Photo Fun & Length Check (pic heavy)

Hope you guys are enjoying the holidays w/ full tummys & lots of love from your friends & family!! :) anywho, this isn't anything special just a few pics. I'm so close to waistlength I can taste it!!!
Enjoy!!

Till next time!!
Nessa*

Blog Feature: Nappturally Aisha

Yet another NAPPturalista from the big apple! :) I love it!!

Tell us a little about yourself:
Hello! My name is Aisha! I'm a single mom and Social Worker who lives in NYC!
I love being a New Yorker! Especially during the Christmas season. I enjoy church, reading, Central Park, shopping and trying new restaurants!

How long have you been natural? what inspired you to start your healthy hair journey?
I've been natural for 21 months! I started to see all these girls with curly BIG hair! I realized that I had tried every single hairstyle except my OWN! I wanted to meet my hair!

Did you encounter any negativity along the way?
I encountered negativity along this journey but it just made me stronger. A guy I was dating said he didn't think I would look good after a BC. Well, I DID look good and he and I are no longer dating.
Some friends asked me, what was I going to do with my hair now. LOL! I took it all in stride. I'm very proud of my hair and what I accomplished in this time.

What is your current regimen?
My regimen to date has changed for the winter months. I wash every two weeks with Shea Moisture shampoo and deep condition with ReVe Essentials Deep Treatment. I then use Curl Junkie as a leave in. I follow with ReVe Essentials Hair & Body Moisturizer as a moisturizer.
I style my hair with a rotation of stylers. I am now using ReVe Essentials Hair & Body Creme and HoneyChile Hairlove Toasted Pumpkin & Almond Butter to seal.
My current style is a braid out. Definition for days.

Do you have any length goals or hair "heroes" :)?
My length goal is BSL (bra strap length) & I am my own hair hero.

What are some of your favorite products?
As you can tell my favorite products come from ReVe Essentials. Their Hair & Body Moisturizer is a STAPLE of mine & an absolute must have! I also like the Tresseme Naturals Conditioner, Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque and Naturalista Juicy Leave in conditioner.

What are some techniques that you think made this journey a tad bit easier on you?
Keeping it simple has made this journey easier for me. The more I focused on my hair and what it responded to and less on all the products I wanted to try or all the styles, etc, the easier it became for me to just...breathe. Take it one day at a time,less is more.

Do you have some advice you wouldn't mind sharing that would help someone just starting their hair journey?
My advice is that length will come with TIME and PATIENCE. Please know that it will take time to learn your hair. Don't give up so easily!

Where can we find you?(blog,facebook page,website,etc)
•http://www.facebook.com/ladyantoinette2
•aishapicott@gmail.com
•linkedin.com/in/aishapicott 

Thank you so much Aisha for sharing! And kudos to you for kickin 'ole boy to the curb ;)

Don't forget, if you would also like to be a feature on Nappturally Nessa,please send an email to; nessadodd@yahoo.com,with "Interview" in the subject bar, & I will respond back with the details.

Till next time!!!
Nessa*

Regimen Basics: Yet another wash day

  Wash day was a success :) wasn't as tiring as it usually is. In all it took about 4 hours,here's a rundown of what went down from start to finish:

#1-Finger detangled on moist hair w/ oils (castor/safflower mixed)

#2-Put hair in 6 braids,leaving space at the root

#3-Let sit for maybe 30mins under conditioning cap

#4-Washed scalp & braids w/ my homemade black soap shampoo,rinsed out w/ warm water

#5-Applied diluted conditioner to braids & roots (diluted w/ half really warm water & half conditioner) let sit under cap for about 20mins

#6-Rinsed out with COLD water

#7-Dried hair w/ a "turby twist" (microfiber towel or a tshirt works well too)

#8-Applying a leave in on damp hair (Yes to Cucumbers mixed w/ aloe vera juice,& my oil mix) then sealing my ends with my crisco mix & rebraiding. I ended up with 13 braids for stretching

#9-One last mist of aloe vera juice before putting on a scarf for bed. Aloe vera juice leans more on the acidic side,closing your cuticles & preventing frizz or "fuzzies".

