Search Results: Nikki Walton

By Nikki Walton · Published April 30, 2015

Not only is this style fairly easy to execute (depending on your routine”> but it showcases the beauty of your natural curl pattern and can be modified into other styles as well. When wearing wash and go’s as an easy style for busy routines and active lifestyles, it can be helpful to know how to keep this style up for 5-7 days until wash day comes around again. Here are some tips to help guide you:

1. Moisture is key

When wearing a wash and go, it’s important to moisturize your hair daily. This step will be different for every head of hair, but spritzing with water and applying a leave-in conditioner or oil such as coconut oil will certainly add and keep moisture in your hair. If you want to have more elongated curls, try not to over-wet the hair during this step, as this will lead to reversion.

2. Have a consistent night routine

For this step, many naturals employ the use of the “Pineapple” method for this step (throwing the hair up into a loose pony at the top of your head in order to provide stretch”>, just as The London Curls does in the following video.You can also do a “modified” Pineapple method by doing a loose low pony or even two or three ponytails: switch up the method however you need in order to fit your hair texture/length. You can also band the hair in order to stretch it. Just remember to utilize your satin scarf and/or pillowcase to keep your curls from drying out or frizzing.

3. Activate those curls!

When you take your hair down in the morning, it may be a little stubborn. Using a curl activator such as Cantu For Natural Hair Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream like Hair Mary does in the video below will help activate your curls by defining them and adding moisture and shine.

4. Don’t disturb the curl

Throughout the day, it will be tempting to play with your curls but if you want your style to last all week, do your best to refrain! Playing in your hair too much will definitely cause the curls to frizz up.

5. Implement another style

If push comes to shove, you can always extend the life of your wash and go up by adding an accessory, doing an updo, or another hairstyle. Here are five hairstyles from Mo Knows Hair to help you do just that:

How do you maintain your wash and go?

This article was written by Kanisha Parks of BlackNaps for CurlyNikki.

By Nikki Walton · Published April 29, 2015

Question: Is No Poo a good way to clean hair?

Allie asks…What’s the deal with this “no poo” craze? Does the hair get more healthy because of the natural oils you use? I’ve seen on Pinterest people talking about using baking soda as a cleanser and apple cider vinegar as a conditioner.

To answer Allie’s question we review several alternate ways to wash your hair, and whether or not they work. 

The Ultimate No Poo

This means you don’t clean your hair AT ALL. Not even rinse it with water.

Does it work? Sure. You don’t actually have to shampoo your hair. It will be less damaged and probably look more shiny. However, it may also look and feel greasy, smell funny, and be difficult to style in any way except laying flat on your head. 

Shampoo free poo

This is rinsing your hair with water.

Does it work? It will certainly refresh your hair but it won’t remove heavy styling residue. (And, as we’ll explain, you’re still damaging your hair even without the shampoo.”>

Cowashing

Also known as conditioner washing or “co-poo” this simply using a conditioner to wash your hair.

Does it work? Yes, because conditioners contain surfactants (although a different kind than the ones used in shampoos.”> Also, they are used at much lower levels so they don’t clean as well and conditioners may have more oily materials which leave your hair feeling dirty. For everyday cleaning you’ll likely be disappointed by using conditioner as your hair cleanser. It can also start to build up on hair and feel heavy. It will also attract a lot more dust, pollen, and dirt from the air. The WEN brand is probably most popular in this regard but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to try this. Look for an inexpensive silicone free conditioner like the traditional VO5 and Suave products.

Reverse shampooing

This involves applying conditioner or an oil to your hair BEFORE you shampoo. The idea is that you’re “using up” some of the detergency of the shampoo on the “fake oils” so less of the “natural oils” are stripped away.

Does it work? Yes, to some extent. We did some experiments and saw some reduction in color fading. But it has the same negatives as cowashing.

Dry shampoo

This is typically an aerosolized powder (for example, starch”> that you spray onto your hair and brush out. (also sprinkle in versions”>

Does it work? Absolutely. The powder absorbs excess oils from your hair and then you brush the powder out. It also is scented so it’ll leave a bit of that fragrance behind. But it doesn’t clean your hair nearly as well as a regular shampooing. It also may leave a white residue and can leave hair feeling gross. However, if you want to skip a shampooing day or two this product is good in a pinch. It’s also good for color treated hair because it will help reduce the amount of color lost. We developed one of the first mass market dry shampoos and saw a secondary benefit which was “second day hair.” Gave hair better texture on the second day so it styled better.

Alternative shampoos

This is washing your hair with something other than shampoo (like baking soda or vinegar.”>

Does it work? It depends on what your shampoo substitute is. Some people think they can use body wash instead of shampoo. And you can…but chemically body wash is almost identical to shampoo so there’s no extra benefit. (In fact if anything it will leave your hair feeling worse.”> What about baking soda and/or vinegar? Baking soda is NOT a good idea. It’s not a good oil absorber so it won’t work like the starch in a dry shampoo. Plus, it has a very high pH which can slow down the restoration of the acid mantle on your scalp. Theoretically the high pH can damage the hair as well by causing additional swelling. Vinegar has a low pH but other than helping to remove mineral buildup, it doesn’t really provide any benefit. The idea that the low pH closes up the cuticle and makes hair shinier is just a myth.

No-Rinse shampoos

Here’s another way to wash your hair without water. The formula is a real shampoo except you don’t rinse it out. The most popular brand is No Rinse Shampoo. The formula is much runnier than a regular shampoo so you don’t need water to make it lather. Just put it on dry hair, work through with your fingers and watch it foam. Then wipe out the foam with a towel for clean hair. 

Does it work? This formula will work better than the dry shampoos. It can clean your hair better than a conditioner. But it won’t be nearly as good as a regular shampoo. But if water is in short supply or you just don’t feel like hopping in a shower, this no-rinse shampoo might be for you. Also, you may find the residual surfactant that’s left on your scalp can be irritating.

Sulfate free shampoo

Honorary mention: Again it’s a matter of personal preference. Sulfates are excellent cleansers and if you have very greasy hair or use a lot of styling products will probably will welcome them. On the other hand if your scalp is easily irritated or if you think you’re prone to dryness you may not like the way they leave your hair and scalp feeling. The sad thing is that most sulfate free products work very similarly to sulfates. There are only a few detergents that have really been proven to be demonstrably milder.

