Coco and Breezy: A style all their own

Coco and Breezy don't follow trends...they are innovators and trendsetters. From their famous eyewear line to the clothing they wear to the way they style their hair, this twin duo is about being true to themselves. They both rock faux hawks, one styled In a chic yet funky updo and the other in worn sassy loose waves created by a 1/2 in marcel iron. 

Its a Hair Revolution ll : The Process

The process of going from straight to natural can be grueling and is big deterrent for many women who consider growing out their relaxer. Even those with the strongest wills start to waiver at that eighth week mark when those roots start showing and getting the comb through the hair becomes a task. Learning about styling options for this in between phase is key to a successful transformation.
The most popular option seems to be braided extensions. Whether it be cornrows or micro braids, braiding the hair allows you to be hair-worry free for up to two month. The one thing to be mindful of when it comes to braiding is to be gentle on your hairlines. For some reason unbeknown to me some people feel that braids are done well only if the client walks away looking like they just received a face lift. The goal is a full healthy head if hair with the hairlines intact. Each time you remove the braids be sure to do a deep conditioning treatment and trim ends about every 2-3 months.
Another option is to get yourself a blow dryer with a comb attachment. This must be one of the best inventions ever, but which few people seem to know about. It became my best friend when I went natural almost three years ago. So here is what you do. Shampoo and deep condition the hair with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Any moisturizing shampoo and conditioner by Mizani or KeraCare does the trick. I also suggest that you add natural oils (Khoret Amen hair oil by Carol's Daughter) to your conditioner and after combing through with a wide tooth comb, cover hair with plastic cap for about 30 minutes. You should do this each time you shampoo your hair, which honestly doesn't need to be more that once every two weeks. A good deep conditioning keeps the hair moist and healthy and also gets the new growth soft and manageable making the blow out much easier. After washing out the conditioner apply a thermal protection/blow drying aid which is very important if you want to maintain the health of the hair. I use, and highly recommend, Silken Seal by KeraCare. All you need is about a nickle sized amount(depending on thickness of hair) in the palm of your hand and work into hair making sure to get the hairline. Clear through with a wide tooth comb and begin to blow dry. I like to begin at the front hairline combing everything forward as I blow dry. The key is to get the teeth of the comb attachment all the way down to the scalp in order to smooth out the new growth.Finish by curling/bumping with flatiron or curling iron. I promise you that as long as you do this correctly you will be amazed at the results.You will not be able to tell the difference between the relaxed and unprocessed portion of your hair and the breakage caused by the friction of the two different textures will be minimized. As with the first grow out option, be sure to keep the ends of the hair healthy be trimming every 2-3 months until you are ready to cut off the balance of the relaxed hair.
I hope these two options are of some help for those of you straddling the natural vs. relaxed fence. Feel free to send me a comment if you have more questions about products or techniques.

Brazillian Keratin Treatment

The Brazilian Keratin treatment is the new talk of the town when it comes to hair care. Women are falling in love with this new product which is making "bad hair days" a thing of the past. Unlike other straightening systems that change the internal structure of the hair leaving it dry and fragile, the Brazillian Keratin Treatment is exactly what its name states, a treatment. It works by penetrating the open cuticles of the hair shaft and then sealing the cuticles leaving the hair looking extra smooth and shiny. Though the primary purpose of this treatment is to combat frizz, it has another important benefit. Since hair is made up mostly of the protein keratin and Brazillian Keratin treatment infuses the hair with this protein, in addition to smoother, shinier hair, you also end up with a healthier head of hair. Whether the hair is worn curly or straight, styling your hair after having this treatment done is a breeze. Those who like to blow dry their hair will be able to cut their styling time in half as the hair smoothes out much easier and stays that way much longer. As this is not a permanent chemical process, it washes out gradually over time, about 3-5 months depending on how often the hair is shampooed. Specific shampoos and conditioners help to prolong the benefits of the treatment. The treatment is on the pricey side but is definetely worth it and is a great alternative to harsher straighteing systems.

