisture with every wash. If you re-twist many times during the week in preparation for the twist out, this may add to manipulation. You use great moisturizing products so I don't believe that could be behind any breakage. If your moisturizers are working well for you, I wouldn't change a thing! You may find it helpful to mist your twists each night then seal with oil to keep your hair hydrated.

If the shedding gets really bad, try a light protein treatment. And sometimes a good trim helps with shedding. There is no need for concern unless the shedding increases or if your hair comes out in chunks just by pulling at it. In that case, I would suggest visiting a dermatologist or trichologist. Your hair looks cute! Let me know if the shedding improves! Thanks for your question and for visiting BGLH! :)

~j~

Monday Style Icon: Sharri (one of our most phenomenal to date!)

"I love rocking my 'fro. The bigger, the better." ~Sharri






Where are you from and what do you do?
S: I'm from New York, currently living in Harlem. I work in retail for the Jean Shop.

When did you go natural? Why?
S: The first time I went natural was back in 2005. The Big Chop had become my only option after months of having my hair sauteed in fire cream and permanent hair color. One day I was washing my hair in the shower and began the conditioner step. I attempted to comb the conditioner through my hair as was my routine back then. While doing so, whatever hair I had from my ears down to my neck politely excused itself from my scalp. Since it wasn't 1994 and I was not a member of Immature, shaving the back of my hair and keeping the rest was not an option.

After a year and a half of wearing my hair natural, I relaxed it again. I quickly grew tired of how much time and money my hair required. I went natural again after about 9 months.

What style do you love to rock?
S: I love rocking my 'fro. The bigger, the better. I also love up 'dos.

What do you use in your hair?
S: In my hair I use DevaCurl One conditioner for co-washing every 2-3 days. When doing a twist-out I use setting/wrap foaming lotion. When doing bantu-knots I use Aveda's men sculpting clay. For deep conditioning treatment I use DevaCurl Heaven In Hair creme.

Do you prefer natural to relaxed? If so, why? If not, why not?
S: I prefer wearing my hair natural. It's cheaper, requires less maintenance, and my hair is always 'done'. My hair is truly in the get up and go state when it's natural. I often think back and am amazed at how much time I used to spend on my hair and can't fathom ever adopting that practice again. The fact that I couldn't even do something as simple as wash my hair spontaneously because I needed to have at least 2 hours to wash, blow dry and flat iron is absurd. I don't know how I was okay with that.







Wow. Sharri is simply PHENOMENAL!
Her blog is here: http://thebriskconvergence.tumblr.com/

BGLH Chicago meetup to watch Chris Rock's "Good Hair"

We will be gathering on October 9 to watch "Good Hair", a documentary film by Chris Rock examining black women's relationship with their hair.

If you would like to join us here in Chicago, please email contro_versial@hotmail.com

If you are interested in hosting a screening in your own city, please email contro_versial@hotmail.com and we will post your name and contact information on BGLH.

Sunday retrospective: Natural hair and social change

"I really believe that natural hair acceptance can be the catalyst to propel our people to new heights. Sounds far fetched, but I believe that if we can learn to love ourselves in our natural state and see the beauty within us, we can start to see the beauty in each other. I believe that once this is accomplished we will have more pride in ourselves, our culture and our communities. Perhaps then we will be more apt to support black businesses and move from our position on the bottom when it comes to wealth, businesses and ownership. Start to build up our communities and strengthen our unity as a people.

Is that too much pressure to put on natural hair acceptance? I don’t think so. I think it is just the start we need to get moving in the right direction."

This quote is from the lovely Sunshine, who was profiled as a style icon a few weeks ago.

I think she's on to something but I will hold my thoughts because I want to hear yours: Do you think that natural hair can bring about social change? If so, why? If no, why not?

I know we won't all see eye-to-eye on this, so let's be respectful as we discuss...

Did YOUR favorite product make it on the top 15 list?

Rachel has just finished her list of the top 15 drugstore conditioners:

15. Dove Frizz Control Therapy Conditioner with Repairing Serum
14. Dove Intense Damage Therapy Conditioner for Accumulated Damage
13. L'Oreal Smooth Intense Conditioner for Thick Hair
12. L’Oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss Moisturizing Conditioner
11. Herbal Essences Break’s Over Strengthening Conditioner
10. Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Conditioner for Long Hair
9. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Conditioner
8. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Lustrous Touch Smoothing Conditioner
7. Organix Hydrating TeaTree Mint Conditioner
6. Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner
5. Organix Smoothing Shea Butter Conditioner
4. J/A/S/O/N Biotin Conditioner
3. see today's review
2. see today's review
1. see today's review

Now is your time to evaluate. Did your favorite product make it onto the list? And what do you think of the list as a whole?

Let's discuss this and compare notes.

Keep in mind that we're taking about drugstore conditioners...

Rachel's Review: Top 15 Drugstore Conditioners Continued: THE TOP THREE!!

