Fast Growth vs. Slow or No Growth: Are You a Tortoise or a Hare?

Some people say it doesn't matter how fast you run, but whether or not you make it to the finish line. It's funny how we learn as kids that in the case of the race between the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race. You see, our parents and teachers wanted to encourage us that it doesn't matter how fast you finish, but that you finish. Well, the same could apply when it comes to hair growth. And yet, some of us keep trying to compare ourselves to other as if it's some kind of contest. But, how can we can compete with someone else when, well it's biology at work?

I am now 5 years natural. Woohoo!! I celebrate, dance, and pat my fro. And then, I go on some natural's hair blog and she talks about how her hair grows SO fast. Blah, blah, blah! And then, I feel like my fro isn't good enough. Does this sound familiar? Do you watch other naturals wishing your curls could grow faster than a speeding bullet? Hey, curly.. Snap out of it! Your hair is growing at YOUR rate. If you've had hair loss and other set backs, but you've got some hair growing on your head, then clap your hands and pat yourself on the back. STOP thinking your hair growth rate isn't good enough.

September 2011

Remember to celebrate EVERY milestone with pride and joy. Don't minimize the great gains that you have made. Why? Because every gain is moving your closer to your ultimate hair goal. It's just like with any other goal. Begin with the end in mind. If your goal is to grow your hair as long as you can, then stay the course and keep a pic of someone with the hair length that you want. On the other hand, don't lament about why isn't your hair so and so's length or as pretty as such and such. I've been there, done that and I have the medal to prove it.

Feeling sorry for yourself doesn't get you anywhere. I remember turning my back to the mirror and holding up a handheld mirror to look at the bald spot that I had in the center of my head. I cried. Looked at it. Cried some more, then laid down and cried even longer. But, when it was all said and done, I didn't keep crying. I went to the library and checked out books on natural herbs and hair care. I googled natural hair growth remedies and watched YouTube until I thought I'd say "Hello, YouTube" in my sleep. When the going get tough, the tough get growing. Yes, I said growing.

May 2013

Last, but not least keep a hair journal. Why? Because how will you know what you're doing right or what is messing you up if you don't keep track of it. List all of your staple products and the first ten ingredients. Write down every step of your regimen and notice changes (both  positive and negative).

This is a race, but it doesn't matter if you're the lumbering, slow tortoise or the super nimble and quick hare. At the end of the day, people won't know if it took you 1 year to grow a head full of hair or 20 years. You can rock your hair proud at every single length and not feel an ounce of guilt. You can rest assured that if you keep on running the race, then the finish line is in sight.

Product Review: Tropic Isle Detangler and Leave-In Conditioner

Normally, I don't use a detangler but I do use a leave-in. Imagine my distress when my hair detangling sessions began to lengthen due to my hair growth. While I am extremely happy that my hair is growing so well, it has caused a dilemma. Do I spend lots of time detangling my hair or cut it because it's just too much? Well, I chose neither option, but rather, I sought to find a product to assist me with shortening my detangling time.

After reviewing several products in various places, I decided to check out Tropic Isle Living Leave-In Conditioner & Detangler with a Fusion of Rosemary, Shea & Black Castor Oil . It comes in an 8 ounce bottle and it has a light herbal, slightly citrusy scent. It is a liquid spray and when I sprayed it on my hair, it felt pretty light. After washing and conditioning my hair, I sectioned my hair and sprayed it, then took my wide tooth comb and began detangling. I was pleasantly surprised that this product did in fact assist with my detangling.

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera juice, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Vitamin E, Vegetable Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Stearalkonium Chloride, Meadowfoam Oil, Phenoxyethanol dl-Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Black Willow Bark Extract, Rosemary, Bay, Basil, Cedarwood, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Cetearyl Alcohol

According to the directions on the bottle this product is best used on freshly washed and conditioned hair. You are supposed to pour enough leave-in conditioner into your palm and apply lightly to all areas of your wet hair. I preferred to use the spray to distribute this product and it worked well for me.

My hair is type 4 normal porosity medium length Afro textured fine hair. My hair strands are quite fine but my hair density is increasing after battling thinness. I have several allergies including allergies to synthetic dyes. Therefore, I have found that mostly natural products work well for me. Also, I have a scalp condition known as seborrhea dermatitis. Due to my scalp condition, I have to be careful in selecting a product that does not cause redness, irritation, or flaking.

I have used this product for the past month with great success. Not only does it assist me with detangling, but it moisturizes and helps with elongation of my curls. My coffee stirrer sized curls are wonderful, but they are tightly packed causing major shrinkage. When I use this product I am able to use my wide tooth comb to comb out my curls and stretch them a little. If I am doing twists then my twists comb out smooth and tangle free. If I opt to do a twist out or braid out, then I get more "hang time" with my hair hanging all over.

