What hair relaxers do to your hair.

Hair relaxers, known as "creamy crack" for the damage it causes to the hair and is quite addictive, every 6-8 weeks the new growth has to be relaxed and women become reliant on it.

Hair relaxers are found in two different type, lye and no-lye. The two types do the same job, however no- lye relaxer do less harm to the hair than the lye relaxers due to the chemical content in the relaxer. The chemical that makes a big difference between lye and no-lye relaxers is that there is more pH levels of sodium hydroxide in lye relaxer compared to no-lye relaxers.

Lye relaxers breakdown the bonds in the hair quicker to make it straight, therefore the chemicals are on the hair for a shorter time.The main ingredient in no-lye relaxers is calcium hydroxide. Which type of relaxer is better? Well that depends entirely on the sensitivity of your scalp and the texture of your hair. No-lye relaxers are good especially for sensitive scalp, but tend to dry the hair out. If using a no-lye relaxer it is essential to use a de-calcifying shampoo to avoid calium build up in hair.

Either type of relaxer is bound to destroy your hair!

Hair relaxers might cause breakage, hair thinning and weakens the hair. Relaxers strip the hair's natural oils and it;s hair cuticles off. In order to maintain healthy relaxed hair it is important to utilize deep condition methods weekly, moisturize the hair daily to keep the hair moisturised, and use leave in conditioners. Most importantly stay away from heat styling because it will dry your hair out and make it brittle.

So ladies, think about the damaged caused by relaxers next time you in the hair store surrounded by all the product options on the shelves. And if you decided to relaxer your hair maintain it with love and care.

Stay beautiful

xoxo

Internet Beauty Gurus ?

The internet is a place of wonders, like most young girls in today's world I look up for fashion and beauty advice from these internet "beauty gurus".
Most of these women on YouTube and other bloggins sites offering their advice and opinions are generally people who have learnt the skill through trial and error, and the majority of them are not professionals who have been trained in the field. I personally do believe learning from others is the best experience and I advice watching YouTube gurus do their thing in order for you to learn, but keep in mind that what ever methods they use to look beautiful aren't necessarily the right methods.

Through the new technological age little recognition is going toward the professionals because there are web gurus on the net who can teach you DIY tricks. Fair enough! But have you thought about what damage you put your hair and face through by doing these hair/make-up routines yourself. There are (beauticians)cosmetologists or makeup artist trained to take care of ones skin and makeup, and obviously hair stylist trained to treat hair. However choosing to do your own hair and makeup sometimes could cause more pain than gain in the long run when hair or skin has not been treated well enough. All those pennies you has tried to save by DIY methods, you might use later on to fix a problem you have created.

I do compliment the beauty gurus on the internet, for showing the world some wonder full tips and tricks to look good on a budget. I am not saying they're wrong at all for trying to help out, it's just as viewers know where to stop and think twice about doing it yourself. If in doubt about a certain method, go to your local hair salon, or beauty parlour and ask for professional advice.

Stay beautiful
xoxo

Maintaining Box Braids!

Let me start by saying I absolutely love box braids!!!

The way they look, the styling diversity they have. I love everything about box braids.
However maintaining them is a bit of a stinger.

In order to keep my box braids in the best condition possible is by moisturising the sculp daily. I use the Organics Olive Oil root stimulator daily, and then after spray the Organics Olive Oil Nourishing Sheen spray in order to keep my braids looking brand new.
I was my hair twice a week, but that's just me. Once a fortnight is also alright in this case, but keep in mind when choosing your washing routine because box braids soak up the water and drying it takes a long time between 3-6 hours for it to dry out completely. In order to keep your hairline in check, use any edge control product of your choice to protect your hairline for breakage.

Three quick and easy hairstyles:

 Here is my back to school look, easy to create within a matter of second you can achieve this look. It is a side sweep twist which has been tied to the back with hair hanging out. (sorry for the bad picture guys).

