Andreas Haircuts

I finally got the hair cut that I have wanted for almost a year now.  I hesitated in cutting my hair because I had worked so hard at caring for it so I cold reach a healthy long length.  But I learned that having long hair can be overrated. I loved the way it looked. But my hair became very heavy, hard to style and was always in the way.   After my hair cut, I felt so much lighter. It was a great feeling. 

The good thing about my being open to cutting my hair, is not only is it a bit of a fresh beginning. But I can have fun styling it in more ways, with out it giving me a headache (old length was heavy).

Next!  Hoping to play with some color.  Updates soon.   Any one else thinking of making a change with their natural hair - color, length or style?

Great article on The Science of Black Hair about things to consider when thinking about coloring your hair.

Color Smart: 4 Things You Should Consider Before You Color Your Natural Hair
By The Science of Black Hair

"Taking your hair to the next level with color can be a really exciting experience. Color can jazz up a boring puff, add dimension to locs and twist outs or really turn heads as a simple statement piece on TWAs. While going darker, adding lowlights or coloring within your natural color range won’t cause you too many problems—the drastic color leaps upward (more than 3 shades beyond your natural color) can really take a toll on your hair. Before you engage in any hair altering experience, first understand and weigh the risks. Never ever color your hair on a whim or without a gameplan for aftercare. Finally, decide if you trust yourself enough to do it yourself. Be honest with yourself and say, Self— do you really know what you are doing? What if this color is unsuccessful? Am I prepared for breakage? Am I prepared for a weird color result? Before you take the color plunge, here are some things to consider. You May Experience:

1.Curl pattern changes. Yes, coloring textured hair can sometimes result in temporary, unpredictable changes in your hair’s curl pattern. Sometimes, the changes are permanent. Whenever you alter or manipulate the hair’s protein bonding arrangement a slight relaxing effect can occur. These curl pattern changes are less likely to occur in coarse hair textures (coarse refers to the diameter of the hair fiber, not the feel of the fiber), and are more likely to occur in those with fine to medium hair textures. Prior damage may also influence whether or not you experience changes in your curl pattern. Using a protein reconstructor after coloring may help some lost curls find their way again.

2.Increases in hair porosity. Products that lighten the hair always require direct access to the hair’s cortical layers. When the hair’s cuticle is breached in this manner, the hair’s natural porosity increases leading to a dryness that hardly ever lets up. When porosity increases, dryness becomes a major complaint because moisture is next to impossible to hold securely within the fiber. Your hair becomes like a bucket with holes poked in the sides. Color-treated hair can be unforgiving, too. Miss a regularly scheduled deep conditioning and you may find yourself parting with strands prematurely. A strict, moisture and protein-focused regimen is absolutely essential if the hair is to thrive in this condition. If you never cared before, now is definitely the time to learn how to balance protein and moisture sources in your regimen!

3.Loss of Elasticity. Because color-treated hair has lost much of its natural moisture (and its overall
ability to retain supplemental moisture given), the hair may lose some of its elasticity. Elasticity refers to the ability of our hair fibers to stretch gently and return back to their normal shape and character without damage. The elastic quality of our hair is what makes putting our hair in a ponytail or drawing a puff effortless. When hair lacks elasticity, it does not move, bend and recover when pressured like healthy hair does— it simply gives up under pressure and snaps in its fragile condition. Again, moisture and protein balancing become critical for establishing elasticity because it’s that careful mix of moisture and strength that gives our hair the ability to resist breakage from being stretched and handled day to day.

4.Horrific Color Result. Color is very, very unpredictable and all the swatches, box comparisons and focus groups in the world can’t prepare you for the end result you will be able to expect. Why? Because color uptake is dependent on a number of factors— namely your hair’s current color, porosity and texture (strand size). At best, the hair color on the box is just the product manufacturer’s best corporate guess at what your hair will look like (with a bit of photoshopping thrown in for good measure.) Sometimes, multiple steps will be needed to get your color right. It is always best to have an experienced professional take color more than three shades out of your natural color range. Chances are, they’ve seen numerous heads with textures like yours and varying degrees of porosity—plus they have the added bonus of experiences with various colors and looks to bring to the table. The numbers game is in their favor. You standing there in the store aisle with a box and maybe 0-5 colorings under your belt really can’t compete. (Okay, okay— maybe some of you can!)

