My New Hair Regimen (starting this summer)

Picture got from P.S Love Charli

Hey!

So, my hair regimen is going to be quite different this year. For one, I will be switching up products and caring for my hair much better than I have these past 2 years. I guess it is this weave that is pushing me a whole lot towards making this decision and I guess that is a good thing, but at the same time, I wish I didn't get this weave (the itch is real! but not as bad as it was on Sunday).

Okay! So, here's what my new regimen (or plans for my hair) will look like:

• I will switch products to the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus line (I pray that works for me) and also invest in some bentonite clay or amla powder. I will co-wash in between the week, wash with a clay/mud once a week and wash with an actual shampoo once a month, every other month or if I feel it is really needed. Also, I will deep condition my hair at least once a month probably using the Midas Naturals Shine Conditioner. If not, I will use the deep conditioner in the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus line (or I will alternate between these two products)
• I will wear my hair short (shrunken) more often to minimise how much I have to retwist overnight or do whatever to maintain a stretched style (to minimise how often I have to manipulate my hair, in general)
• I will protective style once in a while, but not with crochet braids as often as I have these past 2 years and definitely not with a weave. I probably will invest in a kinky/curly wig as that way, I won't have my hair covered directly with extensions for a prolonged period of time, I can properly moisturise it and keep my scalp thoroughly clean.
• I will seal I moisture using extra virgin olive/coconut oil and if I feel I need a heavier sealant, with some shea butter too.
• As a gel, I will probably use a lighter flaxseed gel than the one I initially made and probably use a spray bottle or bottle with a dispenser head for it.
• I will not wear my hair out and short all the time. If I don't have a wig on, I probably will just put my hair in two cornrows or I will stretch my hair out (I'll probably invest in curlformers for that) and just try to maintain the stretch in a very low manipulation method.

I might invest in a blow dryer (with a diffuser) this summer, but I probably won't use it till autumn/fall. I am just purchasing it to use while at uni in case I need to speed up the rate at which my hair dries (as my hair takes almost a full 24hrs to dry) and to stretch out my curls a little. I will definitely not use the blow dryer on my hair daily as, in case you didn't know this, I heat damaged my hair at the start of my natural hair journey and I don't want to do that again.

Hopefully, this new regimen gets me to my desired/goal hair length within the next 2 years (waist/hip length).

Blog again soon!

~Sammy

p.s I might invest in some Jamaican black castor oil too to help with my edges that have been tortured by this weave.

My Hair Salon Experience (after about 3 years)

Picture got from Keller Williams on KWSA

Hallo!

Wie gehts?
Been working on my German lately. I love that language :)

Anyways! So, I went to a hair salon! O.M.Geeez!
I also got a weave for the first time in years! O.M.MAJOR. GEEEEZ!

Here's my experience:

Once upon a time (yesterday, actually), in a city known as 'Southampton' lived a girl named, 'Samantha.' Due to it being difficult for her aunt to help her reinstall her crochet braids this time, she went in search of a hair salon that could help her get her hair done before returning to her school in Somerset. Samantha was being very brave by doing this as she had not been to a hair salon in years.
She searched for and wide, in and near the city centre (mostly on foot) looking for a particular salon her mum had found online, but had changed address without updating their website. Eventually, she found the place, but only one person worked there and that person had a client who was possibly on their way and therefore referred her to another salon which was about 5 minutes away, but gave her the wrong street name. So, Samantha, walked over to the wrong street and walked down it and thought to herself, "this street is starting to look pretty dodgy," so she turned around and headed back up the street and to a store known as 'Afro City' where she asked where the salon was and was pointed in the right direction. Sam quickly found the salon walked in and....

Okay! So, extension were picked out and I was placed in a chair with a giant bib-like thing placed round my neck (you know those things put over guys when they get their hair cut?). My scarf was taken off my hair and the stylist/owner of the salon was like, "WOW! Your hair is big and long!" and went on to say, "I've been trying to grow out my hair. How did you do it?" That should have been a red flag for me. It made me feel a little iffy.

