My Hair--My Rules!

IMITATING THE UNFLAWED CUTICLE

2011-06-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

How do you imitate it?

Simple:

1. 1) Keep your hair stretched; which most kinky girls have already figured out. Most kinky haired persons use twist outs, braids out, and/or heat to keep it as straight as they deem necessary. Some wear it completely straight or loosen the curl with a relaxer or texturizer.

Keeping it stretched or relaxed DOES NOT SOLVE the lack of cuticle protection, however it does allow the cuticles to be relaxed and normal instead of raised.

Notice the diagram above.

2. 2) Use products that fill in those holes and tears and try to keep the cuticle as intact as possible by using product that provide extra layers of protection. These products also help to create a more rounded appearance.

Synthetic Products such as cones, mineral oil, beeswax, and all the so called “junk” natural gurus told you to stop buying---you may want to run to the store and get them all back! It turns out those hair scientist had black hair figured out a long time ago, but we still haven’t.

These synthetic products and even some so called “natural” products provide extra layers of protection by providing an impermeable barrier around the hair shaft. This barrier takes some of the strain off of the cuticle. Having extra protection allows you to do more styles with your hair other than the protective ones and allows the hair to stay viable through normal unstable conditions; such as the weather. They also prevent split ends and other hair flaws by keeping the cuticle intact and protected for a longer period of time.

It’s almost like protecting the protector.

Most kinky heads that only use natural products can only do minimal to their hair. They are forced to wear protective styles and believe they have found the answer to black hair growth. The truth is, that notion is as silly as the no carb diet which touts the way to lose weight is to not eat carbohydrates at all. Of course it works, but more often than not, it becomes unrealistic.

There is simply not enough natural protection to sustain harsh treatment for a longer time without being affected.

If you’re like me and want to not only grow your hair, but enjoy it; follow my progress.

Izzy's Got the Frizzes!

2011-06-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

OMG! Cuteness Overload!!

Phineas and Ferb on Disney Channel

Did anyone catch the "dutty wine" Jamaican dance at 0:09...?
So funny!

Synthetic Vs Natural Part 2 of 3

2011-06-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

I used to be a Bible thumping Natural Product believer! No one could tell me ANYTHING! Synthetic Products were the Devil to me. I felt it would only damage my hair until after years of research and noticing my hair was actually worse than before, I found the truth!

You want the truth, but can you really handle it?

Kinky hair is naturally flawed. Yes, flawed! Most people will get offended by the term flaw, however if you want the answers, you’ve got to accept the truth.

Kinky is NOT the same as Curly.

Please read Natural Havens blog about Curls vs Kinks for more details

Notice that Curly Hair has a full and rounded cuticle in comparison to Kinky Hair
Image taken from: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com

While other hair types tend to have a full and rounded cuticle, ours is more

like a tape worm. It is sort of flat, abnormally shaped and dented as Pictured above. It twists in irregular angles making it NATURALLY not strong or durable;

Hence our problem with length retention.

Our hair NATURALLY has the least amount of protection in comparison to any

other hair type!

Notice the structure of the Hair.
The Cuticle is the outermost layer.

See that cuticle pictured left? There are layers and layers of it protecting the actual protein that makes of hair called the Cortex. The cuticles are actually like layers of CLEAR seran wrap protecting your precious food. Just like the seran wrap, it is clear and its only job is to protect that thing it’s surrounding; the cortex or “the food”. That’s where the real goodies lie and needs all the protection it can get!

Problem is, kinky hair has LESS seran wrap or cuticles than any other hair type! OH NO! And because of all the twisting and turning kinky hair does, the seran wrap is not clinging as well as it’s suppose to! Now, the seran wrap is all torn up and is losing it's structure. It's exposing the food it's suppose to be protecting and you MUST find something to cover it back up! DOUBLE OH NO!

So, what’s a girl to do when all those obstacles are NATURALLY against you?

IMITATE the unflawed cuticle.

part 3

Natural Vs Synthetic Part 1 of 3

2011-06-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

The Debate: Is Natural Products the Real Answer to Hair Woes?
The truth may shock you!

