NappymeHappyme - Page 2

If you've made it here, please know that I now longer maintain this site as my hair journal. I basically use it now as a photo storage facility. Instead, I have two very active sites. One is a blog entitled Nappturology 101; this is where the majority of this site's content lives currently, and can be reached at nappyme.wordpress.com. And the other site my hair care forum for women with 4B texture hair and anyone else who wants to or really needs to learn about caring for our hair type. You can visit and or join our forum which is located at cNappymeNow.com.

Signed,
Nappyme

Date: February 14, 2006
Hairstyle at left Chunky Twists
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Napptural. That's me.

I'm simply in love with my nappy, kinky, coily hair in all it's glory. For good or for bad, for better or worse, I'm in love. My hair is nappy, and quite frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I do not know the exact date I made my decision to begin my napptural journey. In 2002, I was extremely overweight, and was literally sick and tired all the time and suffering from chronic fatigue. The diagnosis: Type II diabetes. No cure, but a new diet, exercise and weight loss could help me live a normal, healthy life. Once I got that in my head, the exercise part posed a huge problem for me. How could I find the strength to do it? When could I do it? And, what, was I going to do with my hair?

Several months earlier, I had already begun to be disgusted with my hair once again. It was thin and whispy. It wouldn't hold a style. I started noticing that my hair was all over the bathroom floor whenever I combed it. And in addition to that, I was seeing an inordinate amount of hair wash down the drain when shampooing. So, I had already decided that I wasn't going to ever relax again. My game plan was to find some way to give my hair a rest, while it grew out and then go back to doing a good old fashioned press and curl.

So in the meantime, I had started working out, but was searching for someway to not put anymore stress on my hair during this transition period. First I tried wearing my hair up in a phony pony. But my broken off kitchens would show, and that made me self conscious. Then I tried getting flat twists. The kind where the twist the hair under, use a bunch of gel and then stick you under a dryer. But I had already had significant new growth, and it just would get dry. After only two workouts my hair looked down right nasty. So I took that out. So I resorted to blow drying my hair and hot curling it before I went back to work. Now let me tell you blowing drying and frying sweaty hair was not a good idea. I knew this, but I was at a loss as to what to do.

That's when I discovered microbraids.

One Saturday, I was in one of the Cleveland burbs, and I spotted an African Braiding Shop. Did a U-turn to get a parking space and went inside. One lady was getting her hair done. The braids were gorgeous. She said she'd been getting her hair braidedfor several years and really loved them. I sat there and watched for a little while longer. Asked some questions, and after deciding they'd be professional enough to were to work, I made an appointment to come back at 1 p.m. and by 11 p.m. my hair was a done deal. I had a head full of waist-length microbraids.

I sported my new do with much pride for the next three-and-a-half years. I loved them. I could workout all I wanted to now and not worry about my hair. They were also versatile. I could wear it back in a ponytail, up in a bun, spiral curled or back in one big corn roll. I was in heaven. And over the next 8 months, I dropped 60 lbs, went from a size 26 down to a misses 18. Even lost 1/2 a shoe size. And to top it all off, my hair was gorgeously waving in the wind. Yep, I was cute!

Now I really thought I'd wear my braids forever. So when I'd go though my ritual of taking them down every three months, I didn't even care where I was cutting the braid so I could remove the synthetic hair. But one day, during one of my take-down sessions, I shampooed my haif and discovered all my relaxer had been cut out, and I had four inches of healthy, thick new growth. That's the first time I had seen healthy virgin hair on my head in probably twenty years. Hmmm...maybe when it gets long enough, I'd be able to sport a p.ress and curl occasionally. But no matter, I certainly couldn't be bothered with that right now. I quickly recovered my thoughts and plaited up my hair. On Sunday, I went and got my micros put in again.

So for the next three years or so, I kept my hair braided relentlessly...never missing a beat. In for three months, remove on Friday night/Saturday morning. Shampoo and plait. On Sunday rebraid. Good to go on Monday. I really, honestly thought I'd wear microbraids forever.

Every three months for three years, I'd take my hair down on a Friday night, wash it and then plait it up. I'd get my hair rebraided into micros on either Saturday or Sunday. Good to go on Monday.

When I moved back to my hometown in 2003, I found an excellent braider. Problem was that her availability was unreliable. As a result, I found myself leaving my braids in way too long and my edges started snapping off. We'd make an appointment, I'd take my hair down and she would call and reschedule. This happened so much that for I started contempating what to do with my hair, my own hair between braidings.

Now that's where my friend Kim comes in. She's been naptural for about 15 years. Wow I sure admire her. Her hair is probably about 15 inches long or more. It's so thick that I promise you that for every one hair on my head, I betcha Kim has 10! When she gets a straw set, her hair so thick and gorgeous that it looks like a wig. Plus she has a head full of gray hair and she's two years younger than me. When she gets her hair done, she is simply a show stopper!

So I started asking Kim about her hair. Several things stick out in my mind about that conversation.

*I'm comfortable with nappy hair
*What's on your head is in your head
*I'm no longer willing to compromise who I am. This is who I am.

Hmmm....
That's when I started experimenting with napptural hair styles with a sense of purpose, and well pride. But I found that I wasn't where Kim was in her nappturality. I wan't totally comfortable being nappy. The evidence? When I found myself out of work, I would get an interview, I'd take my hair down, wash, press and curl it. Nope, not comfortable yet.

Then, I got tired of doing that, so I bought several wigs to wear on interviews. Boy how I hate wigs.

So, I went back to a press and curl and that's how I damaged some of my hair. In all the years that I had been pressing and curling my hair, I have never had this happen to me. I actually burned my hair permanently straight in a couple of spots in the front on my right side. As a result, double strand twists don't work so well for me right now because, my hair in the front is really scraggly, like how it would look if you were trying double-strand twist relaxed hair.

Now, because of this, I'm at a place in my life where I realize that for me, having straight hair, under any circumstances is simply not an option if I want to continue to have long, strong healthy hair with good texture.

Now, finally, I can say that I'm nappy, happy and free!

Chunky Twists Continued...
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I like the idea of twists. However, I'm not real comfortable with this style because of my scraggly ends in the front. I sure wish I could turn back the hands of time and erase that hot comb session that permanently straighted my hair. If I twist it right, I can sometimes camoflage (sp) the problem. But I'm afraid that One day I'll have to do a big chop...Oh well.

Question? Has anyone ever experienced this problem, and if so, what did you (currently are you doing) about it?

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I've also tried, straw sets. Kim's hair is gorgeous in a straw set. Mine was just ah-ite. Plus, I have to come up with styles that work with me...I sweat really badly in the scalp at night, so whatever side I sleep on is yucky and matted in the morning. Since I sweat styles out very quickly, I have to reserve fancy dos for times where I can get my hair done during the day, and then go to my special event that same night cause the next day, that do is history!

Oh, by the way, you can see one of Kim's fresh straw sets on page 2. Check her out, she's on her way to being a famous romance writer at the time these pics were taken, Kim was doing a book signing at the local Borders. I, of course was the photographer!

Anybody out there know what I'm talkin' about?

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I love the twist out styles that I've seen on other people, but the scraggly-ends and night sweats pose the same aforementioned problems.

Another issue I have is that I find double strand twists to be fairly hight maintenance. If I leave them in longer than a week, my hair becomes very fuzzy, (even if I tie it up at night) and also begins to lock-up fairly quickly. As a result, I shy away from two-strand twists styles...only going there if I get extremely bored and having nothing else to do except play in my hair! That's how I got this style. LOL!

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Hair style: Flat Double-Strand Twists pulled back into a French Roll. Now I absolutely love this style. My own invention, thank you very much! Not sure how I came up with it though.

I also love this because I finally have about 1/2 inch of new growth where my hair was broken off around the edges. The first couple of times I wore this style, my sister couldn't catch some of the hair in spots along my front hairline for the flat twists. Now she can so it stays looking neater, longer.

Just got it done yesterday. I part and my sister does the twists. Since I'm still looking for a job, this is the style that I'll start wearing on job interviews. Look at my hair! It's so thick and healthy. If anyone wants instructions on how to do this, I'll try to give step-by-step instructions below. If you need clarification, you can contact me at NappyMeHappyMe@aol.com.

The quickie steps are as follows:

1) Part hair from ear to ear across the top of the head.

2) Secure the hair in the back out of the way.

3) Part the hair in sections that are about 1/2 in thick from front to back with a slight curve pattern.

4) Do Double-Strand Flat Twists (DSFTs) on the parted sections. Altogether, I have about 13 DSFTs in the front.

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This part is kind of hard to explain.

5) In the back, part your hair behind both ears running down the back and across the kitchen ares. Make about four shallow DSFTs on each side and one or shallows ones right at the bottom of your kitchen (don't know what else to call it.)

6) Take all your hair, pull it back and create a French Roll. The loose hair in the back create volume so your Roll isn't flat.

7) Secure with butterfly clips. Personal preference...I hate hairpins!

8) Optional curls on the side. You can either pull the hair back into the bun or leave some out for the little curly Qs on the sides. I use the flexible rods that come in multiple colors depending on size. The ones I use are yellow.

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This style lasts for a couple of weeks as long as I tie it up every night. To save time, I leave it twisted when I wash it, that way the parts are still in tact when my sister retwists it for me.

Between the two of us, it takes a couple of hours. I've tried having someone else who specializes in natural hair care do this style for me, but I guess I'm too particular about how it gets parted. So when she did it, I hated it. I'll apparently have to stick to the buddy system created by me and my sister....

Now if I could only get her out of that darned relaxer!

All comments are welcome!

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Hmmm, next time, maybe I'll put Curly Qs in the back too!

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Probably won't post a new hairstyle for at least two weeks.

Until then, I'll keep you updated on how well the style is actually holding up as well as posting pics of my napptural friends and their prospective journeys. Stay tuned for more entries. Take Care and God Bless!

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Probably won't post a new hairstyle for at least two weeks.

Until then, I'll keep you updated on how well the style is actually holding up as well as posting pics of my napptural friends and their prospective journeys. Stay tuned for more entries. Take Care and God Bless!

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Hair style: Small Double-Strand Twists

Me and my niece at the zoo not quite a year ago. Looking back at my hair, I think this was in April of '05, it has come such a long way. These twists are one of my first napptural hairdos after coming out of braids. Yes I'm obsessing. I hate the scraggly twists in the front (damned that pressing comb). As a result, I'm putting on a really brave front here because I don't think my hair is very cute in this hair style.

On an up note, my niece in this picture was probably barely 10-years-old. Remember Keisha Knight-Pulliam (Rudy) on the Cosby Show? Remember how thick and pretty her hair was back then. Well she had nothing on my niece in the hair department. But alas, she was the victim of a relaxer at the tender age of six. Oh yeah. It only took about six months to destroy a beautiful head of hair. She's 11 now and has been growing it out ever since. Her hair is now past her shoulders but I don't think she ever regained her thickness. Hope she'll get her length back. Before the chemicals, she could almost sit on her hair.

Today, she sports Double-Strand Twists, Flat Twists and French Braided hair styles. She tickled me yesterday when she came to me to show off her flat twists.

"I don't think it's ever going to be as thick as it used to be," she said. "I wish mama hadn't put that relaxer in my hair when I was little."

