Postpartum hair loss is a part of the fourth trimester that is not talked about enough in my opinion. Our bundle of joy is worth what we go through but I just want to shed some light on this. My hair did grow while I was pregnant with my twins but about 3 months after I had them I lost quite a bit of hair especially around my edges.
Postpartum hair loss is mostly seen within 6 months of delivering and your hair should return back to normal within a year. Your hair grows during pregnancy because of pregnancy hormones that decrease daily shedding but when the hormones go so does that extra hair.
Tips for helping with post partum hair loss:
Take prenatals
Detangle gently
Be careful with protective styles that they’re not too tight or that the hair additions aren’t irritating your scalp
Eat healthy
Limit use of straighteners, blow dryers, color an chemicals
Just know that what you’re going through is normal and so many women can relate to it. Your hair will come back and it’s just a part of the process. Don’t beat yourself up it’s literally hormones. You’re a warrior and that hair loss is just a badge of honor.
I usually see protective styling on vacations but sometimes those can be expensive or we just want that curly look. I’ve taken a few vacations wearing my curly hair and I have finally gotten my curly packing list in order.
Sample packets are PERFECT for travel. The 3-1-1 rule limits the amount of liquid you can bring on an airplane in your carry-on luggage. Passengers are limited to using containers no larger than 3.4 oz. for their liquids. Don’t even try to bring small containers they made me throw away a new Shea moisture JBCO leave-in out in New Orleans. I was SICK.
I get my sample packets from natural hair events. Between the Taliah Waajid World Natural Hair Show and CurlFest I have more than enough samples and they’re FREE.
Packing list:
Sample packs of shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, styling gel, oil
Denman brush and comb
Bobby pins
wooden kent hairbrush
Pony tail holders
Hair clips or other accessories
Bonnet or silk pillowcase
Edge brush (or toothbrush lol)
Temporary hair color
Other items such as an afro pick comb for adding volume, diffuser, qredew hair steamer can be helpful to pack if you use them
When I travel I twist my hair the day before I leave and wear my twists to my destination. I know some of us aren’t comfortable wearing our twistout twists in public but I’m telling you if you wear them to your destination your definition will be amazing. I wore my twists to Jamaica last year and as soon as we arrived I got a huge compliment on those plaits. Just wear the twists. That usually last another day depending on how humid it is. I always prepare for a wash and go while I’m on vacation. At home my twistouts can last days but on vacation usually just one day so the sample packs of conditioner, leave in conditioner, and gel can give you a great wash and go but you’ll need your wet brush of choice. I also suggest bringing your ponytail holder, wooden brush, sample pack of gel, and bobby pins for a bun. On my last trip I left my bobby pins but my friend had my back and gave me a bobby pin. Don’t forget those! You might get tired of that hair on your neck while you’re out living your best life. I also had some hair jewelry for the back of my bun so pack that too.
I was literally the first person at Ulta the day they put it on the shelves at their stores. The packaging is beautiful. The feel of the bottle is so soft and smooth. The sales associate at Ulta was even blown away by the packaging. The price is expensive compared to other leave-ins. The smell is very timid it’s not the usual strong berry smell. It smells like light scented soap. I recommend smelling it in the store before purchasing. I like the smell but I know some like a strong scent.
It’s water based and water is the first product listed. That part I love. Some of the other ingredients that caught my attention are melaleuca oil, avocado oil, honey, and biotin. There are a lot of good oils in this product which could be driving the cost. I love how light my hair feels after using it. It refreshes my curls and adds much needed moisture back into my hair. It’s a great product to apply daily. A little goes a long way.
My favorite thing about the product is that it has a light hold and little to no flake. When I use this product I don’t have to use edge control. That is a win! I like products that are all in one.
This product is bun and twist-out approved. The only other style I want to try with it is a wash and go. When I try it I’ll post the results on the Curl friends forever instagram page @curlfriendsforever. Ive seen one YouTuber try it on a wash and go and the results came out cute.
Overall, this is a good leave in. It’s giving my favorite leave-in some competition. I recommend getting the travel size to start with to try. It’s $9 or so. If you love it and want to buy the full size the travel size bottle is refillable so you can always use it. I probably will keep a travel size bottle in my stash.
Curlfest ATL was a VIBE. Words won’t do the amazing experience justice but I will try to paint the picture. We arrived a little before the festival started. That gave us time to really see all of the Queens with their fros out, hair jewelry, hair clips, flowers, and cute outfits. Once we arrived in the festival we saw the gift bag table and immediately went to grab our bags. The bags were filled with samples from brands like Aunt Jackie’s, DevaCurl, Creme of Nature, Shea Moisture, Puff Cuff and so much more. After getting our bag we received a CURLFEST blanket which was perfect because there was lawn area for you to sit and enjoy the festival.