Beloved readers, we've come to the end of the list!

I hope you're as excited as I am! If you didn't see your favorite line in my list, don't worry. Knowing me and my wandering ways, I'll try it at some point. ^_~

Without further ado, here they are:

3. JASON SEA KELP MOISTURIZING CONDITIONER



Egads! All caps in the title? I definitely <3 this. I also really, really, really like scones. In keeping with my namesake as much as I enjoy veggies and fruit…I <3 sweets. Scones…are up there on the list. ^_^

What does this conditioner have to do with scones? That: “OH, YEAH…That’s how I like it!” moment my tummy has when I eat a scone is what my hair has when I use this. See? They are totally related.

…

What? Don’t look at me like that, beloved readers!

Ahem, scone-lust aside, JASON continues to wow me with their AVEDA QUALITY for half the price. $10 to be precise. I’m back on a natural spin after the end of a fairly long affair with salon products. Scones….

Sorry! Back to conditioner! Okay, let me bake -I mean- BREAK this down:

It’s packaging…makes me snore! JASON, I love your recyclable, biodegradable plastics, textured bottles, great graphic placement and design, and wonderful font and font placement. Still…CAN YOU MAKE THE BOTTLE SEXY PLEASE?! Please? Pretty, please with Afrosheen on top?

Slap a push-tab top and inverted design on their too when you get a moment. It’s a pain to squeeze once it’s half empty. You’ve got to WORK that last bit out. That said, it is SO worth it.… Scones….

Fragrance! It…doesn’t really have one. Just that soft, herbally fragrance that’s big these days in “natural products”. The key word is SOFT. It is SUBTLE! It has a touch of sea air in every “plop” of conditioner. So, if you actually notice it…it smells really fresh and comforting. If you don’t notice it…well…who cares what it smells like? ^_^

The product itself is UBER thick and creamy. It spreads like farm-fresh, whipped, honey butter. It really clings to your hair, envelopes it and sinks in to truly nourish while washing so clean…you wonder if it really did anything beneficial for your hair. Then you run your fingers through your hair and apologize profusely to the bottle for doubting it. I know I did.… Scones….

Sorry…I’m going to stop doing that eventually, just bear with me.

It’s performance is a ten out of ten. This is a fantastic deep condition needing no add-ins. Really. ^_^ Great, no? It leaves hair soft, silky and supple without that “coated” feeling. It does make a great co-wash but I feel like I’m wasting it when I use it that way because it’s such a great quality conditioner.

Its ingredient quality is why I bought this. I can’t even describe how AMAZING it is. I feel like I’m robbing the store blind when I plunk down only $10 dollars for it!

See for yourself! Shoo!

Uses: co-wash, deep condition, curly pudding base, End protector/tamer, Possible roller setting aid diluted, shaving cream <3 <3 <3, hand/foot/body lotion mixed with oil, lip balm in a pinch, edge-layer-down-er ^_~, leave-in, Scones….!

Overall: I LOVE THIS LINE. I LOVE THIS CONDITIONER. I LOVE SCONES.

Relaxed ladies: This will pamper your tresses, condition them lovingly inbetween washing out your relaxers and neutralizing, and may work as a roller setting aid if diluted. Great for adding to dry ends as a protector throughout the week too! Lay down those edges with this as well!
Natural ladies: Make detangling a breeze. Meet a great curly pudding base and leave-in. Your thirsty tresses with drink this in and reward you with soft, sheeny, coils!!
Texlaxed ladies: Same as the natural ladies if your texture is closer to “home” or see the recommendations for the relaxed ladies if you texlax to 3b and up.

SCONES….!!

I’ll stop now.

Ingredients: Aqua (Purified Water), Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract*, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract*, Emulsifying Wax, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Gel*, DL-Panthenol, Ethyl Panthenol and Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride, Stearalkonium Chloride, Vegetable Glycerin, Laminaria Saccharina (Hawaiian Sea Kelp/Algae), Cymbidium Grandiflorum (Orchid) Flower Extract, Hedychium Coronarium (Awapuhi) Extract, Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui Nut) Oil, Plumeria Acutifolis (Plumeria) Extract, Natural Tocopherol (Vit E), Ascorbic Acid (Vit C), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract*, Stearyl Alcohol, Retinyl Palmitate (Vit A), Linoleic & Linolenic Acid (Vit F), Oxybenzone, Triticum Vulgare (Hydrolyzed Wheat) Protein, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane and Dimethicone, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance Oil Blend.

2. J/A/S/O/N 84% Aloe Vera Conditioner



I <3 THIS. I could stop there, but you know me better than that, beloved readers. ^_~

I love this conditioner for detangling, especially. Its true strengths come out when it is used as a deep conditioner. This does NOT require add-ins (like honey, oils, silk amino acids, etc) to be effective. The product is so thick and creamy YOU CAN HARDLY GET IT OUT OF THE CONTAINER.

