Relaxed or Natural?

Hello Lovelies!

I know its been a while, but I had to settle into the swing of things, starting off a new semester, etc. Now I'm back, and hopefully I'll be able to post somewhat regularly. Today I wanted to add my 2 cents to the debate that has been going on for a while now - Relaxed or Natural? Which is better?

I wanted to start out by saying that my blog is mainly to provide haircare tips. Hopefully when you all, my readers, take good care of your mind, body and soul, you will feel and look beautiful. With that being said, I think the most important thing is that you all feel that you are attractive and special. Think about this, if relaxers were no longer available, how much of a crisis would that be for you? Would you no longer think you are attractive, would it be the end of the world? If the answer is yes, then there are a couple more things to think about. Why would it be such a trauma if there were no more relaxers? What is so wrong with the way that you were naturally made?  I'm not at all saying everyone should go natural, but what I am saying is that you should be appreciative of your beauty, with or without relaxers. The same applies to those of you who wear make up, those of you who would like to get an enhancement surgery or sort of beauty enhancement. Can you survive without it?

Most of the hang-ups people have about natural hair or anything else that has to do with a beauty routine comes from society. A lot of you have probably heard these:

• Guys like girls with long hair; they don't go for girls with shorter hair
• Natural hair looks nappy, unkept or unprofessional 
• You'll look like a slave with hair like that (yes people say this)
• Natural hair is for those radical girls
• No famous people rock natural hair, so why should I?

Don't let these statements, or anything else that people say about natural or relaxed hair stop you from doing what you want to do with your hair. Some people simply like relaxing their hair, and some like it better natural. That's cool, as long as you're being persuaded by your own beliefs and desires. I've been saying it and I'll say it again - whatever you choose to do is great as long as you love yourself with or without the enhancements. 

I'm going to do a list of pros for natural hair, then a list of pros for relaxed hair, so that you can decide what you'd like to do with your hair.

Natural Hair Pros:

1. It is not effected by the strong chemicals in relaxer, so it tends to break less easily
2. You don't have to worry about water, whether from rain or swimming (although you MUST condition your hair after swimming!)
3. Less heat damage, no flat-ironing or blow drying necessary
4. There are tons of cute styles, from the twist out to the afro-puff
5. Hair grows faster because it breaks less
6. Natural hair products (in my opinion) smell better and tend to have more natural, and healthy products
7. No more paying for the hair dresser!

Relaxed Hair Pros

1. Growth is more noticeable, because relaxer stretches natural curls
2. Tends to be easier to comb than natural hair if the correct products are used
3. There are many possible hair styles
4. There are more hair dressers who know how to work with relaxed hair
5. When managed well, hair can be very long and flowing 
6. Other than the long days at the hair dresser, relaxed hair can be a little less time consuming than natural hair (depending on your regimen)

If you read My Natural Hair/Transition Story, you will get to understand why I switched from natural to relaxed hair.

I hope this helps!

Be Big and beautiful!

xoxo

Angela Bassett! So beautiful, and a great actress

Hair Growth Plan for Fall 2011

hello lovelies!

One of the interesting things that I have discovered about having natural hair is that uneven growth becomes much more noticeable. The hair on the top of my head has always grown faster than the sides and back, but when I was relaxed it was easy to disguise because I would just have my hairdresser cut my hair in layers. Now its different - I don't have that perfectly rounded afro that many people rocked in the '70s. As a matter of fact, when washed and combed out, my hair takes a fro-hawk shape. Well - its not THAT extreme haha, but the top is a little more than 5 inches while the some parts of the sides are between 3 and 4 inches. I know my hair will always grow that way, so my focus is on retaining the growth that does occur and making my hair grow thicker and stronger. 

For this fall, I have decided to add some products to my regimen that I have researched and watched many youtube videos on. To track my progress, I plan on doing a growth check every month. Hair grows about a 1/2 inch each month, so if my hair growth plan works, I should have another 1.5-2 inches of growth my the end of December.

