Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Washing Type 4 Hair

For many women, dealing with their natural hair texture can be a difficult task, and that is the main reason why chemical alterations, hair weaves and excessive heat styling are used. However, with patience, good research, trail and error of products and a positive attitude, you can have healthy hair that can be styled the way you want it .

One key practice in maintaining healthy tresses for 4a-textured hair is the regime of washing and conditioning the hair. Most people with 4a-hair texture do not need to wash their hair every day, instead they can rinse their hair with conditioner . Doing this will help retain the natural oils in the hair that shampooing daily will strip. This is important because 4a hair textures require lots of moisture and stripping the hair of moisture will cause it to be brittle, dry and less manageable. 4a hair textures can range in how it is structured from being kinky with no curl pattern , very thick and curly to tightly coiled. Below are steps to take when washing this hair texture to ensure that it will look its best daily.

First, it is recommended not to wash the hair every day and I suggest washing the hair no more than 4 days a week. This will depend on how your hair feels and is looking. For instance, I exercise daily so I wash my hair every other day because otherwise my hair would be dry and have no curl. This is due to my exercising and the heavy sweating. However, I do rinse my hair with conditioner in the shower on day that I do not shampoo. Get a good moisturizing shampoo, many brands like Aveda, Phyto, Motions, Slickline, Carol's Daughter and Ion have excellent shampoos that leave the hair feeling softer and not dry. This is key because a non moisturizing shampoo will result in hard hair as if you washed your hair ten times in a row. Also I would recommend purchasing a moisturizing conditioner from any of the brands mentioned before and one deep treatment conditioner. In-between shampoo days use the moisturizing conditioner instead and weekly deep condition the hair.

Shampoo, Condition, Deep-Treatment Day
Rinse the hair well, then apply the moisturizing shampoo. Massage the scalp while washing the hair. This helps add stimulation and gets the blood circulating in that area. It has been said that a good scalp massage helps keep the hair healthy. Then rinse the shampoo out and squeeze excessive water out of the hair. Do not towel dry the hair because this will cause the hair to frizz. Once excess water is out and apply the moisturizing conditioner. Massage the scalp again then rinse. Squeeze out excess water then apply the deep treatment conditioner and let set for recommended time. If you have a bonnet hair dry sit under it set on low heat for the time that the deep treatment is on the hair. Then rinse and style as desired.

Non-shampoo Day

Rinse the hair well with water, then squeeze out excess water and apply the moisturizing shampoo. Let set for duration of shower or recommended time stated by the brand. Rinse out the conditioner and style as desired.

Shampoo-and-Condition Day

Rinse the hair well then apply the shampoo and massage the scalp. The rinse out the shampoo and squeeze excess water out of the hair. Then apply the conditioner and let set for desired time. Rinse out and style.

By following this shampoo regimen you will see results such as less frizz, easier to style and better shine and bounce when styling straight. Also you will have less breakage which will enable you to obtain a longer length. I recommend squeezing the water out of your hair because this helps retain your curls or spirals and will prevent them from frizzing during and after the styling process. 4a hair textures look like tough hair that can take any styling technique but in reality the hair texture is fragile and needs extra care. With theses steps your 4a hair will be fabulous.

SOURCE

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Miss Jessie's Twist Out 101 Demo

Miss Jessie's products WIIIIIIILL try to break your pockets but if you don't mind them being broken here's a style I found on youtube:

Monday, September 28, 2009

misskrisnew

Here is another beautiful woman I hair stalk on YouTube. I'm thinking that my texture will between her hair and BeautifulBrwnBabyDol's. They really keep me motivated not to keep growing my hair but motivated to stay interested as far as believing it will grow, researching products and styles, and just to keep 100% interest in the many things I can accomplish with my naps!



Friday, September 25, 2009

BeautifulBrwnBabyDol

I love her videos! She is one of the people I stalk for hair advice and products on a regular!! I love everything about her hair and since I think (think) my hair will be somewhat similar to hers, I take notes on these videos! (Also check her accent. It's so cute!!)




Thursday, September 24, 2009

A New Study That Cracks Me Up!!!

Study: Fellatio may significantly decrease the risk of breast cancer in women


[INSERT INAPPROPRIATE PICTURE HERE LOL]

 Thursday, October 2, 2003 Posted: 9:19 AM EDT (1319 GMT)


(AP) -- Women who perform the act of fellatio and swallow semen on a regular basis, one to two times a week, may reduce their risk of breast cancer by up to 40 percent, a North Carolina State University study found.


Doctors had never suspected a link between the act of fellatio and breast cancer, but new research being performed at North Carolina State University is starting to suggest that there could be an important link between the two.


