Hair updates and length check pictures

Happy new year!2013 was very good to me as far as my hair goals go.I ended 2012  with my hair somewhere above my nose and my goal for 2013 was to try and retain as much length as I could.I had big chopped just months before and I hadn't learnt how to take care of my hair, so I decided to learn to do that and grow my hair out.I wanted my hair to be on my lip when stretched by the end of the year.I don't really use inches because I've never used a measuring tape on my hair.

Nov 29 2012

The great news is I actually exceeded that goal!I just checked and me hair is right below my chin!I am so excited and of course I have the pictures for you( forgive my look as I am sick today).

Dec 31 2013

 I think what helped me this year was minimal manipulation of my hair (even though I experimented a lot and wore my hair out  a lot), more protective styling, more protein treatments and deep conditioning and just paying attention to my hair in order to know what it needs.

I did (and still) struggle with shedding/breakage, but I think its because I washed my hair loose instead of in twists.Every time I've had a lot of shed/broken hair after detangling has been when I washed my hair in a loose state.If I twist up my hair before washing, I get very little shedding.If you're having issues like this then try washing your hair in twists.

Washed loose hair

Shed hair after washing hair in loose state

Washed hair in twists

Shed hair after washing in twists

I also incorporated weekly oil rinsing and monthly  henna treatments into my regimen and I am liking the results so far even though its been only 2 months.I did change my regimen up quite a bit to make it shorter in duration, but I don't think its affected me negatively.Finally,I was invited to blog weekly for the African Naturalistas blog!I will be blogging there every Friday and my first post is out, so please check it out at www.africannaturalistas.com. All in  all, 2013 was a good year.

My goals for 2014 are to be healthier generally, not just with my hair.I want to retain more length, get thicker hair and also learn to cornrow my hair( I can't cornrow to save my life..lol).In terms of health I want to exercise more regularly, eat better and drink more water.
Lets talk!How was 2013 for you?What are your goals for the year?Head on over to the Ghana Hair Chick Facebook page and let's continue our discussion!Once again, Happy New Year and may the year end with you more blessed,more beautiful, and even more thankful than 2013.

Natural hair products in Africa :Black Soap Shampoo

This is the most common complaint that people living in Africa make,that there are no products with natural ingredients for hair in Africa.I know what they mean when they say tis,but at the same time I can't help but wonder whether they know what is available.In this post and subsequent ones I hope to share some natural hair products that are available to anyone looking for natural products for their hair.

African Black Soap
This is one of the most popularly used cleansing agent in organic hair lines.African black soap

shampoo is a sought after product because it cleanses hair without drying it out completely,making it better than a lot of commercial shampoos.I am personally not surprised by this,because before the arrival of shampoos in Africa,this was the most commonly used soap for everything including hair.Most of these soaps are of West African origin,and incorporate natural ingredients like cocoa pod ash,plantain peel ash,shea butter and cocoa butter.Clearly the presence of the butter in the soap alone makes it a great moisturizing agent.And that's not all!You can use this soap for your skin and it is great for fixing all kinds of blemishes.It is also very common in the market and cheap if you live in Africa.You don't have to go buy a  more expensive shampoo when you can simply make your own with the soap.Its a very simple process.Just cut up the soap into smaller bits,put it in a container with water and leave in a cool dry place.The soap will mix with the water,after which you can add any oils of your choice to make it more moisturizing. I recommend olive oil since it penetrates the hair shaft and also doesn't cake up.Once mixed,you can put it in a bottle for washing your hair,your face or as a great natural bathing soap. Whether relaxed or natural this is a great alternative to a commercial shampoo.It may however be too harsh for regular use,so you might want to use it not too often.Its great for removing build up so in place of a shampoo

should work.Also,please make sure you get the real product and not an imitation one.The real one should be brown to dark brown,not black as the name suggests.Also,adding in aloe vera juice and a few drops of an essential oil such as lavender or jasmine gives it such a lovely smell and increases its helpful properties!
Next post I will be talking about another ingredient.Please remember to share and subscribe!Till later,Here's a video to help explain  making the shampoo:

Can you really be natural in Africa?

First off,one of my posts is guest posted on African Naturalistas,one of the most interesting African hair blogs around.Please check it out.I'm very happy about that and I hope that the information in that post reaches more people.

And on to today's post!My aim in writing this post is to try and help us make use of the natural resources we may have,instead of going to look for commercial products from other countries which may be inaccessible to us.
Basically,this post will be about localising your regimen to use products that are available and will still help you.I may end up having to split this into two because there's a lot of things to write about.This post will be especially appropriate if you live in Africa,particularly West Africa.

