Natural Hair Poetry

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It's Just Hair

Another horrible picture of me but we only care about the hair.

Kink of the Day (KOTD)

It's been a long time since i did "Kink of the Day" I look at hot mess and was not posing for a picture but it give you an idea of how humidity can make a mess of what started out as a cute style...not that its horrible but y'all know what I mean.
And when its really hot and humid a puff is my go to style option.

Checking In

Hi everyone...I know I've been MIA but it's summer what can I say, plus I seem to be getting my hair fix from my monthly natural hair Meetup group; Kinky and Curly in the Twin Cities.Not much to report, it appears my hair is in a slow growth cycle right now and when i say "hair" I mean all of my hair (head, armpits, brows, legs)which is how i know I'm in a slow grow cycle in general. I will be wearing protective styles again for most of the winter, so hopefully the growth cycle picks up and I retain the length by wearing low manipulation styles over the winter.

'Can I touch it?' The fascination with natural, African-American hair

(CNN) -- Tamara Winfrey Harris tells a story of being in a chain restaurant with her husband when their names were called for a table.

Just as the couple rose to go, a middle-aged white woman standing nearby reached out swiftly to touch Winfrey Harris's hair which at the time was styled in natural twists.

"She missed by mere seconds, she was actually going to grab my hair as I walked past her," recalled Winfrey Harris who runs the blog What Tami Said. "I turned around and she said, 'Oh, your hair is neat.' It just floored me because who does that, just reaches out and touches strangers?"

It's a common tale shared by women of color whose natural hair can attract stares, curiosity, comments and the occasional stranger who desires to reach out and touch.

The reaction to such fondling can range from amusement to outrage over the invasion of personal space.


Tamara Winfrey Harris says she had a total stranger reach for her hair in a restaurant.The discussion surrounding it is often rooted in race relations.

Blogger Los Angelista explained her response to a woman's incredulous "Are you serious, I can't touch your hair?" by writing that no she couldn't, "Because my black ancestors may have been your ancestors' property, and had to smile while they got touched in ways they didn't want to, but I am not YOUR property and never will be so you'd best move your hand away from me."

"Natural hair" for black women is, by definition, hair that is not processed and not chemically altered. Straightened hair is oftened viewed as easier to care for and more attractive.

Rather than use chemical straighteners known as relaxers (also sometimes called "creamy crack" for both the damage it can do to black hair as well as the inability of some women to live without it) some women wear their hair in its natural state.

Natural hair can be described as curly, kinky, wavy, or -- the sometimes dreaded and considered by some to be an offensive word -- nappy.

Black hair fuels a more than billion-dollar industry which includes products, weaves, and wigs that can enable African-American women to change up their styles at a whim. Tons of websites, blogs, books and videos about natural hair exist to educate those desiring to "go natural."

The style has been embraced for reasons of fashion, politics and simply by those unwilling to spend the time and money to maintain their chemically processed hair.

So why the continuing fascination with natural hair, given that so many women of color are now rocking the style and have been for years?

Keneesha Hudson said that despite the growing number of women embracing their natural hair texture, it's still considered unique.

Hudson is the owner/founder of Urbanbella, a company in Atlanta that specializes in helping women embrace their natural hair texture. She first went natural in 2002 when she did the "big chop" (cutting all of her processed hair off) so she could have the freedom to swim, she said, and today she sports a thick mane of natural curls.

"For the longest time we black women have been wearing our hair chemically straightened to a point where most of us really don't know what our natural hair looks like," Hudson said. "There's a generation of us who have never even seen our hair in any form but straight except for baby pictures."

Visitors to her salon will sometimes ask to touch her hair to establish that it is actually all hers and not a wig or a weave, she said, while still others are strangers who "sneak and touch it."

"We love to go to the football games, and there's a group of guys that sit behind us," Hudson said. "One week, towards the end of the season, one of the guys in cheering just kind of laid his hands on my head like 'Yeah!' I said 'That has nothing to do with cheering for the game,' but I just find those little moments happen a lot."

In 2008, Renee Martin wrote "Can I Touch Your Hair? Black Women and The Petting Zoo" for her blog Womanist Musings and said she continues to get e-mails from women thanking her for her post and relaying their personal experiences about their hair being touched.

Some white women who responded, Martin said, shared their stories of their own hair being touched in countries populated by people of color. They chalked it up to natural curiosity and accused Martin of being too sensitive, she said.

But she says she doesn't think the crux of the issue has to do with curiosity.

"I think it's the idea that they have the right to possess black women and they will take any excuse they can to jump over the border, whether it's policing our behavior or policing our hair," Martin said. "I think it's about ownership of black bodies more than it has to actually do with hair."

