Monday 16 December 2013

Go Natural . . . Throw All Your Clothes Away!

I know, throwing all of your clothes away because you are choosing to go natural sounds extreme, but, people are seriously considering it. I have been speaking to a number of relaxed ladies and they have told me if they go natural, they HAVE to change the way they dress – completely. So out with the saucy dresses, nice skirts and glamorous blazers and in with the ‘ethnic looking clothes’ Now, don’t get me wrong, I love prints, they scream ‘I am BEAUTIFUL’, but, it is not by force! Going natural can influence the way you dress and the way you feel about yourself, but changing your dress sense is not a bi-product of going natural.

During this discussion, I said that going natural does not mean you have to change the way you dress and I was met with blank stares and the comment ‘but these clothes don’t look good with natural hair’. As I stated in Take Your Hair to Work Day wearing your hair natural is not a hair style, it is a type of hair and it can be styled in so many ways that will work with any outfit.




Now, I am not trying to force anyone to go natural, but if you are genuinely thinking about it, I assure you, you don’t have to throw away your lovely clothes =)  

Monday 2 December 2013

Help! The Middle of My Hair Feels Like A Desert!

Now I know deserts can be beautiful places, but no one dreams of desert hair because it is not an ideal situation. The middle of my hair seems to suffer from desert syndrome, but I have found a way to reduce this.

(Picture from Google)


What causes desert hair?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I show a bit of favouritism to the front and back of my hair. If I am putting my hair in a bun for example, I will make sure the front and back are smoothed down and the middle is squashed between the two. Due to this, this middle of the hair needs some TLC. Also, when moisturising the hair, it is easy to miss the middle of the hair so it might feel a bit neglected and we all know what happens when our hair is not happy – angry hair.

How to Combat the Dryness

o   Put hair into smaller sections. This will help when trying to distribute the moisture effectively. Smaller sections will allow the moisture to get into those hard to reach places.
o   Deep condition. This is an excellent treatment that puts moisture back into the hair and what does dry hair love? Moisture! So deep conditioning is brilliant for replenishing the moisture dry hair needs.
o   Steam the hair. This allows you to put that much needed moisture into your hair and encourages ingredients to penetrate the hair properly. This is great for getting all the nutrients into the hair.


So there you have it! How to banish the desert from your hair with some TLC. Also, if winter is causing your hair to suffer, check out winter care for natural hair for some winter survival tips. 

Monday 25 November 2013

What I Learned From Burning Off My Hair

Some of you may recall from My Natural Hair  that due to inappropriate use of heat, I burnt off my hair – sad times. At university I started to wear weaves and these were straight weaves that needed to be blended with my natural hair. I therefore straightened my leave out consistently and I did this without the use of a heat protectant. I don’t know what I was thinking, I must have temporarily lost my mind or believed my hair was made of metal! Anyways, I burnt my hair on one side and then other when I switched the parting because obviously once was not enough for me. This prevented me from putting my hair into a bun because there were fuzz bits poking out from everywhere and this was not a good look =(

I knew I had to do something to get my hair back to normal and the only thing I could think of at the time was a full head weave to let my hair rest.
I HATED it! It didn’t feel like I was looking at myself in the mirror and so I had to take it out. My hair was still short, but I had to find a way to nurse it back to health without scaring myself when I look in the mirror. I knew I needed to stop touching it and checking to see if it had grown because it was making my hair unhappy.


I learnt that my hair was dry and needed intense moisture and protection from combing and brushing. I also learnt that I needed to be patient. My hair had had a shock and was sulking from me accidentally burning it off so it needed recovery time. It was not going to grow over night and I just needed to leave it and let it do it’s thing. Patience is key with regard to hair growth in general including growing back fuzzy burnt off bits of hair  - so keep it in mind. ♡

Monday 18 November 2013

Help! My Hair is Not Growing!

I used to think ‘textured hair’  did not grow and it got to the point where I thought it was normal for hair to only grow up to the shoulder and it was some kind of miracle if it grew more than that. Now I know I was WRONG! Textured hair has the potential to grow and grow and grow if it is looked after properly.

Why is your hair not growing?

It IS! Unless you have a medical condition that is preventing your hair from growing, it IS growing. There are just things happening that are hindering length retention. Think about it, if your hair was not growing, you would never need to retouch, there would never be ‘new growth’ in relaxed hair and trimming over time would result in no hair and this is not the case.

