Ph Balance

I have found that the apple cider vinegar helps keep the Ph right where it should be.. so no flaky scalp.

Itchin' Away

Now I have a new challenge before me... Finding a natural cure for the ever itching scalp. I have always had an itchy scalp but have learned how to mostly ignore it and keep on about my business. Now it seems that both of my daughters have itchy scalps that have gone into overdrive.. So now I get to research and use the two of them as guinea pigs... A lot of my internet searches mentioned neem oil(from the bark of trees) and apple cider vinegar. A couple mentioned olive oil(which I already use) and Lavender Oil. I will start with the apple cider vinegar (since it's easy to find and inexpensive) and report back about whether or not it resolved the itchy scalp situation.

Why is Natural not Beautiful?

Mainstream society and the media let us know that natural hairstyles are considered a "statement" at best. Unfortunately, those of us with naturally coarse hair have allowed mainstream to dictate what we consider beautiful...We have been convinced that our hair is unmanageable in it's natural state. We believe that we have to hate the hair we were born with and either chemically treat or apply artificial hair to our scalps to be deemed valuable, intelligent, attractive, progressive people. It's sad that this is the pervasive thought process among people with less than limp hair...It doesn't help that those with coarse hair in the public eye are the main ones perpetuating this way of thinking. It also doesn't help that africans who move to the states end up relaxing, weaving or wigging it as well.. Maybe when we change our personal thoughts about what hair and hairstyles are beautiful, mainstream society will be forced to change it's view of natural hair and hairstyles.

Creamy Crack...

Also known as a chemical relaxer... The white cream that can singe your nose hairs with one whiff.. It took me a while to understand why people would call it creamy crack until I realized that your hair and scalp get addicted to it and when you try to wean your hair off of it you have to deal with some not-so-nice side effects. The scalp gets very tender and sore. It also causes headaches when the new growth starts growing in. I went natural almost 4 years ago and had to deal with the withdrawal symptoms from the creamy crack. After i had been natural for a year I was able to see what my original hair texture was- and I liked it! My oldest daughter is about to undergo the withdrawal from the creamy crack and i had to forewarn her about the side effects. It didn't change her mind about not wanting the creamy crack anymore- which I was happy about.. Since she has had relaxers her hair texture has changed and become brittle, she has experienced extensive damage and lost about 4-5 inches of hair. Previously her hair sat below her collar bone. Now her hair stops at the middle of her neck. Fortunately I know how to take care of her hair and can get her hair healthy and growing again. So before she graduates high school she will have the nice long hair that she had before... No one could pay me to believe that chemical relaxers have any merit. Period.

Product Consideration

I am constantly on the look for great hair products that work with my natural hair and not against it. I have learned that most hair products that you can find at your local store are made by companies that don't know what it takes to manage and maintain coarse hair. All you have to do is look at the list of ingredients. Alcohol was never made to be applied to the scalp and hair, so why buy a hair product that lists different types of alcohol as part of the ingredients?? Unfortunately, the companies that should be able to relate to the needs of coarse hair are also only looking at the profit sheet.. This realization led me to look for hair products in health food stores and online. The health food store was my introduction to Carol's Daughter. www.carolsdaughter.com .My hair loves the all-natural ingredients in those products. I have found a shampoo at the drugstore that is made of natural ingredients that I also love by Naked Naturals. www.nakednaturals.com . My online searches have left me disappointed on two separaate occasions. The products just didn't do what they claimed.


I still look for new and improved and I have become very curious about why a lot of the products being offered online and touted as being all natural won't disclose the ingredients in the product. I am adamant about knowing what I am buying BEFORE i buy it. It leads me to question if the ingredients really are all natural or not. All that is required is a little bit of disclosure. Not the recipe. Am I asking too much?

http://www.5linx.net/dammioneand

The Myth

GOOD HAIR... If you haven't referred to someone as having it you have heard someone else refer to someone's hair as such. It works my nerves each time i hear the ignorant remark. No hair is bad hair. There are different textures of hair, but all of them are good because that is the hair the maker endowed us with. I do agree that there is always room for improvement. I will forever be grateful to whomever created the comb and brush and mass-marketed it!!

That being said, the variations and differences in hair textures, colors and styles is what makes the world interesting. Who wants to look like a clone? And who decreed that only one texture of hair is beautiful?? Both fine hair and coarse hair have their pros and cons.

• Fine hair naturally hangs/lays a certain way on its own.



• Fine hair also tangles easily.



• Fine hair also requires a lot of hair product to get it to stay in a style.



• People with fine hair have to wash their hair more often because of the hair gets oily



• People with fine hair tend to bald as they age or experience the thinning of their hair.



• Coarse hair doesn't take as much hair product to maneuver it into a style, just time, effort and patience.



• And the hair style will normally last for at least a couple of weeks with minimal maintenance for those with coarse hair



• People with coarse hair tend to have drier scalps and hair and have to add moisture manually



• Coarse hair only needs to be washed every other week

The bottom line is that you should be proud of whatever texture of hair you have. Invest the time and energy into learning how to best take care of your hair so that it is healthy and looks its best. Don't allow anyone else to tell you how you should feel about your hair.

Black Hair Care

I have gone from ponytails to relaxers every 3 months to make my hair more "manageable" to going back to natural, although not the ponytails... Like India.Arie said, I Am Not My Hair... My hair has truly become a reflection of my creativity. And a little bit of research and careful reading as well. While combing, brushing, moisturizing, and sometimes fighting my black hair for the past 20 or so years, I have learned some things.

• Shampoos that contain lauryl/laureth sulfates overstrip the hair of needed oils, causing the scalp and hair to be dry.


• Detangling the hair is best done in small sections. Start with a wide tooth comb and work your way to the small tooth comb.


• Grease not only blocks the pores in your scalp but also collects more dust/dirt. Natural oils moisturize the scalp and hair without the greasy feel. (Carrot oil, Olive oil, etc..)


• Most black haircare products are not made by people with black hair. Going "organic" with your haircare products will have a positive effect on your scalp and hair.


• Natural haircare products cost more money than the average haircare product but the results are worth it. You get what you pay for!

For additional tips on caring for black hair :Click Here!