In a study of over 15,000 women suspected of having performed regular fellatio and swallowed the ejaculatory fluid, over the past ten years, the researchers found that those actually having performed the act regularly, one to two times a week, had a lower occurrence of breast cancer than those who had not. There was no increased risk, however, for those who did not regularly perform.


"I think it removes the last shade of doubt that fellatio is actually a healthy act," said Dr. A.J. Kramer of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who was not involved in the research. "I am surprised by these findings, but am also excited that the researchers may have discovered a relatively easy way to lower the occurrence of breast cancer in women."


The University researchers stressed that, though breast cancer is relatively uncommon, any steps taken to reduce the risk would be a wise decision.


"Only with regular occurrence will your chances be reduced, so I encourage all women out there to make fellatio an important part of their daily routine," said Dr. Helena Shifteer, one of the researchers at the University. "Since the emergence of the research, I try to fellate at least once every other night to reduce my chances."


The study is reported in Friday's Journal of Medical Research.


In 1991, 43,582 women died of breast cancer, as reported by the National Cancer Institute.


Dr. Len Lictepeen, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said women should not overlook or "play down" these findings.


"This will hopefully change women's practice and patterns, resulting in a severe drop in the future number of cases," Lictepeen said.


Sooner said the research shows no increase in the risk of breast cancer in those who are, for whatever reason, not able to fellate regularly.


"There's definitely fertile ground for more research. Many have stepped forward to volunteer for related research now in the planning stages," he said.


Almost every woman is, at some point, going to perform the act of fellatio, but it is the frequency at which this event occurs that makes the difference, say researchers. Also key seems to be the protein and enzyme count in the semen, but researchers are again waiting for more test data.


The reasearch consisted of two groups, 6,246 women ages 25 to 45 who had performed fellatio and swallowed on a regular basis over the past five to ten years, and 9,728 women who had not or did not swallow. The group of women who had performed and swallowed had a breast cancer rate of 1.9 percent and the group who had not had a breast cancer rate of 10.4 percent.


"The findings do suggest that there are other causes for breast cancer besides the absence of regular fellatio," Shafteer said. "It's a cause, not THE cause."

SOURCE

UPDATE!!! If you read the Dr names it appear that the names are fake so I'm assuming the article is as well. It was hilarious though. Good job whoever wrote this!!

I Relapsed...

I broke down last night and ate some freakin McDonalds for dinner. I ate a #11 [Fish Filet] meal with fries and a medium coke. Here's what I ingested:




Nutrition Facts
Calories 970 (4055 kJ)
% Daily Value 1
Total Fat 37g 57%
Sat. Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 920mg 38%
Total Carbs. 144g 48%
Dietary Fiber 7g 28%
Sugars 63g
Protein 20g
Calcium 1800mg

SOURCE
 



Not only did it start killing me slowly, it made me a little sick since I hadn't eaten fast food in a while. I WILL NOT be going back to McDonalds again...unless it's for that good $1 cone! That thing is the best! L0L!

4 Tips for Lower Cholesterol Fast

High cholesterol isn't inevitable as we age. Fight back four ways -- and lower cholesterol fast.
By R. Morgan GriffinWebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD


Deepening smile lines and silver locks may be inevitable features of growing older, but rising cholesterol doesn't have to be.
And while higher cholesterol is often a consequence of aging, young people can have it too. But no matter your age, it poses a big health risk. That's because unhealthy cholesterol levels can boost your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other problems.
Fortunately, you can do something about it.
"Unlike your age and your genes, cholesterol levels are risk factors that you can often change," says Jorge Plutzky MD, director of the Vascular Disease Prevention Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Lower Cholesterol: 4 Ways to Fast Results
According to experts, there are four basic ways to get your cholesterol where you want it:
· Eating a healthy diet.
· Exercising
· Losing weight
· Taking medicine -- in some cases
While each of these works, some people have more success with one than another. Many need a combination of approaches.
No matter what your age or the state of your health, you can reduce your risks of serious problems by controlling your cholesterol -- and it's not as hard as you think.
Know Your Cholesterol Numbers
While Plutzky says that people are often alarmed when they find out they have high cholesterol, many are also confused.
"They don't understand what the numbers mean," he tells WebMD, "They don't know the difference between total cholesterol, LDL and HDL."
So let's start with some basics. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that circulates in your blood. Some of it is made naturally by your body, and the rest comes from foods you eat. There are two main types: HDL and LDL.
· LDL is "bad cholesterol." It can clog your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Optimal number: Less than 100mg/dL.
· HDL is "good cholesterol." What's good about it? HDL attaches to bad cholesterol and escorts it to the liver, which filters it out of the body. So HDL reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your system. Desirable number: 60mg/dL or higher.
· Total cholesterol is the sum of all types of cholesterol in your blood. Although your doctor may still refer to this number, it's less significant than your HDL and LDL levels. Desirable number: Less than 200 mg/dL.
· Triglycerides , while not cholesterol, are another type of fat floating in your blood. Just as with bad cholesterol, having a high level of triglycerides increases your risk of cardiovascular problems. Healthy number: Less than 150 mg/dL.
Think you need to get a handle on your LDL, HDL, total cholesterol or triglycerides? Here's how to do it.
1. Lower Cholesterol by Eating Right
You've probably heard it before, but foods that are high in saturated fat and -- to a lesser extent -- high in cholesterol, boost your cholesterol levels. These include foods like egg yolks, fatty meats, and full-fat dairy products.