This is just glorious, my dears. Thick, creamy off white, it hugs your palm -even when inverted. The ingredient quality is on the level of Aveda products. There is in fact, hordes of organic aloe in it. The whole product line is natural/organic. The price is great -$7, for such quality ingredients and a truly good product. It’s fragrance is clean…pure aloe freshness! You can work it into a thick, creamy forth that coats every strand, soothes your scalp and makes you one happy camper. ^_^ Unless you're like me and don't care for camping. Then...you're just happy. ^_^ YAY!

Relaxed cookies, this is FANTASTIC for your hair. A fabulous DC that doesn’t even need add-ins, though I’d suggest them.
Natural heart-throbs, meet your detangling comb/brush’s new partner in crime!! This provides a great deal of slip and over time, for me, it reduced tangles from forming in the first place. It’s a great curly pudding base and leave-in, just beware possible flakes or dullness from heavy-handed application.
Texlaxed covergirls, you can reap the benefits of all of the above.

Overall, you WILL see results with this conditioner, it truly does what it says it will do. The aloe is great for expanding my curls or keeping my previously relaxed and texlaxed hair plump and supple. I love this line! You won’t regret trying this! I certainly didn’t. ^_~

Uses:
Shaving gel
Deep conditioner
Curly pudding base
Co-wash

This would not be a LittleGoldenLamb review without me fussing over the packaging. ^_~ This will be no exception. ^_^ JASON bottle are NOTORIOUS for making the last half of their contents near impossible to reach. The ONLY good thing going for it is the push tab. The shape, bulky design, boring white color and frustration-inducing-you-can’t-squeeze-me-to-save-your-life-properties are somewhat balanced by its great layout, graphic use and font.

Ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Gel *Certified Organic , Aqua Purified Water , Emulsifying Wax , Stearalkonium Chloride , Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract Chamomile Certified Organic , Stearyl Alcohol , Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract Marigold Certified Organic , Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract Horsetail Certified Organic , Cyclopentasiloxane , Dimethicone , Spirulina Maxima Extract Spirulina , Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil Jojoba Certified Organic , Natural Tocopherol Vit. E , Lavandula Intermedia Leaf/Flower/Stem Extract Certified Organic , Retinyl Palmitate Vit. A , Glyceryl Stearate , Triticum Vulgare Protein Hydrolyzed Wheat , Vegetable Glycerin , Dl-Panthenol , Ethyl Panthenol , Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride , Benzyl Alcohol , Citrus Grandis Seed Extract Grapefruit , Sodium Benzoate , Potassium Sorbate , Fragrance Oil Blend

Here it is, beloved readers. My Number One Drugstore Conditioner (to date). I give to you:
1. Say Yes to Carrots Pampering Mud Conditioner



Much has been said about this conditioner and brand, beloved readers. I will attempt to add to the existing net-scuttle in an efficient and productive manner.

Ahem:
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I LOVE THIS…save for one thing, that will (probably) keep me from repurchasing.

That would be the best way to sum up my feelings. The next few hundred of words will explain the aforementioned sentiment. Let’s begin. ^_^

I want to state what I DON’T like. That way, if you find it doesn’t bother you, you can rest assured in all the fantastical things I’m going to say about what it did for my hair and the delicious ingredients.

The scent; Like many who read reviews on this product, I heard many a reviewer note that the smell of this drove them from it. Sadly, I feel the same way. To explain, how the scent is…I will list several hints of things I smelled within its complex fragrance that DOES smell more or less like carrots…but not in a way I could enjoy:

Baby Powder, Freshly cut grass, Sea Salt, Soil after a summer rain, Orange Pith, Play dough

Together…it does read as “carrot”, but not at all in a way I found pleasant. This…is a time to be cheeky, beloved readers, giving this a sniff before purchase. I absolutely ABHOR doing it myself. However, the scent of this will make or break this product for you. I can say this because it performs BEAUTIFULLY! The question, is whether or not you’ll want to use it!

It lingers, I might add. For an hour or so at least. It lingered in the shower cap I used for my Cap n’ Go method for days (which I tossed).

There. Enough with the negative.

Package design: If you read my blog regularly, beloved readers, you know that I am one for a pretty package (all jokes aside). I like that yes to Carrots has a definite image. I don’t care for the color, font, graphics or layout…but, I love how well they are put together, even if they are not my taste. Congrats Yes to Carrots. ^_^ The bottle, I detest save for two things:

1. The label peels off easily making it FANTASTIC to holding any other beauty stuffs
2. The push tab

I would love to see some curves and an inverted bottle design (keep that push tab, though!) The product itself, I should add, is a light tan/orange color and spread decently. It’s very, very runny! When rubbed vigorously (which may lead to tangles, beware) it creates a great froth. This froth…is not necessarily enough for detangling depending on your hair texture. I will return to this a bit later.