A lot of ladies living in Africa don't believe it is possible to have beautiful long manageable natural hair,mainly because they believe all the products they need are not available.Well today,and over the next few weeks,I hope to remove this mindset.Before we delve into products though,let's talk about the perception of being natural haired in Africa.
Growing up,every woman has had a specific image of what it means to be beautiful in her mind.Think for a moment and call up the mental image of that beautiful woman you wish you were so badly.Now,let's examine that image.Does she have natural hair?I don't think so.She probably has a perfect body with long smooth hair,heels and some nice clothes.That right there,is the first problem we are dealing with.You will need to either completely remove the image of what a perfect woman looks like,or replace that image with an image of yourself.Your physical appearance is just a little part of you.I'm not saying neglect it,but I am

Source:http://revelinks.com/barbie/

saying that maybe its time to create a new perfect image of a woman with little focus on her appearance but on the things she's made of and has been able to achieve. If you can do that you';re halfway there.This is usually one of the biggest stumbling blocks,the fear that you will look ugly without a wig or weave or straight hair.This is simple not true.You will look beautiful,because you're beautiful..period!
The next challenge is society's perceptions,and this is easier to deal with than you might think.Its easy because once you are comfortable in your own identity as a woman who is not all about her looks,specifically her hair,its easy for others to not fixate on your appearance as much,and easy for for you to ignore people who try to fit you into the mental image they have of what you

should look like.Remember that you aren't the only one who has that Barbie doll image in her head,almost the whole world does.It takes some patience to let people begin to see beyond the hair and accept you fully.You will probably be told to go get a relaxer.You may even be taken to a salon by someone who will offer to pay to have your hair relaxed.Don't allow any of this to get to you.Consider this as a way to build your own self confidence in your ability to break outside the mold.It's not that easy,but its definitely possible.If your workplace is an issue,try and wear your hair in a way that doesn't affect your work,and these days there are so many videos with different hair-dos that it will be ok. Plus,whether you're natural or not,some hairstyles are simply not appropriate for the workplace.You can't go to work as a lawyer with a blue wig for example.It doesn't matter if your hair is natural.It only matters how you style it. I have a banker with natural hair in

Source:Black Image

Ghana,and she always looks absolutely classy,elegant and professional. All it takes is a little trial and error and you will soon be wearing your own hair to the office with no fears.In the end,your own self assurance is what will help others enjoy your natural hair too!
In my next installment,I will talk about the myth of no natural hair products in Africa.Please remember to comment.I'd love to have your take on this!

WAIT!Before you cut/trim your hair..

Here's to hoping everyone is doing great!I am still on the hair basics series and today I wanted to share some information on split ends.What they are,how they happen and how to fix them.Whether natural or relaxed we've probably had issues with split ends before and we've always been told that the only option is to cut off the split end before it travels up the hair shaft.That is simply not true!I've had to trim a least 2 inches of my hair in the past because I would keep cutting off whatever split end or single stranded knot I saw in my hair.If you wash your hair often,then you know that you can end up trimming your hair every single week,and that is simply not practical for me.Our hair grows at the average rate of 0.5 inches a month,so if I cut off an inch every couple of months there's no way I'm going to be able to retain length and get the long hair I want.So what do you do then?Here's a short video that was very helpful to me!

Hair Basics:Deep Conditioning

Whether your hair is natural or relaxed you've probably at some point been told to deep condition your hair.If you've left your hair care to a hair care professional or hair dresser then they've probably had you do a deep condish.I know I used to get them all the time,but I didn't know why I needed it.Since becoming natural and taking care of my own hair,I've realised that it is one of the single most important things helping me.Here's why:

Biotin and other supplements to grow hair

This post is controversial and I know that a lot of people will disagree with me.However,I believe that this information is vital to everyone who is interested in growing their hair.I do not write this post as a final verdict on hair growth supplements and products but just to give information on them.However someone chooses to use this information is their personal responsibility,even though I do believe personally that these things are not required.

We've probably all searched at one point or the other for medications or miracle solutions to help us grow our hair faster.Doubtless some of us are currently using some of these supplements and maybe experiencing results,but do we really need to take these supplements?Let's look at some of the most popular ones.
1.Biotin
Almost everyone has seen biotin somewhere in reference to growing hair.A lot of people take this supplement and will testify that it has been helping their hair grow faster.Just as little science background,biotin is a vitamin in the B vitamin

family.It is also called Vitamin H or coenzyme R.It basically functions as an essential part of cell growth,fatty acid synthesis and breakdown of fats and amino acids.Normally,bacteria in our intestines produce biotin,and they usually produce more than enough for us.The excess is then removed from our bodies.The question then becomes if we already have this produced in excess why do some people take extra?It is rare to come across people with a biotin defieciency,so the vast majority of us taking this vitamin really do not need it.Added to this is the fact that there is little to no scientific evidence supporting biotin as a hair growth supplement.On top of that reported side effects of taking this supplement include breakouts such as acne on the skin and increased shedding of hair.Add to this the fact that you can get a lot of biotin from eating healthy foods such as peanuts and leafy vegetables and I begin to wonder if extra is necessary.Here's the summary:most of us taking biotin do not need it.However,if we still want to take it because it helps our hair,then that's a personal choice.