Actress Issa Rae, star/creator of the web series "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl," said she has been natural all of her life. She had cut her hair and worked the short afro into the character, who was heartbroken and starting over.

Rae has endured the comments of "Eww, why is your hair like that? Why are you trying to go back to slavery?" from other African-Americans and says that, growing up, she had requests to touch her hair from both blacks and whites.

The touching doesn't bother her as much as "when they ask stupid questions to make me feel like my hair is alien hair."

"I had someone ask me if I wear my hair like this to honor my ancestors, and that was funny to me," she said. "This is not for Kunta [Kinte]."

Rae notes that in the 1970s, there was an afro movement for a while, but it died down in the 1980s. There are quite a few layers when it comes to discussions about black hair, from length to texture, and hair is very much tied to the culture, she said.

"Hair is just a huge component of blackness, so it's not going to go away," she said.

Tia Mosley, 29, went natural at the age of 12 when she refused to get her hair relaxed anymore. The inquisitiveness about her 'do is as natural as the hair on her head, she said.

"People want to touch my hair all the time and I have no problem with it," she said. "I have a problem with the touching and the attempt to touch without asking."

Mosley said that when she used to work at a predominantly white theater company in northern Georgia, her hair was viewed as exotic and stirred up a great deal of interest.

"They thought I was from the islands and they had lots of questions about my hair," she said laughing. "I would say 'No, I'm from the island of Houston, Texas."

Checking In

Y'all I have been lazy with my hair. Basically I've been wearing twist a lot. The weather has sucked and I haven't been "moved" to set my FRO free...lol I never really did a length check post winter hair care challenge so here ya go.

I LOVE this AD!!!!

Shed Hair from Finger Detangling

This is the amount of shed hair I have when using the finger detangling method I mentioned in previous a post.

Do the Afrodance y'all!

Les Nubians - Afrodance from Nice Dissolve on Vimeo.

Finger Detangling

My new found love is finger detangling. I find that when I finger detangle I have a lot less shed hair...I mean a lot! The only draw back is that you must be patient when finger detangling. If you ain't in the mood to be mess'in with your head DO NOT...I repeat DO NOT attempt to finger detangle your hair...either put detangling off another day or use a wide tooth comb.


How do you do it?
Finger detangling is really quite easy and all you need are your fingers. When you are ready to detangle your hair, separate your hair in parts and detangle each section separately. When you are ready to detangle a particular section, only take part of that section and start from there; do not attempt to do the whole section at once! To begin the process, gently run your fingers through your strands in a vertical manner as if your fingers are the teeth of a comb. When you encounter a knot, or tangle, stop and take time to untangle that particular section. Once you are done, run your fingers through your strands again and continue this process until you can freely run your fingers through (without stopping to work through a tangle).


When do you do it?
It depends on your hair routine. Use the finger detangling method whenever you are ready to detangle your hair.


What should you avoid doing?
- Avoid pulling your hair and/or running your fingers through it rapidly

- Avoid working with a lot of hair at a time : The truth of the matter is, the smaller the number of strands you work with at a time, the faster it is and the better the results and let's not forget the less chances you have of causing any damage.

- Avoid broken nails : if you have a broken nail, avoid detangling before cutting it off because strands can attach to the broken nail and you can pull these strands out while working through your hair without even knowing it

- Avoid using anything else in your hair but conditioner while finger detangling
:this means, the only thing you should have in your hair is a good conditioner. This is because, the conditioner coats your hair and makes detangling easier, while keeping your hair from any damage, in fact, a conditioner is a sort of shock absorber to our hair during our detangling sessions. Do not try finger detangling under the shower because the water will wash the conditioner away and do not do it on your hair alone, no matter how wet your hair is.
:I add a mixture of conditioner and water to a spray bottle and mist my entire head first. Then I work in small sections and mist those individual sections again and add a nickel size amount of conditioner to the section if needed.

Tips
- I have noticed that, when I wear protective styles in between washes, finger detangling becomes a breeze. This is easy to understand though, because protective styles such as twists help stretch the hair and stretching the hair minimizes tangles. If wearing twists or any other protective styles is not an active part of your hair regimen then do no worry, you can braid/twist your hair in large sections before going to bed on the night before wash day to stretch your hair a bit.

- Being gentle is key. Even if you are not using a comb, finger detangling can still be harsh when done without enough care. Be gentle and patient and you'll reap the results.

- Take time. Do not try rushing through a detangling process because you might end up causing more damage than good and later find out, while styling, that your hair has some terrible knots you might not be able to undo.

Natural Hair Music Video

A little something for the "naturals" to groove to!