Know Your Cholesterol Numbers continued...
Plutzky recommends you also cut down on trans fatty acids as well, which are more often found in processed and fried foods.
But eating a heart healthy diet isn't just about deprivation. In fact, some foods -- eaten in moderation -- can actually improve your cholesterol levels. They include:
· Fatty fish, like tuna and salmon
· Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds
· Oatmeal and oat bran
· Foods fortified with stanols, like some margarines and orange juices
How much does diet help? It depends.
"The effect of diet has a varying effect on people's cholesterol," says Roger Blumenthal MD, director of the Preventive Cardiology Center at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore. "Some people get a lot more benefit than others."
Blumenthal says diet tends to help people lower triglycerides and raise good HDL cholesterol, but it's less likely to have a big impact on bad LDL cholesterol.


2. Improving Cholesterol With Exercise
Exercise is another way to improve your cholesterol levels. Increased physical activity can have a modest effect on cholesterol, lowering triglycerides (and bad LDL cholesterol to a lesser extent), while boosting your good HDL cholesterol.
Of course, the type of exercise is up to you. Plotzky says just about any aerobic activity -- something that boosts your heart rate -- is good. Blumenthal says that walking is often the best way for people who are out of shape to get started.
"I encourage people to buy a $10 pedometer to count their steps," says Blumenthal. "It's a simple way to measure your progress, and it's easy to work in walking during the day."


3. Lose Weight: Lower Cholesterol
Being overweight tends to lead to unhealthy cholesterol levels. Losing weight can lower your bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It also can raise your good HDL cholesterol.
Of course, weight loss is usually a product of a good diet and exercise. So what if you've already improved your diet and started exercising but still need to lose weight?
Then you need to make some further adjustments -- gradually. Once you've reduced your intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol, you can focus on cutting out some calories. In the same way, once you've gotten into an exercise routine, you can step up the intensity to lose some pounds.


4. Controlling Cholesterol With Medication
So what happens if diet, exercise and weight loss aren't enough to bring your cholesterol under control? Your doctor might recommend medicine.
Medicine may also be a first choice for people who have other risk factors. "If you have high cholesterol and heart disease or diabetes," says Blumenthal, "the evidence is pretty clear that you should be on medication."
Several types of medication can help, including:
· Statins, like Crestor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol, and Zocor. Statins are usually the first choice for medicine. They block the effects of an enzyme that helps make cholesterol. They also lower bad cholesterol by a whopping 20-55%. They have a modest effect on triglycerides and give a mild boost to your good cholesterol.
· Ezetimibe (Zetia) is a newer cholesterol-reducing medication that decreases how much cholesterol the body absorbs. It can lower bad cholesterol by up to 25%. Ezetimibe may be combined with a statin to boost the cholesterol lowering effects. Vytorin is Zetia combined with the statin Zocor.
· Niacin, available as Niacor, Niaspan, and Nicolar (among others), lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and raises HDL cholesterol. LDL levels are usually cut by 5-15% and may be reduced up to 25%.
· Bile acid resins like Colestid, Lo-Cholest, Prevalite, Questran, and WelChol. They stick to cholesterol in the intestines and prevent it from being absorbed. They can lower LDL cholesterol by 15-30%.
· Fibrates like Atromid, Lopid, and Tricor. They mainly reduce your triglycerides and may also give a mild boost to your HDL. LDL is affected to a much lesser extent.
Like any medicines, drugs to lower your cholesterol can have side effects. Talk to your health care provider about the risks.
If you wind up needing a medicine, don't feel like your lifestyle changes have failed. Some people have high cholesterol that just doesn't respond as well to exercise and diet, but keeping up your lifestyle changes may allow you to take lower doses of medicine.

