Nature's Gentle Touch kinda lied on Bella Naija

The writer of the article on Bella Naija wrote "In strengthening the hair, the process of hair relaxing is used." What the ...! Okay so I read the whole article and then I read the comments and then I got a headache and had to take a break. Read the article here.

It is articles and comments like the ones that followed the article that remind me that there is so much work to be done in educating Nigerian women on proper healthy hair care. I am just shaking my head. In the comments we are informed by Bella Naija that the article is written by a "Hair Professional sponsored by Nature's Gentle Touch". Okay so that explains the fundamental fib that the article was built on. It is basically a commercial that was not paid for.

For the record: relaxers do not strengthen your hair. They "damage" your hair so that it can become permanently straightened. The healthy or good hair care practices we are taught or encouraged to carry out when we relax our hair is really just to hide or minimize the damage. Once your hair is relaxed, the damage cannot be reverted. This is why going natural involves growing and not relaxing the new hair that grows.

That's the science and that's the truth. So now that you are better informed, make your choice.

Keep it natural (and true)

Omozo

"Being natural: for me it means freedom" - Interview with Kofo

I met Kofo last year. What intrigued me about her is that she has 2 grown up daughters who have never relaxed their hair but Kofo has been natural for about 2 years! We asked for an interview and she obliged. Enjoy!

My name is Kofo and I live in Lagos and I am an environmentalist. My hair has been natural for the past two years. After having relaxed my hair for many many years I found that it had become so damaged that I could wait no longer and decided to cut it all off. It was entirely my decision and I took my daughters’ when I had the big chop.

I did consider buying a wig but decided against it as it would just be too much bother. People were very surprised and it took a lot of people time to get used to my new look. Some said it made me look younger, which in African terms is not always a compliment as women are supposed to have a ‘mature’ look about them.

Even though my hair was relaxed, I refused to allow my daughters to relax their hair when they were young. This is because I feel that putting hair relaxer on a small child is almost like some form of child abuse or mutilation. And the same goes for over elaborate hair dos which take hours on very small children, unless its for a very special occasion like a wedding.

It was difficult keeping my daughters' hair natural because they seemed to be the only ones and there was a lot of pressure from people and hairdressers to let them relax their hair. I told them that when they became adults they could relax their hair if they wish to. But now, they realise that having natural hair is the best thing.

I wash my hair myself weekly and condition it but after attending the natural hair event at The Life House I think that there is a lot more that I can do to look after it. I love products that contain Olive oil, Shea butter and Cocoa butter.

I do not feel awkward at work because the atmosphere in the office is very ‘relaxed’ and we are also promoting an environmentally friendly green style of living and natural hair supports that kind of ethos. It is great not having to waste hours at the hair salon every week and being forced to befriend salon staff so that your hair gets done on time. There is nothing at all I dislike about being natural, for me it means freedom.

I would encourage anybody contemplating it to take the big leap. It is immensely liberating and there will be no regrets about not having to shop around for those awful boxes of relaxers and all of the paraphernalia that goes with it. I would encourage mothers with young girls to persevere and not allow themselves to be influenced by what other people are doing or saying. I would love to see a natural hair salon open in Lagos, it would be momentous.

My ideal weekend would be spent quietly at home with my family, with as little time spent in the kitchen as possible, trying to get through some of the many things on my “things to do” list, reading and watching television.          

Keep it natural!

Omozo

Cornrows and twist-hawk style

I have been seeing variations of this hairstyle and wanted to try it out for myself. I had slightly different designs on each side of my head for the cornrows. I twisted the ends of the cornrows and the section of hair in the middle of my head. Then I twisted the front of my hair too. I have been twisting the front of my hair for most hairstyles recently because I want to minimize the tension on the front. The hair in the front of my head is really fragile and if I am not careful, I could loose the hair there. I rocked this hairstyle for 2 weeks and took it out. It was fun and easy to maintain: I just sprayed my water, peppermint oil and glycerin mix in the morning and sometimes at night. Enjoy!

The back was put into one big cornrow for easy mantainance during the week

Right side of the cornrows

Left side of the cornrows

That's the front

Keep it natural!

Omozo

It Finally Happened!

I have been back in Nigeria for over a year and it finally happened. I have been wearing my hair naturally in Nigeria and it finally happened. I have been working at a bank for over a year and it finally happened. I have been attending interviews and it finally happened. It has finally happened o!

See the hairstyle above? That is how I styled my hair today for a chat with the GMD (Group Managing Director) of a Nigerian Bank. I thought it looked decent. *Shrugging* So when it was finally my turn to "chat" with the Boss, I was asked to go into his office by a lady. I sat down and a few moments later the lady sat down beside me. I was not introduced to her and, silly me, I did not ask who she is. So we chatted: I was asked questions and I asked questions.

