7 Wicked Myths About Kinky Hair

There's all types of misinformation out there about natural hair...particularly kinky natural hair.  I am here to put a few on blast, and hopefully debunk them.  Who's with me?!

 

1. The Brothers aren't feeling it - Well, no two brothers think alike, so it's unfair to say the brothers aren't feeling it.  Some guys love natural hair, and some guys hate it.  Some guys don't give a damn.  If you encounter a guy who hates your natural hair, just keep it moving.  he probably not the type of man you'd want to be with anyway.

2.  Kinky hair doesn't grow - Really? take a look at these queens, and tell me kinky hair doesn't grow.

How to get your kinks to shine!! **UPDATE!! [PICS]**

As you know, it is really difficult to get a nice lustrous sheen on type 4 kinks.  I've been struggling with this particular issue for a long time.  Even when my hair is well moisturized, it always looks kind of dull.  I was kind of over it, when I met this gal with the sheeniest kinks I'd ever seen. I begged her for her secret....Lo and behold, she told me she used castor oil.  I was like 'Whaaaa?'  I had a big bottle of cold pressed castor oil sitting in my war chest - hadn't been touched.  I decided to give it a whirl.  I moisturized as normal (taliah waajid detangler & curl enhancing smoothie), and I sealed with my cold pressed castor oil.  Twisted my hair up and the next day, I had super-soft, super-shiny hair.  I couldn't believe it.  Will update this post with pics when I take my twists down.  #I'mABeliever ***UPDATE! PICs on the Flip!

Solo in Cannes!

It's nice to see a natural sister getting so much shine on the world stage.  Solo Knowles in Stephane Rollande at the Great Gatsby Premiere in Cannes.

Throw Back Tuesday!!

Now I'm not advocating smoking but this ad is giving me life right now!!

Can you guess the Celeb??

This one kind of stumped me at first.....but you guys are probably a lot smarter than I am!! 

 

Click here to find out!! 



Throwback Thursday! Levi's Edition.

This awesome ad harkens back to a more pure time in our history.  I sometimes wish I was a twenty-something back in the 70's.  Afros, black pride, and killer kicks. #OneCanDream.  -YB

Afro Perms??? [PICS]

I just had to giggle when I caught wind of this.

They have created a chemical process that can change straight hair into kinky afro hair.  Not wavy - not curly.  I'm talking straight up kinky!

Can all kinkies grow long hair?

Many kinkies can indeed grow long hair, but sadly, there are some that cannot. The key to determining potential length of some one's hair, is understanding hair growth cycles.  Every person has a genetically predetermined length to which their hair can grow.  There are 2 factors at play, to make this determination:  Average rate of growth and average length of time it takes the hair to shed.

On average, most people's hair grows between 1/4-1/2 inch a month.  That is 3-6 inches a year. ( I am not sure which end of the spectrum I fall, but I am inclined to believe my hair grows relatively quickly.  I will know for sure when I do my 1 year length check in 2014.)

The growth cycle of hair consists of 3 stages.  The growth phase, the resting phase, and the shedding phase. On average, most people's growth cycle is between 3-6 years, meaning, that is the amount of time it takes from when a new hair emerges, until the time of it's natural shedding.

Now, if you have a person whose hair grows below average at 2 inches a year, and whose hair  growth cycle is 3 years, the longest potential length that individual can achieve genetically, is 6 inches.  Once you take into account breakage or trimming, the length is even shorter.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you have a person whose hair grows above average at 7 inches a year, and their hair growth cycle is 6 years, the longest potential length that individual can achieve genetically is 42 inches. It will of course be shorter taking into account breakage or trimming.

I think it is difficult to gauge one's exact hair growth cycle, however tracking annual hair growth is a lot easier.  I have never attempted to grow my hair out, so I have no idea if I have potential for long kinks, of if I'm a short hair kink.  Either way, I think my hair is rad and I'm going to continue to werk it!! - YB

Can you guess the celeb??

