Hair Discrimination

Those who know me know that I love a good haircut and I have cut my hair on several occasions, both DIY and professionally. Since being natural, I've always had my hair straightened before getting it cut but this time I decided I was going to do something different. In essence I wanted a second big chop but as I don't have the cojones to rock an Amber Rose, I decided I would go for something slightly longer but just as stylish.

I wish I was that brave.

So there I was looking for a good hairdresser who could cut natural hair in its natural state and I soon learned something: the prices were discriminatory. I searched in both the UK and the USA and learned one thing: hairdressers that cater to black hair sometimes charge three times as much to cut natural hair as they do to cut straight/relaxed hair!

At first I was sure I was doing something wrong, surely an Afro hairdresser wouldn't charge more to cut my hair just because it was in its natural state, that would be ridiculous right? Wrong! Every single price list I looked up online and quote I called in to obtain showed a huge discrepancy in price. In some instances I even found that getting my hair washed, straightened and cut would be cheaper than a wash and cut on natural hair!

The salon/hairdresser/hair shop has historically been somewhat of a sanctuary for black women, a place where we go knowing that there's an unspoken solidarity, that this was the only locale that could 'handle' our hair and that the fact that you were here meant that regardless of shade, you were black. 

Black salon culture depicted in "How To Get Away With Murder"

It's bad enough that as black women we face discrimination in EVERY instance from other ethnicities and that within our own ethnicity we deal with colourism, but to walk into an Afro salon and be told that they are unable to dress natural hair or that you have to pay two to three times as much unless you opt for a form of straightening procedure is simply unacceptable! Every hairdresser/stylist in an Afro hair salon should know how to dress natural hair, treatments like relaxers and dyes are optional, what grows out of our scalp is not, that should be their basic hair dressing skills.

Naysayers will say I'm over reacting or that it's not that big a deal but it is a big deal when someone with a silkier texture or a looser curl pattern isn't required to straighten their hair before getting it cut, or when said customer is not required to pay a 'it's too kinky' charge! #ThatIsAll #RantOver

Au Naturel Update (Products)

Let me start by saying that I'm officially a product junkie. Lol!

I have spent a small fortune on hair products since going natural but in 2013 I upgraded from 'Natural Hair Journey' to 'Healthy Hair Journey' so a lot of products have been set aside (they contained non soluble silicones and/or mineral oils) and I spend my money much more wisely. Along the way I've learned that it's not really about which products you use but HOW you use them.

When it comes to products, one of my main deciding factors is 'smell'. If the product smells foul it is not getting purchased! The only exception to this rule is shampoo and only because it's always followed up by a nice smelling conditioner.

I have experimented with making my own products but as I have said in my Journey and Regimen update, I'm lazy when it comes to hair so I'd rather just buy it. The only thing I still enjoy making are deep conditioners, I am yet to find the perfect deep conditioner in a bottle. Here is a list of my favourite products.

Shampoos 

• Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
• Dudu Osun/Black Soap

             

Conditioners

I make an avocado, banana, coconut milk, oil mix (any 3 I feel like at the time) and honey deep conditioner but I also buy a few for lazy days and co-washes.

• Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Calming Conditioner
• As I Am Coconut CoWash Cleansing Conditioner
• Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturising Conditioner
• TRESemmé Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner

                   

                            

Leave-in Conditioners

• Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in/Detangler
• Giovanni Direct Leave-in Weightless Moisture Conditioner
• KimmayTube Recipe - 2tbsp leave-in conditioner (one of the above), 2tbsp aloe vera juice, 2tsp castor oil, 2tsp oil of choice

                            

Moisturisers (water based products)

• Oyin Handmade Hair Dew Daily Hair Quenching Lotion
• Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

                          

Creams (not water based)

• Organic Unrefined Shea Butter
• Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter
• Carol's Daughter Hair Balm

                      

                                                 

Oils

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil
• Organic Coconut Oil
• Vitamin E Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Tea Tree Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Avocado Oil

             

