Creamy Crack

My Current Do

2006-04-11T22:13:00.000-04:00

A little variation on the regular puff...I got the little curly tendril in the front. This will do for now, but I'm always looking for something different, of course...

My First Half and Half

2006-04-11T22:10:00.000-04:00

My hair was wet when I did this, but this is the first time I could pull my hair into a ponytail like this. It was pretty cute....

The Almost Fro-Hawk

2006-04-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

This is almost a fro-hawk...I didn't feel like pinning up the back. But the fluff up top, down in the bacl look ws alright...

Final Week!

2006-03-27T09:17:00.000-05:00

This is the final week of the March Protective Hair Challenge...and let's just say I am getting a little tired of twists. I took some photos this week and last week, but I haven't got to upload them...so sometime this week I'll show my progress.

I saw this My Little Pony toy on TV the other day, and thought to myself, 'now I need to get one of these!'

Twists are helping my hair grow...I can see the length when I wash them. I'm excited to wear the wash and go again though. I was thinking of doing twists throughout April, but I've lost my mojo on them. What does everyone else think? Has anyone seen any growth this month? I tried to get a response in the Nappturality.com forum for this, but nobody responded. So I'll just ask here. Are there any ladies in the central Ohio area interested in getting together for a hair disucussion/ gathering? We'll meet up at a restaurant, bring products we don't use (to swap), share hair stories...hey if you got some jewelry or hair products to sell, you can bring that too! People in other cities do it all the time on Nappturality.com, and I would love to meet up with some natural chicas in Columbus and do the same.

So leave me a response if you are interested, with an email address and I'll try to plan something for April. Grind it out for another week, and I'll see post pictures soon!

More twists!

2006-03-12T17:29:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, I redid my twists, still staying true to the Protective Hair Challenge. I did them a little big because 1. I didn't want to stay up all night doing them and 2. I just wanted to see what they looked like. Here is the result...

I flat twisted one sided, just for something a little different.

Almost a week later, these still look good! I'll probably keep these in until Friday or so...I'll let you know!

So, I Lied

2006-03-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

Anybody who knows me knows that I talk big shit about keeping my twists in for weeks, and I end up taking them out in a week. Last week I started the March Protective Hair Challenge with some cute, side-parted twists...

And now I'm rockin' a twist out (peep my cute earrings I bought at the Short North Galley Hop)

The Moral of the Story: I will be retwisting my hair tommorrow because i just can't keep my twists in for long periods of time. My hair has big curls and they unravel quickly. I love doing my hair, so I don't mind redoing my twists. I tried rinsing them and it felt great, but it just helped my hair to unravel more. So how long will I keep in my twists? As long as I want to, and they look cute. So don't give up on yor protective hairstyles...I want to see some pictures too! I'll show off my new twists once I do them tommorrow.

March Protective Hair Challenge

2006-03-01T09:10:00.000-05:00

First off, if you haven’t been on Nappturality.com, you need to be a registered user. Because everything you’ll ever need to know in life about your natural hair (and reasons why you should have natural hair) is available through the audacious members.

So each month, members challenge themselves to twist, braid and otherwise not mess with their hair for a month so that it grows and isn’t damaged by manipulation. Yes, you can wash your hair. Yes, you can redo your twists. The point is to handle your loose hair as less as possible. Your hair can grow an inch or more per month with this technique. And still be cute!

The best thing about having twists and braids is that you essentially have the same hairstyle over and over (which makes it easy for you to do) but it looks different if you part if different or if your hair grows.

So I’m looking for women who want to be a part of the protective hair challenge for March. This means:

Twists

Braids

Coils, palm rolls, one strand twists or comb twists

Senagelese or Kinky Twists

Micro Braids

Any other type of weave (if that’s what you want) that allows you to not have to finger your hair daily.

No puffs or loose hair ladies….we want to see some growth! To keep your hair clean, I suggest rinsing them with water in shower every three days or so. Also check out MotownGirl.com for some home made spritzes you can make to stop itches. The one I use is olive oil, distilled water and Infusium. But you will see after a while that itching won’t be a major problem (but we’ll get to that later).

Who wants in? I am currently rockin’ a set of twists that I did last Saturday and plan to keep in until March 10. Questions? Deadline to sign up is Friday, March 3. Signing up means…

Just write in the comment box that you want to accept the challenge

If you have a digital camera, take photos of your protective hairstyle each week and send them to me. I will post them each week. Let me know if you have any questions!