The performance of this is nothing short of miraculous. Satiny soft, CUSHY, sheeny, SILKY coils were my reward for persevering through the scent of this product. My hair had a lightness to it that was terribly pleasant to feel on my fingertips. It didn’t feel coated as this conditioner has a teeny-weeny amount of silicone. My scalp felt quenched and relaxed.

Bravo, Yes to Carrots. ^_^

This product owes such a great performance to its quality ingredients. Just look at them! This ingredient list is pure poetry, beloved readers:

Spring Water and (Dead) Sea Water , Silt (Dead Sea Mud) , Magnesium Chloride , Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile) Extract , Cetrimonium Chloride , Jojoba Oil , Olive Oil , Calendula officinalis Oil , Almond Oil , Carrot Seed Oil , Carrot Juice , Organic Extracts of: Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Melon, Orange & Honey , Fragrance , Dimethicone , Wheat Germ Oil , Imidazolidinyl Urea

I have a hunch it’s the magnesium chloride doing most of the conditioning/softening. The silt probably lends itself to the light/clean feeling this leaves you with as would any salt content in the sea water. I’m not convinced there’s enough of all the extracts listed to really make a difference. I adore Yes to Carrots for including dimethicone (with which I have a <3/hate relationship)…at the bottom of the list.

I mentioned earlier, I would return to its “frothy” effect and if it is enough for detangling.

Natural heart-throbs…this is going to be a texture issue. While all natural textures could benefit using this for a low-cone, low-poo regimen, you may have to use such a large amount to get enough lubrication for your strands to detangle…this may not prove to be worthwhile as a co-wash. HOWEVER, add some honey and more oil (I use coconut or olive oil) and your hair will think you are the best-thing-since-sliced-bread. Tight 3c and below ladies, past the TWA phase may find this requires copious amounts to enjoy its benefits. Try it in a diluted spritz as well, beloved natural readers.

Texlaxed cover girls, this product will do fantastically for you as well, yet, texture is still the main issue for you as well. “Lightly texlaxed” ladies who still sit in the tight 3c to 4b range may do best with this as a DC base. Looser textures (natural or texlaxed) will benefit from this as a co-wash and DC base.

Rexlaxed lovelies, particularly the bone-laxed will have a pleasant little shower-party with this as a co-wash and DC base. I used this while bone-laxed as well with fantastically light, soft, silky hair as a result.
This is also great for shaving, I might add.

I had dulling when I used this as a straight-leave in, but I can be heavy handed. Some textures may in fact love this as a leave-in. Just apply it with a light hand and keep an eye out for a lack of shine or teeny flakes.

There you have it, beloved readers. My Top 15 Drugstore Conditioners to date. I hope you find one (or more of them) makes your day, as much as they did mine. Until next time!

Baa, baa, baa! ^_^

----
If you can't wait till next week to see more of Rachel, check her out at her blog: http://littlegoldenlamb.wordpress.com/

Natural bride: Tafakari

"The style is a bantu knot-out that kept very well throughout the intense Florida humidity. The bantu knots themselves were done earlier in the week (Tuesday) for my Saturday wedding, so it was incredibly easy for my bridal party to help take them down. Instantly styled hair!

My wedding day was on August 29, 2009 and the day was a blast; the weather cooperated and provided us with postcard backgrounds; my hair did not fluff into an Insta-Fro, and the ceremony turned out beautifully. :) The imperfectly planned perfect wedding.

The style is credited to Mujaira at Afrodisiac Salon and Spa in Atlanta, Georgia. The photos are credited to Zekeshem Parsons, Celebrations of Tampa Bay, Inc." ~Tafakari (www.blackademianut.blogspot.com)

knotty dread!

Question For J
From Nancy:
I have had a major problem with knots for months now and they drive me absolutely crazy! I moisturise every two days and use a spritz with water, glycerine and jojoba oil before combing daily. I detangle with Keracare conditioner once a week, I have tried other products and found this to be the best one for my hair. I tie a silk scarf around my head when I go to bed. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. The knots also seem to be getting worse as the hair grows longer, which makes me feel that if I want to have long hair perhaps I have to relax it. I have been going back and forth on this for weeks now and its driving me crazy. I kind of feel that I am damned either way, I might as well have easier to manage hair. My relaxed hair was definitely easier to deal with (before all the damage, hehe). I have also considered braids, but they have always had the effect of breaking my hair line, which I'd rather avoid. From reading your blog, it doesn't appear that a lot of other natural have this problem.

From Jessica:
I have been natural for 4 - 5 months. My hair is growing, and I love that but I have noticed that I frequently get these little knots on the ends of my hair. Its like a little fairy comes in and ties each strand of my hair into little knots (lol @ a little fairy), and I just dont understand how it gets like this. I usually will feel the knots and whatever position they are on the strand I will sever the knot from my strand. Is that a bad thing to do, or will my hair be fine (still grow and be healthy) with knots on the ends? What should I do?

