"Dada with the Dada" - Interview with Tosin

I met Tosin a few months ago and it has been a treat! She is intelligent, gorgeous and has a spectacular sense of humour. Enjoy!

Name: Oluwatosin Dada – Tosin.

Where are you from: Ogun state in Nigeria.

What do you do: Business Management at First Bank Nigeria.

At one time you had your hair relaxed. Tell us why you decided to go natural: I got my hair relaxed when I was 10 yrs and kept it so until last year (I won’t tell u my age *wink*). However, being the not so girly me, I got tired over time and reduced my re-touches to twice a year. Last year before my birthday, I was thinking of what to do differently plus I had this hair crush on Dakore Akande's hair (she is a Nigerian actress). I also had some damages which I believe were as a result of the relaxing my hair. That was the magic! I wanted something different for the New Year and I had a chuck of under growth so DREADS was it! I got my hair locked and am so loving the idea

How did you go natural? Did you transition or did you do the big chop: I left for the salon and I didn't say a word to anyone. I then got the relaxed ends chopped off. And you know what? I just had to capture the moment!

Did you grow out your locs immediately you went natural or did you wait for some time: Well since I used to relax my hair just twice a year I had quite some under growth so the minute I cut off the relaxed bits, I had my virgin hair locked.

Why locs: Because they are easy to maintain (no salon and HAIR DRYER that stuff started to give me headaches)! I also find locs trendy thanks to Dakore Akande (Nigerian actress). Plus I can have locs and still do anything with my hair. All those points made it awesome to have locs!

How has the locing journey been so far: Well I feel different and I like the feel of my hair and the feeling of a well aired scalp. It has been great and I don't regret the decision.

You work in a “very corporate" environment. How have managers and employees responded to your locs: In my previous place of work it was quite strange everyone thought “oh u have dreads”. I got comments like "nice hair' (from ‘new generation’ people). Some said “I think you should get rid of this hair" (from the’ oldies’). And there were those who said “Wow Tosin Dada with dada!". NOTE: "Dada" is one of the names for locs/dreadlocs in Nigeria.

I had some clients who asked me questions in a disgusted manner and some people just didn't even notice my hair was in locs. But as far as I was concerned there was no going back. All I had to do was keep it looking as neat and clean as possible.

Why do you think the response has been like this: My take is that people will always talk and give their comments because it is new and may not be what the general public is doing. But over time people are getting used to it and the others will catch on with time. But you know what? I ain’t taking it off anytime soon!

How do you deal with negative reactions: I brush it off. I made up my mind long ago and am sticking with it. From time to time I prop up myself and explore ways to make my hair a cynosure (centre of attention) of some sort where ever I go.

What’s your daily hair routine: When I wake up I style my hair and put a scarf over it to give it the neat look. At night, I oil it sometimes when it feels dry. I re-lock at the weekends sometimes once in two weeks.

Where do you get your locs re-tightened: After a series of hair salon and loctician experiments, I finally found Tony (phone no: 0805-732-9642) in Ikeja, Lagos.

What do you like best about being natural: No more relaxing and I don’t get the thin hair from relaxing.

What do you hate most about being natural: The effect of water on my hair - it gets frizzy. And sometimes my locs are just stubborn!

What do you say to others who want to grow locs: Join the club!

How about those who are having challenges at work because of their locs: Generally with hair challenges I tell people to boost their confidence and make their locs as neat as possible. The truth is this: you can get away with most things once rightly presented or packaged.

Ice-cream or yoghurt: Ice cream.

 
Keep it natural!
 
Omozo

Longer and healthier hair - some thoughts and suggestions (Part 1)

Long Hair!
Long Hair!
My kingdom for long hair!


I have heard that black people cannot grow long hair. I have also heard that black people with long hair are not full black and must have their blood/genes mixed with other races. This is bollocks! It is untrue therefore it is a lie. Black people can and do grow long hair. Black women who keep their hair natural can and do grow long hair. There are so many examples of this around us -  open your eyes and look around. My sisters are daily examples of this.

 Trust me, they are FULL BLACK NIGERIANS with no mixed blood what-so-ever. That's my sister (above) showing the current length (as of yesterday) of her hair.



