Six Years of Learning To Love My Hair

September 18, 2008 at 12:11 pm (afro, braids, curly hair, hair, hair care, nappy hair, natural hair, twa)

Can I say that today I love my hair?  My choice to wear my hair natural stemmed from health-related issues I had six years ago (big chop August 10, 2002).  Looking back, though, I don’t think I would have ever made it this far without the information, insight, and encouragment from some of Nappturality’s veterans that were active members at the time.   Don’t see them too much on the boards anymore, but it’s impossible to speak of my hair journey without mentioning the impact they had on it.  Thanks ladies!

My advice to those who are on or just starting their natural journey:  

  1. Be Informed.  Search hair care info on the internet, buy books, go to the library or join hair care forums/boards.  A lot of board members have their own blogs and sites documenting their hair journey.
  2. Be Patient.  There is a lot to learn.  You’ll experience many ups and downs, trials and triumphs.  Are you in-between a twa and 5 inches of hair?  Don’t worry.  Nothing a barette, clip, headband or scarf can’t make better.  Hang in there.
  3. Be Self-Supporting.  Realize that everyone is not going to agree with your choice to be natural.  Everyone includes hubby/significant other, family, friends, and even strangers.  Stay true to yourself.  Trust me, eventually what they think or say will matter less and less. 
  4. Be Resourceful.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money on online products unless you want to.  The grocery store, CVS, vitamin shops, and your kitchen will have everything you need.  Braid shops,  barber shops, and hair salons use a lot of oils and shea butter based products.  They also get product discounts.  Ask them where they purchase their products, or if they can order products for you.   

Here are a few pics from my hair journey.  

1.          2.          3.

  1. September 2007
  2. January 2008
  3. September 2008

Even after six years, I’m still learning.

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Product Review: Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight Conditioner

September 12, 2008 at 11:16 am (curly hair, hair care, nappy hair, natural hair)

Nope.  I really wasn’t trying to straighten my hair.  I actually bought this conditioner because of a few of its ingredients; honey extract, pear juice, hydrolyzed silk, and dimethicone way at the bottom of the ingredient list.  I’m truly a minimalist when it comes to putting things on my hair, but conditioner is the one thing this kinky-curly girl can’t do without. 

PRODUCT:  Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight Conditioner, Honeyed Pear & Silk, 12 oz., $4.39.

PURCHASED AT:  CVS, purchased with CVS ExtraCare card at $2.99.

APPLICATION:  After rinsing out overnight shea butter treatment, I thoroughly saturated hair with HE Dangerously Straight conditioner.  I can tell how well I’m going to like a conditioner based on how my hair feels once applied.  This conditioner immediately made my hair feel very silky, like seaweed.  I was then able to detangle with my fingers only.  This doesn’t happen for me too often, especially with over-the-counter hair products.  After 10 minutes, I rinsed my hair and applied a little  conditioner to my hair as a leave in.  I applied no other products and allowed my hair to airdry.  Note:  For those sensitive to smells, this conditioner does have a strong flowery scent.

RESULTS:  I’ll be honest and state the results that I obtained with this conditioner is no different than other conditioners I’ve used (Suave, V05), except that I was able to easily detangle my hair with my fingers.  My hair was soft, light, and tangle free.  I still had the same shrinkage and same curl definition.

                                          

***Please note that there was definitely no straightening effects with this conditioner, at least not on this head of hair.  Absolutely none.  Again, it does have a strong flowery scent which did dissipate a little after hair had dried.  My hair dried super fast too.

VERDICT:  I will be repurchasing this due to its excellent detangling properties and its availability over-the-counter.  I do purchase online hair products, but I prefer having product staples that can be purchased over-the-counter.  Detangling is my biggest issue since my hair is getting longer, but Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight conditioner has made this issue a lot easier to handle.  I’m not crazy about the scent, but with the results obtained, I can live with it.

I’d like to try the Herbal Essences Long-term Relationship, Red Raspberry Satin conditioner because the ingredients are similar to Dangerously Straight.  These products don’t have the cyclopentasiloxane in them like the other conditioners.  Cyclopentasiloxane in conditoners cause buildup for me, especially when at the top of the ingredient list.

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