Care 4 Curls

Freebie Friday: Designs By Loreen Hall

Paige-Ellean — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:16:20 +0000

Social Networking has brought me several opportunities of meeting a wide variety of people, many of whom I have admired for their tenacity & obvious creative talent. One of these people was Loreen Hall, owner of Designs by Loreen Hall, whom I met via facebook.

Loreen Hall is an athlete turned jewelry designer. Jewelry making began as a hobby for her in February 2011 and it has since grown into a thriving business. It is easy to see why her business is successful simply by looking at the beautiful pieces she designs.

Loreen sent me these pair of earrings, which I absolutely love.

I rarely wear big earrings, especially hoops, but these pair were so beautiful & surprisingly quite light.

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I also received another pair of pendant-type earrings which I will be giving away in this competition.

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I am quite impressed by her generosity as in addition to sending me the earrings for the giveaway prize, Loreen also offered the following:

Discount given to the winner of the earrings on future purchases from Loreen’s shop
A 10% discount for all my readers who spend £20 or more from her shop. The discount code will be supplied at the end of the competition.
HERE ARE THE RULES OF THE COMPETITION:
You need like Designs By Loreen Hall on Facebook by clicking HERE
You need to like Care 4 Curls on Facebook by clicking HERE
Leave a comment below this post, telling me your facebook name

The Winner will be announced next Friday & the discount code for those that didn’t win will be announced afterwards.

Don’t forget that, if you would rather not wait, you can always visit Loreen Hall’s shop on ETSY to view and purchase any of her other beautiful items.

Best of luck to everyone!!!

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You Asked, I Answered: Feeling Frustrated With Your Hair

Paige-Ellean — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:54:40 +0000

I received this email from a reader and I can totally understand her pain, as I have been there. Here is what she said.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hi Paige, I just recently discovered your blog and I must say that I’m really enjoying the content. I’m glad I found it (Thank you – I am so pleased you like it!)

I’m sure you’re extremely busy with all of your other endeavours, but I thought I’d at least give it a shot and see if you had time to answer a few questions I have.

I have been natural since December 2011 (hey, we share the same anniversary month!) and like most newly naturals, I’m sure, I have my good/bad days. I’m becoming frustrated with my hair because it doesn’t seem to be growing. While it has gotten thicker and is more strong than when I used to get perms, I still feel as if my TWA isn’t moving the slightest inch.

How long did it take before your hair started showing significant growth? Do you have any advice that might help me with this problem?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I just want to say thank you to this reader for taking time out to send me the email and I also want to say a BIG congratulations on going natural! As she approaches the 6 month mark of going natural, I can completely understand her frustrations.

When I first went natural, the first year was spent trying to find out what works for my hair, and what doesn’t work. I didn’t really expect any major growth till I hit the 1 year mark, so my initial advice to my reader would be ‘Be Patient, Your Hair Will Grow’

I think she is already on the right track with her hair care, as she is already seeing thickness & strength, so she must be doing something right. I do not remember seeing any insignficant thickness when I was at the same stage. A lot of naturals will agree that ‘First comes the thickness, then comes the length’

I liken natural/curly hair growth to the growth spurts seen in young children – first they fill out, then they get taller, then they fill out, then they get taller. Something very similar, I have noticed, happens with natural hair growth. You experience the thickening stage, then the lengthening stage and so on it goes.

Even when, at 12.2 months, I finally saw my hair had grown, it didn’t stop me moaning a few months later when I thought my growth had stalled. Luckily, the pictures I took of my growth progress proved me wrong – my hair had grown a ton!

So what can you do when you feel frustrated with your hair & you feel it is not growing?

Enjoy each stage of your hair journey. One of my biggest regrets was that I didn’t experiment with various hair styles and accessories in my TWA stage. Don’t let this stage pass you by as you impatiently wait for hair growth. Look for pictures of TWAs and see the various ways it can be styled & accessorised. There are some styles you will no longer be able to do once you grow out of the TWA stage.
Take pictures – you do not need to get obsessive about it. A weekly picture should be sufficient. Regular pictures will show you whether or not your hair is growing as I have discovered HERE.
Continue to focus on taking care of your hair in the best possible way
Have fun experimenting with various ingredients and products, as you learn what your hair likes and what it absolutely hates.

Before you know it, your hair will surprise you as it continues to thrive & grow. The growth might creep up on you and be so subtle that you may not notice it unless you are charting your progress via pictures. The growth might actually take you by surprise as you wake up one morning, look in the mirror and think ‘ Holy Moley! My hair has grown!!’Just continue to take care of your hair and it will DEFINITELY grow! You know the saying ‘ A watched kettle never boils’. Well, ‘watched hair doesn’t grow’, so drop the mirror, get out there and have some fun with your hair!

