Tag: relaxer

More Information on Scab Hair!

15 Comments

A few weeks ago, I posted a QOTD on scab hair, and needless to say, the reactions were a bit varied. Some people believed it exists but not for everyone who claims it, and some just flat out rebuked the notion. I personally stand by my belief in scab hair, although I readily admit that I do not think that everyone who claims to have scab hair truly has it.

Yesterday, Diane Da Costa of Carol’s Daughter’s Transitioning Movement site explained the phenomenon in expanded detail. In short, she explains that “scab hair” is “hair that contains relaxer residue” and can take anywhere from 7 months up to two years to grow out and for your true texture to grow in without any residue of the relaxer left on the new true texture.

Now, I’m not exactly sure about the two years part, but the relaxer residue on your scalp/hair does not seem to be unrealistic.

Check out the rest of the article on Transitioning Movement. What do you guys think? Are you a believer? Sound off in the comments!

xoxo

You Curl Loosening Self Hater!

19 Comments

LOL. Okay, just kidding. Doesn’t that sound crazy though? How many times have you gotten in a debate over texturizers when someone jumps in talking about the curl loosening effects of color, henna, or even hair products or braid outs?! When this happens, I kind of sit there with my head tilted to the side giving a hearty side eye. First off, let me say that I have NO PROBLEM with relaxers or texturizers WHATSOEVER. I think that some women like straight hair, and some women want a significantly looser curl pattern. That’s cool. However, I have seen some women tell a bit of a fib and don’t own up to the fact that they have a texturizer – you know, the women who have “natural hair” yet perm their roots so they can slick them down easier, or they just don’t mention it at all and swear up and down they got their hair to look like that from a magical product (cough cough, Miss Jessie’s). Now this, I take issue with. Why are you going to lie? Just say you have a texturizer, no one cares! One of my favorite hair idols, Jasika Nicole, has a texturizer. When I first found this out, admittedly, I was a little disappointed (only because I thought it was natural), but I got over it because her hair looks healthy and yummy. Love her!

The retort that henna/color can also loosen curl pattern is simply silly as well. Yes, these treatments can loosen texture, but it is often not significant and is not guaranteed (I have never seen a 4b go to a 3b from dye or henna). On the other hand, the purpose of relaxers and texturizers is to loosen the curl pattern. Like, you can’t get a texturizer without changing it. If you did, ask for your money back. Furthermore, I don’t see a lot of women lying about dyeing or henna’ing their hair (Well maybe covering greys? I dunno, I’ll let you know about that in 10 years or so.). The chemical reactions you get with these treatments are different from that of a relaxer/texturizer, so why do people even bring this up? Why do people bring up heat either? Heat can also loosen pattern, but am I going to tell a woman she is no longer natural because she straightens a few times a year? Not at all…Is curl loosening that much of an issue for people??

My personal take on curl loosening is…who cares? To be totally honest, shrinkage is a major pet peeve for most naturals, and we have spent so much time caring for our hair to grow it out, wouldn’t you want to show that (healthy) length? I’ve seen many tightly coiled ladies live and die by their braid outs b/c they want to show their 12 inches of hair rather than have it shrink up to a 2 inch afro. And they look fierce! But are they going to sit there and act like they didn’t do a braid out? No!

Back to my own personal motto – “Just don’t look to’ up,” whatever you do to your hair. Rock it, and be proud of your hair – relaxer, texturizer, color, style, anything. Remember, it is YOUR hair, not the world’s.

So what do you all think?

Big Things Poppin’ (Curlin’)

Two things that I have to announce. First off, I’m sitting in my living room with a bunch of braids and curlers in my hair. Yes friends, I’m trying a different transition style one more time. A “braid out” I guess it’s called? However, to alleviate my problem with my hair never drying, I used second day hair that I had pulled back into a ponytail and used a spray bottle to dampen it with water after using coconut oil as a leave-in conditioner. My hair isn’t that wet at all, but should have enough product in it from the past two days, so let’s hope this works. I curled the ends with my Mosaic curlers again and used shea butter on my hairline and some of the ends where I didn’t think the coconut oil had saturated that section. We’ll see how it goes.

ALSO, I think (hope) that tomorrow is the day I am cutting my hair! I’m not exactly sure why, but I feel it’s time? I dunno, maybe I’m just so ready to see my texture (where it’d really only be on the sides/back with some relaxed hair still on top) and I am tired of my hair looking awesome in mid-day (not in the morning before I scrunch it out and certainly not the next day) and when i get home from work and that’s it. Why do I think cutting my hair will help this? Well, here’s my rationale. I sleep on my side, so I feel like my hair is ruined from me sleeping on it. No hair on sides (regardless of whether I put a scarf on or what), no flat head. Also, I really just want to get this relaxed hair off my head, but am totally too scared to do a Big Chop to a Teeny Weeny Afro. I admit it; I’m a wimp. So, if I have hair on top I feel like I haven’t taken a big risk. Who knows, maybe I’ll chicken out tomorrow.  I hope not, and if I don’t chicken out, geez I really hope I don’t hate my hair!

WildChild out. xoxo