Yep, got that right! I'm so glad we're teaching her to love her hair in it's natural state. Fortunately, she won't be one of those kids who turn into adults never knowing their natural hair and how to care for it. She is so lucky in that regard.

Now if we could just get her mom out of that darned relaxer!

Oh my gosh...I really need to lose so weight!

I think I'll also chronicle my weight loss journey as well. So far, I've lost about four lbs. My goal: 60 lbs by June.

Can I do it?

Stay tuned!

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Hair style: Small Double-Strand Twists

Me and my niece at the zoo not quite a year ago. Looking back at my hair, I think this was in April of '05, it has come such a long way. These twists are one of my first napptural hairdos after coming out of braids. Yes I'm obsessing. I hate the scraggly twists in the front (damned that pressing comb). As a result, I'm putting on a really brave front here because I don't think my hair is very cute in this hair style.

On an up note, my niece in this picture was probably barely 10-years-old. Remember Keisha Knight-Pulliam (Rudy) on the Cosby Show? Remember how thick and pretty her hair was back then. Well she had nothing on my niece in the hair department. But alas, she was the victim of a relaxer at the tender age of six. Oh yeah. It only took about six months to destroy a beautiful head of hair. She's 11 now and has been growing it out ever since. Her hair is now past her shoulders but I don't think she ever regained her thickness. Hope she'll get her length back. Before the chemicals, she could almost sit on her hair.

Today, she sports Double-Strand Twists, Flat Twists and French Braided hair styles. She tickled me yesterday when she came to me to show off her flat twists.

"I don't think it's ever going to be as thick as it used to be," she said. "I wish mama hadn't put that relaxer in my hair when I was little."

Yep, got that right! I'm so glad we're teaching her to love her hair in it's natural state. Fortunately, she won't be one of those kids who turn into adults never knowing their natural hair and how to care for it. She is so lucky in that regard.

Now if we could just get her mom out of that darned relaxer!

Oh my gosh...I really need to lose so weight!

I think I'll also chronicle my weight loss journey as well. So far, I've lost about four lbs. My goal: 60 lbs by June.

Can I do it?

Stay tuned!

(Add gallery comment below. Click on image for larger view and leave comment on individual pic)

Hair style: Small Double-Strand Twists

Me and my niece at the zoo not quite a year ago. Looking back at my hair, I think this was in April of '05, it has come such a long way. These twists are one of my first napptural hairdos after coming out of braids. Yes I'm obsessing. I hate the scraggly twists in the front (damned that pressing comb). As a result, I'm putting on a really brave front here because I don't think my hair is very cute in this hair style.

On an up note, my niece in this picture was probably barely 10-years-old. Remember Keisha Knight-Pulliam (Rudy) on the Cosby Show? Remember how thick and pretty her hair was back then. Well she had nothing on my niece in the hair department. But alas, she was the victim of a relaxer at the tender age of six. Oh yeah. It only took about six months to destroy a beautiful head of hair. She's 11 now and has been growing it out ever since. Her hair is now past her shoulders but I don't think she ever regained her thickness. Hope she'll get her length back. Before the chemicals, she could almost sit on her hair.

Today, she sports Double-Strand Twists, Flat Twists and French Braided hair styles. She tickled me yesterday when she came to me to show off her flat twists.

"I don't think it's ever going to be as thick as it used to be," she said. "I wish mama hadn't put that relaxer in my hair when I was little."

Yep, got that right! I'm so glad we're teaching her to love her hair in it's natural state. Fortunately, she won't be one of those kids who turn into adults never knowing their natural hair and how to care for it. She is so lucky in that regard.

Now if we could just get her mom out of that darned relaxer!

Oh my gosh...I really need to lose so weight!

I think I'll also chronicle my weight loss journey as well. So far, I've lost about four lbs. My goal: 60 lbs by June.

Can I do it?

Stay tuned!

(Add gallery comment below. Click on image for larger view and leave comment on individual pic)

Hair style: Small Double-Strand Twists

Me and my niece at the zoo not quite a year ago. Looking back at my hair, I think this was in April of '05, it has come such a long way. These twists are one of my first napptural hairdos after coming out of braids. Yes I'm obsessing. I hate the scraggly twists in the front (damned that pressing comb). As a result, I'm putting on a really brave front here because I don't think my hair is very cute in this hair style.

On an up note, my niece in this picture was probably barely 10-years-old. Remember Keisha Knight-Pulliam (Rudy) on the Cosby Show? Remember how thick and pretty her hair was back then. Well she had nothing on my niece in the hair department. But alas, she was the victim of a relaxer at the tender age of six. Oh yeah. It only took about six months to destroy a beautiful head of hair. She's 11 now and has been growing it out ever since. Her hair is now past her shoulders but I don't think she ever regained her thickness. Hope she'll get her length back. Before the chemicals, she could almost sit on her hair.

Today, she sports Double-Strand Twists, Flat Twists and French Braided hair styles. She tickled me yesterday when she came to me to show off her flat twists.

"I don't think it's ever going to be as thick as it used to be," she said. "I wish mama hadn't put that relaxer in my hair when I was little."

Yep, got that right! I'm so glad we're teaching her to love her hair in it's natural state. Fortunately, she won't be one of those kids who turn into adults never knowing their natural hair and how to care for it. She is so lucky in that regard.

Now if we could just get her mom out of that darned relaxer!

Oh my gosh...I really need to lose so weight!

I think I'll also chronicle my weight loss journey as well. So far, I've lost about four lbs. My goal: 60 lbs by June.

Can I do it?

Stay tuned!

(Add gallery comment below. Click on image for larger view and leave comment on individual pic)

Y'all, check out my friend Margaret! Isn't she's simply gorgeous sporting her TWA! When I emailed my friends telling them to check out my Hair Journal, I found out she had joined the naptural journey as well.

Here's her initial response to my journal:

"Did I tell you I went natural back in 2004? I had to have surgery, and didn't know what I was going to do with my hair. I decided that was the perfect time to go natural, so I had my hair cut in a short fro in July. I've been natural since, and LOVE it. I did not realize how much bondage black women were in when it comes to their hair. I just felt so liberated when I went natural, and I also came to love the texture of my hair.

We have been brainwashed into believing the texture of our hair is ugly; that nappy is a bad thing. I really feel sorry for all the women who are still wearing those perms. They really need to know the secret of nappiness. I wish I'd known about the secret a long time ago. Why didn't you tell me? Of course I'm trying to get my sisters and sister-in-laws to go natural, but they aren't buying it. Their loss"

Q: Going napptural for most people isn't an overnight decision. How did you come to appreciate nappturality, and what set you on the path to becoming a naptural beauty yourself?
A: "I went natural because I was sick of sitting in the salon all day just to get my hair washed and styled. Heaven forbid when I had to get a relaxer; it was torture. But in Dallas all I saw was natural hair. That's when I started wanting the natural look, but I was too scared to do it. I went to Birmingham to visit in February, 2004, and one of my girlfriends had her hair in a short curly fro. Her hair was so beautiful, I asked what she was doing to it and she told me nothing. I decided then I was going natural. If it was that easy, I was in! I was still too scared to go natural, but I did stop putting relaxers in my hair. My chance to really do it came when I had my surgery. I didn't want to fool with my hair, so I had it cut off. Plus I was loving the styles the women were wearing in Dallas, and I saw there was a lot of versatility with natural hair. I really don't think I would have gone natural if I hadn't lived in Dallas. Natural hair was so prevalent there, and I saw it all the time. It just kind of grew on me."

Q: What is your biggest challenge?
A: "My problem is my hair gets so dry. I dye it about every six months, and I need to stop it. I think the dye's adding to the intensity of my dryness.

I had someone tell me to use shea butter on my hair, but I'm not sure if that's greasy. I don't want a greasy head. I'm also using some type of moisture lotion I bought at the salon about a month ago when I had my ends clipped. Being natural I thought I wouldn't know when my ends were bad, but I can see and feel them. I thought I wouldn't have to have them clipped when I went natural. Boy was I wrong. But anyway, that moisture lotion works really well, but it makes my hair draw up. It's more for people with texturizers. I have bought so many products till I'm just sick. I'm just trying to find something that works, but I haven't found the perfect fit yet. That's the only negative thing I've run into since going natural...the dryness!

"This was taken a year ago. I started letting my hair grow out over this past summer (it sure doesn't grow fast) so it's a little longer now."

Y'all need to give a shout out to Margaret for making the leap to nappturality. She looks devine!

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Here's my friend Kim. She's a national best selling romance author and she's been napptural for over 15 years. One day, she did the big chop and ended up with about four inches of hair. Said her mother would hardly speak to her for awhile. She got over it though...LOL.

The biggest picture is of Kim after receiving a Women of Color award. The smaller picture is me and Kim at the table at the end of the banquet. I'm sporting some of my first set of twists...still didn't like them though even though I stuck with them!

Kim's hair had just been done up special for this occasion but she later confessed that wasn't exactly her style.

The pictures along the right were taken by me at her book signing. That's right. Kim's a national best selling romance author. (Oh...I already said that! I'm just so proud of her....like Gail cheering Oprah on!) She writes under the name of Kim Louise and was working her book signing at Borders last year...I think it was July. She's sporting a gorgeous straw set. Ah, simply show stopping! Click on the image to get a better view of the smaller pics.

Also, she's thinking about dreads...I'll keep you posted.

Here are a list of her books, which you can find on http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=br_ss_hs/104-5479206-5855149?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dstripbooks%3Arelevance-above&field-keywords=kim+louise:

1) With Open Arms
2) Can I get an Amen
3) Chicken Soup for the African American Soul. Look for Kim's story "The Nod"
4) A love of Their Own
5) A Thousand Kisses Anthology
6) The Glory of Love
7) True Devotion
8) Season of Love
9) Falling for You
10) A Touch Away
11) Destiny's Song

She's working on a new book and is now writing for Harlequin Romance. I'm sure she has told me the title, but I can't remember it right now. I'll keep you posted on this too or you can go to her web site (listed below) for more information.

The middle picture is Tish sporting twists and buying the Chicken Soup book.

The bottom picture is of Kim and a new fan sporting a low puff in the back. You can find more pictures of Kim on my photography website http://imephotography.smugmug.com/gallery/699147.

When you get the chance, Kim's web site is at http://kimlouise.com/

Coming soon: An interview with Kim about her new book and living life nappturally.

April 11th
3:01 a.m.

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Can't Sleep. Can't stalk the Nappturality.com forum because it's down for maintenance. Could work on some photography orders. Nah... Oh, I know, let's update the hair journal. Luckily, my tripod and camera is all set up and ready to go.

Ok, I wore my low puff, no flat twist style for about four days before my edges started getting on my nerves. By day four of low puff, my edges weren't cooperating anymore, wouldn't lay down and blend in no matter how much product I slathered on it. So, I gave it one final brushing and commensed to putting in another flat twist style.

Now I didn't go through my usual iterations of pics for this, simply because ithe style is nothing new. But I will tell you, the flat twists in the front came out soooo well. I'm getting so good at this. And, I've even figured out how to keep the twists going and laying in the same direction, no matter what side of my head I'm working on! My mom saw my hair yesterday, asked me who did it! Ha, "Me!"

