Indulge in YOU is a blog about indulging in yourself from the inside out. You only get one YOU so you have to love and take care of yourself. I will be talking about natural hair in all aspects, fitness, skin care, and more. Everything that I will post is either by experience or acknowledged quotes and readings from other sources. By no means am I a professional hair stylist, personal trainer or dermatologist. Enjoy yourself and free your mind!
I hope that everyone is having a Thankful Thursday thus far!
I wanted to let you all know that I have a surprise for you all........ Wait for it...Wait for it.... Wait for it......
Here it is! I now have Unrefined Shea Butter for sale on my website @ Nature's Indulgence by Dionne. It is going for $7.50 per pound. If you place an order, use coupon code shea4me to receive 10% off of your order!! This code will expire on February 14, 2010.
Good Morning!! I hope that your Tuesday is off to a Terrific start. In a recent blog post, I shared my thoughts on split ends. Well, I trimmed my ends and my hair feels wonderful. I thought that I would show you all the method that I used. You will need clean hair and scalp, small ponytail holders/scrunchies, olive oil, a bowl, hair shears and a comb.Take a look at the video below to see how I did it.
Thanks to all of you who requested a sample of the Nourishing Hair Butter. Your samples are on the way ;o).
I pray that everyone is having a Terrific Tuesday. I want to take this time to formally present my company to you all. Take a moment to view the video below as well as the website (www.naturesindulgence.net).
I will be giving away samples of the some of the products so be on the lookout for that information.
THE FIRST GIVEAWAY The first giveaway will be a 2 oz sample of my Nourishing Hair Butter. The first 20 individuals to send me an email (indulgenceiskey@naturesindulgence.net) stating that you would like to try the product will receive the sample. That's all there is to it! So be quick on the keyboard keys and send me an email.
Today I just want to share a couple of comments that I have received in the past month. You may have experienced something similar at some point during your natural hair journey.
I was talking to one of my male friends and I had my hair in a tuck style. Well, I guess he didn’t like it and he proceeded to say “Ok now, don’t you think it’s about time you got a perm? I mean how long has it been?” I know my face must have showed everything that I was thinking. Anyway, I told him it had been almost 4 years since my big chop and I don’t plan on perming/relaxing my hair. He then went on to gesture the time out signal. He did this just as he was saying “Well on your wedding day when you are walking down the aisle and your hair is looking like it is now, then the preacher is going to call a time out". My jaw dropped and I politely told him that I didn’t care what he or anyone else thought about my hair because I love it and I am keeping it the way it is. I am glad that I have self control because had this been at a time when my filter was OFF, the conversation would have gone totally different.
Once again, I was talking to a different guy and he asked me what was going on with another lady’s hair, which we both know. I told him that she is in the process of transitioning to her natural hair. He said “Oh snap! She needs to get something done to that hair because she doesn’t have the face to wear her hair natural”. What was that supposed to mean? He told me that I had the face but she didn’t. I don’t understand. It doesn’t matter what type of face you have. God gave you the face and head of hair that you have. It doesn’t matter if you have an oval, round, oblong etc shaped face. Wear your hair natural no matter what if you want to.
Ladies, I just want to remind you that if you feel comfortable with wearing your hair in its natural state then go for it. It doesn’t matter what the next person thinks or says. It’s about how you see yourself. Never compare yourself to others. We all were created in our own unique way. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and there are billions of eyes out there.
I recently received an email asking me if split ends are able to be mended. The answer to that question is no. I will dissect this question in order to explain how I arrived at that answer.
The hair shaft, sometimes referred to as the strand, is composed of three layers.
Cuticle – the outermost layer that is composed of overlapping scale like cells that protect the inner portion of the hair.
Cortex – the middle layer that is composed of spindle shaped elongated cells that provide strength and elasticity to the hair. This is the portion of the hair shaft that gives hair its color or pigment.
Medulla – the core layer is the marrow of the hair that is composed of round cells. Not all hairs have this layer. The medulla is present in all curly and wavy hair. The tighter the curl, the stronger the medulla. Fine and very fine hair does not always consist of the medulla layer.
How do split ends look?
1 – Beginning of the split
2 – Split continuing up the hair shaft due to the split end not being removed
3 – Multiple Splits on one hair shaft due to the split end getting worse
4 – Split in the middle of the hair shaft. These can be noticed by a slight color difference. It is usually lighter than the rest of the shaft.
