Testing Your Patience...

Definition of patience: “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset”

Working with natural hair and transitioning hair is definitely a test of patience. Deciding to learn your hair textures and how to be gentle with your strands is not for those who want instant gratification or quick results. Beginning a healthy hair journey or continuing a healthy hair journey forces you to find out your patience level. You will have to increase your capacity to accept and tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Tips:

1.       Always allot plenty of time to style your hair, especially if you’re transitioning or trying a new style. Rushing through your hair because you’re pressed for time or have somewhere to go is not a good idea because you can cause breakage or damage.

2.       Don’t do your hair when you’re not calm and peaceful. Your emotions should be a peaceful state because you can cause damage if you’re angry, stressed, sad, etc. If you have the time, choose to do your hair later. Better to style it later and take your time than to undo any progress you’ve made by attacking your hair in a bad mood.

3.       Enjoy your hair today. Being stressed and worried about your hair will not make it grow faster; in fact, it will inhibit it.

Box Braids....

Box Braids…

I recently ventured into the world of natural hair and I researched a lot of hairstyles to find out what could work for me during my transition. Twist outs and cornrows had long worn out their welcome so I figured I’d try something new. I had already done crochet braids but wasn’t a fan of not being able to get to my whole scalp effectively since my real hair was hidden in cornrows. But I knew that my best bet was to find a protective hairstyle that worked for me. Hence research into box braids….

I looked up many Youtube videos, blog posts, articles, and hair forums on the style to get an overall consensus about what I was getting into. There were of course many tips and warnings about box braids but I’ll give you the main ones.

Tips included:

1.     Find out if you want to install your hair or if you want someone else to do it. I chose to do my own hair since I had the time and it worked with my lifestyle.

2.     Can you afford the cost? To have someone else do it will cost more money but save you time. To do it yourself will cost more time but save you money.

3.     Prepare yourself with plenty of patience and time. Seriously evaluate your braiding skill. If you are a beginner, that may affect the neatness and overall look of each braid if you choose to do your own hair. Even if someone else doing your braids, you will still be sitting in the chair for a substantial amount of time. (At least 4-6 hours, maybe more) The first time I installed them, it took me a solid 12-13 hours. The second time, it took closer to 19 because the parts were smaller, hence more braids.

4.     Determine how long you want the braid to be and the kind of part you want. Length and parting directly affect your hairstyles, look, and installation time.

5.     While wearing your style, you will still need to take care of your own hair underneath. Be prepared to routinely moisturize and clean your scalp because the style will work only if you take care of it.

6.      Beauty is not pain. Braids that are installed too tightly can cause breakage and hair loss from the root. The braid should be firmly attached but not painfully placed.

7.      Know that the extension hair’s texture does affect how smoothly installation goes and the overall look. The first time I tried box braids, I came across some really cheap Kanekalon hair ($1.59 a pack) but as I tried to separate it to apply it to my hair, I found that it tangled extremely easily and it did not braid neatly in comparison to another brand that was a little more. So I grew more frustrated trying to untangle it when I could’ve just spent about 50 more cents for a much more manageable brand. Be aware of the quality you could be receiving when getting the absolute cheapest pack in the store and know your beauty store’s return policies. Many of the stores I’ve seen will not exchange or accept purchased extensions. 

8.     Practice makes perfect. My first time was exactly that: my first time. My second time installing box braids took longer but I had worked out a system for what worked for me. I found that having plenty of space, adequate lighting, a comfortable chair that I didn’t mind hair getting on, and an old sheet on the floor to catch the excess hair made things a whole lot easier for me. Taking plenty of breaks as well and having plenty of entertainment made the time go by smoothly. I also noticed that I still have room to improve, mainly towards the ends. I haven’t completely mastered neat tapered ends, but they are much neater than the first time.

Often people get burnt out on the look of box braids because they don’t look up hairstyle options for box braids. There are plenty of ways to style your braids to have a fresh look every day. Simply search for box braid styles on Google or Youtube. Hopefully this has been helpful for you and know there are plenty of videos on the subject of box braids online. Leave questions and comments down below!!! Happy braiding!!!

Starting My Natural Hair Journey…

Hi friends! I would like to introduce myself to the natural hair world haha.

A little bit of background:

I grew up in the South, Deep South where humidity, heat, and hot grease were as common as a north wind brings cooler weather. I was born with a head full of thick black curls and I loathed having it combed or styled. My mom eventually grew frustrated with the constant tug-of-war with me every day just to make me presentable, so at the tender age of three, she put my first perm in my head. Yes, it straightened my hair to become a little more manageable but something else had begun that day as well. Going to get my hair done became a constant and of course it grew but it also broke off and so my roller coaster got started. For those who don’t know what I mean, the rollercoaster of relaxed hair(in my experience)is your hair grows, you get a retouch, it breaks a little, you get a wash and set, it grows, you get a retouch, it breaks a little, you get a wash and set…and so on for years. Now I’ve been to several hairstylists and have the dreaded haircut (where someone cuts your “ends” but cut way too much), I’ve had the breakage, and I’ve had the spurts of growth/hope. When I left for college, I began doing my own hair because a college student rarely has much money to blow on hair, so I started using the DIY box perms. I didn’t see much difference between me spending $65 for someone else to do my hair and me spending $10 and a few hours to do it myself. One of the other problems I couldn’t understand was why my hair seemed like it was constantly dry, even after putting product in it. After all these years, my hair only barely skimmed my shoulder. That’s quite disheartening after over seventeen years.

Well, I got married and we made a little more money so I thought I would be able to do more about my hair situation. A few weeks after our honeymoon, I became pregnant. With the surge of hormones and extra nutrients, my hair grew thicker but it still wouldn’t pass my shoulders. I gave birth in September 2013 and I experienced just a little of postpartum shedding because I was breastfeeding. I kept using my box perms and grease but my hair still wasn’t growing past my shoulders. I continued on this routine until October 2014. I started researching going natural but unwittingly started transitioning by not putting in a perm at all.

So here we are on March 3, 2015 and I have not put in another perm since November 2014. So far, my hair texture has changed quite drastically and I’ve been quite hopeful about the results. Right now I’m wearing box braids because I’ve found that it is better for me and my hair to not have to manipulate it too much while retaining the much needed moisture. I’ll have another blog about that.

Things I have already started learning on this journey:

1.       Moisture is KEY. My hair is much more manageable, healthy, shiny, and prettier when it is truly moisturized. I use a mixture of moisture butter, tea tree oil, water, and leave-in conditioner to lightly mist my hair twice a day. Because it is high porosity and the weather here is so crazy, my hair loves this. But you must learn what your hair likes.

2.       Protective styling is versatile. If you don’t like braids, there are many other options for those who choose to protectively style their hair. But during the protective style, you still need to take care of your hair. Protective styling doesn’t mean completely hands off for months.

3.       Patience is important. When starting this journey toward natural hair, know that your patience will undoubtedly be tested. This journey is not for those who want a quick fix; it will take time to get your hair to its true potential. Just like anything else worthwhile, it takes work, sweat, and patience to reach your hair goal.

4.       Once you start your healthy hair journey, your confidence level will be tested as well. Embracing your natural curls, coils, or kinks will force you to become truly at ease in yourself and your hair. How you view your hair will affect how others view your hair, but the only person’s opinion who truly matters is YOURS because YOU are the one who has to wear it.

 

I’m not saying I have all the answers, and I am far from an expert. But maybe we can learn from each other. Now, let’s get started, shall we?