Trying to keep up with a styling challenge means that you have to try something different every day. Ordinarily I would have maintained my twist out for a couple more days, but instead I transitioned into a curly updo. Bear in mind that I didn’t wash my hair at all during the 15 days, I just moisturised and spritzed. I also made sure that I didn’t use heavy oils or butters which would lead to product build-up and limp hair.

Day 5 – Curly updo. I love my earrings

Curly Updo

On the night of day 4 (which was a Wednesday), I spritzed and sealed my hair and made medium sized twists all over my head. The idea was to remove some of the textured look from the twist out, but achieve curled ends. I was able to do this with lots of spritzing as the water caused enough shrinkage to get rid of some of the definition. This is how I was able to transition to a more curly look. You can also achieve greater curl by bantu knotting the ends. I also had my Day 6 style in mind and so needed to stretch my hair in order to prepare it for that style. Back to Day 5.

Day 5 – Curly updo (back view)

Day 5 – Curly updo. This was a good hair day. lol

Because I only really had definition on the ends, I pinned the hair up at the back and sides and let it fall. If your hair is shorter and denser, it is probably going to stand up much more than mine did. This is about knowing your hair and your head. Mine is quite fine in texture and medium in terms of density so it will always flop down unless in a really shrunken state. This can be frustrating.

Day 5 – Curly updo (top view) In this picture you can see the twist out definition much more clearly. It is also evident that only the ends are curled

Day 5 – Curly Updo

This simple style is also a good way to rescue tired curls or twists or any style. I find that natural hair styling is partly about inspiration, but mostly about experimenting with what works or with what you have at the time.

15 Days, 15 Styles – Day 5

Read the introductory post to this series here. Read styles for Day 1 & 2 here. Read styles for Day 3 & 4 here.

This is pretty special because not only are there two styles in this post (Day 6 & Day 7), there is also a bonus style. Happy reading.

Day 7 – Flat Twist Bangs

After a pretty successful Day 5, morning dawned on day 6 which was a Friday. I was excited to attempt a style that I had been looking forward to doing for a while. Unfortunately, it just wouldn’t work. In fact, nothing would. Every woman in the world has bad hair days occasionally and today was one of mine. I managed to do the flat twist bangs in the front, but the afro puff I was going for at the back just wouldn’t seem to work. The hair was a bit too stretched it seemed and just flopped down. The flat twists bangs just also didn’t seem to have the definition that I wanted. I tied the back into a puff and sectioned the hair into smaller twists that I pinned down. This was in a bid to get definition to try again and wear my hair out in a proper afro puff the following day.

Day 6 – Flat twist bangs Part 1 (side view)

The definition at the side was fine, I just had not figured out what to do with the back and I was rushing so had few options. What did I do that afternoon? I went out looking for hair accessories as I realised I was also very limited in terms of how to deal with the situation. I came home with a full bag. Happy shopping indeed!

I like this picture because my indefatigable spirit is such that I returned to this look and nailed it later on in the challenge. Perseverance pays off. So although this particular one was a fail, this picture reminds me of the sweetness of success a few days later.

For hair that was just done that morning, this looked like I’d had it for a week. Not sure what happened, but it happens. Normally I would have worn a head wrap, but since I was in the middle of a challenge, I had to soldier on. This after all, is the reality of life. You win some, you lose some.

Day 7 – Flat Twist Bangs Part 2

So after failing to hit the mark on Day 6, I decided to try again on day 7. The hair was more stretched, so I made sure to not spritz too much to preserve definition. I added a tiny bit of shea butter for hold. I also sectioned the hair in front in advance of flat twisting. When flat twisting, I also pulled the twist closer to the hairline. You can see the difference between Day 6 and 7, not only in definition, but shine as well. In short, I nailed it.

Day 7 – Success

Learning how to flat twist was probably the proudest day of my natural hair journey thus far. That was way back in May or June 2013.

My hair is quite fine, so an afro puff is actually the ideal style as it doesn’t require the hair being in a ponytail, which reduces the volume. The clip I used was about half the length of a banana clip, but more oval in shape. I think that it pulled my hair too tightly and ate up the volume that I needed to make a ‘powerful’ puff.

Yes, I love my country and this is my most patriotic outfit, aside from wearing traditional chitenge. I think the Zambia national Football team was playing on this day or else I was just feeling like flying the flag. I can’t remember.

In this picture is where you can see that I would have been better off pinning the puff in place in order to retain volume.

Day 6 – Flat twist bang part 1

Day 7 – Flat twist bangs part 2

The Bonus Style

Many of my styles are results of failed experiments, but some are inspired by what I see online or in person. As mentioned already, Day 6 was an epic fail, but I got back up and tried again the following day and nailed it. My inspiration was this Chunky Flat Twist Bangs and Afro Puff from my favourite natural hair icon, young Boo from Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care. The minute I saw this picture, I knew I had to try it some time. For those wondering (and because some person on Facebook will ask without reading), what are bangs? Bangs (in North American English) are what British people call a fringe. Honestly, flat twist fringe doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, so I’ll stick with bangs.

Me and my hairspiration!

I don’t have quite as much hair as Boo does, and I am not nearly as neat as her Mum Rory. I also I couldn’t find a round puff cuff clip type of thing, but I was happy with how it turned out. Especially because it allowed me to perfect the flat twist bang as you will see later in in this challenge. Read more from Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care here.

15 Days, 15 Styles – Day 6 & 7

Read the introductory post to this series here. Read styles for Day 1 & 2 here. Read styles for Day 3 & 4 here. Read the style for Day 5 here.