Why not just use shampoo?

This can be drying and damaging for two reasons: the hair fiber swells when saturated with water which causes uplifting of the cuticle. Drying the hair does not reverse all of this cuticle lifting and once the cuticle is lifted it can become loose.

The second reason is that you have to dry your hair. If you’re using a towel to any extent you’re causing a lot of friction by rubbing the hair. If you’re using a blow dryer the high heat can cause damage. Of course if air drying your hair must be perfectly safe, right? Not necessarily.

One study found that air dried hair sustains more damage to the Cell Membrane Complex (CMC”>, the sandwich-y layer of proteins, lipids, and covalently bonded fatty acids that is the “glue” that binds cuticles together. Once the CMC is damaged cuticles can become dislodged more easily which leads to rough damaged hair which may eventually split and break. The authors hypothesize that because air drying takes so much longer than blow drying that some internal components of the CMC are exposed to water for much longer time. This water exposure over time causes a buckling in the CMC layer. Blow drying removes the water more quickly so the CMC doesn’t have a chance to buckle. While this is intriguing discover there are two major caveats: first, this is a single study and one should never completely believe a surprising finding that comes from only one study; more research needs to be done. Second, even though blow drying appears to cause less damage to the CMC, it does cause MORE surface damage. Therefore you’re trading one kind of damage for another by air drying hair.

Is No Poo better for hair’s natural oils?

This is another myth. Let’s talk about how oil (also known as sebum”> gets on your scalp in the first place. Sebum is generated in tiny sebaceous glands beneath the surface of the skin. These glands produce an oily substance that reaches the skin’s surface through hair follicles. Some sebum is a good thing – it’s a natural moisturizer and it keeps your skin and hair soft and supple. (Of course some people are prone to excess sebum production and that can be too much of a good thing.”> The proponents of this myth must think that washing your hair strips away the natural oils so that NOT washing hair leaves more natural oil on your hair. Right? No, not really.

Actually, stripping away oil with a shampoo will make your glands produce more oil. To understand how this works, you have understand how sebum production is regulated – in other words what turns the sebum glands on and off. It turns out that it’s the presence of sebum on the surface of skin that controls sebum production. How is that possible? 

If you want all the details check out this study in which scientists stripped oil off skin and then measured how long it took the skin to re-oil itself. But their bottom line is that the presence of oil on the skin’s surface sends a signal to the sebaceous glands to turn off. This signal is caused by either the pressure of the oil in the follicle or by the creation of a chemical signal that travels back down through the skin. But then why doesn’t shampooing make your scalp oilier and oilier? That’s because the oil production levels off very quickly.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

To sum up the science: Any time you’re wetting and drying your hair you’re damaging the fibers and stripping color. Therefore, any alternative that eliminates water will reduce damage and keep color from fading. But there is certainly no evidence showing that at home solutions like baking soda and vinegar are better for your hair than shampoo. In fact, some alternatives (like using baking soda”> may do more harm than good but other than that it’s really just a matter of personal taste.

This article is  from The Beauty Brains for CurlyNikki.

What’s your method of cleansing? What has your results been?

By Nikki Walton · Published April 27, 2015

PHOTO: GLAM IDOL, LOVELY MALI

This article was written by Minaz Aslam for CurlyNikki. 

By Nikki Walton · Published April 16, 2015

Coined by the ever-so diverse Dominican community, the term “pelo malo,” translates into bad hair, kinky hair, unmanageable hair, or hair that does not resemble Barbie or Ken’s. Ever since I came out of my mother’s womb, I was destined to have pelo malo. When little girls have pelo malo, their hair does not ‘grow fast’. On the contrary, it sprouts gradually resembling a germinating pinto bean. At a young age, I did not fully understand the journey I was going to embark on. As I began to grow; my hair did too.

Back in the day when the mullet was popping and the Aqua Net was spraying, my “mami,” would style my hair using 3 techniques. “La cola,” or the tail was my mami’s favorite style for little me. She would use the hard bristled brush and really grip all the curls with it, so I would have one cola at the top and one cola at the bottom. Each cola or ponytail would have to be perfectly parallel to the the other no matter what or my mom would start over. Sigh, because when I was young having my hair styled was painful; literally.

When my mami, wanted to change-up my top-bottom ponytail style, she would use the classic 80s side ponytail or the super-duper classic style with the 2 pigtails on each side. Each style was finished with a hair accessory that resembled a cake-top centerpiece. You know, like the ones from Dominican weddings and baptisms. I had a hair bow in every color because they always had to match my outfit. My hair was never undone because Dominicans do not believe in having pelo malo. What would people say about you and your mom if your hair was not done? The “bochinche,” or the gossip would flood the entire Dominican occupied apartment building you and your family lived in.

Pelo Malo became part of me when I noticed that my sister and cousins, who are Dominican too, had “good hair,” or “pelo bueno.” In my little Dominican eyes, I perceived pelo bueno as hair that did not tangle when you got out of the shower or hair that did not look like you electrocuted yourself. It was then that I knew that my hair was different. I was 6 years old and I had to toughen up. My mami would always carry her “cepillo,” or brush in her purse to do my hair; in public! This would always embarrass me because it made me feel different. The worst days were picture days at school because they always looked so bad. The little black complimentary comb the photographers gave me never worked because of the obvious. I had nicknames in school and felt ugly because my pelo was malo.

It has been 3 months since I chopped off my heat damaged ends. My hair has not been as full and vivacious since before I had my two children. I am living a heat-free lifestyle, and I am embracing my natural texture for the world to see. At first, I thought about what people at my job would say, but I have been getting really great compliments from colleagues and family members. My confidence has increased substantially. Prior to my natural hair journey, I always worried about my hair and how I was perceived by others. I thought that after having a permanent straightener and occasional flat iron procedures, that my hair would always look dull and sad. Today, I feel alive and beautiful because my hair is full, healthy, and back to where it belongs; curly. Through media outlets, I share my stories, hair routines, and products that have saved my hair. My purpose is to embrace the naturally curly Latina within me, while exposing my experiences as a Dominican-American and the stereotypes that exist within my culture.

