Kinky Nikz 2.0 - Napptural Product Connoisseur

One very positive aspect of being natural is that you tend to focus your energy on products/ ingredients you use in your hair, put on your skin and in your body. The effect is healing and has made me ever more conscience of the products I use. Growing up you’re exposed to hair grease and drying shampoo’s but I’m here to let both you naturals and relaxed chica’s and fella’s (if there are any out there!) in on a few secrets about the products out there.

Many commercially available hair care products denoted as being for afro hair use harmful ingredients. The following ingredients are awful for ethnic or African hair, not only stifling our hair’s health, true texture, and hair growth, but also harmful to the body.

1) Isopropyl Alcohol: Dries and Breaks Ethnic hair. It is found in colour rinses, anti-freeze

2) Mineral Oil/ Petrolatum (Hair Grease): It used as a moisturiser in afro hair care products; however, it coats Ethnic hair, actually preventing moisture from getting into the thirsty hair. It is a derivative of crude oil and a cheap industrial grease component. It also prevents the release of toxins from hair and alters the skin respiration by preventing oxygen release. Mmmhmmmm....

3) Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): Strips afro hair of critical moisture. Used as an emulsifier in products, dissolves oils and grease.

4) Propylene Glycol (PG): An active component in many afro hair care products make up, lotions, mouthwashes, and deodorant, PG is the active component of anti-freeze and actually deteriorates the protein and cellular structure of hair. Protein is what your hair needs to thrive. Workers actually use gloves and goggles when dealing with this substance due to its chemical side effects and toxicity.

5) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)/ Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) : A cheap foaming and thickening agent that strips hair of moisture and causes skin and scalp irritation. 95% of all hair shampoos contain this ingredient or a derivative. Avoid it completely; TEA lauryl is just as bad, if not worse. Do not be fooled by the use of the word TEA. Hence why i very rarely use shampoo and stick with conditioners.

6) Diethanolamine (DEA), Momoethnanolamine (MEA), Triethanolamine (TEA) : Usually listed as an ingredient containing a neutralising compound, i.e. as Cocamide DEA or Lauramide DEA, repeated skin applications of DEA-based detergents are known to form cancer causing nitrates

7) Avoid Hair Colouring, Rinses, and Dyes. Look on the pack of the ingredient label and check for FD & C Colours: Many individuals with afro hair experience scalp irritation due to these. If you have an irritated scalp, your hair will not grow long or remain healthy.

8) Avoid Products with Chemical Preservatives: Nearly all brands of Black and Ethnic Skin and hair care products contain hair and health harmful toxins, especially parabens that are used to extend products’ shelf lives. While these companies make huge profits, it is at the expense of your hair and health being exposed to cancer causing elements, such as formaldehyde or formaldehyde-donors which can irritate the respiratory system, cause skin reactions and trigger heart palpitations.

9) Abandon your typical beauty supply store. Curly or ethnic hair needs natural hair care products because the sulphates, chemicals, alcohols, and silicones in 99% of hair care products have a moisture stripping effect. Ethnic hair needs moisture to grow, become strong, and stay manageable. Without moisture your hair will become dry and damaged. Try Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead ( http://www.discoverb4a.com/ a great all natural) or Tigi BedHead (Tigi Bed Head Superstar Sulfate Free Shampoo 250ml a quality synthetic shampoo). Please note, I have never used these products but they have been recommended by other natural sisters.

10) Try to purchase all natural hair care products tailored for your hair type. Visit your local health foods store or find great hair care product for purchase online. The hair care industry is finally seeing the light and making hair care products that truly work for ethnic hair. Beauty 4 Ashes Christian Health & Beauty, a beauty conglomerate, acclaimed internationally, makes 100% natural ethnic hair care products for general hair health and hair growth (www.discoverb4a.com). Their products have received great ratings in the US as well.

So, there you have it, the list of products to steer clear of but in saying all of that my key advice would be to listen to your hair. If you try something that contains one or more of the above (which i have), don’t fret. If your hair enjoys it then it may not be so bad after all but at least you’re enlightened as to what exactly it is.

Peace, Love and Nappyness dudes!

