Hair Smoothie

Good hair begins here.

Beautiful and healthy hair, skin and nails do not come from the products you put on your hair and body, but rather what you put IN your body.  There are many hair products which claim to promote growth, strength and prevent breakage, but because your hair is essentially "dead" material, all of that begins well before the hair emerges from your scalp. Products only give the temporary appearance of healthy hair (even listen closely to a shampoo commercial?), but the foundation of strong, healthy hair is based on our nutrition.

While a balanced diet is essential for overall health and the promotion of healthy hair, here are a few key nutrients necessary for healthy hair growth:

1. Protein:  Protein contains amino acids, which are the essential building blocks for cells, including hair. Five amino acids are of particular relevance to hair growth - cystine, cysteine, methionine, arginine and lysine. Inadequate protein intake over time can slow hair growth and eventually lead to hair loss.  At least 15% of your daily caloric intake should come from protein from lean meats and legumes.  Legumes also provide biotin, another nutrient essential for hair growth.

2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Essential omega-3 fatty acids are necessary to support scalp health. A deficiency in omega-3s can result in dry scalp and skin.  Foods such as salmon and flax seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids.  Taking a supplement of fish oil (preferably in refrigerated liquid form) also provides an excellent source omega-3s.

3. Vitamins A and C: These vitamins are essential in the production of sebum that is produced by your hair follicles.  Sebum the scalp's natural lubricant and conditioner.  Inadequate sebum production leads to dry hair and scalp. Green, leafy vegetables are good sources of Vitamin A and C, as well as iron.  Supplements such as Chlorella are helpful if you have a hard time getting green leafy vegetables.

4. B Vitamins: B vitamins are essential for healthy blood circulation, which is necessary for nourishing your scalp.  Vitamins B-6, folic acid, biotin, and vitamin B-12 support healthy hemoglobin levels, which carry oxygen to tissues in the body.

5. Vitamin E: Vitamin E helps in improving the scalp circulation and helps with skin and hair dryness. Food sources rich in vitamin E are vegetable oils, wheat germ oil, soybeans, raw seeds and nuts, dried beans, and leafy green vegetables.

Every morning I make myself the following breakfast smoothie. It is packed with the nutrients listed above and is an easy and quick breakfast alternative.

Berry Protein Smoothie

3/4 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries)

1-2 frozen ripe bananas

2 tablespoons rice protein powder

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1 tablespoon flax oil

1 tablespoon nut butter (almond, cashew or macadamia nut)

1 cup water

Ice

Place all ingredients in a blender, and add water and ice for desired consistency and blend on high. You can adjust the amounts of berries, bananas, and nut butter to taste. For additional sweetness, allow the bananas to fully ripen before freezing and use frozen cherries.

Full nutritional information can be found at here at SparkRecipes.

I've been drinking this every morning for the past several months I've noticed a drastic improvement in my hair and nail growth.  My locs are softer and shiner, and my dry skin has greatly improved.  I've never been able to grow nails  but now my nails are about as long as I used to wear my acrylics and are very hard.  I have also improved my diet overall (you can't pair this with a McDonald's diet and expect miraculous results), but this smoothie definitely provides the nutrients essential for healthy hair growth.

Lessons from a (Reformed) Product Junkie

You don't need all this.

I have a confession to make:  I am a reformed product junkie.  When I started my first set of locs over 7 years ago, I, like many others new to locs and natural hair, was very excited and joined several online message boards about locs.  If someone suggested it, I wanted to try it, despite the warnings by my loctician that all I needed to twist my locs were water, oil, and maybe a little diluted setting lotion.  I also believed that if a product worked well, even MORE of a product would work better.

Um, not so much.... and here's what happened:

I'd had my locs for about 4 months.  They were starting to bud nicely, which is the beginning stages of loc formation so they were a bit uneven and slightly lumpy, which is normal.  I was using Organic Root Stimulator Lock 'n Twist Gel mixed with aloe vera gel (to "dilute" it) and was using LOTS of it, coating almost the entire loc with gel when retwisting, trying to smooth them out.  I was also using Dr. Bronners Peppermint Castile Soap, which is great as a soap but not so effective as a shampoo. My locs started to feel gooey, and I was reading on the message boards horror stories about "product buildup" and lint and the need to clarify.  I remember one woman blogging about going to the hardware store and getting some heavy duty orange degreaser (the kind my dad keeps in the garage to clean oil off his hands when he works on the car) and squeezing tons of goo out of her locs.  I was horrified.  I didn't want this to be me.

So, being the research queen I am, I looked up and put together a surefire clarifying treatment that would get all this built up gel out of my hair.  I read that lemon juice was good for breaking down greasy buildup, and that apple cider vinegar rinses were good for clarifying, so I put the two together.  I put this lemon/ACV rinse on my locs and let it sit for probably an hour.  Then I used Organic Root Stimulator Uplifting Shampoo because it said it was good for clarifying (and probably at the suggestion of a loc listserv member).