By Nikki Walton · Published April 15, 2015

Bantu knots are not for everyone. There is nothing worse than standing hours in front of the mirror installing the knots, enduring a painful restless sleep only to take the knots down to reveal a frizzy, curly mess in the morning. Of course, that’s when you bust out your bobby pins for a chic updo or Mohawk! But you never have to experience failed Bantu knot-outs again. After years of wearing Bantu knot-outs, I’ve learned a few things that guarantee me success each time.

How to get flawless bantu knot-outs

1. Start on stretched dry hair. A blow out will often give you the best bouncy bantu knot out curls but a well-detangled old twist/braid out will work as well. Never set your knots on wet or damp hair because chances are they will not dry and you will be left with big frizzy hair the following morning.
2. Go for non-water based products. My favorite is whipped nut butter such as shea butter. If using a water-based product, be light handed. You will want to reduce the amount of moisture added to the hair while setting the knots to ensure complete dryness the following day. This will minimize any chances of frizz. To the butter you may add a little gel for some added hold. Some gels have water so remember to be light-handed as well. Smooth the product through your hair focusing especially on the ends so that the ends are well moisturized.
3. Start twisting the section of hair for the bantu knot at least an inch away from your roots. This will prevent you from putting too much tension on your scalp, making your bantu knots too tight and painful to sleep on.
4. While most people wrap their bantu knots by winding each revolution underneath the previous one, I find that, that technique makes the knots too tight. I therefore, focus on wrapping only the last couple of revolutions underneath the previous ones to tuck away the ends and secure the bantu knot. If your hair is shorter you may need to use a bobby pin to hold your knots in place. Wrapping in this ways gives the knots more wiggle room, reduces tension and is pain-free to sleep.

By Nikki Walton · Published April 5, 2015

My natural pattern consists of super skinny, piecey ‘s-waves’ with a sprinkling of coils here and there.  While I totally heart my stringy ass defined waves & curls, I sometimes try to smooth a few of them together to achieve a chunkier look.  But no matter how heavy or tacky the styling cream or gel, the manufactured clumps always break up… my waves do what they do… they don’t give a s*** and while I’m usually cool with that, on some real levels, I’d appreciate a few clumps sometimes!

Now generally for me, clumpier wash & gos mean a reduction in volume, but for some reason today, the stars aligned and I got a little bit of the best of both worlds.

What I did:

Like with my successful chunky twist-outs of months past, I applied my products to damp hair rather than in the shower on soaking wet hair.

I applied my products to damp hair rather than in the shower on soaking wet hair. 

I t-shirt plopped clean, naked hair for 5 minutes and then air-dried for 10 minutes.  My hair was probably 70% dry when I smoothed on SheaMoisture’s Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie and then Mop Top Light Hold Gel.

Fail. Fail. Fail. Coagulation.  It’s been so long, I forgot the cardinal rule… test the product combo on the back of your hand BEFORE applying it to your hair to make sure they play well together.  Rookie mistake. White boogers everywhere.

Kneeling over the tub, I rinsed that ish out, plopped, air dried a bit and started over.  I tested The Living Proof Full Thickening Cream + SheaMoisture’s Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie on the back of my hand… smooth as butter!  So I applied the Living Proof first (about a quarter size amount to each half”> and then smoothed the SM into 4 sections.  I didn’t rake this time, I simply smoothed it on with the palms of both hands in a downward motion from root to tip. Finally, I finger curled and smoothed some of the top pieces and was excited at how easily my usually piecey curls held together (thanks to the tackiness of the SheaMoisture Smoothie on my damp hair”>.  I’ve got quite a bit of shrinkage, but it’s the good kind. Momma said, ‘I LOVE the results, it looks thicker’.  I’ll definitely be experimenting with this product combo and technique a bit more… I’ll report back soon!

Later Gators,

Nik

By Nikki Walton · Published April 2, 2015

I am thrilled to share in this article how my desire to feel authentic and true to myself around my hair, helped me to uncover the subconscious beliefs that were dominating my reality around my beauty.  I’m proud to say that I was able to transform them completely, to the point that I am now a transformational life coach, helping women feel confident in their own skin to create the lifestyle they desire!

I will be completely raw and vulnerable about my beliefs while growing up and what I’ve done to change them… truly expecting that someone benefits from it!

It’s amazing to witness how time changes you. I remember years ago, how I learned about CurlyNikki. I was a teenager and heavily disliked my relaxed hair. I would spend nights crying about it, the process was torturous and I wanted to discover what my natural hair texture was like. I had it relaxed at nine years old, because my teacher at my new school at the time said I had to do it in order to be accepted. Imagine that. Turns out that years later I spoke with the principal and he had no idea that she had mentioned that!  It wasn’t true. But it had a great impact on me growing up, though. I remember thinking there was something wrong with me because even when my parents got my hair relaxed, classmates would touch my hair and say mean things about it. It created a really strong message in my mind that I wasn’t good enough, period. As I grew up, I would go up to four months without relaxing it, despite my parent’s best efforts to convince me, but at the same time, I wasn’t taking care of it either. I was in a depressed state.

In the essence of full disclosure, when I realized my hair was 4C, I internally panicked. I was secretly hoping it would be a looser textured curl, which would imply I would be more accepted if I decided to do a big chop. In that moment, I said to myself that I would never big chop, but here I am today, writing an article for CurlyNikki.

I big chopped a year ago and I’ve never felt happier and more beautiful in my life. I adore my 4C hair! This journey of self discovery, acceptance, releasing old limiting beliefs and building confidence around my beauty, got me to where I am today and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When I first started to learn about true transformational work, I found out that we get what we focus on. The thoughts and emotions we have stored in our mind, show up in our reality to confirm what we actually think is true.

I remember hearing comments around me from my family and online about how:

• I had bad hair. No man would want me with hard hair.

• I was pretty for a black girl.

• These were my golden years and that I was crazy for wanting to stop relaxing.

• I would never be accepted in a big company with an afro.

• Men would only find me beautiful if I had long hair.