 

  After these braids are removed, I most likely will bun it or something. I might also retire my small twists for a second untill I'm ready to commit to 4 weeks :-p
  This sounds like a ton of stuff right? Nah,it goes by fast since I've been doing this for so long. And there's a reason for every thing done.

Wanna see the basics of my wash day regimen? Check out this blog post here.

Till next time!!
Nessa*

Regimen Basics:Low Manipulation=Less Stress on your Tresses

  Wearing my hair out & down is great...sometimes. Most of the time I hate it lol yes, I really do. I am not style savvy, not even the least. I know my twists, chunky braids, twist /braid outs & a few buns...that's it. So whenever my hair is down that is my white flag,I've exhausted all other options. Its not a bad thing either, to do simple styles. The simpler a style is means the less manipulation it will require to install & remove. Which means less stress on your tresses.(ha!! I should totally trademark that saying)
   I'm big on low manipulation. Not so much protective. Let me explain: in a nut shell protective styles keeps your ends safely tucked away. I can't honestly say I've done that consistantly throughout my hair journey. What I have done is worn styles that kept my hands out of my hair,off my shoulders, & while doing so have retained a ton of length. So,yeah this works for me ;) I'm not knocking anybody who always does protective styling, in fact I push that more often than not. Its a healthy hair practice. I see it like this, when you first start out on your hair journey, you've got to have SOME type of boundaries. But as it continues you begin to see what works & what doesn't, feel free to keep what you think is necessary in your regimen. In the beginning, I co washed, do I now? Uh no. I also used tons of silicones, do I now...nope. :) see what I mean? If at any time, you start seeing some negative changes in your hair (excess breakage,etc) you can always go back to the drawing board. Easy peasy,right?
   Have you ever looked on someones shoulders or even your own & seen all the little broken hairs? Yep,breakage. One of the most common causes of breakage is friction between your hair & clothes. So even if my ends aren't tucked away in the tightest of buns, best believe my hair is off my shoulders. All that friction also can cause tangles, which may lead to knots, which in turn may have to be cut out. Yikes :(   
  Now there are some naturals who do not protective style as much now (or if any) as they did in the past, because they found out they did not need it as much (or at all). A word of caution:DO NOT copy someones elses regimen! I can't say that enough.If it works for them, thats just it. It may not work for you. Tweak it, make it your own. You guys may have similar hair "types", textures or whatever but there are other variables to take into consideration. You may have less time on your hands, live in a drier climate, or on a tighter budget, those are all important factors to think about when making your regimen. But thats a different post ;)
   Anywho, back to the subject at hand. What are your thoughts on low manipulation & protective styling?

Till next time!!
Nessa*  

Putting a 'twist' On An All Time Favorite:Rope Twisting

   Yesterday I installed yet another set of twists,but see this time I twisted w/ the technique many use for seneglese twists. What is that you ask? We'll I call it "rope twisting". Say you are twisting to the left, while you are doing that you roll each of the two strands between your thumb & pointer finger to the right, before you cross that strand over the other one.
   I hope I didn't lose you with that explanation :) but its a simple technique that gives your twists a "rope" look instead of the normal twists where you just continually cross two strands of hair over each other untill you reach the end.
  I believe that these will last a little longer for using that technique actually tightens the twist as you go down. But I won't put a specific time on it. They aren't as fluffy as my usual ones :( but that might play in my favor.
  I twisted on a stretched old braidout,using a quick mix I made with; shea,crisco,honey, & Yes to Carrots body butter. I finished just 20 minutes shy of 6 hours. Not to shabby if I say so myself, my twisting time is anywhere between 4-8 hours.

  Some of the pros using this technique are:
•Firm, sleeker looking twists
•More of my length is revealed
•Feels as though these twists are heavier,a bit more 'weighted'.