Finally, Sister Lady sitting beside me said "I am going to give you some personal feedback and promise me you will not take it personally" Interpretation: "I am about to insult you but you will not be able to insult me back because you are trying to impress us." In my professional and accommodating way I cheerfully responded "I welcome feedback" *Smh*

Sister Lady: Blah. Blah. Blah ... In this environment, some people will judge your appearance before you can show them you are intelligent
Me: I don't understand
Sister Lady: The way you present yourself
Me: *smiling* I am sorry I don't understand
Sister Lady: It may be okay 'over there' (as in abroad) but you have to understand the environment you are now in
Me: *I look at the Boss and give Sister Lady a blank stare*
Sister Lady: The way you wear your hair may be acceptable over there but it may not be acceptable here.
Me: Oh! You mean my natural hair? It is not relaxed
Sister Lady: Yes
Me: You think I should relax it
Sister Lady: Yes
Me: *Colgate smile* Thank you for the feedback.

Now there are so many things I feel I should / could have said to her like "Sister Lady you are gonna get some education tonight!" OR "That's just BS talk!" OR "For medical and dietary reasons I cannot permanently alter the state of my hair. I cannot braid with extensions or fix a weave or use a wig because I saw in a dream that all fake hair is made from snakes!" OR "Are you speaking on behalf of __ Bank?" OR "Who did you say you are again?" I did not say any of these things: fortunately or unfortunately.

So many professionals face this sort of unnecessary "feedback" from colleagues and employers. How dare an employer or colleague tell you or me to use chemicals to permanently alter the texture of our hair? Sadly it happens daily, and women are forced and pushed to either HIDE their natural hair under some fake hair or worse; get their hair relaxed. I had heard stories about this sort of thing and now I am experiencing it for the first time in all my 14 years of working! It is unprofessional, unethical and just plain stupid to make women feel that their natural hair, worn naturally, is unacceptable in the workplace. Is it clean? Yes. Is it neat and tidy? Yes. Then what is your problem?

So Sister Lady, your feedback is one that I WILL NOT be implementing anytime soon. And who did you say you are again?

Keep it natural (for life)!

Omozo

Thread as a hair styling tool

It has been 12 days since our last post? Really? How did that happen? And in my mind I had created so many blog posts o. We are sorry for the silence.

My sis and I have been experimenting with the threading technique. It seems to be making a comeback. Well, I think it seems to be getting recognition outside the areas it is commonly found in. So the Americans and British are discovering it and are talking about it. However, it never left Nigeria. We have been, and still are, using the thread technique in this country. Also, the majority of the Bloggers and V-loggers use thread to stretch their hair. Here in Nigeria, we actually use the thread to style our hair. So we can keep in a thread hairstyle for a few weeks.

Using thread to make (or "plait" as we in Nigeria say it) is quite common in Nigeria. You have basic styles and you have some psychedelic styles too. I am hesitant to say that you find more children using thread than adults in Nigeria. I hesitate because I did a rough count last week and noticed just as many adults wearing hairstyles with thread. The thread technique is simple. Basically, you take some thread and wrap it around your hair. You can wrap up the whole section completely with thread or you can leave some gaps in the sections so it looks like twists.

Cornrows in front and Chinese thread used to wrap the back

Types of thread
In Nigeria, threading hair can be done with Chinese thread, or rubber thread or wool.

Chinese thread needs a bit more skill to use. This is especially true when, after the hair is thread, you want to style it by twisting and bending the hair. If care is not taken, the already thread hair can come loose and this means you have extra work of re-doing the hair.

Chinese thread

The rubber thread looks shiny after it is done. The rubber thread is less expensive to buy. 

Rubber used to thread hair also known as Polyvinyl tube (alibaba.com)

Wool seems to be the new kid on the block. Using wool to thread hair is getting more popular than using Chinese or rubber thread. A ball of wool costs about N100 (One Hundred Naira), which is less that $1, and can be used several times. Of course the amount of use you will get from your ball of wool depends on the length of your hair and the size of your sections. In fact, wool is being used for a lot more than threading hair. It is also used as extensions to twist and braid hair. It is also easier to manipulate wool after threading your hair with it.

Wool (knitpicks.com)

Some Tips
I hear that using the wool to thread hair can be painful. If the Stylist has "a painful hand" then you might be in for double pain!
*When getting your hair styled with thread remember to keep it properly moisturized before styling or else you can loose a lot of hair when you undo the thread.
*Also pay attention and encourage the stylist not to thread too tightly especially the front and nape areas. It might help to hold the base of the section of hair when it is being thread so that you are able to reduce the tension a bit during the hair making process.
*Make sure you use leave-in conditioners on your hair when it is in thread so that your hair does not get too dry.

Wool used to thread the hair at the back and small braids in front

*If you are a Newbie to using thread on your hair as a styling option, you may want to try it out on a weekend or when you won't be seeing too many people or going to work that day or the next. Just in case it does not work out! (You know what I mean right?)
*If you are using a Stylist to thread your hair for the first time, consider taking a painkiller before or after your hair is styled. This is because you will be going through a new hair making experience and your hair will be tugged and pulled in new ways so you may feel a new type of discomfort.

And of course, be creative and make this technique work for you. It is a nice way to add some variety to your styling  arsenal.

Keep it natural!

Omozo