I know some of you have been really waiting for my posts on my 21 day spending time with God challenge. I am sorry that I haven’t been able to share until now.
Matthew 16:24New Living Translation (NLT) ²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.
Matthew 7: 21-23 New Living Translation (NLT) ²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

This post is long overdue! thank you for being patient with me.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

  If you watched enough YouTube videos about natural hair journeys, you probably know how psyched you get right after seeing the natural hair beautys looking good with curly hair and perfect twist outs.
     That being said, I have to admit that I have been having some issues with my hair ever since I  reached the "in between, in between stage".​ The what?? - Yes, the in between in between.
    This is a stage where your hair is not short enough to be a TWA* anymore , not medium enough to be in the real "in between ​stage" and  far from being "hairbandable"*
   The thing with stage is that, a lot of times, it costs  patience and nerves, so if you aren't there yet, let me alert you on some of the problems I have been having recently and probably some solutions too.

1. Minimal style alternatives: Because with this kind of length there is just not much that can be done. Wash an Go's are perfect if you live in areas with the kind of humidity that favors you hair. Solution,Twist outs are also great if you have the time for it. If you don't have the above mentioned time and climate like I, protective styles like cornrows and braids can come in handy.
   
2.  Desperate moments: I'm learning the hard way that it is actually wise to always have a nice quality wig somewhere nicely stored because now that it's obvious that this stage needs time and commitment, which maybe most people like me don't really have, there will be moments where desperation will then kick in. This will be pushed up a notch if braids and cornrows are your saviors but then you hair stylists cancels on you and you only have one day of the week off! (True story). Solution, Hair accessories could come in handy here  in the absence of a wig.
   
3. Regrets: Remember how I mentioned that excitement and psyche you get after watching natural hair inspiration videos and pictures, so then you get all motivated and do the BC. Yeah, chances are, you just might actually have some moments of regrets here and there, especially if you have pictures of your previous hair around or cannot do that style you loved so much. Solution, Just remember the main reason why you BC, it might have been symbolic for something important in your life, new beginnings, fresh start e.t.c Take yourself back to that place and remember that it's hair and it will grow.
4. Impatience: Hair has it's natural way of growth and in this stage, that might be too slow for you. Remember, it will grow at it's own pace. Solution, do is your part, eat right, get some sleep, work out, drink plenty of water because the inner body regime is just as important for hair growth.
   
5. Revelation: After all is said done, it is at this stage that I feel most people really get to know just how ready they are to commit to a hair journey. As much as it is annoying, it can be a learning process to experiment on what works for you and what fits your personal lifestyle and character. Whatever decision made at this stage should be sorely personal because now you have had the revelation that everyones hair is different even if the texture matches. What you watch, read and see on social medias and blogs are mere ideas and guidelines but every journey is different and you should make yours one that works for just you and only you.

                                                               It's always a Pleasure,
                                                                            Zipporah.​​


*TWA= teeny weeny Afro
*Hairbandable= a word Joanne and I came up with for hair long enough to be tied with a hairband.​​

1. An afro comb (optional)
2. A styling cream or Gel check out my review on the enliven Gel.
3. A hair tie
4. Bobby pins (optional)
5. A soft hair brush.

Until a few weeks ago, the closest I came to plaiting my hair was eight simple cornrows that would either have a weave or wig on them. I watched a lot of YouTube channels and blogs about hair and even though I always thought I was keen and knew what I was doing, I dare say I was among those kind of people who thought "healthy hair journeys were overrated". Growing up in Kenya with black women all around, it was certainly paramount that we all shared information about how good or not good our hair were and of-course with the tangible difference in length and texture, there were a lot of hair tips and stories told and these I may say, were found to be very sacred for both the young and old.
     Being an absolute newbie to the whole natural hair journey situation, I am mesmerised at just how much difference  untampered natural hair can make and how most of the things we heard were true and some,well..just sadly false.
     For the second time, I've gotten Ghana/Abuja cornrows done. While the first ones lasted just 2 weeks, it certainly was an interesting time that gave yours truly some really tiny but eventful revelations about cornrows on short Afro hair that might be helpful to some NHJ beginners. Low and behold,5-things they told you can't do that you might actually want to and maybe should do with your TWA in cornrows.

• No.1: You mustn't wash you hair while cornrowed.

•  No 2:Tightly done cornrows look and better and last longer:

•  No.3: Braiding hair makes it grow faster.

• No.4: You should grease your hair and scalp.

