Keep Your Curlies Closer

Hey Dolls!!!

When I was goingn through my transitioning proces I was so alone going through it because not a lot of people around me understood my struggles with my hair. I had to deal with my hair being badly broken off and damage due to relaxers and boy it was a damn struggle!!

But you know what, I turned to the natural hair community which I NEVER knew existed until I checked out CurlyNikki.com... I was FLOORED on how the ladies supported one another in the natural hair community.

So there are quite a few bloggers and vloggers I follow til this day in order to keep me inspired to love and embrace my natural hair.

Also last year I attended a awesome natural hair meet-up hosted by Shelli of Hairscapades (www.hairscapades.com)  in Orange, NJ at Pooka Pure and Simple body shop. It was so much fun and I learned so much about natural care from the other ladies. Here are a few pics from the event:

 

LOOK! I WON A GIFT!(i was huge! lol)

 Tameeka of JadedTresses is the bomb! She was demostrating how to make your curls pop!

 Shelli of Hairscapades.com she is so sweet and cute as a button!

The winners (including me! of the giveaways!)

 

 

 

 

 

So  ladies in order to keep yourself motivated and inspired to reach your full natural potential, surround yourself with people who will support you while you transition...follow bloggers and vloggers in order to gain advice and tips to care for your natural hair...and be inspired by pictures!!!

 

 

If you have a instagram that's a awesome place to look at pics of other naturalistas and their beautiful hair.

 

So ladies stay inspired and motivated!!! It will all pay off!  TRUST!

 

 

LOVE AND LIGHT!

From the Desk of Curly Nikki.Com

Transitioning to Natural Hair: Ignoring The Urge To Return to the Lye

current transitioners | Guest Blogger | Hair Tips | Transitioning Tips and Resources



source



by Bennii Blast of The Culture Pine

I often see a lot of transitioners appearing to be at their wits end when they reach that point in their transition, where the call to reach for the box of relaxer is looking like it is about to be answered.

Read On>>>


Although I have surprisingly not had the itch to go back to relaxing yet, I have had this dream, well nightmare, where I accidentally relax my hair. How one accidentally relaxes their hair I do not know, but I remember being pissed in my dreamworld and waking up feeling for my hair to make sure everything was as it should be. That sigh of relief I tell ya…pure madness! It just reminded me of how much work and patience goes into transitioning, and how mad I would be at myself if all that commitment went to waste. It confirmed that going back to the creamy crack is a definite no no for me right now!

Anyways…I wanted to be of aid to those who have reached this point in their transition and may just need some encouragement to keep moving forward with their journey:
#1 Don't spend HOURS looking at photos where you were relaxedThere have been moments where I catch myself looking at old photos and I have to remind myself to keep it moving. If you are experiencing a weak moment, don't torture yourself further by bringing out those old photo's where you were still relaxing. This could stir up emotions you felt at the time of the picture where you may appear happier, and because your hair happens to be relaxed in the picture, you may wrongly connect the two an make an irrational decision. Instead, start collecting new photo's of your transitioning hair (especially when you have successfully pulled of a new style from that YouTube tutorial!) so that you can look to those for encouragement to keep going!
#2 Try an alternativeInstead of making such a drastic change as returning to the use of chemicals, why not try something less permanent such as flat ironing occasionally or roller sets? This may help you to overcome this part of your transition without having to give into that urge!
#3 Reward Yourself!Transitioning can be a roller coaster of a journey and requires more patience than some of us even knew we were capable of having! So instead of focusing on the negatives, try celebrating the positives by rewarding your accomplishments so far. Acknowledge the efforts you have put in already, and allow yourself that new lipstick you have had your eyes on!
#4 That 'Good Hair' documentaryAs cheesy as it sounds, watching this documentary was the kick up the backside I needed to finally start my transition, and I know I'm not alone in that! When you are at a low point, watch the documentary and hopefully it will stir up those emotions that made you want to kick the relaxers out of your life. Remember the coke can? Sheeesh!
#5 Spend time looking at naturals and fellow transitionersHappiness can be infectious! If you spend some time surfing the web reading the testimonials of those who have been in your shoes and are now completely natural, seeing how happy they are with their decision will no doubt rub off on you and remind you that this thing is not impossible. Collect some pictures of smiling naturals whenever you feel that relaxer urge coming on!
#6 Write a list of all the reasons why you decided to transitionAs you get further into your journey, the reasons why you started it in the first place may become blurred along the way. This can make you question whether continuing to go any further with your transition is really necessary. For those times where you feel you may be reaching for that box of chemicals, make a list of all of those reasons that you decided to start transitioning. This will keep your goals fresh in your mind and motivate you in achieving them.

…………..