2.Prenatal vitamins
Another popular supplement of choice for growing hair,these vitamins are consumed by a lot of people.It is originally meant for pregnant women because when we're pregnant we need higher amounts of these vitamins and minerals for our baby as well.Most of these we usually obtain these from food and we get enough for just ourselves.If we are eating healthy, exercising and drinking water

we should be ok in this department.Some of us may get deficiencies in vitamins or minerals,at which point specific supplements are prescribed for us.So if there is no deficiency why do we still take extra?And let's not forget that the concentration of vitamins and minerals in prenatal vitamins are higher than in regular ones not meant for pregnancy.Once again,this is a personal choice whether to take them or not.

3.Others
Here there are all kinds of names and supplements that I can't list.Take for example  the drug used to treat yeast infections,Monistat 7.Apparently that's a new thing for growing hair as well.
All of these things go back to a simple question:do we really like our hair as it is or are we still trying to get someone else's hair?Have we realised that we are more than hair?I really believe that our hair does not define who we are and we should learn to love it just the way it is.If for a medical reason your hair isn't growing and you go take these supplements then that's a medical reason.But does a perfectly
healthy woman need to take these supplements just because they want longer hair faster?That's for you to decide.

Is Castor Oil really all that we say it is?

So we've probably all heard about the wonders of castor oil for hair growth and thickening.I use castor oil myself because of this thing that I read about it.Some of us have taken part in castor oil challenges so we can use it to grow our hair or edges,but is it really true?Does it really work the way we think it does?Here's an article I found which answers this question.Just click on this link and go read it.
After that,let us know if you agree or disagree.Maybe you have some personal experience with castor oil you want to share.We'd love to know!
And while we are on the topic,does it matter what type of castor oil you use?Here's another article comparing Black castor oil to regular castor oil.Just in case you always wondered,this is a very useful article.I hope these articles help answer some questions!
Til later,stay blessed.

Styling braids or twists:The simple tie and tuck

This hairstyle is a very simple,quick and convemient one for when you need to do something different with your briads or twists and don't have time,need a nicer  look or just want your hair out of your face.You don't need anything and I particularly like it because I don't have to put bobby pins in my hair,which I really don't like.Whenever I put any pins in my hair,I end up taking them out because I feel uncomfortable.Not so for this style.

1.Push all your braids straight back from your face.If you want a part in there somewhere,part the braids where you want it.Otherwise all of your hair will need to be back.

2.Take about half a handful of braids/twists in each hand from each front side of your hair and tie it loosely at the back of your hair.This is the tie part of the name.Loosely so you don't pull out your edges,and not too many braids so the knot doesn't remove or look too big.

3.You will have space between your tied back hair and your braids.Gather the remainder of your braids and push them into that space gently.Think tucking.You're basically tucking those braids into that space.Keep going till all of the braids are in there and the ends are secure and not showing.

And that's pretty much it!You can accesorise with whatever you want,but this style pretty much works by itself and still looks great especially when your braids have been in for a while and look frizzy.I did this a lot after my twists had been in for 4 weeks.Here are some pictures of how mine turned out.

Protecting your hair while swimming and exercising

This is one of the things that I personally struggled to find a solution to because when I became natural I was worried I couldn't go swimming again.I love swimming and the thought of not swimming was not appealing so I looked for a solution.Here's how I protect my hair when I'm going swimming, and these tips should help both natural and relaxed hair.

1.Part the hair into four sections.If your hair is in a protective style such as braids or twists please do the same.If its corn rows or flat twists then you can skip this step.
2.Get your bottle of conditioner and apply to each section thoroughly.You can use a cheap conditioner(I use V05),and please make sure that each hair strand is completely covered with conditioner.
3.Apply any oil of your choice on top of your conditioner to your sections of hair.Extra virgin olive oil is what I usually use.
4.You can twist each section of hair up if you can.If you can't then you can cover with a swim cap and you're good to go.I have also swam without a swim cap several times,and I do apply conditioner and oil to my hair before I swim so my hair is usually fine.However a swim cap is recommended.
5.After swimming,wash your hair thoroughly with clean water and use a good shampoo to wash your hair.After that you can apply conditioner or deep condition and you are good to go!