At some point, I also thought that I could not grow long hair. It was brought to my attention that if I stopped chopping off my hair annually I would have longer hair. Who knew! ;p I do have longer hair (longer than it was before) but it does not show like some other hair textures. So if you want to keep your hair natural and have it cascading down your back you may want to get some form of dredlocs (see pictures) or put your hair in a style that shows the length like threading, twists or braids.

 There is some psychology involved when discussing long hair. Many people equate long hair with healthy hair. I am not sure if this is true. However, I tend to lean towards the camp of healthy hair could lead to long hair. So I advocate that we should aim for healthy hair instead.

There is also the belief that women with longer hair are ... 'better' than women with shorter hair. I was told that this is because of the unconscious (or sub-conscious) need of humans to mate with those that have "superior" genes. Longer hair is generally seen as evidence of superior genes. So this becomes an issue for black women. If it is true that we cannot grow longer hair then it means we have inferior genes then it means ... see where this line of thinking can lead? There is an evolutionary tone to this type of thinking and it can be problematic.


Genes (and hormones) do play a role in this discussion but not in the "good genes" vs "bad genes" tone. Some folks have the tendency to grow long hair quicker because of their genetic make-up. While some of us learn patience through the hair growth process. So two people using the same hair growth technique under the same conditions may get different results because of their varying genetic disposition. I have met women who struggled to grow long hair but got long and healthy hair when they were pregnant and their hair is still very long today. Some other pregnant women did not experience this biological reaction to pregnancy.  So before you run out screaming "I'll never get long hair like her!" you may want to think "I don't have genes like her." OR "My body does not respond to ... like her".

This leads to my final point, comparing yourself with another person rarely brings satisfaction or contentment. So put comparisons in a bag, then put the bag in a dustbin and wait for the garbage truck to pick it up and get rid of it! Do not use comparisons as a hard and fast rule for judging the progress of your hair. Yes, we look at someone's hair and notice it is shiny and soft and we want that. But declaring or concluding that your hair is BAD or NOT GOOD or WILL NEVER BE because it is not like Ms. Shiny Hair over there is just not going to take you any where. Instead, learn about the principles of good hair care and adopt those good habits in a way that your hair will respond. Doing the right thing for your hair is far more productive and rewarding.


Many women have gone to great lengths (pun definitely intended) to grow long hair. They have spent large sums of money, gone to far away places, and put in many hours dedicated to growing long hair. Once again, I advocate for healthy hair. Most of us stopped using relaxers and went natural because we noticed that our hair was unhealthy. Perhaps it is time to go back to the basics.


The next post will contain some suggestions on things you could try to grow healthier and longer hair. So till then ...


Keep it natural!

Omozo

Don't you wish?

I was rolling my hair with the plan to take out the rollers in the morning and presto a new hairstyle. When I was done, I looked at the mirror and thought “I wish I could take my hair like this to work tomorrow. Would it not be nice if I did not have to take out the rollers and just went to work with the rollers in my hair?” That was the thought! I was looking and thinking that my hair did not look too bad in the rollers. With the rollers still in, my hair kinda looked like the Flapper hairstyles of the 20s. I think.

 

So I took a picture of my 'rollers' with a suit on. I put in the bow for effect. 

What do you think? A “Yeah, way to go!” or a “H-E-Double hockey sticks no!”

Keep it natural!

Omozo

NATUREAL'S Shea Butter Whip & Glycerine Mix recipes

Hi! We did an interview of Ehizogie Ero who is the founder of Natureal Hair products. Read interview here. She has graciously given us two simple recipes we can try ourselves. To order any of her products, please email her at ehirox@yahoo.com. Let us know how the recipes work for you. Enjoy!

Shea Butter Whip 

Add Shea butter, glycerine and any essential oil and whip everything together.

The use of glycerine depends on how your hair reacts to glycerine. Some people’s hair does not respond well to it. However, if you have 4a type hair exactly like mine, your hair will love it and thank you for it.  

Glycerine Mix

You need glycerine, water, coconut oil or any oil your hair loves (my hair does not like olive oil). For every one part of glycerine, you need 3 parts of water. Now, because I go swimming a lot, I add aloevera to my mix.

Remember in my interview I said I make my stuff myself? Well I have an aloevera plant in my kitchen, I take the "leaves" from it, blend it with the 3 part of water I need and use a sieve to strain the skin out.

Mix the glycerine, 10 drops of coconut oil (or any oil your hair loves) with the blended alovera in a spray bottle. Give it a good shake.

