2 Strand In-Be-TWA Twists

About 3 weeks ago I decided to play around with twisting my hair... didn't really like the outcome since my hair is so fine and I was looking very scalpy... so to get something out of the time I wasted (lol), I decided I was going to put them up somehow... and this is the how:

I did these twists on hair that was stretched from a rollerset and only wore them for two days (It was in a low side bun in the back). I will say I'm really happy I took the twists out so soon, because I was actually having a lot of trouble taking them down. With my dry ends snagging at each other, had I left them in I might have suffered from a set back!!
:::wipes sweat from brow:::

I wish my hair was fuller because I would definitely rock twists more often, not to mention i'd love to just wear them down... but I guess we'll see as time, fullness, and length progesses :)

 My mom used to do box braids or twists on my hair all the time when I was a little kid, and apparently I had the same scalpy, fine twist/braid problem. She always did my hair wet, so I always had major shrinkage, as I do remember being the girl in class with the "boingy hair," but I never retained any length really so apparently my hair wasn't in it's best health.
That still doesn't take away from the true nature of my hair, very fine and not at all dense. Until my hair gets much longer and hopefully fuller, I don't think single braids and twists are going to work for me. At least when my hair gets longer I can do big twists on wet hair so they can be really puffy and look fuller, without being shrunken to my ears or making me look like I'm balding. lol

Twists, ladies and Gents? Do they work well for you?
We would also love to start a throwback thursday segment so
SEND IN YOUR THROWBACK THURSDAY PICS TO YAIS.NYC@GMAIL.COM
"I'M NOT SCREAMING, THAT'S JUST THE WAY I TALK." lol.

Layla and her TWA

 Meet Layla. 

She is one of my new friends and clients I met earlier in the summer, and we are on a hair journey! Layla was recently adopted from the Congo, and since her mom doesn't have the same hair texture as her, needed someone like me to help with teaching her how to care for the hair, and giving her fun hairstyles along the way! 

When Layla was in school in Congo, they would give her short haircuts, so when she came to the US, she decided she wanted to grow her hair out. She has an auntie who I know hot combs her hair (and I don't think she's been using heat protector -_-), and gives her extension braids from time to time, which I know she had complained were too tight. 

Layla is 8 and is also into doing her own hair (which is why her hair is uneven because she gave herself a haircut because she thought it was uneven, lol), so I also try my best to educate her on her natural hair and will do so along the way. Her hair is beautiful, silky, soft, and tightly curled and I love that she already has her own sense of pride in her hair... not to mention she knows exactly what styles she wants too... telling me to brush down her baby hairs and all, lol.

The photo of her in the pink tank top was the first time I did her hair, and the purple tank top was the growth result ... I forgot to take a photo of her hair out before I started, and then I forgot to take a photo of her hair after I braided it up the second time. In the beginning her hair was too short for anything but straight braids, and now her hair can actually have designed braids. 

From now on, no more forgetting as I will be documenting her little journey, and might I add, it's growing fast! This is the style I gave her on Sunday evening:

Next braid day I will fill you all in on our little routine, growth photos and whatever new hairstyle she chooses :)

Any of you helping a little one grow out his/her TWA?

Willow Smith. So Cool... Too Young?

We all love Willow Smith, I think there's no doubt in that! We love her funky daring style and big personality, but is all the cool too much for her age? As a young fashionista in my own right, I was dressing myself and picking my own clothes by the time I was 5 and I took over doing my own hair by the time I got to Junior High, dyeing it by the time I was in the 7th grade. I totally understand self expression is a must and she is so unique, but sometimes I think her influences are a little too mature for her. I've seen semi-sexy pics of her around, copying images I've seen of Rihanna or Amber Rose... For me, if I was a parent I wouldn't allow my young child to think it's okay to be so sexy and mature at a young age... I would try to show her role models around her age category to pull inspiration from. I won't get into any incidents or stories but I'm sure you've read them for yourself, so I don't think I'm too wrong here, lol.
I think it's great that they allow her to have her freedom, but she needs some type of barrier or filter. It's so important that we don't let our children grow up too fast, as we all learn to realize how short our childhood really is... What ever happened to the preservation of innocence?!

What do you think? 

