NATURAL HAIR 101: The truth about my straight hair

Happy Friday Lovies!!!

I wanted to get a blog out today since I made the decision too try to put out 2 blogs a week.  And since my vacation started yesterday and ends Tuesday...I knew I would not be worried about putting one out while I'm spending time with my family .

     First, I know I say this often BUT I absolutely mean it.  THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOO MUCH for the support that you give me.  I can't put into words how much it means to me.  You all have allowed me the opportunity to do something that I love and have grown to develop a passion for and I am soooo thankful.  You lovies absolutely rock!!! MWAH
     Secondly, I want to clear up something.  I have received some friend requests on Instagram and FB from some of you and you all sent me messages about it after I posted a post on my FB about people finding me and I don't know who they are.  My FB and IG pages are my own personal pages.  Where my family and close friends are.  There are certain parts of my life that I would like to keep strictly private and only open to that small population of people.  So please don't take any offense to me denying your friend requests.  It is nothing personal and nothing against you all, I just don't want to cross that line.  With that being said...I have another FB page that is out there where it will be strictly open to you all.  My blogs and YouTube videos (whenever I decide to post another one) will be on that page.  So don't freak out on me.  I am in the process of starting something that you all will be apart of and I will have the links and information to them in the next few weeks  :)

     Now, on to the purpose of today's blog.  As some of you have seen I have been in this experimental phase with my hair lately.  From coloring my hair to straightening my hair.  I have been natural for 5 years now and throughout those 5 years I have colored my hair 3 times and straightened my hair 3 or 4 times.  I get very BORED with my hair so I am ALWAYS doing something with it.  Late last year, I went through a somewhat LOW SPOT with  my natural hair.  I began to really dislike my curls.  I was frustrated and rather fed up with them.  I have a pretty kinky curl pattern.  It's not extremely kinky but it's more kinky than curly and I couldn't figure out a way to manage it.  So I rocked a ton on puffs and buns and towards the end of the year I started experimenting with wash and go's and twist outs.  And while I liked the look of them I was never really in LOVE with the styles.  So I started to wonder what it would be like if my curls were just a little more lose in patter, or a little more wavy in patter. 
     I was not brave enough to get a texturizer because I didn't want to completely kill my curls and have to start over but I wanted to find a way to loosen them up...just a little.  So I straightened my hair....with low heat and a heat protectant.  I wore my hair straight for about a week or two and I wanted my curls back.  To my surprise..Izzie reverted back with little to no heat damage.  A small part of me was very happy because my curls hadn't been damaged in the process but an even larger part of me hurt.  I wanted looser curls.  So of course, I straightened my hair again...this time with no heat protection on the highest heat setting.  I wore my hair straight this time for a little over 3 weeks......

     Yesterday, I washed my hair and to my surprise....MY CURLS WERE FRIED!!! And I of course, was DEVASTATED.  I deep conditioned my hair ALL DAY LONG yesterday in hopes to revive my hair slightly and bring some form of life back to Izzie BUT nothing happened.  It wasn't until I performed today's wash and go that I realized how big of a mistake that I had made.  There was ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with my curls.  They made me who I am.  They fit my personality oh so well....and I killed them.  All in hopes of trying to have something that was never intended for me to have.  I was never supposed to have a loose and wavy curl pattern.  My kinks and curls make up who Moeneak really is.  I ended up cutting off the front of my hair because I was so frustrated with how my ends look and now I have bangs.  What the heck was I thinking on that one?!?!?! 

     Needless to say, my lesson has been learned.  I am more in love with Izzie than I was before this crazy phase and I now see the beauty of my curls.  No, my hair doesn't define me, but my curls are who I am.  They speak for me when I have no words to say.  Izzie is Moeneak....and Moeneak is Izzie. 

     I say all of that to say....ladies and (gents) the grass is NOT always greener on the other side.  Love yourself and love your curls.  There is NO ONE else out there who can rock them like you can!!!!  I am now in the recovery phase of nursing my curls back to health and I will blog the journey and experience. 