Dead Prez "The Beauty Within" from kinetikcinematix on Vimeo.

Swimming and Natural Hair

So this twist out is the result of the two strand twist in the post below. I rocked the two strand twist in various styles for a week, which included going swimming twice this week. each time I went swimming I rinsed my hair out with a mixture of olive oil and VO5's Kiwi clarifying conditioner. On Thursday I unraveled the twist and this is what I got...not bad and my hair felt nice and moisturised.
Notice how my ends arent frizzy...I'm really happy with the results.

Something New....

I think I'm going to try something a little different..at least for the next 2 months. I'm going to try and keep my hair in protected style during the week, and set if free on the weekend. Plus I'm adding swimming to my exercise routine 2 times a week and we know that chlorine can kill a FRO! this is how I'm currently rock'in my hair...two stand twist rolled around my head..lol You get the idea ;)

Wedding Hair

Was at a friends wedding on Saturday and it was the first time I've worn my hair out since beginning my winter hair care challenge and wearing protective styles since November 2010. I was feeling my kinks and curls and decided to share a few pictures with you even though I look at hot mess in one of them. CONGRATS Donna & Hank...the wedding was a blast.

10 Things They Don't Tell You About Natural Hair

Going natural. If you’ve made the journey yourself read these revelations and see if you agree, if you’re thinking about it, heed these warnings and if you love your bone straight tresses read what your fellow sisters are going through out here.
People will judge you, based on your hairWhether it’s your grandmother who’s practically disowned you because she thinks you don’t get your “hair did” anymore, or an associate eyeing with a look of sympathy, it will take time for the people in your life to accept your hair. Not only them, people you don’t even know will prejudge you based on what they think your hair is saying. A few months after I had undergone the “big chop,” I started my freshman year of college. A girl, a black girl I might add, who later became one of my good friends, told me that she thought I was mean when she first saw me. When I asked her why, she said because of your hair. Even though she couldn’t pinpoint why my hair made her think I was mean it influenced her opinion about me before we ever had a discussion.

It’s not easier than having a relaxer
Remember those days, pre relaxer when you had to sit in between your mother’s (or father’s) legs while they combed your hair? For some of us, this time was torture. There was squirming, yelping, and crying on those special occasion days. That’s what I liken the maintenance of natural hair to. Taking care of your natural hair can be like styling a thick haired, tender headed little girl the night before Easter Sunday. And you’re not the child anymore, your hair is. It kicks, screams and rebels against what you want it to do. When I first started wearing my twist-out afro, people would say, “ooh so you just wake up and go?” Uhhh…no. Not that natural hair is harder to manage than relaxed hair, it just presents its own challenges.

You’ll hear from different men on the streetLike it or not, for a lot of us what we do with our hair is a least influenced partially by what we think a man, whether he’s our father, husband, boyfriend or stranger, is going to say about it. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard women say “I want to go natural, but I’m scared he won’t like it.” That opinion is potentially important; but that’s not my point. What I’m saying is while some men prefer the silky, straight don’t-care-why-it’s-long type of hair, you’d be surprised at the number of men who have a preference for natural hair and will go out of their way to compliment you on it.

Your hair is not going to act like hers (No, not even your momma’s)
One of the biggest shocks in the natural transition can be the fact that your hair won’t do what someone else’s will. It’s a tough concept to grasp as we have hair inspirations. (You know you’ve gone into a salon requesting to rock Halle’s pixie.) We would like our hair to do and look a certain way, but you’ll soon realize that your hair has a mind of its own and while you may be able to ask it (nicely) what you would like it to do, it will tell you what time it is. You’ll just have to adjust to its patterns.

You might go through an ‘am I still cute?’ phase
Whether it happens when the beautician spins you around to the mirror for the first time, when you wake up to a matted mess or when you’re just having an off day, you might wonder if your new natural do has affected your attractiveness. You’ll wonder if you’ve made the right decision and may find yourself wandering the black hair care section of Wal-Mart longing for a perm. Sure your transition has affected your look and sometimes certain hairstyles look better on certain facial structures etc. Some women can’t handle this phase. Some feel the solution is waiting until it grows out, others revert back to the relaxer and others, experiment with other, more flattering styles. Either way it’s about accepting the new way you look or doing something to put you at peace with your appearance.

It will take you a while to get used to the way your hair looks in the sink
Unless your hair is naturally straight, you’ll notice the little curly ques that come out of your head and how much they resemble some hair elsewhere on your body. You know, the hair down there. It’s not so much you; you know that hair came from your head, you just don’t want house guests or non-natural folks to think you just let your pubes run loose like that.

