Lauren Simpson describes how hair became an investment and the monetary strain it caused. She calls it Accounting for Salons. 

Watching this video, I re-experience the time and the pain when I was a teenager, going to the salon with my mother. Now, that I think about it, these hairstylists had no clue what to do with black hair, besides trying to get it as flat and as straight as possible.

 

How long have you been in the hair industry?

I began in the industry as a teenager, that has been over 10 years ago. Professionally, I have worked in the industry over 5 years.

What sparked your interest & what keeps you intrigued today?

What interest me the most about the hair industry is the fact that there is no limit to my creativity. The first time I realized I was expressing myself through something I enjoyed, I became passionate about it. The pay didn’t hurt either. I am a person who enjoys staying on my toes and on top of the latest and greatest. This is an industry of constant changes and that’s what keeps me intrigued. I’m always learning new techniques and styles. I look at each client as a challenge and each happy client is an accomplishment.

Describe your most bizarre hair moment.

The most bizarre experience I have had been working in D.C. fashion week and experiencing all of the chaos backstage of a huge production.

[View with PicLens]

Is there anybody in particular you wish to work with or alongside?

I would love to work alongside Hadiiyah Barbell, Warren Beautiful, and Bambii Montgomery. I wish to work with anyone creative and I can see their story through their work.

Do you have any hair idols or role models?

My mother is very inspirational and motivational to me; she supports my every move I make, as well as my best friend she gives me a push when get discouraged. Marcella Ellis is a major role model for me she is an excellent business woman, she handles this industry well and I have learned a lot from her.

Have you had any celebrity clientele or wish to go that route?

I have not worked with any celebrities and I’m actually not sure if I would like to go that route but I definitely wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to try it if I was given the opportunity.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?

Five years from now, I see my business with a strong foundation, constant growth, an excellent reputation for creativity and great customer service.

Any long-term goals?

My goals are to own a salon as well as a beauty school that is merged with fashion as well as I dream to work with Essence, Ebony and W magazine as well as many other magazines I hope and plan to be published in.

Any hair secrets?

The real secret, is listening to my clientele and understanding the right product to use to achieve the maximum positive result.

Are you mobile or work in a salon?

I work in a salon and I also freelance.

How do we contact you?

I can be reached through my website at www.fashair.com as well as by email at mela.stylez@yahoo.com

Today, I lean heavily on oils of varying viscosities and my trusty shea butter. The reason for this dramatic deviation from the grease of my childhood is simple: Different oils do different things.

Grease was just grease. It kept my hair from being dry. But when it piled up, it clogged my scalp and weighed my hair down, doing less for the hair.

I have spent a lot of time within the past year researching via various natural hair blogs which oils to use for my hair and how to blend them. I have also learned the amounts that my hair positively responds to as well as how frequently I should apply them to my hair by trial and error. With that being said, I would like to share with you a few oils, their specialties and how to use them starting with the ones I use most:

Coconut Oil

This oil is very light and is one of the most penetrative oils to the hair shaft. It locks moisture into each individual hair strand. It is also rich in Vitamin E and it moisturizes the scalp to prevent itching and flaking. I use coconut oil in two ways: 1) I mix coconut oil with shea butter to make a smooth moisturizer for damp hairstyles including damp bantu knots and cornrows. I usually spritz hair with water and then apply this moisturizing mixture. 2) I use coconut oil by itself on hair that has been blown dry. I rub a small clump of coconut oil between my hands to melt it and then I smooth it through my hair, one side at a time daily or every other day as needed.

Order Coconut Oil.

Olive Oil

Olive oil nourishes your hair and adds amazing shine just like coconut oil. It also aids in the prevention of hair loss. I used to use olive oil on my hair daily but found that after a few days my hair smelled really badly. I still wanted the awesome results of using olive oil so I switched to using it in some of my homemade deep conditioners.

My favorite homemade conditioner recipe:

• Olive Oil
• Honey
• VO5 Moisture Milks Strawberries and Cream Conditioner
• Alba Botanica Hawaiian Mango Conditioner

The measurements vary depending upon how long your hair is. I use about 2 tbsp of olive oil, ½ a cup of honey, 1/3 cup of VO5 and 1/3 cup of Mango Conditioner.

