Cutting Braids with a Razor Blade

One of my coworkers cut my braids a little shorter. She used a razor braid and I LOVE it. If it was left up to me I would have probably used scissors and jacked up my ends. My braids feel and look alot better and fuller. Here are some pictures I was playing around with after she finished:

Ingredient Check: S-Curl No Drip Activator/Moisturizer

S-Curl:
This is a favorite product to many including myself. After posting the article below I wanted to check out some of the ingredients in my favorite moisturizer. (S-Curl)

I went to walgreens.com and cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient

and found the ingredients:

Water , Glycerine , Cetearyl Alcohol , Propylene Glycol , Acetamide MEA , Ceteth-20 , Olealkonium Chloride , Stearalkonium Chloride , Panthenol , Simethicone , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Fragrance

Glycerine: Its a humectant so it draws moisture into the hair. If you live in a dry climate such as Arizona it may be bad because it has no moisture from the climate to draw from. Glycerine has been always been questionable as to if it is a god ingredient for hair.

Cetearyl Alcohol: is included in the fatty alcohol group of Lauryl alcohol, Cetyl alcohol, Myristyl alcohol, Stearyl alcohol, Cetearyl alcohol and Behenyl alcohol.These larger alcohols are typically derived from natural sources, and have 12 or more carbons per molecule (typically 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20). This higher amount of carbon content makes these molecules oilier (also referred to as ‘fatty’). For this reason, they are often used as an emollient in skin and haircare products. They give a smooth, soft feeling to the hair shaft by helping the cuticle to lie flat on the surface of the hair. However, if used in excess, fatty alcohols can combine with the natural sebum found on the scalp and form a sticky substance that makes the hair look greasy.

Propylene Glycol: A cosmetic form of mineral oil found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial antifreeze. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. WOW! It is also used in:

• Tyre sealant
• Rubber cleaner
• De-icer
• Stain removers
• Fabric softener
• Degreaser
• Paint
• Adhesive
• Wallpaper stripper
  

Acetamide MEA: A water-soluble conditioning agent that is compatible with anionic and nonanionic systems as opposed to quaternary surfactants compatible only with cationics. This agent's primary purpose is to add shine.

Why is it used in cosmetics and personal care products?

Acetamide MEA increases the water content of the top layers of the skin by drawing moisture from the surrounding air. It also enhances the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment. (Source: http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org)

Ceteth-20:

Why is it used in cosmetics and personal care products?

The Ceteth ingredients help other ingredients to dissolve in a solvent in which they would not normally dissolve. Ceteths also help to form emulsions by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified and they clean the skin and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so that they these substances can be rinsed away. (Source: http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org)

Panthenol:

Is the alcohol form of pantothenic acid, more familiar as Vitamin B5. In a living cell, panthenol is converted to pantothenic acid, which then becomes an important part of the compound "Coenzyme A", which is important in cellular metabolism.

In hair, which contains no living cells, it remains as panthenol. Because it could become a vitamin if it were ever to get to a living cell, it is marketed as a "provitamin", even though its effects as a vitamin are never used.

Uses: Because panthenol binds well to hair follicles, and attracts moisture from the air, it is a moisturizing agent used in shampoos and conditioners. It lubricates the hair without feeling greasy. It smoothes roughened hair surfaces, making them shiny and easier to comb.

Panthenol does not "nourish" hair. It coats it to make it slippery.

Why is it used in cosmetics and personal care products?

Panthenol acts as a lubricant on the skin surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance. Panthenol and Pantothenic Acid also enhance the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment.

Propylparaben:

Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. They protect cosmetics and personal care products by preventing or retarding the growth of yeast and mold as will as some types of bacteria. They can be found in shampoos, conditioners, water-based styling aids, moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, personal lubricants, topical pharmaceuticals and toothpaste.

Bad Ingredient in Hair Products: Paraffin

So I was over one of my favorite blogs and I saw a comment where a person informed the author that Paraffin was one of the ingredients in a product. I heard of Paraffin but I wasn't sure what it was. I remember looking at some products early in the day and wondering why this ingredient stuck out to me. I thought it could have been related to petroleum but I was way off.

So I searched the net and found that liquid paraffin is used to remove hair!! Nearly every link I clicked referred Paraffin to wax. WTF? So why would it be in a hair product? Umm maybe I was missing something. The title of the article was: "Liquid Paraffin for Hair Loss". Constant use of it will produce traction alopecia. When used on facial or body hair, the hope is always that the hair will not grow back. Waxing your hair makes it go away, not come back. Paraffin is beeswax, that is extremely bad for your hair so don’t go for it.

