The health "benefits" of a chemical relaxer to your body.

I came across this article and thought now this is disturbing.  Please read and let me know your thoughts

http://yarrahs-life.tumblr.com/post/29032736649


Also, came across this video below that was very informative.

Video Below

At the end of the day you need to take responsibility for your hair whether its relaxed or natural.

Cottonhead Girl

Hair Treat Post - Yogurt Is Good For My Hair!

                                            

It's close to winter and I've been sick for the last 2 weeks. My hair is matted and I have been hiding it behind a silk scarf. I really don't want to know what's under there. Somewhere in the back of my head I remember that I met another natural a few weeks ago who raved about how yogurt worked miracles for detangling and softening her hair while adding shine. So I decide to try it. I used

1 cup yogurt (the original plain one)
1/2 cup Deep Conditioner
3tbps EVOO

I sectioned my hair and saturated it, left a plastic baggy on for an hour and rinsed.
The results were amaaaaaaaaaazing!
Try it. You will love it!

Take Time to Really Know Your Hair

 

Last week a friend of mine reached out to me to ask for some suggestions that would make her hair soft and manageable. She complains, " I have 4z hair type. My hair always feels like a Brillo Pad and there is nothing I can do." I look at her and realised that, since she has gone natural, I've only seen her hair twice in 8 months. In 8 months she has always been in either wigs, braids or hair extensions. Another friend feels that because of the course nature of her hair she can never get it to a manageable state to wear in public.

So this post is for my 2 beautiful luvvies whom I adore to pieces.

Take Time To Really Know Your Hair  

When you transition or do a BC your new hair growth is like a stranger to you. It looks and feels different Depending on the growth stage you might find that your hair doesn't behave herself the way you want it to. Do not give up! Take the time to really spend time with it. Experiment with different products. Often time you will hear other naturalistas refer to themselves as "product junkie's" because they have so many hair products in their possession. Now, I'm not telling you to go out and buy a boat-load of products. I just want you to know that it's okay to experiment.  The key is to notice which products do well on your hair. For me, I find that cream based products fit well with my thick "4A/B-Z" texture so I have an idea of what will work. I shy away from shampoos that leave my hair feeling dry and stripped. Also, know this, your hair will have its moments when it will stop liking a particular product so be prepared to make some adjustments. If you get nothing else from this I hope you take away the fact that you need to allow your hair to guide you to what product she likes. That includes wearing your hair out and getting comfortable with your own texture.

I thought I would share a recipe that I've put together for my self. It's a Shea Butter Whipped mix and I love it especially since I now live in a cold mountainous region.

Shea Butter Whipped Mix for Cottonheads
1lb Shea Butter
2 Ounces Aloe Vera Juice
1 ounce Jojoba Oil
2tsps Apricot or Grape- Seed Oil
1tsp Vitamin Oil (to help preserve)

Lavender or Peppermint essential oil for fragrance.

Just blend to whip (I use a Magic Bullet) and you are good to go. Use it for twist outs and braid outs. It gives great moisture and leave the hair soft to the touch and non greasy. I have a friend who uses Mango Butter in place of the Shea Butter. If you try it let me know : )

Kinkily Yours,
Cottonheadgirl.

Meet Henna: My Hair's BFF

Can you see my bit of color?

So you've gone natural and you are itching to try color. Like many naturals you may be suspicious of color treatment and for good reason.  One of the main reason you went natural really was to avoid chemicals. Coloring one's hair if done incorrectly can cause unrepairable damage, but, gray hairs still need to be covered and not everyone is comfortable with showing them. I know I for one will not. So a few months ago I started to look on youtube and go through some popular blogs. I came across a CurliNikki post on Henna and immediately after reading the pros and cons of applying Henna went online to order some. I figured it's natural it wont hurt. Prior to this the only experience I've had with Henna was by means of my Indian girlfriend in college applying the body art to my hand. I was in for an adventure.

My process:

Henna does take some time to prepare and to apply correctly but the benefits far outweighs the time that you put into it. I ordered my henna online from http://www.mehandi.com/. it is the same company as http://www.hennaforhair.com/. It came with instructions on how to prepare. The main thing is that you want to do your mi\xture (mixtures may vary) and let it sit a while, preferably overnight, before applying it to your hair.

My mixture included: 

Henna,

2 teabags (steeped in 2 cups of hot water),

2 tsps honey 

1tsp of cinnamon

You can vary the mixture according to what you like but this works for me.  By the way there are some things that you have to pay attention to when buying henna to the labelling. If you see that it contains metallic salts then shy away from it.

Getting back to my experience.

