IS HAIR DEAD?!?

YES ON THIS MANNEQUIN!! She needs a serious HOT OIL TREATMENT! Many of these hair guru’s like Paula Begoun claim that hair is dead.. Well, I say No its NOT! Hair is like Grass... Dead tips on a leaf hinder the plant from nourishing itself properly.. It will spend too much time trying to help out its dry tip and take nourishment away from the other parts that need it.. Hence the term "Stretch itself too thin."  You have to clip the dead ends so the plant can keep flourishing; just like hair.

Hair develops as a root inside of the papilla, which is like an incubator that supplies the nutrients needed for it to develop and grow past the skin epidermus out of the scalp. It is just like a plant that develops at the root and grows up out of the soil. It needs to be manicured and taken care of.

So.. Consistent hair regimens like hot oil /deep conditioning treatments with Nu Ade Hair Oils and trimming the ends every 6 weeks can be a huge help towards restoration and health maintenance.

If the soil is not watered or fertilized.. If the scalp is not cleansed and nourished with moisture then the hair/grass will not be healthy and eventually it will dry up, break off at the ends or fall out.. ie DIE

  Hair dies at the tips in the third stage of development. Tips or ends can be scorched and stressed out by damaging heat applications, chemical over processing, and overall malnourishment. 

Luckily hair always continues to grow even if it seems that it's not. Your hair must have a maintenance schedule and you should be able to stick with it! It takes discipline.. But your hair is ALIVE.. Just like a child and needs a consistent schedule to behave properly or the way you want it to.. Our hair must be trained. So if you treat your hair like it's dead then it will die! If you treat your hair like it's alive, then it will grow strong and be healthy.. :)

Hair Be Healthy and Live On!

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AMBER EXPERIENCE: PART II

I hoped you were inspired by Part I. I definitely was for one reason in particular. 

I didn’t go into detail about any of the stressful issues that were weighing on Amber’s hair follicles.  We actually narrowed them down to one pertinent issue that was more potent than the others.  The one that was just so horrible that she could not get past. 

This infamous issue was stemmed around her mother. Amber’s mother was furious with her because of bad choices that were made. Every time, Amber mentioned her mother, her head hung low in shame. There seemed to be nothing that could be done to get past it. Even though we figured out how to eradicate the situation that fueled her mothers anger; the thought of her disappointment was a heavy weight on Amber. It was kind of deep. 

But there was hope.. Our convo shifted. And here comes the inquiry layout.

1. Do you love your mom? Amber looked up and said “Yes” confidently.

2. Why and what do you love about her? She brightened up and spoke of how loving and generous her mom was. Amber was proud to speak about her mother. You could just feel the love and really wished to meet this great woman. So I suggested in the meantime.

3. Why don’t you write your mother a letter? She looked surprised at the fact that she hadn’t thought to do such a thing in a very long time. Then she responded, Yes I will do that, while shaking her head.

I explained to her that she wasn’t writing this letter to apologize or to change the way her mother felt. The letter was for “her own” sanity. I told Amber to just send her mother love. If you love her so deeply, just send her love because that is really what you feel deep down inside. Your love doesn’t have to be stunted because of how she feels at this current time. Just express it and not because you are expecting a response in return.

Amber was elated by the end of our conversation. She brightened up and told me about her travel experiences and her child hood. We even forged a friendship. You never know who you are going to meet.

Recap

When is the last time you wrote your mother a letter of any kind, but more importantly a letter of appreciation? 

Your mother is the most important person in your life, whether you have a decent relationship or not; whether you speak every day or never. She is the person that gave you life, introduced you to the world, and is essentially your creator. That alone is very powerful for both men and women. But as a woman, our mothers teach us how to be whether we accept it consciously or subconsciously. We are the sum total of all of our experiences, but it is through our mothers that we receive our grace.  So honor your Mother.. You should have for Mothers Day already, but the season of Spring is a time of rebirth and new beginnings for the earth. (when the butterflies come back) And mothers should be honored as much as possible! That's my opinion, hope it was inspiring! :)  

(This goes for all special women in your life whether your birth mother is alive or not..)

Here’s a sample letter for you.  Enjoy! :) 

 Thank You Momma

"For the hand made baby food and the Chinese take out Saturdays. For the classroom birthday parties and for feeding me cream of wheat in the mornings before school as I sat on the toy horsey. For always making sure my hair was lush and the envy of my friends and that we always felt like we came from a good home. For knowing when I was lying and giving me multiple opportunities to confess and for counting on me as your big daughter to help you run the household. For keeping some things from dad and shielding us from certain repercussions and for walking away the first day in kindergarten when I was balling because I just knew that I would have too much homework. For home-cooked meals every night and for teaching me how to be a woman. For putting up with my attitude and rage as a teenager and for never giving up hope for the type of mother daughter relationship we now have. Thank you for turning me over to God and for being the first conduit of His love. To be love, you must first be loved.....and I am. So thank you Momma!"

