Saturday Spotlight

This week, we are highlighting the styling skills of Mommy D. She completed these adorable little all-over puffs on her toddler, Little L, in about 25 minutes. D used a bowl of popcorn and a little Sesame Street to entertain her little one while she styled. Great job D; these are fantastic!

 

Thanks for sharing D!

If you would like to share a style you have recently completed, we would love to see it! Please email me at joyfulmom@happygirlhair.com with a few pictures, the first initial of your little one's name, how long the style took to complete, products/tools used, and anything else you want to share. Let's learn, share and grow together! I look forward to hearing from you.

Let's Share Those Styles!

I've been talking about hair and scalp health a lot lately here at HGH, but I've come up short on showcasing styles. Some of that is due to my limited styling skills, some is due to finding a balance between what I can do within the confines of hair texture, hair length and available time, and some is due to the girls' recent preference for simple styles.

I'm feeling inspired lately though. I'm going to do my best to try more adventurous styles and write more about the styling aspect of hair care. I expect to make a lot of mistakes and have some very unexpected and imperfect outcomes, which I will happily share. I also hope to share some options for enlivening basics styles like puffs.

I hope you will not only come along on this journey with me, but show off your curly girls' styles as well. I would love to feature styling done by HGH readers. I'm looking for any style that gave you a sense of accomplishment, any style you love, or any you proud of. For those of you just starting out, please feel free to share your firsts. I know one of our HGH readers just did her first Nubian knot style (That's right M, it's you!) and it's beautiful. You can also share what didn't go as planned and what you learned. If you'd like to share your curly girl's style with our little community here, please contact me at joyfulmom@happygirlhair.com. Send along a photo or two (I choose not to show Little B and Little R's full faces, but please do as you wish), your girl's fist initial, the style name- if it has one, how you did it, approximately how long it took, the products you used, and anything else you want us to know. I think that the more we share, the more we learn, the more we grow.

In the meantime, I will leave you with a list of styling blogs. With one notable exception, these are blogs featuring styles for straight-haired girls. Although some of the styles won't work for curly girls, a lot can be adapted and all can spark our creativity. The one exception I mentioned is Nikki's blog, Beads, Braids & Beyond. Nikki's sweetie has a mix of textures, but over all seems to have a texture somewhere between Little R and Little B. Nikki is a very gifted braider and a creative stylist.

Bead, Braids & Beyond

It's a Girl Thing

Sugar and Spice and All Hair Nice

Babes in Hairland

Kenny Do's

The Story of a Princess and Her Hair

Happy Styling Everyone!



PS I told you all I would review Chris Rock's Good Hair, but sadly my plans to see see it were derailed and I'm not sure when I will be able to go. I can review H1N1 though. It's awful.

Pick Fros

It's time for a style update, but what can I say? Their hair is still loose. Yes. It sure is loose. Instead of reading more of that, go here!  Do it now!

Enjoy!

(With thanks to C, who pointed this out on her blog)

4 Great Sources for Natural Hair Products (and 1 for Everything Else)

Have you ever been about to complete an order for a hair product only to find the cost of shipping exceeds the cost of the product? No matter how much I want to try the product, I just can't bring myself to click through and complete the order. That's why I was so happy to find a few online stores that carry natural products from many makers. I like the ability to buy natural haircare products from different lines all at once while paying one shipping charge. It's worth it to get on the email lists of some of these sites so you can be notified of sales and special offers.

CurlMart
This is part of Naturally Curly, a great site and forum for all things curly girl. The CurlMart carries about thirty-seven brands of products for curls including Blended Beauty, Oyin Handmade, Jessicurl, Kinky-Curly, Original Sprout, Jane Carter Solution, Miss Jessie's, Curls, Mixed Chicks, and many more. In the sale section of the site, they not only feature individual products but include special offers. In October, orders over $60 ship free using coupon code freeship60.

Afro Kinks  
Afro Kinks carries Blended Beauty, Taliah Waajid Black Earth Products, Karen's Body Beautiful, Curls, Jane Carter Solution, HPO (that's short for Happy People Only), Darcy's Botanicals, Mixed Chicks, My Honey Child, and more.

