Hi people, what's been on?

I went for a wedding recently with my natural hair out and I got several questions about it and why I chose not to relax my hair and it dawned on me that the simplest answer is 'Just because I can'.

I don't really care for the natural hair vs relaxed hair issue.....and yes I am aware that this debate has been overflogged ....but still, I feel like saying what I feel about it since I get questions in that general direction.

Some people think that as a natural, you can't apply makeup, use ready made products, eat meat, fix weaves, braid your hair with extensions, dye it, straighten it and finally, chemically relax it.
Well the answer to that is YOU CAN.

Can I chemically relax my hair?
Yes I can......but I don't want to.
Relaxing my hair should be a choice much like dyeing it or braiding it. I wouldn't do it because I feel my hair is unmanageable....it's not. We are friends now.
I wouldn't do it because the stylists have a look of terror when they see my mane.
I wouldn't do it because everyone is doing it.
I will relax my hair because I want to permanently straighten my hair. I will do so with the understanding that my hair has been permanently altered (like dyeing) and I will need to stock up on protein reconstructors, deep conditioners and natural oils that will help protect my strands.
I won't use harsh shampoos.
I won't weigh my hair down withvwax because I want it to shine, I won't overprocess my hair beyond what it can handle.
I won't overlap my relaxer. I won't ignore my hair.
I will still handle it with care.

Can I plait Ghana weaving?
Yes I can.....and I did but at the moment I don't feel like testing braiders and sitting for 4hrs to do that.

Can I big chop my hair now?
Yes I can....hair grows afterall.....slowly but it grows.

Can I dye my hair?
Yes I can....I can even go blonde if I want to because my hair is less likely to be damaged since it hasn't been chemically altered. All I need to do is get it professionally done and stock up on protein and moisture deep conditioners.

Can I fix a weave?
Yes I can.....and the good thing is it's a choice and not because I'm forced to cover up damaged hair. In fact, it's a good way to let my hair rest from manipulation and allow it to grow.

Can I have straight hair?
Yes I can.....with my trusty flat iron, I can go from bouncy curly to silky straight.....and the best part is I don't have to sacrifice volume  or load up my hair with oils to get a mirror like sheen.

Can I style my hair with extensions?
Yes I can.....and because I want to not because I'm insecure about the length of my hair.....and no....it's not cheating. It's like applying mascara to my lashes.

Can I use bendy rollers, perm rods, magnetic rollers etc on my hair?
Yes I can.....and I love that I don't have to put my head under a dryer to set my style.

Can I have manageable natural hair?
Yes I can......with the right tools, products and methods my curls and I aren't enemies but friends. Does it have anything to do with texture....in my experience, no it does not. All texture is good texture.
There are different methods for different textures. I already know what works for me.

Can I use un natural products on my hair?
Yes I can.....I don't need to be a natural mixtress. I love those shiny bottles as much as the next person. I see a lot of naturals with unattractive hair just because they insist on using just shea butter, aloe vera gel and ACV to care for their hair. I'm not saying it's wrong but my sister, there are lovely well researched products out there theat will definitely make your coils pop with minimum effort.....and yes, you can put on makeup too, dress up and don stilettos too! Natural hair is a hair styling choice not a sentence o!

Can I have fabulous hair as a Nigerian living in Nigeria?
Yes I can.......because I'm home. That's where my hair is rooted and there's no place like home! Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to live outside Nigeria to grow healthy hair. Our warm humid environment is the best place for our natural hair to thrive. Unfortunately, we've forgotten how to care for it and most hair products and tools cause more damage making our hair 'hard'....but then we have local butters, oils and soaps that work really well....and better hair friendly products are slowly creeping in.


My point is, being natural is about choice. The choice to do whatever you want with your hair without socially imposed limitations.
If you are natural, there really is no need to be insecure about it....you can choose to relax it.....because you can.
If you are relaxed, there really is no need to be insecure about it.....you can be natural......because you can.

The main thing is do what is healthy for your hair. I never tire of showing people Dab's picture of NaijaHairCanGrow to prove that the most important thing to grow natural or relaxed or texlaxed hair long is the right hair care.

Weigh your options with knowledge of what it takes to get the best out of your hair. Don't blindly jump on any bandwagon....relaxed, natural, texlaxed, weaved.....look,think before you leap....lol!

Okay....I'm done with Philosopy....anyone interested in Genetics?

