What I love most about my natural hair is...

I love that my natural hair has a personality all its own. I am so happy that I am no longer FORCING my hair to do things that it does not naturally want to do. I love that some days my hair looks amazing and other days it shows me that not everyday is going to be perfect. I also love that I am not damaging it by frying it with blowfryers and curling irons anymore. I feel like my hair is as unique as I am. Even my sisters and I do not have the same hair. There are 3 of us and Each of us have a completly different hair type.

I have had tremendous growth over the past few months. My hair is healthy happy and thriving. Each day I am learning new things that my hair likes and dislikes. It really is an intense relationship that I have with my hair. I am loving every moment. I even have a favorite hairstyle!! I am loving the Frohawk!! I may post some photos soon.

What is the CG or Curly Girl method?

The Curly Girl method is the method based on the book “Curly Girl” by Lorraine Massey. In the book, Lorraine talks about the use of conditioners to cleanse the hair in place of shampoos. Many shampoos contain Sulfates which are very drying to your already dry hair. The types of conditioners used for cleansing are any conditioners that do not have ingredients ending in “cone”. Silicones are not good for curly hair and therefore should be avoided. For washing your hair you can use a cheap conditioner such as VO5, White Rain or Suave. You may then follow with any conditioner of your choice or you can stick to the cheap ones. This method is often called Conditioner Only method or CO method

My TWA style

So now you have a TWA and your wondering what you can do with it. If your hair is extremly short you can adorn your hair with pretty clips and scarves. I am finally at a point where I can start styling. I have enough hair now to braid and twist. Here is a photo of my style with flat twists in the front. I picked the back of the hair out into a fro. In this picture I am on day ten of wearing this style.

So you have done the Big Chop... Now what??

Dealing with a teenie weenie afro (or TWA) can be frustrating to some. At this stage your hair may be too short to pull back. Some things you can do to make this stage easier are
a. Wear a scarf. You can tie a scarf around your hair any way you like. Try wearing the scarf in different ways and use colors that are bold and fun!
b. Wear big earrings. Large earrings will frame your face and make you feel great. Your hair may not be dangling down the side of your face, but your earrings are. Trust me ladies it feels just as sexy. And it looks Fabulous!
c. Wear lipgloss. This will bring more attention away from your hair and down to your lips and face.
d. Wear pretty hairclips. Small hairclips, or a nice flower always look great in a TWA.
This is the time where you want your personality to show! Show your personality through your clothing and your accessories. Don’t be afraid to step out of the box and show your wild side. Have fun creating new styles.

What to expect when transitioning to natural hair

A common misconception is that relaxed hair will "revert" back to natural hair. This is incorrect. Nothing will make hair that has been chemically relaxed go back to its natural state. You have two choices, you can transition to natural by leaving the relaxed hair on the ends as long as possible, or you can cut the relaxed hair off. If you decide to transition, be prepared for some breakage. The place where the natural hair and the relaxed hair meet is a very weak point. Many people experience a lot of breakage when growing out a relaxer. There are a few things you can do to MINIMIZE this breakage.
1. You must keep your hair moisturized
2. Minimize brushing and combing during the transition period
3. Find a protective hairstyle that works well for you. (braids, flat twists etc...)

How to detangle

1. To detangle your hair, section the hair into smaller manageable sections. Add some conditioner to the hair and run your fingers through to get rid of any of the larger tangles. Apply a generous amount of conditioner to each section and gently pull apart the hair that has clumped together. Rake your fingers through each section to gently detangle. Never attempt to brush or comb natural hair when it is dry. This should only be done when it is wet and saturated with conditioner. Use a wide tooth comb or a Denman brush.

2. If the hair is especially long or thick, braid or twist the sections that you have already detangled loosely. This will keep the detangled hair out of the way while you work on other sections. Once you are done if you choose to shampoo you can leave it in the braids or twists. Remember that you shampoo your scalp NOT your hair. The hair will get clean as the shampoo runs from your scalp and throughout your hair. NEVER pile your hair on top of your head. Let the hair hang freely. If you are using shampoo choose a sulphate free shampoo. This will get your hair and scalp clean without drying it out.

3. Once weekly apply a deep conditioning treatment of your choice and sit under a hooded dryer for 20-30 minutes to allow the deep conditioner to penetrate the hair.

4. While your hair is still wet with conditioner, repeat step 1

5. Finish by doing a cold water rinse to help the hair cuticles close and your curls set.

The long and short of it

Hair grows on average ½ an inch per month. This means that hair grows approximately 6 inches per year. The amount of growth that is visible depends on how long we can keep our ends on our head. Here are some tips for retaining length.
1.) Treat your hair like fine lace. Be very gentle when brushing or combing. Try wearing protective styles.(Hairstyles that keep your ends covered and protected)
2.) Take your time! Tangles happen over time during the course of the day. It did not take 2 seconds for your hair to tangle. Do not expect for it to take two seconds to get it untangled.
3.) Begin at the end. Yes that advice may not be what you are used to hearing but it’s actually true. Detangling your hair beginning at the ends will prove much easier and do far less damage than raking through from root to tip.
4.) Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!! I can not stress enough how important this is. No matter how shiny you think your hair is, Afro textured hair is the driest of all hair types and needs a lot of moisture.
5.) Oil your hair not your scalp. You can add oil to your scalp if you like but your scalp produces oil of its own. (sebum) When oiling your hair concentrate on the ends not the scalp.
6.) Deep condition your hair weekly. Not a regular 1-5 minute conditioner. You need one that you use with heat that you leave in for at least 30 minutes. Not only will your hair be in better condition, but it feels great to pamper yourself while you are doing this.
7.) Do not use brushes that have balls at the tips. Those balls on the tips come off and you are left with jagged areas on the brush that catch your hair and break it off. You are better off using wide tooth combs. (Personally I use the Denman brush and I love it)