Natural Hair Styles in Jamaica

You guys already know that I love all hair, relaxed, natural, dreads, etc., as long as its healthy I appreciate it all. So while in Jamaica, I couldn't resist taking pictures of some of the fabulous hair I noticed. I was not able to interview each person about their regimen, but I'll try reach them via Facebook and get details. I also made sure to get their permission to post the pictures on my blog.

J's natural puff. He took out his braids and washed his hair.

L's formal style

Jamaican Tag Video

Beach Regimen

Hibiscus I picked from my grandma's garden

On Sunday, I went to the beach with my family and had a blast. I didn't plan to swim, but I knew that my hair would get wet so I needed a plan to protect my hair while I enjoyed the water.


I decided to wear two fish braids as my protective style. This was my first time doing fish braids but I remembered watching a tutorial that Traycee from KISS did a few months ago. I parted my hair down the middle and made two ponytails, one behind each ear. I am right handed, so doing the left braid was easy and I got it right on the second try. The right braid was more tricky and it took about 5 attempts before I got it to look exactly like the left braid. I'm a stickler for balance, so I wanted them to look the same. It turned out great, but good grief it made my arms so tired LOL.

The Fruits of My Labor

I love fruits and when I'm in Jamaica I eat as much as I can. The best fruits are the fresh fruits that you can pick and eat immediately. My dad has quite a green thumb, so we have a several fruit and vegetable trees in our backyard. The same is true for my parent's house in Miami.

Here is one fruit tree that I planted myself over 20 years ago.

Star Fruit Tree

Star Fruit on the tree

Inside Star Fruit

Lobster Patty Anyone?

Yesterday, we went to the Bob Marley Museum and Devon House for ice cream. Devon House Bakery makes a lobster patty which I had to try. It was delicious.

Lobster patty

Yummy!

Food, Flowers, and Fruits, Part 1

MsNastassja was not able to come to Jamaica with us because of school. I want her to feel included, so I'm taking lots of pictures for her to see. I hope you enjoy the pictures also.

Jerk Chicken and Festival from Island Grill

Fried Fish and Festival at Gloria's restaurant in Port Royal

Fried dumplings, bammy, plantains and sunny-side-up egg at home for breakfast

Jamaican apple (after my first bite)

Some of the flowers in our garden and on the Veranda.

Jamaica Regimen

Although I'm on vacation, my hair care regimen is not on vacation. The weather right now is hot and dry.  There is no humidity so I don't have to worry about frizz. I've been using jojoba oil to lightly oil my ends, but I haven't been using the moisturizer because I'm trying to avoid making my hair weighted down with product. I'm going to a wedding on Saturday, so I need my hair to look fluffy and bouncy for the event. At night, I do 4 pin curls and cover with my silk bonnet as usual. During the day, I've been wearing my hair down but I put it in a bun when I get  hot and secure the bun with bobby pins or just make a loose bun knot and my hair holds itself in place.

Bun knot.

Pin curls at night

J.A.M. Jamaica!

Rosa Thorn plant in the garden

 We made it to Jamaica safe and sound. I literally cried when I got home. There is nothing like coming home to the house that you grew up in. Where you have memories of falling down and scraping your knees, climbing trees to pick mangoes, or sitting on the veranda and playing school with your stuffed animals. Our house has been kept pretty much the same since I left and the nostalgia brings on such strong emotions and memories of my wonderful childhood. I keep towing my husband around the house to show him and tell him about everything LOL.

We are currently sitting on the veranda as I type this. There is a cool breeze, the soft chirping of birds, and sweet subtle fragrance of the mini botanical garden surrounding us. Life. Is. Good.


Me holding the plums I picked at my grandmother's house

 The internet is fickle but I will try to post as much as I can during my visit. I'll also record the Jamaica tag video some time this week.

Hubby on the veranda at my house



Our fish



Paul the bird. His friends Peter and Mary died of old age.





March Hair Update!

Oyin Hair Dew: What Do You Think?

[Image Source]

My stylist suggested that I try Oyin Hair Dew on my new-growth during my relaxer stretch. She uses it on her natural hair and loves it. I plan to order it when I get back from vacation and give it a try. But I wanted to hear from you about your experience using it.

The ingredients look great:

Ingredients: purified water, castor oil, olive oil, organic aloe vera gel, behentrimonium methosulfate (emulsifier), coconut oil, olive squalane, optiphen (preservative), cetyl alcohol, and love!

It is water based but has a few oils and no "fluff." Don't worry about the "cetyl alcohol" it is not the drying alcohol. So, what say you?

Relaxer Results

My relaxer day went very well yesterday.  If you follow me on Facebook, then you know that Reniece had to talk me out of cutting 3"(LOL) so I got a light trim. In my January Hair Update, I shared how my ends were being damaged by the clear bands and I still have the thinner ends from that setback. The ends bug me, but I can mask them from myself by wearing wavy and curly styles.  