I'm wondering how long this do is going to last before my fuzz factor kicks in. Hate fuzzy hair. Some people don't seem to mind and can go weeks on end before they retwist or restyle. I've tried, and I just can't do it. But, I think this one is going to last a little longer than my usual 3-4 days. That's because, I twisted the hair in smaller intervals near the scalp. I hope that makes since because I can't think of a better way to explain it. I'm hoping this method secures the hair better and won't allow it to work it's way out of the twist as much...hense, keeping the fuzz factor at bay for a longer period of time. That would be wonderful, but well see. I'll keep you posted.

Now the reason I only flat twist the front is because I can't see what I'm doing in the back. But even if I could, I'm not real sure that I would flat twist the back anyway, I like the single twists better for styling purposes. Right now, I just have my hair cliped on either side, just behind and above the top of my ears.

Pulling a twist from behind gives you a good idea of some of my length. I say some, because actually, my hair was in a layered cut and is various lengths, depending on where I pull a hair sample from. I think along the back, front top, and sides, my hair is about 8 inches long. Top crown area is the longest at more than 11 inches long.

February 26, 2006
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Today, for the first time since I stopped wearing braids, which was sometime last summer, I finally have a twistout style that I absolutely love. I've seen sooooo many on Nappturality.com and I've always wished I could do that to my hair. Well today, I did it! I finally did it. Instead of trying to twist out and style regular twists, I took down two-week old Double Strand Flat twists, (see previous posts in my journal) and styled my twist out into a nappy, wavy bob. My hair is almost 11 inches long now, and I think that also helped make the difference.

Family reactions: Mom..."Is that how you want it to look?' Sister..."Why did you take your hair down?" Niece..."I really like it." Sister-in-law..."It looks nice, it really does." Brother and nephew...no opinion!

Of course, my friend Kim, who has been natural for over 15 years loved it! She took the pictures for me at her house, and I pulled them into photoshop and made the portraits.

I can't wait to try this again on cleaner hair. I'm only going to get one wearing out of this because later this morning, I absolutely have to wash it...I can't stand it no mo!

If you visit my journal, please let me know what you think!!!

It's Shampoo Day!
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After three weeks and three hair styles and a whole lot of product build up as well as an extremely itchy scalp, I couldn't take it no mo. So today is shampoo day with a capital S. It's a long story, but I always shampoo my hair at my friend Kim's house.

I don't really use any fancy or expensive products. When I shampoo, I either use Head and Shoulders or Suave...no particular type. Since I have really bad build up of every kind, today, I'm using Head and Shoulders. When I use H&S, I usually saturate my hair and then manipulate my scalp with my fingers for about five minutes. Then I wet it back up and wash it out. I never have to do a second lather and rinse. After the first rinse, I'm ready to condition.

Kim didn't have her camera ready when I first started the process, so the pictures at right pick up after I had already conditioned my hair. Usually, I put a plastic grocery bag on my head and sit and watch a little TV. But today, I was thinking that maybe I could make it to my friend's wake service, if I could speed the process up a little bit. Got started at 1:30 p.m. Surely I could be done by 5 p.m. Right? Wrong. Altogether, today's shampoo and styling session took about five hours. Doesn't help that I ate up a lot of time posing for the camera. Got done at 7 p.m. I think though, in the back of my head, I really had decided to skip the wake and just go to the funeral on Monday. In the end, that's what I did.

Before I actually got started on conditioning, I had this conversation with Kim.

"Kim, do you have anything I can deep condition my hair with?"

"Well, you could use eggs...but I don't have any. Or, mayonnaise is good too...but I don't have any. Bananas, extra virgin olive oil, they're really good too...but I don't have of that stuff either."

Girl...what the heck...

"KIM! Let me ask you again, do you have anything that I could use to deep condition my hair with?"

"Uh...the answer to that question would be no. LOL."

She is soo funny sometimes.

Let's play how long is my hair?
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Couldn't resist doing these pics because I've seen them in everyone else's albums. After that I got to washing the conditioner out of my hair. As I look at the collage the pictures in the right column are actually in the wrong order. The two on the bottom are of me combing my hair as I rinse the conditioner out of my hair. I've always detangled like this and it works really well. Top two pictures in the right column are of me doing my final rinse.

I'm done! Yippee!
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Finally, I'm finished. Now I have a head full of gorgeous twists. Just look at them. I can't believe this is my hair. MY hair! Even newly twisted, look at how thick it is now. I'm telling y'all...last year, there is no way that my twists were looking this strong and healthy. In the back, You can't even see the parts. Eventually, My shoulder length twists will shrink up well past my collar. I prefer that anyway because with my current length, fresh twists sit on my shoulder. When they first dry they're kind of crinkly. But by tomorrow morning, I'll have good bob-length shrinkage.

I like the flat twists in the front. Single twists in the back. Eventually, the way I parted my hair, along with the flat twists in the front will set the stage for my forming my twistout . In the mean time, I can vary my style by pulling all of some of it back into a pony tail. Moisturize once or twice a day for the life this do. Tie up at night (without fail) to make it last. I'll touch up this style by retwisting in spots as necessary.

I even went out and purchased some hair jewelry, to dress my hair up a little. The little adornments are soooo cute. I'll post pics of that later in the week.

Until then.

Twists, Beads and a Hairband
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Ok I promised some pics of my do dressed up and here it is! Taking these pictures using my Canon digital SLR was no easy feat. I propped a mirror up and tried to get a good angle. I think all together I took 15 or 20 pics just to get the four good ones you see on your right.

So, what do you think? Well, I think it's darned cute. I found the hairband at Claires and the hair jewelry at a local hair supply store. The hair jewelry thingies are not really beads at all, but I don't know what else to call them. When I went to the hair supply store, I did my best to try and describe what I was looking for. The young lady finally had an "ah ha" moment and found exactly what I wanted. Silly things don't even have a name. They're made by Magic Collection and all of their little adornments are merely labeled Hair and Nail Decorations. Go figure.

If you've never used these before, (I hadn't either) the little metal tubes have a design cut into them. To put them on, you simply pull them apart, stick your twist, braid or lock inside, and the pinch it closed. They're a little fragil, and I've already broken a couple. They come in packages of 15 for 99 cents.

Decided not to sleep in them, so yes, I take them out in the evening before I tie up my hair.

Now I just need some big funky earrings to go with my funky do!

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Hi there, I'd like you to meet Curlie Bob! This is my latest take on getting the most out of one particular hair style. As much was I liked Old Do New Twist, my hair as fuzzy and the next thing I knew I was working on this new style. Working off the same parts, I made flat twists along the hair line and then single, smaller twists everywhere else.

Then, I pin curled the front....

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...and since I didn't have enough clips for the back, I put bantu knots in the back.

Wrapped it up and went to bed. When I took it down this morning, I wasn't really feelin' it. But after about an hour, the hair relaxed a bit so that it would fall a little more how I wanted it. As a permie, my staple was a shoulder length Bob style. I see I still tend to gravitate towards that shape. It kind of falls in a Bob Style...hence Curlie Bob!

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Too bad I've already pinned and wrapped my hair up for the night. As the day wore on, the twists relaxed more, shrunk and fattened up into a really nice shape. Mind you, it's been three weeks since I washed it back on February 28th. Seems like the older my hair gets, the better it acts. But no matter what I do, my fuzz factor seems to set in really badly by day three and I have to do a retwist.

Let's see how long this one can last.

Product: In stead of my Luster Pink Short Looks Twist It, Hold It Shine It cream, I used Isoplus' Dreads, Locks and Twists Molding cream. I just wanted to try something different. I THINK I like it. Nearly 24 hours later, my hair still feels slightly moist but not tacky or sticky.

Thumbs Down...
Isoplus' Braids, Locks and Twists spray. Oder alert! Oder Alert! This stuff STANKS! Normally, I smell before I buy. Didn't do that this time and that's what I get. Whew! Why did I buy this? I didn't need it. I still have plenty of Care Free Curl Moisturizer. Hope I can find my receipt, and I hope they take it back. I don't even care if they don't give me my money back as long as I can get something else in exchange.

Anyway, I really, really, like Curlie Bob and I think it's going to be a staple in my style book. What do y'all think? Did I do good?

Flat Twists Loose Puff (cont'd on pg 4)
March 26, 2006
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Hi everyone! This will no doubt be my last update for March. If you've been following my journey, you know how sick I am of wearing flat twists in the front. I do this because my edges are really broken off from wearing micro braids for over three years. I'm soooo lucky I don't have traction alopecia. Because I've been keeping my edges protected in the flat twists, they're growing back nicely, and I think they're about 1/2 inch long in most spots. But nevertheless, it still really limits my hairstyles, but I'm getting doggone creative with what I can do with flat twists in the front.

But I must say that I like the way this new style for me turned out! Me thinks its absolutely adorable. And, me thinks I'm really cute!

How to:

I would have never, ever thought of doing a loose puff on my own. I owe this style to having gotten ideas from various hair albums and blogs that I visit. A loose puff gives the illusion of a much more volume. I tried several different sized bands. But to achieve this look,

1) I pulled my hair back and secured it in a band.

2) Then I placed flat metal hair barrettes around the puff in a circular pattern. Each barrette must touch the other barrette. (I'll post a picture of these when I get a chance...just don't use any hinged barrettes. Your hair will get caught in the hinges, you run the risk of your hair catching and litterally being cut!) I know...it happened to me on several different occasions when I was wearing relaxers. So you can only image how hard it would be to try to take hinged barrettes out of natural hair! DON'T DO IT! If you don't know what I'm talking about, wait until I post the pictures!

3) The further you place the barrettes away from the secured puff, the bigger your loose puff will be.

4) Take your hair out of the band. Your hair will stay within the confines of the perimeter you made with the barrettes. If you like, you can untwist the ends of the flat twists so that they blend in better with your puff.

As always, if my directions don't give you a good visual, make sure you email me at NappyMeHappyMe@aol.com.

Oh, and I went on an interview this past Friday, and this is the first time that I've worn my hair natural for an interview. Usually I would always press my hair. Once, I even wore a wig. But no more! Finally, I've broken those last chains of bondage. I think the interview went very well, so I'll let y'all know what happens.

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Yuck...I hate this angle. Kind of looks like an old lady do. But I didn't really feel like trying to get a better one but I think it's important to show all sides of a style...just in case some might want to see how the style looks from all angles.

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Actually, if you've really been following my hair styles, by now you've noticed that the parts for my flat twist styles are practically all the same. Since I do them myself, I actually find them kind of hard to do depending on what side of my head I'm working on. As a result, I really don't feel like trying to come up with something different. I'm doing well just to get the parts uniform and fairly straight so they don't look raggety.

One think I'm noticing about these pictures is that the flash did a better job of capturing my true hair color. More of a dark brown with flecks of red. Can't see the gray though! I so desperately want to color but I really don't feel like trying to keep that maintained.

Also, isn't that just the cutest background?

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Lawd have mercy...another bad angle. But again, it's necessary. Remember that scene in "Two Can Play That Game" with Vivica Fox and Morris Chestnut where Morris' character was in the office with his friend, you know the heavy one. And his friend picks up the black sculpted piece of art that had ripples and rolls and said something like "Does the back of my neck look like this?" Cracked me up! Well that's what this picture reminds me of. Ewe....