Spray your hair with it every morning and lock in the moisture with the Shea butter whip and "your"/ my hair feels sooooooooooooo soft. Mind you the coconut oil does congeal in the winter. However if you have it near a little heat (hot water, hot air in the bathroom while having your bath) it melts like snow.

Keep it natural!

Omozo

And Nivea says sorry

Remember that Nivea ad from last week with the tag line "Re-civilize yourself"? See previous post here. Well it seems like the outcry was too loud and strong for Nivea so, they pulled the ad and issued an apology.

Kudos to them for doing the right thing. Slight slap on the hand for putting out such an ad in the first place. Read more about the apology here.

Keep it natural!

Omozo

"I make my stuff in the kitchen" - Interview with Ehizogie (NATUREAL ROX)

We are happy to introduce to you a lady who is inspiring and vivacious. Never afraid to try new things, Ehizogie uses various ingredients to pamper her hair. No wonder she is the founder and owner of NATUREAL hair products. To order her products email her at: ehirox@yahoo.com. Enjoy.

Name: Ehizogie Ero (Natureal Rox)

Where are you from: Nigeria

What do you do: Teacher

At one time you had your hair relaxed. Tell us why you decided to go natural: This is my 3rd time of going natural. The first time I went natural was because I wanted a cropped dread. The 2nd time was because I wanted a fro. And now I am natural because I could no longer fathom damaging my hair with perms and relaxers.

How did you go natural? Did you transition or did you do the big chop? Did anyone help you or encourage you: I had to transition o! There was no way I was walking round with my big head not covered by any hair. I had a protective style (braiding) on for a year and one day I did 2 strand twists and picked a pair of scissors and chopped the permed bit off myself.

Do you have a “hair mentor”: I think I had so many hair mentors. I came across a lot of naturals whose blogs I followed like Curlynikki and khamit kink. However, the drive to keep on the natural path was somewhat easy as my sisters were going natural at the same time I was. We shared tips and trying out stuff together made going natural fun.

Are there people you have encouraged to go natural: I have not verbally encouraged anyone to go natural, however I have been told by people that the way I carry my hair and my passion for natural hair inspires them to go natural.

What’s your natural hair regimen: I am a no-poo natural. I use natural conditioner mixed with honey, glycerine and essential oil to condition my hair once every week. I switch it up every now and then and do a hot oil treatment. Then I spray with glycerine mix and lock in the moisture with my own wonderful mix of Shea whip. However my daily routine is spray with my glycerine mix and lock in the moisture with my Shea whip morning and night.



Products you cannot live without: My glycerine spray, my Shea whip and 100% natural conditioner by Aubrey or by Carol’s daughter. However I am mostly a diy girl and I make my stuff in the kitchen.

How do people react to your natural hair? Positive or negative reactions: People are positive. My hair is versatile and I show that characteristic via my different styles. I can have my fro in every week. People are amazed how I can show up with different looks every week, so they are positive.

Comment about natural hair as a teacher in school. Do you feel awkward about wearing your natural hair to work: Well my hair makes me stand out; the kids want to touch/feel my hair, because it is different from Caucasian hair. There was a day the kids had me hide a pencil and a pen in my fro and asked another teacher to look for it. Although I have protective styling every now and then, I have been told by my colleagues they prefer my natural hair. I feel over comfortable wearing my natural hair to work.

What do you like best about being natural: I can wear my hair differently all the time, long, short, crazy, and sexy.

What do you hate most about being natural: The shrinkage! However there are ways to reduce shrinkage but I am more for the healthy hair (lie!). I wish I can show off my length.

What is the craziest thing you ever did to or tried with your natural hair: So far putting a lot of gel on my hair. However I had a fashion show on the 13th and my hair was sprayed in colour so watch out. It may sound crazy; however using anything not natural on my hair is crazy to me. That is why I make my hair stuff myself.

What would you say to someone who has tried to go natural and is having a difficult time: You have to have done your research before going natural. Get to know your hair type and products that work for your hair. For example, everyone talks about pure olive oil and the positive effects of using it on your hair, however it does not agree with my hair. Never, never comb your hair dry, use a wide tooth comb. Moisture, moisture, moisture I cannot stress that enough. Talk to people and ask questions, don’t be scared to try out stuff on your hair.