Donna Doesn't Shampoo Her Hair?!

2006-02-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

Yes, my hair is clean and yes I wash my hair. But I don't use shampoo. Why? Because shampoos have detergents in them (the same used to was your dishes and scrub floors) that are damaging to your hair. If you wash yours delicates with Woolite, then you should also be conscious of what you put on your hair.

So I came across this way to wash your hair called the No-Poo method. Basically, conditioner has enough clensing agents (that aren't detergents) to clean your scalp. And curlies can NEVER use too much conditioner. Lots of people use conditioner just to make their hair curly in the summer or to add extra softness. Well, I wash my hair with it about once a week. And my natural hair has never been softer and shinier. My scalp never itches. I don't use grease. And the harsh winter wind hasn't damaged my hair. My hair has grown more in the last 3 months than it did all summer. Here is how I do it:

So after a long day on the grind, I decided to wash my hair. It looks a mess, but it was in a puff earlier.

I use cheap conditioners to wash my hair. They are usually the same as expensive ones. As long as they have enough slippage, meaning my wide-tooth comb can go through the tangles easily. My favorite is awapuhi Suave, though I use this Aveda once a month. It smells great. I also make sure the conditioners have no waxes or anything with 'cone" on the end. Those products make your hair feel very silky, a result of the waxes. After your wash it out, yor hair can feel very dry. That's a no-no.

So I make sure I use conditioner on my scalp and massage it in like a shampoo (no bubbles, of course) then i make sure I saturate all of my hair with conditioner and I let it sit in there for about 5-10 minutes.

**A not about bubbles** Don't let the idea of not hving bubbles deter your from trying this technique. Not only is this healthier for your hair, but it helps your to see the texture and know your curls better. My hair is always clean as a whistle, trust me.

Another picure of my curlies...

One more before I detangle. My hair never stay sopping wet, because the water plus conditioner is always soked up quickly. My hair loves this!

2006-02-23T12:48:00.000-05:00

I only comb my hair when it's wet and full of conditioner. Here it is with the conditioner, after I massaged my scalp and combed it out. You see how one side is longer than the other?

I use about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a big cup of water to rinse my hair after I rinse out the conditioner. It keeps my hair shiny and soft. I also use it between washes just to rinse out sweat from working out. natural hair dries fast, so i can do this before work, even in the winter.

My hair after the conditioner is washed out and after the apple cider vinegar rinse.

Tried to get a picture of my curls before I styled.

Here's the finished product. This is my finger combed hair in a puff before work the next day.

Check out MotownGirl.com for more tips on conditoner washing your hair. If you have curly hair, and not washing your hair seems like a crazy thing, try shampooing once a month instead of every week. You'll see if you treat your conditioner like a shampoo, your hair will be softer, shiner, have more of a natural curl and will never be dry. Remember, you can never use too much conditioner!

Hairstories: Dawn Dickson

2006-01-29T19:11:00.000-05:00

Dawn Dickson is an enterpreneur with her hand in every hot event in th city. If you've been to one of the hot parties at Cove Lounge or visited The Urban Starr to find somewhere to kick it, you've seen her handy work. Despite her busy schedule, she manages to keep her hair looking fly and changing colors with the seasons. So how much color can natural hair stand? Read the interview below as Dawn gives us the dish:

When did decide to go natural?
My hair has always been naturally curly but I always tried to straighten it and press it out because for a long time it was not popular to have "natural" and "dry" curly hair. Dry = without a Jerri Curl or a Wave Nouveu chemical process. When I was in elementary school Jerri Curls were the hotness so I used to wet my hair every morning and coat it with Vaseline - I had the wet look until lunchtime, by then everyone knew I did not have an authentic "J-Curl" and I had a dry curly fro!

After that style passed the Salt and Pepa look was the thing to have, but my Mom would not let me cut my hair. Then the freeze hard curls were the look but I couldnt get that because my hair is so fine it won't hold heat, the only real options I ever had was to wear a roller set, a wrap, or rock my natural curls. I stopped getting relaxers in high school after I cut all my hair off and had a short taper, I was tired of trying to fit in with everyone else, plus Jada Pinkett made the short hair look work so I gave it a shot.

What were your family/friends’ reactions?
Wearing my hair curly was cool, but cutting it all off was not! My dad was very upset because my hair was shorter than his.

How much hair did you have when you did the big chop?
My hair was past my shoulders and gradually, in 4 months time, it went to damn near bald.
When do you like your hair the most?
When all of the curls are equal.