Happy Friday Lovies!!!

Moeneak MWAH

The first picture is of my hair not being straightened for 1 or 2 years.  The next picture is my hair after the first straight hair incident and them reverting back.  The last picture is of my curls today.  As in 4/16/15 today.  And while many of you might not see the difference I do.  It's DRASTIC!

NATURAL HAIR 101: Easy Tips for Going Natural

Happy Monday Lovies!!!

Lets Talk!! Here are a few important tips that will help you when you begin your natural hair journey.  I'm sure there are a ton more BUT these are just a few that I found to be very helpful for me.

1. RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!
When you decide to go natural you want to make sure that you are as prepared as you can be to start styling and properly caring for your curls.  There's no way that you will know every little detail before you are ready to embark on this journey because there is ALWAYS something that you can learn about your curls, but it will be much easier to knock out hours worth of stress and hassle by knowing exactly what you are getting yourself into before hand.  If nothing else, at least learn the basics.

2. DON'T GO INTO THIS JOURNEY WITH UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Meaning divorce the crazy thoughts that we ALWAYS hear concerning "good hair" and "bad hair".  There is no such thing as a right or a wrong kind of hair.  If you go into this wanting long corkscrews and your curls are of a kinkier texture you are going to be highly disappointed.  Hair texture is as different as a persons fingerprint.  Allow yourself to be free and comfortable with your OWN hair.  Allow your hair to do what it wants to do and embrace whatever it does.  Everyone's curls are different so expect and look forward to learning about your own curls so that you will eventually learn to love them.

3. DON'T STRESS OVER YOUR HAIR TYPE
Prime Example: Natural Hair Problem #74
"What's your hair type?" Well, I have 4C at the top, 3 B in the back, 2A in the upper left corner, and some type that hasn't been invented yet on the other side.  I'm sure we have all seen or heard something similar to this example before.  Hair typing is a great tool to use when you are watching YouTube videos in order to get ideas on styles or products that may work on hair similar to yours.  BUT it is not the deciding and key factor.  Lots of things determine and impact the way that your hair behaves, such as your hair porosity and protein sensitivity etc.  You can't assume that everything that is marketed towards your hair type will be guaranteed to work on your curls.  Also, if you use the hair typing system and you notice that you have more than one hair type in your head....don't get overwhelmed.  It is completely normal and most of us naturals have that.

4. REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF HEAT YOU USE
I am not going too tell you not to use any heat at all, but it is very important that you use as less heat as possible.  Too much heat on your curls can result in heat damage and that will eventually damage your curls.  Instead of using heat opt for a protective style such as twist outs, braid outs, sew-ins or any other low manipulation styles. 

5. MOISTURE-IT IS YOUR BEST FRIEND
In order fro natural hair to remain healthy it requires a ton of moisture.  Deep condition your hair weekly if at all possible, seal your ends of your hair, and use a satin scarf or a satin pillowcase to protect your curls while you sleep.

6. DETANGLE YOUR HAIR-BUT BE CAREFUL
NEVER detangle your hair while it is dry.  This is a disaster in the making.  Detangle your hair when it is dripping wet and with a good conditioner that offers a lot of slip.  Start at the ends and work your way to the root.

7. JUST DO IT
If you decide to transition you will come to a point that we all like to call the awkward stage.  This is when half of your hair is natural and the other half is still relaxed.  Don't prolong the inevitable for the sake of keeping a few more inches of dead and unhealthy hair.  Cut them off.

8. HANG IN THERE!!! IT DOES GET EASIER
At some point in your journey you are going too want to throw in the towel.  Transitioning to anything new can be difficult and scary, and you will certainly go through some rough patches as your hair becomes what it naturally is.  Accept it, and be prepared for it.  Commit to a healthy hair journey in spite of.  It is possible!

9. AND IF YOU DO SLIP UP......REMEMBER THAT IT IS JUST HAIR

10. LOVE THE CURLS THAT GOD BLESSED WITH YOU!!!!!!!! PERIOD!!!!

I love you all,

Moeneak