When I'm exercising a lot(like right now I exercise everyday) I wash my hair at least twice a week,once a week with conditioner and the next time with a clarifying mudwash. This helps to prevent sweat and salt buildup on my scalp.After washing I usually deep condition and then style my hair.
So that's it!Depending on how active you are,I hope this post is helpful to you!

Feature Wednesday:African Hair Blog

Today is Wednesday and I'm going to try and share a good blog with you every Wednesday.All the blogs will be owned by Africans and will either relate directly to hair and beauty or to health since that influences our hair as well.

Today's blog is dedicated to providing information to African women who want healthy relaxed hair as well.Some of the posts are helpful for natural haired ladies too.Apart from this it also includes some useful information on caring for your hair while its in protective styling such as braids.Please head on over to African Hair blog for more articles and reviews especially if you have relaxed or

Tendayi of African Hair Blog

chemically treated hair.Owned by Tendayi who lives in South Africa,this blog has been around for about 2 to 3 years and serves all African women.She also reviews a number of products which are suitable for natural hair and did a recent post on products purely for natural hair so definitely check her blog since there will be lots of useful info.
I haven't shared any updates on my hair in a while and that's because I have been so busy that my protective style is now in its fourth week and needs freshening up. I've washed it  and moisturise it regularly but I need to refresh some twists so it looks good.I will share more on how I wash the Marley twists and refresh the style as well.I am also going to make the twists into faux dread extensions and hopefully they will look good.Till next time,stay blessed and fabulous!

Good Hair Practices for healthy long hair

Despite the fact that I have completely natural unrelaxed hair I will be sharing a lot of information that I believe is beneficial to both natural and relaxed hair sisters.This is because a lot of the things that work for natural hair also work for relaxed hair.So long as you're here to learn to grow your hair and take care of it so that its as healthy as possible you will benefit from this blog.I will therefore be featuring not just natural hair profiles in the Featured hair section,but also ladies with relaxed hair to encourage everyone seeking healthy hair.

Today I wanted to share a little bit about things that we can do on a regular basis to grow healthy hair.A lot of these involve the scalp because that's where the hair is growing out of,but some of it is also focused on our bodies.

1.Massage your scalp
Scalp massages stimulate your hair follicles and increase blood flow to your scalp,helping to boost how much oxygen and nutrients your hair follicles are getting.This results in healthy hair growth.Try massaging your scalp with a light oil on your finger tips at least once a day.Apart from hair growth,its very relaxing!

2.Keep your scalp clean
If in doubt,refer to the first post in the hair basics series.Clean scalp=good hair growth.Dirt will clog all the pores in your scalp and slow down the gas exchange process which is critical to hair growth.To stop this from happening,try and wash your hair and clean your scalp as much as is possible.

3.Moisture,moisture,moisture
Once again,if in doubt read the first post.Visualise your hair like a young plant.The roots will always need water to grow,just like your hair.I will do a post on the science of hair,but keeping your hair moisturised is one of the single most important determinants of how healthy your hair will be.If you're relaxed this is usually easier but its harder with natural hair.If you remember to do this,you're halfway there.

4.Drink water
Staying hydrated will help you remove waste and toxins from your body and this also affects your hair.One of the first signs of a diseased body is unhealthy looking dull hair that is breaking.Drinking a lot of water will usually help ensure that you are healthy and your hair will be too!

5.Eat healthy
Your hair is built from protein.Your body needs protein not for your hair(lol) but for other essential processes without which you would die(no kidding).So if you were your brain,sending protein that is in limited supply to the hair follicles is a misplaced priority when your immune system needs it,for example.This is why you have to eat a balanced diet.If you get enough protein then your brain can turn its attention to your hair.Vitamins and minerals work the same way.Without them your hair will be brittle and breaking off.Eat well and you'll have enough to keep your hair healthy.And when I say eat well I am assuming you know what that means because you've probably heard it too many times now!..Same applies to exercise..lol!

6.Stop fighting your hair
A lot of us do that with our combs,headbands,ties and even our fingers.Stop fighting with your hair.If you're trying to run a comb through it and its not working don't force it through.Stop trying to style your hair when its dry and resistant to any parting.You will just weaken your hair strands.One of the most important clues that you are not fighting your hair and that your hair is growing healthily is not to have pain when you're combing or styling it.If your scalp hurts,you aren't doing it right.Always remember this one thing as it will be a good way to keep track of yourself.

