FAQs-Part 1

Just a few FAQs for your consumption :) more will come!

How long have you been natural?
-This Febuary (12th I think) will make 3 years...BUT I have been growing my hair out for about 4. Its important to ask how long have you been growing out your hair instead of asking how long they have been natural. Some transitioned for 2 years & then "BC", they may have only been natural for a few months when you see them.

Do you use any growth aides? (Vitamins/growth oils/etc)
-I take a multi vitamin from GNC, its not a "hair growth vitamin" either. Lol its for vegitarians. And I'm not even consistant with them. Bad Nessa, I know.

What do you use on your hair?
-I use many things. They are usually the repeat of the same products. See my staples in this post. When people ask this question, I can't help but think they think that whatever I'm using on my hair is what got it to "grow" the way it does. O_o No, our hair is always growing, its what you do to it that determines how much you retain aka how much hair you keep on your head. Funny story, I was in a grocery store one evening & these two older ladies approached me. One asked if my hair was mine,(it looked like this) then upon answering yes she asked what I use on it. I will almost always give people the exact answer they asked for. I won't go into a decription of my wash days, my regimen, finger detangling,protective styling, yada yada yada. I feel that not everyone really cares about all that lol & even if you were to tell them, they may not even take that advice because they feel its just to much work for some hair. Magic pill anyone? But anyway, I told her "crisco", because that's what I use the majority of the time. Especially on my ends if my hair is out. Gah, were they shocked!! Lol I had to throw in there that I mix it with other oils before I apply it to my hair. Boy they took that & ran w/ it! I could only imagine that they probably left the store w/ a small container of crisco & a bottle of olive oil. :-p

Do you grease your scalp?
-No,I do not. I can't remember the last time I even used grease on my hair. I really don't see the need of ME putting any kind of oil or grease on my scalp to be honest. I realize that its just something we've always done in the black community, & some people figure why should they stop. They shouldn't if its working for them. Many longer haired naturals do this with no problems. I just don't :)

How tall are you?
-Okay, this may not be a FAQ BUT its kinda an important question. I am about 5'1 or 5'2 with about 18 or 19" of hair. This puts it at the lower end of my back, I need about 20" or 21" to make waist length. For some naturals who may be a tad bit taller than me, 20" for them might put them at BSL (or bra strap length). Their torso is longer than mine, so they would probably need about 24" to make waist. Now on a child, 20" of hair just might be at their tailbone or longer depending on the height of the child. Remember this when you see somebody shorter than you, with the same amount of inches but it might be to their waist but yours is only to your bra food for thought.:)

Okay, we'll I'm going to call it quits for right now BUT I SHALL RETURN!!! Sorry its been so long since you guys have heard from me. I don't want to long of a post ;) can't have you noddin off over there.

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*

What I've learned on my hair journey

1-pH really makes a difference on my hair

2-Fingers make the best "comb"

3-Co washing isnt for everyone

4-Fairy knots comes with territory of being a natural

5-Crisco is a wonderful sealant!!

6-Finger detangling takes practice

7-Keeping hair stretched saves time,hair & my sanity lol

8-Soft hair doesnt always mean "moisturized" hair

9-DO NOT do your hair when tired,cranky,hungry etc :)

10-Fine hair is not thin hair & coarse hair is not "rough" hair

11-Change your regimen only if it needs it,dont try & fix what isnt broke

12-The definition of "unmanageable hair" is different for everyone

13-Apprieciate your hair for what it is now,dont "rush" your hair journey for the sake of wanting a longer length

14-Even if you have the same hair "type",what works for you STILL may not work for others

15-As hair gets longer,it does not get thicker (aka density)

16-the only "magic pills" for longer hair is;time,patience,& gentle handling

To be continued...

Regimen Basics;Finger Detangling

Detangling...*play horror movie music here* one of the most time consuming parts of natural hair care. In the beginning we've all heard the basic "slather on tons of conditioner,and grab your wide tooth comb" story,and for many that option still works (so keep on keepin on)but for me,it does not. I like to finger detangle.

Finger detangling is just that,detangling with your fingers. Some have actually ditched their detangling tool all together! I myself have not used a "tool" in about 2 or 3 months (lost track).I found that my fingers do just fine espcially since I wear stretched styles 95% of the time (twists/braids,etc). Wearing those type of styles prevents too many shed hairs or tangles from accumulating since the hair is kept in a stretched state.

Dry detangling seems to work best for me,because once my hair becames swelled with water its so fragile. But I have tried finger detangling with conditioner drenched hair. Now some might be looking at this post crazy right now like "whaaat?!" Because in the natural community 'dry' & 'detangle' shouldn't even be in the same sentence,right?
Wrong!!! (Respectfully of course)

Here's a rough rundown on how I dry detangle;

1-separate hair into workable sections

2-mist the section being worked on with aloe vera/water mixture a few times,it should be not be soaking or even damp.just enough to be flexible.
*note-the section should be the width of two fingers or less,also you may be asking "we'll if you mist your hair,that isn't exactly dry detangling". Technically,no the hair isn't dry anymore after misting. But opposed to a hair full of conditioner and/or water,it is.

3-take favorite oil or butter (I like to use one of my crisco whips) for slip,& apply about a finger tip full to the ends first

4-work out any tangles or knots from the ends by slightly pulling the hair apart.separating the "cobwebs" :) once the ends are clear,start moving up towards the roots repeating the process

5-pinch the hair at the roots with pointer finger & thumb, then lightly slide down the hair shaft applying "pinching pressure" as you go down.this method will remove the sheddies.you can also use your pointer and middle finger the same way,I call this method it "scissor smoothing" :-) because your fingers look look like scissors!! Lol (duh huh?)

6-twist up the finished section and move on to the rest!

This may seem like it will take centuries to do,right? We'll it does. Lol but the best part is the better you become at it (practice,practice,practice!) ,the faster time seems to go by.
I've been doing this for about 2 years now,so I know my hair.I can actually finger comb my hair without using a mirror.I find doing this is actually better,because I litterly have to feel around depending solely on my fingers instead of my eyes first & fingers second. Its as if I'm more patient with my hair doing it that way,my senses are sharper making me more aware of how much tension I'm actually using.

Do you finger detangle? Why or why not? What are some of your techniques?

Nessa*