bglhonline.com

Where do you live? Where you reppin’?
C: I’m from Washington, D.C. I’m currently a student at a liberal arts college outside of Philadelphia. I’m studying Political Science, but I also sing.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
C: I did not get a relaxer until I was 13 years old, and when I did, I knew it was going to be temporary.

Cecily Relaxed

My sister is 12 years older than me and she went natural in college, when I was 7 years old. I made the decision to go natural as soon as I graduated from high school, and I did. I got my last perm in May of 2008 for my prom.

When and how did you transition into natural hair?
C: I transitioned for a whole year using extension braids and twists. I got my braids re-done every 6 to 8 weeks. Before I got my braids redone I would go get a conditioning treatment and have my ends trimmed. This worked really well for me. The new, natural hair that I grew was soft and strong.

In what ways has going natural affected you?
C: I am now my own hairstylist. Every 3 months I get my ends trimmed professionally, but I am the one who does my hair daily and deep conditions it weekly. When I had my relaxer, I went to the hair salon every two weeks and let the stylist tell me how my hair was doing, if there were any treatments I needed, etc. Now I know my own hair and what it needs. I understand it for myself and I love that. Doing my hair everyday does get tiring, but everyday is also a new adventure, a new opportunity to get to know my hair, its capabilities, and its beauty.

The second biggest change would have to be being introduced communities like BGLH. The natural hair culture is a special one, filled with some amazing and inspiring women.

What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learnt from?
C: My biggest mistake is trying to make my hair do things it doesn’t want to do, and I make this mistake all the time I must admit.

A huge mistake I made 2 weeks ago actually was trying to blowdry my hair with Ms. Jessie’s Curly Meringue in it. HUGE mistake and totally my fault. I decided after I put the product in my hair that it was too cold to wear my hair wet so I decided to blowdry it. The product became gummy and stuck to my hair. I had to brush it out, breaking my ends I’m sure

What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
C: Water is my hair’s best friend. Simply spritzing my hair daily with my mixture of water, jojoba oil, and olive oil makes it so much more manageable. Also, washing and conditioning often is great for my hair. I usually wash my hair 2 to 3 times a week, unlike most naturals. My hair loves this because it craves the moisture and I can’t stand product buildup.

What do you use in your hair?
C: My favorite product line is Hair Rules. I LOVE this stuff. I use the daily cleansing cream, the quench conditioner, the curly whip, and the leave-in conditioner. The products have a light scent that I love. They leave my hair super soft and never make my hair feel dry in any way. The curly whip makes styling my hair super easy. Hair Rules is kind of expensive however and I have to order online, so when I run out I use Aussie 3 Minute Miracle to co-wash with.

When I need to clarify I use black soap. I also use coconut oil in my hair almost everyday. I love the smell

I also use some Ms. Jessie’s products. I love their Baby Buttercreme, but I am trying to begin using only all natural products so I am phasing their products out.

Last but definitely not least: WATER!

What is one of your favorite styles?
C: My favorite style and the easiest is my wet-set which I wear all spring and summer, and in the fall and; winter if I have time to dry my hair.

I use Hair Rules Curly Whip to achieve this style and all the styling is done in the shower.

• Co-wash or use a cleansing cream– if you have any product buildup you should also clarify first.
• Condition – whatever conditioner you please. I use Hair Rules Quench Ultra Rich Conditioner. I comb it through with a wide-tooth comb starting at the back of my head and moving towards the front.
• Style – While my hair is soaking wet I apply the curly whip with my fingers starting at the back. I part my hair with my fingers and coat my hair with the product. I do this all the way up to the front of my hair.
• Finger comb – I comb the product through my hair with my fingers. I usually flip my head over and comb it that way as well. I comb it through in lots of different directions to make sure it will have volume.
• Re-wet hair – Lightly re-wet your hair. This re-activates the curl. I simply throw some water over my hair with my hands while in the shower.
• Dry – If it is warm outside I usually just let it air dry. Otherwise, I sit under a hood dryer for about 20 min.
• When it’s dry I fluff it with some shine serum.

This style lasts me about 3 or 4 days. I sleep with a satin cap. In the morning I spritz my hair with some water. I then use Aloe gel to redefine some of the curls and I go! Simple!

How does your hair express who you are?
C: It’s bouncy and lovely, kind of like me But it is also an expression of my self-love and self-worth. I try not to make hair seem like more than it is, because it is just another way to express yourself, an accessory. But it is also an important display of my ancestry. I’m so proud to be a Black Woman! I love that my hair shows my African roots.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
C: I sing so I have a YouTube account with a few videos of me performing: http://www.youtube.com/user/Cecily3490

Anything else you want to add?
C: I want women to embrace their natural beauty wholeheartedly. I have nothing against women with relaxers. I think women should be able to play around with hair and have fun. I just wish more Black women knew how beautiful their natural hair is and how beautiful they can look with it.

