Michelle Obama Learns Never say Never

 Photo Credit:  People Magazine, January 27, 2014 edition, Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States turns 50 years old this month.  In the past, I have written articles on my blog about Mrs. Obama's hair based on magazine photos.  I've seen it in its healthy stages as well as its recovery stages.  In the past, FLOTUS' voice echoed that she would never wear hair extensions, wigs, nor commercial hair enhancement pieces.   So in her interview with Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, I had to laugh at FLOTUS' response to her philosophy on plastic surgery, Botox, fillers.

She states "Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves.  Right now, I don't imagine that I would go that route, but I've also learned to never say never."

Enough said.  Extensions, wigs, commercial hair enhancements can be a "life saver" when you want to look good for public events.  We can not control the weather so we can not control our hair.  So why not have a little "hair insurance" to make sure that we are constantly looking our best regardless of the environmental conditions around us.

So if there is anyone out there still thinking that Michelle Obama would not wear any form of commercial hair enhancement,  then we all now know that she is open to wigs, hair extensions, etc.  The pressure to look "polished" continues on.

Silica Gel Talk

You can find Silica Gel packets in everything from commercial hair extensions packages to beef jerky.  It is used to absorb moisture or keep things dry.  In a previous article on this blog, I mentioned how spiders are attracted to water in the shampoo bowls.  So these Silica Gel packets make sense to prevent moisture from getting into commercial hair packages which therefore should keep bugs from being attracted to the hair.

So you may want to start saving these silica packets for other uses such as drying out wet cell phones and preventing camera lenses from fogging up.  Other uses can be found at  http://thesecretyumiverse.wonderhowto.com/how-to/11-unexpected-uses-for-silica-gel-packets-0140239/

I was amazed to read how people use it for dried flower decorations and more.  You are not supposed to eat the silica in these packets, but apparently there are some forms of silica that people consume for health purposes.

If it says "DO NOT EAT" then obviously that silica may not the non-toxic version.  This is an eco-friendly article.  Please help save the planet by recycling.

Net Weaving and Thinning Edges

With so many people going natural and leaning on sew-in weaves to maintain some control over their hairstyling, netting questions have come up as well as concerns about adding additional hair to the braids to give extra styling control.

First of all, commercial hair adds extra weight to your own hair.  If you already have thin edges, and you have extra hair attached to the thinning areas, then the stress from the heaviness of the attachment can eventually cause more hair loss.

Netting can bridge a support system for bald patches or become a support system when a limited number of braids are used to complete a sewn in weave.

If the weight of any commercial hair is not evenly distributed, then it can cause damage to any area that is bearing the bulk of the weight.

So adding hair to the braids where the hairline is thinning and/or attaching a net to support additional commercial hairstyling will probably cause damage to the hairline within 2 to 4 weeks if too much stress is on the hairline.

Leave-in Solutions for dry Extension hair

On wet or dry extension hair, hands down, these two leave-in styling aids are a new "must" have.
1) Paul Mitchell's Awapuhi Wild Ginger Styling Treatment oil and
2) HairUWear All Day Softness Leave-in Conditioner and Detangler

Of course, the Paul Mitchell Treatment oil is my "go to" serum for my regular "non-extension" blow-outs because the Pureology Smoothing Elixir seems to be discontinued.

You will love the smell of both of these products as well as how they assist with keeping your extension hair maneageable all day long.

Maintenance regimen for Human Hair Extensions

To refresh human hair extensions,  you can pre-shampoo the human hair extensions with TRESemme Color Revitalize Color Protection conditioner. In other words, before you wet the extensions, just run this TRESemme conditioner through the extension hair to soften and keep the extension hair manageable.

Then shampoo the extensions as needed.  I usually let the "run off" water from the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo and other shampoos cleanse the extension hair, then use the Herbal Essences Color Me Happy Conditioner to condition the human hair under the platform dryer.

The TRESemme conditioner can be used to coat the extension hair during a permanent hair color service as well.  It will add a layer of protection to the extension hair from the haircolor rinse water.