     

wet texture shot before heat

1. Clarify your hair with a shampoo and deep condition your hair with a protein conditioner as well as a moisturising conditioner. A conditioner that contains hydrolyzed protein is more preferable than using kitchen remedies like eggs, coconut milk or mayonnaise. This is because hydrolyzed protein can actually penetrate the hair and temporarily repair your hair shaft. The kitchen remedies are protein rich but the proteins are too large to penetrate the hair and only coat the surface of the hair.
2. Use a silicone based conditioner and/ or a silicone based heat protector. Silicones have a very high burning point and they keep extra moisture out which helps with reversion especially on natural hair. Using a silicone based product will apply a thin layer of a heat resistant film that will keep your hair from too much heat exposure.
3. Use a good flat iron. Hair starts burning at a temperature of about 450F/ 232.2C. Using a flat iron and blow drier that can be regulated is vital if you want to keep your hair from damage.
4. Detangle and stretch your hair before flat ironing it.
5. Use a flat iron with ceramic plates as these distribute heat equally along the hair shaft.
6. Keep product use to a minimal if your aim is too achieve smooth silky hair. Too much product will only cause your hair to be weighed down and the strands will clamp to each other instead of flowing freely.

It has been about three  months post my Big chop (on 14th March) at about 16months post relaxer.

I have been so silent trying to take it all in,trying to understand my new mane.

First thing first! I am definitely in love with my tresses. Some hair journey processes have been simplified big time! Detangling for instance, has become such a breeze! As long as its wet and saturated with conditioner or shampoo my Wide toothed comb just glides through. It literally takes less than 20 minutes to detangle my entire head in about 6 sections.
Detangling my hair was a real struggle while i was transitioning.

I have gone through emotions though and I have to admit that it has not been all rosy. Patience is one thing i have had to learn.

At times my Dear. Hubby goes like "your hair..are you going to straighten it for church tomorrow or something? "It takes a while for them to understand the whole reason behind it!

There are times I have  felt like going back to the relaxing but at such times Joanne has always been my voice of reason. Reminding me why I went natural in the first place! I think new naturals all need such a person to hold their hand!Thanks Sis..

Initially I was trying to make my hair as sleek as possible for the office and that was where I went wrong. I was getting so frustrated. I was meant to understand Natural hair acts nothing like relaxed hair therefore they should never be treated alike. So, I embraced the fact that my natural hair does not lie flat neither will I try to do my hair each morning before leaving the house. It is  just how it is.

I have learnt that less manipulation will always make life easier for anyone with natural hair and its exactly where I am at right now. I am wearing a high puff right now and chunky twists have become my signature style for the past several weeks. I wash, condition and style on Sunday evenings and wear the same hairstyle for 1-2weeks before re-doing/re-thinking.

There's so much to say...postpartum shedding,losing my hairline while breastfeeding,trying out regimens that will work for my life style and just going through all this new HHJ!(Healthy Hair Journey!)

I am very excited to share this journey with you and hope that you will drop by for the upcoming posts.

Have you just started your natural hair journey? what challenges are you facing with your hair? I would really love to hear from you.

Stay blessed!
Evelyn

You might be wondering why I chose to name this challenge No Excuses! I am growing my hair healthy. Well I did this with a very good reason. Many African women I have had a chance to talk to always have a list of reasons why they cannot grow their hair healthy. The most common reason I get is this "You know you have that good hair mine is the steel wool  type" Steel wool here is the term used for 4C hair in Kenya/ Africa. We give up before we even try.


I started my hair journey in February 2010 with relaxed hair. My hair had always been shoulder length for as long as I can remember. I actually thought that shoulder length was the longest my hair could ever grow! After starting to take better care of my hair I noticed that it became healthier, thicker and longer. Did my genes suddenly change? NO! they were still the same but my hair care practices changed and this is what made the difference. If I had not changed the way I was doing things I probably would still have dry, damaged shoulder length hair.
I believe that all hair is beautiful! whether it has defined curls or coils or whether the curls are non-existent. There are so many women who have managed to grow their healthy and long regardless of their hair type and so can you if you get rid of those negative thoughts in your mind. God created all hair beautiful embrace yours just as it is and work towards making it reach it´s full potential. You will never know what your hair is capable of if you don´t sincerely give it a try
This challenge is geared to help you learn the basics of hair care regardless of whether your hair is relaxed or natural. learning the right techniques will ensure that you get the healthy hair that you have always wanted. To join please Click Here and be a part of this great movement.

Stay blessed!
Gahl Team

Those moments when the person you had planned to spend the rest of your life with suddenly decides you were not meant for each other and you have to nurse your broken heart. 

Those moments  when you just want to give up because you feel worthless and nobody cares. 

Those moments when you are depressed and you feel that life is just not worth living and no one seems to understand.

twist bantu knot out

Twist out!

Twist Out!

October 2012