Naturally Obsessed

Natural hair is the Bomb.com...Go tell a friend lol!!

About Me....

Hello World! My name is Alexis and I became apart of the natural hair community all the way back in April of 2006. I transitioned for about a year before doing a big chop in order to have some length (it was torture!). For me being natural has feels almost like being re-born.. its an amazing feeling. As a cancer researcher I am constantly reminded of the strength that comes from loving yourself and making choices that benefit your well-being. The natural hair movement is apart of that strength and I am dedicated to sharing it with as many as I can. So don't be bashful and feel free to follow/message me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Jonesin4Jonesy.

Where do you live? How is the natural hair community there?

I live in New York City (specifically in the Bronx) where there is a wealth of diversity. The natural hair community is huge here and it has defiantly become fashionable to be natural.

When and why did you decide to go natural?

"I'm basically confused and fed-up to a point of no end!  I'm currently transitioning (I think) from relaxed to natural. But I don't want to stop there. I always wanted a dry curly, wavy look, somewhat like what you have. But unlike you I was not blessed with such great quality natural hair. I was thinking of putting in a wave nouveau to try to get that curly look, but have been getting such bad reviews about the product. I was wondering if you could help me or at least advice me on how to get such healthy, long, curly hair such as yours. I am desperate at this point because my hair is in need of some serious help. please keep in mind that I was not born with naturally curly hair, but rather very coarse and hard hair. Thanks in advance". -Tanzz91210

Hi! First things first...there is absolutely no product, besides texturizers or silkners, on the market that can give you someone else's hair texture. It's just not possible. The textures that each and everyone of us has, was not something that we got to choose ourselves, but was already planned for us to have. I can't give you any advice or product recommendations to achieve my look, because it's mine. I think the bigger issue is your acceptance of self or lack thereof. When one decides to go natural and is going through the transitioning phase, she must first be in it for herself. To look like herself. To be herself. To appreciate and love herself the way she is naturally. Beginning your journey and wishing for someone else's texture is not going to do anything for you except make you even more frustrated with your own texture. I don't think my hair is perfect at all, but I work with it. Be creative with your hair and try some new things. In the meantime, you sure to find some inspiration specific to your texture just by searching YouTube. Based on your description of your hair I found this video while I was typing this response lol...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INXVLWkSn5k.

You see it's not so much about what kind of texture a woman has, it's how she rocks it. If you have enough confidence in yourself, than you can rock just about any look and get a way with it!

If any of you have any words of advice please share them below :) 

*sings* "You know what I love...That's right my hair! I really love my haaaiiirrr!!"

For those of you who follow me on Fotki, I'm currently updating my photo albums. I know it's been while, but all the albums from May through November 2010 will be filled. In the meantime here's the link http://www.fotki.com/KinkyKurlyQueen

When and why did you decide to go natural?

I have been natural twice. Once in high school and again my sophomore year of college. I have been completely natural since November 15, 2007.

Were your family and friends supportive of your decision? If not, how were you able to move forward?

My family members did not really care what I did with my hair. They all know I have always been kind of weird and eclectic lol. They love me no matter what. My friends seem to accept my hair totally. Some of my friends are natural themselves! I'm blessed to have people in my circle who accept me for who I am.

What is your current routine?

I change up my hair routine from summer to winter. Right now, because it's warm, I am doing a loose hair challenge on my youtube channel: TheHeartfeltHoney. I am usually in protective styles but I wanted to test my hair and see if I can retain length and grow my hair while wearing it out. I shampoo and deep condition once a week. I twist or braid with a leave in conditioner and Heartfelt Naturalz Honey Due and leave them in over night. I untwist or braid usually on a Monday morning and wear my hair loose for at least 7 days. I do not re-braid or twist every night. I repeat this cycle every 7 days.

What are your hair goals? What steps are you taking to achieve them?

My hair goal is just to keep it healthy. Everything else will come. I am patient with my hair and I have enjoyed it at  all stages. I have had times when I just didn't know what to do with it lol I've learned so much and I'm grateful for the experiences I've had to get here.