Tweet This Post

For some reason I think of grains when I think of “all-natural”…

Since going natural I’ve discovered that almost all of my hair needs can be supplied by natural products. My favorites — which have been mentioned MANY times over on BGLH — are water (moisture), castor oil (sealing and thickening), bentonite clay (clarifying), coconut oil (moisture and softness) and shea butter (daily moisture).

The amazing thing about an all-natural regimen is that you can pull double-duty on many products; Castor oil is great for internal cleanses, bentonite clay can pull dirt out of your pores, coconut oil makes yummy food and shea butter is a great substitute for lotion.

Oh, and those four products only scratch the surface of possibilities… BGLHers have used banana, honey, lemons, henna, cassia, cayenne pepper, mayonnaise/eggs, aloe vera and more (don’t even get me STARTED on the essential oils!) as part of their regimens.

But there are also some amazing manufactured products out there, and some haircare lines — like Oyin, Qhemet, Herbal Essences, Suave Conditioners, Kinky-Curly and Miss Jessie’s — often get high praise from BGLHers.

So how do you lean? Are you an all-natural regimen girl? Or are you a sucker for a shiny shampoo bottle? What, to you, are the benefits of each approach?

(Oh, and please vote in the poll in the right-hand toolbar. This is another BGLH investigation

Tweet This Post

Angela Plumer is a London-based hair artist whose work has been featured on TV, film and in hair shows. Thanks Chai for submitting this! Originally spotted on Black Nerds Network.

Check out Angela’s GALLERY for more amazing photos. Stunning!

Tweet This Post

“Evil Hot Comb” by Leila Noelliste… Yes folks. This is original art I created with the help of Microsoft Paintbrush…

We’ve all been there.

You’re sitting in that chair, and that unmistakable smell of chemically burnt hair wafts to your nose. Your stomach sinks as you realize that your hair will never be the same again — if you even have hair after you get up. Every drag of the hot comb through your already limp strands exponentially increases your feeling of dread.

I’ve had my share of salon horror stories. From my wacky golden-died texturizer when I was 16 (I was going for the Beyonce-in-Goldmember look) to my hairline being yanked out courtesy of extra-tight cornrows, I ‘ve been there. It’s the feeling of loss followed by extreme anger and confusion that you actually have to PAY somebody to f up your hair situation.

This post is in no way to demonize all salons! There are some great ones out there with talented staff (check out our Salon Page for a sampling). But for now I just want to hear the bad and the ugly from your time in the black leather (or pleather) salon chair…

Tweet This Post

So Brittany was featured on BGLH back in February because of her great style and awesome hair.

But that hair is gone after a visit to the salon.

The press…

That lead to the damage…

That lead to the second big chop…

Check it out:

I just wanted to write to you guys to let you know that I had to restart my journey and do another big chop due to HEAT DAMAMGE. I went to get my hair pressed last week at a salon called Styles by Lisa in Charlotte, NC, which completely ruined my hair. I trusted the lady, since she supposedly specializes in natural hair and has natural hair herself, but by the end of the week and by the time I had washed my hair, it was so damaged and smelled like heat the entire time I wore my hair straight. Even after washing my hair about two or three times it still smelled burnt and gave off an eggy/relaxer smell.



I’d like to share this experience with you guys in hopes of saving another head of natural hair. The amount of heat (blow dryer, plus she sat me under the dryer, plus she used a hot comb, and a flat iron) the stylist used was way too much, especially since my hair had also been color treated a couple of months before. The funny thing is, while she was doing my hair she could tell by the vibes I was giving off that I didn’t trust her and that I felt she was using too much heat, but she told me not to worry because she was using a heat protectant. Even so, there’s not enough product in the world that can protect from extreme temperatures.



My hair would not curl up right after I had washed it and I had random straight ends, my hair also still smelled burned when I went to get my second big chop, during which the barber even said my hair was very brittle and would need to be deep conditioned and babied back to health. Please, help me spread the word about the seriousness of heat damage and the stylists who THINK they know what they are doing when it comes to natural hair. To all my natural heads everywhere, if you feel uncomfortable sitting in that chair, go with your first instinct and RUN! lol

Damn! On the plus side Brittany your big chop is gorgeous. So you’re trading one great look for another. But still…

I think stylists are so used to the idea that black women want to exorcise the kinks out of their hair that they aren’t able to grasp that some women actually LOVE the kinks, the curls, the fuzz and all that goes along with it. *Le sigh.

Tweet This Post

Over the past few weeks I’ve had a lot of readers email me about randomly occurring bald/problem patches. Here are some excerpts:

“My hair is 3 textures, the front- wavy, middle- tightly coiled and back- loose coil. I have been natural for about two years and the middle is still a piece of work and it’s not growing like the rest of my hair. The middle seems to be thin and not as full as the rest of my hair, so when I wear twists it looks uneven. I am contemplating cutting off my hair and starting over.” ~Delani

“So I was going through my hair and noticed a nickle sized bald spot. OMG! Then as I went through my head I noticed a lot of thinning (darn near bald) in the front of my head. The right side of my head is thinner than the right side and I’m afraid to know if there’s more. I know henna can dry the hair out. Maybe I was washing too much (I would wash/co-wash sometimes 3 times a week), or using to many new products without waiting to wean the old product out. Maybe the henna did dry my hair out and make it brittle. So now I don’t know where to pin point the problem. This scared the daylights out of me, and so it’s back to the basics.” ~La’Tesa

For a long time my ‘problem patch’ was a couple inches above the nape of my neck. It just wouldn’t grow. As my moisture and strengthening/conditioning regimen improved, it started to grow out and I don’t even notice it anymore. Covering my head at night helped things drastically too.

