Getting Smooth Skin for the Summer Months

Dragon skin belongs on dragons, not people. It's about that time again when we all will be bearing more skin for the summer months. You know what that means. You want your skin to look good for shorts, skirts and sandals. I personally like to keep my skin looking good year round, but for those of us who want to get ready for summer skin now I'll share a few tips. The one thing that I have found that is really important for nice looking skin is to exfoliate. Whatever products you like to use to smooth out your skin, you should start now to get your skin looking good. I like to use a loofah pad for my entire body, top to bottom. They're relatively inexpensive and you can find them almost anywhere bath products are sold. I sometimes get mine from Liquidators store. You can sometimes find discontinued ones for real cheap. CVS and other stores of this type sell exfoliation pads for both the body and the face. Get one of each and use it and you'll see a difference in your skin in no time. Pay special attention to your feet ladies, because there's no use in looking good and your feet looking bad. Keep your toenails clipped and clean and ALWAYS POLISHED. After a bath or shower is a good time to scrub off dead skin on your feet. The skin is softened and can be easily removed with the least trouble. I like to use one of those pumice type stones on the back of a grater type thingy. And remember that your toes have hang nails and the cuticles need to pushed back as well as your fingernails. There is nothing more unpleasant than to see a woman with ugly, unsightly looking feet. If you get into the habit of keeping your feet looking nice year round, then they will be summer ready from the get go. Baby oil (gotten on the cheap from the dollar store) is a good moisturizer for feet and legs, especially after shaving the legs. I'm hairy and have hairy legs that I like to shave in the summer. I keep one or two bottles of baby oil on hand at all time. I sometimes like to put a few drops of fragrant oil into my baby oil so I have a nice scent with my moisturizer. Easy, easy, cheap. There's no excuse for bad looking feet or skin in the summertime.

Hair Brush Information

Dry hair can be a big problem with most people, and particularly people with afro kinky type hair. On account that kinky hair grows the way it does, spirally from the scalp, the natural oils from the scalp cannot reach the length of the strand to properly lubricate it, so you are usually left with parched, dry hair. In order for you to get the natural oils to the very ends of your hair you usually have to brush the hair. I'm careful with using a brush on my hair because improper brushing or too vigorous brushing can break the hair. I have three brushes that I use. Two are natural boar bristle brushes (more delicate type brushes) and a detangling type brush. The natural boar bristle brushes I have are two different types. One of them is a bit more sturdy for when I am trying to pull my hair back. The other one is very soft and I usually use it to brush back my hair after I put it in a pony tail, to even out the hair and get the hair to lay down. My detangler brush (Denman knockoff), I use when my hair is tangled and a regular brush cannot remove the tangles without breaking off my hair. I'm going to one day buy the real Denman brush because I've wanted this brush for a long time. Denman makes a lot of brushes and they cost more than regular brushes you buy from the BSS. They're not super expensive, around $7 or $8 dollars for the one that I want. You can get the Denman brushes from Sally Beauty Supply store. I have looked in different stores, but haven't found them in other stores. I have been using natural boar bristle brushes for many many years now. I used to use the nylon type brushes and started using the natural boar bristle brushes after my sister told me about them. They are more gentle to the hair, by not pulling the hair like nylon brushes do. Nylon brushes are definitely a no no for any type of hair, and in particular natural kinky hair. That old adage about a hundred strokes of brushing the hair doesn't apply today. A few strokes with the brush is all you really need. Only enough to get at the natural oils on your scalp and distribute them to the rest of your hair. So brush on baby, but take your time and don't overdo it.

Old Time Fresh from the Kitchen Hair Helpers

In the past I have used all kinds of things on my hair, to get that "perfect" head of hair. Well, as you can see from my postings, I'm still looking for good products that work. I have read so many articles from magazines that tout using things from the kitchen as moisturizers and conditioners from your very own kitchen. Egg yolks, mayonnaise and molasses for conditioning the hair and vinegar and baking soda for clarifying the hair etc. The list of things don't end. I have tried just about all of these things and had no noticeable difference in my hair at all. The only kitchen item that I frequently use on my hair is olive oil. I read an article some time ago where this woman, who had very thick and long hair, said that she used molasses on her hair as a conditioner. I tried the molasses thing, but didn't notice anything special about it either. I also have tried mashed avocado on my hair only to end up with a nasty mess to wash out of my hair. Maybe I need a food processor to finely blend the avocado or something. The vinegar hair rinse is okay to clarify your hair, but only if you regularly use a lot of product on your hair. I don't use a lot of product on my hair, and to date have only used a vinegar rinse once. I like to use a little gel on my hair and maybe a heavy moisturizer on occasion when I want a nicely slicked back hairstyle. I mostly concentrate on hair moisturizers and stuff like that because my hair can get dry very quickly. Lemons are also supposed to be good for the hair to remove buildup and make the hair shiny. Lemons can also be used to lighten the hair slightly in the summer months. You can use a q-tip to apply lemon juice to your hair and have nice highlights without dyeing the hair. I like the idea of using things from my kitchen to condition my hair etc.