So far, the Lugo's hair from Miami has been the longest lasting hair without tangling, but it sheds a good bit.  Now, I just got word that "Indique" has long lasting hair without tangling, and I was told it does NOT shed.  I will keep you posted.  Indique's hair is even more expensive than Lugo's.

Abnormal Shedding of Commercial Hair Weft

 When my client came in complaining about a gap in her thickness, I could not believe my eyes after I examined her tracks.  

Before I go into anymore details, the human hair extensions we used were from Lugo.  Lugo Hair Center has four locations:  Miami, Fl, Brooklyn, NY and two New York City locations.  My client(s) usually orders from the Miami, FL location.  Great customer service.  The semi-straight hair shedded a good bit but never tangled on my client.  This particular client decided to try the semi-wavy hair to see if it will hold the roller sets better.  The Miami location was out of semi-wavy, and the Brooklyn store was the first location to get the semi-wavy in stock.

 So five weeks later, there was nothing but weft left in the middle of one of the tracks.  I may would have expected that from a "cut end" but not the middle of the weft.  We called the Brooklyn store immediately.  They told us to ask for a reinforced weft next time.  We were told to call back the next day because the manager was gone for that evening.  The Miami store never mentioned reinforced wefts and checkwashing prior to application.  We will definitely make it a point to order from the Miami location in the future.    

A whole 2 inch area just missing?  This is abnormal.

Tool Review: Hard Plastic Mesh Rollers

I have determined that hard plastic rollers seem to deliver a nicer set to the hair than the soft wire Mesh rollers. In addition, the soft wire mesh rollers seem hard to roll and hold in hair steady. The ventilation in all of them seems to assist in shorter drying time. These hard plastic mesh rollers are ideal for drying extension hair.

These rollers come with the stick "piks." When it comes to rolling extension hair, I prefer using the multi-purpose clips.

Headband rolling on a wig

Using a Black headband, I performed the "Headband curls" method as mentioned in my previous article on my blog on my wig. While wearing my human hair straight wig, I misted it with Joico Leave-in Detangler and began spiral wrapping and feeding section by section around the headband. Then I removed the wig with headband attached to rest for the night. The results are fabulous on the next morning!

The Headband curl method should look like this on a long haired wig.

Spotlight: Lugo Hair Center, Miami, FL

Commercial hair prices are still going through the roof! The price for a package of human hair has more than doubled in ten years! Unfortunately, hair bought ten years ago will probably be a little harder to sell to a consumer for full market price.

So those who are already paying $100 or more per pack in the stores, should consider purchasing from Lugo Hair Center. The hair is running about $105 per 4 ounce pack of 16 inch hair. The shipping is about $20. So for about $230 flat, you can have your two packs of beautiful human hair delivered to your home without dealing with the hair superstores.

Now, do not look for fancy packaging and tissue paper! The clean hair may be rubber banded and placed in a plain plastic shopping bag upon arrival. The hair is beautiful and looks textured like the ladies on the brochure pictured.

They offer about eight different wave/curl patterns. I have the swatches in my salon for clients to look at. "Semi Straight" is the most popular choice. It has a natural body wave or "s pattern" to it.

They also give you a list of over the counter shampoos and conditioners that they suggest you buy to maintain the hair. The hair lengths are bent over during the wefting process but the upside down cuticle on the hindside does not seem to cause any problems. There must be a special coating on the hair to keep the cuticle sealed down.

Alcohol based products may strip that coating and cause damage. Roller sets are recommended when using hair from Lugo. Also, their hair may shed a little more than "Indi-Remi" store brand. On the flip side, the wefts of the Lugo's hair are fuller, and you do not have to double the weft like the "Indi-Remi" brand. There seems to always be tradeoffs!

A Hair Integration Unit

This is a human hair integration unit. The honeycomb holes are extra wide to pull your existing hair through in order to blend. The integration unit is designed to assist with thickness and can be sewn down in a circle around the hairline using a cornrow as a foundation/track.

While the concept sounds great, the matching up of texture and keeping your hair blended with the commercial hair can be quite a challenge.

According to my research, integration pieces can be more trouble than they are worth, but at least, it is good to know that some are still available. I believe that I purchased this one years ago from His and Her Hair Goods.

