Natural Hair In The Military: Then Vs. Now

There are many challenges for females serving in the military, hair being one of the main struggles for us naturalistas. Five years ago, I enlisted in the Navy and never imagined the amount of scrutiny I would receive for my hair. Before I went to boot camp I cut my hair into a short bob because the Navy required females with long hair to have short length hair while in training. My friend's mom warned me plenty of times it would be best if I took care of this before I left because the haircut given at boot camp would be a fast, unflattering cut. I asked her what hairstyle I should get since I wasn't allowed to bring anything with me to maintain my hair, her response was "cornrows, it's the only guaranteed hairstyle they'll allow". This didn't quite help me because I didn't know how to cornrow and my hair was relaxed so I never wore it in braids. I left for training right before Christmas and hours after arriving to Great Lakes I found myself sitting in a barber's chair, getting the worst haircut of my life. For weeks I had no hair products to moisturize my hair, the 10 minute showers left no time to try and protect it from getting wet. Ponytails weren't authorized so I struggled to keep it controlled while having to wear it out. This was only the beginning of my hair troubles in the military.

After graduating from boot camp, I headed to the fleet. Again, I found myself struggling with my hair because it was too short for a neat bun and too long to be worn down. Day after day I would be stopped by superiors and told "fix your hair shipmate". It was exhausting, so while at home on leave I received my first weave. I thought this would take the attention off my hair and allow it to grow so I could wear it in a neat bun. Boy was I wrong. The complaints ranged from the bulkiness of my hair to how my cover fit. It was a lose-lose situation, but I purchased a larger sized cover and that seemed to settle those problems (for the most part). Once my hair grew longer it was easy to pull the relaxed hair into a bun. Eventually, I started to resent the pressure to alter my hair to look like something it wasn't so decided to go natural. Any transition to natural hair is challenging, but I knew it would be 10 times harder in the Navy. There were many females at the time going through the same transition, some were even brave enough to do the big chop. Those who did the big chop received the most scrutiny, their hair would be constantly measured for bulkiness, some were told it looked unprofessional and matted, and others were suggested to wear weaves and wigs.  

I was leaving for a six month deployment so I needed to get a hairstyle that would last. Days before I shipped out I had senegalese twist done, as did many other females. By this time I was higher in the ranks so I knew that I had to ensure my cover fit, my bun wasn't too big in size, the hair wasn't too bulky and the list goes on. It wouldn't be the Navy if somebody didn't have something to say,  the hair's bulkiness was in regulations but now the bun stuck out too much. By now I was use to people stopping me to ask questions or make snide remarks about my hair so I kept the twist in until it was time for them to come out. This wasn't the case for the other sailors, some were forced to remove their hairstyle while others experienced emotional breakdowns. Younger sailors were intimidated, discouraged and overly frustrated with challenges on how to maintain their natural hair and stay within Navy regulations. The versatility of natural hair allows many different hairstyles which always brings attention. The problem is the military's grooming standards don't regard natural hair as professional and enforce biased regulations. 

After serving four years on active duty I decided to leave the service and invest in a career as a civilian. One of the greatest feelings I had about my decision was that I was no longer going to be subjected to these ignorant standards that disregarded my natural hair as "unprofessional" and "matted".

My story is relatable to many other females of ethnic backgrounds in the service. In 2014, the Army made changes to their regulations that specifically banned twists, dreadlocks, and large cornrows. These hairstyles are the most popular for naturalistas to wear to maintain and care for their hair. In response to the backlash from the public, the policy was sent to the House of Representatives for review. Recently, the Navy has made changes to the hair regulations. 

Two strand braids (a type of twist) are authorized. Braided hairstyles shall be conservative and conform to the grooming standard guidelines. 

In addition the Navy launched a Female Pilot Program in January, which removed the requirement for females to cut their hair in bootcamp. Instead they will be trained how to properly groom long hair according to Navy standards.

It is unfortunate that it took national backlash for these issues to be addressed, but these changes have shown how the military is attempting to make progress. I'm hopeful that sailors and other service members in the upcoming years will not have to experience the scrutiny I did for my natural hair.

Signing off, a true naturalista.

Dads Can Do Hair Too!

