1Blessed Natural Mag

That is the question! LOL, I was having this discussion with a friend of mine. When do you decide that you want to do the big chop? My new growth is about 1 1/2 inches long. I don't think that a short hair cut would fit my face. But there is a part of me that wants to to chop it all off. It's also cold outside lol. I don't need the wind hitting my scalp more than it already is. I am considering doing my big chop in the summer, depending on the length of my hair. You definitely have to remember that your hair is going to shrink when it dries. So, you might have 4 inches of natural hair growth, and it may shrink down to 2 1/2 when you wash it. We'll see how mine is by June. That is only if, I haven't decided to do my big chop lol. If you have pictures of your big chop, and you would like to submit them to my blog please send me a message or respond below. Thanks!                    ...

My two-strand twists pinned up. Here is one of my transition styles, two strand twists. I kept these in for a couple of days.

Here is a pic of my transitioning hair straightened.           If you read the post below, then you are aware that I was nervous! lol. But, my beautician knew what she was doing. My hair was deep conditioned. She also applied a heat protectant. She blew out my roots with a roundbrush and then she ran the hot comb through my hair. The flat iron was used to bend my ends. When my beautician saw the strand test (cut area) in the back, she thought it was breakage lol. I had to explain to her that I wanted to see how my natural hair would look. Good laugh :-) But she understood.  I am happy with the results. I think that I will get my hair cut every month until I am completely natural. I am still not thrilled about adding heat. So, we'll see....I kind of miss my kinks lol. But, I'm glad that I'm moving closer to becoming au naturall!:-)             ...

Hey Everyone, I am a bit nervous today. Today is my first salon visit since I began transitioning. They are going to straighten it (using the hot comb) and clip my ends. I was a little nervous about the use of heat, but they are going to deep condition my hair. I talked to the beautician for a while. She seems like she really know what she is doing. I have been cutting my own hair gradually. So, it will be interesting to see the length of my hair. We will see how this goes! It's all in God's hands :-) I will post a picture later. Ttyl!

My hair in transition     Your natural hair walk is about loving the hair that God gave you. It is not necessary to judge the women that still relax their hair. I see that a lot. Many women go natural and began attacking women that process their hair. My natural hair journey is not about that. My natural hair journey is about freedom. It's about my independence from chemicals. It is about being able to take care of my own hair. It is about loving the tightly curled tresses that sprout from my scalp. It is about embracing the hair that God gave me. It is about me not being concerned with a "kitchen."The kinks in the back can stay lol.                                                     Many of us do not e...

Here is the result of my braid-out. Taking Out My Braids                                       When I take out my braids, I usually spray them three or 4 times with the IC Hair Polisher below. This is to ensure that  my hair is moisturized when I rake the comb through to separate my    waves.                                                                                 ...

This is my hair after a wash/ co-wash. It looks tough, but not so bad with a little  patience :-) . I use a wide-tooth comb to detangle my hair. It is best to only detangle your natural hair/transitioning hair when it is wet. This is to ensure that there is little to no breakage.  Braid-Out: In this pic, I created two sections where my bang would be, 2 on the side, and 5 in the back *Disclaimer: This post was written in 2011 when I was transitioning from relaxed to natural hair.You don't have to use all of the products I used, but the below methods are what worked for me at that time.  Here is how I detangle my hair & braid-ou t 1. Use a wide-tooth comb to part your hair into 6 or 7 sections 2. Start with one section in the front, and comb your hair beginning at the tips and work your way up to the roots. 3. I usually add my Shea Butter mixed with Castor Oil. I put a finger full in my hands, and rub them together. Apply the mixt...

Co-Washing is when you wash your hair with conditioner. I have to admit... When I first heard about co-washing, I was like, "What??" lol It seemed weird to me. However, after I researched the topic I felt better about it lol. When you shampoo your hair, you remove all of the natural oils in your hair that keep it strong. Because our hair tends to be drier than others, we have to keep our hair and scalp moisturized. This is why co-washing is great. It is also great to do after a workout or sport. You don't have to worry about your hair becoming damaged from excessive washing. Applying Vo5 Conditioner for my co-wash How to Co-Wash 1. Wet your hair 2. Pour a large amount of conditioner in your hands. 3. Rub hands together and massage scalp with finger tips to remove dirt 4. Rub hands from root to ends of hair. 5. You can leave the conditioner in your hair for 15-30 mins 6. Rinse. 6. Apply leave-in conditioner *These tips may not work for everyone....

If you are transitioning from relaxed to natural, then you know how frustrating it can be dealing with two different hair textures. I thought about doing the BIG CHOP. But I don't think that I would look good with a TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro). So, I plan to let my hair grow out. I have been cutting it gradually. I became impatient in the beginning lol. I wanted an idea of how my hair would look short, so I cut a small piece in the back lol I sent the picture to my best friend. "You're insane", she replied. LOL It will grow back lol After I cut the small portion in the back

Here are my favorite hair care products to use: Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo 1. I loveeee this shampoo. It leaves my hair feeling soft and silky after I wash it. Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner 2. Prior to growing out my natural hair, I used Olive Oil perms by Oraganize Root Stimulator. This conditioner was in the box. It makes your hair silky too; it also have a nice fragrance (like oranges) :-) I like to sit under the heating cap for 15-30 minutes after applying  the Replenishing Conditioner to my hair. Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise 3. I also use the Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise twice a month. I sit under a conditioning cap for 15-30 minutes before rinsing it out. It leaves my hair soft and managable. Softee Coconut Oil Hair & Scalp Conditioner 4. The Softee Coconut Oil is heaven sent! I have been using this for about 8 years. I used it when I relaxed my hair. I use it to oil my scalp and ends, especially w...

Almost 4 month natural hair transition Ok, so I have changed my hair care regimen a bit. I have started using" Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 Miracle Worker" and I love it. It's great for braid-outs. I rub that on my hair before I plait it. I take the braids out and comb through my hair so that it is puffy (see above pic). This style seems to be working for me lol for now. Thank God :-) Please share your hair care tips with me!

Hair Prep for Braid Outs In the picture, I had about 2 months worth of new growth. One of the things that I really like about the natural hair process is the fact that you can wash your hair and let it be. I like that I can wash and braid it (while wet) in the morning, and take it out the next morning to find waves or curls. The picture shows my nightly regimen of plaiting my hair. I was using bobby pins to secure my braids, but I found that hairpins do a better job. I used the Hawaiian Silky Gel Activator on my hair and Softee Coconut Oil Hair Scalp Conditioner. I love the product by Softee. It is inexpensive and a good moisturizer . The results are in the picture below.  Braid Out results I kept my hair wavy for a few days. Then, I started to get antsy again lol. I wanted to find a style that I would be comfortable with wearing every day. I remember reading a lot of  Black hair care magazines when I was a child. Sophisticate's Black Hair Magazine was my favorit...

 At the end of 3 month natural hair transition After split ends, scabby scalps, and doobies, I have decided to return back to my roots. My grandmother used to press or "hot-comb" my hair as they say. When I was 10-years-old, a young friend of the family relaxed my hair. The first relaxer was okay. But, the 2nd one caused my hair to break off. Growing up in the African-American community, hair length was big deal. I remember the harsh words of my peers--"bald-headed", they would say. Afterwards, my grandmother pressed my hair. She found a press and curl salon who took care of my hair for the next 10 years. Thank God, because I sure needed it lol. In high school, my beautician would press my hair, and wrap it. Fastforward...At the end of my high school years, I decided to start relaxing my hair again. When I went to college, I started washing, flat ironing, and wrapping my own hair. I would go to the Dominican doobie shops and leave with my hair swinging l...