No Mirrors in My Nana's House - Video

The Beauty Within - Video

Step'n out in Style - Absolutely Beautiful by Abeba

You are cordially invited to attend

Abeba's fall/holiday Fashion Show

 "Color Me Beautiful" 

 Saturday October 8th

at 2:00pm

163 Pelton Way

San Leandro,CA

email Abeba for more details

or call 510-351-3157 

take a look at a few of Abeba's fashions

Abeba: First Roc'n Loc Star!

I am happy to feature Abeba as my first Roc'n Loc Star. I have known Abeba for many years. She is a motivated Bay Area business woman, author and clothing designer.  She also has a gorgeous head of locs!

          Meet Abeba

How long have you worn your hair in a natural hairstyle? What is your hair length?

1started wearing braids in the 70's with my own hair then started adding hair to keep it neater longer in late 70's. The longest part of my hair touches my butt. WL

What natural hairstyle do you currently wear? If you wear locs, what is your loc method?

I wore braids for 23 years. I'm 55 years old as of May 22, 2011. I have been wearing Sisterlocks since January 25,1999

Why did you decide to wear this natural hairstyle?

I always liked braids but contemplated having tradtional locks for 10 years and was ready to get them but I like wearing hats and traditional locks can be big and my hat wearing days would be over, then I saw Sisterlocks – unexpectantly-  and that was it. 

Do you recall any negative reactions to, or comments about your natural hair?  

One guy years ago when I was wearing braids saw my hair pressed and curled and said “why do you wear those ropes in your hair?” and I said “I like them.” I could have said “why are you bald?” but that would have been a cold statement since he lost his hair at an early age. 

What changes have you seen (If any) in the way people react to natural hair since you began wearing your natural/locs/twists, etc?

Everyone has always liked my hair; press and curl, Jeri Curl, perms, braids, now sisterlocks.

What is the routine you use for maintaining your hair? Any products you recommend?

You don't want to know my maintenance routine. You'd wonder how do I still have hair! 

Who I am and what am I up to?

I'm a 30 plus year entrepreneur, with a store in San Leandro, CA since 1996 and had another store nail care business and jewelry store in Oakland in the 80's till mid 1996.

I sell wearable clothing jewelry and accessories. I design some of the clothing and jewelry and showcase local and out of state designers in my boutique. I'm a Christian that loves the lord and am involved with several ministries at church. 

My other business and aka name is the Krazy Kracker Lady. I have been a raw foodist, now raw food vegan since Jan 2000. I am the author of 4 international best selling books talkin about how to make raw dehydrated krackers along with some other raw food treats such as kale salad, jicama salsa, raw breads, soups, desserts and much more, I've been blessed. 

My website for the krazy krackers is 

krazykrackerlady.com  

My you tube channel is 

krazy kracker lady where you can see a host of videos. 

My boutique website is still under construction. Making jewelry used to be a hobby but now it's a business, doing things outside of work is something I'm seriously working on. I used to travel quite a bit and take time to enjoy myself outside of work but I've let a lot of other obligations come first. 

My goal for the rest of this year and from here on out is to take some me time and know it's ok!

Last but not least....has anyone ever asked you the question "is that your real hair?" If so, how did you reply?

Most people love my locs but I don't like it when people want to touch my hair or ask “is that real” or “how do you wash it?”, I think those are such stupid questions!!

God bless you my natural hair care lovers

NEW NATURAL HAIR BLOG: We're LIVE Y'all

Welcome to Roc'n the Long Locs

We're LIVE today. Just have to work out a few kinks and make a few adjustments.

Hope you like the new look.

Stop back tomorrow for the official launch

 and the reveal of our 

first Roc'n Loc Star

Hair-Story!!

See ya then

Natural hair blogger: scores feature in BBC video

Source: BBC Videobloggers make millions through online content

Have you heard of Franchesca Ramsey? Well, if you haven't, Franchesca (or Chescaleigh) is 27 years old and she’s a blogging vlogging phenom.  She is virtually everywhere. 

I came across her quirky and funny videos when I was doing some hair research for this blog. She has a great natural hair site (and she is going to be one of my featured roc’n loc stars) Yay! Stay tuned!

Anyway, I found her hair site to be very informative and I really enjoyed her hair videos, so I subscribed to her youtube channel. While there I learned that she is also a comedian and a graphic artist (probably not in that order). She’s quite the busy young lady.

Today I went to her site and discovered that the BBC did a write up on “Videoblogggers make millions through online content” and guess who they featured? You guessed it. Franchesca.

