Tiffany's Loc Journey Part II

When we last looked at Tiffany's progress she was about 3/4 of the way done with combing out her locks.  Check out the collage below to see the remaining steps to these beautiful mini locs.  Next up, an interview with Ms. Dena herself as well as her stylist, Ms. Tonya Barbee, also of Taji's Natural Hair Styling.

 


                          

This free photo collage personalized with Smilebox

Tiffany's Journy from Loc'ed to Loose Natural!

Many of your have had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Tiffany Dena', one of the stylists at Taji's Natural Hair Salon.  Tiffany has been loc'ed for some time now and she is currently going through the process of combing out her locs.

Below are some pictures of the beginning stages of the comb out process.  It took her 2 weeks to get to this current point.  There will be more pictures coming soon as well as an interview about her process!  Stay tuned!

Photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox written by NaturallyNita

Answering Your Questions: Minimizing Frizz in High Humidity

Khadijah Frrahkhan asked:  Can you provide some tips on products to minimize frizz & puffiness in the humidity?

Well, Kahdijah we're certainly in the dog days of summer!  According to the weather channel, if we have 2 more 90 degree days we will have had 26 days in NC over 90 degrees which will be a new record for our state.  With the heat in NC, comes the high humidity.  The heat and humidity certainly presents a challenge for those of us with natural hair.

Here are a few tips that we hope you'll find helpful:

1.  Condition your hair well.  As part of your regular maintenance, you cannot skip conditioning your hair.  You should deep condition you hair at least once a month, however if needed your deep conditioning could be done as frequently as once a week.

2.  Drying your hair.  Try to stay away from using a terry cloth towel.  The terry cloth towel can create frizz.  If you don't have the time to allow your air dry, you can use a t-shirt or a microfiber towel to or even a hooded dryer as an option.

3. Nighttime maintenance.  Always sleep on a satin pillowcase or a satin bonnet not on a cotton pillowcase.  It will draw the moisture out of your hair and is a contributor to frizz.

4. Product recommendations.  Khadijah's main question was around products to use.  Well no product is guaranteed to prevent frizz.  However, I would recommend the use of a pomade, which is usually a heavy grease like consistency to hold frizz at bay. One Aveeda's Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade.  Speaking of humectants, in especially high humidity conditions you want to minimize the use of products that contain humectants.  Humectants draw moisture from the atmosphere into the hair which causes it to swell. These include: glycerin, honey, panthenol.  Instead, look for products that include these ingredients which are natural anti- humectants:  coconut oil, EVOO, beeswax, shea butter.

5. Learn to love a little frizz.  Sometimes in pursuit of the perfect defined look for our curls and coils we shun the true nature of our hair.  Though it is discouraging when we want a look for a special occasion, a little frizz can be beautiful!  It makes our hair appear fuller and definitely adds some character!  The more that one accepts that some frizz is going to occur the less stressful styling your hair will be.  And if you remember to always have in your purse and ouchless headband and some bobby pins you'll be able to whip a frizzy hairdo into a cute puff or bunn.


I hope this helps to answer your question!  Please keep them coming!

Submitted by NaturallyNita

Answering Your Questions: Natural Hair and Swimming

Kenesha Bentley-Mair asks "What are some tips that you have for taking care of natural hair after spending time in the pool?"

With NC having record heat this summer topping in the triple digits, a dip in the pool may be just what the doctor ordered for cooling down and having some fun!  As you can imagine, many of us are taking a dip & we definitely want to treat our hair with tender loving care.

Care for natural hair actually begins before you get in the pool.  According to Nicole Harmon, a cosmetic chemist, your first step should be to rinse your hair thoroughly before entering the pool.  Doing so will fill your strands with the tap water, lessening the opportunity for the chlorinated water to attach to your hair.

Secondly, coat your hair with an inexpensive conditioner and seal with an oil either coconut or olive oil.  Then loosely twist your hair and either pull  back in a ponytail or pin up.  This will prevent your hair from tangling while swimming and minimize those dreaded single strand knots.

Immediately after swimming, shampoo your hair thoroughly and deep condition your hair to replenish the moisture and style as usual.  One recommended product is Aubrey Organics Normalizing Shampoo and Conditioner for an Active Lifestyle.

One of the many freedoms of having natural hair is the joy of being able to spend time in the pool without your hair "reverting" when being relaxed.  Even so, be sure to care for it so that it remains healthy after your plunge!

Have any other questions about this topic?  Feel free to leave any comments or additional questions below!

 Submitted by NaturallyNita

Answering Your Questions: Making a Style Last Until My Appt.

Recently, we reached out to you on Facebook and asked you to provide us with some ideas of things that you wanted to read about and you responded with some excellent questions!  Each week we will feature one question and respond with a blog post featuring that question.