7.Keep it simple
This isn't just for the health of your hair,its for the health of your pocket and all those around you.Try to keep it simple with your hair.There's no need to spend tons of money on products when you can make some of them on your own.You don't have to do a different style everyday because it will actually damage your hair.Your regimen doesn't have to be complicated.You can actually just relax and enjoy yourself.Try not to obsess over your hair.You don't need to buy every new supplement that says it will grow your hair.Stick to healthy food,exercise and water and you'll be surprised at your own hair.I'm not saying don't take vitamin and mineral supplements,though that is the subject of another post.

Finally,watch this video because laughter is great for your health,and your hair!She was talking about getting thick hair but the tips work either way...Stay blessed and fabulous!

Hair Basics:How to train your stylist...and why I became natural!

I have been asked why I decided to stop perming my hair and go natural.That's a question with such an interesting and dramatic answer that I did a whole post on it here.If you don't like reading it there,try it on this one.A surprise awaits you when you click to go read it.I hope you're not too let down by my reasons for being natural.I just happen to have a very different way of looking at the reasons and motivation people may have for doing what they do and I just don't believe in looking or dressing a certain way because that's what the media has said I

Low manipulation style

should wear through movies and books and music and all that stuff.The end result is a 'fake' woman as I would call it(I mean no offense by that term).Please go read this post to see what I mean before you get mad at me!..lol. Enough ranting!On to hair!

 I have just updated the Hair Profile page with an amazing hair story that I'm sure you're just going to love.I hope it encourages someone to see that its possible to be natural and take care of your own hair,even when you live in a country where good products are hard to come by.

I know that a lot of the people who visit this blog may either be natural or relaxed,but would like to learn how to take care of their own hair.Some of us however would prefer to have hair stylists or other people do our hair for us. This post is meant to help just such people know what they have to do in order to ensure that their hair doesn't get damaged.Ready?Let's go!
Hair stylists,especially those in Africa,are notorious for damaging hair and scalps.They are usually trained to make you look good,not feel good.A common saying you're likely to hear is 'Beauty is Pain'.Even the natural hair salons that are supposed to have a bit more expertise are not really better because they only style and don't know how to really take care of their clients' hair to grow it and cause no pain.In order to hep minimise the damage likely to occur from salon visits,here are a few helpful things to do.

1.Include your salon visits into your regimen and take responsibility for them
Here's what I mean.Don't just go sit in the chair and let the stylist do whatever they want.Plan your salon visit the way you would plan your own hair care if you were going to do your own hair.Determine what day you will go,pack your hair products in preparation and have your money ready..lol. Plan your salon visits so that you know which days you get a protein treatment or a hot oil treatment.Remember those are important too!Prepare for your visit and tell yourself you're going to get pampered,not hurt.A positive outlook helps!

2.Get a bag for the salon
In your salon bag,you would keep all the products that are a normal part of your regimen.If you're newly natural and just reading this,check out my previous post on the basics of a regimen.You will be needing a good sulfate free shampoo or natural cleansing product if you plan to shampoo,a conditioner for use after shampooing or for washing your hair if you co-wash,a good deep conditioner for deep conditioning after washing your hair,a leave-in conditioner and an oil/butter such as a shea butter mix to seal in the moisture.If you will be doing a protein treatment that day,you need your protein treatment.If its a hot oil treatment day,make sure the oil is in the bag.Depending on the style you plan to get,put a styling product in the bag if you need one.Whatever be the case,be prepared.

3.Be ready to speak up
If you're going to just plomp yourself in the chair and expect your stylist to do everything right,then you have another thing coming.A lot of these stylists have no idea what they're doing to you or your hair.It is your job to tell them when they aren't doing it right.I know,I know.They will get annoyed or whatever.But remember tip 1?TAKE RESPONSIBILITY! What I like to do is to tell myself that this is an investment for my hair.I use the same salon all the time and chances are

Crazy twist-out 

so do you.If that's the case try and have a relationship with your stylist and tell him/her that you want to try and grow your hair.Therefore you're going to need their help to do so.You're going to need to tell them when they're hurting you or trying to run a fine toothed comb through your hair,for instance.Tell them nicely and they might not get offended.If they do,then you might need to find someone that doesn't get offended.You need to make sure that they don't keep doing the same thing to your hair that causes it to damage so be ready to talk.
If you feel any pain on your scalp,speak up.Tell them you like your edges and not to braid them too tight.Tell them to detangle your hair after deep conditioning with wide tooth comb and not a tiny comb.Be ready to do the detangling  yourself, if need be, to show them how to do it.This is why its important to have a relationship with the stylist.This way,you can talk to them and they're not likely to get angry.

