35 posts tagged “my hair”

Good Hair etc

Oct 7, 2009
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I promised myself that I wasn't going to post about this topic. But after all of the other conversations that has gone on as well as Chris Rock's media appearances, I feel compelled to say something.

I'm not that interested in seeing Good Hair anymore. At first, I thought that it may be an interesting conversation starter but the more I hear about it, it sounds a showcase for Chris Rock to talk about how superficial and high maintenance black women are using hair as an example.

I've watched the conversations turn into straight vs nappy and I think that dichotomy is stupid. Your politics, self-image, and potential self-hatred are not solely dictated by the hair on your head. But I think that with any lifestyle choice, you owe it to yourself to be honest about why you made those choices.

I used to hate my natural hair. I thought it was unruly and impossible to deal with. I believed that it had to be beaten into submission with relaxers, pressing irons and curling irons. I resented that my hair didn't grow long and felt resigned to wear my hair short, thin, and flat or braided.

I didn't stop resenting my natural hair until I learned how to care for it. I didn't learn how care for my hair until I stopped expecting it to behave like straight hair.

And that is the core of the problem. We have to reprogram ourselves and society out of this idea that straight hair is the baseline and the norm. Yes, hairstyles are choices but your hair texture is not. And it is wrong to judge all hair textures as presentable against a single, arbitrary baseline.

Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

my and my african american hair

Sep 12, 2009
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African American hair has been all over the news lately. I don't know if it's because of Michelle Obama or Tyra, but people just can't stop talking about African American hair. Now, this is a blog devoted to care and keeping of MY African American hair, not the politics of hair, the science and structure of hair, or the sociocultural implications of being natural but since there is a national dialogue going on (and suddenly people feel the need to talk to me about my hair), I thought I might contribute to the conversation.

I have locs. Also known as dreadlocks, dreadlocs, locks, dreads, etc. I call them locs because that is easier to type. I have no desire to remove them by coming them out so I can straighten my undoubtedly long hair. First of all, most of the length wouldn't survive the comb out process, secondly, I have no interest in wearing my hair straight.

My hair is not a reflection of my politics, religion, or degree of militancy. I felt pretty much the same way when I had straight hair, braids, and loose natural hair. My hair is a reflection of the fact that I was tired of jumping through hoops trying to maintain straight hair. I decided to stop fighting my natural texture and instead embrace it.

I don't care what you do with your hair. I actually don't care when anyone does with their hair. I'm not here to judge and I expect the same courtesy. Your hair is on your head, not mine.

Please do not touch my hair without asking. I don't know where your hands have been.

a brief aside

Jul 30, 2009
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I need to work on the anniversary post with length comparisions, etc but first....

I have been through many a microfiber towel. Some produced so much lint that the time spent removing the lint wasn't worth the time I saved drying my hair. Some had no lint but were no better at drying my hair than a regular towel. Turbans were too small, uncomfortable, and lacking in absorbency. For a while, I switched to dark colored t-shirts - almost no lint, what little lint wasn't visible, and all the absorbency of a regular towel without the weight and enough fabric to cover all of my hair.

I should have just sucked it up and bought an Aquis towel in the first place. I saw them at TJ Maxx for $8 a piece a few weeks ago and thought, why not I've tried everything else?

This towel has been a revelation. I can wash my hair midweek and never have to sleep on wet hair. I can wash my hair in the morning before work (yeah, like I get up that early these days) and not have to worry about dripping water on my clothes.

Ok, maybe I just get too excited about this type of thing, but I was just tired of scheduling shampoos on weekend afternoons or mornings. My hair takes a long time to air dry, and the blow dryer leaves the outside crispy and the inside of my locs just as wet. At risk of sounding like a cheesy infomercial, this towel has changed my routine and simplified my life.

Now I may actually have time to put that post together. Stay tuned!

summer time

Jun 29, 2009
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It has been blazing hot here so I have been looking for scarves and stepping up my hair protection. I am really looking forward to when my hair reaches a length where I can pull it up into a ponytail because having hair on my neck in this heat makes me want to reach for the scissors and take off a few inches.

In the meantime, I have started washing my hair more often - air drying isn't a problem when its over 100 degrees outside. I've also gone back to conditioning regularly since I am spending more time at the beach and in the pool.

I'm trying to take some good pictures for my 2 year anniversary post in a couple of weeks. Yay length comparisions and nostalgia!

long time no see - brain dump

May 24, 2009
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I didn't realize that it had been so long since my last post.

Well, I stuck to the baking soda and clarifying shampoo routine and got rid of most of the buildup. The constant battle with lint continues. Pictures are to come - I am going to do a growth comparison since I am coming up on my 2nd anniversary with my locs.