The Cutting Edge on Sponge Rollers

On my previous post I put up information about making your own hair "donut" to style your hair in a bun. I have seen the sponge type of hair "donuts" at Salley Beauty Supply store and almost purchased one of these. Now I'm glad that I didn't, seeing that I can now make my own and have any color that I choose to have. I used to use sponge rollers when I was younger and thought that they were everything. I recently was watching a news program on television and saw an older woman and she had the nerve to have one sole pink sponge roller in her hair. I was mortified and couldn't believe what I was seeing. How are you going to get yourself up on television and have a pink sponge roller in your hair?? I guess some things never change. I remember when I used to use those same pink sponge rollers and would use them until they had totally flattened out and would get a very tight curl because they were so old. Sponge type rollers are very damaging to the hair by the way they are made. If you look closely at a sponge roller you can see the sharp edges that make them up. It looks almost like a honeycomb up close. A honeycomb full of sharp edges ready to attack your delicate hair and break it off. At the time that I was using them I guess nobody noticed this and thought that they were okay to use on your hair. They even came out with black sponge rollers and you know I bought some of them too. I think that I still have some sponge rollers in my possession until this very day. I then later went on to purchase hard rollers, with the tiny little spikes on them to grip the hair tightly when you roll it up. I swore by these rollers too. They made a nice curl, but were difficult to sleep in at night. In my opinion these types of rollers should only be worn in the hair during the day because they hurt the scalp when you sleep in them. I still have my hard rollers and sometimes use them. The things we women do to look nice for ourselves and you guys.

Dunkin's Got Nuthin on my "Donut"

As the summer months approach I usually like to have different hair styles to wear. A while ago I found some directions on how to make a hair "donut". Well, I tried it out and I made my own. A hair "donut" is a form you put on your hair after you make a ponytail so you can have a nice uniform bun. Buns are good for work or when you want or have to have a more professional type look to your natural hair. All hair types can use a "donut", just as all hair types can create a nice bun. So many times in the past when I used to hot comb straighten my hair, I used to try to make buns and always had an uneven or ratty looking bun. When you use something to hold the hair it always looks better. They sell "sponge donuts" at many beauty supply stores, but why settle for sponge, that can cut through your hair and damage it, when you can make your own. Below I'm going to give directions to make your own "donut" so when you want a nice bun you'll be ready to style it that way.

What you need: Two old socks or one sock and one stocking sock (which I use)

How to do it:
1)Cut off feet of socks/stocking sock.(bottom photo)
2)Turn both inside out, so it's right side out when finished.
3)Put one sock inside the other. If using a sock & stocking sock, put stocking sock inside of regular sock.(middle photo)
4)Hold both socks with your thumb & fore finger and begin to tightly roll both from bottom to top.
5)When you reach the top tuck in ends and there you have it, you own "donut" (top photo)

Natural Beneficial Botanicals for Hair

There are so many products marketed to hair that you don't know where to start and where to end. I am from the school of finding products that are both beneficial to the hair etc. and also not too expensive and that actually work. In my quest for beautiful natural hair, I have for the last two years, constantly tried out different products claiming they are all natural and all that and are supposed to be very good for the hair. Aura makes products that include botanicals like rosemary for the hair. I have one of their conditioners and I like it. It's cooling to the scalp and is good to the hair also. It's called Rosemary Mint conditioner or something like that. I used to look at a girl's web page and she always had nice looking hair and she said that she used Aura Cherry Bark conditioner, but I never tried that one, but will in the future. I know that botanicals like herbs and the like can do good for hair, but finding the right one or the right combination is what is a problem for me. I will find what I believe to be a good conditioner and use it and then either it stops working, or never works from the start. I found some helpful information about certain plants like horsetail and biotin, which are supposed to be good for the hair. Sometimes when I'm purchasing products I try to look for certain things in them, so that even if the product isn't very good, at least it has something beneficial in it. I like to look for Aloe and things like biotin and even silicone, because they usually work for me. As far as taking biotin by mouth, I won't do that again. I once took this as a supplement because all over the Net they touted this as a miracle supplement for both hair growth and hair retention. I took it and after I took it about a few weeks, it made my skin break out. I didn't like that aspect of it at all. I stopped taking it and decided to not take it by mouth anymore. Some vitamins and supplements can be powerful and you have to be careful what you take and how much you take. When I take something I've never taken before I take the minimal dose that I can get away with and still have some kind of results. I do take vitamin supplements everyday and have for as long as I can remember. My mother used to make us kids take vitamins when we were young. She used to give us this liquid type vitamin that tasted awful. I couldn't stand it, but she made us take it anyway. So many products for one head of hair, mine. So my quest continues for the perfect product(s) for my hair.

