Black Women's Transition to Natural Hair

There's no question that more and more Black women are making the choice to embrace their natural coils and curls. A New York Times article recently shared the story of one woman's journey to transition.

Read the article here:

When I set out to make a documentary about black women who are “transitioning” — cutting off their chemically straightened hair and embracing their natural kinky afro texture — I had no intention of appearing in the film. I felt I was an objective observer and really just wanted to highlight a growing movement. (Of the 50 or so women I struck up conversations with randomly on the street, the vast majority had gone natural within the last three years. According to one industry study, sales of chemical straightening kits, which can be harmful, reportedly dropped by 17 percent between 2006 and 2011.) But including my own story forced me to examine how I felt about my hair with more honesty than ever before.

There are as many “natural hair journeys” as there are transitioning women. What I find remarkable about the movement is the way it is spreading through black women in America. Many are transitioning silently, without much fanfare. Some are inspired by friends and family members who have already made the switch. As Anu Prestonia, the owner of Khamit Kinks, a natural hair salon in Brooklyn, told me, “There’s been an evolutionary process that has turned into a revolution.” It is not an angry movement. Women aren’t saying their motivation is to combat Eurocentric ideals of beauty. Rather, this is a movement characterized by self-discovery and health.

But black hair and the black body generally have long been a site of political contest in American history and in the American imagination. Against this backdrop, the transition movement has a political dimension — whether transitioners themselves believe it or not. Demonstrating this level of self-acceptance represents a powerful evolution in black political expression. If racial politics has led to an internalization of self-loathing, then true transformation will come internally, too. It will not be a performative act. Saying it loud: “I’m black and I’m proud” is one thing. Believing it quietly is another. So the transition movement is much more profound and much more powerful — and I believe it offers lessons in self-acceptance for people of all hues and all genders.

 

Zina Saro-Wiwa is a documentary maker and video artist.  Her work includes the documentary “This Is My Africa,” which was broadcast on HBO.    She is British-Nigerian and lives in Brooklyn.

Watch the video here:

Black Women's Transition Video

The Sharmooz Scarf

The Sharmooz Scarf is a fun, fashionable alternative to the traditional bedtime headscarf.  We are all familiar with the old school “head rag” that we grew up seeing on our grandmothers and mothers (my mom definitely had one).  As a consequence, we followed in the tradition of our family matriarchs and we too wear our “head rags” around the house, and sometimes in the streets.  As we all know, it is slightly more appealing than a dishrag, so I am so glad to see that someone has created a more attractive and functional version of this “head rag”.  The Sharmooz Scarf protects your hairstyle as you sleep, but also provides an easy transitional style for women who want to wear a headscarf outside the home to run errands or head to the salon.  I personally don’t wear headscarves outside of the house, but I did feel FLY when going to bed.  So ladies, if you want to maintain your sexy when going to bed, especially if your man is sharing that bed with you, I recommend tying up your hair with a Sharmooz.

I was so excited about receiving this scarf I shared it with my client and namesake, Kari Woods. Here is what she had to say:  “I really liked the scarf and think it's very well made. I feel like my hair is really protected while I sleep. I love the little rubber tab in the front that keeps it from moving around or coming off in my sleep.”

Like this review and want to purchase one for yourself? Visit sharmooz.com and use coupon code: Kari25 to receive 25% off your order before s&h

Going Natural In Corporate America

A recent article on CNN.com addresses a popular conversation among Professional Black Women...How will my natural hair be received in Corporate America? This topic has been discussed and debated in my salon among women. Some feel and have experienced the heaviest criticism from their Black female counterparts, while their white colleagues are either intrigued or indifferent. Others argue that white colleagues do not know how to address the topic of hair, so to avoid accusations of discrimination they say nothing to us, but definitely discuss amongst themselves. This leaves some women apprehensive about making the decision to wear natural styles.

Personally I think that this is a healthy conversation that we need to have. For years we have been bombarded with images of a beauty ideal that we will never be able to accomplish. The choice to wear a natural hairstyle is not always a statement of rebellion but a claim of freedom and self-love. For most women it goes hand-in-hand with the choice of leading a healthier lifestyle. They are no longer allowing their hair to prevent them from being active. For others, they are suffering with hair loss and cannot continue harmful styling techniques that will make the condition progressively worse. The reasons for going natural are endless, but at the end of the day, we must first get to a place of acceptance and comfort with ourselves and our reasons for choosing a natural hair style so that we are not projecting our insecurities onto others. In particular, our colleagues in Corporate America.