The first addition to my regimen is an Castor & Olive Oil mix. I mentioned this oil mix in my hair regimen blog post, but I wanted to talk about it in a bit more detail. I am using a proportion of 1/4 Castor Oil for every 3/4 Olive Oil. I use Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Wal-Mart brand Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I bought a color applicator bottle to apply my oil with because it has a tiny nozzle. I really don't want to use a lot of oil at a time because it'll drip and just make my hair greasy and heavy and a tiny nozzle will ensure that not too much oil comes out at a time.

My Hair Growth Ingredients!

Why Castor Oil?

Well, growing up in a Jamaican household, Jamaican Black Castor Oil (I'll be calling it JBCO from now on) is usually in the house. My mother used to moisturize my hair with it when I was younger. When I started taking care of my hair myself, I didn't use it as much, but now that I've done my research on good hair growth products, I've realized why castor oil is a staple in so many Jamaican households. I am biased towards JBCO as opposed to other castor oils because its darker and thicker, and has a stronger scent - for me, that means that it is more natural and has gone through less processing.

Background, Benefits, and Uses of Castor Oil:

Castor Oil is a type of Vegetable Oil derived from Castor Beans. Castor Oil is mostly composed of fatty acids (in my cholesterol blog I said that fats are very good for the hair cuticle).

Benefits:

• It can penetrate deep into the skin and can be used to to treat many skin conditions - and your scalp is skin too!
• Because it penetrates the skin, it can reach the hair's follicle (your roots!) and nourish it. This leads to stronger hair that is more resistant to breakage.
• Helps to prevent hair loss, treats thinning hair and dry scalp
• It also helps to keep the scalp cleansed and healthy
• It is a humectant, which means that it can absorb water from the air - more MOISTURE!
• Castor oil is good for other conditions and ailments. Its other uses can be found here.

Background, Benefits, and Uses of Olive Oil:

People have been enjoying the benefits of Olive Oil since the rise of Ancient Greece. There is even a Greek goddess for Olives & Olive Oil named Athena. Homer called it "liquid gold." Many of you probably use it as cooking oil & eat it in salad dressing, but its great for you internally AND externally. 

Benefits

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an excellent skin moisturizer. It easily penetrates the skin, softening tissue and rejuvenating the cells
• It prevents dandruff
• It can be used daily, as a hot oil treatment and as a deep conditioner. More info on olive oil can be found here.

So yeah! Thats the lowdown on Castor Oil & Olive Oil! I'll be massaging a little bit into my scalp most nights before bed, then covering my hair with a satin bonnet to lock in the moisture.

In addition to applying oil to my scalp, I will be adding water & vitamins to my hair on a regular basis. Infusium 23 Pro-Vitamin Leave-In Hair Treatment mixed with water is my choice for hair vitamins. What I usually do its add 1/4 Infusium 23 for every 3/4 of water. I put this mixture in a spray bottle, and use it to dampen my hair before I twist it or do any other sort of style to it. Then, I detangle with a wide tooth shower comb. I like this treatment because it makes me feel confident that my hair is getting the vitamins it needs, especially if I hadn't been eating healthy and/or forgot to take my vitamins. 

I'll continue my oil & water treatments through the fall and let you know if they affected the overall health when I do my winter hair regimen plan.

I also wanted to add that it's important to remember that what you put IN your body is almost more than what you put ON your body. Look at it this way,

For example, instead of applying more make up when you get a pimple or two, ask yourself:

 - Am I drinking enough water?

 - Am I eating too many fatty foods?

The same applies to your hair, if its breaking too much, or is way too dry ask yourself:

 - Am I eating healthy foods?

 - Am I stressed?

 - Am I sleeping enough at night?

 - Am I taking my vitamins?

 - Do I exercise?