After getting all these goodies it was time to decide where to go first. There was a small line by the CURLFEST sign so we decided to take pictures by the sign. I’m so glad we did because from then on that line stayed long. Go there first!! Creme of Nature had a small line so that was the next stop. They are always generous with their samples they gave out a bag and nice samples. From there we went to the Target beauty booth. This was probably the cutest display. It was set up like an actual beauty store with a gorgeous photo op upon entry. One of my favorite product displays inside of the beauty bar was the Lip Bar display. You could test the products in a mirror and decide which things you like.
Aunt Jackie’s was our next stop their set up was dope. They had the best games for winning prizes. I would a cute Aunt Jackie’s logo toiletry bag playing the game Pinko. My friend Toi won a product by doing their Curl Crawl. She got harnessed and dropped into a pit filled with labeled boxes. She picked the correctly labeled box and won the exact product she wanted. The line was long but luckily the bar was right next to their area and a Razz-a-Rita was able to cool me down (lol).
It was then time for my photography session with Neosha Gardner. She was so great to work with and captured me perfectly. If you plan to go next I definitely recommend having a photographer just for some dope memories if nothing else.
Eco SHOWED out honey. They had full size jars of their eco unicorn glitter gel 2 for $5.
Kinkistry had the best photo booth. Their booth allowed you to take a picture, make a boomerang and a gif.
There was a DJ that kept the vibe going. One of my favorite moments was this young queen dancing to “Brown Skin Girl” by Beyonce with her dad hyping her up and the founder’s of CURLFEST dancing along with her. There is a video of it on the Curl Friends Forever instagram that is definitely a must see. It was one of those moments that was a tear jerker. That black girl joy is the joy that we all had being at that park with our curl friends celebrating black beauty. I also saw parents bringing their curly daughters so they can see that their hair is gorgeous.
The festival definitely brought people and their money to the area which is always a positive thing. It was extremely hot so I recommend you bring an umbrella, a handheld fan, ice water, shades and wear cool clothes. Overall I had a blast and recommend all curly men and women attend the event next year so we can keep it coming back.
Magic hair rollers have intrigued me for the past few months and some of the blog supporters encouraged me to try them out. I’m so glad I did.
The rollers are very easy to use. You roll your hair up snug and fold them down. One of the cons of them is that they slide and you have to keep rolling and folding. I recommend that you roll your hair on them at night and tie it with a scarf to keep the rollers in place.
These rollers are not for soaking wet hair. Before using them let your hair dry some. If you put them in completely wet hair drying time will take forever.
I recommend using a mousse. I used Aunt Jackie’s Grapeseed Style Frizz Patrol Anti-Poof Twist & Curl Setting Mousse. I took each piece of hair detangled with a wide tooth comb, applied the mousse, rolled and folded. If your hair is dry I recommend using a mist spray bottle to wet hair slightly to help set.
I see why these are called magic hair rollers because within a few hours I had big pretty curls. If you want big hair take the rollers out and uncoil as you would do a twist out or braid out with a little oil on your fingers. If you just want big pretty curls take the rollers out, part, and do your edges. These rollers are good for a quick easy style.
Shop around on prices there are so many places selling these.
Some hair types may be able to wake up to perfect curls on their first wash and go but for the majority of us it’s a process. Patience is a virtue during this process. I’m still working on my wash and go curls and I started doing them in 2014. Beyonce was not built in a day and neither are your curls. Remember that everyone’s hair is different so your curly look will be individual for you. You are your hair goals. Below are a few suggestions for curl training.
Wear your curls. Practice makes perfect. Just like any other goal you want to achieve you have to just get started. I promise you will be glad you did. Your favorite natural hair influencer didn’t just stumble upon their perfect wash and go they’ve probably been wearing curly hair for forever. I don’t flat iron shame because you will see me with a silk press at least once a year but if you wear your hair straight often you will have heat damage and those pieces will not curl up the way you want them to. Period.
Moisture is the key. I talked about water in a previous post that I recommend you read. Leave-in conditioners are your best friend. It should be used to moisturize your hair until your next conditioning treatment. Leave-ins contain humectants. By definition a humectant takes moisture from the air and puts it in your hair to help strengthen it and make it more elastic (curly/stretchy). My favorite leave-in is Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner. Deep condition weekly.
Wet brushes are amazing. I have a few different wet brushes but my favorite is the Denman brush. This is the holy grail of wet brushes in my opinion. My wash and go will not come out right if I don’t use it. This brush helps detangle while defining at the same time. I use it in the shower when conditioning by dividing my hair into sections and slowly detangling. I’ve heard some say they don’t use wet brushes because it takes their hair out but I think these brushes are just technique sensitive. If using a brush on your curls it must be a wet brush on wet hair and always use it from from your ends up. I DO NOT recommend a dry brush on curls. I only use that standard wood brush for slick backs.