Take a look

We're almost there!

Was hoping to have the new blog design today, but....looks like it's not here yet. I've been waiting since the 1st of August (which is a looong time for me).

I hope to have it up sometime this week!

Please stop back by or enjoy some of the past posts.

Thanks!

Duafe

"wooden comb"

I will use this symbol (and variations) quite often here on this blog, so if you are not familiar with its meaning, here's the definition.


Duafe: Adinkra symbol of beauty and cleanliness; love and care, looking one's best. The duafe was a prized possession of the Akan woman who used the comb to plait her hair.

Adinkra Symbology

The Origin and Meaning of Adinkra Symbols

Adinkra is a cotton cloth produced in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire which has traditional Akan symbols stamped upon it. The Adinkra symbols represent popular proverbs and maxims, record historical events, express particular attitudes or behavior related to depicted figures. It is one of several traditional cloths produced in the region – the other well known cloths being kente and adanudo.

source Clothing & Fashion Encyclopedia

         

Re-tightening Maintenance is Important

Any hairstyle requires at least some upkeep. Since I have Sisterlocks, that is the method we will discuss today. I will be sure to write about upkeep of other natural hairstyles at another time. Or, feel free to write in with your own suggestions.

Reprinted from On the Path

Once you have made the investment in getting Sisterlocks you'll want to protect that investment.  Sisterlocks are LOW maintenance - not NO maintenance.  It is very important to the development of your newly formed Sisterlocks to get regular re-tightenings.  On average every 4 - 6 weeks is recommended in the beginning.  

Your hair texture, rate of growth and the care you give your new Sisterlocks will determine when that maintenance schedule can be extended to every 6 - 8 weeks.  Re-tightening should only take 4 hours on average.  This may vary depending on the amount of new growth and size of your locks.  A re-tightening session should never last more than 6 hours.

WHY IS RE-TIGHTENING SO IMPORTANT?   Re-tightening assists in the development of uniform locks.  It provides the opportunity for your consultant to monitor development and make changes if any are needed before the locks are completely settled in.  It controls slippage better; the longer the hair is loose in the Sisterlocks the longer it will take to lock.   You consultant can review your washing technique and advise if changes are necessary.   For example, rough shampooing can disturb your locks creating lots of loose hair around the base of your locks.  If there is an excessive amount of loose hair around the base your consultant can advise that you need to be more gentle, ask you to demonstrate how you shampoo and make suggestions about how to reduce disturbance.   Lots of loose hair around the base of the locks can create a "fuzzy" appearance.

WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU DON'T REGULARLY MAINTAIN YOUR SISTERLOCKS?  Bunching locks.  An inconsistent appearance. Locks that develop more like traditional locks instead of the very unique Sisterlocks.  The integrity of your Sisterlocks can be compromised and you could end up with locks that may break or shred due to spaces that may develop in the locks from infrequent re-tightenings.  Some of us are not diligent about separating our locks after shampooing, a regular re-tightenings can see to it that locks remain separate as well.

A relationship with your consultant is very different from the one you may have had with your stylist when your hair was chemically treated.  We would do whatever we wanted with our hair, go to the salon, sit in the chair, and the stylist had to make everything okay again.  The relationship with Sisterlocks is different.  From the time you have the Sisterlocks put in, until they are completely settled in and on their way to locking, your cooperation is mandatory.  You have a responsibility to work with your consultant to achieve the results you desire, beautiful Sisterlocks.  This means following your consultants recommendations, regular re-tightenings and periodic groomings.

HOW LONG IS IT NECESSARY TO GET RE-TIGHTENINGS?  Depending on the look you desire, always.  However, you are able to learn how to do your own re-tightenings through a Certified Training Associate. Some will find it exhilarating while others may choose never to maintain their own hair and only want to understand the process.   Whichever category you fall into, remember, that the only way to achieve beautifully uniform and healthy Sisterlocks, is through regular re-tightenings and maintenance whether you do it yourself or have the maintenance performed by a consultant. 

Recipes: Mind, Body & Spirit

Mind

Lavender Bath (calming)

Combine 4-oz. jojoba oil

50 drops lavender, 20 drops orange, 10 drops patchouli

1 oz. Vodka (used as a preservative). Mix well and use after you’ve filled the tub

Body

Rosemary Hair Rinse (cleansing, stimulating and restorative)

Put 6 fresh rosemary sprigs in an enamel or stainless steel saucepan, add 5 cups of distilled water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Keep the saucepan covered to prevent the vapor from escaping. Remove from heat, allow to cool, and use as a final rinse after washing your hair, massaging well into the scalp.

