Did you catch Chris Rock on Oprah on 09/30 (Wednesday this week)? He was promoting his new movie “Good Hair” which should prompt a lot of good discussion among not only black people but the larger community about what good hair means. It was a great show about the often painful things black women have to go through to care for their hair. But, some points about white women’s obsession with their hair were also interesting as one of Oprah’s correspondents talked about how much she hates her natural hair color and Chris and Oprah talked about how almost all white women color their hair. Solange Knowles (Beyonce’s sister) was on. She recently cut all of her hair off tired of being a slave to it spending (she reported) $40-50,000/year on her hair and half of her life maintaining it.
You know we support women whether they choose to perm their hair or wear it natural. But, Chris made a really good point regarding “kiddie perms”. We agree that you should avoid putting perms in children’s hair at least until they are teenagers and can decide for themselves. It’s not only about the physical damage that can be done, but the emotional message sent telling them that the only good hair is straight hair.
One of the most difficult things about going transitioning from a perm to natural hair and about having natural hair is finding a good hair style or styles. Â I’ve been through this myself and I feel your pain.
Black hair does not lend itself to “down” hairstyles (as my girls used to call it) and once the days of dog ears and pig tails are over, African-American women often struggle with how to wear their hair when it does not have chemicals on it. Adding to that, during the transitional phase you’ve got two completely different textures, assuming you don’t do the “Big Chop”.
Treasured Locks polled some of our subscribers to find their favorite natural or transitional hair styles. Thanks so much to those of you who replied to help out those who might be struggling with making the leap.
We’ve taken some of the best responses and offer them to you here. For more information on transitioning to natural hair and more styling ideas, visit our Natural Hair Transitioning Tips page.
Here are some tips on removing styles such as braids, weaves, bonding glue, hair extensions and locks. Contrary to some opinions, locks can be safely removed. You will probably experience some hair loss and will see shedding of the hair that is no longer attached to the hair but is still in the lock. You probably will have to cut off some amount. But, with patience the proper tools, you can remove your locks. Continue Reading >>
Every time we write about natural hair versus permed hair we get a huge response from all our clients and readers. We know this topic is near and dear to you. Treasured Locks is here to support Black women and provide information and products to help you be the best you can be whether you decide to rock it straight or natural. I love “I Am Not My Hair” by by India.Arie. My girls and I love to sing at the top of our lungs in the car. The second verse goes like this:
Good hair means curls and waves
Bad hair means you look like a slave
At the turn of the century
Its time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off
Like a South African beauty
Or get in on lock
Like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight
Like Oprah Winfrey
If its not what’s on your head
Its what’s underneath and say HEY….
A question we get quite often is something along the lines of “How do I get my hair to look curly (or wavy)?†We have many clients who want to wear their hair in a naturally curly looking style; but want to eliminate the kinkiness and frizzyness of just a plain old ‘fro and wear something a little more fashionable and under control.
There are several ways to go about this depending on a couple of factors such as :
The natural state of your hair- how kinky is it?
How soft is it?
How thick is it?
Do you want a permanent solution (will require chemicals) or are you willing to style your hair on a regular basis?
Permanent Solution for Creating Curly or Wavy Hair
For a permanent solution there is always a texturizer or a kiddie perm or a curly perm (we’ve even heard them called “curl reconstructorsâ€). This will give you curly/wavy hair in a relatively permanent style. There’s something now called a “wash and wearâ€TM relaxer. It appears that this is simply a milder lye
relaxer that leaves the hair in a “semi-natural†state. However, many of our clients want to avoid chemicals, which can be damaging to your hair and scalp. So, here are some alternatives you can try with naturally curly hair.
How to Create Soft Springy Curls from Naturally Kinky Hair
This is a technique that works well for moderately kinky to naturally curly hair. This style will have to be recreated about once a week, if properly maintained.
Wash hair with moisturizing shampoo and condition with a detangling conditioner.
Leave hair wet and comb through to detangle with a wide tooth comb.
While hair is wet saturate with Treasured Locks Locks of Curls Pomade & Gel.
Part hair into sections about 1/2†to 1â€. Add pomade to each section as you work it.
With a wide to medium tooth comb, begin to gently comb hair one section at time from root to end. Start at the neck and work your way to the front of your hair. Pull the hair slowly to elongate your natural kinks into smoother, longer curls.