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Are Hair Extensions Bad For The Hair

Paige-Ellean — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:19:55 +0000

This was the question posed to me by one of my readers, Elicia

She actually sent me the question on my Facebook page and here is what she wrote

are hair extensions bad for the hair? I wanted to get extensions braided in, and my mom says it will break my hair even more.

I am personally not keen on hair extensions as beyond the two week mark, they are no good for me. I don’t know if this is due to my hair texture, which is in between being thick & fine, or if this is due to the stylist who puts in the hair extensions. Every single time I have had some form of hair extensions – be it in the form of weaves or extensions with braids etc – I have enjoyed the extensions for approximately 3-4 days before it goes downhill. First, there is the initial pain on my scalp with accompanying headaches that leave me curled in agony for several hours, then for about 4 days I am able to enjoy the extensions before they begin slip, slide & crawl off my head – perhaps my semi-fine hair doesn’t hold on to the extensions too well *shrugs*. Finally, my scalp itches something awful and by the time I take down the extensions, I am covered in flurry of white flakes. Sigh!

I have had extensions put in my many different stylist, using many different techniques and I still suffer the same problems. As you can understand, I am not a big fan of extensions. However, I can see some of the benefits from the use of extensions including:

As a protective style – to be honest, I believe extensions can only be suitable as protective styling if your hair strands are thick enough. Fine to medium-fine hair tend to suffer increased breakage with the use of extensions
As a low/no-maintenance styling option
As a way of encouraging growth. The growth occurs because the hair is left alone.

As a way of changing your look. It’s fun to have kinky twists one minute, a blonde cropped weave the next, box braids afterwards…….etc.

Like I said, extensions seem to work best for certain hair types. I have medium fine hair, one of my friends have fine…..both of us suffered breakage & retarded growth when we use extensions. Coincidence? I think not! Here are some reasons why I do not recommend the use of extensions.

Increased breakage/shedding – this occurs when the extensions are left in for too long. The amount of time you leave extensions in your hair, depends on how your hair can handle the extensions. Finer hair will do better to have the extensions left in for no longer than 2-3 weeks, medium to thick hair strands can have the extensions left in a bit longer. However, the absolute maximum length of time you should leave the extensions in your hair (fine strands or no) is no more than 2 months. Any longer and your hair begins to suffer.
Itchy, flaky scalp and/or dandruff – obviously this happens because the scalp isn’t getting adequate moisture. This problem cannot be resolved by simply oiling the scalp – big mistake! It would just worsen the problem.
Weakened roots and follicles – this is due to the hair being held in the style for a long period of time. The best way to combat this is to apply a light water-based hydrating hair spritz that contains mild proteins to the scalp & roots of the hair, and then follow that up with a light application of a scalp nourishing hair oil. One of the reasons I made the TLC Naturals Hair Spritz was to provide this for, not just natural & curly hair lovelies, but also for the beautiful people who wear extensions. The spritz contains green tea, silica-rich horsetail, amino acids, amongst other ingredients. This helps keep the scalp clean & refreshed, with no build up, and also strengthens the entire hair shaft from root, follicles to tip. Result? Less shedding and minimal to no breakage when you take down the extensions.
Smaller Extensions, like braids, twists etc increases the risk of breakage. I do not like having lots of tiny, little braids or twists in my hair for this reason.
Increased risk of traction alopecia and/or bald spots- this very common in those who wear extensions consistently for over 60% of the time. The hair needs to breathe & ‘relax’ every now and again. Do not leave it permanently in extensions.So How Can You Wear Extensions Without Damaging Your Hair? Here Are My Top Tips.

Do not wear extensions for excessively lengthy periods.

Do take care of your hair, roots and scalp whilst wearing extensions. Massage the scalp gently on a regular basis and use a good quality designed-for-extensions hair spritz, followed by hair oil.
Absolutely avoid tight extensions. Any extensions hair style that makes you look like you have had a face lift is a big NO-NO.
Know the state of your hair strands (thick, fine, medium) and plan your extensions accordingly.
Ensure the extensions are installed, maintained and removed properly.
Avoid extensions that involve lots of tiny, minute braids, twists etc…if you can.

Enjoy your hair extensions

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Filed under: Hair Care, You Asked, I Answered

Psst – Have You Seen My Tumblr

Paige-Ellean — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:49:46 +0000

I just realised I haven’t properly introduced you, my lovely readers, to my Tumblr blog.