This legendary Oscar-nominated actress has starred in over 40 films, and is known the world over for her youthful looks, bangin' bod, and amazing dramatic range.  Can you name this throwback kinky? -YB

 



FroHawk Tutorial! [VIDEO]

This is seriously the easiest hairstyle in my arsenal.  It is not considered a protective style, but rather a low-manipulation hairstyle.  If you would like to extend the life of your twist-out or braid-out, this is definitely a tutorial you should check out! 

What you'll need:
Natural Bristle Brush
4-6 side hair combs
Bobby Pins
Styling Gel (optional)
Sheen Spray

Do you Know who INNA MODJA is? [PICS]

Inna Modja is a Paris-based French-Malian model/soul-pop singer, who is giving us LIFE.  She has been holding it down for  Kink-Brigade for over 10 years, and repping hard for L'Oreal's Mizani hair care brand.  Check out her website : http://www.innamodja.com/ for all the tea you can drink, and take a look at a duet she did with my favorite French singer Alain Chamfort. More pics after the jump.  Enjoy! - YB

Throwback Monday!

There was once a time when an ad like this was normal....par for the course.  There just aren't enough words on this planet to express my love for Afro Sheen right now .  This ad is EVERYTHING! - YB

Kinky Icon of the Week: Lenny Kravitz!!

Kinks aren't reserved strictly for the ladies.  There are definitely some brothers out there representing the Kink-Brigade.  One of our faves being Lenny Kravitz, whose kinky hair literally rocks!  Look out for him in the upcoming sequel to The Hunger Games. Please enjoy the view! (And peep the little extra somethin'-somethin' @ the end....ain't got a durn -thing to do with no kinks!)

Protective Style of the Week: Marley Bun! [PICS]

I decided to deviate from my flat twist go-to 'do, and try something a little different today.  I've seen a couple of girls on the inter-webs do tutorials on up-do's, supplementing their own hair with Marley Braid.  I must say, the results were quite nice indeed...Not perfect, but not bad for a first-timer!

After removing my flat twists, I sprayed my hair down with water, put on a generous amount of Eco-Styler Gel, and brushed upwards, all the way around.  Instead of putting the hair up in 1 pony tail, I made 2 pony tails at the top of my head.  I twisted each pony tail to protect the ends, and tucked them away.

I used 1 package (2 separate bundles) of Marley hair, and 2 black hair bands. 
[Sidebar: I love the kinky Marley!!  It matches 4c texture so well!  I would look real cray with some Indian Remi sitting on top of my kinks!!]

I put 1 band around each bundle.  The took each bundle (one at a time), put the band around my own pony tails, and began to shape and pin.  The result is what you see in the pics.  Please stay tuned for my tutorial on this.  Coming soon!  - YB

Wash 'n Go?

 

Hell no!

It would be really awesome to be able to step in the shower, soak my kinks, throw in a dollop of gel, and head out the door with little springy coils.  But that is not the world I live in.  Wash 'n Gos stopped being an option for me when my baldy grew in longer than 1/2".

Being a 4c, we do have curls, as tiny as they are.  However, since they don't clump together in clusters, the definition is not cohesive an therefore not visible.  Attempting to wash 'n go, would leave my hair in a hot tangled mess fraught with knots and despair.

I have found a product that can actually define my curls and clump them together, giving the desired result and definition so many seek with the wash 'n go.  Literally, one product on this earth.  It is called American Crew Pomade (For men), and it retails from $9.99-$16.99 a jar (and it's tiny).  You can find it at Target, the grocery store, or any drug store across the country.  It is a product designed to style/hold straight textured men's hair, but is an INCREDIBLE moisturizer for me.  Makes my hair so soft and shiny and amazing.   Great for twist/braid outs.  (I will do a Youtube tutorial at some point in the future on how to define 4c curls using the Crew Pomade, because it does take some doing.  You don't just slap it in and get results....Please stay tuned for that. )

 

I personally, am not hung up on having springy curls, and rocking the Wash 'n Go look.  The whole point of Wash 'n Go, is to do precisely that.  Sitting in front of a mirror for 2 hours with a vat of gel, trying to coax out curls sort of defeats the purpose.  I have realized this particular style is not for me.  I am not going to try and force my hair to do something it just can't do.

 

What do you think??