A Little Natural Hair Education

 I saw these paintings about a month ago hanging in the Ikea in Brooklyn and thought they were adorable! I loved how the little black girl associated having her mom do her hair in corn rows with love <3

So i've been babysitting two little caucasian girls in my building for about the past 2 months and hair has definitely been a major topic with them. They are 6 and 9 years old and wise beyond their years. I knew they would want to touch my hair because that is just how little kids are, so i was ready from the jump to explain the differences of hair to them.

Upon learning that they aren't allowed to watch much TV, french braids/cornrows is now a big part of our day because i'll play salon with them and do whatever to their hair they'd like. The 6 year old, as spunky and honest as can be, decided she wanted to touch my hair, to which she replied "Is there cream in your hair?" Lol. At the time i was on 2nd day hair with KCCC so I told her that i did have cream in my hair and explained to her that different kinds of hair need different things, and my hair likes cream to keep it soft and moisturized, to which she replied "It's not soft." in a very matter of fact kind of way. The way she said it definitely cracked me up. My rebuttal, "It is soft, just different."

Their father has curly hair so although the 6 year old has straight hair like her mom, her sister's hair is wavy and puffy. I explained to her that all different types of people have different hair and that that's a great thing, just like her mommy and daddy have different hair, and her sister's hair is different from hers. I saw the light bulb go off in her head so i knew she understood.

After not seeing them for a few weeks, i decided to blow my hair out into an afro around the time i was going to babysit them again. When they saw me again, their friend told me my hair grew really fast and they all agreed. I told them i was gonna grow my hair really long and then i could wear a huge afro and they all looked amazed, and at the same time confused, lol. Now they love my afro and wanna play in it and touch it and feel how soft and puffy it is, the 9 year old even telling me that i should make a pillow out of my hair if i ever cut it. Im excited for my hair to grow and even more interested in their reactions and being able to educate two young caucasian kids about curly hair.... wait until i finally straighten it.. what will they think then?!

The Reactions and Aftermath of Straight Hair

gratuitous shot of my hair =)

I was rocking straight hair a couple of weeks ago and I knew that the kids at my job were going to react to it (as a matter of fact, my co-workers made a big deal out of it too.) You may recall that some of the girls had been "inquiring" about when I was going to wear it straight so I can look pretty, blaze blaze and how reluctant I was because of babygirl A who gets made fun of for having a lot of natural hair. While the kids were in awe with my hair including the boys, (Is that all yours? You've had all that hair since you were born?) A came up to me with the biggest grin on her face, you're hair looks so pretty! she said, and holding down her hair she continued, I like that we can do different things to our type of hair! Out of everyone's compliments that made my week.

Now that I'm back to curly, a few girls actually expressed dissapointment. Keep in mind that I work with very outspoken and sometimes downright rude children. I went back and forth with a 4th grader yesterday who is known for being "outspoken" amongst other things. She asked me why did I have to go back to how my hair is now. Because I wanted to, I said.

Well I think it's ugly.
Okay.
You look better with how your hair was before. You should keep it like that.
Well, I'll do what I want to my hair.
Well it's ugly what you're doing to it now.
Okay...

She went on for a little longer, and she does the back and forth thing with everyone which is why I answered her pretty passively because I know she's looking for a reaction. Most people do anyway. At this point most of the kids I'm around know that I'm quite comfortable with who I am and I'll answer their questions about my background (because that almost always comes up for them) and I let the girls touch my hair because I know they are curious and I see nothing wrong with it. My co-teacher and I were actually talking yesterday about how the kids should learn more cultural history and teaching them about hair acceptance and just acceptance in general of their images (this is a predominately Black/Hispanic school) because the teasing about hair thing is pretty awful as I mentioned with one of the kids. My co-teacher is relaxed mind you, but I don't neccesarily think that's a bad thing. I'm fully team natural, but most kids probably do not have a choice in what gets done to their hair. And if readers have any suggestions on how I can go about getting a good message out to the kids, please feel free to let me know.

