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Be Unapologetic! Step Into Who You were Meant to Be! As a Beauty Professional, I am beyond excited to experience black women stepping into their natural beauty. It’s so freeing to unapologetically embrace who we were born to be. Natural hair has never been so popular and so empowering. Every woman who considers wearing her hair natural today is well aware of the negative stereotypes that have been passed down for generations. Slowly but surely we’re turning the corner, more and more African American and mixed-race women are feeling stronger and more confident about stepping into who they are and embracing and loving their natural hair. Throughout generations, everyone’s mother, grandmother, sister or aunt had a different routine of maintaining their hair. But what happens when you don’t have an individual to teach you how to do your natural hair? This is a dilemma many young women deal with. Between relaxers, braided extensions and weaves, at least two generations of women have not been wearing or caring for their natural hair. The majority of the women I have consulted with freely share that they got their first relaxer as a child or a teen and remained relaxed until they decided to embark on their natural hair journey. This woman also shares that between relaxer sessions, she has worn braided extensions, and then she moved into weaves where she may have stayed for a number of years. During this time, she may or may not have Jacquie T.
Natural Hair Expert
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focused on the health or well-being of her own hair; and for the most part, the hair underneath the extensions was relaxed. Now that the decision has been made to go natural, it’s a new and curious world that she explores. As your natural hair care expert, here are some tried and true tips for your Natural Hair Journey. Essential Hair Care Tips: 1. NEVER shampoo or style your hair when you're tired or in a rush. When you're in a rush or tired, you're not thinking about taking care of your health, you're thinking about getting done as quickly as possible. This can lead to pulling and tugging on your hair which is stressful to your delicate strands. Rough handling can lead to tangles and knots that weaken your hair leading to tearing and breakage. 2. Shampoo your hair in sections if it is long or thick. You will notice that as your hair gets longer, it will tangle more easily while shampooing. By shampooing in sections, it allows you to carefully massage the product through and will make it easier to style after shampooing and conditioning your hair. 3. Detangle and separate hair during your shampoo regimen. This can be a life saver or should I say a strand saver! Your hair tends to get more slippage when coated with conditioning shampoo. While the conditioner is in your hair, simply finger detangle to ensure that you have no knots this will allow you to easily run your fingers through the section you are working with. You can then install chunky twists or braids; then proceed to rinsing out the conditioner. This also helps stretch the hair to prepare for styling. 3
4. Use product with good slippage. The most frustrating thing is feeling like your hair is tangled, rough & lacks moisture after you've spent hours shampooing and conditioning your hair. Product with good slippage makes it so easy to detangle and generally add tons of moisture to your hair. When your hair is dry and lacks moisture, you have to work extra hard to detangle and style your hair which can lead to more tension being applied to the hair causing breakage. 5. Find the Right Tools. Your next line of defense may be a Tangle Tamer or Denman brush as well as a wide tooth comb after you have finger detangled in the shower. Finger detangling is always recommended. You're able to feel the hair and carefully address any knots and tangles that are present. 6. Always moisturize your hair. Lack of moisture can really cause breakage and damage to ends. Since your ends are the oldest part of your hair, you want to be gentle with your ends and keep them highly moisturized. This helps to avoid split ends and breakage and helps to retain length. 7. Find a good sealant. Essentially a sealant is really good oil that you use to coat the hair which seals in the moisture, helping to prevent moisture from escaping the hair shaft and allowing your hair to retain its moisture and flexibility longer to avoid dry, brittle hair. It is really important that we can distinguish between a moisturizing oil vs. a sealing oil because if not you could be setting your regimen and your hair up for failure… or at least minor frustration and confusion. I don’t know how many times I’ve sat down and completed the LOC method only to be disappointed in a few hours that my hair looks/feels dry. There are of course various reasons as to why this may happen… but a main reason is the use of the wrong type of oil. Moisturizing Oils: Oils you want to use on your scalp/ and with your leave in conditioners! What is moisturizing oil? What is sealing oil? Better yet, what exactly is the difference between the two? It all boils down to what the difference between a 4