Soooo the lady used a product on my hair that contained petrolatum and all sorts of other chemicals that I do not use on my hair and are definitely not CG friendly and I was like, "Sam, it's just once, your hair will be fine." Next I knew, the blow drier was out with a comb attachment on it and she went through my hair, but only made one or so passes of the the hair drier on it (unless she felt she had to comb from the ends up) and I said to myself, "Sam, you haven't used heat on your hair in 4 years, but this is just once. Your hair will be fine." I kinda liked seeing my hair stretched out like that, but mainly because it hanged longer and I could be like, "giiirrrrrrl, APL hair! You did it!"

A lady walked into the salon and the first thing she said was, "look at all that hair! Your hair is huge! It's long too!" and once again, I was asked what the secret was. In case you are wondering, I just told them that I use all-natural products on my hair  and mentioned a few brands before they went on to talk about the products that were in the store (not CG friendly) and other stuff, partially in a different language.

So, the stylist started cornrowing my hair in preparation for the weave and the cornrowing was fine, didn't hurt and I was like, "okay, this is good. Not so bad, not so bad," but then....BUT THEN....OH! HONEY BOO-BOO CHILD! BUT THEN! She started sewing in the weave and I was like, "OUCH!" Why the heck did no one tell me that weaves hurt like crazy?! I don't know if it's that the weave is pulling two cornrows closer together or whatever, but it hurts and when she got to the front, it was like the weave started pulling at my edges and stuff and like pretty much, I am praying that my hairline doesn't recede. This girl does not want to lose her edges after growing them out.

Okay! So, the weave was done and honey, it was not big. My hair is naturally big, as you must have been able to tell from the name of this blog and from the comment made about my hair that I mentioned above. My crochet braids have always been big. Honey, this thing was not big. It looked okay and better from the back, but I didn't like how thin it looked because I am not used to thin-looking hair. The stylist said that I could separate the curls in order to achieve a bigger look and I have done a bit of this, but it's still not as big as I want it to be. I am not used to this.

Final verdict:
This salon experience was not a total disaster. The people who worked in the salon (both black African) were really nice and friendly people. They offered me a cup of tea, gave me advice on life as they found out that I am just finishing college and we had nice conversations. You will have a nice salon experience if you go there (as long as you do not get a weave). People have been commenting since yesterday on how they love my hair even though I am not really feeling it 'cause of how thin it looks (and my brain may just be over-reacting, I don't know).


ANYWAYS, if you would like me to upload a list of natural hair salons in Southampton and in London, let me know. Also, if you would like me to do some research to find some natural hair salons in your area or country, let me know too and I would love to help you find them.

Product Review: Flaxseed gel

Picture from LetMeLetYouKnow

So, I tried this out for the first time a few days ago. I made it using 1 part flaxseeds to 8 parts water followed by a bit of extra virgin olive oil and extra virgin coconut oil after straining out the gel.

This product acts like a gel, yes, it did it's job. HOWEVER, it left my hair flaky and looking dirty. It was so bad that I had to cowash my hair TWICE (after covering it up to go for a mini party to celebrate my friend's court wedding). The flakes were crazy!

Despite the flaking, the gel left my hair feeling soft, moisturised and nice, actually. I liked what it did for my hair.

I'm sorry, I'm jumping around here.

Applying the gel was not really messy. It was an easy application. I do plan on retrying this product before I completely write it off. The next time I use it, I'll use less on each section and pray that that leads to no flakes and still defined curls and a good hold and set.

So, this was a short review. Shorter than even I expected.

Remember, products work differently for people and I know quite a number of ladies who did not experience flaking from using this gel (and I know others who got dry hair from it. Not sure how that happened, but hey! we all have different hair!) :)

My Hair :)

Hello people!

So, I have taken down my 5 month long protective style. Oh me, oh my! I have never kept a protective style in for that long before!

The shed hair has been pretty crazy. I'm surprised I still have hair on my head! Actually, it's not been that bad for 5 months. I used to get more shed hair than this in a week back when my natural hair journey started.