This week's question comes from Ms. Cessaly Cheatham.  She asks:  What are some at home styling tips for really THICK hair?  I need something to get me through those last few days before my appointment.

Answer:  It sounds like you're looking for a low maintenance style that still looks polished even though you're really "stretching" your hair until you can make it to the salon.  The first thing I would recommend is to make sure your hair is well moisturized.  Natural hair craves moisture, it's especially essential during the summer months and it makes your natural hair easier to manipulate.  Mist your hair with water and seal with a light oil (olive oil or coconut oil) or use a water based moisturizer before creating any of these styles.   Here are a couple of options that I found on Youtube that are simple, can be done on thick stretched (old twist out, old braid out) hair and would look great until you can get into one of our fabulous stylists' chairs.

Check out Charyjay's 5 Minute Updo (the hair tutorial begins at the 1:20 mark)

Or Br0nzeqt's Textured Bun

And if you're really rushed for time but want something fun to do to your hair, check out this style - a new twist on the puff from NikkiMae2003

Please remember that these styles can be modified based on the length of your own natural hair.  Your hair doesn't have to be the length or the thickness of these ladies, add your own twist to it!  I hope this helps!  Check in next week as we address another one of your questions!

I've Big Chopped - Now What Do I Do?

 
Just a week ago, we had our big chop (transition cut) party at Taji's Natural Hair Salon.  It was an amazing event and we enjoyed it!  We also know that as the weather gets warmer, others who have been transitioning from relaxed to natural hair may be thinking about getting rid of those relaxed ends and taking the plunge to become totally natural.  So you now may be thinking, I have this TWA, what do I do with it?   Well never fear,
here are some tips for maintaining your TWA!

1.  Develop a simple maintenance routine!  There are many natural hair products out there, be careful not to go overboard buying products.  All you need is a sulfate free shampoo, a conditioner, an oil for sealing in moisture, and a styling product.  Ask your stylist for retail product recommendations or you can also purchase in house products directly from Taji's!

2.  Combat dryness by moisturizing your hair regularly!  Many new naturals often complain of dry hair.  The best way to keep your hair moisturized is by applying water. This doesn't necessarily mean shampooing the hair every day (a common mistake that new naturals make).  It does mean however, that your hair needs water frequently.  Mist (don't saturate) your hair with a spray water bottle for moisture and a light oil (i.e. coconut oil, olive oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil) to the hair to seal in the moisture.  Always sleep with a satin bonnet or on a satin pillowcase to keep dryness at bay as well.

3.  My hair looks dull, is it unhealthy?  Naturally curly hair reflects light differently than straight hair because it has bends and curls in it therefore instead of it being a totally reflective surface, its structure fragments light.  It is very rare for highly textured hair to appear "shiny", however you will notice that it does have a healthy "sheen" to it.  Again, the use of light oils can help with this.

4.  Utilize low manipulation styles on your TWA.  A few simple hair styles for your new TWA is a wash & fro (without gel) or a wash & go (which uses gel to define your natural curl pattern), finger coils & coil outs.

5. Accessorize your new look!  Your TWA will naturally draw attention to your facial features.  Use the time to try a new bold make up look, feature your favorite jewelry accessories and wear flowers, bows, and unique headbands in your hair!

6.  Lastly remember, short natural hair DOES need care & maintenance.  Short natural hair is not  get up and go hair.  While you may not have to spend hours styling your hair you will need to care for your hair in order for it to have a healthy and neat appearance. 


Do you have any questions about maintaining your TWA?  Leave a comment in the comment section below and we'll answer them!
 

Announcing: Transition Cut (Big Chop) Party 04.21.2012!!

Have you been thinking about going natural?

Currently transitioning and haven't yet set a date for cutting the rest of your relaxed ends?

Nervous about taking that next step?


We are having a Transition Cut (Big Chop) Party on Saturday, April 21st from 9 am - 4 pm!

Come join us as we encourage, support, and celebrate those who take the final step in becoming completely natural!  There will be food, fun, and gifts for all to enjoy!

As an additional incentive, ALL transition cut (Big chop) services will be HALF PRICE!

So don't delay!  We have a few appointments left so call and schedule your appointment today!

You Asked For It: Announcing New Customer Referral Program

One of the greatest compliments that we can receive as stylists is for our current customers to be so pleased with the service that they have received that they encourage others they know to check us out!  Many of you have asked if we have a referral program.  Because we love our customers we are announcing our new customer referral program.  This referral program goes into effect for new customers referred after March 15, 2012.