You might find yourself saddling your natural high horse; but get down, quick!
Once you get your hair looking right, you’ve found a style that works, you’re receiving compliments and your mane makes you feel powerful, you’ll want your other sisters to have this same feeling. And that’s great and really admirable of you. But in your quest to empower other black women don’t forget that some women simply don’t want or don’t like natural hair! And it doesn’t mean they don’t love themselves either. It’s a preference. I’ve seen women so ready to convert a “straight hair” they don’t realize that they’re being offensive and counterproductive. If your intent is to empower another woman, attacking her based on the way she wears her hair, especially a black woman, is not the way to go about it.

It might not be as healthy as you thought it would
Ooo don’t let these online tutorials fool you, if you don’t take care of your hair, relaxed or natural, it will look a hot mess. I’m a witness. There’s this assumption that your hair will immediately take on lioness power once you do away with the perm. Not so. Your hair might even become weaker in some ways. It will require more moisture, will tangle easily etc.

You won’t hate relaxed hair
When a family member, friend or associate would go natural and then two weeks later go back to perming their hair, I’d be appalled. It took me a minute to learn that it doesn’t have to be and isn’t an “either-or” for some people. For some people it’s a “both-and.” I know sisters who are technically natural but will wear a weave/wig in a minute to switch the style up. It doesn’t mean she’s conflicted in her soul; it means, she likes variety.

You’ll want somebody to touch it, just the right somebody
We have a thing about people touching our hair. Definitely no strangers and even our most intimates don’t get the privilege under the right circumstances. But this might change along with the texture of your hair. As I said, you’ll take pride in your hair. And maybe, just maybe you’ll want to share it with others. So if that means letting a genuinely curious person explore the jungle that is your hair and scalp then so be it. And if it’s a lover, then let him experience first hand how magnificent it is in there.
-Courtsey of Madame Noire

Questions/Reactions Every Natural Haired Girl Gets

Those of us who choose to go sans hair-straightening chemicals (no shade to the relaxed homies) get some very interesting questions and reactions about our hair. The most comical questions usually come from those who are completely unfamiliar with the nuances of black hair outside of Chris Rock’s “Good Hair” and that one black girl in their dorm in college.
Here are just a few of the situations every natural haired black girl will encounter at one time or another.

Can I touch it?Le sigh. The knee-jerk response is to say “No,” but it kinda depends on who’s asking. If it’s some wide-eyed individual looking like she’s on a zoological expedition, then absolutely not. You can even be kinda mean about it if you want! Just give her “the look” and keep it movin’. If it’s a woman next to you in the beauty supply aisle, maybe. It’s good to help a sista out. If it’s some sexy brotha on that “I love women with natural hair” tip– probably not. That’s a little intimate to be running your hands through a stranger’s hair, right?

Is it real?I have a big glamorous afro (yep, glamorous) and over the past year or so, an interesting thing has started to happen. So many people are wearing “natural hair” wigs, that people think my big ebony cloud of cotton candy is fake too. The killer part is when they get really close hoping to spy some glue or something. No glue here, buddy. Best response to such tomfoolery? Bat your eyelashes, smile, say “Yes, it’s all mine” and don’t break your stride. #gottaloveit

How does it do that?When you have the type of hair that loves you so much it tries to be as close to you as possible (it’s tightly coiled), any hair straightening leads to very dramatic results. I go from hair that is a foot wide on either side to hair down my back when I get fancy with the flat iron. Co-workers are always most interested in this transformation. Sometimes even other black women are shocked by the results. How to respond to the “how does your hair do that” question? Smile (always smile) and be honest about however you achieved your look. Any further interrogating need not be answered.

You would look so fine with straight hair.Dudes are straight clueless sometimes. Some men really and truly can not find beauty in any hair that is not long and bone straight. If you’re a gal who embraces her naturally voluptuous, hell-raising curls, you will catch shade from some of these men from time to time. If it’s a stranger, just give him the stink-eye, suck your teeth and keep it movin’. If it’s a man you’re dating, just bounce, girl. It’s not that hair is soooo important, but it’s just some stupid ish to say and who needs that? If it’s not serious, just move on to the next one. You want a straight haired chick, get you one, sucka!

Your hair looks amazing.Awwwww, our favorite type of reaction! So nice to know that you’re not the only one who likes your hair as it grows out your head. A genuine smile and a “thank you” are definitely in order.

Stank faceGenerally, it’s all love for the natural hair mesdames, but every once in a while, you’ll get the stank face from a woman who feels some type of way about seeing nappy hair in her midst. Ignore this woman. She is not worth your breath, energy or even a thought really.