moisturizer and a sealant is. According to the Mayo Clinic, moisturizers prevent and treat dryness as they hold water in the outermost layer. The sealant on the other hand does not bring the moisture to your strands, but just holds it in. The moisturizer brings it and the sealant keeps it there. MARULA OIL HAIR BENEFITS Not all oils sink deeply into the scalp. But marula oil sinks deep. Not only does it penetrate and hydrate deep into the roots, it’s also rich in minerals. Some of these minerals, including iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper can help promote healthy hair. In addition, marula oil is very high in antioxidants. Marula fruit oil, in fact, contains up to 10 times more vitamin C than orange fruit. But what does a high antioxidant profile mean for hair loss? Antioxidants may promote hair growth and prevent hair follicles from getting thinner or dying. Also, marula oil is high in omega-9 fatty acids. You might be familiar with omega3s and their health benefits. But did you know that omega-9s are also beneficial for your health? Marula oil gets digested easily and contains a high amount of the omega-9 fatty acid, oleic acid. Oleic acid can help stimulate hair growth and make hair thicker, longer and stronger. Oleic acid is a proven hair growth nutrient in some research studies, like this one. Marula oil is also rich in amino acids and vitamin E. These nutrients help to regenerate hair follicle cells. And according to this study, marula contains many minerals that are beneficial for health. Furthermore, its protein content is one of the highest found in more than 75 edible plants found in sub-Saharan West Africa. Coconut oil may be one of the best oils out there for hair care, beauty, and skin care. It has an endless list of benefits and uses. Coconut oil is a naturalist’s best friend! In its unrefined state (extra virgin is best) it is the least processed, and is actually both a moisturizer and a sealant (WHAT!) Well coconut oil is capable of 5
penetrating the shaft due to its molecular structure, but in limited amounts. Because of these limits most of the oil stays on the outside of the hair (acting as a sealant) The most optimal time to use coconut oil as a moisturizer is in the presence of water or a water based leave in conditioner. Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is known to penetrate the hair shaft and moisturizing the hair/scalp. As with coconut oil and Babassu oil to get the best moisturizing effect you must use it in conjunction with water or a leave in that is water based. Olive oil is also great for moisturizing when used in your deep conditioner as it increases shine and manageability of your strands. I’ve been using olive oil in my hair regimen from my transitioning days and it has never let me down. Plus it is fairly inexpensive and easy to find! Grapeseed oil is very light and possesses ability to withstand high amounts of heat. This makes it best for women with finer/ thinner strands that want to seal in the moisture for their ends without being weighed down or greasy/oily. Jojoba Oil most closely resembles the natural hair sebum our body produces naturally. It is fairly light and is most effective in sealing in the moisture added during wash day or other hair regimen activities. Jojoba is also very good for people suffering with dry or flaky scalps as it helps to restore the proper pH to your hair and scalp. 8. Trim hair when needed. Lack of trimming is a huge contributor to those unwanted knots and tangles. Let’s say you have a split end or a single strand knot, well the healthy hairs can get caught in the split end or knot causing tangles and add additional knots & split ends. Often we try to hold on to hair even if it's not healthy for the sake of having length. The best way to retain length is to trim when needed so that unhealthy ends won't damage the healthy hair.
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The Mystery of Moisturizing Moisture is the Key to Healthy Natural Hair The number one concern of women I have had the pleasure of consulting with is trying to figure out how to keep natural hair moisturized. The truth is...natural hair needs a regiment that introduces moisture and retains moisture to the hair. You have to commit to cause and be consistent. Every product and technique should do one of two things: add moisture to your natural hair or retain/seal in moisture. Below are the basics of building a moisturizing natural hair regimen. Drink adequate water daily. To get to the right amount for you, use your body weight (example 140 lbs.) Divide that number in half, and that is the number (70 oz. ) of ounces you should drink daily to properly hydrate your body. Eat lots of fruits and Vegetables. If you know your daily food plan does not contain the nutrients you need, take vitamins. Moisturize your natural hair from the inside out. Your whole body will thank you. Clarify/detox once per month. Clarifying/detoxing lifts dirt, excess products and other adverse debris. By deep cleaning your hair and scalp you’re helping your natural hair grow. Water is the best and most effective moisturize. Use water-based hair products especially conditioners. Deep Condition weekly with a product designed to penetrate the hair shaft.
