1) Are you natural, relaxed, texlaxed, or transitioning? (And, how long?)
I'm natural! I will be natural for 2 years on February 16, 2011.
2) What mistakes have you made in your hair care journey?
I really can' t think of any. I did tons of research so I never really made any mistakes. I just wish I would have worn my hair "out" more after I did the big chop. I wore protective styles (mostly twists) to make sure my hair would grow. I wish I would have enjoyed rocking my 'fro when it was shorter.
3) What is your current HEALTHY HAIR routine?
I co-wash my hair every two weeks. I only shampoo my hair every two months. I deep conditon my hair every time I wash it and seal it with an oil based product. I only use natural products and I sleep with a satin bonnet.
4) Do you have a HEALTHY BODY routine?
If so, what is it? I don't have one! :/ I know I'm terribe and I should work out. I do try to drink plenty of water and make healthier choices when it comes to meals, but as far as physical exercise, walking up the staircase at work is all I get lol I have been around the same weight since I was in high school. I think I have only have gained 5-7 pounds since then so I don't have that push to lose weight but I know I need to for my health. I have A.D.D. when it comes to working out lol I'll be so motivated for a couple of days and then I'll get distracted and it will die off. I need to add working out to my New Year's resolution list lol
5) Do you have any advice for those seeking healthy tresses?
Do your research on healthy hair care. There is loads of information out there and do what you know you need to do in order to gain healthy hair. Stop making excuses as to why you can't stick with it. If healthy hair is something you want, make the necessary sacrafices to get it. Put away the flat iron and blow dryer and find healthy alternatives. Healthy hair isn't just going to magically appear; you must put in work.
6) You can find Chime on:
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HairCrush?feature=mhum
Fotki: Username - ManeChick (HairCrush)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Yummy Yogurt Conditioners
Yogurt-based conditioners can make for a light to deep protein treatment. Experiment with the recipes below (and be sure to blend thoroughly for those containing a banana as well). Enjoy!
RICH YOGURT CONDITIONER
plain whole yogurt
egg
banana
lemon juice
vitamin E oil (optional)
tea tree oil (optional)
Recipe and Instructions
PROTEIN-PACKED CONDITIONER
egg
yogurt
Recipe and Instructions
FRUIT SMOOTHIE HAIR MASK
banana
avocado
cantaloupe
wheat germ oil
yogurt
Recipe and Instructions
SIMPLE SMOOTHIE CONDITIONER
yogurt
banana
Recipe and Instructions
Feel free to share any of your yogurt recipes below!
RICH YOGURT CONDITIONER
plain whole yogurt
egg
banana
lemon juice
vitamin E oil (optional)
tea tree oil (optional)
Recipe and Instructions
PROTEIN-PACKED CONDITIONER
egg
yogurt
Recipe and Instructions
FRUIT SMOOTHIE HAIR MASK
banana
avocado
cantaloupe
wheat germ oil
yogurt
Recipe and Instructions
SIMPLE SMOOTHIE CONDITIONER
yogurt
banana
Recipe and Instructions
Feel free to share any of your yogurt recipes below!
Henna Melt GIVEAWAY Winner!
Thanks to all the ladies who shared how they strengthen their hair.
According the random number generator, our winner is commenter #17:
Congratulations, Nefertiti!!
Use the "Contact Me" form to claim your prize. Please respond by February 20, 11:59pm EST.
Monday, February 14, 2011
3in6: Day Fourteen
See "3in6 Challenge" details here.
Hey ladies! We are officially two weeks into the challenge.
After wearing small twists for nearly two weeks, I transitioned into my trusty, medium twists. (Fingers only; no comb.) Why the transition, you say? It's been raining galore and ... rain + small twists + shrinkage = single-strand knots on my ends. Yep. They had to go. For me, bigger twists work better at keeping single-strand knots at bay. Eh ... it was fun while it lasted.
These larger twists will be in for a few weeks as I re-do the perimeter weekly after each wash. You know the drill.
