Pages

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Twisted Bun Fun


I'm Still Protecting my Hair



And twists and braids are my favorite way to protect! I attribute twists as one of the best ways to retain length for my hair. (I will do a post about that soon!)  But, I wear them so often that I sometimes run out of ways to style them, and it can get kind of boring?  I am known for wearing my typical half up have down twists or I just pull them up in a Ponytail! 





Moving forward I'm going to start experimenting with different ways to style  my twists so I won't loose my love for them!  You tube is full of twisted updo's and styles so we will see how I do with that!  I found the one I'm wearing below on HonestlyErica's youtube channel! She is awesome. She's always posting interesting styles for Mini Twists and braids.  



Side Swept Twisted Bun/with Halo braided bang.

Well Until Next time!










Friday, February 15, 2013

Get your Healthy Hair Back: Alyson's Success Story!

Alyson’s Healthy Hair Journey


  
Hi Chan!  I know that I have written to you before, but I wanted to make sure Happy Healthy Hair and its followers understood just how much I appreciate your consulting, feedback and styling tips that I have received.

I am approaching my 3 year anniversary of being natural.  It’s a little hard to believe for me because when you first mentioned that you were considering going natural – before the business was even conceptualized, I decided to do it as merely a challenge, not fully understanding how it would turn out to be the BEST decision and transition that I made as it pertains to health and beauty for my life.

Alyson 16 mos into Natural Transition
I didn’t go natural to grow my hair long, most people who know me know that I have always had long hair; my goal was to obtain Healthy hair.  I chuckle now because I reflect on a conversation that we had within the first 6 months of my transition.  I told you that I was “growing a new head of hair.”  I didn’t even realize that my hair line had slightly receded, exclusively, because of the relaxers that I had been getting!  When I stopped getting the relaxers, the hair that had been receding, started to grow back and now has completely grown in.   

After  Big Chop(check out that hair line!)
I remember prior to this, a lady walking up to me asking if I had been stressed because my hair that was thick everywhere else, but was thin around my temples.  She meant nothing by this, but it bothered me, and it wasn’t until I stopped relaxing that I even realized, I was supposed to have hair there!!!
Because of my hair texture it’s been easier for me to style my hair without heat or much manipulation while I was transitioning and even now.  I am not a hair ”styling” person so being able to wash and go is truly a blessing from God for me!  I have always refrained from using a lot of heat, but this journey has been great for me because it has allowed me to further reduced the heat damage my hair was enduring.  Ladies, too much heat is not our hair’s friend.  Moisture and low manipulation is! I don’t do much to my hair and it thrives because of it.  
Wash n Go

Recent Flat iron(was removed from an updo)



We don’t go plant flowers in our yards, and then dig around in the dirt every day do we? No, we let them do their thing. I’ve found the same applies to hair.  You should choose styles that you can maintain with as little manipulation as possible. (I wear my hair protected 99% of the time)
  
 Total “girl” confession – I LOVE it when my husband runs his fingers through my hair every night.  I LOVE that he loves MY natural hair, whether I wear it curly, or the very rare times that I flat iron straight (once once a year max!). I love that my children love playing with my hair when they cuddle with me at night.

I love that my daughter will NEVER, as long as she lives in my house, have a relaxer come near her head.  I love that she loves her beautiful locks, and while she does like her hair straight, she isn’t in a panic when she goes swimming or running around the water park because she can’t get her hair wet.  She is a kid!  GO PLAY IN THE SPRINKLERS!  GO SWIM!  Get your natural hair wet.  It’s fine!  We’ll take care of it when you are finished. I’m happy that I am able to raise her to love her natural hair and not be in bondage to it.

Alyson's Daughter enjoying her Healthy Hair

Healthy Happy Hair has been a true blessing in my life.  What started out as a challenge to see if I “could do it” has turned into an attitude of “I would NEVER do without it!”  Yup – I am going on record in saying that I will never perm my hair again because I have been fully equipped, through your services, to care for my natural hair!
Thank you HHH,

Alyson and Me


 If you have a success story that you would like to share please contact me, lets continue to inspiring our women!   Well Until Next time!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

No Heat Damage and How you can prevent it!

