I’ve been mulling this over for the past few weeks and I keep coming back to a different question alltogether. Why? Why decide to progressively grow hair to any particular length in the first place? I really do want to make sure my intentions are correct going into this, mostly because of the extra TLC I’d have to dish out to my hair each week. I’ve said here before that I was never one to really explore the issues of growing out natural hair, and it’s mostly because the main focus was always on figuring out how to care for it, what products worked best and how to ultimately feel comfortable as the girl with Fro-ish hair. But there is a lot to consider once you do make the decision to care for your hair in differing ways.

Will I have to do more protective styling? More deep conditioning? Practice better detangling methods? Should I re-vamp my entire hair regime?

My current hair regime is pretty solid, something I’m fairly proud of. It’s taken one hair fiasco after another to ultimately stop the crazy, and finally get serious about caring for my mop. Each week I map out my strategy and try to incorporate methods and products that will nurture my hair for the long run. Since my last hair cut earlier this year, the growth I’ve seen is normal. For me. Over the years I’ve grown used to my hair growth pattern, how often it grows…which seasons it grows fastest etc.

So…now. I’m not sure. I figure I’m bored with my hair? Nope…can’t be. Having too much fun lately enjoying Big Hair Don’t Care status for that even to be a concern. Yet I think what’s drawing me to this challenge is the fact that I’ve never committed to it before. I’ve always wanted healthy hair…craved the knowledge to rightfully care for it and subsequently enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Now, I hope is the fun part. Hope being the operative word. There’s a great Healthy Hair Challenge commencing over at The MopTop Maven & it really couldn’t have come at a better time. The purpose of the challenge is not only to help all in retaining length…but primarily focuses on hair health practices. Its never enough to want long hair….you have to instill the methods, time and commitment involved in achieving it. And of course…don’t give up. It is a challenge after all…

I’m up for the challenge. There will certainly be those who do not understand the crux of why women want longer natural hair, but in the end it’s not about others. My brother, god bless his unknowing soul was over the other day, and after peeking into my shower and pointing out my bottle of shampoo, began ranting and actually laughing in disbelief over my hair shenanigans. Apparently the name of the branded shampoo (Carol’s Daughter Curl Perfecting Shampoo) is code for crazy curly girl is obsessed with her hair…and yet he’s also a person who has his own personal drive to be good & better at his health. He takes amazing care of his body, works out regularly and stays away from sugary drinks.

Healthy hair for woman I’m noticing sets a strong example for how we choose to live our lives. Goal oriented (hopefully), always striving for something greater. At the very least…this is me know. I’m all for setting new goals in 2011 and retaining length during this healthy hair challenge run should be fun, I hope to learn a great deal…and in the end I sure do hope to succeed!

I’ll be tweaking my hair agenda in the coming days, mostly to include better conditioning practices and the use of several herbs I’ve had lying about. If anything, it should all be very interesting! If you’re also up for the challenge, chime in at The MopTop Maven’s site. Tons of advice, tips and Q&A’s to last until your personal goal is reached!

If you’d be so kind as to ignore the glum hither look in these pics, I’d love to dish about my first ever venture into the world of Henna! This past holiday week really has been nothing but a blur, considering I neglected to take pictures after the henna application. Everything leading up to the decision to do the treatment was last minute and full of *kanye shrugs* for emphasis. I was 100% committed to my monthly Bentonite treatment, then noticed a box of Jamila Henna sitting lonely by in my PJ junk drawer. It’d been a long time since I first purchased & for some one reason or another jumped on the chance…mostly out of utter curiosity.

First place I turned to was Twitter to ask for Henna recipe suggestions, then hightailed it to the informant on all things Henna…CurlyNikki. Her site has great tutorials on application, benefits of Henna & answers many of the questions you might have before embarking on this often messy journey. I choose to proceed with baby steps by first trying a Henna Gloss as opposed to a full Henna application. Differences between the two aren’t significant. The gloss offers you more conditioning with the benefits of a subtle color change, while a full on Henna application requires more time, but with greater long-term benefits such as stronger, smoother & shinier hair. Click here to read more.

I did deviate slightly from the her recipe, instead used herbs and conditioners that I had on hand:

Henna Gloss Ingredients:

• 1 box Jamila Henna (this varies for each curly, but for the thickness of my hair 1 box was just enough)
• 1 cup of Horsetail steeped in close to boiling water
• 1 tblsp Raw Honey
• 1/2 cup of Conditioner ( I used Yes to Cucumbers because of it’s natural thickness)

I mixed everything together to form a thick paste, not too runny but a consistency that would make application fairly easy. Before applying the mix, hair was properly detangled & washed in sections using La Coupe De Frizz Shampoo. It’s a sulfate free shampoo that’s been working great on my hair since running out of the Curl Perfecting Hair Milk Shampoo.