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Ok...I'm just lovin this pose! "Come hither baby..." Oh by the way. See my curlie cues on the side. The right was longer than the left one. I couldn't take it any more so I cut about 1/2 an inch off. I really hated to do it, but at least both sides will match now.

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I think this one is a cutie too!

Love y'all and come back soon! Oh and please leave a message in my gallery. If you've come by way of Nappturality.com, I do my best to respond to any questions or comments you might leave below.

God Bless! See ya in April.

April 3, 2006
Low Puff...No flat twists!

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Wake the kids...call the neighbors folks! I can finally pull my hair back in a puff withough having to wear flat twists in the front.

This is truly a milestone. Gotta open a bottle of my favorite bubbly...diet 7-up!

Discovered this quite by accident. When I washed my hair today, I was totally resigned to the fact that I was going to be spending a good three to four hours parting and twisting my hair back into one of my trusty flat twist styles. Probably my French roll, you know the one that I sport back on page 1 or 2 of my journal. Well, anyway, I started applying my twist and lock cream, generously around the edges and started noticing that they were actually laying down...and staying down. Well, next thing I know, I was applying the stuff all over my entire head and started brushing it through with my Denman brush, and my edges were still staying put. Finally, I brushed it all back and put it in a ponytail holder. At first I put my puff really high on my head. Then a little later, I was like, shoot, let me see if I can make a my puff a little lower. Check it out y'all...my first low puff style!

When I first started wearing my hair natural, it wasn't long enough along the sides and some spots in the back to catch in a band, so I always had to use hair clips to hold it down. But I eventually stopped wearing this style period because of the hairline brakage. To wear a puff, I'd have to do the flat twists in the front. Now I ain't gonna lie...that's a lot of work. So today, when I discovered that all my hair including my edges could finally reach back into the band without stickin' up and lookin' down right crazy, you can only imagine my elation. No more spending hours to do flat twists y'all...unless I really want 'em! This is as close as I'll ever get to a wash and go style...and I like it! Wooohoooo!

Check it out though, I have one little area in the top right, just above my temple that looks like it might not cooperate. Always gotta be some hold outs!

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Check out the watercolor effects on all the low puff photos. Kinda cool isn't it?
If you click on each photo for a larger view, you can see the effect a lot better on pics 2-4.

Got a 2nd interview sometime this week for a publications editor position...guess how I'm gonna wear my hair to the interview?

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Back view...even my kitchens look good! When I get tired of this style, I can go right into a protective one by simply putting my puff into a bunch of small twists.

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Decided to put in one of my favorite accessories. It's a band with a metal bow that has either pink or blue stones. Can't quite tell from this picture. I have two though, one in each color. It's a Walgreens find. I think they have the cutest hair accessories.

When I get a chance, I'll take some better pictures of all my hair accessories and get them posted. I'm always looking for something that won't pinch or grab my hair and result in breakage.

I'm pretty conservative though, so a lot of times I'm torn between putting something or nothing in my hair. I like it both ways.

Front Hairline Breakage
April 5, 2006
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Current length is approximately 3 inches long now.

Ok, I've talked enough about it, and I finally decided to illustrate what I was talking about. This picture depicts the breakage I have along my entire front hairline. Y'all, this is what can happen when you do not maintain your microbraids properly. Once your braided extensions start growing away from your scalp, your hair becomes extremely vulnerable to breakage. See, so what had happen'd wuz, I didn't get my hair rebraided frequently enough and the weight of the braids started snapping off the delicate hair around the edges. Also had breakage in the "Kitchen" area too. Even if you want to go three months before you take all your hair down and get it rebraided, you should probably get your entire hairline -- front and back -- rebraided at the month-and-a-half mark. But this depends on how fast your hair grows out. That would have made sense for me, so do what makes sense for you. Just don't do what I did and neglect your maintenance, or you could end up like me, tryin to grow out my nappy edges. And trust me, in the styling department, this has been an absolute pain in the butt to deal with. So glad I've got some length to work with now.

If you're dealing with this right now, you're going to have to keep your hair in protective styles, especially around the hairline to regain your length. Notice I didn't say grow back. That's because your hair is always growing (if that wasn't the case, you'd be quite bald). Once your hair follicle comes out of your head, how well you care for it, along with genetics of course, ultimately determines how long your hair can grow. Proper care = length!

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I recently started wondering what my hair type is. The best I can tell from all the research I've done is that it's type 4B.

Here are some of my hair's characteristics:

*Very coarse and dense.

*Nap coil pattern is about the diameter of an ink pen spring.

*Absolutely no natural shine, so as a result, I really don't waste time using any kind of oil products because all I get is, well, oily hair...ewe...

*Sucks up moisture like a sponge...that's why it doesn't and has never held a press very well.

*Despises any kind of grease. Grease blocks out it's ability to suck up moisture. If I use grease, it gets hard and yucky. Always hated grease and oils anyway.

*Dries quickly

*Moisturizer products leave it with more of a low sheen.

*Shrinkage: Top sides and lower back about 50 percent shrinkage. Back, just below the crown has an even tighter nap pattern and shrinks about 60-70 percent when totally dry. So when I shampoo, I always make sure I plait this area first before it has a chance to dry out during the styling process. But this area also makes the best looking twists!

Ok...I just look flat out geeky here. Duh...

Now, without being obsessive about it, I wonder, realistically, how often I should take these growth pics. Maybe again in september.

This pic and the one above were take two months apart. I can't tell if the twist in this pic is longer than the one in the above pic. Too soon to tell. I think I'll wait until September to do my next round of growth comparison pics.

I've been dying to see how long my hair is getting by stretching it down my back. But getting a really accurate picture involves having someone hold it for me and then snap the pic. Didn't have anyone that could do this for me, so with my camera on a tripod, I retwist a one of my twists and then put a butterfly clip on it to weigh it down. It wasn't heavy enough to stretch it out fully, plus I had to wrap the teeth around the ends a little bit so again, it won't show the true length, but it does give me a little idea of both shrinkage and growth.

I THINK that twist is somewhere around 10 or 11 inches long. I had a layered cut about a year ago to deal with some terrible split ends, which I discovered when I was still getting my hair pressed occasionally. Actually, the cut gave my full-head twists a nice shape. I was once complaining on Nappturality that my hair wasn't all the same length and someone responded back that same-length hair was overrated. I got to thinking about that and for nappies, that is certainly true. So now, I no longer care if my hair isn't the same length all over, I just want to realize growth and the have healthy hair.

Ok...this is a much better picture. Got my sister to tear herself away from one of her labeling gadgets long enough to hold my twist in place while my silly little niece snapped some pictures. She actually did a really good job. My mom was watching and was like, Your hair is really down your back. That just made me smile. I doubt that it's longer than hers though.

Now on to my amazement. WOW, my eyes are buggin! I knew my hair was getting long but I really had no idea. Makes me wish I had been documenting my growth journey since last August when I finally took my micros out for the very last time. So my goal was just to have sixteen inches of hair. Now, I'd like to see if I can at least grow my hair waist length. That would be really something wouldn't it?

From looking at this pic, I'd say I have about 50% shrinkage.

By the way, this do is going into its third week. I've retwisted about four times to keep it looking neat. Having to do it a fourth time was really my fault. I spilled somthing on my satin bonnet that I wear at night. So I didn't put it on, and when I woke up in the morning, my whole head looked like a fuzzy rug.

When I redo my hair this time, I'm going to try a different style for the top. Well, really I'm not sure what I want to do, but I know I don't want to recreate one of my past styles. The next one really has to be different.

But I will say, this style was really the bomb! I loved it.

By the way...isn't the little smilie I added to the pick cute? It almost looks like it's on the back of the t-shirt.

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Fake smile! Good pic of hair though!

Alopecia? See where all the twists start just above my temple and then fans out? Right in that spot is an area of hair that has thinned out and stays short. I first noticed it when I came out of braids...well no that's not true...I take that back. I actually noticed it during the time that I was still getting microbraids on a regular basis. But I just thought it was breakage that would grow back. Didn't really concern me back then. Think I really noticed it again after I took my braids out and started pressing my hair that my hair line looked thinner right in that spot. While the rest of my hair line has continued to grow, this little spot remains thin and short. Most people would probably never even notice it unless I bought it up. So while I'm not REAL pressed about it, I do keep trying to nurse it back...which it probably won't.

That's why I continue to caution people when they consider a transition through braids...PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR HAIRLINE TOUCHED UP BETWEEN FULL-HEAD REBRAIDINGS. AND ALSO MAKE SURE YOUR BRAIDER IS NOT PULLING YOUR HAIR TOO TIGHTLY. That way you minimize the risk of breakage and damage to your hair follicles that could cause traction alopecia.

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Don't really like this pose but threw it in anyway!

How to make a studio portrait!
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1) Put your camera on a tripod or prop it up on something. Put the timer on and then run back to your chair.

2) Fold your hands out in front of you like a Genie. Bring them in close enough to your chest for you to lay your head on your arms.

3) Smile pretty for the camera

4) Crop tight and voila! You got yourself one of those studio posed portraits!

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Just bein' silly!

Just bein' creative!

April 5, 2006

Ok...I'm biased because number one, she's my niece and number two, I did her hair. So according to me, this littel girl is just toooo cute for words to describe!

Too funny cause...she thinks she is too! I haven't done her hair in a really long time. She's been preferring cornrows done by her other aunt (father's side) and not my mega twist-a-thons. Thing is she always loves my styles, just not the time that it takes to create them.

But after doing her hair this time, although you can't tell from the pics, she has major heat damage on her ends. Apparently, the OTHER aunt presses her hair before she braids it. In some spots, she needs about four inches of hair cut off. Of course I'm sick about it because that basically undos almost one year of growth. I pointed this out to my sister, and all I can do is hope she doesn't allow the OTHER auntie to continue damaging her hair. My niece is soooo vocal about everything else, I'm gonna tell her to ask her OTHER auntie NOT to put any heat in her hair. Heck, it's her hair, and she might as well learn to start defending it now, that way it will be second nature when she's older.

Damage caused to hair by wearing rubber bands. The site I got this pic from didn't specify the hair type. So I'm going to assume it's caucasian hair.

Relaxer damage on African American hair.

Relaxer damage on African American hair.

Trichorrhexis nodosa

This is an explosion of the cortex at a single point on the hair. It looks like a tiny white bead on the hair, and can lead to hair breakage. It is a classic sign of cosmetic and chemical over-treatment of the hair.

Ewe...looks like some nasty bug, doesn't it?

A case of trichorrhexis nodosa, where the cortex was disrupted by an overheated hair dryer

Knots!

No, not Bantu Knots. The knot you see over at the right is a close up of the knots that nappies often feel at the ends of their hair shafts.

Because our hair is coily these dang knots are a problem inherent to nappy hair. They can't be prevented, they can be minimized if you're willing to wear your hair in protective custody most of the time. When I wear my hair out, I notice a whole lot more knotting than usual.

Once your hair knots like this, you'll be able to feel a bump, usually located at the end of your hair shaft. Sometimes you can get them mid shaft too. The only thing you can do is cut them off. Since I don't get a whole lot of these due to protective styling, I usually just isolate the strand and snip the knot.

Don't worry about having precision even hair as a nappy...there's just no point.

