Free!

Happy to be Nappy - December 2011

"Freedom is being free of the need to be free." - F. Leon

I'm 10 months into into my Nappy Hair Affair (liberating myself from using harsh chemicals and heat to 'tame' my naturally kinky curly hair). Well, the first 4 months were incredibly...challenging. I wasn't brave enough to go for the Big Chop. Instead, I chose to have a medium-ish chop and deal with curly kinky roots and left over straight overprocessed hair - yeah, I can't do anything easy...

Happy to be Nappy in Paris (September 2011)

It took another 2 months, a full 6 months! - fittingly enough in Paris - before I felt fully comfortable Nappy. Well, I've reached another milestone - I'm finally nappy/curly, from root to tip - and it only took 10 months (sigh).

If you want to go natural (whatever your natural hair-state may be), one of the realities you have to deal with is the fact that you'll be going it on your own. I mean think about it, the raison de etre of most hair salons is to alter the natural state of your hair (curly to straight, vice-versa, color, etc.) I'm not knocking it, just sayin'.

So I've had to take this journey solo, feeling my way in the dark - literally experimenting product by product.Thank goodness when my experimentation(s) with new products went awry, I had the ever trusty Sade-do to fall back on! ;-)

New Year's Eve 2011

Working the Sade with Mr. Gorgeous

My last Nappy post was the result of one of my reader's request for tips on how to rock your Nap/curl with natural hair friendly products and methods. Well, I've got a few new ones for you to add to your arsenal...

Hair Rules Wavy Mousse

I've found that, once a week, putting a few squirts of Hair Rules Wavy Mousse (along with a big dallop of Olive Oil and a dab of Miss Jessie's Quick Curls) on wet sectioned hair, then diffussing, gives me soft shiny curls.

Ion Anti-frizz Solutions - Ultimate Hold Gel 

(Sally's Beauty Supply)

For daily touchups I've found that adding a smudge of Ion's Ultimate Hold Gel, Olive Oil and water to my ends before I straw set quickly gives me amazing lasting shiny curls. Warning: this stuff is potent! Use a good dallop for a perfect Sade, but for a straw set use very, very, very, sparingly.

*use big pieces of hair (@ 5 straws for your entire head, it'll take you 5 mins.). Don't roll the 'straw' all the way up (only from the ends to @ halfway up) but make sure it's tight. Leave the straws in @ 10-15 mins. then pull the curls apart as much as you like - the perfect daily pick me up ;-)

Free

  

While there are seemingly a lot of moving pieces to my natural hair regimen, that perception is illusionary. Instead of spending an hour+ a day on my hair (and still hating the results): one hour a week I wash and set my hair (and it lasts for an entire week!) and during that week, upkeep takes 20 mins. for the full Nappy Monty. The results last all day and night and I don't have to fiddle with my hair. 

While this journey has been filled with challenges, frustration, experimentation and discoveries, I can't say enough how wonderful it is to be able to accept yet another gift of being a 40-something Diva. There's something powerful in the carefree state that is to be found in natural nappity nap. I revel in my hair standing on end, flying every which way - individual and unique as a fingerprint, reflecting how I feel and am inside and out! Come on, join me! Free from the need to be free indeed...

Vivre! Rire! Aimer!