Michelle is Naturally Glamorous

Michelle of Radiant Brown Beauty

When did you decide to go natural? Why? 
It was about 7 years ago. I decided to go natural because I have fine hair for one - hair similar to my mom's.  My mom's hair is now very thinned. On top of that I read a book by Cathy Howse entitled, "Thinning Edges." That shocked me into putting down that relaxer. I didn't want my hair to be thinned out or damaged beyond repair.


Did you big chop or transition? How did you manage your hair while going natural? 
The big chop was not for me. I'm not a fan of short hair - not for me. I transitioned until my hair was about chin length and then had a stylist cut off my relaxed ends.
For the period of time that i had relaxer in my hair, I'd visit the Dominicans and have them blow my roots straight in order to keep my two textures of hair blended. Not keeping those two textures blended is welcoming breakage. 


When did you BC?  What was your initial reaction to your natural hair? 
As mentioned, I never did the BC. I was however in awe of my natural hair. My mom always said I had wavy hair but I wasn't fully aware of how my hair actually looked or felt until I had about 4 inches of natural hair.
 

Straightened hair (with the blow dryer the Dominicans used)

How did your family and friends react to the new you?  What was your response to them? 
My family and friends thought I transitioned to fully natural very well. My hair always looked nice (thanks to the Dominicans lol) and there was very little breakage. I think I inspired some of my friends to take the plunge. A few of my co-workers are now reaching out to me to find out how I care for my natural hair.


What does this journey mean to you? 
I don't consider it a journey anymore. It's now a lifestyle. I can't ever see returning to relaxed hair. I have much more versatility with the hair as it is growing out of my scalp.



What is your daily regimen? 
My regimen may be considered very extensive to some but to me, it's caring for myself in a way nobody else could. Daily, I protective style. I moisturize or oil my hair daily. Weekly, I pre-poo, wash, deep condition (for moisture), apply a leave in and seal my hair before styling. Monthly I do a protein and a henna treatment (not at the same time). Here's more info. on my pre-poo regimen: http://radiant-brown-beauty.com/revised-pre-poo-finger-detangling-regimen/

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you? 
 I use a number of products but I've finally found the products I plan to keep once I'm done using up what I have. Those would be:

• Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus alernating with Hair Thickening Shampoo
• Aubrey Organics Honeysuck Rose (as a Leave In)
• Aubrey Organics Glycogen Protein Balance Conditioner (for pre-pooing)
• Vatika Oil (for pre-pooing)
• Aubrey Organics Green Tea Rinse 
• Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (for detangling while washing)
• Kimmaytube Leave In Conditioner Recipe (alternating with AO)
• Jojoba Oil (for sealing the length of my hair and daily oiling)
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil (for sealing my ends)
• Jane Carter Nourish and Shine alternating with:
• Shea Butter Mix Recipe (adapted from Youtuber Naptural85 - I leave out the Vitamin E)
• Henna for African Hair (from mehandi.com) 

What have you learned throughout your journey?
I've learned that my hair is unique in its own way and what works for others doesn't necessarily work for me. 


Any advice for others on their journey?
Take the time to learn your hair. Know your hair type and texture and experiment with products to find what works for you.

Can’t Keep Up? 6 Ways to Cut Through The Natural Hair Noise This Year

By Michelle of Radiant Brown Beauty

When deciding to go natural you may start scouring magazines, books and the internet for information on how to make the task less daunting. You’ll read information and receive conflicting advice from the different sources.This is the time of year folks make new year’s resolutions. Many ladies will decide to no longer curse put chemicals in their hair, giving birth to a natural hair growth journey of transitioning.

How’s a Girl to Know What to Do?

While much of the information you find will be on point, it can be very difficult to know what to do including things like: what products work best for your hair, to trim or not to trim, to use protein or not, to henna or not.

All of the natural hair talk can seem like noise to a lady whose transitioning. That’s because it’s so overwhelming.

Here are 6 ways to help you cut through the natural hair noise:

1. Don’t jump on bandwagons trying methods and products because everyone else says so. In other words, don’t give birth to a product junkie. Your hair and your wallet will thank you.
2. Keep a natural hair journalso you can track what works and doesn’t work for your hair (Products and Methods) while you are either transitioning or just learning your hair. Remember, it’s a journey not a sprint to the finish.
3. Consider the source. Unless the source of hair “information” has a significant amount of hair that she’s retained on her own head, keep it moving. That’s not to say that people with short hair can’t retain length. Some ladies prefer to maintain short hair. However, if you notice that lady is struggling with her own hair care regimen, she’s probably not a good source to learn from.
4. Find a few reliable sources that provide information on natural hair care and stick with those. Here are a reliable few: Natural Hair Community, Kimmaytube on YouTube, DPrincess28 on YouTube, and CurlyNikki. I recently found another site that updates sporadically but the information there is good and easy to understand: Hair MilkNOTE: Even these sites may contain information that does not jive with your natural hair. As my grandma would say, “Eat the meat and throw away the bones.”
5. While on the quest to optimal hair care, focus on one condition at a time – starting with the most urgent. For example, if you have problems with breakage, limp hair and styling, focus on getting to the root of your breakage first. Then, research styling techniques. Trying to combat all of your hair problems at once can be mind boggling.
6. Set hair goals. When you are focused on YOUR hair, you’ll be less focused on others. Everyone’s hair grows at different rates. By setting your own realistic goals, you can stay focused on what you need to do for your hair and not what everyone else is doing for their hair.

There you have it…my top 6 ways to cut through all the natural hair noise. Yes, a lot of it is noise – from articles that preach a one size fits all method to comments on natural hair blogs from clearly uninformed or straight ignorant (yep, I said it) women who haven’t even figured it out for themselves.

Got any you’d like to add? I’m sure I haven’t covered it. How do you cut through the information overload where caring for natural hair is concerned?

P.S. Also, check out this page I put together that has a lot of hair info on it. Great for medium length hair: Caring for Medium Length Natural Hair

><>

Hey!

I hope you all enjoyed reading this.

Please check out Michelle's blog. It's great!

God bless,

~Sam