GHC's Friday Frotastic Feature:Geraldine the Great (Waist Length in 4 years)

Hello beautiful ladies!Its been a little while since I posted but I hope everyone is doing well. Today is Friday so you know what that means! A feature on an amazing hair icon!!
Today's article features Geralidine the Great,a Nigerian Natural Haired woman with amazing hair. She reached wast length hair in 4 years of being natural. A few of the members of the Ghana Hair Chick Facebook page requested for a feature on her and she kindly agreed to answer a few of my questions, so here goes!

Q.How long have you had natural hair?. 
A.I've been natural for 5 years.  My last relaxer was on October 2008, and I big chopped in June of 2009.

Q.How did you go natural?Did you transition and for how long?

A. I went natural after suffering from breakage post weave installation.  My hair thinned out and I swore off all manner of manipulation on my head.  I ended up transitioning for 10 months.

Q.What helped you during your transition?Any tips for transitioners?

A.I transitioned by wearing kinky twists.  I would periodically redo the twists so that they remained fresh in appearance.  I also moisturized obsessively, once I learned that my two textures of hair were fragile.  If you're transitioning to becoming natural, experiment with styles that require a low amount of manipulation.

Q.How did your family respond to your decision to go natural and how did you handle it?. 

A. My family was accepting of my transition, but I received the most amount of support from my boyfriend who actually assisted me during my big chop. I was resolute in my decision to becoming chemical free, so outside opinions and comments did little to deter me from my mission. 

Q.What has been you greatest challenge with your hair and how did you handle it?

A.My hair is extremely dense and tightly coiled.  I'm also a heavy shedder.  These qualities used to make my detangling sessions dreadful. I adapted to the task by cutting down my detangling and shampooing sessions to once a month, with co-washes in between.

Q.What do you love most about your hair and what was your proudest moment?

A.My proudest moment?  Being able to wear a bun!  Lol, it may seem silly, but if you have dense 4abc hair like mine, then you know that a lot of work goes into gathering this hair-type into a bun that doesn't pull uncomfortably at your edges.

I love that my hair is thick and dense.  I'm happy that I don't have to  work too hard to coerce my hair into appearing full.

Q.Please share your regimen/hair care routine with us.

A. I'm very big on protective styling.  When I first went natural, the tightly coiled hair mantra of the time was that our hair types liked to be left alone.  To an extent, I do agree with this sentiment, and so I employ a lot of protective styles in my regimen (wigs, twists, braids, buns).

Generally speaking, I'm quite simple in my routine- a monthly deep conditioning, detangling and shampooing session, and co-washing whenever it suits me. 

Q.What would you say is the most important thing that has helped you retain length and health of your hair?

 A.Protective styling and finger detangling have gotten me to waist length in 4 years.  These are the two biggest factors that contributed to my length retention.

Q.Any final tips/advice?

A. If you're thinking about doing it, do it.  Furthermore, if you are thinking about becoming natural, be prepared to shed a lot of misinformation that you might have had about hair care.  Keep an open mind, and lose all your hair expectations.  You are embarking on a journey that sets you outside of societal boxes, so don't regress by stringently abiding to hair rules, categories, and expectations.  An open and determined mind will push you through the moments of self-doubt and frustration.

Geraldine can be found on Facebook as Geraldine the Great and on her blog at http://geraldinethegreat.blogspot.com/

Many thanks to +Geri GeraldinetheGreat for allowing me write this feature on her..:).

Hope you enjoyed reading this and got inspired. If you'd like to see someone specific featured here on the blog, simply drop a comment below and I will try to get her here..lol. Thanks for reading and have a fabulous day!

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.

Hair Shedding and the GhanaHairChick Facebook Page

Hello!Its a been a little while since I last posted.I hope everyone is doing well and their hair is too!Before I get into the post, a short announcement:There's a Facebook Page for the blog now!Here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ghana-Hair-Chick/551431108276415
Please go like and share it.I created the page so we could stay in touch even if there's no blog post.Plus,I figured it might be a better place to interact, share our stories and tips, encourage each other and ask questions.Its a community page so please feel free to post to it:pictures, questions, comments etc.
Now on to my hair!I mentioned in a past post that I had an abnormal amount of shedding when I detangled my hair.A fellow blogger suggested a tea rinse or  a variation of that where I actually soak my hair with the tea, cover with a shower cap for a while and then wash my hair.I had been doing tea rinses already so I decided to try the tea soaking for a few months.I'm still not sure if that's helping, because I detangled my hair this past weekend after a henna treatment, and there was a lot of shed hair!However, I think it may have to do with my updated regimen.
My hair had been in twists under a wig for about 6 weeks, and then under just a beanie cap for another month or so.I washed my hair several times during this time, deep conditioned,did two henna treatments and moisturised, but never really detangled.I would only undo the twists, put them together in big ones for easy washing and then re-twist without really detangling. I only used my fingers to kind of part my hair and remove really big knots and shed hair.So with this background, when I took my wide toothed comb this weekend to detangle, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was still a lot of shed hair.
I have put pictures down below 9first one is my hair right after washing). It was enough hair to fill the palm of my hand.I don't know if this may just be normal for me, because I shed this much hair every time I actually detangle my hair (which is usually like once every 3 months).Maybe I need to detangle more often to reduce shedding, but I don't know if that would help.I read around as well, and it looks like amount of shedding is highly variable.What do yo guys think?Is there anyone having this same issue?What has helped you to resolve it, if it is resolved?Please let me know.Others may also benefit.Thanks a lot and see you over on Facebook!