Here are a few things that disrupt length retention -

Breakage – this is one of the biggest reasons for people thinking their hair is not growing when in reality, hair is growing from the scalp, it is just breaking off at the ends. The ends are the oldest part of the hair and they need to be treated accordingly. Breakage results in the appearance of no growth. In order to minimise breakage, hair needs to be moisturised and sealed and handled with care.

Split ends – this is when a strand of hair is split into two or more strands at the end and they can cause a lot of damage to the hair if they are not dealt with. Split ends cannot be ‘fixed’. If the hair has split apart, there is no way of getting it back together, so it is best to remove the damaged hair as soon as possible. This is done by trimming off the split end and creating a healthy environment for your hair.

Product build up – too much product in the hair means heavy hair that is unable to breathe and this is not a healthy environment. If the hair and scalp are unable to receive the nutrients they need, the hair is not going to thrive. So make sure the hair is clean and not weighed down under heavy products.

Your hair is angry with you – Yes, you do need to listen to your hair, because if you don’t, it will let you know it is not happy! If your hair does not like a product you are using, it will protest. It might become dry or tangled and this is going to prevent it reaching its maximum potential. Therefore, make sure the products you are using agree with your hair or else!

So give your hair some love and watch it grow ♡




Thursday 14 November 2013

Eat Your Way To Healthier Hair!

What we put into our body is important to how healthy we are and how healthy we look – this also applies to hair. Now, I’m not saying we have to live on celery and government juice (water), but there are some things that we can include in our diet that can improve the health of our hair. Here are some things that could help your hair.

Protein – Our hair is made up of protein so it is important that we have enough protein in our diet to ensure that the hair is strong and healthy. Lack of protein can result in dry and weak hair and that is never a good look. Good sources of protein for the hair are chicken, fish and dairy products.

Dark Green Vegetables – Dark green vegetables are packed full of nutrients. They also contain a high percentage of water which is essential for keeping our hair hydrated. Green vegetables have the wonderful vitamin A which in turn leads to less breakage. Vitamin A is also needed to make sebum (the natural oil in the scalp). Lack of sebum can result in an irritated scalp and dry hair.

Iron – Iron is a very important mineral for the hair. Lack of iron disrupts the supply of nutrients to the hair follicle. This may have a negative impact in the cycle of growth and could even result in hair loss – eeek! So keep your iron levels up with foods such as red meat, fish and leafy green vegetables.

Omega 3 – These are fatty acids that we get through our food as we cannot create them ourselves. Omega 3’s keep the hair and scalp hydrated and can be found in foods such as salmon and avocado.

Zinc – This is an important mineral that is said to slow down hair loss and thinning - always helpful. Zinc can be found in nuts such as walnuts and cashews.

So there you have it. Stuff yourself with goodies and eat your way to healthier hair!


Monday 11 November 2013

Winter Care For Natural Hair

BRRR it’s cold in here! Here in the UK the cold weather is coming back with a vengeance and my hair routine needs to change to accommodate this. Here are some tips for caring for natural hair in the winter time. 
    
   1: Protect the hair. Winter can cause the hair to be dry and fragile. Protective styles could help reduce this. Styles such as buns and twisted updos can help protect the hair from breakage.

2: Use a heavy sealant. In a harsh winter environment, the hair is more susceptible to becoming brittle and breaking off. Using a good moisturiser and sealing it in with something that will lock it in for a long time are important for long lasting moisture.  A heavy sealant such as shea butter will work well.  Click here to read how much I love shea butter!

3: Use a good deep conditioner. Deep conditioning is important all year round but more so in the winter. The cold and wind don’t make my hair very happy, so it needs some extra TLC in the winter.

4: Be careful with humectants. What is a humectant? A humectant is something that pulls water from the atmosphere. This can be brilliant in the summer because it gives the hair a boost of moisture as water moves from a high concentration (humid summer air) to a low concentration (the hair). In the winter, this is not so good because it will draw water from your hair to the dry air which is a big NO NO. I know sharing is caring, but on this occasion you need to be selfish! Examples of humectants are honey and glycerin.


5:  If you are a co-washer (wash your hair with conditioner), do it with vigour in the winter. It is a great way to boost the moisture level of your hair and this is needed most in the winter.

You are now ready to take on winter! ♡


Thursday 7 November 2013

Take Your Hair to Work Day

I hear the question is natural hair professional? pop up a lot and I wanted to add my two cents =). I have to wake up at 5:30am to go to work (puke, I know) and I am just about awake enough to make myself look appropriate for outdoor viewing. Therefore, I have to keep my styles nice and simple. I currently do two braids at the front and put the rest into a low bun; this means I can do it the night before! My hair is neat and ready to go in the morning.

