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Disclaimer

The hair tips, advice and recommendations given on this blog are given based on the experiences of the authors. These tips may not work for everyone and every hair type and it is important to acknowledge this since we are neither hair specialists nor trichologists.


Also many pictures on this blog belong to the authors but there are others that we do not have ownership for and thus we do not claim ownership of the ones that do not belong to us.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Interview with Sharon "Shay" Brown

Hi!

I wanted to do an interview of Shay because her style is so FRESH! Her hair always looks lovely no matter what hairstyle she is rocking. Shay is a working woman who carries her natural hair in its naturalness to work. Thank you for doing this interview Shay. Enjoy the interview!



Name : Shay ( Sharon) Brown

Where are you from: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

What do you do? I work at R.I.M Research In Motion as a New Product Operator

At One Time did you have relaxed hair? And why did you decide to go Natural?
When I was about 8, I begged my Mom to straighten my hair. I used to cry every time my Mom came near my hair with a comb! Many women around me (including my Mom) had "relaxed hair". I thought it was a right of passage - that it was just what every black woman did, either that or a Jerry Curl! I rarely saw black women "keeping it natural."

It wasn't until I was 22, that I really started to get sick and tired of the relaxed hair routine. The BURN was killing my scalp! I had to relax my hair every 4-6 weeks because the middle of my hair would get so tough. I had a short cut so I had to style it ( with a curling iron), almost every day.I tried to go natural twice, before finally succeeding. I just didn't know what I was doing the first time. I made the mistake of treating my natural hair like it was relaxed. Thank God for my natural hair Mentor, who helped me a lot on my journey.

How did you go natural?
When my relaxed hair started to break badly ( in the middle especially), I started to get weaves. I wanted to keep some length so I transitioned for about 3 months. After taking out a weave one time, I just decided to do the Big Chop! I thought I could sport the TWA. Then when I saw it, I got so nervous and insecure, so I called up my hairdresser for an emergency weave the next day! *LOL*

Did you have anyone help or encourage you?
A family friend, Cecile, really helped me along the way. She had been natural for about 5 years and I was so jealous of her curls and amazing hair styles. I never thought that my natural hair could look like hers. She gave me a lot of tips and products. She also encouraged me to go online, and do my own research, and figure out what works for me.

What is your daily hair regimen?
I do a conditioner wash about once a week. Moisture, Moisture, Moisture, with natural products and oils. I have problems with breakage and dryness. I like to wear my hair in protective styles like extentions or twists, and a ponytail. I do like to sport my Full Fro every once in a while though!

Negative comments?
My mom doesn't like my "Nappy Hair". Although she agrees that relaxed hair is not healthy for me, she just prefers that I wear my hair in extentions and weaves all the time. I just respond by saying, "I like and I feel very comfortable with my natural hair, and I am sorry that you don't!"
No one else has said anything negative to me ( I hope they aren't thinking it)!

Do you feel awkward about wearing your natural hair to work?
Not at all! I work in a relaxed environment. I don't work with the public, or in a corporate field... if I did, I would probably feel different about wearing my hair in a fro.

What do you like best about your natural hair?
NO MORE BURN! And I don't have to rely on hairdressers as much. I am able to do a lot of styles on my own. I am also not afraid of the rain :) *LOL!*

What is your funkiest hair style?
Oh my full Fro or my FroHawk! Please see pics :)

















What do you say to people who want to go natural?

JUST DO IT! Find a natural support group and go online to do some research. Find some natural hair pictures that inspire you!


There you have it friends.

Keep it natural!

Omozo

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Interview with Bb


We know that in Nigeria there are not many women who are making popular music and it's even more rare to see a woman making rap music. Well, here is Bb a rap artist who is holding her own in the male dominated world of rap music. She gave us an interview about her music and her hair. You can also listen to her music on facebook.