Styling Products

• Camille Rose Almond Jai Twisting Butter
• Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercreme
• Oyin Handmade Boing! All In One Coil Styler
• Carol's Daughter Loc Butter
• Eco Styler Olive Oil Styling Gel
• Let's Jam Conditioning & Styling Gel (Extra Hold)

                                         

              

                                                  

Spray Bottle Recipe

• Protective style spray: 1/4 conditioner, 1/8 oils (any 3), 1tsp honey, 3 drops tea tree oil and fill with water
• Everyday spray: 1/4 aloe vera juice, 1/8 glycerin and fill with water

Of this list I think only 3 products contain either silicones, parabens, petroleum or mineral oil (Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercreme, Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner and Let's Jam Conditioning & Styling Gel) the rest, I believe, are 100% natural (correct me if I'm wrong!). I plan to find substitutes for these 3 products and if you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below. 

I would also love to hear your experiences with products, things that have helped you on your journey and any recipes you think are a must try. My main issue is moisture retention so any tips with that will be greatly appreciated.

Healthy hair is happy hair :)

Au Naturel Update (Journey & Regimen)

Oh how things have changed! LOL!

Illustration by Keturah Ariel
I love her work!

Some of you will already know from my previous blog that I decided to start transitioning from relaxed (chemically straightened) hair to natural hair; my last relaxer was in October 2010. I decided not to do the big chop (cut off all my hair and wait for it to grow back) because frankly, I was scared I wouldn't be able to carry off the look. Instead I cut off 4 inches of hair for every 2 inches of growth (I was too lazy to stick to the original 1inch plan) and since my hair grows pretty quickly, I had cut off all my relaxed hair by August of 2011. This post is just an update on my journey, my current regimen and useful sources of information that have helped me along the way. I will write a separate post to highlight the products I use.

The Journey

As I stated before "I'm not entirely sure why I decided to go natural, my hair wasn't breaking and I wasn't trying to make a statement (none of that afro centric stuff!), I guess I was just tired of depending on my perm." so I didn't have a goal when going natural. My hair has always been an instrument to looking good so I guess my only aim was to look good with natural hair. It did not work out that way.

I loved my hair and the new texture and curls that had replaced my previously silky straight strands BUT I didn't feel like I looked good. Before y'all jump into a lecture about black women hating themselves and wanting to look white *rolls eyes* let me just state that that is simply not the case. I have never liked big hair on me any more than I have liked heavy make up or knee length skirts,  it's not a race thing, I just don't like it. Whether it be thick layers of Beyoncé style weave or too many flicks and curls, I just can't deal! Believe me, I've tried!

I am simply not comfortable with big hair so you can just imagine how I felt when I looked at myself in the mirror every day and a huge afro stared back at me. I did the only thing I could do without reaching for the creamy crack (relaxer), I got a weave. For three months I  got weave after weave and refused to face my new hair but it was a very short term solution. I hate weaves too. They itch, they make my head sore and the feel of hair that isn't mine on my face and neck was just too much for me to bear! I was stuck between a rock and a hard place - weave or afro? I chose my afro. I hate big hair but I hate weaves more!

Luckily by this point my hair was long enough to go into a comfortable bun with neatly slicked sides. On bad days when my hair refused to co-operate I would do a puff but I felt very self conscious and uncomfortable. I tried braid/twist outs but to date (August 2014) I am yet to have a successful one.
It took me a while to understand that hair had to be treated right to maintain its health, as a permed chick I always had a hairdresser deal with those technicalities but it became my responsibility and boy did I make many mistakes!

Mistake #1: Avoiding water - I grew up, like most black girls, believing water was bad for your hair. As a natural I avoided water because of the shrinkage, I lose 50%-75% of my hair length when my hair is wet so in order to avoid a tangled mess I avoided water. Now I know better and dampen my hair at least once every two days.

My relationship with water explained
 in a picture lol

Mistake #2: Heat - I have had to cut my hair on two occasions as a result of heat damage. I used to blow-dry my hair straight after every wash when I first went natural (habit from my relaxed days) which meant I had to cut off nearly 7 inches at the end of 2012. Not realizing it was the heat that gave me those hideous ends I continued my blow drying method, albeit less frequently, so by May 2013 I had to cut off another 5 inches. By this time I had started following a few natural haired ladies and realized that heat was a no no so I went a year (May 2013 to May 2014) without any heat and the results were awesome. I did a 3 inch trim in June 2014 as a result of split ends (residual from the head damage I assume) and now my hair looks and feels great.