Anyways, I am blogging from the comfort of my bathroom. I just finished washing my hair and decided to just not leave here while my hair is deep conditioning  because I feel too lazy to. I mean, to leave, I have to open the door, make myself busy in my room, walk back in here.... too much work. Haha! Jokes.

So, what products have I used on my hair this fine day? What are my plans for my hair?
Okay! So, after taking down my crochet braids, I went heavy with the coconut oil and detangled my hair a bit, putting it up in bantu knots as I worked section by section then I donned on two plastic bags and an old T-shirt tied over as a turban as I went down to the kitchen to make my first batch of flaxseed gel EVER and to stuff my face with some fruits too :)

About 2 or so hours later, I went back up to wash my hair. I started off by taking down each bantu knot and giving my hair a really good rinse (by the way, I wash my hair every now and then while protective styling especially because I work out often and sweat when I do). Next, I used some of my BeeMine Botanicals Shampoo on my hair (I divided my hair into 4 sections while doing this) and after rinsing it all out. I possibly would have needed to go over one more time, but instead of using the BeeMine Shampoo, this time, I used the Terressential Mud Wash in the Cool Mint version on my scalp and the Lavender version on my hair itself and let it sit for a few minutes while I took a nice shower and body brushed. After rinding out all this wonderful smelling mud, I worked some of my Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner into each of the 4 sections, but didn't go heavy with it as I wanted to use some of the Shine Conditioner I got from Midas Natural. So, I used the Restorative Conditioner and then over it, the Shine Conditioner and then donned on a silver Conditioner Cap my mum got for me about a year ago (but I never used till today). And well, here am I, blogging with a silver cap on my head.

Anyways, I'm going to rinse this out any time soon and after that, I will seal in the moisture with some extra virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil or both and maybe some shea butter too and then working in small sections and using my flaxseed gel (ohmigosh! I made flaxseed gel!), I will try to define my curls and I'll totally work some short hair today as it seems like although my hair is past armpit length, my shrinkage is still SO REAL that my shrunken hair is around neck level (yeeeeaah).

So, today will be short hair day and because my friend's wedding is on Saturday, I am probably going to thread my hair to stretch it out and I may or may not rock a twist out or a bantu knot out to the wedding.....or I could rock a braid out. I haven't done that in years.

Anyways, those are my immediate plans for my hair and what I've done with it so far. I am going to get a protective style done again soon (next month), but I will be taking it out in July as I have protective styled A WHOLE LOT for the past two years and I just want to spend more time to my hair and take this glorious birds nest of mine to uni :)

So, that's it for now! Expect more blog posts from me soon. I'll start blogging more frequently.

~Sammy

p.s My tools are my fingers. That's what I've been using to detangle my hair so far. :)

Aaron Harris is Naturally Debonair

Hey people!

Guess who's finally done with her exams - Me! and guess who finally got to interview a curly guy - Me! :)

Okay! So this is Aaron. I stumbled onto one of his YouTube videos a few weeks ago and had to interview him for this blog. I was glad that he agreed to do the interview. So, without further ado, here i is:

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Tell us a little about yourself.

Hey everyone so, my name is Aaron Harris and I'm 20 years old I am originally from Detroit but I've been in Atlanta since I was about 10. I grew up wanting to be a professional tennis player, but over the last two years I've found a newfound passion for acting and music. I am a senior in college majoring in software development and I want to move to L.A. probably in 2017 or so. My free time consists of acting classes, writing music, staying in shape, hanging out with people with good energy (very important) among many various other things.

When did you start your hair journey?

I started my junior year of high school in 2011, but I recently got 90% of my hair cut off last year for a acting gig. I regret doing it to be honest. I've been growing my hair out 4 years total but my hair length now is about 15 months of growth

What motivated you to want to take better care of your hair and to grow it out?

Not sure what totally sparked me growing out my hair, but I remember I was in high school and I had two brothers so it was expensive for us to get haircuts every week like most guys do, so we would often get ours cut once every 1-2 months and i remember this girl I liked said she liked my mini fro and I really liked it too so I just kept it. It's weird cause now I can't even see myself getting another haircut again

How did your family and friends react to the idea of you wanting to do this with your hair?

