One of the most emotional journeys a black woman can go through is a natural hair journey. As black women there are so many factors we must consider before letting go of the creamy crack! The fear of being the odd one out and not knowing how peers will react is a constant delay. A lot of permed women have not even seen their natural hair since childhood and have no idea how to care for it. But out of all these worries, the most common fear black woman face before doing their Big Chop or “BC” is the fear that their hair will not grow back. This fear has evolved from the myth that African American hair does not grow and if it somehow does, it grows extremely slow. This is why black woman would rather hold on to the patches of damaged dry hair, that is slowly falling out anyways, rather than just letting go and getting a clean shave. The hysterical part about this rumor and fear is that it is completely contrary to the truth.

June 3, 2010 is when I did my big chop. I walked right into a barber shop sat where the men sit and had all my hair shaved off down to a buzz. A few days later I was on a regular girls day out, sporting my new hair-do, going to get my eye brows threaded. When I arrived the Indian woman, who had been threading my brows for about four months, greeted me with a unique enthusiasm for my new look. As I sat in the chair and waited for her to begin, she told me how in her homeland, back in India, it was a ritual for the women to shave their heads. She said, “The women shave the young girls’ hair so it can come back in thicker and fuller. By the time the girls reach age nine or so, they have already had their heads shaved at least five times.”

What got my attention about this story was not the fact that shaven heads had benefits, but the fact that we were speaking of India. India, the same place African Americans get the best weaves! At that moment I thought to myself if they don’t even come out with that hair we crave so much, why are we buying it from them? Why not do what they are doing and have the same results growing from our very own scalps? I was so intrigued by the idea that African American women could have this long luxurious hair that we’ve longed for since our ancestors were brought to America.

After doing some research I learned that I wasn’t the only person with this information. Natural Hair had become a movement. Chris Rock’s Good Hair movie opened the eyes of millions of permed women when he traveled to Chennai, India to visit the place where a large portion of the best weaves come from.

While researching Chennai I learned that Chennai is home to many Hindu families. Hubpages.com tells us that Hindus believe being seen clean shaven, they are then perceived as being devout. The head shave is a symbol of total submission to God which is why it is usually performed in a temple. But as the Hindu people reach a more modern and liberal time, the motives of some people to their sacred traditions are not as genuine. With hair being a big contributor to the economy, some people shave their heads with the knowledge that the hair wil grow back a better grade. They are no fools, making sure to begin head shaving as soon as the female children reach a year’s age.

So my African American beauties, the trick is out of the bag. Head shaving is the first step to that gorgeous crown of glory. So to chop or not to chop? I say go for it!

• headshave india
• indian headshave
• indian women head shave
• head shave in temple
• female headshaving
• headshave in india
• indian headshave stories
• indian head shave
• indian women headshave

Related posts:

1. Natural Hair Encouragement & Tribute to Evelynn M. Hammonds The other day as I was filling out scholarship applications,...
2. Less is More: Wen vs. Suave Are you are a sucker for infomercials? If so, then...
3. Top Five Products for Natural Hair 1) My all time favorite product is Liv by summit....

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This week’s featured hairstyle is shown on none other than our own Dena.  She is rocking a beautiful rollerset during her stretch between relaxers.  This is yet another way to maintain relaxed hair in between touch-ups.  Her voluminous spiral curls are an example of a go-to style for her in 2011!  Love it?  Don’t hesitate to ask her how it was done!  Thanks Dena for being this week’s feature.

• natural african american hair styled with green magnetic rollers
• spiral curls with magnetic rollers

Related posts:

1. Hairstyle of the Week This week’s hairstyle is a braid/twist out pin-up style.  Appropriate...
2. Hairstyle of the Week This is the latest form of my hair, a stretched...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

• hairstyle of the week
• hairstyles of the week
• hair styles for the week
• natural hair styles for the week
• nye hair styles 2011
• nye hairstyles for ethnic hair

Related posts:

1. Hairstyle of the Week This week’s hairstyle is a braid/twist out pin-up style.  Appropriate...
2. Hairstyle of the Week This is the latest form of my hair, a stretched...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Excessive Heat

One of the most common culprits is over-use of heat tools on our hair. Did you know that your strands can instantly heat up to 80 degrees when using a blow dryer? When you throw in a flat iron or hot press, this spells dryness and damage for your ends especially. Your hair produces sebum (a natural oily substance), which is supposed to prevent it from drying out, but those of us with curlier and kinkier hair patterns tend to not have our sebum reach the ends of our hair.

