Black Naps

Going Natural Really Means Going Ugly

the Editor — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:54:10 +0000

The thought of going natural for some women means to degrade their beauty and some would even go as far to say going ugly. Lubella Coil’s recent video is a good inspiration for women who may have considered going natural but end up not following through because they fear what they will look like or what others may think of their look.

It’s sad how overtime we have basically trained ourselves to believe that we only look good one way. Once I even saw a commenter respond to a blog post by saying that she would rather stick to her relaxers because she doesn’t want to wear natural hair and look like a slave. Now if relaxers work for you cool. However, why is it that wearing your hair natural has to be associated with looking like a slave? To be honest if I saw an ignorant comment like that again, I probably wouldn’t blink twice, but two years ago the ignorance got to me so I did end up making my own YouTube video response to it.

Going natural does not mean that you have to be stuck afro popping it all the time if you do not want to. You can still wear straight styles if you want to or wear glam style weaves. The only difference is you are okay with what your texture is naturally and you embrace it. Going natural is far from going ugly, it is one of the many forms of self love.

When you first went natural were you afraid of how it would look? If you were how did you get past that?

Solange at Met Gala

the Editor — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:55:55 +0000

Solange was killin em at the Met Gala. Her pale yellow gown, paired with a golden clutch, and vivacious curls had everyone turning heads. She may have even blown her sister Bey, out the water with this one. A lot of people didn’t like Beyonce’s get up, maybe it was because of the feathers on the bottom of the dress? Regardless, I thought Beyonce looked stunning as usual, but compared to Solange, her dress loses for me. Perhaps the plain jane in me just prefers the simplistic yet sophisticated style Solange was rocking.

Who do you think wins, Beyonce or Solange?

B#@tch Your Hair is Not Natural!

the Editor — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:44:27 +0000

If you press your hair are you natural? The Damn Salon doesn’t seem to think so, and to be honest for me the sentiment is understandable. Yes, I have pressed my hair before, but to be honest I don’t plan to do so too often at all because of the risk of damage to my curl pattern. I am talking about those little random and annoying straight strands that remain permanently straightened even after you have washed your hair. In my case, I know it was because the particular stylist used way too much heat for my hair, and I probably should have stepped in and said “Hey, you are over doing it!” However, at that particular time, I was not too familiar with how much or how little was needed to straighten my hair.

For me I have found it doesn’t take too much heat to straighten my hair at all and the lower the temperatures are the less of a risk there is for permanently straightening your hair. However for me, I am chilling out from straightening it, I probably will limit it to pressing my hair once a year if that. Getting to the point though, is your hair natural if you press it? Well if you have permanently straightened strands in my book no, because this is not the natural texture of your hair. The permanently straightened strands are a result of heat damage.

Can you press your hair and still be natural? Of course you can. You just have to be cautious about how much heat you are using and making sure to use heat protectants. There are no rules to being natural you can wear weaves, press your hair, and still be natural. However, once you have altered your texture, your hair is not considered natural or at least the portion that has been damaged is not. Some naturals do not care about curl pattern, but for those who do pressing your hair on a regular basis is not recommended.

What do you think, are you still natural if you press your hair?

Low Maintenance Natural Hair Tips, for the Gal on the Go

the Editor — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:21:36 +0000

Whether you are a full time mom or a busy professional with a demanding schedule no gal on the go wants a time consuming hair care routine. Maintenance is the reason why many would be naturals end up continuing to press or relax their hair. Yes, being natural does require extra care, and the kinkier your hair is, the more time you will have to invest in moisturizing it as well as protecting it from breakage. However, there are ways of simplifying your routine, to fit even the craziest schedule.

1. Protective styling- Not only is this a good method for retaining length, but this also serves as a way to make things easier on you. With protective styles such as buns and braids there is little to no work required on your part. Just get up, spritz your hair for moisture, and at bedtime wrap your hair, and that’s it!

2. Schedule your routine- Creating a schedule or a plan for your hair makes things easier on you as well. Maybe for a couple of months you want to wear box braids, then afterward you want to try out a french roll, then give your hair some air with a twist out style. Your plan could just be in your mind or written out on paper, either way it doesn’t matter. Plan for easy low manipulation styles that require less work on your part.

3. Braids or Twists for your wash- Washing your hair with braids or twists in your hair make wash time less work for you and less damaging to your hair. When our hair is out and we wash it, it is easy for tangles to get created. Detangle your hair while it is moist, place it into twists or braids then wash your hair. Or if you are already wearing a protective style like twists, cornrows, or box braids do not take it out. Just wash your hair with them in, this is a trick I love to use.