LESS.... IS MORE

So I am coming up on my 4th year anniversary in November and I recently had an AH HA moment. Now that I have more hair (although I believe I should have much more) I am changing up my routine starting this winter. My hair is about APL and it seems like I've been struggling more with my curls.

I have been doing heavy traffic on curlynikki.com and read about her routine and that is where my AH HA moment came.

She is washing her hair about twice a month, and stretching her hair with curlformers. So I am dedicated right now to stretching my hair and wearing protective styles. I have been a wash and go kinda girl and it has been hell on my hair. After a few days of wearing that wash and go the detangle has been extremely difficult. So ummm Duh... wouldn't stretching it be so much easier and styling from there.

What I have done now is after a wash and deep condition I braid my hair in big plaits to stretch. Moisturize with coconut oil, let it air dry, then the next day add a cream based product or water based and seperate them and put them in smaller twists. I then either sport a Beanie with my silk scarf underneath (which I did with the plaits also) and keep it moving. Within the next two weeks I either style my hair from there, pin it up or keep it in the twists. I moisturize every other night with coconut oil, and if my hair is loose I twist it back up.

This past weekend I had my hair twisted up and it stayed in my silk bonnet and beanie. Today my hair is free and it feels soooo good! I can't believe I wasn't doing this sooner. Tonight I will retwist and moisturize with oil and put my bonnet back on. It takes 10-20 minutes out of my day and my hair is so much easier to manage.

I'm sure there will be some changes to my routine but I am totally in love! I plan to get a applicator bottle and do my own mix of oils to put on my hair.

I'm sure my hair is going to thank me for this later and I will retain more length as the months go by...

It only took me 4 years... but I got it now!

Let Her Be CURLY!!

I'm in school for Cosmetology and I have stories to tell to say the least. I am enjoying myself and it is trying sometimes but I hope to do good for my part of the Natural community..LOL, Hope to make you girls proud!

So I have a pretty steady stream of natural clients that I service. Most heard of me through word of mouth and some have stumbled upon me on accident. I have a little girl that comes to see me about every two weeks. She is about 10 years old and her mom brings her in to get her hair straightened. She has a head full of hair that is even more beautiful Wet and wavy!

So she's sitting in my chair and we are conversating about kid stuff. You know music, favorite colors and.... Hair. So I ask her, "Do you like your curly hair?" She says, "Yep!" I say, "Well how come you won't wear your hair curly?" She said kind of sadly, "My mom won't let me..."

My heart sunk.

How could mom deprive her of her curls. Mind you... mom has been really informal to me, despite that apparently she loves how I do her hair because she reschedules with me before she leaves. When I met mom she is rocking a short relaxed do. No shade to the relaxer honey... if that's your cup of tea.. than so be it! But I felt so bad for the young girl that was not allowed to rock her curls.

I then asked the little girl, "What do you think pretty hair is?"
She answers,"Long and curly."

Awwwww man! How beautiful is that. And my thoughts were, I thought it would be so much easier to rock the curly hair than getting it straightned every two weeks. Every time she comes to me her hair is all over her head and she is just looking a mess. I guess mom is not really into doing anyone's head.

So what should I do? I want to approach the mom and fill her with a little bit more of info about rocking the curly hair. She just seems a little unapproachable, you know what I mean....

I say... Let her be Curly.....

What would you do??