Day one - Flat twists
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| Front |
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| Top |
Day four - Flat twist out
Day Six - Messy bun
Really quick, simple, versatile and the best part... Heat free!
How did you wear your hair last week?
This blog chronicles my journey from chin length hair to my goal of waist length hair
Friday, 14 June 2013
My hair this week - 1 style, 3 Looks.
When I am not protective styling with weaves or wigs, I am protective styling with cornrows and twists. Last week I wore my hair in 2 flat twists... then a twist out... then a bun! All heat free. See pics below:
Day one - Flat twists
Day four - Flat twist out
Day one - Flat twists
Day four - Flat twist out
Monday, 10 June 2013
The WeavePlace brazilian hair giveaway
Two weeks ago, we hosted a generous giveaway sponsored by: The weave place. They offered the lucky winner two 4oz bundles of their luxury virgin brazilian hair extensions. A random draw was held yesterday to determine the winner and... the results are in. The winner is:
Nkechi Opurum!!!
Congratulations on your win Nkechi. Enjoy your luxury brazilian hair extensions, guaranteed to keep you looking fabulous while protective styling!
I would like say a big thank you to everyone who participated. The response was amazing. For those who didn't win, don't worry, there are many more giveaways on the horizon. In the meantime, for all your hair extensions needs, head over to The Weave place:
Website: www.theweaveplace.com
Facebook: facebook.com/theweaveplace
Email: info@theweaveplace.com
Have a spectacular week!
xoxo
B
Monday, 3 June 2013
Lye relaxers versus No lye relaxers
The decision on what relaxer to use is a very important albeit confusing one. When on a healthy hair journey, relaxer day is one of the most nerve racking days. One bad relaxer can set you back weeks, months or even years! So it is important to proceed with caution.
Most relaxers contain either of these 2 active ingredients: Sodium hydroxide (Lye) or Calcium hydroxide (No lye). Lye relaxers usually come in a jar and don't require any mixing while no lye relaxers usually come in a kit with the relaxer, activator and other accessories. Both active ingredients work by breaking down the bonds of the hair. The key difference is the effect on the hair and scalp.
Lye relaxers:
Lye relaxers can be quite harsh on the scalp so if your scalp is sensitive, this may not be the best option for you. They also tend to process the hair faster which is great because it means that you don't have to leave the relaxer on as long as you would a no lye relaxer to get the same results. The major advantage of lye relaxers is the fact that it is much gentler on your hair than no lye relaxers. You hair is better able to absorb and retain moisture when you use a lye relaxer and is therefore healthier, stronger and less likely to break.
No Lye relaxers:
No lye relaxers have calcium hydroxide as the active ingredient. They are gentler on the scalp than lye relaxers but significantly harsher on the hair. No lye relaxers leave calcium deposits on the hair which prevents your hair from absorbing and retaining moisture properly. This leaves your hair dry and susceptible to breakage. To combat this, use a good clarifying shampoo regularly if you relax with a no lye relaxer. The clarifying shampoo will help remove the calcium buildup. However, in the process of removing the calcium deposits, it also strips and removes other nutrients from your hair so be sure to replenish by deep conditioning after clarifying.
As is often the case with hair care, there isn't a generic right or wrong answer to the question of whether to use lye or no lye. It really just boils down to the individual. The sensitivity of your scalp, how well your hair takes to relaxers, what your preferred outcome is (bone straight or texlaxed) etc.
I prefer to use a lye relaxer because even though my scalp is sensitive, I like to under process my hair (texlax). So I typically wash off the relaxer immediately after applying (and before it has had a chance to wreak havoc on my scalp). This way, I don't have any burns or irritation from using a lye relaxer, I avoid overprocessing my hair and I also avoid having to deal with dryness from the no lye relaxer.
Since we are talking relaxers, I'll leave you with these quick tips on how to ensure that relaxer day goes smoothly:
- Do not over lap relaxers (apply ONLY to new growth)
- It is okay to change relaxers (as far as your adher to #1 above) but once you find one that you like, it is recommended that you stick to it.
- Always make sure your hair is well detangled before relaxing
- Always wait at least a week after washing to relax your hair.
Thoughts, comments, suggestions? Let me know in the comments below.
xoxo
B
Most relaxers contain either of these 2 active ingredients: Sodium hydroxide (Lye) or Calcium hydroxide (No lye). Lye relaxers usually come in a jar and don't require any mixing while no lye relaxers usually come in a kit with the relaxer, activator and other accessories. Both active ingredients work by breaking down the bonds of the hair. The key difference is the effect on the hair and scalp.