Cons:
•Not as fluffy since they are tighter,giving the illusion of hair that is less dense
 
  Yep...thats it :) I guess time will tell if I continue to use this way of twisting. As its obvious the pros out weigh the cons, for my hair anyways ;) I'm including pictures of previous twists,so that you will be able to see the difference. Enjoy!!!

Till next time!!
Nessa*

Where the Wild Curls Are

  There won't be much to this post, but I figured I would share some pictures off my curl pattern.
Its a rare thing for people to see my curls. I'm usually in twists or some stretched style (braidout,twistout,blowout,etc), so many think that my hair actually grows out like that.
  No, it does not :) my hair is kinky,curly along w/ many other textures all over my head.
In some areas its more of a curly wave, in others there are curls w/ the diameter of a small marker, some strands are baby fine, & some resemble sewing thread.
  Natural hair can take on so many forms! Its amazing just how much personality can be on one head! Hair that looks shoulder length is actually near waist length when stretched, beautifully kinky-curly one day yet stunningly sleek & straight the next. *sigh* don't you just love it?!
  Anywho, let me get off the blabber express. Enjoy the pics & stay blessed!!

Till next time!!
Nessa*

A Holiday Hello

  Its been a long while since I've written a post,sowee :) My apologies, I've been kinda tied up w/ a few things plus we all know how life gets when the holidays are here.
  Just know that I haven't forgotten about y'all, & I have bunches & bunches of stuff to share!!
  And if you have any questions or comments,you can post below or simply email me at nessadodd@yahoo.com.

Happy holidays to you & yours!!!
*MUAH*

Till next time!
Nessa*

Quest for a Diagnosis Update: There is freedom in walking

  I haven't been posting very much about my illness,because every day was pretty much the same & to be frank...its not the funnest thing to think about. Sometimes it helps to keep our minds off ourselves. But anywho, some things have happened recently which I would love to share with you guys.
  First off,I have an appointment with a pain specialist December 4th. My primary doctor believes my brain should be examined with an MRI. Looking for lesions? that I don't know, I'm just so happy that someone is looking outside the box. A big reason why I quit my rhumatalogist is because he simply quit trying. All he wanted to do was shove Cymbalta down my throat after I told him that my body was responding negatively to it. I know it helps tons of people,but I was not one of them.
  I'm starting to realize that I may have to deal with this pain for the rest of my life. Please do not take this as I am being a negative Nancy, its just that there are some things we will go thru in life that we may view as negative at the moment, but actually helps us somehow.

Psalm 119:71 GWT
It was good that I had to suffer in order to learn your laws.

John 11:4 GWT
When Jesus heard the message, he said, “His sickness won’t result in death. Instead, this sickness will bring glory to God so that the Son of God will receive glory through it.

Romans 5:3-4 GWT
But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence.

  It really does matter how you look at a situation, do you make the best of what you got? Or do you wallow in self pity,wondering why is this happening to you? Whatever I'm going thru has helped me to grow spiritually, deepening my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Its taken the 'busy' out of my life, & is teaching me humility. God has me under His thumb, right where He needs me, in a place to where He can use me. He will not put anymore on you then what you can bear,so for Him to know that I can bear this...we'll there are no words to explain,just know I feel blessed :) He has given me strength among other things to get me thru each day,one being walking.

1 Timothy 4:8 GWT

Training the body helps a little, but godly living helps in every way. Godly living has the promise of life now and in the world to come.

  Yes,the one thing that I dreaded getting back in to for fear of the pain,has been one of the things to actually help me manage it. Now I still have the AM pains,spasms,burning,twitching,etc but I'm able to tolerate it. Funny how that worked out :) I forgot how free I felt when I'm on that treadmill or at the park!!! I'm doing something that in the beginning of this quest,was an extreme difficulty. I own a walker,a cane,cruches even a shower seat. I'm happy to say I haven't had to use any of them in a while :) this is MY version of independance. My workout regimen is as follows;

•walk 45 minutes, 7 days on 1 day off, doing interval training
•rotate my days which I do strength training for various areas on my body
•eating mainly the 'good carbs' (oats,whole grain)
•drinking 16oz water with each meal (5 meals)
•avoiding refined carbs,sugary stuff,excess eating (eating just cause)
•measuring my weight loss in inches instead of relying on the scale all the time. Scales can be really funky acting. For each day I do not use the bathroom,I gain a pound. TMI? Maybe but that's why I can't always trust that thing. :)
•I'm a pescetarian (eating only seafood,but I only do tuna & shrimp lol) I've been this for almost 3 years, & not for weight loss reasons.

