Bunning Aint Easy...But I've Got To Do It!

Good Afternoon Y’all!

Yes...I let the Southern gal in me come out at times. Don’t judge me! This post probably will not be too long, but I might get carried away so who knows??? Anyhoo, I told myself that I SHALL be using protective styles this fall and winter to help me maintain moisture, protect my ends, and help me reach my length goals. Last year, I mainly used Creta Girl-my FAV half-wig by Freetress-to do protective styling, but I’m really not feeling weaves or wigs this year so I decided to do protective styles with my own hair. I’m utilizing buns and twists for my protective styles and so far, I’ve been staying on track! I LOVE LOVE LOVE to rock puffs-from curly and defined to big and bushy-but when I wear my hair in puffs for too long, I experience the HATED SSK (single strand knots) so I’m saving my beloved styles for the weekend.

Last night, my annoyingly loving husband told me he was tired of the bun style I’ve been rocking the last few days. He said it made me look like an old lady. Looking older is not a bad thing for me yet because even though I’m getting close to 30, I’m often mistaken for a teenager. Most of the time, I laugh it off but it can get annoying when people see me with my two boys and I just know they are trying to see if they recognize me from an episode of “Teen Mom” or “16 and Pregnant”.

Old Lady Bun

Ok ok ok…back to my bun. My husband requested one of my puff styles (which tempted me so badly), but I told him I had some hair goals and part of reaching those goals would include the bun. I told him I’d revamp my bun and he said okay. My original bun was positioned at the nape of my neck, with a diagonal part in the front. Nothing fancy, but it served its purpose.

To revamp my bun, I sectioned off some hair in the front and did a couple two strand twists. Then, I moved my bun from the nape of my neck to a higher position on my head. It’s not at the top of my head, but it’s not as low as it was earlier this week. I went to sleep and when I woke up, I took the twists down to create a bang in the front. (One of my good friends who is a Natural often wears bangs and I thought of her when I did this style. S/O to Annie Mae!) To keep this style for the next couple days, I’ll sleep in my satin bonnet and re-twist the hair in the front at night. Of course, I’ll use my products to keep the moisture in my hair. (I’ll do another post soon about my products and hair routine!)

Revamped Old Lady Bun

When I showed my husband the slightly revamped looked, he said, “Yeah, I like that. It’s different!” Now, the bun is really similar to the other one but you know how men can be. I’ll be rocking this style until this weekend when I get to….UNLEASH THE CURLS!

So, my challenge for you today is simple. Please make sure you’re right with God. Time waits for no one and we never know when it’s going to be time for us to fade to black and meet our Maker. Whatever it takes for you to get it right, just get it right! If you need to forgive, forgive! If you need to stop lying, stop lying. If you need to confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God and accept Him into your heart, please do that. Whatever is hindering you, take care of it right now because waiting a few moments might be too late! Be blessed!

Why We Must Prevent and Cure HIHD (Hands in Hair Disease)

Good morning!!!

Before I get started, I want to say I’m so happy that this week is only a four day work week for my Hubby and me due to the holiday this week! (Happy Early Veterans’ Day to all the Vets and thanks for all you did for our country!!!)  Having an extra day to spend with my sweetie is so exciting; the anticipation is making this work week fly by! Ahhhh….to be in love!

Ok….I’ll stop gushing about the love of my life for this moment and on to why I’m posting today…

(cue scary music on organ) THE DREADED HIHD or in its full scientific name, Hands in Hair Disease!!!

Ladies (and Gents), we must fight diligently to prevent and cure this ailment because it causing us to experience more breakage and less retention which directly affects the health of our hair-as well as our length goals! Natural hair is so GORGEOUS! The curls, the kinks, the coils---once we learned to love them, we just can’t seem to keep our hands out of it. For many of us, going natural was the first time we truly have been able to experience our natural tresses and like with anything new, we want to play with it, which can lead to unnecessary wear and tear.

Some of the steps to help prevent/cure HIHD are as follows…

-Only touch hair when necessary such as washing, detangling, styling, etc. DO NOT keep trying to tweak your curls/kinks/coils throughout the day. DO NOT keep touching it to feel how soft and fluffy it feels. DO not twirl your hair because you see some cute guy and you know it make you look irresistible. Fight the urge!

-Utilize protective styles. Style your hair in ways which help to keep your hands out of it. Examples would be buns (not too taut or tight), braids (watch those edges and tightness), twists, or weaves (please take care of your hair underneath). Remember, protective styles stop becoming protective when they do more harm than good so don’t keep weaves in for too long and don’t make the styles too tight.

-Low manipulation. Do not over manipulate your hair. I know we want our hair to be fierce every day, but all the brushing/combing, and twisting, and touching---it’s not good when done day in and day out. Let your hair BREATH! Let it do what it does sometimes and if it doesn’t look good by your standards in the morning, a quick protective can be your best friend!

 Seriously, I know it can be hard. I have told myself that during these colder months, I’ll be doing protective styles during the week and I’ll unleash the curls on the weekends if I feel like it. Sometimes, I see other naturals rocking a puff or twist out and I absentmindedly go to touch my hair, but I slap my hand away and tell myself, “You have length goals and you’re not going to reach them when you suffer from HIHD!” This usually snaps me back to my reality!

Well, I hope this comical serious take on this “condition” has helped someone. I have TWO challenges for you all today. If you suffer from HIHD, start making the necessary changes to cure yourself and smile at someone today! You never know who needs that smile to just make it through the rest of the day. A smile-a small gesture that might mean the world to someone who is experiencing an unfavorable day. Have a great day and God bless you!