Fia's Hairtyping System

Fia's Hairtyping System
FIRST CLASSIFIER - Your curliness (or lack thereof)

The straight ones
1a - stick straight
1b - straight but with a slight body wave, just enough to add some volume, doesn't look wavy
1c - straight with body wave and one or two visible S-waves (e.g. nape of neck or temples)The

Wavy ones
2a - loose, stretched out S-waves throughout the hair
2b - shorter, more distinct S-waves (similar to waves from braiding damp hair)
2c - distinct S-waves and the odd spiral curl forming here and there

The curly ones
3a - big, loose spiral curls
3b - bouncy ringlets
3c - tight corkscrews

The really curly ones
4a - tightly coiled S-curls
4b - tightly coiled hair bending in sharp angles (Z-pattern)

SECOND CLASSIFIER - What (most of) your individual strands look like?

F - Fine
Thin strands that sometimes are almost translucent when held up to the light. Shed strands can be hard to see even against a contrasting background. Similar to hair found on many people of Scandinavian descent. You can also try rolling a strand between your thumb and index finger. Fine hair is difficult to feel or it feels like an ultra-fine strand of silk

M - Medium
Strands are neither fine nor coarse. Similar to hair found on many Caucasians.
You can also try rolling a strand between your thumb and index finger. Medium hair feels like a cotton thread. You can feel it, but it isn't stiff or rough. It is neither fine or coarse.

C - Coarse
Thick strands that where shed strands usually are easily identified against most backgrounds. Similar to hair found on many people of Asian or native American descent.
You can also try rolling a strand between your thumb and index finger. Coarse hair feels hard and wiry. As you roll it back and forth, you may actually hear it.

THIRD CLASSIFIER - Your overall volume of hair

Put your hair in a ponytail with as much hair as possible in it. Don't bother with the way it looks - the goal is to have most/all of your hair in there. If it means it sits smack dab on top of your head, put it there. Measure the circumference of the ponytail. If you have bangs and/or you can't get all of your hair in there adjust according to how much of your hair you have measured.

i - thin (less than 2 inches/5 centimeters)
ii - normal (between 2-4 inches or 5-10 centimeters)
iii - thick (more than 4 inches/10 centimeters)

My Hair Type - 4A

Type 4: Kinky hair


If your hair falls into the Type 4 category, then it is kinky, or very tightly curled. Generally, Type 4 hair is very wiry, very tightly coiled and very, very fragile. Like Type 3 hair, Type 4 hair appears to be coarse, but it is actually quite fine, with lots and lots of this strands densely packed together. Healthy Type 4 hair won't shine, but it will have sheen. It will be soft to the touch and will pass the strand test with ease. It will feel more silky than it will look shiny. Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg and the actress Angela Bassett are all Type 4s.Type 4 hairs looks tough and durable, but looks can be deceiving. If you have Type 4 hair, you already know that it is the most fragile hair around. Why? Type 4 hair has fewer cuticle layers than any other hair type, which means that it has less natural protection from the damage you inflict by combing, brushing, curling, blow-drying and straightening it. The more cuticle layers in a single strand of hair, the more protection it has from damage. Each time you damage your hair – fire up the curling iron, fry it with chemicals – you break down a cuticle layer, robbing your hair of much-needed moisture. I cannot emphasize this enough. It's like taking a wire and bending it again and again. Eventually, it's going to snap and break.Many women with Type 4 hair rely on chemical relaxers to make hair easier to control. In its natural states, sometimes Type 4 hair doesn't grow very long because every time you comb it, it breaks. (Of course, if you have dreadlocks and never comb them or keep them braided, your hair can and does grow quite long.)There are two subtypes of Type 4 hair: Type 4A, tightly coiled hair that, when stretched, has an "S" pattern, much like curly hair; and Type 4B, which has a "Z" pattern, less of a defined curl pattern (instead of curling or coiling, the hair bends in sharp angles like the letter "Z"). Type 4A tends to have more moisture than Type 4B, which will have a wiry texture. But what if your hair has been chemically straightened? How can you tell which subtype you belong to if your hair is relaxed? You'll need at least one inch of new growth to tell. Pull at the roots. If you can see a definite curl pattern, then it's an A, if not, then it's a B.



Addendum:
NaturallyCurly.com type 4 readers have found the above description limiting, and somewhat misleading. We offer the following addendum:Type 4 hair can range from fine/thin to wiry/coarse strand texture. Generally, this hair is densely packed to give the appearance of very thick but fragile hair. 4a hair has a clearly visible curl and wave pattern that ranges from pen size curls to pen spring size coils. 4b hair has a tighter wave pattern and kinks of various size. This texture does not exhibit the shine or silkiness of looser type curls, but instead has sheen, and a soft, almost cotton-like feel. As with other types of curly hair, showing the true length can be an extra challenge, as the hair may grow "up" or "out" before starting to hang down. In its unlocked/unbraided state, type 4 hair is known to shrink up to 75% of the actual hair length. With the proper care and technique, type 4 hair is indeed resilient, manageable, durable, growable and easy to control.




