Nappy Headed Black Girl

Celebrity Chat: T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh

2013-05-17T16:33:57Z

T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh is no stranger to show business; in fact, she’s been performing since childhood. Along with her breakout role as a cast member on the iconic sketch comedy show In Living Color, Ms. Keymáh has starred in Cosby and Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven. She’s also the author of Natural Woman / Natural Hair: A Hair Journey. These days you can see her on episodes of BET’s Let’s Stay Together and in her upcoming two-person stage show, Sellout!?! Read on as we chat with Ms. Keymáh about all things hair.

How did you view your hair growing up? Have you always embraced your texture?

I didn’t view my hair favorably at all. I didn’t appreciate it in its natural state because I associated it with the torture of having it combed (with a comb not designed to comb my hair, of course) and the horror of having it pressed (and my ears, neck, or forehead burned in the process). Like most girls in my generation, I also accepted the wicked notion that my hair was not pretty (and therefore I was not pretty) unless my hair was pressed.

For a long time there was no image or voice to tell me otherwise. When I was around twelve I wanted an afro, but my grandmother was not having that. I choose my battles with her and did not wage an all-out campaign about it. Ironically, I came into my natural awakening not long after I got my first perm. It took me a several years (and a trip to Africa) to figure out how to get rid of it and the hot comb, but once I did, I never looked back.

I can’t recall ever seeing you with relaxed hair. Have you always been natural? Have you ever straightened your hair?

I’ve been wearing my hair naturally since before I came to Los Angeles in 1990, but I was raised with pressed hair.

You hair looks thick and lush…and there’s a lot of it! What is your routine? Do you use any particular products?

Thank you. When I’m good, I condition it regularly and protect it from chemicals, rough fabrics, and excessive sun exposure. I massage my scalp and apply oil when needed – with something natural. I test and use many different brands and products, including Nubian Heritage, AfroVeda, and Carol’s Daughter. I also keep olive oil in my medicine cabinet for my skin and hair. I include flaxseed in my diet, which is also good for both skin and hair.

What are your top tips for handling natural hair?

Be kind to your hair. Protect it from cotton, wool, or any harsh fabrics, chemicals, or other influences that may damage it. Comb gently and patiently with an appropriate device from the bottom up. Remember that what looks strong may be very fragile, especially when dry. Massage, brush, oil, and braid at least once a week. Condition when you shampoo.

You are truly an entertainment powerhouse. You’ve done everything from acting to directing and voice over work. How did you get started in the entertainment business? Has this always been your passion?

Thank you. I’ve been performing, writing, directing, and producing since I was a child. I created shows first in my grandparent’s living room, then in the back yard, and by high school at public venues. This has always been my passion. Even though I’ve wanted to do other things as well, I’ve always been moved to express myself creatively.

What, if any, challenges have you faced wearing your natural hair in Hollywood? Has it ever prevented you from getting a role?

Many. When I first came to Los Angeles, there were not many hairstylists in the industry who worked with natural hair. I often did my own hair. Sometimes a studio would bring in a hairstylist from a local salon to do my hair. Most people did not know what to make of the fact that I didn’t want heat, let alone a chemical in my hair.

I have been told directly that I would work more (or that I would have gotten a specific job) if my hair were straight. I have also been offered negative roles that I think someone thought would match my unstraightened hair.

Do you wear wigs and/or pieces on occasion as a compromise to straightening your hair?

Yes. I don’t mind wearing wigs (and do not consider it a compromise) when I’m playing a character with straight hair. I am just cognizant of why her hair is straight. For me, straight hair is not the given; natural hair is. So if I am playing someone with straight hair, it is not arbitrary. It is saying something specific about that person… and not that she is pretty. It is saying something about her mindset.

Any closing words of advice for new naturals or those considering taking the plunge?

Be patient. Be brave. Be proud. Be an example. Experiment. Enjoy the journey!

Connect with Ms. Keymáh at tkeyah.com, where you can also find her blog, social media links, autographed pieces, and copies of her books. Let’s Stay Together airs Tuesdays at 10:30P/9:30C on BET.

Celebrity interviews to your inbox.

4 Natural Hair Bandwagons I’m Not Here For

2013-05-15T19:23:23Z

Learning your natural hair, especially as a newbie, can be a costly and confusing process.

You know the routine: BC, visit all the popular hair sites for advice, watch every YouTube video ever made about natural hair, and try out all the “must-have” products and techniques.

As you become more comfortable and knowledgeable about your hair you realize what works for everyone else may not work for you.