It’s important to keep the hair wet during this process. Use a spray bottle with water, or Protective Mist Bodifier or Treasured Locks Leave-In Herbal Conditioner. The look you are going for is smoother, longer curls while your hair is wet. You will then “set†the hair using a hooded dryer to maintain the curl when dry.
Sit under a hooded dryer for an hour or until hair is fully dry. It’s important to have the look you want before you sit under the dryer. If you want a part in your hair, part it now.
After drying, for further elongation of curls, you can use a hand-held dryer. Grab, the hair by the end and gently stretch it while blowing hot air on it from the root down to the mid-point of the hair.
How to do a Straw Set
A straw set will create those Shirley Temple types of ringlet curls (only smaller of course). This is also a great transitional hair style when you’re going from permed to natural hair. Giving the permed hair texture by placing it in this curly style will minimize the difference in appearance between the permed hair and the natural hair allowing you to grow out your natural hair before doing the “big chop”.
You will need:
A pack of plastic drinking straws
For larger and looser curls, use small perm rods-
available at beauty supply stores
End papers
Bobby pins
Black Earth Crinkles & Curls or other setting
lotion (make sure it’s alcohol free)
Light hair oil or Black Earth Protective Mist Bodifier
Step 1: Shampoo and condition your hair and blot dry with a towel.
Step 2: Part you hair into 1/4 to 1/2 inch sections
Step 3: Place end papers on to ends of your hair.
Step 4: Roll your hair onto the straws or perm rods and secure it with a hairpin.
Step 5: Repeat steps 2-4 until you have finished your entire head.
Step 6: Dry your hair under a hooded dryer.
Step 7: Gently remove the straws and separate the curls.
Step 8: Spray with a light oil and continue to spray with oil on a daily basis. How to do a Two Strand Twist and a Twist Out
This is a very easy, but very fashionable hair style. You actually get two-for-one. Start by creating two strand twists (which can be worn that way for several
days); then change it up by removing the twists and leaving the hair kinky/wavy for a few days.
To create two strand twists, simply part the hair into small sections.
Take each section and divide into two strands.
Coat the hair with Locks of Curls Pomade & Gel or other styling gel.
Coil the strands around each other working from the roots to the ends. Repeat over the entire head.
After a few days simply untwist the two strands (gently)
How To Define Curls in Biracial Hair
Many biracial people have naturally beautiful curls when their hair is wet and would like to keep that look once the hair dries. We get this question all the time. If you have naturally soft curls, one of our clients has suggested a way that she styles her biracial hair that works for her (thanks Jennifer).
For those with softer, natural curls who just want more definition, this is a great technique. This hair style is well suited to bi-racial hair types.
For soft springy curls here is the procedure:
Wash hair at least 1x per week (the other days just rinse)
Detangle hair each day
Put in a leave in conditioner. Whatever helps detangle and leaves hair feeling soft. SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner is
great for this step. Saturate hair with Black Earth Protective Mist Bodifier
Put Treasured Locks Locks of Curls Locks of Curls Pomade & Gel or other styling gel in hair
Apply a little hair oil
Let air dry if possible (you can put your hair in a ponytail to stretch it a little or just let it air dry)
In the winter- use a blow dryer on the lowest temp, gently stretching the hair as you dry it.
Manageability is one of the key things our clients request. As you might imagine, we get a wide range of clients with many different hair types. But, making the hair easier to style, less frizzy and easier comb are common concerns among our clients.
We’d like to take a moment to review just a few products that could be beneficial in making your hair more manageable. (the model is this photo had her hair lightly blown-dry after applying Treasured Locks Curl Tamer to make it less frizzy, slightly less curly, easier to comb and smoother looking).
One of the most frequently asked questions we get involves straightening African-American hair. Without getting into all the socio-political and psychological reasons why someone would straighten her hair, let’s explore how this can be done. Continue Reading >>
The same basic principles apply for children as for adults. Here are the differences. Find a good children’s shampoo if your child is very young (so that it won’t burn the eyes). Children who don’t understand keeping their eyes closed to keep soap out need a tear free shampoo. However, as soon as you can, move away from these. They tend to be drying for African American hair. I recommend avoiding perms for as long as possible. Children have more sensitive skin than adults. The chemicals in the perms are more likely to damage their skin and hair. Also, children don’t usually have the patience to sit through the process of getting the perm. My stylist told me the story of a three year old girl she was trying to give a perm. Once the solution was in the hair, the child decided she was ready to leave. The stylist had to literally wrestle the child to rinse the perm out of her hair. My older daughter is almost six now and has very thick and coarse hair. Her hair is natural. I did a lot of research on the best way to care for it. I intend to leave her hair natural as long as possible. It’s really not any more difficult to care for than if she had a perm. We use Natural-Laxer MIX on her hair to make it more manageable (not straight). That and just using the basic tips above have made caring for her natural hair much easier, she has less breakage and tangles than she used to and we love the way her hair looks natural.
