STYLING 101....

JaNelle and I usually just talk about curly products, but I've recently started looking into specific styling methods. Idea - once you have a really good product, how do you apply it? Well, apparently there's lots of styling methods out there in Natural Hair Land. I'll mention a few of them below.....

Finger Styling - Turns out this is what I do already (after experimenting for years, mind you). Basically, make sure your hair is wet all over. Next, you just grab sections of your hair and apply the desired product from root to tip, while running your fingers through to make sure the product penetrates. This style is "quick and easy" though it's the reason my shower time is about 20 minutes :)

Curlisto Method - This style was introduced by the Curlisto Product line, so of course they suggest you use their products, but I'm thinking this can be done with any leave-in/hair milk, hair cream, and gel of your choice. I'll probably try this with a base of KBB Hair Milk, then apply one of my hair creams with Aubrey's B5.

Method:
1. Apply base (leave-in, hair milk) all over your wet hair
2. Part hair into 5 sections (nape, sides, top, middle back), and clip each section to hold
3. Apply a mix of cream and gel to each section, from root to tip, running fingers through and shaking the ends to stimulate your curls.
4. After applying all over, put duck bill clips in the roots of your hair (down the middle and one on each side), kind of lifting up the roots.
5. Finally, diffuse until dry
6. Curlisto suggests you apply their "Unruly Paste" to smooth any fly aways, then apply a glow spray and some other stuff, but not sure if you really need to. I don't like to mess with my hair too much after it's dry.

Curlisto - Sounds Cool. Perhaps I'll try this on a weekend or day off, because who has time to diffuse until dry. Really.

Shingling Method - This method was introduced by Miss Jessie's. It's similar to the Curlisto method from what I've seen. Seems like you would apply your product all over your hair, then take smaller sections and comb more product through. Ideally, you would then sit under a dryer until your hair was fully dry (~1 hour!). Finally, "fluff" it out for volume. Again, sounds do-able, but who's sitting under a dryer for an hour? Actually, WHO has a sit-under dryer!? (I may get one, *wink!*)

Braid-Out/Twist-Out - This style is exactly what it sounds like. Basically, you would braid or twist your hair in sections (after applying some product all over), as small or big as you like, let your hair dry, then carefully take each braid/twist out. Then fluff to your liking :) ... My rugby twin Ashley does this and her hair look gorgeous when she does.

Note - Almost all of these styling methods start with you applying product while your hair is wet. It helps with detangling and makes for easier application. Like I mention, I do my Finger Styling while I'm in the shower, but in most of the demo videos for these methods, the ladies are doing this in front of a mirror, using a water spray bottle to keep their hair wet during application. I may try this.... or, I could invent a "Shower Mirror" that sticks to your shower wall and doesn't fog up during the shower. Genius! (Don't steal my idea!)

Speaking of demo videos .... Miss Jessie's has REALLY nice vids on their site, which demonstrate Twist Outs, Finger Styling, and Shingling. Definitely Checkoutable:

http://www.missjessies.com/video_howto.html

Happy Styling!!! :)

I AM NOT MY HAIR!

There is a song titled "I Am Not My Hair" by India Arie, that is SO great, I felt a blog needed to be dedicated to the lyrics. It pretty much explains everything :)

I Am Not My Hair, By India Arie

Is that India.Arie? What happened to her hair? Ha ha ha ha ha

Little girl with the press and curl
Age eight I got a Jheri curl
Thirteen I got a relaxer
I was a source of so much laughter
At fifteen when it all broke off
Eighteen and went all natural
February two thousand and two
I went and did
What I had to do
Because it was time to change my life
To become the women that I am inside
Ninety-seven dreadlock all gone
I looked in the mirror
For the first time and saw that HEY....

I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within

What'd she do to her hair? I don't know it look crazy
I like it. I might do that.
Umm I wouldn't go that far. I know .. ha ha ha ha

Good hair means curls and waves
Bad hair means you look like a slave
At the turn of the century
Its time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off
Like a South African beauty
Or get in on lock
Like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight
Like Oprah Winfrey
If its not what's on your head
Its what's underneath and say HEY....

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend? Oooh
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?
I am expressing my creativity..

Breast Cancer and Chemotherapy
Took away her crown and glory
She promised God if she was to survive
She would enjoy everyday of her life ooh
On national television
Her diamond eyes are sparkling
Bald headed like a full moon shining
Singing out to the whole wide world like HEY...

