Category: Afro Hair

6 Cornrow Hairstyles That’ll Make Your Mouth Drop :)

If you don’t yet know, I’m currently obsessed with cornrows and have been rocking them throughout the Spring and early Summer months.

I just love waking up and not having to worry about styling my hair.

Call me lazy but I just love the freedom that comes with it.

Furthermore, they’re a lot lighter than box braids and they’re easier to maintain during the warm weather months.

Now, if all of that doesn’t convince you that cornrows are God’s gift to naturalistas, check out these six sizzling cornrow styles that’ll leave your mouth on the floor.

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They’re simply sizzzzling!

PS. If you liked these styles, leave a comment below sharing which one is your fave.

Don’t forget to share this post on social – it’ll make our day!

With love,

Vicky x

Founder, MyCurls.co.uk

How to Wash Your Cornrows or Ghana Braids (Especially After Working Out)

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Right now, I’m positively obsessed with cornrows and it seems the natural hair world is too.

Long, short… it doesn’t matter- I just adore them!

In fact, I’ve created an entire hair calendar around cornrow styles that I want to rock in 2017 (the obsession is real!)

However, one of the down-sides to cornrows is that they can be a pain to wash especially if you’re like me and you love keeping your hair clean.

There’s nothing more annoying to me than having an itchy scalp that’s covered in icky dirt and build-up; ewww!

I personally have found that build-up and itching is much worse after a workout, especially after any form of cardio.

So, how do you keep your hair clean when it’s in a cornrowed or braided style?

Here is the simple yet effective routine that I recently used and it worked a treat.

  1. Dilute sulphate-free shampoo and water. Ideally poor this mix into a spray bottle and make sure you have twice the amount of water as you do shampoo. A little shampoo goes a long way. Then shake the bottle like there’s no tomorrow.
  2. Spray the mixture onto the parted sections of your cornrows (e.g. your scalp). Don’t apply it to the braided parts of your hair.
  3. Rinse your scalp and then repeat the process but with a conditioner/water combo.
  4. Rinse your scalp again, let it dry a little and then apply a light natural carrier oil like jojoba to your scalp.

If you really want to soothe your scalp and keep it clean, try adding a drop of peppermint or tea tree oil to the carrier oil as both ingredients have anti-bacterial properties and will keep your scalp moisturised and clean.

They’ll also make your scalp feel COOL and tingly, getting rid of any itchiness in the process.

So there you have it, my quick yet super effective method for getting rid of build-up when your hair is braided or cornrowed.

If you liked this post, put a smile on my face by sharing it on social and use the hashtag #mycurlsuk so we can find you and retweet you too!

With love,

Vicky x

Founder, MyCurls.co.uk

Nappy Hair is Strong Hair: Tasha Smith

I recently spotted this wonderful video of actress Tasha Smith discussing black hair  and I absolutely love it!

One of the takeaway quotes for me was when she said:

“Nappy hair is strong hair.”

I love that!

For so long, many of us have deemed our kinky hair as being weak, broken, fragile but in actuality our kinks are strong.

I’ve heard many people (women and men equally) describe kinky hair as “tough” in a derogatory way but we need to swap that word with strong.

Tough gives the implication that our hair is hard to manage, hard to deal with but it’s not.

As us naturally curly girls know, with the right management and tools our hair is really quite easy to handle.

It’s far from being “tough.”

So, the next time someone says you have hard to manage hair, look them in the eye and tell them:

My hair is strong!

Check out the video below and leave a comment sharing your thoughts.

HAIR TALES_TASHA SMITH from MADFREEtv on Vimeo.

Victoria xo

4 Hairstyles That Will Make You Ditch Your Bonet

There’s a lot of controversy about whether hair bonets are a YAY or NAY for curly girls.

Although they’re great for protecting curls, many men and women feel as if they’re not exactly the cutest of choices when it comes to helping you look great at night time.

So, what’s a girl to do when she wants to look cute for bed but always wants to make sure her tresses are protected?

It’s simple.

She simply needs to check out these gorgeous hairstyle options that will make sure you can protect your curls whilst still looking smoking hot in the bedroom.

What I love about these styles are that they enable you to look great at night and then wake up with perfect hair.