Spirit

Fitness Spray (supports/inspires workouts and eliminates odor)

6 drops lemon oil,

6 drops lavender oil,

5 drops rosemary oil

4 drops petigrain,

3 drops eucalyptus,

2 oz. Distilled water

Put in spray bottle, shake and lightly mist yourself before/after your workout.

How to use Essential Oils

Article from On the Path
Written by:  Moyosafi Ajabu


One of the things my clients like most about their retightening sessions with me is the aromatic spray I use on their hair when I’m done. They love it! Sometime the scent is calming, sometimes it’s invigorating and sometimes it just plain smells good. 


Each and every formula is custom blended by me using essential oils and my clients are always trying to get me to tell them how I’ve made it.


I’ve been reluctant to tell for two reasons. The first is because it is a special treat they can look forward to from me, and the second, essential oils should not be used without at least a basic knowledge. They can be harmful if they're not understood and respected. I promised my clients that one day I would share some of my knowledge about essential oils (but not my custom recipes) and today is the day. Let’s start with some basic information about essential oils.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the subtle, cola tile liquids that are distilled from plants, shrubs, flowers, trees, bushes and seeds through an ancient and delicate process. Science is re-discovering the incredible healing power of essential oils and beginning to acknowledge their value. Essential oils are known to be immune-stimulating, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-septic, anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic. Many essential oils contain healing qualities and can be used to aid healing of cuts, wounds, burns, bacterial and fungal infections through topical application or inhalation.

Essential oils also have unique psychological influences as well as medicinal properties; they make us feel better. Pure essential oils act upon the olfactory senses sending direct messages to the brain. Different aromas have the ability to produce changes in our emotions by triggering memories and the release of endorphins in the brain. (Endorphins are hormone-like chemicals that can produce gratifying sensations, euphoria and a sense of well being.)

Essential oils are also very powerful. Almost all essential oils should be diluted before use either in a "carrier oil" like Grape seed, Sweet Almond, Wheat germ, Apricot, Avocado, Olive, Jojoba or distilled water. Some are very irritating to the skin if used full strength and you should never use essential oils internally without direction from your holistic doctor.

When shopping for essential oils choose quality oils and ensure that your purchase is labeled pure essential oil. If the oil is labeled fragrance, aromatic oil, scented oil, or perfume you are probably buying a synthetic blend. Synthetic fragrances do not have the same aromatherapy properties as essential oils and may contain harmful chemicals. Synthetic oils are also not suitable for medicinal or aromatherapy uses.

Be informed about the benefits and potential harmful effects of essential oils before using them. Some essential oils can increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight and some can cause irritation on contact. Keep them away from your eyes, genitals, and mucous membranes. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to get a single, solitary drop of pure peppermint essential oil anywhere near the aforementioned places. Be diligent about washing your hands before and after handling pure essential oils. This will ensure that they won’t end up somewhere you don’t want.

Keep them out of the reach of children. Where children are concerned, essential oils should be viewed the same as any other drug.  During pregnancy, take extra precautions or avoid essential oils completely unless otherwise instructed by a reputable source. Do not us them internally unless under the supervision of a trained professional.

What Lies Beyond "Good Hair"

As I mentioned previously, part of my purpose for this blog is to examine hair not as a phenomenon of fashion but as a physical embodiment of identity and culture. I want to  provide black hair history as well as explore the hair trends and attitudes of African and African American people. 

According to Kobena Mercer (a cultural worker/critic whose varied work on the politics of representation in African diasporic visual arts) hairstyling is a cultural practice and signifier of black identity. 

All this week I have been posting my African Hair Trends series over on my devon4africa blog. For those of you who don't follow me on that blog please stop by and take look.  I will post the series here as well once my redesign is up and running (hope to be completed in the next 10 days).

We are more than our hair

Today I want to share with you a look at hair attitudes in Ghana. I uncovered an award winning short documentary by Ghana filmmaker, Akosua Adoma Owusu. The film is entitled "Me Broni Ba" (My white baby), Akosua also provided post-production assistance on Chris Rock’s Good Hair.

Akosua Adoma Owusu - Personal Statement

I realized the performance of using synthetic hair to style my hair was also a way for me to conceal something deeply seeded and personal. To white people, I was making a black power statement; to my Black friends, I was an African; and to Ghanaians, the length of my natural hair made me a broni ba. 