I, like many of you, have wasted countless dollars and precious time riding bandwagons that ultimately proved to be not for me.

Here’s my list of natural hair holy grails that I can do without.

ACV Rinses

I’ve experimented with this magical rinse sent down from the anti-buildup gods more than once with regular results. And by “regular” I mean I can achieve the same results with a plain ol’ clarifying shampoo. So now I save my ACVnatural ingredients for cooking and stick to Suave for any buildup issues.

Shea Butter

I know what you’re thinking…how dare I speak out against the almighty shea butter, nature’s elixir for beautiful, worry-free natural hair? Don’t get me wrong. Shea butter is wonderful for certain types of hair. For my fine hair, however, it’s much too heavy and leaves me with limp hair. I opt for oils and creamy leave-ins for sealing and moisture.

Co-washing

The main point of co-washing is to moisturize your hair without stripping it of its natural oils. I can do this by simply rinsing and applying a leave-in and/or oil. Doing it this way causes less stress on my hair (less manipulation and friction), saves time, and eliminates potential buildup/breakage caused by the conditioner.

Daily Moisture

I, like many, used to carry around my mini spritzer filled with filtered water and my oil mixture du jour, ready to be whipped out to refresh my naps at a moment’s notice. What I found was that spritzing multiple times a day accomplished one thing for me: wet hair. Now that I’ve developed a moisture routine that works, I no longer need to moisturize every day.

NHBG family, what are some natural hair bandwagons you don’t ride?

Join the NHBG movement.

Mo’ Better Butters Giveaway

2013-05-13T14:37:18Z

If you’re looking for rich butters for your hair and body that won’t break the bank, then Mo’ Better Butters has you covered.

All Mo’ Better Butters creamy bars and decadent moisturizers are 100% handmade, chemical-free, and all-natural.

And now you, NHBG reader, have the chance to win one of your own.

To enter the giveaway:

Like Mo’ Better Butters on Facebook
Like Nappy Headed Black Girl on Facebook

Two fabulous winners will be randomly chosen. Each will receive one item of their choice valued at $12 or less.

Contest is open to U.S. residents only and ends Monday, May 20th, at midnight.

Good luck, fam.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Naturals To Know: Vashti

2013-05-09T04:42:59Z

1 How long have you been a natural? Did you transition? If so, how?

I big chopped in August 2009. I had stopped relaxing my hair three months prior, but at that time I didn’t know it was called transitioning Once I big chopped, I cut off most of my new growth and started fresh with about 1/4 inch of hair.

2 Describe your hair in three words.

Cottony, springy, unique.

3 How are you currently wearing your hair? What is your hair routine? What products do you use?

For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been wearing kinky twists. When I’m not protective styling (I tweak my regimen slightly then), I cleanse/co-wash my hair and deep condition weekly. I clarify my hair no more than twice each month.

I use bentonite clay or a Bobeam shampoo bar to clarify. Some of my other favorite products include Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque (as a styler), Qhemet Biologics Amla & Olive Heavy Cream, and Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Curl Moisturizing Conditioner. I tend to rotate my products, but I’m consistent with the routine.

4 Name one thing that you learned about your hair after becoming a natural.

The importance and value of weekly/regular deep conditioning. I honestly didn’t pay much attention to deep conditioning when I was relaxed. If I wasn’t at the salon, I just grabbed any conditioner and slapped it on. Now I know better.

5 Where else can we find you online?

Check out my blog, The HodgePodge Files
Like my Facebook page, The HodgePodge Files
Subscribe to my YouTube channel, VeePeeJay’s Hair Adventures
Let’s hang in my Meetup group, Bella Glam Natural
Follow me on Instagram @veepeejay

6 A final word of advice for new naturals?

Your hair is amazing and beautiful. No matter its length treat it that way. Enjoy each stage, employ best practices based on your hair’s characteristic and needs, and have FUN!

Meet new naturals.

What’s Wrong With This Mizani UK Ad?

2013-05-06T18:19:47Z

Before you continue reading, scroll back up and look over the ad. It was placed on the Mizani UK Facebook page and immediately ruffled some feathers.

Do you see it? Can you find the things that make you go…hmmm?

Let’s discuss, shall we?

First, did this professional hair company really just offer a free paddle brush as a gift for an ad marketed to people with kinky/nappy hair?

I guess the plan is to make us brush ourselves bald so need to come back for their services.

Not a good strategy.

The second (and most offensive) issue is the use of one simple word: excessively.

The ad crowns the two featured stylists “the premium and professional experts for Afro and excessively curly textured hair.”