If I wanna shave it close
Or if I wanna rock locks
That don't take a bit away
From the soul that I got
If I wanna where it braided
All down my back
I don't see what wrong with that

Is that India.Arie?
Ooh look she cut her hair!
I like that, its kinda PHAT
I don't know if I could do it.
But it looks sharp, it looks nice on her
She got a nice shaped head
She got an apple head
I know right?
It's perfect.

Back from Hair Hiatus!!!

And Now I'm Back! (From Outerspace...)

I've been gone for waaaaay too long, and its time to update what's been going on with my hair lately. I think I'll go back to the blog I wrote about "Zhara's Hair Inspirations" where I outlined 6 things I wanted to start doing with my hair. Let's see if I've actually done any of them ...

1. I have realized that I NEED MORE OILS in my hair.
UPDATE: Well, back when I wrote this, it was the beginning of March and still pretty chilly outside. Because of that, I needed to put a lot of oils in my hair. BUT - now that it's June and humid, I don't need as many oils. In fact, if I accidentally go crazy with some of my oil-based products, my hair usually comes out VERY greasy and not cute. Conclusion - I was definitely successful in using more oils. I've used organic coconut oil, Karen's Jojoba oil, & an assortment of Anita Grant's oils and I love them all. I just don't need to use them as often in the summa-time.

2. I will do an all over oil treatment to my hair at least once a week.
UPDATE: Again - Back in March I was really good at keeping this up. But as the weather got warmer it wasn't needed. Maybe once every 2-3 weeks these days. Moisture is still important!!

3. I will wear twists or braids, perhaps put up into a bun, at least once a week.
UPDATE: Sooooooo.... I started off REALLY good at keeping this up. It was perfect because I had rugby games every weekend, which gave me more motivation to do braids or twists or whatev. But sadly, since rugby had ended, I have been very delinquent on my protective styles. I need to read my own blog about this to remind myself of the benefits and get back to it!!!

4. Use Aubrey's B5 Gel.
UPDATE: Got it and Love it Love it Love it!! For anyone willing to try it - it's called a "gel" but its not really a gel. This stuff holds my curl beautifully without the scrunchy hard feeling of a traditional gel. A little dab'll do ya, because I've had the same bottle for MONTHS now and I use it almost everyday as a top coat after applying my other products. Especially on hot, humid days. Loveit!

5. Try Different Styles.
UPDATE: Hmmmmmm..... I want to say that I have TRIED a few different styles occasionally (side parts, hair pinned differently), but I seem to always come back to my part down the middle. I just think it looks best that way. I also like to pin up a little piece to the side after my middle-parted hair is dry, like at the end of the day or something. But that's it. I still need to be more creative. Someone help me!

6. Hair Does NOT Have To Be Perfect All The Time!
UPDATE: Negative Ghostwriter. I still have an obsession with perfection. Yet, I still have people telling me I need to let it go and be wild and big and decent.... just hasn't happened yet. I think the problem is I use so many products in my hair that weigh them down to perfection. If I try not to use products, I gain volume, but I also think it looks frizzy. I need to do more research in this department.

So, looks like I'm about 3 or 4 out of 6 for the above goals. Not too shabby. Overall, I would say that I am SO happy with my hair right now. After a good trim about 2 months ago, my ends are healthy, my curls are gorge (gorgeous), and my hair is soft to the touch (not greasy), yet it still looks shiny. I can definitely say that my hair is at least 10 times more healthy than it was a year ago, before I went truly natural (products, etc...).

All in all, I am happy and still have more things to achieve... details to come :)

On top of updating this Blog, I need some good pics of my hair. Nonetheless, here's a pic of me impersonating a nerd. I think my hair looks pretty good in it :)

PROTECTIVE HAIR STYLES....

Up until the past few months, my daily hair routine was a simple "wash & go." I get into the shower, wet and detangle my hair, then apply whatever product I feel like using that day. These days it's usually a base of Karen's Hair Milk, then a top coat of 1 of my Darcy's cremes (which I LOVE!). Then, maybe some Aubrey's B5 if I think I need a little extra hold. And that is my "wash & go," ... please note this does not consist of any washing/shampooing (I don't shampoo my hair too often; see my previous blog on co-washing). In general, I think everyone's W&G definition is different....