Honey Fig
Honey Fig offers AfroVeda, Curls, Blended Beauty, Oyin Handmade, Darcy's Botanicals, Jessicurl, Kinky-Curly, Jane Carter Solution, Miss Jessie's, Mixed Chicks and others. They have skin care products, combs and brushes. Orders ship from Canada and they have a retail store in Toronto.

Treasured Locks
This site carries a lot of their own brand of hair care products, but they also offer Taliah Waajid Black Earth, Shea Moisture, and Nubian Heritage products. You can also order a Kakakiki Komb through Treasured Locks.

Amazon
What isn't sold at Amazon? There are a surprising amount of natural products available through Amazon. Carol's Daughter, Hair Rules, Curls, Aubrey Organics, Original Sprout, and Shea Moisture are a few. Amazon also has a lot of ingredients to make hair treats, hair accessories, and hair books. I'm working on a little Happy Girl Hair Amazon store to bring it all together, the Amazon link above will take you to it. I do want to caution you though, while Amazon is convenient, most of the hair products themselves are sold through third-party sellers, each with their own shipping charges.

Happy shopping!

Big, Loose Hair

This past week we tried kinder, gentler cornrows on Little B and had success with them- mostly. They held nicely without getting too fuzzy however the start of each did look a lot tighter than I had anticipated. Little B said they didn't pull and there were no bumps, but it looked uncomfortable so I was happy to take them out today.

I used a lot of pomade on those cornrows, so I wanted a clarifying wash today. I also wanted a scalp scrub to make sure we were getting rid of any build-up on Little B's scalp. I have better luck with the scalp scrub when used on dry hair so I started there. After rinsing that out, I dissolved a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of warm water and poured that over her hair. I worked it in a bit, concentrating on the front of her hair where I had used the most pomade. I rinsed that and conditioned as usual. Little B really needed a snack, so I wrapped a towel around her shoulders and gave her a break and something to eat. While she ate, I put a generous amount of hair lotion in. I used my detangling comb to work out any snarls. Her hair didn't require much detangling since it had been braided since our last wash, but I did need to remove the shed hair.

I skipped the scalp scrub for Little R, but used the same clarifying baking soda wash and followed that with conditioner. I detangled her hair while it was soaked with conditioner. I rinsed, added hair lotion and gave it another quick comb. I brushed it with the Kakakiki brush. It always looks as though her curls are being dragged down by the brush, but when her hair dries the curls are extra springy and full of life.

The girls' Halloween costumes require a certain amount of hair volume to fit well, so the are wearing loose hair with headbands again this week. We have been doing that and one puff styles a lot lately but we hope to be back to normal styling next week. I'm eager to try out some new styles and share the results.

Cornrows Revisited

This afternoon, Little B let me practice cornrowing. She went to a swim lesson and since her hair was wet anyway, I used the opportunity to do a conditioner rinse. When we got home I worked some hair lotion in and detangled. I then made a few sections to cornrow. I pomaded and combed each section. I used the same basic cornrow technique- braiding underhand for a few stitches and then taking more hair and adding it to the the middle section of the braid as I continued to braid underhand. I was careful today to pull the hair to the sides oh so gently as I worked. I found that the cornrow not only looked better, but it was so much easier on her scalp and my hands. I was astonished by just how tight a grip I had and how hard I had been pulling before. I was still able to get quite close to the scalp. I am really pleased with my first attempt at gentler cornrowing. I didn't have time to do her whole head, so I put the rest in puffs. The style looks a lot cuter in person than it does in the photos. Really, I'm not just saying that. I will update with how well these are holding up and if I see any tension on the scalp.

Hairline Stress and Too Tight Bumps

Both girls are sick so we won't be doing hair today. Instead, I want to share some important information on styling without causing stress on the hairline or scalp.

