Natural Hair Problems

lol! :-D  i’m so glad you like it!  i think all naturals kind of read each other’s minds after awhile, lol.  thanks!! 

i’m all for it! but, id be careful with going EXCLUSIVELY shampoo-free.

my paranoia personally won’t let me even consider nixing it from my routine completely.. i kind of don’t believe that products are working unless something feels different.  like i don’t believe my mouthwash is working unless it burns a little, and i don’t feel like my hair is clean until it squeaks a little bit.  aside from that, though, you really do need a cleanser stronger than conditioner/no-poo to remove buildup from your hair and scalp.  so, i wash with shampoo once a week, just to make sure that i’m getting any and all build up out of my hair, because if that goes unchecked you can just end up with a bird’s nest on your head—curls that don’t curl, dry hair that won’t moisturize no matter what you do, etc.

i guess the main thing with no poo/co-wash routines is to make EXTRA doubly sure that you watch the other products that you put in your hair.  some product ingredients, like silicon, for example, will ONLY come out of your hair with a sulfate shampoo.  so if you’re going shampoo-free, make sure to eliminate all such products from your routine, be mindful of the times you DO use them so you can slip in a shampoo wash to get it out. 

if i washed my hair every day or more than once a week, id do more co-washing/no-pooing, but i only wash mine once a week.  one sulfate wash every 7 days doesn’t scare me (i’m very careful to put everything that the sulfate takes out of my hair back in with deep conditioning, moisturizing, etc.). if you wash your hair more than once a week, there are definite benefits.  sulfate can be hard on the hair, and depending on how oily/dry your hair is, naturally, using it too often can cause a world of trouble.

so in conclusion, i think this way of living your hair life is fine as long as you’re sure to regularly clarify and remove buildup with a shampooing to make sure your hair doesn’t end up looking a mess.

no!  i always thought you did, too, but you really just need a stylist who knows what s/he’s doing.  i got my hair cut while curly once, and it’s one of the best haircuts ive ever gotten.  since my curl patterns are so different, like yours, the lengths are different when straight vs when curly… cutting it straight gives the hair a better look when straight, and cutting when curly gives it a better shape when curly.  in my opinion.

so i say go to a professional with experience and performance that you trust.  that way, your cut will be in good hands, and you (hopefully) won’t have to worry about heat damage.  good luck! 

:) shirts are coming, promise!  plus new designs!  staaay tuned! :-D

hi!  so so sorry for the delay.. but, there’s no clear cut answer to this question.  some people’s hair just grows fast, while others just seem to inch along.  the cool thing with natural hair is that most people seem to see growth a lot faster than with relaxed hair, likely due to the more frequent washing, oiling/moisturizing, and less heat usage.  

someone asked a similar question about hair growth about a week ago.. check it out!  hopefully there’s some useful info there.  :)

it’s kind of hard to say, because everyone’s hair is different.  when i was transitioning, and for a few months after i was completely natural, i washed, blow dried, and flat ironed my hair roughly every 2-3 weeks, and i sustained little to no heat damage.  that’s just how my hair is though.  hardheaded and resilient.  lol.  

it sounds like you’re taking some good precautions with your flat ironing method, but no matter what safeguards you take, there’s always, ALWAYS the risk of heat damage.  i’ll just say keep an eye on it, and make sure your upkeep includes lots and lots of love and moisturizing.  for some tips, here’s a post i did about the time i was certain i’d ironed every curl out of my hair, and how i coaxed them back to life.

but, everytime you put heat on it, you’re taking a gamble.  i’ll keep my toes crossed and hope that those oils and heat protectants are laced with the blood of Jesus!

lol!  i actually have an entire verse to the natural hair version of ‘99 problems’ that i made up in my head.  i’ll spare yall the agony, lol.  glad you like the blog! :)

:-D!!!!  thanks ma’am!  got lots more on the way.. stay tuned!

updos updos updos!  prom and formal events just screeeeam updo to me, and there are lots of awesome updos you can do with natural hair.  now i cant visualize what 5 inches of hair looks like (my spatial recognition skills are nearly nonexistent), but i’m sure that if you can get it in a small bun, you can get a cute updo going.

head to google and see what you can find; if you can’t find an exact one you like, you can probably find some inspiration.  here’s a cute one i found at curlynikki, and here’s one of my faves i found on youtube (here’s my attempt at it).  seek and ye shall find!  i’d love to see pics!