Natural Hair Pic of the Day

Love the scarf! Source

Woman Gets MLK Weaved Onto Her Head

Source

Ummm.. I didn't exactly think there was a correlation between hair and Dr. Martin Luther King on this day of national observance, but apparently, this woman did.

She got an image of Dr. King weaved onto the back of her head, as seen on MediaTakeOut.com.

I had to look hard, but you can make out the image... kinda.

There are so many ways I could go with this, but do you think this is what Dr. King meant by "climbed the mountain top?" I don't even want to think of what Dr. King might think of this were he alive. And how much did she pay for this? Who has the time for this?

I think it's utter ratchedness, but if this is what it takes for HER to remember Dr. King, do you boo!

Not the look I'm going for, but as my grandmother would say, "If you like it, I love it!"

What do you think about this look? Good or bad?

ATL YouTubers Profiled on AJC.Com

Shout out to my natural Atlanta vloggers! They got some AJC love today, in this story from AccessAtlanta on AJC.com, about how Atlanta is the #1 city for traffic on natural hair YouTube sites.
Hooray! Their success is our collective success. I sometimes don't think of "Atlanta" as a natural city, but there are naturals everywhere, as well as natural salons. I'm just glad that folks -- outside of us in the natural commnity -- have finally noticed.

When Maeling Tapp made her first YouTube video a few years ago, she was nervous. Would anyone watch? Would everyone wonder why she felt the need to share the journey of her transition from chemically processed hair to hair in its natural state? Would anyone care?





Phil Skinner, pskinner@ajc.com Hair and fashion blogger Alexis Felder, 27, photographs a hairstyle for her latest entry. The Atlantan started posting videos in 2008 and now has more than 1.6 million views.





Vino Wong, vwong@ajc.comMaeling Tapp documented her experience "going natural" in video blogs. "I wanted to be able to encourage someone else on her journey," she says.

As it turns out "going natural" --a term that has come to describe the decision and process of many African-American women to stop chemically processing their textured hair-- proved to be a hot topic among the myriad beauty tips offered online. Today Tapp, of Buckhead, leads the pack of mor than a dozen Atlanta area video bloggers who have styled their way to online stardom.


"I didn't knwo the proper way to care for my hair, said Tapp, 25, a doctoral candidate at Georgia Tech studying material science and engineering, who boasts more than 6 million views as Natural Chica on her YouTube channel.




When she backslid on her first try at going natural, friends pointed her to online natural hair gurus for product information, styling techniques and support.


"That motivated me,"Tapp said. "I wanted to be able to encourage someone else on her journey."


According to data from YouTube, Atlanta is the No. 1 city nationally for viewers showing search interest in natural hair. And it is home to more than a dozen video bloggers who garner more than 10 million cumulative views for their videos.


"They're attracting viewers from across the state, the U.S. and all over the world," YouTube spokeswoman Jessica Mason said.


Candace Anderson made two previous attempts at going natural but failed. It wasn't until she found Tapp's step-by-step tutorials for turning the curls, coils and kinks characteristic of Afro-textured hair into wearable, easy-to-create styles that Anderson stuck with it.


"I loved the way she explained the process," said Anderson, 37, of Midtown, about one of Tapp's videos on two-strand twisting, a method of styling hair that creates a free-flowing, yet controlled, style. "It is refreshing to know there is an abundance of resources out there for natural sisters like me."


Like Tapp, most of the YouTube video bloggers are not hair stylists by trade. They are women who made the decision to document their hair ups and downs in the hopes of helping others. Along the way, many of them have found lucrative side careers. Tapp says the money she receives as a YouTube partner, along with the advertising on her blog, helped her buy a new car.


Alexis Felder, aka Lexi With the Curls, has spun off in an entirely new direction as an event planner. Felder, 27, of Atlanta, started making YouTube videos in 2008 because she couldn't find any help managing her super-thick hair texture. She decided to film herself testing the new products her mother would send. “It was just something fun,"said Felder, who works in digital marketing.
"I wasn't afraid to post a video [of a style] that may have failed," she said.


Though she says her blog is more active than her YouTube channel, Felder’s videos have more than 1.6 million total views, making her a standout among Atlanta-based video bloggers.


In 2009, she began organizing beauty, style and fashion events for natural hair bloggers and their followers.