What to try: For Type 4ab, creams and butters work best.







Tips: This hair type needs extra moisture and tender care to prevent breakage. Let the hair air dry and do not brush or comb. To refresh bed head or fight fuzzy hair line, use a moisturizing hairdress like Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercreme or Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade.



RIGHT NOW, I'M THINKING MY HAIR IS TYPE BUT UNTIL IT'S ALL THE WAY OUT I CAN'T TELL. I'LL POST SOME PICTURES OF FOKI PICS I'VE SEEN THAT I THINK I'LL BE SIMILAR TOO. THE ANTICIPATION IS KILLING ME!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I’m SOOO Pressed!

Sooo I got home and started brushing my sew in. As I was brushing, I noticed just how much of my hair had come out of the braids in the front and the back so I started playing with it. With a little water and Liv this is what happened….

Beans063 Beans060

Some of them won’t curl completely because they have  perm on the ends but this had made me like 100% more excited about seeing what this will be like in the future. I know I”m going to need hella product and patience to manage this but I’m ready to get it growing and HUGE!!! L0L!!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Fast Food = Cholesterol

I'm going to start showing the nutritional facts of some of my FAVORITE meals from my fav fast food spots. First up: Bojangles: (the % are the daily values)


Cajun Chicken Leg (I usually eat two so double this)


Calories 264 (1104 kJ)
Total Fat: 16g 25%
Cholesterol: 96mg 32%
Sodium: 530mg 22%
Total Carbs.: 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber: 0.5g 2%
Protein: 10g


Biscuit


Calories 243 (1016 kJ)
Total Fat: 12g 18%
Sat. Fat: 3g 15%
Cholesterol: 2mg 1%
Sodium: 663mg 28%
Total Carbs.: 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber: 2g 8%
Protein: 4g

Dirty Rice


Calories 166 (694 kJ)
Total Fat: 6g 9%
Sat. Fat: 2g 10%
Cholesterol: 10mg 3%
Sodium: 762mg 32%
Total Carbs.: 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber: 1g 4%
Protein:5g


Green Beans


Calories 25 (105 kJ)
Total Fat: 0g 0%
Sat. Fat: 0g 0%
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg 0%
Sodium: 710mg 30%
Total Carbs.: 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber: 2g 8%
Protein: 0g

As you can see, this meal will kill you. L0L!!!

Ok....

So I've been gone forever and a day because I felt like I really didn't have a purpose for this blog. I was doing it just to do it and as you can see I've fallen off completely!! I had decided to stop blogging but I think I have found my 'purpose'.

I've been going natural for 9 months and 22 days and I and I have been in a COMPLETE whirlwind since I started. I never actually indented on going natural but at almost 10 months in I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s evolved to.

When I first moved my healthy head of hair to Atlanta, I tried to find shops that were fairly inexpensive (around $75 for a perm) so I was doing a great deal of chair hopping. While doing so I experienced many chemical burns, breakage, thinning; just an overall decline in my hair presence. I was too through because unlike India.Aire baby I AM my hair!!! I got my last perm December 31, 2008 and decided to take a break and listen around the water cooler for a new stylist. Finding a good stylist was harder than I thought so…


Then came the braids (March 2009) because I hadn’t found anyone to do my hair. Before I knew it I was getting my edges redone because I was still in limbo when it came to finding a new stylist.

Ok so the braids HAD to come out around July and I didn’t know what to do with myself soooo….



hen came the sew in. I used to be ANTI-weave but now that I have this naturally natural, I see it’s purpose! L0L!


I am currently rocking the sew-in but since I’ve had it for about a month and a half, I know that it will be coming out soon. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place because I do not know what to do next. Getting a perm is last on my list and straightening it weekly isn’t too high on this list either. I have become a natural hair blog stalker (lol) and this is where I think I’ve found my purpose. I don’t want to start yet another hair blog BUT I would like to just show my process and the things I have learned (hair related and not) during this tumultuous journey.

There is only a SMALL amount of hair out at the top and this is what it looks like when some water gets on it. (Don't mind the blue. That's the flash from my camera phone.)











I will be coming back FREQUENTLY with hair updates, YouTube vids (you know I love YouTube), products, and anything else (a lot of food updates as well) I learn while I'm on this journey.
Peace and Blessings.