My mom and dad didn't like me growing out my hair at all for the fear of me looking unkempt and thuggish. I remember at one point my mom threatened to ground me if i didn't cut my hair. I don't think my Dad liked it either because he would always ask me if I wanted to go to the barbershop with him LOL. My friends loved my hair and thought it fit my personality well and so did I. Of course I got teased by a couple of people in high school but I think deep down they were jealous they didn't have the courage to grow their hair out

What has your hair journey been like so far?

Really good, I feel like a different person since I started growing out my hair. I don't think the hair is the reason I changed, but I believe it was the start of me doing what I want to do regardless of what my parents, and friends thought. So it's kind of empowering in a way

What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?

My daily hair regimen is a wash and go. I was doing the max hydration method for a while, but I've modified it to fit my needs. I wash my hair every 2-3 days with bentonite clay/ACV then finger detangle with conditioner and then put gel on my hair in sections. I don't really have a night time routine, I just sleep on a satin pillowcase. In between the days I wash my hair I use a spray bottle with water to spray my hair every morning.

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it? 

Like I said earlier, wash and goes all day. I tried twist outs 2-3 years ago and hated how they looked and they took forever. Sometimes I'll put my hair in a ponytail if I'm playing sports but I try not to do that often because wearing ponytails all the time I heard can cause breakage.

What are your must-have hair tools?

Hair bands for sectioning hair. I dont use a lot of tools

How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, length retention and moisture?

I think properly moisturizing your hair will give you length retention and stop breakage. So I make sure to wet my hair 3-4x a week in the shower and the days I don't wet my hair in the shower I spray it with water from my spray bottle. I know a lot of naturals can be obsessed over length retention and stuff, but I think its also important to have a simple regimen that you doesn't feel like a lot of "work". 

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?  

I use bentonite clay and ACV for cleansing, Tresemmé Perfectly UnDone Conditioner for detangling/conditioning and I'm currently experimenting with a bunch of gels (sweet soul magic curl stimulator, AS I am curling jelly, my own homemade gel, etc) I don't like to use a lot of products.

Hand-In-Hair syndrome -  an issue I have had for some years now, only that....it's not my hand. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?

Yeah I've had some people do this to me. Mostly some of my friends. I've never had a stranger touch my hair without asking. My friends will touch my hair without asking and then realize I have product in my hair and try to rub it off on my clothes. I get really irritated by this because for one you didn't ask to touch my hair and two you are staining my clothes. Once I have a conversation with them they understand and normally don't do it again. 

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

I love how curly hair is so unique and everyone's curls are different.

Any advice for the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?

My advice for naturals would be to keep it simple and let your hair do its thing. Find people with similar hair characteristics (porosity, length, texture) and do what they do

What resources (tailored to men) did you use when you started your hair journey? I know there aren't that many out there so, let's support the few that are.

Oh this is a really good question, to be honest there weren't many male Youtubers doing natural hair videos when I first started in 2011 so most of the stuff I learned was from female Youtubers. I remember searching for male natural hair videos and all I could find was like texturizer videos and how to get 360 waves and stuff which wasn't really what I was looking for. At the end of the day natural hair is natural hair regardless if its on a female or male so I think men can learn from both sexes regarding natural hair. Some good Youtubers I like are MahoganyCurls, ThaKidPuma, Quest for the Perfect Curl, DanabNatural, theres a long list of Youtubers that I've watched over the past 4 years and they all have good hair practices. I take certain things from each Youtuber that works for my hair type and toss the things that I don't. Theres a lot of experimentation I do and still am doing. 

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You can find Aaron on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Just click on the following links:

YouTube

Twitter

Instagram

Marissa Chukwu is Naturally Glamorous

I know I haven't done an interview in a while and I guess it's because I've been busy with school and stuff and also, I've been waiting to stumble onto a picture of someone that makes me go, "I HAVE GOT TO INTERVIEW THIS PERSON!"