Twist-out or braid-out: Twist out works for me it is easy, and I have learned ways of working it.


Keep it natural!

Omozo

HOW DID WE GET FROM SAYING I LOVE YOU – BY CABELLA

One of my cousins was celebrating his birthday and organized a low-key celebration at Elegushi beach in Lagos state. We were to bring our own food, chairs, games and drinks. He would bring the suya, music and invite the guests. Lagos can be hectic so any reason to relax was good enough for me.

 

The jolly greetings of friends were floating around when we arrived. I got there with another cousin and her husband. You don’t want to go to these things alone. We looked around, spotted the celebrant and made our way to him. Birthday Boy is a wanna be DJ so he tries to “spin his hits” anytime he can. I think anyone can do anything with an iPod and some software. He tells me that it is a genius that can do anything with an iPod and some software.

We said our greetings to Birthday Boy and he gave us the general gist of the agenda. “Find somewhere to park yourselves. Mingle, dance and have a good time you hear?” No time to acknowledge his instructions before he turned to greet someone else. “That’s our cue.” My cousin’s husband said and we made our way to some free parking space.

We put our chairs and coolers down. I announced to my crew that I was going to get my feet wet. “Don’t drown” my cousin instructed me. I smiled and continued my journey to the water. When I got there, I waited for a wave to come to me and a small one did. I could see another wave forming and I started moving back slowly as if we were playing tag. The wave tagged me. 

“Your hair smells nice today” I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around and he was smiling. I remember that smile. “You found her!” Birthday Boy yelled loud enough for the whole beach crowd, fish and crabs in the sea to hear. He nodded at me still smiling. “Long time” he said as he leaned forward to hug me. We hugged. “Yeah, been a while” I answered. It has been 3 years since we broke up. Is that “a while” or does it fall into the realm of “ages”? Why was he looking more handsome than I remember?

“You look well” he told me. I wish he had said that I was looking so good he was confused. “Thank you” I replied. “How now?” I asked. “I did not know you were in town. When did you come in from Calabar?” He was still smiling. I still remember that smile. “How would you know I am in town when we have not talked for 3 years?” was his response. He was right. After we broke up, I thought it would be best to keep some (a lot of) distance. He moved to Calabar and I remained in Lagos. 

For some reason he looked different and as we talked I could not quite figure it out. It was when he commented on my hair still being natural that it clicked. He had grown his hair out a bit and was carrying a bit of an afro. “You grew an afro?” I questioned accusingly. He nodded. When we dated, he did not mind my hair being natural; he just did not like me wearing it in its natural form. He preferred me in braids or weaves. He complained when I wore my hair in puffs or twist outs or afros. For some reason he was not comfortable with these hairstyles. He argued that they made me stand out (especially the afro) and that he did not think they were “neat” enough. I tried to convince him otherwise the best way I knew how but we always hit an impasse on the issue. 3 years later dude is rocking an afro.

“My fiancé (Ouch! I thought) has alopecia. The doctors say the best way to manage it is if she stops using relaxers. So she did and I am supporting her by growing an afro” Awwww how sweet I thought. Then I felt a little bit hurt that he did not do that for me when we dated.

“Is she here?” I asked. Not sure why though.

“No. she is in Calabar.” He replied.

We chatted a little more and I excused myself. I said something about me wanting to make sure the people I came with had not left me. Really Cabella?

“I understand" he responded. "I’ll see you around?” he asked.

“Take care” I replied. I turned and walked away. My preference would have been to run but beach sand makes that option difficult. As I walked away, I remembered the song by Great Big Sea that goes “How did we get from saying I love you to I’ll see you around someday?”  Check out the song below.

Cabella

Nivea goes and ...

You know, when I saw the picture of Nivea's Ad all I could say was "For real?" I don't know what to say again, the thing don tire person! Translation: I am tired.

Have a look at the picture below.

So the wahala is that a clean shaven black man looks like he is about to throw the head of an afro haired, full bearded man away. The assumption is that the head-thrower is the afro head before using Nivea. The caption reads "RE-CIVILIZE YOURSELF". The little box at the top reads "Look like you give a damn".