Young Girls and Their Hair

Yesterday at work, I had to handle a little 4th grader called "A" crying because of her hair. The kids were about to start their cooking activity when I noticed the girls clamoring over A, who was literally holding down her loose caramel-colored strands and crying about how she was going to get in trouble because her braids had unraveled. I'll braid it! the girls were yelling at her. At first I was going to let them deal with it, but she was becoming increasingly upset and they were the same girls I have notice that tease her and leave her out of things as she struggles to fit in.  So I took her to the side to try and calm her down.

What's the matter? I asked.

My hair came out of the braids and my mother is going to be upset! A cried. I just hate my hair! I hate it! 

It's okay, I said. Do you want me to re-braid it?

She said yes, so I took her to the bathroom so she could see in herself in the mirror. While braiding I asked her about why she hated her hair. She started telling me how she wanted hair like M (the same young lady who has been begging me to straighten my hair so I can look "pretty.") and that everyone teases her about her hair being ugly and smelling funny except her mom. I told her I thought her hair was very beautiful (I mean that, she has lovely hair) and that her mom wasn't lying and how cool I thought it was that her mom took the time to care about making her hair pretty. I mentioned how both of us had similar hair and let her touch my braids. She smiled and I could tell she was feeling better. I finished re-braiding and reminded her that everyone had different hair and that everyone's hair was just right for themselves. I even shared with her how people teased me when I was her age about my hair and looks. It made me happy that she left the bathroom glowing.

When I brought her back to the group activity, I saw that the same girls were giving her stank looks and attempted to tare her down again. But she ignored them and I moved her away from them. It had to be done. It's not the other girl's fault that they adhere to the beauty standards shoved down their throats but I find myself each day turning into some sort of...role model? I don't know. I'm very cautious with how I carry myself and how my hair looks and I'm feeling very self conscious about straightening my hair because I don't want to show the girls that I want to satisfy anyone but myself.... Anyway, if anyone has children or deals with them on a constant basis, please share if anything like this has happened and how you dealt with it.

Natural Hair-Positive Places

I intern in what most would say a "corporate" office in the Flatiron District in Manhattan during the day, and in the late afternoons I'm an after school teacher in Harlem. When I first started interning at this office a year and a half ago, I still had the frame of mind that straight hair = polished and professional. For my interview I remember I straightened my hair, and if it wasn't straight I kept my hair in braids and twists. It was around this time I started reading natural hair blogs and understanding I had options. I wore my hair big and fluffy in all types of styles and no one said anything or gave me a funny look. In fact, every so often I get compliments for my hair and occasionally someone will ask me what I how I did it. Even the three black women who have relaxed hair compliment my me. So I can safely say that this job is "natural hair positive."

As you may recall in this post, I wore my hair natural to my interview with the after school without second thought because as far as I'm concerned, this is how my hair is. There's no fixing it! I've been wearing twists, braid outs, buns, and everything in between. I am currently working with 4th graders and so the other day as I lined up the students to head to their cooking club, the girls inquired about my hair.

Miss, when you gonna get a relaxer?! M asked bluntly.
Get a relaxer? I said. Why should I get one?
Because your hair will be straight and pretty, S added smiling.
Ya'll don't like my hair like this?
No! I'm sorry to say but you would look so pretty if you straightened your hair! M said.
I snickered. I think my hair looks great the way it is. And this is how I was wearing it...

2nd day curls, held back with a banana clip!

Do you straighten it? Even if you don't get a perm, will you straighten it?
Sorry M, I like the way my hair is and I'm not gonna straighten it because you want me to. I'll do it when I feel like it.

As I was having this conversation with these girls, no older than 9 and with relaxed hair I didn't feel insulted. In fact, I was expecting it from the girls because they are at the age where they say what's on their mind and how you answer will be important. It was at that moment I also realized how confident I was with my hair. Even though natural my whole life, getting to a point where I just love myself took a while. What's even funnier about this whole situation is that I've actually been contemplating straightening my hair in the coming weeks, but now I may hold off for a bit longer!

 I now know what my seventh grade teacher felt like when she sported her curly hair and had everyone harassing her about just straightening her hair to look "pretty." I'm not interested in "converting" these girls to the natural side (quite honestly, their hairstyle choices may not be their decision) but they will be seeing a confident young woman in their classroom-curls and all! So both my jobs are natural hair-positive places because that's the environment I'm making it!