I mixed the mixture to the point of a thick Greek Yogurt like combination and allowed it to sit for 6 hrs in a cool place. Then I applied it to my hair. I should tell you that this can be a bit messy so don't forget your gloves and use an old tee shirt (I ruined a great blouse the first time I tried). I applied the henna in sections and, when my hair was completely saturated, covered with a plastic baggy.  I kept it on for 4 hours. Some "Cottons and Curlies" prefer to sleep with it overnight but it's  too messy for me to do that.

The next steps are important. Make sure that you fully rinse the henna out of you hair. Get a cheapie bulk size conditioner and stand under the shower and use it to work the mixture out until the water runs clear. I followed up with a deep conditioner. You have to think of Henna as you would a protein treatment, it can be very drying to the hair shaft though its good for it.

My Results  

From day one I could see a gloss on my hair. My hair  also was noticeably looser but this is a short term effect. The henna covered my grays leaving them a reddish/orange color (loved that) I noticed also that I was shedding less. My hair seems stronger.

Will I do it again? Absolutely!

Have you tried Henna today?

Kinkily Yours
CottonHeadGirl

Preparing For A Protective Style - Braids

It's been over a year since I've stopped relaxing and I'm loving it. During that year I've been stuck on youtube and various hair blogs listening and reading about what others do to protect their hair. I  hear a lot about using protective styling but since I cant twist or braid in a manner that makes me want to go public I've balked at the idea. The thing is, during this time, I've moved to a colder region of the country and with the climate hitting 40s in October I now see the need to cover up and protect not just my skin but my hair. So I'm trending to get some braid in by the 15th of the month. I will be going to a professional though.
Braids are a great way to protect your hair while ensuring that your hair still gets to breathe. You can chose numerous styles and textures. I plan to get them installed and wear them for about 4- 6 weeks. However, since my hair will be partially confined I want to make sure that I fully deep condition with a moisture and protein rich conditioner.

My Deep Conditioning Mix:
1 Whole Egg
1 ounce Giovanni's Deep Conditioner
3 tsps Avocado Oil
2 tsps Jojoba oil
1tsp Honey
2tsps Aloe Vera Juice

Work it into the hair and steam with a steam cap on for 15 minutes. Hair should be nice and smooth.

Kinkily Yours
CottonHeadGirl

Solange Knowles and her braids. Dont  you just love it?

Be Prepared. The Big Chop Often Comes With The Unexpected Dryness.

                                                             

I remembered how nervous and excited I was about my Big Chop. I wondered what my hair would look like. I was concerned too about the shape  of my head. Nothing however prepared me for the dryness that came with it. It was as if  my hair were sandpaper. Attempts to add moister proved futile. I used Shea  butter, oils and water but only got short lived relief. I read articles and finally in desperation I reached out to a youtuber "Splinta24". I remember posting on her video and some twenty minutes later I got a response. That was the first time I heard about "scabbing" Scabbing is the condition of change that the hair goes through when you are trying to change the molecules. In my case when I cut my hair there was still some straight ends along with my new growth. Because the hair molecule was in a state of change it did react to moisturizers at all. I felt as if I should get a perm. I was full of regret but I had made a commitment to go on this journey a minimum of 3 years to a life time. So I went out and got a  wig. After about two weeks of wigging it I starting to really immerse myself into training my hair. After a while "She" started behaving herself. As we got to know each other I became ecstatic. Each day was unpredictable as sometimes she yielded and sometimes we fought. These days we are at peace!

I write because I believe that going natural has some unexpected bumps along the way. You have to commit to spending some time with your hair to tame it.  I look back and I'mvery happy that I have stuck with it!. Its such a part of me that I wouldn't have changed my journey. Every bump in the road was a lesson!

Happy Healthy Growing

Kinkily Yours
CottonHeadGirl

Natural Hair and Older Folks

An interesting thing happened to me  a few months ago. I was talking to one of the older ones, a Miss Brown shall we say. Miss Brown is 72 years old from the beautiful island of Jamaica. A sweeter lady you can never find. She makes the best  potato puddings and best of all she loves me. I think I confused her the most when I did my "big chop." She  can't understand why I cut off my "long straight pretty relaxed hair" to grow the "cotton field" that is striving on the top of my head. She has said it on so many ocassions that I started to wonder if she's beginning to have alzheimer's. The day in question she said, "You're a pretty girl...even with your hair like that." I know enough not to get upset. In her way she's paying me a compliment. I know for her there is a deep psychological root as to why she doesn't approve of wearing her hair the way it grows out of her head. I know this and I think it's ignorant though I wont say it, not to her at least. I went through it with my mom, whose main worry, was that people will think that I'm going rastafarian. Anyways, it got me thinking about how many of us have that older person in ours lives that has a problem with their natural roots. Let me know:)

The Begining Of My CottonHead.

Kinkily Yours,
CottonHeadGirl.