Feeling like you are ready to go back to relaxing does not make you a terrible transitioner! We all have our weak moments and sometimes just need some encouragement to keep the wheel spinning. At the end of the day, you have to remember that doing what is best for you is what is most important!

Happy Transitioning =)

How do you stay motivated during your transition?

 

 

**Natural_E_Kee helpful tip.....google or check out different social sites like Instagram and Youtube to keep you inspired. Look and follow other people transitioning process to keep you motivated...patience is key with working with our natural hair!!

 

 

Love and Light!!

Squeaky Clean

Hey Hey Hey Dolls!!!!

Missed blogging but the past week was a bit hected for me but I did get in my beach time since Saturday was like the only nice day of the week here in Jersey UGGHHHH SUMMER WHERE ARE YOU!!!

 Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend


So my box braids has been holding up so good since I got them done and dammit I LOVE my braids!! One downfall is these thangs itch my hair like crazy! I have really dry scalp to begin with so dealing with synthetic hair and dry, itchy, sensitive scalp is a bit of a challenge.

So since my hair is in a protective state I will still care for it like I have my fro out, by doing my weekly washes just to make sure I keep my scalp clean and moisturized to avoid dry and flaky scalp issues.

So this is what I will be using over the next few weeks to ensure my scalp remains clean and less itchy:

 

Put 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with warm water in a spray bottle



Spray MY SCALP ONLY with the mixture and massage the mixture into my scalp

I let the apple cider sit my hair for about 15 minutes then wash it out with my Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner



I dry my roots and the top of the braids with a cotton t-shirt...it's safer for your hair to use a cotton t-shirt or air dry



 

I use a regular towel to dry my ends because your braids will hold an excessive amount of water so a regular towel will help with getting the excessive amount of water out of your hair

Next I use moose in order to control the fly aways from the braids because there will be some fly aways and you can use spritz as well to hold down the fly aways

 

 

 

Annndddd there you have it, the end results of my first wash...looks fresh and feels clean and LESS ITCHY!!

Of course you can add oils to your scalp and hair to seal in moisture..I added my usual mixture Jojoba Oil, Jamaican Castro Oil, Peppermint Oil and EVOO

 

 Love and Light!!!!

Hot, hot, HOT OILS!!

Hey Dolls!

So just a brief post to express importance of doing hot oil treatments on your hair especially if you are transitioning.


For my hot oil treatment I use Jamacian Castro Oil, Peppermint Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I let hot water boil in a small pot then placed the bottle filled with oils in the pot for about two-three minutes then rub the oil in my scalp then rub the oils from tip to roots of my hair. Then use hair clips to clip up each section of my hair.

Below is a video I made during my hot oil treatment process which I did the night before I got my box braids, protective style.

So Dolls keep your hair moisturized and hot looking by doing hot oil treatments!!

Love and Light!

How to Slowly Transition to Natural Hair

Posted by CURLYNIKKI|

by Danielle of Long Natural Hair Care

One of the questions I’m asked most often is how I was able to do such a long transition. For me it was a fairly easy transition once I learned to handle my two textures. Here is a “how to transition” rundown of things to consider. I hope it helps!
Decide to go back to natural hair:

Definitely step one. Is natural hair really the move for you?

Some things to consider:

• Do you really want to have natural hair and why?
• What are your hair goals?

Read More>>>

Determine on your Transition Length:

I chose 2 years as my transition time because I knew my hair would be at or almost at a length where I could easily pull it back in a bun.

Some things to consider:

• How long do you want your hair to be when you finally BC?
• How dedicated are you to dealing with a potentially frustrating hair experience?

Choose your Transition Mode:

Some modes to consider:

• Weaves, with your hair braided underneath
• Wigs, with your hair braided underneath
• Extensions/Braids, using your hair and added hair
• Your hair alone, without added hair, using styles to blend the two textures.

(For purposes of this article, I will only be discussing transitioning with your own hair, as that is what I have experience with.)

When choosing your transition mode - Some things to consider:

• Do you want to deal with my hair on a daily basis?
• How often will you want to snip away permed ends?
• How long do you want your hair to be during your transition?
• How often do you want to style your hair?
• Will you want to rely on your stylist?
• Will you want to find a new stylist?
• How hair savvy are you?

NOTE: When you are transitioning, you are essentially “growing out” your perm. You will have straight (or wavy) hair at the ends, and growing from your scalp will be your naturally textured kinky coily curly hair. The two textures will behave and react differently to your manipulation, products and heat. The line where the two textures meet is called the line of demarcation. The demarcation line is a sensitive area and should be handled with care so as to avoid any breakage.

Pick your Transition Styles

Assuming you’ll be transitioning with your own hair:

You will want your hair to be as uniform as possible during your transition. Meaning, you will want it to be all straight, or all curly. Easiest is all curly.
For my personal transition, I straightened at times during the cold months and wore curly styles during the warm months and most of the time.