I ask myself these questions, and sometimes the answer is no. And the thing is, all of these things lead to healthy hair. Sometimes we forget the things we apply externally aren't enough, and thats okay, as long as we try to make a change and take care of our insides too.  Love yourself and take care of your body - you'll be surprised at how phenomenal your results will be! Taking care of yourself will put you in a better position to take care of others. Being able to be there for the ones we care about, to support and encourage them is an awesome capability! Love yourself so you can love others,

Be Big & Beautiful

xoxo

MARSHA!!! Love her both solo and as a member of Floetry

Retaining Moisture

hello lovelies!

Whether relaxed, natural or anything between, the number one priority in your hair care regimen is to add and retain moisture.

MOISTURE
MOISTURE
MOISTURE

Yeah, its so important that I will repeat myself. Your hair NEEDS MOISTURE. Why?

1. Well, your hair will look nice, because moisture brings out your natural shine, and for curly tops - moisture defines curls.
2. It will prevent breakage. Hair snaps easily when dry. Breakage is your mortal enemy, and moisture is your best friend.
3. Moisturizing products will nourish your scalp. A healthy scalp is a happy scalp. And a happy scalp grows more hair.

People with type 4 hair are the most vulnerable to dryness and breakage. This is because its very thin and wiry, and has less cuticle layers to protect it. For all of you with type 4 hair - treat it like silk. Your hair is a precious fabric, and if you want it to last you have to care for it properly!

My links (dispersed below) will direct you to some of the different products I've used. Click away!

I've tried many different moisturizers during my transition. Some of them include:

• "Pantene Pro-V Relaxed & Natural for Women of Color Daily Oil Cream Moisturizer" (description here)
• "BB Hair Moisturizer Lotion Maximum Strength" (description here)
• When I was transitioning I used "BB Foam Wrapping Lotion" (description here)

I intermittently researched natural products during my transition period, and the first one I bought was Raw Shea Butter. Shea Butter is actually the bomb lol. Now, anytime a buy a new product, I usually check if Shea Butter is one of the ingredients. I use it to seal in moisture after I condition my hair, and have also found it to be a great styling product. I will create a separate blog post about the wonders of Shea Butter so you can understand why I like it so much. I would definitely suggest it as a staple for any natural hair regimen. I bought my shea butter in bulk (5 lb.) in the Winter of 2009, and I STILL have some left. I got it cheap from a great website called Shea N More. They offer all kinds of natural products at affordable prices. 

In addition to Shea Butter, I discovered that  Natural Oils, and Cholesterol  are very helpful it adding moisture to my hair. 

Products that will lead to moist hair:

1. A good co-wash* conditioner. It doesn't have to be pricy. VO5 or Suave Hair Conditioners would do the trick.
2. A hair strengthening leave-in conditioner. Right now I am using Infusium 23 diluted with water. I put the Infusium 23 solution in a spray bottle and use it to dampen my hair on a regular basis.
3. A nourishing carrier oil. Carrier Oils seal in moisture and protect the hair follicle & scalp. Right now I am using a mixture of olive oil, with a little bit of Castor Oil (article on carrier oils to come later)
4. A good Deep Conditioner. I like hair cholesterol best as a deep conditioner, because it always makes my hair soft & bouncy. My 2 favorites are Silk Elements Mega Cholesterol Conditioning Treatment and Queen Helene Hair Conditioning Cream
5. A great daily moisturizing cream. BB Hair Moisturizer Lotion Maximum Strength works pretty well, but I just started using Shea Butter Coconut and Hibiscus Curl & Style Conditioning Milk

To summarize, find some way to moisturize your hair every day. It has really helped me to retain the growth I've had so far, and is certain to help me in the future. If you have any moisturizing methods/routines you'd like to share please do!

Be Big & Beautiful, 

xoxo

Indie Arie - one of the Neo-Soul Moguls. Love her!

My Current Natural Hair Regimen

hello there wonderful people,

One of the things that will lead to the growth of Big & Beautiful Hair is developing a hair regimen that you believe you will be able to stick to. I now have over 5 inches of hair, and with hair as thick as mine now is, I've found it a bit more difficult to take care of than when I had a TWA. So, I have decided to outline my weekly hair care plan. This is especially important to me now that I am starting a new semester. I need to know what I'm doing with my hair on a regular basis because with all my commitments during the year, my schedule gets crammed.