• If I wanted to be natural, it would mean that I wanted to be cheap with my hair.

This stuff was toxic to my emotional and physical health . They turned me in to a cynical person, I always expected the worst about everything . I decided that I didn’t want to be that way anymore, nothing good would come out of it and I deserved to be happy on my own terms.

I started to pay close attention to my thoughts and my expectations of public scrutiny around my hair and the more I embraced a positive expectation, the more I received it.

I worked on my beliefs of feeling not good enough and in the span of months, I was able to see a change of what was showing up in front of me, because I changed my beliefs.

The more critical I was of myself and my hair, the more I’d have people being critical about my hair even when I didn’t ask for an opinion.

The more accepting I was of myself and my hair, the more support and love I’d get on a daily basis.

I decided to focus on the latter and to cultivate positive expectation, and this is what I recommend if you feel identified with what I stated above:

1. Surround yourself with a support group, like this one. Don’t surround yourself with people who bring you down or make you feel in any shape or form inadequate. This goes beyond your hair. Don’t be available to that judging energy.

2. Cultivate positive expectation around rocking out your fro at work. When I was critical around my myself and hair, I saw it reflected in a work environment where I felt judged.

When I was accepting of myself, I was accepted in a global company as a Project Manager. I was not only encouraged to cut my hair there, by the time I left to build my business, they were hiring more women with afros and others were cutting their hair, as well.

Positive expectation is key, we truly get what we focus on. We must focus on the solution, not on the problem to start feeling good about ourselves and create the lifestyle we desire.

3. Cultivate positive expectation around romantic relationships. I remember reading so many posts online about how when you switch to natural hair, men start disappearing. In my case it was the contrary, men wouldn’t approach me when I was relaxed and now that I am natural, I am approached by quality men. It’s because I feel beautiful on the inside and the outside now, and I expect men to see me this way too.

I recommend writing a list of 50 things your ideal man is like, focus on how he makes you feel. Get clear on this and your subconscious mind will aid you in having men who fit this criteria show up immediately. Expect quality men to show up. I’ve had clients manifest their exact desired man, based on the list, show up in the span of a weekend after taking the time to fill out the list.

4. Focus on thoughts of union and not separation. The more I saw myself as different than other women, the more I would separate, focus on thoughts of disadvantage, resentment and bitterness. Making it really difficult for me to change and those around me as well.

I started to celebrate women in every area. I am not playing a blind eye here, I know some people need to be educated and that is why I write articles like this. Most of the people that I’ve had the pleasure to share my experience with, had no idea of the emotional turmoil I went through.

I avoid making defensiveness my primary state of being anymore. I recognize the effect it has on my body, mind and spirit.

This world is changing. It will continue to change with everyone of us claiming what is our birthright, to receive and give love. Ideas of separation are transformed when we model what is possible. That is why it is so important to cultivate thoughts of positive expectation on a daily basis, let that become our new normal. We owe this to ourselves.

CurlyNikki Says:

THIS!– “We must focus on the solution, not on the problem to start feeling good about ourselves and create the lifestyle we desire.” Be the change you wanna see… Ghandi’s words are even deeper than they appear at face value. LITERALLY change yourself (your vibe, your thoughts, your actions”> and watch the world change around you!

This article was written by Nicole for CurlyNikki.

By Nikki Walton · Published March 23, 2015

Stretching natural hair has a variety of benefits: it prepares the hair for other styles, allows you to see your length, and can make for an easier detangling session. One of the quickest and most common ways to stretch hair is by simply blow drying all of your hair, but there are many ways to stretch your hair without resorting to this. Here are a few techniques that can be done on wet or dry hair to get your hair stretched out naturally and easily:

1. Buns

Simply divide your hair into two sections, twist your hair in on itself, and bun it up. Secure with a ponytail holder.

2. Banding

To band your hair, section it off and wrap a ponytail holder around the first section. Continue to place ponytail holders down the hair shaft, spacing them out a bit in order to let the hair “breathe.” Doing this elongates your hair and will result in a bomb faux blowout!

3. Pineapple

Flip your hair up into a high ponytail and secure with a clip or ponytail holder. Doing this stretches out the roots of your hair and is great to do overnight.

4. Set, then separate

Install a style that will stretch your hair such as braids, twists, flexi rods, curlformers, or rollers in your hair. For braids/twists, the amount will depend on your length but typically, anywhere from 2-8 braids is sufficient. If you have tightly curled hair, braids will produce a better stretch than twists will. If you choose to install a roller of some sort and want maximum stretch, wrap your hair after taking them down and wear a scarf overnight.

5. Blow dry your roots

Make sure to do this on a cool setting. Simply pull a section of hair taut and blow dry your roots, using the nozzle end on your blowdryer. This will provide instant stretch if you’re pressed for time. This is called the tension method.

By Nikki Walton · Published March 17, 2015

For the ladies who choose short hair, this article is probably not for you. It’s more for the ladies who want to see their hair grow to longer lengths and are willing to do what it takes to retain as much length as possible. And while, the tips I’m about to share can be helpful to any lady seeking long tresses, I’m specifically addressing my fine hair sisters since I am one of them, lol. I can only share what I notice is working for my hair type – fine and moderately dense.

As we all know, getting your hair to grow to long lengths isn’t always an easy feat. While your hair DOES grow, if you don’t retain most of what has grown (yes, there’s always some breakage”>, you will be wondering if it’s growing at all.

For those of us with fine hair, the quest to obtain long luxurious locks is even more challenging. (So not fair. I know right!”> Natural hair that’s fine has yet another roadblock to growing long. For every twist and groove along our natural hair strand (the curliness”>, there’s an opportunity for breakage. At least our straight, fine hair sisters don’t have that part to worry about.

As a fine haired natural for over 10 years, I believe I’ve picked up some tips along the journey that I’d like to share with fine hair ladies like myself who want long hair. That’s not to say I know it all. I just know what I know…what I discovered works for hair like mine. It took some trial and error but here are the tips I believe will help my fine hair sisters maintain more of their hard earned length.