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When wearing a wash and go, moisturize 2-4 times a week or more if necessary by adding some type of water based product to your hair & scalp. Apply leave in products from root to tip. Use the raking method or praying hands method to evenly throughout hair. Avoid products with harsh ingredients that coat the hair Raking Method vs. absorb into the hair such as mineral oil, petroleum & etc. Use natural products or products with natural ingredients to seal in moisture from water and smooth the hair shaft such as shea butter, coconut oil and other nutrient rich oils/butters. Praying Hands Method
Use the LOC METHOD- simply sealing in each layer of product to add moisture to your hair. LOC stands for “Liquid”, “Oil”, and “Cream”. This is the order of which you apply your products to clean hair. Cover hair with a satin scarf/bonnet or sleep on a satin pillow case while sleeping.
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There Will Be Shrinkage Let’s face it: if you are going to be wearing your hair natural, hair shrinkage is part of the course. It is not something you had to deal with on a daily basis when you were relaxing your hair; but now that you have transitioned your hair to natural, it is time to embrace the idea of shrinkage. Part of wearing your hair natural understands that you have got to love your hair, just the way it is–curls, coils, shrinkage, and all. Sometimes that might be an easier said than done, but just remember that natural hair shrinkage is inevitable. If you wear your hair natural, it is going to shrink. It is inevitable. If you wash your natural hair, it is going to shrink. It is inevitable. If it is a hot day and the humidity is high, you will experience natural hair shrinkage. It is—you guessed it—inevitable. Therefore, the best way you can deal with your natural hair shrinkage is not to view it as a problem, but as a sign that you have got a healthy head of hair.
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HOW TO DRY NATURAL HAIR WITHOUT SHRINKAGE or HEAT NATURAL HAIR SHRINKAGE Learn 8 crucial mistakes that stunt your natural hair from retaining length - Hair Shrinkage is a natural occurrence with curlier or kinkier hair. Accepting natural hair shrinkage is one of the greatest challenges when you are embarking on a natural hair journey. For African-American women who have decided to take the plunge and wear their hair natural, hair shrinkage can be considered a surprise that can be embraced or a hassle that needs to be conquered. However, whether you have got fine springy curls associated with 3a or 3b hair, or tight coils belonging to those with 4b, 4c, it is time to find a way not to view your natural hair shrinkage as a challenge. Instead, let’s work to understand why our natural hair shrinks, and how we can love our hair in its natural state. WHAT DOES NATURAL HAIR SHRINKAGE MEAN? Natural hair shrinkage means your hair has shrunk in its appearance. It is well known that black hair in its natural state can shrink up to 80 percent of its actual length. However, natural hair shrinkage is not just about appearance. Lots of hair shrinkage means you have got some healthy hair on your head!
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WHY DOES NATURAL HAIR HAVE SHRINKAGE? Your natural hair will shrink because no heat has been applied to it to make it straight. In its natural state, it will appear at times, much shorter than it is in reality. Your hair’s ability to shrink is also an indication of its elasticity. Therefore, even though natural hair shrinkage can sometimes be frustrating, it is important that we remember it is a sign that we have got healthy hair. CONTROLLING NATURAL HAIR SHRINKAGE If you are ready to let go of your natural hair shrinkage issues, there are a few methods that will help you along the way. Banding: you will need a few tangle free ponytail holders, a wide tooth comb, and a satin bonnet or scarf. After you have shampooed your hair, section chunks of your hair. Gently band a ponytail holder around each section from the root to the ends. Leave these holders in place as the hair dries. Don’t forget to use your satin bonnet or scarf. This will help lock in moisture and eliminate fizziness.