Relaxer Day is Tomorrow!

New-growth in back

I always get very excited the night before my relaxer. I compare the excitement to unwrapping a present, you don't know what you will get but you hope it will be good. Since I haven't straightened my hair in almost 10 weeks, this will be the first time since my last relaxer that I will get to see my true length.

I just sprayed my roots with Sta-Sof-Fro and will do a light detangle after the shower (without the shower cap). The shower's steam will help to soften my new-growth.

[More pictures below]

Lunar Hair Care

2011 Morrocco Method Calendar
[Image Source]

Lunar Hair Care is a method that uses the different moon phases to obtain optimal hair goals. According to this approach, you can lengthen, strengthen, and thicken your hair by trimming or cutting based on the moon's current phase. The theory is that since the moon affects the ocean's tides, which is a large body of water, then it also affects the human body, which is majority water.

The chart shows optimal dates in 2011, to trim or cut to achieve your desired hair goal.  This is the Morrocco Method, which uses the moon phases. Keep in mind that these dates are based on Pacific Standard Time, so you will need to convert it for your respective time zone.

Blog's One Year Anniversary!

Today is the blog's one year anniversary!  I'm so amazed at how quickly one year has elapsed.  Check out my very first video debut above.  Read my Growth and Setbacks post to learn about what caused each setback.

When I started my blog as "Coarse Hair, Long Hair" I was very anxious about how I would be received. It you have ever posted a video on YouTube then you understand just how daunting it can be to share such a personal side of yourself. The online world mimics the real world in many ways, including the feeling of being vulnerable when you open up to strangers. I am fortunate that 99.9% of the feedback I received was positive.

Thank you for following my blog and my journey.  I truly appreciate all the love I get from my readers, YouTube subscribers and Facebook Fans.

New-Growth Picture

Here's a picture of my new-growth at 8 weeks post relaxer.  I washed and let my hair air-dry in 4 twists.  My hair came out very fluffy and soft. I didn't have time to cornrow it, so I'm wearing my hair out again this week. The temperature isn't too cold outside, today was 60 degrees and the rest of the week will be in the high 50s.  Last week was actually warm. So I don't feel too guilty about going 2 weeks without my wig.

Everything is okay in moderation.

Countdown to My Relaxer

My hair is currently 8 weeks post and I will relax at 10 week. My appointment is in two weeks and I'm so excited about wearing my hair down.  I will wash and deep condition my hair today, then next weekend I will start implementing a slightly modified version of my usual Relaxer Prep Routine. Since I'll be wearing the wig, the difference is that I will remove the cornrows on Thursday before I spray the roots.  But everything else will be the same.

I have a good amount of new-growth right now. I'll post a picture after I wash my hair tonight. My ends look like they need a trim but I'm fighting the urge to trim.  I will at least wait until my next relaxer in May before I trim.  Maybe I'll do a birthday trim (big smile).  At the rate that I keep *wanting* to trim, I'm not sure if I'll make waist-length by the ends of the year.  But personally, I'd rather have full mid-back length than have a "V" waist length.

I usually relax at 12 weeks, but I will be going to Jamaica this month so I decided to relax at 10 weeks. How many week post are you now?

Reader Mail: When Does Shampoo = Dry Hair?

By: MsNastassja

A reader asked "How do you know a shampoo makes your hair dry?"

I can tell that a shampoo has made my hair dry when it makes my hair feel "squeaky clean," like it has been stripped of all the oils/moisture I've added. It will tangle much easier when it's "squeaky clean." Also, if I try to go down the length of a piece of hair, it will sort of catch on my fingers instead of there being a smooth gliding down slippery, moisturized hair.  If you've ever gotten a strand of hair and slid it between your fingers in one direction (root/scalp down to ends), you've noticed it felt smooth compared to the other direction, right? That ends-to-roots feeling is sort of what I mean by this "catching" sensation.

Don't get me wrong, a shampoo should still cleanse the hair and get rid of the dirt on it (especially the scalp!). But ideally your hair shouldn't feel like straw afterwards. I am really sorry if this isn't clear, since I think it is a hard thing to describe. I hope this helps.

I Miss My Hair

My hairstyle for the week

This is exactly why I can never do permanent hair color, bangs, or layers. After a few weeks, I always end up missing my own hair. Dark brown, and blunt cut is perfect for me. This week, I'm giving the wig the week off and will wear my own hair. The great thing about a wig is that it give me the flexibility to skip a week of wearing it whenever I feel like it.  I'll go back to wearing the wig next week, but it is good to be able to "play" in my own hair for a few days.

I'm currently 7 weeks post relaxer and I plan to wear the wig from now through my relaxer in March. I'm actually debating whether to wear the wig until my birthday in May. I do love the ease of styling the wig as it saves me time in the mornings. Also, if I wear the wig that long I am more likely to retain the maximum amount of my length.

We will see how it goes.