How to resolve problems with single strand knots

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Hey there everyone,

So I've been "pre-pooing" with oils (Jojoba or Vatika).  I read on MTM's blog that pre-pooing with oil helps with single strand knots.  I used to have single strand knots, but I didn't realize how many until now, now that I don't have any.  Single strand knots are easy to get caught on other strands of hair, and typically end up (for me at least) getting cut out.  Since I have started using oil prior to "washing" (I only use conditioner) I have noticed that I have not seen ONE single strand knot.  So, if you suffer from single strand knots do try pre-pooing with oil.  I think most oils are good, but the most common I have seen are Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Coconut Oil. 

That's all I have for that.  Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!!!! 
Tootles,
Love, peace, and happiness

still working on a hair routine

I LOVE her huge hair

Hello there lovely people,

As we get so close to the start of 2011 I am diligently working on improving the health of my hair.  As mentioned in my post about my new year hair resolutions I really want to do things this upcoming year that will improve the overall health/quality of my hair.  I believe the first step to having healthy hair is having a good hair routine.  Of course this is something that I have been working on since I started this blog back in July 2010, but I think that I'm getting closer to having a good working hair routine.  I have started using oils a lot more in my hair routine, and cutting out shampoo (for the most part).  Currently, the biggest focus/challenge for me with creating the best hair routine is a healthy happy scalp, and well moisturized healthy ends.  So, I'm going to give a synposis of what I've been doing and what I think I'll keep or tweek for the upcoming year.  I will make changes with the routine as I see fit, and be sure to keep you wonderful people updated. 

1. Cleansing-I have not used shampoo in my hair in months and I have to say, my hair is softer than I ever remember it being.  I'm not sure if this is solely due to no shampoo, but I think that that has played a large role in the softness of my hair.  I have recently started using Jojoba oil as a cleanser for my scalp once per week.  I also use conditioner to cleanse the scalp on top of the oil.  Unfortunately,  within the past few weeks I have been experiencing a lot of itchiness, which is not okay.  I think that the itchy scalp has more to do with the cold weather drying my scalp out than my scalp not being clean; however, I am keeping a dirty scalp as a possibility while I rectify this problem.  So, in an attempt to resolve this problem I will oil my scalp with Jojoba Oil probably about four times per week and see if this helps; if this does help I will cut back on how often I oil until I figure out the least number of days oiling is necessary per week.  Usually I am hesitant about putting oil on my scalp because I don't want to clog the pores, but Jojoba oil is similar to the natural oil produced by your scalp (sebum), and doesn't clog pores.  To cleanse my hair I have been pre-"pooing" with Jojoba oil, and using conditioner.  I don't use a lot of product on my hair and feel like I don't need to do anymore than this to keep it clean.   
• So, for cleansing my scalp, I will use Jojoba oil and conditioner once every week-I may cut out the conditioner for a week or two and see if this helps with the itch.  To cleanse my hair I will use Jojoba oil and conditioner (deep conditioner) at least once a week.  Also, I think that when I get my hair straightened (about once every three months) I will allow the stylist to shampoo so this will aid in cleansing the scalp and hair. 
2. Conditioning- I have been deep conditioning my hair once per week, and doing a rinse out conditioning about once a week.  I have been doing a good job keeping up with my weekly deep conditioning regimen, and I will keep this the same.  I have been deep conditioning with the conditioner I have available (my favorite is Herbal Essences Color Me Happy) mixed with equal parts of oil.  I have been using Olive oil, but am now trying Amla Oil.  Amla Oil (which I purchased from an Indian grocery store for super cheap) is supposed to be a great conditioner for hair, and good for hair growth, and strength.  I have only used it once so I will report on how I like it after a few more uses.
• So, for conditioning, I will deep condition with rinse out conditioner and Oil once per week, and do a rinse out conditioning as I see fit in between deep conditioning
3. Moisturizing- Lately for moisturizing I have been using Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Jojoba Oil on deep conditioning days, and just conditioner on co-wash days.  I like the Smoothie for protective styles and will keep using that.  I also like conditioner, provided I don't use too much or my hair will be crunchy, as a moisturizer.  I have been putting Jojoba oil on my hair about every other day or so, and I like that as a moisturizer too.  Jojoba oil is light and non-greasy; this is one of the very few oils that doesn't just sit on my hair (this may be because the molecules of this oil are very small, technically this oil is a wax, not sure why it's called oil :-/).  And while my hair is pretty well moisturized, I would like another lite moisturizer (right now I'm thinking creamy, but a spray may be okay if I'm refreshing a wash and go) that I can use daily.  The shea moisture smoothie is too thick and wet to use on my dry hair.  I want something that I can put on dry hair that will be absorbed and provide nice moisture and shine while not making my hair damp and frizzy. So I'm still searching for that, and open to suggestions.  
• So, for moisturizing I will continue to use Shea Moisture on wet hair to be styled in a protective style, Jojoba oil, and conditioner for co-wash days.  I am however, still looking for a daily moisturizer that will be good on dry hair .
4. Styling- For about the past month or more I have been wearing pretty much all flat twist outs.  With the cold weather here I am trying to avoid leaving the house with wet hair, and style-outs are a good option for this.  Usually I put my style out into a high bun to protect the ends, but I do on occassion wear it out.  At night I either tie my hair down, braid it, or twist it.  I haven't been too creative with the styling lately, but I will try to do better in the upcoming year.  
• So, for styling, I will continue with mostly style-outs and protective styles throughout the winter, and maybe go back to more wash and gos as it starts getting warmer
5. Detangling- I have been detangling whenever I do a deep condition and on occassion when I do a co-wash (so detangle at least once a week).  I use a Denman brush, and I will keep this regimen up
• So, I will detangle my hair at least once a week (more if I feel it necessary), and I will do this with conditioner on my hair and using a Denman brush.
6. Trimming- I have not been getting regular trims, but I will start getting my hair trimmed once every three months at least, and less if I don't need it that often.