But anyway, the moral to this story is that I just recently started to try more Protective Styles on my hair. For a simple definition, Protective Styles are any type of hair style that protects your hair from being exposed to the air and snagging/rubbing on your clothes. As I was looking at other women's blogs and seeing how beautiful and healthy their hair was, it was evident that ALL of them wore their hair in Protective Styles most of the time.

Examples of Protective Styles:
1. Twists
2. Braids (I like to do braids, pulled back into a bun)
3. Simple Bun
4. Wearing some type of scarf or hair wrap

Benefits of Protective Styles:
1. Helps your hair to accumulate length.
2. Locks moisture into your hair (Especially when I use natural oils when doing my style! I like using Organic Coconut Oil).
3. Keeps it from drying out - gotta keep those oils in for them to work!
4. Prevents splits ends.
5. Needs less combing and brushing (which can lead to split ends).
6. You can keep a style in for days, and it's ok!!!

Overall for me, I would like my hair to grow because I feel like it's been at the same length for years! Additionally, playing rugby can take a toll on my hair, and using protective styles will definitely help :)

Here's me in my Braid Bun ... I love it :)



HAPPY PROTECTIVE STYLING!!!!

I LOVE MY HAIR TODAY!!!

This is just a little mini-blog to say I love my hair today!!! Since I can probably now consider myself a PJ, or Product Junkie (JaNelle is worse that me!), I have so many different products that I like to mix and match and use different things to check out the results. Well, today I wet my hair in the shower, detangled, and put on a little bit of Oyin's Shine and Define all over my hair, then a little bit of Aubrey's B5 on the ends and a little in the hair.... and I LOVE the results.



Man, I tell you... I am NEVER going back to regular products again!!

Co-washing for FINE Hair!!

I have to do another blog just to add on to Rachel's genius co-wash blog for all of you with confused hair like mine. By confused, I mean it will frizz a bit, but can't take the oils that can help tame the frizz. It is fine, but wants to behave like it's thick... Co-washing can definitely get rid of lots of frizz - and this is from someone who used to use a lot of gel. I don't even own gel anymore (except for B5 - which is not really a gel) - I gave all of my gel away...  

This blog is also for the doubters. Now, I have just started doing this, but I can tell you it's wonderful. You can follow a 'low-poo' routine or a 'no-poo' one. I am on a 'low-poo' schedule now. I'm not strict with it, I just judge by how my hair is feeling and looking. 

I am waiting for my Babassu shampoo bars from anitagrant.com, which I intend to use at least once a week along with co-washes and rinses throughout the week. I also use Karen's Body Beautiful Conditioning Shampoo. My hair doesn't tolerate most oils well (I'll do a later blog on oils and how I use them), and for my hair to look cute when I wear it down it has to be pretty bare, so co-washing isn't always enough for me, but I will never again use shampoos that aren't all natural or contain harmful chemicals like SLS, cones, etc... 

This is not only for black hair. Lorraine Massey is the author of 'Curly Girl', and she is caucasian. That's right, white women are up on this, too! She has some good recipes in her book to keep the hair naturally cleansed, but I will tell you, co-washes leave your hair smelling wonderful and fresh, if that's your concern.

If I need to clarify my hair or scalp (remove any build-up without stripping the hair of the oils it needs), I will:

a) mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in my Karen's Body Beautiful Conditioning Shampoo

b) mix warm water and baking soda, or 

c) do a strong ACV rinse (apple cider vinegar - all the hair junkies know!!) 

You can also use BC (Bentonite Clay) every so often. This sure gets it clean!! Rachel has pics on her Fotki of doing this... 

Lorraine suggests juice from a lemon added to conditioner for a co-wash to clarify better than any clarification shampoo (and she says this is good for dry or damaged hair). I haven't tried it yet, but I will be doing this soon. She also suggests exfoliating the scalp by mixing brown sugar and conditioner, applying to fingertips, and gently massaging. 

**I have been collecting a ton of SIMPLE (cause I'm lazy) hair recipes and I will post all of the recipes (and how to use them) here soon!! 

The point is, my hair feels great. Sometimes it's a bit too moisturized for my liking, but I'm still figuring out the little kinks. Today it is very moist (not greasy!!), so I will rinse tomorrow and use no product or a teeny bit of B5. 

