There is a clear societal standard that women with long hair– no matter the quality– are beautiful. Long hair is ethereal and sexy while short hair elicits authority and confidence. With so many stipulations and assumptions based on our hair, how is a lady supposed to decide?
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Aside from a knock out resume and being totally prepared for a round of questions, your appearance plays into the first impression when it comes to job interviews. We all have our idea of style. Your style can range from basic to completely bizarre– and I mean bizarre in the best way.
And I am a complete advocate for expressing your style.
BUT, and that’s a big but, when it comes to seeking employment which is hard enough, I suggest reeling it in a bit. If you are like me and live by “the bigger the hair the smaller the waist”, try a protective style or bun instead. A pony puff would also work.
Once you have landed the job, which I am sure you will, then let your hair down– literally. Since you have the job, you can incorporate more of your personal style. I don’t suggest going to work with a sky-high faux hawk, but definitely wear your hair in some of your favorite styles. Your hair is something to be proud of and if you see your hair as a problem, so will everyone else.
Comment below and tell me what some of your favorite work styles are!
After nine long months, your body has performed the most magical process of creating a wee one. After performing such a miracle, your body needs some serious R&R. Your hair, of course, is no exception.
During pregnancy, your body is creating extra estrogen. Thanks to the hormonal boost, you have less shedding which means more strands that are thicker and stronger. I mean, you deserve it right?
Well, after your wee one makes their debut, your hormone levels start to go back to normal. With your normalizing hormones, your hair begins to normalize too. That means buh-bye luscious locks!
Around three months postpartum, your extra strands start to fall out all at once. The first time you see the colossal clump of fallen strands in your comb, you might feel the tears welling up in your eyes.
Don’t worry– it doesn’t last forever.
Most women, according to Parentables.com, are done with their torrential downpour of hair by the time their little one is around nine months to a year old.
There are a few ways you can curb some of the effects of postpartum shedding
1. Shedding typically happens at the temples with women that have naturally kinky hair, even if it is processed. With that being said, you should protect your hair-line and temples with everything you have! Before you go to bed at night, apply castor oil along your hair-line. It will help with thinning and dryness. Castor oil is very thick so a little goes a long way.
2. Be sure to use a brush (I suggest a Denman brush) or wide toothed comb daily to clean out all of the shedded strands. This will prevent tangling and knots from forming.
3. Put your hair in loose styles to prevent extra tugging. This will limit the extra stress on your strands.
4. Keep your hair moisturized! Dry hair breaks off and who needs that?
5. Employ side bangs and head bands to camouflage your thinning edges.
6. Keep taking your prenatal vitamins and continue to drink plenty of water. It can only help!
What have you natural mommies done to help with postpartum shedding?
One of lifes most daunting feelings is when you are miles from home or a Rite Aid and your one and only hair tie breaks. Though you might not have needed a hair tie initially, suddenly, because you don’t have one, your hair will look like a crazy mess unless swept up into the hair tie that is no more.
Seriously heartbreaking!
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I remember being in grade school when my teacher went over the difference between a want and a need. Before this day in class, I needed everything. Toys, food, Barney, sleep, apple juice– I needed it all. My teacher showed the class a picture of a teddy bear and a picture of a glass of water. She asked the class which one we needed more. As I sat there, no more than 6 years old, I couldn’t grasp how I could possibly need the water more than the teddy bear. If there were a drought, everyone would be bored, but I would have my teddy bear to play with. Who needed water anyway right?
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After some consideration, I thought it would be great to offer a prize at the end of the 7 day up do challenge. Not only will you get to know your hair better and what types of up styles look good on you, BUT you get rewarded with a prize in the end too! Here are the details for how to win the prize:
1. The contest aspect of the challenge is open to subscribers only. It is easy to subscribe though. Click subscribe now, enter email, and you’re done!
2. To submit your 7 hair styles to be considered for the prize, email me at latifah.miles@gmail.com. The photos submitted to my email will be the only photos considered for the prize.
3. All photos have to be submitted at once therefore you can submit them on the last day of the challenge, Feb. 24th. One 7 photo submission per person.
And that is it! You can do the challenge without entering the prize aspect. For details on the how to participate in the challenge, Check out the “7 Day Challenge” post here. The photos of the winner will be posted on Youngfabulousandnatural.com unless otherwise stated.
Now on to the fabulous prize. This quality Tee boldly sums up my feelings on natural hair exactly! When I saw it, I loved it, and absolutely had to share it!
The up and coming designer of this Tee has a line, Contemporary Negro. This designer is drawing up one original idea after another. Check his bold and one of a kind designs here! Contemporary Negro
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me @youngfabnatural
Now that it is February, many of our natural hair resolutions been forgotten. Remember promising your curls love, care, and excitement? Let’s drag ourselves out of this resolution rut and challenge ourselves. This 7 day challenge is simple. For 7 days straight, challenge yourself to wearing your hair in a different up-do. The hairstyles can be as simple or as crazy as you like. Not only will you be protecting your hair from the harsh winter elements, but you will also rack up a whole slew of new styles! Here are some guidelines for this challenge:
1. The styles must have at least half of your hair up
2. No repeated styles
3. Be creative
4. Document your styles by taking pictures
You can tweet me your styles @youngfabnatural, tag me on instagram @youngfabnatural, or leave in a comment below. The challenge will begin on Sunday February 17th to Sunday February 24th. So go tell a friend, grab your bobby pins and get ready!
