Puffy Braids

Start by making a row of small ponytails that looks like a headband across the front of her head.

Then take the first row of ponytails and split them into 2 pieces. Make 2 more smaller squares and add the far side ponytails and include it into the 2nd row.

Here is what it looks like from the top of her head. If you need further instructions please ask this one is difficult to explain.

In The News: Can Lasers Stimulate a Hair-Growth Spurt?

IMO, this is the craziest "theory" I have heard in a long time...you decide.

Do Laser Combs Work?

Story Highlights:

• A number of companies sell handheld, low-intensity lasers for home use that are intended to stimulate hair follicles, typically three times a week for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Scientists say that low-level lasers are safe and likely do act on cellular compounds that can spur hair growth.
• It's best to try the laser before your hair follicles are too damaged, doctors say. "If you've got a shiny bald head it won't do anything,"
• The only home laser device cleared for hair growth by the Food and Drug Administration is the LaserComb, which claims to increase hair growth in men.
• researchers found subjects using the LaserComb for 26 weeks saw an average increase of 17 hairs per square centimeter, or 7%, compared with a decrease of nine hairs in a control group using a sham device.
• So far the only side effects reported with the lasers have been itching and tingling of the scalp.

Question and Answer: Frizz and Sleeping

Q: "I was wondering do you know of a good hair care product that helps keep the hair from frizzing up so fast?"

A: I haven't found "a" product but what seems to work for me is keeping my hair moisturized on those humid NC days. Before I do my cornrows I do a deep condition treatment with Suave tropical coconut mixed with some Olive Oil and peppermint oil. Another thing I started doing is not using shampoo as much but instead co-washing with a moisturizing conditioner. So, I guess moisture is the key. :)

Another thing I try is a recipe for frizz control. Conditioner, Olive Oil, and honey. It really works to hold the style, the only thing I don't like about it is that it can make your hair hard to the touch.

Q: "Okay, here is a question I have been dying to ask, how do I wrap my TWA @ nite?????"

A: Well, I never had a TWA so this one is kinda of hard for me. I can say what works for me and maybe that will help some. I have a satin pillow case for those nights that I am dead tired and my nightly routine is just not going to happen. I sleep in a satin night cap and for those days I want to wear a 'fro I do about 4-5 huge twist all over and fluff them out in the morning. No matter how I prep my hair before bed I try very hard to never let my head rest on cotton. Even when I am "resting" on the couch...I get my satin housecoat and drape it over the coat where my head will lay.

Also, My college roommate had a TWA and while it was short she would wet it in the shower every morning to refresh the flatness that occurred overnight.

New Season....New Regimen

Our natural hair is so precious and we really have to treat it as such. My Summer hair regimen consisted of protective styles and moisturizing. However, I admit that I manipulated my hair a lot over the summer and that is not good for maintaining length and minimizing breakage. For the past couple of weeks I have worn my hair up off my shoulders either in buns, twists, or puffs. Each night I gently separated my hair into sections and moisturized the ends and the shaft portion of my hair. I did notice less dryness and less breakage but I think I can do better.

With the exception of special occasions (Homecoming [Eagle Pride!!], church events, etc), I am going to focus more on protecting my ends from the "outside world." My Fall regimen will be as follows:

Moisturize shaft and ends nightly with a water based product

Seal with light oil

Sleep with a satin night cap

And style in creative protective styles

Let's see if I can make it the entire Fall season. (Not looking forward to winter, boo cold weather).

Toddler Puffy Headband

This is very simple and she got so many compliments on this wild hairstyle. All I did was made very small parts and pulled them back into as straight of a line as I could and secured the ponytails with elastics. The finished product looks similar to a headband.

How I dye my hair

***this dye job was done before I started my healthy care/growing regimen****

I wanted a light bright reddish color and because my hair is so dark and resistant to color I had to go bold. I used SoftSheen-Carson Dark & Lovely in Vivacious Red. I applied the dye to the front section of my hair and let sit for 45 mins. I know that is longer than the instructions but I also know my hair-any less would have been a waste of time. I rinsed the dye out with cool water until the water ran clear.