Hair Extensions: 24 inches Exotic Length

Hair by Benita Blocker. This model's hair is 15 inches long without hair extensions. We added 24 inches hair extensions to give her exotic length. She will wear these extensions styled to the front. Either all the length to one side or split the length equally on both sides. You can see how I layered her extensions to connect with her existing layers that framed her face. I purposely did not cut extreme layers in the back in case we decide to add more extensions. Having a solid back length will make it easier to drape the hair extensions over her shoulders for a more dramatic look in the front. It can also be worn in an updo in the back.

Hair by Benita Blocker. Ultratress II seamless hair extensions were cut and blended into her own long length. We only added a "half head" of extensions. We may add more later. Color matching was tricky with the vibrant reddish haircolor.

Model came in freshly shampooed, colored, and straightened ready for extensions to be added. You can see her thickness before extensions were added.

You can see her length before hair extensions were added.

Commercial Hair Numbering System

Outre Calendar photo model has three different colors of commercial hair in her hairstyle. I will give you a hint. Colors #613, #4/30, and Orange are being used. Can you figure out which colors are where? Well, the #613 is the blonde color on the right side. The back is the 4/30 color, and amazingly, the front is a combination of the 4/30 mixed with Orange. Did you guess it right?

Let's review the most popular commercial hair colors:
#1 - Jet Black (some people like coloring their own hair jet black/blue black in order to always have an exact hair color match.)
#1b - Off Black (a natural black color)
#2 - Brownish Black ( sometimes mixing colors 1b and 2 are a great blend for relaxed hair that has a lot of sun exposure.)
#4 - Brown (warm brown color that can be used as a highlight on darker hair)
#4/30 - a mixture of brown and golden brown highlights
#1b/30 - a mixture of off black and golden brown highlights
#27 - dirty blonde (delivers a more urban look to darker hair)
#30 - golden brown
#33 - reddish brown
#613 - blonde

There are many more color options available including custom matching your own hair. Saving hair from your next one inch haircut can be a good time to submit for a color match.

Black Celebrities with "kinkier" Black hair

This picture of Bobbi Kristina Brown is from the February 27, 2012 People magazine. She is the daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. This is a beautiful picture of her. On a separate note, it looks like a "sew-in" weave. Whitney Houston's pictures of her in her final days of nightclubbing seemed to showcase a "sew-in" weave as well. Dionne Warwick's hair at Whitney's funeral was a mixture of gray/white roots and brownish highlights. Cissy Houston's hair at Whitney's funeral was beautiful; however, it looked to have some commercial hair integration present as well.

Actually, as I look at 90% of the Black celebrities from Queen Latifah to Gabrielle Union to Jennifer Hudson to Angela Bassett, everyone is wearing wigs and "weaves."

Part of the reason may be to avoid damaging their own hair or is it that "Black hair care products" just are not working for Black celebrities with kinkier "Black hair?"

Stars like Paula Patton and Halle Berry do not look to have kinky hair and generally are icons for beautiful hair.

I mention all of this to say that no matter how much wealth one has - maintaining "kinky Black hair" is very difficult. I have purchased countless products over the years, and I still feel that the beauty industry is a long way from meeting the needs of real Black women.

The bigger struggle is that kinky Black hair is not typically acceptable in corporate America so going "natural" really is not a reasonable answer for many.

I have met hairstylists who believe that some Black hair just does not grow long. I do not agree with them, but women with kinky Black hair must stay away from demi-permanent and permanent haircolor. Using a mild strength relaxer and allowing it to sit longer may also a better option especially if touchups are needed every 6 weeks.

It is all a work still in process. Stay tuned.

This picture is from November 5, 2012 People magazine. The Houstons have a reality show. I really think Bobbi Kristina should consider "SisterLocks" instead of the "sew-ins."

Cheap Hair Review

Looks familiar? Did you get sucked in to? For $10 to $15, you get three bundles of 8" hair. Pretty picture right? Well, the hair only lasts for a week or two. It is so thin and filmsy that it will not hold volume once it is applied to the head for quickweave. I have quite a few packages left from a few years ago.

