So You decided to go natural,now what?

You've probably been relaxed for a while.If you haven't you maybe have short hair and you've decided it is time to turn that into a full natural hair pursuit. You've looked at pictures,read blog posts,watched videos and have decided that it is time for you to give this natural hair thing a shot.So at this point you're probably asking,what now?Before you read my response if you haven't read the first part of this article,please read it here for some very basic information that will help you in this part.
In order to begin the natural process for your hair,I would urge you to consider how you want to do it.There are 2 main ways to go.First would be to just be brave and experimental,and chop off all your hair right now.That way you end up with a really short cut(kind of like some African high school girls had to wear for school).If you want to change your look and just go for it,that's a really cool way to go.
However,if you aren't sure you will look as good in really short hair(or no hair..lol) and you don't want to try it,then the second path you can take is that of transitioning.In this case,you don't use relaxers or anything 'chemical' on your hair to grow it out.As the new growth gets longer,you can

Picture from http://chanshealthyhappyhair.blogspot.com

choose to cut off a little bit of your hair at a time over a long period of time till you have only the natural growth left,or you can just transition for a fixed period of time and then cut off all the permed part of your hair.This would involve quite a bit of time,because your permed hair and natural hair will have different textures.Its usually pretty difficult dealing with both,but if you moisturise your hair well then its easier.

Either method you use would require you to adapt a strategy that will work for you,make you comfortable and still keep your hair healthy.Personally,I just got a

weave-on and left it in for 3 months and after I took it out,I cut some of my relaxed hair off to change my look up.Then I got braids for some weeks and after taking them out,another weave.Then I got all my relaxed hair taken off(the Big Chop).This entire process of transitioning for me took around 6 months before I was comfortable enough that my new growth was enough to not make me look wierd(lol) before I cut off the rest of my hair.Some people choose to do it with wigs or other protective styles.The more courageous of us of course just take the plunge and chop off all their hair and rock the short look.Whatever will work for you,use it.However the thing to remember is that during this time you will begin to start taking care of your hair and learning to know it,so that when you have completely natural longer hair,you can still care for it.
After the big chop when your hair is completely natural,is usually a good time to try and experiment with different products that you may want to use for your hair over time.You can do this if you transition,but in some cases the products that will help you during transitioning will not help you after your hair is completely natural so keep that in mind.
I'm sure by now the question you're asking is,what about products?I'm going to do another post on that tomorrow so you can learn what products to use while transitioning and when you first become natural.In the meantime,here are some of my transitioning and big chop pictures.Till tomorrow then stay blessed and fabulous.

 Big Chop!!

Two Posts in One:Top things You wish you knew about your hair

In making the decision to become natural,a lot of us read and perform some research to decide if it is something we really want to do.Let me just say right now that I didn't do that.I should have,but I didn't,mainly because I kind of just started the natural thing having no idea that it was this big deal or that so many women were doing it.So it didn't even occur to me to go look for information on it.Having become natural,for the first few months I didn't even read or check to see how I could take care of my hair.If you're newly natural or considering going natural or transitioning,let me salute you for reading this because it shows your commitment and readiness to make sure you know as much as possible before you jump in.So what's this post about?I am going to attempt to summarise the basic things I should have known and that you should know at the start of our hair care adventure.I know I know..nearly impossible.I started yesterday and nearly quit so clearly,its tough!But I am gonna try anyway,because I am just foolhardy and will do anything because its a challenge.Please note that this is intended to be a guide and not a rule post,so adjust the information to suit you and your personal needs.

1.Being natural is a commitment
I know some people who went natural because they thought it required less time and care than permed hair.No true.You need time to care for your natural hair if you want it to grow long and healthy.You can't get away with putting on a wig or braids and ignoring your hair ,otherwise you only end up with a tangled,dry unmanageable mess on your head.I should know,because I was like this when I first went natural!

2.Dirt is not your friend
I don't know about anyone else,but when I had permed hair my hairdresser urged me to keep my scalp dirty before relaxer treatments because it was better for my hair.Not true.It might help to reduce chemical damage from the relaxer,but its bad for your hair.In order for your hair to grow healthily,it needs a clean scalp that allows air circulation and proper blood flow(sorry to go all sciencey..lol).Therefore,if you want good hair,keep your scalp clean.And this means washing your hair even when its in braids or other protective styling.It might mess up your hairdo a bit,but its worth it.