Twists are a great protective style that mimics curls. Twists are one of the easiest ways to define your curl pattern especially when you twirl the ends. The more you have your hair in a curly state the more it will gravitate to that state. Finger coils and braid outs can do the same thing but I’m partial to twists.
Trim your ends. We think of trimming our ends for growth but trimming your ends can help define your curls. Sometimes your curls thrive at a certain length and once it gets longer than that they can lose volume. Fresh, non split ends will lead to bouncier curls. Split ends lead to hair frizz.
Products junkies are the best junkies. Products enhance your natural curl patterns. To live your best curl life you have to find the best products for your hair. This is trial and error. You can watch YouTube University all day but you still have to try out different products and find the one that gives your hair the best definition. I usually use a gel and a curl creme cocktail on my wash and go’s.
Over time these things will become part of your wash routine and you won’t even think about them. When I first started wearing my hair curly I didn’t even detangle it. It was a mess. I hope this helps someone who wants to take the leap into wearing their curls.
I LOVE a good protective style. I usually get braids a few times a year. Protective styling can give your hair a break from manipulation, increase growth and save time during the morning routine (amen) but there are a few things about them that I’d like to address.
I know we love to see how long we can keep protective styles in but from the research I’ve done no more than 8 weeks is recommended. Keeping a protective style in over 8 weeks will cause excess tension and eventual breakage. When taking out braids detangle very slowly. You don’t want the time you spent with the protective style in to be in vain by pulling out knots. It’s a good idea to pre-poo and deep condition too.
Listen to your scalp. I got the most beautiful faux locs a few years ago and my hair started burning around my edges. I tried oiling my edges to calm down the burning but they literally felt like they were on fire. When I took the locs down (3 days after they were installed) my edges came out while I was washing my hair. It was TRAGIC. I must have been allergic to the marley hair. Some of this hair loss could be attributed to postpartum hair loss but I know most of the damage came from that added hair. I hate to think of what would have happened if I would have kept those in a day longer.
Don’t forget two strand/three strand twists and buns are protective styles as well. The coin needed for braids might not be in the budget so use these during those times. Sometimes I see posts that allude to buns being a “lazy style” but a bun is a great protective style. Your ends are put up and less likely to break. I recommend a loose bun minimize tension and stress.
One quick thing on sew-ins. My last sew-in during take down a small piece of my hair was cut so be very careful during take down. That literally hurt my soul.
I won a giveaway and had the chance to try some of Mielle’s products. Here is a brief description of them for those who haven’t had a chance to try them.
Mielle Babassu Shampoo- This shampoo lathered well and the smell was EVERYTHING. My hair smelled like fresh mint and the tingle was so refreshing. This shampoo will definitely be in rotation.
Mielle Organics Babassu Oil and Mint Deep conditioner- This deep conditioner was good a little watery but it got the job done. Very good smell.
Mielle Mint Almond Oil- I mixed this oil with other oils as a hot oil treatment. It can also be used to seal your ends. You really can’t go wrong with mint an almond!
Mielle White Peony Leave-In Conditioner and Avocado Moisturizing Hair Milk- These are good for dry hair or curl revitalization. A good moisturizer is needed for application daily. A leave-in a day takes the breakage away (LOL).
Mielle Honey and Ginger Styling gel- I used this for styling bantu knots and the definition was great. This is a very good gel no flaking noted on my first try.
Overall I see why people love this line. Great quality and results. Pictured below is a bantu knot-out done using these products.
Pre-pooing will change your wash day in an amazing way. If you don’t pre-poo I want to encourage you to do so with this post and tell you about the new way I pre-poo.
What is pre-pooing? Its a pre-treatment. It’s detangling your hair and adding moisture before shampooing. A while back everyone was scared to over shampoo. Shampooing too much can strip your hair of its natural oils but pre-pooing helps combat this. Pre-pooing also helps with detangling. If you are losing more hair than you think you should be losing add pre-pooing to your wash day.
How do I pre-poo? Originally I would divide my hair into 4 sections, detangle each section, add coconut oil to each section and twist those sections up. This allows moisture to lock into my hair. I would try to do this the night before washing.
Aloe pre-poo is AMAZING. Publix was having a sale on aloe and we got some extra. We use it on my son’s eczema but since there was extra I wanted to try it on my hair. I had seen a few other naturals using it and here was my time to try it out. I cut it open, divided my hair into the four sections and applied the aloe. My curls instantly popped. I will post a picture of it below and there will be a video of this process on my instagram. When my curls came to life like that I knew this was my new way to pre-poo!
I tried purple temporary hair color and it was as cool as I thought it would be and it was only $5 for the product and $5 for shipping. The texture is like a glittery gel. The container resembled an edge control container. It did make my hair hard so I recommend adding moisture to your hair as you add the color. Before it dries it will rub off but after it dried I didn’t have any problems with it coming off of my hands or clothes. It washed out very easy with no shedding. I definitely recommend getting some if you want to have a little edge.
Curl Friends Forever 