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Blow Dry Your Roots. This method works well for women with springy curls associated with 3a, 3b, or 3c hair textures. You will need a hair dryer and a diffuser applicator as well. After washing your hair, let it air dry by at least 85 percent. Then gently gather squared off sections of your hair, holding the ends in a taunt position and blow dry the roots on a cool to medium setting. Remember the key to this method is to stretch out and lengthen your hair, not straighten your hair. Blow Dry Your Hair Completely. If you are ready to show off your hair’s length, why not go for a blowout? Just make sure to use a deep conditioner and heat protectant before beginning this process! High Bun This is such a cute way to elongate your hair. After slightly dampening your hair, place a ponytail holder around it to create a bun. You want the bun to be tight enough to stretch your hair, but loose enough so that no creases are formed. Remember, the outcome of this style depends on your hair texture—if you have 4b coils, it will not look the same as 3c curls. However, it will be just as gorgeous! Bantu Knots. Like the high bun, Bantu knots are super comfortable, cute, and will elongate your hair. You will need hairpins and a wide tooth comb handy for this style to work well. You will section a bit of your hair at a time and twist in one direction. You will wrap it around until a knot is formed. Then, secure with a bobby pin. You can do this for your entire head. Twist sets, Roller sets and Flexi rods. These are all great ways to stretch out your coils. You can use any of these methods with heat or without. The choice is yours!
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Dealing with Split Ends & Knots Single strand knots or fairy knots are very common for those of us with curly, coily, and kinky hair. These knots feel like tiny beads along the hair shaft, and they can result in breakage during combing and styling. In order to know how to prevent these from happening, we need to figure out what causes them in the first place. Curly and coiled strands are produced by a flat and curved hair follicle. The curly hair strand that grows out of your hair follicle tends to weave and loop. This causes it to tie around other hair strands which in turn cause the strands of hair to tangle and knot. This is very common with curly hair types. The major concern is when it becomes a problem and a single or sometimes double knot occurs. Short curly hair and also tightly coiled hair types are very prone to this type of knotting. WHAT CAUSES KNOTS? A single-strand knot can form when a curly hair strand grows out of the hair follicle, loops around itself or other hair strands, causing a knot. Shorter curly hair and tightly coiled hair types are most prone to single-strand knots. Some other causes of single-strand knots are friction from pillows, scarves, etc., or manipulating the hair during shampooing and styling. HOW TO PREVENT KNOTS? While it is impossible to completely avoid single-strand knots, there are several ways to prevent and decrease the number of knots we might have. During your shampoo and style routine, be sure to detangle your hair before shampooing. Water will cause the hair to shrink up, and this can cause any existing knots to 13
tighten up even more. While shampooing, apply the shampoo directly to the scalp and massage it in with your fingertips. Then smooth the shampoo down the length of your hair. This is also known as the ‘praying hands’ method, where the hair is between your hands that are pressed together. This method helps make hair more manageable during shampooing and keeps hair tangle-free. Before bed, braid or twist your hair to keep your hair from shrinking up on itself during the night. This also minimizes friction that can happen as you move around while you sleep. Using a satin pillow case, or satin bonnet or scarf can also help reduce friction while you are in bed. Using products that contain natural oils will keep the hair lubricated which reduces excessive friction and tangling that cause single-strand knots. Making regular visits to a natural hair care professional is also an important way to prevent single-strand knots. During those visits, be sure to have your ends professionally trimmed. Your stylist can also evaluate the condition of your hair, and determine if your hair needs any hydration treatments for inner strand moisture and flexibility as well as reconstructing or protein treatments to improve its strength and condition. Visiting your stylist every 3-4 months, or more frequently if you are experiencing lots of single-strand knots, is key. You will notice a significant decrease in knots and tangles if you visit a natural hair professional every time the seasons change.
WHAT NOT TO DO IF YOU FIND A KNOT? If you have single-strand knots that you cannot undo, do not try to comb them out or tear the hair apart. You also don’t want to use household scissors to remove the knots. This can do more harm than good. Cut them out with the proper hair cutting shears, or seek the help of a professional.