Nwaugo is someone who we’ve wanted to feature on ZedHair for a long time. We’ve dubbed her the, “Queen of Updo’s” as she always manages to create beautiful, elegant hairstyles that are perfect for work or play. Here is her natural hair story and regimen.

Where in Africa are you from?
I am from Abia state in Nigeria :)

Where are you currently based?
I am currently living in London, UK

When did you decide to go natural?
I decided to go natural around 2008 after I saw a lady enter the hair salon i went to with afro hair and left the salon with sleek hot iron pressed hair. I have very sensitive scalp and suffered burns each time I relaxed my hair so this was the perfect solution to my problem. I decided then to transition from relaxed to natural hair with the help of my hair stylist and  I also wore senegalese twists to give my hair a break from the heat. From 2008 to 2010 I went to the salon to press my natural hair every 3 to 4 weeks and my hair stayed at the same (shoulder) length. In 2011 a friend told me about the healthy hair movement for natural hair and also recommended that I read the science of black hair. I have never looked back.

What has been your experience having natural hair so far?
It has been very liberating and I love love love it :). There is so much information out there on how to look after natural hair and so many styles to try. I am naturally a creative person when it comes to styling my hair so I feel like a kid in a candy store! I keep trying new styles and learning new things so I am loving it :)

What is your hair regimen?

There seven steps to my hair care regimen which are listed below:
STEP ONE- Prepoo before Shampoo
I spritz my hair with my water-aloe mixture (half water, half aloe vera juice and a bit of extra virgin olive oil in a spritz bottle) and I apply coconut oil for 2-3 hours or the night before I wash my hair, finger detangle and twist my hair into 8 sections. I then cover my hair with cling film.

STEP TWO – Shampooing
I rub some TRESemme naturals on my strands concentrating on the tips. I do this section by section (unravel each twist, detangle and re-twist). I apply body shop rainforest shampoo (sulphate and silicon free) or liquid black soap (Dudu-Osun) (I make this by adding scrapings of the black soap in an applicator bottle with some water) on my scalp and gently rub/massage my scalp.

STEP THREE – Washing
I rinse out my hair with warm water section by section (unravel, rinse and re-twist). I wrap my hair with a cotton t-shirt or cloth (never a towel as that can be harsh on natural hair) for about 30 minutes.

STEP FOUR – Deep conditioning treatment
I apply my deep conditioner (TRESemme naturals conditioner mixed with honey (1-2 tablespoons), full fat milk/ plain yogurt (2-3 tablespoons), aloe vera juice (3 tablespoons), extra virgin olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) and a lump of shea butter (all mixed together with my fingers). I leave the conditioner in for one hour with a cling film, plastic cap and my hair conditioning cap.
After one hour I wait for about 5 minutes for my hair to cool down then I gently finger detangle and follow up with a wide toothed detangling comb and gently comb through (starting from the tips and work up to the roots).

STEP FIVE – Washing
I rinse the conditioner out with warm water. I do a final rinse with apple cider vinegar mixed with water (room temperature or cool) (480ml water mixed with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar). First I dip the tips of my twisted hair into the mixture to close my cuticles then pour it all over my hair (I do not rinse it out). I wrap my hair with a cotton t-shirt or cloth for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

STEP SIX- Moisturise and Seal.
I allow my hair to air dry till 90% dry and moisturise with TRESemme naturals diluted with water (equal parts water and conditioner) or  I use a leave in conditioner (I am currently trying the shea moisture Jamaican black castor oil leave in conditioner). I seal with coconut oil or shea butter then thread it in 8 sections to stretch my hair as it shrinks a lot. When I thread my hair I take extra care not to pull my sides and after I thread each section I check to make sure that the sides are loose.

STEP SEVEN- Styling and Maintenance.
The next day, I do a protective style (10-20 braids/twists) as I run and gym a lot. At the weekend I take down my braids/ twists and leave my hair in a braid out/ twist out hairstyle. I also do a lot of updo styles on my streched hair, braid out/ twist outs to try and keep my hair from rubbing on my clothes and help reduce split ends.

I re-moisturise my hair by lightly spritzing with my water-aloe mixture and sealing with coconut oil every 1-2 days focusing on my ends because they are the driest and oldest part of my hair.

If I have a braid out/ twist out hairstyle, I re- twist my hair every night in big twists (about 8-10 twists) to keep it stretched and tangle free and if I do not have time to twist my hair I put it in a loose bun.

If I have cornrows or braided/twisted extensions, I spritz my hair daily with my water-aloe mixture and I clean my scalp weekly with cotton wool dipped in apple cider vinegar mixed with water (480ml water mixed with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar) or distilled witch hazel. I do not carry these styles for more than 4-6weeks.

I  always wrap my hair with a satin scarf and bonnet for bed to keep my hair moisturised.

How did you achieve the hairstyle in these pictures? 

