How I’m actually wearing my hair today–a pony secured with a satin scrunchie:
It was way to gross out to leave my hair down, and it was frizzing before I could make it out of the house! As Colbert would say, EO gets a “wag of the finger”! To preserve, I’ll just sleep in my handy satin scarf, on my trusty satin pillow case. This pony will last 3 or so days, then I’ll bun it, and finally start anew!
Don’t forget to submit your Show & Tell for tomorrow. Remember, it can be a full body shot, or a close-up of your curls. Provide a brief caption as well! I’ll post the first 10 I receive…and we’re not even close yet! Let’s get it chicas–this is real time inspiration, lol.
Later Gators,
Nik
My TnC and BnC always look a mess too! lol. Glad I'm not the only one. I thought it was becaue of the length (shoulder length), but I have seen others with shorter hair do it and it looks good on them. My twist-outs and braid-outs look good, but when I add rollers/curlers to the ends, that is when it just looks crazy.
Denise & Queen- Thats so weird my TnC always looks a hot mess but my BnC turn out great. The natural hair journey what can you do…………………..
@ Denise…. I think I'm going to be in the same boat as you. Whenever I TnC or just recently BnC, my hair looks a hot mess. I don't know if this has anything to do with its current length or not but I'm predicting my hair will probably always look its best just freestyling. Glad to know I'm not the only one 😉
I've been natural since 98 and I couldn't get my hair to look like Nikki's if I tried. It's long and it's thick and every twist and curl that I do ends up looking like a hot mess so I pull it into a pony tail or a bun and call it a day. I get lots of compliments whenever I blow dry and flat iron it straight for special occasions but I don't feel like I'm being myself. I am glad that I went natural but I wish that I had the kind of style that you and some of the other ladies show on this site. I'll keep reading and hope that eventually something will work for me.
As always beautiful hair Nikki! I'm trying to get that length and reading your hair posts encourages me. I'm at APL and my goal is BSL. Thanks for your wonderful blog.
To the ladies who just BC or having trouble accepting your natural texture, I really think it comes from within. You have to learn to love your hair the way it is. I've been natural for 5 years and now finally appreciating my natural texture. Learning how to manage my hair without using blow dyers and heat, I must say it is really freeing and good feeling. Don't give up on your natural texture yet
I agree with all of you ladies! Nikki's hair is always beautiful and everything you all say about your hair vs someone elses is absolutely true. I too look for advise, but I am learning MY hair in the meantime. Don't let folks change your course, what ever that is.
Keep it curly
this is good that someone brought up this topic. I know i am a 4, but i think i am 4b/4c. i never bc'd, and so i have a head full of thick, long (collar bone?) hair. maybe those feel this way because your hair is not long? if so, don't give up cuz your hair will eventually be long in its 4 type glory. i think also you have to really find the products, regime and hairstyles that really fit YOU.
curly nikki, do you REALLY have to twist your hair to get your curls? i thought your hair is naturally curly?
Cute ponytail! Can you show a picture of what it looks like from the front?
Good Afternoon, Ladies!
Nikki, your hair still looks fab!
For the ladies above, I can relate. I have very tight curls/coils that frizz very easily. When I first did my BC I was like "wow" (LOL) but I accepted it. Our hair comes in a variety of textures, wave/curl/"kink" patterns, etc. And all of our hair is beautiful whether type 3 or 4. I can agree with the first Anonymous comment re: a natural hair site. I've witnessed what she mentioned (others being mean and proclaiming self-hate if someone had a hard time). We need to encourage each other rather than beat up on each other. That is what being natural is all about!! Self-acceptance is key. I'd say that the more we learn about our own hair textures and how certain products respond to them, the better off our hair will be. It's all a learning process and I love it.
I am so glad you posted this question b/c I just did the BC and am having a hard time accepting my new texture (4a/b). I think part of the reason is that I was not ready to BC and was kind of pressured into it by the hairstylist. I am VERY tempted to perm my hair but at the same time I don't want to give up on discovering the "natural me."
Anonymous makes a very good point – I have 3b/c hair but oh my gosh is it ever dry and coarse. DRy, dry dry. No 'silkiness' at ALL. This makes it hard to manage on a day to day basis as it literally 'drinks' product.
I do feel that some curly forums can be a tad militant about hair, when they themselves may have hair that (dare I say it) less effort to manage than my own. I went on one and was soon put off from commenting – yikes!
Nikki your hair looks fabulously healthy and great (and it is such a lovely colour – almost blue-black!)
I love reading your posts.
http://marvelousmixedracehair.blogspot.com
I am a silent follower….and I have to say that you make having natural curly hair look so effortless. You are blessed to have a beautiful, natural, silky, curly texture. I have been natural for 3 years and have an extremely coarse, dense, and kinky texture which I have come to accept and appreciate. While I do have the choice to texturize or relax my hair, I choose not to because I appreciate my kinky, tightly-coiled texture. However, I have an issue which I'd like to address here if I may.
I stumbled upon a certain natural hair site one day, but was completely turned off because a lot of the women were beating down on one particular natural newbie who'd recently did her big chop, and was unhappy with her hair. She seemed to struggle with her new texture, and was completely miserable. She wanted to texturize her hair, but a lot of the women were really hard on her. Some were even mean to her telling her that she had issues accepting her hair because she hated herself!!
My issue is that a lot of these women have very beautiful, silky, natural curly textures, and I felt that they shouldn't have been so hard on her because they have not walked in her shoes. I personally felt that she should give it more time, but if she's absolutely miserable and self-conscious in the end, then she should do what is comfortable for her because obviously she is not ready to be natural.
And yes, this is somewhat personal because someone made me feel just as bad when I first became natural. While I did not want to texturize or relax my hair, I wore a lot of twists and twist outs. However, Miss 3a hair texture couldn't understand why I couldn't do a wash-n-go on my 4c super dense-kinky-coarse hair. What do you think?