black girl with long hair: October 2009

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

what's your bedtime reggie?

Question for J from Chandra:

Hello Jenteel,
Thank you thank you thank you for your blog I must say first and foremost. I really can't thank you enough for all of the great information and inspiration. I am a singer songwriter currently living in Germany but from Florida. I have struggled with my hair and decisions as regards what to do with it nearly my entire life. After relaxing as an early teenager (I think my mother was just a bit fed up with it) and then of course same story having severe breakage, I then stayed in line with the black girl hair story and opted for weaves, usually always micros which went well. Spent one year in Nashville and before I left home I took all of my braids out and hadn't had my hair relaxed in almost 5 years. My hair was gorgeous. Of course I didn't know it then and immediately put a store bought relaxer in it (stupid stupid stupid) and got a sew in before my big move. But after about 6 months of constant straightening and the occasional kid relaxer, most of my hair in the front completely broke off.

I put the braids back in for my next journey to Europe which would allow me some versatility and then see what was happening in about 6 months. So I've been here in Berlin for exactly 3 months now and just couldn't stand it any longer. I felt like my hair was still suffering in the braids because it wasn't being washed adequately or deep conditioned ever ( because the micros would've come out). So after visiting your website several times, I was inspired to began the labor of love that so many smart and beautiful women of color have already embarked upon. I took all the micros out and looked at myself in the mirror, a bit uncomfortable with what I saw but decided I would deal with and love me (regardless of what my hair was doing..lol).

Are there any tips you would recommend as far as a daily night time routine? I just have no clue what to do with my hair at night..A good friend of mine braids it every night and then takes the braids out in the morning for curly fullness but I didn't know if that's what most natural girls do.

J's response:
Hi Chandra! Thank you for following BGLH. I'm glad you've been inspired to stick with the decision to go natural! I am honored to be 1/3 of this movement that is BGLH! How cool that you moved to Germany to make your dreams come true! All the best to you!

Now to your question! Most of you already know I'm a proponent of low manipulation so I don't braid or twist my hair every night. I try to do protective styles that last throughout the week refreshing at night only if necessary. Here's what I do before bed:

1) spritz my ends and scalp (a nice scalp massage on occasion)
2) add moisturizer to ends (refresh braids/twists if necessary)
3) seal ends with castor oil
4) put on my satin cap then it's beddie-bye time!

I like to call my nightly ritual "SMSP": Spritz Moisturize Seal Protect!
(you like that right-lol)

Spritz
The spritz is important because it hydrates the hair. For this I like to use floral waters, chamomile or sandalwood. I use floral waters so I don't have to worry about contaminants and chlorine in tap water (you can use filtered water if you wish). I keep the floral waters refrigerated and add to a spray bottle as needed. Besides smelling wonderful, my scalp feels so refreshed afterward! It's my daily aromatherapy :) Sometimes I mix the waters with panthenol (an idea suggested by Chicoro). If my hair is craving protein, I use my Aphogee Pro-Vitamin Leave-In Conditioner. You can use protein to help revitalize the hair, but unfortunately damaged hair must eventually be cut out. Click here for some ideas for a daily spritz ideas previously featured on BGLH!

Moisturize
Next is the moisturizer. I like to use a creamy water-based moisturizer (dr. bronner's magic organic lotion). I love how it seeps into my thick hair. It also softens the hair and makes it easier to detangle. When refreshing twists or braids, you can use a wide-tooth comb or detangle with your fingers.

Seal
For the sealant, your options aren't limited to just castor oil. Many naturals love coconut oil or hair butters like shea for sealing, especially for the shine that they impart not to mention the nutrient content.

Protect
Pin the hair up and sleep on a satin pillowcase or use a satin cap.

As you can see, my nightly routine is really simple making it easy to follow. Thanks for your submission Chandra! I thought your "before and after" pictures were especially great in light of the recent "then and now" posts (one of my favorite here at BGLH by the way - great submissions ladies!). Cute cute cute!

chandra then

chandra now!

So now it's your turn! Natural ladies give up the goods!
What's your nightly regimen?
~j~

Now and Then: Shontae

Shontae was one of 5 winners in our recent "Now and Then" giveaway.

"Becoming natural has been the catalyst to my appreciating more features and aspects unique to me and the black community." ~Shontae

I am originally from New Orleans, but I currently live in Richmond, VA...by way of Hurricane Katrina. I'm a single mom to my 8-year-old son and an engineer, who designs plumbing systems for a local A/E firm.

On going natural...
I did my own relaxers, trims, highlights/colors, roller wraps, etc. so I wasn't a slave to the salon. At the time, I thought that I took great care of my hair simply because I swore by magnetic rollers, didn't use flat irons, maybe bumped it with a curling iron once or twice a week, bunned, and deep-conditioned often.

However, the hair around my temples was/is fairly thin and I always seemed to reach a terminal length 2-3 inches past my shoulders.