Chemicals

Whether it’s application of a relaxer or hair dye, any chemical process applied to the hair can cause damage as the structure of the hair is being altered. Usually in these types of chemical applications, the hair’s natural protein bonds are being weakened, broken, or re-arranged. This can definitely wreak havoc on your tresses if this is done too often or incorrectly.

Rough Handling

Also known as over-manipulation, sometimes we take for granted that hair can be fragile (especially when wet). When we grab, brush, comb or braid our hair without being careful, it can backfire on us and cause breakage and split ends—which equals thin or “see through” ends.

So What’s the Solution?

The first step would be to eliminate (or limit) the causes above which lead to dry and damaged ends. Although it helps to do deep conditioning treatments, hot oil applications, etc., these won’t guarantee that your ends will bounce back from the beating they’ve taken. Everyone’s hair journey and hair health is unique, so this is only one perspective and should be treated as such, but if your ends are beyond repair—don’t be afraid to consider a trim or cut. Not only will your ends be noticeably thicker, they will also be free of splits and even some previous heat damage.

In the end, make sure to research all of your options and go with the one that best suits you. It’s your hair, and you’re the one who has to wear it and live with it.

• how to treat thin ends
• mss
• thin ends
• thin ends hair
• thin ends of hair
• thin hair ends
• fix thinning ends on relaxed hair
• hair thin ends
• how do you treat thin ends

Related posts:

1. How Our Diets Affect Our Hair Raise your hand if you’re struggling to keep your New...
2. Back to the BASICS – Natural Hair Regimen So I have been natural since the summer/fall of 2009...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

• Convenience; remember you are the one that has to maintain the hairstyle. Think of styles that you can easily accomplish even on your craziest mornings. Different lifestyles would affect which styles you choose. For instance, a student would more than likely choose different styles than say, an executive. Be sure to consider how much time you can devote to your hair.

• Healthy hair care is super important when choosing your style regimen. Protective styling has become the most popular when it comes to relaxed ladies due to our delicate strands. We don’t want our hair rubbing against our shoulders so our attempts to keep our hair healthy and strong makes protective styling super important….here are some great protective styles to choose from.

• Variety and flexibility; Choose styles that you will allow you some flexibility on switching them up. If you choose a style such as braids or cornrows, you won’t find it as easy to switch up and play around with new styles. Variety is the spice of life. Don’t find yourself stuck in a rut with your hair style.

• What flatters your facial shape is of utmost significance when choosing a style. Seek advice from friends or a professional for help with this. Not every style will flatter every facial structure. Stay tuned for my article on facial shapes and hair styles.

• black woman
• relaxed hair styles for black women
• protective hairstyles for relaxed hair
• woman thinking
• black women relax hair styles
• 1
• 5
• african american woman
• african american woman thinking

Related posts:

1. How to Care for your Relaxed Tresses during the Summer Months Just because it is hot and steamy outside does not...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

When one relaxes, hair problems are almost unavoidable and must be met with near-professional care. Some take very good care of their hair, and reap good results. Others just don’t do well with relaxers, but fail to admit that their hair may not do well with relaxers at all.  Consumers should understand that relaxers are not “one size fit all” and not everyone should have a relaxer.

So is a relaxer for you? Consider some of these chronic hair symptoms related to relaxed hair to better assess if your relaxer is hindering your healthy hair potential. This is considering that you have done everything imaginable (protein treatments, deep conditioners, trims and professional care).

• Does your hair stay dry/brittle, no matter what intensive, moisture treatment you do?
• Is your hair still porous, even after ACV and other acid rinses?
• Does your hair break at every touch or pass of a comb, regardless of protein treatments?
• Does your shedding never end?
• Do you always have split ends?
• Is your hair not growing (or are you not retaining length)?

These are key indicators that, perhaps, relaxers may be the cause of your hair care issues. For some, having relaxed hair and having healthy hair can be an oxymoron, much like having healthy, color-treated hair. It is difficult to maintain chemically-treated hair, not that it is impossible. But some relaxer users who experience chronic damage from relaxers should accept when they have made a “mistake” by using a relaxer in the first place, and should come to terms with the fact that relaxers may not be the way for them.