As to whether natural hair is professional, the short answer is yes! Natural hair is not a ‘hairstyle’ it is the hair that grows out of my head so why shouldn't I wear it to work? As for hairstyles, there are professional and non professional styles, but this applies to all hair, not just natural hair. Hair should be styled appropriately for the job and the situation. So you might not want go to work with your hair like this!



If you have never worn your natural hair to work, it may feel like a big step initially, but give yourself a 'Take Your Hair to Work Day" and see how you feel – you might surprise yourself.

Monday 4 November 2013

I Cheated On My First Love! (Butter love)

I’m about to tell you something personal and you are the first to know about it. Here goes . . . I cheated on shea butter! I know, how could I? But let me explain. I was doing some research because I want to add a new product to my collection and I stumbled across this wonderful butter called Tacuma butter. Tacuma butter comes from Brazil and it is great for dry/damaged hair. It is solid at room temperature and melts on contact. It has a sweet but strange smell and it is not as heavy as shea butter, so it is good when you want something a bit lighter to seal in the moisture and still do a good job.



Shea butter will always be my first butter love for so many reasons. It helps with scalp problems (dandruff and dry scalp), protects against heat and is an excellent sealant. It is filled with vitamins and conditions the hair helping prevent breakage. Shea butter makes my hair feel so soft and keeps it moisturised for a long time without weighing it down. It is heavier than tacuma butter so it is brilliant when your hair needs a sealant that packs a punch. Shea butter will continue to work magic in my Luxury Hair Butter but stay tuned for a new addition to the family!!

*BREAKING NEWS!!!* Sheni-kare is on INSTAGRAM!!! Follow @sheni_kare for updates, pictures and more. 



Thursday 31 October 2013

Clean Your Hair With Mud!

Yes, you read the title correctly.  Now, I'm not talking about your average everyday growing carrots kind of mud. This is a special kind of mud called Rhassoul and it's pretty amazing.  Rhassoul mud/clay comes from Morocco and it literally means 'to wash'. I use it when I feel like treating myself to some good clay lovin'. Rhassoul is buried deep in the mountains and is able to absorb impurities from the hair and provide it with nutrients.  It is a special kind of clay as it does not strip or dry out the hair as it cleans it, making it an excellent alternative to harsher cleansing clays.

How do I mix the clay? 

The clay comes in powder form so there is a little bit of DIY involved. I put the desired amount in a suitable bowl (usually about 4 table spoons) and put in enough water to cover it. I then wait and let the magic happen. After about 5 minutes I stir the mixture with a plastic spoon, add in some honey and a splash of extra virgin olive oil and make sure it is the consistency of a thin paste.

How do I use the clay in my hair? 


When I use this clay, I still loosely follow my usual wash day routine. So, I pre poo/deep condition dry hair and rinse it out after about 30 minutes.  I then blot my hair with a t-shirt so it is damp and put my hair into 4 sections.  I apply the mixture from root to tip, twist it up and let it sit for about 30 minutes.  When it is time to rinse, I have to spend a bit more time because this stuff loves to cling to your hair, otherwise you will be left with grainy bits in your hair and I don't think you want that (unless you're into that sort of thing).  I don't use a conditioner after the clay, I just apply my leave in and seal it with an oil or butter and I'm good to go. My hair feels soft, clean and wonderful.  Try it out, see if your hair enjoys some clay lovin'.


Monday 28 October 2013

Are You Really Natural?

More and more people are going natural and it is a beautiful thing, but there are some comments I have heard. There seem to be these rules and regulations popping up and some of them are quite interesting. To me, natural hair is hair that is not chemically treated to alter the texture, however there appear to be rules that stop people ‘qualifying’ as natural. I’m going to go over the most popular ones I have heard.

‘You are not natural if you apply heat to your hair’. Applying heat to your hair does alter the texture of hair, but it is not permanent (unless you get heat damage). One of the wonderful things about natural hair is that it is extremely versatile – you can wear it in a naturally curly state or you can wear it straight. I don’t think applying heat to your hair reduces your natural credibility or means that you are not natural.

‘You are not natural if you wear weaves or hair extensions’. This is quite a controversial topic, but I feel like it has more to do with preference rather than defining whether you are natural or not. People wear weaves or extensions for many different reasons, sometimes it is to change up a hairstyle or used as a protective style for the hair; I think it is an individual preference.