It was a complete and utter DISASTER.

What I neglected to take mental note of was the fact that the shampoo was also good for "manageability", i.e. it is a detangler. The result was a dry, clumpy mess, as I'd stripped not only the product out of my hair, but ALL the moisture. And the shampoo "managed" to make my newly forming buds loosen and begin to slide down the locs. As if this wasn't bad enough, I believe I then tried to use some conditioning product to add moisture back into the lumpy straw that was now my locs, thus making my loc buds unravel and slip even more.

I freaked out, then tried to stay calm, then panicked and called my loctician and made an appointment. I sat in his chair and just said "Please fix it." In hindsight I'm glad that he positions his chair away from the mirror so I couldn't see the expression on his face, but I could tell by the tone of his and his assistant's voice that I'd effed up royally, and had I seen his actual expression I probably would have cut them off right then and there. But he worked with them the best he could, gave me a free cornrow style so I couldn't see the damage, and sent me on my way.  At first I was pleased, thinking that he had indeed worked some sort of loctician magic, but when I unbraided it, the locs were still clumpy.  The only thing that could fix this mess was time and patience as I waited for my locs to fully mature.

For months after that I would try and twist my locs to smooth out the lumps, but they never fully went away. Over the years my hair grew and I got trims and eventually the lumpy locs became less and less noticeable as new hair grew and locked. But I still regretted that mishap every time I saw someone with a perfectly cylindrical set of locs, and though nobody else could tell the difference (or were just being nice), I knew I'd screwed my locs up.  I have a new set of locs now and have vowed NEVER to repeat those mistakes again.

The moral of this story: Less is more when it comes to products and locs. The more products you put on your locs, the more you have to worry about trying to get out later. Also, if you are unsure of what to do when you have a loc problem, don't be afraid to ask a licensed professional stylist who specializes in locs (i.e. a loctician). Other people with locs are great resources for ideas, but everyone is different. When you have problems it's good to have a professional on deck to tell you what is best to do for your hair texture and your stage of locking.  I visit my loctician maybe 2-3 times per year (I don't do my own cuts or color), but he's there when I need him.

So lay off the products, loved ones! Time & patience cultivate locs, not products.

My Heart Weeps.... R.I.P. Eboni

I was working on some other posts for you all when my friend called me this morning to tell me that my loctician, Eboni Dodson, was killed last night by a drunk driver. Apparently she was having car trouble and she and a few others were trying to push the car off of the road when a pick-up truck hit her car. The others saw the truck and were able to move out of the way but she was inside the car and was hit.

I've known Eboni for years.... she worked in the same salon as my nail artist and was a mutual friend of a good friend of mine so I've been to social gatherings with her a few times. Eboni started my daughter's locs two years ago, and I myself turned to her just a few months ago to start my new set of locs. I loved her sweet, funny, talkative, outgoing and overall positive nature.... just the type of person who should be cultivating and styling locs. I only had the chance to sit in her chair once, but was looking forward to the day when my locs were finally fully matured and I could return to experience more of her talent. Sadly, now I will never get that chance.

My prayers go out to her young child, her girlfriend, her family and friends. My heart weeps today over the loss of such a beautiful person. Rest in Peace Eboni.... you are loved and missed.

3 Months: Those Unruly Teens

So it's been about 3 months now since I started my second foray into locs, and I must say that I'm very pleased with the progress. A lot of people find themselves frustrated with the "teenage" phase of locs. They're no longer the cute little spirals that they were 2 months ago, but rather, just as the name implies, they are somewhat unruly and have a mind of their own, and are a little harder to control. It is during this phase that "budding" starts to occur and you have a perpetual case of the frizzies. This is the phase that deters most people from locking, especially if you're one of those people who can't stand to have a hair out of place. These are the same folks who will ooooh and aaaaah over your mature locs and tell you how they are "thinking about" locking (with their bone straight perm), but will talk about what a hot mess someone with teenage locs look. Insert your favorite cliche phrase here, but the one that comes to mind is "you can't make wine without crushing some grapes"...... oh, wait..... maybe it's "you can't make omelets without breaking some eggs." But I don't like omelets, or eggs period for that matter, but I do like wine. A lot. So we'll go with that one. In any event, basically shit has to get messy before it's perfect.

I have actually been quite enjoying the teenage phase this time around (I wish I could say the same thing about dealing with my son). My locs are the perfect size such that the ends are perpetual curly-q's, which look a lot like how my un-loc'd hair looked when I put gel in it and shook it out. The curly-q's sort of mask the chaos going on underneath. I'm also enjoying the fullness I get after 1 or 2 days following a re-twist. This is actually the look I was trying to go for when my hair was un-loc'd, but it would never stay that way for very long and was a pain to have to wet and gel all the time. Now I literally get up, take off whatever head covering I had on the night before, put a few drops of Carol's Daughter Lisa's Hair Elixir in my hands and vigorously tousle the fuck out of it. A fluff and a shake and I'm ready to go.