Heat styling tools - these were my best
friends *covers face*

Mistake #3: Believing my hair couldn't be soft - I don't know where I got this idea from but I guess I just assumed that only people with relaxed hair or silkier textures had soft hair. Since learning how to properly maintain hair moisture my hair has felt heavenly! Probably the best thing I've learned since going natural, if my hair is not soft it's definitely moisture deprived.

Type 'soft hair' in Google images.
No comment.

Mistake #4: Laziness - As I said earlier, my hairdresser dealt with protein/moisture balances and hair maintenance, all I had to do was show up and pay! Going natural made all that my responsibility and boy was I lazy! I often went to bed with no headscarf/bonnet, ignored moisturising, all the while complaining about dryness and once my Senegalese twists were in, my hair was ignored for 5-6 weeks at a time! *covers face* All this resulted in so much 'repair' work that I just had to change my ways and schedule hair maintenance days (I have a busy life and wash day takes forever) to ensure things never got too bad. I'm much better but I still have a lot to learn.

There is a myth that natural hair = healthy hair and this is NOT TRUE! I learned that the hard way :(

By 2013 I had accepted that my minimalist approach to hair wasn't doing me any favours and that if I wanted to look good with natural hair I would have to actually put effort into it. I had seen some Youtubers say they washed their hair 3 times a week and each wash took them 9 hours! That was NEVER going to be me! I have a life and a career and one day I will also have kids, no way was I going to get into a habit of spending 27 hours a week on hair washing alone!
I decided to learn what was essential and try to squeeze it all into a once a week routine. Based on the knowledge I obtained I built up my current regimen and I am happy with it. 

Wash Day Regimen

• Pre-poo: Apply coconut oil and detangle the night before. Cover with shower cap  and satin bonnet then go to bed

• Rinse out coconut oil and co-wash

• Apply deep conditioner, cover with shower cap and towel, leave in for 45-90 minutes (on a really lazy day I leave it in for up to 3 hours! *covers face*)

• Rinse out deep conditioner. Blot out excess water with a t-shirt and apply leave-in conditioner

• Allow to air dry till hair is no longer wet, but still damp and use LOC (Liquid, Oil, Cream) method

• Style and/or air dry

Once a month I also shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo. I have previously tried Apple Cider Vinegar rinses but I didn't notice any benefits. Upon further research I discovered that since I have low porosity hair, ACV isn't optimal for my hair's moisture absorption so I just cut it out all together (I didn't need asking twice! Lol!).

I still get lazy but I try to ensure I wash my hair at least once in 10 days and I now know when my hair needs attention. I haven't perfected the art of "listening to your hair" but by keeping this regimen my hair has definitely become more manageable and there's less fighting before getting it into a neat bun.
Hair Details

Using several sources I was able to determine some characteristics to my hair :

1. Hair Type: 4B/C - The front and crown of my head is 4B while the back and sides are 4C. This makes it a nightmare when using products and probably why twist/braid outs never look quite right.
2. Hair Porosity: Low - This makes it a nightmare to absorb moisture and product build up is a constant battle. I deep condition with body heat to increase absorption.
3. Hair Density: Medium - I have to go easy on hair butters otherwise I end up with limp  & lifeless hair.
4. Hair Width: Medium/Coarse - This is great because I'm not affected by breakage, my strands are quite resistant.
5. Current Hair Length: Between shoulder and armpit length - I've never been big on hair length (more hair, more problems) but I have set myself a goal to become bra strap length by August 2015, I'll keep you updated. 

Hair Length Chart

                           

                                         With assistance from my lil bro -
                                           nearly armpit length (June 2014)

Understanding my hair properties made wash day, styling and buying products much easier. Even if the Youtuber's hair LOOKS like yours, something as small as a difference in porosity will mean you don't get the same results as her with products and/or styles.

