I have been back to natural for 2 years. My hair has always grown fast so the transition from relaxed wasn’t bad at all. My natural hair texture is wavy and curly. I love how I can just “wash and go” with my hair especially in the summer now that there are better frizz fighting products out.

When I had the mild relaxer, I hated it. My hair would always be too straight and lay flat on my scalp with no body at all. The salon would leave the relaxer on my head for only 5 minutes because my hair would get straight fast but the relaxer would still irritate my scalp. I will never get a relaxer again.

I am back to my old healthy scalp and wavy+curly hair and I don’t regret it. My hair and scalp thank me. LOL.

I just tried the Kinky Curly products and I like them but I find you only need to use a little of their product to prevent frizz.

I went to the Urbanella store last year and the woman looked at my hair texture and told me to try the Miss Jessie’s Curly Meringue. I will be trying it next and will post back the results.

However, my hair also ties in knots. The curl at the ends is as tight as the “o’s” in this type or smaller. Each hair hooks around itself and forms knots and sometimes several hairs knot together. My natural hair has not always been his way and this is extremely frustrating. It is long enough to pull back and I don’t want to cut is much shorter.

I don’t want to go back to straight but I have to do something about this.

Help!

A quick and dirty way to answer your questions would be a visit to MotownGirl’s site. http://www.motowngirl.com Also make a few visits to napturality.

Our hair is so varied that what works for one may not work for another. Aloe gunks my hair, but is the salvation of another. The “poo” methods are whether someone uses shampoo rarely (or at all). Most shampoos dry out many naturals, so many of us “co-wash” or conditioner wash and do a deep cleansing method a few times a month. Again, it’s a trial and error thing.

Afrobella has an entry on pre-poo that you may find helpful too. I personally LOVE avocado oil. A dab’ll do ya and a nice bottle is about $9. It’s not very heavy, but I like the viscosity better than olive oil.

As for trimming, if someone uses heat to straighten your hair before cutting, ask them to use a low setting. A blow dryer may be a better alternative. You CAN damage your hair a great deal with heat (comb or dryer). Alternatively you can learn to do it yourself with a pair of hair shears (go to Sallys or even a drugstore). Take a look online for various alternatives.

hth…

Ok, I been natural almost 5yrs. My issue is getting into a good, healthy routine. I wash, condition, and twist my hair every three weeks. Thank God for my cousin and my sister-in-laws shop!!! Free haircare, BUT they specialize in weaves and perms, not Natural Hair. I am doing my research, but still have so many questions. Does Bella have a blog piece on JUST hair routine tips from washing to styling to daily maintenance? Trust me, I got the “love thy nappy hair” thing down. I just need some tips for the day to day work involved.

My sister-in-law hot combs my hair so she can trim my ends, which I have been doing every six months or so. Why do I feel like this ain’t right? How do other natural bellas trim their hair??????????

Also, can someone please define pre-poo and no poo wash? How often do you wash and condition? Once a week? How about deep conditions? Once a month? I should also mention that I live in the region of the U.S with all four season, but it’s mostly winter in Minne-snow-ta? Any tips for changing the regimen when the weather switches up?

My last question for this entry: does anyone keep on a silky scarf all night? I must sleep like a litte kid. LoL! Maybe a bonnet would work better.