Order Olive Oil .

Argan Oil

I tried Argan Oil on my hair after it was blown dry and flat ironed and the SHINE was to die for! Also, the smell was sweet and light. It did not weigh my hair down at all and I applied it just about every other day for the length of time I kept my hair straight. It helps to protect against heat damage and keeps hair from appearing dull.

Order Argan Oil.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

I love JBCO because it has proven itself as far as promoting hair growth. My edges had been pulled out by weaves that were sewn in too tightly. At first I thought that I permanently damaged the follicle and wouldn’t be able to grow them back but low and behold, after only two months of using JBCO on my edges a few times per week, I’ve seen the little curls popping up all around my edges!

JBCO is unrefined castor with a slightly darker color to it than the more widely distributed refined castor oil. It’s high ash content lends itself to hair growth and restoration. I normally apply JBCO to my edges only when I’m wearing a twist out/bantu knot out, two strand twists or the like. Applying it to my edges when my hair is pressed weighs the hair around the edges down.

Order Jamaican Black Castor Oil .

Shea Butter

I know this is a BUTTER but it has become one of my staple products because of its moisturizing and sealing effects on hair. I began using shea butter about a year ago, mixing it with coconut oil and applying it to my hair in sections for twist outs and bantu knot outs and it has worked wonders on the texture of my hair. It smoothes my hair shaft, giving it a butter soft feel and makes my hair shine like you wouldn’t believe. I apply it daily to keep my curls fresh and I only use 100% organic shea butter (which is an off white color NOT yellow). What oils and/or butters do you use? Have you seen a difference in your hair as a result?

Order Shea Butter.

La Truly

La Truly is a late-blooming natural-haired Aries whose writing is powered by a lifetime of anecdotal proof that awkward can transform to awesome, and fear can cast its crown before courage, meaning fear loses out to courage. Armed with the ability to purposefully poke fun at herself, La seeks to encourage thought, discussion and change through her writing. Check out on her blog: http://www.hersoulinc.com and Twitter: @AshleyLaTruly.

Temperatures of heated hair tools can reach well above 450°F. With the high temperatures of the heated appliances, we have to make sure that hair is healthy enough to use heat. If hair is dry and brittle, that is a sign of damage. Heating tools should not be used on already damaged hair as it will tend to break off more easily and causing major split ends or thinning of the hair. At all cost, you want to protect your hair as much as possible. There is not one hair type that cannot be affected by the harsh temperatures. This is where heat protectants come in to help you protect your hair from these potentially damaging heating appliances.

There are various types of hair protectants on the market. Determining which one is best for your hair is basically discovered through the trial and error method. There are heat protectant sprays, heat protectant serums, and heat protectant oils. Benefits of using heat protectants are a nice, sleek, and shiny appearance to hair strands. Since heat breaks down vital proteins with prolonged use, heat protectant helps maintain moisture in the hair after using heat.

Benefits of Heat Protectants:

• Nourishes hair with amino acids.
• Seals the cuticles to prevent damage to new growth
• Leaves hair silky, smooth and shiny.
• Protects hair from heat styling damage
• Sleek look to hair
• Easier manageability
• Reduces frizz
• Reduces reversion from humidity
• Locks in moisture to prevent loss while using heat

Heat Protectant Sprays: There are many types of heat protectant sprays on the mainstream market. Tressemme, Nexxus, Pantene, V05, Chi, Aussie and Suave are just some that are available almost anywhere. With the heat sprays, you part the hair into four sections. Spray each section and style as desired with heat.

Personally I am not a fan of heat protectant sprays. Although they have the same benefits as the serums and oils, it doesn’t seem appear to leave hair shiny enough for my liking. The spray seems to make the hair stiff. If you are going for the “blow with the wind” feeling for your hair, I would not recommend using the spray form of heat protectant. Also consider that every one’s hair behaves differently, so you may just like the feeling of the spray rather than the serums or oils. It is all about trial and error. Regardless, hair is protected with heat protectant sprays.