Teyonah Parris Inspired Updo :

I deep conditioned, moisturized, sealed with coconut oil and threaded my hair to stretch it.
The next day, I removed the thread and rubbed some avocado oil, Jojoba oil then shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie from root to tip for each section then used a detangling comb to comb through the hair gently.
I sectioned the hair into three and the back two sections were secured with a hair band forming two ponytails. Each ponytail was sectioned into two equal parts which were then twisted (The twist was loose at the base then tighter at the tips) and pinned into place at opposing ends. Eco styler gel was added to the edges and I used a denman brush to smooth the edges.
For the front section, I rubbed some afroveda hair butter and smoothed with a denman brush then the hair was twisted (again the twist was loose at the base then tighter at the tips) and pinned into place. I rubbed some Eco styler gel and tied a silk scarf for 15 to 30 minutes to give me a smooth look.
Here is a link to a video tutorial to show you how the style is achieved:
Watch “RedCarpet-Ready Natural Hair Updo Inspired by Tey…” on YouTube – RedCarpet-Ready Natural Hair Updo Inspired by Tey…:http://youtu.be/-0vtFNrTXHc

Twist out:

I applied Jane carter solution wrap and roll from root to tip to deep conditioned, dry stretched hair (stretched with cotton) and two strand twisted my hair. I had about 18 two strand twists in total. When I got to about 1-2 inches of hair at the tip, I added a bit of the wrap and roll solution then twisted the hair (as if I am trying to do finger coils) then a bantu knot. The next day, I rubbed some avocado oil on my hands and on the hair then unravelled the hair gently and separated. I then used an afro comb at the base of my hair and fluffed to add volume.

High buns:

I deep conditioned, moisturized, sealed with coconut oil and threaded my hair to stretch it.
The next day I removed the thread and rubbed some shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie from root to tip for each section then used a detangling comb to comb through the hair gently and brushed the sides of my hair with a denman brush. I then used a hair tie to create a puff or side puff then rolled hair into a bun and pinned into place. I rubbed some aloe vera gel on the sides and tied a silk scarf for 15 to 30 minutes.

Pompadour with criss cross back:

I deep conditioned, moisturized, sealed with coconut oil and threaded my hair to stretch it.
The next day, I removed the thread and rubbed some avocado oil, Jojoba oil then shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie from root to tip for each section then used a detangling comb to comb through the hair gently.
I made 8 sections and the back 6 sections were placed on top of each other to create a criss cross pattern and pinned into place at the top.
For the front section, I rolled the hair into a pompadour and pinned into place. I rubbed some aloe vera gel on the sides and tied a silk scarf for 30 minutes to give me a smooth look.

Eva Longoria inspired Updo:

This style was created on 2 weeks old cotton stretched hair. I rubbed some shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie on sections of hair from root to tip and combed through. I then rubbed some shea moisture Jamaican black castor oil edge treatment on my edges and brushed with a denman brush. I sectioned the hair into 3. The middle section was secured with a hair band to form a ponytail. The back section was rolled upwards and pinned into place covering the ponytail, and forming a hump at the front. The front section was brought loosely backwards and pinned into place. Then I tied a silk scarf for 30 minutes to give me a smooth look.
Here is a link to a video tutorial to show you how the style is achieved :
Watch “Get the Look | Eva Longoria Inspired Updo” on YouTube – Get the Look | Eva Longoria Inspired Updo: http://youtu.be/WKTBFtlV00g

Any future plans/dreams for your hair?
When I started my healthy hair regimen my goal was to have healthy bra strap length hair which was achieved in December 2013. My current goal is to enjoy my hair, continue to try out new styles, keep my hair healthy, keep learning and inspire others who have chosen to embrace their natural beauty :).

Any advice to those considering going natural?
Just do it. When you start your natural hair journey read as much as possible and find vloggers that have similar hair textures as you to help you figure out a healthy hair regimen that works best for you. Keep your hair moisturised and keep your scalp clean. Be patient and enjoy your hair journey. Also try not to compare your hair growth rate, texture or thickness with others as this can sometimes lead to discouragement. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles to figure out what suits you and always have a simple ‘Plan B’ hair style for when a new style doesn’t turn out right.  Lastly, love your natural hair for you are fearfully and wonderfully made :).

I get a lot of inspiration for my hairstyles from the internet. Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and of course right here on this blog. We choose people for our Natural Spotlight feature based on the versatility of their styles. Last weekend we featured Nwaugo whose updo’s I’ve always wanted to try and I decided this week was as good as any to do so.

I washed my hair with bentonite clay this weekend, applied leave in conditioner and finished by sealing with shea butter and my oil mixture. I wanted smooth, stretched hair but would rather not use heat so I decided to use curlformers instead. I installed the curlformers on damp hair after applying flaxseed gel to each small section.

Step 1:

Divide the hair into three fairly equal parts. Tie the back two parts into two little puffs. If you want really smooth edges you should probably brush the hair first. I don’t own a brush so I had to work with what I had.

Step 2:

Roll and pin the hair in the puffs down to create a Mohawk effect. There’s no real method here, just pin and work the air to get a look that you like.

Step 3:

Create a pompadour in the front. I decided to try a very loose braid pinned down to the side. You can roll and pin or have a giant flat twist.

That’s it. Very simple and I think very elegant too.

By Brandi of http://www.hairinsights.wordpress.com

So my fro and I safely arrived in China (Baoding).

It’s been an interesting few weeks too, trying to get accustomed to life here and meeting many different people. Before leaving Botswana I of course put my hair in braids again so that I didn’t have to worry about hair during my settling period. However 3 weeks later I was itching to remove them and I finally gave in last week.

To prepare my hair for braiding I did my usual wash routine and used the tension method to straighten it somewhat to avoid having the hairstylist do it at the salon and probably yank my hair out in the process. Though I think I did a decent job, she still insisted on doing it again. Thankfully it wasn’t really painful because it wasn’t as tangled as it would have been had I not straightened it.