Let’s break this down with some help from The Free Dictionary:

Excessive describes a quantity, amount, or degree that is more than what is justifiable, tolerable, or desirable.

You can imagine the hubbub this caused on the internet. Why not just say kinky hair? Or highly textured?

So how do I feel about this ad? Honestly, I’m more upset with the paddle brush offer than the wording.

I understand why others are peeved and I understand why I should be. Really, I get it.

But I can’t say that it bothers me.

What do you think of this ad? Are you offended? Should Tony & Guy be stripped of their crowns?

Let’s talk hair.

Kinky When Wet: Hayley Marie Norman

2013-05-02T11:16:18Z

You may recognize Hayley Marie Norman from many places. As one of Hollywood’s familiar young faces, she’s appeared in print ads (Hennessy), film (Hancock, Norbit), and television (The Game, CSI: Miami). You may have also seen her on the hit TV show Deal or No Deal), where she quickly became the standout model for briefcase #25. These days she stars in Hello Cupid, a breakout YouTube web series. Read on to learn more about Ms. Norman’s hair, show, and advice for new naturals.

Have you always been natural?

I’ve been natural my whole life. It wasn’t easy, but now I can say I was lucky. Back then I hated my parents for it. They always encouraged me to keep my hair natural. And by “encouraged me” I mean they were just like, “We’re not taking you to straighten your hair.” So I kind of had no choice growing up. As I got older I came more into it and owning it.

I think it was my experience on Deal or No Deal that really made me start loving my hair. When I knew that I was really close to being chosen as one of the girls, I really thought they were gonna ask me to straighten my hair. I asked them about it and they were like, “No, we love your hair. Why would you straighten it?” America responded and I started getting letters from a ton of people. That’s when I realized I wanted to be a voice for black women to know that you don’t have to change who we are and what you look like naturally to fit into society’s idea of what’s beautiful.

Do you have any particular products that you swear by? Do you have a routine?

Sometimes people think they have to put something on their hair to make it grow, but I think what goes into your body that what does it. I use and take a lot of natural things like coconut oil. I add it to my food, but I also use it in my hair. I use avocado and things like that. Like I said, I try to use a lot of natural things. But I do love Wen. I think that it’s great. And I also love Kinky-Curly.

Tell us about your show, Hello Cupid, and your character, Robyn.

I play a character named Robyn. We’re sort of like the odd couple. My co-star, Ashley Blaine Featherson, is a little bit more conservative. I play the one that’s a little bit more of a free spirit. I told them [the producers] that I wanted to stay true to the integrity of the character. I wanted to make sure that the storyline stays focused on the fact that we’re doing this social experiment about changing your [dating] profile photo from someone with darker skin to lighter skin and to see what the response was, but that we both come off as intelligent women.

Any advice for someone thinking of going natural or who just did the big chop?

The biggest thing I would say is kudos to you. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t listen to [negative] people. Keep going for it. And again I would stress that your diet has a lot to do with it and to use natural products. But mostly I would just want to hug you and tell you that I’m so excited. I think that we’re all in this together changing society.

Click here to watch Hayley Marie Norman’s Kinky When Wet interview in its entirety.

Visit Hayley online at HayleyMarieNorman.com. Follow her on Instagram and on Twitter. Catch Hello Cupid every other Sunday on Black & Sexy TV.

Exclusive celebrity interviews to your inbox.

Strawllers Tutorial

2013-05-01T16:37:31Z

You all know what a fan I am of Lock Loops, right? So I was intrigued when I came across a similar product online.

They’re called Strawllers. And although the name is questionable, they look like they work pretty well.

I haven’t tried them yet but I found this tutorial on LadyTsTanglez’s YouTube channel. Her curls look fab.

Have any of you tried Strawllers? Is this something I need to add to my collection?

Discover new products.

The Pampered Curl Satin Pillowcase Giveaway

2013-04-30T03:33:03Z

What natural doesn’t need a satin pillowcase? De-stress your tresses with the Luxe Satin Charmeuse Zippered Pillowcase in Cheetah from The Pampered Curl:

This silky smooth satin pillowcase will allow your hair to glide as you toss and turn during the night, helping your hair retain its moisture and preventing frizz, breakage, and split ends.

One lucky winner will win this zippered, machine-washable staple to add to their arsenal.

To qualify for this giveaway you must:

Use the Rafflecopter box below for easy entrance. Deadline for entries is this Sunday, May 5th, at 11:59 pm EST.

Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kinky When Wet: Kim Coles

2013-04-24T13:21:01Z

Kim Coles is a Hollywood veteran. She’s best known as a cast member on the iconic sketch comedy show In Living Color and as Synclaire James on the hit sitcom Living Single. Since then she’s added many titles to her resume, including reality television personality, game show host, and film star. Ms. Coles took time to speak with Nappy Headed Black Girl about hair, Hollywood, and having the confidence to live out loud.

What made you finally decide to embrace your natural hair?

I’d been looking the same for so long, and it was time for change. Especially with the microbraids. I felt that the braids were so identified with Synclaire. I also realized that I was covering my own hair because a) I didn’t like it and b) I didn’t know how to do it and I didn’t know what else to do with it. I started watching YouTube videos and really embracing the natural hair movement, and it seemed to me the next step was just cutting all of the extensions out of my head. And I’m so glad I did. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Do you have a routine or any certain products that you use?

I sleep on a satin pillowcase and I sleep in a bonnet without fail. I wash and condition my hair weekly. I don’t go any more than eight days. And I am a true product junkie. I use everything from Ecostyler to Kinky-Curly Knot Today Conditioner to Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream to AfroVeda products to SheaMoisture. Everything.

Tell us about your latest project, Supernatural.

I was asked to come and be featured in this amazing play. It’s about our voices and our concerns and our conversations about our hair and our culture. They asked me to come star in the show in New York. I’m so grateful to be continuing the conversation in this type of theatrical way. It’s really well-written and covers a lot of the bases. I think it’s gonna get women talking and laughing and clapping and crying and celebrating who we are.

Any advice for new naturals or someone on the brink of doing the big chop?

I would say “live out loud.” You don’t know if it’s for you unless you give it a try. Experiment with products. Experiment with looking in the mirror and realizing that you are beautiful and you are not defined by your hair. Although the world defines us by our hair, you get to create your own definition.

Click here to listen to Kim Coles’s Kinky When Wet interview in its entirety.

Visit Ms. Coles online at KimColes.tv. Become a Facebook fan and follow her on Twitter. To find out more about Supernatural and purchase tickets visit SupernaturalProject.org.

Exclusive celebrity interviews to your inbox.

How To Prevent Lint In Your Dreadlocks

2013-04-22T04:23:03Z

Discovering lint in your dreads can be very frustrating, especially when you’ve been on top of your maintenance. Lint is hard to get out and, to some, makes the hair dusty and neglected. So how can you keep your locks pristine and lint-free?

You can’t.

I repeat: You can’t.

No matter how diligent you are with your hair or how often you maintain it, lint comes along with the territory when you’re a dread.

As they say, prevention is the best medicine. So let’s discuss some ways to help keep your dreads as lint-free as possible.

Keep ‘Em Covered

The easiest prevention method is to keep your dreads covered when possible, particularly when you’re going to be around a lot of dust. Covering your hair helps prevent it from attracting debris in the air and also fibers that it may come in contact with from your clothes. I’ve made it a habit to keep my head covered when I’m lounging around the house. I use and recommend the Dreadsock; it’s lightweight, breathable, and is made from a smooth, non-woven material.

Avoid Heavy Products

Heavy, oily products are a no-no for dreads. Stay away from things like beeswax, grease, and pomades as they are lint magnets. Also be careful with the amount of oil you use. Excess simply sits on top of the hair and practically begs for lint. Along the same lines, please keep your hair clean to prevent build-up. When you have layers of product on your hair you increase your odds of attracting lint.

Brush Before You Wash

Giving your hair a thorough brushing can help bring dirt and debris to the surface, increasing your chances of eliminating it. Take your time when doing each section and concentrate on possible problem areas like the nape where lint often attaches. I use a soft boar bristle brush like the one in the picture. You can also use a clothes lint brush daily to catch surface lint.

Use Microfiber Towels

If you opt to towel-dry your hair, buy ones specifically for this purpose. Microfiber towels are great because they’re lint-free and have a smooth surface, unlike traditional cotton towels which can leave behind lint and can damage your hair. And never scrub your dreads when drying. Think “pat and squeeze.”

Protect While You Rest

Your beautiful Egyptian cotton sheets and comfy down feather pillows are nice for your body but bad for your hair. Cotton delivers a double whammy: it attracts lint and robs your hair of moisture. There are two measures you can take at bedtime to help keep your hair lint-free. You can use satin/silk sheets and pillows or simply cover your dreads at night. I do both. Be particularly mindful in the winter when the wool blankets and heavy bedding come out.

How do you keep your hair/dreads lint-free? Share your tips.

Join the family.