Look of sheer horrorThat is the description of the receptionist’s face at one of those super white hair salons that don’t know jack about black hair. If you have a big fro or locs or any hairstyle that is really really black, you MUST at some point go into this type of salon and ask for service. The facial expressions and terror are priceless. You can just giggle and walk away afterwards. No need to prolong the torture and for goodness sake, don’t actually let them touch your head!

What have been some of your more interesting encounters as a natural haired madame?
-Courtsey of Madame Noire

Winter Hair Challenge...the Final Streach

The take down is complete! I just twisted my own hair and will rock it like this for most of the month of April...come May I will be busting this FRO OUT!! For the record my hair feels GREAT! There are no fairy knots/single strands knots on the ends of my hair and it is thick from root to tip. I'll do my final length check complete with a full winter hair care challenge roundup the next time I wash but so far it looks like I gained about 1 and 1/2 inches of growth of the winter. FYI, I actually did a light trim in late January in between protective styles. Overall I have to say I'm pleased!

Time for the Take Down

This picture says it all and I'm feeling old boys pain...I HATE taking braids out, but the time has come and my braids MUST come out!! Last night when I was driving home a random twist fell onto the steering wheel...LMAO Since my original plan was to wear protective styles from November through April, I'm going to have to alter things a bit. My plan now is to just twist my hair myself and wear twist off and on through the end of April before I unleash my FRO in all its glory for the summer ;)

Pondering the Take Down

Oh how I love the ease of protective styles and braids. A bag of synthetic hair can be a girls best friend when she is NOT in the mood to do her hair for long stretches, but I am officially tired of these Senegalese twist in my hair, and just to damn lazy to take them out..LMAO

My Winter hair challenge comes to an end officially April 30, but I'm not sure if I will make it that long. Trust me I am to damn lazy to take these bad boys out but the real reason for perhaps only making it to April 1 is because I am not sure the style itself will hold up much longer. Due to sheer laziness I will leave them in as long as I can but I am sick of "the look."

I guess I could take them out and put cornrows or something in for the last 30 days but like I said I do not have the mindset to take these out and the next few weekends will be busy one. Ho Hum.

To Tango With the Tangle Teezer??

Do I dare jump on the bandwagon of the newest craze amongst the natural hair community?!?!? Never mind I told myself that I am on product ban for 2011, but do I take the plunge and tango with the infamous tangle teezer???

Do I already have tools to detangle my hair? YES
Am I on a no buy in 2011 ban that includes anything NOT need? YES
Do I need a tangle teezer? NO
DO I have unusual "problems" with my current detangling method? NO

If I look at all of the question I have just asked and answered for myself the answer would be...NOOOOOOOOO I do no need a tangle teezer! It is product junkie lust that has me clamouring to get my hands on one of these babies. Truth be told most of the reviews on the tangle teezer are fabulous but the bad reviews seem to suggest that the tool may result in splits ends for some that use it. For now I'm sticking to my guns and not buying the tool for myself, plus the risk of shredding my ends is not one I'm willing to risk, when I can stick with the trusty shred proof tools I have in my shower.

But I must say, they have introduced a tangle teezer just for the little ones and it is CUTE, its got my daughters name written all over it. Check this out. Her birthday is coming up and I may get one for her. She has 3a hair type so the shredding of ends that could occur on my 4a/b hair is not very likely, and who knows I could always give her tangle teezer a try if I'm still jonesing to give it a twirl.

Last Protective Style of Winter 2010

No, I didn't punk out...lol I got my second protective style as planned but just haven't had a chance to snap any pictures. As it is these pictures are only of my hair cuz as my mama would say, I look like a "bugga bear" My goal is to keep these in until the end of April or as close as I can get to it. I'm not sure this particular style will last that long before it starts looking ragged.

Winter Hair Challenge...Protective Style #2

I'm putting my wig back in a protective style tomorrow, which I plan on leaving in until the end of April...just in time for "free froing" season...SUMMER!! For those of you that follow splinta24 on youtube, I am gonna bite my girls style this time around and get Senegalese-Twist . I've had these kind of twist in the past, but Splinta has her braider braid the front a bit differently which allows for more versatile styling. Check the pictures below of Ms. Splinta


I'll post pictures of my take on Splinta24's twist soon. Hopefully they turn out well!

Winter Hair Challenge Length Check

You can check out my original length check at the beginning of this challenge here.

The kinky twist take down

This is the hair lost after all twist were taken down. I had the twist in for about 2 1/2 months.

Beware of Tight Braids

OK...I'm sorry but these braids look to damn tight. My edges would be screaming for dear life. Look closely Curlies at the cornrows around her hair line..OUCH!