When are you most unhappy with your hair?
With natural hair bad hair days are HORRIBLE! Sometimes the whole left side of my head is loose curls and the right side of my head is tight curls. I know when I get out of the shower if I will have a good hair day.

How long did it take for you to get comfortable with your hair?
I was comfortable right away because I am comfortable with myself. I have tried every hair color in the book including bleach blonde, jet black, fireengine red, purple, blue, green, and yellow! Hair color is my thing

What is your favorite hairstyle?
I like it with blonde highlights pinned into a mohawk, I love that.

I really love dreads, if I had the balls I would dread my hair up but I'm so fickle I would want to comb them out or cut them off before they came into full bloom. The dread scene is so hot in Columbus right now, I went to ReuEl's birthday party and I was loving all of the styles.
Any bad hair stories?
Several! Most of them involve my hair falling out because of overprocessing it with hair color. Once I bleached my hair white and it felt like gum when it shampood it, it was fried!

What are your goals for your hair?
To stop coloring it so much so I dont have to keep it short so I can let it grow really long.
Who is your hair hero?
I must say Jada Pinkett, she has inspired me alot in the past with her styles. Now her hair is long, I don't think my hair will ever look as good as hers, but its worth a try.

Any advice for people considering going natural?
Find a good product, be patient until the right one comes along, it took me 5 years to find my Curls Rock by TIGI, but I have tried every gel, creme, conditioner, leave in, spritz, and spray in the book. Once you find your product everything will fall into place.

Hairstories: Morgan Stinson

2006-01-20T18:20:00.000-05:00

My friend Morgan was the first person I met that had the kind of natural hair I always wanted. She rocks a curly, fro-bob that is hot to def. So for my first profile, of course I had to get her to spill about how she keeps her hair looking so fabulous.

When did decide to go natural?
I decided to go natural in August of 2002.

What were your family/friends’ reactions?
My family and friends were very supportive of my decision because they knew relaxers and I weren't getting along.

How much hair did you have when you did the big chop?
I wore microbraids while I was going my hair out so I had about 3 inches of new growth and only had about 2 inches of relaxed hair cut off.

When do you like your hair the most?
I love my hair the most about 8.3 hours after I wash it.

When are you most unhappy with your hair?
When I get out of the shower and I can tell it's going to be a bad hair day.

How long did it take for you to get comfortable with your hair?
It took me about a year to get comfortable with my hair.

What is your favorite hairstyle?
I like to wear my hair with a little product on it to define the curls...it's almost like a curly fro but it's not really big.

Any bad hair stories?
My hair was shoulder length and I couldn't find the right combination of products so I got about 3 inches cut off because it was unmanageable. I found the right combo of products about 3 months later...had I known about these products I would have NEVER cut my hair (with the exception of getting my ends clipped). : (

What are your goals for your hair?
I want to let my hair grow until it is at least 2 inches past my shoulders.

What products do you use on your hair?
I use Curl Quencher Gel (www.ouidad.com ) and Curling Custard (www.kinky-curly.com ) to style my hair. I use Matrix Curl Life shampoo and conditioner. I use shampoo about once a week and I put conditioner on my hair everyday.

Who is your hair hero?
My mother had beautiful hair...she never had a relaxer or any chemicals so she is my hair hero.

Any advice for people considering going natural?
Consider what your new growth looks like and the thickness of your hair. Also consider how you want to wear your hair and ask around about the best products. Other than that just do it (like Nike). Don't put too much thought into it because it's not a life or death situation. And don't take advice from EVERYBODY...it's a personal decision and your choice over rides what other people think. Let me stop now...

Random Fabulous Hair

2006-01-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

While we wait on the profiles of my friends to come in...here are some styles I want to try, and some of my hair influences.

Jilly's hair is so cute. Looks like a roller set...maybe I'll be able to do that by summer.

Look how much Cree Summer's (A Different World) hair has grown since you've seen her last...beautiful!

Tracee Ellis Ross has fabulous hair...she get it from her momma!

That's dope Alicia!

Raven's mommy has dope hair, huh?

As you can see, I have a thing for big hair. Kelis is natural, but this looks like it was done it a curling iron, huh?

Any other celebs with dope hair?

My Adventures With Straight Hair

2006-01-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

(I just really like that picture, don't you?)