With hair still in sections after washing, I applied the Henna Gloss and left in for 15-20 minutes. There was a bit of mess while applying, but if using a pair of latex gloves and laying the bathroom down with brown paper bags…cleanup was easy. Rinsing the gloss out with the help of the Yes to Cucumbers Conditioner took all of 3 rinse repeats. Henna was easy to rinse clean away, & I followed up with a deep conditioner for added measure. I recently restocked on Shea Moistures African Black Soap Balancing Conditioner & left this in for close to 2hours before rinsing & styling with EO’s Moisture Rich Conditioner + Karen’s Body Beautiful Hair Nectar

I did notice a slight color change, more like a reddish tint that is definitely more visible in direct light. But aside from appearances, hair felt the softest I’ve really ever felt my hair! Like BUTTAH! I had Hand In Fro even before styling which was fun for a bit.

This past weekend did not leave me with much time to take the after twist-out pics, but I did take some this afternoon while in the midst of a NYC #snowpocalypse . Again, forgive the…face. Eating crackers, rice cakes and chicken soup for the past day or so can leave someone…less than enthused.

The air in my apartment has been a dry nuisance, but it’s a small price to pay for round the clock heat, thanks landlord! But Fro has reached the dry depths of heck, so re-moisturizing nightly has been a must. I plan to keep re-twisting nightly until the end of this week, so hopefully the style will last until Sunday’s wash.

Would I do another Henna Gloss in the future? Absolutely! I think any natural head craves the ultimate softness experienced from a a great deep conditioning treatment, and this was certainly it!  Henna for me has always been a bit of an ambiguous step because of the the mal-effects I’ve heard from other curlies. But venturing slowly by trying a Henna Gloss has softened my apprehensions, and maybe….just maybe I’ll give it the 100% go ahead for a full Henna treatment sometime in 2011.

*Have you guys dabbled in Henna? Would love to hear stories, recipes!

Really can’t let this week wrap up without bidding you all a happy & safe Holiday! I’ll be ‘celebrating’ Christmas…in my heart at least. Gift giving is such a special act that I tend not to take it lightly and overspend out of guilt. To each their own…but a smile should last till the next year after opening up a well wanted/deserved present.

But in the spirit of things, I decored my nails with pretty colors and something that resembles a festive holiday! Picked up a few new colors from American Apparel and am really digging the pigments. Used Downtown L.A. & Army Jacket to create the look.

Since I’ve started to file and paint my nails each week, sometimes twice if I’m bored…I’ve experienced very dry cuticles. Once it began affecting the polish application I searched online for a quick at home remedy, and found this great recipe for a Tropical Cuticle Cream:

• 7 tsp. Cocoa Butter
• 6 tsp. Jojoba Oil
• 6 tsp. Avocado Oil
• 3 drops Tea tree Essential Oil

My guess is you can use pretty much any of these oils to soften and protect your nails from outside elements, but the cream (which feels more like a creamy butter) glides on very easily & a little is all you need. Vitamin E-Oil does the trick as well.

On a hair note, yesterday was my first plunge into the world of Henna, more specifically a Henna Gloss that I adapted from CurlyNikki’s site. Deets, recipe & results to come next week! Right now hair is currently in twists, marinating for a holiday party tomorrow evening.

…And on that note, have a great Holiday Weekend…embrace your loved ones & let’s all remember to remain in the spirit of the season;-)

I should preface this post by stating my origins as one that rocks her Fro on a regular basis these days. Meaning…4 years ago, the thought of experimenting and trying a myriad of products was as foreign to me as the words ‘Denman’ ‘Pre-Poo’ are to anyone that’s newly natural. Methods of styling my hair were limited to shelling out $60+ to hair stylist du jour, twisting my own hair for countless hours at a time using two former BFF stylers (beeswax & brown gel), and stay gellin with the bun. Pulled tight…eyes stretching to the nether regions. Fist pump 2x if you feel me…

If not, welcome to the right side of ‘normal’…, glad you could make it!  This place I found is filled with products and goodies specifically formulated for kinks/curls/waves… or whatever your hair denomination is at the moment. This place is NOT about going broke and filling up space with jars & tubs of puddings & custards…instead, it’s about trial & error. Figuring out what works best for your hair texture/style ..freedom of expression. This space is reserved for those, who for all intents and purposes…enjoy doing their hair, will deflect any & all negative comments relevant to the term “PJ”…and will gladly offer you a half-full jar of any concoction…granted it did not ‘work ‘ for them and didn’t cost 25+ dollars (minus shipping). I digress.

