TMI: Too Much Information

Hey Curly Nation!

It's ya girl MusiQ! As I listen to "Remember Me" by Swoope, I wanna talk to you about the myriad of resources that is out there for afrocurly chicks like you and me. Yeah....it's a wonderful thing, right? Uhhhhh.....LOL! I would say it is and it isn't. I remember when I started transitioning over a year ago. I did my research like so many newbies through blogs, natural hair sites, and Youtube channels; and it became so confusing. Who's right? Who's wrong? From conflicting to just plain wrong "facts", it was just WAY too much information!! What is a natural chick supposed to do?! EXPERIMENT! That's right! Turn your hair into a lab experiment and record your results:

• What works?
• What doesn't?
• What does your hair like?
• What does your hair hate?

And the list goes on.....


The task to find a hair regimen that works for you may seem daunting, but here are a few basic things to remember on your quest:

1. Clean hair is healthy hair.
Shampooing your hair regularly is important to cleanse the scalp and thus aid in the growth of the hair. In order to avoid the stripping effect that is often experienced as a result of using shampoo, be sure to find a sulfate-free shampoo that is rich in moisture.

For those of you naturalistas that prefer cowashing (conditioner washing) your hair, I would highly recommend shampooing your hair with a clarifying shampoo at least once a month to avoid product build up.

2. Conditioner is your friend.
I don't know about you ladies, but I am in love with conditioner! Finding good conditioners is key in detangling (i.e.,daily conditioners/leave-in conditioners), ensuring softness and manageability (i.e.,daily conditioners/deep conditioners), and maintaining moisture (i.e.,daily condish/deep condish/leave-in condish). Whatever your personal hair needs are (moisture, reconstructive, anti-breakage, protein, etc.) should determine the types of conditioners that you will use.

3. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!!
We afrocurly chicks need all the moisture we can get!! Starting off with water or a water-based product followed by an oil will help keep the hair moisturized. For those who find that simply adding a moisturizer and an oil is not adequate, try also using a cream-based moisturizer in addition to the first two for added moisture.

MY BEST ADVICE: At the end of the day, it's YOUR hair and only you can determine what's best for it through time and trial and error. Having said that, I hope all of you newbellas out there have fun getting to know your hair and enjoy the journey! Until next time Curly Nation!


Live Free! Live Natural!




~MusiQ

So Just What Does It Mean To Be Natural?: Everyone's Got An Opinion

Hey Curly Nation!

It's ya girl MusiQ, and today, I would like to discuss the concept of "being natural". Just what does it mean to be natural anyway? I actually thought I knew what it meant until I visited various chats and online discussions, but now I'm a tad bit confused.:( I've always thought that being natural in its basic definition was being free of relaxers. Now, after being a part of different online conversations, I've found that concept of what is natural can vary from person to person. I remember visiting a Facebook fan page that was not a natural hair page, and they posted the question "What does it mean to be natural?" Of course, I looked at several people's answers before posting my own and was shocked and amazed that some people actually believe that being natural included being free of weaves, wigs, and any type of extensions (such braids). I thought that was rather absurd considering the fact that your natural hair will still remain natural even while covered under weave, because it does not alter your natural hair pattern (I digress). I then proceeded to give my opinion which was along the lines of what I stated previously, and tried to educate people on the use of extensions as protective styles by natural women. I was then verbally chastised by one young woman and told that women who do that only do that because they don't want to do their hair. She also told me that she had been natural for quite a while and didn't use protective styles, that I didn't need to either, and that people should do their own hair in a nutshell. I did try to explain that everyone is different and that there is no right or wrong to this natural hair thing, but I wasn't going to argue. I just left the conversation with a "to each his own" type of comment, and kept it moving. Upon further analysis of this whole natural hair debate, I've realized one thing. For some people, natural hair is a state of being and not just a simple change in hair texture. In other words, unless you're rocking your own natural hair 24/7, in some people's eyes, YOU'RE NOT NATURAL.  I say, WHO CARES! Whether you rock your natural hair as an Afro or under a weave, we all belong to the same sisterhood of naturals and should embrace each other for our differences as well what we have in common. As I climb off my soapbox, I hope you all have a wonderful start to the week! Until next time Curly Nation!


