12/31/08

Listen To Your Hair

My friend's cousin saw my pics on Facebook and wanted to know how I maintained my natural hair. When I was a loose nappy, I tried to keep my products as natural as possible. That didn't always happen, but I kept it simple and listened to what my hair told me to do. I will still follow those same rules with my soon-to-be braidlocs.

Scalp: Hey, Heffa! I know you see us peeling. And I KNOW you feel us itching up here.

Me: Fine. Fine. *pours Apple Cider Vinegar in sink with warm water and dunks head in it*

Hair: Ummm. Did you forget about us too?

Me: Nope. You're next! *hops in shower with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint castille soap or Hugo Naturals Red Tea & Ylang Ylang shampoo*

Hair: *Singing* Ain't nobody dope as me I'm just so fresh so clean. But ummmm errr uhhh... We're thirsty!

Me: Here! *throws Oyin Honey Hemp Conditioner on them* This should do ya. Now can I get back to shaving my legs, please?

Hair: You've got 10 minutes. Make it snappy.

As you can glean from my somewhat crazy skit above, your hair will tell you what it needs (in much less overt ways I hope). If it's filthy and your scalp is itching, please take care of that situation quickly. Walking around with a dirty head full of flakes is neither natural nor cute! If it's dry and brittle, more than likely it needs moisture. Start with water and some olive oil. You can work your way up from there.

Anyhoooo... Caring for natural hair, or anything new for that matter, takes some trial and error. And, like I've said in my original post on here, what works for me may not necessarily work for you. When I started, I used things I found in my kitchen. I've ventured off to some commercially made products, but I find the kitchen stuff still works just fine. The next few posts will be dedicated to what I have used successfully and not so successfully. Don't be afraid to try new things. If it doesn't work for you, then at least you know what to do differently the next time.

Next up... Cleansing

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