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Single-strand knots might be nerve-wracking but just know it comes with the textured hair territory. Applying these tips and tricks will help you prevent them, and address them appropriately when they do pop up. Trim hair when needed. Lack of trimming is a huge contributor to those unwanted knots and tangles. Let’s say you have a split end or a single strand knot, well the healthy hairs can get caught in the slit end or knot causing tangles and add additional knots & split ends. Often we try to hold on to hair even if it's not healthy for the sake of having length. The best way to retain length is to trim when needed so that unhealthy ends won't damage the healthy hair. And on a side note, the split end repair creams and serums do not work. They are temporary. The long term fix for damaged ends is to trim them.
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The Drama of Split Ends
What are split ends? Split ends or Trichoptilosis are the splitting or fraying of the hair shaft due to various reasons. The splitting of the hair is a type of hair damage that typical begins near the ends of the hair shaft. But don’t be fooled split ends or damage that causes the splitting of the hair can occur anywhere on the length of the hair. You can have “split ends� in the middle of a hair strand. There are 4 common causes of damage or breakage in hair. Most of these causes are due to stress from external factors such as mechanical, physical, and environmental. Physical and mechanical breakage is a result of over manipulation of your hair. For example, improper detangling, or excessive blow drying can all cause split ends. Environmental breakage is caused by environmental factors that damage or break the hair. A good example is dryness that is caused from the hot summer sun.
Some hair splitting behavior is also internal. The strength of your hair and its susceptibility to split ends can be directly related to deficiencies in your diet, imbalance of hormones, and vitamins or minerals. Nutritional/dietary stresses 16
are usually an excess or deficiency of vitamins, mineral or even hormones that promote healthy hair. Additional causes of split ends: *Excessive use of hot styling tools (irons, hot curlers, blow dryers, hot combs) *Overuse of chemical treatments (relaxers, perms, hair color). *Split ends also occur with the use of inferior styling tools that rip or snag hair *Lack of routine maintenance such as regular trimming and deep conditioning treatments *Improper detangling techniques *Over washing or using a clarifying shampoo too frequently *Excessive use of styling products such as gels, waxes and sprays *Trimming with inferior or dull scissors Regardless of how you developed split ends, once you have them they will not just disappear. You can semi-permanently repair them but ultimately you must remove them with a proper trim. This is the first and most important step to preventing split ends.
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Keeping it All Together Role of ceramides: Ceramides hold the scales of the hair cuticle together, which in healthy hair results in smooth and lustrous hair. In damaged hair, the ceramides are missing and results in dull, coarse and dry hair. Ceramides are a type of lipid which is a natural component of the hair cuticle.
Here’s a tip on understanding the anatomy of the hair, the cuticle is the thin
outermost layer of the hair that serves to protect the hair shaft and provide strength. The cuticle is made up of a number of dead cells which overlap each other and resembles the shingles on a roof.
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Un-Break My Hair! You may be surprised at the things we do out of habit that can cause breakage on natural hair. Your daily routine, if you are not careful, may actually do more harm than good.
Check out the 7 deadly sins of Breakage: 1. Not Detangling Properly When you detangle try to use a detangler hair tool or detangle with a conditioner that has lots of slip. This makes the process so much easier. The key is to take your time and not rush it. Finger detangling is another great option as well because you can really feel the tangles and gently remove them. Detangling can be very tedious but it’s worth it and it also helps to retain length. Here’s one of my favorite shampoo day tips: Especially when your hair is dry and seems tight or tangled prior to shampooing, you should pre-poo. Pre-poo is a treatment you apply to your hair prior to adding shampoo or conditioner. It is the pre-shampoo stage hence the name: pre-poo. It is used as an extra step in natural hair care regimens to provide a shield so to speak against the harsh stripping of the hair in the shampoo phase. It helps to lower the risk of dryness once the shampoo has been rinsed away. Olive Oil Mask- This is the most basic/simple pre-poo ritual to complete. It is also the easiest when you have the least amount of time. Simply apply olive oil to your hair from roots to your ends and leave it for 20 minutes or more with a plastic cap. This will help increase in moisture and elasticity of your hair. 2. Wearing Styles That Are Too Tight Rocking a high bun or a low bun, for example, is so convenient but you have to make sure you are not doing it too tight. If you install a bun and hours later you have a headache because you were trying to snatch those edges, your bun is too 19
tight. Loosen your bun, grab some edge control and call it day. Also, take your buns down at night when you sleep.
