Be Encouraged

I don’t have all the answers. I’m still learning and I’m over four plus years into my natural hair journey. Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about protective styling – those who are against braids/weaves/wigs, and those who are for them. I’m very pro-braids and protective styling, as I sit here with micro braids in my hair now. But I do agree that overuse of braids/weaves/wigs can be very detrimental to your hair and should be used sparingly. What I don’t like is the negative bashing toward those who do like to use protective styles.

There have been many conversations about wash and go’s and how they can be done on 4c hair. I’m not disputing that at all. I did wash and go’s when I big chopped and barely had an inch of hair on my head. That was super easy to do! My hair isn’t what I’d consider to be long right now, but it’s long enough to become time consuming. Wash and go’s also entail the use of several products for them to work such as leave in conditioners, moisturizers, and some type of gel. All of those things cause flaking and white residue in my thick, coarse, 4c hair. From what everyone says, you have to find the right combination of products for a wash and go to work. There’s my red flag. I don’t want to have to buy a bunch of products to have a style that will only last a day and a half for me, or at the worst, leave a flaky residue in my hair. I’m not a product junkie, but trying to achieve the perfect wash and go will definitely turn me into one.

I’ve set a personal goal for myself to stop being lazy and to do a better job at keeping my hair moisturized and well conditioned. I think if I start there, the rest (healthiness and growth) will follow. The thought of doing another big chop have crossed my mind, but we’ll see. I’m not quite ready to give up on my hair. I’m saying all of this to say that I read a lot about natural hair because I love reading other women’s experiences, struggles and triumphs. But we all have to remember that what works for one person may not work for you. Many of us wear protective styles out of necessity or convenience. Not everyone have time in the morning to do a wash and go, and quite frankly, not everyone wants to – and that’s okay.

Reading some of these blogs will have you feeling like the world’s laziest, loser, slacker natural. No one should feel that way. Recognize where you need to make improvements and then make them. My laziness towards my hair resulted in bald spots and breakage, and it’s been well documented in this blog. Now I’m investing more time in my hair. I’m paying closer attention to leave in conditioners, good deep conditioners, and protein treatments. And I’m still looking for good DIY ideas so I can keep my coins in my pockets.  😉 Be encouraged and keep learning. Give your hair the TLC it needs so it can thrive and grow.

Vlogging – It’s Not For Me

Vlogging always seemed like it would be fun. Maybe it’s because so many YouTubers who are experienced vloggers make it look fun. They enjoy doing it and they’re good at it. “I can do that” I’d think to myself. “It looks fun and easy” I’d foolishly tell myself. Then one day I tried it, and I tried it several times talking about various topics, and by topics I mean natural hair topics.

Here’s where I messed up: I attempted to vlog late in the evening while tired and sleepy. When I would watch the finished video, I looked like I was minutes away from falling asleep. That’s not a good look. I also talked slow, which I’m sure will irritate those who are impatient and want you to get to the point. My eyes were so heavy that if you looked at me long enough you’d become sleepy too!  What I talked about was interesting (to me at least), but I had no energy. NONE. I work full time, I come home and cook, help kids with homework, putz around the house and take care of whatever else needs to be taken care of. Depending on what day it is, I’ll sit down long enough to watch my favorite TV show (if I can keep my eyes open long enough), and then off to bed I go.

In order for vlogging to work for me, I’d have to do it on the weekends and I would have to commit to it. Is it doable? Sure it is. Will I stick to it? Probably not. I’d be one of those vloggers who post a new video once every other month, if even that. So yeah, I’m going to stick to blogging. I’ve always been one who expresses herself better in writing than speaking. I can get my thoughts out faster by typing them out. I’ve always been wired this way.

To those who vlog, keep up the good work! You’ve found your niche, you’ve developed a following so keep it up. As for little ole’ me, I’m going to stay in my lane of writing. It’s much, much easier for me. And if I’m tired and sleepy while blogging, you’d never know it. 😉