Before you cut your hair

A few months ago I cut my hair, it was cut into a tapered shape. Tapered cuts usually have the hair at the back of the head shorter than the front.

I was happy with it for all of three weeks.

Just three weeks. After that I wanted/want my old length back!

I started to think why I was having this issue with my hair?  Simple answer is I was indeed bored with my hair. WTH right? I know! We all experience periods where we would like to do something different with our hair. Most times changing the style or cut the hair is what we do.

Since I regret my hair cut, I've written this down as a kind of check list for the future, in the inevitable event that I get bored again. You too can use these points to avoid regretting a planned or spontaneous hair style cut or change.


1. Think long and hard to be sure that you want to go through with it
2. Do research about the new style, what is required to maintain the hair style and how often you will need to re-cut or re-style
3. Again, think long and hard to be sure you aren't just bored
4. Look for a good stylist to cut your hair, last thing you want it to be stuck with a crappy hair cut
5. Be sure you will be happy with the chosen hair style and it will suit your face
6. Is this a spontaneous move?
7. Will your hair be healthier in the new style or cut?

I will admit that since I cut my hair, I've been paying more attention to it so my hair is healthier. 
Also I didn't cut it too short, at the moment I can put my hair in an up do.

 

My natural crown

The past few months have been many low manipulation styles, meaning less strain on my hair. The results have been encouraging. Not only has my hair grown longer, it feels healthier too.

I prefer to wash my hair every weekend, mainly because I sweat a lot on my scalp when I work out. I think it is a good idea to co-wash every week and wash with shampoo once a month. A clean scalp will allow for healthier hair growth.

So I have had to come up with different hairstyles and up dos are my go tos. The below photo of my hair has to be my fav up dos. Very easy to style and takes no time at all. The more times I do it the better I get at it.

I achieved my crown up do by, twisting my hair with or without gel or styling products after a wash.
Let the twists dry; note that they don't have to be perfect twists because they will be tucked away anyways. After I unravel my twists, I use an afro comb to get rid of the lines around the air line. I then use a round hair band to pull the hair up. Always remember, not to pull too tight.  One of the advantaged of using the round bands is that you can pull your hair up into different positions for different looks. I like mine right at the top of my head.
With the aid of several bobby pins, I pick sections of the hair at the top and pin down towards the center of my head in a clockwise or anti clockwise direction. The result should be several lumps of hair forming the look of a crown. With edge control or gel I then smooth out the edges of my hair line for a finished look.

This easy Style can be done every morning or refreshed every other day.

Protective styling with wigs

Yeah.... you read right, WIGS. I don't know if it's just me but wigs have an old mama stereotype. 

Not anymore; wigs are a great way to protect your natural hair…. ask me, I would know. I have been rocking wigs since the beginning of the year and they are literally a life saver. Also more young women I've discovered also wear wigs, so they are not uncommon. Quite a few celebrities wear wigs and have wig lines/brands too.

Now one can get virgin hair or synthetic wigs in different styles, lengths and colors. 

I am not one of those natural sistas that believes that wearing any other hair than yours isn't being a true natural. Just like life, our natural hair journeys differ. I braid my hair, wear wigs and weaves; I pretty much do anything I want to do with my hair that won’t cause damage. And for right now, it wigs. 

The few benefits I've found are;

1. I can wash and deep condition my hair every weekend
2. I don't have to worry about smelly hair from sweat from the gym
3. They save time and effort; just put on the wig and go
4. My natural hair is in cornrows so reduced manipulation = more length retention
5. The cornrows are done up nice and loose so not pulling on my hairline
6. It is easy for me to base or moisturize my scale and hair if I feel the need to
7. I can switch up my look as I feel
8. Most importantly, fresh air can touch my scalp lol..... you know how hot it gets in Nigeria
9. Caring for the wigs aren't difficult; just wash, condition and air dry as directed.  

 Wearing wigs is a great protective style and can be quite economical too. It's a good way for both relaxed and natural haired women to save their hair, hairlines and some money. 

5 questions I get about my hair

So my hair texture is the Bentley of natural hair..... I joke, I joke lol. But my hair is quite nice (clears throat). I mean it soft, silky, coily, has nice shine, etc. etc. lol. It’s no wonder I get asked a lot of questions about my hair from curious everyday Nigerians.

So I thought it would be nice to write about the top five questions I get about hair:

 1. Is this really your hair?
Yes it really is my hair, and this question is usually followed by "Are you mixed race or have white blood in your family?" No, I am fully black with nice hair I guess. “So how do you get it to look like that?" I do the regular natural hair stuff (insert a side smile)

 2. What products do you use?
Gosh I hate this one, because I use the most inexpensive conditioners, hardly any shampoo but lots of natural oils. Then I have to explain my hair regimen.  

3. My hair is very hard, do you think I will be able to manage it in it’s natural state?
I usually say “yeah you can; it’s a little tricky at first and needs some getting used to. But once you understand your hair, it’s a walk in the park”

4. How best do I move to the natural hair side?
Its either you cut it all off or your transition, choose what you are most comfortable with.

5. Why do you change your hair style so often?
Well because I am a black woman, I am a Nigerian woman and because I have the options and the luxury of having different styles of hair.

Goddess braid

I tried to do this simple style last weekend but failed. After watching this video below I now understand that a key feature of this style is stretched or blown-out hair. I attempted mine with kinky braids because I wanted a fuller looking braid but if your hair is full you can do it with just your hair.

I think this style is can be dressed up or down to suit almost any occasion; with the right accessories of course.