Taking care of your little girl's natural hair can be quite the task, especially for dads. Whether you're a single dad, dad on duty, or just helping mommy, knowing how to do your princess' hair is a must. I know this thought terrifies most dads, but it's a good way to get some father-daughter bonding time. If you have more than one girl, it would be especially helpful to have some tricks up your sleeves. There are three basic hairstyles that seem to be the easiest for men to do. Like everything else in your life, practice makes perfect so don't beat yourself up if the first couple of times your hairstyle doesn't look the way mom's hairstyle does.

1. Beginner hairstyle: the ponytail. This is the most basic hairstyle that I encourage dads to master. The technique will include a brush, water, (varies, ask mommy's permission), and an elastic tie. Simply gather all of the hair, brush it back and wrap the elastic tie around the hair. Be sure the ponytail isn't too tight because it can cause a headache and pull the hair out. In the beginning most "daddy tails" are loose so you won't have to worry about that. 
2. Intermediate hairstyle: the pigtails. This is a classic variation of the ponytail. You'll need a brush, a comb, water (again, varies), and two elastic ties. Starting from the front of her head (in between the eyebrows) make a part with the comb straight down the middle of her head. This will take more than one time to get a decent part, but be patient. Once you are satisfied with the straight part, put one section of the hair in an elastic tie. Now just as if you were doing a ponytail gather the hair, brush it back and wrap the elastic tie around the hair. You'll do the same to the other side and there you have pigtails! For your little girl's sake, make sure the pigtails are even and not lopsided (she'll tell if they are anyway). 
3. Advanced hairstyle: the two strand twist. Little girls love twist, she'll be delighted that you've learn how to do them for her. You'll need ponytail equipment and accessories for the ends of her hair (barrettes, bows, etc.). Once you've gotten the ponytail technique under your belt you can start to make smaller sections, maybe three to four. Make each section into a ponytail, separate the hair into two pieces and twist them around each other. End it by putting a barrette or other accessory at the end to ensure her hair doesn't unravel. Repeat for each section you made.

Each of these can be combined with hair accessories to glamorize your little girl's hairstyle. Invest in headbands, barrettes, bows, hair knockers and plenty of elastic ties. Believe me, it gets better and easier as you get more experience with her hair. My brother struggled with doing my niece's hair when her mom deployed, but eventually he reached the advanced level and mastered the two strand twist. 

Mini two strand twists in pigtails.

She loves her daddy's hairstyle!

Once he mastered the two strand twists, my brother started doing mini twists so her hairstyle could last longer. This week long (sometimes longer) hairstyle was the answer to his struggle. As for my niece, she enjoyed the different hair accessories added to the hairstyle. Dads don't be scared, you can do it!

Signing off, a true naturalista.

Don't Touch My Hair!

I've had many awkward hair moments. The one encounter most of us naturalistas have experienced is when a random person asks to touch your hair. I couldn't even count how many times that question has been asked by someone of little or no association with me. If you're not familiar with this scenario I'll run it down for you. While minding your own business, a random person approaches you and says "oh my gosh can I touch your hair?" Meanwhile you're in the process of saying "no", but their fingers have already made it to your hair. Don't get me wrong it can be flattering when it comes with a compliment, but for the most part this "petting" moment is awkward and annoying.

Why do people do this? I'm still not sure why others feel the need to express their curiosity by "petting". I understand that natural hair is interesting and attention grabbing, but do us all a favor and keep your hands to yourselves. What's the big deal? Let's be clear, this is a violation of personal space when you don't get permission. Furthermore, naturalistas are not a special type of breed. We do not enjoy the "polite pet" as if we are animals at the zoo. Sorry, I know natural hair is fascinating but the dozens of rude people before you ruined it. So no, you cannot touch my hair!

For all my naturalistas who understand my exasperation, this one is for you.

Signing off, a true naturalista.

Special Q & A With My Hair Crush

We all have our hair crushes. You know, the women who we follow on social media to admire their strands and inspire us to get our hair game up. I've been fortunate enough to have a Q & A with my hair crush, the beautiful Shayla Courtney of @Loclivin. 

@iamshaylacourtney

Q: When and why did you decide to go natural? 

A: I went natural 7 years ago because I was natural when I was younger, after putting a relaxer in my hair it wasn't as healthy anymore. I decided to stop getting relaxers so my hair could grow back healthy. 