Heat Protectant Serums: Serums are more formulated to give the hair a radiant shine. Most serums contain silicones. Silicones provide a waterproof coating by covering the hair strands to lock in moisture. This helps prevent the loss of proteins when heat styling. This is great for lubricating the hair so it can feel smooth and sleek, which results in free flowing hair that is easy to manage. Since it is waterproof for the most part, it is reduces the absorption of humidity which assist with maintenance of straight or curled styles.

You would apply heat protectant serums in the manner of the sprays. Part hair into four sections. With each section, apply a quarter sized amount of protectant serum through each section evenly. Do not apply too much or else hair will become sticky. You can style as you please after continuing with the other three sections.

Heat Protectant Oils: Oils can be a bit messy but they provide an even sleeker result than the serums. If you are seeking the hair that “flow with the wind,” you may prefer the oils as a heat protectant. I would apply this oil different from the sprays and the serums only because oil is greasy. Part hair into two sections: a top and bottom section. Pour a quarter sized amount of oil into your hands and evenly distribute through each section. Style as desired. Hair should not be too greasy or flat.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Preferably, I love serums and oils. But for each heat protectant, I will give a recommendation for each type to help you figure out which one works best for you.

Heat Protectant Spray: I would suggest TRESemme Heat Spray. It has a fresh and pleasant smell. Unlike most sprays, it doesn’t leave the hair flat and dull after styling.

Heat Protectant Serums:Smooth ‘N Shine Silk ‘N Sleek Straighten Polish. Hands down! I use this regularly to flat iron or to curl. This adds great shine, flexibility, and volume. Hair appears much fuller with this serum. Serums also reduce frizziness.

Heat Protectant Oils: Next to Serums, Oils provide the best elasticity to hair. If you decide to go with the oils, try Morrocan Argan Oil. Morrocan Argan Oil added extreme shine. The oil provided a soft, sleek feel to the strands causing it to flow with the lightest wind. Fly-aways will be a thing of the past with oils. Another added factor with oils, you can use a little bit of oil to wrap the hair at night to keep that freshly sleek look.

Heat Protectant Oils: Next to Serums, Oils provide the best elasticity to hair. If you decide to go with the oils, try Moroccan Argan Oil. Morrocan Argan Oil added extreme shine. The oil provided a soft, sleek feel to the strands causing it to flow with the lightest wind. Fly-aways will be a thing of the past with oils. Another added factor with oils, you can use a little bit of oil to wrap the hair at night to keep that freshly sleek look.

Ijanei Smith has been into healthy hair practices since the age of nine. Learning different techniques to gain optimal health to her own hair through trial and error, she aims to spread the knowledge with other African-American women who are struggling with their hair as well.

Her philosophy is “to know better is to do better,” and when it comes to ensuring she spreads her knowledge of growing or maintaining hair, there is no limit or trial she is not willing to try. Learn more about me here: http://scaryhairobsession.blogspot.com

With so many different looks that she can pull off, I love the natural texture the best.

Ms. Washington seems to be within the type three range since her curls are loosely hanging and you can see the definition within them. If she were to comb out the curls she most likely would get a bushy fro but not the kind you would normally see due to her hair texture.

There have always been speculation as to whether she was natural, permed, or had a curl. But Kerry Washington cleared up the rumors by insisting her hair is fully natural. She claims to have her hair straightened to achieve certain looks, such as straight hair or big curls.

It does seem as if her hair texture changed from when she was a child. The pictures below suggest she had hair within the type four range during her childhood. But of the pictures from her adolescent years, you can clearly see the curl pattern that she is so proud of.

During a make-up session on the set of Django, a movie with Jamie Foxx where Washington portrays a wife. She had to get into the role of a “natural woman” who would be seen as someone next door, like a typical wife would be seen. ”I remember sitting up in my makeup chair, looking into the mirror, and thinking, ‘There she is!”’ she says. ”The last time I wore my natural hair in a film was probably Save the Last Dance.”- Kerry Washington

Maintaining the natural curl pattern after using so much heat to straighten it out for almost every filming, Washington must deep condition often, despite her busy schedule. Her locks are simply gorgeous and appear well cared for.