  Yea,stuff like that. I'm doing pretty good,its more than just weight loss for me,its a testimony. I've already lost a few inches. In 2010 I was a resounding 253lbs in a size 18/20, right now I'm in my late 180's and the lowest size I can fit comfortably is a size 10. My body fat percentage is pretty good,I tend to store below the belt than in my midsection, & I'm top heavy (pear/hourglass shape) so I'm less likely to develop the diseases most apple shaped people may get. Plus,I LOVE my bootay,hips & thighs. 
  I'm still taking my medication in the morning for the spasms & pain, & I thank God for it, but I can't wait for the day I won't have to pop pills.
We'll I think that's it for now,will try to keep you guys updated more often.

Till next time!!
Nessa*

Blog feature: Nappturally Curly Demure

Oh my wow...would you just look at those banging curls!!! This fellow naturalista is obviously seriously talented! Whenever I decide to color my hair,she may have to book a one way trip to South Carolina. ;) 

Tell us a little about yourself:
  "I am an Office Manager from New York!! :) who enjoys painting, singing, publically speaking, learning and ofcourse living."

How long have you been natural? What inspired you to start your healthy hair journey?
  "I have been Natural almost 3 years and I will never go back. I decided to go natural when I became a mother of my daughter. I didn't want her to have any type of discern with her natural beauty so I had to lead by example."

Did you encounter any negativity along the way?
  "No,suprisingly none at all LOL"

What is your current regimen?
  "My current regimen is washing biweekly and deep conditioning monthly. I twist my hair 2x a week at most with Reve Essentials Hair and Body Moisturizing Creme on dry hair and rock twist outs. I never ever detangle with anything other than my fingers."

What are some of your favorite products?
  "Reve Essentials, Oyin Handmade, and Curl junkie"

What are some techniques that you think made this journey a tad bit easier on you?
  "Doing my twist on dry hair and finger detangling!"

Do you have some advice you wouldn't mind sharing that would help someone just starting their hair journey?
  "Have PATIENCE and love yourself before you go on this journey. Your hair will show the love you carry for it." :)

Is there anything else you would like to share?
  "Don't give up!"

Where can we find you?(blog,facebook page,website,etc)
  •www.curlydemure.blogspot.com
  •Instagram-Curly Demure
  •Twitter-Curly Demure
  •Facebook-Curly Demure
  •YouTube-Curly Demure

For ladies in the NY area I throw a monthly meet up with my home girl Cutie Kinks:
www.meetup.com/CutieDemure

 

  Thanks soooooo much for sharing! I couldn't agree more with you about the finger detangling, your hair will benefit from the low amount of manipulation. And what a sweet act of humility to do this for your baby girl...kudos!!!

  Don't forget, if you would also like to be a feature on Nappturally Nessa,please send an email to; nessadodd@yahoo.com,with "Interview" in the subject bar, & I will respond back with the details.

Till next time!!!
Nessa*

Quick Thought-Why the phrase 'good hair' isnt a good thing to say

  I'm sure many of you have heard this "you've got some good hair" *rolls eyes* such a pet peeve of mine & I'll tell you why.