If you wear your hair out in puffs or afros all the time, you're likely to have this problem to a greater extent. In which case, the only thing you can do is get a full head trim or ignore them.

I don't ignore them because they make the ends of my hair feel rough and if you accumulate enough of them they can cause more tangles and snarls, and I'll eventually have to cut even more hair off. So I really try to stay on top of this. I seek out and destroy everytime I do a retwist on my hair.

May 28, 2006
Three Generations of Nappies
Me, left, my mom and my niece. Don't we look so purty!

At my niece's academic award night, in which she earned quite a few academic honors. They read every child's name that earned an award, and this program took longer than ANY graduation I've ever been to. I deliberately fell asleep and woke back up only to find out they handn't even called the kids whose last names started with "Gs." So, I went back to sleep. Every now and then, my sister would nudge me to take a picture of one of her daughter's friends who was getting award. Of course we're proud of her but daaaaaang could they have made the award night a little shorter?

My niece at her spring concert in early May. We had to touch up this style since she had been wearing it for a couple of weeks. She likes it although she prefers it back off of her face when she plays basketball.

May 30, 2006

Found these inspiration pics on various web sites. In the first two, this sister obviously has hair that is probably more curlie or straight than nappy. Plus her hair has to be really, really, long to acheive this style. But one of these days, I'm gonna have enough hair to do something similiar. My hair is now about 10-12 inches long, depending on where I pull the sample from. My hair hasn't been this long since I was 9-years-old. I'm confident that I can achieve even longer lengths as long as I take care of my hair. So maybe, in a couple of years I can sport this do.

It's so classy, very chic and elegant. Like I said, my inspiration pic!

Look at the back. Wow!

This one is gorgeous as well. Her updo in the back is obviously a hair piece, and I'm not sure, but it kinda looks like her twists might have hair added in as well. No matter though, I like this do because I like the way her hair is parted. Although I could could do the flat twist part with no help from the fake hair side, I'd have to add the hair piece to get this exact look. But I covered up my own hair with braids for sooooo long I'm on the fence about whether or not I'd want to go get a hair piece to achieve this look. I wore microbraids for so long, I just want to wear my own hair. In addition to that I naturally have serveral different colors (dark brown hair mixed in with pure red strands and now gray hair) so it would be difficult for me to find a hair piece that matched my own hair anyway! But this style is definately an inspiration because of the way her hair is parted. I might try this one soon but leave the hair out in a puff to get something close to this look.

I'm not sure I could do the back, but I have gotten to the point that I don't want to be dependent on having to have someone else do my hair. So the next time I get a really burst of creative energy, I'm gonna try this one. I mastered doing twists in the front, So I might as well start trying to do the back.

June 12, 2006

This style has really turned out to be one of my all time favorites! At this point, I'm entering week three of wearing my flat twist half bun style. I wore it for exactly six days before I freshened it up. So I did a retwisted the back on Sunday and then the front on Monday so I'd have a nicer do for my Thursday interview for a sr. project manager position. But then, I got sick as a DOG on Tuesday and then went to the doctor the following day only to find out I had quite a severe case of strep throat.

Unable to swallow and with a fever of 101 degrees, I had to postpone my interview and go the next week. So after being in bed for several days, I had to do yet another full-head retwist.

So I've freshened this do up quite a bit over the past two weeks. It's ok though. The top can take about an hour to do. And, I have to use a mirror to see what I'm doing. But the back I can do it while I'm chillin out, sitting around with my family and just chit chattin' on the front porch while we're people watchin' and of course talking about folks walkin' by the house...that's sooooo much fun.

The reason I have the smaller pic inset on top of the large pic is because I want to give a reference point for the pic below.

Ok, this is a larger pic of the one above. What I'm trying to show you is a close up of the damage I did to my hair line with microbraids. Remember now, I wore those things for 3.5 years with absolutely no break. They simply tore my hairline to shreds. Well, my front hair line has grown long enough for me to stretche it almost down to my eye brows. But this close up shows a small area that kind of refuses to grow back. See where my glasses are? Ok, now count three twists up from the side of my glasses in the pic. The one where you can see my twist doesn't start right at the very front of the hair line...doesn't come to a point. Well that's because it refuses to grow in in that area. In fact that who little piece of my hair line is really, really, thin. And depending on flat twist styles that I attempt, I have difficulty right in this area getting the hair to stay in the twists. I THINK it's getting better. I THINK its TRYING to grow in. I hope so, cause I've several areas that I'm nursing, and I'm hoping that I can eliminate these sources of frustration. Hopefully, this time next year, this little thin spot can be a distant memory.

Ok, wanted to show you a close up of the texture and thickness of my hair. I love it. My hair is thick (wish it were super thick though) and very course and naturally very dry. But my wonderfully, simply product arsenal, Carefree Curl and Soft and Beautiful Botanical Lite Moisturizer keep my hair so moisturized and soft it's unbelieveable. Also, notice that my hair doesn't have a high shine to it. It has more of a healthy-looking sheen. Some nappy hair shines. Mine doesn't, and I'm ok with that.

I absolutely LOVE the way my hair feels and looks.

This also gives you a close up of how my twists are secured over the loose hair in the back to create the half bun in this hair style. Got rid of the decorative hair pins though cause they were killing my scalp. Found a decorative comb I like instead.

Next update, I'll post some pics of my decorative hair comb collection.

Close up of texture. Never would have thought my coarse hair could ever feel soft! Since I trimmed off my split ends, my twists look sooooooo much better. Look at the ends. Instead of whispy-looking, straight, raggety ends, the ends of my twist actually coil up now like a spring. That's they way I've always wanted my hair to look in my twists. Plus now that my hair has gotten so much longer, my twists lay a lot better. My length goal is 16 inches of hair. I'd eventually like to stretch my hair down to the middle of my back. See how healthy my twists are? I think I'm on my way!

One day, I told my mom that I wanted all of my twists to sit on my shoulders after shrinkage, and she remarked "Oh, that means your hair would have to grow down to your boobs." I'm just keepin' it real y'all...that's what she really said. But ya' know...I think she's right!

One thing that trips me out on NP is that some people have the biggest aversion to calling their hair nappy. They dance around the word like it's the "N" word. I find that sooooo interesting because although I grew up pressing my hair...even into my third year of college, I didn't hate my nappy hair. Sure, I didn't want to walk out of the house with nappy hair, but that's because no one knew how to style nappy hair other than wear it in an afro or put it in french braid. And I hate they way I look in french braids. By the way, I use the term french braids interchangeably with cornrows although I know there's a difference. Anyway, I was raised with my mom who subscribed to a good hair/bad hair mentality but not to the point that I felt like we vehemently hated nappy hair. I knew I had nappy hair, and it got pressed. In fact, back in the day, nearly all the girls got their hair pressed, so we all knew we had nappy hair. But it wasn't hated or feared. Calling someone's hair nappy or using the word nappy wasn't fightin' words. So it is truely amazing to me that people dance around the word nappy when it comes to describing their hair. Well people I love the word nappy...cause that's what it is. It aint, curly (yeah right) it ain't wavy, it's nappy. It's NAPpy. It's NAPPY, NAPPY, NAPPY! And, I wouldn't have it any other way!

Just another close up of my healthy ends. That's the secret of gaining and maintaining length. Taking good care of those ends! Remember, your hair does grow, it what you do to it that determines whether or not you'll have long hair. So, stop saying your hair doesn't grow...ok? Just take care of the ends!

Interesting Hair Facts

*Hair grows about 4-6 inches per year.

*We shed approximately 50-100 hairs per day.

*Nappy hair is actually the most fragil of all hair types. As it grows it relentlessly twists and turns, and in every bend in the hair shaft is a potential weak spot. That's why it breaks so easily, and learning how to care for nappy hair is the secret to growing really long hair.

*Hair growth goes through three stages.
.............Growing, hair is actively growing from the scalp. .............Resting, hair is no longer actively growing and is just sitting on your scalp.
.............Shedding, hair dies at the root, and a new one is waiting to take it's place. If all of our hair grew, rested and shed at the same time, there would be periods throughout our lives when we'd be quite bald!

*Lifespan of hair: 3 to 7 years

*Hair grows faster in warm weather

*Cutting hair does not influence its growth

*The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair. It protects the interior Cortex layer and contributes to 20% of the overall strength of the hair.

*The cortex is the middle layer and gives the hair strength and elasticity. A healthy cortex contributes about 80% of the overall strength of the hair.

*The medulla is the innermost layer. It is sometimes absent from the hair but plays a very minor role in the haircoloring process.

*Texture is determined by the diameter of the individual hair strand.

*Density is the number of hair per square inch, can range from thin to thick.

*Porosity is the ability of the hair to absorb moisture. (Most nappy hair is very porous) Mine sucks it up like a sponge.

06/21/06
Steppin' out do

Woo! This had to be a quickie. My severe anemia has been taking its toll on my energy levels. I've been soo incredibly sleepy and tired lately. So on this past Saturday, I didn't get up until around 11 a.m. That's when I remembered I was supposed to be going to a concert with my friend Kim.

I had taken my hair down the night before so that I could brush it real good and detangle. The last time a refreshed my do, I added waaaaay to much moisturizer so my hair really felt yucky. But I wasn't going to get a chance to shampoo for the concert, so for the moment, I was just going to have to do one more style with yucky feeling hair.

Well, this is what I came up with. I thought it was sooooooooo cute. I usually really conservative so the little gold bands really are a bit much for me. But sometimes I try really hard to not be such a stick in the mud and add a little flash to the do. I mentioned to my mom that I wished that I had some earrings that matched my top and she came out of her bedroom with these. Yeah, I thought they really finished off the look.

My niece stopped by, and she said I looked cute, but not in her normal enthusiastic way. So, I'm not sure if she meant it or not. Don't recall what my sister thought and sometimes I'm not sure if my mom is really saying what she thinks. But the thing is, I'm usually feeling so pretty that I don't really care what they think cause I know what's really at the root of this. They're just not used to thinking natural hair is pretty. Or heck, maybe they just really didn't like this particular style. Could be, cause quite frankly, my sister can get some really jacked up looking freeze spiral curl hair dos. I think they're not very becoming on her. And when I don't like her hair, I just don't say anything. That's why I think the same thing is going on when she just looks at me when I have a new do and doesn't say anything. She's probably just like me...she doesn't like it but doesn't want to hurt my feelings.

So sitting on the front porch at my mom's house is our favorite evening activity...that is until the bugs run me in the house. So far this year it's been mosquitoes and some really big flying bug that comes out just before dark. One night one flew right at me and I thought I ducked only to find out the damn thing was under my arm pit. My sister noticed and said "Raise your arm." I did and she swatted it off of me. Ok, I was so grossed out that I just sat back down in my chair and started rocking back and forth. Ok, so I am just really creeped out by those things. Yuck.

So I digress, cause that really has nothing to do with these pics. LOL! My niece told me, you look really ethnic. Now she's only 11 so I doubted that she really knew what that meant. A little later she asked me where I was going. So I told her that I was going to see a concert. "Who ya gonna see?" I told her the The SOS Band, Confunction and the Ohio Players. "Is that some kind of African band?" she asks. Ok so of course we all crack up. She kinda laughed and said, "Well, I just thought that because of the way you're dressed." Well hey now...hmmm...maybe she does grasp the meaning of ethnic... Anyway, I sung a little bit of something I thought she may have heard by the Ohio Players. She says, "Oh yea, I've heard that before." Too funny. I really got to get her to listen to some more old school tunes!