To achieve curls like Kerry’s on relaxed hair, try flat twisting damp hair and air drying overnight. Slowly take out hair in the order that you twisted it. Then fluff to your liking.

Ijanei Smith has been into healthy hair practices since the age of nine. Learning different techniques to gain optimal health to her own hair through trial and error, she aims to spread the knowledge with other African-American women who are struggling with their hair as well.

Her philosophy is “to know better is to do better,” and when it comes to ensuring she spreads her knowledge of growing or maintaining hair, there is no limit or trial she is not willing to try. Learn more about me here: http://scaryhairobsession.blogspot.com

April 2011 I semi-big chopped. I had no real idea how to lock in moisture or get my ‘fro to “look right” so yeah, I took a few pictures and they came out cute but to go outdoors with that little afro… I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I hid my hair under wigs and straightened it for a few months.

Then, I got the courage to bring my hair out from hiding, trimming the heat damaged ends off and experimenting with various natural hair styles. Twist outs were first. I added too much product and it came out stiff. Eh, next. Flexi rod sets? Ok. The curls were beautiful but I couldn’t quite the hang of equally spacing each curl so that there were no weird flat spaces in the middle. Next.

Finally, I came upon the Bantu knot. It took me a couple tries to get it but once I got it, I was in love. With a little of shea butter/coconut oil mixture and some of Shea Moisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie I was able to create beautiful curls with Bantu knots. The only problem was I was afraid to wear those beautiful curls out in a ‘fro.

What was the problem? It was a little bit of everything. I was scared others would think I looked silly or worse, my family would make fun of my “nappy” hair. I was afraid that the curls would be a little too wild for the world’s taste. And what if the curls didn’t look exactly like they did when I fluffed them in the mirror?

So, I grabbed some bobby pins and pinned the curls up on the side to create a curly Mohawk. And I rocked that style for a quite a while. It was fierce yet safe. Not wild enough for anyone to throw any negative comments my way, in my opinion.
I rocked with that for about a year. And then, after watching some beautiful twist out and Bantu knot out tutorials by the beautiful ladies of My Natural Sistas I decided to just go for it. Who cares what the world thinks? I LOVE MY HAIR. And so what if my ‘fro is wild? Isn’t that a facet of my personality anyway? Why was I giving the rest of the world (family included) the right to make me insecure about the hair growing out of my own scalp?

Thanksgiving Day 2012 I decided to rock a full out ‘fro. And I absolutely loved it. I somewhat braced myself for negative backlash from my uncultured family members but to my amazement, all I heard were positive comments. My aunt even asked me how I achieved the style and we spoke for a long time about Natural haircare.

What I realized after the day was over, was that once I decided to accept and love me, everyone else had no other choice but to accept me. I was so self-conscious for so long because I was internalizing everyone else’s preferences and opinions. But once I ventured a little further on the journey that is going Natural, I started to really see what I like, what I don’t like and what my personal preferences and styles are and I started to embrace it. I could care less who likes it or doesn’t like it.

My hair is MINE and my ‘fro is beautiful.

The great part is that the journey isn’t over. I’m still learning about myself, my hair, my style…everything. The ‘fro just recharged my batteries to keep moving forward.

La Truly

La Truly is a late-blooming natural-haired Aries whose writing is powered by a lifetime of anecdotal proof that awkward can transform to awesome, and fear can cast its crown before courage, meaning fear loses out to courage. Armed with the ability to purposefully poke fun at herself, La seeks to encourage thought, discussion and change through her writing. Check out on her blog: http://www.hersoulinc.com and Twitter: @AshleyLaTruly.

African-American women alone spend more money on hair care products than any other race. Not talking about a few hundred dollars here and there, studies show the amount we spend on hair care products surpasses the half a trillion dollar mark annually, just in our hair care alone.

So how can we cut this cost down? The answer is simple. Create treatments from the comfort of our own kitchen at little to no cost at all. The point is, we could save ourselves so much money if we used home remedies to fix everyday hair problems. There are plenty of ways to fix whatever problem you’re having with just a simple at home recipe.