The questions that have been coming up, especially among black forums and natural hair blogs and websites are:
Is the "head" un-civilized because he has an afro?
Is it because the "head" did not comb his hair?
Is Nivea saying an afro is un-civilized?
Is that the head of Afro Samurai?! (sorry that was my inner voice)
Where there any black people on the team that came up with this Ad?
Who in Nivea thought this was a fab idea? etc etc

So I am wondering if people are taking it out of proportion by calling the ad racist? Or is there a valid cause for concern and out-cry?

I think the lesson here for ALL of us is this: BE CAREFUL! When the sign reads "Caution" you better believe it and slow your roll.

I however, will be majorly upset if that is Afro Samurai's head some idiot is about to throw away!

*Leaving to go and make sure it isn't*

Keep it natural!

Omozo

"Can I touch it?" - Courtesy of CNN

The CNN article titled above was written about a month ago and came to my attention by someone who follows this blog (thanks Ehirox). You can read the CNN article here.

The article highlights the issue of folks just wanting to touch black women's natural hair. You can't really blame them seeing as there are so few of us carrying our hair natural. We look like anomalies sometimes. I have my hand in my hair a fair bit too and was diagnosed with HIFS (Hand in Fro Syndrome) / HIHS (Hand In Hair Syndrome)! Sooooo, I am gulty of randomly jabbing my hand in my hair to feel my kinks.

I don't mind people touching my hair. What I mind is when they don't ask and they just dip their "I don't know where your hands have been" fingers and hand into my hair. And some of them think it is funny! Folks should also remember that even when they ask, I reserve the right to say "No you cannot touch my hair." See Cabella's post "Encounters of the Afro-puff kind".

I don't think it is always a race issue. I used the word 'always' because sometimes it is about race and other times it is not. So, I don't think it is always a race issue because I live in Lagos Nigeria and there are mostly black people here. And they still want to touch my hair especially when it is in some sort of afro (full afro, side afro, afro puff etc). *Thinking* Now they never ask my little nieces if they can touch their hair and people don't randomly put their hands in my little nieces hair even though they are natural too. It seems to be done to grown-ups.

My conclusion is this: fascination. People are just curious and fascinated and want to 'know' and 'learn' more about natural hair by touching the hair. That's cool! Really it is. Just ask first please and don't take liberties with what does not belong to you. And if I say "no" that should be cool too.

Keep it natural!

Omozo

Interview with Inya

Why did you decide to lock?

I had been natural for about 3 years and I was bored out of my mind with my hair. Name a style and I had done it, and rocked it in every way imaginable. My guy friends told me my hair looked different every day, lol. I just started getting really tired of my hair, and I knew it was time for a major cut, color, ANYTHING. The bigger my afro grew, the more I looked like a lollipop, lol. And the more I wanted to try something different. I lived on the East Coast, and I had seen so many fly women with locs in Philly, DC and New York. I thought about it for about a year, researched my options, and finally did it. The last time I combed my hair was December 2005.

How did you start your locks?

I started my locs (locks, dredlocs, however you call them!) using the latching method. Essentially, I started them like they were sisterlocks, but with bigger parts and more hair strands per loc. I wanted the convenience of sisterlocks without the small size.




Initial challenges
I had most of the challenges I now know are "normal" with locs - the so called "ugly" stage. On a personal level, I had to deal with spaghetti hair. My locs were that thin. For someone who didn't wear twists often because they were not plump and juicy, it was a nightmare of epic proportions. My scalp and my four-head were all you could see, lol. Plus, starter locs shrink, so all the nice length I thought I could style to hide my issues was GONE within 2 months. I roller-set for fullness but it looked like a grandma hair-do. I was a mess until around month 6 when my hair began to plump up.

I should say that I had very few issues with slippage (when your starter locs slip out of the lock and loosen). This is mainly because of my use of the latch-hook method. I washed my hair 2/3 times a week as a newbie, and although I completely discourage the use of clarifying shampoo (long story, a loctician steered me wrong there) - please do not let anyone tell you not to wash your hair. I have a sensitive scalp that must be cleaned, often, and with water. If I had believed I couldn't wash my hair often, I would never have locked.



People’s reactions

When I started locking, I got a lot of support from other nappys. People would encourage me that my hair would one-day stop looking so crazy, lol.