Lye relaxers:
Lye relaxers can be quite harsh on the scalp so if your scalp is sensitive, this may not be the best option for you. They also tend to process the hair faster which is great because it means that you don't have to leave the relaxer on as long as you would a no lye relaxer to get the same results. The major advantage of lye relaxers is the fact that it is much gentler on your hair than no lye relaxers. You hair is better able to absorb and retain moisture when you use a lye relaxer and is therefore healthier, stronger and less likely to break.
No Lye relaxers:
No lye relaxers have calcium hydroxide as the active ingredient. They are gentler on the scalp than lye relaxers but significantly harsher on the hair. No lye relaxers leave calcium deposits on the hair which prevents your hair from absorbing and retaining moisture properly. This leaves your hair dry and susceptible to breakage. To combat this, use a good clarifying shampoo regularly if you relax with a no lye relaxer. The clarifying shampoo will help remove the calcium buildup. However, in the process of removing the calcium deposits, it also strips and removes other nutrients from your hair so be sure to replenish by deep conditioning after clarifying.
As is often the case with hair care, there isn't a generic right or wrong answer to the question of whether to use lye or no lye. It really just boils down to the individual. The sensitivity of your scalp, how well your hair takes to relaxers, what your preferred outcome is (bone straight or texlaxed) etc.
I prefer to use a lye relaxer because even though my scalp is sensitive, I like to under process my hair (texlax). So I typically wash off the relaxer immediately after applying (and before it has had a chance to wreak havoc on my scalp). This way, I don't have any burns or irritation from using a lye relaxer, I avoid overprocessing my hair and I also avoid having to deal with dryness from the no lye relaxer.
Since we are talking relaxers, I'll leave you with these quick tips on how to ensure that relaxer day goes smoothly:
- Do not over lap relaxers (apply ONLY to new growth)
- It is okay to change relaxers (as far as your adher to #1 above) but once you find one that you like, it is recommended that you stick to it.
- Always make sure your hair is well detangled before relaxing
- Always wait at least a week after washing to relax your hair.
Thoughts, comments, suggestions? Let me know in the comments below.
xoxo
B
Friday, 31 May 2013
Virgin hair give away is now closed....
Hi Everyone,
The Virgin hair giveaway is now closed! Many thanks to everyone who participated. The response was awesome and we are now tallying the results. We are hoping to get through everything by next week and the winner will be announced then.
Thanks again for your interest and accept my apologies for the recent inactivity on the blog. I have been super duper busy. However, I am striving to change my ways, busy or not, blog posts MUST go up!
Have an awesome weekend!
Love y'all!
B
The Virgin hair giveaway is now closed! Many thanks to everyone who participated. The response was awesome and we are now tallying the results. We are hoping to get through everything by next week and the winner will be announced then.
Thanks again for your interest and accept my apologies for the recent inactivity on the blog. I have been super duper busy. However, I am striving to change my ways, busy or not, blog posts MUST go up!
Have an awesome weekend!
Love y'all!
B
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Tailbone length... for 5 mins!
Hi Everyone,
Back in February I had a major setback due to neglect and relaxer burns which I discussed here. Since this setback I have been protective styling. This weekend, I finally braved it and decided to assess the damage and get a good trim so I went to Salon Tamika Bell. Tamika Bell is not your average stylist. She focuses on healthy hair makeovers, she spent a good hour just detangling my hair! She deep conditioned, blow dried and flat ironed... and I fell asleep! Now, that is trust. I NEVER fall asleep in a stylist's chair. I am usually awake, alert and ready to sprint out of the chair if I suspect any foul play! Anyway, when she was done, she combed down my hair and informed me that I was at tailbone length! Woo hoo! But not for long, the damage from my last relaxer was apparent in how thin my ends were. So she cut off about 4 inches. I definitely need to cut off more but we decided to do it gradually.
If you happen to be in the Atlanta area stop by Salon Tamika Bell. With a portfolio like this, what's not to like. See more of her healthy hair makeovers here
Now, if only I could bring her back to Lagos with me...