That's all I have for my hair routine as of right now, to recap:

• Cleanse hair and scalp once per week with Jojoba Oil and Conditioner
• Deep condition hair once per week with conditioner and Oil (HE color me happy and Amla for now), and co-wash as I feel necessary
• Moisturize with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie for protective styles, conditioner for co-wash and Jojoba Oil about every other day.  I will also moisturize my scalp regularly with Jojoba Oil
• Wear more protective styles than wash and gos during the cold weather months
• Detangle my hair at least once a week using the Denman brush
• Trim my hair at least once every three months for now

So, as you can see, I am on my way to making a hair regimen, but definitely have room for improvement and holes to be filled in so please do let me know what your hair regimen is, and/or any changes to your hair routine that you plan to make in the new year!!!

Tootles for now 

Detangling: Part 2-the denman brush

Image of a gorgeous woman with a beautiful fro

Hello there lovely people,

So I think that one of the most daunting task that a natural faces is the detangling process.  I gave you all a few tips before about detangling in the post Detangling: part 1, now I wanted to give a few more tips and do a tool review of the Denman brush.  So, first off, my detangling routine:
I typically detangle my hair 1 or 2 times per week.  To detangle I:

1. Separate my hair into 4 sections-I work with one section at a time and then repeat the process until all sections have been detangled
2. I thoroughly wet the section, first I just let the water run through my hair under the shower and then I fluff my hair under the water to make sure that it is good and wet. 
3. I then put conditioner on the section
4. I take a section of the section (I usually end up making three sections within each section-so 12 sections total) and further wet it
5. I put more conditioner on the new sub-section and begin detangling
6. To detangle I use a Denman brush (more on this brush later).  I begin at the ends of my hair and work my way up to my roots.  I hold my hair about an inch above where I am detangling.  Once the area below my fingers can easily be brushed through I move up my hair an inch until I can brush the section from root to tip.  If I encounter a tangle along the way I add more conditioner and slowly brush it out. 
7. Once I have finished detangling a section I twist it and move on to the next section. 
8. After I have detangled the entire hair I usually go back and put a little extra conditioner on the ends of my twists and then typically proceed with deep conditioning. 
9. After I have detangled my hair, I rinse my hair still twisted to minimize re-tangling. 

A few tips that have really helped me with detangling are

• Be patient!!!
• Be gentle with your hair
• Only detangle when your hair is covered in conditioner-you can't put too much conditioner on in my opinion for detangling
• If you have a tangle or knot that you really need to work through, try wetting your hair after you put conditioner on, this will give your hair more slip and help with the process.  If you still have trouble add more conditioner and detangle under running water.  I know it seems like this would only wash all the conditioner out, but it really does help. 

Okay, the Denman brush
So, in my reading of blogs and watching youtube videos and such, I have seen lot of women raving about this Denman brush.  My first instinct was these chicks are nuts.  How can a brush be a good tool to use on curly, kinky, highly textured hair :-/  However, my idol, MTM also raved about this brush, so I decided to give it a try.  I ordered one off of Amazon, and then tried it a few days after it arrived.  OH MY GOODNESS.  This brush is AMAZING.  It's crazy how well it separates your curls while still being gentle.  It is awesome for distributing product (ie. leave-in, moisturizer, conditioner...) through your hair.  Also, it is very good at smoothing the hair.  After I detangle a section I can go through and brush it from root to tip with the Denman brush and it feels like silk all the way down.  I absolutely adore this brush.  I'm trying to explore how else it may be used (ie. for a wash and go).  So, me being me, I ended up ordering the wrong brush and this is actually not the Denman made for detangling and it still does an AWESOME job.  I HIGHLY recommend this bush.  Now you all know I must like it, because I haven't used this many capital letters in a post since I wrote about my freebie :-)  One word of caution, if you do detangle with the denman brush be sure to work in small sections (I'd say about one third of what you usually detangle at once).  Since you will be working with smaller sections you may want to devote more time to detangling and do it out of the shower if your hair is super thick and/or long.  I still detangle in the shower and the process isn't too long to make me not....so just play around with it and see. 