As for the rest of my update, I've been:
+taking my multi-vitamin
+eating my vegetables and fruits
+drinking my water
The scissors have been calling my name, so I hid them to minimize my temptation to further cut.
So ladies, how are you on day fourteen? Any surprises or adjustments?
Hey ladies! We are officially two weeks into the challenge.
After wearing small twists for nearly two weeks, I transitioned into my trusty, medium twists. (Fingers only; no comb.) Why the transition, you say? It's been raining galore and ... rain + small twists + shrinkage = single-strand knots on my ends. Yep. They had to go. For me, bigger twists work better at keeping single-strand knots at bay. Eh ... it was fun while it lasted.
These larger twists will be in for a few weeks as I re-do the perimeter weekly after each wash. You know the drill.
As for the rest of my update, I've been:
+taking my multi-vitamin
+eating my vegetables and fruits
+drinking my water
The scissors have been calling my name, so I hid them to minimize my temptation to further cut.
So ladies, how are you on day fourteen? Any surprises or adjustments?
Interview with a Fine-Haired Natural: Session I
{Box braids} |
1. How have you "faked the fullness" in protective styles?
The only true protective style that I wear is mini twists. To make them appear fuller, I do them on wet hair and twist loosely, or do them on damp hair and twist tightly. For wet twists, I do not twist my hair as tightly after initially securing the roots, so that my twists can expand as they dry. This means more shrinkage, but fuller twists. The goal in protective styling fine hair is to mimic the natural volume, shape, and layering of your hair when it is in an afro state so taking advantage of your natural shrinkage is key. As my twists dry and every 3-4 days, I stretch them in a braidout to get some length. With the length, I do a variety of down and up styles where I 'fan' out my buns to create an illusion of volume. I try to avoid bunching my hair up together into tight buns or updos so that the volume is not minimized.
{Super micro twists (LEFT) vs. bigger twists (RIGHT)} |
{Today with longer hair in micro twists} |
I have not mastered dealing with scalpy braids, which is why I do not wear them after several failed attempts. For twists, I simply have to make more of them where my hair is finest. For example, the sides of my hair are very sparse so those twists are usually half the size of the twists at the crown of my head where my hair has the most density. I have tried all sizes of twists and the best ones for my whole head are smaller or mini twists since they are able to show the 'natural volume, shape, and layering' of my hair. I now know my twists are too large when I wear them down and they mimic the natural layering of my afro, but not the volume or shape. Example: I turn to the side and the back of my hair is flat, rather than rounded out. Despite making my twists smaller, I still tend to have scalpiness near the front and sizes so I just do lots of side parts, middles parts, and bangs to cover any exposed scalp. For twistouts, I separate more as I mentioned above and I make an effort to blend any parts that show.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Reader's Question: Healthy Bunning of Twists
Post inspired by a reader. Thank you for your question.
For some ladies, buns can be a dangerous protective style (an oxymoron, but true). The style can cause tension on the edges for those with a sensitive hairline (like me). Meanwhile, those with fragile ends can suffer damage from repeated pressure via ouchless bands. Even those with strong strands from root to tip can experience the dangerous side of buns when styled improperly. To avoid these problems, find alternative protective styles (such as loose updos with jaw clips) or use alternative bunning methods such as the ones below:
Bun Alternative #1: The Kimmay Bun
Purpose: Less pressure on the hairline
See this video for details. NOTE: If the banana clip is not your friend (i.e., too teethy), then avoid this style.
Bun Alternative #2: The Pinned Up Bun
Purpose: Less pressure on the ends
Step 1: Use jumbo ouchless bands as opposed to small ones. Small ones tend to wear quickly and get caught in the hair. I also find that the jumbo bands can go around the hair twice or thrice with less pressure and tension than the smaller ones.
Step 2: Use the jumbo ouchless band to make a standard ponytail. Then flip the ponytail upwards as pictured below.
