1Blessed Natural Mag

1BlessedNatural:  My hair in June of this year Hey, my blessed naturals! March 3, 2019 made 8 years I've been natural! June 11th of this year made 3 years since my second Big Chop. It's been a great journey full of learning the right things for my hair. I also want to stress that it has its ups and downs, but it's all worth it for me! Last month, I trimmed my ends in medium-size twists. The last time I trimmed my ends was in January of this year, and I only had to trim about a half inch or less. I  just love how soft my hair feels afterwards! In celebration of my 8 years as a natural, I'm including some pictures of my hair through the years! 2011 March 3, 2019 - My first big chop! Details 2012 2012: Here is my fro on Election Day in 2012. Details 2013 2013: I used the loc jewelry for this style Details 2014 2014: Twist-out with two bobby pins. Details 2015 2015: Rubber Band Twist and Cornrow Updo. De...

1BN Kids: Big Sister Natural Big Chops! Hey, my blessed naturals,  Last Friday, Big Sister Natural did the Big Chop! A little over a year ago, her mom permed her hair and she was not feeling it. So, BSN started transitioning. Some of you might already know that her hair grows extremely fast, so she has a big 'fro now! Check her out!   😍   " Momma cut the perm off and I'm back natural!!!!" CONGRATULATIONS, Big Sis! Here are some throwback pics of hair a couple of years ago. She is 13 years old now. Big Sister Natural's hair back in March of 2016 Big Sister Natural's hair back in 2016 after getting it blow dried   Did you recently Big Chop? If so, what made you do it? Related Articles: 1BN Kids: Big Sister Natural's Cornrows...                             1BN Kids: Big Sister Natural's Impromptu Puff

1BlessedNatural: Amandla Stenberg Big Chops for Role and Goes Blonde! (photo cred: Instagram) Hunger Games star, Amandla Stenberg has done a Big Chop and colored her hair blonde. The 18-year-old actress and activist shaved her head for her upcoming role in the movie Where Hands Touch with George MacKay. In the movie, plays the character Leyna. Where Hands Touch was directed by Amma Asante and focuses on biracial children during Nazi Germany. It is centered around the friendship that develops between George MacKay, a son's whose father was under Hitler's organization and Amandla Stenberg, a biracial girl. The film has been criticized by people who believe it's taking the focus away from the Holocaust. In a post on social media, Asante said her intention was to show how biracial relationships were viewed during Nazi Germany. The director also said she wanted to put a spotlight on children of color during that time period. In a statement to IndieWire , Asante sa...

1BlessedNatural: 6 Mistakes I Made as a New Natural Hey, my blessed naturals, It’s been over 5 years since my Big Chop . Even though, my natural hair is healthy now, I made a lot of mistakes with it along the way. Here are 6 of them: 1. Applied oil to my hair before applying a moisturizer... When I first starting using oils and butters on my hair, I would apply them before the moisturizer and then wonder why my hair was so dry. Oils and butters are used for sealing. You can wet your hair and then apply the oils to seal in the moisture. This method prevents the moisture from evaporating quickly. 2. Flat ironed my roots while I was transitioning... During the month before I did my Big Chop I visited a salon to get my hair blown out and flat ironed. Big mistake! This resulted in heat damage. When I did finger coils, the hair in my bang area wouldn’t curl properly. Once the heat damaged area grew out, I realized what happened. 3. Used too many products that weren...

1BlessedNatural Spotlight: Danielle R. Big Chop date: December 2013 1. What made you decide to go natural? Simplicity. Life is complicated enough 2. What were your friends and loved ones' reaction to your decision?   My friends and loved ones said it's about time! I was natural in college and some of law school. One of my friends said that relaxed hair was like a costume. It was not the real me. 3. What is your current regimen/favorite products? I'm a wild fro kind of girl. I love any sulfate free shampoo I can find at Home Goods, henna made with coconut milk instead of water, and Oyin Berries and Juice. Danielle R. after her big chop 4. What is the most important thing you learned about going natural? There is nothing more beautiful and sexy than being the you that YOU were meant to be. Get to know yourself and be that. 5. What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about going natural? Go natural in whatever way makes your transitio...

Backlash  from Other Naturals (photo courtesy of Microsoft Office )  Lakeisha Gardner Nowadays, there is a great deal of love in the natural hair community. Whether you're a newbie in search of tips and product suggestions or a natural vet simply needing encouragement , there are a number of forums and blogs available at your fingertips. However, there are times when that same love can seem to turn to pure hate.       I have been natural for about 5 years and I have grown to absolutely ADORE my natural hair. In fact, it was not until I embarked upon this natural journey that I actually embraced the idea of liking the hair that was growing out of my own head. I am in a much better place today in terms of the health of my hair and my self-image, compared to where I was as a teenager. However, I have encountered a period where I've simply become bored with my hair. The same old twist out styles and high  puffs just haven't been doing it...

1. What made you decide to go natural?    I’d been contemplating it for a few months. I noticed how thin my hair was becoming every time my beautician relaxed my hair. I transitioned for eight months, and then I did what they call a big chop. I just did it at home myself. I had grown tired of paying big money for hair care while my hair was becoming less and less…   2. What were your friends and loved ones' reactions to your decision? My family loves my hair, no more concerns about thinning hair. My friends had to get use to the change. Now, some of them are going natural and I love sharing what I’ve learned thus far. 3. What is your current hair regimen? I shampoo once a month, co-wash 2 -3 times a week, sometimes more often if I have product build-up. I use a leave-in conditioner, seal with oil. I use Hot Grow once a week by Dr Miracles. I’ll wear a 2 strand twist for 2-3 days, moisturizing as needed. The rest of the week I’ll wear twist out styl...