Products.... every natural girl's favorite subject. The most common discussions I read between natural hair ladies is about what products people recommend. And for good reason; the right products can make all the difference between hot and hot mess. Thanks to my very thoughtful beau, I'm currently using Carol's Daugther products in my hair, and I LOVING them. I use Black Vanilla Herbal shampoo (after washing my scalp with some t-gel shampoo cuz my scalp is quite mutinous) and retwist with Loc Butter. The gift set also came with Hair Milk and Black Vanilla Hair Smoothie conditioner, but conditioner on baby/teenage locs is bad (m'kay?) so I use it on my daughter's locs.

I had a bit of hesitation with using the Loc Butter because one of the ingredients is beeswax, which is a naughty no-no for grooming locs due to build up (and attracting dirt and causing stiffness). However, I've found Loc Butter to be satiny smooth, not tacky, and doesn't cause any more build up than Organic Root Stimulator Loc & Twist Gel, if not less. And it smells fantastic. And speaking of smelling fantastic, I am in love with Lisa's Hair Elixir. I wish I could cover my body in it (but then I'd have none left for my hair) because it smells SO good. Though I put it on my daughter's hair one day (because I was feeling generous, but normally I'm a product Scrooge) and she said "Ewww Mommy! Now I smell all herb-y!" I love the smells of patchouli, lemongrass, rosemary, peppermint, sage, and all those other "herb-y" essential oils so it is perfect for me. My hair ends up smelling good, is shiny, and the loc butter gives it just enough hold (I hate skinny overtwisted locs on my head). Bueno.

Oh, and just in case it's not readily apparent, I haven't been back to my loctician since she first started them. I do my own washing, retwisting and styling. I think everyone with locs should at least learn how to do basic loc grooming (wash & retwist). Sadly, a lot don't. I really could do basic loc grooming as a side hustle, but I've already explained the reasons why I don't.

So there we are. Wild, happy, unruly, drama free locs. I love it.


*I would be remiss if I did not once again emphasize the dangers of product addiction. When it comes to locs, less is more. You could cultivate locs with 2 products: Shampoo and a light oil. That's it. All the butters and creams and gels and pomades are just extra grooming products and aren't going to make your locs form any faster. Just remember, the more product you put in your locs, the more product will be (and possibly stay) in your locs. So be easy.

One Month Down

Wanted to update you all on the progress of my loc journey. About a month ago (November 7th) I started my second set of locs after having a personal crisis need for change in my life. Well, it's been a month so far, and here's where things stand:

Although my loctician had advised me not to wash my locs for 2 months (?!?!!) I couldn't take it anymore and went against her orders and washed it a few days before this picture was taken. Cleaning my scalp with astringent just wasn't cutting it, and if anything was making my scalp go berserk (I have dermatitis issues that get worse in the winter). I also work out at marital arts class 2 to 3 times a week. I needed water and soap.

So here's what I did: I rubber banded the ends of my hair in about 5 sections in attempts to minimize untwisting. I didn't use the shower head to wet my hair; rather, I used a water bottle and poured the water gently over my head. This was to cause the least amount of disturbance to the coils. I used T-Gel shampoo (remember, no "creamy" shampoos cuz they contain conditioner.... a no-no for new locs) which I applied using my fingertips and gently rubbed my scalp. Again I rinsed using the water bottle. I wrapped a towel around my head for several minutes and squeezed, not rubbed, to dry off the excess water. The goal in this whole process is to hold the coils intact as much as possible.

I retwisted my hair using double prong clips, diluted setting lotion and a very small amount of Organic Root Stimulator Loc 'n Twist Gel. I didn't really use a palm rolling technique since the twists are still mostly hollow coils, but instead I very gently twisted them with my fingertips to smooth down the loose hairs, using just enough ORS gel to barely coat my fingertip. I finished off with some oil and let it dry. Everything turned out beautifully, although it was a little flat at first, but a few days and an evening of sweating in tae kwon do class took care of that.

I've since switched from using astringent in between washing to using witch hazel, which also has astringent properties but contains a lot less alcohol to dry and irritate your scalp. I do this about once a week and very gently retwist (over twisting can cause breakage). I just can't go weeks without doing anything to them, one because of my scalp issues, and two because I believe that just because you have locs it does not mean you cannot groom your hair.

So far I am absolutely loving my hair and am not regretting starting over for one minute. I think the curly-qs at the ends are rather adorable, and I'm starting to see the beginning of budding about 1/2 inch from the roots which I'm very excited about because it means I can shampoo more often. I'm still taking things slowly because, like many things in life, when you get to eager and rush you make mistakes. But so far, so good.

Stay tuned for more updates, my pretties!