The Revolution will be Glamorized.

Happy Hair Growing

hair.

http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/08/all-about-hair-start-at-scalp-for.html

>Thinning

http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/10/hair-quicktip-prevent-thinning-hair.html

>Breakage

http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/09/all-about-hair-hair-breakage-checklist.html

http://www.naturalhaircommunity.com/how-to-prevent-hair-breakage

>Tangled Ends

>Itchy Scalp

http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/12/all-about-hair-why-dandruff-shampoos.html

Lately my hair has been feeling over-moisturized…. No breakage but I want to correct my moisture/protein balance before that happens… Again listening to my hair and giving it what it needs..

Yes over-moisturized hair can cause breakage…. It can also cause your hair to become porous and that will keep your your hair from retaining moisture… Then it usually gets really hard for most to figure out what is causing the problem…

Too much of a good thing .. Is a bad thing..

Breakage is caused by too much moisture or too much protein.. The key to staying away from breakage is learning how to balance the two.

How do you know if your hair is over moisturized ???

Let me start by saying if your just starting your hair journey and you are experiencing breakage… I would bet money its not from over moisturizing… Most women prior to starting their journey do not deep condition enough , don’t co wash and is not consistent with moisturizing daily… Usually women that experience over moisturized hair have been on their journey for a while… That’s just what I’ve learned in consulting women for the last few years..

So if your just starting out … I would tell you to lean towards the moisture side in your regimen and do a light protein treatment maybe 1x a month…. If your natural and don’t use heat you may not need do the protein 1x monthly but less only when your hair needs it…

To determine if your if your hair needs moisture or protein … I would suggest doing a Strand Test on Wet Hair..

Remove one strand from the root … Pull on both sides of the strand …

If the strand stretches and stretches then breaks … You need protein
If your hair stretches and stretches and doesn’t break .. You need protein
If your hair doesn’t stretch then breaks or barely stretches before breaking.. You need moisture
If your hair feel rough and hard .. It needs moisture
Healthy hair will slightly stretch then return back to its original length with no breakage.. 
Right after the stand test is when most people are more confused about what their hair needs than before..
Honestly over moisturized hair feels completely different from hair that lacks moisture….

Overly Moisturized Hair That Needs Protein

Hair that is over moisturized will cause breakage and cause your hair to be very elasticity… It will also cause your hair to become porous..Over moisturized hair that needs protein… Is usually described as mushy , spongy hair , stretchy …
If you can recognize the problem before it causes breakage you can simply use a protein leave in conditioner or use a light protein conditioner for your co washes for a quick fix..
If you are experiencing breakage I would suggest using a light protein treatment …Like Aphogee 2 min reconstructor… Start off with a lighter protein before going heavier if needed… Do not do your protein treatments more than 1x a week…

Hair That Needs Moisture From Too Much Protein


Your hair is made up of about 91 percent protein, and is made up of long chains of amino acids… Protein is what gives our hair structure and strength..
When the hair has too much protein it lacks elasticity so it will break super easy.. …Hair that needs moisture will feel rough and hard to the touch… 
Relaxed hair needs protein !!! When you relax your hair your hair loses protein because the relaxer breaks down the protein bond to straighten the hair.. You should do a light protein treatment 1x a month.. Or rotate conditioners , moisturizers and leave ins that contain protein in your regimen..
If you are protein sensitive .. I suggest using at home protein treatments or amino acids..
Natural hair does not need as much protein.. Unless it is heat styled often… Hair loses protein during heat styling..
It is extremely hard to correct a protein overload… To correct deep condition at least 1x a week with a moisturizing conditioner… Stay away from hair products that contain protein.. That includes moisturizers , rinse out conditioners , leave ins and deep conditioner.. Use all moisturizing , protein free products… Think moisture , moisture , moisture to correct the problem…

 f you answer yes to 1 or more of these….This is what you should do..

  1. Hair won’t hold moisture
  2. Products you usually use stop working..
  3. Hair appears dull
  4. Doing everything right and still getting breakage ( Build up on hair causes breakage)
  5. Clarified and still experiencing build up

Some would answer you should clarify… Well your almost right.. Build up on the hair will cause all of the above… When your hair won’t hold moisture its usually due to build up on the hair or porosity issues … Also unexplained breakage is almost always caused by two common problems…That is Build up or Moisture and Protein balance being thrown off.. Clarifying only removes certain kinds of build up.. So when clarifying doesn’t help..I recommend using a chelating shampoo ?

What is the difference between Clarifying Shampoo and Chelating Shampoo ?


Clarifying Shampoo removes styling products, such as hair mousse, hair gel, hair spray, conditioners, and even daily shampoos etc….

