Solange and Natural Hair at the MET

Our favorite natural curlie is looking oh, so fly, yet again!

Check out Solange at the The MET Gala in NYC.

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I'm LOVING this look! I love yellow on Solange. And the hair? On point, as always.

Hair Frustration: How do you Deal with Hair Setbacks?

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I've been humming along on my natural hair routine.

Last week, I wore wash and gos with Eco Styler gel (I know, I said I was swearing W&Gs off, but I only wore it for a week).

And now my hair is shedding -- like crazy, ya'll.

I'm not sure what's going on. And I had a big matted lock in the back of my hair (from the gel, maybe?)  I swear, my hair does the opposite of what I want it to do. If I wanted locs, my hair wouldn't loc. But because I'm not trying to loc my hair on purpose, well, you know the deal ...

SHAKES FIST!

Can you tell I'm frustrated? I keep pulling out hair from the ends. Now let me say that I'm badly in need of a trim -- like three months overdue. And besides wetting my hair less, not using gel (with the exception of the gel relapse the other week) and adding Trader Joe's Spa & Nourish condish, I'm not really doing a whole lot different.

Check the Routine

Wait -- yes, I am.

Between running our family business in ATL and holding down a FT job, I've got a whole lot less time for my hair overall. Maybe that explains the matting, because I haven't been finger detangling like I should. And when I think about it, my deep conditioning treatments aren't weekly -- maybe every other week.

Or, could it be my thyroid? I take Synthroid for an underactive thyroid. Maybe my dosage is a bit off (though my blood test last month showed my levels were normal) but I just went to my general practioner, not an endocronologist.

Facing a Setback

I *thought* my hair was growing.  Now, I'm not so sure and I'm preparing for a major setback. My ends are a mess. My sides are breaking off. I'm going to have to get my hair flat ironed and trimmed and I'll let you know the damage.

Right now? It's not looking good.

I almost took a pic of the shed hair, but it hurt too bad. So frustrating! And I'm tired of guessing and trying to figure all this out.  Now if only I could develop a hair test kit that would instantly diagnose your hair ailments, I'd be a millionaire!

How do you handle hair setbacks?

Moms, Daughters and Natural Hair

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Our mothers can be our biggest influence, especially when it comes to things like hair and fashion. Let's be honest:, though: Some of our moms love our natural hair; some of our moms hate it. We are like mini-mes to our Moms and sometimes they want us to look just like them -- even though we are grown adults.

From a natural hair standpoint, our mothers can be our biggest supporters -- or our biggest foes. As Mother's Day rolls around this Sunday, how does your mother feel about your natural hair?


Maternal Influence

Moms and daughters have a special, yet tested bond, LOL. We love our moms, yet we are independent and live our own lives. Everyone whose has lived to tell about your teenage years can probably agree.

But that doesn't mean our moms always liked what we did with our hair, nor have we always liked what our daughters did to their hair. (My mom has been a heat trained natural for years). As a mother of two tweens, I know that I won't like every hair style that my daughters come up with  (Easier said than done). I have to realize, though, that while my daughters have my genetic makeup, they are not me -- they are unique. And I am not them.

As mothers, we have to give our daughters room to express themselves. If that means them shaving their hair off like Willow Smith, then I guess that's what we'll have to do. Maybe? Who hasn't looked at a picture of themselves when they were teenagers and thought, "What was I thinking?"

But you probably learned from that experience, right? I've already gotten questions from my daughters about when they can perm their hair, (been asking that one for a while) color it and cut it, so I know it's a matter of time, LOL. Jesus hold the wheel!

How does your Mom feel about your natural hair? Or, how do you feel about your daughter's natural hair?

Be Featured On HairCrush Fridays

I love BOSS natural hair.

Swag for days, no apologies for the kinks, power to the fro, BAD ASS, shut yo' mouth natural hair.

I'm posting some pictures from my go-to natural hair site -- blkgirlsrock.tumblr.com.

But, if your natural hair has mad swag and you're proud of it, send a pic to hairnista.blogspot@gmail.com. Your picture could be posted on HairCrush Fridays!

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This picture is adorable!

HairTroversy: Are Curly Weaves Better?

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Lately, I've noticed that more celebs and Black women in general are opting for curly, kinky, wavy or natural weaves.

Whether it's Serena Williams, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce or your average girl on the street, the curly look is in. Now, mainstream media has picked on, as this piece on Philly.com illustrates, via BGLHOnline.com.

The hair is so popular, that weave shops can't keep it in stock.

Is this an improvement?

Depends. If a woman wears weaves only because she's afraid to wear her natural hair, that's an issue that she'll have to deal with when she's ready. If a woman is wearing a curly weave because she doesn't want a straight one, that's an overall improvement, perhaps.

The Curly Paradox

Now, I don't think straight weaves will ever go "out" of style -- just ask the women shelling out thousands of dollars for Remy or Malaysian hair. But, just like more women are wearing natural hair, more women are also copying that look -- except with wigs/weaves.

Maybe this will be the impetus they need to go natural; maybe it won't. Maybe they like natural hair, but are afraid to really embrace it and want to dip their toes in the "natural" waters. Meh. Yet, it's still important to point out: Unless it's your natural texture, natural weaves are not our hair.

Better question: Are you comfortable with the kinky, curly, coarse stuff that grows out of your scalp -- even if it doesn't look like the curly weave you're rocking? If you're crushing on some hair that you can't realistically achieve For some of us, I'm not so sure. It will be a good day when we can love OUR hair, no matter how curly or kinky it is.

Do you think curly weaves indicate a broader acceptance of curly hair or is it still a step back in terms of hair acceptance? Would you wear a curly weave/wig?

Florals Are Hot For Spring

Rihanna sporting floral shorts

This spring, it's all about the prints -- floral, that is.

Now, florals are a "classic" print, but they are definitely enjoying a resurgence not seen since the 90s.

What's old is new again!

Everyone is wearing florals, from First Lady Michelle Obama wearing a classic floral print sheath dress,  to singer Rihanna rocking tiny floral short shorts witha sweatshirt, torn hose and kicks in her rocker chic fashion.

If you're wearing them, make sure you wear them right -- smaller prints are probably better, floral dress prints are classic, and only mix floral prints if you are really daring!

Rock on!

Are you wearing floral this spring?

HairNista's 200th Post!

Raise your glasses ...

This marks HairNista's 200th post!

I posted the first natural hair blog on HairNista on Sept. 4, 2011.

Been a wild ride -- with more readership each day. Thank you so much to everyone who reads and comments! Tell me what else you'd like to see on HairNista.com, so that we can make it the to-go to place for boss natural hair and fashion.

I'd like to see my readership double over the next 200 posts. So keep reading and tell your friends to read it, too.

What else would you like to see on HairNista?