Wearing Your Hair Out

You CAN wear your hair out. Whaaaat? Yup. You heard me, girl. Your hair growth journey doesn’t have to be about socking your hair away every single day until you get to your desired length. Instead, when you wear your hair out, you need to be diligent about protecting it.

Your twist outs, braid outs, loose curls etc. will be rubbing on your clothing and can certainly cause breakage from the friction. This can be x2 when you are commuting to wherever you are going on a given day. Therefore, consider putting your hair up until you get to your destination. Large claw clips work really well at clipping your hair up and off of your shoulders. Then, when you get to your destination you can release the clip, shake and be fabulous. Keep that claw clip handy for putting it up throughout the day.

Low Manipulation vs Protective Styling

This is nothing new to you I’m sure. You’ve heard about protective styling and low manipulation styling. However, the key I’ve found is you can protective style til the cows come home (I’m a city girl. Not sure where that came from lol”>, but if you have to do a lot of manipulating to get that protective style in place, it will cause your fine hair more breakage than length retention. I learned this the hard way with mini twists.

Mini twists are NOT for everyone. The finer your hair, the more susceptible it will be to breaking when it’s time to take those twists out. Instead, opt for medium sized twists. They are a lot easier to manage and require much less manipulation.

If you are going to do a protective style, opt for shorter term styles. The longer you leave a style in your hair, when it’s time to take it down and out, there’s more of a chance for breakage due to webbing of the new growth that now needs to be detangled. Even if you wear braids, when your new growth starts coming in there is some tangling. Keep your protective style in for 2 weeks max. Fine hair doesn’t like to be bound up much longer than that.

Twist, Don’t Braid Ends

Braids can be a great protective style but depending on how you do them, you may be manipulating your hair way too much. That manipulation is evil! Why? Breakage of course? (isn’t that what we’ve been talking about? lol”>

After a few times wearing my natural hair in braids, I realized that I was causing breakage when it was time to take them out. I was doing too much to unbraid. I would use my fingers to try and unbraid and then had to use my rat tail comb to help. So, now what I do is when I get to about a 1/2 inch of hair down the braid, I twist the remainder of the hair.

When it’s time to remove your braids, you’ll find it much easier and a lot less manipulating to your hair, when you just have to untwist your ends vs. unbraiding them.

Bunning Your Hair

Still thinking of protective styling (and this is my final word on the subject…promise”>. Buns are a fine haired chica’s best friend in the protective styling department. Buns require very little manipulation to do and you don’t even need to thoroughly detangle your hair to bun (save full detangling sessions for wash day”>.

However, bunning can also cause breakage. If you are going to rock your hair in a bun for a length of time, consider changing the placement of the bun every few days. You’ll also want to take down that bun and moisturize your hair daily. That brings me to my next tip. To be continued…

By Nikki Walton · Published March 10, 2015

Anyone who recently embarked on a healthy hair journey– either a relaxed or natural– can attest to the significant improvement in which the consistent use of natural oils has made on their hair. The use of oils is nothing new in the Black hair community, as many of us can remember getting our hair greased after every hairstyle, and as soon as we started to see our scalp flaking.

However, the improper use of oils and hair grease led many of us to eliminate it from our regimen as soon as we were old enough to make our own hair decisions. But after exploring many other “non-greasy” hair products, many of us are now starting to explore the benefits in various cooking oils and we are now in love with these oils and adding them to most of our hair concoctions.

So why do we love our oils so much?

1. They soften our hair. Oils, such as castor oil, is very good at making the hair feel soft, smooth and silky. I know this from experience. Hair oils also help to maintain the moisture level in our hair, which in turn will help to keep the hair feeling soft and supple. Jc of Natural Haven explains the importance of sealing the hair in this post.
2. They lubricate our hair, which helps to reduce knots and tangles. To reduce single strand knots (SSKs”>, it is advised to oil the ends of the hair in order to reduce friction and the chances of the ends of our hair from forming annoying knots.
3. They detangle. The lubricative property of oils helps to loosen knots and effectively separate tangles without damaging the hair. Whenever I come across tangles in my hair, I just apply drops of oil to that section of the hair and allow it to slip off. This is a more gentle method, instead of forcefully combing them out.
4. They regulate a healthy sebum production and a clean scalp. Oils such as jojoba oil and avocado oils are known to regulate the natural oils on the scalp to a level which stimulates growth and nourishes the new growth which sprouts out of the scalp.
5. They can help thicken our hair and reduce breakage. Many naturals who took on the castor oil challenge have said that they’ve noticed a thickness in their hair after prolonged and consistent use.
6. They promote growth, restore hair loss and increases length retention. Who needs hair drugs when you can massage your scalp with oils such as jojoba oil or castor oil daily? Many women have been able to revive hair growth along their hairline after consistently applying castor oil on their balded hairline. Many have also seen accelerated hair growth and an increase in length retention after using natural oils for a prolonged period of time.
7. They give our hair a healthy shine. Who doesn’t want hair that stays shiny?!   Penetrating oils such as avocado oil, unrefined coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil gives the hair sheen without leaving it too greasy.
8. They keep our scalp happy, fostering an environment for healthy hair growth. Naturals with itchy and troubled scalp are often advised to add a few drops of scalp soothing essential oils such as peppermint oil, tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil to their scalp oil blends. This oil blend will not only soothe the scalp, it will also unclog the pores, may reduce bacterial or fungal overgrowth and promote blood circulation to the scal.
9. They assist our hair products to do their job well. Bloggers such as Jc of www.naturalhavenbloom.com often recommend adding a few drops of our favorite hair oil to our deep conditioning treatment and even shampoo to give the products more slip.Whitney of Naptural85 made an oil blend out of many hair benefiting oils which she recommends for the hair and skin. This oil blend can be used as a pre-poo treatment, added to a deep conditioning treatment, applied to the scalp and for sealing the hair.
10. They make our hair smell so good! Since many of the oils are derived from the fruit seed or nuts which can smell nutty, you can upgrade the fragrance of your oil by simply adding a few drops of sweet smelling essential oils such as lemon grass, lemon oil, rosemary oil, lavender oil and any essential oils which fancies you.

Do you have a favorite hair oil or set of favorites? What are they and why do you love using them?

