Okay I was supposed to write this blog a while ago but I was still researching....
First let's talk about what Silk Amino Acids (SAAs) are : Found in 2 forms, powder or liquid, silk amino acids are non-animal proteins that are derived from real silk. When you see silk amino acids in a liquid form (think silk polishing drops or chi silk infusion) the silk proteins have been hydrolyzed.
What are the benefits of SAAs for hair ?
* SAAs penetrate the hair strand and strengthen and repair it
* when SAAs dry on the hair they form a crystalline protective barrier that protects the hair from damage from alkaline (relaxer!!!) products (see that patent application http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7060260.html)
How to use SAAs:
1) add to deep conditioner
2) as a pre-relaxer treatment (cover hair with SAAs and then allow 10- 15 minutes for hair to dry and apply relaxer to new growth only)
3) mixed in with the moisturizer don't let the protein label fool you...SAAs help impart moisture and won't lead to protein overload...But don't go crazy because SAAS have a naturally fishy smell (now you know why chi has that strong smell, they are trying to cover that fishy smell)
I have to say I love SAAs... my hair has a natural shine to it and feels much stronger even though my hair is NOT a big fan of protein .... Get you some SAAs
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Do Weaves Damage the Self Esteem of Black Women??
hmmm... Let me make 2 things clear up front: 1) I don't have an answer to this question. I just think that as Black women who are on a quest for healthy, long hair, we should be having discussions about how the health and length of our hair affects our overall life... and 2) I have nothing against weave... I am not a weave hater...I just want an open honest dialogue..
So how did this discussion come about??? This picture right here
I remember seeing this picture when I was a little girl and oh my I loved it... I thought Diana Ross looked so beautiful and I would have traded all of my barbie dolls for HER hair... Back in the 80's people didn't discuss weave much so I had no idea this wasn't her hair... I used to wrap a towel around my hair and pretend that it was my lucious flowing hair...Now I know what you're thinking...a lot of people did that...it doesn't mean anything...but does it?? I mean it's one thing to want your hair to be longer or thicker (and to find out what works to make that happen) but it's another to wish for something completely unrealistic...
Evveryone is doing it... I get so annoyed when we call Black women out for wearing weave as if it's something only we do... White women, asian women, hispanic women... women of all races, ethnicities, socio-economic levels wear weaves (well they like to call them extensions but uh you say tomato, I say tumato but it's still fake hair)... So why are we treated differently??? I think it comes down to one EPIC stereotype that even Black women believe and that is that "BLACK WOMEN CANNOT GROW LONG HAIR"... See, women of other races are preceived as having the natural ability to GROW their hair as long as they'd like so when they wear "extensions" it's a matter of
CONVENIENCE... Most people believe that for Black women weaves are a matter of NECESSITY....
Let's think about what that means and how we play into the stereotype... I'll give you 30 seconds to name 5 Black female celebrities that DO NOT wear a weave.... I'm waiting...waiting...waiting... here's what I came up with Vanessa Williams (although she has worn wigs on Ugly
Betty before)... the other Vanessa Williams (who wears the most glamorous natural hairstyles I've ever seen) ... Oprah (although some
people still think her hair is weave)... Paula Patton (she almost didn't make the list but according to her interviews she is not bi-racial) and I
came up short on the last one
Okay I know you all are itching to send me more names and I'm itching to read them but know in advance that I intentionally did not list anyone who identifies as bi or multi racvial or Black Hispanic which us why I excluded people like Alicia Keys, Jurnee Smollett, Halle Berry,
Melanie Fiona, LaLa Vasquez, Zoe Saldana etc... Because a lot of people believe that being bi-racial or from a different ethnic background
changes the game plan.
But for the most part, most of the celebrities we see photographed on a regular basis wear weaves href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2pMgDVuT1nZLTOPrO1Jj6mYR_yCv3ZtVuKOqcOCq0Y69-OopQpW1SeeBqLoYGND6VlmvjFSr2snRibf5CConxPPq6QT_OSsoyD9aLLjVMo-BwsR3QaGq2O4CFN8ffVbq6H-TQGwwRcE/s1600/jennifer-hudson5.jpg">
I don't begrudge anyone for wearing any hairstyle they like.. natural, relaxed, fro, mohawk, weave, wig , braids, etc... it's your hair, do you....
but I do wonder if we are sending the wrong message to young Black girls... Will they continue to believe that Black women can't grow long
hair?? that the only way we achieve that is through weave?? And what about our own preconceived notions?? I find myself saying at least
twice a week," No it's not a weave...it's my hair"... it's the truth but I still get eye rolls and sucked teeth which we all know means "yeah
right".