So many little curly girls styles require the hair to be gathered up and pulled. Puffs, twists, box braids, cornrows, flat twists and other styles can sometimes lead to stress on the hair and scalp, especially if they are worn for a long period of time or without a break between styles, are pulled tightly, or the hair is gathered in large sections. Some children have very sensitive scalps that cannot take much pulling without damage. There are times when the tightness of the style doesn't hurt but the signs of stress are visible on the scalp or hairline. Damage can occur without pain. It is to look at her scalp every day to assess when the scalp and hair have had enough.

Signs of stress are easy to detect if you watch for them. Often when hair is pulled tightly over a period of days or weeks, a fringe of shorter hair will appear along the hairline, making a sort of halo effect. It is sometimes fuzzy and can be confused for new hair growth but this is generally breakage. The style should be removed immediately to prevent further damage. Styles that cause a halo effect should be avoided in the future.

Traction alopecia can be the result of pulling hair tightly over time. With constant tugging, the hair follicle atrophies, producing finer hairs until it no longer produces hair and the loss becomes permanent. Signs of this condition are visible at the hairline and over the ears and can include breakage, hair loss, a receding hairline, bumps, papules, pustules, redness, thinning, and a receding hairline. Traction alopecia is entirely preventable. It is not a genetic condition. If you think you see signs of traction alopecia, switch to a looser style as soon as possible and consult a dermatologist.

Sometimes red of white bumps will appear when the hair is pulled too tightly. They can appear quite soon after a style is done, or many days later. Clinical descriptions of the papules that accompany traction alopecia indicate they are red. Bumps that look like whiteheads may be traction folliculitis. These bumps are often itchy and surrounded by flaky skin. After the hair is styled, it is a good idea to check the part lines and hairline daily. If you see either red or white bumps on the scalp and/or along the hairline, take the hairstyle out immediately to relieve the tension. If the bumps do not disappear within a day or two, consult a dermatologist.

Bumps from hair pulled too tightly

Finding a balance between styling and too much stress on the hair requires a little experimentation. It's important to watch closely and relieve pressure anytime the scalp and hair show signs of stress. Giving the scalp a break with loose styles is a wonderful way to help maintain scalp health. When styling in large sections, it's a great idea to put a loose flat twist or cornrow along the hairline to help protect that hair. Keeping any very short hair along the hairline out of a style is a very good idea too. Read more about that here. When braiding or gathering hair it's critical to touch gently and avoid pulling the hair tightly.

Odds and Ends

Here are a few odds and ends of information I want to share with you today:

- We received our satin-lined winter hats from Mustard Seed Creations this week and we are really pleased. The hats are so cute, warm and such a good value. The girls put them on immediately and wore them for hours. Mustard Seed Creations has a cute new style with ear flaps available and welcomes custom orders. Curly Zebra, another maker of satin-lined hats, is offering free shipping this weekend. Both Mustard Seed Creations and Curly Zebra have added new designs since I last wrote about them.

Little R and Little B enjoying their Mustard Seed Creations hats.

- Taliah Waajid Black Earth Products are now being tested in CVS stores across the country. Protective Mist Bodifier, African Healing Oyl, and Lock It Up are available at these CVS stores.

- I learned two new thing about my beloved coconut oil this week. I learned that when using coconut oil as a pre-wash treatment or to limit water absorption it needs to be applied hours and hours in advance. Apparently, it takes quiet some time to penetrate the hair, so using it the night before a wash is a very good idea.

I have always refrigerated my coconut oil because it says to refrigerate after opening right on the jar, but I realized that many people who use it don't bother. When refrigerated it is a pain to chip the solidified oil out of the jar and  I always forget to take it out in advance. I only had a little bit left this week, so I took it out of the fridge and left it out all week long. It was fine, just fine - and much more enjoyable to work with.

Style Update

The girls are wearing low maintenance hair styles this week. Little R is wearing a veil style with loose hair in the back and Little B is wearing loose hair with a little front braid. I've been spraying the back of Little R's hair with water, using hair lotion, and detangling daily. Every couple of days, I am rebraiding the large braid that finishes the veil part of her style. I've also had the push the cloth bands back towards her scalp on several sections. Little B has been getting a generous amount of hair lotion everyday and I've been using my fingers to gently lift the hair compacted by her sleep cap. I did change her braid from going straight back to being pulled off to the side along her hairline.