Many of you who also follow Care 4 Curls on Facebook will have known about the Tumblr as I do mention it from time to time on the Facebook page. However, I realised that not all of you readers have a facebook account, use Facebook regularly or follow Care 4 Curls on facebook.

So check out my tumblr blog if you can’t get enough of gorgeous heads of hair. More images, less talk.

Find my tumblr here ——————>>> Care 4 Curls Tumblr Page

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Filed under: Care 4 Curls, Random

Increasing Iron Levels Whilst Being A Vegan

Paige-Ellean — Sat, 19 May 2012 19:05:25 +0000

Anaemia & low haemoglobin levels can be quite common with some people who are vegans or vegetarians.

I have always been slightly anaemic, however, since turning vegan, my blood iron levels have plummeted.

It has been quite a challenge finding ways to increase my iron levels and to be honest, I am quite fed up with feeling low in energy almost every day.

Superfoods like chlorella & spirulina are rich in iron and are fantastic at reversing. However, they taste quite vile and the the green-stained teeth I get afterwards is not a pretty sight.

Yes, I know some of you will say to take the spirulina or chlorella in tablet form. I prefer to take these substances as pure as possible. Tablets tend to contain other ingredients that I do not really want in my body, but are needed to help compress and shape the spirulina/chlorella into tablets. In addition, tablets take a while to break down in the body, so by the time the contents enter the system, they are pretty much useless or have most of it filtered out and broken down by the liver.

This is why I prefer to take spirulina and/or chlorella in powder form. I mix about a tablespoon of the powder in warm water, pinch my nose, and chug it down – like a cocktail shot. Yum – not!

Luckily, I have recently learnt that blackstrap molasses is not just good for my hair, but is a very rich and, of course, palatable source of easily assimilable iron. Blackstrap molasses is made from sugar beets or sugar cane and is sometimes called treacle in UK and some parts of Europe. I have been using this stuff in my deep conditioner recipes for several months, but had no idea, until now, that it was so rich in iron!!

It is often given to pregnant women to boost iron & haemoglobin levels in the blood.

Blackstrap molasses is a natural sweetener that is rich in iron, calcium and lots of other nutritional goodies. It has an unusual taste…..like….um…..burnt sugar, but it does help mask the taste of the spirulina and chlorella powders.

So I try to make sure my daily iron-rich cocktail includes a teaspoon of chlorella or spirulina with 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses in a glass of warm water.

It has done a lot to increase my energy and blood iron levels, and is definitely a keeper in my pantry!

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Filed under: Oh, My Vegan

You Asked, I Answered: Advice On Straightening Natural Hair

Paige-Ellean — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:46:50 +0000

Sorry if my blog has been a bit of a ghost town in the past few weeks. I have been away for a while & couldn’t access my blog admin. Those of you who follow me on Facebook or Twitter will have noticed that i was able to keep in touch via Facebook & Twitter updates. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to blog whilst away

I only just got back and am settling again into blogging, so without much ado, I will proceed.

I have received a ton of emails & messages whilst away. Many were to ask after my welfare ( so nice and sweet of you – i am truly touched!), a few others were from readers offering their feedback on the blog and advice I had given them, which they followed; and others were questions for advice on their hair care & other matters.

Many of these messages were answered with a simple & straightforward reply and others, which I feel would be beneficial to other readers, will be answered via a blog post.

So here is a question from one of my readers:

“I am thinking of straightening my natural hair any advice – I do not want to relax it”

Straightening naturally curly hair is not something I would advocate on a regular and extended basis. It is not healthy for your hair to keep it constantly straightened, especially via the use of chemicals or heat. This would lead to slow & irreversible hair damage.

If you must straighten the hair, try to keep your straightening methods to an absolute minimum – trust me, your hair will thank you for it!

Some people recommend straightening the hair as a way of ‘managing the curls’. We all know curly/coily hair tangles something awful, however, there are many ways of stretching out the hair strands to minimise & prevent the curls getting tangle & unmanageable.

Also, do remember stretching the hair is ONE thing; straightening the hair is something completely different.

Here Are Some Methods Of Straightening:

Via the use of texturisers or relaxers – whilst this would help straighten the hair, it leads eventual & irreversible hair damage that can only be corrected by cutting off the treated ends or growing out the hair
Brazilian Straightening system – this is also called Brazilian keratin Treatment or BKT. This method uses liquid keratin and a preservative solution to temporarily smoothen out the hair. The presence of formaldehyde ( a carcinogenic – a substance that can cause cancer) in the BKT treatment has led to it being banned in several countries.
Using a blowdryer, hot comb and/or flat iron – this is not healthy for the hair as regular use will lead to increased hair damage, split ends, thinning hair and breakage.

