Bye, bye dry hair.

I've had to cut off about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of hair due to dryness from the permanent dye I used back in April. Yep, dryness. I know in an earlier post, I said I didn't have any problems with dryness after dying my hair. Weeeellll...as the weeks passed by, my ends were feeling funkier and funkier. I did try a little dusting, but farther up the hair shaft felt gross. And when I compared the dyed hair to the newly growing un-dyed hair, there was a big difference. You can see the difference as clear as day in this picture.

I knew I had to cut my hair, there was no other healthy way to fix the ends. The question was, how much do I cut. I'm not overly obsessed with length, but I really didn't want to do a BC all over again. so in December, I decided to cut half of the dyed part off and then cut the rest off later.

My hair feels so much better now. I've got about another 1 to 1 1/2 inches of dyed hair that need to go. I'm thinking I'll free myself of those around April or May.

I'm so glad I learned this lesson early on. My hair does not like the harshness of chemical dyes. Didn't like it when it was relaxed either.

So now, I'm a henna fiend. And I learned from other naturals to use coffee or espresso tone down the harsh brassy orange my gray hairs turn. I'm loving the color of my gray now. The henna has put this protective coating around my strands and my hair looks so much thicker....loving it!

Is this a home-made hair care product list....or a grocery list?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Aloe Vera Gel and Juice
Honey
Chamomile tea
Sage
marshmallow root
horsetail herb
mayonnaise (ya'll know I can't stand the taste of mayo)
avocado
banana

You would think that I was preparing to cook up some stuff....but no this is part of my home-made hair care shopping list. I swear I have become addicted to making my own products and have quickly become and ingredient junkie, instead of a product junkie. I really need to stop hanging out over at Nappturality, they are just a bunch of enablers :)

But I must say, my hair...including the raggly relaxed ends are loving the natural ingredients.

My favorite is my "Good for your body from head to toe" Moisturizer.

Shea Butter
Coconut Oil (the solid kind)
Sweet Almond Oil
Caster Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Patchuli e.o.
Tea Tree e.o.
Glycerine
Aloe Vera Gel

I don't measure anything so each time it's a little different. I start by whipping the shea butter and little coconut oil together. Add a little of the liquid oils until you get a consistency you like. Sometimes I like a thick cream, other times I like it more lotion-like. Add your essential oils. My relaxed hair doesn't like glycerin or aloe Vera gel too much when it is dry, so I reserve those for deep conditioning days.

When I get out of the shower, I put this moisturizer on from head to foot....literally. On hair washing day, I use the same mixture with a little cholesterol conditioner and add glycerin and aloe Vera gel. Put it on my hair, wrap in plastic wrap, put on a skull cap and then wrap in a big fluffy towel and let it sit for at least 2 hours. This past weekend, I decided to condition overnight....and my did my hair love it. My hair is still moisturized, so I haven't had to add the concoction to my dry hair yet. Will probably do it tonight since it has been 4 days now.

I have started using Moe's Hair Growth Oil. (Moe is da bomb. Her MoeSheAloe recipe is all the rave.) Again, my relaxed hair just doesn't like Aloe Vera, so if I do a mid-week wash, I use this a quick conditioner. Can't wait until I'm fully natural to use it.)
Ok, went of on a little tangent there, but I'm not doing any challenges with the growth oil, since I am still doing mini-cuts every other month when the mood hits me. Once I do the BC, I'll porbably join in on one.


The ladies over at Nappturality is great about sharing their hair care recipes, they are all over the forums, but there is a special section for them. Home-made Hair Care Products. Check it you, your hair will love you for it. Ta-ta for now.

Hand-in-fro Disease.....

Man do I have a bad case of it...plus I think it's contagious.

So, I'm just sitting here minding my own business when I feel these fingers running through and massaging my naps. Well, I've got both keys on the keyboard, so how the hell is that possible...did I sprout another arm or something. I look around and a friend of mine (he's got this stealthy way of sneaking up and catching you un-aware) is standing there with his hand buried deep in my faux fro. He grins and says he loves how soft my hair is and can't keep his hands out of it since the first I let him touch my naps.

Well you know the massage was feeling good, so no way am I gonna stop him. But I totally understand where he is coming from. I suffer badly from hand-in-fro disease and have to mentally reprimand myself to keep my hands out of my faux fro (still gots lots of that blasted relaxer on the ends, so I can't claim to have a true fro).

When I got over those first "creamy crack" joneses at the sight of my new growth and really touched and played with the newly developing crinkly texture, I was helplessly hooked. I was constantly playing with the newly forming coils I was finding all over my head. I would do it at my desk, in the car, laying on the couch and watching tv....pretty much anywhere. Addicted for sure.

I did think I was completely and totally nuts...not far from the truth anyways. But then I learned from other nappturals, that this was actually quite common in the nappy world and it had an actually name....HAND-IN-FRO. Now how 'bout that!

Hand-in-fro is the uncontrollable desire to constantly play with the beautiful, nappy texture of one's hair. I can't think of a time when I was fully relaxed, that I wanted to play in my hair.....shoot getting that way cost way too much and that style needed to last. Plus, even though I have always had soft hair....I don't remember it being this soft while relaxed. But then, can anything that has been beat straight with harsh chemicals be truly soft? {Kicks soapbox back under desk}.

