5 Ladies We Would LOVE to see Go Natural! [PICS]

1.  First Lady Michelle Obama - It would be a dream come true to see our First Lady, as elegant as she is, werking her natural hair at 1600 Pennsylvania.....But we know it's never going to happen.  Not that I don't think it is something she would consider, but I can just hear the right wing already  - 'Look at the First Lady of the United States of America wearing a Black Power afro.  Who does she think she is representing the radical black racist movement with her hair!!  Let's impeach Obama!'  You might think I'm being over the top, but do you remember this little ditty from New Yorker Magazine, circa 2008?  I rest my case.

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

 

 

 

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

What's with the Shade, Ms. Wendy??

I do like Wendy Williams.  I don't love her, but I do like her a lot. She makes me laugh.  She's even made me shed a tear or two.   It kind of annoys me that she uses her platform to bash people who have decided to take their hair to a natural place.  Look, there's nothing wrong with wigs, weaves, and perms, if that's your thing.....but I think it is extremely rude, and very irresponsible  to use your bully pulpit to slam people for WEARING THE HAIR THEY WERE BORN WITH!!!  I mean, if you're not into it, don't do it.  But don't shade us with your hater-ade, please.

I can totally understand why Derek J is not down with it.  Perms and weaves are his bread and butter.  The brother's got to eat, so of course he is not going to advocate women taking control of their own hair destiny.  It hurts his bottom line....but Wen-dissima??  No excuses, boo.

You don't have to love us, but please don't hurt us!

-YB

Of Coarse not.

I really, truly, and honestly hate the term coarse.  Mainly because I'm not entirely sure I know what it means.  And I know, nobody else is entirely sure what it means either.  It's just lame!  Does it mean thick?  Individually thick?  Collectively thick?   Does it mean kinky?  Does it mean unmanageable? I have no idea, and neither do you.

Some people would consider my hair coarse...but my hair is fine.  Extremely fine.  But it's also super kinky.  WTF?  We need to stop using the word. I am putting a moratorium on the term. You won't ever find it on this blog. 

CUT TO: ME TOTALLY REFERRING TO SOMEONE'S HAIR AS COARSE.

Please, put me on blast if I ever do.  Real talk.

-YB

This! - Fairy Knot Slayer part II

I had managed to retain a bit of length with my natural 4c kinks....(After almost 2 decades of being natural, I finally figured out that I actually need to take care of my hair to make it grow!)

 

 

 

But that didn't last long.  I had to chop 2-3 inches off in order to get ahead of the fairies.  SMH.

 

 

 



 

 

But don't you cry for me, Argentina.  That mini-chop was like a kick in the pants.  I am more determined than ever to nurture these kink'defied locks, and hit Rapunzel status.  I can do it.  You can do!

- YB

Fairy Knot Slayer!

So, I don't even need to tell you guys about the dreaded single strand knot...aka SSK aka Fairy Knots aka pain in my kinky arse..  They are truly the bane of my existence!  I follow all the rules.  I wash in sections, I detangle regularly, I style my hair protectively, I sleep w/ a satin cap and pillow case for good measure, I keep my hands out of my hair, I moisturize like a champ...  And all for naught!  Those damn fairies keep climbing in my hair, and tying all those pesky knots. 

It is extremely frustrating to do everything right, and still end up cutting my hair off because the knots won't cease and desist.  What can be done?  The sad truth is it's just a consequence of having kinky textured hair.  No matter how hard you try, you will never be totally rid of the SSKs.  However, our friends over at Natural Hair Rules have some tips on SSK reduction.
http://www.naturalhairrules.com/10-tips-for-preventing-one-strand-knots/

It order to reduce the amount of cutting I have to do, I resort to a method commonly known as S&D or search and destroy.  The idea is to go through your hair section by section, and strand by strand, seek out the offending knots, and snip them of.   Yes, it takes for bloody ever, but if you're interested in retaining length, it's the only way to go.

Happy snipping, Kinkies!

-YB

We're bringing kinky back!

Well....we're actually not bringing kinky back.  Kinky never went anywhere.  It's been here all along.  I guess we're shining a light on super kinky hair.  We have been trolling the forums, and hair blogs for quite some time now....and there seems to be a recurring theme....4c hair doesn't really exist.  Really??  It's easy for someone who doesn't have 4c hair to claim it doesn't exist.  Trust me - 4c has been growing out of this head for 30+ years, so there is no doubt in my mind of it's imminent existence.

We decided to start this blog to share our trials and tribulations navigating our natural hair journey...truthfully, I'm not a fan of the term journey.  It's a bit too touchy feely for me.  I feel like this is more of a mission.  A mission to grow  4c hair long, and strong.  A mission to spread the message that 4c hair is not a curse, but rather a blessing.  We name this mission 'Opertion Rapunzel'.

Who's with me?

- YB