Q.) What’s the best hair style and/or type for black women who work out everyday? I have relaxed hair and I’m strongly considering going natural.
A.) This is a pretty complicated question. Which style is best for you is going to be dependent on your personal preferences, the texture of your natural hair and the length you have. For example, you’re not going to be able to wear certain styles until your hair reaches a certain length. If your hair has a loose curl pattern, you might be able to wear a fairly maintenance free style with some “flow”. If your hair is in a very tight curl pattern, you might have to wear a ‘fro until you get some length.
If you’re going to natural though, you probably are not going to be able to wear your hair straight (either pressed or flat-ironed). Again, this will be dependent on your hair texture. If you have a tight curl pattern, you’d have to put so much heat on it daily that you’d end up breaking it off. So, you should consider something like a ‘fro or wearing it in braids, locks or some other style that will not require heat to maintain.
Transitioning from permed or relaxed hair to natural hair should be an exciting time for you. It should not be a time of intimidation or of a feeling of loss. Many women face objections from boyfriends, husbands, family and even in the workplace. While we can’t help you with those social and political pressures, we can give you some tips on what to expect and how to make the transition as easy as possible.
What to Expect When Transitioning to Natural Hair
People often ask us how they can make their relaxed hair “revert” back to natural hair. The true answer is you cannot. Nothing will make hair that has been chemically relaxed go back to its natural state. You have two choices, you can live with the permed hair at the end of the natural hair that is coming in or you can cut the permed hair off. Should you decide you just can’t let go of that length, be prepared for some breakage. The place where the natural hair joins the permed hair is a weak point. Many people experience a lot of breakage when growing out a perm. By treating the hair gently and minimizing combing during the transitioning stage, you can minimize the breakage. How much breakage you get is dependent on your hair type and how you treat your hair during the process. Baka Beautiful’s Natural-Laxer MIX is excellent for minimizing breakage during this phase. By gently softening the natural hair and strengthening the entire hair, the Natural-Laxer makes the transition from permed hair to natural hair easier and less traumatic. Natural-Laxer MIX is applied to the entire length of the hair (natural and relaxed).
One thing to keep in mind when you are considering natural hair is this. Some women are attached to the length of their hair and want to keep that length. If your hair is relaxed, it appears much longer than your hair would naturally. Six inches of relaxed hair is going to appear much longer than six inches of natural hair. Whether you decide to do the big chop or transition over time, unless you’re going to wear locks, braids, extensions or some similar style, your natural hair is probably going to appear much shorter than the relaxed hair you are used to.
You didn’t really think we were going to answer this one. Did you? This is one of the hottest debates I’ve run across in years. Our job is to inform you and let you make the best decision for yourself. There are pros and cons to each. This is a highly personal decision. Don’t go natural to please those sisters who think all women who wear perms are selling out to the White man and have low self esteem. OTOH, Don’t wear a perm because you feel that going natural is a political statement that you don’t want to make. This really should be a personal decision. Having said that, the reality is that if you go natural, some people will assume certain things about your political and social points of view. If you wear a perm, some people will think you have low self esteem. So, you can’t please everybody.
There have been several attempts to define hair “type”. You may ask “Why should I care?” Well, mostly you shouldn’t. But, knowing your hair type can allow you talk with others and research products, styles and regimens that are best for your particular hair. There are controversies surrounding hair type methodologies that use works like kinky, nappy and other words that have less than positive connotations for some people. Other systems use numbers. But, they tend to lump all African American hair into one big category with a few variations. So, how useful is that really? Considering everyone’s hair is slightly different and people can even have different types of hair on their head at one time, categorizing hair is a difficult proposition at best.There are two major systems that seem to be the most popular. There is a system called LOIS that uses the hair shape as the defining hair “type”. For more on LOIS, do a Google on “LOIS Hair Type”. Until many people switch over to the LOIS system, there is the numbering system by Andre Walker. This system is kind of the standard. Frankly, we don’t put a lot of stock into these hair typing systems. They are far from “scientific” or definitive, relying on subjective judgments and just as much as you would be using if you didn’t have a “system”.
