THE KINK IN YOUR HAIR BEAUTY
WHAT THE KINK IN YOU HAIR
Issue 01 | May 2019
MEANS 13 best protective hair styles for black women Black Panther a love letter to natural hair
NAPPY AND HAPPY 5 Best Oils for Natural Hair
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CO N T E N T S THE KINK IN YOUR HAIR MAGAZINE - ISSUE 01
EDITOR’S WHAT TYPE OF HAIR DO I HAVE?
WHAT THE KINK IN OUR HAIR MEANS
NAPPY AND HAPPY
AFRICAN HAIR BACK THEN
WHY DO BLACK GIRLS PERM THEIR HAIR?
HACKS TIPS AND TRICKS ON HOW TO GROW OUT NATURAL
BLACK PANTHER A LOVE LETTER TO NATURAL HAIR
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E
ditors Note
Welcome to the first edition of The Kink in your hair, this new magazine is designed for
people who are trying to love their hair, transition or who are scared to embrace their natural side.
This is for readers who want to learn how to care their hair, how to love being natural and how to embrace the kink in one’s hair. While as a race of African descents, we need to embrace an apart of our culture, which has been long gone and stolen because of the beliefs instilled in us about being nappy. But it’s not always easy to leave from what you’ve been taught to embrace as a black person. We are bombarded by society when it comes to hair choices, do this — don’t do that — so it’s difficult to know what to do and what to ignore. We aim to cut through the confusion and give you clear, sensible and reliable information from writers and experts that you can trust. Magazines are about trust and partnership: the editors, will strive always to keep you engaged; you, the readers, are free to engage with us or to reject us. The magazine aims to be ntertaining and informative, at times contrary, but above all useful. Inside you’ll find a mixture of news, features and regular columns on a wide range of hair related topics. The magazine will aim to distinguish the different hair types so persons, know which hair category they fall into. The hope for the magazine is that it will be able to touch person’s lives, so they will view having kinky hair as a blessing. I hope you enjoy this first issue and do let us know if there are any topics you’d like to see covered in the future.
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Deidre Brown
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Are you a 3b or 4A hair type? Maybe – that is if you decide to use one well-known hair typing system. Your hair type could also be an “OS” or an “IS” according to a different hair typing system.
• Type 1B hair is mediumtextured and has more body than Type 1A hair.
Type 1: Straight Hair
Type 2: Wavy Hair
Type 1 Straight Hair: Generally speaking Type 1 hair is straight; however Andre categorizes this hair type into three very specific segments – Type 1A, Type 1B, and Type 1C.
Type 2 Wavy Hair: Type 2 is wavy hair that usually isn’t overly oily or very dry. The thought is that Type 2 hair falls right in the middle of Type 1 and Type 3.
• Type 1A hair is described as fine, very thin and soft with a noticeable shine.
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•Type 1C hair is the most resistant to curly styling and relatively coarse compared to other Type 1 hair types.
• Type 2A hair is fine and thin. It is relatively easy to handle from a styling perspective because it can easily be straightened or curled.
“WHAT’S YOUR HAIR TYPE?”
“What Type Of Hair Do I have?”
