Why did I start locs....and then comb them out 9 months later?

Real talk. My hair has grown to be very important to me. At the time that I was contemplating locs, my hair was already past my shoulders (when reasonably straightened), thick, and mostly healthy. However, detangling my tresses was a beast. I've always loved box braids and my mini twists and knew without a doubt I would love to have them for as long as I can; so to me that meant locs.

I was hesitant to go to a salon because finding a reputable salon in CT experienced with natural hair via google searching is quite near impossible. I also couldn't get a clear answer as to how much it would cost me. I saw estimates on forums ranging from $80 to $300+. Not knowing any salons to call and ask, and knowing the longer and thicker your hair is the more money you spend, I had my sister and good friend help me install them. 

I loved them. I'm not gonna lie, they were awesome. I didn't mind the process of retwisting although there were a few times that I really didn't want to. I went to a salon twice within my nine months of having locs--once was through word of mouth in a sketchy cash only establishment, and the 2nd time was a prize I won at a natural hair event. 

6 months in they were definitely maturing. i never had a problem with how they looked, and they were finally really locking. With all the positives why would I go through the painstakingly long process of combing them out?

Right around 7 months, my scalp would not stop itching. My scalp felt slightly irritated ever since month 3 or 4, but it was nothing I couldn't tolerate. I washed my hair every other week, just like I did with loose hair, and did a few rinses in between wash days since I work in a slightly dustier than average place (clay does that). I would make sure to never go to bed with damp hair, have been using simple products I knew I wasn't allergic to, and only retwisted once every 3 to 4 weeks. I've tried a few different remedies to try and alleviate it but nothing worked. My scalp just felt terrible. and was only getting worse.

After hours of searching I finally found contact information for two salons that I thought might help me redo them. One offered extensions (cutting off my current locs and then installing fake ones) and the other said that it is possible to take them out but it's a very long process so they don't offer the service. They were nice enough to offer a free consultation and let me know all the tools and teach me how to do it. I am forever grateful to them even though I was never able to follow through and meet them due to my hectic schedule. I then found a super helpful youtube video and started the process July 4th. As of today I still have about ten locs left.

I'll explain how I did it in another post, but yeah. That's my loc story. Sad to see them go but I'm happy to have my fro (almost) back. It's actually a little bit longer than when I started so I'm hoping after a trim it wont be too much shorter. I might be insane for not just cutting them off and being done with it but I really didn't want short hair for my wedding. Such a simple reason for the madness, I know. 

TTFN!

The Quintessential "Hair Journey" Post

You might be thinking, "what the heck, a post about your hair?" Why yes! it's one of my most prized possessions. Having natural hair as a Black woman is a kind of big deal. For centuries, Black women in western countries have been straightening their hair. Natural, kinky hair was/is not proper and seen as demeaning and unkempt. This view on hair like mine is still prevalent; but the whole Natural Hair Movement is changing that. Thank goodness!

I am half Black, half Puerto Rican. But as you can see, my hair is all fro. Ever since I can remember my mom has used products to straighten my hair. Nothing too harsh; mostly those Just 4 Me kits that looked so awesome with all the pretty colors. This is basically the norm for every little Black girl with thick curly hair. I'll admit I had A LOT of hair that was incredibly thick. It'd be a chore to manage my hair without this nifty little relaxer, so thanks mom for all the wonderful styles! Although this picture doesn't quite showcase that... I was too busy having fun at the beach down the street from my house that day.... 

christmas party,  2008 ~ Also my last relaxer

As I got into my teens I never kept up with my hair; I'd get a relaxer twice a year and have my mom braid my hair most of the time. I was very active with sports and band all year round and pretty much a tomboy until I graduated high school. I was the princess of ponytails, wearing my hair out twice a year, right after my relaxer. Throughout this time I noticed my scalp not fairing too well with scabs and redness, so my mom and I tried a few different brands; but nothing worked. So by the time college came around, I just stopped. 

June 2009; before I knew what transitioning was...Same beach as the 2nd pic!

I didn't really know what I was getting into; I just knew I didn't want another relaxer. The picture above was a very popular hairstyle for me. *Wash condition, mousse, scrunch, air dry* It'd last a couple days, was super easy, and hid the fact that I have two very different textures going on. If it wasn't this, It was blow dried and pulled back into a bun or a ponytail, like this picture over here on the side.  This was actually the last event of pictures with my hair still relaxed, taken January of 2010 by Zack when we went to see Yankee Stadium. He's a huge fan. Also notice my rad warhol bag that I still own and love

I started looking into how to care for natural hair towards the end of 2009. There wasn't very much information so it took a while. But alas, YouTube had all of these hidden gems of natural hair vloggers, tutorials, and encouragement. It was overwhelming. I would literally spend hours every night watching videos. The vloggers that helped me decide to do the big chop (in the natural hair community, the moment you cut off all the relaxed hair) are NaturalChica, Naptural85, and BlackOnyx77. Late one night (March 5, 2010 to be exact) I went into the bathroom and just cut off all my relaxed ends. I went to bed grinning from ear to ear.