Anyhoo, that's all I have today about that.  Please feel free to post any additional tips for detangling in the comments section.  Also, if anyone in the Columbia area would like to try my Denman before purchase let me know (it is a tad expensive for a brush ~$12, but so worth it!!!)

Tootles for now

Protective styles-Part 1: A twist-out gone right

Protective hairstyles are just what they sound like. A protective style is one that is created to protect your hair-think little girl routine of getting your hair braided for the week on Sunday night, having your hair freed from the braids only to be able to sport a "presentable" look at church and then getting it washed and braided back Sunday night, Mommy had the right idea. Protective styles protect from the environment as well as from you. The less manipulation you do to your hair, the less it will break, split and tangle. There are a variety of protective styles that can be worn, and many can be worn with your own hair or with the addition of hair. Now please don't get me wrong, protective styles aren't meant to be worn indefinitely, with the exception of locs, but it is advantageous to wear a protective style for about one week-two months depending on the style.

Protective styles are especially nice in extreme weather conditions such as summer and winter. Keeping your hair protected will hopefully reduce the damage created by the elements. Some common temporary protective styles include braids, twists, style-outs, weaves, and bantu knots.

In this protective styles post I'm going to focus on the twist-out. A twist out can be either a two strand twist out or a flat-twist twist out. A twist out would be considered a protective style because it cuts down on the amount of handling you have to do with your hair. In addition, hair may be less likely to become tangled-which can cause it to break-if it is in a twist out opposed to a wash and go.

So, below is the description of how Ms. Berry does her twist out.

• Wash with Giovanni Triple Treat followed by Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo
• Deep Condition with Organix Coconut Conditioner, then rinse with cold water
• Lightly dry hair with a t-shirt
• Section hair into four sections
• One section at a time, moisturize scalp with CD (Carol's Daughter) Mimosa Hair Honey
• Rub raw unrefined Shea Butter and CD hair milk throughout the section
• Sectioned hair to be twisted
• Finger comb through Eco-styler Olive Oil gel
• Twist, there were about 7-9 twists per section of four

By doing smaller twists this style lasts for a week. Nighttime maintenance is to tie the edges with a scarf and put on a bonnet. In the morning she mists with Chi Silk Mist and is fabulously ready for a new day.

There are a variety of ways (ie. number of twists), and products that can be used to do a two-strand twist out so experiment with a suggested routine and then personalize it to fit your needs. I'm posting links to Curly Niki's blog (http://www.curlynikki.com/search/label/Products%20I%27m%20Using%20Now) as well as the Mop Top Maven (http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/01/twist-out-tutorial.html) so that you can also check out how they do a twist-out. I haven't quite mastered the two-strand twist out, but hopefully some of these tips will help you ladies out.

If you have any questions or comments for me or Ms. Berry please leave a quick note :-) Comments are much loved!!!

Tootles for now,

Me

Don't be afraid of water, it's your friend

Hello there you lovely people,

I know that for many years you and your beautifully relaxed hair have been afraid of the enemy commonly known as water. That's right, no matter where it comes from, shower, rain, pool, ocean, sweat, you quickly learn after the first relaxer that water is an enemy if it touches your hair without first getting your permission. I think that one of the hardest concepts to remember after transitioning is that water is your hair's friend. So, after you become natural, introduce the two, water and hair, and give them the opportunity to interact as much as possible. When I first started wearing my hair natural I wet my hair just about everyday. I don't "water" my hair quite as much anymore because I often don't make the time to do so, but boy when I do, my hair thanks me all day long. Water is an awesome moisturizer. Get that water in your hair, seal it up, and don't let it escape. For those of you with overly porous hair it is hard to get your hair really wet; try putting conditioner on and then wetting your hair. So, for those of you who wear your hair natural, or are considering to start wearing your hair natural, remember that water is your friend. Water your hair whenever it feels dry and it will be revived and spring back to life. If you don't have time to get into the shower to wet your hair simply fill a spray bottle with some cold water, a little conditioner, your favorite essential oils and have at it.

So, quickie warning: do be cautious of using hard water-water that contains a higher than normal content of minerals and other impurities-hard water is harmful to your hair and your skin. You can test your water with a kit that can be bought at hardware stores or you can call your local water supplier and ask them. If you do have hard water you can buy a purifier to put on your shower head or a detachable shower head with a purifier built in, or you can boil your water before you use it on your hair (letting it cool before use of course).


Tootles for now,


Me :-)