Top Five Homemade Hair Rescues:

Mayonnaise

Combats dry hair, adds shine and adds intense moisture from roots to the ends. If your hair is dull, limp, breaks easy with a crunchy sound, then this homemade remedy will help.

Instructions:

• With a spray bottle, dampen hair with a few sprays.
• Hair should not be wet enough to drip. Grab the jar of mayonnaise you plan to use. Brand really does not matter since they all have egg protein.
• Scoop out some mayo and place it into a medium sized bowl or cup. The amount of mayo you will need for your hair depends on the length and thickness of your hair.
• In sections, place mayonnaise in hair from the roots to the ends of hair. Put enough in to where you are comfortable with it and to where the hair is saturated enough.
• After you have completed each section, place a plastic cap on for at least 20 minutes.
• When desired amount of time has passed, rinse mayonnaise out of hair with warm water.
• Follow up with a sulfate-free shampoo. In some cases, you may have to shampoo hair more than once to wash the mayo out.
• Rinse with cool water.
• Style as desired.

(There are some people who prefer to shampoo the hair first and then apply the mask. Then follow up the mask with another shampoo wash.)

Variations: Some people like to add oils or an egg to the mayonnaise mask. It really depends on the individual. Oil suggestions include olive oil, grape-seed oil and avocado oil.

Baking Soda and Yogurt

This treatment helps with removing dirt, buildup, and oils while also providing enough moisture to protect the hair once the dirt is stripped from the hair. It will provide a shine and give the hair some bounce.

Instructions

• Mix yogurt and baking soda together to form a paste.
• With freshly shampooed hair, apply the mix.
• Leave on hair, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Rinse out with luke-warm water.
• If you like, you can follow up with a moisturizing conditioner.

Eggs

Great for protein treatments. Provides the hair strength, elasticity, and prevents splits and breakage from occurring. Also prevents frizz.

Instructions

• Depending on your length and thickness, use 1-2 eggs.
• In a bowl, stir the eggs until the yolk is mixed in.
• Apply thoroughly through the hair. You can leave uncovered or covered.
• Let it set for 20 minutes.
• Rinse out with luke-warm water.

Oatmeal Mask

Helps with dandruff. This is for itchy or dry scalp. Rich in B vitamins, oatmeal softens the hair and the hair follicles. It conditions all the way from the scalp to the ends of the hair.

Instructions

• Use 1 cup of oatmeal preferably not the Instant Oats.
• In a blender, beat the oats until it is in a powdered form.
• Now you add ½ cup of water and ¼ cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil).
• Blend again.
• Now apply the mask to your hair.
• Evenly distributing throughout hair.
• Massage into your scalp.
• Leave on hair for 15 minutes.
• Rinse with luke-warm water.

For those with thicker, coarser, or longer hair, you may need to double the recipe.

Onions and Honey

Yes onions. Believe it or not, onions bring about hair growth. Onions help in regenerating hair follicles. Stimulating the scalp, promoting healthier and faster growth because of its richness in Sulfur. The honey helps keep the hair moisturized.

Instructions

• Peel one or two onions.
• Place the peels into a blender.
• Blend until it becomes a liquid. Extract the liquid and mix it with 1tbsp of honey. Apply the mix to the hair and scalp, allow it to sit for 45 mins. You can massage the hair if you like. Rinse out. In order to get rid of the smell, use a no sulfate (smell-good) shampoo. You should do this treatment once a week in order to see results.

Ijanei Smith has been into healthy hair practices since the age of nine. Learning different techniques to gain optimal health to her own hair through trial and error, she aims to spread the knowledge with other African-American women who are struggling with their hair as well.

Her philosophy is “to know better is to do better,” and when it comes to ensuring she spreads her knowledge of growing or maintaining hair, there is no limit or trial she is not willing to try. Learn more about me here: http://scaryhairobsession.blogspot.com

It seems Keenya Kelly came alive when she decided to go natural. Entrepreneur and Blogger Keenya Kelly is making waves in the hair community with her Events Company, The Return of The Curls. Learn more about her story.

