After I read Solange Knowles reason for cutting her hair, I have to say what a beautiful, intelligent and strong-willed woman she is. She speaks from the heart with integrity and confidence. I have a new respect for her. I totally understand her point about being in bondage with our hair. Many of us do it and we don’t even realize it. Anyways, be true to yourself!

Check out Solange’s recent TWEET about why she cut her hair:

“…dont. want. a. edge. up. or a perm. because. im not trying. to make this “a style” or a statement. i. just. wanted. to. be. free. from. the. bondage. that. black. women sometimes. put. on. themselves. with. hair. this. phase. of. my. life. i. want to spend . the time. the energy. and the money. on something else. not in the hair salon. im. not. mad. at . all of you. that have made your opinions known. and have sent negative. energy. my way. i expected this of you. you. have. the right to have. an opinion. so. do. i. ONLY reason i responded to this i have is because i was disappointed to see my name more talked about then #iranelection. we. gotta. do. better. people. happy. happy. joy. joy. “im no soul girl quipped with no afro, im just my god given name.”

— Being in the limelight is tough. Having constant scrutiny and finger pointing can be tough. But if you don’t give a crap and just want to focus on you and what’s important, that says a lot about your character. I have a new respect for Solange. Girl You Rock!

Yes it sounds crazy! Imagine spending 11 hours in a salon. Many woman do it for 4 hours on a regular basis but 11 hours? So you’re probably thinking who is crazy enough to spend that much time in a salon chair. Well, if you’re getting paid big money like Lindsay Lohan, it’s well worth it. She was seen leaving Beverly Hills’ Byron and Tracey Hair Salon with a new blond hair-do. I guess if you’re getting a check for it, what the heck.

What do you think of Lindsay’s new blond bombshell look?

Feel free to add your comments below.

Charred hair from Michael Jackson’s  unfortunate accident while filming the sixth take of the fateful TV spot on Jan. 27, 1984, at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium, will be turned into diamonds.

A Chicago-based company LifeGem, is currently evaluating the hair sample see how many diamonds can be made. They are going to create a small number of laboratory diamonds. These will eventually be sold according to reports. I can imagine how much they’ll sell for… Priceless!

Michael live on!

Solange Knowles has shaved her head! No more long weaves for this gal’. She’s gone all natural in a bold stunt? Some say it’s a career move, some say it’s for attention… but I think it goes deeper than that. As a black woman, it’s not always about making a statement. It’s one of those things you can only truly understand if you’re a black woman. Hair is so much more… If you have a room full of black woman and ask them to discuss their hair, I’ll bet we could talk hair all day long. There are so many facets of our hair… so much so that it goes deeper than making a statement. I could be here all day trying to explain this but I won’t because sometimes our hair can become too complicated to others who don’t have to deal with our unique hair.  And for anyone who say “deal” with our hair. I don’t mean it in a bad way. There are just many things we have to consider like our hair texture, what products work best, humidity, rain, styling, routines. Those are some of the things I’m referring to so the use of the word “deal” is not by any means meant to be negative.

But if you wonder why we love to “talk hair” ge t this… Black women in the U.S. spend more money on their hair then any other ethnic group. But black women represent less then 10% of the U.S. population but spend the most amount of money on our hair compared to women of other ethnic groups. So, how much do we spend? I’m talking BILLIONS of dollars. Many of us will do anything to make sure our hair looks good regardless of how much money we have to spend. The reason? Too many to mention here.

So, why did Solange cut her hair? You’d have to ask her. But I’m sure she’ll give you a simple answer like wanting a low maintenance hairdo or some other reason that would be viewed as “acceptable”. But I bet if Solange was given a private moment to talk about her hair, I bet she’d have a lot to say… the issues, perceptions, being real, maintenace, the industry, boredom… Do you see there isn’t just one thing with black women and their hair.

Ever see those old movies playing showing images of a child from birth? Ah, the memories! The grainy footage continues as proud parents watch and remember those precious moments… babies first steps, toddlers new bed, first haircut, first day of school, teenage years… The memories… That’s what I think of when I think of my hair. I think of what I thought about it as a child. Playing house — my perceptions and experiences with my hair. Media’s role…

Why are many black women shaving their heads and doing the TWA (aka teeny weeny afro) like Solange? Check online and you’ll see a ton of women doing it. Why are so many black women going natural and shedding their relaxers, weaves and extensions? Many of us are tired of the maintenace. Some of us want to be true to ourselves and wear our hair the way God has given it to us – and rightfully so. Many of us have begun to get tired of altering our hair texture to suit others. We’re tired of the endless trips to the salon. Tired of the burned scalps… tired of the tight weaves. Tired of hiding our hair. Tired of … well you get the picture. But one things for sure, the amount of time and money spent on our hair can become tiresome – a chore. But is “going natural” going to free us of the time and money we spend on our hair? Sometimes it may depending on the maintenance routines you feel is necessary for your own hair texture.

OK, I’m done. I seem to be babbling about hair. But you see I am a black woman who could talk hair all day . But I’ll spare you the details.

But let me just say this for sure… Solange is a natural beauty regardless of the blogs that say they hate her new look. Who is commenting? But then again, really who cares! Some may say they love her hair. Are these people vegans, natural hair natzi’s or those rebelling against the mainstream? I say again, really… who cares! Solange has cut her hair and is finally showing her true self. That takes a lot especially in an industry that only glorifies long, silky locks.

 Perhaps Solange has begun to change the perception of beauty and has joined others like India Arie and others. Some will love it and some will hate it but it really doesn’t matter in the end. If the girl’s happy and is bold enough to showcase it in a haircut, so be it! Rock it girl!

So, is the issue only about her hair or does it go deeper then that? Only Solange Knowles… I mean knows

Peace

Here is a good tutorial on how to do your own fishtail braids and braid hairstyles for a carefree style this summer. It’s a great way to give your hair a break from products. Not only that, but it gives you a break from having to style your hair for a few days!

Read the how to braid and do fishtail braids here!

~ Enjoy!

Hey Curly Girl!

How are ya! So, I just wanted to talk about natural products since that’s been my main focus these last couple of months.

Did you know that the chemicals in many store bought hair shampoos actually strip the nutrients and vitamins from your hair? I had no idea it actually stripped the nutrients, but it does make sense. This stripping then prompts you to use their conditioner to bring your hair back to life. Hey somebody’s gotta’ make a dollar I guess. But if it’s at the expense of our health it’s not worth it. Read about the different natural hair shampoos here!

Hope you’re having a good hair day!

If you’re natural or have decided to embrace your curls and have them showcased in all their glory, check out my natural curly hair journey of “going natural“. If you are struggling with your journey, check out this very helpful guide to growing your natural hair. It’s an excellent read!