By: Christine Foster

 

Nu Ade Honors Dorothy Irene Height R.I.P

courtesy of afro.com

A Beacon of Light Burst into the Atmosphere!

      Shine You Star of Inspiration! 

     We Love You Mother! 

Be Inspired! Read about her life here:

Dates:

March 24, 1912 - April 20, 2010

Occupation:

social service worker, activist

Known for:

Four-decade-long president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW); called "Godmother of the Women's Movement"or "Godmother of the Civil Right's Movement"

Also Known as: Dorothy I. Height, Dorothy Irene Height

Organizations:

National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)

Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)

Delta Sigma Theta sorority 

Background, Family:

• Father: James Edward Height (building contractor)
• Mother: Fannie Borroughs Height (nurse)
• born in Richmond, Virginia; grew up in Rankin, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh
• she never married and had no children

Education:

• Rankin High School
• turned down by Barnard College -- they told her they already had two black students
• New York University (1933; bachelor's and master's in educational psychology)

About Dorothy Height:

After college, Dorothy Height worked as a teacher in the Brownsville Community Center, Brooklyn, New York. She was active in the United Christian Youth Movement after its founding in 1935.

In 1938, Dorothy Height was one of ten young people selected to help Eleanor Roosevelt plan a World Youth Conference. Through Eleanor Roosevelt, she met Mary McLeod Bethune and became involved in the National Council of Negro Women.

Also in 1938, Dorothy Height was hired by the YWCA. She worked for better working conditions for black domestic workers, leading to her election to YWCA national leadership. In her professional service with the YWCA, she was assistant director of the Emma Ransom House in Harlem, and later executive director of the Phillis Wheatley House in Washington, DC.

Dorothy Height became national president of Delta Sigma Theta in 1947, after serving for three years as vice president.In 1957, Dorothy Height's term as president of Delta Sigma Theta expired, and she was selected as the president of the National Congress of Neighborhood Women, an organization of organizations. Always as a volunteer, she led NCNW through the civil rights years and into self-help assistance programs in the 1970s and 1980s. She built up the organization's credibility and fund-raising capacity such that it was able to attract large grants and therefore undertake major projects. She also helped establish a national headquarters building for NCNW.

She was also able to influence the YWCA to be involved in civil rights beginning in the 1960s, and worked within the YWCA to desegregate all levels of the organization.

American leaders regularly took her counsel, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and Height also encouraged President Dwight D. Eisenhower to desegregate schools and President Lyndon B. Johnson to appoint African American women to positions in government. In the mid 1960s, Height wrote a column entitled "A Woman's Word" for the weekly African-American newspaper, the New York Amsterdam News and her first column appeared in the March 20, 1965 issue on page 8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Height

Height was one of the few women to participate at the highest levels of the civil rights movement, with such others as A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King, jr., and Whitney Young. At the 1963 March on Washington, she was on the platform when Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.
Dorothy Height traveled extensively in her various positions, including to India, where she taught for several months, to Haiti, to England. She served on many commissions and boards connected with women's and civil rights.

"We are not a problem people; we are a people with problems. We have historic strengths; we have survived because of family." - Dorothy Height

In 1986, Dorothy Height became convinced that negative images of black family life was a significant problem, and to address the problem, she founded the annual Black Family Reunion, an annual national festival.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton presented Height with the Medal of Freedom. When Dorothy Height retired from the presidency of the NCNW, she remained chair and president emerita.

Memoirs:

Open Wide the Freedom Gates, 2003.

article copied from http://womenshistory.about.com/od/civilrights/p/dorothy_height.htm By: Jone Johnson Lewis

AMBER EXPERIENCE Part I Thanks for the Inspiration! >>

Her name was Amber....  I met her on the bus.  As I sat down, she glanced over, did a double take, and complimented me on my hair. “Your Hair Is So Beautiful! Wow! How long did it take? I wish my hair could do that!”

I told her it was possible even though she insisted that it wasn’t. She then began to tell me her hair story. Amber spent 5 years growing her healthy fluffy Afro and was very proud.  As Maid of Honor for her sisters wedding last year, she compromised to flat iron /straighten it and ended up with a Dominican relaxer that changed the texture of her hair permanently. Amber outraged, immediately cut her hair right after the wedding and became miserable for the next 6 months of no growth with a different hair texture.

