1Blessed Natural Mag

1BlessedNatural: Titi Branch, Co-Founder of Miss Jessie's Hair Care Products Passes Away at 45  (photo courtesy of Flickr- Elvert Barnes under the CC-BY-SA 2.0 ) Today, many of us in the natural hair world are at a loss for words at the passing of Miss Jessie's hair products co-founder, Titi Branch at age 45. Although, Branch passed away on December 4, 2014, the news of Branch's passing was announced via NV Magazine on Facebook yesterday. According to the obituary, the cause of Titi Branch's death was due to "an apparent suicide due to asphyxia." Both Titi and Miko Branch were leaders in the natural hair community because they owned their own salon in New York, and were some of the first people to develop and sell products that were dedicated to natural hair in major stores.  I do not know Titi Branch's whole story, but I know that depression is no joke. If you are suffering through depression, please let someone know. Do not be embarrasse...

pic taken: April 2014- "Love Your Kinks, Curls, and Waves" The natural hair community has been buzzing about issues like curl discrimination and curl envy. Curl discrimination is when a person's natural hair experience is disapproved or rejected because they're curl pattern is looser. The misconception is that they don't struggle with their hair as much as a person with a tighter kink or curl. Curl envy is when another person wants the curl pattern that someone else has naturally. The most important thing to remember about being natural is the love for what God has given you. When you love what sprouts from your own roots wholeheartedly, the other nonsense will cease. Focus on finding products and techniques that work for YOUR hair. Find those things that bring out the best in your strands. Celebrate your natural hair journey and the journey of others. Support other naturals and continue on your journey! What do you love about YOUR NATURAL HAIR? R...

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...

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. It's time to debunk another natural hair myth! Myth #1: Because I'm natural, I don't need to trim my ends.  1BN: Although you are natural, you still need to trim or clip your ends. You may not need to trim your natural hair as frequently as permed hair, but you will still need to do so. Hair (in general) is prone to split, damaged, and/or weathered ends. Because your ends are the oldest part of your hair, they are exposed to the elements the most. Hair manipulation due to styling also adds more strain to your hair, especially your ends. Keeping your hair moisturized and conditioned may lessen the number of times you need to trim your ends. Protective styling may also keep your ends healthy for a longer period of time, but you will still need to trim them eventually. There is still much debate in the natural hair community about when and how much hair you should trim. I suggest trimming your hair as needed. I kn...