We have all been there right? We make the first big step which is deciding to go natural. Once we wrap our heads around that idea, the next thing we do is run out and buy every product that comes in a shiny container that promises to give your hair bounce, shine, spunk, and whatever else we desire. The more expensive it is the more you think you need it. Next thing you know they are calling you by name at the Rite Aid and presenting you with the most loyal shopper award. Before you get there, save yourself some money and frustration. Being a product junkie can break your pockets as well as yield little to no results for your hair which will lead you to the “MY HAIR IS NOT GROWING” club. So, save yourself the drama. But if you have already gone down that road, alas! There is hope for you too! Here is a step by step guide for shaking your bad habit:
Step 1. First things first. Bring all of your hair products to one central spot. This allows you to take in the magnitude of your problem. Theres no dening an arm chair full of leave in conditioner. Once you have all of your products together, group all of the shampoos together, conditioners together, moisturizers, etc.
Step 2. By this stage, you should know what has worked for you and what has not. Seperate the “Phenomenal” products into a pile and the “This Did Nothing” products into another pile.
Step 3. Throw the “This Did Nothing” pile in the trash! This may seem harsh and you may be saying in your head “Thats a nearly full bottle of that crappy product that did nothing for my hair but make it smell like sweet pea”. While this may seem wasteful, you have no use for these products. They do not work for your hair. You have already spent your money on them so the only thing you can do is promise yourself you will never buy it again. Or if you have someone in mind that might benefit from it better than you did, donate it!
Step 4. With the products you have left, determine which ones were good enough for you to repurchase. Sometimes you buy a product and it does not live up to your expectations but is still worth using the rest of. Figure out which ones those are for you.
Step 5. Do not buy any more hair products until you finish up the products you have. No matter what that little money spending voice in your head tells you to do when they see that shiny label, DON’T DO IT! Now, finishing up your products may seem like a daunting task if you have 15 different shampoos. But, you don’t have to finish the ones that were not phenomenal if you don’t want to. Plus, the products you do choose to finish will help save you a few– or a lot of money.
Step 6. Once you are done with your products and are ready to re-enter the world of products, try a new approach. First, remember the products that did not work and the products that were not phenomenal. Your hair deserves only phenomenal products. Secondly, when buying a new product, try to find the sample size of that product before commiting to the gallon value size. You will save your self some disappointment.
Now go rustle up your products and make some adjustments. Tell me what your favorite, tried and true phenomenal products are that always warrent a repurchase!
Olive oil is one of nature’s treasures. Aside from being delicious, it can perform miracles on your hair and skin! Here are 5 fabulous ways to use your olive oil:
1. Hot oil treatment: Sometimes, your curls can feel dehydrated and all out crispy. A hot oil treatment using just olive oil can restore the moisture in your hair and give it an unbelievable shine.
2. In your shea butter mix: Every curly girl knows that shea butter in its raw form can transform dry and damaged hair into bouncy soft curls. Throw in some olive oil for an intense moisturizer that can battle even the driest hair days.
3. In your shampoo & conditioner: The sulfates in shampoo can often times dry your hair out while cleansing. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to pump up the moisture in your shampoo and conditioner.
4. On your skin: Olive oil can have the same moisturizing effects on your body as it does in your hair. Use it as a body oil after a shower during the frigid winter months to keep skin touchable & soft.
5. In your body wash: Don’t just put it on your skin after the shower! Bring the moisture in the shower from scalp to skin. While body washes can be labeled with promises of shea butter and olive oil moisturizing properties, they are usually packed full of chemicals. So why not throw in your own olive oil to ensure you’re getting the moisture your skin needs!
Olive oil is amazing! Tell me the great ways you use your olive oil!!
Cleaning your hair tools can often times fall by the wayside when there are curls to be tamed. While we are all guilty of it, dirty hair tools can lead to pesky hair issues that are preventable. Here are some simple guidelines to keeping your hair tools squeaky clean:
Rule 1. Clean your hair brushes and combs once a month. Since most natural hair chicks don’t use flat irons very often, it can be cleaned after each use to prevent the grime from setting in between uses.
Rule 2. Use your shampoo to clean your tools. Not only will the shampoo be gentle, it will also prevent chemicals from being distributed through your hair. The pleasant smell is a nice bonus too!
Rule 3. Make sure your tools are completely dry before storing them to prevent bacteria from growing and creating a funky smell.
Now for the low down on how to clean your items:
1. Brushes- First run a comb through your brush to collect the dead hair. Next, apply some shampoo on top of the bristles and let it sink down to the base. If possible, run your finger between the bristles to throughly clean out the gunk and grime. Lastly, wipe the handle clean and gently towel dry the bristles.
2. Combs- First you want to remove the dead hair out of your comb. Next, apply your shampoo to the comb along the teeth. With a hand towel, floss out the grime from between the teeth and follow up by rinsing. Finish off by gently drying off your comb with a towel.
3. Flat Iron- Heat your flat-iron so that it is warm, NOT hot, to the touch and then unplug. Next, with a damp hand towel that has a small amount of shampoo, wipe the plates clean. Make sure you get the sides and edges. Finish up by drying off the plates.
Eventually, your hair tools will become worn down from frequent runs through your curls and may cause breakage. When your brushes have a cracked back, broken tips, or your combs have missing teeth, it is time to lay your tools to rest permanently.