• Type 2B hair characteristically has waves that tend to adhere to the shape of your head. • Type 2C hair will frizz easily and it is fairly coarse. Type 3: Curly Hair Type 3 Curly Hair: Curly hair textures have a definite “S” shaped curl pattern. Since the cuticle doesn’t lay flat, you will noticed that curly hair isn’t nearly as shiny as Type 1 (straight hair) or Type 2 (wavy hair) hair types. • Type 3A hair is very shinny and loose. • Type 3B hair has a medium
amount curls, ranging from bouncy ringlets (spiral like curls of hair) to tight corkscrews (spiralshaped corkscrew curls). • Type 3C hair isn’t a part the A n d re Wa l k e r H a i r Ty p i n g System. Please see the “what’s missing” section below for more information. 4a hair has a defined curl pattern almost like a “s” shape. Generally speaking it retains moisture fairly well, but as with most curly hair types can still be prone to dryness. Being that this hair type has a naturally defined curl pattern wash n’ go styles may be a great option as it can be easily achieved with the right product and technique. Gentle sulfate free shampoos,
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“ Any woman with kinky textured hair can wear it, love it and manage it. She only needs the right tools, inspiration and motivation.� Monica Millner 8 T H E K I N K I N Y O U R H A I R M A G A Z I N E | I S S U E 01
lot of moisture, gentle cleansers and frequent deep conditioning will be helpful for naturals with 4b hair
conditioners and rich creamy products or butters will be helpful for keeping hair moisturized. 4b hair has a “z” shape pattern and has a more fluffy cottony appearance. Due to the bends and curves in the hair strand it is highly susceptible to dryness and breakage. This hair type shrinks up to 70% so without stretching out the hair it will appear shorter than it actually is. Naturals with this hair type will benefit from protective (buns, twists, braids) and low manipulation styles (roller sets, ponytail puffs, twist outs) to protect the hair from damage. A
4c hair looks similar to 4b hair type only it is more tightly coiled. In its raw state (no products added and freshly washed) it does not have a defined curl pattern. Coils have to be defined by twisting, braiding, or shingling through the strands. Many 4c naturals have
PEOPLE ACT LIKE BLACK GIRLS ARE
shrinkage up to 70% or more. So while your hair may be 10 inches long it may appear like you only have 3 inches of hair if you do not stretch your hair out. It is the most fragile hair type, so if you desire to grow your hair long protective styles like twists, braids, or buns should be your go to style choice. These styles do not require daily manipulation (combing/brushing) giving hair less chances to break off. You can then wear your hair out for a couple of days in a low manipulation style (puffs, roller sets, twist outs) and then repeat the cycle for a balanced routine.
BORN WITH A LITTLE TUBE OF RELAXER & A NOTE THAT SAYS, ‘MY BAD.’- GOD.” JERMAINE BOURS 9 T H E K I N K I N Y O U R H A I R M A G A Z I N E | I S S U E 01
KIN What the
in our hair means
There is only truth to this if Kinky hair is not
cared for in a manner that is compatible or respectable to the natural characteristics
of the texture. kinky hair is naturally drier. It has a spongy zigzag, coiled, springy pattern that has a lot of shrinkage. As a result it has a natural tendency to tangle and can become brittle and break. If you add improper hair care & thermal styling to the mix, you can damage and destroy the integrity of your natural texture, making it nearly impossible to see the true potential and beauty of your Kinky hair. The truth is that Kinky hair is the most versatile on the texture spectrum.Your hair
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NK
?
“THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT KINKY TEXTURES IS THAT
THEY’RE UNRULY, DEFIANT, ROUGH & TOUGH, AND ARE A CHALLENGE TO GROW LONG. KINKY TEXTURES CAN ALSO BE PERCEIVED AS NOT HAVING ANY VERSATILITY.”
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should be cared for like your favorite
or co-washing hair, style hair by using Kinky Curling Cream or Curly Whip to
cashmere sweater, not a tee-shirt!
provide additional moisture, hold, and pliability. Once you saturate your hair
Kinky hair needs extreme hydration
with styling products and see the desired curl pattern, do not touch your hair
in every step of your hair care and
until it is completely dry. For best results, dry hair under a hooded dryer. You
styling routine. This is why Wash ‘n’
can also air dry or use a diffuser attachment with your blow dryer. Depending
Wear is a suitable standard approach
on the severity of your curl pattern, refresh your “wash ‘n wear” style at least
to caring and styling your natural
every 2-3 days by repeating the above process to avoid unnecessary tangling,
texture. If taken care of properly, kinky
breakage and dryness.
hair offers you more versatility then you could ever imagine. Here is your month long regimen for Wash ‘n’ Wear kinky hair - worn in smooth straight
Straight styling kinky hair
styles, twist outs (protective styles),
After a week or two of a super hydrating wash –n-wear regimen, your hair is
and back again. Remember healthy
now manageable, pliable and ready for a change. Why not take advantage of
hair allows you the freedom to wear
the versatility your healthy hair affords you, by blowing out your lush kinks and
your hair however you choose.
sporting a smoother straight style? Remember, heat styling is only damaging on
Wash and wear rules “Wash ‘n’ Wear” styles are a quick, easy, and healthy way to get soft supple curls in kinkier textures. There is nothing that infuses moisture like water, so once or twice a week is sure to shampoo with Cleansing Cream No Suds Shampoo, the primary shampoo for this naturally dry texture. After shampooing, condition with any conditioner that’s good for natural hair. Every day (or even up to twice a day) you can begin the process of co-washing hair with Conditioner which infuses moisture so be sure to get a good one and not one that has alcohol in it, this will detangle hair and bring out your natural curl pattern. After cleansing and conditioning
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hair that has been stripped. Add Blow out Your Kinks or Blow out Your Waves and pre-straighten hair using a blow dryer with a comb attachment. Gently detangle and smooth your hair dry. Follow with a flat iron until hair is smooth. Or you can go to the hair dresser and get a nice brazillain blowout once you are done, use Hydrating Cream of any kind to add moisture to your hair. This style can be worn for 5 to 7 days.