This post was written by Adeola Adegbusi of www.coilsandglory.com for CurlyNikki.

By Nikki Walton · Published March 4, 2015

The twist-out is a battle for many but a breeze for some. If your healthy tresses are anything like mine, you’re lucky if you get a full day from a twist-out on your kinky coily curly hair. Isn’t it frustrating? You begin a “real quick” twisting session. Then a few snacks, a couple of bottles of water and several TV shows later, you’re finally finished twisting your natural hair. Now it’s the next day– you untwist your hair to reveal your results which is giving you “I woke up like this” beautiful today. Unfortunately, by the end of the day your hair has completely declared war on you and is puffed out in the worst way. Where they do that at! Lol. Well I might have a solution. I’ve tested this technique out on my hair for a few weeks before sharing with you all. I used different products and I still received the same great results. So my name is Nappyfu and I approve this message. It’s not so much the products you use it’s moreso the technique. Both hold weight towards the success of your twist out.

My hair is type 4c. It’s thick, coily for days and has a high density. Using this twistout and separation method has my twist-outs thriving. Yes! It is clear across the board successful for type 4 natural hair. It gives me awesome results each time I do it. Let’s be real, our kinky hair can have definition when it comes to these styles but it tends not to hold for long. With what I like to call the “Tightly Twist Method” you can have your perfect twistout last. From the installation to the take down, I’ll show you how to do it in order to achieve longer lasting definition without frizz!

Checkout the video and if you like the method, please share it. We want everyone to have an “I woke up like this” twist-out situation. Starting with freshly washed hair, let’s get this twist-out going…”Easy Twist-out Method for Type 4 Hair”

Watch the Video

This article was written by NappyFu for CurlyNikki.

By Nikki Walton · Published February 24, 2015

If you’ve been natural long enough—you know that shrinkage can be cray! It can rob of you hard earned inches!  Personally, my hair shrinks up at least six inches (probably more… I don’t have a tape measurer otherwise I probably would check”>. Some people hate shrinkage, while others don’t mind it at all. When I first went natural I hated it… a lot. Especially because I wanted my hair to look longgg–not be like an afro! Not that anything is wrong with afros at all—just wasn’t my personal preference.  Plus, back then being natural wasn’t really accepted. So I just got made fun of and got called Macy Gray and what not all the time *sighs*. But some people love their shrinkage! They love the versatility of it and never fight it. So if you are in that category, then this post isn’t for you (but share it with a friend or something”>!

So there are a few ways I stretch my hair to get rid of some of the shrinkage. If I didn’t do these things, my hair would probably look a lot shorter and poofier.

1. Blow Dry Your Roots

When my hair is at least 90% dry, I pull my hair and then blow-dry the roots with medium heat. I don’t blow-dry them straight, but just enough to stretch my hair a little bit to give it some length. It works wonders! And only takes a couple minutes to do! You can really manipulate your hair with the blow dryer.

2. Put Your Hair In a High Bun

If you are #teamnoheat or just don’t want to use a blow dryer, you can stretch your hair a little bit by putting your hair in a high bun when your hair is almost dry. I wouldn’t do this while it is wet because it could mess up the way your curls dry. I do this when I don’t have access to a blow dryer. I’ll put it in a bun for an hour or so or keep taking it up and down until I get the length I want, lol. Make sure it is tight enough to pull your hair, and loose enough that it won’t make any creases!

3. Use A Lot of Product

Product weights your hair down, so that will help it to be a little longer. This is something you would have to play with to figure out what works best for you. Depending on what product you use and how much, it could make your hair look flaky or flat. So I use just enough to take away the frizz and fro and make my hair lay down a little bit.

4. Wait For Your Hair to Grow

I know some of ya’ll rolled your eyes at this! ‘Cause we are all impatient and hate waiting for our hair to get to our ideal length. And that’s okay because I’ve definitely been there! But don’t worry! The longer your hair gets, the less shrinkage you’ll get! Length can loosen your curls and weighs down your hair. So naturally it’ll stretch.

5. Embrace it!

Instead of fighting it and getting frustrated, accept and embrace it! It is apart of the natural hair journey and it can’t be avoided. Now that my hair is longer and the length weighs it down, I have embraced my shrinkage and don’t mind it at all. It makes my hair look fuller and bigger, which I love! Even though I do stretch it a little bit, I couldn’t even imagine my hair without shrinkage now. I feel like it wouldn’t be me!

This article was written by heygorjess for CurlyNikki.

By Nikki Walton · Published February 12, 2015

Have you ever worn your bun so long that your hair started matting up in the center? Can you remember the last time you got a trim? Are you still wearing the same protective style you got installed just in time for Thanksgiving? These are all textbook examples of bad hair decisions. I myself have engaged in all of these at one point in time, and realized just how much I was hindering the health and length of my hair by doing so. If you want to maintain healthy hair and reach your hair length goals, keep these bad hair decisions at a minimum: or better yet, don’t do them at all!

1. Putting Off Wash Day

How long you can go without washing your hair depends on your texture, your hairstyle, and your lifestyle. The main reasons to wash and condition your hair are to eliminate dirt and product buildup, restore moisture, detangle, and strengthen your hair. When you put off wash day, your hair can become much harder to detangle, and you may end up losing more hair than usual. Also, you increase the chances of getting knots that can only be cut out. Don’t put off your wash day for too long because your hair needs to be restored.

2. Neglecting Your Trims

4. Rushed Detangling

Detangling is a process that should be done with patience and care. Our curls naturally wrap themselves around each other, so separating them takes time. You do not want to rush your detangling session because you’ll end up ripping out your hair strands. Aim to plan for a day when you know you will have the free time to spend detangling. It may take up to an hour (or longer”>, but in the end, you won’t have a huge wad of hair that came out.

5. Using the Wrong Tools

It could be your Denman, a styling comb that is too small, or a bad hairbrush: just because it’s on the market doesn’t mean it’s right for your hair. Choose tools that don’t snap or snag on your strands, and that make detangling more effective, not harder. Don’t use any hair tools that are too tight, like certain ponytail holders or those stretchy headbands we love to wrap around for a sleek puff. Never sacrifice the health of your hair for style or convenience.

