The Hair Journey: Bantu Knots

Hey hey hey!!! I've added a new style to my repertoire! Bantu knots!!

I wasn't sure how they were going to turn out (I've done them before with longer hair), but I needed another protective style to wear since I've noticed some breakage (especially in the front). 

Bantu knots are named after the African tribe called the Bantu.  The Bantu is described as many African tribes that speak Bantu languages.  The geography of where the Bantu lived spans from central Africa to southern Africa.  Countries like: Zimbabwe, the Congo, Tanzania, South Africa and Malawi, all have inhabitants that considered themselves to be Bantu.  Bantu means: people. 

The hairstyle consists of hair that is twisted into a coil reminiscent of a "knot".  It's a popular hairstyle for women with natural hair and quite easy to do.  Take a look at how I achieved my new look!

What I used: 
Soil pomade
Large tooth comb
Shea butter
Spray bottle
My hubby's hands/fingers (since he did it!) Big Up!! :)

Method:
1 - I started with damp hair
2 - parted hair with fingers into sections
3 - combed out each section and applied shea butter and soil pomade
4 - twisted into coils
5 - kept the knots in all night(covered with satin) and released them in the morning

Total time: 35 minutes



Fresh Bantu knots (from all angles)



Released Bantu knots

You can see that the coil pattern of the released knots is not very uniform.  I'm sure that has something to do with how each knot was created.  I'm okay with the non uniformity.  It's kind of funky!



Released Bantu knots

The next step I'll take is puling each released knot apart to create a curly fro.  For now, I'll leave these in for the next few days.  At night I  re-coil the really big ones with the least spiral and cover with a satin cap/scarf. Very low maintenance for sure!

More to come!

Peace and love!

The Hair Journey - Sealy Twist Up Do

I have come up with another style for my growing tresses.  This is the second up do I've created with my hair since the growing process started.  It's always so exciting to be able to put a pin in it.  It breathes growth into the atmosphere!! :) I love changing my hair styles and with certain lengths it's not that easy to do. 

I call this style the Sealy Twist up do based on the thickness of the twists...and it makes me smile! I know you Color Purple fans out there can relate! Here is the process:


Step 1 -  Twist.  Yes...I'm looking real soulful in that bonnet...You should be glad I like you guys!! I'm showing you my private morning moments! :)

 

 Step 2 - Pin the back, leave the front top and front side twist down.

 

 Step 3 - Release the top front and side twists.  Then fluff and tease to add volume.

 

 

 

 

What do you think? I'm loving it! 

Peace and love!

The Hair Journey: Tress Update #10

Hi Folks! The end of 2013 is upon us and I wanted to share my last Tress Update for the year.  Today I wore what I call the Free Flo Fro.  Sounds fun right? Well I picked out my freshly washed hair and did not pat my curls into a smooth shape as per the regular Flo Fro.  I just let it  all hang out!

 My current hair regimen:
1. Wash with Dr. Bronner's Castille Tea Tree Oil Soap (LOVE IT)!
2. Condition with Beautiful Curls leave in conditioner (I partially wash it out)
3. Apply plain raw shea butter to hair while still damp to lock in the moisture (this softens my hair like you would not believe!)
4. Apply tea tree and rosemary oils (diluted with grapeseed oil) on my scalp (not pictured)
5. Style as desired. 
6. Depending on the flavor of the week (my hair style) I may wash it bi-weekly and co-wash once per week.

My curls are glorius!!!!!! I'm in LOVE with my naturally kinky curls!  Before I started this growing process I liked my hair.  Now I LOVE my hair.  I feel more in tune with what's necessary to have a healthy head of hair. I am educated on what my hair needs and that empowers me to make it happen! I also  LOVE the fact that most of the ingredients I'm using are simple and NATURAL. 

 

Recap of 2013:
In 2013 I've experimented with  a lot of styles and products.  Some products were good...and some...not so good! But that's a part of the journey.  Learning what works best for YOU.  YOU are your own hair guru.  No one should know your hair better than you.  See how my hair has grown this year??


What's next?  MORE HAIR!!!!! :)


Peace and blessings!

The Hair Journey: Tress Update #9

It's been 9 or 10 months since I've had a hair cut! My hair is growing nicely, but in the back of my mind, I feel like it should be longer by now.  It seems twice as thick as before...and I'm loving my extended Flo Fro!

