Healthy Hair Online: Geri the Great

She's a type 4 natural with fabulous hair styles and long, healthy tresses (hidden under all of that beautiful shrinkage).  Protective styling and finger detangling are part of her regimen, but she is not afraid to step outside of the box with her hair.  You can find her on http://geraldinethegreat.blogspot.com/.  Meanwhile, check out some of her hair shots:

My Monthly Goals Journal || New Series - October 2013

GOALS UPDATE:
- completed reading of "Half of a Yellow Sun"  (great book, by the way)
- successfully kept away from my business for one month
- regular sleep schedule - fail
- toned stomach - success
- fast food - failed three times, lol
Also, I no longer plan to make this a series since I have no monthly goals at moment (yearly goals, weekly goals, but no monthly at the moment).

__________________________
So I decided to start this series so that I can 1) break up my bigger goals into smaller ones and 2) hold myself accountable to meeting them via this public documentation.  This is reminiscent of the 3in6 challenges I used to do, except it is not strictly about hair ... it is about life.  So, here is my first entry ...

OCTOBER 2013 GOALS:

• retain close to 100% of my length for the month (continue protein + long-term twists + fingers only)
• no fast food whatsoever (I've been slipping lately, y'all ... it's just so convenient, but my mood afterwards pays for it)
• get to bed by 11pm (12am at the absolute latest ... this is going to be a challenge)
• develop a regular sleeping schedule
• tone my stomach (I think I see a small gut developing)
• finish reading "Half of a Yellow Sun" (I've been putting that off for too long)
• take a one-month break from my business

I'll be back in November to see how far I've come ...

Healthy Hairstyling #7: The No/Low Heat Roller Set

High temperature flat irons. Hot blow dryers. Direct heat has the potential to be damaging to the hair, especially when used improperly and too frequently. In the worst case scenario, irreparable heat damage can occur in the form of hair bubbles, splits, and loss of one's natural curl pattern.

The roller set, perm rod set, flexi rod set, straw set, and Curlformer set are all healthy alternatives to the blow dryer and curling iron. These sets require minimal (if any) heat usage. They can be worn on both natural and chemically straightened hair.

HOW TO ROLLER SET:

Tools:
- Snap-on or clips with Magnetic rollers (safer than mesh and foam)
- Setting lotion
- Smoothing serum (with dimethicone for anti-humidity)
- Medium-tooth comb
- Hooded dryer (optional)

Basic instructions:
1. Wash, deep condition, and detangle as usual.
2. Follow up with a moisturizer/sealant.
(2a. For kinky natural hair: Braid the hair into 8-15 sections. (I do this to "flatten" my roots and hair a bit.) Wrap your edges with a scarf. Allow to airdry until damp. Then undo a braid and proceed with below.)
3. Section off a 1" by 2" or smaller section of hair.
4. Apply setting lotion (diluted, if necessary).
5. Then apply the smoothing serum.
6. Comb through section until smooth.
7. Roll the section tautly down to the roots.
8. Repeat steps 3 through 7 until finished.
9. Let the roller set airdry or sit under a hooded dryer.
10. Remove rollers when hair is fully dry.
11. Similar instructions apply to other types of sets (e.g., straw, flexi-rod, etc.), though more intricacy is involved.

Rollerset Video Tutorials:
Natural with a great roller set technique. She does use direct heat in her later video, but her curls prior to flat ironing are gorgeous and show that roller sets work on textured hair:
I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCPyoaRZ8pk
II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFeDTx652wY

Tips:
* Sets last longer on cool, moderate days rather than hot and/or humid days. Save them for ideal weather conditions.
* Starting with wet to very damp hair allows for the hair to really set.
* Using a serum helps to minimize frizz from humidity.
* Stay away from moisturizers containing glycerin or other humectants, if you can. Humectant + humidity = a roller set that won't last.
* Roller set in small sections for smoother and faster drying sets.
* I get the best results with snap-on magnetic rollers because the "snap on" part keeps my hair taut and the roller intact.
* Pin curl at night to maintain the set.
* Smaller rollers yield tighter, longer-lasting sets.

Serum Recommendations:
Sabino Moisture Block
Chi Silk

Setting lotion:
Lottabody
Motions Foaming Wrap
Nairobi Wrapp-It Shine Foaming Lotion

Hair Diary || More Highlights + Finalizing My Adjusted Regimen

So, I think I've mentioned this before, but I was a color freak during my relaxed days.  (And being a color freak during that time usually damaged my hair until I switched over to doing highlights as opposed to full-on dyeing.)

Fast forward to now ... the color freak is back.  She first emerged in late 2010 with the red highlights.  Then she re-appeared this summer with the ombre effect.  Quickly bored with the ombre, which didn't take too well (it looks more pronounced in photos), I decided to do blonde highlights.  Unfortunately, after 50 minutes, the result was a mere copper, but it's growing on me.  I foresee more highlighting in the near future.

As for finalizing my regimen?  I'm currently experimenting with an adjusted protective style routine.  If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I spent the past few years wearing twists usually every 4 weeks back to back.  Now I'm toying with wearing twists for 3 weeks and an unseparated twist-out for 1 week.  This month is my second run in a row.

And now for more hair pics:

First day in new set of twists.  (Early September.)

Starting week #2.
Twists have shrunken and been washed (using the scalp method).

In the middle of week #2.
Prepping for highlights by undo-ing a few twists near my part.

Highlighted sections are covered with foil to separate from the rest of my hair.

Copper color after 50 minutes.  (Was going for blonde, but hey.
Maximum allowed time on the box was 45 minutes.  I didn't want to go too much over.)

The color I used: "7G, Lightest Blonde".  
I'm toying with using a bleach kit (more effective) in the future but I'm still researching the adverse effects of that.  Clairol Textures & Tones is actually one of the safest dyes when it comes to natural hair. 

My strand test turned blonde.  However, I looked at it after a couple of hours.  I'm not quite sure at exactly what point in time (definitely after 50 minutes though) that it turned this color.

Highlighted sections are twisted back up to blend in with the rest of my twists.

Highlighted sections are twisted back up to blend in with the rest of my twists.

Mixology || My Latest Whipped Shea Butter Recipe

So I've been mixing my own whipped shea butter since going natural (for over five years now), and it has gone many a transformation, usually for the better.  Below is my latest recipe that I use it to seal my hair after a fresh wash and condition.  (I actually eyeball the portions but will do my best to give you actual ratios based off memory.)

Ingredients:
½ cup shea butter
¼ cup aloe vera gel
1 tbsp safflower oil (or oil of your choice)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp honey

Instructions:
Break the shea butter into small pieces and place in a bowl.  Using a hand mixer, whip the shea butter until fluffy and the chunks are gone.  (If your shea butter is too hard, melt it only slightly to soften it a bit.)  Add in the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with the hand mixer.  Finito! 

Protective Style Lookbook || Classic Summer Updo

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

Model: Nyla K

Difficulty level: 2/5

Description: Elegant updo on a twist-out, braid-out, or other textured hair.

Healthy Recipes || Coconut Milk Popsicles

{Image from "This Rawsome Vegan Life"}

All you need are coconut milk, a natural sweetener (e.g., cane sugar, agave, date paste, or bananas), frozen fruit of your choice, and an herb (optional).  

For the full recipe, visit This Rawsome Vegan Life.