In conclusion, I give this product 4 hair balls for a great, light citrus smell and it performs as promised. Tropic Isle Living has a wonderful product that provides excellent ingredients and it is easy to use. I purchased my product from my local beauty supply store for under $14. Although I have used it for about a month, the bottle is still almost full. A little goes a long way and this is great considering that I won't be needing to spend a lot of money replenishing my supply. If you are looking for a natural detangler that will help you cut down the amount of time you spend fighting knots and tangles, then this may be the product for you!!

Summer Afro Style

I've never been a fan of wearing an afro. Although I have natural hair, I'm not an afro enthusiast. Why? Well, wearing an afro to me equates to dry and knots. But, I had always admired the big, fluffy fro reminiscent of Soul Train from back and the day. Those gorgeous fros were nothing short of spectacular. And yet, this article is entitled "summer afro style". How did I get from not wanting to wear and afro to wearing one with pride?

This week I decided to try to style differently. I would wear just hair milk and seal with jojoba oil. My little experiment not only surprised me, but showed me that my hair could do what I thought it wouldn't do.

Afros can be achieved easily on afro textured hair AND without a lot of knots and breakage. I was able to wear my afro proudly and get lots of soft hair without knots.

#1. Cleanse the hair with a sulfate free moisturizing shampoo.

#2. Follow with a conditioner and gently detangle.

#3. "Plop" the hair and wrap it with a soft, white t shirt. Allow it to dry to 70% with NO product.

#4. Add leave-in conditioner and seal with jojoba oil. Why jojoba oil? It is light and mimics the scalp's natural oils.

#5. Use a wide tooth comb to gently comb the hair lifting it.

#6. Before going to bed flat twist the hair in big sections to prevent tangling and knotting.

#7. In the morning undo the flat twists and gently separate.

#8. Spritz with water and add a small dollop of leave-in conditioner. Be sure to do a small amount, so that the hair isn't too moist.

You can wear the afro as is or add accessories to jazz up your style. A flower, headband, or barrett can make your afro fun, flirty, and cute. I prefer to wear my afro as is when I'm just rocking my t-shirt. If I was going on out then, I'd probably add an accessory.

So, there you have it. A simple way to wear an afro without the headache or frustration. It is an easy style and can be done without spending hours on complicated styles.

Cute Curls With Flexirods!

This is day two of my flexirod sets and I'm feeling pretty good. After all, I don't usually wear my hair out in big, fluffy, luscious curls. I mean, these curls are super bouncy and juicy. I'm pretty happy with the results. Now, this is the GOOD news. The BAD news is that humidity is a best. I mean, my hair morphed from cute, controlled curls to a growing fluffy bush. It went from looking like a flexirod set to a twist out.

My Flexi rod set

Finger style and keep your curl!

How did I achieve this super cute style?

Begin with a freshly washed and conditioned head. I stretched my hair by wearing it in big braids. After my hair was completely dry, I added some leave-in conditioner and oil.

Flat iron your hair on low. I used the lowest setting for my hair type. I put it in butterfly clips and took down each section to lightly flat iron. If I was pressing then this would be known as a soft press.

Create medium sized twists and then roll on flexirods. I learned that by doing twists then setting them on flexirods,  my hair set really well.

Use setting lotion, mousse, or cream. Don't saturate your hair with a lot of product. Your hair should be flexible but not overly moist. I made the mistake of putting a little bit too much oil on my hair. Unfortunately, I had to re-set my hair the next day.

Use an anti humidity formula serum. The serum will help with anti reversion and keep the hair from poofing and growing into the incredible puff monster. I learned this lesson the hard way.

Last, but not least... Flaunt your hair like you bought it. Heh.. heh.. I'm so used to having my hair tucked away and protected it, so a little flip action had me feeling all good!!!!

This summer looks like it is going to be a scorcher. Today was a little hot, but my fluffy (hair) held up until I felt my roots swelling up. I was ready to get a fan and drink some lemonade. Maybe I can sit on the stoop and watch the kids play with my incredible flexirod set. On second thought, I'll just enjoy my airconditioning!

Where Forth Art My HAIR TWIN?

Please excuse the title of this post. I'm knee deep in teaching Shakespeare this semester (smiles). They say that everyone has a twin out here in this big, beautiful world. I've yet to see my twin, but some of my friends and associates say that she is out there. Well, I hope my twin also has the same hair, so we can spend hours sharing our beauty secrets. I wish my hair twin was someone rich and famous. Then, I could be paid to be her hair twin. But, in all seriousness, what exactly is the benefit of finding your hair twin?

Desperately seeking a hair twin.

Hair twins can be a mirror to our hair regimen. A hair twin helps us to see our hair in a different light and gain insight into what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong. A hair twin doesn't merely appear to have our same hair, but something in the texture, sheen, an overall look screams "hair twin".



Hair twins can challenge us to "compete" with them to get better length retention or overall healthy hair. How many times have I labored over my hair twin's routine and tried to figure out what she's doing right and I'm doing wrong. Perhaps my twin has some super power-- "Grow hair, activate!" No, perhaps she wears her hair in protective styles longer OR she detangles a lot better than me. Whatever the difference, check out her routine and see if it works!