What is your name and where are you from?
My name is Keenya Kelly and I currently reside in Richmond, VA

Tell us about your blog, your business and your hair journey.
I started my blog about two years ago, as a way to just journal my hair journey. Being a curly was something that was extremely new to me and I decided I would write about it and possibly help someone else along the way. I ended up talking about my life on the blog instead of just hair. Some days I’ll blog new from scratch recipes that I whipped up in the kitchen, other days I may preach a message thats in my heart to encourage and inspire women and then I post about the different events that my company will be hosting.

I started my company Keenya Kelly LLC February of this year and birthed Return of the Curls, which are events, expos for women who are natural or considering the natural journey. At these event we usually host 40-50 different vendors for attendees to purchase products and learn about new services, which companies get to participate in a one day event to brand themselves to our audiences.

What is the #1 message you want to convey to your fans.
I want to let them know its ok to be yourself. We’ve spent so much of our lives watching other people and trying to mirror ourselves after them, especially celebrities, but I want them to know you’re awesome the way that God made you…and if you stopped to recognize it, you could really go a lot further in life and be much happier.

How long have you been natural?
I celebrated my 3 year anniversary on November 20, 2012.

What made up your mind to go natural?
GIRL WHO KNOWS! I always tell people it had to be God because I had ZERO desire to go natural, but once I did, I birthed my company.

How did you do it? BC? Transition? What was your technique?
I stopped putting in a relaxer in my hair for 4 months and then just called a friend and had her cut it all off!! I was having a really tough time, because I didn’t have the extra money to visit a professional salon to help with my transition, so I just opted to cut it all off.

What do your peers and family think?
Initially they all hated my hair, thought I had been hurt by a guy and thats why I cut my hair. I even had a guy message me on facebook and said all women don’t look good natural. WTW??? LOL But now everyone loves my hair, and so many of my friends and family members have now embarked upon their own natural journeys.

What are your favorite products for washing, moisturizing, and conditioning?
To be honest, the products that have worked great for me are Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner, or Aussie Moist! But for a good leave in conditioner I love Tree Naturals, Giovanni Direct Leave In and then Shea Moistures Conditioners. Now the most recent styling product I’ve fallen in love with is from Coco Curls, their Curl Styling Aid…amazing stuff.

What is your favorite hairstyle for hair growth?
My favorite style in general would be a braid out. I love how wavy my hair looks, and it elongates my hair. I usually experience a lot of shrinkage, but with a braid out you are able to really see the length of my hair.

What advice do you give to people transitioning?
I STRONGLY recommend that you seek a professional who specializes in natural haircare. Its not the easiest thing to transition and its not something I recommend you do alone without professional help.

Where can we get in contact with you?
If you want to find me you can pretty much google me and I am EVERYWHERE!! LOL OR
www.keenyakelly.com
www.facebook.com/keenyakellyllc
www.returnofthecurls.com
www.facebook.com/returnofthecurls
and Instagram Keenya Kelly or ReturnoftheCurls2

Where shall we see you in the near future with your brand and blog?
We are going INTERNATIONAL praise God. We plan to criss cross the world spreading the love of Jesus and Natural Hair. I’m in Richmond, Va now, but in 2013 we will be in VA, NC. KY and possibly AL (ALABAMA) LOL

Discover Brittany Basden, our newest elite contributor and creator of Kyss My Hair and Ms. Brittany Bass. This student and hair & beauty blogger from Bahamas believes, “If it makes you feel good, wear it!” She encourages women to wear their hair anyway they desire and dress in clothing that prompts the phrase, “I like the way I look”. Learn more about her story.

What is your name and where are you from?
Hello! My name is Sand I am from the beautiful island of Nassau, Bahamas. I currently live in Minnesota because I’m a college student at The College of Saint Benedict.

Tell us about your blogging and your hair journey.
Honestly, I never really thought I would start documenting my natural hair journey on my blog. Women posting photos of their hair on natural hair forums inspired me so I started posting photos of my own around December 2010 (I was about 9 months natural then), and I began to get a lot of compliments. The only reason I have as much pictures of my hair when I first went natural is because all the natural hair blogs I was reading at the time advised me to document, document, document! I loved that I had a lot of pictures that I could look at when the perm gods were whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

Anyway, fast forward to around March of this year, I asked a few naturals who were in college with me if they would get some of their natural friends to do interviews and I started posting them onto the blog. I got some good feedback and published the first article on May 5, 2012, and the rest, as they say, is history.