The braids took 2 hours to do which was great! The hairstylist was very fast! I was very happy with the size and how she braided them too so next time I’m in Francistown and need my hurr did, I’ll definitely use her again.

I put together a little hair product package for myself when coming to China though I was very limited quantity wise given that I had to watch my overall baggage weight. I will use them while I look for possible replacements from the supermarkets and online. Black hair products are not available locally here in my city (Baoding) because the expatriate population is very small but I’m sure in Beijing (which is 45 minutes away by train) they may available.

The weather is hair friendly too, more humid than Botswana which means my hair won’t dry out in summer (though it will shrink a lot) and moisture hair is my napp’s holy grail. So far my oils (coconut and castor) are working very well. My hair hasn’t been acting up either, so far so good. Winter is approaching though and luckily extensions are sold online and there is a student that braids on my campus so I can get it braided for winter.

I was really worried about my hair care routine being messed up while I live here but now I’m not panicking as much. I think everything will be fine.

How’s your hair journey going?

It started with the photographer who came to my office to take my pictures for the passport renewal application. He looked at my Bantu knot out and said “Sorry mama, they want the photos to be with your real hair.” “This is my real hair,” I replied. “Oh!” he said peering at my hair in disbelief, “It’s very nice.”

When I took the forms to the passport office the a couple of days later, the lady I submitted them to said, “this hair is mounted” I asked, “what do you mean?” “It’s artificial,” she said “ we need photos with your real hair” wishing I had come with my hair in a bantu knot out I answered, “that IS my real hair ” she looked at my hair (which was in flat twists at the time) and back at the photos and said ” Mmm… now these curls, I hope it won’t be rejected.” I pointed out the fact that I had twists with extensions in the used up passport I was handing in for renewal.

When I went to check on my passport a few days later (in twists), the lady told me the pictures had been rejected because my hair looked artificial. I told her it was not as she could see and she said there was nothing she could do about it. She said I would just have to bring fresh photos with a puff or something along those lines. I asked where the people that did the assessment of the pictures were so that I could see them and ask them what was artificial about my hair. I pointed out the fact that people do not travel with the same hairstyle that they had in the passport photo anyway so I could not see the need for all this fuss.

By this time I was pretty close to boiling point but I had to get back to the office. Given that my next trip was scheduled to take place in the next three days I decided I did not have the time to argue the matter any further. So I crossed the street, went into a photo studio, undid the front row of my twists, raked the hair back, gathered it and the rest of my twists into a pony tail at the back of my head and took fresh pictures. When the photographer showed them to me I noticed that my hair looked rather uneven in them but by then I was past caring. I had them certified and took then back to the passport office.

When I went to collect my new passport a couple of days later, lo and behold the Bantu knot out picture was in it! Apparently by the time my picture resubmissions arrived someone had decided to approve the original ones. I briefly entertained the idea of demanding a refund for the fresh pictures I was made to take.

I think there is need for the so called rules regarding hair to be reasonable and consistently applied. The current situation that has ladies with their natural hair in a free or locked state being made to jump through all sorts of hoops, whilst those with perms and weaves not asked to grow them out or take them down, is beyond belief. It has to stop. The focus should be on the visibility of our faces rather than our hair styles which change all the time. I have said my piece…..

Today’s Natural Spotlight is on Boniwe. Her story is particularly inspirational because like many women in Zambia she suffered thinning of the hair around her hairline as a result of harmful practices. She has shown that a consistent regimen and healthy hair practices are enough to aid recovery. Read on: 

Where in Africa are you from?

Zambia!

Where are you currently based?

The Tourist Capital of my homeland; Livingstone.

When did you decide to go natural?

I had a pretty decent perm and then had hair damage, no matter how hard I tried it just got worse so with my husbands help and support, I B’Ced 13^th July 2013

What has been your experience having natural hair so far?

It’s been interesting. I have learnt A LOT.  I love it.I have also encountered some challenges; sourcing of products is hard here until you get to know the products and ingredients . There have been some setbacks; I re-grew my hairline beginning of last year then decided to do box braids midyear and it resulted in the loss my hairline due to incorrect installation; so I was back to square 1. Overall, I have enjoyed being natural. For the first time in January, a lady stopped me in the supermarket to ask me what I do to my hair ( I was like, wow!) am that GIRL!(the one people ask about their hair) I had also been looking longingly at some naturals whom I would cross paths with. The one I recall vividly is going to a Hillary Mwewa concert. Her hair is to die for and all her singers had some twist-out or something similar. I was drooling all over those natural heads.

What is your hair regimen?

My regimen is still in its infancy, am not where I want to be with it. The things I make sure to do are wash weekly (fortnightly if in a protective style), moisturize using the LOC method, so I spray with water + vegetable glycerine, then apply an oil ( I use avocado oil or grapeseed oil infused with moringa) then seal with my Shea butter mix(raw Shea butter +avocado oil+ tea tree oil+Olive oil). Often times after spraying with water I apply my leave in Conditioner.
How did you achieve the hairstyle in these pictures? 

Before and after: The hair was OK as a perm but I had been natural secretly for a while before the perm so when my hair started falling, it was an obvious choice to BC.

First afro puff: I was walking on cloud nine the day I achieved this. My hair had been washed and I strethed it using vikuti. I used an old pair of knee highs and accessorised with a flower. The edges were patted down with water and then a scarf.

Flat Twist Out : This was a successful attempt at flat twisting. Hair was washed then I applied leave in and sealed with shea butter. I then flat twisted and kept them in for 2 days. This was the result after unraveling.