Clearly, you can see that the use of chemicals (relaxers, texturisers, BKT or other hair straightening treatments) or the use of heat (blow dryers, hot combs, or flat irons) is not good for the hair as it can lead to split ends, thinning, hair loss, and breakage.

If you wish to straighten your hair in order to achieve a sleek, smooth look for long periods of time, you have to understand that this is not the natural state for your hair type & coercing your curls into a straight look WILL eventually lead to damage & hair loss. It’s the same for those with naturally straight hair who regularly use perms or curling tongs to achieve a wavy or curly look. Just saying.

However, although I do not advocate straightening naturally curly hair, it can be recommended as long as it is done the right way.

First, keep the straightening sessions down to a minimum – once a month, once every 3 months, once every 6 months or once a year, depending on the health of your hair & your personal preferences.
Whatever you do, DO NOT use products that contain chemical silicones & polymers – this is just making your hair more prone to damage.
Start with clean & freshly washed hair.
Pre-stretch the hair by putting it in medium sized twists or banded sections and leave it till mildly damp
Blow dry each section using a blow dryer with a comb attachment. Apply a tiny bit of heat protectant like grapeseed oil and use the medium to low heat setting and apply tension as you pull the comb through.
Finish the blow dry, by combing the hair from roots to tip, using first a wide toothed comb and then a smaller toothed comb. This ensures your hair is free of tangles and knots.
Once the hair is dry, use a flat iron to straighten out the hair. Be sure to use the medium heat setting on the flat iron. Apply a little bit of the grapeseed oil again, if you wish. Go for a ceramic ion flat iron, with tourmaline and/or titanium. Absolutely avoid flat irons that are metal or aluminium, coated plates (which means metal iron with ceramic coating – not good). The best irons are those with a PTFC heater, capable of producing infrared heat and they warm the hair from the inside out, which means less damage to the hair. Some irons have nanotechnology – this means they use small particles to transfer heat quickly, thereby eliminating static and creating shine. Ionic flat irons reduce frizz by encouraging the hair shaft to retain moisture, due to the action of their negative ions.
Go over each section of your hair 1-4 times with the flat iron, applying tension as you go.
Finish up with a light application of avocado oil – this is a natural silicone and it would help seal your hair cuticles even further, increase sleekness and shine of the hair, reduce frizz, and help you maintain that straight look for much longer
Maintain your new straightened look by wrapping your hair at night, covering it up with a silk or satin scarf/bonnet. When properly maintained, your straightened hair can last up to 3 weeks.

This method is a safe way of straightening natural, curly & coily hair with minimal risk of hair damage. And, yes, just in case you were wondering – I do have a product for straightening hair being released soon. If you wish, you can keep up to date with news of this & a chance to get your hands on free samples by joining TLC Naturals on Facebook

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Quinoa For Breakfast?? Say Whaaaat???!

Paige-Ellean — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:30:18 +0000

Some people think that being vegan or vegetarian means that you are deprived of protein. I used to think that way, but have since discovered many high quality plant protein sources.
I knew that protein is found in abundance in legumes (peas & beans), nuts and seeds, but I was quite surprised to learn that protein is found in grains, particularly quinoa!

Quinoa, though considered a whole grain, is actually a seed but can be prepared like other grains such as rice, barley, millet. Now here’s the kicker – quinoa provides all NINE Essential Amino Acids (the building blocks of protein), thereby making it a COMPLETE PROTEIN!

Sayonara animal protein, chicken, eggs, and meat – I’ve got Quinoa!!! Quinoa contains the highest protein content of all the grains, plus is also gluten-free and cholesterol-free. I am MEGA impressed!

I am thrilled, to say the least. I had been a bit worried I wouldn’t be getting adequate protein & amino acids since I went vegan. I have been planning my meals & weekly food menus a week in advance to ensure I am getting enough protein & calcium at each main meal, so I am so pleased that quinoa has such a high protein content.