“TEXTURE DOES NOT DICTATE MANAGEABILITY. SKILLS DO. “YOU THINK I’M HOT BECAUSE I ACT LIKE IT!” – THE DAMN SALON”
Protective styling. 13 T H E K I N K I N Y O U R H A I R M A G A Z I N E | I S S U E 01
Nappy and happy Afro-textured, kinky, nappy, coily, curly, etc. are various descriptions to depict the texture and structure of African American hair. The history behind all the designs and hairstyles originated in different ethnic regions in Africa. Socially, hair grooming played a significant part in status and identity in tribes; it showed where you belong and where in Africa you originate. Therefore, it was very important for the head female in each family to be very skilled in creating the appropriate styles and teaching this craft to their daughters. It was considered a big deal to wear your hair neat and groomed, and hair worn out loosely was looked upon as someone mentally unstable, filthy, or in mourning. Your African hair showed your social rank, age, marital status, among other status in the African community. Hair grooming took hours or days depending on the style being done in person’s hair. Hair grooming was also used as bonding tool in the African house hold. Nappy was a term used in history to make black persons feel bad about having nappy hair. The natural movement is showing women every day that nappy is beautiful and there is nothing wrong with a little kink in your do. Nappy should in my view should be celebrated instead of frowned upon, because kinky is queen. So therefore being nappy and proud is a thing that persons of the African decent can celebrate.
It’s safe to say that I was never ashamed of my kinks, but at the same time I wasn’t proud of them either especially during my early teenage years. 14 T H E K I N K I N Y O U R H A I R M A G A Z I N E | I S S U E 01
You see the thing is, when you’ve never been confident in your own skin and you’re overly observant to everything that’s happening around you, you can’t help but wish that you were pretty and confident like the girls we see on t.v. And during my 106 and Park phase I so badly wanted my hair to flow and be smooth like the girls in the music videos. I would plaster my hair in hair shine and brush it constantly for it to look slightly straight, or I’d grab for my god-sisters wig and flash my hair with the wind wind being our standing fan – flowing through ‘my’ straight mane. The first time I creamed my hair yes first time was when I was 12, reluctantly my mm did it after my constant begging and I think because she was sick and tired of my whining and figured it was safer to do it than to end up in jail. So it was done and for the first couple of weeks I absolutely loved it. Yes! I finally had straight hair like the girls in the music video which meant I was one step closer to being Mrs. Chris Brown – don’t judge me I have a past. For the next three years every 4 weeks I’d sit in that chair and watch while the white crack was applied to my roots masking the kink and paving way to straight beauty – and I loved it. Until I stopped. I don’t remember why I eventually stopped creaming it, but I do remember the kinks eventually getting longer and longer and my once bra strap length hair getting shorter and shorter. And so the cycle continued for the next couple of years until I reached the end of my second year of University where I was constantly braiding my hair every couple months to feel somewhat beautiful. It would be cool if I told you I eventually started my natural hair journey after some big come to Jesus moment, but that certainly wasn’t the case. Instead because of how indecisive I am I just left my hair to grow out until I could figure out what I wanted to do. However I refused to be one of those naturalistas who cared about different styles and what they were putting in their hair – I didn’t want to be ‘one of them’, but I still didn’t know what I wanted. So whenever anyone asked me if I was going back natural my response would be “No, I just don’t know what to do,” I’m not buying the products – and even to date I refuse to buy cantu because I feel like that’s a natural girls ‘holy grail’ – and I wasn’t watching the youtube tutorials because firstly, I didn’t want them popping up in my suggestions and secondly – girl bye. There is also this unspoken fear I have that I don’t want to be like everyone else by doing the in thing - which was apparently now to be going back natural and embracing your natural kinks. I’m rebellious like that. Which is why I continued living like that until August 2017. By this time half my hair was now kinky and beautiful and the other half had straight patches holding on for dear life. I had also began taking interest in Mr. YouTube and the Natural hair section – yes I gracefully wave the white flag of surrender and apologize to all whom I had offended previously . The thing is when you have what’s considered transitioning hair, it ain’t cute when you try some of the wash and go styles and your head ends up looking like a confused straight-gay guy – see that makes no sense. So with my eyes wide open, heart pounding a bit and my scissors well sharpened I cute that skinny strays out of my life to embraced my full, untamed curls and kinks. Natural Beauty - it’s a feeling many of us who live fail to truly embrace because of the paintings which social media and society has broad casted to us. Also natural beauty isn’t only about what’s on the outside obviously, but when you’re proud of your exterior and you learn to embrace it everything else around you just seems to naturally fall into place. My kinks have now become something that I wear with pride and confidence. It’s more than just embracing the way which God has made me. It’s also my subtle way of flipping the bird finger at those who want to dictate what normal and beauty is supposed to look like - that to be considered beautiful you need to look a certain, clean cut Hollywood way.