Texture shots - 4B/C right? 
The shrinkage is crazy!

Natural hair is a lot of work compared to relaxed hair and I still have A LOT of bad hair days. I don't know if I will ever go back to relaxers but for now I'm happy to keep experimenting with my natural hair. Below are a list of some of my favourite Youtube channels and blogs, hopefully you'll find them as helpful as I did.

Youtube 

SimplYounique - My favourite natural hair channel and her hair type is the closest to mine. She recently relaxed her hair so she may start focusing on the maintenance of relaxed hair. (UPDATE 19/08/2014: She has big chopped for the second time!)
KimmayTube - Good for understanding the science of hair
AfrikanHairGod - Great for styles and general hair maintenance
FusionofCultures - Great for DIY recipes
TheChicNatural - Has great styling tutorials

Blogs

http://www.curlynikki.com
http://www.naturallycurly.com
http://kinkycurlycoilyme.com
http://blackgirllonghair.com

More Keturah Ariel art
I'm at 2 but my goal is 3 by 2015 :)

Healthy hair is happy hair :)

What is "real" hair?

A follow up to my last post:

Documentaries like 'Good Hair' by Chris Rock and Tyra Banks' talk show episodes based on the subject of hair have highlighted the impact of hair in the black community and the lengths people will go to have 'good hair'. But what is 'good hair'?

Sadly what I learned from these shows is that the majority of black people associate good hair with silkiness, straightness and  'the white girl flow'. Now I don't know about you guys but I have never met a black person who doesn't have a mixed heritage with any of these qualities!

On the same topic, there is a huge debate on what is considered to be 'real' hair. Is it the hair that grows out of your scalp? Does your hair stop being 'real' when you add chemicals? If you are wearing a weave made from human hair is that 'real hair'? Is it acceptable to wear another human's hair on your head?

I'd like to know your thoughts and feelings on the matter so please leave a comment.

Let's Talk Hair

I recently decided to go natural meaning I plan to stop perming/relaxing my hair. I don't have any deep or meaningful reasons, I just felt like it really. My best friend has natural hair and I therefore decided to ask her what I could do with my hair now that I couldn't wear it in my usual straight and sleek shoulder length way. She advised me to go on Youtube and look for ideas and nothing could have prepared me for what I discovered.

First of all, I thought I would find 20, maybe 50, videos on hair care and was surprised to discover that there are an endless amount of videos dedicated to hair! Secondly, each video had thousands of views! And lastly they had their own language! For those of you who knew this hair community existed you are probably thinking I'm over reacting but I can assure you I had no idea that so many people thought hair was so important that they needed to spend their time making videos about it.

Now, whereas I found some video tutorials quite helpful, I feel this whole hair thing is absolutely ridiculous! We are talking about dead protein here! I had women telling me they spent 9 hours on washing their hair the 'right way' and did so three times a week! Do these women have anything going on in their lives because I can't see anyone with a 9-5 Monday to Friday spending 27 hours a week on hair, it's a joke!

Also I could barely follow what they were saying due to the terms being used! Is hair so important that it requires its own language!? Some examples include:

* Big chop - when you choose to stop perming/relaxing and cut all your chemically treated ends off

* TWA - Teeny Weeny Afro

* Co-wash - when you replace you shampoo with conditioner therefore 'conditioner washing' your hair

* Braid outs - when you plait your hair the night before and take it out in the morning leaving your hair curly

* Transitioning hair - going from permed/relaxed hair to natural (chemically untreated) hair without the big chop

The other problem I found with these videos is that none of the 'teachers' had afro hair. I know that the term 'black hair' is widely used but there is a distinct difference between the hair of a black person with mixed heritage and afro hair therefore, for all the thousands of videos available online, an afro haired person would receive no help whatsoever!

Don't get me wrong, I do feel hair is an important part of a woman's appearance and I agree that it can make or break your look but to spend so much time on it that you're making weekly video updates is ridiculous. There are children starving all over the world, if you've got that much time on your hands go and volunteer in countries than need your help!

Hair is beauty but its nice when it comes with some brains!