Live Free! Live Natural!




~MusiQ

Hair Image: Did any of you experience this when you went natural?

Hi Curly Nation!

It's ya girl MusiQ and today, I wanna talk to you guys about hair image. As I stated in my first blog entry, I used relaxers for over 20 years before I actualy went natural. Most of my life was spent with straight hair, so I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise to me what happened when I finally did my big chop. Before I explain my experience, I wanted to ask you all a few simple questions. Have any of you ever realized that you had a "relaxed" image of yourself once you went natural? And if you did, did your appearance as a natural ever come in conflict with that "relaxed" image? Let me explain what I mean....

Rewind to when I got my big chop. My first reaction was relief because I no longer had to deal with the two textures that were on top of my head. That relief was short-lived, however, and I felt the need to get my hair braided because I wasn't ready to rock my hair in it's natural state. Once I did get the courage to deal with my natural hair, I realized something that was very interesting before and after I would look at myself in the mirror each day, and that was that the image that I had of myself post-relaxer was still that of a woman with a relaxer. It might sound crazy to you, but this REALLY happened to me. That image of myself was so strong in my mind, that for a while, my actual appearance in the mirror would come as quite a shock to me. It was quite a strange phenomenon that really made it difficult to embrace the natural me for a while, but eventually, an image that took nearly twenty years to build was broken down in less than 3 months. Now, I'm embracing who I am naturally and it's a beautiful thing. 

To all the Naturalistas out there, let me know if you've had a similar hair image experience. I would really love your feedback on this subject. Until next time, Curly Nation!

Live Free! Live Natural!

~MusiQ

Just Let Your Soul Glow!! Just Let it Shine!: My Moisturizing Regimen

Hey Curly Nation!

It's ya girl MusiQ! As I look back on the years when I had a jheri curl *shudder*, one thing I remember was how moisturized and shiney (too shiney rather) my hair looked. To understand just how shiney my hair was back then all one would need to do is watch the infamous Soul Glow commercial on the movie Coming to America. Yep, it really was that shiney. lol! After I went natural, however, I found myself on the opposite side of the moisture scale, and it was no picnic. TRUST ME ON THAT! I tried using oil alone, and that did not work. Then, I learned that using water or a water-based product and sealing with oil was a the key to moisturizing success. I did this for a while, but for some reason I just wasn't getting the optimal results that I needed to get my hair properly moisturized. It wasn't until I saw a video on Youtube by Blakizbeautyful (Click here to see her video) several months ago that I was inspired to create my own variation of a moisturizing regimen that works for me. Believe it or not, my moisturizing regimen is very simple and can be summed up in this very simple equation:

        WATER OR WATER-BASED MOISTURIZER

              +          

OIL (SEALANT)

    +

        CREAM-BASED MOISTURIZER

         ____________________________________________

         OPTIMUM MOISTURE

My application of this equation starts with the Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist (water or water-based moisturizer). Then, I seal in the moisture with extra virgin olive oil. And finally, I add the Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque (cream-based moisturizer) on top and style as I wish. The result....AMAZING!! My hair is left feeling so soft and moisturized that I don't have to reapply for at least a couple of days. Plus, the combination works great for twist outs. It works wonders for my hair, and I hope that if any of you are still looking for your regimen that maybe this will work for you. I know how tough it is to maintain moisture in your hair, and I also know that what works for one does not always work for another. Of course, there's nothing to it but to do it, so get to experimenting and feel free to try my moisturizing regimen or check out Blakizbeautyful's amazing moisturizing regimen video. Who knows. Maybe you'll come up with your own variation as well. *wink* Until next time, Curly Nation!

Live Free! Live Natural!

~MusiQ