Don’t let your color job be the first time you are sitting in this stylist’s chair— especially if the color change is drastic. You want someone who knows you and your hair and who’ll be available if you have questions. Unfortunately, here on the worldwide web, we can’t see your color or touch your hair. Sometimes it really is best to have someone from the outside hold your hand a little. Finally, one last note to take into consideration. Know that your color-treated hair will be very sensitive to things that you may have taken for granted before— (i.e., water, the sun, heat etc) and undergoing the coloring process sort of assumes that you’re ready to handle a little extra responsibility. Color-treating your hair is not a time to get lackadaisical with your hair. If you are lazy, put down the box, do not pass go and do not collect $200. (Same advice for those of you who relax/texturize, too)! Color-treated hair REQUIRES upkeep or you will quickly find it circling (albeit very colorfully) down the drain."

Photo Source one and two 

Andrea's Beau is a company that offers cute accessories for women and girls.  Their headbands are great because they come in both hard hair bands and soft hair hands. So they will work with any hair type.   I have the soft headband in the large photo called the Mosaic Stone Headband and my youngest daughter loves it so much that she has already claimed it as her own.  :-)

For a limited time, Natural Girls United readers are being offered free shipping on purhases of any amount until June 30th, 2014. To take advantage of this offer, use code FREESHIPNBH.

Check out Willow B's 1940's vintage inspired hair style how-to video for natural hair. "You can rock this look to work, while running errands, on a night out - so quick and easy I just ♡ it!"

She Is Beautiful is a short documentary by Denise Francis. "I am in pursuit to change the definition of beauty. I made a short documentary to find what the true definition of beauty is. I explored New York City and interviewed 100 people asking them two questions. "Why are women beautiful" & "Why are you beautiful" Their answers were amazing! This is beauty redefined, the true definition of beauty is YOU."  To learn more about Denise or to see more, go to LiveNaturallyLove on youtube.

"In [the video below], I will be showing you a portion of my journey from relaxed hair to natural hair. I did my big chop January 28th, 2014. I've been transitioning since Summer 13' (not sure of the exact date). Initially I was going to transition but I got tired of having thin relaxed hair and trying to deal with two textures so I just decided to do my big chop. I am also on a no heat journey so that I can improve the overall health of my hair. I hope my journey inspires you to go natural whether you decide to transition or do the big chop. In my experience, I believe the big chop was the best thing for me to do. The only regret I have is that I wish I did my big chop sooner :)"  ~ Traeh



To learn more about Traeh, check her out on -
Instagram - @Iamtraeh
Youtube - www.youtube.com/iamtraeh 

I have been trying not to comment on this whole topic that has been circulating on the web, about the state of toodler's Blue Ivy's hair (daughter of Beyonce and Jay Z).  Because I did not want to bring attention to such foolishness. But to hear recently that an irresponsible and thoughtless person started a petition to get the famous couple to comb their daughters hair, has gotten me a little fired up.

I am so deeply offended by this petition. For one, you are bringing negative attention to a child.  That in itself is horrible.  Internet bullying is no joke and that is what this is.  Second, it is not your child - so it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.  Third, there are so many people constantly criticizing Beyonce for wearing weaves, wigs and hair extensions. But she allows her child to wear her hair in a natural state and people still get angry.  I am sure that Blue Ivy is a healthy rambunctious child. I, for one, have a toddler at home.  I know first hand that when I do my daughters hair, she often messes it up with in a half hour of the style being done because she loves to play, wrestle, jump, cuddle, roll around, etc...  No toddlers hair is going to be perfect all the time.

I just think that internet bullying is so horrible. And for the creator of the petition to play if off as being a joke, is her not taking responsibility for doing something that could be hurtful to another person and family; and to focus on a child in any negative shallow way, is hideous.  To read more about this petition, check out the NY Daily News.

Is your stylist an outlaw? Probably not, but if she braids hair for a living without first obtaining acostly and time consuming cosmetology license, she may be running afoul of a troubling policy trend requiring licenses for professions that are perfectly safe.

No one should have to go to work with the fear that they could be fined or arrested. Unfortunately, for thousands of natural hair braiders, that fear is very real. That's because twenty-four states regulate hair braiders as cosmetologists, despite the fact that they do not use dyes, caustic chemicals or dangerous tools. In fact, the only tools they *do* use are their hands, which these laws effectively regulated as dangerous weapons.