Some styles to consider:

• Wash and go
• Braid-Out
• Twist-out
• Dry Twist-out
• Twist-n-Curl
• Curly Fro 1
• Bantu Knot-Outs
• Cornbraids
• Flat Twist-Out
• Roller Set
• Rod Set
• Flexi Rod Set
• Curlformer Set
• Flat iron
• Faux Bun
• Messy Side Bun

My personal choices were wash and gos during the first few months and after that braid-outs were my go-to style. I preferred wearing curly styles so that I wouldn’t have to straighten the natural new growth.

Get To Know Your New Growth

What we would normally call our “new growth” is what you will have to get used to calling simply YOUR HAIR. After your transition, when you do your big (or little) chop, you will have all new growth. To make the BC less intimidating it is wise to get to know your new growth during your transition.

Although you will most likely not be able to determine your “hair type” while you still have your permed ends weighing your hair down, you will be able to learn some interesting things about your natural hair.

Some things to notice:

• How does my hair react to water?
• How does my hair react to oils?
• How does my hair react to my current products?
• How does my hair feel (when wet, when dry, when dirty, when thirsty)?
• How quickly does my hair dry?
• How quickly does my hair tangle?

Create Your Regimen

This, to me, is the fun part. With creating a regimen comes a bit of experimentation with products, techniques and timing.

Some things to consider:

• How often will I wash/condition/moisturize?
• How often will I do treatments? (moisture/protein)
• What will I use to moisturize? (how does my hair react?)
• How often will I detangle?
• How much time do I have to devote to my healthy hair practices?
• How much effort do I want to put in to my regimen?

Stick to the Plan (or not!)

After your regimen is set and you’ve decided on your styles, your only job now is to stick to it and last until your predetermined big chop day. The longer your transition, the more time you’ll have to deal with both textures and the higher the natural hair to permed hair ratio becomes.

This requires patience among other things. If it becomes too much for you, you can always BC early, or switch your transition mode to one where you won’t have daily manipulation/styling of your hair.

BONUS:

Find Support

This is key, for those days when you’re so frustrated with dealing with the two textures on your head that a buzzcut sounds like a good idea. You will want people who are going through the same thing, or have gone through it to discuss things with and share ideas, as well as get advice. Plus, you’ll want a safe place to vent about something as important/trivial as your hair.

Some places to go for support: LHCF, NaturallyCurly, Nappturality, Curly Nikki, And you can always email me!

I hope this helped any transitioners-to-be with making your decision and hopefully now making a more informed one.

Good luck on your journey!

Braids n Thangs!

Hey Dolls!!!

So hope everyone weekend was a BANGER!! Mines was HAHA!!

So this weekend I spent 7hours....YES 7 HOURS waiting to get my hair braided in box braids. I waited to get my hair done for two hours and sat in the chair for 5 hours to get my braids. I wanted these braids forever, plus I wanted to give my curls a break.

 I love the way they came out, still a little tight but by midweek they should loosen up.

 

Braids, twist, wigs, or any style that will cover your curls is considered a protective style.... protective styling is something recommended because there are times your curls will need a rest from the washing and styling. Protective styling preserves your hair from breakage and damage.

PROTECTIVE STYLING IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR TRANSITIONERS!!!

Also I want to warn you ladies, if you are getting your hair braided by a hairstylist PLEASE make sure you make them aware what kind of comb to use to comb and detangle your hair. I brought my own wide tooth comb because the fishtail combs will break and take out your hair badly...hair care dont stop because someone else is laying hands on your hair.

 






NOOOOO!!!!                                              YESSSS!!!!!!




So when you put any protective styles in your hair and have your hair tucked away for a long period of time (say for 1-2 months) you should put your hair through what I call "THE SPA TREATMENT!"



 The SPA TREATMENT consist of the following:

* Prepoo (Coconut Oil or other oils, detanglers; hot oil treatments)

*Shampoo (wash hair with any sulfate free shampoo or what I recommend is a shampoo that contains protein since protein strengthens hair during harsh processes such as washing or braid styling)

*Deep condition with conditioners that contains protein (I use my Aubrey Organics Protein Conditioner-another great protein treatment is Aphogee two step Protein treatment)

*Wash out, blowdry hair (which I will make a post about blowdrying hair later)

*Apply oils or use LOC method

Do this process the night before you get your protective style so your hair is fresh and moisturized.


In about two to three weeks I will talk about how I wash my braids out so I can keep them looking fresh and my scalp clean.

Remember, even though your hair is not exposed you still need to treat the hair like it's exposed...meaning you should still wash and moisturized your hair and scalp so your new growth can grown in healthy.


So how will you be protecting your new found curls??