So me and my best friend P Tosh decided that nappy is always cool, but what would our hair look like straight? I'm scared of pressing combs...we all remember how our ear and necks were at risk if your momma would sneeze and get nervous. Plus, I haven't had heat to my head in almost two years, so there was no way I was going to risk my curlies to some scorching hot comb.

Then my friend Cinnamon introduced me to the MaxiGlide:

This is a ceramic flat iron that uses steam to straighten hair. Now, Cinnamon has sort of wavy, straight hair (she swears it's nappy) so I didn't think it would work on me and Tosh's napps. But we bought the thing and it worked great!

Here is Tosh before we started. She was rockin some large braids, so we undone them...didn't comb them out or anything:

Sorry, I don't know how to flip the picture...but you can see how straight one pass of the MaxiGlide gor her hair. BTW, we didn't use any oil...just the steam from the flat iron.

We were almost through when we took this picture. This is Tosh and my Godbaby (sorry again it's not flipped). You can see the difference between her nappy hair and straigh hair here.

This is Tosh when we were all finished...her hair got even straighter once her auntie cut the ends and flat ironed it. Her hair is still bone straight...we took these pics on December 29, 2005!

2006-01-09T15:19:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this is how I started out before getting my hair flat ironed. It was freshly washed, and blow dried...I didn't even attempt to blow dry it straight. So the naps were locked in pretty well...

The first layer of my hair got "first day of perm straight!" Ya'll know what I'm talking about...

This was the finished result. I knew my hair was pretty thick, but I didn't know it was this long...I only kept my hair straight for a couple of days...

What was funny is that most people, who were used to me with nappy hair, didn't really care for me with straight hair. I think nappy hair has more character myself...but a girl can change it up a bit...

2006-01-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

So, at this point, me and Tosh can't believe how great the MaxiGlide is. We decided to try it out on our friend J.Dave, who has the best hair of anybody I know... (next time I promise to turn the photos before I burn them to the disc, okay!)

This is after one pass and no oil people!

And the finished product...J.Dave was looking fly in the club that night!

The verdict:

The MaxiGlide is definately worth it for those nappies who like to take a break and see their straight hair again. It made it easier for me to see my dead ends and cut them. Plus you don't have to use as much heat and oil and stuff to keep it straight. Don't be scared, even though there are fair skinned folks on the box, it works on the nappiest hair, trust me.

The MaxiGlide is expensive (it retails for at least $100, depending on added features) but nothing will get your hair straighter. If you are transitioning, or don't want to risk your neck at a hair salon, I recommend it. Anybody else ever tried it?

What is Creamy Crack?

2006-01-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, many of you know me from The Pink Ghetto and are probably asking, 'What the hell is Creamy Crack ?' No, it's not a porno, or new drug slang. It's the way some natural-hair folks describe the addiction black women have to relaxing their hair. Every four to six weeks, sistas are at the shop, getting their fix, killing their beautiful hair trying to get it bone straight. What I don't understand is why have a relaxer when you can have hair like this:

And like this?

Those photos were taken about three weeks from each other, both of them are my natural, unprocessed hair. The first is of me rockin' my fro..the other with it all pressed out. I went natural June 29, 2004 and had my first real haircut that Fourth of July weekend. Here's how much hair I started out with:

I had the teenie weenie afro (TWA) after having the most luxurious wrap ever (I'll get those pics up here soon). My mom was soo mad at me for cutting my hair, and I know my dad hated it. But I just didn't feel like I looked like myself and having lazy, limp hair didn't fit my personality. It was hard at first. I always had long hair, and it was my crutch. My nappy hair showed me all my flaws...there was nothing to hide behind. Sure, there were guys with locs who called me 'sista' and I got more play within that crowd. But a lot of people looked at me funny. I felt awkward at work. I was making a huge statement, was I ready for all that?

I went though the process of trying to keep my hair perfect...always getting it cut, always crying because it wasn't long enough. But then one day I said phuck it, and just let my hair grow out, uneven and everything. I took this picture in December 2004:

I took this picture November 2005:

With the help of my natural friends, lots of websites and lots of patience, I finally found the reason behind my love for my hair. Natural hair is about appreciating what you have, making the best out of what you got and appreciating what god has given you. On this site, you will see profiles of my friends, hair tips, natural recipes I've tried and dialogue between sistas and brothas who are successfully (or unsuccessfully) doing their natural thing. Questions? If I don't know the answer, I know somebody who will.

I look forward to making a community of nappy folks...thanks for stopping by!

Nappily Yours,
Donna

2006-01-03T15:09:00.000-05:00