More Good Stuff

I recently trimmed the ends of my hair and almost immediately I could feel a difference in how my hair felt. I had been meaning to do it for some time, but couldn't find the time because of my work schedule. Now my hair looks a bit better and feels better to the touch. Those split and uneven ends were not good at all and I'm glad they're gone. I am thinking of a very funny story about something that happened when I was younger, but I think I'll share it another time though. Anyway, today is St. Patrick's Day, so happy St. Patty's Day to everybody, Irish or not. I should have played the lottery and picked 317 as my number. I'm lazy too today, I don't have on my green. I remember when I was in Catholic high school, we always wore something green to school to honor St. Patrick's Day because everybody was Irish that day. Well, back to hair, I still am looking for a product that will tame my hair whenever I want to set it 'and forget it'. I used one product that I thought was just dreadful. I can't even remember the name of the product, but it was to set your hair nevertheless. This product smelled awful and was flaky and didn't live up to its promises on the bottle. Whenever I find the product I will update this post with the name of the product. I'm not an expert on products, but I will say if I like a product or dislike one. I had high hopes for this product and thought it would work, but it didn't. When I took my hair out, it was a mess. A ridiculous mess. I wasted my time and my money. There has to be some good products out there for setting natural hair that don't make the hair look like a jherri curl. I know some people like those types of products that they apply to the hair to make "curls" and it's all good, just not too good for what I have in mind for how I'd like my hair to look.

Gentlemen's Quarterly

I've talked a lot on this blog about hair and other things, but haven' discussed the guys. Lord knows I do love you all and haven't forgotten any of you. A well groomed man is something to fatten up a woman's eyes. Being well dressed doesn't hurt either. I always did like a man in a suit with some nice shoes. Casual clothes are good too, but a man in a suit always makes me do a double take. Hubba Hubba, bowing down to the suited gentleman. I don't know if it was the fact that growing up I always saw guys in suits as mysterious or something. I remember when I was a teenager I used to be in a club. Clubs back in the day were the thing. Me and my club sisters always liked to go clubbing with other clubs and my club even gave some dances too. We also had a brother club and the guys were always dressed pretty nice for teenagers. They used to wear gabardine, silken wools, nice shirts and SHOES. Not sneex mind you, and these were teenage boys around 15, 16 & 17. They used to wear Kangol caps too, and that's when they weren't even that popular. I still can remember seeing the guys walking around looking nice and dressed nice. I remember two of the guys who had red Kangol caps and us sisters used to call them the red cap duet. They used to get mad at us for calling them that. What happened to young men like this?? Now I'm not stupid and I know young guys like to be comfortable and the like, and express themselves with their clothing, and I don't have a problem with that, but they should sometimes make an effort to dress up once in a while. I know back in the day when my mother took us kids in town to Center City we had to have on dresses and patent leather shoes and nice socks and gloves. Whatever happened to all that? Our hair was neatly combed and we had to be on our p's & q's. We had to act like little ladies because my mother wouldn't stand for nothing less than that. God rest her soul, that woman is a saint I tell you. I know she would be turning in her grave if she saw me wearing sneex, which I wear all the time for comfort, since I once tore tendons in my foot and still have some problems. My mother didn't own a pair of sneakers and didn't own pants either. Anyway, I'm still paying homage to a suited man and a some muscles doesn't hurt either. Sexy, Sexy. Damn! Woo Hoo! Smacking my lips on hickory chips...That's me being a little cuckoo. See what you suited gentlemen do to me?