Non-nappys were kinda mean, honestly. Particularly other Nigerians. I remember one friend asked me "what do you think you are doing? you need to do something else!". I was really hurt by her tone of disgust, but I had to keep reminding myself that locking was a process. In my heart of hearts I knew my hair was not looking wonderful at the moment, but my babies were growing and maturing and I had to be patient. Also, I'd been natural for a long time, and I was not about to be shaken by the words of anyone with a broke-off perm! My father in particular was amused by my hair, but since I had gone damn near gorimapa (bald) 3 years before, he didn't say too much!

What’s it like having locks in the professional world? Do people react funny?

Since I moved to the Mid-west, I have heard a lot of women talking about how natural hair is not professional. Chicago is one of the weave capitals of the US. But I stand firmly in my belief that your perception is your reality. When I started my locks, I worked as a receptionist at a large law firm. I was that first impression of the business, and I carried myself that way - crazy hair sticking up and all! I was not new to the workforce and I knew my bosses really weren't looking at my hair.

Don't get me wrong. I certainly wear more conservative styles now than I did 5 years ago. But I'm no longer a teen in college, so my ideas of what is beautiful are different all around. I wore a lot of french rolls, buns, updos, and roller sets in law school and in the jobs I have worked since. I always will because I am kinda classic that way. Just as there are clothes appropriate for work, there are hair styles. However, there is no "appropriate" hair TEXTURE.

I don't think people stereotype me because of my locks, but I honestly wouldn't notice. It really is just hair to me at this point. I wear pearls, high heels, and I dress "up". If anyone thinks loc-wearers are all vegan, "conscious" or patchouli and hemp people, then they will be surprised by me...



How do you maintain your hair?

I wash my hair weekly/bi-weekly. I maintain my locks by latch-hooking every 10-12 weeks. I put it off about 4 weeks longer than I should, so don't be like me ;-)
I go to a loctician because I am too lazy to do my hair myself, and I want a thorough job. From trial and error, I have learnt to stick with certified sisterlocks consultants or trainees (www.sisterlocks.com has a registry of them). I'm seriously overdue for a grooming at this point (to cut down fuzziness), but my hair texture allows me that luxury.
My favorite style is a rollerset - I still love curly hair. The longer my locs get, the harder this is though, so I have started doing bantu-knots as well. There are many days when I just wear my locs down...



Favourite products?
I currently use Desert Essence Therapeutic Shampoo or Head and Shoulders to cleanse my scalp. I condition with Nexxus Humectress. Chicago winters are a beast though, so for extra TLC, I pre-treat my hair with Amla oil before I shampoo, and deep condition with Redken Allsoft Heavy Cream. I use a light oil with jojoba, rosemary and tea-tree on my scalp, and rub some coconut oil into my locs while they are damp. If they feel super-dry, I rub a dab of shea butter into the ends of my hair (I do not recommend this for locs which are not fully mature).





DO:
➢ Shampoo, but also condition (only after your locs MATURE though)
➢ Fight the battle against lint (dark towels, satin bonnet at night, brushing your locs etc)
➢ Massage your scalp (you will get tender-headed real quick otherwise because locs are low maintenance)
➢ Exercise PATIENCE above all else, locs take time

DON'T:
➢ Over twist your locs (it weakens them and the hair will snap)
➢ Re-twist dry hair or without any product (at least use some oil for "elasticity")
➢ Let anyone dictate a locking method to you. You are stuck with the result of your method unless you cut your hair or take it down, so be satisfied with your choice
➢ Expect your locs to look like anyone else's. For the most part, they will look unique.

A Painful Visit

I had planned to visit a friend and her family on a Saturday. I had a gift for her 12 month old son. I had not seen them for a while so I was looking forward to the visit. I arrived at their house in good time. Lagos traffic can be gracious sometimes on Saturdays. I think I hopped out of the car and skipped to the door. I pressed the doorbell and knocked on the door.

“We know you are here Cabella!” my friend yelled as she peeped through the open window. I made a face and stuck out my tongue. She opened the door and we hugged (or collided) and went through the excited pleasantries. While we were greeting, her husband came into the living room carrying their son in his arms. I greeted him just as warmly as I greeted his wife. I tried to carry their son but he pulled away. “That’s what happens when aunties stay away for so long” my girlfriend teased. I smiled and she winked. 

We sat down in the living room and started sharing stories and laughing. As we talked and laughed, I kept my eye on their little boy trying to find the right time to give him his present and carry him. Soon enough, he was seating on the floor by my feet. I leaned down and said “Hey there big boy I brought something for you. Come let give it to you”. I reached to carry him but he moved away. I tried again. The little boy pulled away again.