I don't think weave is the problem but I do think as a community we are uneducated... First of all hair does grow at different rates but there
is ABSOLUTELY NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF that Black women have slower growing hair.
Weave is a great protective style and it is good to wear it to create different styles rather than putting stress on your own hair... But just like it's an option for other women, it's also an option for us... If you want long healthy hair, you can have it...
There is a such thing as terminal length but for the majority of people terminal length is not ear length, neck length, or shoulder length.... You may not be able to grow your hair to your ankles (because all of us have a growing phase, a resting phase and then a shedding phase...and your hair may shed before you get to ankle length) but you can surely have arm pit length or bra strap length hair.
HHJ!!
So how did this discussion come about??? This picture right here
I remember seeing this picture when I was a little girl and oh my I loved it... I thought Diana Ross looked so beautiful and I would have traded all of my barbie dolls for HER hair... Back in the 80's people didn't discuss weave much so I had no idea this wasn't her hair... I used to wrap a towel around my hair and pretend that it was my lucious flowing hair...Now I know what you're thinking...a lot of people did that...it doesn't mean anything...but does it?? I mean it's one thing to want your hair to be longer or thicker (and to find out what works to make that happen) but it's another to wish for something completely unrealistic...
Evveryone is doing it... I get so annoyed when we call Black women out for wearing weave as if it's something only we do... White women, asian women, hispanic women... women of all races, ethnicities, socio-economic levels wear weaves (well they like to call them extensions but uh you say tomato, I say tumato but it's still fake hair)... So why are we treated differently??? I think it comes down to one EPIC stereotype that even Black women believe and that is that "BLACK WOMEN CANNOT GROW LONG HAIR"... See, women of other races are preceived as having the natural ability to GROW their hair as long as they'd like so when they wear "extensions" it's a matter of
CONVENIENCE... Most people believe that for Black women weaves are a matter of NECESSITY....
Let's think about what that means and how we play into the stereotype... I'll give you 30 seconds to name 5 Black female celebrities that DO NOT wear a weave.... I'm waiting...waiting...waiting... here's what I came up with Vanessa Williams (although she has worn wigs on Ugly
Betty before)... the other Vanessa Williams (who wears the most glamorous natural hairstyles I've ever seen) ... Oprah (although some
people still think her hair is weave)... Paula Patton (she almost didn't make the list but according to her interviews she is not bi-racial) and I
came up short on the last one
Okay I know you all are itching to send me more names and I'm itching to read them but know in advance that I intentionally did not list anyone who identifies as bi or multi racvial or Black Hispanic which us why I excluded people like Alicia Keys, Jurnee Smollett, Halle Berry,
Melanie Fiona, LaLa Vasquez, Zoe Saldana etc... Because a lot of people believe that being bi-racial or from a different ethnic background
changes the game plan.
But for the most part, most of the celebrities we see photographed on a regular basis wear weaves href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2pMgDVuT1nZLTOPrO1Jj6mYR_yCv3ZtVuKOqcOCq0Y69-OopQpW1SeeBqLoYGND6VlmvjFSr2snRibf5CConxPPq6QT_OSsoyD9aLLjVMo-BwsR3QaGq2O4CFN8ffVbq6H-TQGwwRcE/s1600/jennifer-hudson5.jpg">
I don't begrudge anyone for wearing any hairstyle they like.. natural, relaxed, fro, mohawk, weave, wig , braids, etc... it's your hair, do you....
but I do wonder if we are sending the wrong message to young Black girls... Will they continue to believe that Black women can't grow long
hair?? that the only way we achieve that is through weave?? And what about our own preconceived notions?? I find myself saying at least
twice a week," No it's not a weave...it's my hair"... it's the truth but I still get eye rolls and sucked teeth which we all know means "yeah
right".
I don't think weave is the problem but I do think as a community we are uneducated... First of all hair does grow at different rates but there
is ABSOLUTELY NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF that Black women have slower growing hair.
Weave is a great protective style and it is good to wear it to create different styles rather than putting stress on your own hair... But just like it's an option for other women, it's also an option for us... If you want long healthy hair, you can have it...
There is a such thing as terminal length but for the majority of people terminal length is not ear length, neck length, or shoulder length.... You may not be able to grow your hair to your ankles (because all of us have a growing phase, a resting phase and then a shedding phase...and your hair may shed before you get to ankle length) but you can surely have arm pit length or bra strap length hair.
HHJ!!
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