There are products on the market that call themselves “natural relaxers”. We have gotten many questions about them. After years of research, we finally found a natural hair manageability product we can sell with confidence. But, it is not a traditional relaxer. Read on for more information.The majority of product that pass themselves off as “natural relaxers” are just as potent and potentiall harmful as any “chemical” relaxer. After all, lye is, in a sense, natural. Lye was first produced by running water across ashes. So, don’t let the term natural make you think a relaxer is mild. If its effect on the hair is permanent, if it actually straightens kinky hair and if it instructs you do to things like wear gloves when applying, apply a neutralizer, not apply on chemically treated hair and/or isn’t clear about what its ingredients are, those are red flags that it is harsh, even though it might be “natural”.That relaxer is the Natural-Laxer MIXTM from Baka Beauty Products. However, the term “relaxer”, in this case, may be misleading. We think that may be why the natural relaxers have gotten a bad rap. The natural relaxer we sell is an all herbal hair treatment. It is kind of an herbal texturizer. It is not a straightener. You simply are not going to get kinky black hair to become bone straight in an “all natural” (as in mild and not potentially harmful) way. What our relaxer does is gradually allow the natural curl pattern to loosen. This causes the hair to be less kinky and somewhat straighter. It also makes the hair softer. Some interesting side effects of this relaxer is that you end up with less tangles, less breakage and the hair is actually strengthened and encouraged to grow by the relaxer. The relaxer also helps prevent reversion of pressed hair. The relaxer works with a cumulative effect. After the first application or two, the differences will be subtle, but noticeable. Over time, the relaxer makes the hair softer and softer. This is an excellent treatment for damaged permed hair, an aid in transition from perms to natural hair or a conditioner/detangler for natural hair.
What’s different about Black hair? Why do we need different products and routines from people who don’t have “textured” hair? African hair is made of the same “stuff†as non-African hair. The difference lies in the way those components are put together, or the structure of our hair. Hair is made of a strong protein called keratin. The structure of our hair can cause it to be more prone to breakage and dryness. Because of the structure and the potential problems, black hair care needs are different from those for other types of hair. Our hair can have up to twice the amount of “cuticle†or outer layer. This thicker cuticle layer makes our hair more kinky. Kinks make it more difficult for the oil secreted from our scalps to reach the ends of the hair. The kinks are places where brushes and combs can get caught and cause breakage. Using tools that aren’t made specifically for curly hair types can do a great deal of damage. But, keep in mind there is a continuum of hair types.The parts that make up your hair are:
Cuticle: Outer layer of the hair. It is made up of layers of scales which interlock with the cells of the hair’s inner root sheath to firmly anchor it in the follicle. This is a thin and colorless layer. Black hair’s cuticle layer can be twice the thickness of that of white hair.
Cortex: The middle layer. It is composed of cells which are tightly bound around one another. These bands provide the hair with elasticity and strength and are very receptive to chemicals. As a result, they can easily be influenced (or damaged) by dyes and relaxers.
Melanin: is contained in the cortex and is the substance that determines the color of our hair and skin. The more melanin, the darker the hair or skin.
Follicle: This is the name for hair before it emerges from the skin. Follicles are composed of many elements including carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Healthy amounts of these elements can improve the hairs’ condition and appearance once it emerges.
Sebaceous/Sudoniferous Glands: Attached to the hair follicle are the sebaceous (oil) and the sudoriferous (sweat) glands. The sebaceous glands open and close continuously to release a waxy sebum oil into the hair follicle and onto the scalp. The sudoriferous glands contain many small structures with porous openings leading to the skin. They produce substances which dry on the skin including salts, acids, water and bacteria. If not completely dissolved and effectively removed from the scalp, they can help cause severe itching and dandruff. Thus, the scalp problems some people experience in the early stages of locs.
Especially since most of us are of mixed heritage, African American hair and bi-racial people’s hair can and does vary widely. Even within a single head of hair, there are different hair types. So, there is no one solution for the care of all African American hair. Intuitively, you might think African hair is “tougher” than Caucasian hair and can handle more stress or abuse. After all, it is coarser and thicker. Actually, African hair (especially if treated like European hair) is more fragile than Caucasian hair. For this reason, we suggest using products made especially for our hair, whenever possible. Today, there is a wide range of excellent products made specifically for the needs of African American or Textured hair. Treasured Locks offers a wide array of high quality, reasonable price products especially suited for textured hair types.
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