Fast Fwd

So I met this woman on the bus that had issues with her hair. She asked for my assistance and I began to investigate her problem.  “What products are you using? What’s your schedule? She didn’t have any answers for me, only repeated excuses. I noticed a story pattern, like a broken record. She kept going backwards in her thinking and was incapable of moving forward towards her goal. Eventually, she revealed to me that she really didn’t have a schedule period. Her eating habits were off; she gets headaches every day, and has been very depressed. So my question narrowed down to “Why?” And the story gets deeper and deeper. The issues went from family, to school, to money, to boyfriend back to “my fault” and “I don’t deserve” self-sabotage at its best. There was way more to this hair loss and growth-stunting story.

Based upon this evidence. I explained how her mental state has everything to do with her experiences and how she cannot let outside entities affect her internal well-being.  I also explained why she felt stuck in her current situation of not achieving her goals. We had a real heart to heart conversation. By now we had gotten off the bus and walked over to a quiet space, where Amber was able to release. She gave me that look of fear and trust at the same time when your back is against the wall and you don’t know what to do "look".. I reassured her that it was Ok. We had that special woman to woman moment.. I told her that I was human too-- No judgment.

We worked through every situation that was bothering her and concluded that none of them were within her control. We spoke about the importance of her thoughts, appreciation, her gifts, capabilities, and dreams. She agreed that her limiting beliefs and defeats were gaining strength in her world and only decapitating her hope, faith, and free will of expression.

Amber was a random person that I met on the bus! Amazing right? We had such a great conversation/connection without knowing each other's name. She released and even cried and by the end of the conversation transformed into a bright eyed, beautiful, expressive, and vibrant person. A new friend! I found out that her passion was to cook and start a catering company. We mapped out the rest of her year in 2010. She left feeling encouraged, confident, light as a cloud, and proud of whom she was. She expressed that it felt weird to be genuinely happy and to actually smile, “Thank you for giving me hope, Thank you for the inspiration” she said.  It warmed my heart not just because I was able to help my fellow neighbor but it brought to light my passion. There is more to healthy hair care than the surface of understanding your hair texture and accepting it. We have to take our whole life experience into consideration. Your hair is a reflection of you, whether you wear it straight, curly, dyed, or virgin. It needs moisture and a schedule yes but it also needs genuine love of self from within. Nu Ade can provide moisture but if you are depressed or stressed your tresses will suffer just the same and it doesn’t matter what your hair schedule is because YOU wont be able to grow.

Tips Recap

-       You are your best friend and your worst enemy

-       Your thoughts create your experiences, and what you experience is your own.

-       Healthy expectations are necessary to a healthy mind. 

-       One must be in a state of appreciation in order to move forward.

-       If your past is guiding your present, you wont be able to move forward.

Isnt that Cool?

Look out for Part II – There's More... 

LOCS TIPS>>

It’s like neat tangled hair! Isn’t that an oxymoron? 

But it’s the truth and that’s why locs grow long down our backs.  Locs do not grow based upon your genetics, they grow long because your hair is not shedding anymore. All the hair that would normally shed everyday from grooming, combing, and brushing an afro style, is actually intertwined in the loc shaft. Loc breakage usually occurs as a result of chronic dryness and stress. Normally, Locs tend to be VERY dry. They need constant moisture; moisture for your scalp as well as the loc shaft. Think of how hard it is for the natural sebum oil to get through tangled hair. J

Locs have to be trained in order to have stylish, business savvy, fashionable hair dos. There are techniques used by Loc stylists or “Locticians” in which they manipulate virgin hair to form a particular style pattern repeatedly.  The style pattern of locs that most people are accustomed to looks circular, smooth, and medium sized.  Please note there are now different types of loc styles like Sister/ Brother Locs, and Inter Locs. Over all it would be very difficult to train the sebum oil to travel down the hair shaft in a particular pattern.  That’s why scalps are dry, lock shafts are dryer, and color treated locs are even dryer.  Locs need constant moisture.  Also and most importantly:  YOU DON’T NEED ANYTHING STICKY OR WAXY TO LOCK YOUR HAIR.  It should be washed every 2-3 weeks. Remember – Hair locks itself, it just needs moisture that will penetrate the hair shaft to allow for easy manipulation and cultivation.