 Today, that fear ends. The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm that has represented hair braiders for more than two decades, is launching a national legal and online initiative to defend natural hair braiders' right to work free from over-zelious licensing laws. Those laws require that braiders take upwards of 1,500 or more hours of course work and take two exams—neither of which test their braiding ability—before they can accept their first paying client.

You can read more about the initiative at http://www.braidingfreedom.com." - J. Justin Wilson, Director of Communications, Institute for Justice. To support this cause, hashtag #braidingfreedom on your social media pages. Check out the video below for more information.

I am  in love with the new song and video from Nico & Vinz called "Am I Wrong". Not only are they singers talented with a great song, the video is also visually appealing and unique.

"The video for "Am I Wrong" was filmed in Botswana. It was put together in a deliberate effort to present a positive side of Africa when the image of the continent is too often mired in negative news stories." - Wikapedia. The song also has a great message of thinking outside of the box and not following the crowd.   To learn more about the singers, go to their website Nico & Vince.

I am excited to talk about a new book called The New Braiding Handbook by Abby Smith.  This is a great book that shows you step by step how to create 60 modern twist, braids and hairstyles. Each picture is detailed, in color and easy to understand. Perfect for moms or just any one looking to do something new. Although the styles are shown on straight hair, some of the style techniques can be adapted to use on ethnic natural hair textures as well. 

"Braids, knots and buns, oh my! Introducing “The New Braiding Handbook,” a full-color guide that will help you master the trendiest twists, fishtails and updos. With easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photos, you’ll master gorgeous new looks, including the Waterfall Braid, Fishtail Bun, Twisted Bohemian Updo, French Braided Pompadour, Celtic Knot, Topsy Tail High Bun and so much more. This book will give you the perfect look for every occasion, whether you’re meeting your besties for brunch, attending an important meeting or walking down the aisle! It’s also packed with tips for eliminating pesky hair problems—split ends, slow-growing tresses, oily hair, etc. With “The New Braiding Handbook,” you’ll have locks to envy!"


Abby Smith is giving away one book to one lucky follower of the Naturally Beautiful Hair blog.  To enter this contest, in the comment section below, tell us the following -

- Why you enjoy creating new styles?
- What style you like the best from this page that shows styles from the book?
- The winner must also be a follower of the Naturally Beautiful Hair blog.

The contest ends in two weeks on June 6th at 10 pm.  To learn more about Abby and her book, go to Twist Me Pretty.


 
**Update!   The winner of this contest is Betsy Foust.  Thank you for entering the contest. Please send your shipping information to naturalhairbeauty@gmail.com. 

It's that time again. My birthday is approaching quickly and I am not looking forward to it.  I will be turning the big 4 0 this year (and my heart drops).  The reality of it is that I can't do any thing to slow down the clock. So I just have to embrace my age and getting older.  But one thing that I do not want to embrace or take into the next phase of my life is my major health problems and unhealthy eating.

I have hired an awesome personal trainer and I have also decided to try eating Vegan for 30 days.   After my 30 days, I will see how I feel and what adjustments I want to make to my diet. But so far I am excited.

While researching, I found some great channels on YouTube of woman that are educating the public on how you can transition into eating Vegan, tips, recipes, information and more.  The first YouTube page I want to highlight is Food Heaven Show with Wendy & Jess.  Their Facebook page is also full of information and meal ideas. "Food Heaven Made Easy with Wendy & Jess is a web series with a mission to bring healthy cooking to your kitchen. The show is hosted by Nutritionista Wendy Lopez and Registered Dietitian Jessica Jones, who both hold Master's Degrees in Nutritional Science. These nutrition nerds demonstrate how to cook nutrient dense, delicious and affordable plant-based recipes, while providing scientifically sound nutrition information you can trust."

I also want to highlight another great youtube page FullyRawKristina.  Kristina's page also has great colorful, vibrant videos full of information, recipes and more on how to transition into a vegan or healthy eating lifestyle. Check out her Facebook page here.


I will be checking in every once in awhile to talk about my experience with trying the vegan diet and if I have experienced any benefits.