Q: How did you transition? 

A: I wore braids for a year and then I chopped off the rest of the relaxer. 

Q: What made you continue the natural journey? 

A: It was an emotional and mental commitment for me. I wanted locs and I did what it took to get there.  

Q: Why did you decide to start locs after going natural? 

A: I was going through a transition in my life and I wanted the experience of being committed to something. The spiritual journey of not cutting anything off from myself symbolizes my hair. My hair is my crown. It has been a journey, its taught me patience. 

Q:What are some of your favorite naturalista hair care products? 

A: Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Dark and Lovely. I use mostly oils. Anything that isn't going to cause excessive build-up.

Q: Was it difficult having locs and working in a "corporate America" environment? 

A: Most of the time my locs were in curls and my co-workers did not know that my hair were actually locs. I did have a co-worker ask me "do you have locs like Bob Marley". That was interesting.  

Q: How do you feel going natural has affected other aspects of your life?
 

A: Well dating, men are attracted to my locs. Its been interesting how many men are attracted to locs, its made my dating score card more diverse. Men in general are attracted to long hair.

Q:How do you feel about faux locs? 

A: I hate them. I find it insulting a little. Just how we talk about people appropriating black culture, people are now appropriating loc life. I've been on this journey for 4 years and you sat down in a chair for a couple of hours, it's insulting.  

Q: What advice do you have for women looking to embark on the naturalista journey? 

A: Take your time, do your research and enjoy the process. 

The journey to natural hair is no joke. After my Q & A with Shayla I reflected on how important my transition was and how it has affected my emotional and mental state. Being able to be apart of natural hair communities can really contribute to this aspect, women have support and are uplifting one another. While every naturalista has her own journey, it's similar to many others. By sharing our stories and experiences we are building a strong foundation for the natural hair lifestyle.

    Signing off, a true naturalista.

Beautiful. Confident. Natural.

Whether you're transitioning or already completely natural it takes self-confidence to rock your curls, waves, kinks, or coils. While that is much easier said than done, it's important for every naturalista to find the beauty of her hair. Embracing your strands makes the day easier. Once you build your confidence and feel comfortable wearing your natural hair you'll inspire other naturalistas to do the same. How do you get this confidence? Well it isn't easy, but I'm going to share a few pointers that helped me.

1. Self-talk. This whole process starts with you, so push all of the negative thoughts out and replace them with positive talk. Don't let these thoughts defeat, your hair is makes you an individual.
2. Stop investing in other people's opinions. People will always have their opinion, but it's not to up to you to stock them in your thoughts and feelings. Leave the negative comments and snide remarks at the door.
3. Build/find a support network. You're not the only one going through this, if you don't have any friends or family that are natural venture out to blog communities. It's important to have a positive support system.
4. Be enlightened. Knowing the ins and outs of a natural hair lifestyle will lead to plentiful happy hair days. Be an expert of taking care of your hair. Learn how to do different hairstyles and build your skill level so your hair becomes less of a hassle.

Be confident, embrace your hair and all that comes with it. Finding "hair-esteem" is all up to you, it's something every naturalista needs.

How To Make A D.I.Y Deep Conditioner

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. It's simple, your hair needs moisture and the only way to ensure those strands are healthy is to take all the steps of proper care. Deep conditioning is an essential step of this process. You should regularly deep condition your hair to help its elasticity, moisture and overall health. Depending on how frequently you wash your hair, deep conditioning should be combined with every wash. Just about every hair care brand has its own deep conditioner and there are countless complex recipes floating around on the internet. Don't waste your time. Making your own deep conditioner is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Here are the steps to a simple AND effective D.I.Y deep conditioner.

What you will need:

• 1 mashed avocado
• 2 tablespoons of honey (pure or organic)
• 1 tablespoon of oil (avocado or extra-virgin olive oil)
• Plastic conditioning cap

Step 1: Ensure your avocado is mashed very well so it's not too clumpy. Add the avocado and other ingredients into a blender, let it mix until it's smooth. 

Step 2: Once smoothly mixed, add the conditioner to your wet hair and put your cap on. You should let the ingredients sit for a minimum of 45 minutes. 

Step 3: Thoroughly rinse the conditioner out. 