Pic taken from:
http://www.food-based-nutrition.com

Most blogs and vlogs will proudly tout “YES!”

I say no!

Not only do I say no, but I actually believe synthetic products are better! O-M-G! I know some of you are ready to hurl a tomato at me, but just listen before you react.

In no way am I saying natural products aren’t great on hair. In fact, I LOVE them. I incorporate natural products in my regimen all the time. But notice the word INCORPORATE. I don’t stick to ONLY natural products. I mix it with synthetic products because in my opinion synthetic products (OR) natural products that ACT like synthetic products are what can SUSTAIN hair ; especially kinky, porous hair.

Wait! Come again—huh?

You’ve been using natural products and your hair has been growing like weeds, you say? Well, maybe you’re doing either one of two things:

1. You are using products that ACT like synthetic products.

Products like shea butter and henna are products that ACT like synthetic products.

2. You DO NOT touch your hair at all! Your styling options are very minimal.

Some Gurus will tell you the only way to grow your hair is to “LEAVE IT ALONE”.

What they forgot to tell you is that’s only partially true.

Of course, too much of anything is never a good thing, but to hardly ever touch it unless ~~gently~~ placing it in a protective style --really?

What’s the point of having hair if you can never style it within reasonable means?

How can you BOAST about hair growth success when you couldn’t touch it in order to retain it?

That’s like bragging about how you’ve kept your favorite coat in almost perfect condition. Someone will naturally ask you, what you did to keep it in such good condition and the only logical answer you can provide other than the detergent you used is that you only wore it ONCE.

OBVIOUSLY, that is why your coat is in tip top condition after five (5) years, but how is that really impressive if you never wore it? The detergent aided, but it wasn’t really the product, it was the fact that you never wore it.

Some people will run and buy that detergent, not recognizing it is not the real hero

~~or that you really didn't enjoy that coat.~~

In the same instance, many hair gurus will boast about there hairs success, stating that it was the ALL NATURAL products they used when the truth is, those natural products CANNOT and I repeat CANNOT sustain the hair through different conditions!

The hair, just like that coat, is dead and need products to keep its fibers protected if you plan on actually wearing it!

Find out why, next..

UP NEXT...

Natural Vs Synthetic Part 2: The Kinky Hair Structure

Super Slacker

2011-06-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had those moments where you are are super slacking on your hair regimen. Well, thats me right about now...

I have been extending my wash days for far too long, but I've still managed to do a light blow-out ~~filled with dirt~~. The last time I washed it, I piled gel in it immediately afterwards, which seemed to have killed the point of washing it.

I promise to get back on good terms with my hair this weekend.

STILL TO COME...

Why I believe Synthetic Products can be BETTER than Natural Products

Hair Regime

2011-06-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

lightly blown-out with handheld dryer

Ponytail Puff (ignore the puffy eyes!)

Front shot of hair texture and length WITH holding gel

Side shot of hair texture and length WITH holding gel

Hair Regimen

Materials

· Aphogee Damaged Hair Shampoo.

· Aphogee Moisture Balancing Conditioner

· Kimmaytube Leave in (OR) Plain Ol’ Knot today with jojoba oil

as sealant.

· Aphogee Pro-Vitamin Leave in and Heat protectant

· Handheld Blow Dryer

· Wide Tooth Comb

· Denman Brush

· Plastic cap

· Two(2) ponytail holders

Procedure:

1. Shampoo hair with Aphogee Damaged Hair Shampoo in a downward motion in 4 sections. Rinse.

2. Squeeze out excess water and place Aphogee Moisture Balancing Conditioner on hair

3. Place Plastic cap on hair and let sit for 15 minutes. Heat is optional, but preferable. Rinse.

4. Apply two (2) quarter sized worth of Kimmaytube Leave-in. Use wide tooth comb to distribute.

5. Heavily spray Aphogee Pro-vitamin leave-in. Distribute evenly with wide tooth comb.

6. Use Denman brush as final detangler.

7. Place hair in two (2) Low ponytails using two (2) ponytail holders. Part the hair vertically in the center to achieve this look. Let air dry