Then I did a co-wash with Suave Coconut conditioner all over my head but paying close attention to the recently dyed portion. After the co-wash I applied leKair Cholesterol Plus and left on for 30-40mins. Rinsed and style as usual.

I didn't want to do anything that would be strenuous on my hair after dying so I did a twist out and wore that for 4 days. The twist out allowed me to open my sunroof when I got off work and let the sun do it's magic with brightening up the color a little more. I have been dying my hair myself for years now and I finally found a routine that helps me maintain my texture and curl pattern while still giving me the color I want. Works for me!

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Triangle Part to Bun

Make triangle parts all the way around the front of her head. The picture belows shows how this is done.

Take all the triangle parts and pull the ends into one ponytail.
Make small hairs with the hair in the ponytail and twist them tight as shown below. Use the twisted hair to make a messy bun.

This picture shows how the hair looks once it is twisted.

We then added a flower to the side of her bun. The picture below shows what it looks like from the top of her head.

Fun Updo!!

This is a fun up do that has so many different angles so I will do my best to explain step by step.

I started by making corn rolls 3 of them diagonally across the front of her head

There are a couple of ways to make the rolls I took the all the hair I wanted rolled and held it out then began twisting until it was tight against her head. The other method is similar to a braid you start rolling and adding hair until you have the length you want

Once the rolls are secured in place I made triangle parts all around the outside of her head.

Then take the hair that was left in the middle and put it into a ponytail.

Now start pulling the triangle part ponytails and leave 2 small pieces of hair out and pull the rest into the middle ponytail. (I hope the picture below helps explain what I mean)

Take the pony tail and twist small pieces of hair to give it a messy bun look. Still leaving the stray strands of hair from the triangle parts out.

Now take the stray strands of hair and make ringlets out of them.

Then pin the ringlets around her hair to give the hair a much fuller look

Below is a side picture of the finished product.

In The News: Protein Treatment=No Frizz

This is interesting...a process that straightens hair but fades over time. The stylist describes it as going from Diana Ross to Beyonce. Hmmm?

Key points:

• Applying Coppola Designer Hair Care’s Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy to hair works by infusing the protein keratin into the hair, decoiling curls and taming frizz certified keratinologistoffer this treatment as a solution to unruly, frizzy, dry or damaged hair

• A client can repeat the treatment every four to six weeks to continue improving the quality of the hair, but touchups aren’t entirely necessary. Unlike chemical relaxers, results from this semi-permanent treatment fade after four to six months, depending on lifestyle and maintenance

• Treatments start at $300, depending on the amount of product and time the stylist needs to administer it and requires at least three hours during the first appointment

My overall opinion about this is that I feel that this "treatment" will eventually stretch out the coils too much. I also don't like the amount of heat that is used through out the process. It seems to be a healthier alternative to relaxers but only time will tell.

For the record....I LOVE ME SOME DIANA ROSS, HAIR AND ALL!

Check out the story here:

Protein treatment helps fight frizz, decoil curls

Baking Soda & Conditioner Treatment

I originally found this treatment on Naturally Obsessed

Immediately after administering this treatment to my hair it felt soft-that is while it was wet. As time progressed my hair started to resemble the feeling of coat thread, real hard and stringy. I had to do a super deep conditioning to get my hair back to it original state. I have read reviews of this treatment working for some but I realize this is not for me and my tresses. Trial and error is the name of the game.

Baking Soda Treatment

1/2 Cup of Baking Soda
1 Full Cup of Conditioner
1 Cap Full of EVOO

Directions:
Apply to rinsed damp hair. Do NOT shampoo first-baking soda is a natural cleanser. Once hair is saturated, cover with a plastic bag and cover with a warm towel. Leave on for an hour. Rinse with lukewarm water and co-wash gently.

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(¸.•´ (¸.• tia¸.•*´¨)

Toddler 3 Ponytails

Simple as it sounds 3 small ponytails around her head

In the News: Food and Hair......my two fav loves!!