Now here is her interview with O'Naturals. Enjoy:

Real Name and Stage Name:

Anthonia Abisoye Olurin aka Bb

What do you do? (Are you in music full time now or do you do other stuff?).

Wow, I like to think of my self as an all round entertainer. It’s first the music, then stage, writing, presenting, mc-ing; it could be exhausting


How long have you been locked?

About two and a bit years now


Why did you decide to loc your hair?

I always wanted to but never got round to while I was in University cause I didn’t want unnecessary attention (the Nigerian factor) but once I was done, I braved it and got my locks in.

Your style

My style is comfortable and o so natural so my hair ‘werks’ for me. I sincerely don’t have a clue about extensions and all, they confuse me. I hate sitting in the salon for long and when I still had my hair permed, the salon was a whole days affair. My locks are natural. No disrespect but I really am not for those who spend their yearly paychecks on extensions.



Maintaining your locs

Wash it myself (lol) but I do have a stylist who pays special attention to it and puts a lot of work into my hair. I am not ashamed to say this but I actually get my hair done once a month. Shhh don’t tell o!


Product recommendations, salon recommendations or just hair advice.

Well when it comes to product advice like I said I’m clueless asides shea butter.

When it comes to the locks, it’s a whole new game entirely. It could be quite expensive but it’s worth it. Sadly, we live in a society that leans towards myopia. If you’ve got the locks you are thought to be weird and irresponsible. I reckon you have to be really brave and keep being brave to have the locks, and anytime you are tempted to stick a pair of scissors in there, remember:

1. It’s taken you a looong time to get where you are now

2. They really secretly want to be like you

3. You haven’t had to wonder where your tail comb is for a while now and

4. You know when you look into the mirror it looks so good.





Did you always want to be a musician?

Nope, I knew I love music but I never thought I’d end up on stage holding the mic doing Rap music.


Describe your journey into the music industry?

Accidental but I guess it was meant to be

Describe your music

Crazy, funny, natural, me.

Inspiration.

God mostly. Then people and things around me.


When it comes to your music what do you hope people will get from it?

In everything I do I realize I always want to make people smile. I hope I am able to make people happy and think deeply with any form of art that comes from me.

Why does it seem like in this country there are so few women who are into music full time?

Meen have you tried being a female in the industry? It’s hard! But I realize now after so many years that you need God’s favour, if you don’t have that? *shakes head*

On following your dreams?

Just a liner “To thine own self be true” .I wouldn’t want to wake up in 30 years and keep wondering ‘what if I had done that’?, would you?

Anything else you would like to add?

Eeerm? Buy my Album Iyalode? lol


Friday, March 26, 2010

Much ado about braids

Right now, I have on my head my favourite protective style – BRAIDS. I love braids and maybe I have "lucky" hair because my hair thrives on it. I don't get crazy breakage but that could be because I wear my braids for about 4-5 weeks. After 5 weeks is pushing it and since I can’t get my fingers out of my hair I can’t stand it after 5 weeks.

I have had the braids in my hair for 2 weeks and it is maaaddd rough, only because the lady who did it for me doesn't know how to make hair. I 'shoulda' known. You know when you get that gut feeling that something is wrong when the supposed "professional" is complaining about the hair extensions you bought, saying it is fake and it is not twisting well. Yeah, so Omozee got that feeling yet stayed through the 14hr ordeal. I 'shoulda' known when it was past 6hrs and we still weren't done but moving on. The braids are extra rough and I can’t take it anymore so I am taking them out in 3 days and will put them back in after 3 weeks.

So what do I do in between braids?
I deep condition a whole lot and keep the hair moisturized and in tiny twists (which I am not a huge fan of or plaits. I find this stretches the hair and preps it in time for the next braids. If I am going anywhere special, I do the plaits wet. I rinse or co-wash (condition (er) wash) my hair; add Shea butter and coconut oil on the wet hair, which is my moisturizer of choice. Then section and do single plaits.