From Ashley:
I love your posts on bglh. i have been natural for about two years an currently have thick hair reaching apl. Lately I have noticed my hair getting little knots at the end. I detangle to keep my hair strands from knotting with each other, however detangling doesn't seem to be stopping these knots at the end of individual strands. i have also trimmed but they still come back. Have you encountered this, or know of a possible solution?

J’s response:
I can’t say that I know the cause of knots per se, but I’ve found ways to prevent them. Knots are a very common issue for naturals (Nancy, I received several questions regarding this issue!). I never got knots as a permie. I believe that it is the inherent nature for kinky/curly hair to coil onto itself to form knots. I notice that the coilier sections of my hair get more knots in contrast to the looser textured sections, which are more prone to splits. I used to get a lot more knots than I do now. I’m going to sound like a broken record because you’ve heard this advice from me before: moisturize, seal and protect! Moisturize every day with a water-based product, seal ends with heavy oil and use protective styles to cut down on possible damage.

Nancy: Your hair care regimen sounds great except for the “combing daily”. This is too much manipulation for most naturals. Be gentle with your hair and try not to project your frustration onto it. Treat your hair like you want it to treat you. Take your time washing and detangling it (wash and condition in sections if you need to). This is where most of the damage and breakage can occur. About relaxing again, I’m not here to tell you what decision to make, but I think you need to weigh your decision carefully to avoid making an impulsive decision from a place of frustration. A relaxer can pose another set of problems as you already inferred to. I think it is a fallacy that “relaxed hair is easier to deal with”. If this was indeed the case, I wouldn’t hear so many women with relaxers complain about their hair, spend so much money on “miracle products” and spend numerous hours in the salon trying to “manage” their hair.

Knots must be cut out. There is no way around it. Do not pull them out! (That means you Jessica!) The pulling or ripping opens up the hair cuticle, encouraging splits on the end of the hair strand (the part you need to retain to see length). The more frequently you trim, the less knots you will find. I say this with the understanding that if you are growing your hair out (aiming for length), trimming should be kept to a minimum. That's why treating your hair well decreases the need to trim as often. Furthermore, as Nancy mentioned, you may notice more knots as the hair grows longer. Longer hair (older hair) is more susceptible to tangling, knots, splits and other types of damage. That’s why preventative hair care becomes all the more important when you are growing the hair out. The above picture was taken earlier this year of one of my very own knots. I use the “search and destroy” method to get rid of them. I section my hair off with my fingers, feeling around for knots then cut them out. Then I keep it moving! I don’t get too crazy about the knots. My hair grows well, still retains length, and because of better hair care practices the knots have decreased in number.

Good luck and thanks for submitting your questions ladies!
~j~

BGLH readers: What tips can you share to decrease those pesky knots?

Style tutorial by Oghomwen

In keeping with our attempt to do more tutorials on BGLH, here is Oghomwen with a style that can be three different looks.
So I do not know what to call this hairstyle. It is really easy to do and here is how I achieve it:

1.) I divide my hair into two sections. A big chunk in the back and then a little section in front.

2.) The night before I put the big section at the back into a single plait. Then I twist the section in front into 10 or so twists. Then I put the twists into Bantu knots. I go to sleep like this.

3.) The next day I take out the two plaits at the back and add some gel or holding spray so that I can brush the sides and so that the sides will stay flat without any frizz.

4.) Then I usually put the back into a French braid going upwards.

5.) Then I take out the Bantu knots and untwist the hair in front and the result is that the hair looks all wavy. So I take out my bobby pins and pin the front into place as you see in front.



What I like about this style is that it is the result of a three in one style. I start the week with twists.

Then after about 5 days I can wear the twists in such a way that I French braid the back but have the front loose

Then at the tail end of the week, I “Bantu knot out/ twist out” the front and French braid the back to have the last hair style.
~Oghomwen
http://onaturals.blogspot.com/
http://generationmakeithappen.blogspot.com/
http://secretsthemovie.blogspot.com/
http://writingexamples.blogspot.com/

What do we mean when we say long/fast-growing hair is genetic?

The issue of genetics has come up recently on BGLH.
First with a reader wondering if, after a lifetime of short hair, her hair could actually grow long, and second in the comments section for the profile of the lovely Chime who has a huge and gorgeous mane.

So, is it true?

Genetically, do black people have the slowest growing hair and therefore limited to short hair?

Well, I am personally inclined to believe that genetics does have something to do with it. But I am just speaking anecdotally.
However, I think CULTURE has more to do with it.

Consider that black/afro textured hair is one of the FINEST hair textures, yet we've been socially conditioned to believe that black/afro textured hair is "tough" and very resistant to manipulation... which could NOT be further from the truth!