So, I'm going to introduce you to my very good friend of 'God-only-knows' how many years, the crazy girl that you will never fully understand, who makes orange juice when life gives her lemons and leaves you wondering how on Earth she did that, a strong lil ol' lady, Miss. Marissa Chukwu! :)

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How long have you been natural?

I have been natural for a 1 year and 4 months now.


When did you get your first relaxer and why'd you get it?

Sadly I have been relaxing my hair all my life up until now without choice due to the fact that my mom was not so keen on me having nappy hair at the time (But now she loves it :D )


What made you decide to go natural?

I had a very bad experience with heat and weaves due to my hairdresser who believed that straight hair was the only way to go so my hair was practically on the verge of falling all off and breaking on all sides. I didn't really think of going nappy at the time cause alot of people around me weren't really into the idea but I guess I wanted to try something a little different, having straight hair most of my life was getting boring ha ha.


How did your family and friends react to the idea of you going natural?

Lol! Everyone I knew thought I had gone bonkers: no one took the idea positively at all which was simultaneously hilarious and depressing to me. (*cough* *cough* I gave you "subtle" lol hints to go natural years ago, even wrote out a list of products and blogs for you) The day I decided to do my big chop was actually very unplanned. I had woken up, looked in the mirror with disgusts of how my 3 month old transitioning hair was looking (curly at the base, straight at the ends) and decided its time. I big chopped my own hair in my bathroom! I can never forget the shock my mother had on her face when she saw most of my hair on the floor.

What's your hair journey been like so far?

Absolutely amazing! I wish I had gone natural years ago. I've had the chance to experiment with so many style and hair regimens. I didn't even realize how much hair care I could have been doing since if not I had gone natural. To be honest, for me, its not watching my hair grow that's the fun but learning more and more of the possibilities that come with having nappy hair. I;m even looking forward to trying more regimens and styles as I discover them.


What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?

I like to keep my regimen as simple as possible because it's not what you use that matters but how its's used. IN the mornings I moisturize my hair using coconut oil/avocado oil, Cantu Shea butter conditioning hair repair cream or just raw Shea butter that I have imported from Nigeria, a little spritz of water and voila! Nothing too special. Then at night I spritz my hair with a mix of water and apple cider vinegar, moisturize with the Shea moisture raw Shea butter deep treatment masque (believe it or not that product makes some awesome twist-outs) and also an oil; most definitely coconut oil/avocado oil/olive oil. Ladies! Silk scarfs are your friend, nothing worse than sleeping after moisturizing your, going to sleep and finding all that product on your pillow. I've learned the hard way ha ha. I also wash my hair weekly to make sure my hair is clean, fresh and moisturized well; deep condition twice a month.

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?

You'd be surprised the amount of styles you can achieve with an Afro. I definitely am a fan of up-dos like medium to high puffs but I don't do it excessively cause it tends to affect my edges sometimes so when I'm not rocking my up-dos, I would be rocking like a nice fro-hawk or your everyday protective styles like kinky twists.


What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?

Afro Comb! Afro Comb! Afro Comb! Ha I'm kidding, no but really my Afro comb is my number one tool right next to bobby pins, I've tons of them! I don't really go over board with using much accessories when it comes to my hair, I have used shoelaces numerous times to do my up-dos. Other times I may just have like a plain black head band, bandanna around my head for a lazy day style but that's it, nothing really crazy.

How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, shrinkage, length retention and moisture?

Lord, I fear breakage, I hate it so badly. I definitely keep my hair moisturized as much as I can to prevent breakage and I've disciplined myself to not touch my hair alot or comb alot. Initially shrinkage and I did not get along, I hated the fact that I would have my hair all puffy and high one day and then get so flat the next. But hey! That's nappy hair, now I've accepted them, embraced them even but if need be I resort to stretching my hair using cornrows and twist-outs.


What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?