‘You are not natural if you don’t do protective styles’. This is a strange one for me as a protective style can help with length retention, but I don’t think it should be used as a marker for whether you are natural or not.

‘You are not natural if you don’t use all natural products’. I personally use mainly natural products, but that is out of choice and because they work for my hair rather than me seeing it as a ‘natural rule’.

These are just a few that I have heard and I'm sure there are several more out there. Have you heard any natural 'hair rules'?

Monday 21 October 2013

Apple Cider Vinegar: Hair Edition

When I think of apple cider vinegar (ACV), I feel happy inside. I use ACV on both my hair and my face and can see myself using it for a long long time.

I use it on my hair once a month to give it a deep clean and get all the nasties out. I use this in place of a clarifying shampoo and it works very well for me. I pre poo, wash and condition my hair as normal and then do a final rinse with diluted ACV (1/3 ACV 2/3 water). I personally use organic ACV with the ‘mother’ in it (a strange thing floating in the vinegar that is packed with nutrients) because it has all the goodies in it.

Why am I putting vinegar in my hair?
ACV is a brilliant cleanser. It will get rid of stubborn dirt and clean the hair and scalp without stripping them or making them feel dry. It is also good for dandruff and dry scalp problems.



Why do I use it after the shampoo stage?
If ACV was only good as a cleanser, it would make sense to use it during the shampoo stage rather than when the whole process is finished, but it does have another use. ACV restores the hair to an appropriate PH level which encourages healthier hair.

What are the results?
After the ACV rinse, I have soft, shiny and clean hair. I do temporarily smell like a vinegar head, but the smell does disappear quite quickly! I am very happy with the results and recommend it.

Hope that helped!

Wednesday 16 October 2013

Getting Used To The Feeling

Before I started my hair journey, I would put hair grease and industrial strength gel in my hair. I was used to the feeling of ‘coated’ hair and thought that was what my hair was supposed to feel like. Once I became more aware of natural products and realised I should probably wash my hair more often, the feeling of my hair changed. It went from feeling greasy and weighed down to fluffy and light and originally I thought that this meant my hair was dry because I was so used to it feeling a certain way.

When I made the switch to (mostly) natural products, it was definitely a new feeling. I was used to the stripped, hay feeling from only using sulphate shampoos and was slightly confused when my hair still felt soft after washing it with a sulphate free shampoo. I thought that my hair was still dirty, but it was nice and clean.

So, if you do make the switch to more natural products, don’t be discouraged by the way your hair might feel, it is a transition that it needs to get used to.

Hope that helped!

Thursday 10 October 2013

Natural Hair Kit

I hear a lot of people say that they can’t go natural because it is ‘too expensive’ or there are ‘too many products to buy’ but this is not necessarily the case. I think that there are four or five main things that make up a natural hair kit and the rest are optional.

1: Shampoo – This is to cleanse your hair and ensure that there is a healthy environment for your hair to grow

2: Conditioner – This provides you with the moisture/protein your hair needs and it replenishes the moisture your hair may have lost during the shampoo step

3: Leave in conditioner/ moisturiser – one of the characteristics of curly/ natural hair is that it gets dry. In order to maintain healthy hair, the hair needs to be hydrated with a water based leave in/ moisturiser

4: Sealant – putting water in your hair is excellent for hydration, but water evaporates, therefore you need an oil and/or butter to lock in the water

5: Styler – this is optional for some as moisturising and sealing could be the final step. A styler could be a gel or a mousse that you use to get a desired look

Therefore, if you are thinking about going natural, you do not have to remortgage the house to buy products!


Hope that helped!

Sunday 6 October 2013

Stoptober! Hair Edition

I've been thinking . . .

I have been inspired by the concept of Stoptober (a campaign to stop people smoking for the month of October) and think that it can be incorporated into hair care (minus the whole smoking thing). So, with that in mind, I thought about things I do that don't necessarily benefit my hair and came up with a couple of things. One of them was that I wait too long to trim my hair. I don't really enjoy trimming my hair - the last time I went to the hairdressers, she tried to cut my hair with kitchen scissors! I am going to have to teach myself to trim my own hair and get over my scissor fear.

Another thing is sometimes I stick to my routine too much. For example, if my hair is getting a bit dirty on Thursday, I might wait until wash day instead of addressing the issue there and then.

I am going to use the concept of Stoptober to try and stop as many bad hair habits as possible and see if it has an impact on my hair - maybe you can join me.