I'm still pretty minimal with my use of products, although I owe my locs a leisurely deep conditioning treatment. And a color touch up whenever I get around to it. The Ion color has faded quite a bit, probably due to the buildup removal treatments so I bought a hair rinse to freshen up my color.

I owe my hair another latching too - I've been stretching out the time between latchings more and more which makes it a bit more time consuming when I get around to it.

I'm at the point where I am starting to explore hair styling options. My hair is just long enough to get in my eyes, but not long enough to pull back so headbands and scarves are pretty common. I am going to try curling my hair now that it is a bit longer.

the fight against buildup

Mar 16, 2009
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I have been pretty lax with my hairwashing and maintenance practices lately due to a busy schedule. So I broke all of my rules and was rewarded with a ton of buildup and lint on the back of my head.

Fortunately, the loc forum on nappturality.com offered a lot of help and advice on getting rid of buildup. I assaulted it with a baking soda rinse, two thorough washes with my trusty nature's gate clarifying shampoo, and finished with a nice vinegar rinse. I washed my hair in the kitchen sink so I could rinse the back of my head better with the spray nozzle and I made sure to take my time rinsing my hair between steps.

I didn't get all of the build up, but I got a lot of it and I should be able to get the rest when I wash again this weekend.

pictures!

Jan 17, 2009
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18 months

Jan 7, 2009
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There should be a picture here, but I haven't gotten around to it. Things I have learned about my locs:

- Sweaters are not my friends

- Neither are down comforters/pillows. I am still picking bits of feathers out of my hair

- Products are overrated. I'm basically down to shampoo, conditioner and oil

- Locs can be brushed

- Latching makes maintenance a lot easier

- A watched loc never grows

- Time passes faster than you expect.

I just need to get around to ordering more Oyin and Nasabb product. I'm not out yet, but getting close.

late night thoughts and a loc FAQ

Dec 11, 2008
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I really should be asleep, but it isn't happening. But my head is full of random loc thoughts and now is as good of a time for a brain dump as any.

I'm really surprised at how fast my hair is growing. It was a lot harder to notice while my hair was loose - between shrinkage and breakage, I thought that the 1/2 inch a month thing didn't apply to me. But with locs, the new growth is obvious. I'm sticking to stretching out my latchings to every 2 months. I don't really like my hair right after it is latched and I'd rather have some extra growth to work with so it doesn't look as scalpy. Of course, that means I have to be more diligent about separating my locs after I wash - the extra growth and my lazy post-shampoo upkeep has led to some serious tangles.

Also, I am in love with head wraps, bands and head coverings right now. I'm not sure why - it hasn't been that cold so far. I just like the look of them and it gets me out of wild loc days.

And since I've been asked a lot of questions over the last couple of months (I must look more approachable), here is my loc FAQ.

How do you wash your hair?

Usually, I use shampoo and conditioner. If I feel like I have some extra buildup, I add some baking soda to diluted shampoo and finish with a apple cider vinegar rinse instead of my usual conditioner.

Can you take them out?

Technically, yes. However, because I have had them for about 18 months now and they are latched rather than twisted, this would be a long tedious process that I have no patience for.

How do you make them so soft and clean?

Shampoo and conditioner. Occasionally some oil.

How long are you going to keep them?

I don't know. Until I am ready to do something else. But the idea of salt and pepper locs appeals to me. Then again, so does a silver Afro.

How long are they going to grow?

I have no idea. I have never had really long hair - even the longest braid extensions I have had stopped just below the shoulder. When my loose hair got to my shoulders, I always ended up cutting it because the length annoyed me. I have fantasies of bra length locs, but I don't know if I have the patience to care for them. I usually look at people with long locs and wonder how long they take to dry and then envy their head wraps.

Can I touch your hair?

Well, since you asked first...

17 months

Nov 3, 2008
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My locs are just long enough that they are getting in my eyes, so I have abandoned the part and latched my hair straight back. After going two months without latching (just separating between washings), I had a lot of growth to tend to. I'm looking forward to being able to style my hair a bit - as much as I like the ease of short hair, I miss having the styling options that I had with my loose natural hair.

I haven't many comments on my hair since I started locking. Some people were curious about why I decided to loc and how I take care of my hair, but nothing like when I had loose hair. The upside is that fewer people try to put their hands in my hair.

I am surprised at how positive some of the people in my life have been about it. I expected nothing less from my mom - she has been loced since 1999 and pushed me to loc my hair for years. I learned about how to maintain locs and the products that work best from her experience and helping her wash and twist her hair. But, there are some people in my life who are more traditional - they kind of tolerated the loose natural hair (although everyone loved the 'fro) and they've kind of been reserving judgement on the locs. But since I have added some length, they have been a lot more positive about my hair. Apparently, this is also because they didn't know much about locs and assumed that they had to be dirty and messy. Now I've even gotten them interested in locing their hair.