Where is the "Stove Irons"?

I love hair.


With that being said, I really would be what you consider a "Healthy Hair" Stylist. I want to do what is best for your hair at all times. I enjoy watching the hair grow and just look healthy all around.

I was having a conversation with one of my clients who came in just to get a flat iron and she asked me if I used the Stove Irons.

I have before, but I can't say that I'm skilled in using them. Now I was raised on those hot irons. I remember going to get my hair done and wanting those irons to hit my hair to "silken" me out. When I first got my hair professionally straightened after being natural I walked into the shop looking for those stove irons. I didn't see them and I asked her where they were! I mean really, how are you going to straighten all this hair out with a regular old flat iron??


But the flat irons these days are anything but old and ordinary.

This is my take on the stove irons and why I believe the flat irons are better for your hair. Stove irons are not heat controlled. Yes it is up to the operator to control that but there have been so many times when they are not. I can say that the temp on the stove irons are probably never the same temp twice. Not to say that you won't get great results, but the test is when your hair is washed and you see the damage.

I have some professional flat irons and at the hottest it gets up to 430 degrees! That is extremely hot, and I rarely use them that high. Especially on natural hair, the highest I have went is 410 but I try to stay about 395 and below. It just doesn't take that much to straighten natural hair. Our hair is so fragile and I know we were raised to believe that we need all this heat, but I am always proud that I can get you nice and silky with a temp of 395 and below!

My educator told us that the stove irons were always so hot on Afro hair that was relaxed because most times it was over processed because of the relaxer. So in order to put any kind of bend in the hair it needed to be at a high temp.

So think about it.... With your hair in its natural state, the hair is healthy, not overprocessed and can be easily straightened with a lower amount of heat.

I think sometimes we look at those stove irons and want them out of habit, but fact of the matter is.....

we don't need them.

I prefer my hair to be be healthy and not heat damaged.

Of course the best recourse is not to flat iron at all, but personally I get the itch sometimes, and there is nothing wrong with it. Just Be Careful!!!

~ Beauti

Dandruff? and the Jar of Grease

Remember when your mom used to oil your scalp? She'd get the Blue magic, for my case she would use Sulfur 8 because my scalp would be so bad. Take a hunk of it, put it on the back of her hand and begin the routine of parting and oiling.

Thinking back to those time I realized that everytime she would oil my head it would just get more irritated. Sometime to the point that I had scabs and was bleeding!

After I had my son it was even WORSE.

I began to shed hair and my sides and edges were thinning; I finally saw a Dermatologist and she explained that I had Psoraisis.

Psoraisis is when the skin cells or overactive. A persons normal turn of shedding dead skin is 30 days. A person with this condition sheds as quick as 2 weeks, half the time than normal. The dead skins cells than begin to build on the skins surface. It looks scaly, flaky and a lot like dandruff.

It can be triggered by stress, dry air or skin, too little sunlight and too much sunlight (sunburn), as well as a host of other things. It is believed to be genetic and it is not contagious.

Just from my personal experience, it's down right annoying. When I had a relaxer it was ridiculous. Relaxers were unbearable. I don't care if I didn't scratch, or even touch my head. Because of the irritation I was burning as soon as that Sodium Hydroxide hit my scalp! Thank God those days are long behind me.

Since I have gotten rid of the relaxer my scalp is a lot better. I also have Psoraisis on my face and sometimes on parts of my body, but it's pretty mild. I have a reaction on my skin mostly with stress and with the change of seasons.

I was recently in a car accident and within a day or two my scalp was acting up as well as my skin. And that was because I didn't have a car, the person who hit me had no insurance and It had been stressful all the way around.

But one thing I can say for sure is... GREASE does not make it better. When I say Grease I'm referring to oil that is Petroleum based. It did nothing but clog my over active pores and it just made the condition worse.

So some of you may have an over active scalp and may think it's dandruff, And you wonder why the grease is not working? You just may have Psorasis. I would say go to your Doctor or Dermatologist and let them examine your scalp. They can tell you whether this is the situation or not.

Finding out my condition has help me treat it a lot better. Does it go away? No, but it can be controlled.

I use the shampoo Nizoral that contains 1% Ketaconzale which is the active ingredient. It can be found at Walmart, Target and most drug stores. I also use Coconut oil or Olive oil on my scalp if its really dry. When I was relaxed I got the prescription strength, but now that I am relaxer free I can use the over the counter strength when I have a flare up and then I'm good.

I have recomeneded this to my clients who have an overactive scalp and they have had great results.

So if you think your dandruff is way out of control.... maybe its not dandruff..... Investigate it and get your scalp better!

~ Beauti

CURLY GIRLS ROCK!

I had the most wonderful experience yesterday. I got to cut a curly girls hair! Yay for me. Her texture was about a 3A and she brought in a picture of how she wanted it cut.

Usually they tell you to straighten to get an accurate cut, but my educator was Pro-curly so she gave me instruction on how to do it. Now, I'm not an expert by no means but it was very enlightening.

She wanted a bob and had brought a picture that she googled

Needless to say It turned out pretty darn close. I diffused her and sent her on her way. She was so happy she hugged me, got my card and said that she would definately come back.

I was proud to make another curly girl happy! Now her husband didn't like it... boo to him... but she told me, oh he will get used to it because I LOVE IT!

It reminded me why I'm going to school,

The lady left me with some encouraging words. She asked me what I was going to do when I graduate (which is fastly approaching) I told her one day I would love to open my own shop. She said you know what, start saying that "you WILL have your own shop" Because your good! That warmed my Heart and sent a chill up my spine.

God is so Awesome...

and so are Curly Girls! We Rock!

~Beauti

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!