 

 

10 Reasons Why Your Kinky Hair Rocks!!

10.  It's what your mama gave you!  You were born with these kinks....no amount of pulling, prodding, or Eco Styler gel is going to change that.  Love these kinks!  Werk these kinks!
9.   No one can rock an afro better than a kinky girl.  Our hair stands at attention, ready to take on the world.
8.   You've got plenty of it....and even if you don't, it sure looks like you do.
7.   It's so soft (if properly moisturized) & fluffy (even if you don't want it to be!).
6.   It drives the boys bananas....okay, not all the boys, but there is a small group of  dedicated man-fans out there....we know who you are!
5.  It's so pretty!!
4.  It is the most versatile hair on the planet.
3.  It stretches up to 3 times it's shrunken length...who else's hair can do that?
2.  We get the bangin'-est twist outs ever.  Hands down. 
1.  It's a labor of love, and anything worth having is worth fighting for.  -YB

Andre Walker is a natural hair care product hawker now? SMH.

Lo and behold....Oprah's kink-hating hairstylist has decided to make himself a few bucks by jumping on the natural hair care bandwagon....Why all the vitriol, you ask?  Well, let me refresh your memory. Back in 2011, Mr. Walker was quoted as saying (and I swear I'm not making this up):

"I always recommend embracing your natural texture. Kinky hair can have limited styling options; that’s the only hair type that I suggest altering with professional relaxing." 

Okay, kinkies - put down your samurai swords, and nunchucks.  He was dealt with....The backlash was swift and brutal.  So much so, he tried to back-pedal with the following cringe-worthy explanation:

"It is a fact that kinky hair (my Type 4 definition) is extremely fragile and breaks easily. Even when you are very careful, something as simple as combing can break this texture. It is very difficult to achieve a longer length when the hair breaks, even with simple combing. That being said, there is the style option of wearing braids, dreads, or twists, which allows the hair to grow longer because it is combed less often. Another style choice is to simply wear a shorter cut, which is very attractive on some women but just not right for others.

So when I say to embrace your natural texture, but consider relaxing kinky hair, am I contradicting myself? I don’t think so! You see, even relaxed hair can still be worn naturally. If you want a natural look, but find that your kinky hair is difficult to manage, breaks too easily, lacks shine and luster, and limits your preferred styling options, I say feel free to consider a mild chemical relaxer, sometimes called a texturizer, that eases your hair to a more manageable texture and allows you to Make Peace With Your Hair.”

 This new natural hair care line is set to launch in July, boasting sulfate-free shampoo, moisturizing conditioners, "Beautiful Kinks" (gag) styling crèmes, and a host of other products.  Now I suppose he sees an opportunity to make some cash off the girls he trashed.  I won't be spending my dollars on Mr. Walker's line. Will you? -YB

 

 

 

Length Check: April 1st, 2013!! [VIDEO]

It's length check day!  Hooray! I had major issues with knots and split ends recently (see Fairy Knot Slayer part II), so I had to chop, chop, chop! Kinks were flying everywhere!!  That was a couple of months ago. My hair is on the road to recover. Check out my 1st official length check video posted to my youtube channel - 4cKinkyHairRocks.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW51YQ84sys

I would have posted the video directly to this entry, but Youtube is messing with me.  The thumbnail is ATROCIOUS!!!  Cross-eyed, snaggle puss and all that.   #SorryFolks  - YB

Do you know who TEYONAH PARRIS is? [PICS]

She's a cold sister, folks!  If you're not already up on this Southern Belle, she stars as Dawn Chambers on the ubiquitous AMC smash, Mad Men.  Clearly, she's not afraid to embrace  her natural beauty, giving us all types of pomp and circumstance.  We see you Teyonah! - YB

Hats! A Natural Girl's Best Friend! [VIDEO]

I wear hats, headwraps, and scarves all the time.  Head coverings are a wonderful addition to any natural's hair regimen.  Hats protect us from wind, sun, cold, and other elements that conspire to dry out and break our hair.

There are a myriad of options out there for head gear.  I put together a little video to share just a few of my faves.  Enjoy!
 - YB