By the way...the concert kinda sucked. It was marred by sound system problems the whole night. Also, as usual, your folks never know how to start a concert on time so it started at 8:45 instead of 7 p.m. Then, because of the sound issues, the Ohio Players didn't come on until 11:30. And the sound was horrible. People started leaving in droves during the first song. We left too. I was very disappointed that I didn't get to see the Ohio Players cause that's who I was really waiting for.

Oh, and my friend Kim looked really cute. She had on this beige, mesh looking long sweater, a cute top with matching pants with a slit up the side that ran just above the ankles. Then she had on some gold tone shoes. Her head wrap really looked cute too. Her long natural braids hung down in the back. I wish my hair was as long as hers. Anyway, we had some people in a parking lot take a picture of us. I don't think it turned out all that well. As soon as she sends it to me, I'll post it.

June 21, 2006

Ok, the majority of the time, I wear in styles. Rarely if ever do I wear my hair out. But what I've been finding out about myself is that right after I shampoo, I really don't feel like trying to put my hair in a protective style. So the only thing that leaves is some kind of puff.

So today, I procrastinated something terrible when it came to preparing for a photo shoot. By 3:30, I only had two hours before I had to go on location to shoot photos for a basketball team up at my old high school. I took my hair out of the plaits that I had put in my hair yesterday after I shampooed it, and I thought, "What the heck am I going to do with my hair.

Well, I went and found a scarf, brushed my hair back and thought ok, kinda cute. My mom looked at me and quickly glanced away. I asked her if she liked it and she said, "I like it if you like it." My niece saw it and her face lit up. "Wow...you're hair is really cute." My sister looked over at me and didn't say anything. After I came back from my photo shoot, my niece asked her mom if she liked my hair. She said something to the affect that she wouldn't like it on her. Ok now, that simply means she didn't like it. I'm ok with that. Her standard of beauty for grown black women is still straight hair.

But then I look at these pics and I think, can I really pull off big hair? I'm used to flat protective styles. I'm not sure I like this on me.

If you're visiting my album, please leave me a note and tell me what you think. Just reference Large puff with scarf when you leave me a comment about this do.

Thanks.

July 1, 2006
Twistie Bob

Don't me and my hair look really, really happy? Well we are. That's because all my strands are back safely where they belong in protective custody.

First, thanks everyone for the encouragement to wear my hair out and wear it big. It was fun. I tried the wearing the puff for maybe a day shy of a week. But the longer I wore it, the smaller it got. Not terribly small but I did tone it down and then I felt more comfortable with it. Plus a couple of folks said I looked better with my hair pulled away from my face a little. I actually agree.

But let me tell you, wearing my hair out for a week like that will NEVER EVER happen again. The reason? I had more knots that I had to cut out then I've had in a really long time. That can hurt a nappy's feelings ya know. As I was twisting my hair, I could feel in several places where my strands had knotted up and had to be snipped. I hate rough ends. I refuse to do an over all trim though just because my small sections were knotted up. So yes I did isolate those bad boys and got rid of the knots. Not every single one but enough.

So, as much as I like wearing a puff, this was a big time learning experience. If I want healthy ends, I need to stick with my protective styles.

Ok, I got the idea for my hair blowing in the wind from watching Beyonce' perform one time. She positioned herself on the stage so that these really big fans were blowing her hair back. Well, I always have a fan on me, because, well, I'm one hot mama! But anyway, I had fan sitting on the floor aimed up at my face, put the camera on a tripod and snapped this pic.

I think it turned out really nicely...don't you think!

Gosh this took a really long time to do. I entertained myself on NP while I was doing it.

Here's a random thought for you. Have you ever had a dream that you or someone deliberately ruined your hair by putting a relaxer in it? I have on several occasions. And apparently, I'm not alone. According to the folk who posted in a thread I started on NP, many people have had some variation of this dream.

Well I haven't had that dream in a really long time. Mine involves me going to the salon and the stylist says she is putting conditioner on my hair, but she's really slathering it with relaxer cream. When I realize what she's doing, I'm incredibly upset. I wake up and realize it's just a dream, and I awfully relieved.

I've thought about it, and I think these dreams serve to reinforce and reaffirm our decision to be nappy and our desire to stay nappy. That's the only explanation that I can come up with for these dreams. Why else would our subconscious torture us like that?

Sorry to interrupt the picture flow. But I've inserted this pic for a reason. It was taken last spring, in between braidings. It was actually one of the first times I had ever worn a head full of twists.

Compare the condition of my hair last spring and look at my hair now. It's soooo much healthier now than it was then. Also, look at the twists in the front. See how scraggly they are? That's HEAT DAMAGE folks! If you wanna be a nappy, you really should give up the heat. In fact, click this link (when NP comes back up, I'll post the link) to read one of my posts on NP about heat...

I've been gradually cutting just the heat damaged hair out. Yes, it has left my hair terribly uneven in some spots but I've learned to work around this when I style.

Today I found a couple more heat damaged locks of hair. They're small and since they're not in terribly obvious places, I'll just leave them alone for the time being.

My moisturizer of choice these days is PRO-LINE Comb-thru Lite Cream Moisturizer. It's an aqua/water/glycerin based product that just attracts moisture from the humid air like you would not believe. My hair stays moisturized in twists and in my puff for days on end with this stuff.

Moisture vs. oil
Did you know that more than anything our hair craves moisture? And, unfortunatley most nappies confuse oil for moisture.

Moisture = water

Many nappies complain about having dry hair. You need moisturzie with water-based products that contain a humectant like glycerin. Humectants promote the attraction and retention of water. I use very little oil in my hair. In fact, the only oil I do use is found in my moisturizer. It's PEG-75 Lanolin and its so far down on the list of ingredients that the amount is negligible. Lanolin is derived from sheep's wool. Lanolin is permeable, which means it allows your hair to take in moisture, while providing some lubrication of the hair shaft.

On the flip side of that, mineral oils and petrolatum based products coat the hair shaft and repell water. So if you're already having problems with dry, brittle hair, and you're using products with these ingredients, then you're compounding the issue.

If you must use oils, use products that contain only essential oils and abstracts. These, like lanolin, are also permeable oils and will allow your hair to breath and take in much needed moisture.

For nappy heads, water will always be your best friend!

These pics were taken after sitting on the front porch for several hours talking with my mom, sis and niece. It had gotten up to about 98 degrees today so it was really hot and humid. Really excellent weather conditions for chronically thirsty nappy hair. When I came in the house and looked in the mirror, my twists had shrunk up nicely and were actually glistening. And for the first time ever, I actually liked my gray hair. The gray almost looked like little pieces of glitter.

See the twist just above my eye on the left. It's very annoying! I'll be glad when my hair gains more length in front so that my twists hang below my glasses.

Oh, and by the way, isn't nappy shrinkage something? My hair is about 10-12 inches long but you'd never know it from these pics.

Wow...looking seriously good!

Did you know...

That the application of heat is the most responsible for damage to the cortex. It disturbs the moisture balance of our hair and can deteriorate it so much that the hair strands can no longer collect or hold moisture.

Heat appliances also cause swelling of the outer layer of the hair shaft. This is caused by evaporating the moisture that is already in it and causing the hair to swell. When the hair contracts it
leaves cracks in the cuticle.

That's why NP does not allow members to discuss the use of heat on the website. Most of us are committed to being nappy without ever again putting heat on our hair.

Dee--ism #1...If it burns your skin, it will burn your hair. How true. So ask yourself, why am I still using heat to style my hair?

If you look closely at this pic, you can see my scattered gray hair. Look at how fat and juicy my twists are.

Cute semi-serious pose.

I'm not that crazy about this particular angle but it's still a great hair pic.

While we were sitting on the porch tonight, my sis, who didn't like the really big puff do, (but did like the smaller puff) told me that my hair was "really cute."

Thanks sis. Get rid of the p.erm and you can have really great hair too!

Never stop campaigning for nappy hair!

Ha, trickedja. You didn't think I had a collage for this do did ya! Know you know better than that!

July 1, 2006
Shout outs!

This is an excellent time to give a shout out to Patricia Gains, aka DeeCoily, the founder of Nappturality.com. What I really like about this lady is her steadfast, unwaivering conviction and take-no-prisoners attitude when it comes to her no-nonsence approach to educating black women on how to appreciate and care for their natural hair. Wouldn't have ever learned how to care for and maintain my natural hair on this level without this site and all the wonderful members who share their knowledge, wisdom, trials, tribulations, humor, convictions and straight up drama about nappy hair.

Ya know, I've often said that NP is much bigger than just hair. There's no denying it. It's an international ministry which empowers black women to be who they are. There are over 47,000 members with as many personalities. We may not all agree on every point on the nappturality spectrum but in the end, we ALL just want to be accepted for who we are, no more, no less. And NP provides a safe haven for us. It's here to nurture our mind, body and spirit, share our common experiences, support and nurture one another, provide an occasional kick in the butt, and enable us to go back out into the world to be a strong, shining light and example for others to see and follow if they so choose. Wish I had know about NP since the first day it went online cause it's a great place to be, no doubt about it.

I'd also like to give a shout out to the following nappy NP-ers with hair albums and/or journals who have inspired me with their committment to the principles of nappturality and have enabled me to experience tremendous growth thus far in my napptural journey...

*Natitwists
*Superstar
*Roshini
*Jazitones
*Maestrodiva
*DeeCoily-needs to update her album cause I'm simply in major LOVE with her hair)
*Masoesa
*Sweet Africa

Here is a list of some websites that I go to that have genuinely usefull information. I tend to go there only when NP is down cause actually, I can get everthing I need on NP.com.

*Naani.com
*Motown Girl
(I'll add more when I get a chance.)

Great Publications
*Naturally You Magazine (NaturallyYou.com)

Common ingredients lists

So just what is all that stuff in your product shown in the ingredients listed on the jar, tube, box or whatever?

Well, I found this on the Proctor and Gamble site. Gives a decent explanation of some pretty comon ingredients.

07/08/06
Just Hangin out

Well, today, me and my mom got up to go to the Farmer's Market down in the Old Market. She picked up some really good stuff like yummy watermelon, cantalope and fresh corn on the cob. By this afternoon, we're sitting on the porch being entertained my by niece. She's reading to us from her National Geographics Kids magazine. I got her a subscription to this and Girls! magazine to encourage her to read. My sister, her mom and a teacher is a firm believer, as we all are, that kids need to read all through the summer so that they don't get rusty. But trying to make her read is a constant battle. It's like putting her on punishiment. So, I decided to get her these two magazines. I don't think it really matters what she reads, as long as it's appropriate, and she enjoys doing it. She absolutely loves the magazines and whenever she gets one, we have to sit and be entertained by listening to her read interesting stuff from her magazine. Basically, I tricked her into loving to learn...even when she doesn't think she wants to!

Ok...so here are some riddles for you.

Q: What do give a dog with a fever?
A: Mustard...it's the best thing for a hot dog.

Q: What do computers do when they get hungry?
A: They eat chips.