  If there is such a thing as good hair,that means there must be such a thing as bad hair...right? Wrong!! How is it that something that was God given to you from birth be bad? And why would you give something on you such a title?
  When you make the decision to go natural, you are not only transitioning your hair, many of us had to transition our minds as well. Just because your texture isnt like someone elses,you can't drag a fine tooth comb thru in one pass (or any comb for that matter),or its difficult for YOU to manage doesn't make it bad. Not all of us were born with the know how to style our hair (I know I wasnt lol) but that's when you roll up your sleeves,do your research, ask questions & learn!
You can not treat your natural hair,as you did your relaxed hair, I repeat YOU CAN NOT TREAT YOUR NATURAL HAIR AS YOU DID YOUR RELAXED HAIR. The shoe won't fit.
  Know this,when you decide to take the plunge, you MAY NOT end up with curls. But again, that does not mean you have bad hair. Through many trials you will discover what works & what does not work for your tresses.Master your hair, & no one will know it better than you. ;)
  Also a quick note, if you have not seen any noticeable progress you may want to re evaluate your hair regimen (routine) because its obvious something isn't working. But that's okay!! :) we won't know everything in this lifetime,so don't be afraid to ask questions & take notes. We all can learn something from each other,and this goes for everybody not just us naturals :)
  I understand that not everyone will choose to go that route, which is a given since no two people are the same.
  In conclusion; the hair that grows from your scalp is beautiful. It is not bad,ugly or any other term that is taken to be something negative. It is your crown and it is AWESOME!!!

Nessa*

Product Review:Yes to Cucumbers Cooling Body Butter

You probably won't see too many product reviews here at Nappturally Nessa,because I have my staples & I'm pretty stubborn in moving outside my comfort area aka my "staple products". But,I was getting really tired in trying to make my own leave in cream.
This was on clearance at Target ($3.00 instead of $13.00,yea...you'd buy it too lol) so I figured why not. Come to find out... I LOOOVVVEEED it :) and it must be pretty good for it to now be a part of my staple products.
Here are the details:

Company-"Yes to.."

Product Ingriedients- Water (Aqua) , Dead Sea Water (Maris Aqua) , Capric/Caprylic Triglyceride , Algae (Seaweed) ExtractRhodella, Dunaliella, Spirulina , Cucumis Sativum Fruit Extract , Brassica Oleifera ExtractBroccoli , Silt (Dead Sea Mud) , Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Cucumis Melo JuiceMelon , Ipomoea Batatas ExtractSweet Potato , Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Juice , Fragrance (Parfum) , Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond) , Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil , Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil , Persea Gratissima OilAvacado , Niacin , Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract , Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract , Punica Granatum Peel Extract (Pomegranate) , Imidazolidinyl Urea
*side note- There is a similar product "Yes To Carrots Body Butter",the only difference is carrot ingriedients replaces the cucumber in the list.*

Discription- Yes to cucumber and green tea for the soothing fantastic-ness. Yes to sweet almond oil for softening every inch of your body.  Gently apply to clean, dry skin. Make sure to cover from head to toe...you don't want to miss out on this softness.

Price-$13.00 US

Size-8.45oz

Consistency/Texture- Creamy,Light,Smooth,Thick but kind of "airy/whipped"

Scent-Light,Fresh & Clean,very similar to their conditioner if you've ever tried them,floral

Sold at- Walmart,Target,Rite Aide,Walgreen's, Amazon.com, Yes To website,GNC.com,vitacost

Coupons/Savings- I'm not sure about any others,but at my Target there is a travel size section in one of the aisles. That is where they have a small "Yes To Carrots" version of this product,you can try that for 2 bucks to see how you like it first before taking the plunge & purchasing $13 worth of product (although a little goes a long way with this). Also,on that lid is a coupon for 1 dollar off any "Yes to" product over 6 bucks. And since gnc sells this online, you might be able to use your gold card to get a discount.

My experience- Although marketed as a 'body butter', I do use it as a hair product. It glides on smooth,absorbs easily,leave hair feeling soft but not coated. Sometimes I use it solo,other times I seal it in using a crisco mix or my oil mix (castor/safflower). Works well on damp or dry hair.
Would I buy this again- uh duh!! Lol ofcourse! This butter is the buisness!!

Till next time!!
Nessa*