By Nikki Walton · Published January 15, 2015

When you’re enthusiastic about hair care and dedicated to a healthy hair journey it can be difficult to be objective about your hair. It’s easy to talk about things that keep the hair healthy like gentle handling, good conditioners, and low manipulation, but if those were the only things that mattered, everyone’s hair would be doing great. In reality, despite meticulous efforts to grow a long, thick head of hair, many women still struggle to maintain length and reach their other hair goals. To get past a length hurdle or stop persistent breakage you have to realize one important thing: Damage is unavoidable. If your hair isn’t making progress that means it’s being damaged faster than it can recover. Many natural women already steer clear of heat and chemical treatments, but mechanical damage is still an issue and it can be difficult to recognize.

Handle with care

Every time you move or touch your hair, the cuticle layers of each strand rub up against each other and cause tiny abrasions, similar to light scratches. Those little abrasions may not affect how your hair looks or feels but they’re always there. If you rub and pull your hair and then follow up with a comb or a brush, you’ve inflicted a lot of stress on your hair at one time. Yes, there are some women who can comb and brush their hair all day without a problem, but those women usually have thick strands and very few (if any”> kinks or coils. Finer strands break more easily than thicker strands, and it seems that many African American women have fine hair. In addition to that, kinky hair is inherently porous which means that kinky hair is automatically more fragile than other types. “Damage prone” is really an understatement when describing African American hair.

The longer the hair, the worse the damage

No matter what your hair type, the longer your hair gets, the more demanding it will be. Shoulder length hair is already about 2 years old so any weaknesses in your hair care routine will begin to show, just like bad eating habits start to catch up with you as you get older. If you hit a plateau in your healthy hair journey, get at least ½ inch cut off by a professional, stop brushing your hair (if you’ve been doing that”>, and apply a reconstructing treatment every week or two. Whatever you do, just don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ve avoided damaging your hair. The only way to avoid damage is not to touch your hair as it grows out of your scalp, and we all know that’s impossible. If you love your hair, you want to style it and show off its beauty. There’s nothing wrong with that. You wouldn’t buy a beautiful new sweater and leave it on the shelf all the time. What fun would that be? Instead, you have to wear it lightly, wash it gently, and get small holes mended as soon as they appear.

How do you retain length? 

This post was written by Nicole Hollis for CurlyNikki.

By Nikki Walton · Published January 7, 2015

Description of your hair

My hair is generally medium density with coarse texture and normal porosity, “O” texture and is thready, but I have many textures on my head, from L-shaped spongy on the infamous “patch”, to S-shaped at the nape of my neck.

Product in Review: Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor

Product Description

Product Ingredients

• Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Behenamidopropylamine Behenatem Stearolkonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cocodimonium Hydrolyzed Hair Keratin, Hydrolzed Mucopolysac Charides, Sodium Coco Collagen Amino Acids, Wheat Germ Fatty Acids, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Arachidonic Acid, Squalane, Avocado Oil, Acetimide MEA, Panthenol, Wheat Germ Oil, Jojoba Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sulfur, Amodimethicone, Polyquaternium 10, Linoleamidopropyl PG Dimonium, Chloride Phosphate, Tallowtrimonium Chloride, Nonoxynol 10, Cocoyl Sarcosine, Sorbitol, Fragrance, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Gifted or Purchased

Purchased at the local beauty supply store for $8.99 (16 oz”>. 8 oz. bottle was $6.99, so I upped the ante with the extra $2 for twice as much product.

Fragrance

“Medicinal” describes it best. It has that faux-chemical “you know it’s working” smell, but soft and powdery. Not at all harsh or overwhelming. Clean.

Texture

Thick, with lots of slip. A rare combination.

Your experience

Aphogee 2 Minute and I go way back. I stopped using it for a couple of years and, noticing that my ends were a little ragged, I decided to pull it back out before I pulled out the scissors. It’s a quick treat for my hair and easily incorporates into my regular regimen. I shampoo and use deep conditioner as a leave-in, as usual. But I use Aphogee 2 Minute as a deep conditioning treatment in between. I typically leave it on under a heat cap on medium for however long it takes me to peruse the interwebs (15 minutes. The bottle says 5 max, but who can tear herself away from Curlynikki after 5 minutes?!”>. I’ve never had it interact badly with any other products. It can be used sparingly and also eases my detangling session. Used every week for a month with protective styles and I know my hair will be back in fighting shape.

Would you recommend this to a curlfriend?

Yes

How many curls overall (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the kitties titties!”>

5

This post was originally published on CurlyNikki. This post is not sponsored.

By Nikki Walton · Published January 5, 2015

Why do a henna gloss?

A henna gloss is used when you want subtle color change along with deep conditioning. It’s easier to apply because of the wonderful slip provided by the conditioner, much easier to rinse, and leaves your hair smooth and soft, as opposed to crackly and dry after a straight or full strength henna treatment.

I recently called it a “mild henna,” but I’d like to retract that. I started thinking . . . it would be considered a mild henna if I used less henna and more conditioner. My mix was 50/50 . . . so I guess I did more of a “conditioning henna treatment!” Remember that the property in henna that dyes the hair red is the same one that conditions, strengthens, defrizzes and smooths. Mixing in 1 or 2 tablespoons of henna (into a cup or two of conditioner”> will give you very little color change, but you’ll also miss out on the full effects of henna’s conditioning powers . . . so you’ll have to make that call yourself.

This would be a great option for two types of folks:

• Those of you who want to see what the hype is about, without making the color commitment. Just be sure to strand test, and to modify my recipe. You should mix 1-2 tablespoons of henna directly into your conditioner (not allowing for dye release”> and only leave-in for 20-30 minutes. Henna is strong, so ALWAYS strand test… the red will creep up on ya quick!
• Faithful henna-ers that want to experience soft, smooth results upon rinsing. It’s truly amazing! My 50/50 mix left me with similar dye release, color uptake (I was surprised”>, strengthening, and smoothing. I’m impressed.