Step 3: Use a large bobby pin (or a few small ones) to secure the tip of the ponytail to your crown. (If you hair is longer, you may wrap the ponytail around a few times before securing the tip.) Use a few more hair pins to secure any stray hairs stemming from the bun. NOTE: Do not pin the very tip of the ponytail. Pin about 1-2 inches from the tip, then tuck the tip under the rest of the hair.
For some ladies, buns can be a dangerous protective style (an oxymoron, but true). The style can cause tension on the edges for those with a sensitive hairline (like me). Meanwhile, those with fragile ends can suffer damage from repeated pressure via ouchless bands. Even those with strong strands from root to tip can experience the dangerous side of buns when styled improperly. To avoid these problems, find alternative protective styles (such as loose updos with jaw clips) or use alternative bunning methods such as the ones below:
Bun Alternative #1: The Kimmay Bun
Purpose: Less pressure on the hairline
See this video for details. NOTE: If the banana clip is not your friend (i.e., too teethy), then avoid this style.
{Bun using a banana clip} |
Bun Alternative #2: The Pinned Up Bun
Purpose: Less pressure on the ends
Step 1: Use jumbo ouchless bands as opposed to small ones. Small ones tend to wear quickly and get caught in the hair. I also find that the jumbo bands can go around the hair twice or thrice with less pressure and tension than the smaller ones.
{Small (top) vs. big ouchless bands (bottom)} |
{Flip the ponytail upwards and pin down} |
{Large bobby pins} |
Friday, February 11, 2011
Short Twist/Braid Styles: Part III
Cute, professional twist and braid styles for shorter hair. The 3rd in a three-part series.
Two-strands Flat Twisted #1:
Two-strand Twists Flat Twisted #2:
Regular Flat Twists (or Cornrows) into Twists:
The style: Flat-twisted Twists, French-braided Twists, etc.
Duration of wear: your choice
Great for:
+working with your scalpiness (if any);
+creating the illusion of length;
How to (recommended):
1.) Start with a set of neatly parted twists. This pre-step is important for those with with fine hair and/or scalpiness. When twisting, do neat and defined parts. Then proceed to the next step. (Those with thick hair may fair fine with "grab and go" twists.)
2.) Take several rows of twists and flat twist each one into your desired style (e.g., updo).
1.) Start with a set of neatly parted twists. This pre-step is important for those with with fine hair and/or scalpiness. When twisting, do neat and defined parts. Then proceed to the next step. (Those with thick hair may fair fine with "grab and go" twists.)
2.) Take several rows of twists and flat twist each one into your desired style (e.g., updo).
Amp it up a notch: If you know how to flat twist or cornrow loose hair, then go ahead! Mix up your style by flat twisting or corn rowing the sides or front of your hair and then two-strand twisting the remaining section. (To learn how to flat twist, check this earlier post. The videos included there taught me how to flat twist!)
Amp it up further: Add a cute hair clip and put on your favorite sparkling, studded earrings (or bold long earrings) to transform your day look into night.
Amp it up further: Add a cute hair clip and put on your favorite sparkling, studded earrings (or bold long earrings) to transform your day look into night.