Mini twists: Love to live in Mini twists because I guard my hairline so jealously. They enable me to be gentle with my hair. The are also quite versatile when I want a protective style for a couple of weeks.

Side Fro: Here I had discovered the bra strap. Twisted my hair for the night then unraveled and sleeked edges with water and IC gel. I like this style because the puff is the same all the time and the difference is just where you place it. in this instance its on the side.

Any future plans/dreams for your hair?

I dream of a streamlined and certain regimen. I want softer hair and so I know I need to DC more frequently. Recovery of my hairline is still a big part of my Healthy Hair Journey (HHJ). I have managed with the regrowth but I am still working on a fuller hairline.

Any advice to those considering going natural?

Read as much as you can so you can prepare yourself. Start with “The Science of Black Hair.” Do not take the plunge based on what someone else has done, it will only make your journey harder. Accept the limitations of our hair. I am still trying to get over this because sometimes I want a sleek puff when I know my 4Ciest hair cant achieve that! LOL.

There was a time when African natural hair blogs were few and far between. The majority of blogs and on line personalities are still predominantly African American but it’ s nice to see the community of African bloggers  who are writing from within the continent growing.

This week’s hairstyle was inspired by one such blogger. Yellowsisi is a Nigerian blogger who posted this hairstyle online a couple of weeks ago. It was picked up by @MyAfricanHair on Instagram and I decided to give it a go.

Yellowsisi from Nigeria

I didn’t have time to wash my hair over the weekend but I did want to re-moisturise while still retaining the stretch from the curlformer set last week. On Saturday night I tied my hair into a puff and sprayed water on the hair in the puff, leaving the roots dry. I placed a plastic bag over the end of my hair over night and applied my leave in conditioner followed by shea butter the next morning. This morning my hair was moisturised but still stretched.

Step 1: Part your hair at the ear so that the front is smaller than the back.

Step 2: Plait flat twists across the back of your head, alternating the direction of the twists as you go. If the first flat twist is plaited left to right then the next one up should be plaited in the opposite direction. I have a total of 4 flat twists as I was going for a chunky feel; you can have more or less flat twists according to your taste and length of hair.

Step 3: Pin the ends of each twist so that you end up with rounded, rectangular shapes.

Step 4: This really is about free styling and how you decide to do this bit depends on what you want your pompadour to look like. You may have noticed by now I like mine swept to the side. I plaited a small flat twist at the front, a big chunky flat twist behind that one and two 2 strand twists. I then played around with the twists and pins to achieve my desired look.

Step 5: Add an accessory and you’re good go!

By Naomi of http://www.kinksntwists.wordpress.com

Time to treat my princess’ hair!

All preliminaries having been done, today we started off by moisturized hair with Cantu Shea Butter leave-in, scalped with T444Z Hair Food and sectioned hair into 5 parts (three in the front and two in the back) for easy manipulation.

I braided two cornrows at the back, two on the side and four in the middle. I twisted the ends of each braid for a better finished look. I tucked and pinned the twists to protect ends from frizzing, making sure Wangeci is very much involved in doing her hair. She helps in the application of all products and with my supervision, helps section hair as well. Its much easier and more fun for both of us.

Happy week.

Loads of hair love.

This weeks natural spotlight is on Shyne. When you go natural you tend to want to baby your hair. You do anything within your power to retain length and this often means that you don’t tend to take risks. Shyne has shown that you can have natural hair and still have fun with it. She’s tried many colours and is always very creative about styling. Read about her journey, regimen and top tips for dyeing natural hair.

Where are you from?

I’m from a tiny island in the Caribbean called St.Kitts.  Monde who I met in university in Halifax inspired me to big chop ( Monde is a former Natural Spotlight)

Where are you currently based?

Currently I am back and forth between Canada and my home country.

When did you decide to go natural?

I decided to ‘return’ natural when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter in 2012. I had always toyed with the idea of going out my hair which I always kept short when it was relaxed so when I read that relaxing your hair could have harmful effects on your baby I decided to play it safe and return natural. I had my last relaxer in March that year and transitioned till about December, 2012 when my daughter was 2 weeks old I big chopped and never looked back.

What has been your experience having natural hair so far?

My motto has always been to have fun with my hair and that’s what I have been doing so far. I find I get bored easily with sticking to one thing when it comes to my hair even when I had relaxed hair. This journey has been mostly about enjoying my hair and playing with it but I still maintain healthy hair practices.i cut and colour my hair quite often when I want to change it up but I always do some intense hair therapy afterwards. I also love looking after my two year old’s hair. This journey is as much for her as it is for me. My family and friends have been mostly supportive,my mom even returned natural a month ago. When I get frustrated, I always remember it should be an excited and fun journey and to enjoy my hair no matter what.

What is your hair regimen?

Right now I am sporting a tapered cut which has been coloured and highlighted so my routine is all about keeping my hair moisturized and my ends healthy as colour tends to dry out your hair.

Wash Day occurs once a week if I have alot of product build up as my hair is fine or every other week if not. I currently use Creme of Nature Argan Oil Sulfate- free Moisture and Shine Shampoo which doesn’t dry out my hair at all or I would co wash with V05 Silky Experiences Island Coconut Moisturizing Conditioner.

I would then rinse and deep condition with Aussie 3 minute miracle Moist deep treatment or if I need to do a protein treatment I make my own using Greek Yogurt, olive oil, honey and Henna. Because I have coloured hair I do this every wash day for about 15-30 minutes with a shower cap on. Sometimes I would go under the hooded dryer if I have time but most of the time I end up doing chores and the heat from my body works just fine.