Our hair is very highly textured. The coils in our hair our beautiful but produce many 'stress points' that are susceptible to breakage.

That is why the adage when it comes to natural hair is that less manipulation equals more growth, and conditioning is critical.

You guys have already heard my story of my terrible second year of being natural, when I had little growth. And actually I have to come clean because it was around this time I was protective styling like crazy and very insistent that that was the best way to go.

Well, my hair is EXTREMELY fine. Very very fine. And I was tugging my hair into protective styles like twists and braids (which require a lot of manipulation) then keeping them in for three weeks, while piling on products.

I was losing hair from the manipulation, and I was losing hair from knotting and breakage because by the end of the three weeks it would start to get matted.

What I learned from the experience is that it wasn't that protective styles were bad. I just wasn't doing a good protective styling regimen. Now I stick to free-strand buns. And if I do twists I take them out after a week.

Just tweaking my regimen has improved my growth significantly. And I'm in the unfamiliar territory of actually seeing gains on a weekly basis. I wonder if we would be less inclined to point to genetics as a reason for not having fast-growing/long hair if we took a closer look at our practices.

So, my question to you is: for those of you who feel like genetics is the sole reason your hair isn't growing... what else are you doing to your hair? What is your regimen like?

Maybe if we compare notes we can help each other out...

***update 9/23/2009***
Check out Jc's blog on this topic at The Natural Haven: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/09/growing-pains-is-it-harder-to-grow.html

Rachel's Review: Top 15 Drugstore Conditioners... coming down to the end! Picks 4 through 6!

Beloved readers, the list continues.

If you don't see your favorite brand listed, please don't feel slighted. I haven't tried everything...yet. ^_~

I don't shy away from silicones and the like, though there are some more "natural" offerings here.

I mention Biotin and humectants in these reviews. For my beloved readers, who may be unfamiliar with those terms, humectants are ingredients that promote the retention of moisture in the hair or skin. Biotin is a necessary nutrient for healthy skin and can help thicken hair when taken internally. In my experience, it adds a strengthening or thickening/coating effect when applied topically. In my review of biotin a mention a couple important tips for using it effectively as a topical treatment; as it can cause break outs when taken internally at high dosages in some individuals.

6. Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner

Organix! I <3 You! If only my town had a wider selection. WHY?! Why Corn-town do you not see my hair’s needs?! Well, the answer is kind of given in my description of my current location.

Sigh. The Midwest. Sigh.

OH! Product review! Right! Beloved readers, I’m on it! ^_^

Let’s begin from the outside. I love the font, roundness, and little round gold cap. I prefer inverted designs. Why? You get all the product you pay for much more efficiently. The shape of this is a pain for slippery hands to hold when you’re trying to squeeze out and shake down that last ounce.

The bottle…they would have done better with a creamy color. Stark white with their plain font and bottle design just…isn’t sexy. Paul Mitchell is the only brand that to me, has mastered making a white bottle with colored font look as cool as I want to feel for using their product. Especially, having forked over my hard earned money.
I KNOW. The product! I was getting there. I didn’t forget, tee hee!

The fragrance is to die for! It’s the thing I <3 most about this. It doesn’t have that pitiful “Hello Hydration” “sweet-fake-beauty-coconut” smell we’ve been trained to except as consumers. It smells like the kind of transparent but oh-so-rich smell a REAL coconut has. Then BAM a rich, FATTY, wonderfully, sinfully creamy wave of strong scent hits your nose! Delish! They truly captured the essence of coconut in this in every dimension. I’m impressed. If ONLY they made this a perfume! Sigh!

The product itself (see I got around to it! ^_~) is THICK, THICK, THICK. It sticks to your palm while inverted, ladies. It’s a buttery gold/off-white color that looks just as tasty as it smells. This makes you feel like you’re being spoiled. It spreads BEAUTIFULLY. It clings to and caresses your hair and while letting itself be drawn in deep. Result? Velvety soft hair with no build up!

Price? $7-$8. For the quality this really isn’t bad.

Ingredient quality? I still don’t think you’re REALLY getting enough of what it markets to get THAT giddy over. However, whatever you get, in whatever concentration it’ll “do your hair right”!

Uses: Co-wash, leave-in (Straight and dilute) and, possible roller set aid if diluted and a DC with add-ins like honey, agave, molasses, etc.

Relaxed ladies: This is a great co-wash and deep condition (with more humectants added. See above).
Natural ladies: THIS COULD BE YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND! Curly pudding base, leave-in, leave-in spray base and co-wash! BAA!
Texlaxed/texturized ladies: How many uses you get with this depends on your texture -but whatever it does for you, you’ll be happy! ^_^

Ingredients:
Di Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Jojoba Oil, Panthenol, Silk Amino Complex, Coconut Milk, Egg White Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
(Sulfate Free ~ Not Tested On Animals)

5. Organix Smoothing Shea Butter Conditioner

Organix, Organix, Organix…why put a product that makes me so pretty in such an UGLY bottle?! The gold on gold tone idea was sumptuous and elegant…but your execution was pitiful and tragic. Even the normally cute font looks out of place. Add in your bulky design and all I can do is sigh and shake my little golden head in pity. Ah, well.

