#naturalhairtips 7/30/10 All about water

While water is one of the best humectants and needed for healthy hair, it can also be damaging. To explain, damaged hair absorbs way more water than healthy hair, at over 50% of its weight in water. The absorption causes the strands to elongate and to lose some of its tensile strength(i.e. the maximum amount of force it can sustain before ripping/tearing) and with curly/tightly curled hair, it can lose up to 50% of that strength. As a result of that loss, when the hair is wet and brushed or combed, or when any amount of tension is applied to saturated hair, the instances of breakage and damage is higher. To deal with this issue, it's good to use products with slip as it helps in relieving tangles without exerting too much tension and force onto already fragile strands.

Another source of damage can involve hard water. The minerals found in hard water can be soaked up into the strands(much more when highly porous) and after washings, you can find that it creates a buildup of debris(from the minerals) that can make the hair dry, more prone to breakage and you may find that your hair tangles much more. You will also find that you go through more conditioner, so if you find yourself using up a lot, this may be the reason why. To minimize this from happening, you can invest in a shower filter or water softening system(the filter is the less expensive option of the two), or you can clarify your hair as needed and do ACV rinses, as they help remove mineral deposits and help to normalize the pH levels of the hair, along with smoothing the cuticle; making it easier to detangle.

Natural Urbanista

Random Hair Pic 7/29/10

Wash n Go

-Cowashed with Trader Joe's Spa Nourish
-Conditioned with Broaer Intensive Conditioner
-PM The Conditioner used as my leave in
-Experimented with Elasta QP Smooth as Silk & Fantasia IC Gel(for color-treated). Raked/smoothed in both to style

Natural Urbanista

Working with natural hair

I don't mean working with it in terms of maintenance, but WORKING with it as in going to work and rocking it confidently.

There have been many discussions on many hair forums and on various blogs and it's always an interesting dialogue. Just yesterday I remember reading a post about a woman who had been natural for 2 years, but went back to the "creamy crack" (her words) because as a principal of a school, it just didn't seem as professional. Or rather, wasn't seen as professional.

That's so not true.

I know a high school principal in my city(yes, there's only ONE public high school here....lol), who rocks mid-back length and GORGEOUS locs. Might I add, I live in a predominantly White neighborhood.

When I hear people giving that excuse, it speaks to me of them just not being ready or willing to accept their hair. I'm sure that's not always the case, but it just screams of an excuse to go back to relaxing. I'd much rather hear a person say they just prefer straight hair. Some preferences just stem from what's considered a convenience, and not always about acceptance(although it CAN). If that's a preference, so be it. But to tell the person you're having this discussion with, "you have good hair, so you can wear your hair naturally", tells me that you've been brainwashed into accepting and perpetuating that good hair/bad hair mess.

This really needs to stop. Natural hair IS professional. I work in a veterinary practice and I work with two loc'd sistas(one who's a doctor), and myself and two other ladies are loose naturals(one's a nurse and the other is a doctor).

So, is it still unprofessional?

Natural Urbanista