A recent event attracted more than 500 attendees. Her events have become successful ventures that, along with the ads and sponsored posts on her blog, have given her a healthy side income, but Felder, who is frequently recognized by fans, most enjoys the idea that she is helping others.

"It makes me feel like I'm doing something that people like," Felder said. "People are relying on YouTube much more than they did back in the day. Everybody wants to be do-it-yourself, and YouTube helps with that."


Though relatively late to the game, Kiki Stephens, 36, of Conyers, found success on YouTube as half of Mahogany Knots. Stephens went natural 12 years ago, and her then co-worker and friend, Sarrah Riley, 34, of Decatur, came to her for advice. They shared tips with each other for years before realizing they could share them with the world.


"I thought YouTube was for people who wanted to dance and sing until Sarrah forwarded a video of someone doing hair," Stephens said. Soon after, in fall of 2009, Stephens, a home-based corporate trainer and mother of three, turned a camera on herself.


"I just put it out there," Stephens said. She wasn't afraid to talk about products that didn't work, but she mostly stuck to showing viewers how to create the hairstyles she dreamed up at night. With more than 1 million total views, Stephens also managed to attract a different demographic than some of her fellow video bloggers,” women in the 34 to 49 set, like Rhonda McKnight, 45, of Stockbridge, who were just starting to go natural and were seeking style advice.


"I get encouragement. I get excited. I get great ideas," said McKnight, an author of women's fiction. "When I see [the video bloggers], I see the natural beauty that is myself and my sisters the way God intended us to look."

Atlanta's natural hair gurus on YouTube


 Maeling Tapp, Natural Chica (NikkiMae2003)


 Alexis Felder, Lexi With the Curls


 Kiki Stephens and Sarrah Riley, Mahogany Knots

HairTroversy: Hair Extensions on Children

Zahara, the adopted daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, gets no hair love.

Jolie was criticized by a black stylist, DaRico Johnson, when she put braided extensions in Zahara's hair.

Now, my general rule is that kids (especially little ones) are off limits for bad criticism online and on blogs; no one should have their child subjected to that mess, especially when it's about their bodies or, in this case, their hair!

This is what Johnson was quoted as saying:

“If Angelina wants Zahara to be in touch with her roots and have her hair braided then she can do that with the child’s own hair and she doesn’t need to add extensions."

“She is far too young for that and Angelina is creating insecurity in the little girl that what she has is not good enough. Growing up with siblings who have long flowing hair, Zahara may grow to feel that her own natural hair is not pretty enough, and that without the fake hair she is not beautiful. She should be made to embrace who she is.”

*blank stare*

Really?

Johnson is looking for his 15 minutes of fame, and I guess he just got it. He couldn't be more wrong: Her hair is age appropriate -- she doesn't have weave to her ass. It's just extensions, and I've seen this look with extensions and without extensions on countless Black girls -- including my own, when they were Zahara's age.

What's the problem? If anything, he could argue that you have to be careful putting extensions in her hair, because her hair appears to be fine and the weight of the extensions could break her natural hair off. If he'd made that argument, that would be OK. I never put extensions in my daughters' hair for that reason, when they were Zahara's age.

Why Black Folks Have A Problem with Zahara's Hair

As long as Zahara still wears her God given hair, I don't see a problem with some extensions occasionally. I get his point about the "long flowing hair" but I think he's overreacting.

But, let me say this for the record: Black folks have a problem with Zahara's hair, and the fact that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (or whomever they choose to hire as a stylist) are white and they're  maintaining it. As my grandfather would say, they can't win for losing.

When pictures of Zahara's hair showed up online, Black people were the first one to dog Angelina Jolie out, criticizing her hair skills. Called her hair a dry, crunchy mess, and called Angelina and Brad out for adopting an African girl and not knowing how to maintain her hair. Folks still gave them the side eye when Angelina and Brad said they use Carol's Daughter products on Zahara's hair.

Are We Unfair?

Lemme be real for a minute, boo boo.

I've seen plenty of little Black girls with eaten up, jacked up edges and napes from bad perms, ratty fake ponytails and raggedy extensions that were not age appropriate, and horribly broken off hair right here in these United States. And I'm assuming their Momma and Daddy were Black, so what's the point?

Just because you're Black doesn't mean you're an expert in hair care. Brad and Angelina are White and they have different hair. Give them a damn break! I'm sure that none of the Black people who criticized Zahara for dry hair, ever had dry hair a day in their lives.