Welcome to my Year End Favorites! Products that I’ve either been introduced to for the first time this year, but also several mainstay goodies that will never leave this Fro-girl’s stash.

Pre-Poo:

If you find yourself running low on your favorite go-to conditioner with just enough to fill one palm full, yet not enough to saturate your entire head…you’ve easily got the makings of the perfect pre-poo. This is by far my favorite way to pre-cleanse my hair prior to shampoo & saves on $$. If you’ve got a palm-full, you’ve got a lot when mixing in a bit of water, couple drops of your favorite nourishing oil and you’re done. These work well in a pinch & a little is all you need:

• Fruitopia Curls & Waves Conditioner (cheapie but goodie)
• Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner (highly concentrated, mix liberally w/water)
• La Coupe Fragrance Free Gentle Conditioner (favorite from this line formulated for sensitive scalps)

Cleansers:

This year has been the year of taking no bull from my scalp. Past issues with inflammations and dermatitis are what constantly keep me on the hunt for a fair shampoo, one that adequately cleanses hair/scalp but also leaves hair moisturized and not stripped. Years ago this might’ve been an impossible task with the beauty market filled with  formulas laden with harsh sulfates, but today walk down any beauty care aisle and the curly girl is finally the main focus with sulfate free shampoos on almost every shelf. Compared to last year, I’ve adjusted washing habits by washing in sections and targeting the scalp using an applicator bottle. I get much better distribution of the shampoo, and less shampoo on the hair means I can easily avoid that over clean feel.

• Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo (found in most stores, 10 ounces for less than 10 bucks)
• Carol’s Daughter Curl Perfecting Hair Milk Shampoo (best used with a pre-poo, little bit goes a long way!)
• Karen’s Body Beautiful Ultimate Conditioning Shampoo (softens hair, low lather)

Conditioners

One of the most necessary precursors to healthy, soft, tangle free curly tresses is a good conditioner, and the options at this point seem limitless. From at home brews mixed up in the kitchen to brands like Curls readily available at the local Tarjay…choices are a very good thing these days. And while we all look for something different in terms of price, moisture and slip, the desirable end result should always leave hair tangle free & soft.

• *old school fav* Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner
• EO Protective Moisture Rich Conditioner (highly concentrated, little bit goes a long way)
• *Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap Balancing Conditioner (great for dry, itchy scalp/great slip)
• Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Moisturizing Conditioner (thick, doubles well as a deep conditioner)
• *throwback* Aussie Moist Conditioner (nice slip, and helps ease detangling)

Deep Conditioners:

Straying from my favorite DC treatment has not been an option since discovering what works for my hair a few years back. Because most deep treatments are on average more expensive than regular wash-out conditioners, I use accordingly & smartly! Understanding what my hair loves has taken more experimenting than often necessary, but choosing a formula with adequate slip, nourishing oils has proven the best bet. I alternate when it comes to Deep Conditioners because my hair favors the extra TLC, and I’ve gotten in the habit of DC’ing once a week. At home Deep Conditioners are fairly easy to mix up and can be cost effective if done as often as once a week, but due to lack of time & in between school/work I find these have done an amazing job without having to use a lot.

• Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner (w/heat for 30 min)
• Curl Junkie’s Curl Rehab Moisturizing Hair Treatment ( w/heat for 15 min)
• Karen’s Body Beautiful Luscious Locks Moisturizing Hair Mask
• Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix – Moisturizing Conditioner
• Darcy’s Botanicals Deep Conditioning Hair Mask

Leave-In Conditioners

These are all mainstays in the rotation because they work well on hair that’s been freshly washed & conditioned, have amazing detangling properties, & cost effective when paired with a great styler/moisturizer. Many hair types could do without the added weight & moisture of an leave-in conditioner…I am not that type. With hair that is coarse, curly and quite thirsty on the regular, applying a creamy moisturizing leave-in sets my Fro up for epic hair status each week. During winter I look for a leave-in that is creamy, and could double as a styler if necessary. Warmer months I reach for lighter formulas to avoid frizz ball hair status.

• Kinky Curly Knot Today (great in warmer temps)
• Beautiful Curls Curl Activating Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner
• Karen’s Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia (formerly Hair Milk)
• Carol’s Daughter, Some of Marguerite’s Magic (reviewed here)

Moisturizers/Stylers

These mainstays have given my hair the moisture it needed, the curl definition to help prolong the average twist-out and enough versatility to either work alone or paired with a light leave in conditioner. Stylers I think will be in constant rotation because in all honestly…I love to try different puddings and hair creams. But these below are ones I always return to because of their consistency.