Not one to give up so easily, I got up and quickly scooped their son into my arms. I was feeling really successful. With my other hand, I picked up his gift. “See what aunty …” The little boy did not wait for me to finish my sentence or present his gift when he grabbed my hair tightly and pulled it. WTY!

Did he want to get down or did he really like my afro? I was not sure.

“What’s wrong? I brought you …” The little boy cut me short again with another tug of my hair. He pulled harder this time. I let out a muffled squeal as my eyes began to water. I was convinced he wanted to get down. 

Remember the scene in “The Incredibles” when the little baby, Jack Jack, grabbed the villain’s hair (Buddy / Syndrome) with both hands and pulled? Well that is the technique this little fighter used. He held on to both sides of my afro and pulled hard. I got the message loud and painfully clear! He wanted to get down. I dropped the gift on the floor. I started to use my free hand to pry this terror off my hair. He did not seem so cute anymore. He was not letting go. See trouble oh! The tug of war began. I tugged, he pulled. Why were his parents not helping me? They were laughing so hard, they had become useless in this situation. I finally got the monster boy off my hair. 

I slumped into the chair out of breath, bewildered at what just happened with my head throbbing. I looked at the boy I once thought was cute. Was that an evil grin on his face?

Cabella

Genevive with A Fro

Check out Genevive Nnaji on the cover of Y! Magazine with a fro. What do you think. Hot or not.

O'Naturals is now on Facebook

Hi Friends!

How goes the week? If it has been awful just wait a few more hours and it will be the weekend!

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*This whole internet lingo can be odd sometimes*

As always, we need your support. And invite your friends to join, "like" and follow us too. Thanks and have a fab evening.

Keep it natural!

Omozo

Encounters of the Afro Puff kind - By Cabella

One Sunday I left home early enough to actually wait for service to start. It was a new experience for me and I was not quite sure where to look while I waited for service. I looked up, I looked around me, and I even looked at my phone hoping that someone would call. Gosh! I did not realize that waiting could cause such anxiety.

As I waited, a lady approached me and asked where I got my afro puff from. Since I was in church, I felt the strong urge to say “From the throne of heaven” but refrained. So I smiled appreciatively and said “It is my hair”.

“Ehen!” she exclaimed victoriously.

“I was debating within me whether the puff was your real hair or fake.” She said as she sat down beside me.

She continued “Wow! It is sooooooo shiny...” she drooled.

My head was expanding big time. I batted my eyelids subtly and replied “Thank you.” Head still swelling.

“Me, I cannot go natural o. My hair is too tough” she said as a matter of fact.

“Eya sorry.” I responded. She nodded in appreciation.

You see, a long time ago I would have gone into the lecture of how her hair is probably not as tough as she thinks and with the right products and techniques she would be able to achieve healthy, long and shiny hair.

Digression: For those who know Omozo, that lecture is exactly what she would have given the lady! (Wink)

“Can I touch it?” she asked positioning herself and leaning closer to me.

“Touch what?” I asked. As if I did not know!

“Your hair. Your puff. Can I touch it?” This time she was facing me her right hand lifting up slowly.

“I beg your pardon?” I retorted.

I wanted to be sure what she was asking because what I heard was this: “Can I poke your puff and pull it a bit too and ruin the shape you so laboriously worked on before coming to church this morning? Can I please?” I swear that is what I heard!

‘Emm … No, you may not touch my hair” I responded as politely as I could and with a smile too.

She looked kind of shocked.

“You mean I cannot touch your hair?” she asked.

“In other words,” I began “you cannot touch my hair”. I started to adjust my posture, turning my body away from her and facing the front of the room.

“Ah na wa oh!” the lady exclaimed as she got up slowly to leave. She looked at me incredulously.

I suspected she was about to say something more so I leaped up, shook her hand enthusiastically and with a big smile said “Thank you so so much for stopping by and for the kind compliments about my hair. Have a nice service and God bless you!”

Cabella

How do you dry your hair?

We know that excessive heat is bad for your hair. So using a blow-dryer to dry your hair after washing it should be avoided as much as possible. Especially using a blow-dryer on soaking wet hair.