If you like these styles, please share them with a friend. It could just help her to feel and look amazing during the day and at night.

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4 FroHawks That Will Make Your Mouth Drop

I just love a frohawk!

Why?

Well, it’s easy to do, looks am-a-zing and is perfect for the slightly colder months and the humid months where it’s easy to get frizzed up.

Here are 4 gorgeous frohawks that will leave you in awe.

Check them out below and if you like them, leave a comment below sharing what your favourite hairstyle is.

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How to Prevent and Reduce Heat Damage

flat-iron

Most naturalistas have suffered with it at some point. After all, the obsession with turning your tight coils into slick straight tresses is one that most of us have or have had at some point in our lives.

Yes, slick straight hair looks great but there’s a price to pay when you obsess over having it.

Nonetheless, there are ways to prevent and reduce the damaging effects of heat on the hair.

  1. Lower the heat setting.Rather than straightening your hair at 200 degrees celsius, reduce the heat down by 50 degrees to lessen the chances of any excessive damage.
  2. Prep your hair before you even begin straightening it. For instance, a good deep conditioning treatment before applying heat can make a huge difference in reducing the amount of damage that heat causes. Also, apply heat protectants so that your hair doesn’t suffer from the burn of a flat iron.
  3. Opt for wigs as a quick and easy alternative to straighteners. Wigs are awesome if you feel like changing your hair for a few days or want a snazzy style for a special occasion. Rather than ruining your natural curls, try rocking a high quality wig instead.
  4. Trim off excessively damaged hair the minute you spot it. If you see a kink that’s become limp, snip it off! You’ll save yourself from further damage in the process.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have any hair-saving tips to share? Leave a comment below.

If you liked this post, tweet it and tag us on social media @mycurlsuk.

Till next time x

 

Nigerian Hairstyles Through The Years

As a young Nigerian girl, hair care and hairstyling were a fundamental part of my childhood.

There wasn’t a day that passed where hair care wasn’t mentioned.

Whether it was “your hair needs fixing” or “it’s time to re-do your hair,” hair was always a topic of conversation and once my aunts started talking about hair, they couldn’t stop.

Memories of having my hair plaited, relaxed and comb flooded through my body as I watched this brilliant video on Nigerian hairstyles through the years.

Some of the styles might seem a bit crazy looking to a non-West African person but they are a part of our culture and history.

One of the styles that I cherish most (but haven’t managed to muster up the bravery to rock it) is threading.

Threading simply involves a piece of wiry thready being wrapped around a small section of hair.

It might not look like the most stylish of hairdos but it sure does make your hair grow!

I swear threading was like the old-school equivalent of the inversion method. It worked a treat.

Take a look at the video below and if you’ve tried one of these hairstyles, leave a comment below.

Here’s to your hair’s happiness,

Victoria xo

 

 

6 Drop Dead Gorgeous Curly Hairstyles For Spring

With the sun shining and the weather heating up, it’s the perfect time to throw away some of the not-so-fun winter protective styles and opt for far more fun natural hairstyles!

I’ve been wearing my hair in braids all winter and now I’m ready to throw them out and rock my curls!

Can I get an Amen in the comments if you’re feeling the same?

The problem with wearing braids, weaves or other protective styles that don’t involve your real hair is that you get so used to them that it becomes difficult to remember how to style and care for your real hair.

I’ve gone through this so many times which is why I’ve been resistant to wearing my hair in braids for long periods.

In fact, this is the first year in a very long time where I’ve worn braids the whole of winter. I never want to be one of those people who is so obsessed with fake hair that I have no idea how to handle my real curls.

So what do you do when you’ve had your hair in braids, weaves etc and can’t remember how to style your natural hair?

You head over to THIS blog and read a blog post like this 🙂

To give you a sprinkle of hairspiration, we’re sharing 6 of the most drop dead gorgeous curly hairstyles for spring.

Take a look at the pictures below and leave a comment sharing which style you love the most.

 curly hairstyles for spring

 

Wishing you a wonderful Easter,

Victoria x

‘Froing To Extreme Lengths: 4 Crazy Things You Could Do To Grow Longer Hair In 2016

'froing to the extreme: hair growth methods for natural afro hair

For some women their hair is too short.