Since the girls' hair seems to love moisture from water and they had spent some of the afternoon throwing leaves in the air and on themselves, I wet their hair thoroughly in the shower last night. Afterwards I worked in some hair lotion and then sealed it with jojoba oil. Their hair is very soft today. Using the new hair lotion, I'm continuing to see a lot of shrinkage with Little R's hair but much less frizziness.

Hair as an Indicator of Parental Care

Yet another blog post about Zahara Jolie-Pitt's hair is getting a lot of attention. I debated about whether or not to post links. Four year old Zahara in not a poster child for transracial adoption. She didn't ask for any of this attention, and really, if she likes her hair loose, so what? I am posting though because I think all of the blog posts, articles and discussions are not just about one little girl's hair. It's about the broader issue that to many, hair is a powerful indication of how well white parents care for their black children, of how well-informed white parents are about black culture, and sometimes of white parents' fitness to parent black children.

Here is the original post at Newsweek Blogs: Zahara Jolie-Pitt and the Politics of Uncombed Hair

Here is a great response at Jezebel: Thanks For Your Concern But Zahara's Hair Will Be Fine

Any thoughts?

Alaffia Hair Lotion Review

I try hard to wait until we've finished one product before buying another, so when we started to run low on hair milk I rushed out to the store to buy a hair lotion I've been wanting to try for ages. We've been using it for a week now and Alaffia Virgin Coconut and Shea Enriching Hair Lotion has been everything I hoped it would be.

When I saw these handmade products on the shelf of my local market, I was so excited. The products are made in Olympia Washington with certified fair trade shea butter from Togo and other sustainable ingredients. The company not only promotes fair trade through their Alaffia/Agbanga Shea Butter Cooperative but invests 10% of sales in community enhancement projects in Togo. The projects in Togo include reforestation; bikes, uniforms, supplies and desks for students in rural areas; and maternal health. They also fund scholarships for low income students Washington state, and provide products to local shelters.

The hair lotion is a thick leave-in for curls and locs. It's $11.00 for 8 ounces. It contains vegetable glycerin which is a humectant that draws moisture to the hair,  Behentrimonium sulfate which is a mild detangling ingredient from rapeseed oil, cetearyl alcohol which is fatty alcohol derived from vegetable sources and used as a moisturizer, shea butter, virgin coconut oil, pathenol, emulsifier, essential oil and preservatives (no parabens). It has a lovely orange scent that comes from the sweet orange and rose geranium essential oils as well as limonene. I've been sniffing the girls' heads at every opportunity because they smell so good.

I've been using this liberally and regularly and have noticed the girls' hair feeling soft and looking so shiny and healthy. This helped the girls hair bounce right back from the dryness I felt during the last wash. We use this in the mornings before styling. I spritz Little R's hair first with water, then work the hair lotion in. I work it into Little B's dry hair. I have noticed a lot of shrinkage after using a nickel sized amount of the product but little shrinkage with less. The coconut oil in the product helps maintain flexibility in the hair and the shea butter is great moisturizer. The Behentrimonium sulfate makes this a nice product to use for detangling too.

Alaffia also makes shea body butters, lotion, soap, and conditioners and shampoos. My husband and I did try the daily shampoo and conditioner for all hair types. The shampoo was a bit too drying for my waves, but perfect for him. The conditioner was also great for my husband but not quite enough for me. Alaffia makes several different shampoos and conditioners and I would like those for curly hair.

Alaffia offers many products in travel sizes for $3.00 each. The products can be ordered online but are also available in many stores. There is a store locator at the very bottom on the web site. If you like to make your own products, you can also buy their unrefined shea butter, African black soap, African wild honey, coconut oil, red palm oil and other ingredients in bulk from their sister site Agbanga Karite

I give Alaffia Virgin Coconut and Shea Enriching Hair Lotion five out of five star beads.