KN

Kinky Nikz 2.0 - Is Natural hair healthy hair?

Before I start spewing some facts about things that can cause damage to hair I just need to share something with you all. Anyone that is a friend of mine on facebook may have seen the quote below this week.

‘Youth is wasted on the young’ Oscar Wilde

The thought process behind the quote is simple. I went home to my mums last weekend to do my laundry (don’t judge me!) and my little sister was running around talking to her friend on loudspeaker, whilst practising some dance routine. Greeting her as I stepped into the house I noticed that her hair was very straight and in two ponytails but didn’t think too much of it. Later on Saturday evening it cross my mind and I called my mum (ready for a showdown) to ask if she had relaxed my twelve year old sisters hair. When she told me that my sister had taken it upon herself to textures her own hair, I was distraught, I felt physical pain, I felt betrayed because everyone in my household is natural and I have tried my best to pass on my knowledge so she too can love her beautiful, natural hair. Since then I’ve wondered why she didn’t do as I did and look at my brother’s healthy, 11 inch afro and think that she could have the same. Why did she ruin what was naturally given to her? I have since discussed the situation among friends and come to the conclusion that children will be children and will ultimately make their own mistakes. It just hurts to know that she doesn’t quite realise what she had in the first place L.

Okay, enough about me, let me address some issues about natural hair. How many of you assume that because one may not have any chemicals in their hair that hair is healthy? Well, if that is what you think, you are wrong.

Porosity is a form of damage caused by creating more pores in the hairs structure through breaks and cracks. It can be caused by many reasons and not even you naturals can escape it so pay attention. Here are just a few causes of porosity:

1. Shampooing, towel drying and combing

These three are some of the most common reasons for cuticle damage and are called ‘mechanical damage’. It occurs when scrubbing the hair with shampoo, rubbing wet hair with a towel and combing wet hair to remove tangles. The more aggressive you are, the more susceptible your hair will be to damage. Because of this, I always ensure that I wash my hair with a non-abrasive substance such as conditioner and even then, I only wash my scalp, the conditioner/shampoo should be allowed to run down the hair shaft and take any grime with it, you should not have to tug on your wet hair. I also ensure that I pat my hair dry if I use a towel or I use a softer material like an old T-shirt and I never comb my hair when it is soaking wet, I will only tackle it when it has air dried for a while and is damp.

2. Light

UV light/ sunlight also damages the cuticle with a study from the Journal of Cosmetic science showing that damage starts after 200 hours of exposure which is a fairly long time. So when you are off on those fabulous beach holidays try and take a hat and a conditioner with sun protection to prevent your hair from frying whilst you’re trying to catch some colour.

3. Chemical Treatment (relaxing, bleaching etc)

All of these processes are an open invitation to porosity on a grand scale. Cuticle lifting, cracks, holes and entire sections of the hair structure missing are common with these types of treatments hence the thinning of the hair over time.

4. Environmental conditions

As we all know, the British temperature sits a below 10 degrees about 70% of the year and the cold air and wind has serious effects on your hair. Even though I end up looking like a 15 year old, I try to keep my hair in protective styles for most of the winter and have done well so far this winter. I generally only undo my hair to wash it or if I’m making an effort to dazzle on the dance floor! Other than that my hair stays tucked away and moisturised until the sun comes out.

5. Long Hair

     Those blessed with longer lengths often take their tresses for granted but remember, the          longer the hair, the older the hair, which means that it is more likely to become damaged due to the fore mentioned elements. Don’t get lazy, hold onto that drive you had when you were trying to get your hair to reach your belly button (yes that is my aim) and show your hair some love. Be sure to deep condition with different products so your hair can get the many benefits. I definitely recommend henna which is a strengthening protein treatment and I am looking forward to trying honey, yoghurt, mayonnaise and some other homemade mixes when I have the time and energy!

HENNA WAX ORIGINAL

 HAIR CONDITIONER 400GM

 NATURAL CLASSIC

Sad times, I am at my word limit already…be sure to get at me next week when I’ll be taking moisture to new levels.