I am a great fan of the shea moisture coconut and hibiscus hairline but just the shampoo and conditioner. As I went along with my hair journey, I realized I didnt need much of the curl enhancing smoothie to do a good twistout but I definitely love the scent it leaves in my hair. I also love the Tresemme Shampoo and Conditioner for natural hair. They leave my hair so soft and smelling lovely it is ridiculous! For moisture I'm really into oils but not much; just coconut oil, avocado oil and olive oil. For even more moisture, I love using the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque and Cantu Shea Butter Hair Repair Cream. Apart from that water in a spritz bottle is my classic :)

Hand-In-Hair syndrome - an issue I have now only that....it's not my hand. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?

I guess people have noticed I am a fanatic about my hair care so they know better than to touch my hair without my permission. Hand in hair syndrome is very hard sometimes ha ha especially when you're rocking a style that you made yourself that came out right. I guess it's just about disciplining yourself. Most times I can handle not touching my hair cause I'm distracted by school work.

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

Diversity, the many forms that curly hair can take. Today my curls could be extra defined, another day my hair could be so puffy. With straight hair I couldn't really do much, but with naturally curly hair, the possibilities are endless!

Any advice for the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?

Patience is key, at first your hair may look like it wont do anything but before you know it, boom! Also, you-tube and Google are your friends, no one really taught me what I do, it was through research and experimenting with what works best with me. Don't look at other people's hair and neglect yours, the ladies you see rocking mega Afros were once at TWA's making the most of it so like I said earlier, patience is key.

Are you still into art and are you working on anything we should look out for?

Heaven knows I miss art more than anything but between school work and the extras of being a pre-medicine student I barely have time to paint anymore. However I am hoping this summer I will be able to get back on so be expecting some surprises ha ha.


Where can we find you online?

I've got twitter @marissa_cc and Facebook as Marissa Chukwu. I also have a tumblr at marissa-cc.tumblr.com.

Lol, I am still contemplating getting an instagram.

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So, guys, go check out, my good friend, Mesa! :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as enjoyed it!

Update on My Hair and Crochet Braids and Plans for my hair

Hi! Privet! Pryvit! Salut! Hallo! Vahām̐! Hola!

In case you didn't know, I love languages! Whether spoken or signed (I sign in ASL).

Anyways, here's just an update on my hair:

So....I cut my hair. I just trimmed off about an inch of my hair, don't worry :) and I believe I've grown all that I cut off back. I haven't taken down my latest crochet braids yet because I have a ball to attend in early July and I plan on reinstalling my crochet braids so....since I'm going to be back home in May, I decided to wait till then so my crochet braids are at their neatest during the ball and so it's easier to manipulate it if I need to. I miss my hair, I should add.

When it comes to washing my hair, I water-only wash most of the time, and usually just my edges (which have been growing pretty well and becoming thicker). When I use shampoo (sulphate-free), I prefer to dilute it a bit and I keep washing until the water runs really really clear and my scalp feels awesome. I don't wash my hair as often as I should because of the drying time and because the weather just mere weeks ago was still on the cold-side. Also, I just didn't have the time to wash my hair often. Anyways, I condition my hair afterwards, but I don't care that much about rinsing out all the conditioner.

To keep my crochet braids looking good, I cut out the tangles daily (not daily when I'm at home and not leaving the house, though). Cutting out the tangles retains that fresh/near-fresh look and it lets you wear your crochet braids for as long as you wish to.

My plans when I take this protective style down is to give my hair a lovely treatment/treatment. Wash it out thoroughly, detangle and wear a wash and go if my hair hangs long enough (and my curls are defined without the need of a gel) for about a day and then stretch out my hair using African threading for a few days before letting it out and just retaining a stretched look (I will wear a puff or bantu knot out/twist out/braid out at times, though). I probably will condition my hair more often or just leave in some conditioner whenever I'm refreshing my hair, but that's pretty much going to be it. I AM GOING TO DO A LENGTH CHECK TOO!!!! :)

I hope that this year, I am as close to waist length as possible. Like, I want to be below bra-strap length before the end of this year! :)

~Sammy

p.s I'm looking into new DIY protein treatments as I'm not keen on putting eggs in my hair anymore and in case you didn't know, mayonnaise contains 0% protein (check the back of your jar/bottle).