Another thing to remember is when you're using all-natural products, there is no real build-up, like the unhealthy type of residue and clogging bacteria that occur when using products with cones, mineral oil, or any list of things you can't say!! Ugh...

Lastly, people attest to co-washing being a major reason their hair is growing in thick and shiny. My hair grows regardless, but I'm sure I'll need fewer trims.

DON'T SHAMPOO!!! CO-WASH INSTEAD

I know it probably sounds weird for me to tell people that they should not shampoo their hair, but think about it - how many times have you thought that your hair looked better when you didn't wash it for a few days? Personally, I dislike the way my hair looks after I wash it. I have LOTS of shrinkage (hair looks MUCH shorter than it really is), and the shampoo usually washes away all of the natural oils that have made my hair look great!

So, in my search for hair products, I stumbled across a friend's blog that mentioned she "co-washes" instead of shampooing. "Co-wash" is short for "Conditioner Wash," and it means exactly what it says. Wash your hair with CONDITIONER instead of SHAMPOO.

Again, this seems weird, but I found a site that gives many reasons why you would choose to co-wash over shampoo:

• You like to wet your hair daily but shampooing strips it (ME!)
  
• Shampooing makes your hair frizzy and dry (ME!)
  
• You don't use a lot of styling products and just need a light wash (ME!...sometimes)
  
• Your scalp is allergic to shampoo.
  
• You experience a lot of tangles when you shampoo and just don't have time for that every day (TOTALLY ME!)
  

The site goes on to say that co-washes keep your hair moisturized and super conditioned. Many naturally curly women do co-washes daily to help them maintain frizz free moisturized curls. Conditioner washes help your hair hold on to moisture because you are constantly opening the hair cuticle and putting vital moisture (water and conditioner) into your hair. The more often you conditioner wash, the better your results will be.

And there you have it folks....co-washing instead of shampooing. SO many benefits. I've been co-washing for a few months now and I can attest to the results :)

I like to use a lighter conditioner such as Elucence MBC to co-wash. It detangles wonderfully, but is not a thick and strong conditioner. It's also a natural product, so you know I'm into that :)

HAPPY CO-WASHING!!!

Zhara Hair Inspirations!!

So, in our last Blog JaNelle posted a link to a woman named Zhara who blogs on Fotki, and I am in LOVE with her hair!!! After spending a while on her blog, I picked up a good number of tips that I would like to start implementing IMMEDIATELY!!!!

First off, I'm excited because I feel as if she and I have similar hair types, so I'm hoping that with time, I can achieve the full, shiny, healthy, and beautiful look she has.

Here's some of the things I plan on doing:

1. I have realized that I NEED MORE OILS in my hair. Especially during this cold time of the year. I guess I thought I was ok with using "moisturizing" products like my Aubrey's MJ, but after looking at a pic of Zhara's hair, then looking at mine in the mirror, I know that I need to put more oils on my hair. She uses organic coconut oil, which I have, but rarely use. I also have some shea butter oil. I am going to start using both of these more regularly.

2. I will do an all over oil treatment to my hair at least once a week. Like cover my hair in coconut oil, put a shower cap on it, then a hot towel over that (since I have no 'sit-under' dryer), and then leave this on for like an hour.

3. I will wear twists or braids, perhaps put up into a bun, at least once a week. I'll probably do this after my oil treatment since I don't like to wear my hair out when it's too greasy. This will give my hair some time to marinate in the oils and not be exposed to the harsh air.

4. Zhara seems to use Aubrey's B5 gel a lot. JaNelle has this, and I may get it :)

5. Zhara also tries so many different hair techniques, using bobby pins to put her hair up in different styles. I am definitely gonna start doing this, so be on the lookout!!!

6. JaNelle mentioned she thinks I need to try and NOT make my hair so perfect all the time. I need to just let it be WILD and MESSY sometimes, and see how it turns out. I have a tendency to think my hair looks too "woofy" or messy, when in fact in may look cute! A perfect example of this is how my hair looks right now. I put it up in a ponytail for the gym, and did not wear my usual scarf while working out, so in my eyes, it looks like a mess. BUT, I went to the bank after the gym and the sista helping me complimented me on my hair!! See, and I thought it was a mess!