I am in love with my new Boulé Pin's!   My locs have gotten really long and are sometimes a bit heavy. With the Boulé Pin's, I can style my hair in different updo's with complete ease and no discomfort.  I was surprised at how easy it was to pin them into my hair. It slides right in to my freshly twisted locs without pulling or tugging at my hair.   I have the large Mona Boulé Pin (labradorite) and an extra large Jeanette Boulé Pin (botswana agate).  


"Luxury, simplicity, and beauty are at the heart of Boulé. Our philosophy reflects a desire to celebrate curls, locs, and kinky hair with timeless designs that highlight our extraordinary aesthetic. Our Boulé Pins are an easy styling solution for busy lifestyles, evenings out, or warm summer days. They're a must-have for locs, a morning time-saver for women with natural hair, and safe for the tiniest coils or sisterlocks. Each one is handcrafted, made of bronze and features semi-precious gemstones or glass. Our pieces speak to a woman’s desire to treat herself beautifully, love her hair, and feature it proudly." ~  Boule Design.  To learn more about Boulé Pin's, go to:

Boulé Design
Boulé on Facebook
Boulé on Etsy

Check out this new line of dolls and children books at Double Dutch Dolls, made for multicultural girls. The brand was created to celebrate the beautiful shades of girls from mixed cultures. The book series stars 2 characters, and is great for girls ages 8 and up. "As a young tween/teen girl, I never felt like their were books for me that featured brown girls. So, I created a line especially for girls like me." - K. Charles

The curly hair doll that is available on the website's name is Zaria Bradley. Zaria is into Soccer and Science. Zaria is an all vinyl 18” fashion doll.

To learn more about Double Dutch Dolls, go to doubledutchdolls.com website.

"I just started my natural hair journey before I did the 'big chop'. I deep conditioned my hair using Pantene sheer volume shampoo & conditioner. I wore my hair in twist outs or Bantu knot outs. Now that I've cut my hair, I've started to add Mane 'n Tail deep moisturizer, Africa's Best Herbal Oil & Olive Oil; and Mango Butter Curl Defining Pudding to my hair styling routine. When I style my fro using bantu knots or in defined curls, I use  using Moroccan Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel or African Essence Styling Gel.

The hardships I was experiencing before I did the big chop was trying to get my damaged hair to match my roots and for it to all be one texture. Initially when I would take my twist out and start to pick through my hair, I wasn't happy with the results, So I finally decided to start over by cutting the damaged hair off and  starting the process from there. So far I'm pleased with how it looks.

I really love my hair because for me its away to express yourself.  I don't believe that I could wear one
hairstyle everyday. I love to be different and I change my hair with every outfit, even with me having short hair I've found a lot of ways to style it. The first time I cut my hair off from a bad bleach and perm (Which I shouldn't have done), I just let my hair grow long enough to where I could get braids and from there I was back to perms. I want to get my hair back long & healthy, having healthy hair and seeing the change in my hair is making me want to continue the process. Any advice I could give on how to keep your hair healthy - even if your not going through the natural journey, is to keep it moisturized, and in between styles, let your hair breathe." - Kaneetra

Q: What is your hair story? What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A: I initially began my hair journey wanting to learn more about growing long and healthy relaxed hair after my relaxed hair started breaking. While I was looking up how to take care of my hair, I learned more about natural hair and the great experiences others had with their natural hair. I saw the range of hairstyles that I could do with natural hair and its versatility, as well as how healthy and thick natural hair was. After reading lots of information on youtube, forums and blogs about natural hair, I was convinced that that was what I wanted to do.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I decided to be long term transition-er after seeing how other ladies on youtube and forums were able to successfully transition and have a considerable amount of hair on their heads. My last relaxer was January 11, 2010 and I ended up transitioning for 18 months and. The last couple of months of my transition I was actually studying abroad in Spain, so that was definitely a challenging experience trying to manage the two textures abroad. About three months after I returned to America I cut the remainder of my relaxed ends off on July 24, 2011.

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: Yes, I was traveling into unknown territory and something completely different than what I was used to. As a slow transition-er, I slowly became use to my texture, but I wasn't completely sure how it would look after I cut all of my relaxed ends off. I had some issues styling my hair at first but I eventually learned that braid outs worked more for my hair than twist outs. 