 A look for a girl night out. This look will make you shine like a bright diamond in the sky. It is a bit more complicated to achieve die to it's seemingly comlicated braiding pattern however it's not too hard.
Start with a ponytail, then part it into two even ponytail, then braid each mini ponytail. When the two mini ponytails have been braided then cross them over at the crown of the head. In order to secure the bun, use the two hair strand tips to make a knot that will secure the whole bun. (Watch video for demonstration)

My absolute favourite, my 2-pac look. My solution to bad hair days, A BANDANA!!! This look is self explanatory, use a bandana to cover up any of your flaws and still look fabulous.

WIll box braids be creative and see what hairstyles work for you because not everyone can rock every hairstyle. To me box braids are about individuality and are a form of art. Ladies do not be shy to try something new each day with you braid because at the end of the day you will still look fabulous, because Box Braids are just fabulous.

There are some beautiful ladies on Youtube who show their box braids styles. If stuck on styling be sure to search for 'Box Braids Hairstyles' on Youtube.

Stay Beautiful
xoxo

Virgin Hair?

Virgin hair is a type of hair that has not been chemically processed at all. In order for hair to pass as virgin hair, it means it has to have not been previously permed, dyed bleached or any other chemical processes. Virgin hair usually comes from a single donor, meaning all the hair cuticles are still intact and running in the same direction.

Virgin Remi hair is the highest type of hair in market. It is a premium type of hair being graded at the highest A-list with it being a AAA grade.  When hair is processed the cuticle scale is stripped off. Virgin hair comes in all different textured, a curl or wavy pattern is generated by a steaming process in order to achieve a certain pattern. You are able to test whether the hair has been chemically processed by using indicating shampoo that is usually found in a relaxer kit. If the hair has been subjected to any acidic chemicals the shampoo will turn pink. Another way to test whether your virgin hair has been dyed is to just co-wash it and if dyed the colour will wash away.

To be honest there is no real evidence to where the actual hair comes from. It may be titled as Brazilian, Mongolian, Peruvian or Indian hair etc, however there is no evidence to whether this hair comes from these exotic countries. So, how ethical is it to buy this hair. It has been shown that Indian women donate their hair for religious purposes as a sacrifice and the temples exploit them by selling their hair for profit. On the other hand, these women sell their hair as a money making scheme, in order to afford to live a normal life. As virgin hair is sold from vendors little is known to where the hair comes from and whom is previously belonged to.

It is important to ask the hair vendor several questions before buying the hair, in order to know whether it's genuine virgin hair and in order to know if buying it is the right ethical decision .

Key questions to ask:
Where the hair comes from- should be directly from the region of specified hair
How the hair has been processed- should guarantee it has not been chemically processed

Do some research and find out which vendors are best. Google Google Google. You can find good hair review and recommendation from some Youtube reviewers.

Stay Beautiful
xoxo

Good Hair? Relaxed hair vs Natural hair

In modern history, we women of colour have fought and struggled with self-reflection on what we call beauty. Women of all cultures embrace their hair as their pride and a hair is seen as a women's reflection of their inner beauty and is an interpretation of a woman's mood, attitude, life style and most of all reflects on one's personality.
In African based societies, whether be in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia or in the African countries there is a constant battle on what is better chemically textured hair and natural hair. Chemicals such as relaxers and perms change the texture of one's hair and destroy the chemical and physical composition of the hair and essentially wears it off. This view is not to say I oppose to relaxers of other chemical products.

The argument is whether relaxed hair is better than natural texture hair. In recent years lot of women have done the "BIG CHOP" or a transition plan from chemically textured hair to natural afro texture. Women that are natural hair claim it's a way to embrace and showoff their African heritage and natural beauty.
 To women that want to transition, this is my advice: The easiest way to transition is to do the big chop however this may be a bolder step to take most people would consider. Transitioning without the big chop may however be the harder road taken by most because of the fear of having short hair. I personally have tried transitioning from relaxed hair to natural hair, however I can say it ain't an easy journey. My "healthy hair journey" began December of 2011, but was only short lived till May of 2012. BUT WAIT, LET ME EXPLAIN!