I like to do this 2 or 3 days before the event so on the day of, I take the singles out, moisturize my scalp again then take a blow drier and stretch out the hair with a med / low heat setting while lightly pulling on the hair. Not a lot of pull, just a little bit in the same motion massaging the scalp (I know it sounds like a lot of work but believe me when you pull the hair, your hands or fingers touch your scalp so hey :D ). Then I style my hair. For me it is just using my fingers as a comb, adding more Shea or coconut oil for shine and stepping out the door, I love the stress free life. So if you are looking for French buns and cinnamon rolls, you are reading the wrong post. Lol I love them, don't get me wrong if I can get Tola (a darling) to do it for me :) so there you have it!

----
Omozee

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Megatek

I think I will let you decide for your self. I have included the link so you can read up on it. You can also find out about it via the tube (you tube). I got a bottle of it, which to me is just bonkers. Why? Well it cost $29 plus shipping and customs duty to Canada (sheeks).

The reason I bought it is because I love to experiment and it can last up to a year. Basically, the Biochemist in me knows this product is packed with a lot of PROTEINS OR AMINO'S aka the building blocks of life and cells. From very basic biochemistry, I know it speeds up the turn over of dead cells fast and also strengthens cells hence less breakage and faster growth. The downside is that since it is filled up with a whole lot of proteins, it can do the reverse of what it is suppose to do if care is not taken and my hair HATES proteins. Aphogee disaster will be discussed in the next post. So this is going to be a challenging challenge :). But I believe I am up to the task and armed with loads of Shea butter, coconut oil and Miss Jessie’s baby butter cream (I swear by it and my hair loves it).


By the way I am so on my Biotin and other vitamins especially while on megatek because I don’t trust the overload of proteins :)


In subsequent posts, I will chronicle my challenge. I am starting small so I will use it for 1 month and the routine is 2ce a week for one month so every other day in the week I will have braids or weaves on my hair :) .So lets see how this goes. Ok folks, I have talked too much lol take it easy

Vitamins and hair growth



It is very important to take vitamins, vitamins are added supplements to help in proper body functions. They are got from consuming foods like, fruits and vegetables and legumes. In the society we live in, it is very hard to get your daily intake of vitamins due to our fast pace of life and work hence the need for added vitamins.


Initially when I did my big chop, I was not concerned about my hair as such, I was just happy to be free of chemical relaxers and braids but when I saw how quickly my hair was growing, I changed my routine and decided to do some research on vitamins and how it can help grow out my hair. I read some blogs, talked to my mum and a few other people in the medical field and in a variety of fields. Armed with some information, I hit the herbal shops in search of a good multivitamin.

I needed a multivitamin targeted to my hair to help strengthen it, make it shine and give it “body and bounce”. I needed a powerhouse in one multivitamin. In reality, I don’t think that it can ever be possible but I found something that works for me and I only have to use it once a day. It is Biotin 5000micro mg. I took 1 caplet a day and used it for 4 months then fell of the bandwagon. But I returned to it after my henna dye because I forgot to put in the yoghurt and my hair was super dry and brittle afterward.


In my opinion in the 4 months I used it religiously (and with a combination of good diet practice like eating the recommended 5 servings of veggies a day) it worked for me. As with all multivitamins, you need to take it with your meal and water. If you take it alone, the body just expels it as it has no idea what to do with it but with food, the body synthesizes it and it gets deposited where it is needed.


I use Now Foods Biotin. Nature’s valley is also good. Those are the two Canadian brands I know, and I always go for about 2500 -5000 micro grams as it’s my only source of multivitamin at the moment. Check with a nutritionist to know how much you should take. Now Biotin is a B- complex vitamin, it is known also as vitamin H or B7 and helps build new cells. If you don’t want to use biotin, get a good multivitamin like One a Day for women as it will help with not just hair growth but nails and skin too.