Peace, love and Nappyness

KN

Calamity Jane #9 - Ninth Circle of hell (Treason)

As abruptly as it all began, it ended. ……………..

Sadly not as Hollywood would have intended; with a me walking away, pride in hand, wearing an Armani suit with shoulder pads, four inch Manolo’s, my (fake) hair swishing in the wind (think Working Girl circa 1980s), having eventually tired of the perilous bi-weekly trips to the salon, where I was physically and emotionally endangered.

No... That kind of ending belongs in fairy tales, or the modern day equivalent – Fake DVDs sold by the China man on Brixton Hill... Ironically the catastrophe that was my hairdressing experience was cut short not because I finally saw sense and walked away, but rather, because without warning Keesha, packed up shop and walked away.  In her traditional style, she did so without a second thought for the very people one would assume she would value – her clients!

Subsumed by the torrent of abuse I’d received from friends and family for my addiction fuelled persistent trips back to Keesha. Made worse by the indoctrination of my younger susceptible sister (I got her hooked and like crack it consumed her), I was ill prepared for the act of treason (or sadistic irony) that was to befall me. 

It all happened when........

With no appointment (I had quickly realised appointments were a trite semblance of order that simply did not exist in the mechanics of this salon) I took myself one Saturday morning to Peckham for a steam and a shape up. Prepared as I was for the inevitable wait with book in arm, iPod in ear, packed lunch in bag, I wasn’t surprised to find the shutters down.  I trotted along to God Bless Caribbean restaurant next door to the woman, whose arse was literally the size of a small country (I’m all for back-off but DAMN!) and requested the key to let myself in......

‘Gone you say, gone where?’... ‘I don’t know darling’ was her unconvincing response. In a panic I tried all four of Keesha’s numbers only to find the lines completely dead or diverting to voicemail. With all those numbers, it baffled me that she was so often in contactable. Hmmmm immigration? I pondered.

So, just like that with a simple exchange of stifling pleasantries, I learnt that Keesha had moved on and I was back to square one with mashed up hair, seeking a slamming cheap salon.

You see for all the waiting, the occasional burns, the stolen merchandise, the violence, bordering on child abuse, the salon remained my own private sanctuary. A place where crudeness was the order of the day and time had no common place. It provided me with countless tales that have enriched many a dinner party, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Thank you for reading my jaunt through the inferno, which although not the requiem of spirituality Dante would have intended it be, turned out to be an entertaining exploration of the soul of the south (London that is).

For now I bid you adieu.

CJ

Blackhairstudio would like to thank Calamity Jane for her fabulous and hilarious contribution to our blog, your Nine Circles of Hell have been nine moments of pleasure for us. We hope you will be back soon!

DQ.

Kinky Nikz 2.0 - Learning how to maintain your naps

How many of you remember lifting your shoulders to your ears and wincing in pain as your mother dragged a comb through your tightly coiled hair? Or loving that you get to undo your braids but hating when wash day came around? My first memories of a young girl with natural hair were never associated with positivity, just pain and unhappiness. As soon as my plaits were let loose I used to jump around and shake my head like the women on the television advertising hair products but I dare anyone to try and hold me down to get it washed...It was horrible and I swear my mum was trying to drown me. 
It is easy to reflect and laugh at the whole experience but I’m pretty certain that the actions of our parents/hairdressers is what allows those with thick curly/coily hair believe that are hair is unruly, unmanageable and bad. It makes us believe that this is the type of hair that needs to be tamed when the truth is; it was just never cared for properly. So, I thought that I would scrape the surface this week and discuss a few key factors that will ensure healthy, long (yes long!), afro hair.

1. No, dirt does not grow your hair lol

Growing up I was often told that I shouldn’t wash my hair too often as it was bad for your hair and would make your hair break. Seriously, this was the belief and I know people that only washed their hair every six months because apparently this was fact. What nonsense! The truth is that washing your hair often and using the right products can have a really positive effect on afro hair. Water is one of the few substances that can actually penetrate the hairs cuticle and acts as a moisturiser, hence why your hair always feels soft when wet. A problem only occurs when the hair is not fully cared for following a wash and moisture is not replenished. I will discuss the different moisturising products and methods in another blog.