 

Love and light!!!

How to Slowly Transition to Natural Hair

Posted by CURLYNIKKI|

by Danielle of Long Natural Hair Care

One of the questions I’m asked most often is how I was able to do such a long transition. For me it was a fairly easy transition once I learned to handle my two textures. Here is a “how to transition” rundown of things to consider. I hope it helps!

Decide to go back to natural hair:

Definitely step one. Is natural hair really the move for you?

Some things to consider:

• Do you really want to have natural hair and why?
• What are your hair goals?

Read More>>>

Determine on your Transition Length:

I chose 2 years as my transition time because I knew my hair would be at or almost at a length where I could easily pull it back in a bun.

Some things to consider:

• How long do you want your hair to be when you finally BC?
• How dedicated are you to dealing with a potentially frustrating hair experience?

Choose your Transition Mode:

Some modes to consider:

• Weaves, with your hair braided underneath
• Wigs, with your hair braided underneath
• Extensions/Braids, using your hair and added hair
• Your hair alone, without added hair, using styles to blend the two textures.

(For purposes of this article, I will only be discussing transitioning with your own hair, as that is what I have experience with.)

When choosing your transition mode - Some things to consider:

• Do you want to deal with my hair on a daily basis?
• How often will you want to snip away permed ends?
• How long do you want your hair to be during your transition?
• How often do you want to style your hair?
• Will you want to rely on your stylist?
• Will you want to find a new stylist?
• How hair savvy are you?

NOTE: When you are transitioning, you are essentially “growing out” your perm. You will have straight (or wavy) hair at the ends, and growing from your scalp will be your naturally textured kinky coily curly hair. The two textures will behave and react differently to your manipulation, products and heat. The line where the two textures meet is called the line of demarcation. The demarcation line is a sensitive area and should be handled with care so as to avoid any breakage.

Pick your Transition Styles

Assuming you’ll be transitioning with your own hair:

You will want your hair to be as uniform as possible during your transition. Meaning, you will want it to be all straight, or all curly. Easiest is all curly.
For my personal transition, I straightened at times during the cold months and wore curly styles during the warm months and most of the time.

Some styles to consider:

• Wash and go
• Braid-Out
• Twist-out
• Dry Twist-out
• Twist-n-Curl
• Curly Fro 1
• Bantu Knot-Outs
• Cornbraids
• Flat Twist-Out
• Roller Set
• Rod Set
• Flexi Rod Set
• Curlformer Set
• Flat iron
• Faux Bun
• Messy Side Bun

My personal choices were wash and gos during the first few months and after that braid-outs were my go-to style. I preferred wearing curly styles so that I wouldn’t have to straighten the natural new growth.

Get To Know Your New Growth

What we would normally call our “new growth” is what you will have to get used to calling simply YOUR HAIR. After your transition, when you do your big (or little) chop, you will have all new growth. To make the BC less intimidating it is wise to get to know your new growth during your transition.

Although you will most likely not be able to determine your “hair type” while you still have your permed ends weighing your hair down, you will be able to learn some interesting things about your natural hair.

Some things to notice:

• How does my hair react to water?
• How does my hair react to oils?
• How does my hair react to my current products?
• How does my hair feel (when wet, when dry, when dirty, when thirsty)?
• How quickly does my hair dry?
• How quickly does my hair tangle?

Create Your Regimen

This, to me, is the fun part. With creating a regimen comes a bit of experimentation with products, techniques and timing.

Some things to consider:

• How often will I wash/condition/moisturize?
• How often will I do treatments? (moisture/protein)
• What will I use to moisturize? (how does my hair react?)
• How often will I detangle?
• How much time do I have to devote to my healthy hair practices?
• How much effort do I want to put in to my regimen?

Stick to the Plan (or not!)

After your regimen is set and you’ve decided on your styles, your only job now is to stick to it and last until your predetermined big chop day. The longer your transition, the more time you’ll have to deal with both textures and the higher the natural hair to permed hair ratio becomes.

This requires patience among other things. If it becomes too much for you, you can always BC early, or switch your transition mode to one where you won’t have daily manipulation/styling of your hair.

BONUS:

Find Support

This is key, for those days when you’re so frustrated with dealing with the two textures on your head that a buzzcut sounds like a good idea. You will want people who are going through the same thing, or have gone through it to discuss things with and share ideas, as well as get advice. Plus, you’ll want a safe place to vent about something as important/trivial as your hair.

Some places to go for support: LHCF, NaturallyCurly, Nappturality, Curly Nikki, And you can always email me!

I hope this helped any transitioners-to-be with making your decision and hopefully now making a more informed one.

I would love for you dolls to share your transitioning experience with me? How is it going?? Are you thinking about transitioning?
 

Good luck on your journey!

 

Love and Light!