Hair Color & Coloring

Hair color is something you get from mom and dad. In other words its hereditary. I have naturally dark hair(darkest brown) but have colored my hair throughout the years. It lightens up a little bit in the summer months and I like that too. I used to use Clairol Ultra Blue hair dye back in the day because that was the in thing among my friends in school etc. This particular hair dye was supposed to lighten the hair to a blond shade that then could be further manipulated with a tint to get the color you desired. I always kept a box of this dye around. I would lighten my hair in strategic places since that was the style then. I then went on to discover Henna. This was supposed to be a natural type hair colorant that was beneficial to the hair. I used henna a few times, but didn't find it that great. It used to come in either a box or tin can. It was a powder and you mixed in water to get a paste you then were supposed to apply to your hair. I tried both types, box and can and the results were the same, so so. The color was okay, but I never did see where the conditioning part came in. It was sloppy to use and you had to leave it in your hair for a good while if you wanted to really see the color. The colors were usually darker to red colors. I used to get the brown tones and they didn't make much difference in my hair color as far as I was concerned. When mixed it looked like a bowl of soft mud. It didn't have any unusual smell to it though. You gloped in your head and waited and then was supposed to have nice highlights. I found that it usually dried out my hair a lot, because at the time I was relaxing my hair. People still use this and swear by it. I also heard that beets are good for tinting the hair too. I color the little gray I have in my hair from time to time. I used to let it stay and then got tired of it and began to color it. Most of my gray hairs are towards the front of my hair, on the hairline. Look, I didn't start the movement of dying gray hair I just go along with the program. Gray hair looks awesome on some people. I have seen many women and men with a full head of gray hair that look wonderful. I find I don't look as good with gray hair because I have a somewhat youthful face and it doesn't go good with a lot of gray hair. I sometimes use a color stick, which is great when you're in a hurry and didn't have the time to color the gray. There are all types of hair dyes on the market and they all work pretty good. I one time bought jet black hair dye and colored my entire head of hair. I was washing black soot out of my hair for the longest time. Every time I washed my hair, more dye was released. It was a mess. I promised myself I would never do that again. That dye was a semi-permanent type dye and I thought I looked ridiculous with jet black hair. I like my jet brown hair better. Nowadays when I want color to my hair, I buy a wig. I can change it in a snap if I happen to not like it. I have posted photos of Jennifer Lopez & Star Jones Reynolds above because they have what I believe is beautifully colored hair. Both of these women show how to wear a lighter hair color that compliments their style and skin tones. Nuff said.

Natural Eyebrows vs Arched Eyebrows

I am always forever plucking my eyebrows. I like doing this because I like my eyebrows to be perfectly arched at all times. If I could, I'd pluck them everyday. I was plucking them yesterday while holed up doing jury duty and I got quite a few looks while I plucked away. There's nothing mystical about plucking eyebrows or anything else for that matter. I sometimes pluck a wayward facial hair from time to time also. I'll get one really long ugly squiggly hair on my chin every so often and I got to get rid of it. I used to have very thick uneven eyebrows when I was younger and didn't know what to do with it. I take that from my very hairy grandfather, whose eyebrows looked like you could comb them. I recall one time long ago when I was around 15 or 16 years of age and I was outside talking with a good friend of mine and she looked up at my eyebrows and frowned. She went on to ask me why did I shave my eyebrows the way I did. I didn't shave them at all because that's just the way they grew in, wild, untamed and uneven. I think this friend of mine made me want to have nice eyebrows. We were always good buddies in school and also at home. I saw this person about two years ago and we talked for a long time and I gave her my number, but she never got back to me. She was always a nice person to me and I like her to this very day. Hope to see her again soon. Anyway I think she kind of inspired me to think about my eyebrows and to this very day I pluck away. I love plucking other people's eyebrows too you know. Man, woman, come one, come all and I'll pluck your eyebrows for you. Ha Ha. I even convinced my daughter to let me pluck her eyebrows one time. I had been eying her very thick eyebrows forever and wanted to pluck them for her badly. She was very afraid to have them plucked and wouldn't let me do them for the longest time. I begged and begged for a few years until finally she allowed me one time to pluck them. Well, she was so impressed with the look that she is a devoted "plucker" like me. Hell, her eyebrows look better than mine! I have converted a few people to plucking their eyebrows to clean them up and let them look nicer. That initial fear of pain soon is replaced with wanting to have the eyebrows looking good. I started shaving my eyebrows with a straight razor for the longest time because I was a bit frightened of the pain that plucking would cause. My oldest sister was also a devoted "plucker" and one day she came to see the family and noticed my very shaved up looking eyebrows and told me that I should pluck out the hairs instead of shaving because I might permanently damage the area around the eyebrows with frequent shaving. I didn't listen to her right away and continued shaving my eyebrows for some time until one day I was looking in the mirror after washing my face and the area around my eyebrows looked like it was covered with fine sand. After my face dried the area looked plain awful, like I had used a grater on the area. There were little bumps and nicks and the like and I got scared and decided to give in and start to pluck them instead of shaving them. I let my eyebrows grow in completely and waited a few more weeks for the area to heal completely. There was some pain, but after I finished and and redness went away I was blown away. I really liked the look and have been happily plucking away for years now. I sometimes over pluck and have to wait for them to grow back in and then repluck to get the look that I want. Thick eyebrows are fine for men, but in my opinion, not a good thing for the ladies. Clean up your eyebrows ladies and instantly your face will look a little better.