Post - Gym Pony



So, I plan on doing all of the things on the above list. JaNelle wanted me to add that she is planning on shampooing her hair less often, and doing more conditioner washes (co-wash) instead. There are lots of reasons to not shampoo your hair a lot, which is a perfect topic for another blog.

Cute Hair and Richeau's Product Reviews

Zhara's hair is DECENT!! (That means amazing in Rachel and JaNelle talk.) 

We need to get on Fotki. All of the hair geniuses are on there - including my fav - Richeau, who does the best product reviews ever!! She has forced me into spending way too much money, but she has led me to my new-found natural favorite product lines. Check out her YouTube page here.

Glycerin

OK. Glycerin. My grandmom used to add it lotion for extra moisturizing benefits. But what does it do for our hair?? Vegetable glycerin is found in many natural products, so I did some research...

Glycerin is a humectant, which means it draws moisture to itself. So... if it is on your hair, glycerin helps keep it hydrated by pulling moisture in from the air. Now, some say that if you live in a dry and cold climate, glycerin can suck the moisture out of the hair, and for this reason, people who live in these climates may choose to use glycerin products in the summer, but not in the winter. If it's humid all year, you shouldn't have an issue. You may also want to see if it's listed in the first three ingredients to know if there is a large amount in the product...

I started using products containing glycerin this winter and my hair is fine with it... You just have to know your hair. 

A lot of women buy pure plant derived glycerin from the drugstore and add distilled water to use as a spritzer. I haven't tried this yet. Karen's Hair Milk and Hair Nectar both have glycerin, and my hair loves this stuff when it's wet. I tried it on dry hair just to see how it would react, and my hair didn't appreciate it, though it smelled delicious!! It is a leave-in, so not necessarily for dry hair anyway. The Super Silky is glycerin-free, so I may try it to revive dry curls one day to see if glycerin makes the difference. (Rachel and I each own all three!! There will be a later blog on that I'm sure...) 

So that's pretty much it. I plan on getting a bottle of glycerin to try the spritzer idea when summer hits.  

Beautifully Captured lists some glycerin tips and products that contain glycerin here. There are also a ton of YouTube videos on making easy glycerin spritzes as well as a million recipes on natural hair forums like Nappturality...

100% Natural Products!!!! Aubrey, Karen, and Kinky

Ok, not REALLY 100%, but everyone should be able to read the ingredients of their shampoo, conditioner, gel, etc.... without needing a chemistry reference book.

*FLASHBACK*

I've been wearing my hair naturally now for about 9 years. Rugby started to become more serious and it was just too hard to try and keep my hair straightened in between practice, working out, and games. So one day I just decided that I was going to wash my hair, and NOT blow dry it after (GASP!!). At first it was cute - sorta wavy and long. Then, the perm started to slowly grow out, and my ends started to rapidly deteriorate, and I ended up chopping off like 4 inches. This is when my search for products to aid my new natural-ness began.... but there was nothing out there! I used gel, mousse, lotion, grease, baby-oil gel, etc.... anything that I thought could hold my curl. Some things seemed to work, but in the end everything just made my curls crunchy, dry, and messy. It was so bad that I resorted to giving myself what I called "mini-perms" like once or twice a year:

mini-perm: If my curls started to get a little too "woofy," I would put a perm on them and literally just put it on, then quickly take it off. I thought it was loosening my curls, when it was really just damaging my hair all over again.

ME during mini-perm time....it LOOKS cute, but you can also see that I don't have much curl definition because the perms took that away, and eventually damaged my hair!


Once the mini-perms started to take their toll, I finally decided that I was not going to give myself any more perms. So, as you can imagine, this started a brand new process of perm grow-out. Not as bad as grow-out #1, but not too pretty either.

And here we are today. I haven't had a perm on my hair in about 3-4 years (so long ago I can't even remember), and my hair has never looked so good....except back before I had perms, but that's a topic for another blog....

It's only been a few months since I SERIOUSLY began a search for new products for my hair, which has led me to the topic of this blog - NATURAL PRODUCTS!!

*PRESENT DAY*

Here are some ingredients of the conditioner I USED to use on my hair:
Behentrimonium Chloride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Octyldodecanol

Here are some ingredients of the natural conditioner I CURRENTLY use on my hair:
Organic Aloe Vera, Wheat Germ Oil, Balm Mint, Organic Sage Oil, Camomile, Mistletoe (ooooooh, maybe someone will wanna kiss me!!)