Q: What did one potato chip say to the other one?
A: Would you like to go for a dip?

Q: Which is the smartest state in the union?
A. Alabama. Cause it has fours As and one B.

Now who else's hair album can you go to and get this kinda high-quality entertainment!

Dang...look at this pick. That's Brandi. My sister's Rat Terrier. She's such a cutie pie but she has an incredible case of separation anxiety. If she's not near my sister, nothing is right in her world. The dang dog won't even eat until my sister comes home. Plus, if we're all sitting on the porch and my sister goes into the house, she sits at the door and watches until my sister comes back out.

It's crazy. It was killing her to be sitting on my lap. She wanted her mama

Nothin special. Just like this pic.

I lightened this pic considerably because I wanted you to see the detail. My hair is soooo thick. Love the twists right at my neck line.

I lightened this pic considerably because I wanted you to see the detail. My hair is soooo thick. Love the twists right at my neck line.

Side view sitting in my favorite spot on the porch in my favorite chair.

Rain and humidity.

It's soooooo humid. According to Weather Bug on my computer it was in the 80s with 66% humidity.

We got back from the Farmer's Market just in time. As soon as we got everything from the car onto the porch...the skies opened up and poured down rain...a nappies best friend.

I kept going off the porch to stand in the rain. Look at my twists. Now I can't say they feel incredibly soft...they've felt better...but I love the tightness of the twist.

Now I'll be glad when my hair is much longer and my twists are shoulder length with shrinkage. But I have to tell ya, I do like my shrinkage!

If you look closesly at the twist that's laying on my forehead, you'll see how thin it is? See how it lacks volume...right in the middle and towards the end? That's because it's actually some of the last pieces of visually heat damaged hair. In the top, a lot of my hair lacks a tighter nap. It appears that my hair in the top is much more susceptible to heat damage than the hair in the back and crown.

I really don't want to cut that damaged part of the twist because it's hair that frames my face. I did trim the ends just a little because the whispy ends rubbing against my forehead were workin' my last nerve.

Dang, this pic also show my gray hair really well too.

I also think my napp pattern is now much smaller. than it was when I first did them. I'm assuming standing out in the rain did this.

Wow, the diameter of these coils are really, really, tiny.

Had to lighten this pic considerably. Trying to show off my mom's juicy fat twists.

There's my baby. Look at her. She just got glasses last week. Been complaining about her eyes all last school year. My sister finally took her for an exam and found out she has unusally high pressure which may or may not develop into glaucoma when she gets older. Apparently this condition is hereditary...my sister has unusally high eye pressure too. The glasses kinda makes her look older.

Look at her...taller than me and only eleven!

My mom really hates getting her picture taken these days. She's really uncooperative. But, we made her take this picture today. I think its cute!

Oh...I talk about her so much but I've never included a pic of my p.ermie sister in my journal. There's the happy family. Her husband works around the clock seems like so she and my niece are always over my moms. Puppy, as we still call her although she's full grown, just wasn't cooperating. The stinker!

She's so cute. Telling a story about a trip she took to Kansas City with her cousins. She's hung out with them all last week. Didn't even spend the fourth of July with us. Not having her around just wasn't the same. I missed her terribly.

July 9, 2006

Yesterday, my mom said she didn't want to have her picture taken cause she's old and ugly. Kinda broke my heart. So today, I decided to do her hair for her. I should really do it more often, but by the time I do mine, I really don't feel like doing hers. Where I have lengths ranging from 9 to 12 inches because of a layered cut, my mom's hair is easily 12 inches or longer all over her entire head. Now her hair isn't as dense as it used to be due to some thinning but I swear it looks like it is getting thicker again...especially in the back. But I can remember doing her hair maybe six or seven months ago and the top was so thin her twists looked anorexic. But they look much thicker in this pic...still a little thin but much, much better.

Anyway, I did her hair while we were all watchin Madea Goes to Jail. Ok....it was incredibly funny. Laughed my butt off. If you haven't seen it...you just gotta. Plus, Tyler Perry is donating 1 million dollars to people in New Orleans down in the lower Nineth Ward. Says he's doing it personally...one-on-one...not through any agency cause he wants to make sure it goes to the people who really needs help. I have a new level of respect for the man...he is truely doing God's work.

Well after I got finished, my sister was like...go get your camera so you can add mom to your hair journal. Shoot, my mom got up put on her necklace and started puttin' on some lipstick. Then we went back out on the porch to take some pics. This was the best one so this is the one that I doodied up...sort of like glamour shots. I had to touch it up under her eyes cause, well I wasn't thinking. She had lots of sweat under eyes and it looked like she'd been crying. So I started racking my brain on how to touch this pic up. The end result is that I smoothed out the skin under her eyes and actually took some years off. While unintentional, the picture turned out really well.

I asked her later if she felt pretty, and she said yes.

My mom has NEVER had a relaxer. But up until she retired, she ALWAYS wore a press and curl. But after developed a chronic lung illness which has her on oxygen (she won't wear it when she's taking pictures) she could be around anything that exacerbates her breathing problem...including smoke from a pressing comb.

Plus, she really doesn't have lung capacity it would take to let her hold her hands over her head for long periods of time like it would take to do her hair. So she's resigned to wearing her hair nappy but trust me, she'd get it pressed if she could.

So I think it helps that I'm the "nappturologist" in the family. I'm the one that pretty much introduced everyone to the concept of styling nappy hair in twists.

Ok...check out her growth. Had my niece stretch out a twist in the back and put an envelope underneath so that we could see the twist. Like I said earlier, her hair is about 12 inches long all over.

If you're thinking this do looks familiar, you're right. It's the flat twist half bun style that I created and wore myself last month. It's also on of my most favorite styles. It makes me want to fix my hair like that again...It's very cute and very easy to maintain. You can retwist the back one day. Fluff out the bun part the next day to freshen it up. And then when you feel like it retwist the top. You can litterly keep this one going for weeks and keep it looking very good!

I think this pic is a repeat. Oh well. I just wanted to add that her hair is really, really, really soft!

I like this pic. Got her to smile a little bit. She looks natural and relaxed. I'm going to try to keep her hair done more often. She even has a hard time just taking it down and brushing it out.

I asked her the other day how she washes it. Shower. Funny, I don't like to do my hair in the shower. I prefer the sink.

TWISTOUT!
July 21, 2006

This evening the Twistie Bob do has got to go. It's old, and it feels really yucky. I've been sporting it now since the sunday before July 4. So altogether...what's that...about a month?

So I took all those ity, bity little twists down so I could shampoo, and of course I want to see what a twistout might look like.

Ok...the front of this do looks really cute. But that's where it ends. You gotta right click on this pick to enlarge it and see the filter effect that I put on it. Made it kinda look like a painting. I might actually print this one out and frame it.

Now look at this from the side. Why are all my twistouts flat in the back. All of them. I just don't know how to get volume back there. I think the real problem is that the top and sides have a looser nap pattern than the crown and back. So twistsouts always have more volume up front and on the sides.

Oh and if you look at my bangs...no curl definition whatsoever. This is just plain frustrating.

To me, this twistout just looks like a mop. So once again, I have no confidence with trying to do a twistout with the intent to wear it out of the house as a do. As a result, the only place I'm going with this one is straight to the sink to wash it out!

The color on this photograph sucks. Could get it adjusted correctly. Also the lighting isn't very good either. No matter though, I was trying to lighten it so that you could see the twistout definition. For once I really like it. Too bad it's flat as a pancake!

The color on this photograph sucks. Could get it adjusted correctly. Also the lighting isn't very good either. No matter though, I was trying to lighten it so that you could see the twistout definition. For once I really like it. Too bad it's flat as a pancake!

Here's a closeup of my bangs. See the lack of definition. Again...I believe this is due to heat damage. Why, oh why, oh why didn't I know about the affects of heat on nappy hair. For those of you who started your nappy journey with the big chop, and you know about how heat can damage your hair, you are sooooo lucky. If you've been following my journey, and you're a member of Nappturality.com AND you're still using heat, (p.ressing, blow drying, curling irons etc.) I have but one questions for you. Why? Why would you risk the damage?

I'm going to have to work around this damage for a really long time as a gradually cut it out. If you're truely embracing your nappy hair, there's no need for using heat. None. There are always ways to style your hair without the use of heat.

That goes for getting trims or having your hair braided as well. Many braiders will tell nappies that they have to blow dry their hair so that it's easier for them to work with during the braiding process. If you know you're going to get your hair braided...plait it up to stretch it out the night before you get it cornrowed or microbraided.

And as for trimming. Do it yourself. Put it in medium-sized twists and snip your ends with a good pair of hair shears. Nappies don't really need to worry about precision cutting for our hair styles the way folks who wear straight hair do. Nappy hair hides the uneveness most of us tend to have. One time I complained about uneven hair on NP and someone replied back that having even hair was overrated. I thought about that for a second and concur. Nappies need not concern themselves with perfectly even hair.

Mother's Day 2000
Ok...dug up a pretty old picture of my niece. This I believe was taken on Mother's Day about 5 years ago. As you can see, her hair was quite long. I wanted to press it to see how long it was but she wouldn't cooperate so I ended up doing a quickie warm press. Stretched all the way out, her hair came down to the top of her belt.

Just one year later, adding a relaxer to the mix plus cholorine from swimming all the time and this head full of natural hair had met its match. By December her hair was so thin and broken off we could just all cry. I begged my sister not to put the relaxer in but neither she nor my neice could handle all that hair.

The dress and the hat are courtesy of our mother, whom she calls "ma'maw." Both she and ma'maw have matching outfits that my mom made.

Halloween 2005

She's still so much fun cause she likes to do all the things it seems that me and her mom used to love to do when we were kids. Carving her pumpkins and baking the seeds was always the highlight of our Halloween activities. Here you can see her corn rows. They were actually pretty far below her shoulders in this pic, although it's hard to tell.

July 23, 2006

This kid really doesn't know how lucky she is. My sister dropped her daughter off at Girl's Scout camp on Sunday afternoon. After she was all packed up and we were ready to leave, I decided I wanted to take a picture with her. I got behind the car door to hide how fat I seem to be getting. My niece just thought it was fun cause she said it was like we were in a picture frame. "Exactly" I told her. Anyway, she's all set. Fresh new do of cornrows for the little camper that should hold up through swimming, hiking and anything other activities she'll be involved in for the next week.

I miss her already.

Oh...I know I said I wasn't going to do an afro puff again. But I'm not exactly going back on my word. I usually always wear one for a couple of days after I shampoo because I have noooooo inclination to do anything elaborate flat twist styles right away. That's just tooooo much time to be spending on hair in one day.

So, I'll probably put it back into a protective style on either Tuesday or Wednesday. I just have to be diligent with putting into five or six fat twists EVERY SINGLE NIGHT until I'm ready to do some type of flat twist style.

One I do already have in mind. I'll post it when I get it done.

07/30/2006
Last updates for July

Hi everybody. I found this pic on NP earlier this month, and I knew right away that I wanted to try this flat twist style. From her photos I could really tell what she had done with the back so I didn't bother to try to recreate her entire style.

Ok, my niece snapped all of these pics for me. For some reason they all came out really dark so I had to lighten them soooo much to see the detail. Color sucks on them...looks like I've got green food coloring in my hair...but I really don't...I promise you!