• overprocessed relaxer
• treatment for overprocessed relaxed hair
• |
• how to tell if your hair is overprocessed
• overprocessed relaxed hair
• self relaxer
• chemically treated hair-over processed
• hair healthy enough for relaxer?
• hair relaxer fail

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

No lye relaxers (boxed relaxer kits) are not the best form of relaxers to use.  Often they dry the hair out and damage the hair far beyond the effects that lye has on the hair.  The myth is often that “no-lye” is better because it is free of lye, leaving some harsh chemical, sodium hydroxide, out of the equation.  Lye was always thought to be the part of the chemical concoction in relaxers that burned the scalp; it is thought to be the very strong element of the relaxer.  However, lye is used to straighten the hair without stripping the hair of all of its moisture; it allows moisture to be contained in the strands.  The alternative chemicals that are used in no-lye straightening systems are not so generous to the hair.  I must admit, when I was in the business of getting my hair relaxed, it took me a while to figure out that lye was not the enemy.  It is not as taxing on the hair as we may think.

Think about it: When you have gone to a salon professional to get a touch up, did they ever use a box kit?  Did they have to use the neutralizer, shampoo, and conditioner that came all in one set?  Or did they use the relaxer out of a container that was already mixed in its correct proportions?  Then they utilized the shampoos and conditioners that were best for your hair, not one that came along with the kit.

Ask a salon professional which do they prefer, it will likely be the lye relaxer hands down.  If you decide to touch-up your relaxers at home, always do so with care and follow all of the correct procedures.

• mss
• best lye relaxers
• which is better lye or no lye relaxer
• best no lye relaxer
• best relaxer for black hair
• which is better lye or no lye relaxers
• lye or no lye relaxer
• lye or no lye relaxer which is better
• the best relaxer for black hair

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Air drying is one of those things where if done incorrectly, can be more of a pain than a gain. My first few attempts at air drying my relaxed hair literally had me in tears. My hair was tangled, dry, and everything but what I was hoping to achieve. The purpose for air drying is to, of course, limit the amount of damaging heat to your hair. But what’s the use of utilizing this technique if it only leads to dry and brittle hair?

Here are few simple tips that I’ve found to help me achieve the best results when air drying my hair.

• After washing or co washing, apply a good detangling leave-in conditioner. Your hair will be more prone to tangles when attempting to air dry, so this is an important step that you mustn’t skip.
• Use a wide tooth comb for detangling. Start at the ends and get rid of those tangles.
• One option is to utilize a glycerin water mixture to keep your hair shiny. Air drying tends to make the hair dull.
• Use a sealing oil such as EVOO or coconut oil to lock in moisture.
• I wouldn’t suggest letting the hair dry flat. I usually part my hair into sections and put about 8 two strand twists.
• When the hair is dry, I usually apply some ORS Incredibly Rich Moisturizing Lotion to the ends.

Now keep in mind that this technique is somewhat limiting in terms of styling. You won’t achieve the sleek or straight look as a result, but you will have accomplished healthier means of drying your already delicate relaxed hair.

• air drying relaxed hair
• air dry relaxed hair
• how to air dry relaxed hair
• mss
• air drying black hair
• letting relaxed hair air dry
• air dry black hair
• air drying hair techniques
• airdrying relaxed hair

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Relaxed hair is typically not considered difficult to style. As a matter of fact, I have heard more ladies with relaxed hair express that one advantage to being relaxed is the ease of styling. However, you may find it difficult to maintain fresh and interesting styles that keep your hair safe and damage free.

Here a few suggestions and tips to aid in styling relaxed hair, that won’t threaten breakage or damage:

• Keep in mind that relaxed hair is delicate, so protective styling is key when considering how to style your locks. It is okay to wear your hair flowing, but keep it safe and alternate between protective styles weekly.
• Roller sets offer some versatility to otherwise flat hair. Once your curls has fallen some, take some pins and pin it up for a perfect roller set updo.
• If you wear your hair in ponytails or buns often, be sure not to use rubber bands that are sure to cause breakage and damage. A wide barrette is ideal and looks even better! For buns, I suggest using cloth bands that don’t cause pulling.
• Avoid styles that require heat. Remember ladies, heat is the enemy, and should be avoided as much as possible.
• Keep your styles maintained by sleeping in a satin cap or scarf to avoid breakage.
• A good trimming or a fresh cut can add such fullness and pizzazz to flat hair. Keep your ends neat and free of split ends. Your hair will thank you for it.

Whichever style that you choose, be careful not to overload your hair with lots of products, which can lead to limp and lifeless relaxed hair. Have fun with your hair and don’t be afraid to experiment!

• styling relaxed hair
• mss
• relaxed hair
• roller set styles for black hair
• black relaxed hair styles
• how to roller set black hair
• how to style relaxed hair
• relaxed hair styles
• relaxed hairstyles

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.