Some Do's & Dont's

I always had a healthy interest into hair and anything that would create healthier hair, skin or nails, since these three things are what people see first when they meet or see you. I have a particular interest in skincare because so many people, both women and men, are putting so many things on and into their skin. The Botox craze has me continually puzzled. It costs a bundle and nobody really knows the long term risks of using this sort of thing. Also, the way a person looks when they have just gotten an injection of botox is very odd looking. Their faces look puffy and unnatural. Sometimes I will be watching a television program only to see someone I haven't seen in a while up on the screen and immediately I'm wondering why they look so different. I guess to each his own. I realize that in this youth driven society, people will do whatever it takes to keep their youthful looks and figures. Now I'm from the old school advice that I received from my mother to always look good, but don't believe I am ready to buy into the botox craze. You know my mother always wore a little makeup at all times. She always used to tell me that you never know who you are going to see when you go out. She would say that you might just see somebody you haven't seen in a while and you don't want to look bad. Even in her later years, she was concerned with how she looked. She was an incredible person. Anyway, I never leave the house without lipstick. I can pass on the other stuff like foundation, powder, mascara and blush, but not on lipstick. I feel naked without a little something on my mouth. I try out all kinds of lipsticks all the time and currently am liking a nice red shade that I recently bought. I never liked red lipstick or nail polish, but wear it occasionally now. I once got a make over at one of the counters at Macy's some time back and didn't like what I saw. The lady gave me some tips on what colors that would suit my skin tone, but I didn't like the way I looked with a full face of makeup. I love the Chanel makeup counter at Macy's and always stop by to see what they have new. I used to use a facial cream that worked like a charm from Chanel, but I think it's discontinued now. The last time I cruised the Chanel counter a very nice lady there gave me some samples of the products and gave me an invitation to show they were having, but work schedules did not allow me to attend and I'm sorry I couldn't go. I like makeup and need to learn how to apply it correctly. I remember one time I applied some makeup to my face thinking I had it down pat because I had read an article in a magazine showing how to apply makeup. I have the photo of that makeup job and will one day post it. I looked like Bozo the Clown. Ha Ha. I was way to heavy handed with the blush and eye shadow. Funny funny is all I say about how I looked and maybe that's why I don't use a lot of makeup today. I've posted a photo of Bozo the Clown above so you can see how I thought I looked.

When Will Hair Haters Learn?

I honestly would like to know when hair haters will give it a rest. I guess never. Seems like a few hair haters have all the time in the world to be on the internet and wreak havoc on sites and all. I don't know what they get from their actions, but they are to be pitied. Anytime you find someone who is so disgruntled with themselves and their family and friends etc. that it hits to the core of who they are, you get a hater. I have always wondered why some people are this way. Maybe it's a way of calming their own fears and anxieties that make them want to do underhanded things like put up fake hair websites with the hopes that people will flock to their convoluted websites so that they can show just how infantile they really are. I know people who are so infantile and who hate themselves so much that they are always putting things up on the net for shock value. Instead of getting the help they so desperately need, they instead are hate filled mongers. The truth is that hate stems from fear. Sometimes if we as people would take a look at ourselves and really have some sort of introspective thoughts about ourselves and our lives, the world would turn on it's axis the way God intended it to. Hating someone accomplishes NOTHING. The only thing that hate creates in someone from my opinion is a person who is sad, lonely and pathetic. I know people like this. A trip to your local church for a good confession might help some. Negative thoughts and hate will never produce the results you think they will. Hate will ultimately destroy the one who hates. This is something that came to mind and I thought I would share it with my readers.

Where Would We Be Withouth Hair?