What about you guys, do you have problem patches? How do you work with them?

Tweet This Post

This is a cute video from Oprah’s website. Thanks Deola for sharing

Click HERE.

Tweet This Post

Because they assume it for me… You know, because I’m natural and because I blog about natural hair. People often think that I’m on a campaign against relaxers.

But being on a campaign against relaxers and being natural are two very, very different things.

Yes, from time to time I will see a gorgeous head of shiny, relaxed hair, and I appreciate it. Cuz it looks good. It doesn’t change the fact that the majority of relaxers I see aren’t that great-looking (in MY opinion) and that I find serious danger in the fact that little research has been done on the effects of directly applying and constantly inhaling the sodium hydroxide and ammonium that many relaxers are composed of.

But I have two close friends (one is an active BGLHer) with long relaxed hair, and many times they look fabulous.

But what about you? Do people assume that because you’re natural you think all relaxers are terrible?

Tweet This Post

Where do you live?
P: I live in Brooklyn, born and raised! I work as an office manager’s assistant at an advertising agency.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
P: I went natural in 2007 after a horrible experience at the salon that left me in tears. Relaxers always left burns and sores in my scalp but this time, not only were there burns in the middle of my head like usual, but also all over my hairline and the nape of my neck. I really don’t know how I was able to keep hair on my head after 10 years of chemical burns. My relaxed hair was long and looked healthy but my scalp was severely damaged so there was no way my hair was healthy.

I thought about going natural for years and after that salon experience, I decided to finally take the plunge.

When and how did you transition into natural hair?
P: After that salon experience in the summer of 2007, I decided that this would be my last relaxer. I began transitioning in July 2007 until I big chopped for my birthday in March of 2008. During my transition I wore my hair curly often to blend the two textures. When I got tired of the constant hair manipulation, I wore braid extensions and kinky twists until I big chopped.

Natural hair has completely changed my views on beauty. I went from thinking that my nappy hair was ugly to falling more in love with my hair everyday. I grew up being told by everyone around me that the hair growing from my scalp was a problem that needed to be fixed and I bought into the hype.

Making the decision to go natural forced me to unlearn everything I had been taught through the media, friends and family about what is beautiful and worthy in our society. Making a conscious afford to properly education myself on black hair opened the door to an even deeper interest in African American history. This may not be everyone’s experience with going natural but for me natural hair is that deep. It is a significant part of our history.

What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learnt from?
P: In the beginning I truly didn’t believe that water could ever be my friend! I still had a relaxer mentality where I ran from water and wouldn’t properly moisturize my hair. This caused it to look and feel dry. Now I love the feeling of water hitting my hair and how it has the power to melt away my tangles.

What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
P: Moisture, Moisture, Moisture!

What do you use in your hair?
P: I love Karen’s Body Beautiful and Oyin Handmade Products. I love Oyin’s Whipped Pudding and the Honey Hemp Conditioner. I also love Karen’s deep conditioner and the hair butter. I also love the Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa shampoo and conditioner.

What is one of your favorite styles?
P: I love two strand twists and twist outs especially when the twist outs are about 2 days old and my hair expands outward. On about that 3rd day it expands upward. I love it!

Two strand twists are pretty easy to do, thats why I always do them (I’m a little style challenged). After I shampoo, deep condition and/or use leave in conditioner on my hair, I start from the nape of my neck and part my hair in rows and start twisting. I make my twists about the width of a pencil. I use the Oyin Handmade’s Whipped Pudding or Karen’s Body Beautiful hair butter on each piece. After about 4 days wearing the twists, I let it out for a twist out for the remaining 3 days.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
P: www.afroedandfab.blogspot.com

Tweet This Post

Summer styles from Annabelle

One thing is very clear — African inspired prints are becoming increasingly popular in fashion and personally I find it refreshing to see modern remixes of traditional designs.

It kind of reminds me of how natural hair — which many people associate with the 60s — is being remixed and reinterpreted in new ways today. And getting more and more mainstream nods.

I think that black people can tend to devalue things associated with their culture. And being a natural hair blogger, I see that most often with kinky hair.

But more and more I feel that suppressing blackness and/or an African aesthetic is an outmoded way of thinking. And a younger generation of black women are refusing to do it.

Do you think more and more people are viewing natural hair as progressive and refusing to dislike/suppress/alter their most ‘black’ features? Or do things like skin lighteners, hair straightening and ‘black as midnight’ jokes have a death grip on black people?

All images in this post courtesy of Fly, an amazing blog that you should check out!

Tweet This Post