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It’s flipping off what our forefathers had to be told is ‘proper’ and accepted social norms because some dude/woman wanted my ethnicity to feel beneath them. So in my own little Christian way, flipping off these individuals and social norms feels empowering. I love that my natural hair is very versatile. I can wear it up in a sleek bun if I want, wear fabulous bouncing twist outs, corn row my hair and my scalp doesn’t end up looking like a path in the moon, let my fro out and rock it like a 80’s movie and yes I can even wear it straight if I feel like because I am not ashamed of my kinks, instead I’m damn proud of them – and it took me 22 years to fully accept that sadly. I am not my hair, but I’m damn proud of it!
“TEXTURE DOES NOT DICTATE MANAGEABILITY. SKILLS DO. “YOU THINK I’M HOT BECAUSE I ACT LIKE IT!” – THE DAMN SALON”
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Having a Hair Care Regimen is important for the health of your hair. We all hear it too often. It is important to build a hair care regimen for our natural hair to promote its health and growth. But how many of you actually take the time to build a regimen for your hair? I know it sounds painful and can be annoying, but a natural hair care regimen does not have to be if done the right way. I’m going to share with you my own natural hair care regimen. Don’t hesitate to make it your own or tweak it around. It took me a while to come up with a regiment that I was comfortable with and that I felt like I could stick to. But now that I’ve taken the time to build this regimen for my hair, I can see the difference and I know it’s worth it. My hair looks much healthier and it is growing at a much faster pace than the first couple of months of my journey. Below is my own natural hair care regimen. Take a look at it and apply what you feel will work on your own hair. Daily Moisturize and seal. Ladies, I’m sure you’ve heard a lot. You probably hear it every day. You hear it that much because it is important. Moisturized hair results in healthy hair, which in turns yields to long hair in the long run. I’ve tried the LOC and LCO and found that my hair retains more moisture using the LCO method. And for that I use Lotta body Love Me 5 in 1 Miracle Crème, Lotta Body Moisturize Me Curl & Style Milk and I seal with Whipped raw Shea Butter that I infused with oils. Weekly. 1- Pre-shampoo. I pre-shampoo my hair the night prior to washing. For that, I do a modified version of Naptural85’s pre-shampoo method that I find much more convenient for me. I blend the Aloe with oils, honey and a little bit of water. I add it to a spray bottle and work it into my hair that way. 2- Wash and deep condition my hair. After I shampoo my hair, I deep condition. I never miss a deep conditioning treatment. My hair is low porosity and is hard to absorb moisture, so it needs all the help it can get. Most of the time I use a moisturizing deep conditioner. Again that’s because of the low porosity aspect of my hair. It needs more moisture than it needs protein. But when I feel that it needs protein, I trade the moisturizing deep conditioner for a light protein deep conditioner. To date, my favorite deep conditioner is TGIN Honey Miracle Deep Conditioner. This stuff does wonders to my hair. I also use the TGIN Moisturizing Shampoo on washdays. Together they are a great combination.
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Things I always do when deep conditioning my hair. 1. I use heat. After applying the deep conditioner, I sit under a hooded dryer to allow maximum hydration to my hair strands. 2.
I deep condition for 15 to 30 minutes (no more than that). See why I don’t go over 30 min here.