And there you have it, 3 easy steps and very cheap ingredients to make your homemade deep conditioner. Avocados are rich in vitamins, oleic acid, and other essential fatty acids that help treat your hair. Honey is a natural humectant, combined with other natural oils such as olive or avocado oil it helps your hair retain its moisture and strengthen hair follicles. Deep conditioning is an easy process, all you need are a few ingredients to help your hair maintain its "life".

    Signing off, a true naturalista.

Spice Up Your Summer With Color!

About four years ago my hair was professionally colored a permanent light brown tone, at the time my hair was also relaxed. Needless to say the two did not mix very well and my hair went through a horrible stage. It was very dry all the time, I had a lot of breakage, and just overall unhealthy. After this episode I started using a rinse (semi-permanent) to get rid of the brown and give my hair a shiny, jet-black appearance. After the second rinse I developed an uncontrollable dandruff problem that my hair had never experienced. This was right before I decided to go natural. Being that my hair was already chemically processed, the coloring was simply too much for my hair to maintain its healthiness. So going natural was the best answer to how to have healthy colored hair.

My transition took about 1 year and 8 months to become completely natural. After the 8th month I was ready to have some color in my life, also at the time I was relocating and on the way to starting a new chapter in my life. As many other women, I felt all these changes called for a new look and I was excited to switch up my color. I did a lot of research about caring for color treated hair and what the consequences might be. Some naturalistas have experienced a change in curl pattern, breakage, dry spells, and even major hair loss. These testimonies kind of scared me, but I consulted with a professional and my worries were put to ease. It was the summertime and the last week before I was moving so I wanted something fun like a nice red-burgundy tone! In order to get my dark hair to lighten properly it had to be lifted (bleached). A lot of people say this causes too much damage to your hair, but I was confident that with the proper care I could manage. I loved the result, the color looked great and gave me that "brand new" feeling I was in need of.

The color came out perfect!

My results were positive. By properly moisturizing and caring for my hair, coloring had no negative effects on my curls at all. A good tip you want to remember about color treated hair is maintaining its healthiness and color go hand to hand.

• Consult a professional (even if you'll be doing it at home, ensure you know what you're doing)
• Always use a sulfate free shampoo, this will help protect your strands and color
• Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
• Stay away from hot water when shampooing and conditioning, it will leave your hair dryer and strip your color
• Add protein treatments to your regimen, you'll lose protein during the coloring process so this will make up for it

Everyone's results will vary, but a major aspect of how your hair will do after being color treated is how you take care if it.

    Signing off, a true naturalista.

To Shampoo Or To Not Shampoo

Does shampooing dry your hair out too much? It is a question a lot of naturalistas are asking because there have been mixed reviews. Shampooing products are designed with various cleansing ingredients called surfactants. Once lathered together, the surfactants and water draw to the build-up on your hair and scalp. The build-up consists of natural oils, grease and any products that you have applied to your hair. By lathering the shampoo into the hair the surfactants lift this build-up from the hair shaft.

Personally, I like to skip out on shampooing as much as possible. I prefer to wash my hair with conditioner, which is called co-washing or "co-poo". This process cleanses my hair just enough while leaving it moisturized. Conditioners contain surfactants, so some of my build-up is washed away, just not as much as shampoo would get rid of. It works well, but when the build-up gets too heavy I have to shampoo. Curly Nikki has debated the topic as well and introduced various alternatives to shampooing. 

• The Ultimate No Poo
• Shampoo Free Poo
• Co-washing
• Reverse shampooing
• Dry shampooing 
• Alternate shampoos 
• No-rinse shampoos
• Sulfate free shampoo

While I believe co-washing works well for me, I'd like to try alternate shampoos mentioned in the post. Nikki says you can use body wash to clean your hair, but I wouldn't suggest that at all. It is more harmful than sulfate shampoos and will leave your hair dryer than a regular shampoo would. Baking soda and vinegar are very popular substitutes that many have claimed helps repair damaged hair. In her blog Nikki says these ingredients are not ideal and can cause more harm than benefits. The testimonies I've heard are very convincing and these naturalistas' progression pictures are proof that it does work. Maybe there is a certain amount of the materials that should be used to avoid the harmful results. Sorry Nikki, but the proof is in the pudding. Baking soda and vinegar are adequate shampoo alternatives for many. Next step, try an alternate shampoo!