4.Be ready for the long haul

Perm rod set on 4C hair

Don't be a salon jumper for too long.Try and find a salon that will let you stick with one stylist otherwise you will be saying the same things every week.Its easier to call ahead and make sure your assigned stylist is ready for you.That way you don't have to go and subject yourself to someone else who does't know what

you need.Be prepared to spend about 2 hours in the salon whether you're relaxed or natural.Be ready to pay for good service when you do find a good salon.

5.Your hairstyles should be helping,not hurting you
This is an important tip.If you want healthy hair,you have to make sure your hairstyles are helping with your aim.Pick hair-dos that are lovely and chic,but will not put strain on your hair.Some hair styles will put so much strain on your hair edges that you have to spend time growing them back.Others will result in such tangled hair that its just not worth it.Remember the realistic expectations post?Its important that you remember this.If you want to grow long hair for example,it might be better to get a low manipulation or protective style that will protect your hair from the damage of daily handling.Whatever style you pick,also remember that you have to take it to school or work and it needs to be appropriate.

Kinky twists

In conclusion,if your scalp hurts when your stylist is doing your hair,they aren't doing it right. It shouldn't hurt unless its getting damaged.Show them what they should do and go with the products you need.Remember that we do not scrub
the scalp with our nails.We use the soft pads of our fingers to wash our hair.If they begin to vigorously scrub your hair(like they used to do to me so much so that I got a headache) have them stop.If they try to use heat on your hair too often too much or with no heat protectant,tell them to stop.Be ready to train your stylist.It won't be easy,but beautiful healthy hair with no pain and a great stylist will be your reward.Totally worth it I'd say!

Featured blog..and the politics of Good Hair

Going natural or learning to take care of your own hair is more political than I thought.I watched Chris Rock's Good Hair recently and even though some things have changed with regards to relaxers,a lot of the issues remain the same.Its all about the money,from the relaxers to oils to combs to Indian and Brazilian hair.If you haven't watched that movie,I recommend it for anyone looking to gain insight into all the different aspects of hair on People of African origin.In effect,I believe that the change towards natural hair is cutting revenue for companies that make products for chemically treated hair.However,they are already bouncing back and making products that they market to us for natural hair.I guess this isn't a bad thing,but at the end of the day,no matter what kind of marketing they do or whatever image we are told to have,I think that it is a very personal decision how someone chooses to wear their hair and so long as they are happy and healthy its not anyone else's place to tell them what to do.However, it is really important to watch movies and documentaries like this one because then you get a lot of information and you can make an informed choice.Enough said. I've posted the trailer below.If you like it and want to know how you can watch it,please comment below and I'll let you know.




Today's featured blog is the first Ghanaian blog on hair I ever read.When I first became natural I was looking for information for my hair written by someone

Afrodiva Nally,one of the writers of Ghanaian Emprezz

Afrodiva and Abena,the bloggers at Ghanaian Emprezz

who could relate to me,especially since I am African and sometimes getting some products for my hair was difficult.I also just wanted to know that it was possible to keep this really tough hair texture natural.Its written by two lovely ladies,one with relaxed hair and one with natural hair(side note:her hair is just fabulous!).Ghanaianemprezz is also evolving to be a completely natural hair blog since Abena,one of the bloggers,is transitioning.If you're transitioning definitely visit the blog for tips on maintaining your hair during transitioning.Their old posts on relaxed hair are still up as well.They share a lot of good information

on haircare for mainly Ghanaians since they live in Ghana. However a lot of their posts are also quite applicable to everyone so please check them out.They also make videos with tutorials and hair care tips that will be very helpful.
I will resume the series on Hair Basics soon so don't forget to keep coming back!Please comment,subscribe and share any posts that you find useful.Thank you so much for reading.Till next time,stay blessed and fabulous!

To co-wash or not to co-wash?.That is the question

Over the past week we've talked about a number of things to help with our hair,and yesterday I shared the basics of a hair care regimen in this post.Following a simple regimen is the easiest way to fix dry tangled hair once and for all.For a lot of you who read and watch a lot of hair tutorials,you probably noticed that I didn't talk about co-washing and may be wondering why.

Co-washing is basically 'conditioner-washing',that is washing your hair with conditioner.For a lot of natural haired ladies,co-washing is a part of their regimen.Instead of washing hair with shampoo,a lot of us prefer to use conditioners to wash our hair.The reason for this is to basically help keep your hair soft and moisturised.Shampoos generally tend to remove a lot the hair's natural oils and leaves

Image from Officially Natural

it so clean that you have to immediately replace that moisture or risk hair damage.For afro-textured hair,its already particularly difficult to keep the hair moisturised because it is so tightly coiled and absorbs very little water.That's why a lot of natural hair ladies will wash their hair with conditioner so that right from the cleansing stage your hair has moisture.