It's simple!  Refer 3 new customers to any stylist at Taji's Natural Hair Styling. They must book an appointment and show up for their scheduled appointment.  You will receive 10% off  next your appointment following the 3rd individual's completed appointment.  Please be sure to have the person who referred you to mention your name OR take a few business cards from the front desk and write on there referred by XX (your name).  Pass them out to those who ask about your hair!

This is our way of saying "THANK YOU" for sharing Taji's Natural Hair Styling with those that you know!

**Please be sure to mention to the receptionist or stylist prior to check out that you qualify for a referral discount prior to checkout.  New customers & confirmed appts. will be verified in the calendar prior to applying discount.




 

Loc Makeover Giveaway - We have a WINNER!

We have a winner!!!   Reviewing all the entries and making sure they were qualified (a loc wearer with 3 years of growth) we put all the names into random.org and the name returned was

 NICCI BROWNDREADS!!

Please join us in congratulating Nicci as the winner of our 1st Loc Makeover Giveaway!

Her salon experience will include:

• Locs cut and fabulously styled by Taji Shabu!
• Locs natural hue transformed with color by Tiffany Denay!
• Her  best features enhanced by an experienced make-up artist!
• Before and After Photos of her new look
• Feature on the salon blog and Facebook page

Thank you to everyone for participating!  We will be having a giveaway for the loose natural hair wearers very soon!

Wearing Wigs As A Natural Hair Protective Style

Drew lace front Wig by Beshe

Wearing a wig has gone from being something you do when you have a bad hair day to a frequently used option to try out new styles, change your look & have fun without permanently changing your own hair.  In the natural hair community, wearing wigs is seen as a great low cost, quick protective style.  While that is true, we also wanted to share some tips for keeping your own hair healthy underneath your glamorous coif.  

1.  Make sure you keep your own hair cleansed, conditioned, and moisturized underneath your wig.  Just because your hair isn't exposed to the elements while you're wearing your wig doesn't mean that it won't need to be cared for.  Make sure you are maintaining your regular hair cleansing regimen even while your hair is under your wig.

2. Either twist, cornrow, or braid your own hair underneath.  Not only will this provide a flat foundation for your wig but it but will also prevent your own hair from tangling under the wig. You can actually moisturize your hair in the braids or twists by misting your hair with a moisturizing spray.

3. Watch out for your edges!  The friction from your wig can actually rub out the fragile hair on your edges.  Make sure you wear a stocking cap or wig cap underneath your wig.  Also, if possible eliminate the use of tape for your lace front wigs. 

A Natural Hair Makeover GIVEAWAY for Loc Wearers - CLOSED

Taji's Natural Hair Salon announces its first Natural Loc Makeover!  Are you looking for an opportunity to do something drastically different with your locs?  Ready for a whole new look?  Well this makeover giveaway is for you!  Here is what you will get:

• Your locs cut and fabulously styled by Taji Shabu!
• Your locs natural hue transformed with color by Tiffany Denay!
• Your best features enhanced by an experienced make-up artist!
• Before and After Photos of your new look
• Feature on the salon blog and Facebook page

Here are the requirements:

• You must have 3 years of loc growth
• You must be open to a creative look with your hair (stylists will have total creative license)
• You must like the Taji's Natural Hair Styling Facebook page AND
• Like the link to this post on the Facebook page

The GIVEAWAY begins today, February 9th and ends on February 27th at midnight.  The winner will be chosen by random selection using random.org.  The winner will be announced on February 28th!

The date and time of the makeover will be Monday, March 5th at 10 am.

Good Luck!  And don't worry if you don't win this one, there will be future makeover giveaways for our loose naturals coming soon!

Oh my Loc! - Loc Breakage

After achieving great length with your locs you want to do everything possible to retain their health.  Today we look at another problematic area for loc wearers, loc breakage.

What are some of the causes of loc breakage and what can I do to prevent it?

1.  Too frequent tightening- Your locs should be tightened about once every 4-6 weeks.  We all want our hair to look neat, however, tightening your locs too often can cause your loc to become weak.

2. Frequent tights styles - While it can be understood that you will want to experience all the creative styling options that locs provide,  be careful.  Just as with loose natural hair, styling your hair in creations that are too tight will cause your hair to break.  This is not to say completely eliminate these styles, just utilize them in moderation.

3.  Hair is already in a fragile state- Building hair length on weak strands will not help you sustain long length.  It is always best to remove the weak or fragile hair by cutting it before starting your journey.


What are some of the issues that you experience as a loc wearer?  Leave a concern in the comment section below and we'll answer you there or write a blog post to educate others!

Oh my Loc! - The Lint Issue

Recognize this?

Does this look familiar?