Brick Pattern Veil Style

This morning I was hoping to salvage something from yesterday's hair failure (see the post below). I wasn't able to do much of anything with Little R's hair last night so this morning, she went first. After misting her hair with some water and adding a little hair lotion, I combed through it and sectioned it about half way back on her head in a brick pattern. After sectioning, I put a cloth band at the base of the front section. I then added my coconut pomade to the gathered hair, giving her ends a little extra because they felt a bit dry. I split the gathered hair in half and braided each half. I the gently pulled the braids back and to the sides to become part of the sections in the next row. I took the braid and the hair from the next sections and banded the bases. I then picked out any braided hair that made it past the band, so I once again had just a puff of gathered hair. I added pomade and repeated the process, braiding and bringing the braids behind and to the sides to join the hair in the next row. In this way, I completed a veil style on the front half of her head. I made a final thick braid in the back and let it lay over the rest of her loose hair.

 

Little B woke this morning with a mix of cornrows, twists and puffs. When I sat down to fix it,  her hair still felt pretty dry. I took everything out and gave it a good spritz with water. I added coconut oil and hair lotion and sat back and thought about what to do next. She was feeling very tenderheaded this morning and I noticed some signs of stress on her scalp last week so I didn't want to do anything that tugged on her hair. I did experiment with some flat twists, but they just weren't looking right and poor Little B had just had enough. In the end, I just worked some moisturizing styling cream into her hair and let it be.

While she finished watching her video, I grabbed two metal barrettes we never use and brought them to the dining room where I had some craft supplies. I cut rectangles of blue felt, cut a flower out of paper, traced it on hot pink felt and cut two out. Then I cut tiny circles out of yellow felt. I used hot pink thread to sew around the blue rectangles and used it to sew a circle and flower to each rectangle. I added used a little Elmer's and some blue thread to attach the whole thing to each barrette. I tried them both in Little B's hair, but they were a bit big to look right. Instead, I took the very front of Little B's hair and put a thick box braid in. I pulled the box braid back and secured it to her hair with one of the barrettes. I finger combed the rest of her hair until I was satisified. She took a look in the mirror and said she was happy too.

 

Fail

Yesterday the girls went on another very fun, very dusty hayride and their hair, clothes, shoes, and skin got coated in dirt. Saturday washes have not been successful for us lately, but I didn't want them to go to bed with their hair full of dirt. Last night, I used my favorite shampoo and conditioner on the girls but even as I was rinsing it I could feel the hair just wasn't as soft as it usually is. They probably needed a pretreatment this week, but I just wanted to get the yuck out of their hair rather than add more stuff in. I followed up the wash with a very generous application of Alaffia hair lotion.

note the cloud of dirt at the pumpkin farm

I sat Little B down to try a simple style before dinner and bedtime. Using the parts I made last week, I clipped the front of her hair in two sections and clipped the entire back down and out of the way. My plan was to make eight rows from the hairline to the middle of the head. I was then going to do eight cornrows, crisscrossing them with each other half way through. I got the sectioning done and the first cornrow was okay, if a little rough on the crisscross. Then second cornrow started strong but then it all fell apart. I finished it but it looked bumpy and awful.

It took forever to get the sections done and to make two wonky braids. The hair wasn't well detangled. I didn't use enough pomade. I just couldn't get it together. We were hungry. We were tired. I could see it just wasn't going to happen so I twisted the remaining sections to keep them from tangling and put the back of her hair into puffs. I'm not sure why I can't get the Saturday evening hair right, and not sure why I keep trying, but at least I get another chance on today.

The Reviews Are In!

Chris Rock's documentary Good Hair is out today in select cities and is getting tons of press. You can read lots and lots of reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, where Good Hair is currently scored at 93% fresh on the tomatometer. Jezebel has posted a summary of reviews and direct quotes from major reviews, which has led to some lively comments. You can find a review by Teresa Wiltz, senior culture writer for The Root here. I won't have a chance to see the film until it opens everywhere on October 23rd. If you have seen it or are checking it out soon, please tell us your thoughts on it.