For others it’s too thin.

And for others it’s too thick.

Truth be told that most women (especially women of colour) have a desire to grow longer hair in some shape or form.

The difference however is that most women aren’t willing to go to extreme lengths to grow their hair and would instead prefer a magic pill or potion that could do it for them.

You see, growing longer hair is a bit like being on a diet. You could take diet pills in the hope that they’d magically burn fat 24/7 or you could work out and eat more mindfully.

The second option just sounds like way too much work for most people but at the back of their minds they know that it really is the best way to get lean.

It’s the same thing with hair care. Magic pills sound great but they aren’t the safest or most reliable way of growing longer hair.

So what can you do instead?

And what can you do if you want to grow your hair ridiculously long in under 12 months?

Here are a few extreme hair growth strategies that have worked for some women.

Please note that we are not recommending that you do them and we certainly recommend that you do thorough research before opting for any of these hair growth methods.

Crazy Thing 1. Extreme Bunning.

Bunning simply refers to the process of wearing your hair in a bun for days, weeks or even months on end. Most extreme bunners have a method that works well for them and it consists of something along the lines of comb/brush hair, moisturise heavily, add oils and then place hair in a bun for 3-7 days.

Pros? It works really well for some people. I’ve tried it at various points and it certainly helped with reducing excess breakage and retaining length.

Cons? Wearing your hair in a bun can cause your edges to be pulled tightly which can lead to breakage around the hair line.

It can also be very boring to wear your hair in pretty much the same style every day just for the purpose of growing it to extreme lengths.

Crazy Thing 2: Baggying.

What?

Yeah, I said the same thing when I first came across this method several years ago.

The simplified explanation of baggying is that it involves covering your hair in a plastic wrapping over night. The heat and steam from the bag helps to lock in moisture.

Pros? It can help to keep your hair very soft and moisturised which in turn can lead to hair growth.

Cons? It’s potentially dangerous especially if used improperly. This is something to be very cautious about doing.

Crazy Thing 3: Wigs.

Wigs can be incredible. They allow you to switch up your hairstyle quickly and easily without causing damage to your real hair.

In many ways they are a potential godsend.

They can help with hair growth because they allow you to cornrow your hair and leave it alone for weeks or even months on end which in turn reduces breakage.

Pros? They’re a great option for women who want to protect their hair whilst rocking fun hairstyles.

Cons? Some women develop the habit of becoming so obsessed with making their wigs look great that they forget to care for their real hair (which should always be the focus).

Crazy Thing 4: Pills.

There are hundreds of companies who claim that their pill will stimulate hair follicles, promote growth and increase your hair’s shine. Whilst some of these products might genuinely work, it can be difficult to gage how effective they are.

Pros? It’s an easy method to stick to- take a pill and wait for growth.

Cons? Your hairs rate of growth depends on a variety of factors including genetics, your diet, hair regimen and much more. It’s therefore unwise to solely rely on pills for fast hair growth.

All of the above methods have their advantages and disadvantages and what works for one person might not work for another so it’s important to iterate a little and figure out which method or product works best for you.

I hope you enjoyed this article and as always, leave a comment below sharing which hair growth strategy is your fave.

Victoria xo

Jourdan Dunn Slays The Cover of Vogue Brasil

A few years ago it was a rarity to see women of colour gracing the covers of international fashion magazines and when they did, they sported straight hair that ran down their backs.

It’s great to see that things have changed so much and it’s now becoming increasingly common for black actresses, supermodels and musicians to rock their natural kinks, coils and curls on the front pages of acclaimed publications.

Recently, the beautiful Jourdan Dunn graced the February 2016 cover of Vogue Brasil and looked stunning with her short TWA (teeny weeny afro).

jourdan dunn afro vogue february 2016

Although I love a big ‘fro just as much as the next girl, it’s refreshing to see Jourdan wear a short, soft afro. It suits her well and just goes to show that natural hair is as classy and beautiful as you make it.

I also love the fact that her afro is perfectly shaped which gives her a halo-like appearance.

What do you think of Jourdan’s look? Do you think it’s a good thing that more celebrities are going natural? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Victoria xo