Yay! Very happy to have my natural texture back! 



 Hello ladies! I am happy to report that there is not one strand of heat damaged hair on this natural head of mine!   I can't say that I wasn't a little nervous because my first flat ironing experience a couple years ago was not as successful.  As I've said before, flat ironing your natural hair is always risky(when keeping your natural pattern and texture is important!)  I was  confident in the condition of my hair going in for my service but there was still an element of fear because I wasn't the one flat ironing it.  Although I am no pro at flat ironing or preventing heat damage, yet! I can definitely share some tips that will  lessen your chances of  crippled curls!  


  •  Don't have your hair flat ironed on a whelm.. Prepare your hair 1 to 2 weeks in advance
  •  During prep week(s) do a strengthening treatment on your hair (you can do Henna or a mild protein  conditioning treatment) &  do a Deep Moisturizing Conditioning treatment. 
  • During  prep week Moisturize, Moisturize,Moisturize(you can wear wash n goes, or increase co-washes, never flat ironed dry brittle hair)
  • If you're seeing a stylists, book a consult in person first to discuss their process and your expectations
  • The day of your service make sure your hair is clarified or cleansed well(you can opt to deep condition again if you choose)
  • Don't blow dry soak and wet hair on high heat. Use low to med heat or you can put in chunky twists and let it stretch dry up to 85% or sit under a dryer
  • Add a Heat Protectant before using direct heat
  •  Blow dry your hair the rest of the way, I would use a med setting. (Some people can skip blow drying all together)
  • Use a ceramic plate flat iron with a temperature gauge (Avoid the marcel stove irons)
  • Flat iron small pieces of hair; no more than one or two passes 
  • To up keep, do not add any more heat, use natural styling(bantu knot outs, Bun outs etc.)
  • Also, try to limit flat ironing to no more than twice a year if your natural texture/curl pattern is important to you

What temp should I use?  On Temperature I personally would not go over 400 degrees f on the iron. But everyone's hair is different and it would be smart to start off as low as you can and work your way up in heat as needed to get results you are comfortable with. Also, if you have textures throughout your head that are looser than others, I would lower the temp to avoid heat damage in those areas because they typically don't need as much heat to get straight.       


ONE LAST TIP! When I was ready to wash my natural hair back in I used Hydratherma Naturals Amino Acid Protein conditioner first, as a deep treatment(over night).  My texture bounced back gloriously!  

  

Well, until Next Time!! 







Friday, February 1, 2013

The Perfect Detangler for Natural Hair

Hydratherma Naturals Moisture Boosting Deep Conditioner! 



Okay Ladies and.. gentlemen,(There could be a few men who are interested. : )  I had to share this miracle in a bottle that smooths my tangles on contact!  If you have followed me for any length of time you may know that detangling my hair has been the most time consuming and not so fun part of my Healthy Hair Regimen. I've tried numerous products marketed toward tangles, and that offers slip but must of them rarely lived up to their claim in my hair. My wash, deep conditioning, and detangling sessions would take no less than 2.5 hours. So I was often tempted to rush through which would cause minor breakage, and I'd be forced to slow it down to a crawl in an effort to save my ends!   

My hair prior to a detangling session

You will notice in the above photo that my hair is very dense, so it is not easy to get through. But since I've been using HTN's  Moisture Boost  Conditioner I have been in hair detangling heaven! My sessions are getting shorter and shorter. I've done 3 or 4 treatments with this, and the last treatment it only took me 30 mins to detangle my hair.  As soon as this conditioner hits my strands they immediately soften, and my fingers glide through, and I don't have to use a comb.  Even better, when I rinse, the feeling is still there. I have soft moisturized hair with no tangles!   I am extremely pleased, I am going to be doing a full review on the entire hair care line  and getting better pics post rinse, but I could not wait to do a quick highlight on this one!  




How are your detangling sessions going?