Style Update

Has anyone noticed that the mid-week style updates keep happening later and later in the week? Somehow, I just can't seem to get it together on Wednesdays anymore. So here is my better late than never style update.

This week Little B is wearing four chunky little braids and Little R is wearing on big puff. These are taking only a few minutes to redo every morning, which is extra important now that they are in kindergarten and need to be out the door early in the morning.

I have been taking Little B's braids out one section at a time, adding hair milk, brushing with a natural bristle brush and rebraiding. Even though I'm taking it out every morning and redoing it, I'm starting to see a pronounced halo effect around her hairline. This happens whenever her hair is pulled back in large sections for more than a few days. I am looking for other signs of stress, like dryness on the scalp or bumps but haven't seen any yet.

I have used jojoba oil on her parts and hairline about every other day. I also used pomade once instead of hair milk to really smooth the hair out. Every few days I'm giving the ends of the braids a little extra love by saturating them with extra hair milk and sealing it in with jojoba oil.

Even with a sleep cap, Little R's hair is pretty messy every morning. To freshen it up, I take the cloth holder out and spritz her hair with water. I add hair milk and use my natural bristle brush to slick it back into a puff. I band it again and add extra hair milk to the puff. I then use my Kakakiki brush to separate and define the curls. Her hair tolerates this style well and I haven't seen any indications that the hairline is stressed.

Satin Lined Winter Hats Are Good for Curls

Here in the Pacific Northwest our days have been sunny and warm this fall, but our mornings and evenings are getting very cold. In the next few weeks I'll be sending the girls off to school in winter jackets with their fleece hats tucked into their backpacks to be pulled out, and pulled on, for recess. I love how cozy and warm hats are now, so unlike the loose knits of my childhood. But I don't love the static, frizziness, and dryness those hats create. Putting them on and taking them off helps kill any hairstyle that involves braids, twists, or gathered hair. I remember sighing every time I picked the girls up from preschool last year and saw what their hat had done to their hair. This year, I'll be trying a slightly different approach. I'll either buy or make satin lined hats.

Curly Zebra makes some adorable satin lined winter hats specifically for curly kids. They offer fleece chullo, pillbox, and stocking hats in toddler through adult sizes. At $20 to $25 per hat, they are more than I'm accustomed to paying for winter hats, but lined hats are almost impossible to find and they do take more effort to make. They are so very cute too. These lined hats will fit, and are appropriate for, preschool and school age kids.

I found one Etsy seller making satin lined hats for curly babies. Mustard Seed Creations offers six styles for tiny tots at a very reasonable $6.50 to $7.00 per hat. I have asked the seller if she can make these in larger sizes. I haven't heard back yet, but if she can I'll post an update here. UPDATE: Oh my goodness! Mustard Seed Creations are made by HGH reader and commenter kayder1996! She tells us she does indeed make hats in larger sizes. I totally missed the one available on her Etsy page (tie-dyed with a star). She also wants us to know she has some more in the works and is open to custom orders. Hooray!

In my search, I found quite a few curly hair forum threads about lined hats. Most people had a very hard time finding them and made their own. I'm not that handy, so I'll need to buy hats. Some people choose to put a do-rag, satin scarf or sleep cap under winter hats. I think that would work really well for playing outside in the yard, but I wouldn't want to send my girls to school with extra pieces. It's hard enough to get them to remember to put their hats on, I can't imagine them remembering to put two hats on.

If you have discovered another solution to the curly girl winter hat problem, please share!

Good Hair Keeps Your Head Warm

Yesterday's Washington Post included You Grow Girl, by DeNeen L. Brown. It's a short article about the meaning of the words "good hair." Below the article you can find links to the stories of the women in this video.

A Single Puff and Four Braids

Lately, the words "Mommy, I want one puff!" are a joy to hear. I'm still getting our autumn routine down and just don't have much time for hair in the mornings. This week both girls wanted one puff. Little B's hair is not quite long enough to gather into one puff without being stretched first, so she settled for four braids.