How to Loosen Tight Braids (Protect those Edges Gurl!)

Loosen Tight Braids
I know many of us already know that tight braids are not healthy for the hair but we still will not do anything about those tight braids. Duh right!Learning how to loosen tight braids around your edges is critical for anyone who regularly wears mirco. Very tight braids can damage the follicle and hair, sometimes irreversibly. For one thing tight micros can damage your edges really bad. Well the first step is try not to pull your braids back in tight pony tails. Instead aim for the sloppy look. :)

Try to unbraid and take out your edges and wear swoop to cover the braids that you took out. If you don't like the swoop idea them rebraid it with your natural hair. It may look ugly but imagine how ugly your edges will look bald. So its a choice you have to make. If you want to loosen braids without removing the hair style, if the the braid is too tight, choose a smooth object to push through the center of each twist to loosen them individually. A toothpick may be required for very tiny braids, whereas a pencil is a more appropriate size for larger braids. Remember to be careful and gentle. You do not want to have to rush to the hospital for a toothpick stuck in your scalp! Using a conditioner can also help soften and loosen tight braids, whether they are large or small. Take care not to use too much conditioner, however, and work it gently around the tight portions with your fingers for the best effect. I tend to take my moisture of peppermint oil and scurl with me to the braid shop. So after they finish I can spray my scalp. The peppermint oil gives it that cool feeling. It's great!

Removing Braids:
If you are ready to remove braids , it is essential to loosen braids first to avoid excessive damage. Using a generous amount of conditioner can help loosen the style, as well as sleeping with the conditioner overnight. The best way to remove braids, however, is simply to use a lot of patience: rushing through braid removal will only increase tangles, pulls, and overall hair damage. The braids stylists can help remove the micros but most Africans that do this will only take out the braids and not the knots at the base of the braid. So even though you sat up there for 3 hours for them to unbraid your hair when you return home you will have to do another 3-4 hours removing the knots Just be aware and prepared that it may take several hours to properly remove the style with minimal damage and discomfort. In the end you will thank yourself. :)

The Needle

I 4got to mention that the last time that I detangled my knots after taking down the braids I used a needle to assist in getting the knots out. B4 unknoting them i made sure to moisturize. I then carefully detangled it and when I was finished all of the braids I was surprise at how I didn't have a huge hair ball on the floor. So from here on out I hope I remember to do this.

Preventative Measures Against Settling For Any Man

What men look for in women is not always easily identifiable and will differ from one man to another. While some women are busy focusing on what the man wants, smarter women are focusing on what they want in a man. Like two wise older women told me today, if you write a list then you won’t have to settle. So here’s my list so far.

Intelligence
Faithful
Taller than me
Positive Attitude
Goal oriented (wants to be more than the average person)
No kids
Employed
Financially Responsible (with savings account)
Works out / Good health
Religious (at least have faith)

Do you have a list?

Update on My Braids (16 April 2009)

I am loving these braids! My hair does not look frizzy. There is no need to flatiron them. I only apply megatek, moisturize and seal them at night and sleep with my satin bonnet. (See 2nd pic) In case you didn't read my previous post then you would need to know that this is tokolyan pony hair that curls at the end.

This is the bonnet that I use to sleep in. B4 I lay down I will tuck the remaining hair in the bonnet.

GOD Leading The Way...

Its was 3AM and I could not sleep. I was thinking of other things I could do with my life that would be of interest to me, that would also gain me a profit. I know my love is for hair so I prayed to GOD to show me what it is that I can do. I have a bunch of ideas that flowed through my brain but last night that I couldn't stop thinking about it. So after I finished praying I opened up my bible and as a bookmark I had a brochure from Cathy House in it. Could God be trying to tell me to find something to do with hair?

How to Give an Erotic Massage

I know this is off topic but I had to copy and paste it from yahoo:

Ask your boyfriend to strip off his clothes and lie naked face down on the bed. Then give him a butt massage! (Do you know we hold lots of tension in that area? It's true!) First, put your hands on his butt and just shake it. It sounds goofy, but the book swears that guys love it. Then, "scoop" the sides of his butt with the palms of your hands and let it drop from within your hands. Squeeze the cheeks with your hands and make your hands into fists to massage him. The book recommends leaning over him so you can use the weight of gravity to help you massage; that way, you don't get as tired.

Back to Micro Braids...

On April 1 I decided to get some braids. I decided not to get the human hair wet and wavy and instead I got Pony Hair. It is the kind that curls at the ends. I like it. I just hope it lasts. I plan on keeping these in until the last week in July or the first week in August. So I leave today (April 2) to return back to Iraq.