8. When hair has completely dried (this take a few days for me), use handheld blow dryer.

9. On low heat, start at the root. Putting most of the concentration on the roots, sweep over the root three (3) times.

10. Detangle again using the wide tooth comb and the Denman brush as a final detangler.

11. Then, take the blow-dryer and sweep over the remaining ends two (2) times quickly.

12. Now, using High heat, sweep over the root once again TWO (2) times only.

13. Move on to the ends. Slowly passing the blow-dryer through it ONCE.

14. Do this over entire head once a week

UP NEXT...

Synthetic vs Natural Products.

Why I believe synthetic products are BETTER than natural products!

My Hair Status

2011-05-26T01:01:00.000-07:00

HAIR 411

Length: 8 to 14 months worth of growth (or) 4 to 7 inches of hair. It's long enough to go into a barely there low ponytail, but still needs bobby pins.

Pictures and Videos will be provided in a later post.

Growth Timespan: 3 yrs

Porosity: High. Tested with the “Strand in Water Test”

Density: Medium. Not too thick, not too thin. An example of my density is Kimmaytube on Youtube

Strand: Mostly normal. Again, refer to Kimmaytube

Texture: Mainly 4a/4b with sprinkles of 3c and 4c

Last big cut: January 2011 and a semi-big cut in April 2011. I chopped at least two (2) inches worth of hair each time.

Most problematic area: The middle. It’s the easiest to tangle and easiest to break. It is the shortest part of my hair because of the amount of cutting I have to do.

Styling choice: Heat-styled Natural using light blow-drying

Protective Style choice: The bun and the blow out. I will go into why I believe the blow-out is my protective style later on.

Hair Goal: Going six months without NEEDING to chop all my hair off AGAIN!

Hair mishaps:

1. Dying my hair blonde four (4) times; each time putting it all over my already dyed strands.

2. Single strand knots (My biggest struggle). They eat at my length.

3. Not trimming enough.

4. Heat damage. Using my blow dryer everyday with no heat protectant.

5. Flat ironing my hair on the hottest temperature while doing 4 to 10 passes each section. This was when I was new to the blow-out.

6. Split hairs. Not just single strand knots but hairs splitting in the shaft. I noticed this after my crazy heat session.

7. Most Importantly *drum roll please*.....using ONLY natural products. Natural products sound great and can be great, but are they really that great? The explanation will come later!

POST YOUR HAIR STATUS!

UP NEXT...

My Hair Regimen

What's to come

2011-05-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

My next post will discuss and show my current hair status:

The texture/density/ coarseness
My hairstyle choice
Any recent hair mishaps
My current length (pictures included)
My hair regimen: hair products and styling tools

Please stay tuned!

I'm just getting warmed up..

My first Blog Post

2011-05-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Honey Blonde Dyed Hair
(that did not retain length..:( )

Welcome to my blog!

Its been a long time coming, but I've finally pushed myself to make a blog about hair. I've been studying hair for a few years now, but it was only since I decided to go natural that I really began to understand it.

I've been struggling with my natural hair for about three years now. I've made plenty of mistakes: from overprocessed dyes, ripping at my hair, not keeping it protected and overuse of heat. You name it, I've done it.

However, it seems that I'm quite skilled with others' hair. I've managed to grow many friends and family members' hair to extraordinary lengths, while mine has stayed pretty much the same.

Why?

Simple. I don't follow my own advice. Its a simple case of "Do what I say, not what I do!"

I know it's bad, but I'm very confident that I know what to do to grow healthy hair. All I have to do is follow my own advice based on all my research. My knowledge has been proven and tested by many. Now it's my turn to apply that knowledge to myself.

This blog will focus on:

My journey: my success and failures at hair care. It will show how I manage to grow my own hair by following my own advice.
Discuss social topics of hair: work, family, social gatherings
The science of hair and the products we put on it
All hair types, textures, and styling options such as relaxed, heat-trained, natural, texturized, straight, etc

and much more!

Please stay, search and enjoy.