Be it short or long, all I really wanted was thicker hair. So, I stopped getting a relaxer in early March '09. I did a mini-asymmetrical chop in April, but soon became tired of catering to my relaxed ends. My birthday was approaching and after having been downsized by my former employer, I just wanted to shed the old and start anew. I called a girlfriend of mine to come over one evening and help me with my big chop, 2 days before my 31st birthday in June. The following morning, I ended up going to a stylist to get it trimmed and faded and, soon after, I debuted my fresh teeny weeny afro at both my birthday gathering and my trip back home to New Orleans to visit family and friends. Now I'm coiled, spoiled...oh, and back to being employed. :)

A one word description of her transformation...
Vibrant... Becoming natural has been the catalyst to my appreciating more features and aspects unique to me and the black community.

Monday, October 19, 2009

How do you do black girl bangs?

I love bangs.

Back in my straight-hair days, bangs were my trademark. I was all about the sheeny (though ever-thinning) side-swoop. It was deep to me. Deep enough that I co-signed on this black and white, looking-off-into-the-distance shot taken of me in college, featuring my sheeny bangs.

But these days, making "bangs" mainly consists of me laying my hand down flat at the front of my head and forcing the hair down. I've had mixed success with keeping it down using headbands and such.

I would love to occassionally rock the hair-in-face look. So tell me ladies, how do you do your black girl bang? How do you get the hair in front to stay down and look cute? Have you even been able to do them since you went natural? Please share.

Monday Style Icon: Nia from Baltimore

Where are you from and what do you do?
N: I'm from Baltimore...and I'm in transition. I'll be a college student (somewhere, God willing) in the spring. But right now I work in a high school as a Project Intern for the Youth Development Unit.

When did you go natural? Why?
N: I'm natural by default. =) I had a relaxer once when I was like seven. And it took my hair out....never again.
My mom is natural so it was something that I knew I would probably follow.

My sister, my aunt and my cousin all began to lock and their hair was growing! My hair was short, in fact when I was really young I didn't even have hair..lol I remember the day I decided to lock my mom kept telling me how I was gonna watch my sister's hair grow and be mad, and that day I was supposed to get my hair done, which didn't happen. So i just declared, I'm gonna lock my hair. And that was the summer before sixth grade.

You're 17 and you've had locks for a long time now. How have people around you reacted to your hair?
N: In middle school, people thought I was Jamaican..lol But my friends love it. People tell me how cute and neat they are. It's funny, cause people randomly tell me when they see my hair, "I want locks," or "I'm tryna lock my hair". So..yeah. People are pretty in love with my locks. Lol.

What do you use in your hair?
N: To wash it I use a shampoo bar from a company called Wonderful Oils of the World. It has Tea Tree Oil, Thyme and Rosemary or I use Nadina's Shea Butter Shampoo and Conditioner. To lock I just use pure shea butter and I occasionally oil it with Sunflower and Olive Oil.

What style do you love to rock?
N: Umm..since it's been cut just straight, showing of my cut. I'm soo happy with it!

But I used to love to braid my hair, then take it out so it would be crinkly. That was two styles in one. And really convenient. I could swim in the braids and when i took them out, they'd be crinkly.

Why do you prefer natural hair to relaxed hair?
N: I really love the versatility of being natural, because you can still do a weave or press and still have your natural texture. When you perm, you lose that...and it takes a minute to get it back. And I never wanna lose my natural texture.

For more from Nia check out her blog.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Rachel's Review: Ahuacatl = Aguacate = Avocado

Also known as the “Butter Pear” or “Alligator Pear”, beloved readers, this rather homely fruit yields a rather attractive surprise: an oil that can enrich, health and nourish your scalp. It’s also one of three oils that actually penetrate the hair strand!

A healthy scalp is ultimately responsible for healthy hair (and a healthy body before that, but that, is another post, beloved readers). This is one oil, second and third only to Coconut and Olive oil in my oil roster, that despite its less than cute facade has a rather sexy history. Check the links referenced below or enjoy my paraphrase below.

Nahuatl is the language responsible for the word “ahuatl”, the avocado’s first moniker and it roughly means…erhm…”testicle”. It was seen as a fertility fruit in some indigenous South American societies . Let me paint the picture in as modest strokes as I can: If you had some of these in your basket you were more Pussycat Doll than Nun!

When the Spaniards met these lovely people (before destroying their culture and stealing their land, sigh, colonialism at its best 9.9), ahuatl became “aguacate”. Much easier to say, no? At least, after seven-plus-years of Spanish I can say it is.

When Americans blundered into this healthy-hair wonder, “aguacate” became mangled into “avocado”. Maybe it’s from having studied Spanish so long…but how on earth do you hear “AH-VO-CAH-DOE” in “AH-GWA-CAH-TAY”? I digress.

Why is this so fantastic for your scalp? A quick Google search will give you the dish, but I’ll give you some tidbits here.