Until next time blogville


--
Omozee

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

My Hair Regime-Locs



My hair regime is really simple especially since my hair is loc’d. It is important to me, to wash my hair once every 2 weeks. I have found that washing my locs with a tight hair net works best for me. Using this method stops my hair from being fuzzy and looking like I was just electrocuted! I use mild or medium shampoo to wash my hair. In all honesty I actually use the same shampoo I use for my daughters. Then I use leave in conditioner and that works. At this stage, I no longer comb my hair ... because I have locs!

Once I have washed my hair, I air dry because with that I can go about my normal activity without having to think about my hair. You can also use a blow dryer but the temperature should be on medium not high. If high, my locs become really fuzzy. But I also read up that if you blow dry using high temperature with a hair net on; it will minimize the fuzz considerably. And then I just finger comb my locs … actually it is more like “finger spread” than finger comb.

I also use a sulphur based hair cream because I am prone to dandruff. It is like my scalp has its own winter season! This helps a whole lot. I have read about and also now use some herbal and fruit rinses. These rinses are very good and can reduce dandruff problems.

In my opinion, simple hair regimens are the best. They take less time, use fewer products and still keep your hair looking hot, hot, hot even though it is natural!


Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Hair Story with Funke Ayo Dipeolu



I decided to go natural in Nov 2008 but didn’t cut my hair until March 2009.

Since I had made the decision to go natural, I stopped retouching my hair and waited to have “undergrowth” before cutting it. Deciding to go natural wasn’t a spur of the moment decision with me. I had been toying with the idea in my mind since 2007 when I found out it was possible and people were into it and It wasn’t as bad as we’ve been programmed to think it is. But before then I had always thought being natural was uncool and you had to be a fire breathing dragon for the Lord for you to do it. I stopped retouching for like six months, cut it after and grew it out.




Most people ask if I have a calling or change of faith or something. Mostly people are just kind of perplexed and can’t seem to understand why I would want to go natural in this time and age.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

RE: Real Coconut Oil Versus Fake Coconut Oil

So I wrote a post about coconut oil a while back saying that the coconut oil we get in Naija was fake because it does not solidify in cold temperatures. Our resident guest blogger Omozee, made a comment regarding this. Her comment was:

No you have "isale" Agbon which is different from the coconut oil (Adi Agbon), the isale does not solidify, sigh I cant describe it but I will get the info from granny and post it. The isale is the runoff of the oil ... But you dont have the fake one you have "Isale" which is a lot less dense than the coconut oil. I find my coconut oil does not solidify in Nigeria, it will solidify in the fridge-freezer but thats that!
Another thing is your oil may be very old and our people add paraffin to keep it runny (I can go into the organic chm of the thing if you want regarding breaking of hydrogen bonds of the coconut oil due to dipole moments of the paraffin) I digress sorry...


So I stand corrected. The coconut oil is not fake. Sorry for the misinformation and thanks for the correction Omozee

O'Naturally Nappy Canadians

The 2010 Winter Olympics have begun! Gooooooooooo Team Canada! I watched the opening ceremony last Friday and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There were various highlights for me. One of the highlights was seeing Measha Breuggergosman sing the Olympic Hymn with one of the BADDEST afros I have ever seen on TV!. Wohooo! When she came on stage, I stood up and clapped for her afro. After she sang the song, I stood up and clapped some more for the afro and performance. Measha is a classical Soprano and honestly she is loved here in Canada. Check her out here.



The other highlight was seeing the Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean, arrive in the stadium with her own afro also. So cool. She looked really nice. I have seen pictures of her with straight hair. I am being objective when I say I prefer her with her nappy, natural kinky curls. *wink* She looks great in napps! You can also read about Ms. Jean here.


It is refreshing to see nappy, kinky, curly, natural hair on the international stage. I give these ladies (and all you natural haired ladies out there) kudos for wearing their hair natural.It is not always easy because there is still bias, and in some cases hostility, out there over our lovely kinks. Keep rocking your oh so lovely and oh so natural kinks, napps and coils!