That morning I woke up to my mom yelling "WHAT'S ALL THIS HAIR DOING IN THE GARBAGE?" I sort of just looked up, pointed to my head, and clonked back out. The only person I told about it was Zack, and he was pretty nervous to begin with. My dad was totally shocked and my mom kept touching it and said, "well it's her hair she can do whatever she wants."

Whatever I want. :)

I've gotten an unbelievable amount of positive comments when people found out. I felt a little insecure, but I knew this was definitely for me. Everyone loved it!

The only other major thing I've done since is dying it this reddish color in September 2010. After I had my fill of this color I've been trimming the red out slowly but surely. You can still see it in the tips, but for now, I don't mind it.

Two years later, I haven't stopped looking into videos, tips, ideas, and products for natural hair. I've found out a wealth of information and only realized this after talking with one of my sister's friends about going natural. I told her I will share with her information on how to go natural, transitioning tips, talk about the BC (big chop), products, and anything else I know about hair like mine. I'm not turning this into a hair blog or anything, but my hair is a very important part of my style. My fro has gotten so many compliments and has become a part of who I am; I really think it reflects my style all on its own.

Now when you see a hair post, don't think it can't apply to your hair type. Lots of the hairstyles and products can be used for any hair type; especially the home made products I like to make and the masks for some TLC on your lovely tresses. 

I look forward to sharing with the world (and Nancy) all I know about hair. I love talking about it so much! Most importantly I love my hair. (in case you couldn't tell) 

TTFN<3

DIY Beauty: Greek Yogurt Hair Mask

When my fro is looking tired, dry, and down right deprived, that's when I know it's time for a mask. I've tried one with a mayo base, but it was too drippy and it smelled (although the benefits were almost worth it). I did some searching and I know yogurt is another popular base, but I couldn't find much on Greek yogurt. Since that's all I have, I decided to give it a shot.

For this mask, I used:

• 1 cup of yogurt. I found that the the Greek yogurt's superior thickness worked great my thick curls. However, Greek is not mandatory. Yogurt in general has lots of anti-fungal bacterial that will naturally cleanse your tresses. Also, the protein in yogurt strengthens your hair, which helps your curls stay curly and controls fly-away frizzies. This is a great mask for the summer because it's cool and soothing; also great for soothing an itchy scalp.
• 2 - 3 tablespoons of olive oil for shine and moisture. If you're not going with the egg, I'd go with 4 - 6 tablespoons.
• 1 egg for shine and moisture. This is optional. I found with this mask shine is not the main goal, like the mayo mask. I get weary when I use an egg because I freak out at the thought of scrambled eggs in my hair if the water's too hot when I rinse it out.
• 5 drops of vitamin E to help heal damaged hair and promote hair growth. How you may ask? In short, vitamin E is important to the cell membranes in your hair follicles in order for hairs to grow properly. Yay science!
• 3 drops of rosemary essential oil, which also promotes hair growth and just smells great! 

*I have extremely thick hair that's about medium length, and this was barely enough; so adjust the amounts to suit your hair :) *

Wear the mask on your hair in a plastic cap for thirty minutes to an hour (no more than two hours, though!) and rinse in the shower under cool water. Then follow up with a mild shampoo and conditioner and continue like you normally would for your routine. If you don't have a plastic cap, you can use a regular shopping bag and use the handles to tie it snuggly around your head. I used my Jane Carter Solution shampoo and conditioner and then my shea butter mix I made myself. 

The results from this mask are still in effect several days later! It made detangling my hair a breeze, helped define my curls, and has kept my hair soft days later without having to apply anything else (I usually find my hair craves the shea butter mix almost every day; it's been five days :O). My hair felt extremely clean and fresh; more so than with just shampooing. Any natural products I make contain vitamin E and rosemary and I can honestly say I think they're helping with the hair growth (I'll talk about this more when I tell you lovelies about my shea butter mix). After this mask my fro was so huge it was too intimidating for work; I pulled it back :P

I will definitely be doing this mask again; I'm glad it worked out for me! Let me know if you try it too!

TTFN <3