What is the #1 message you want to convey to your fans?
I have fans? Lol. Apart of being a woman to me is being able to choose what I want to be and how I want to look. Hence, whatever one’s reason is for going natural, the number one message I want to convey to my readers is that, it was your decision. It was a choice that you freely made, so whatever you do with your hair after you go natural is also your choice. I may be making this way more serious than it has to be, but I feel like there’s way too much judging within the natural hair community. A lot of times we critique each other instead of lifting each other up.

How long have you been natural and what made up your mind to go natural?
March 2013 will make three years that I have been natural *round of applause*.

I went natural for three reasons:

• I thought natural hair was beautiful. Point. Blank. Period. I was on YouTube engaging in tomfoolery, as per usual, and I came across a few YouTube gurus (I don’t know if the phrase YouTube guru existed back then, but anyhow). I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a natural hair community, but what I saw amazed me. These women had long, natural hair, and I thought to myself, “Wait a minute, my hair kind of looks like that naturally.” I couldn’t believe that for years, people were telling me that this was ugly and I believed it!
• This prompted me to think about how I viewed myself as a woman. I considered myself to be a woman who was absolutely in love with her body and my hair is an extension of my body. It did not sit well with me that I could say that I love my body and hate my hair, which was the reason I permed it to begin with.
•  Lastly, I wanted longer f’in hair. Lol. I begged my mother for a perm when I was around nine, and from then, I thought my hair should have been kissing my ankles. The Christmas before I went natural, I went to this salon, and a scissor happy stylist cut off about two inches of my hair. I was devastated (you know how we women can get sometimes when a stylist done messed up the flex). Anyway, I figured that if this natural thing didn’t work out, I could always perm my hair again. I had nothing to lose and three things to gain: pretty hair, long hair, and a little more self-esteem.

How did you do it? BC? Transition? What was your technique?
I had my last perm in March 2010 and on May 26, 2010, I went in the bathroom and cut my hair off with a paper scissors. For some people, this is a big deal. However, for me, when I make up my mind that I want to do something, Jesus, and the twelve disciples have to stop me. My permed hair was dead to me; it was like it did not exist anymore and all I did was make it official. I can’t lie, I was a little scared after I did it, but this was only because I was afraid of what people would think. I ran out and got a wig. Lol.

What do your peers and family think?
My mother was for the most part supportive of me, but she still said some slick things that made me want to go off on her. Honestly, I wanted her to tell me that I was still beautiful sometimes, but she didn’t. I did not wear my natural hair out until December of 2010, so when I showed my dad a picture of my hair, I think his mouth dropped a little. That was funny. I think for the most part people didn’t know that I was natural, but when I did wear it out people were like, “oh…I could never do that”. I love that now some of these same women are now asking me for hair advice. That makes my heart fuzzy ☺

As far as men go, I did not meet any new men after I went natural that I could consider myself seeing. I remember one guy calling me ball head becky, or something like that, but most of them were just like “um…okay”.

What are your favorite products for washing, moisturizing, and conditioning?
I have commitment issues when it comes to products. I’m not a product junkie, mainly because I’d rather spend my money on shoes and clothes (just keeping it real), but I do think about “stepping out” on some of my products (that’s mental cheating, the first sign of product junkyism). The only thing I’m ride or die for is castor oil. I put some rope twists in my hair once and it pulled out all my edges. I rubbed Castor Oil on it for a couple months and it grew back.
As far as washing and conditioning goes, I use either the Shea Moisture shampoo and conditioner, or the Organix Coconut Shampoo and conditioner. For moisturizing I use my Shea Moisture conditioner as well as my water and glycerin mix, and to seal all that goodness in, I use castor oil. I’m a diy girl (or at least that’s what I like to tell myself), so I mix egg, honey, mayo, and whatever oil I have on deck to do my deep treatments.