The hairstyles I experimented with in my life - the Afro, Braids, and hair straightening - were physical manifestations of my warring triple consciousness. I used my hair to fuse my Ghanaian and American pieces. I am formed by at least two cultures: Ghana as homeland and living in the United States in an immigrant family.  I think of myself as a walking contradiction and make use of my cultural hybridity in my film investigations.  That being said, I do not hesitate to move readily back and forth between similar (or different) mundane activities in West Africa and North America, ever aware of my insider and outsider status. weaves to dreadlocks, the politics behind hairstyling comes from the roots of self-identification.  

Me Broni Ba (My White Baby) uses the specifics of hair as a metaphor for personal identity, culture, and language. I was also interested in showing the creativity of African women and how this creativity is applied to the body. However, instead of deconstructing history, my film work also finds tensions in my bi-cultural identity that refer to moments in time. By making my work personal, a broad range of viewers can relate more to the artist’s experience. My goal is to somehow transcend this opposition between the self and the other. Art and films have moved on from mere ambiguity and conceptual repetition. Art has the power to change and give audiences the credibility to find their own place in an artist’s story.  Akosua's film,  Waving II: White Afro is currently in post-production.

Source and biogrpahy

The Film

Me Broni Ba,  is a fascinating, thought-provoking film exploring internalized colonial and racial stereotypes. In the streets, courtyards, and households of Accra, children of all social classes play with imported second-hand white baby dolls. Meanwhile, in the myriad beauty salons in Ghana, women pursue their fascination with braiding and with creating “soft” hair. In the second part of the film, a young girl tells of her move to the United States and her inability to keep her hands off the blond hair of her new classmates.

Relaxer Facts - Things your hair-dresser Never told you

by Devon Austin

Show Me the Money

There is plenty of money to be made in the African American hair care industry. Studies have shown that African American women visit a salon on an average of once every three weeks, while Caucasian women visit about once every 7-8 weeks. Hair relaxers make up the largest segment of this market. Styling aids (i.e. gels, oils, sheens, holding sprays, and setting lotions) are also common, along with moisturizing and conditioning products (including pomades, brillatines, texturizers, scalp protectors, colorants and curl activators).

Tightly coiled hair fibers are usually shorter and more elliptical which causes them to tangle, knot and break easily. African American hair has a higher cuticle to cortex ratio than other hair types. The average cuticle layer in most black hair is approximately 14 layers thick. This is twice as thick as whites who average 7 layers. Add in repeated chemical abuse and you have a tremendous potential for consumer product companies to market products to meet these unique needs. (Note: The majority of these consumer product companies are not African American owned) 

The Anatomy of African American Hair

Hair is made up of protein. When chemicals are used on the hair they alter the structure and destroy protein in the process. If you could view the hair under a microscope at the time of the chemical treatment you could actually see explosions on and in the hair as the protein in the hair is being destroyed. The alkaline chemical burns through the protein, lifts the cuticle and goes to work on the protein cortex of the hair. As much as 50% of the protein in the hair can be destroyed each time a chemical process is performed, until eventually nearly all of the protein in the hair is lost. The structure of the hair has now been significantly compromised; the hair has no way to hold itself together and simply falls apart.

Hair fiber showing elliptical shape and point of stress induced damaged           

Same fiber at stress point. With stress induced damage at 800X magnification the point of curvature.

Should you Relax?

Consumers who relax their hair generally turn to alkali relaxers formulated with sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide (commonly called no-lye relaxers, they have a slightly lower pH of 9) or thioglycolate-based formulas.

Relaxers are one of the most potent alkali chemicals you can use on your hair. They raise the pH of the hair so that the structure of the hair can be altered by the other ingredients of the treatment. Peptide bonds create the strength in the hair. The purpose of relaxers is to destroy peptide bonds. When the bonds are destroyed the hair straightens because it’s strength is now gone. The active ingredients in the majority of relaxers have a pH of approximately 13+. This is very alkaline (a neutral pH is "7", "0" is very acid, "14" is extremely alkaline). Remember Draino (a product that removes hair from sinks and drains) also has a pH of 13, and they both work the same way. They break down hair!