Read the article for your self and let me know your thoughts:

Going Natural in Corporate America

Shea Moisture Contest Winner is. . .

Hi Ladies,
Today is the day to announce the 1st winner of the Shea Moisture Contest Giveaway.  Are you curious to see if it's you. Well check out the video below to watch as I announce the 1st winner in the contest

  

Stay tuned in the next 4 days to see if you too, can be a lucky winner! All winner announcements will be posted on our YouTube Channel  and our Facebook Fan page on the 28, 29, 30, & 31st

Good Luck

Debunking the Hair Myths

Hair myths are all too familiar and our conversations about hair are littered with them.  They are almost like a piece of oral history and now we can't distinguish the truth from the tale.  Most myths are developed partially by the hair industry for marketing purposes to sell products and also from a misunderstanding of hair growth as we began to grow our hair after reconstruction (era of Madame CJ Walker, who happened to also use marketing ploys to sell her products.) Lets explore some of these myths:

Trimming makes your hair grow: false. Trimming makes the hair neater and even; it is a maintenance step. It can also be used to cut away damaged parts of the hair strand to reduce or stop breakage but it does not affect hair growth

Split ends split all the way up the hair shaft: false. Split ends do not break evenly. When the hair splits it breaks or tears off. Now this may lead to continuous breakage because of a weak hair shaft but it will not split evenly all the way up the shaft- and if it does (which is unlikely) trimming wouldn’t help it anyway. Once we stop doing damaging things to the hair that cause split ends they will be kept to a minimum.

Don’t wash your hair too much or it will dry out your hair: false. Its not how often you wash your hair that dries it out but what you wash your hair with. If washing the hair dried it out Caucasians would be bald because they wash their hair everyday. Water is the number one moisturizer. Wash hair with pH balanced shampoo. Frequent shampooing with black hair is important because we put products on our hair daily to replace lost moisture. One shampoo is sufficient but sometimes two is needed if there is a lot of product/dirt build up. The first shampoo wont lather much because of the natural oils on our hair. If you are shampooing your hair more than twice a week one shampoo each time is enough. And don't forget to deep condition and lubricate your strands so that they don't dry out.

I will continue to discuss hair myths that confuse the truth in a later blog post. What hair myths do you need the facts about?

8 Summer Hair Tips To Keep Your Hair Healthy in 2011

Are you apart of that jet-setter crew, looking to spend the summer soaking up the sun, free of hair drama?  Or maybe you want something nice and easy to manage while it's hot?  

Check out my 8 tips to keep your hair looking fly and protected this summer.
(I would like to thank the lovely Brownstone Magazine for featuring me on their website!)


TIPS: 


1. Braid it up: Give your hair a break from mechanical and chemical damage during the summer by experimenting with braid and twist styles, with or without extensions.
2. Set your hair for a new look: You want to take a break from chemical and heat application in the summer when your hair is exposed to dryer temperatures. Try braiding or twisting the hair to give it a wave or crimp. Is your hair relaxed or straight? Set your hair with a light setting foam to give your straight hair some volume, texture and flavor.
3. Protect your hair before you swim: Coat you strands with conditioner before diving into that chlorine filled pool or salt water ocean. It’s better to fill your hair strands with proteins and moisturizers than water, especially if your hair is chemically processed with color. Chlorine and salt can change the color of your hair and cause it to become excessively dry and susceptible to breakage.
4. Opt for products with silicones: Hair tends to be more moisture deprived in the summer. Silicones are great for sealing moisture into hair strands.
5. Protect your hair from the sun: If you know you’ll be in the sun and don’t have a hair cover up use products that have SPF protection in them. These products are often labeled as heat protectants or contain a glycerin (which is a natural sunscreen). This will give your hair extra protection from the sun.
6. Switch your shampoo: During the summer months use more moisturizing or light shampoos. In hotter climates the key word is MOISTURE. Make sure you are using products that will give your strands more moisture and cleanse the hair more gently so sun exposed strands won’t dry out.
7. Deep condition more often: Make sure you are using deep conditioners for your hair to restore proteins to your strands for strength and to replenish moisture. Deep conditioning requires using a plastic wrap or a plastic cap to allow the conditioner to penetrate your hair strands.
8. Give hair moisture from the inside out: Make sure you stay hydrated by drinking more water. The water you consume will benefit your hair from the inside out.

