The Versatility of Black Hair

I had my hair relaxed for the first time in 3rd grade, I believe. The last time I relaxed my hair, I was 19 years old. The decision to never have a relaxer again wasn't one that I contemplated on for very long. I was about 21 when I made the decision. For two years I kept my hair braided or twisted. As I kept taking them down and combing out my hair, I thought to myself, I look good with a fro. It was then that I realized how versatile my hair can be, and I loved it!

I never knew how confined I was when it came to having relaxed hair because it was all I knew, aside from single braids or cornrows. Relaxing my hair meant having my hair chemically straightened. The relaxer, which was about the consistency of mayonnaise or a thick conditioner was something that could burn your scalp. Because of this, I couldn't scratch my head a week before getting it relaxed or "touched up." This could cause the relaxer to get into the open sore, burn, and create scabs - of which I always had. I couldn't get my hair wet. Water would cause my hair to crinkle or "kink up." When washing my hair every week, I had to wrap or roll it with rollers and sit under the hair dryer. I hated sitting under the hair dryer. Still do. Or, I could blow dry it or use a flat iron to get it as straight as possible. Sure, I could curl it with a curling iron as well, but that was about it. Even if I wanted my hair braided, I was told to wait until I had new growth so that the braids would have something kinky to hold on too, as opposed to the sleek straightened hair. 

During the two years I kept my hair braided and twisted, I kept noticing my afro. After coming to the conclusion that I could rock an afro with complete confidence, I realized that if I relaxed my hair again, I wouldn't be able to wear an afro. I also realized I could get my hair braided when ever I wanted and not have to wait for my kinky hair to grow out before doing so. Lastly, I realized if I wanted my hair straight, I would just get it pressed. I didn't need to have a chemical on my hair to straighten it, and I could still wear any style I wanted to. 

Once I decided to start taking care of my hair, I looked to the internet to find out how. I also found several new hair styles I wasn't aware of. two strand twists, flat twists, twist outs, braid outs, coils, up-dos, even how to give my hair the "spiral curl" look, and the look of having big soft curls, all with out the use of a curling iron. Amazing!  Some styles, I've tried, others I haven't, and still some that need a bit more (okay a lot more) work on my end. I love being able to play with my hair, and I want to be able to master the different styles. I just know it is going to take some time. 

There are even so many styles for men, such as coils, corn rows, dread locks, twsts, twist outs, braid outs, and straw sets - not just the close cut fade that most men wear. I was even able to help a friend out who needed a style that would allow him to retain his length, as he has been growing his hair for months, but still looked neat and professional. I suggested finger coils or comb coils, and he said it was a perfect style for what he needed.

Even though this blog started out as a way to help me document where I've been, where I am, and where I want to go, I am happy that it's helping people out. I'm very excited to be where I am on my kinky hair journey. I am learning to take care of my hair, style it, and I am coming into my own. 

Thank You for reading, and as always,

Happy Healthy Hair,

~Millah Sirhea

Independence Day Twist Out

It is officially July 5th. I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration and I hope everyone made it home safely.

I had planned to go to my sister's house for a BBQ and to watch the fireworks, and I wanted my hair to look good. My goal was to wash, deep condition, and set my hair for a twist out. Due to a toddler who refused to go to bed in her crib, my plan was a bust. I hadn't done anything to my hair. I didn't braid it, I didn't oil it, and I certainly didn't put my satin cap on before trying to get my daughter to go to bed. I knew I didn't want to put my hair back with a scarf, nor did I want to attempt an up-do for the day's festivities. When I finally did wake, it was next to a snoring toddler and 3:45 am. Not the ideal time for someone to be up trying to figure out what to do with her hair, but I did it anyway.

I knew what ever I did with my hair, I wanted it to hold it's definition and not be dried out. Most articles or blogs I have read state that your hair needs moisture, and nothing adds moisture better than water. The trick is to seal it in, and there are several ways in which to do this. I wanted to do a twist on the LOC method to set my hair for the night, however instead of doing it in the order of Liquid Oil Cream, I wanted to do LCO - Liquid Cream Oil. I have found this works best for my hair. Unfortunately I could not find my go-to cream. So, I did the next best thing. I got a spray bottle with water, Dr. Miracle's leave-in conditioner, Sunny Isle Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO), and Curly Kinks Twist Whip.

 Here is what I did:

I first wet my hair with water, then I put a generous amount of the leave in conditioner through out my hair. Next, I used the JBCO and worked that into my hair. Last, I twisted my hair using the twist whip, and made sure I had some on each section. I let my hair air dry while I did other things that morning, and when I finally got into the bed this morning (about 7:50 am) I put my satin scarf on. In the afternoon, when I took my twists out, I made sure I had the JBCO on my finger tips to help smooth and polish my hair. I was very happy with my results!

First off, The three with the time stamp - well, you see how late it is, so sorry for the unhappy look. Second, I know these aren't great pictures of the hair style. I really wanted a close up of the definition, but it just didn't happen. My apologies. Still, I hope you can see the style I achieved. 

Why am I so happy with the results? 

• My twists and the twist out actually fell naturally on my head. Usually they are sticking up all over the place. I was starting to think it was because my hair is not as long as other women I see who rock the twist out. Theirs seem to lay down or fall naturally and not stick out at every angle on their head - unless that is how they meant it. Now, I think it has to do with how I set my hair
• My hair held it's definition! Generally when I take out the twists, most strands seem to revert back to it's natural pattern instead of holding the crimped look of the twist-out, especially when it comes to larger sections. As I separated them, they would lose their definition. Not today!

I was in such awe at how my hair turned out, that I kept saying to my husband, "Look babe! It never looks like this." He laughed. By the end of the day my hair didn't frizz nor did it revert back to it's normal pattern. It held. The only thing I complained about is that my hair felt drier than it has been since I started taking care of it. Not sure if I need a moisture spritzer or if I should have done something differently when twisting, but that is something I can play around with. When I do, I will share my results. 

Well, I am off to bed. All I am doing is putting my satin cap on. I think I might have decent second day hair. We will see. 

As always please feel free to comment below or email me directly, and you can also subscribe to my blog via email.

Thank You for reading, and have a wonderful night.

Happy Healthy Hair,

~Millah Sirhea