In yesterday's post,I didn't bring this up because I think that the decision to co-wash your hair or not will depend on a number of factors.

1.Your location
I think that co-washing works great when your hair isn't exposed to a lot of dust and heat from the sun which causes your scalp to sweat.For an African living in a typical African country,you are faced with lots of dust and sunshine on a daily basis.I really don't think that a conditioner is cleansing enough to remove all of that dirt from your hair.It is purely my opinion based on my own

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experience,but in such an environment washing with a sulfate free shampoo,mudwash or African black soap shampoo is more likely to remove all the dirt and sweat and still leave your hair nice and moisturised,especially if you pre-poo before washing.

2.Your lifestyle
Directly related to your lifestyle will be how much you sweat and how much time you spend outdoors.If you spend a lot of time outdoors,you get more impurities into your hair that you will need to wash out.If you exercise  a lot for example then your scalp will need to be cleaned better than someone who doesn't exercise as much.If you swim,then most definitely you will need a good shampoo or natural cleanser to remove the minerals,salt and chlorine from your hair.If you consider all these factors and you don't think co-washing will work for you,then you need to consider a good shampoo or natural cleansing product.

3.The products you use and your styling techniques
Dependent on where you live,chances are so far you haven't been using all natural products in your hair because you don't have access to them.These products,even after you wash them out,will leave some residue behind in your hair and scalp.For example,a lot of gels contain alcohol,parabens and mineral oils and all these are very good at sticking to your hair and staying on your scalp.Co-washing alone doesn't remove these products completely.After a while,you will notice your hair isn't

Photo from Black Girl Long Hair

as healthy,shiny or thick as before and doesn't stay moisturised as well as before.Your hair will also usually feel greasy or weighed down.In this case,you may have product build-up which happens when you use a lot of commercial products.In order to remove product build-up,you have to use a shampoo,mudwash or black soap.Co-washing will only make the build-up worse.

These are the 3 main reasons why co-washing wasn't on yesterday's list,especially since this blog is targeted mainly to Africans living in Africa..;).What I have personally found to help,is to alternate co-washing with shampooing.If I shampoo my hair once a week for example,I will co wash in the middle of the week or something like that,depending on if I have the time.I hope this post has helped answer a lot of concerns for you.My next post will probably be on the politics of natural hair and hair health with regards to physical exercise and water sports such as swimming.And I have a fabulous blog lined up for our next featured blog so don't forget to check back.Please subscribe,like,comment and share!
Till next time,stay blessed and fabulous!

No more dry,tangled hair..forever!

Happy Easter everyone!I trust we all enjoyed a lovely time.I was supposed to have posted something on Saturday but was a little busy with some school work.Never fear though because here it is.
We have been sharing information you need to have for your hair and my last post dwelt a little bit on how to begin the journey to natural hair with my own experience as an example.If you missed that post just click here to read it.
So at this point, I'm going to assume you've made your choice and you know which path you're going to use.As I said in my very first post, no two heads are the same and so please do not feel obligated to follow the method someone chooses to use to go natural.The same method may not work for you because of your own different hair or schedule or just individual differences.We usually share our experiences with you so you can decide to use them as examples for your own journey and to be encouraged to know that you can get where you want to get.

The biggest complaint I get from natural sisters, especially of African origin and those that are considering going natural, is "My hair is so hard!It gets tangled easily and I can't comb it.It is too painful!It is so dry"..and so on and so forth.Today I'm going to share with you very simple things you can do to solve this problem.

Photo from Long Black Natural Hair website

Now, this may seem like a huge letdown for some of you, but dry, hard and tangled hair is not a unique experience to only you.Probably everyone who went natural without knowing all the things I'm going to share with you has had this problem at some point.I had this problem when I took my braids out after my big chop.My hair was such a mess that it took me 2 days to detangle(no kidding).I nearly gave up and went to buy a relaxer there and then, but +Annette Akye encouraged me and I decided to stick it out.Why was my hair so tangled?That is a question for another post I
will write so you can avoid making the same mistakes.So anyway, how did I get rid of the tangles and how do I keep them out of my hair right now?The answer is simple really: A regimen.
Now that you're completely natural,you need to work out a methodical schedule for your hair so that you can keep it soft and moisturized.Moisturized hair doesn't tangle as easily as dry hair,and its easy to manage.So how do you start a regimen?You need 3 basic components and after that, you can decide what to do and when to do it.