Here are representations of all types of hair since I am hoping all types of people will read my blog. Hair is an interesting topic indeed because it brings out a range of emotions in people. I remember as a child when one of my sisters had a vest that had hanging fringe on it and me playing around with it and acting like it was my hair. I would put it on my head and swing it around and pretend I was singing on stage. That was the good old days. I don't understand why hair is so important, but when I think about it I know its important. I remember many times trying new relaxers back in the day and them burning my hair out until only a few strands of over processed hair was left on my head. I even went to a beauty shop and had my hair relaxed a few times. One time I went to an older Black lady who probably was more familiar with using a hot comb as opposed to chemicals to straighten hair. If I can remember correctly I think she used the new relaxer that had just come out that claimed that you didn't have to "smooth" the hair and get beautiful results. I think it was called French Perm by Revlon. She put the relaxer in my hair and was assuring me that my hair was going to be looking so nice and I believed her. She didn't smooth the relaxer and washed it out of my hair and then blow dried my hair afterwards. The whole time I was thinking that she should have smoothed my hair since my hair was resistant and coarse. She gave me a mirror to look at my hair after she had relaxed it and I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't say anything to her and left. When I got home I looked at my hair in the mirror under a good light and it was the same way before it was relaxed, tightly coiled and nappy. I was beside myself. I paid her $30 dollars and this is what I got? The next day I went to the BSS (beauty supply store) and bought my usual relaxer and re-relaxed the mess she left and my hair promptly fell out. I'll never forget that. See, hair woes again. I had bald spots on my hair and was so disappointed that I wore a wig until my hair grew back in. The reason I posted the different photos above is to say that hair is beautiful no matter what type, thickness, etc. you have. For us women, hair is our crowning glory. I don't know of a woman or man for that matter, who doesn't fret frequently about their hair. To think that something dead could garner so much pressure is unbelievable. I didn't invent the love of hair or hairstyles, but I do play the game. In my opinion, people should love their hair no matter what type of hair they have. To me "good" hair is hair that is properly conditioned and looks good. Good meaning it doesn't have a lot of split ends and is clean and conditioned properly.

Can I Get A Wittness

I'm wondering can I get a shout out from the peanut gallery concerning shrinking hair? There are people who do not have this problem. I will stretch my hair and it's long and when I wash it, it looks like a pulled in Slinky(photo to the left). I guess people know what a Slinky is, but if you don't: (you know I'm gonna tell you) A slinky was an old time toy that I had as a youngster. It's made out of metal and coiled tightly and you can make it do tricks and so on. Here's a story for you: I remember when I was younger wanting a Slinky so bad. When my mother finally relented and bought this contraption for me guess what?? I thought I was going to re-invent that Slinky and make it do things nobody else could make it do and I completely twisted it up. You should have seen that Slinky and what I did to it. It was twisted, mangled and looked like a crazy person had used it. I was devistated about ruining my new Slinky. Ha Ha. I still think about that Slinky from time to time. I think I'm going to get me a new Slinky one of these days because it's a great toy. Well, back to hair, what I was trying to say is the shrinkability of tightly coiled hair can be a problem when you are trying to achieve certain styles. I'm going to post a photo of my freshly washed hair looking like a dozen Slinkys. I knew someone who did not have hair that shrank and I couldn't believe this woman's hair. When she washed her hair it just stayed the way it was before she washed it. She had a baby fine texture and it just stayed out and didn't shrink. I'm going to invent a product that when you wash your hair it doesn't shrink. Well, good luck to me. There are numerous products on the market that are supposed to "tame" unruly and tightly coiled hair, but none of them really seem to work. I have so many things that I have tried and been disappointed with. These products only coat the hair and make you believe that they are improving the condition of your hair. I probably could retire on the money that I have spent on products that did not work or worked minimally. Well, I keep looking for good products for my hair and will continue to do so until I find what works and keeps working.