As previously mentioned it sinks into the skin. This oil is HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY. A little dab will do you. Which is good, as it tends to be one of the pricier oils in large amounts.
It’s also a great source of Vitamin A, K, B1, E and B2 and D.

Why is that so fantastic?

Vitamin A, AKA, retinol (yes, the stuff that preserves your cuteness) is needed to help you eyes adjust to seeing in low-light situations and keeps your skin and other tissues moist (and hopefully wrinkle-free).

Vitamin K helps your kidneys do their various tasks and aids in blood clotting (a lack of this can show in dark circles, but these kind tend to be genetic, I speak from experience).

Vitamin B1, good old “thiamin” is necessary for energy conversion and aids in keeping your body’s systems running at top capacity.

Vitamin B2, which I think has a cute name: “riboflavin”, is vital for producing those oh-so-necessary red blood cells and aids in having healthy vision and radiant skin.

Vitamin D, the “sun vitamin” (another cheerful name ^_^) helps to facilitate the absorbtion of calcium.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant.

It also has lecithin. Lecithin in the body improves mood and healthy circulation (also important for hair growth).

It contains potassium. This is vital for maintaining the body’s water balance (which you should drink plenty of daily for your health and hair).

It also contains amino acids. Amino acids act as the building blocks for many of the body's tissues and…HAIR.

Avocado oil has sterols. Plant sterols have been touted by the FDA for lowering cholesterol. This lovely (on the inside) fruit even has pantothenic acid and other essential fatty acids.

How pleasantly ironic such an ugly fruit packs a pretty punch, no? Having typed all of that, the best way to reap these benefits is to EAT them. Still, applying avocado oil topically is not without merit.

You can rub this on your skin after a shower, add it to a warm bath, use it to "seal" (more accurately, retard the evaporation of moisture) your ends, oil your scalp, or add it in small to moderate amounts to your usual deep conditioner. It can also be whipped into your curly pudding mixes. Yum. ^_^

I personally don’t apply it to the length of my hair as it is heavy and my hair hates direct oil usage to begin with. If I apply it straight it's scalp and ends only. Again, that is because of MY hair's preference. Please fulfill YOUR hair’s particular desires, beloved readers.

Ladies with a dry scalp may find this soothes many an issue.

I hope you give avocado oil a try. Its a great addition to my regimen when I want a break from my usual olive oil and coconut oil mix in my deep conditioners.

Also, beloved readers, just between me and you…if you slather your scalp and hair in this, sleep in it over night and wash lightly with a gentle shampoo in the morning…it’s like Christmas, New Year’s and your Birthday -on your head. Sans the crazy-with-a-capital-C, police sirens and party clean-up. ^_^

PET LOVERS! THIS COULD POTENTIALLY KILL YOUR BELOVED PETS! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not let them lick, ingest or even sniff this in its oil form or in its original solid/fruit form.

Vitamin and nutrient info: HealthClininc.Com, Colorado University and Dr.David Williams (love this man!), jacn.org; Avocado History: avocado.org
---

Rachel, our guest reviewer, waxes poetic on products every Friday.
For more from her check out her blog http://littlegoldenlamb. wordpress.com/

Friday, October 16, 2009

Help me pick a winner for the 'Now and Then' giveaway! UPDATE: We have 5 winners!

More than 25 ladies entered, and now I have to pick 5 to receive a copy of Chris-Tia's book, "Thank God I'm Natural." As you remember, the giveaway was in honor of the book's author, who went from wigged up to natural.

In choosing a winner, I'm looking for

a. how dramatic the change was and
b. and how well the ladies are working the new look.

The winners will also receive a style icon profile.

Please look through the photos (the two posts before this one) and give your thoughts!

I'll decide a winner at noon, then we'll return to our regularly scheduled program ;) This was definitely an AWESOME diversion! I am amazed that so many women sent photos in! And yes, I will DEFINITELY continue doing this on BGLH!

***WINNER UPDATE!***
So I decided to pick the first 4 winners based on number of votes and a 5th winner at random

The winners are:
Chantel
Shontae
Busayo
Kasey
Tammy

Congrats to all of you!

Now and Then giveaway photos, part 2

Part 1 here

Kasey Then and Now

Jennifer Then and Now

Busayo Then and Now

Monique Then and Now

Brenda Then and Now

Yolanda Then and Now

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Now and Then giveaway photos coming in!!! Check it out!!!

We've already gotten some AMAZING photos.
In case you're out of the loop, this is from the post below...

"Chris-Tia, the recently profiled Harvard lawyer and author just let me know that she is giving away 5 copies of her book "Thank God I'm Natural." So let's turn it into a giveaway!
In honor of Chris-Tia, who went from wigged up to natural, I want you to submit photos of your hair BEFORE and AFTER you went natural. Submit photos to contro_versial@hotmail.com (put 'Now and Then' in the header.) I will post the best ones as I receive them throughout the day."

Here's what we have so far... and keep checking! This is being updated constantly:

Courtney Then and Now...