Some observations

Good morning and Happy Halloween!

Last night I headed to to the Improv to see the comedienne Sommore with some friends from work. HILARIOUS! While waiting for the show to begin, I noticed something that shocked me (in a good way).

So many sistas rockin' the natural styles!

Last night was the first time I went out (OUT out, not out of the house... lol) without my hair stick straight. It was on day two of a bantu knot-out. To be honest I was kind of concerned but I got over it real quick because I was walking from my apartment to my car and one of my neighbors said how nice I looked. What a boost!

So I arrived at the comedy club, and was waiting on my friends, and I have to say I saw at least a third of the females wearing their hair natural. What a change from just a couple of years ago.

It's Halloween and I am attending a party tonight. Since I will be in costume anyway, I am going to try and stretch this knot-out for one more day. I hope I can make it... I'm not really up for twisting it today!

Nutrition and Healthy Hair

Yea yea yea, we all know how important it is to keep your hair moisturized, use the right products, and minimize the amount of heat used to style your hair. But did you know what you put into your body has an affect on your hair health too?

The first, and probably easiest rule to remember when it comes to nutrition and your hair is drinking enough water. I have this one down pat, as water is probably what I drink about 90% of the time. Water is important for keeping both your hair and skin moisturized, as shown on the website Hair Finder:

Eight glasses of water per day is absolutely needed for healthy hair. You should drink water to clean out your system. This way, your body will be hydrated and your hair will also get more moisture.

Eating the right foods is also important. While drinking water is easy for me, always eating the right foods is not. I'm eating a slice of pizza as I type this! The best way to ensure healthy hair is eating nutrient-rich, high protein foods, but a multivitamin can help with making up the vitamins you lack. There is a lot more great information about nutrient rich foods in the Hair Finder article.

Your whole body will benefit from improving your eating habits, and in addition to beautiful hair you might have a great side benefit of losing a few pounds.

Remember the old saying, you are what you eat!

Seven Months Post Relaxer

As I mentioned before, I got my last relaxer in late March 2009. Right now I mainly wear it in two different styles. I need to start experimenting to try some more!

Here is my "protective style", the bantu knot out. This was my first attempt. I am a pro at it now! I can get about 2-3 days out of this style and it has saved my sanity when going to the gym.



And here is my hair after being freshly pressed and flat ironed. It's amazing how much longer it is when it is straightened. It will usually last a week, but if I work out, its OVAH.



I am REALLY trying to limit the amount of heat I use on my hair, and I actually think this might be my last press for awhile. I am going to participate in a hair challenge and part of the challenge is to minimize the heat used on my hair. More details on that to come!

My story

Seems like everyone is going natural these days. Tyra Banks has declared National Real Hair Day. Chris Rock just released his documentary Good Hair. The November issue of Essence has a multi-page spread about going natural.

So what does “going natural” really mean? For many, including myself, it means giving up relaxers. Relaxers are chemical straightening of the hair. For some people, it means giving up any chemicals on the hair, including color. And for others it includes giving up straightening in any form, including hot combs and heat.

I have chosen to simply give up relaxers, mainly because I am prematurely gray (lol) and they will pry the dye from my cold dead hands, and I work in a conservative field (accounting), and unfortunately even in 2009, straight hair still makes some people more comfortable.

So why did I decide to go natural? I have always been told I have a good grade of hair, but with relaxers, I could only get it to grow to a certain length. And I have very dry skin, which on my scalp manifested itself with a nasty case of dandruff, which was worse after every relaxer. I started to wonder if relaxers were really good for my hair, and in March 2009 I had my final relaxer.

And why the blog? I thought the blog would be a great way to monitor my progress, and if I helped someone along the way, even better! Another inspiration is one of my closest friends, who just adopted a bi-racial baby girl. I have been helping her search for information on black hair, and I thought “Why not compile my knowledge in one place?”