On a happier note, beloved readers: I <33333 this! I <3 ALL Organix conditioners. It is one of THE BEST drugstore lines of the many I have tried and it is my “safe” brand.

The product itself is a greyish, off-white. It put me off at first glance. It’s devilishly thick, almost too thick if that’s possible. It takes a bit of effort to spread. Evidence of ample (or at least worthwhile) amounts of shea butter methinks.

Then came the fragrance. Not that manufactured, sweet, shea-butter-chemical-cocktail substitute we are used to as consumers. It is a delicate, yet rich, transparent smell. You get it toward the end of each breath without practically tasting it like most fragrance in products. It’s just heavenly! If only it would linger! Organix -MAKE PERFUME, PLEASE!

Enough waxing poetic…I’m sure you want to know what I didn’t like. Well…I like everything about this but the bottle. Really…no complaints. Well…I DO wish that lovely scent lingered. Does that count?

Price? $6-$7. A steal for the ingredient quality.

Uses:
Leave-in
Baggy-ing aid
Co-wash
curly pudding base
shaving cream

Relaxed ladies, this is a wonderful DC base for you. A little honey/agave/molasses/etc. and you are Gan-Gan-Good-To-Go-Go! Also makes for a LUX co-wash on straight, chemically-altered strands.
Natural darlings, you’ll have the most uses for this. Meet your possible Holy Grail leave-in, deep condition base, and co-wash! As well as a great curly pudding base!
Texlaxed/texturized lovelies, you’ll either reap all the benefits of the relaxed and natural ladies, one or the other, or a mix depending on your texture (mainly how loose it is).

Ingredients:
Di Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Jojoba Oil, Panthenol, Silk Amino Complex, Yogurt Protein Extracts, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

4. J/A/S/O/N Biotin Conditioner


<3 <3 <3
For me, beloved readers, this beat a Joico conditioner and a handful of Redken conditioners hands down. My scalp tingles, it’s healthier and supple, no longer itchy. My hair is strengthened, but so smooth and soft!

The product itself is so terribly thick and creamy it almost won’t come out of the bottle.

It’s fragrance is a lovely herbal, yet pleasantly sweet smell (it doesn’t linger) and is ORGANIC in origin -all essential oils! No mystery chemicals!

This conditioner is made of fabulous ingredients, not very expensive and a little goes a VERY, VERY long way. I’m just so very impressed by this!!! Amazing!

Biotin, is of the bio-active variety. It gets right to work! I stopped taking biotin internally because of breakouts, this is the perfect way to get the benefits without the need to break biotin capsules into your conditioner.

The price is fantastic as well. Only $7 for amazing ingredients.

It’s a luxurious co-wash for all textures and chemical states. Natural ladies, this is a great way to keep supple strong napps, kinks, clouds, corskscrews, waves and curls without protein overload.

This is a fantastic deep condition when you need to give your hair a protein boost without fear of breakage (though fine-haired ladies and the protein sensitive should keep a moisturizing co-wash handful). Add extra humectants to get the best of both the protein and moisture worlds. Baa! Translation: I LOVE THIS! YAY!

Caution: If you don’t like a tingly, relaxed, soothed, and revitalized scalp via menthol…don’t use. Then seek professional help. LOL. ^_^

Ingredients:
Aqua (Purified Water), Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Hydroflorate, Panax Ginseng (Ginseng) Extract, Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey) Extract, Biotin, Emulsifying Wax, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Extract, Steralkonium Chloride, Anthemus Nobilis (Chamomile ) Extract, Stearyl Alcohol, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Gel (Aloe Vera), Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethicone, 22 Keratin Amino Acids, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Oil, Tritcum Vulgare (Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein), Glyceryl Stearate, Planthenol-3 (Plant Phospholipids, FL-Panthenol, Ethyl Panthenol, Steardimonium Panthenol), Natural Tocopherol (Vit. E), Retinyl Palmitate (Vit. A), Cholecalciferol (Vit. D), Linoeic & Linolenic Acid (Vit. F), Oxybenzone, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Menthol, Essential Oil Blend.

Baa, baa, baa until next Friday. ^_~

----
For part 1 of this review featuring picks 13 through 15, click here.
For part 2 of this review featuring picks 10 through 12, click here.
For part 3 of this review featuring 9 through 7, click here

Stay tuned next Friday for the next four items in the countdown. And if you can't wait till next week to see more of Rachel, check her out at her blog: http://littlegoldenlamb.wordpress.com/

Style Icon: Chime

When you change your thinking on what beautiful hair is, it changes the way you look at beauty in general and that is extremely important for Black women in today's society. ~Chime




Where are you from and what do you do?
C: I am from West Point, Mississippi. I recently stopped working at The Department of Human Services to pursue two creative endeavors; one including Sunkissed, the line of graphic tees I design!! Wish me luck!!