Chelating Shampoo removes mineral deposits , removes metal , copper, iron and toxins, chemical and calcium build up ( what causes this ?.. Hard water and chlorine) It removes green hair from swimming and removes chlorine…( yes it removes product build up as well)

So it is a pretty big difference in the two types of shampoos.

If you live in a hard water city then the hard water you are using to shampoo your hair is leaving these types of build ups on your hair that most clarifying shampoos can’t remove…You would need to use a chelating shampoo..



 

This type build up will cause breakage or your hair won’t hold moisture… I always say listen to your hair.. Problems like these you want to catch before it causes damage… Clues that you need to use a chelating shampoo ….

  • You live in hard water cities… If you do I would consider using a chelating shampoo 1x a month
  • You hair will not retain moisture no matter what you do
  • Dull Hair
  • Products that usually work for you stop working

Don’t wait till you start getting getting breakage…

You should not use a chelating shampoo more than 1x a month .. If you use a chelating shampoo you do not need to use clarifing shampoo’s..

Another option you have is to buy a water softener for your shower from Home Depot or Lowes…They are pretty inexpensive

My favorite Chelating Shampoo is Joico K-Pak Clarify Chelating Shampoo !!!

Baby Don’t Be Bald

So I was at this new beauty supply stocking up on some goodies and I saw this “Baby don’t be bald” bottle and I laughed twitpic’d it and went about my business.

Then this rather frightening looking lady asked me if I had seen it in the store so I pointed it out to her. Then I saw this

I was like wow this must be like a really big deal. So I picked up a bottle and looked at it.

 

PETROLEUM, MINERAL OIL, ALCOHOL, HORMONES. Were the MAIN ingredients. The label said things like “No harmful products” “Guaranteed Growth” Why are you slathering your infants head in this junk?? Unfortunately a lot of people don’t know about what is good for your hair and what’s not.  

DANGERS

Petroleum jelly is a byproduct of oil drilling, and when you spread it on your lips, you end up eating it, which is essentially the same as drinking gasoline. (Dr. Oz)

Petroleum clogs the hair shaft which can cause dryness, dandruff, and sluggish hair growth.

Mineral Oil
Mineral oil does not penetrate the hair shaft. It only coats the hair and serves as a temporary “solution” for making the hair look slick and shiny. 

 Alcohol and Sulfates dry out the hair

and Hormones…I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be putting that on an kid.

Unfortunately it’s a common misconception that Black people’s hair “doesn’t grow” or “can’t be long” it’s not true, but because of mis-education and ingredients like these it makes it a common belief.
 

This is a picture of me as a child. I was about 4 years old. I always remember my other cousins and aunts who were my Moms age talking about my hair. It’s not secret that “prettier” hair receives favoritism. I remember her putting weave in my younger cousins hair at such an early age and speaking so bad about her. I remember the chemical burns on her head and burns from curling irons of her mother abusing her hair trying to make her look like some kind of doll. Just take care of your child hair and love them what ever they look like. Your kid is not an accessory or a barbie. 

(From Sandra Rose)

 

Dear Lord,
I’m saying this prayer to you today,
Please help me get away.
The parents you gave [me] were rejected by you,
I came out the womb with no clue.
You created me grand,
Tiny and precious and not in command.
These pictures will live in infamy,
A pretty baby made to look ugly.
My mommy and daddy are too stupid to know,
That my hair will eventually grow.
Dear Lord, Please help me leave.
My idiot parents gave me a weave.

Composed by Tracy Mendoza

Via (Sandra Rose)

Home Spa

Saving money is one of the most common “New Years Resolution” as a woman pampering yourself can get costly especially for mani/pedis.

Home Pedicure 
You’ll Need:
>Toe The Line from Bath & Body Works(6.00-15.00) or Stepping Stone from Lush (3.95)
>Tea Tree Oil (Whole foods, Target, Health Food Stores)
>Pumice Stone(Walmart,Target, or Sally’s)
>A bath tub or something to soak your feet in
>Your favorite Nail Polish
>IPod, Radio, or CDs

The great thing about this is you don’t need to spend 25$ every two weeks on a pedicure and you can change your polish frequently if you like. Also because you’re buying the scrub it last longer than just one use so it’s extremely cost effective.

How I use it:
1. Soak my feet in Hot Water 
2. Scrub with foot scrub with hands
3. Soak feet in hot water again
4. Scrub with Pumice Stone
5. Rinse with warm water pat dry
6. Apply oil
7. Appy Lotion or Foot Creme.
8. Apply cute nail polish 

Voilà!

Bleezie's Playhouse: Cucumber Lemonade Recipe

bleeziethechef:

Here are our ingredients.
1 seeded cucumber
2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups sugar
1 cup hot water
1 gallon cold water
4 rinds of lemon

So, the first thing you want to do is to take your sugar if you pour it right into a large bow or pitcher.Make sure you have a whisk handy. The…