Hi people, what's been on?
Here's a question I got on nairaland and I decided to share it with anyone facing a similar problem.....

Q. I used to have natural, unrelaxed tough curly hair (all the way past my spine) when I lived with my dad. When I moved back to Nigeria, due to the secondary school rules, I had to weave my hair every week, the manipulation was painful and unbearable, I lost most of my length so I tried relaxing and that made it even worse. I've tried transitioning during vacation and my hair grows out beautifully but when school starts, I just can't stand the pain. I'll be graduating in about 4 months and want to start transitioing again. Is there any way to minimize the pain?
(I already use olive, coconut, castor oil and shea butter) Any other tips? I also have dry flaky hair from all the pressure. Please help!
 Thanks
L.B.

A. Mehn...this takes me back in time to my compulsory braiding years! I'm adverse to pain....I may be able to bear it....but I don't even bother to! Why should I embrace pain???
And because of this aversion to pain, I learnt tips and tricks to avoid being flogged when I misbehaved ( I either ran away, talked my way out or simply behaved). It's one of the reasons I stayed natural (ain't got no time for relaxer burns). It's the reason I don't wear lace (can't bear the itch) and the reason I carry flats in my bag when I'm rocking heels.  So I understand what you mean by the pain especially if the braider's hand is 'too strong'.
However, I've been braiding my hair all through my growing years with little or no pain involved. The tips and tricks I learnt are as follows:

- Be selective with who braids your hair.
 Some braiders are gentler than others. I usually test them out before I trust them to braid me any further.
My 'testing hairstyle' is individual braids at the back with the front cornrowed back. Individual braids don't hurt and if the front section that is to be braided hurts, I simply tell the braider to stop and convert the rest to individual braids.
If it doesn't hurt, I'll trust her with more cornrows.

- Prepare your hair before you go.
For example, if I'm braiding 'shuku' aka ponytail or braided bun, I know my hair will be sectioned into four. So I do the same and detangle thoroughly and thread. Then I take down the thread section by section as the braider works.
A day or two before your appointment, wash and deepcondition your hair. Then divide your hair into four sections, apply oil to each section and detangle well. Then either braid or thread the already detangled section. This will stretch your hair and keep it from tangling up again.
If you have a style in mind, imagine the ways the braider will section your hair to braid, then section off, detangle and thread in that pattern.
This is so that you won't have to loosen all your hair for braiding but loosen it up section by section. This will prevent your hair from drying out which causes it to tangle and hurts if your braider isn't patient.

- Take a moisturising butter with you.
This would be used to remoisturise your hair in case it dries out. A moisturising butter or leave in conditioner with good slip minimises pain when detangling and unnecessary breakage. I prefer a butter because your hair is less likely to revert, it provides better hold ( longer lasting style) and your hair stays moisturised for longer. It will also help with dry scalp issues.
An alternative is taking your spray bottle with your detangling mix of water,conditioner and oils. However if your hair shrinks up tightly, I'd advice you to take a moisturising butter instead. It softens your hair and keeps it stretched for longer.

You can make your own butter by whipping together castor oil, olive oil and shea butter.

- Remoisturise as often as possible and always sleep with a satin scarf or bonnet.
This will help preserve your style, prevent breakage and extend the days to your next appointment (and also give you time to hunt for another braider if the one you 'jammed' had dangerous hands. Again, I prefer using a moisturising butter to remoisturise my hair to avoid frizziness. However, use it sparingly as if it is the type that isn't easily absorbed, it can attract dust.

Sidenote:
There are some undercover dangerous braiders. When they braid your hair, you may even fall asleep.....but when they are done and you are safely home....oh boy!!!!
I've met two or three of them in the course of braiding my hair. I've gone as far as dunking my whole head in ice cold water to relieve the pain. If you are unfortunate to 'jam' this type, your real relief is a small tin of Robb...applied to your scalp....at least you'll be able to sleep at night.

Hope I've been able to help.

Do you have any tips to avoid pain while styling your hair?


Hadassah.

Hi people, what's been on?

Today, I'm going to review a shampoo I've been using with my Indian Oiling method for retaining length in natural hair. It was given to me by TwentySix85.com in September last year and it's been the answer to the problem of locating Ayurvedic herbs such as shikakai, soapnut, neem and amla for cleansing the hair in Nigeria.

Here's my take on the product.