3- after I wash and deep condition, I put my hair in some kind of protective style for the week. Mind you, I did not always use protective styles, but I realized that they help a lot with length retention. Read more about it here. Monthly 1. Clarify my hair. Every month or every 6-8 weeks (it really depends on how my hair feels), I wash my hair with a clarifying shampoo to get rid of the buildup. I use to clarify every washday, but as you might already know, clarifying shampoos are drying and you don’t want to be walking around with dry hair. It is hard to infuse moisture back in your strands especially if you are on the low porosity side like me. Shea Moisture Protein-Free Low Porosity Shampoo does the trick for me. Read my review about the Shea Moisture low porosity line in this post. 2. Protein treatment. Like I mentioned above, I also do a light protein treatment every 6 -8 weeks on my hair. Although low porosity hair is not protein-friendly, it still needs moisture/protein balance to behave properly. I don’t really have a favorite that I can recommend just yet. Below are a few things that I X out of my natural hair care regimen. 1.
Wet my hair every day.
2.
Make a puff using a tight hair band.
3.
Comb my hair every day.
4.
Sleep without braiding or twisting my hair.
Hacks tips and tricks on how to grow out natural hair 4c natural hair is the kinkiest hair texture in the type 4-hair family. It is more coils and springy than type 4a. It also has an “s” pattern, making it different from the “z” pattern of 4b hair. However, 4c natural hair does not always have a defined shape or curl pattern. This hair texture is best known for its delicate nature and need for additional tender, loving care.
.
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DEVELOP A DAILY MOISTURIZING ROUTINE One of the most helpful strategies for maintaining 4c hair is to use the LOC (liquid, oil, cream) method. Here’s what to do: 1.
Spritz your hair with water and oil such as coconut oil or olive oil. This combo will lock in moisture.
1. Follow with a cream such as Shea butter or a leave-in conditioner. This method of moisturizing your hair is known as the LOC method. It seals in moisture and is a crucial step for women with 4c natural hair. 2. Pull your hair into a loose ponytail or pineapple. Then wrap your hair with a satin bonnet or scarf. Wearing this extra protection will help the hair to retain hair moisture. I follow these rules every day and evening and this has helped me to achieve moisturized long hair. Rarely is my hair dry. If you are currently wearing a protective style, be sure to moisturize your hair daily or every other day. CO-WASHING YOUR HAIR Co-washing, short for conditioner-wash is a crucial step toward having healthy hair. Shampoo can strip the scalp and hair of natural moisture, so you should try to limit shampoo washing. Try washing your hair with conditioner only. You’ll gently cleanse the hair of product build up while still maintaining moisture. Many women with 4c natural hair co-wash their hair weekly. When I co-wash my waist length hair I tend to reach for Herbal essence Hello Hydration. I don’t use this product by its self; I’ve added in jojoba oil and avocado oil, and vitamin E to the conditioner. WASHING YOUR HAIR WITH SHAMPOO You still need to use shampoo to thoroughly cleanse the hair, even though it might cause dryness. You’ll find that shampooing your hair once or twice a month will help remove build-up. Be sure to follow all shampoos with a deep conditioning treatment, like Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque. CONDITIONING YOUR HAIR You need to deep condition if you want to have healthy, long curls. Why? When you condition your hair, you are replacing much-needed moisture into your hair and scalp. Follow all shampoo and deep conditioning treatment with the LOC method. This moisturizing technique will help your 4c natural hair seal in moisture. This will help your 4c natural hair seal in its moisture.
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African hair back then During 1400s and 1500s before the Europeans arrived in Africa to capture African and turn them into slaves. Hair grooming was very important to black women. Many would hours or days on their hair using oils and special combs to form locks, plaits and twists. Both the head and the hair were an important part of dress especially in West Africa, where most blacks originated. When slaves were captured their hairs were cut off as a sign of eradicating their culture and identify, and our hair is our beauty and without it, you can say they felt naked you couldn’t tell who’s from what tribe, who was married, your age, they stole the black identity. Blacks were given head wraps to help them against the harsh weather climate and common head lice because they were working in fields for long hours. Head ties were issued out to both genders, even when the hair grew back Africans didn’t have the time to do elaborate hair styles because of their duties on the plantations. Head ties were a sign of poverty and inferiority to slave owners but to the women it became some common between each other and one’s personal identity. Knowing how black women are each tribe wore their head wraps in styles, most did styles that suited them and this tradition is one we still see in society today. This gave women a sense of liberty and empowerment. The slaves who worked indoor had it easier; they didn’t need head wraps and as such could wear braided styles as much as they pleased. In history books we learn that after the demand for slaves increased the slaves no longer worked on Sundays this gave the women amply time to get there braids done on a Sunday. Worked continued on a Monday morning bright an early where the head wraps was still worn but on Sunday mornings for church, the braids would be out. Women were unable to do the styles they did in West Africa in America because they did not have the same combs and oils so instead they had to improvise. West Africans hair types ranged from kinky to loosely curl. During the abolition of slavery, many black women wanted to straighten their hair because having straight hair was seen as having “Good Hair”, the notion of having good hair meant you used harmful chemicals in your hair, and these products are lye mixed with potato. Having straight hair was seen as good because it made them feel partially white.