If you want to avoid using heat on your hair then the question is how can you dry your hair without heat. Believe it or not there are other options like:

Air dry.
After washing your hair you can just allow the air to dry your hair peacefully. The advantage is that there is no heat at all applied to your hair and there is little manipulation. The only disadvantage is that if you have really long hair then it could take ages for your hair to dry. You could braid or twist your hair in big sections to ensure that as it dries, it doesn’t shrink so much.


T-shirt.
You could use a cotton T-shirt to dry your hair. This is what I usually do, with an old cotton T-shirt that I’ve set aside specifically for this task. The great thing about using a cotton T-shirt is that it is nicer on your hair than a regular towel. People often complain that towels can snag your curls.





Towel.
Some people still use regular towels to dry their hair. But many curlies have agreed that they should also be avoided. Especially avoid drying your hair with a towel by rubbing the towel around your head. That is a sure way to create tangles. If you can avoid regular towels please do. If not them you could try draping it around your head in a turban like manner and allowing the water to soak into the towel instead of rubbing the towel around your head or squeezing your hair with the towel.

Microfiber towels.
These are becoming increasingly popular among natural haired ladies. Microfiber towels are not harsh on your hair like regular towels because they are made of a different material (Microfiber)
A fellow natural hair blogger sometimes uses a Microfiber towel( Aquis Microfiber Towel), when she is scrunching her hair. She explains what scrunching is on her page. Read more about it

Paper towels.
Believe it or not paper towels are being used by some natural ladies as well. You may be wondering what the point is. You see the whole aim is to be as gentle as possible while drying your hair. Our natural hair is very fragile so the more we do things to it that can cause it to snag or break the worse our hair will be. Paper towels are attractive because they are gentle on the hair. You probably will only be able to use the paper towels to soak up extra water. I don’t think it will be able to soak up as much water as a T-shirt would. Or you would use it for scrunching your hair.


Before I end this post, I have to add that using a diffuser is also an option. It can be used instead of a hooded dryer.

CurlySuzy/Suzanne Schroeder writes about how to use a Hair diffuser for Curly Hair:

The air force from a hair dryer can ruin clumping and curl formation. A hair diffuser can reduce the air velocity from your hair dryer, allowing you to dry your hair without disturbing your curls. Diffusers are also perfect if you are in a hurry and need to dry your hair quickly. They also are great for adding volume to your curls.

Read more here

Also check out this youtube video on how to diffuse your hair




So how do you dry your hair and what have you discovered works best for you?

Food For Thot: Cucumbers

Hmmm ... cucumbers for the hair. Read about it here: http://naturalsobsessed.blogspot.com/2011/08/food-for-thought-cucumbers.html?spref=tw

Keep it natural!

Omozo

Of Afros and Keke NAPEP - By Cabella

Greetings of the evening!

It was an okay day today. You know the kind that just goes on with no major hiccups and all.





I decided to take a Keke NAPEP on Awolowo Road from Falomo to Sweet Sensation. Cheaper than a bike and I did not want to wear any of those "Shady afro wreaking" helmets the bike men give you. So o, I got into the back seat (last available seat) and the journey began. The driver of the Keke NAPEP started to swerve all over the place. I was wondering if it was "just my imagination ..". I kept quiet. More swerving. Ah! I decided to inquire of the driver.






"Excuse me Sir?"


Silence


I leaned closer. Perhaps he did not hear me.


"Excuse me"


More silence. Now other passengers were using side eye to look at me.


"OGA!"


"Yes Madam?"


"Why are you driving like this now? Swerving from left to right? Wetin sef?"
The driver did not answer immidiately. I was convinced he was contemplating his poor road behaviour and was preparing an apology.


"Emm ... if you commot your BIG HAIR Madam, I go fit see wetin dey my rear view mirror."


Huh?


The silence was mine.


I leaned back. I could see the sudden surge in texting or 'pinging' by other passengers.


"I beg, stop here for me please." I instructed the "Mr I am so witty" driver.


I paid my fare, put one leg out of the vehicle and pushed the driver's head as I said "Idiot! You dey craze"


Quickly moving out of the way, I looked to see him grinning.


"Bye! Bye! Our afro Queen!" he yelled as he drove off still swerving left and right.



Do those stupid vehicles even have rear view mirrors? *Hiiiiiiiiiissing*








Cabella