Currently Obsessed With

 Okay I am lying the title of this post should be forever obsessed with, I can confess I am in love with bald women, short haired women, women with twas and pixie cuts. If I was a man my ideal woman would have very little or no hair at all, yes I am guilty of running up to these women at functions and exclaiming how beautiful they are! If I was of the opposite sex I am pretty sure several people would have restraining orders against me by now but luckily I was born a woman and the code of conduct states I can do so without any suspicion I hope.There is something alluring and liberating about a woman with no follicles, especially in the western hemisphere where long hair usually equates beauty.

Rocking a short do' is low maintenance, budget friendly and edgy. It emits confidence, self acceptance and power. You can benefit from enhanced facial features, the world can finally see your beautiful eyes, cheekbones and lips and with some stunning eyebrows you can give 'Rapunzel effect' women a run for their money.

My Hair Care Regimen

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Here is my basic regimen for the week, I try my best to follow it week by week. However some days hair styles and treatments may hinder a process, such as applying henna or doing a twist out etc etc. Point is, WATCH your hair. Analyse it see how it's feeling, talk to it, get to know it. Give yourself a hair assessment daily, it only takes about 5-10 minutes, just to see what your hair needs.

How my chart works is simple, today being Friday, I'll see how my hair feels, if it's dry, I'll hydrate with glycerin spritz to add moisture, if it's brittle I'll deep condition. If it's oily I'll either put a bit of spritz on my hair or completely skip the step depending on how much oil is in my hair.

-Rouge

Wedding Hair

Just thought I would share a style I wore to a wedding last weekend. It was really a last resort style, I had initially planned to wear my signature quiff but my hair kept flopping down. This was done with bobby pins on straightened hair. I pinned my hair to one side and did  two huge flat twists at the front. I have been wearing this style since the wedding, its simple and quick. Literally takes me three minutes to pin up my hair. Note to self: up-dos are you best friend!  Received loads of compliments, thumbs up. My cousins husband had been wondering if it was my hair or a wig  all day, he had a nice feel in the end.

Apart from a couple of people stopping me or just randomly coming up to me about my hair, the most memorable was at the train station yesterday. I was standing there, waiting for my train and out of nowhere beside me I heard in an west African accent "Jesus Christ is that your hair, please turn around let me see the back''. I obliged as usual and while twirling to put my eyes on this woman who looked absolutely amazed, the lady went on to ask more questions before boarding the train. This hair is taking over my life, I have conversations with people and they are talking to my hair not me, no eye contact nothing just the person and my hair. I now know how women with large busts feel with this large hair, but apart from being invisible to what is growing out of my scalp, I am grateful for it.

-Regina

Emma Rouge's Big Chop

It is almost a year since my first article, which is a bit emotional, however I am writing with good news. I HAVE JOINED THE NATURALS! Yes I did my big chop on the 31st of May 2011 and am currently rocking a TWA.

So how are you coping?

Funny enough I didn't feel upset or feel any kind of doubt or regret, I was actually very happy and felt relieved (No more migraines and no more scabby scalp due to those evil relaxers! Haha) I was loving my TWA, I was loving the natural mini curls and the texture of my hair, so much so, that I cut it even shorter the next day after returning to London and showing my Mother.

YES my Mum cussed me out, she cussed me hard, she was upset cause the 20 years of hard work she put into keeping my relaxed hair healthy, was thrown away along with the bag containing the remains of my big chop. Did I mention she cussed me? She told me I looked like a village girl in Nigeria who can't afford to do her hair, so she just cuts it off instead...really?...Really Mum?

Currently Obsessed With

The nineties are back! Okay maybe that might be a bit to optimistic but at least this hair style is back. I have always been a braid lover for years. Right now  I love the Patra braids, Shabba braids, Macro braids, Poetic Justice Braids whatever you want to call them . Reminds me of the good old days when I had just two television channels and the highlight of my day was seeing Brandy in Moesha, and those are beautiful memories. I'm not promoting rushing out for some expressions, I need packs too but Patra braids are fun and great for the summer!

-Regina

Hair Myths

• How many times do you hear this in a year;'' Black hair does not grow'' ''My hair is not growing''. These are all lies the average growth rate for your hair in a year is 6 inches in year and if you have been growing your hair for over ten years and you are underneath even the 6inch mark something is terribly wrong.
• Products can grow hair; no magic potion, hair food , hair repair cream can help your hair grow. There are chemicals that can stimulate hair growth but I doubt you will find that in any product you buy in any haircare shop. If you are having problems with your scalp it is better to consult a specialist. If this was true we would all have hair down to our back.

The Hair Cycle

In order to understand anything in life, you have to educate yourself about that specific thing or subject. Imagine going to sit an exam without even attempting to open the textbook,or trying to bake a cake without ingredients. Even a baby has to educate itself daily to adapt to its environment, although it might take a different approach  by trying to taste everything I would not recommend that with your hair products and tools but take a similar approach to haircare.  Understanding your hair begins with understanding the hair cycle.


The Hair Cycle 

Heres a short version of the haircycle.There are three stages to the hair cycle, the Anagen phase,Catagen and the Telogen phase. The Anagen phase is the growing phase which usually lasts about three to five years.

Confessions of a product Junkie and Conditioner Review

Before I was natural I was addicted to shoes (still am cough, cough), well I am slightly still addicted but this university budget cannot stretch enough to feed my shoe and unfortunately my hair product addiction. My bathroom is over stacked with products from oils, body scrubs to yes the main culprit conditioners. I counted the amount of conditioners I am currently hoarding in my bathroom and various locations in the house.