Moral to the story....you want to be able to PRONOUNCE the things you put into your hair!!! Though it's hard to find a 100% natural product out there, it's super easy to find some that are close to being 100% natural. And seriously, the natural products are better than the crap they sell in drug stores.

Some of my favorite organic products:

1. Aubrey Organics (Can also get at Whole Foods)

• I love their Hair Moisturizing Jelly, JaNelle has the B5 Design gel, I also love their Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner.
  

2. Karen's Body Beautiful

• Ummmm...JaNelle and I go crazy on this site, so my suggestion is to buy it all!! These products smell SOOOO Good. Go Crazy! Hahahahahahaha.

3. Kinky Curly (Can also get at Whole Foods)

• I love the Curling Custard, but it's a bit strong so you only need a little! It will last ALL day, and with an overnight scarf will last 2-3 days :)

4. Others: I like leave-in conditioners from both Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) and Giovanni Direct. I'm also waiting on an order from Oyin Handmade, so no review, but I hope it's decent!


ME after I stopped getting perms. You can actually see that I have curly hair. This is not fully dry though, and I love my hair when it's fully dry :)

HAIR TYPES, HAIR DYE, AND NATURAL PRODUCTS

I think this blog will help lots of curly girls because, as we all know, everyone's curls are different, and that makes everyone's journey different. Now, I know Rachel and I both have type 3 hair. I would guess I'm 3b, but I'm no expert. Everyone has a mixture of curl patterns, but Rachel is a mixture of 3b and 3c (I think)... We both have s-patterns that form spiral curls at the tips. Neither one of us has extremely thick hair, though Rachel's is definitely thicker than mine (I'm jealous). My mom says I used to want two pigtails like my older sister, but my hair was too fine, so I would be stuck with one:(

For your hair type check out www.naturallycurly.com/hair-types

**Rachel has corrected me - She says I am a mixture of 3a and 3b

**Would Rachel be a 3b or a mixture of 3b and 3c??

I have been dying my hair for 10 years now. I've had every color of the rainbow in my hair, but for the last few years I've been blonde - extremely blonde. Highlights in the winter, all over color in the summer. I must confess I did love my blonde (sigh), but after years of it my hair is literally done. It's been damaged and grown back more times than I can count. So my "big chop" was about getting rid of bleach, not perms... When I stylishly grew my roots, people asked me, "Why do you dye your hair at all??" since it is naturally a reddish-brown color (even my hairdresser asked me this). I had no logical answer to this, of course, but kept dying away. My hair is shorter than I like it right now, and with the shrinkage it can drive me crazy at times, but I am staying away from heat as much as possible and embracing my natural curl. There is a bit of color/damage left in the front, where I had it highlighted most recently, and I can't wait to see it all healthy and curly. Truthfully, it hasn't been healthy and curly since I was young because I was straightening the curl out when I had virgin hair, and by the time I got around to my first curly phase it was already dyed.

I'm not saying I'll never highlight again, but for now my love affair with chemical coloring is over (sigh again). Experimenting with henna may be in the near future, so stay tuned...

Another thing... Rachel and I are using natural products these days. It's a a win-win situation. I haven't eaten meat for over twenty years, so naturally I don't want products tested on animals. Plus, these are the products best for our hair. You can't lose!!

Oh, my baby sister has locs, so I'll be reporting in on products that work well for her, too!!

IN THE BEGINNING....

In the beginning, we were told that "good" hair meant your hair was LONG and STRAIGHT, and it was the norm to do anything you had to do to make your hair that way. That usually meant Chemicals, Heat, and More Heat. But that was years ago, and now we know better.

This blog will be a way for my best friend JaNelle and I to share our stories of Hair Discovery. You see, we have both decided that our NATURAL hair that was given to us, without chemicals and excessive amounts of heat, are just as "good" and beautiful as anything we thought of before. Our hair was screaming, "No More Heat! No More Perms! No More Dyes!!" ... and we finally decided to listen.

Mostly, we wanna share our new hair findings with each other without having to call and text each other a million times a day - but if anyone else is interested, then you are more than welcome to peek in on our breakthroughs :)

So, Welcome to Nywele.... and for a good laugh, the pic is of JaNelle and I doing that "long and straight" thing I mentioned in like the 7th grade.....enjoy!