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Why do black girls perm their hair? Before the end of slavery, black hair was deemed as ugly/unattractive. Beauty was seen as long, silky hair that white people had also known as type one hair/ straight hair. The coarse, kinky hair of black people was considered unacceptable and unprofessional, especially within the workforce. African American women (and some men) began conforming to the traditional hairstyles of White American women to gain acceptance, because being black was already hard enough so anything to fit in a bit at this point in time was acceptable to most black then. They would use hot combs to straighten out their hair. However, most black women discovered that their hair would not cooperate with this method. This led many to use hazardous perms and wave creams that are still being used to this day.
Black women are still getting perms to this day, even though it has many damaging effects on their hairs. They tend to go from looking like Halle berry to looking like shaq in an instance, meaning from a nice short cut to being bald headed. Long-term use of perm usage can cause: •
Hair breakage
•
Hair thinning
•
Permanent hair loss
•
Frizzy hair
•
Scalp irritation or burns
•
Split ends
•
Dry, brittle hair
•
Scalp infection
•
Breathing & stomach problems (Yes, perm usage has been shown to cause these issues as well)
Perming is not only deadly for your looks but your health as well. While the pictures of the beautiful black girls rocking shiny, silky hair on the perm kit box looks enticing, going bald isn’t. The only reason most black women continue to perm their hair is to assimilate with White culture, especially within the workforce, because most jobs still have a problem with females wearing their natural hair. (The same thing they was doing post-slavery) If it weren’t for that, then more women would proudly rock their natural hair.
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HAI
HOW TO PREPARE NATURAL
FOR PROTECTIVE STYLES
Whether you’re rocking a 26inch Peruvian weave, Marley twists or Poetic Justice braids, you want to make sure your hair is strong and healthy before attempting any of these gorgeous styles. Protective styles are a great way to achieve hair length goals. It gives it a break from daily manipulation, helps retain length and best of all, and it’s convenient. Here How to Prepare Natural Hair for Protective Styles
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?
IR
“I REALLY LOVE MY HAIR!!” -SEASAME STREET
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1. Shampooing hair Healthy hair begins with a clean scalp. The protective style will be installed for at least 4-6 weeks so you want to make sure the hair and scalp is thoroughly cleansed. If you’re concerned with the sulfates, don’t worry. We’re only using this type of shampoo before and after installation so we aren’t stripping our hair from its natural oils. If this is a deal breaker for you, stick to a sulfate-free or low sud shampoo.
2. Protein treatment Since your hair will be carrying extra weight, make sure it is in good condition to do so. If your hair strands are weak, limp and lifeless, or if your experiencing breakage, I recommend using a protein treatment for damaged hair. However, you can use a milder version if your hair isn’t extremely damaged. But if you never had a treatment, start off with a mild product, test your results and then gradually increase to a stronger version, only if needed. Protein treatments typically leave your hair feeling rough and dry, so make sure to follow up with a quality deep conditioner.
3. Conditioner and Deep conditioner Strengthening your hair can help to prevent future damage. Deep conditioning for protective styles. One go to deep conditioner is Cantu Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque, because of its thick creamy, consistency that has tons of slip. Remember to apply the product from roots to ends, ensuring all strands are covered. For intensive deep conditioning, cover your hair with a disposable shower cap, or keep it hood and just use a grocery bag. Whichever method you decide to use, make sure to add heat and use the maximum time the product recommends, typically about 30 minutes to an hour. And it may seem like a tedious task, but trust me; your hair is worth it.