Rinse with cold water to seal my cuticles. If I am doing a wash and go I would add an ACV rinse to help my curls pop.

I live by the LOC method when it comes to my hair and also my daughter’s hair.
I apply my leave in on damp hair which is usually Cantu Shea butter leave in. Recently I have been using Creme of Nature Argan Oil Perfect 7 7-n-1 leave in treatment or their Strength and Shine Leave in then seal with my coconut + olive oil mix then apply my styling product. If I am doing a wash and go its Eco styler Gel (the green one). If I am doing a twist out its ORS Smooth and Hold pudding or Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie or the Curl and Style Milk. I use heat once in a while if need my hair to dry right away but I let it dry overnight most of the time. I do alot of roller sets with flexi rods or perm rods and for that I use Organics Olive Oil Setting lotion and some Eco styler gel on the ends to prevent frizz. (my hair loves frizz)

Take down I use coconut oil to undo my twists or bantu knots or to keep my wash and go looking shiny.

I don’t do alot of protective styles which I’m trying to work on but I trim my ends every 4 weeks and get my hair shaped by a barber every 2-3 weeks. Last protective style I had was in December and it was crochet braids.

What are your 5 top tips for someone considering dyeing their hair? 
HMMM

1. Do your research. I have had experience colouring my hair when it was relaxed but I didn’t know what my experience would be with natural hair so I did my research. I had to decide if I wanted to bleach my hair or just use a permanent box colour or use a semi or demi permanent colour which is like a rinse. I also wanted a colour that would require less maintenance but I still ended up choosing red which is by far the colour that needs the most maintenance. There are also more natural options like henna and indigo or henna and coffee or henna and hibiscus flower powder. These give a very subtle effect but as way less taxing on the hair. There are so many options on the market but I tend to stick with the brands like Dark and Lovely or Creme of Nature which are targeted at our hair. I would also use professional brands like Wella which you can get from your local beauty supply store. I also have a lot of hair stylists as friends so I always ask them for their advice.

2. Be realistic. Natural hair is harder to colour as the cuticle harder to penetrate versus relaxed hair. Some natural hair holds colour better than some. Some brands work better than others. If you are doing your own colour at home, chances are it will not look as vibrant as if you had gone to the salon, ESPECIALLY on your first try. Trying to go from black hair to bright red hair in one colour application without bleaching or lightening is almost impossible. I found that out the first time I coloured my hair. You could only see it in the sun light and here I thought it would be such a vibrant red colour when it turned out to be a barely noticeable light brown.

3. Be prepared to give your hair some extra TLC. If you use a permanent colour or even bleach/ lightener, it can be very damaging to your hair. It gets very dry and cause breakage so you would have to be gentle and perhaps increase your deep conditioning treatments to once a week. Also look after your ends. I get trims regularly if I see my ends are looking damaged. From my experience I touch up my colour every 2 months and I avoid colouring my roots now as I am going for an ombre look. (darker roots)

3. When in doubt, go to a professional. As much as it might be cheaper or convenient to colour your own hair, seeking professional services might be a better option when colouring your hair. I remember when I had relaxed hair I wanted to change my hair from blonde to red and parts of my hair came out green due to a reaction with some chemical I had in my hair. If I gone to a professional that could have been avoided. When I went bright red last year, I went to the salon to get it done. The process involved lightening my roots which were dark then toning my hair to remove some of the brassiness/ yellow from my hair then applying a permanent colour which was tailored specifically for me. I loved the results.

5. Be adventurous with your colour choice. I am currently rocking purple hair after being blonde for about 3 months. I never thought I could pull it off but one day I just did and loved the outcome.

My favorite colour to date. Now purple hair attracts a lot of attention so if you work in a strict professional environment it might be too much for them to handle. I tend to march to the beat of my own drum so its always been easier for me to stray from what others think is normal.

The good thing about being black is that we can pull off most hair colours whether red, copper, blonde or purple. We have a lifetime to love our hair, why spend it making boring choices.

How did you achieve the hairstyles in these pictures?

1. This is my most recent hair colour. Its a semi permanent colour called Violet Gem which would fade in about 3 shampoos. This was a failed flat twist out, I was on set at a photoshoot on the beach and my hair poofed out into this cute shruken afro.

2. Just dyed my hair bright red and decided to do a perm rod set in the front and roll and tuck in the back.

3. Flat twist out on stretched hair.

4. Curly puff just using Eco styler gel and wet hair.

5. Perm rod set on semi dry hair .

This week’s hairstyle was inspired by a fellow contributor to this blog Sibongile. It’s fair to say my flat twists are far chunkier than hers.

Step 1: Make a side parting and divide the hair in two with the back section larger than the front. I used a comb for this parting because I wanted it a bit neater than usual.

Step 2: Create a flat twist across the back of the head. You’ll end up with a semi circle.

Step 3: Plait flat twists across the top of the head starting at the parting. You can make them as small or large as you like. I plaited three flat twists.

Step 4: Pin the hair in to place. I had to play around with mine to make sure it wasn’t too chunky on one side.

  That’s me for the week!

This week I’ve been a little more strategic with my hairstyle. I’ve got a function to attend over the weekend and really want to have a nice twist out so I decided to spend the week in two strand twists.

I’m used to working with fuller hair so achieving a look that I actually liked took a bit of trial and error. Twists tend to stretch the hair making it appear thinner; they also cause shrinkage when done on damp hair. You can create smaller twists to retain a bit of volume.