Once the peptide bonds are destroyed there is no conditioner on earth that can fix, mend or repair it. Forget what the ads and commercials are telling you. You can deep condition all you want but once the peptide bonds are destroyed they are gone forever. Relaxers also deplete the hair of essential fatty acids normally found in the scalps natural oil, sebum. This can result in –thinning of the hair –damage to the hair – breakage to the hair – discoloration to the hair – dryness to the hair – brittleness to the hair.

for some photos of what a scalp which have suffered due to relaxers click here

What the Future Holds

In recent years African American women have become increasingly more concerned about the potential long-term damage being inflicted upon them through the use of chemical relaxers. In addition, in this day and age where "time is money" many women feel that it is no longer acceptable to spend large sums of their hard earned cash on frequent and lengthy visits to the salon (African American women statistically have the least amount of disposable income but spend the most on their hair).

Many women have begun to look for alternatives, discovering (often for the first time) the beauty of their natural hair. Despite the fact that many natural hairstyles are still not yet fully acceptable (especially in the corporate work place) Cornrows, Afros, Dreads, Twist outs, Bantu Knots, Sisterlocks - just to name a few – are becoming increasingly more popular. African American women are realizing their beauty and defying the rules. Standing tall and proud, equipped with knowledge, a love of self and a renewed spirit - what a wonderful gift to pass on to our children.

Information was gathered from various sources including ISP Corp-Ethnic Hair Care Guide-hair photos ISP Corp, Black Hair Care. Repost from On the Path

Hair Fact or Fiction?

Average number of hairs on the head: 100,000

Red hair: 90,000

Black hair: 110,000

Blond hair: 140,000

Maximum length of hair: 70 to 90 cm

Annual growth: 12 cm

Female hair grows more slowly than male hair (wouldn’t you just know it)

Male hair is more dense than female hair (ditto)

Lifespan of hair: 2 to 7 years

Diameter of hair: 0.1 mm

Load-carrying capacity: 100 grams (= one chocolate bar)

Humidity stretches the hair

Combing is less detrimental than brushing

Correct shampooing will not dry out the hair

Frequent washing does not increase loss of hair

Hair grows faster in warm weather

Elderly people have slower hair growth and diminished hair density

Cutting hair does not influence its growth

Spliced ends can not be repaired and need to be cut

Wet hair should not be rubbed since hair is very sensitive

source: Weird and Wonderful Hair Facts

It turns out that blondes are the hairiest of all, yielding 120,000 to 140,000 hairs/scalp! (That’s around 20,000 extra compared to other hair colors) You can take that stat to your office cleaning crew, the experts in lost hair-finding. Whatever ethnicity, your apparently full head always grows a few duds; around 10% of your hair stops growing prematurely, but sticks around just for show. They are just dead cell strands, after all!

African American People Have Slow Growing Hair

This is false healthy hair grows fast, there is no correlation between hair growth and race. African American hair needs to be taken care of in a different way compared to other hair types. One reason that the hair growth is slowed due to relaxing, heat and chemical treatments. These thing can make hair brittle and lead to breakage. Certain types of hair can break easier like curly hair for example. The apex of the curl is the weakest part of the hair and tend to break in those areas where as straight hair does not have that problem. The longer your hair gets the more pressure gets exerted on the root of the hair causing stress areas. This is why keeping you hair healthy is so important because healthy hair is strong hair. source: Myths about Black Hair Growth

Ethnic Hair Discrimination in the Workplace

Article from Happy Worker

From bad hair days, to age-defying toupees, a number of hair issues cause the average worker to consider how their tresses can affect their work. A recent case involving a Glamour Magazine employee, however, exposed the hidden management desire to trim back ethnic hair-dos.

An Associate Editor of the magazine had the harebrained idea of cautioning female colleagues that their ethnic hairstyles were fashion faux-pas that associated the women with political movements of the past.

Ethnic tresses have stirred up stress in the workplace as the media and image consultants subtly communicate the desire to employ women considered to have ‘commercially beautiful white hairstyles’. With their locks on the chopping block, women of various ethnicities are being challenged to exchange their dreads, cornrows, or afro for the white hair status quo.

Extensions and highlights ignite a controversial question about image in the workplace, and what a hairstyle represents. Melissa Theodore, a New York City accountant, notes that not everyone in corporate America respects the right to bear ethnic hairstyles of choice.

The list of discrimination cases of this kind in the Western World is longer than Repunzel’s locks.

Hairy workers are happy workers! A 10-country survey showed that two-thirds of females between the ages of 15 and 64 will not engage in normal activities if they feel badly about their looks. On the flipside, it can be deducted that a worker who feels good about herself is most likely to be productive at work. If that means sporting an ethnic hairstyle, then so be it.