4. Leave in conditioner After deep conditioning, you would like to seal in all that moisture with a leave-in conditioner that contains natural oils and butters. Similar to traditional conditioners, leave-in’s are formulated to provide continued moisture while improving the overall health of hair, but without having to rinse it out before styling. It can also help battle those single strand knots and tangles and make the detangling session a breeze. If your hair extremely is coarse and dry like mine, try using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Extra-Moisture Detangle as a leave in.
5. Drying & Styling Air dry your hair by wearing several large braids, plats or twists to prevent heat damage. If you are going for a blown-out look, or using heat on your Natural Hair, make sure to use a heat protectant this helps to prevent heat damage. If you decide to use the blow dryer, you should use it until your hair is about 80% dry, and then let it air dry the rest of the way. Once complete, you can go back over each section of your (wet or dry) hair and apply water or butter based hairdressing to the hair and scalp ensuring it remains hydrated and moisturized
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5 Best Oils for Natural Hair 1. Coconut Oil This extra virgin coconut oil has no genetically modified organisms, and is organic, cold-pressed, and pure. It produces an aroma and wonderful creamy taste. Coconut oil acts as a multi-purpose hair moisturizer because of its capacity to bind moisture and seep through the strands of hair.
2. Jojoba Oil This jojoba oil is natural, unrefined, cold-pressed, and pure. It acts like a natural sebum produced by your scalp. This makes it a perfect substitute once your scalp has low levels of sebum. It’s a great sealant for wet hair, as is the common function of other oils in this list.
3. Argan Oil Argan oil is one of the best natural oils for hair. It helps fight frizz and leaves a great shine on your hair. It also promotes better health for damaged scalps. If you use 100% argan or Moroccan argan oil, you can incorporate a small amount of it to your shampoo and conditioner. Your hair will become softer with these combinations. 4. Jamaican Black Castor Oil – Best Oil for Hair Growth Jamaican black castor oil is one of the cheapest natural hair oils available for everyone in stores and drugstores. People have used castor oil as a laxative in the past, but they have also tried using this for their hair. With only a small amount of this oil, you can moisturize your natural black hair. Be careful not to overdo it because it can weigh down your hair. 5. Extra Virgin Olive Oil These days, you do not use olive oil plainly for cooking. You can find this natural oil almost anywhere: in your bathroom, in your kitchen, or in other places where you least expect it. It’s not difficult to find this product, as every grocery store sells extra virgin olive oil or EVOO. The name itself describes how this oil has undergone few refinements or has undergone very little processing compared to normal olive oil. Less processing means more nutrients are retained.
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HAI 21 Best Protective
FOR PROTECTIVE STYLES When looking at the best protective hairstyles for black women, you want something that’ll actually do the trick – give you a way to wear your hair how you want to while causing minimal damage and moisturizing or rehydrating the hair at the same time. That’s where these beauties come into play – the best protective hairstyles for black women… Oh, and why they work!
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“ALWAYS ACT LIKE YOU’RE WEARING AN INVISIBLE CROWN.” -UNKNOWN
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1. HAVANA TWISTS Using Havana hair extensions, these twists are created with two strands (rather than three with cornrows and braids). If you want bigger and fuller twists, you apply minimal tension. If you want thinner twists, you pull them tighter. Easy to wear but more expensive than other twist-styles, these will require quite a bit of pre-planning and maintenance, something you’ll definitely need to bear in mind.
2. FAUX LOCS These ones have become increasingly popular over the years and it’s not hard to see why. Faux locks can be both temporary and permanent, giving you a beautiful way to protect your hair, the yarn or synthetic material woven around it. You can have human hair as well as synthetic hair and yarn, and you can pick from a wide range of colors giving you a million ways to wear them.
3. GHANA BRAIDS An African style of wearing your hair just as the name suggests, Ghana braids are long-lasting braids, offering a way for you to have fabulous hair when time just isn’t on your side. These ones have simply been braided back and left loose at the nape of the neck at which point, you could easily bun them up or wear them in a pony tail.
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4. BOX BRAIDS Twist them over to one side, wear them loose, throw them back in a ponytail or weave them into a bun… There’s nothing you can’t do with the right box braids and even worn casually, they are beautiful to look at. For the days your makeup and accessories are on point, keep the hair away from the face like this large twisted and braided look.