2. Use the right equipment

I’m sure that most of you realise that to avoid breakage you should use a wide toothed comb to detangle hair when wet or damp but your comb should be seamless. Check the inside and edges of your comb and the line that goes down each tooth for bad manufacturing which can mean that the seams overlap and snag the hair during combing. Bone combs are typically made of resin and are seamless, wooden combs spread the scalps natural oil throughout the hair and tortoise combs glide through hair. Check out Sally’s beauty supply shop to find ‘tenderheaded accessories’ or ‘honeyfig’ which supply a seamless comb range. 
If you prefer brushes, try the trusty denman brush or if you feel like splurging the mason pearson combs and brushes although it does nothing but give me split ends.

3. Combing your curlies

Stop combing your hair so much! Excessive grooming can cause split ends. When I tell people that I very rarely comb my hair they look surprised but all l I need is my fingers. I spritz my hair with some water and coconut oil or an everyday conditioner (usually Pantene/ Aussie moist) and finger comb or use my metal rat tail comb for straight partings when I’m plaiting it. I would not even attempt to rake a comb through my dry hair, the more tightly curled your hair is the more gentle you need to be, so I gently comb through my hair from tip to root on wash day and then leave it alone. If I need to manipulate it into a style then a little conditioner and some braids or twists generally does the trick.
Detangling knotted hair 
It’s a good idea to detangle your hair before washing it. Once hair is wet, the cuticles can lift, causing hair to snarl even further.


1. First, identify the tangle and separate it from the rest of your hair with your fingers.
2. Start at the bottom of the tangle and use the detangling comb to gently start picking through the snarl.
3. Work your way up the tangle until you’re able to comb through it without tugging. This may take a lot of patience and you may need to turn the detangling comb sideways and use a single tooth on the end of the comb to work through a very tight snarl.
4. To prevent tangles in the future, be sure to comb out your wet hair after shampooing, conditioning and applying a leave-in conditioner. (Never, ever brush wet hair – hair is very fragile when it’s wet and a brush could stretch the fiber, causing it to snap).
That’s all for now folks but next week I will be talking more about hair processes that work.


KN

Kinky Nikz 2.0 - Can nappy really mean happy?

Hey Chipolatas,

Thanks for the amazing response to last week’s blog. It’s a good thing you can all appreciate a bit of honesty, because honestly, a bit of honesty’s always honestly appreciated! 


So, I was thinking about what to write about next; could you ingest wise words, digest balanced advice and have a giggle… while patting your head and rubbing your belly?
Seriously, since I really can’t do any of that I thought it best stick to what I know.
Pondering on what part of this epic journey I should blog about, I figured how else to start but with natural perceptions. The things people think about you and don’t say. The things people assume because you wear your hair a certain way. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that naturalistas are the only people that come across such judgemental attitudes but having had relaxed hair for 10 years, the reactions from various people are often quite telling.
I’m sure every natural has heard “your hair is so nice but I couldn’t do that, my hair is too nappy.”…Hello, we have the same kind of hair!


Now, the thing that is sad but oh so true is that the bad reactions I get are from black people. People of my own race, those that have similar hair and skin to mine, those that should understand the struggle to stay natural in a Eurocentric society that is far removed from our natural selves. You’d think they’d understand…but do they? Do they ever? Now, I will talk about the reactions from men another time, another post but for now, let me draw your focus to black women.


So, what is it about a natural hair that get’s black women emotional? From the looks I get from some, I would assume it’s either the sheer disdain for what lies under their own weaves, relaxers or braids or perhaps in actual fact they honestly believe that they are somehow above you and well out of your league because they have straight hair. And it’s true, I should know. I used to be that girl sniggering with my friend because some girl’s hair didn’t blow in the wind. But when I think about it, I was actually a bit jealous, we all were. The girls that donned their natural hair generally had loads of it, thick hair that was not easily tamed. We all wanted that hair and needed the confidence to just be. 
That was way back when but as an adult I encounter the same attitudes. The need to change what is naturally given to us. It does make me wonder about the psyche of some people? If you dislike your hair so much that you would pay someone to burn it into submission, then what else would you do to change? Where does it end? Now, do not get me wrong, I am all for change be it physical or mental but having this mass of protein on my head has made me focus on my inner being, understand my culture and it has even made me question the kind of person I am. Because I am not the person that questions the beauty of the darkest skin, the fullest lips and the widest nose. I can appreciate the shortest, curliest of hair that reaches for the sun just as much as I can love caramel skin and straight hair that hangs long.