Break the Silence about your hair

HelLO!It has been quite a while since I posted and I feel very guilty(guilty face).I've just been very busy with my school work and very tired.However today I just made up my mind to post something and here we are!I hope everyone has been doing great!My one year anniversary since big chopping came and went in August,and I did a length check video which I can now not find on my computer.I know,weird!But I will try and post some pictures of what I've been doing with my hair since June(wow..that's a lot..lol).I have had several different protective styles including braids,kinky twists and wigs.

Currently,my hair is not in any style.I have an old bantu knot out from Sunday that I have been keeping under a cap to protect my ends from the cold.I also hennaed two weeks ago,and I should have taken pictures,but I didn't..(sad face).I will be doing it again and I will definitely take pictures then!
My hair isn't doing as great as I'd like.I have retained a lot of length,but the thickness is not improving so I'm looking for ways to fix that.I also think I may be shedding too much,but how much is too much?The shedding has always been a lot for my hair so I don't know if that's normal or not.Anybody ever have a similar hair issue?How did you fix it?

In other news,I had a friend make a comment about my hair and I was tempted to respond badly but stopped.Have you had such an experience?How did you deal with it?I'm still trying to find a way to respond,so let me know what I should say..lol.
Finally,I will soon create a page on Facebook so that even if I don't post here I can share some pictures and other things on there, and you can also share your own pictures.Without much ado then,here are some pictures for the last 3 months!Enjoy.

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!

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.

Blowing out your hair:African Threading from Ghana

Heat may be used to blow out and style hair,but in order to prevent damage to hair the heat has to be used at a low temperature and it has to be used sparingly.Also a heat protectant will help to reduce the risk of damage,but its not a sure fix.So how do you stretch out your hair for a style that requires it?Maybe you want a nice big fluffy fro but your 4C hair isn't cooperating or you just want your hair to look like its actual length.Maybe you're going to braid your hair and want your hair to be smoother so you need to blow it out.If your hair is relaxed or transitioning you may want to stretch your new growth so you can style your hair.This technique is very useful for any of these purposes.It is
-heat free
-chemical free
-hair damage free
-reduces shrinkage.
My mom uses this threading technique all the time(and her natural hair is awesome if I do say so myself) and when I was transitioning she used to do it for me a lot so my hair would be more manageable.Here's the method.

1.Section your hair into small manageable sections and hold each section with a clip.The size and number depends on you,but the general rule of thumb is smaller sections will result in better stretching than bigger sections,but they also take longer.I usually use medium pretty sections,about 6 all over my head.

2.You will need to make sure each section is detangled and moisturized. If its dry spritz on a little water/aloe vera juice and seal with a little oil/shea butter.You will also need hair thread from Africa if you can get it,or regular yarn.You will want to make sure the yarn can be used for braiding hair so it doesn't tangle your hair up.

3.Take one end of the thread or yarn and pull till its about 4 times the length of your hair.Fold that back onto itself so you have a double piece,kind of like looping thread through a needle and getting two pieces of thread joined together.Cut that off.It might help to do one section of hair for starters,use the thread to make sure it will be the length of thread you need,then use that as a template for more thread.

4.Beginning with whichever section you prefer,put your thread/yarn at the bottom of the section.Begin twisting the thread around your hair,making sure that each part of your hair is covered.This motion is hard to describe,but you are kind of rolling or tying the thread around your hair,not like regular twists in your hair.Keep up with this to the tip of your hair and tie the end of the thread well to prevent unravelling.

5.To help you sleep or look sane(lol) because when you're done you will look crazy,tie each section to an adjoining one flat on your head so it looks like a flat twist or corn row.Leave this overnight and that's it!Overnight is recommended because this technique needs a few hours to work.It is also a nice protective style,working well with wigs.If you plan to wear it with wigs,try to make sure you part your hair where your wig is parted and make sure to tie the sections as close to your scalp as possible.

So that's it!I have posted a video below from +AfroDiva Nally to help explain this better.


<


 Till next time,stay blessed and fabulous!