Two-strands Flat Twisted #1:
Two-strand Twists Flat Twisted #2:
Regular Flat Twists (or Cornrows) into Twists:
Subscribe to:
Posts (
Atom)
Labels
- 1in3 Challenge
- 3in6 Challenge
- abs
- acid reflux
- Acne
- added sugars
- AIDS
- Alopecia
- Antioxidants
- antiretroviral therapy
- anxietyrelief
- appetite regulation
- ART
- athomeworkout
- balanced diet
- balanced meals
- beauty
- blood sugar regulation
- body signals
- Braids
- Breakage
- breastfeeding
- Butters
- calorie burn
- calorie intake
- calories
- cancerjourney
- carbon footprint
- cardio exercise
- cardiovascular health
- cardioworkout
- childbirth
- chronic disease
- chronic diseases
- Combs and Brushes
- community
- consistency
- Cure
- Deep Conditioners
- Depression
- Detangling
- Diabetes
- Diagnosis
- diet
- dieting
- dietitian
- dietplan
- diettips
- digestion
- digestive issues
- dinner
- diseases
- distraction-free eating
- Dry Hair
- Dyes
- Edges
- encouragement
- energy balance
- energy levels
- Exercise
- Exercise motivation
- fat
- fatigue
- Features
- fiber
- final stage
- Fine Hair
- fitness class
- fitness goals
- fitness routine
- Fitness tracking
- fitnessgoals
- fitnessmotivation
- fitnesstips
- flavors
- food choices
- food labels
- Forum
- Fruits
- fullness
- fullness cues
- fun
- getfit
- ghrelin
- Giveaways
- glutes
- Go Green Recipes
- Goals
- Good or Bad
- group setting
- Growth
- Hair and Body
- Hair Care Tips
- Hair Diary
- haircare
- hairgoals
- hairgrowth
- hairhealth
- hairlove
- hairproducts
- hairroutine
- hairtips
- hairtreatment
- healing
- health
- healthier
- Healthy Bartending
- Healthy Body
- healthy diet
- Healthy Eating
- healthy fats
- Healthy Hair Styling
- healthy lifestyle
- Healthy Living
- Healthy Recipes
- healthydiet
- healthyeating
- healthyhair
- healthylifestyle
- healthyliving
- healthysnacks
- Heart
- heart disease
- Heat
- Heatless
- Henna
- HIV
- home cooking
- homeworkouts
- hormones
- hunger cues
- hunger management
- hydration
- immune system
- infection
- infections
- Ingredients
- insomnia
- Lace Fronts
- lean proteins
- leg muscles
- Length Retention
- leptin
- life-threatening
- lifestyle
- linear progress
- lives
- Locs
- longer
- Loo's Hair and Body
- Low Manipulation Styles
- meal frequency
- medical care
- Memory
- metabolism
- metastaticbreastcancer
- mindbody
- mindful eating
- mindfulness
- Mixology
- Moisture
- mood
- motivation
- muscle mass
- Nails
- Natural Hair
- natural weight loss
- naturalhair
- needles
- noequipment
- nutrition
- Obesity
- Oils
- Omega-3
- On a Budget
- Organic
- overeating
- peer support
- personal best
- personal trainer
- physical activity
- Playlist
- Porosity
- portion control
- positivethinking
- preexposure prophylaxis
- pregnancy
- PrEP
- prevention
- processed foods
- Products
- progress analysis
- progress journal
- progress monitoring
- progress photos
- Protective Styling
- Protein
- Protein Moisture Balance
- quickworkout
- Readers' Questions
- regular exercise
- Relaxed/Texlaxed Hair
- Remedies
- Remnants of PJ-sim
- Resources
- restaurant food
- Reviews
- risk reduction
- satiety
- satisfaction
- satisfaction with meals
- saturated fat
- Scalp
- schedule
- selfcare
- selflove
- Sew-Ins
- sexual contact
- Shampoos
- Shedding
- Shine
- Short Natural Hair
- Skin Care
- sleep
- sleep patterns
- sleep quality
- smells
- Smoothies
- snacking
- social
- sodium
- Soul
- Soul Food Mondays
- step count
- Stress
- stressmanagement
- Studies
- sugary drinks
- Summer Eating
- Summer Hair Care
- Sun
- Support
- susceptible
- Symptoms
- textures
- Transitioning
- Transmission
- treatment
- Trimming
- Twist Series
- type 2 diabetes
- Type 4 Series
- Underrated
- Vegetables
- Videos
- virus
- visually appealing
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- weakened
- weight gain
- weight loss
- weight loss goals
- weight management
- weightloss
- wellness
- whole foods
- whole grains
- Wigs
- Winter Hair Care
- womenhealth
- workout
- workout buddy
- workout partner
- workout routine