Its a Revolution!

There is a movement at hand. Black women are going back to their roots, literally! Some call it a revolution but what is revolutionary about allowing your hair to be the way it naturally is? Well what's revolutionary is not the act itself but the the mind change among black women that this "trend" indicates. Black women are once again learning to see and embrace the beauty of their natural textured hair. They are realizing that they do not have to be defined by it nor do they have to change it to make their appearance more "acceptable".The decision to "go natural" is not an easy one. I myself battled with the decision for quite some time before I finally decided to do it. After having a relaxer for so many years, you become used to it and you can't imagine your hair any other way. You think maybe your natural texture wouldn't suit you as well. You worry about the process of growing out the relaxer. Finally you wonder about the time and effort it will take to care for your natural hair as well as the styling options available. In future postings I will be adressing some of these questions. My goal is to help women who are treading the line between natural and relaxed hair to make a decision, especially those whose hair has reacted negatively to relaxers but who keep having it done bcause they think they have no other options. I have heard it said that "good hair" is healthy hair, so whether your hair is chemically relaxed or natural, the goal is to make sure you are doing all you can to maintain the health of your hair.

So I was on my way to work one morning when I saw a young African American girl - she could not have been more than ten years old - with a full head of weave! To make it worse it was a bad weave. I wonder if the mother of that young girl took a moment to think about the message she was sending her daughter when she sat her down and had that weave placed on her head. I wonder if she realized that she was indirectly telling her daughter that the hair that grew out of her head was for one reason or another unworthy of being seen . Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with women who wear extentions of any kind but this was not a woman that I was looking at. This was a little girl whose view of the world and, more importantly ,of herself was still being shaped at every moment. She needs to be taught that she is beautiful and complete as is, with out having to add or subtract anything that she was blessed with by her creator. At some later point in her life when she is fully confident of who she is and clear about the source of her worth, then she will be more than capable of making decisions about altering her appearance. Hopefully, at that time she will not be altering it because she feels her natural gifts aren't worthy of being seen, but because she thinks that its fun to switch things up from time to time and have fun with her appearance. After all we are girls, playing dress up is in our blood ; )

Dry Hair

Accordingto the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institues of Health, dry hair is defined as hair that does not have enough moisture and oil to maintain its natural sheen and texture. but we already know what dry hair is don't we? Many of us live with it everyday. The question is how do we treat it? As with solving any other problem we first need to find out the cause(s) of it. There are quite a number of factors that contribute to dry hair. Improper nutrition plays a big role. It is also largely caused by over shampooing, lack of proper conditioning, permanents ( colors, relaxers,perms ect.) ,constant blow drying and thermal styling( flat iron, curling iron). Now that we know the causes , here are some solutions.

- shampoo less. Too much shampooing strips the hair of its natural oils. Also try using mild shampoos or those labeled specifically for dry hair.

- deep condition regularly. A good conditioner replaces some of the hair's moisture and smoothes the cuticle layer of the hair allowing it to regain some of its lustre. I reccomend adding natural oils to the conditioner and leaving it in the hair for at least 30 minutes. Aveda's Beautifying Oil is an excellent choice.

-Minimize heat styling as much as possible. Opt for a traditional rollerset instead of a blow dry. When you do blow dry be sure to use a blow drying aid to protect the ends from excessive heat. The same goes for when you are flat ironing or using a curling iron.

-Last but not least, trim ends regularly( every 6-8 weeks) . Dry hair splits and if split ends are not taken care of in a timely manner the breakeage works its way up the hair shaft until you have a full head of damaged hair.

If your hair doesn't respond to any of the above remedies consider seeing a dermatologist to rule out something internal such as an underactive throid or parathyroid.

Learn to Love Your Hair

Just as the grass always seems greener on the other side, the hair always seem to look better on the other head. Instead of looking at others and wishing you had their hair, take a look at your own and learn what it will take to make it look its best. The right cut combined with the styling know-how can help you to fall in love with your hair once again, or for the first time.