Extended Flo Fro - front view

Extended Flo Fro - side view

The return of the Fungus:
Unfortunately I dropped the ball on my apple cider vinegar treatments to help thwart my fungus friends......and It's baaa-aaaack! So I'm back on the program.  This fungus fight is a long term initiative.  Gotta stay on it...or it comes back! 

What I'm using on my hair:
I decided to take a break on the wash and go since I was having a hard time finding products that provided the curls I liked....remember the weird  Jheri curl look?? LOL! I've stuck to just using plain shea butter for my hair and tea tree and rosemary oils for my scalp. 

How I've been styling my hair:
Lately I've resorted to twist outs, chunky afro and head wraps.

 

The Chunky fro



A Styling Frenzy!

Hi Folks!  One of the reasons I LOVE my natural hair is the versatility of styles I can create.  I'm the type of person who likes VARIETY! I like variety in my food, clothes, shoes, home décor, and exercise programs. Variety is the spice of life and I like it SPICY! So....I've been trying various styles and products over the last few weeks that help me cope with my growing tresses and the "in between" stages.  Each style expresses my mood or state of mind on that particular day.

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LOOK #1 - The first style is a wash and go with another curl enhancing product: As I Am - Curl Defining Jelly. It behaves similar to the Kinky Curly curling custard.  The main difference was that it dried within 4-5 hours - but left a white crunchy residue on my curls.  State of mind that day: tired...just needed a quick, presentable look.

 

Ingredients: water, aloe extract, beet root extract, glycerin, hydroxyethlycellulose, xanthan gum, pectin, acid, potassium sorbate, diazolidiny Urea (who?), Iodopropynyl butylcaramate (say what?) fragrance and limonene....

 

The texture is like jelly...goopy like the Kinky Curly custard

 

Right after application.  The instructions said to apply while dripping wet. 

2 hours after application....still wet......but curls are cute

8 hours after application....not wet.....but it looks wet....the curls were defined, but crunchy to the touch

Not too pleased with the crunch...yes that is smudged eye make up....It was a LONG day!

Crunch and white  residue...yes....it's dry....maybe I used too much?  But the curls were well defined.  Any less and I would have been looking like Django again...not sure if this product is for me.....
 

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LOOK #2 - The second style is an updo....yes...you heard me I pinned these curls up! :) Check it out! State of mind that day: "I need something new and different!"

 

Front view of the up do (check out my rhyming skills)

Side view

Other side

Other side again...with a peek of the fro on top...

Back/top view - nope...it's not too short to pin up! :)

View from the top

Another back view...the flat twists in the back were challenging due to the various lengths of hair.  I had to redo them twice. In total it took about 25 minutes to complete this look.

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LOOK #3 - This third look is my Flo Fro that has been washed, buttered (shea butter) picked and patted smooth while still damp (damp hair conforms better than dry - plus I can pick it out easier and prevent damage/breakage).  State of mind that day: easy freedom!

The smooth Flo Fro!

Side view

Close up!





 

The Hair Journey: Finally! Dry Scalp and Fungus Free!!

Hi Folks -

I've never been worried about hair growth..it's always grown quite well...but what has worried/concerned  me is the dry scalp/fungal issues I've been experiencing for YEARS!

I am happy to report that since I've been on the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)/aloe vera gel regimen I have been free of the fungus!!

I am in a really down mood this evening...have you ever had a headache that just WILL NOT quit? Well that's me tonight. I'm in pain...but I have to share this  success story about my hair!

The process:
1. I sprayed ACV (diluted with water) on my hair for 1 week.  Kept it in overnight covered with a shower cap. 

2. Most of the time I DID NOT rinse my hair in the morning.  I just sprayed the aloe vera mixture on my hair, applied tea tree oil (diluted with jojoba oil) on my scalp and locked in the moisture with plain shea butter.

ACV

Shea butter

Aloe vera gel

The result:
1.  As I stated in the beginning of this post, I am fungus free (based on what I can see with my naked eye meaning no visible scaling).  

2.  I have not had any extreme itchy episodes (including when I was rocking the Mohawk). No major flakes falling and no burning. Plus the white spots that were starting to form on my forehead are gone!

3.  My hair felt nice and moist until about noon...then it felt dry.  But when I ran my fingers through it, it wasn't as dry as I thought.  So some moisture was being retained.

4.  I am a happy camper! Loving the fungus free experience! And loving the fact that I'm finding a good process to keep my hair clean and moisturized.

I will continue to use this process for my hair.  And I LOVE the fact that I did not have to spend a heap of money on products!

What natural elements are you putting in your hair?

Peace and blessings!