5. CROCHET BRAIDS When crochet braids unravel, they look beautifully curly and as long as you keep them well hydrated and maintained, fizziness’ will be at a low, ensuring you can wear your look for longer. These crochet braids are adorable and definitely follows the 90’s vibe which has hit this season with a vengeance.
6. TWISTS WITH A POP OF COLOR We loved the side-swept nature of this larger twists, and we also love that red shade running through them too, another classic way of revamping a look you may have worn a thousand times before but making it look a little different. You could change your color every time you head to your stylist, and you could even add multiple colors if you wanted to. What color combos would you come up with? could easily bun them up or wear them in a pony tail.
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7. CUSTOM WIG Of course, you could just all-out cheat and opt for a custom wig to perfect your look. We love this one, a cute and curly style with just the right amount of caramel blonde running through for added measure. What do you think? Would you be brave enough to rock a big and bold look like this? We want to see your versions of it!
8. DOUBLE HALO BRAID We loved this double halo braid, fit for an angel of course! What we love the most about it is that solid pop of bright red running through the braids! Why not add a slightly subtle pop of color to your braids and twists? It helps you to stand out from the crowd and let’s face it, who wants to look like everyone else anyway?
9. SHORT TWISTS Hair accessories are a very big thing for right now and we are one hundred percent in love with these cool cornrow cuffs, or hair cuffs as they are otherwise known. Add them to your regular cornrows or twists to accessorize just like you would with earrings, necklaces, bracelets and other types of jewelry. Bling it up! .
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10. SHORT BRAIDS Just because you can have length doesn’t mean you need to have length. The weight of all that hair causes stress and tension on your scalp and can damage the follicles so from time to time, go a little shorter than you usually would. These short braids are supering awesome and still incorporate a beautiful braided look along with regularly short length.
11. ROPE TWISTS For when you don’t know how to braid, the rope twist or Senegalese twist is supering simple and easy to do. It’s a twist with a twist! Cool right? The rope twist looks like rope, hence the name, and again, you’ll need to get the tension right to ensure these twists look the same all over.
12. BANTU KNOTS Bantu knots are a super cool look if you can pull them off, very 90’s. But you know how fashion comes around – the 90’s look is back in again. If you’ve pulled your old neck choker out the closet, you need to rock the Bantu knots too. Hair twisted around until it turns back on itself, you need to remember how uncomfortable this look could.
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Black panther Love Letter to natural Black Panther movie opened to amazing reviews and fan reactions especially from black people and let’s not forget the recordbreaking box office stats, with the movie making $192 million over the three day weekend. And this isn’t just groundbreaking for the Marvel universe. Black Panther‘s success speaks volumes about the bank-ability of a mostly Black cast and a Black director. For anyone who has seen the movie, you will focus on the fact that there is tons of natural hair. The representation of natural hair in the movie and its prevalence shows that it was intentional, from the costuming to the dialogue to the hair
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All of the women, from Princess Shuri to Nakia to the warriors of the Dora Milaje, were rocking natural hair. They weren’t the hippie-dippie sidekick or a comical Afrocentric caricature. These women were fierce, multi-dimensional characters. Most of the images you see on film and television of women with curls, kinks, and coils were that of the hippie, direction-less woman or the dark-skinned girl who was never the love interest. Of course, you would’ve adored Rudy’s voluminous natural hair on The Cosby Show and I tried to emulate every braided style Brandy had on Moesha. But eventually you rarely saw adult women who didn’t have relaxed hair on-screen. So watching the women of Black Panther should feel good. They were smart and desirable. Fan favorite Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) is said to be the smartest person in the world and a tech wiz. Besides stealing the movie (her one-liners were perfect!), she also rocked beautiful braids in chic updos. There’s also Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), a Wakandan spy who usually had her hair in bantu-style knots, or what Friend called “Wakandan knots.” Dora Milaje? Their signature baldheads are sources of strength and status for the all-female security team that guards T’Challa. The head of the Dora, Okoye (Danai Gurira), is a multi-layered character. She’s not a robotic, speechless warrior who just fights. She’s a friend and protector of the King, loyal to her country and lover to W’Kabi. I don’t think Black hair has ever been seen like this in a blockbuster movie. This kind of hair inspiration wasn’t there a decade ago. Most of the natural hair You Tubers we love now weren’t around yet either, so most naturalists were pretty much winging it by themselves. When girls and women see the characters in Black Panther, I’m sure they’ll feel that their natural hair options are limitless. You can be fly and natural and not a punch line.
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