My New Wig

I bought a new nice wig last week, but haven't worn it yet. It's a really hot looking wig. It is a lighter color wig than I usually wear and I'm going to be kicking it live with this one. Hope the haters don't come out in droves when I wear this wig. You know I see so many types of wigs being worn by women and that's a good thing. It used to be that haters were waiting for you when you wore a wig. I was watching an episode of one of the court shows on television the other day and saw an interesting case. There was a woman who said she had bought one of those lace front wigs from a lady who didn't deliver on the wig she thought she was going to get. The judge went on to ask the woman being accused of giving the defendant a wig she didn't order, about the "wig". The defendant insisted that she referred to the wig as a "hair system." What? Hair system? Oh, I see. When people in Hollywood wear these "wigs" they are not really wigs, they're "hair systems." The last time I checked, anything on your head that is supposed to be hair and is a full cap and is not growing out of your scalp IS a wig. Call it for what it is. I would like to know how wigs came about. I believe that even in ancient times women wore wigs. Ancient Egyptian wall paintings show women in what appears to be wigs. Wigs have always been a part of history if you think about it. Even early presidents wore powdered wigs. In England, even today, judges still wear wigs. Like I said in a previous post I always wore wigs and didn't care what anybody thought about it. I had some ridiculous wigs throughout the years too. I bought this one wig one time that was sort of an auburn & strawberry blond mix and decided to wear it out one day. I knew I was so fine in this particular wig. My daughter broke my bubble big time when she came home from work and said "Hi Tina!" What?? She had the nerve to say my wig looked like Tina Turner, and then went on to sing her rendition of Proud Mary. She made me so mad that I didn't even know what I was saying as I started to give her a few choice words. It makes me laugh when I remember that day. I have always been interested in different color wigs, but never seem to find one that compliments my skin tone that is on the lighter side. Maybe I'll have to become rich and then I can have my wigs custom made like Beyonce and the other women in Hollywood.

Hair Typing Woes

After my last post I am putting up this one concerning hair typing and why some people are so overly concerned with hair typing and hair typing systems. I just got finished reading some posts on nappturality.com concerning hair typing and thought I would put my two cents in on my own blog. Some people posted comments that said that some people do not know what type of hair they have etc. All heads have multiple hair types and the majority of people have a few different hair types on their heads. I was a bit perplexed to read some of the posts from people who said that people try to "upgrade" the texture of their hair or that they have a different type of hair than what their photo looks like. Who cares?? Hair typing systems are only as an index so you have somewhere to start from to get helpful information to style your hair. Just like it's impossible to count every strand on your head, it's probably almost impossible to exactly type your hair correctly. Other than going to an experienced hair stylist who is educated in hair types, the only way anyone can type their hair is to look at other people's photographs and their self stated hair types and compare your hair to theirs to try to figure out what type of hair you have. If someone believes they have a hair type and you view a photo of their hair and you happen to disagree with the type of hair they say they have, what do you gain from that?? Nothing. Now I wasn't born yesterday and I know that some people will try to "upgrade", that is say they have type 3 hair when in reality they have type 4, but so what? Hair has always been a hot bed of conversation for a long time and probably will be for years to come. As far as I'm concerned, unless you are right there with the person and you can closely examine their hair there is no way you can tell accurately what type of hair someone has. In addition to the type of hair you have to take into consideration the thickness and texture also. There are many people with 4A/B/C type hair who have a baby fine texture and their hair will appear to be more "curly" or "wavy" looking than someone with a thicker or more coarse texture. I have personally cornrowed the hair of a guy who had what appeared to be "good" hair only to have the hardest time trying to cornrown his hair because it was so thick and coarse. I would estimate that he had type 3b/3c hair just looking at it, but it was very very coarse and unruly and difficult to handle. There are people all over the internet who are very concerned with hair, but only in a negative type way. They may have a little curl or wave pattern to their hair, and they believe that if your hair isn't as "nice" as theirs, then something is wrong with your hair. I remember when I was younger having a neighbor hate on my hair because I didn't have the same texture of hair like one of my sister's. I bet that person is reading this blog right now! Hate on hater. My sister has baby fine wavy type hair and me on the other hand have coarse kinky type hair. And what?? This hater had the nerve to tell me I didn't have hair like my sister. SO?????? Well, this hater didn't either! This hater was trying to hate on my hair when the hater's hair was more nappy than mine! Now that's really stupid. I never told anybody that I had my sister's hair. This particular hater was always jealous and envious of me and my family and is to this very day! I bet that same hater and some family members still are using "creamy crack" (relaxers) while they hate on everybody's hair. I personally know people who talk through both sides of their mouths. They will talk a good game about the beauty of natural hair and being Black and so forth, only to get up on their soapbox to crow about their curls & waves, as if the fact that they have what is known in the Black community as "good hair" makes them something they are not. You'll see them with a truckload of Dippity Do on their hair, knowing well they were in that mirror for a whole hour brushing their hair back to slick it down. Don't be a hypocrite. Hair has always and always will be individual. Anyone who wishes to alter their hair to please anyone other than themselves, I feel sorry for. If you are happy with your texture, style, type of hair then that is all that should matter. There will always be people who do not like your hair or hairstyle, but that's their problem and not yours. It's very easy to point the finger at someone and ruminate about their hair, whether you like it or you don't. But at the end of the day it's still your hair and not anyone else's.

