Dye Natural Hair???

Natural hair can be a great canvas for colour, but if you're considering dyeing your hair for the first time, there are some precautions to take. You have to consider the colour you're going for , how it will affect your curls, and the upkeep associated with dyeing. While going darker, adding lowlights or colouring within your natural colour range won’t cause you too many problems—the drastic colour leaps upward (more than 3 shades beyond your natural colour) can really take a toll on your hair. Before you engage in any hair altering experience, first understand and weigh the risks. Never ever colour your hair on a whim or without a gameplan for aftercare.

 

This year you can expect 5 major hair colouring trends to be in full circulation. Wondering what they are? Look below to find out!

 

Bantu Knots

Bantu is a colonial word used to describe Zulu people. The word was used to identify African people who spoke the Bantu dialect. The word Bantu does not refer to one group of people, rather over 10 million Africans of Zulu descent who speak the Bantu dialect. This is why Bantu Knots are also referred to as Zulu Knots.

These have now recently become a hair trend among all races.
Here are easy steps on how I make my bantu knots :

1. Section your hair into four large sections ,depending on how large you would like your knots to be.

2. Spray (I usually spray mine with leave in conditioner) each section as you do it, combing it through to remove any knots.

3. Lastly twist the damp sections inward and clip them with Bobby pins.  DO NOT  TWIST YOUR HAIR TOO TIGHTLY. Twisting the hair too tightly can stress your hair and cause breakage, but also it will not result in nice curls/waves either.  Instead twist the hair about two to three times then wrap it on itself and continue until all the hair is twisted and wrapped into the knot.

Wait a minimum of 12 hours to undo them, giving your hair a wavy texture, or keep your hair like that for the day!

Discrimination Against Hair?

Straight hair has made its way into our black community. Starting from the time our people were poached from their home land ,the western civilisation has been making strides in enforcing their culture and ways upon us. 

 Straight hair enjoys a higher prestige and is more widely accepted in both professional settings and everyday settings. This social stigma attached to having curly hair has created an entire economy around hair care products and treatments to straighten hair.We seem to have forgotten ourselves and who we are by conforming to the walls society has put up around us. Why does our hair suddenly determine or rather affect how we look at others and ourselves.

I'm not saying having straight hair as a black person is a problem,but rather what I'm saying is that being black a person  and having curly, kinky hair is ok too. Blacks are not the only girls who suffer from hair discrimination and that's my whole point I'm not fighting only for my race, but I'm fighting for my gender as well. Women shouldn't be judged by their hair or outward appearances. Curly, kinky or straight  YOUR hair is beautiful!

Know Your Hair Type!

My name is Nonjabulo Buhle Mndzebele. I am a 15 year old girl. I cut my hair in mid 2014. I always struggled to embrace my more natural African self and I always wanted to have smoother hair .My mom joined me in my journey to discovering my inner "Afro-Freak''! I started this blog to help young African girls learn how to embrace ,love and take care of themselves. Knowing the natural hair type you have is important since it has a big influence on your routine care regimens, hairstyling and hair products you can use. Furthermore, knowing it will also give you answers as to why your natural hair behaves the way it does and why it is not like your friend’s yet you have the same hair colors.
Type 4 hair is mostly associated with Black girls. There are three kinds of type 4 hair. I personally have type 4a.

- Type 4a is tightly coiled hair that has an "S" pattern. It has more moisture than 4b and has a definite curl pattern. The circumference of the spirals is close to that of a crochet needle. The hair can be wiry or fine-
textured. Hair type 4a works well with the wash-and-go, twist-outs, bantu-knot-out hairstyles but blow-drying with a diffuser can help in stretching the curls. 

-Type 4b has a "Z" pattern and less of a defined curl pattern. Instead of curling or coiling, the hair bends in sharp angles like the letter "Z".


-Type 4c hair is composed of curl patterns that will almost never clump without doing a specific hairstyle. 4c hair can range from fine, thin, soft to coarse with lots of densely packed strands.

The LOIS system defines the hair pattern by the letters LOIS. I’ll explain:

• L = If your hair is dominated by right angles and substantially bends with nearly no curve, then you’re considered a pattern “L”.
• O = If your hair strand curls or coils significantly and appear to be shaped like the letter “O”, then you’re considered a pattern “O”.
• I = If your hair has no distinctive curls or bends and primarily lies flat against your head, then you’re considered a pattern “I”.
• S = If your hair strand has “S” shaped curls or waves with defined hills and valleys, then you’re considered a pattern “S”.

I look forward to posting more! Comment ,subscribe and share.❤️

Acknowledgements:
http://www.naturallycurly.com/pages/hairtypes/type4
http://www.stronghair.org/hair-types/hair-types-3-curly-2-wavy-4-kinky-1-straight-charts-quiz-tests/
http://www.curlcentric.com/hair-typing-system/