3.Your hair growth isn't the problem,length retention is

 A lot of us attribute short hair to genes.We see some ladies with long hair and begin to assume its because of their family,or genetic make-up and hence their hair grows faster.Not true.There are individual differences in hair growth rates,but the averages are very similar no matter who you are or what family you come from.You might not be experiencing the same growth rate though as someone else because there are several factors that influence this.Hormones,diet, exercise and the growth phase your hair itself is in might have a contribution(more on this later) but to a large extent,long hair isn't dependent on the rate of growth.It depends on how much of that growth actually stays on top of your head(lol).This is what you might see commonly referred to as length retention.Therefore,assuming two people have the same hair growth rate and are in the same phase of the hair cycle,the only thing that would influence hair length would be their length retention.How much length you are able to keep depends on how well you care for your hair.This is basically what having a regimen is about:caring for your hair to retain length.The basic in any regimen is moisture,cleaning and strengthening.Everything revolves around these 3 things.And then,keeping your hair in a protective style helps retain length because the ends of your hair aren't being stressed out and breaking off.Since this is the oldest and most fragile part of your hair,this usually results in healthy hair.

4.Water is your friend
Water is one of the single most important things that will help to make your hair what you want it to be.Drink it,wash your hair with it,spray it on your hair.This is the basis of moisturizing. If you have natural hair,its really hard to keep the hair moisturized and so you need to keep applying water to it.This helps make your hair soft and easier to manage so that when you style your hair,you aren't straining it.After applying water,in order to ensure that the water actually stays in the hair and doesn't escape(lol) you then apply an oil or butter to the hair which is referred to as sealing in the moisture.So now if you see moisturising,thats all it is is.Water on hair and sealing with an oil or butter.

5.Trying to fix your hair when it is completely dry is crazy!
Yep.I learned this the hard way.Before you even put a comb in your hair(assuming you use a comb),there has to be some moisture(water) in your hair.Completely dry hair that is my hair texture is a nightmare to try and style or comb.My friend told me once that she didn't know this and was trying to comb her natural hair with a comb.Her mom told her to stop but she didn't pay any attention.2 broken combs later,she decided to listen to her mom..lool.Dry hair is too tightly coiled to be manageable If you need to do something to your hair,back to water first.Better to style damp hair than dry hair.

6.Have some fun and stop obsessing

Haha!This is a good one.Sometimes we become so obsessed with oUr hair that we don't even enjoy our hair anymore.Please,relax!Hair is just a part of who you are and not your whole person.Try and enjoy it,and make it a complement to your already awesome self.Trust me,obsessing will leave you with nothing but a broken comb..haha!

7.Your hair can grow long,but it will NOT look long
Lol..another good one.Our hair texture is so interesting that you can have really long hair and look like you just chopped off all your hair.I didn't really know this before I became natural.Now that I'm natural I have experienced it and I really like it.I see tons of videos with ladies that have very long natural hair,but immediately they wash it,their hair looks as short as mine..lol.That's shrinkage!And the good thing is that you can really enjoy shrinkage sometimes just to change your look.So don't worry about it,your hair is just too coiled to have that sleek long look!

8.Know yourself,your hair and like it.
No two heads are the same.No two people are the same If someone can wash their hair 3 times a week and you can only wash yours once a week,to thine own self be true.If you can't style your hair and  go to a professional so they can fix it for you,that's ok.Its your life.Do whats best for you.All you would probably need to do is take your own products and show the person what to do if they are trying to comb your hair dry,for example.Not all of us are natural for the same reasons,so no need to compare yourself to someone else.If you can't wear a wash and go,you can still wear a nice afro,so it all depends on you.Know your hair,and do what's best for it.

9.What goes inside usually comes out on top of your head
Yep.If you eat badly,your hair will suffer.What you eat and drink affects every part of you including your hair.Being natural is also for me about being as healthy as possible.Drink more water. Exercise more.Balanced diets.More laughter.Less stress.Better sleeping habits.Its about the whole you and not just your hair.If you use the best products in the world but don't have good habits,your hair will not be happy.

There's lots more,but this is already a long post.I'm going to end here and let you to finish it.What would you add to this list if you could?