Anyway, since I had noooo idea what was going on all up in the back of her head, I recreated my flatwist half bun style with this. I was soooo stuck in a rut with how I had been parting my hair. This was a welcome change.

Looks like I made my flat twist slightly smaller than hers. But it didn't seem to matter. I really liked it. It was unanimous...so did my niece, my mom and my sis.

Right side. Again, to create this style, you leave a little hair untwisted right in the crown...that provides the poof for the bun. You simply pull the twists from the the front, back over the loose hair, tuck it under and secure with a fashion comb or your favorite decorative hair pins or even tiny butter fly clips. The latter worked my last nerve, so I now use a fashion come to hold my hair.

Left side.

I think I'll keep my hair done like this for the majority of the rest of the summer. It's just too cute, and very simple to do. I'll continue to look for various ways to part the front for variety's sake. But I don't really think I'll change up to much...but don't worry...I'll find other things about hair to keep my journal interesting.

Back. Ok...ok...like y'all don't know this is the back of my head! LOL

Now remember, a couple of weeks ago I was sporting a head full of twists. I called that my Twistie Bob style. Can I tell you how big of a disaster tha was when I went to comb it out, shampoo and condition. My hair was extremely hard to comb out with a wide tooth comb which was very necessary before I even put my head under the water.

Well, I shampooed and then went to condition. Let me tell you, I just kept running into snags and snarls and several times I watched some small clumps of really long hair was down the drain. Sigh...

Not good. Not good. Well today when I was doing this hair style, I found three spots (fortunately small) where I could feel that I had literally torn my hair hout near my scalp. Damn! Damn! Damn!

Seems like I'm always doing something to damage my hair. Fortunately, one thing about having thick, nappy hair, nobody knows that damage is there but me.

I just gotta find a way to not do that again.

Ok, my niece got her hair done today too. She's always, always feeding her face. So I went ahead and snapped this pic with a fry in her mouth. This is the greediest child I have EVER seen. She has a total fixation on food. She's been like that since she was born...literally sucking down a bottle of milk before you could even turn your back. She can't help it. Mention food and her face literally lights up. Seriously. She gets very, very happy. When she wakes up in the morning, the first thing out of her mouth is, "Mom, I'm hungry." Not good morning, or how ya doin? ...

Now she's not really extremely overweight, but she could stand to lose about 10 or 15 pounds. We do not make a point of not harping on it though. And, she's a tad bit self consious now too. But we just keep telling her how pretty she is. No use ruining her self esteem because she needs to lose weight.

She'd be a really overweight child if she wasn't soooo active. At age 11, she taller than me now, which means she's more than 5'4" tall. But to slim her out, we really think she's going to need to keep growing in order for her to be eventually be where she should be with her weight.

See how shiny her hair is. My sister has a really heavy hand when it comes to the application of product. Rediculously so. It's the product shining...cause it's soooo much...not her hair.

I have to mention this. She gets sooo dark in the summer. Her skin turns a very pretty redish brown...like a Boston Baked Bean. So now, I've been calling her Boston...all sumer long. But yesterday, she said, matter of factly... "I know, I can't wait until I lighten up some."

Whoa! I don't want her to think that dark skin is undesireable! When I tease her like that, I am NOT hating on dark skin.

So I told her, " Oh, I don't care if you ever lighten up, I looooooveee your darker complexion in the summer time."

She just looked back at me and smiled. Then she said "Thank you."

So cute!

Oh...forgot to to a "stretched" hair shot. Her hair came down to the middle of her back. Growing very nicely.

The back is just single twists. The flat twists in the front are secured at the scalp by those tiny black rubber bands. I personally don't like using rubber bands but since I didn't do her hair...can't really complain now can I.

Look at how intent she is on feeding her face. Lawd have mercy.

Oh she wrote us two letters from camp. Wish I had one cause I'd post it verbatum. Suffice it to say, we know everything about what she ate at camp for breakfast, lunch and dinner. From her letters, you'd think her mom sent her away to camp for a week just to eat. I think in two letters we only found out that they went swimming one day and a ceiling fan blade fell out and hit one of her roommates on the head. That's it. The rest of her letters were only about food.

She is too funny.

Here's another pic of my baby sis. For several years running, on the July 4th we always had to have matching/ coordinated outfits...all of us. I have a top like this too...somewhere. Just reminded me that I haven't seen it in a while..

Ok...every evening when we dare sit on the porch (due to the oppresive heat and humidity,) my sister's little Rat Terrior, Brandi goes down on the sidewalk and starts looking in the bush. We have noooo idea of what is so fascinating up in there. We even took a flashlight trying to see what she was seeing. Didn't see anything. Here she is again this evening. Since I had my camera, I decided to take a pic. Look at her. What the heck is in that bush.

My mom just keeps saying she better not be going after a snake, cause if she catches it, my mom swears she'll never pet Brandi again.

So much drama!

Showed the twistout in the back to my mom and my sister and the LOVED it!

07/30/2006

Well, I suddenly got the urge to try a twistout on just the back. Ya'll it came out soooooo cute. I took down four rows of double-strand twists in the back. I figured, since it doesn't take me very long to do just four rows, it would be a big deal to do a retwist if it turns out that I either don't like it very well or it doesn't last that long.

Speaking of which, I'm not sure how this is going to hold up. Although it has great definition, I use a water and glycerin-based moisturizer. I think that pretty much means that I can't spend a lot of time outdoors with this twistout cause it just aint going to last.

Problems is, anything heavier and designed to block out moisture probably is mineral oil or petroleum based. Not only is it too heavy and makes my hair feel really yucky really quickly, those products also attract dirt and makes my hair hold dirt like you wouldn't believe. Additionally, those products are designed to block out moisture, so sure they'll repell the humidity and make my twistout last longer, but I'm not going to sacrifice moisture for my hair and the health of my hair in the long run, just so my hair looks cute for a few days in a twist out.

So, I'll see. I'll wear this for a couple of days (if possible) and see how it does. It might be better suited for the fall or on other summer days where the humidity isn't really high.

UPDATE: August 1
Ok... Yesterday, I wore my twist out for a couple of hours out into the humidity. A friend of mine came to get me and we went to her house for a photo session. She needs a photo for one of her upcoming book covers. Anyway, she doesn't have air conditioning in her car! We rode from my house to hers with the windows down. The side that was blowing in the wind was all poofed out...not terribly but was definitely not as defined as the left side.

So when I got back home, I retwisted the back. Took about 15 minutes to redo the four rows of twists back there. I had every intension of trying the twist out again today but guess what...it was pouring down rain this morning. Didn't dare chance it. And it's supposed to rain again tonight. Maybe it won't be humid and raining tomorrow morning. It's been drier than heck around here, and now that I've come up with a partial twistout, the weather wants to act stupid. But this is definately in the cards as a staple hair style. I love it. The top looks lacy and the bottom looks very pretty indeed!

08/04/06
Kim's one of my best friends. She's been nappy for for over 15 years. I took this pic of her a couple of days ago. She's a national best selling romance writer and now writes for Harliquin Romance. She recently signed a four book deal with another publisher as well. So, she needed a promotional pic, which I was more than happy to do for her.

But look at how gorgeous her hair is. She said all the women in her family grayed prematurely and she started getting gray hair in when she was 9 years old.

What's funny about Kim is that she totally neglects her hair. I mean totally. Yet, look at it. This was a strawset where she sat under a dryer. Now, while she's nappy, she has no qualms with using heat. I'm not one to quibble with her, cause like I said, she doesn't take care of her hair anyway. I mean...is this fair? I baby my hair to the high heavens and she does nothing, and she gets this!

08/23/2006

Nappy Ads! As I come across them, I'll post them. I think it's really important for us to pay attention to nappies in the media. It's sends a subliminal message that being nappy is ok. I don't know what is fueling this nappy "trend" in the media, but I'll celebrate these little victories every time I see the. My only concern is that nappy outside of NP is just that, a trend as opposed a larger awareness or conciousness that nappy should be a way of life...for the rest of your life.

08/25/06

Wasn't I a cutie pie. I dug this pic up for a post on NP basically calling for baby pics. I don't have any baby pics. The youngest pic I have of myself was taken when I was about four years old. But they're soo faded out now you can hardly see them. This was taken when I was about 8 years old maybe. I so loved this out fit. The top was a shear lavender. The vest and the skirt had a lavendar pattern in it too. I made the little basket Easter basket at school. Freshly pressed hair. I'm not even sure why I got my pic taken cause if I recall correctly, this was taken in the evening, and it wasn't even Easter. I'm surprised there's not a pic of my sis in her matching outfit.

My hair, as you can see, was very thick...even pressed. Between me, my sister and my mom, I had the shortest hair, but it was the thickest out of all of them.

My mom actually said she hated my hair cause it wouldn't hold a p.ress. Fortunately her saying stuff like that never phased me. But she was always dissapointed that my hair would nappy up over night from sweating in the scalp. No on else's hair did that.

All these years later, I still sweat relentlessly in the scalp. Also also understand that my hair is extremely porous and so that's why it won't hold a p.ress. But now that I'm nappy, I don't have to worry about such things...now do I?

Hehehehehe!

08/26/06
Strawset experiment

Ok...decided to retwist this do today to freshen it up. I've been wearing this one off and on all summer. As I was applying my moisturizer and smoothing my hair out, I noticed my hair was making pretty spiral curls. So then I started playing around trying to make comb coils. Well the comb kept catching in my hair. So then I decided to use a large drinking straw.

But first I decided to take down only a few of my twists in the back just behind both ears to see how they would look. Ok, they they looked great and had good definition. Got out and about to run errands, came back several hours later. They still looked good. Had good definition. I even streched and played with them and they bounced right back.

Green light. Do the rest of them. So for three hours I took down each twist, and strawset each half. So for every one twist, I had two spirals.

So far, so good, until I got to two twists in the lower, center back of my head. See the yellow circle. That hair would not coil right. From the scalp to mid shaft, the hair would not coil. But the ends coiled up just fine. P.O'd me off. All that work to be ruined by a patch of hair that doesn't want to cooperate.

I don't think it's a texture differentiation. Once again, I think it's heat damage. However, that now that I think about it, that doesn't explain the hair near the scalp since I haven't used heat for nearly 8 months or more.

I'm so perplexed. This doesn't make sense. The ends curl up just fine.

Crazy hair. I never noticed any problem with twists.

08/27/2006

Ok...I was all prepared for my hair to be looking really crazy this morning since I sweat so badly in the scalp at night. I figured all the humidity under my satin sleep cap would just make my hair poof out all over. But it didn't. In fact, all the little spirals held together very nicely.

So now this honks me off even more. The thing about trying to wear twist outs is that although they're cute, it still fights against what my hair obviously wants to do. And until now, my thought on that is my hair wants to nap up. But I've never really thought about that in terms of nap structure before. My naps, for the most part are tight coils. So all I did with my heat-free straw set was to provide a structure for these coils. That is why they're staying put. My strands are doing what they like to do...coil.

Now, I have also noticed that compared to yesterday, shrinkage is still playing a major fact...much more quickly than it does in twists.

I'm thinking this will look really cute in a loose puff. The next time I have some time to experiment with this, I'll give that a try.

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