Because I usually have my hair braided it was easy at first to maintain my hair during the early stages of the transition. When the hair was unbraided however, my hair became hard and was very brittle and started breaking off quickly. This would have been mostly because of the two different hair texture, the relaxed and the natural new growth. The two different textures made it hard to comb my hair especially when wet, it would get very tangled. During the transition period I would not recommended that you use direct heat on the hair; because it dries out the hair and essentially weakens it making it prone to breakage. Hot oil treatment is a good way to keep your hair healthy during the transition period and also gives your hair a lot of strength and softens it making it easier to care for.



Growing out relaxed hair... NOTE: different textures
Credits to Natural Shren

 The reason why I went back to relaxers after 5 months was because I was not ready to cut off the relaxed hair just yet, because my hair was not grown to the length that I had wanted. The main reason though was because I wanted to put in a leave out weave and the texture of my leave out would not blend in with the texture of the weave so relaxing my hair was the only option I thought was appropriate. My advice to all you ladies considering transition, do wear protective hairstyle wether be braids, twist outs or even weaves
but always keep away from chemicals because that will ruin your whole journey.
I do however recommend you to take the chance and start you transition, although it is both a physical and psychological journey. Some days you feel better about your hair than others.

It takes strength, courage and a lot of patience to stay committed to this journey. I plan to restart my "healthy hair journey" in December 2012, for a year till December 2013.

I suggest you to refer to Link of Hair Types in order to know how to care for your hair as best as possible during transition perio.

Keep tuned for progress and updates.
Stay Beautiful
xoxo

How to Identify your Hair Type

Hello There Ladies! 

This is my first ever blog entry and  I felt it necessary to write about something every women could identify with and needs to know in order to take care of their hair properly. - Hair Types

Type 1: This type of hair is generally identified as straight hair. Straight hair reflects the most sheen and recovers from damage the quickest compared to other hair types. It is also has the most natural oils and does not create kinks in hair due to the amount of sebum (natural oil), which is created in the sebaceous gland attached to the hair follicles. The high amount of sebum presnt in straight hair, prevents kinks from forming in the hair. Celebrities such as Lauren Conrad, and Jennifer Aniston are ambassador for snaturally straight her and know how to rock the straight natural look whether on the red carpet or in their everyday lives.



Lauren Conrad

Type 2: Wavy hair has different hair patterns and depending on how tight the waves are, determines the type of wave. This type of hair is inbetween curly and straight hair. There are threee types of wavy textured hair and the further you go down the wavy spectrum, the hair reflects less sheen due to the kinky formings in the hair. For type 2 hair, anti-frizz products are adviced in order to stop it from frizzing since its more prone to frizzing compared to type one.
Link to the top 6 anti-frizz products here
Wavy hair is probably the most easiest to wear, when doing the wave patterns look beautiful and adds textured to simple updos such as buns or ponytails. Wavy hair is timeless and looks great on anyone.


Kate Hudson

Type 3:  Curly hair also has three types of pattern depending on the tightness of the curl. The curling pattern ranges from 3A being the loosest curl pattern to 3C being the tightest curl. A strand of curly hair has a defined S shape to it compared to wavy and straight hair where there's no definite curl pattern. If not cared for properly curly hair will look dull because of the lack of sheen present in its natural state. Curly hair is usually full bodied and has a more volume in comparison to the other hair types. For curly hair it is advised to used anti-frizz products due especially in humid climates.
Click on the link for more styling and maintanence tips.



Alecia Keys

Type 4: Type for hair is the kinky hair. Kinky hair has a Z shape curl (zigzag shape) type and is most prominent in women of African descent. Although it looks tough this type of hair is very fragile and prone to breakage due to the dryness. A misconception exists that kinky hair does not grow, however it grows at the same rate as other hair types but because of their tight coils the growth is not very apparent. With proper care however type for hair can look healthy and luscious like other types. This type of hair should be cared for gently, detangled softly and avoid damaging hair chemicals.Kinky hair has to be moisturised daily due to the least amount of natural oils. A hot oil treatment monthly to keep the hair healthy.
Click here for care tips.

Solange Knowles



Get to know your hair type and know to treat it with proper care. for more information refer to: http://www.curls.biz/curly-hair-type-guide.html