Hand-in-fro is not necessarily a good thing. Playing with hair that much can only lead to breakage. I've been lucky so far, that I haven't caused breakage at that fragile place where the fried relaxed hair meets my luxurious kinky coily naps.

Oh, I did mention that it was contagious too, huh. Well we have been taught that nappy hair is brittle, course and dry. Well I have certainly been re-educated. Properly cared for nappy hair is soft, well moisturized without being greasy (you can't fry fish in my hair anymore), and just all around healthy in general. Once folks get a feel of healthy nappy hair, they love it. (I know, I'm always sticking my hands in my Moms fro). Now don't get me wrong, don't just walk up on the street and stick your hands in my hair....it would be in your best interest to actually know me and know whether or not I'd give you rights to do this without asking. I am not totally opposed to strangers asking, if they are polite about doing it.....for the most part anyway.

I have done really well while typing this. Hand-in-fro only twice.

Oh my aching arms!

So I did my first straw set this weekend. OMG, I can finally say I am thankful for fine, thin hair. It took me hours to do this....if I hand thick hair, I'd probably still be setting in on the staws. I'd wondered why hair dressers charged so damned much to do this style....well now I can certainly understand.

I love the out-come. Check up a close up of my avatar to see a better picture of the set.

I was afraid it would be super fuzzy, so I broke my no heat rule and sat under the dryer for 30 minutes on the coolest settings. Next time I'll try no heat at all and I think it will be fine.

Not sure how often I'll wear this style since it takes so long to do, but i can guarantee you will see it again. Later.

Co-washing? Hmmmm....does that really clean your hair?

So this past weekend,I did my first co-wash. Co-washing simply means you use conditioner to wash the hair. By co-washing, you avoid the harsh "moisture stripping" that goes along with washing the hair with shampoo.

"But isn't your hair still dirty with just using conditioner instead of lathering up with shampoo?"

Actually no. Most of what you are washing from your hair anyway is building from the 50 million products you spritz, spray and slather on between washings...oh yeah, don't forget fried on if you apply direct heat will using these products. If you workout, sweat is pretty much washed out of your hair with just rinsing anyway.

Since I decided to go natural, I don't use many products on my hair. After washing, I use a light leave in conditioner. For roller setting, I use a little Organics Loc and Twist Gel. Throughout the week, I use shea butter...not sure if this is the best thing for moisturizing (still learning about my hair so we'll see.) This means I have very little buildup...and since I'm still not working out the way I should (that's a whole other issue), I'm obviously not having to wash out lots of sweat.

Unless you are in an environment that lots of pollutants are constantly settling in your hair (but I think you should be more concerned about your lungs at that point) or you are just out wallowing in mud, co-washing really should be enough to clean the hair. If I find my hair seems to have some buildup that co-washing is not getting rid of, I'll do a quick shampoo just to break up the buildup. But then if I'm getting buildup, I really need to find out what is leaving it and stop using that product.

You letting your perm grow out....girl I didn't know you had good hair and stuff.

{Sigh} This was a comment made by a sista to me today. When are we going to get over this concept of what textures make hair good vs bad?

For the record I think good hair is any hair that is on your head that is healthy, properly moisturized (and that is moisturized not greased like you are planning to fry chicken later), not split from end to root...or even worse on the floor not because you cut it but because it is shedding or breaking off.

Now we all know where this self hatred of our coily, kinky and yes "nappy" hair began. However we have to take responsibility for continuing to feed the monster. I admit I've done no differently than most and viewed different textures as good and bad. But years ago, I learned that good hair is not a texture...it is healthy hair in any form.

Hey I sound really deep now don't I? LOL. But those of you who know me, know I have my own opinions and to hell with anyone who doesn't like them because it doesn't follow the masses into the easy way of thinking. Simply put, if you don't want to hear what I have to say...ya don't have to read my blog. 'nuf said bout that.

Ok, getting off my soapbox now. Again I am not anti-relaxer....it's just for me at this point in my life, my hair and scalp are anti-relaxer and since I want them both to be happy and stay together for a long time to come, that's what I'm going with. Wish I had not been stubborn and really listened to them before. I got the impression that this sista was saying that unless you have what is considered "good hair" among the masses then you need a relaxer. We have got to get out of this way of thinking. How, I don't know. But somehow we have got to come to terms with this self-hatred of our hair.

Good hair in our community has always meant straight or nearly straight or with a slight wave...but not too wavy, anything else could to easily bump up against being that nasty nappy hair we seem to hate. Oh yeah, if it ain't long, then some folks might also take you out of the good hair category if you are a female. But we also have all these hair type categories, 3b, 4a, xyz or whatever. And this can further complicate the fight. And whoooweee....they're have been some heated ones over hair typing.


Oh, let's talk about that baby hair thing too. How is it that a woman in her 40's has baby hair????? Uh, sorry sista, you ain't been a baby in....30-something years....you don't have baby hair. Simple as that.

Ooops {slides soapbox with foot under the desk} Got distracted with some more ranting...but that baby hair thing is a pet peeve with me.

So I'm gonna get out off here before I find something else to rant about.