Zahara's a kid. No child's hair will be camera ready or perfect on every occassion. Black folks in general can be very judgmental when it comes to kids and their hair. I'm not saying your kid will go out all the time looking a hot mess, but kids play, get dirty, roll around in the dirt. Every strand on their head won't be perfectly in place at all times -- far from it.

I wish folks would put down the shea butter, coconut oil and YouTube tutorials for a minute and remember that for many of us, learning our natural hair was a process. Most of us hadn't seen our natural tresses since we were girls or at least pre-teens. And so we weren't experts out the gate. We had to relearn our hair care and hair rituals  -- shampooing, conditioning, moisturizing, maintenance.

Hell, some of us are still learning.

*raises hand*

The Real Problem

Why would we expect anything different from Angelina and Brad? Is it because they're white and they should be experts on black hair care since they chose to adoopt? If anything, folks really want to say: "This Black child should not be with these adopted parents."

That's what the real argument is really about, right? Can't win for losing. If Angelina goes and cuts off all of Zahara's hair, I'm sure folks would have something to say about that, too. Maybe Angelina and Brad are the parents of the year. Don't know and don't care.

But, please cut Zahara -- and her parents -- some slack (pun intended).

What do you think about hair extensions on children?

HairSpiration: We Love It!

I love this! This child's afro puffs are just ... puffalicious!

Source:

What an awesome examples of a natural mom and daughter!

Study: Natural Hair Among Black Women Growing

Source

I love it when mainstream press shows naturals love.

Yeah, yeah, I know blogs from my fellow curlies like CurlyNikki.com, BGLHOnline.com and others make it seem like natural hair is the "norm," but sadly, it's not. We're an insulated, online community that, while overwhelmingly nurturing and supportive, can still feel like you are waging a solo war depending upon the natural community where you live.

So, imagine my surprise when I read an article on USAToday.com about "natural hair making waves among Black women." It quoted Design Essentials and a TV reporter who went natural, and a side article featured CurlyNikki.com (a.k.a. Walton).

Earlier, we asked if natural hair had gone mainstream. This article seems proof that it is, and it's more than just anecdotal.

Here was the gold nugget:

"The number of black women who say they do not use products to chemically relax or straighten their hair jumped to 36% in 2011, up from 26% in 2010, according to a report by Mintel, a consumer spending and market research firm. Sales of relaxer kits dropped by 17% between 2006 and 2011, according to Mintel."

Natural Hair Trends Influencing Relaxed Hair?



Source

 Was chilling on a Sunday morning and I heard this hair ad on the radio:

"Moroccan oil infused Remy Hair. Stays Moisturized and Lasts Longer."

Now, I've seen all kinds of uses for Moroccan oil -- in gel, shampoos, conditioners, etc. But in fake hair?

Really?

It got me to thinking: Do natural hair trends "cross" over? I think they do. Yes, natural and relaxed hiar regimens are different. And, I know that what we do to our hair may require different products. But at the end of the day, hair is ... just hair.
Tons of naturals rave about Morrocan aka Argan oil. Don't see why relaxed heads wouldn't rave about it, too. Moisturizing is a big hair topic, no matter if you are natural or relaxed.

I've seen many hair trends start in the natural hair community ... natural ingredients such as shea butter, aloe and castor oil are now added to mainstream product lines like Creme of Nature, Bronner Bros, Soft Sheen Carson and Dr. Miracle, just to name a few.

These brands are often a little late to the party (sometimes, by the time they "figure" it out, naturals are on to the latest, new thing or product), but at least they tried.

What natural hair trends have you seen that influence women with relaxed hair?

Less is More?

I'm the queen of slapping all kinds of stuff on my hair.

If product directions say a dime-sized dollop, I'll do twice that just for good measure.

What can I say? I'm just heavy handed, LOL!

I've got plenty of products stashed away (Miss Jessie's, a holdout from last year's BOGO, lots of samples, just waaaaayyy too much stuff). After I got a second day wash and go on Friday,  (I ended up liking it less and less as the day wore on) I went home, washed it out, conditioned my hair and applied Doo Groo for moisture.

I twisted it up, applied some Motions Wrap Foam for a bit of hold, and used a bonnet dryer for about 15 minutes. Only 2 products! Not bad, especially considering that I'm generally twist out challenged.
I think it's a keeper style.