When and why did you decide to go natural?
C: I decided to go natural my Junior year of college. I transitioned for 6 months, but when I ran to be the queen of my college I relaxed my hair. Mentally I don't think I was ready yet.


Chime's relaxed hair

I transitioned again my senior year in October 2006 and never looked back. I decided to go natural because I realized I was conforming to what society says is beautiful. I did not relax my hair until I was 17, but I pressed it. I always heard negative comments when my hair was "puffy" so I had a desire to have bone straight hair like everyone else. If I would have recognized why I felt the way that I did and realized it was a problem with the way everyone else thought and not my hair, I would have never relaxed it.

Were you crowned queen at your college?
C: Yes, I won! I went to Rust College, a small HBCU.

I know you probably get this question alot; you had gorgeous long hair when you were relaxed, why switch to natural?
C: Actually, it broke off a significant amount. I have been meaning to post pics on my fotki page, but my hair went from being waist length all over to shoulder length in the front and bra strap length in the back. I couldn't get it to grow and it was thinner and I was used to having thick hair. Natural was the best way to go.

When comparing your relaxed hair to your natural hair, why do you like natural more?
C: It's thicker, which means it's bigger and I looove big hair!! I think it fits my features better. And there is so much pride that comes with natural hair!! I just love it!


Your t-shirt designs are lovely. Tell us a little about that. How did you get started?
C: I wanted to make fashionable tees that I would wear. I saw tees about natural hair in the past with many sayings and images that were usually cliche so I wanted to make designs that were original.

Business is going great so far! I have had quite a few buyers. My main buyers are women with natural hair.


I notice that you have T-shirts and bags for members of the AKA and Delta sororities. Do you see a lot of natural hair in sororities?
C: Usually there is one or two ladies in a chapter with natural hair. There is still only a small percentage of Black women who are natural in general. I have seen natural Zetas more than any other sorority. I am working on a design for a Zeta tee now. I like to combine aspects of people's lives that they were proud of. In this case, their sorority and their natural hair.



Why are you pro natural?
C: I see so many young girls with unhealthy hair that is badly damaged. I know how beneficial natural hair can be not only to the health of a woman's hair, but to her mental health as well. When you change your thinking on what beautiful hair is, it changes the way you look at beauty in general and that is extremely important for Black women in today's society.


To see more of Chime check out her fotki; http://members.fotki.com/lifesacatwalk/about/
Also check out her T-shirts here; http://www.cafepress.com/naturalgirl

if your relaxed hair is long and thick, why go natural?

Thursday I'll feature Chime (pictured above), who had long, thick relaxed hair and opted to transition to natural hair. These stories always intrigue me, because hair damage/lack of hair growth is usually the reason women choose to go natural.

This weekend I was hanging out with a relaxed friend of mine who has thick, shiny long hair. She mentioned that her ends are perpetually split/damaged and have been the entire time she's been relaxed, requiring her to get frequent trims. But I know naturals deal with their own damage.

So those of you who had long/decent looking/relatively healthy relaxed hair; why did you go natural?

callalily's tips for twistout preservation

I received this email from Callalily who wanted to help out Holly and others in regards to the post that I did on "how to preserve a twist out". In efforts to continue to aid you all with styling here at BGLH, here are her pictures and tips!

Hi J: I am a fellow blogger that loves reading BGLH. I wanted to send you this information in hopes to help Holly (and others) that struggle with “how to preserve a twistout” (response to your July 15th post). It has been a battle for me but now I found something that works.

If you feel inclined to do so, I thought you might consider getting the word out to your readers.

CallaLily's Regimen
I wanted to share my night time routine with all of your readers. I am so excited about a discovery I made in preserving my twistouts for more than a day! Since going natural, wearing twistouts have been my usual style but I would have to retwist my hair nightly (10 flat twist going straight back). I can get 3 or 4 days on my twistouts with this routine. Here’s what I do:

I gently rub a dime size amount of moisturizer throughout my hair (used SheaMoisture this time). I use large bobby pins to loosely pin up the sides of my hair (like a frohawk). Then, I put on my bonnet cap.


In the morning I take off the bonnet cap and remove the bobby pins. Then, I lightly spritz my hair (used Jane Carter Leave-In Conditioner this time) and fluff with my fingers.

Currently, my hair is 6 inches long. For someone (with shorter or longer hair) who may not find success with this, I would suggest doing a few flat twist on the left and right sides and leave the middle loose. This has seriously cut my hair maintenance down. Hope your readers will find this helpful!

Take care,

CallaLily

Thanks for your contribution girl! That frohawk is fiyah! You can check out CallaLily's blog here.
~j~