    Signing off, a true naturalista.  

From Naturalista's Journey to Wikipedia

A couple months back I added some information to Wikipedia: Hair Twist and it appears the same as I left it. I checked back to see if anyone made any edits, added new information, or changed the entry back to the original. Fortunately my edit is still holding strong, hopefully others will come and add any information that relates to the topic.

Just to do some internet stalking I checked the history and nobody has made any revisions since my last edit. Does this mean I'm official? I mean its been about a month since I made my edit and there's been no angry editor come and delete my entry! Yes, that means I'm official. Yay me!

What Are Hair Twists?

    Signing off, a true naturalista.

Summer's Love Affair With Frizz

Frizz, frizz, frizz. Between summer's humidity and its attraction to frizz I'm not sure how my hair is going to make it through the season. The more my hair grows, the stronger my defense against frizz has to get. The War Against Frizz discussed my first line of defense to help ease the frizz situation. I've been sticking to the routine, but the temperature outside is rising and I need to add to this regimen.

I use Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream as my anti-humectant aid, which has been working fantastically. In addition to a leave-in conditioner, I'll be adding a moisturizer to my daily routine. I usually try to thoroughly moisture my curls 3 days a week, but the sun is sucking up a lot of that moisture leaving me dry. Remember moisture, moisture, and moisture. Your hair needs it regardless of the season, but summer hair counts on moisture. The dryer your hair the more it will frizz.

Personally, I like to use oils to moisturize because it's easier to work through thick hair. Some hair-friendly oils are argan, jojoba, coconut, sweet almond, macadamia nut and olive oil. You can also use those oils with other protein ingredients to make a deep conditioner to ensure the oils are absorbed into your hair. Depending on your hair type, some oils will work better than others. For instance, sweet almond works best for wavy hair as olive oil does for thick hair. From what I've seen argan oil is kind of the universal oil, it helps saturate all hair types similarly. 

In addition to ensuring I moisturize more often, I bought a microfiber towel to dry my hair. This is supposed to absorb more water than a regular towel and reduce frizz that cotton towels create. If you wan to keep it simple, just use an old t-shirt. The t-shirt won't absorb as much water right away, but it will definitely help with the frizz.   

Have Your Own Hair Spa at Home!

Keeping your hair moisturized is a must! You have your hair milks, oils, shampoo and conditioner combo, and deep conditioners in place but you're forgetting one thing. Where is your hair mask? I have a bathroom full of hair products and couldn't find one hair mask to nourish my curls. I've heard of people making all types of homemade deep conditioners and hair mask, so I decided it was time to try it out. 

Finding what will work best for your hair depends on the condition of your hair. Right now, my hair has been fried in the sun and needs a good hydration session. Top 5 Easy Homemade Hair Mask Recipes for Beautiful Hair had some great options to choose from. There's even a section that breaks down the specific roles of ingredients which was a big help. So I chose the Creamy Avocado Mask for my first homemade recipe. The DIY (do it yourself) recipe includes 1 avocado, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Not too many ingredients and a cheap escape to nourished hair, hopefully. 

I'll be playing with these recipes for the next couple of weeks. If the first trial goes well I should be doing this routine twice a month. Summertime is here and trying to keep these curls controlled and nourished is my goal. I hope you guys try one of the recipes from the site too!

 

Curls Gone Straight (The Safe Way)

It's true I love my waves and I enjoy trying new ways to wear them, but sometimes I want to straighten them. Depending on your hair type, heat damage may be a bigger problem than you're willing to pay. Personally, I only have two sections of my hair that gets severe heat damage so the last couple of months I've strayed away from my flat iron. I'm ready to see how much it's grown though! I came across this phenomenal tutorial of how to do a silk roller wrap.

What a thorough tutorial! The video looks very professional, adding to her creditability. Sometimes when people do tutorials they go through everything too fast so you might have to rewind a couple of times to catch the product names. Not this one, she takes single shots of the products so we know each one she is talking about. While I was watching the video I thought to myself this is a long process but seeing how much body her hair had at the end of the video changed my mind! I really enjoyed this video and look forward to trying it out. Going under the dryer and just a little flat ironing is a much safer route than my smoky, blow-drying and 450 degree flat ironing process.

    Signing off, a true naturalista.