Be inspired. Keep it O'Natural!

Omozo

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The thing about shrinkage

Often time’s non-naturals ask me how I cope with my natural hair. They really just want to know if my head hurts when I try to comb it. They often exclaim: “Ehn, you are natural? That means your hair must be soft. My hair is hard o.” Combing your natural hair does not have to be torture. You only need to learn the tricks of the trade. First, learn not to comb your hair when it is dry. Really, it’s a recipe for disaster. You will probably loose more hair than you need to and it will hurt you more than it has to. Comb your hair when it is damp with water or when it is soaked in conditioner.

Now I read somewhere that natural hair can shrink up to 70%. So this brings me to the second tip. I’ve learnt that the longer my hair gets the more I should make sure that I do not allow it to shrink up unnecessarily. Imagine if your hair reaches down to your back and you let it shrink up to 70%. Imagine how painful it would be to comb out such hair?

Now that my hair has grown longer, I try as much as possible not to let it shrink up too much. So when I wash my hair I make sure that I wash it in about 4 braids so that it doesn’t get tangled up while washing. After I rinse out the shampoo and conditioner, I use an old T-shirt to soak up excess water. Afterwards, I take the braids out one by one, put some Shea butter in it and comb my hair through. Then I put the combed out section into a twist. I usually wash at night so that I can go to sleep with big twists (about 8 of them) in my hair so by the next morning my hair is dry and the twists have enabled my hair not to shrink up again. This makes my hair easy to manipulate the next morning.

Now this brings me to my dilemma. My favorite style to wear are small twists. I put them in and wear them for about 3 to 4 weeks. This means I wash them about 3 times then wear a twist out. So they always shrink up to almost half the length of my hair. Now this shrinkage means that detangling (combing) my hair after I take out my twists is a strenuous task now that it is longer. When my hair was shorter it was easy peasy And now I am thinking of sacrificing my small twists because detangling my hair after I take them out is just too much wahala for me. So what do I do?

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Curl Assault - An Experience

I looked back and saw him

He smiled at me

I nodded my head and looked away

He walked up to me

"I like your hair" he said

"Thank you" I said

He asked if it was mine

I said "yes"

He asked if he could touch it

I said "ummm ... no"

He smiled

I stared

He said he likes my curls

I said "Thank you"

He said he could give me something to make them ... silkier

I said "Huh?"

He said the product had no lye in it

I knew it was a lie

He said my curls need to be tamed

"Tamed?" I asked

"You know ... more manageable ... neater" He said

I stared

I opened my phone and started to dial 9-1-1 slowly

"What are you doing?" he asked

"Calling the police" I said

"Why" he asked

"You are harassing my curls" I said

He ran



Omozo

Friday, February 12, 2010

Vegetarian Saga


In June 2009 I made a decision to "try" being Vegetarian. SURPRISE! I have several friends who are Vegetarian and I got interested decided to try it out. As my friends found out that I was not eating meat anymore, they asked various questions. They asked "Are you fasting meat?" "Did your doctor recommend you stop eating meat?" "Is this forever?" And the best one was: "I hope this is not all because of a man o!" No, No, Maybe and Noooooo.


After people got over the initial shock of finding out that I am now Vegetarian, they wanted to know what type. Even I did not know the classification I fell into. More research. I eat eggs and dairy products (cheese and yogurt mostly) and that makes me "Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian". You can read more about Vegetarianism here. The things I eat have not really changed. I have added some new things to my diet like chick-peas, lentils, quinoa, couscous (like the picture below on the left), squash, almond nuts and lots and lots of mushrooms. Mushrooms are basically the "meat" of the vegetable family.