Having realistic expectations for your hair(4C to 5Z)..

Haha!4C-5Z is kinda made up,but I laughed for like the first few minutes of the first video because she's really interesting and funny,and also because when she talked about the Wash n Go I remembered my own experience(and +AfroDiva Nally agreed with me on that..lol).Some things just don't work out well with some hair types and porosity.If you don't believe me look at my first ever wash and go pictures below.I didn't agree 100% with everything she said but she made a lot of sense.There is no way I can just spritz my dry knotted up hair with water,fluff it up and just go out.I'd look CRAZY..lol!Its just the way it is and I wouldn't try to change it for anything!The second video is a response to the first one..and its also quite good!What do you think?Are they being dramatic or do you have the same issues?Comment,like,share,subscribe!Enjoy the video below..;).Till next time,stay fabulous and blessed!

Maintaining natural hair in Protective styling:Marley twists

Protective styles are good for retaining length because you reduce wear and tear on your hair,but it will do no good if hair isn't moisturised in the protective style.It is therefore really important for you to take care of your own hair while it's in protective styling,especially if you want to have healthy thick long hair.
It can be hard but totally worth it.For my marley twists,I basically mix distilled water with about 15% Extra virgin olive oil and 35% Aloe vera juice and spritz my twists to the point where my natural hair is.After that I usually take a little shea butter mixed with oils and leave in conditioner and apply to each twist.I only do that about 3 times a weak and after that just massage some castor oil into my edges and scalp.Fairly simple but works really well! What do you do when your hair is in protective styling?

Hair typing 2:Ph Balance,porosity

Today I'm sharing some videos I found on youtube that talk about hair typing,porosity and pH.If these things have been confusing you since you became natural,please watch the videos!Also,if you missed the first post on hair typing,please read it here

I hope these help you out.More questions,comments,recommendation?Please comment and don't forget to subscribe!

Featured blog..plus the Multi colored chunky Marley twists

There are several blogs dedicated to hair and beauty run by Africans that I will be highlighting as time goes on.Today's featured blog focuses on hair and make-up and has some really great videos on natural hair as well as make-up how tos.The blog is run by +Annette Akye who is also the CEO of Beauty Emporium.Check it out for some great tips on hair and make up.

So on to my hair!Today I simply tied my hair at the side of my face because I was late and couldn't bun it or put in a ponytail,but it turned out pretty well.Several people actually noticed it and said it looked good.Of course the crazy colors played a role..lol.Here are the pictures.Enjoy!Till next time,stay blessed and fabulous!

Preventing Breakage to your hair

I know that there's already a lot of information on this out there,but I came across this video from a former naturalista and she talked about those mistakes that can destroy your hair really well.Please watch the video for all the things you need to avoid if you want to retain length.:)

Since my hair is in protective styling I just had a bun on today.However I haven't really let my hair down for you guys to see what if looks like since I did them so here goes!Enjoy the pictures and don't forget to share.Till next time,Stay blessed and fabulous.

Back to the lab..and the Shea Moisture Deep Conditioning Masque

Wow!So the weekend is over and I'm back in the lab.It was a really good weekend I think,especially since I got some fresh goat meat and made some soup(I'm hungry just thinking about it) and I got to catch some fire from God's presence.I also was able to put in my protective style last night so that was great!
As I said yesterday,I was trying out the Shea Moisture Deep conditioning Masque and I have to say I really loved it as a deep conditioner.I applied some Shea butter mix to my hair and added on the masque for an overnight Deep Conditioning treatment and I have to say that my hair responded really well to it.Also since I have been using the mud wash I have noticed that my hair is softer and more manageable so I guess that was part of it.Both products will be available for sale soon so keep your fingers crossed!
I wanted a simple protective style that would last me a while(3 weeks or 4..lol) and didn't take too long to do so I decided to go with long and slightly big chunky Marley twists.It took me about 4 hours to do because I kept getting up,but they are totally worth it.I used the Fretress Equal Marley hair with a mix of colors because I'm crazy(lol) and it wasn't that bad.I only needed 3 and a half packs for the style I did because it was long.It kind of looks frizzy though so I think I will wrap the hair and make them faux dread locks soon.For today,I simply wore a high bun because we were celebrating my boss's birthday and I think it looks pretty cool.Lemme know what you think.I will let you know how I moisturize them in another post.Till then,stay blessed and fabulous!
Yvonne