So Here are some DO’s and DON’T’s

      DO'S                                                                DONT'S

Moisturize every 2-3 days and massage scalp.  If you need to do this more then you are probably not using the right oil and need a more concentrated consistency. Try Nu Ade Super or Nu Ade Lotion.	Let your locs get crispy dry.  They will begin to break and thin. Loc wearers usually use the Nu Ade Super Hair oil.
If you have dandruff, dry cleanse your scalp once a week with seabreeze or essential oils like teatree or eucalyptus to eliminate flakes or buildup. Apply and then rub out with a cotton pad or towel.  After scalp dries naturally.. Apply a light oil like Nu Ade Hair Oil to rebalance moisture.	Dye your hair w/o doing a deep condition treatment afterwards.  You must perform extra replenishing procedures after stripping your locs of all its moisture.  We recommend Nu Ade lotion for all color treated hair and consistent hot oil treatments.
Best to apply Nu Ade Hair Oils to scalp and loc shaft after washing and conditioning while the hair is still wet. Water helps to lock in moisture and makes hair easily manageable for maintenance sessions. For a Hot Oil Treatments – Heat Oil up for 15 -20 seconds before applying to loc shaft. Cover with plastic cap for 30 min to let oil penetrate the hair shaft well before loc maintenance begins. Locs always require extra moisture.	Use heavy creams, shea butter based products, waxes, and xtra hold gels that will build up in the loc hair shaft and become hard to wash out. * There are very few shea butter products that do not leave a built up residue on the loc shaft. And even these have different effects depending on the person’s locs.  I still don’t recommend shea butter to be used for locs.  They work better with curly/coily hair textures not loc styles.)
Style w/ curls, twists, and coils to maintain smooth circular textured locs. (If that’s the style of locs that you have, which most do.) Interlocked locs and Sister Locs have a different texture.	Braid your locs tightly and leave the style in for over a week. It stresses and weakens the loc shaft.  Crinkles are nice but can be damaging and stressful if you’re not careful or just lazy.  (It will have the same affect if you took them out after 3 or 2 days.
During maintenance make sure you twist from root to tip. (This prevents sudden breakage in the middle of your locs)	Combine 2 and 3 and 4 locs together to make 1 loc. There are interlocking techniques for that.  Find a stylist to help you through saving thinning locs.
Every 3 months do an apple cider vinegar based herbal rinse to clarify from lint or any type of build up.	Use that one loc in the middle of your head to wrap around a bun for security. If you’re going to use your own hair to secure styles instead of pins, its good to use a bunch in even amounts to allow support and reduce stress.

Please chime in with your own tips or questions loc wearers/stylists.. Everyone has their own techniques and ways of doing things..

In Spirit Always, 

Sakeenah Nzingha 

New Salon Poster

What do you think?

LOCS ARE NOT NATURAL

This term natural that everyone uses needs to cease!

Natural means that chemicals or synthetic products are not used to alter the bone structure of the virgin hair shaft.  Locs, however, alter the bone structure of the hair shaft. It does not involve harsh chemicals but it does involve manipulating the course of what your hair naturally does on its own. A neat and professionally styled look with locs is achieved through cultivation via maintenance sessions.  One could argue that if you just left your hair alone it would naturally lock.  While this is true, today’s fashionable, professionally accepted, and artistic locs are not “quite” natural.  Nor are braids or any style to manipulate the hair. Locs are different, however, because it’s a permanent style.  You can’t go back; just like you can’t go back on a relaxer. Locs are healthy for your hair, but they are not natural. And YES, I think locs are wonderful!  There are so many wonderful fun things to do with them. I love them.  Despite this, it’s still time that we get out of using this term “natural” to define this hair style.

We need to rename the industry overall.  Maybe call it “Virgin Beauty Industry” or something along those lines.  I think that encompasses every culture rather than just black people. There is no denying that we have issues with our identity just like everyone else.  And while our struggles were harsh, everyone has a story.  How do we move fwd??  How about we, stop labeling, dividing and categorizing!  The overall goal in the hair/ beauty industry that needs to be highlighted is HEALTHY HAIR.  Just like in fitness it’s HEALTHY BODIES and in agriculture it’s HEALTHY FOOD.  Health is the issue that we need to tackle.  So how can our virgin hair remain healthy??  I think hair is a beautiful body part that is special and magical.  It should be adorned, like a crown.  It can be used as a form of artistic expression for the person wearing the style.  And it’s what makes each individual person unique to the world. There are Caucasian and Hispanic women who constantly dye their hair a certain color and Asians who constantly perm their hair to be curly.  People should not be thinking about hair constantly all day long.  Have fun, enjoy life; swim, dance, laugh, ride a bike, take some bikram yoga w/o being afraid that your hair is gonna fall out.  If you are focused on health then you are focused on loving your self by default and that’s what its all about.  So love yourself, enjoy your life and stop walking around in defense mode.

Look out for Loc Tips & Do’s/Don’ts-- Coming This Week!