Outlining my regimen is a new thing for me, because I usually just go with the flow when it comes to my hair, but my hair growth has been so encouraging that I want to really follow through on a good plan. So if this is new for you, don't worry because its new for me too - we're on this hair journey together :)

This is 90% likely to be my weekly schedule. The 10% of doubt is because I haven't started classes yet so I don't know which days of the week are going to be my busy days.

SUNDAY:

So, Sunday is gonna be my spa day. That is, I will be shampooing and deep conditioning each Sunday night so that I can be fresh for class on Monday morning. I may change my shampoos to every other Sunday in the winter time. Why? Because the air is driest in the winter, and I don't want to over dry my hair by shampooing too often. Conditioners, which I will be using very frequently, have cleaning agents that can take care of the build up that develops in my hair over 2 weeks. However, I don't know what winter has in store for me so I'll decide how often I want to shampoo then.

Sunday night plan:

1. Pre-Poo! (Before Shampooing) Moisturize my scalp with a blend of olive oil & castor oil,  then go through my hair ends with a dime size amount of Shea butter.
2. Poo: Shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo (we'll talk about sulfates later)
3. Deep Conditioning: Using hair cholesterol, or a really good deep conditioner. Allow to soak in hair for about an hour. If you have the time, you can allow your deep condition to stay over night.
4. Leave-In Conditioner: I use a leave in conditioner to comb out my hair while wet. I only comb my hair once a week, using a wide-tooth shower comb. For the rest of the week I finger comb
5. Detangling and Twisting: after I detangle my hair, I do large to medium sized two strand twists. It should take about a half to twist my hair and in the end I should have about 15 twists. The twist out is my favorite style because it's easy and seals in moisture. They styling product I use to make my twist springy and shiny is a Shea butter based styling creme (I'll list the specific products I use in another post). I add a dab of styling creme to each twist I make to get the best results.
6. Sleep with a satin bonnet and a satin pillow case. Both satin bonnets and/or satin pillowcases can be bought at an affordable price at your local beauty store, or online. Cotton absorbs moisture, which is why its important to use a satin bonnet, scarf, or doo-rag to protect your hair.

MONDAY:

1. Untwist and style! (Then go to class)
2. At night - massage an olive oil/castor oil into into my scalp
3. Add a little styling creme to maintain twists
4. Spray to dampen with water
5. Re-twist 

TUESDAY

Same as Monday

WEDNESDAY

Co-Wash Day!

1. By Wednesday I like to give my pores some air buy rinsing out all the product I've used. Using a cheap, but moisturizing conditioner, wet hair while showering, comb through conditioner, leave in for 2-5 minutes, and rinse.
2. Massage in my Olive/Castor Oil Mix
3. Style (another twist out set with conditioning creme)

THURSDAY

Back to Monday's schedule

FRIDAY

Depending on the dryness, I will do another co-wash. If not, I'll do my Monday schedule again. 

SATURDAY

Another Olive Oil/Castor Oil Massage Day! 

I already have all the products I want to use lined up, and I will be doing a post with details on all the products I use!

Be Big & Beautiful!

xoxo

Alicia Keys back in the day! <3 Her

S/O to My Relaxer/Permanent Straightener Users!

hello lovelies!

I just wanted to make a post for all of you ladies who use relaxers and other permanent straightening (or curling) products - this blog is for you too! I've been relaxed more of my life than I've been natural so I will definitely adding hair care tidbits for you too! I just want to make sure all of the females (and males!) reading will be encouraged and trust that anyone of African descent can have Big & Beautiful Hair! Don't believe the hype. Black people don't have "bad hair" and  black people aren't just "nappy headed." Its just a matter of misinformation. If we are properly informed, then we will have better results. All of this to say, please, everyone, no matter what hair type you have, feel welcome to read and comment! 

Be Big & Beautiful!

xoxo

Corinne Bailey Rae - Singer