However, quinoa is generally eaten as a savoury dish – like rice. Today, I decided to have it sweet……for breakfast!f

I basically cooked the quinoa as if I was cooking porridge oats, which I can’t have because I am gluten intolerant. It took about 3-5minutes to cook. Then I added hemp seed powder to the quinoa. I love hemp seed powder – it is very rich in protein & I add a spoon or two to every meal that I feel may be lacking in sufficient protein. Although with quinoa being so rich in protein, I could have skipped the hemp seed powder

So my breakfast today was cooked quinoa with hemp seed powder, hazelnut milk, sweetened with agave nectar (honey is not vegan), and topped with sliced bananas and a teaspooon of mixed seeds. Here’s what the breakdown of my nutrition looked like:

Quinoa – low cholesterol, low calories, high in protein
Hemp Seed Powder – rich in calcium, rich in omega 3 6 & 9, high in essential fatty acids (the good fats for healthy heart), high in protein
Hazelnut milk – high in calcium, rich in protein, rich in magnesium & Vitamin D
agave nectar – rich in minerals & nutrients that help control appetite, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Bananas – rich in potassium (for heart health & good blood pressure); fat, cholesterol & sodium free; rich in complex carbs which regulate blood sugar (perfect for diabetics & pre-diabetics) and help control appetite, also contains Vitamin A & C
Mixed sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds – rich in essential fatty acids, high in omega 3 6 9 – all of which promote healthy heart, regulate blood pressure, control blood sugar, enhances beauty of skin & hair, soothes PMS symptoms, boosts fertility etc etc.

For such a simple meal, it was definitely dense in nutrients!!!

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Filed under: Oh, My Vegan

A Dream……

Paige-Ellean — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 09:28:05 +0000

A dream becomes a goal when action is taken towards its achievement – Bo Bennett

Filed under: Random

Amazing 2 Week Hair Growth

Paige-Ellean — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:30:05 +0000

There are some moments when I look at some pictures & I say, “O.M.G!!!!” and this was one of them!!

I love it when a picture comes up to disprove the theory that natural hair cannot grow. Um….yeah it can!!

Given the right hair treatment and the right sort of products, it sure can grow!!

Our natural loves loves LOVES natural products!! Like a thirsty plant craving water, it drinks up natural products with gusto and you can see the difference very quickly.

My GROW IT! Hair Cream struck again as one of my customers made me very happy by sending in this review/picture progress of her after two weeks of using the product.

I am so glad that product set out to do exactly what i wanted it to do - grow the hair!! From this & many other pictures sent in to me, I am happy that the Grow IT! Hair Cream is living up to its name

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You Asked, I Answered: Colouring Your Hair

Paige-Ellean — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:54:39 +0000

A reader tweeted me this question:

I have been natural for 4 months. Doing my final big chop today. What’s your opinion on dying hair?

I need to answer this as carefully as possible as some people seem to just take things wrong or a bit too personally when I voice out certain opinions of mine. Having said that, bear in mind that this is MY opinion and it is NOT le law of natural hair care. By all means, learn from the tips & advice I share with you. Use them as is, if you wish and if they work excellently for you – woo hoo. If not, learn to tweak things to suit you, your hair, your schedule, your circumstances……you get the gist, right?

When it comes to dyeing hair, I personally do not believe in using chemical colourants on MY own hair. This is for two reasons:

Health – I have no desire whatsoever to put chemicals in my body, whether it’s via eating processed foods or via absorbing chemicals through the skin, scalp and other body surfaces. It is just not healthy to me and as much as I can, I stay away from harmful chemicals.
Chemical Colourants do not work for my hair. Oh yeah, they do colour my hair, but they are so harsh on my hair that the benefits just doesn’t add up. One thing I have discovered is that my hair is actually very fragile, especially around my edges. Anything with harmful chemicals & my poor strands start dying off. My hair loooooves natural stuff – natural mixes and for now, this is what I am sticking with.

However, never say never. I might decide at some point in the future to dye my hair a wild shade of blonde or red, but for now, I’ll pass, thank you.

Now what about you? Here’s what I think….if you want to colour your hair using commercial chemical colourants, by all means, go right ahead. I ain’t judging you on that – your hair, your health, your body, your choice. One thing I would say is that you need to make sure your hair is well cared for when you colour your hair. Because chemically coloured hair undergoes chemical processing, it will require extra TLC & love.

You can never EVER go wrong with natural & organic products for your regular hair maintenance. They restore life, health & vibrancy to processed hair, whether it is permed, relaxed, heat processed or chemically coloured. They are an absolute must – even more so for chemically/heat processed hair than for natural hair. Use of natural products before & after colouring your hair will provide the following benefits:

BEFORE COLOURING – protecting your hair & minimising the damage caused by the colourant on your hair.
Enabling the colour to adhere better to your strands.
Repairing any damaged caused on your hair AFTER colouring your hair.
Restore moisture, conditioning and healthy shine to your hair
Helping your colour look more vibrant & last longer.

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Filed under: You Asked, I Answered