You could say I cheated a little because this look took longer than the usual 10 to 15 minutes in total. I washed, conditioned and twisted my hair last Saturday. The twists took about an hour and a half to plait. I applied my leave in conditioner, Shea butter, my oil mixture and flaxseed gel before twisting.

Step One

Divide the hair in two parts, leaving some twists in the front for the creation of a pompadour.

Step Two

Create a basket weave on the back section of the hair. This is not really plaiting but crossing the hair over from one side to the other and then vice versa. Pin the hair in place at the top.

Step Three

Create your pompadour by twisting the hair slightly and tuck the ends of the twists in before pinning in place.

If it wasn’t for the amount of time it took to twist my hair this hairstlye could be achieved in less than 10 minutes. I added a chitenge flower for more of a fun look.

By Chiteu of http://www.bellamufazi.tumblr.com

This week’s protective hairstyle was inspired by Ms Tammy. I don’t think I would be wrong in saying that she is the queen of natural hair style tutorials. Her tutorials are really easy to follow and her laid back attitude make anyone feel like they can confidently rock the same style as her even though most of us don’t have anywhere near as much hair as she does.

I unravelled the twists that I had last week on Saturday, ready to rock a twist out for an event that I attended on Sunday. I didn’t wash my hair this last weekend instead I refreshed it by spritzing with water, applying leave in and sealing with Shea butter. My hair was still textured from the twist out.

I roll tucked and pinned (RTP) the back and left ringlets at the front.

Step 1:

Part the hair down the middle and then part across from ear to ear. Clip the two front sections away.

Step 2:

Start your first roll from back to front. Don’t worry about how neat it is at this point, you can always secure it further with bobby pins at the end. Secure the hair so that it doesn’t unravel and roll the other side.

Step 3:

Roll the sections of your hair from the ear to the front and pin them in place to create a pompadour that comes down towards your forehead.

Step 4:

Pin the ends of the back sections behind the hair in the pompadour. Play around with the hair in the front to create the desired shape.

And there it is, my style for the week.

It’s week 11 of my protective style challenge and I’m having to get creative with the names of my hairstyles.

This week was inspired by fellow ZedHair contributor Naomi of Kinks and Twists. She has a way of working with hair that makes you wonder how she did it. I’ve actually had a few people looking quizzically above at my hair as I walk along so I think that I may just have successfully replicated this style.

I washed my hair last Friday and kept it stretched with cornrows. The weather has been quite humid and I didn’t need to re-moisturise.

Step 1:

Plait two loose twists at the sides of your head, by the ears. These will be pulled across to create the fro hawk effect so they need to be similar in size and placement.

Step 2:

Continue to loosely twist sections of the hair. This does not need to be precise and you can have a lot of small twists or a few fairly chunky ones.

Step 3:

Pull the two twists on the side across to the other side of your head and pin them down.

Step 4:

Twirl each twist and pin it down to create lots of little buns. Play around with the hair as this will require a lot of pins and if you are anything like me you won’t want them to show. I also don’t like my scalp to show so I fluffed the little buns after pinning.

And that’s it. This has got to be one of the easiest styles I’ve done so far.

By Naomi of http://www.kinksntwists.wordpress.com

Nancy opened the door for me to showcase Natural Hair Styles for weddings. She was referred by Faith Mwaura, an amazing woman and blogger.  I had styled her hair for a wedding earlier where she was one of the bride’s maids. I was honored when Nancy asked me to style her and her sister Betty for the big day. We met the week before the wedding and agreed on a hair style, did a trail then set an appointment day before the wedding to prepare the hair.

Day Before The Wedding: I wore my hair in a chunky twist-out  side puff that day. Nancy fell for it and voila! It became her wedding style. We started off with freshly washed and conditioned hair. I did two-strand twists using Shea Enhancing Smoothie and Shea Butter. Next morning, I applied a small amount of oil to the hair and unraveled the twists, separating the hair from the roots upto an inch away from the ends of her hair. I brushed the right and back hair towards her left side using a brittle brush, then used a head band to make the side puff, manipulating the hair until we achieved the desired look, a Beautiful Style for a Beautiful Bride.

Pictures of Kinksntwists in Action.

The Finished Look Before and After the Wedding Dress.

I  had the added honor of styling Betty, Nancy’s sister and one of the bridesmaids. We started off with freshly washed and conditioned hair. To achieve the style she wanted , the hair had to be stretched. I used the African threading method to stretch the hair. The next morning, I took down the thread then applied a small amount of oil, gently combing and sectioning the hair into four sections- one at the back, one in the middle, one with the side front hair and the last one with the middle front hair. I two-strand twisted the middle front section and pinned it to style later, made three puffs with the remaining sections, attached Fluffy Kinky Extension to each puff then loosely twisted and pinned around the puffs. Toying around with the hair finally achieved the desired look. Finally I happily unraveled the middle front section then rolled and pinned into an elegant updo.

The Beautiful Bride &  Her Maids.

My Happy Clients at the Brides Home.

Nancy at the wedding venue.

Nancy and Alvin congratulations on your marriage. I wish you a wonderful life together with lots of God’s blessings and children :).

Happy Marriage.

By Naomi of http://www.kinksntwists.wordpress.com

Was under the weather this week so my hair got neglected – been wearing afro puff; the hair has shrunk and ends are tangled. Time for some attention! Here is how my wash day goes.