3. Not Sleeping With a Bonnet or a Silky Scarf Let’s be honest, it is so easy to just jump in the bed when you’re tired and not even throw on a bonnet or scarf. Tossing and turning at night causes a lot of damage to your beautiful curls. Using a silk scarf or bonnet or even a silk pillowcase keeps your curls protected and further prevents breakage on natural hair.
4. Combing or Brushing On Dry Curls This practice causes such bad damage to our already delicate curls. This practice can literally rip and tear your hair from mid strand to ends. If you need to comb or brush out your hair, simply spray a mix of a little water and oil or liquid detangler and then use a wide tooth comb to comb through your curls. Always take your time, start from the bottom (ends), work your way up the hair towards the roots and you will see less damage.
5. Not Keeping Your Hair Moisturized Moisturizing is key reducing friction between strands so they can slip past each other and not lock up or tear. Our curls soak up a lot of product and we have to replenish it with moisture daily to maintain healthy hair. When your body id dehydrated; you have to drink enough water to stay hydrated right? Same rule applies with our hair.
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6. When Protective Styles don’t protect! When protective styling, Make sure it is truly protecting your hair. If braids as a part of your style be it corn rowed creative styles, crocheted extension styles, sew-in weaves or tight pony tales, are too tight, it’s damaging your root, your hair follicle and the elastic quality of your hair strand. This is the perfect storm for hair loss that may be permanent. If your head hurts, it's because your hair is braided/pulled too tightly, or you have too much extension hair added. In either situation, this doesn't bode well for the future of your hairline. Some braiders may tell you to take an aspirin and the pain should be gone by morning, but any pain is an indicator that something is wrong. If you have to lie down after getting your hair styled, your hair is too tight, and your scalp is at risk! Avoid the unnecessary pain and hair loss with theses easy tips. Tip 1: Remove them. Yes, remove any braids that are causing little angry bumps (the true sign of infection and damage to the follicle that can lead to scar tissue) to pop up on your scalp, especially around your hair line. This is not normal and can lead to Permanent hair loss down the road, especially if you make a habit of wearing tight braid styles. Do yourself a favor and see how your head feels when you're still in the stylist's chair. Does it hurt while she's braiding? Is there pain, even after she has moved on to the next braid? This is the time to ask her to ease up on your hair. Be vocal, and communicate your needs. Speak up! It’s your money, and your 21
head. It's much easier for her to take a step back and possibly redo the first few braids during your appointment than it will be to call her up and ask her to redo them later. Plus, let's face it: not all braiders are going to take kindly to second day phone calls and they may refuse to do them over. Tip 2: Moisturize and nourish Be sure to treat your angry scalp with nourishing ointments and oils. JBCO, vitamin E, and coconut oil can all help with soothing your head, and growing back any lost hairs. Tip 3: If your scalp continues to be tender even after the braids are removed in or you notice hair loss, see a Dermatologist with a specialty in Hair Loss or a Trichologist (Hair Loss Professional) to address your concerns as soon as you can. Tip 4: Hit the Road! Do not return to tight braiders: Some braiders are notoriously hard on hair. Once should be enough to tell you that this is someone who doesn't care about the health of your scalp. Goodbye! 7. Not properly taking down twists, braids etc. When taking down these styles you must take your time and use oil for slip if needed. It’s so easy to rush through and tug and pull but you have to make sure you are taking these styles down gently. One wrong tug and you’re ripping out your hair. Be careful and be gentle. In conclusion, I hope this guide can be of assistance to you on your Natural Hair Journey. This is not just a hair style, it’s a lifestyle and it reveals layers in every woman. So many women express their surprise in the amount of time and work that goes into keeping their natural hair healthy and fabulous. It’s definitely worth it! I truly love the beautiful souls I am meeting on my Natural Hair Journey. Every day we take another step toward the women we were meant to be!
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Embrace Your Natural 23