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: I always use shea butter to seal in the moisture. I like the thick consistency of it and it’s ability to hold stretched styles like a braidout. I also like Darcy Botanicals Curl Smoothing Cream and Karen’s Body Beautiful Super Duper Hydrating Cream as moisturizers. I like the smell of both of them and I like their consistency and thickness.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: What really helped with my natural hair journey was focusing on what my hair and what I liked rather than what others were saying or doing. I read a lot about natural hair on blogs, forums and youtube and saw how great natural hair could be. I didn't see that many other natural women around me when I initially became natural, so I found positive inspiration on the internet.

To see more about Tia, go to her youtube page tiajonay.

"Before going natural I used to get a lot of perms and dyes to my hair. I got a perm every 4 weeks and my ends trimmed. That was back in highschool. Once I graduated I started to try weaves, sew-ins and wigs. My motto was "Big Girl, Big Hair". Couldn't tell me I wasn't Chaka Khan.

I am excited to be a contributing writer for Naturally Happy Hair Magazine.  Check out my first article, titled "Fabulocs" published in the magazines 2014 Winter issue.  The model featured in the magazine article is Ebony Lunsford.

Q: What is your hair story? What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A: I started out natural until the age of 10 yrs old. I got my first relaxer at the age of 11 yrs. old. When I was in high school I wore my relaxed hair long, short, in an asymmetrical bob, and then I grew it back long.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I chose to return back to my natural tresses on September 24, 2011. I didn't like my relaxed hair because it was very thin. It never held a curl, and it would literally be stuck to my head from chemical burns. I didn't want to go through that anymore so I chose to transition for 7 months from February 5, 2011 to September 24, 2011, and I did the big chop. I really enjoyed my short natural hair. It was so easy to manage. I just did wash n go's. I'm so glad I chose to go natural.

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: Yes!! I was always told the myths that natural hair can't be combed or detangled, and it was hard to manage. I was so afraid to go natural because of those myths I heard, but I went natural anyway. I found that I was able to comb, detangle, and manage my natural hair.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: I love Olive oil because it penetrates the hair strand, and it leaves my hair so soft. I love Giovanni Smooth
as Silk Conditioner because it has great slip, and it leaves my hair very soft also. I also love Eco Styler Argan oil gel because it lays my edges down really well.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: My advice to other naturals is to love the hair that grows from your scalp. Natural hair is beautiful. If you are thinking about going natural I think you should go for it because going natural is the best decision I have ever made, and my scalp is healthier. My hair has grown longer than it has ever been, and it's because I went natural. It's an awesome feeling to be a natural. You can go from curly to straight and right back to curly. Natural hair is very versatile, and that’s what I love about it. Natural hair is definitely not boring because you can do so much with it. I say go for it and tune out all negative opinions around you.

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey i.e. blog, twitter, facebook, fotki, tumblr, personal or professional website?
A: You can find me on my YouTube channel named PiecesofNika;  Instagram: @MsNikaR Twitter; and MsNikaR

This natural hair beauty, "Effortlessly Hunny" shares her natural hair story - 

Q: What is your hair story? What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair? 
A: As a teen I had long relaxed hair, everyone would ask what I did to get it long, the reason it was long was because I didn't use heat on it much and stretched my time in between relaxers. Stretching soon led to me becoming fully natural.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: My sister went natural, and I thought it looked beautiful on her, I wondered what mine would look like, and also how fast it would grow without a relaxer. I had went through a "healthy" relaxed regimen for longer hair, but I wanted to see my potential with my own texture. My last relaxer was late Jan/early Feb 2012, I ended up transitioning long term because it was easiest for me. After my birthday (June 2013) I had my sister chop off the remaining relaxed ends and was left with the shortest hair I've had in my life(around ear length)-so I bunned and bunned. My hair now, in less than a year, comes past my collarbone again and I love it!

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture? A: Yes! Unlike my sister I have very thick hair. I figured it would be too much for me to deal with and that I would end up giving back into relaxers. But I found out how to conquer the beautiful mass.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: Cantu Shea Butter Leave in Cream, Coconut Oil and ORS Replenishing Conditioner.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: Never change yourself for anyone, or in favor of someone else's high opinion. Do all things to make you feel better about yourself! Also, don't you want to learn what your beautiful, natural, God given hair that grows out of your scalp looks like? If you don't like it, for whatever reason, you can always go back. Just give it a chance and do you!

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey?
A: My instagram is Effortlessly Hunni and my blog is Effortlesslyhunni.blogspot.com