4A-4C Tightly Coiled Hair Information

Here is some general information for types 4A thru 4C hair. My hair I believe, is a mixture of 4A, 4B & 3C. The front, crown and middle perimeter of my hair is 4B & 4A. The nape & the sides are 3C. After washing my hair it is tightly coiled and shrunken. I use a lot of conditioner when I conditioner wash because my hair is thick. I comb out my hair in the shower when it it full of conditioner to cut down on damage and hair loss. I use a wide tooth comb to comb out tangles in the shower. I try not to sweat too much about the amount of hair in the comb because sometimes my hair has been braided for a few days before taking it down for a shampoo and conditioner and I know more hair is going to be in the comb if I haven't combed it for a few days. If you want to know more about shed hair in your brush or comb you can pull a few hairs out of either your comb or brush and examine them closely. If you see a little white bulb on the end of the hair strand, then that is natural shedding of your hair and not breakage. What you have to look out for is a lot of short pieces of hair without the white bulb on the end when you comb or brush because that could indicate breakage. And do not be fooled into thinking that because your hair is natural that you will not have breakage. That's a fallacy, that natural hair doesn't break off. If you do start to notice more breakage than usual, then check out what you have been applying to your hair and how you have been handling your hair. You may need to change up your hair routine some to stop breakage. You may need a good trimming of ends also. As I have said before, hair grows differently on each head. Some people have fast hair growth and some slow. How and when you decide to trim your hair depends on the growth and whether you have a lot of split ends and/or damage to your hair. How I trim my hair is I usually twist and trim. I will twist my hair and trim each twist when I finish the twist. Nappturality.com has some good information on Type 4 hair.

More Good Products & Cheapies

I should have posted about this product before but didn't so now I will. I find White Rain products to be good and cheap. I don't use the shampoos, but I do use the conditioners. I have two different conditioners by White Rain and like them both. In a pinch I used the Ocean Mist conditioner on my hair as a leave-in type conditioner and it worked good. I also use the Energizing Citrus to conditioner wash from time to time. I rotate my conditioners that I use to conditioner wash and do general conditioning to my hair. If you like a lot of smell to your hair after conditioning, then this brand of conditioner delivers. The Ocean Mist is quite perfumey and the smell lasts a while. The only problem I sometimes have with using conditioners as leave-ins is sometimes they make my scalp itch or I find that I'm allergic to them. After using the Ocean Mist my hair felt nicely conditioned and moisturized. There are no 'cones' (silicone) in these two conditioners, but they do have some herbal extracts like seaweed, chamomile & aloe extracts in the Ocean Mist. I don't feel like I'm throwing money down the drain when I use White Rain products because they are so inexpensive.

Something For Your Funny Bone

From time to time I'm going to include something funny on my blog like a funny clip or whatever I can find funny on the net. Here is something funny from one of the funniest shows on TV, Crank Yankers. Enjoy. NOTE: This video is available. Press on big arrow to see video)

Crank Yankers
Get More: Comedy Central,Funny Videos,Funny TV Shows

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

One of my favorite things to put on my hair is EVOO. I got that name from one of my favorite people in the world, Rachel Ray. I just love her. She can cook on a shoestring and quickly. I know, I know, this is supposed to be a blog about hair, but from time to time I'll put up other things for entertainment or informational purposes. I like to cook and always wished I could cook. I sure try to from time to time. I can eat my own cooking and that's half the battle. Anyway, extra virgin olive oil is one of the best things on the market both for cooking and for the hair. I buy it by the gallon cans. I get the ones imported from Italy that are first cold pressed. All olive oils are not created equal. When I go to the supermarket and see some of the stuff on the shelves in the olive oil aisle my head is spinning. They have all types of olive oil out there. If you cook with olive oil and buy a bottle of first cold pressed virgin oil, you're going to taste the difference right away. Your hair is going to "taste" the difference also. You don't need to use a lot of olive oil on your hair either for good results. I have thick hair and usually use about two quarter sized dollops of olive oil on my hair. It's relatively cheaper that some of the very expensive conditioners on the market that do not work on hair anyway. I sometimes cruise the shampoo/conditioner aisles in stores and look at the products they offer and see more of the same all the time. The more things change, the more they stay the same.