Sunday hair and hair typing part 1

I know that for a lot of people reading this you probably have heard about the whole hair typing thing as a natural and especially if you're an African like me with that head of African hair that looks like Cotton(lol) then you probably don't really care about all that hair typing.I came across this video today though and I really agree with what she said about knowing your hair type just to help youu pick products and methods that will work for you.I was also just like OMG!That looks so much like my hair..lol!Check it out and I hope it helps anyone with any confusion about hair typing.I will be sharing more info on hair typing in the context of porosity in another post.

Yesterday was a wash day for me(or I should say wash night..lol).I was really busy so I ended up washing my hair after midnight.I simply sprayed on some water mixed with oil,applied the conditioning mudwash to my hair and covered with a shower cap for 30 minutes.After that I detangled and then washed it out,put on some Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque(because I'm trying it out..lol) mixed with my shea butter mix,covered my hair with the shower cap again and went to bed.This morning I washed it out and I'm putting my hair into two strand twists after moisturising so I can do a protective style tonight.Because of that I don't have pictures of my hair today.
I however wanted to share pictures of past Sunday hair styles so you could be inspired.The first couple of pictures is just a side puff where the puff is placed on the left side of my face instead of on top of my head.The last picture is a regular puff.Enjoy!

The fake short do

I hope you are all doing great!I have exciting news!I am ready to take orders for hair products for delivery in Ghana in June.If you need any kind of hair product but you don't have it in Ghana,check out the products for sale page and place your order!
Today I wanted something a bit more funky but I also missed my really short hair so I pinned back both sides of my hair and pushed up the middle a little bit to get a fake short 'ponk' do.Here are the pictures.Enjoy and remember to share!

The modified fro-hawk

Before I talk about my hair style,if you've looked at my regimen you probably noticed that I don't use a lot of commercial products.That's because I want to use all natural products as much as possible and since I like making stuff just mixing my own makes more sense.Plus I save money!
Today I wanted to do something a little more fun with my hair since I've been wearing lots of puffs and beanies.So i did a modified fro-hawk.I really like this hair style and I might try it again because its so cute.I thought the fro-hawk was a bit much for a science geek stuck in the lab all day so  it was perfect!Pictures below.Enjoy the pictures and don't forget to like,comment and also share your own story and pictures with us..

Till next time,stay blessed and beautiful!

My hair story

My name is Yvonne and I come from Ghana.I started this blog because I realise a lot of African ladies really want to be natural but we are so used to going to the salon and having straight hair that trying to keep our natural kinky tough and crazy hair natural is daunting to a lot of us.I hope some of you will be encouraged by my story and the tips I have can help you out because making our hair manageable is the biggest issue!When we also consider that lots of products aren't available to us we are usually discouraged and go back to the relaxer.Hopefully I can help you to use products in Ghana to make your hair more manageable.

I have been fully natural now since August 2012(7 months thereabouts) when I cut off all of my permed hair.Before then I had been using a relaxer for years and my hair was ok but it wasn't as thick as I wanted it to be.I decided to go natural because I like thick crazy hair and I also wanted to learn to take care of my own hair especially after I noticed that when I started washing and styling my own hair while permed it was thicker and fuller.I also don't like heat so being natural is perfect for me.Plus,as a grad student my hours are crazy.I will not be able to take time off my work to go do my hais so this has been working out really great for me.

One big issue that I have personally faced is styling my hair since its in that awkward not long and not too short phase.Also,a lot us work or are in school  and since I am doing both I will be posting a picture of my hair style every day or every other day to help you to find inspiration on what to do with your hair.

Today,I simply sectioned out the front of my hair,put the rest up into a little puff on top of my head(you can use a headband with no metal or cut a piece from old tights or stockings and use that to push your hair up).I then pinned the front part in a 'peacock' style.Very convenient and quick style  for me since I was in a hurry..lol.Anyway I hope you come back and check this blog for more stuff.Also,you can share your hair story(natural or relaxed) with me to be featured on this blog and help out others.Just post your email address in the comment box and I will be in touch.Till next time,stay healthy,blessed and beautiful!