Yep, you guessed it, it's lint trapped in your locs.  Unfortunately, it's one of the little nuisances about wearing locs.  Can you avoid it?  Not totally.  Are there things you can do to reduce the occurrence?  Absolutely!

Here are a few things to avoid:
1. Beeswax
2. Butters
3. White or light colored towels
4. Sleeping or lounging with your locs exposed

Instead:
1. Use light oils & light gels for re-twisting
2. Use a dark colored, or lint free towel or t-shirt for drying your locs
3. Sleep in a satin bonnet or loc soc at night

But I have visible lint!  How do I fix the problem?

Well, there's no great solution for fixing the problem.  You can use tweezers to try to pull the lint out.  Just be careful.  You don't want to damage the integrity of the loc by trying to dig out lint.  Many choose to dye the loc to cover up the lint.  A more natural solution is to perform a black tea rinse.  To check out information on this solution, click here.

You can always consult one of the stylists here at Taji's Natural Hair Styling for advice on this issue as well.

Have you experienced issues with lint in your locs?  How have you resolved it?  Leave a suggestion below!

Keeping Single Strand Knots At Bay in Natural Hair

Ever seen them?  These teeny weeny little knots on your hair?  They are so miniscule that you can probably feel them better than you can see them.  They are called single strand knots or "fairy knots"  and they are the bane of every natural curly haired girl.  Single strand knots are a nuisance because other curls can get tangled on them and cause big knot or mats in your natural hair.  So how can you prevent them?  Well, single strand knots cannot be absolutely avoided, however they can be minimized.    Check out the steps below and feel free to add your own techniques for reducing single strand knots.

1.  Minimize wearing wash-n-go's.   Wash & go's and the shingling process defines and enhances your natural curl pattern.  Because your curls curl up on themselves, this style can also increase the likelihood off single strand knots especially if you wear this style for multiple days.

2. Wear stretched hair styles.  This doesn't necessarily mean heat straightening your hair.  What it does mean is wearing your hair in styles that reduce the amount of shrinkage your hair experiences.  Some examples of these styles are 2 strand twists, twist outs, braid outs, flat twists, and bantu knot outs. These styles stretch out the hair without heat and create curly, crinkly, or wavy styles.  

3.  Detangle your hair during your weekly hair cleansing session.  Detangling is a very important part of hair cleansing session.  Make sure you use a conditioner with a lot of slip and use a detangling tool.  There are several that you can use.  Many recommend the use of your fingers so that you can feel knots and tangles and release them without breaking off your hair.  You can also use a wide tooth comb or detangling brush.  When using these last two tools start your detangling at the ends of your hair and work your way up.  This whole process also helps to remove shed hairs.  Remember, on average, we shed between 80- 100 strands of hair per day.  These shed hairs can create tangles and knots if not removed regularly.

4.  Removing single strand knots.  The only way to remove single strand knots is to use a pair of hair scissors and snip right above the knot.  

What are some of the methods that you use to minimize single strand knots?

Products Now Offered at Taji Natural Salon!

Do you love the way your hair feels when you leave Taji's Natural Hair Styling?  Well, we are proud to announce that we are now offering some of the unique products offered at Taji's for sale!  For just $5 each you can can take home the following products for at home maintenance.  These products were created exclusively by our own Taji Shabu. 

Available for Sale Now are:

Energizing Sulfate Free Shampoo
Moisturizing Conditioner
Refreshing Lite Leave-In Spray
Refreshing Scalp Oil
Energizing Aloe Jelly


When you come in for your appointment, talk to your stylist about the products available for sale!

Exercising with Natural Hair

Happy New Year!  One of the events that goes along with the arrival of a new year is setting new year's resolutions.  As well all know the most popular new year's resolution is to get in shape and exercise more.  Some may be asking the question, "How do I maintain my natural hair while working out?"

There are many styles that you can wear while working out.  For those who have a heavy workout routine, we would recommend: twist extensions, yarn braids, twisted or braided up do's.   These styles are low maintenance, will keep your hair out of the way and still look great after a workout.

For those who would like to wear a loose natural style, like a twist out or braid out, keep your hair twisted or braided during your work out (if you're at the gym, don a beanie to cover your hair) and then when your roots are dry untwist your hair.  This will prevent you from losing your defintion.  Since your hair will be getting damp at the roots try using a light gel or a product that does not have a humectant in its ingredient list to hold your twists or braids.  This will prevent excess frizz.  A wash-n-go is another perfect style for the gym enthusiast.

Essence.com had a great article on its site today about maintaining your hair while working out.  Check it out by clicking here.  Just remember your total body health is extremely important.  Your hair will flourish as a result of your working out.  Don't let your hair be an excuse NOT to work out.  Just find styles that work with your newfound commitment to your body's health.  To your health!