Step 1: Did this overnight – pre-poo with coconut oil as follows: section hair into four parts – spritz each section with water, apply coconut oil, finger detangle and twist. I wear a plastic cap and secure it with scarf or bonnet to avoid messing my pillow.

 Sectioned Hair.                                                      Oiled and twisted hair.

Step 2:Next morning: Shampoo with Shea  Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl and Shine, wash hair and scalp focusing on the scalp to wash off all the product buildup. I wrap a T-shirt on my head to remove excess water.

Step 3: Time to deep condition. Trying something new today- Avocado Deep conditioner. My hair is still in twists. I unravel each twist, apply the mix and re-twist,  wear a shower cap and leave on for an 1 hour.

Ingredients 

• 1 Avocado, ripe and cut into pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil or Olive Oil

         How to Apply: Blend the ingredients together to make a smooth paste. Apply to wet hair, cover with plastic cap and leave on for one hour.

Step 4: Rinse deep conditioner, and wash hair with Tresseme Naturals Conditioner.

Step 5: Unravel each twist, apply leave- in conditioner, Shea Butter and re-twist.

I needed to run errands and hair wasn’t dry yet, so I wore a head scarf.  Happy Wash Day.

Lots of Hair Love.

The weather in Lusaka is really volatile at the moment. It’s humid one moment and dry the next. My protective styles are coming in very handy. I’ve been trying out a new product for washing and conditioning. It’s a leaf that grows freely across the country and has been used as a traditional cleanser in both Zambia and Zimbabwe, probably in other countries too. So far it’s working out really well. I washed my hair over the weekend, sealed with shea butter and mongongo oil and plaited twists to stretch. Mongongo always leaves my hair soft and fluffy.

This is another style that I “stole” from Pinterest. You might have guessed by now that I spend a lot of time scrolling through that particular social media site. The style is a bit of a combination of Week 1 and Week 2.

Step 1:

Part the hair in three; the biggest section at the back for the bun and the two smaller sections at the front for the flat twists. I tend to part my hair using the arch of my brow as a guide. You could also have a middle parting if you prefer. If you’ve followed me so far you’ll know that I’m not very precise about how straight the partings are. Unless you’re standing next to a giant who insists on looking at the top of your head, no one will be able to see how straight the lines are. If you’d like something a lot straighter you probably need a comb. I do’t tend to use those.

Step 2:

Tie the hair in the back into a low bun. As usual, I used a band made from an old pair of tights.

Step 2:

Flat twist the two small sections. I twisted mine inwards. Pin the ends of the flat twist to the puff.

Step 3:

Loosely twist sections of the hair in the bun and pin them downwards, playing around with them to get the desired shape and size.

I’m not really a big fan of low buns because they remind me of secondary school but the flat twists make it a little more interesting and I really like this style.

By Jo Adeyemo

“You ok rasta?” “How are you Jah woman?” Those are some of the greetings I’ve been getting from strangers (always men) walking down the street over the last few months.  It comes with the territory I guess. Though more and more Zambians are getting dreadlocks, or locks as I prefer to call them, they’re still enough of a rarity to draw unwarranted attention. And of course, there are certain assumptions that come with locks. One of them being that your locks mean you’re a particularly religious or spiritual person. While my locks have nothing to do with religious faith, they do represent me having faith in myself.

It’s almost a year since I started the process of locking my hair. And shortly after doing this I found out I was sick; it was serious but not life-threatening. My condition had been caught in time good time and I didn’t require any hospital stay but I was not totally out of the woods yet and I had to be diligent to ensure that my condition didn’t worsen.

I had several miserable months before this and a few more to follow. Finding out about my condition, however minor, was like the straw that broke the camel’s back. I’d become more reclusive; my social life was almost non-existent and I’d failed to find decent employment for over a year and I missed the life I had abroad. I wanted to give up on many things including my hair. Why bother doing more than the most basic things required to take care of my hair when there were more pressing matters at hand? To do so felt somewhat vain and unnecessarily costly, especially considering upcoming medical costs.

But rather than give up, I decided to have faith and hope in myself. Faith that I’d recover and get through my rough patch. I also concluded that I would go on with my lock journey. At that critical time I needed to take care of myself and making an effort with my looks was one way to do that. After all, how we present ourselves physically can have a bearing on the way we feel internally. Furthermore, locking my hair was a way to be unapologetically me. I’d thought of trading in my afro and twists for relaxed hair and/or weaves especially seeing as those styles might do me better for job interviews. For years I’d wanted to try locks but I held off on it because I worried what people may think of me.

My patience has been tested for the past year. I thought my super kinky hair would lock in six months but that wasn’t the case and contrary to what many people think, taking care of locks can take quite a bit of time and effort. There were periods I thought of going back to having loose hair or even relaxing it again for the sake of convenience. But I learned to take a step back and just enjoy the journey rather hope to rush to the end.

And as I looked in the mirror a few seconds ago as I chuckled while recalling one other thing that has changed. For the guys that hit on me, locks give them some extra openers. “I like your dreads,” and “How long have you had dreads?” seem to be the preferred go-to phrases now. Increased attention can be a bit daunting for a shy person such as myself but ultimately it’s been good for me. Strangers have often struck up conversations with me that started with a question or comment about my locks. All in all it’s been a great journey and I look forward experiencing the rest of it.

Looking at my locks after nearly a year of starting this journey, I think of what things were like at the time I started with them. I look in the mirror and remember that I endured some pretty bleak times and that I can endure any bleak times ahead.

*Jo is a Lusaka based writer. She blogs infrequently at Badafricana.blogspot.com