Hair twins can give us great ideas for wonderful styles. Pretty much, I am shameless about my hair envy. I have pulled up pics of my hair twin and watched vids of all her tutorials on YouTube. I'd probably be a stalker if I didn't admire her from afar.


Hair twins make us feel like we're not an anomaly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being unique. In fact, being different sets us a part from the rest of the pack. But, those YouTube videos sure do make many of us feel like our hair is NOTHING like Hair Expert So and So who never seems to have a bad hair day; hair grows over night; and every style seems to come out perfectly. No, our hair twin reminds us of the imperfections of life. We learn to laugh at our flaws and even celebrate them.

So, tell me dear reader, have you spotted your hair twin? 

Treat Hair Like a Precious Fabric & See Great Results!!

Often, I have seen natural experts compare natural hair to a precious fabric. This is an excellent analogy and allows those of us "hard headed" naturals to think clearly about how to automate our hair care. It perturbs me to hear people complain about how difficult it is to care for natural hair. I have seen blogs and forums  posting comments after comments about how hard it is to care for curly, kinky, and/or extra dry hair. Moreover, some naturals are so frustrated by their hair that they find that it is easier to chemically straighten and/or wear hair extensions and weaves. While I believe that each person must do what is best for him or her, I also believe that natural hair is not that difficult to maintain. Treat your natural hair like a precious fabric and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

How are natural hair and special fabrics alike?

1. Both natural hair and special fabric have to be HAND washed. This means that the cleansing process has to be thorough yet gentle. Twisting or tugging can cause permanent damage resulting in tears, splitting, and shedding. Think of your best hand wash only fabric. ONLY gentle washing by hand keeps the fabric from becoming to stretched or mangled. The same is true with natural hair. Cleansing hair in sections (the use of butterfly clips, loose twists or braids) keeps hair from being tangled. I always cleanse my hair in loose twists and this reduces any unnecessary breakage and shedding.

2. Both natural hair and special fabric require SPECIAL PRODUCTS. I will not start the natural vs. commercial product debate, but my point here is to use products that are tailored especially for YOUR hair. Every head of hair is different, so this means using products that agree with your scalp and hair. Be mindful of ingredients that works well with your hair's special needs (hair type, porosity, etc.). For example, I use primarily products that contain shea butter, castor oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera, etc.

3. Both natural hair and special fabric are AIR DRIED. Typically, special fabrics do not get arbitrarily tossed into a dryer. But, rather, they are air dried. Heat styling should be kept to a bare minimum. Why? Because excessive heat styling can break down the bonds of natural hair causing irreversible damage. Opt to air dry natural hair. Use a soft white tee to speed the drying process. This is called "plopping". Plopping safely dries natural hair. I "plop" my hair every time I cleanse it and my hair always dries fluffy and soft.

4. Both natural hair and special fabric need to be protected. Imagine you know that it will be a rainy day and you are wearing  your best suede fabric. What do you do? You spray a protectant spray over it to protect it from weather damage. The same is true for natural hair. Protect your hair from nature's elements. On windy days wear a scarf or hat to keep your hair from being blown causing breakage. Wrap your hair on fiercely cold days to keep the moisture from escaping and causing excessive dryness. Even hot, sunny days can cause damage. Taking special precautions can save your hair in the long run.

Sometimes we do things to our hair that causes cumulative damage. Likewise, it is the little things that can result in length retention. I have learned to approach length retention one step at a time. This means that every single thing that I do can either cause length retention or excessive shedding and breakage. I choose to treat my hair like a special fabric and just as a fabric can be preserved, so can my hair. I hope these tips were just as helpful to you as they have been for me.

Dear Reader, what other tips can you share?

Resisting the Urge to Re-Twist: Roll, Tuck, Pin& Shake!!!

I've been feeling a little blah lately about my weekly twisting routine. I do enjoy the benefit of a protective style that lasts me about a week. I have fine, fickle threads that like to escape into a tumble of fuzziness after over a week. Also, there is something serene about my weekly hair washing sessions. Since using Chagrin Valley shampoo bars my hair has been less tangled and my scalp is clean and healing from my seborrhea dermatitis. So, I make these hair wash days into my spa treatment complete with a deep treatment pree poo every week. I'll go into more detail about my revised hair regimen and growth plan in the next post.

My twist outs used to consist of unravelling my twists that I had in for a week, then re-twisting to get the same definition the next day and the day after. But, my fine strands would do a tangle job like you wouldn't believe and I'd end up with hair fighting with itself. So, I asked myself what could I do to get beautiful definition AND reduce the hair tangles? I came up with my tuck and pin method.

Before bedtime I spritzed my hair with my water, aloe vera juice, and oils mixed. Then, I added some hair milk to each section. Next, I rolled my hair on each side and pinned them down. I placed my satin head scarf on my head and I went to sleep.

In the morning I unpinned and unrolled each section. Then, I used my fingers to separate and style the sections. I shook my hair in a downward motion to add volume.
The result? Soft, bouncy small spiral curls that are presentable. No more re-twisting for me. I'm happy with the results.