What is your favorite hairstyle for hair growth?
My favorite hairstyle for growth is a weave. Yes, that’s right a weave. I know a lot of naturals like to ‘keep it natural’, so I recommend twisted updos/ braided updos because they are extremely practical, your ends are concealed, and there are 101 ways to style them so you won’t get bored.

What advice do you give to people transitioning?

1. Don’t mind the noise in the market and do not, under any circumstances, take advice from people whose hair you’ve never seen. If you’re going to go natural, you need to surround yourself with people who support you.
2. Sometimes the above is challenging and this is where the online natural hair community comes in to play. Stalk YouTube videos and natural hair blogs like your life depends on it. Get some inspiration. Find a hair twin. Repeat the next day.
3.  In terms hairstyles, flexi rod sets are great because you can blend your natural roots to your permed ends more easily, and you get accustomed to wearing your hair in a curly state. Braided and twisted updos are also great because nobody can tell your transitioning (so you don’t have to get those annoying remarks like “girl you need a perm”) and these can last for a while. Of course, extensions are always an option as well.

Where can we get in contact with you?
I’m all over the internet, but you can find me on my blog www.kyssmyhair.com, my youtube channel, www.youtube.com/kinkyislandgirl, and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/kyssmyhair. My e-mail is brittanybass@live.com and I’m on twitter and instagram: username – @msbrittanybass. I apologize in advance for my sometimes ratchet behavior on twitter. Lol.

Where shall we see you in the near future with your brand and blog?
You know, I want my blog and my youtube channel to be successful because I want to teach/inspire as much people as I can, but I’m a bit of a “one step at a time” person. I’m not saying that I’m not proactive, but I like to see where I’m taken, and if my blog takes me somewhere good, I’ll stay.

The hair is mainly made out of a protein called Keratin.  This special protein is what keeps the hair strong and shiny, but it can’t do it alone.  It is up to us to eat healthy to maintain our hair.   So here are some tips on how kick start your mane into the healthy zone.

First things first, Drink your water: Drinking water can do so much for your hair. Got problems with moisture? Make sure you are getting the right amount of water in your diet.

It is recommended to drink about 8/8 oz glasses of water a day. Don’t drink this amount all at once. Divide this amount throughout the day to balance your intake.

Keep it Green: Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, provides calcium and iron. It also has vitamin A and C. Both of these vitamins helps with sebum ,  which helps condition the hair and adds shine. Veggies consumed raw or lightly steamed is always best. Over cooking will take out most of the vitamins needed for healthy hair.

Beans: Kidney Beans and Lentils are just a few of the types of beans that provide iron, zinc and biotin for the hair. If you lack biotin in your diet it can result in the hair feeling and looking brittle on the ends. This also will result in an increase in hair shedding.

Scalp Treatment: Many do not know this, but eating carrots helps condition the scalp. Carrots have a great source of vitamin A. Vitamin A reduces hair loss and retains the hair because of its natural scalp treatment.

Multi Vitamins:  Sometimes it can be hard to get all those vitamins and nutrients every day.  Taking multi vitamins can ensure you receive those essentials daily.   Make a trip to your local Vitamin Shoppe or GNC for tons of vitamin selections based on your diet and needs.

All in all, those hair products are great ads to keeping the hair in tip top shape, but do not neglect the overall health of your hair.  Nutrients that you feed your body help fortify the hair follicles which is how our hair grows.  Taking care of your body from the inside will not only allow you to maintain healthy hair, but it will help your body overall.

These few tips can go a long way.

Sasha Manley

Sasha Manley created Natural High, an Independent Hair and Lifestyle blog created to inspire audiences with self-love, quality of life and purpose.  It has a funky mix of art, lifestyle and hair love.  It’s through her blog she gets inspiration for all her writing to share with everyone.

In any spare time, she likes to draw, paint and work on her DIY projects. This year she is working on her latest projects with Natural High, book writing, graduate school and business ventures.

You can learn more by visiting her website www.thenaturalhighblog.com or her fan page www.facebook.com/naturalhighblog or twitter @naturalhighco or instagram @naturalhighco or pinterest @naturalhigh