• Qhemet Biologics Amla & Olive Heavy Cream (winter hair staple, great for twists when paired with an alcohol free styling gel)
• Darcy’s Botanicals Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme (albeit slightly greasy in formula, a little bit does the trick)
• EO Protective Moisture Rich Conditioner (absolute FAVORITE conditioner as styler, leaves hair clumped & full of moisture for days)
• Darcy’s Botanicals Avocado & Wild Plum Twisting Cream
• Eco Styler Gel (when paired with any of the above hair creams, works amazingly well during the colder months to help twist)

Scalp Treatments

Once a month I treat my scalp to a deep cleaning using any one of these. Bentonite has come to be the main staple during flareups and irritations while the ACV and Brown Sugar scrub helps to rid the scalp of buildup which my scalp tends to hold on to when using butters as styling staples.

• Brown Sugar & Honey Scalp Scrub
• Bentonite Treatment
• Bee Mine Bee Sensitive Oil-Free Serum
• Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse (mixed with a tablespoon of Honey or Agave Nectar if experiencing scalp irritations)

Midweek/Nightly Refreshers

These products help me in perfecting my nightly routine & help in achieving 7-day hair. All are light, moisturizing & except for the Revitalizing leave-in, leave hair incredibly shiny & easy to manage. My nightly routine has become just as important as the wash -day because I strongly believe in prolonging the fruits of my labor. Each week I take time apart to wash/detangle/style my hair very carefully…and caring for it on a nightly basis using products that nourish and seal in moisture, helps with the longevity of whatever style I’m rockin.

• Karen’s Body Beautiful Creamylicious Hair Cream
• Fleurtzy’s Curls Nurture Cream
• Jane Carter’s Revitalizing Leave-In

…Have I covered it all? Questions…comments? I really want to emphasize that this list is not entirely about the products themselves…but mainly about finding what works for your hair, establishing a routine (whether it’s short/long) and feeling comfortable in your hair accomplishments. I’ve enjoyed getting to know my hair over the years…and even in the past 2 years have learned more than I ever could. Experimenting, learning & having an open mind has been paramount to this journey…and as I’ve said before, I’m here for the long haul;-)!

I’ve had an amazingly eye opening end of year in between school, work…personal life, many detours have crept into a seemingly straight path…and without complaining too much, I’m grateful to still be standing, learning and improving. Emphasis on learning…because after having to temporarily give up my old faithful hobby of reading when school started (it’s taken me 3 weeks to finish 1 book!), I was forced to find creative comfort in something I’ve always wanted to try, but simply lacked the gumption.

Nail art…or Nail decor if you’re feeling shmancy has been such a great fun escape over the past few weeks, allowing my brain to focus, create and enjoy something that would’ve normally cost upwards of $30 at a local nail salon. Still am a devout spa loving gal when the pennies are straight….but it’s also great to morph into a DIY kind of gal every once in a while.

Tribal nail art inspired by the fab Mop Top Maven & was fairly easy to do. Colors are from the Urban Outfitters line, which are by far favorites in my collection. Recently dabbled into American Apparel’s line of amazing colors and am even more impressed! Colors are very distinct, pigmented & last a good week when using a proper base/top coat.

• Base Coat/Top Coat: Sally Hansen Double Duty
• Dry Coat/Sealant: Seche Vite (AMAZING stuff!)

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Juggling a few projects so close to the end of the year always seems like the appropriate right of passage…and without making any exceptions, I’ve dived into just the right amount to keep me busy until the new year. It’s been fairly colder than cold on these parts of the east coast… and I’m talking long john wearing…neck warmer totting…once your ars gets home high tail it to the Snuggie blanket…type weather. I wish I could say I had time to look cute and style the hair accordingly this week….but I won’t. Fro was all about hiding away under twists, protective under a beanie hat and desperately needing to be left alone. I could not blame her…she’s given me POW POW hair for the past few months and it’s time to rest for a bit.

It’s the end of year, and I’ll be rounding up a list of Favorite do’s/don’ts/products… and a possible giveaway if I can ward off the shopping headaches. MEANWHILE…after reading Afrobella’s Winter Care Routine…a wonderful thing occurred. Whoever says the universe isn’t listening when you complain about fitymillion times for a satin lined hat to protect your tresses from the cold harsh winds…never met the natural hair community. HatSoMe is an amazing site filled a myriad of options for your hair this season…hats come fully lined and are doubly cute & stylish! Pick you up some hair protection & be not afraid to Whip Hair accordingly.

Below is a new music from one my favorite artists, Georgia Anne Muldrow. New single dropped today & you can snag it for free...fOnkRocker via iTunes, and listen to a preview of her entire album Vweto.

Still can’t believe the year is almost done!? Nostalgia is a funky thing…lest it not linger too long, there’s tons more work to do…

03 Funkrocker www.pinboardblog.com