Today, I just fluffed and went. I'm proud of myself; no gel!

What do you think? Does your hair respond better with more or less products? Have you achieved better twist outs with more or less products?

HairNista Challenge: No Gel 7-Day Challenge

Gel insecurity? Not sure if I'm feeling this? I thought it looked cute.

My name is Tenisha. And I am addicted to hair gel.

Gel is my creamy, err, goey crack? It's just something about how my hair hangs with gel.I've never got the knack of the tightly curly method of just using conditioner. I NEED something more in my hair than just conditioner to make it hang right.

I use conditioner (lately, Cantu Shea Butter) + Doo Gro under it, but I also use gel. Typically, I'm not able to get 3-4 day hair, either, so I at least have to wet it every morning. I'm so bad with it that my friend says I use WAY too much of it, LOL.

Unless my hair is flat ironed, it's rare for me to go two weeks without using gel -- usually EcoStyler with Argan oil, but before that it was Sallys Proclaim Activator gel. My hair just don't feel right unless I add just a teeny, tiny bit, at least to the front.

All of this worked fine until this summer, when my hair really began to thicken up -- especially the crown. EcoStyler started tangling my hear. I swore it off and began using Proclaim again. But I couldn't stand the feel of Proclaim in my hands, so back to EcoStyler we went.

Sigh. I just don't know if this recent thickness and length will allow me to wear a wash and go. I swore off Wash and Gos not even a few weeks ago, but they are my go-to style that I KNOW will turn out  halfway decent (my twist outs are often a #fail).

Curls, Curls, Curls
I think I have a curl obsession, no? I know. I know. In previous posts, I said I would stop using gel, because of knots. Well, I backslid... and started using it again. This week, I slapped a pound of it on the back of my hair. And let's not even talk about my damaged crown (found a few more tangles there, too).

Wouldn't you know it that some of the back of my hair, where the length is, has tangled. Can you say setback? I don't have patience to remove masses of tangled knots, so I snipped snipped two knots out this morning. I think I lost a good 3 inches, and I don't want to think about how long it took me to grow that -- nor how long it will take to grow back!

Major setback, HairNistas, or at least I feel like it's a major setback. My crown is noticeably shorter, and now the same issues are affecting my length.

That's why I'm committing to not using gel. I'm starting small -- one week, no gel. Let's be real. I'll probably have to replace it. Thinking about using Shea Moisture's Curl Milk or an old fave -- Hawaiian Silky 6 in 1 or Carefree Gold activator. Something, anything that won't tangle my hair, AND that's not made with gel.

Can I do it?

Yesterday, I put gel on it, but it was in an updo and slightly stretched. This morning, I fluffed my wash and go and got rare second day hair. Tonight, I think I'm going to detangle it and set it on curl formers for a Corinne Bailey Rae inspired curly do or blow it out because I'm tired of knots. Other than avoiding gel like the plague, I think I'm also going to up my detangling routine.

Lovin' this updo, but why do I ALWAYS cut by head off in pics?

Admittedly, I'd gotten away from it, after reading one too many blog posts about naturals who finger comb or don't detangle at all. I thinks my hair can still manage fingers, but I definitely need a comb!

What non-gel products do you think I should use for a wash and go? Does gel tangle your hair? Has this happened to you?

HairSpiration: The Fro!

Saw this gorgeous head of hair on BGLHOnline and I just had to give it a HairSpiration! I love the fact that it's wild and free -- doing its own thang! Will be glad when my shrunken fro gets this long. I have to blow it out and twist it to get length.



Check out her reggie and her blog, candidcinni.blogspot.com.

It's My Birthday!

It's my birthday, HairNistas! *singing Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder style*

Today, I'm gonna get my shop on!

My hair? Umm, yeah. It's back in a wash and go. Sigh.

What can I say? It's my go-to style. I'm taking a break from the wig, after I noticed my hear thinning at the top and the sides where the wig clips are. After a tangling setback -- I lost length on the sides after I had to cut out some strands with mid-hair tangles and tangles on the end on sides and in the thicker crown of my hair.

I can attribute that largely to the Silicon Mix with protein deep conditioner. Something told me not to get it, but my regular non-protein mix was sold-out. Made my hair tangle something fierce. May get it pressed out professionally this weekend, for a birthday treat.