I was supposed to working on an assignment with school when I came across this:
Foods for Healthy Hair

Foods that can encourage hair growth....like I need an excuse to eat. I love food and now I think I love it even more, LOL. According to the article, there are foods that you can eat that will result in healthier longer hair. For those that want the important points, here is the cliff notes version:

"Your hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 inch every month, and the foundation of all of our new hair, skin, and nail growth is the nutrients we eat," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a Chicago-based dietitian. "If you eat a healthy diet, you will grow stronger and healthier cells throughout your entire body -- inside and out." And beware of dietary supplements often marketed to thicken hair or make it grow faster. They may backfire.
Healthy Hair Food No. 1: Salmon
Healthy Hair Food No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables
Healthy Hair Food No. 3: Beans
Healthy Hair Food No. 4: Nuts
Healthy Hair Food No. 5: Poultry
Healthy Hair Food No. 6: Eggs
Healthy Hair Food No. 7: Whole Grains
Healthy Hair Food No. 8: Oysters
Healthy Hair Food No. 9: Low-Fat Dairy Products
Healthy Hair Food No. 10: Carrots
When it comes to foods for healthy hair and beauty, variety is the best way to go. "An overall balanced diet of lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fatty fish like salmon and low-fat dairy will help keep hair healthy," Giancoli says.

Angel Braid

An Angel braid is very similar to a regular braid. The only difference is that you only pull hair from one side instead of both sides. All I did on this one is a small angel braid across the top of her head.

This is fun simple and really cute.

Twists

I did a far side part and then made 3 twists on one side

2 twists on the other side and then combine them together with an elastic.

Scalp Cleanse

Daily shampooing on African American hair is not recommended, hence the co-wash (although some of us can do a daily wash). However, build up can occur on our scalps and sometimes a shampoo is needed. When washing I hate how the shampoo strips all the natural oil from the shaft of my hair. So to minimize this from happening, I apply shampoo to may scalp in the same manner that you would "grease your scalp. It gets the job done and I don't experience that dryness on the ends of my hair. I also did this for my husband because he was having an awful dandruff problem. It really helped a lot and now we don't have to do it as often. You can use the shampoo of your choice with this technique. The last time did this I used Black Soap shampoo, it felt awesome and the drying was very minimal. Happy Cleansing!

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Just shea butter and olive oil

One weekend my hubby and I had some friends come into town-also some natural heads. Anyhoo......the guy (a chef) showed me a new way to blend my shea butter and olive oil. I always thought I had to melt the shea to get it to blend with the olive oil, NOT! (which, it never really worked anyway).

Basically, he showed me how to add a little bit of olive oil at a time to some shea better and then use the back of of a spoon to mash it all together. We were up at 3am mixing shea butter and olive oil, lol. I used this mixture on my hair for a braid out. I wore the braid out for almost a week and my hair shined the entire time- I couldn't stop looking at it. I was very impressed.

Shea Butter
Olive Oil
Blend with spoon

In The News: Healthy hair for young girls

August 31, 2009 Chicago Tribune article about hair and young girls.

Stylist preaches healthy hair and lifestyle to Chicago schoolgirls

Here are some of the key points from the article:

• For the last 10 years, Frances Simmons has been going into Chicago public schools on a mission to educate young African-American girls on the importance of healthy hair and a healthy lifestyle, and how the two can be interwoven into an even healthier self-esteem.
• For blacks, hair travails are deeply rooted in a sad history that too often has defined beauty by a white standard and divided locks into two camps: "good hair" or "bad hair"
• "You've got some mothers who are getting their kindergartners hair weaves or hair pieces," Simmons said. "It breaks your heart. All that weight on those tiny heads."
• In Illinois, stylists who braid aren't required to be licensed so training can be a crapshoot.
• We've been taught not to love our hair and not to love ourselves. Part of having healthy hair is accepting who we are and what we have."

What I really like about this article is that the information is coming from a stylist. Many times we try to share advice or tips we have learned, through reading and research, with our friends and family and the look at us like we don't know what we are talking about. So maybe the same information coming from a professional will open their eyes and ears.

Ribbon Braid Headband

I made a very small ponytail with an elastic and pulled the ribbon through to make my starting point.

Then take the ribbon and separate it into 2 one side of the ribbon on 2 of the 3 french braid strands. Then french braid as normal across the front of her head.

I secured the end with an elastic and then tied the ends of the ribbon into a bow. She loved this style because so many people complimented on how cute it looked.