Natural haired bride

 So my cousin got engaged last week, I was super excited for her.Then I got even more excited because knowing she isn't really into the whole weddings and planning them, I think/hopes she calls on me to help out. In case you are reading this Afi, I am your go to person for wedding planning and hair advise.  Anyways, my cousin is currently transitioning and her hair should be fully natural in a few months. Although she may still have a TWA.
So I started thinking of hair styles she could use for her wedding and then I started looking at natural hair styles for brides. Here are some of my favs.

Love the bang

Put a white flower on the side of  this, will look amazing

5 tips to make your twist- out last longer

I got this from bellanaija.com written by Jennifer  Obiuwevbi. I think it is good information. My twist- outs don't last the whole week, I think it is because I don't do tip 4. It is important to know that you don't need a lot of products and styling to ensure your twist-out last longer.

Previous twist-out

previous twist-out

1. Always make your twists using smaller twists. Smaller twists generally last longer; this is because the fact that you are using smaller sections, means the twists will be stronger and firmer. Big twists are a bit too chunky to control and have a lot more volume to work with.

So instead of using big sections, start out with small sections and do this all around your hair and then follow your usual twist out process. It may take longer than usual, but at least your hair maintains its shape longer.

2. After you have applied some water and your desired products, some of us can become impatient and take the twists out before they dry completely. If you do this, your twist would not be as firm as they’re meant to and will come loose way to soon.

Instead let them dry out, overnight if possible. When you’re about to take the twists out, touch each strand all the way to the root to check if it is dry. If your twists are not dry, leave them in a little while longer until they are.

3. If your twist outs start to look frizzy and loose, apply a few spritz of water to sections of your hair and add some curling pudding to them, re-twist and leave to dry overnight.

4. Always re-twist your hair before you go to bed. They don’t have to be exact but they should be twisted enough that they keep the curls intact.

5. Always sleep with a satin or silk scarf. This is so your twists are in a slippery casing so they don’t get tugged and come loose while you sleep. Be sure to use satin or silk because other fabrics could strip your hair of moisture and cause breakage.

If I could add one more tip, it would be to leave your hair alone. Stop touching it all the time; I know this because I am so guilty of this. Playing with my hair removes the curl pattens.

What else do you do to ensure your twist-out last longer? 

Protective style - Threading

Hair thread

African threading hairstyle

Threading hair style

 Honest to God, I had been thinking of threading my hair as protective style; I wasn't too sure about it. Then a few days ago, I saw the below picture.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

 In-case you do not know who the lady above is; she is Chimamanda Ngozi Adechie. Natural hair sista, Nigerian and award winning novelist. She wrote "Half of a yellow sun" (now a movie) and "Americana" (which I totally loved; still think of the characters and their lives) also she wrote the "Thing around my neck" (I am yet to read). So in one word she is totally awesome!

Anyways, back to the topic of threading as a protective style. So threading hair is the simple process of wrapping sections of hair with thread, the sections can then be bent to different patterns and styles. I think that this style originated in West Africa. These days only high school and "local" girls thread their hair.
Threading  is a great protective style can also be used for stretching natural hair.  

So I was thinking about threading my hair, wondering if I am confident enough to pull off the look and how manageable the hair style would be. Then I saw the Picture of Chimamanda; and I totally love how kick ass she is. The style is also similar to that of a crown.
However, as lovely as her natural hair looks in the thread hair style, me and she no be the same (she and I are not the same). The amount of pain is not equal to the duration of which I can keep/maintain the hair style. Besides how professional will it look? As you most probably can tell, I am still thinking about it but kudos to Chimamanda for being  confident and rocking her threaded natural hair style.

Have you heard of sisterlocks????

Sister locks

baby siste rlocks

  

Dread locks

 I feel like I have been under a rock! This past weekend I went for a natural hair meet up organized by NaturalNigerian held in Lagos, where I sat next to a natural sista with “different looking hair”. As it was a meet up and we were there generally to talk about our kinky hair I engaged said sista on her hair. She had very small or fine locks called sister locks. I had never seen or heard of sister locks so I proceeded to ask a kazilion questions much to her slight irritation after like the tenth. After admiring her hair and bombarding her with my questions I did a little research of my own.

So what are sister locks?

Sister locks are tiny uniform locks that are the result of a precision parting grid, and
the use of a specialized tool used to place the hair into its locking formation.  The
sister locks method does not require the use of waxes or jells.  The small size and
parting grid form about 400 easily styled locks

I have relaxed, transitioning, short natural hair?

Sister locks can be started with your relaxed length left untouched or short natural as long as you have 1 1/2 inches of natural hair at the root. As your hair grows, and is set into a locked pattern, your relaxed hair will be trimmed away.

How long does it take to lock?

In an idea situation, your "Initial Locking Session" will take about 15 hours.  Your
hair length, density, and head size determine the actual amount of time it will take
to start your Sister lock.

Like dread locks, are they permanent?

During the first 6 months of development, Sister locks can be removed.  Removal will
likely take more time, and be more costly than your Initial Locking Session.  Most
Consultants will not lock your hair if removal is a great concern.  You should be sure
that the Sister locks method is right for you.

How do Sister locks differ from other locks?

Where Sister locks are true locks (a matting of African, kinky, tightly curled, nappy
hair), they differ from "dread locks, dreads, or traditional" in the technique used to
form them.  The sister locks method uses a precise parting grid, and a tool to produce
small easily styled locks.  Sister locks does not use any waxes, jells, creams or hair
extensions, so everything that can add weight, stress, or hamper your hair growth is
removed.  

I like actually like sister locks, looks more versatile than dread locks. I would advise anyone who wants to lock to get sister locks. What do you think ?   

check out www.sisterlocks.com for more info