So, to the question, can nappy really mean happy I say YES, because nappy is real and only through being natural have I learnt to truly understand my culture and gain a sense of self that was never apparent before.
Only through being nappy (and I mean this in a positive way) have I learnt the real implications of the things I put in my body and on my skin. I have a better understanding of the food that the government so readily provides and the chemicals that pollute them but let’s no go to deep this week. I’m simply happy being nappy because nappy is a better me.


KN

Calamity Jane #8 - Eighth Circle of hell (Fraud)

Is it possible to tell something about a person by their hair?

Relax ladies, I'm not igniting the natural hair (black power) or weavalicious (self loathing) stereotypes. As a woman as comfortable in an afro weave as I am short boyish natural hair, I really don’t have much of an opinion where that’s concerned. Today I analyse men and specially the ever growing battalion of (as I call them) ‘Jon B brothers’..

I once went on a date with a man who cited his barber on more occasions than he did his friends and family combined. I’m a big fan of Keesha, as this blog is testimonial to, but I don’t bring my stories of sorrow to bear at the dinner table with a man I barely know – I’ll save that for when we’re married. My date, by contrast saw his barber (who he claimed he could never live too far away from – as though that’s something to be proud of) as a of stamp of credibility; A testament to his ‘being down with it’ (whatever ‘it’ may be).  I should have guessed from the sharp shaped hair line, this guy was clearly a regular at the barbershop (think Ice Cube and co), where I imagined him cracking inappropriate jokes , speaking in a dubious accent (certainly not in keeping with his upbringing in Cornwall) and using plural when citing his experiences, presuming they were the same experiences of the black men cutting his hair. He was a typical Jon B brother.. 

The Jon B brother almost exclusively dates black women,preferably with a natural hair cut, lots of bangles, rocking the mother Africa, salt of the earth look. Think Erykah Badu, before she went nuts for the BIG wig.

The books he recommends are black.  Not just written by black authors about universal themes of society, love, relationships, and loss. Books the Jon B brother recommends are almost always about the black struggle. The plight of a first generation immigrant in a white mans land (Sam Seldon the Lonely Londoners is a casing point and a recommendation by a dear Jon B friend of mine) or slavery, or apartheid.  

His paintings are black. A collection of hip hop inspired murals and portraits of some of the most obscure jazz musicians of the twentieth century.  Indeed he makes it his mission to educate you about jazz.

He serves a roast dinner by candlelight with paintings of John Coltrane adorned on the wall, books by Franz Fanon stacked overtly in the book case (spine and therefore author name and title facing outward) and Malian diva, Oumou Sangare’s dulcet tones undulating from his speakers.  His CD collection is the epitome of world music, with West African classic hi life one would expect only the most ardent of African to own. Intentional or not, the books, the music, the conversation all seem to embolden his pride and contrived sense of worldliness and tolerance.  

The Jon B brother is front row at the London jazz festival, the African festival at the Barbican, the Malcolm X book reading at the Southbank and the conscious hip hop concert at Brixton Academy (think Talib Kweli and Moss Def rather than 50 Cent and P.Diddy) – All this in between appointments at the barber.

Is it a front? A fraud? A part of the bravado? I can’t help wonder, for all the entertainment the Jon B’s of the world have given me over the years, if you scratch beneath the well tarnished (well versed) veneer you’re bound to find Conservative (with a big ‘C’) suburban, middle England staring straight back at you.

CJ

Ps. A shout out to Dionne and Claire who had me in stitches on the bus as we chatted about the Jon B brothers that have stumbled across our paths. We deduced that seeing as Jon B may only resonate with a woman of a certain age, perhaps Robin Thicke (his protégé) may be a better analogy for the young ones!