This is Dr. Kari... make it a great summer. Stay healthy and fly! 

Natural Hair Theory

 

 I love watching The View with my clients and stylists in my salon.  It always fosters some heated or intense discussion.  I saw this video (again) while browsing the internet and decided to post it to my blog!  What are your thoughts on the discussion? 

ESSENCE HOT HAIR SPECIAL ISSUE!!!

So, Essence just released their Hot Hair Special Issue magazine and I think it is great.  Not only do they profile sistahs rocking their styles straight, natural and/or in a cute a-symmetrical buzzed cut, but they also give great advice on how to care for your hair.  


Essence.com says, "In its first issue dedicated to hair, ESSENCE highlights the unique relationship between African-American women and their hair with the launch of HOT HAIR, an interactive experience covering all things hair -- from root to tip. This special issue covers all of the beauty needs, questions, concerns and triumphs of African-American hair care and style..."


WOW! I definitely encourage all of my sistah's to check out this special issue! There's no doubt that our hair is a focal point and it's up to us to keep it happy and healthy.  Hopefully, from here, good, high quality magazines with hair care information will continue to be produced.  Although it is really great to see magazines celebrate the versitility of our hair... it would be great to have a natural hair magazine that is completely filled with natural styles and natural hair care advice... but that's just me.  :-) 


Nevertheless, the hairstyles are beautiful and inspirational and I hope you all go and check out this truly special issue.  


Check out these hot videos covering the Magazine issue from Essence featuring Monica and Goapele!
Click here Essence Magazine's Hair Anniversary - KickMag.net


Have a HAPPY HAIR day!

Kitchen Beautician, Magician, poof ... Your hair is gone!

So, I saw a commercial from Organic Roots Stimulator (side note: I love some of their products and as a matter of fact, at Mahogany Hair Revolution, we use their lock and twist gel). One thing I cannot agree with are these at home relaxers (the “Kitchen Beautician” commercial). 

So, Organic Root Stimulator has this commercial for their line of at-home relaxers.  This relaxer promises to make your hair smoother, fuller, more manageable, strong and give your hair moisture.  I, for one, feel that’s an oxymoron. But moving right a long, the lady says, “...If i’m going to play kitchen beautician, my hair has to work.”  I understand it is a playful term but it is in the kitchen (at home) that a lot of our hair problems begin.   

As a tricologist, I have met with more and more clients, on a daily basis, suffering from increased hair loss due to the application and consistent application of chemicals.  Other causes of hair loss I have noticed include over processed hair due to heat styling: hot combs, flat irons and blow-dryers.  

To encourage this is not my “forté.”

As a licensed cosmetologist as well, I know that when it comes to relaxers, licensed cosmetologist have to complete 1600 hours of study on safety and the application of chemicals such as relaxers on clients.  Then, they take a state board exam with a practical and written portion to demonstrate their understanding of hair chemistry and proper application of chemicals. 

So, ... If you’re not trained, it’s dangerous.  It is a recipe for disaster and too much room for error.

We need to get away from practicing things in our “kitchen” that a professional should be doing. 

Let me paint you a picture. 

We set up appointments with the dentist to get our teeth whitened.  The Dentist uses a product called Zoom.   As you know, you can do the whitening process at home with a leading brand of “white strips.”  However, if there is anything used to touch up and maintain your bright white smile, Dentists will be the one to offer it.  Let me put it this way; Extensive research and clinical studies indicate that whitening teeth under the supervision of a dentist is the most safe and effective way to get a bright smile. (www.zoomnow.com).  Yes, it is a higher price when you decide to let professionals (trained and tested) whiten your teeth (or chemically straighten your hair), but what price are you willing to pay?  There are professionals in place in certain industries for a reason.  It’s time we start doing our research and find the licensed cosmetologists that we can trust.  It’s a much higher price when you decide to take your hair into your own hands (especially with the use of chemicals).

I must admit, the women in the commercial had gorgeous, shiny hair, but I guarantee you they did not do their hair at home and/or on their own.  

Please, pay the price to go to someone who you trust and who can maintain your healthy, happy hair properly. 

What do you think about the commercial?  Click below (and let me know your thoughts). 

ORS Olive Oil Commercial - "Stimulating Discussion"