5 – This is actually case 4 when both ends of the hair shaft is pushed toward one another revealing a hole or split in the middle of the hair shaft.
What causes split ends?
There are many factors that can lead to split ends.
Improper maintenance which include constant pulling, tugging, brushing, stressing the hair with chemicals, etc.
Dryness or lack of moisture
The environment (weather, pollution, etc.)
Not protecting the ends of your hair
Excessive heat from appliances
Brushing the hair while wet
Split ends or trichoptilosis (splitting of the distal end of the hair) occur when the cuticle layer of your hair is damaged or removed. The cuticle layer consists of keratin or dead protein cells that make the shaft strong. These dead protein cells resemble overlapping scales which helps to hold the hair together. Once this has been damaged or removed, the inside layer of hair fibers are exposed and begin to split into two and sometimes three pieces of hair. Split ends don’t always occur at the tip of your hair shaft.
Once the hair begins to split, it cannot be permanently mended.I know there are products out there that provide temporary fixes, but the only way to get rid of split ends is the TRIM the hair at least ½ an inch above where the split actually ends.
Preventing split ends
Preventing split ends help to keep your hair healthy. Try to avoid chemicals such as relaxers, dyes, etc. If your hair is chemically treated make sure you do not over process the hair as this will lead to split ends and breakage.
Be gentle when brushing or combing. Detangle your hair when wet and use a wide tooth comb or your fingers.
Keep your hair moisturized. After washing your hair, follow up with a leave in conditioner and lock in that moisture by sealing your hair with a butter or oil that is compatible with your hair. Moisturize daily if needed.
Protect your hair from the harsh winter winds and cold temperatures by covering it until your get indoors. At times, there isn’t any moisture in the air so the atmosphere tends to suck all of the moisture from your hair if you don’t protect it. Harsh winds will dry out your hair and ends that can eventually lead to breakage and splits. During the summer months, try using humectants to keep the moisture drawn and locked into your hair. If possible, try wearing protective styles in order to protect your ends from the scorching summer heat.
Minimize the heat from electrical appliances. Try the cool setting on the hair dryer in order to dry the hair. If you must use heat, use the warm temperature setting and try not to blow dry one section of hair for a long period of time. Use short bursts of heat and move around the perimeter of your head constantly. ALWAYS use a thermal heat protectant when using heated electrical appliances.
Deep condition your hair at least once a week. This helps to feed your hair and scalp nutrients that they need in order to stay strong and healthy.
Routine protein treatments have a positive effect on your ends. The treatment helps to keep the hair cuticle in tip top shape. Don’t forget to follow up with a deep conditioning treatment any time you perform a protein treatment.
Trim your ends at least twice a year. This is what works for me. The frequency of trims for your hair can and will differ.
Remember, these are my opinions from my own experiences. Feel free to share any information you might have about split ends.
I pray that you all are having Marvelous Monday! Take a moment and enjoy today's inspirational word taken from Joel and Victoria Osteen's Daily Devotional.
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
"…No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him" (I Corinthians 2:9, NIV)
TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria
What are the dreams and desires that you have for your future? Maybe you had some big dreams when you were younger, but things didn’t go the way you planned and so you put them aside and settled for status quo. We’ve all had disappointments, but we have to keep moving forward. Today is a new day, and we serve a God who makes all things new.
Let me challenge you to have a big dream for your life. I always say, when one dream dies, dream another dream. Don’t just settle for mediocrity, we serve a God who is above and beyond anything we can think of. There’s nothing you can dream of that God can’t do. Ask Him to bring you the right people, the right opportunities, and the right resources. As you follow His leading in your heart, I believe you’ll move forward and see every dream and desire come to pass in Jesus’ name!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
"Father in heaven, thank You for a new day to praise Your name. I dedicate myself to You fresh and anew. Lead me in the ways of my heart and let everything I do bring glory to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."
I pray that everyone enjoyed themselves during the holidays. This is a new year and you should take it by storm. Be the best that you can be. Do YOU! Do something that you have always wanted to do. It will be very satisfying.
Do you have any New Year's hair goals or resolutions? If so please feel free to share them with us.
I have some goals that I would like to achieve this year. I want bigger and healthier hair. My hair has grown to be its healthiest to date since I began taking proper care of it. I will update you all soon with my new routine that I have been doing for about 1 month and a half.
Also, in a few months I will have a surprise to share with my readers, so be on the lookout for that.