Monday 30 September 2013

You Butter Believe It!

As some of you may know, I used to experiment with hairstyles, but the hairstyle that I am absolutely in love with is the high bun. It is such a classic hairstyle and it can be dressed up or dressed down and it just makes me feel happy =). In the past I had an obsession with pulling my hair up as tight as I could to create the bun and I ended up giving myself a DIY eyebrow lift. My hair was so tight I used to give myself headaches, but I still persisted!

This technique caused the hair at the back of my head to slowly disappear and it was not pretty =(. I decided to take drastic action (well it wasn’t that drastic). I stopped pulling my hair so tight and started massaging the back of my head with my Luxury Hair Butter and there has been a significant improvement.

I now know that the key is to be gentle and treat my hair with care. I keep this in mind when styling my hair in order to reduce the tension on my head and keep my eyebrows in their rightful place!

Hope that helped!

Monday 23 September 2013

How Did People React To My Hair?

As I mentioned before, I have always been natural, but I did go through my own form of ‘transition’. Whilst in school, I experimented with some very . . . interesting hairstyles. I used to wake up at 6:09am to get ready to do my hair when school was just over 10 minutes away. My hairstyles featured cementing some of my hair to my forehead with heavy duty gel, flat twisting one side and two little plaits at the back laden with hair bobbles – there were a lot of things going on. It is one of those ‘it looked nice at the time’ situations.

Once I got to university, things started to change. I started to wear weaves and pony tails. At first it started off very subtle, so it still looked like my hair (I think). I then started to get a bit more adventurous and went from 12 inches of hair right through to 18 inches.

I still like the versatility of weave, but I was neglecting my hair at the time and that is where the issue was. It was just strange how I went from being perfectly fine with my own hair to feeling kind of self conscious about it. I remember the first time I went out with my own hair again, people must have thought I was mad because I was constantly asking if it looked ok – sad, but true. My family and friends reacted very well to my natural hair, telling me I should have gone out with it sooner which was nice, but not every ‘review’ was positive. I got comments like “why are you going out with your hair like that?” or “did you forget to do your hair this morning?” I was shocked, but it did make me think about my initial reaction to my own hair when I went out post-weave.

Overall, it has been received quite positively - still trying to get used to random people trying to put their hands in my hair! Lol.

Hope that helped!


Monday 9 September 2013

Fave Products

I am a bit particular when it comes to trying out new products so I make sure I research everything I can find on a product before I put it in my hair. I tend to lean more towards natural products as they seem to work better for my hair. I have been using the same products for a while now and they are working quite well.

Shampoo – My favourite shampoo is Shea Moisture, Moisture retention Shampoo. This is an all natural shampoo with no harsh chemicals. I like this shampoo because it cleans my hair without making it feel like hay. To make it less harsh and last longer, I put a bit of the shampoo into a spray bottle and top it up with some water. This enables me to distribute the product effectively to my scalp and stops me from wasting it. Price – approximately £12.

When I want to clarify my hair (deep clean) I use apple cider vinegar mixed with water. I am going to do a separate post on apple cider vinegar, but it is very good and getting rid of all the gunk in your hair that a milder shampoo might miss. I do this every 4 weeks. Price – approximately £8.

Deep conditioner – I am in love with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose. It is a thick all natural conditioner that makes my hair feel soft and moisturised. I make it even more effective by adding in extra virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, honey and any conditioner that I wasn’t a fan of. Price - £11-12.

My second favourite deep conditioner is Aubrey Organics GPB conditioner. It doesn’t make my hair as soft as the honeysuckle rose, but it is what I use when I need a protein fix.

Conditioner – My favourite conditioner is Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner. This puts that much needed moisture back into the hair after shampooing and makes it nice and soft. I usually leave this in for about 5 minutes and rinse it lightly. Price – approximately £12.

Leave in/ Moisturiser - My leave in is my rinse out conditioner so I just put a touch more in when my hair is damp. If I had to choose, I would say it works better as a leave in because the softness stays in.

Butter – My all time favourite butter is my handmade Luxury Hair Butter. This is made with shea butter and a blend of oils that do wonders. It makes my hair extremely soft and locks in all the moisture without making the hair greasy. Price £9

Oils – I think my favourite oil at the moment is jojoba oil. It is light, but does an excellent job at locking in the moisture. If my hair needs a heavier oil, I will use castor oil, but usually use this only on the ends.