Have a great weekend everyone!
xoxo
B
Back in February I had a major setback due to neglect and relaxer burns which I discussed here. Since this setback I have been protective styling. This weekend, I finally braved it and decided to assess the damage and get a good trim so I went to Salon Tamika Bell. Tamika Bell is not your average stylist. She focuses on healthy hair makeovers, she spent a good hour just detangling my hair! She deep conditioned, blow dried and flat ironed... and I fell asleep! Now, that is trust. I NEVER fall asleep in a stylist's chair. I am usually awake, alert and ready to sprint out of the chair if I suspect any foul play! Anyway, when she was done, she combed down my hair and informed me that I was at tailbone length! Woo hoo! But not for long, the damage from my last relaxer was apparent in how thin my ends were. So she cut off about 4 inches. I definitely need to cut off more but we decided to do it gradually.
 |
| Tailbone length |
 |
| Back to midback and still more inches to trim |
Have a great weekend everyone!
xoxo
B
Saturday, 18 May 2013
Hair care for kids
Depending on your lifestyle and the length and thickness of your daughters hair, you should plan to wash their hair once every week or two. When washing, focus on cleaning the scalp. The hair will get cleaned as the shampoo runs down the shaft when being rinsed out.
 |
| Photo: thelondonmummyblog.com |
2. Conditioning:
Please do not skip this step and for those of you who have someone else wash and condition your kids' hair be sure to insist that this step is NOT skipped (I am stressing this because ALOT of kid hair braiders in Lagos do not understand the importance of conditioning!). Insist also that conditioner is applied lavishly not sparingly. This will help retain moisture and aid the next step: Detangling.
3. Detangle:
This is the step that is dreaded by lots of kids. The pulling, tugging, yanking etc. However, with the right products (moisturizing and detangling conditioner), the right technique (detangling in sections while saturated with conditioner) and the right tools (wide tooth comb, detangling brush) this step can be a lot easier that is often anticipated.
4. Styling:
Most mums opt for protective/low manipulation styles like twists, cornrows, buns etc for kids. This option is a lot easier on kids and parents as they do not have to deal with styling on a daily basis plus there are lots of cute styles to try out on your little one. It is also a good way to reduce manipulation and promote length retention.
 |
| Protective/Low manipulation style - cornrows |
 |
| Length retention |
5. Moisturizing:
This will not be a hair care post without me stressing the importance of moisturizing. Moisturize 3 to 5 times a week by lightly misting the hair with your favorite water based moisturizer. you can use a mixture of water and glycerin, water and aloe vera juice, a water based leave in conditioner, just water etc Apply some olive or coconut oil afterwards to seal in the moisture.
 |
| Spray bottle |
 |
| WATER |
CAUTION!!!
It breaks my heart to see kids with damaged hairlines. Follow these steps to prevent this:
- Do not braid or cornrow too tight, too small or too heavy. Caution your daughters braider very strongly about this. Note that the effects of braiding hair too tight can be irreversible so it is IMPORTANT that we get this right!!!
- Do not brush edges aggressively.
- Manipulate and detangle gently
- Moisturize. Remember that dry hair is brittle and more prone to breakage.
And lastly, I'll leave you with pictures of cutie pattooties from around the globe:
 |
| Their mama probably goes through a bottle of conditioner every week! |
 |
| Afro puffs to end all afro puffs |
 |
| God bless the children |
 |
| Locs anyone? |
 |
| 'Love'ly design |
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| Beautiful Afro |
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| Two strand twisted cutie |
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| I'm cute and I know it! |
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Peace, love and light!
B
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
It's giveaway time!!! Free brazilian/peruvian hair from www.theweaveplace.com
Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been sooo busy. However, I do have a couple of posts scheduled to be up by the end of the week so look out for them...
In the meantime, I have some exciting news. The weave place has offered to sponsor a giveaway on my blog. The winner gets a full head (Two 114g bundles) of virgin peruvian or brazilian hair!!!
The rules for qualification are very simple:
1. Like The weavePlace's facebook page. Just go to the link below and click on "like" to like the page
https://www.facebook.com/Theweaveplace
2. Like my Facebook page. Just go to the link below and click on "like" to like the page
https://www.facebook.com/lushstrands
The giveaway will last for 2 weeks after which the winner will be randomly selected. So make sure to enter by liking both pages and remember to tell your friends or anyone you think may be interested in rocking some new hurr!
Love y'all
B
Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been sooo busy. However, I do have a couple of posts scheduled to be up by the end of the week so look out for them...
In the meantime, I have some exciting news. The weave place has offered to sponsor a giveaway on my blog. The winner gets a full head (Two 114g bundles) of virgin peruvian or brazilian hair!!!
 |
| Peruvian hair giveaway - Theweaveplace |
The rules for qualification are very simple:
1. Like The weavePlace's facebook page. Just go to the link below and click on "like" to like the page
https://www.facebook.com/Theweaveplace
2. Like my Facebook page. Just go to the link below and click on "like" to like the page
https://www.facebook.com/lushstrands
The giveaway will last for 2 weeks after which the winner will be randomly selected. So make sure to enter by liking both pages and remember to tell your friends or anyone you think may be interested in rocking some new hurr!
Love y'all
B
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