big chop Archives - Page 3 of 3

What finally made me decide to go Natural

Posted on by Michelle

My hair in Aug. ’08

After using a relaxer to straighten my hair for 20 years, there I was trying to decide if I should go Natural. For me this would mean “re-learning” how to do my hair. The last time my hair was Natural, my mother was still doing it for me. I even called to ask her about my hair texture back then. It wasn’t so thick and crazy that she didn’t know what to do with it. I also remembered how long it was.

Then it was like a light finally went on…my hair was long back then. I also thought that it was pretty sad that I couldn’t even remember what my own hair texture was before the relaxer. So, that was it, I had my mind set on growing out my relaxed hair. I figured, I spent twenty years wearing it straight, so why not spend the next twenty natural?

Of course I had to talk it over with my husband. He and I have known each other since High School and this would be new for both of us. For weeks I kept asking him if he was okay with it. Finally he just said, “I didn’t marry you for your hair!” He was behind me 100 percent. Even now, when I look at how fast it’s growing, he keeps saying how he knew all along that it would be healthier if I just quit putting all that harsh stuff in my hair.

My hair in May 2010

So there you have it. The last time I used a relaxer was in July of 2008 but I didn’t actually decide to go natural until October of the same year. I waited until May of 2009 to chop off the relaxed ends.

To watch my video on how I did it, check out my YouTube channel, mitchellzee

Stay Relaxed or Go Natural?

Posted on by Michelle

So there I was without a flat iron and wondering how on earth I was going to start growing my damaged hair longer. I was already certain that my hair was suffering because of the lighter hair color I decided to use for two years. What else was I doing wrong?

I jumped on Google and did a search on growing african american hair longer. I found a site called “growafrohairlong.com”. I read about how the site’s founder, Robin Woods, grew her hair to about waist length by using the “Crown & Glory” method. She talked about using braids as a protective style to help retain hair growth. She also gave suggestions on how to care for the hair like, how to comb it and deep conditioning. The thing I remember most was how she explained that she only did a relaxer 2 times per year. Say what! She would go 6 whole months without a relaxer! That seemed like an extremely long time to me considering the longest I went between relaxers was 8-10 weeks.

My hair after my 1st pregnancy

I found out that this method was called “relaxer stretching”. Basically you use a relaxer less frequently to give you hair a chance to grow. To me that really made sense because I remembered how long my hair was after my first pregnancy. I stopped doing any haircolor or relaxers during that time because I didn’t want it to effect my baby and my hair flourished as a result.

While I researched it more I kept seeing all of this information about, “going natural”. I had no idea what that meant at the time so I was fascinated. It seemed like there were so many women out there who just decided to let go of the relaxer altogether. Then I started to see all of the cool hair styles that you could do if your hair was in its’ natural state. I really wanted to go natural and grow my hair long but I wasn’t sure how I would look. And then there was my hubby…what was he going to think. So, I was at a crossroads. Would I go natural or keep it straight?

Next time, “What finally made me decide to go Natural”

Decoder Ring

Posted on by Michelle

In my posts I’ll be using some hair terminology and abbreviations that are common on other sites and forums. Here is a brief list for future reference. There may be some additions to the list in the future.

BC/Big Chop–The point when you “chop” off any chemically relaxed ends to finally expose your natural hair texture.

Co-wash (ing)–Using Conditioner to cleanse the hair instead of Shampoo
DT/DC–Deep treatment or Deep condition sometimes done overnight or using a hooded dryer/heating bonnet.

Pre-Poo–Prepping the hair prior to Shampooing using conditioner or natural oils
Search & Destroy–Method used to trim splits or knots from individual strands of hair
SSK–Single Strand Knot; common with natural hair. These usually occur when the hair is worn in naturally curly styles often.
Transitioning–Growing your natural hair out from a chemical relaxer. During this time you will have both natural new growth and relaxed ends.

Henna–Natural hair dye that is derived from the Henna plant. Lawsone is the active ingredient and has a red/orange tint. It attaches itself to the keratin in the hair leaving the it with a permanent reddish tint and added strength.
Indigo–A natural dye that can be combined with Henna to produce shades from brown to jet black.
Cassia–Sometimes called “clear henna” provides conditioning to the hair and will impart a yellowish tone to light hair (leaves no color on dark hair)

Styles
*Braid-Out–Setting the hair overnight using braids for a crimped, wavy look
*Twist-Out–Using two strand twists to set the hair for a wavy/curly look
*Also used to stretch afro textured hair to show more length and fullness
Wash n’ Go–A style where the hair is left curly after washing and conditioning. It is common to use Conditioner, gel or other products to help define the curls and
minimize frizz
Roller Set–Using rollers (mesh, magnetic, perm rods) on wet hair and using a hooded dryer to “set” the style. The result; curls with a silky feel that lasts for days.

Hair Length Abbreviations

NL–Neck Length

CL–Collar Bone Length

SL–Shoulder Length

APL–Arm Pit Length

BSL–Bra Strap Length

MBL–Mid Back Length

WL–Waist Length

Welcome to my Blog, Curly in Colorado!

Posted on by Michelle

I’m excited to have a new blog where I can share what I know (and am still learning) about Natural Hair. I have been Natural for over a year now and transitioned for 9 mos before actually doing the Big Chop.

Why I started a Blog
I have a YouTube channel called mitchellzee where I post videos on how I do my own naturally curly/ kinky hair. Editing video is pretty time consuming so I’ll be sharing some things here that I may not have time to put into video format.

Upcoming Posts
I really like all things hair and makeup. I plan on doing some product reviews on items that I have discovered that work for me. I’m also a mom…a little bit of a Domestic Diva if you will so I’ll also be sharing some of what I’ve learned over the years raising my three sons (we call them the “Curly Hair Crew”).

Stayed tuned for info on hair, beauty, shopping, food, and just plain tips on what I do to make it all work.