What you’ll need:

• BAQ Henna (at least 100g”> – I use Jamila henna
• Green tea
• A light, protein-free conditioner – I like Tresemme Naturals
• Optional: honey, unsweetened yogurt (some people use Yogurt in place of the conditioner”>

Instructions

Mix it

• Add 100g Jamila henna to 1.5 cups warm green tea with 2 or 3 tea bags
• Mix in 1 cup of conditioner

Apply it

Modify my recipe and leave it in for less time if you want only a subtle color change. If you want the full benefits of color and henna’s conditioning powers, leave in for at least 4 hours (I leave mine in overnight”>.

Rinse it

Follow up

There you have it folks! I hope this is helpful.

If you have questions about henna, check out my Henna Q&A.

This article was originally published in May 2010 and has been updated for grammar and clarity.

By Nikki Walton · Published January 1, 2015

Why do you henna? What has your experience been like?

I want to try henna for strengthening and color, but I don’t want the ‘loosening’ effect.

Two options:

The process

1. Make sure your dry hair is detangled and sectioned off.  
2. Put on one glove, and use that hand to apply the paste, using the other hand to separate the sections.  
3. Put on a plastic cap to cover the roots (leaving the length hanging down”>. 
4. Apply a conditioner and/or oil to the length and put a second bag on to protect the length.  Leave it in for 4-8 hours and then rinse and condition as usual.  Some ladies use applicator tubes (think cake icing decorators!”> for more precise application.

I want to try henna for the ‘loosening’ effect.  I want smoother hair.

The curl loosening effect is by no means universal, nor should it be the purpose of your treatments.   The consensus is that ‘s’ shaped waves and curls, as opposed to ‘o’ shaped coils, are more likely to experience this side effect.  It will NOT change your hair pattern (4a’s won’t become 3c’s”>, but it may stretch your curls/waves, weighing them down and thus, reducing shrinkage.

If you’re hoping to smooth your situation, I’d recommend doing a few treatments back to back, once a week for a few weeks and then switch to monthly or bi-monthly treatments. Another tip would be to gently wrap (without disturbing or detangling”> the henna’ed sections around your head, smoothing the length as you go, prior to putting on your plastic cap.

Remember, as with everything else, balance is key.  Very fine strands that get weighed down too much (whether from product or henna treatments”> can break under that weight.  Also, over time, the build-up from frequent treatments can negatively impact the hair (causing dryness and breakage”>.  My recommendation is to stick to roots only (see above”> OR a gloss, and keep the treatments spaced at once every 4 weeks.  You’ll be good to go!  As always, do your research and then proceed, armed with knowledge.

I want to try henna for ALL of the effects EXCEPT the red color!

I have gray hair and I want to henna. Help!

First things first, multiple applications will be necessary for your grays to darken to the color you want. You know, the shade that won’t frighten small children. I have many gray hairs and I’ve been hennaing (with Jamila, Yemen, and Henna for African Hair”> for years. All of my grays are now a rich, auburn color. My pigmented strands are darker, shinier and healthier looking- a rich, shiny black color indoors (with a few red highlights”>, and glows auburn in the sun… like a rinse.

When new grays come in or my roots show, I simply apply a treatment, and after a couple of days, it oxidizes to a nice bronzey red. After another treatment, the roots match the length– auburn.

For new gray ‘henna’ers, the key will be:

1. Four hour (or more”> treatments
2. Multiple applications (for darker results”>
3. Cleansing prior to application. Although I don’t really do this anymore, if you have a lot of grays, this step is crucial. It will remove buildup and sebum, so that the dye can make the best contact with your roots.  Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa shampoo or Giovanni’s Tea Tree are both great options.

Also, be sure to do lots of conditioning afterward to keep your hair moisturized, elastic, and supple. If your ends (and length?”> are indeed damaged, and you’re not interested in a Big Chop, you probably want to schedule some micro trims.

This is my Aunt Toney’s wet twist-out (2011″> after using henna once or twice over her gray roots and commercially highlighted red hair. She was transitioning out of commercial dyes.

This is her in a dry twist-out today (summer 2013″>, henna only.

She’s probably 70% gray here. No commercial dye.

What’s your current henna routine?

By Nikki Walton · Published December 24, 2014

A healthy head of hair with a healthy, flake-free scalp is a wonderful thing. So wonderful and desired, in fact, that there is an enormous market that caters solely to it. Walk down any hair product aisle and you’ll be overwhelmed with then number of choices you have for shampoos, conditioners, rinses, sprays, and dyes (to name just a few things.”> You could spend days, and lots of money, trying to figure out just what chemical concoction will work the wonders it promises. If you’d like to break up that routine, try making some of your own products at home. I have found them to be simple, pure, and more effective that many of the things I have bought in stores.

1. Nettle Hair Tonic

Rich in iron, a rinse made with nettles can help combat hair loss/promote hair growth. Drinking nettle tea may also help battle hair loss, as iron can help with circulation to the scalp, in turn fueling hair growth. Nettles will also help with an imbalance of sebum (the oil that your pores produce”> which can make a difference if you suffer from dandruff or dry scalp. For something that is such a pain to even brush up against, it’s a wonderful herb when fully utilized!

You will need:

• A large (gloved”> handful of fresh nettle leaves or 5 tablespoons of dried nettle
• 2 cups of fresh water
• A few drops of your favorite essential oil
• A bottle for storing

Directions

If using fresh nettle, place in a pot and cover with 2 cups of water and bring to boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes. Cool, then strain the liquid, add in a few drops of your favorite essential oil and store in the fridge for up to 6 months. If using dried nettle, bring water to a boil and then pour over the herb, letting it steep for 20 minutes before cooling, straining, and adding your essential oil. To use, pour over your hair in the shower and massage or comb in, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then rinse.

2. Horsetail Hair Tonic

Horsetail naturally contains silica, which is actually more useful than just for filling those annoying little packets that come with so many products these days. As a natural substance, silica can help keep hair growing strong, and prevent it from falling out/thinning.

You will need:

• A handful of fresh horsetail
• Fresh water

Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the horsetail. Steep for 20 minutes, and then strain the liquid. After shampooing pour the cooled liquid over your hair and wrap your head in a warm towel for 20 minutes, then rinse.

This article was written by Everyday Roots for CurlyNikki.