What new styles or tecniques have you learned this year?

This year I have learned the correct moisture balance for my hair. I used to put to much oil in my hair in an effort to keep it from being dry. Now I think I have found away to give it just enough.

What is your definition of "Good Hair"?

Good hair is hair that is not breaking, damaged, dry etc. Good hair is hair that is well groomed and taken care of. Everyone has the potential to have good hair.

Curly girls have more fun because...We have accepted ourselves just as we are!

Carolyn, also known as "The Heartfelt Honey" is a guest blogger here on Naturally Obsessed, please check out posts by clicking this link...enjoy :) http://naturallyobsessed.onsugar.com/tag/food+for+thought

New wife and mother, Alicia Keys flaunts her curls while posing for her hubby Swizz Beatz. She looks gorgeous!! Mr. Beatz (lol! that sounds funny) TwitPic'ed the pic with the following caption...

"THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST CANVAS I EVER PAINTED! ITS MY BEST WORK EVER WOW!!!!!!!! ART IS LIFE & LIFE IS LOVE......."

{Source}

I am offically BSL! My hair has been on my my bra strap before, but I only consider it to be true BSL when it sits under the strap....not just grazing the top. Despite this posting, I'm not length obsessed at all, but I know some of my readers enjoy these types of posts and find them helpful...so this is for you guys :) Note: I will be doing a light trim on my hair while twisted so these measurements will change a little.



Here are my current measurements in inches...
Sides: 13.5
Front: 14
Top/Crown: 15
Middle Back: 13
Back/Nape: 12.5 - 13
To see my previous length check click the link! http://naturalsobsessed.blogspot.com/2010/11/length-check-for-november-2010.html

Yesss the twists are back again and I couldn't be happier. I seriously needed this break from my hair! Having thick/tightly coiled hair and a lot of it can have it's ups and downs...especially when it comes to detangling it. I absolutely love my hair, but sometimes the detangling process has me staring at the scissors a bit too long lol! Then I told myself "Hunni you have options", and decided to twist my hair. Here's a brief look at the process.....

Before getting the twists started, I wanted to make sure my hair was properly pampered and in good condition to endure this month long protective styling. So I began with a good wash using Hair Rules Aloe Grapefruit Purifying Shampoo (video review coming soon). Then I applied Curl Harmony's Repair Mask and let it sit overnight. In the morning I steamed for 20 minutes with the Huetiful Hair Steamer, detangled and rinsed. While the hair was still dripping wet I applied Grapeseed Oil throughout and set it in 6 big braids. I got the idea of using Grapeseed Oil as a heat protectant from an older video of Natural Chica's. In her video she points out that GO has a very high tolerance for heat (up to 475○F), making it a great oil to use for thermal protection. I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking it would make my hair very oily and weighed, but it did the exact opposite. After allowing my hair to parially dry I blow dried my hair on low heat. My felt sooo soft and fluffy after blow drying it, not oily at all. From now on when I use heat on my hair I will definitely be using Grapeseed Oil for protection. It's better than all the other heat protectants I've tried in the past...Thx Natural Chica :-)

After that was done I parted a section in the back and began twisting. Now usually I use and prefer Unrefined Shea Butter to do my tiny twists, but was all out of it. So I decided to use Avocado Shea Butter from Safi Hair Care instead. Its a a very light weight butter blend and since it contains oils like coconut oil it made the hair slippery while twisting . I prefer the stickiness of Unrefined Shea Butter when doing tiny twists because it helps bind the hair together and keeps the twists smooth. But the Avocado Shea Butter did a good job in the end. Peep the pics below....

I already ya'll gonna ask how long these twist took to put in...and I'm a bit ashamed of myself lol! I started my hair on Monday night and I didn't finish until Saturday night :-o Yes! I was completely lazy while putting these in, even my hubby was looking like "You ain't done yet...What's taking so long??"

So ladies, what's your hair been up to??