I have noticed that I am not bloated anymore, I don't get headaches as much, I pay closer attention to what I eat and what nutritional value each ingredient provides. My grocery budget is pretty much the same as it was when I was eating meat. I have not seen any tremendous change in my hair. I still use the same hair products and hair routines. It feels the same and looks the same to me. A few friends have said my hair has grown much longer in a short period - but I am not sure.





There are 2 nutrients I have to ensure I am getting enough of and they are calcium and iron. I have increased my intake of broccoli,

cheese and yogurt for calcium. I take more egg noodles, spinach and chick peas for iron. Some Vegetarians take iron and calcium supplements to boost their intake.



So far, this has been interesting with a lot of learning for me. Like anything new, you have to go through a learning curve. I look at it as learning a new skill and do a lot of reading so that I get as much information as I can. You have to also be observant to how your body responds to these changes. If your body is responding negatively, stop what you are doing and re-assess. The same applies to your natural hair and life in general. You have to pay attention to what is going on in your body and life.



I was at an event and the stewed meat smelled and looked delicious so I tried some. BIG MISTAKE! I spent the next day bloated and in the bathroom. So I may be off meat for a looooong time. It is a good idea to involve your doctor if you plan to try vegetarianism. You want to be sure you are not putting yourself at risk.


Happy eating and living!



Omozo

Monday, January 25, 2010

You can help

I'm sure everyone is aware of the tragedies that happened in Haiti and Jos. If you live in Lagos and you would like to help the victims, you can. I know some people may be wondering how they can help so here is a little information for you.

To help victims in Haiti, go to Bella Naija
To help victims in Jos go to Naija Blog

And also remember to pray for them. Prayer works.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

How much do you spend on your hair

Happy New Year readers!!

Wow! It's 2010. Thanks to God for a new year and I pray that this year will be a blessed and wonderful year for you.

Well, I was balancing my cheque book for 2009 and I decided to calculate how much money I spent on my hair last year. I discovered that I spent below a hundred dollars. That shows that natural hair can be really inexpensive to take care of. (And I guess the fact that it is really inexpensive to get your hair done in Nigeria helps as well)

So if you are not natural yet and you need one more incentive to go natural then this is it: "Go natural and keep more money in your pockets... LOL.

I think some of the things that helped to keep my haircare costs down include:
1.) Finding what works for my hair and sticking with it instead of experimenting with every new hair product.
2.) Learning how to style my hair myself. I can basically create different types of hairstyles and looks so I don't need to go to the hair dresser often.


The pictures below show how my hair looked over the holiday.



Once again happy new year.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year!

A new year is a good time to gauge where you are versus where you want (hoped) to be. I bet many have been stressing over what they did not do and what they could have done in the past year. Here is my take on it all:

1) Thank God. Count your blessings because I am sure you have some things you are happy about. Maintain an attitude of thankfulness and gratitude to God.

2) Give yourself a break. Sure you did not do all you planned - get over it and move on! You have another chance. Be thankful for that! ;>)

3) Set REALISTIC GOALS for the new year. Don't have new year resolutions because once the year gets old, those resolutions go down the drain (usually takes about a month)! Set life goals. For example instead of planning to go to the gym every day, plan to go 3 times a day or better still plan to get "active and healthy". That way you've got some grace to miss up to 4 days!

4) Humble yourself and be accountable to someone or some people. You cannot do it alone and that is a fact. Ask people to hold you accountable for your life goals. It helps to motivate you when you know you have to answer to someone else.

5) Serve other people. It is not just about you. There are so many gifts and talents you have that will bless and be of benefit to other people. And I bet there is someone near you, that God has set up, waiting to be blessed by no one else but you.

6) Do one thing new for yourself in 2010. Just one thing. You will remember it for a long time. It will delight you especially when you are having a tough time.

7) Trust God. God loves you and His love for you is deep, wide, long and very BIG.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11). This is true - believe it!

So go on and have a thankful, trusting, giving, selfless, humble, realistic, graceful new year!








Omozo & O'Naturals