Stylers – I try not to use gels or holding creams too much, but if the occasion calls for it then I will use Hairveda Red Tea Stronger Hold Soufflé. It has a light texture that dries hard and does not flake. Price - £6.95. At some point in the future, I plan to make flaxseed gel and when I do, I will let you know how it goes.

Hope that helped!

Thursday 5 September 2013

My Hair Care Routine



My routine is extremely simple because I don’t want it to take up too much time. I have a few very simple steps that I have been using for a while.

Wash Day: My wash day is either every Saturday or Sunday depending on what is going on and consists of four steps.

1: Deep Condition - I deep condition on dry hair as it helps to combine my pre-poo (a pre shampoo treatment for your hair to prepare it for shampooing) with my deep conditioning. I like to use Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner mixed with my hair butter, honey and extra virgin olive oil. This creates a lovely thick cream. I detangle my hair in sections and when I’m finished, I put my hair into two plaits. I then place a shower cap and a winter hat on my head – if I am feeling ambitious, I will do some skipping to create more heat, but this is rare! I let my hair sit for anything between 30 minutes and a few hours depending on what I am doing.

2: Rinse and Shampoo - I have a makeshift washing station in my shower which allows me to wash my hair standing outside of the shower cubicle without breaking my neck - always helpful. I clip one side up and rinse out the conditioner and then use my diluted shampoo (Shea Moisture, Moisture Retention Shampoo mixed with water) to wash that side. I then rinse out the shampoo and repeat on the other side.

3: Condition - I follow up the shampoo stage with a rinse out conditioner; the one I use at the moment is Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner. I leave this in my hair for 3-5 minutes and rinse it out with cold water (does anyone else feel like they can’t breathe properly when they pour cold water on their head?!) I then put a T-shirt on my head for about five minutes to ensure my hair is not dripping wet, but still very damp.

4: Leave in and seal - While my hair is damp, I put in my leave in conditioner (I use the Shea Moisture Conditioner as my rinse out and leave in) and seal it in with jojoba oil. I then lock all the good stuff in with my wonderful butter and those infamous doo doo plaits make an appearance. And that ladies and Gentlemen is my wash day regimen.

Daily Regimen

My daily regimen is also very simple – my speciality. I split my hair into four sections and work with one section at a time. I spray the section with water (mixed with aloe vera juice if I’m feeling fancy) and smooth it through my hair. I then put a moisturiser in (I use the Shea Moisture conditioner as my leave in and moisturiser) and seal with my hair butter. I plait up the sections and sleep with my satin head scarf. That means in the morning it is moisturised and it is ready and waiting for me to style it.

Hope that helped!

Tuesday 3 September 2013

My Natural Hair

I have been natural my whole life so there are no stories about why I decided to go natural, but I can tell you why I started to look after my hair properly.

When I got to university, I started wearing weaves and I would always have a side part with some of my hair out. Because my hair is natural, in order to blend my hair with the weave, I had to straighten it. I did this on a daily basis, on a high heat and if I'm honest, not always with a heat protectant - clever me -_- Gradually my hair burnt off to about 3cm long in that section (sexy). So, being the clever person that I am, what did I do? I took the weave out and changed the part to the other side and did the same damage. Then, instead of addressing the problem, I got a full head weave with a fringe - big mistake! As soon as I got it, I hated it! I did not even recognise myself in the mirror and I think I drove my friends and family mad talking about how much I hated my hair. I know it sounds sad, but ladies, you know if you hair is not right, it's a problem.

Anywho, my hair started growing back in those sections so I was looking less like a partially bald chicken and more like me, which I was very grateful for. My hair revelation came about as my hair was growing back. I was plaiting my hair for bed (you know the doodoo plaits) and I was wondering why my hair had been the same length since Watty kill Philip (Jamaican for long long time) I typed into Google "why does black hair not grow long" and a whole new world opened up to me. Up until that point, I thought I was looking after my hair well - washing it every five weeks (puke now that I think about it because of all the junk I was putting in my hair), using only protein conditioners, blow drying my hair and using hair grease. I also used a very strong holding gel - I was guilty of cementing my hair to my forehead and gelling individual baby hairs, but I was in school so please don't judge me. I used to comb my hair when it was dry, didn't think anything of the amount of hair that was shedding/breaking and did NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GET MY HAIR WET. I have always loved curly voluminous hair and I now know that what I was doing to my hair was comparable to abuse and I am proud I am now a reformed character.


Check out my progress so far