I love the convenience of getting hair done on Saturday evening, but I the last few times I've rushed or combined the hair wash with a shower or bath and paid for it later with dry hair. Last night I was determined to get it right. I washed the girls' hair by wrapping a towel around each girl and having them lean over the tub one at a time. I wet their hair, added a little shampoo and then had them sit up, covering their faces with the towel. This let me really scrub their scalps. I have been a little surprised by how dirty the rinse water has been since I started using Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Shampoo. The rinse water was a little dirty when I used a shampoo bar, but this shampoo really gets the dirt out with stripping the hair. I know the hair is clean, but it doesn't have the squeak with indicates stripped hair. Last night, I was shocked by what came out. Later I found out the hayride they had just taken was very dusty and dirty and I was more than a little relieved. After washing I used the same technique to condition well. By the way, I just want to mention that while I normally wouldn't buy something like conditioner online when it's available locally but I'm a little bummed I just paid almost $12 for a bottle of Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Conditioner when I could have paid only $9.48 including shipping.

When I had washed and conditioned Little R, I added a hair lotion from Alaffia (I'll review it after I've used it a little while) and detangled. I used a natural bristle brush and comb to smoothly gather the hair into one puff. I finished up by brushing the curls in the puff with my Kakakiki brush.

I finished washing and conditioning Little B and then remembered I had to detangle. Somehow, the fact that she would require significant detangling totally slipped my mind. I sat her down in a little chair, roughly divided her hair into quarters, clipped all but one, added hair lotion and started detangling. Within a few minutes, she was very unhappy. I moved her to a little table where she could color while I worked and she was much happier. In each quarter, I took a took just a small row at a time, detangled it and clipped it. I did another row and added it to the clip and repeated until the quarter was finished. In the photo below, the bottom left quarter is fully detangled.

When all the hair was tangle free, I used a pin tail comb to make the parts neat. I added some natural pomade to each section and brushed each into a puff. I banded each puff and then used a medium-toothed to comb the puff. With the puffs combed, I added a little extra pomade and divided each puff into three sections and braided. Little B's hair is pretty tightly curled and I don't use heat on it so the braids are pretty short. It's kind of a Pippi Longstocking look and I think it's awfully cute.

Washing, conditioning and detangling time: about 10 minutes for Little R, about 30 minutes for Little B
Styling time: 5 minutes for Little R, about 20 minutes for Little B
This week's entertainment: coloring books

Mid-week Style Update

Little B is wearing loose hair in a smallish afro this week and Little R is wearing two braids. Our plans to keep it simple have worked well, and it's taking just a few minutes to get both girls ready in the morning. Little B's sleep cap is keeping her curls close to her scalp and her afro nicely rounded. I'm just spraying down any bits that need to be patted back into shape, adding a little moisturizing styling cream to her whole head, and asking her to choose a headband.

I've been taking Little R's braids down one at a time each morning. I'm putting a little hair milk in, then using a natural bristle brush to smooth her hair out. I then banding the base of the braid. I am spraying the hair that will be braided with plain water and combing it so I get a smooth braid. I then just band the end of the braid and repeat on the other side. Too bad that part STILL isn't exactly straight.

Now, who saw the Oprah show on hair yesterday? Chris Rock and Solange Knowles were guests and I only caught the last twenty minutes or so. I'd love it if someone would fill me in on what they talked about in the first half. Did they show a lot of clips from Good Hair? The part I did see was really interesting. I was astounded by what Solange said she paid for hair styling/weaves per year before she cut her hair. Did she really say $40,000 to $50,000? When Oprah asked Chris Rock what he hoped would come out of the documnetary Good Hair, he said, "This kiddie perm has to stop. To put those chemicals in her hair is not cool." I was so glad he made a distinction between an adult woman choosing to wear her hair any way she pleases, even if it includes the use of dangerous chemicals, and an adult choosing to use caustic chemicals on a child who can't consent. I loved it when he said, "Whatever makes you happy is good hair. Do your hair for you and you will be happy." Good Hair is in imited realease on October 9th and everywhere on October 23rd.