1.Cleansing your hair and scalp

Photo from Long Black Natural Hair website

Remember one of the things I said in the first post about dirty scalps?If you want your hair to grow well and stay moisturized, you need to clean both your scalp and hair regularly.How often you do it depends on you, but you can do it as often as you have time.In order to clean your hair and scalp, you need either a good sulfate free shampoo, mild action shampoo or a natural cleanser/detoxifier such as a mud wash or African black soap shampoo.Why not just regular shampoo?Sulfates in the shampoo remove all the natural oils and moisture that keeps your hair strong and soft, so if you use them you will end up with dry hair and a really dry scalp resulting in hair breakage.That's why it is recommended that you use a sulfate free shampoo. Two of my favorite sulfate free shampoos are from Cantu (available here for my Ghana-based audience or here internationally) and the creme of nature moisture and shine shampoo (available here for my Ghana-based audience or here internationally).
An extra step before you wash your hair which will help your hair to lose as little moisture and natural oils as possible is the 'pre-poo' step.Here, you basically put an oil such as olive oil or coconut oil into your hair with water and cover with a plastic cap for about 30 minutes to an hour before you shampoo or wash your hair.It helps make your hair extra soft.You can choose to mix a conditioner into the oil and water before you put it on your hair for extra moisture.Depending on your preference, you can detangle your hair at this step, while you're washing your hair or later.Detangling refers to removing whatever knots or tangles are in your hair, and you can use either a wide tooth comb or your fingers for this purpose.You should not detangle dry hair because its harder.Always try to detangle your hair while there's conditioner or oil in it.

2.Moisturising your hair
Water is our hair's best friend!Don't ever forget it.After you wash your hair, you want to keep some of the water in your hair by applying a moisturizing product to your hair.Right after washing, you can pat your hair dry with a microfiber towel or tee shirt and while your hair is still damp, there are several things you need to do at this point to ensure your hair is as moisturized as possible.First is  deep conditioning.There are a number of deep conditioners that are really great for our hair, so you'd need one of those.The Eden Bodyworks deep conditioner is a great choice (you can get it here in Ghana or anywhere else worldwide).
Sometimes, I mix up my own batch at home.Whichever one you want to use, just make sure to follow the

Photo credit Naptural85

instructions on the container and you're good to go.After you wash out the deep conditioner, you can go ahead and apply a leave-in conditioner, oil to seal in the moisture and whatever styling cream or butter you're using for your hair.I use Cantu leave in (available here if you're in Ghana or internationally here), a mixture of oils and shea butter for my sealant, and sometimes a styling cream or a gel.Depends on what I want to do.

3.Nutrition,nutrition,nutrition
I know you think I'm going to say eat good food etc.You already know to do that so I'm not going to talk about that.Your hair needs its own nutrients sometimes.This is necessary especially if you want thick hair or your hair is weak.First here is a protein treatment.Protein treatments basically make your hair stronger and prevent breakage.Done right, a protein treatment will leave your hair nice and shiny.There are some really good protein treatments out there, but I like the Aphogee simple system.You can get it here in Ghana or if you're anywhere else, click here.The important thing to remember is that you shouldn't do protein treatments too often, since too much protein results in brittle breaking hair.I shoot for once a month, unless when my hair is damaged,in which case I will do it twice in a month.Look at your hair and decide if you really need it.

Photo Credit Superstock

The other thing in this category is hot oil treatments.Not a lot of people do hot oil treatments, but they are great for your hair.Basically, you would take whatever oil you want and heat it up slightly and apply it throughout your hair.You can sit under a hooded dryer with a shower cap on or you can wrap you head with a warm towel to keep the heat in your hair.Usually 30 minutes to an hour later you can rinse out the oil and your hair will be soft, shiny and less prone to breakage.I do hot oil treatments twice a month, usually right after I deep condition or use a protein treatment.
Some people include protective styling in their regimens,but that's up to you.Protective styles keep your hair protected so it doesn't break.Such styles include braids, weaves, and wigs.

Finally, this isn't on the list, but trimming your hair will help to keep it from breaking and knotting up.You don't have to trim like once a month, but you should just watch your hair and trim off whatever damaged ends you observe.I trim my hair by putting my hair in medium size twists all over my head and cutting off the pointy broken ends that I see.I don't do this more than once every 3 months though.

Photo from Long Black Natural Hair website

This is a basic regimen.You can add things on as time goes on,but at the very least, you should be washing your hair, conditioning it, moisturizing and doing protein treatments.And this includes even when your hair is in a protective style such as braids or weaves.If you can do this,y our hair will be so easy to manage and will grow really well.That's it then.The solution to dry tangled hair is in your hands.I hoep it helps you!Till later,stay blessed and fabulous!

Photo credit Black Girl Long hair website

Photo from darkerthanbrown.blogspot.com

Photo credit Ghana Hair Chick

Photo credit Ghana Hair Chick