The good thing is that the hair is only 8 inches long so it does not fall past the shoulders if that. I would imagine that if it was any longer that it would tangle into a "hot mess."

It is not advisable to cut this hair into any other style. Just apply and wear the curly style as long as you can.

On a separate note, I recently discovered that this hair is perfect for creating a "closure" circle. The weft is thin enough and filmsy enough to manipulate into a circle and use heat put a hard bend in it. Excuse my hand in the picture. My hand butter did not kick in. Smile. Hopefully, you can see how thin the weft is.

Clip in Bang Extension Unit

Most of your hair style and sophistication comes from your top center of your head. Adding a lightweight clip-in bang unit can add pizazz to your image.

I picked this "Bang thing" up from the local Sally's Beauty Supply.

They do not recommend sleeping in the unit because it has metal comb clips in them. They do not recommend coloring them either. The price for this one unit was regularly around $12. I bought this one at a reduced price of $7.

This unit was already cut and ready to clip in. As long as you got your placement in a natural position, the unit hung nicely with minimal effort.

With it sitting on top of your head it doesn't stress your existing hair. When you bend your head down make sure the three clips inside are holding firmly onto your existing hair. We want the hair on the unit to move, but we do not want the unit to fall off nor fall off taking some of your hair with it.

The bang unit is most ideal for people who have good length in the top center of their head, but they want more thickness. You should have enough hair to comb over the unit and use a little hairspray if you need help keeping your hair covering the root of the unit.

Luckily, the hair on this unit was yaky human hair which matched my kinky texture. If you want to curl the unit, they recommend curling it when it is not attached to your hair.

This unit may become discontinued because at $12, some people may feel that they can get a whole pack of discounted weft hair and quickweave this look into their own hair. My argument with this is that this bang unit is quick, less messy, already cut into a layered cut, and the clips are already strategically placed for easy on and easy off. You are paying extra money for the "technology" built into the unit.

I also understand that with the economy being really bad; $12 can be a lot of money for this "little piece of hair." Isn't it wonderful to have options!

Holiday Hair 2011 for a day!

The beauty of the human hair wig! And I left my own (bang) hair out in the front!

This look was lightweight, but just like a "du rag," by the end of my day, the rest of my hair was "flat as a pancake!" It was a great one day look!

I have to admit I was diligently looking for my other Holiday hair that I was wearing for about 3 weeks. I could not find it; then I remembered it was a gluefree quickweave (that was attached) to my head. So the hair is disposed of and "the look" just another memory on this blog. LOL!

Anyway, Happy New Year Everyone!!!! Wishing you and I a productive 2012!

What does $500 USD worth of hair look like?

The picture of the receipt shows $498.73 hairstylist cost. Yes, $500 hair in US dollars. Beautiful isn't it? One ounce of color #2 bodywave, two ounces of color #4 bodywave, and one ounce of color #1b straight. (Listed from left to right)

This is first cut hair. Please see my other articles. There is no splitting the weft because you can see that the hair is bent over and sewn. There is no mistaking which side is up. There is no doubling up needed. A single weft has good fullness. There is no need to order excessive lengths because the hair is full from the top to the bottom.

Are you worried about your hair being too yaky to match this hair? This hair is thick and full, and it is not silky straight. It has a "Kim Kardashian" look and feel to it. For those with kinky hair, a serious hair relaxer will need to be applied to smooth out your own texture to blend with this first cut hair.

This hair is designed to last six months to a year. Because we plan to reuse this hair over and over again, we put as few cuts as possible in this hair. Not too many cuts through the weft; not too much length removed.

It comes in thick, white tissue paper inside a box. There is no binder strings to snip. There is no excessive packaging and unwrapping to keep up with.

You can tell this hair is custom picked, wefted and delivered.

It is easy to curl even at low heat settings. This hair is human hair originating from individual ponytails. This hair is too expensive to use glue nor any type of adhesive to apply extensions. Interlock sew-in or traditional cornrow sew-in are the best application methods for this high-end hair. The quality of the hair is undeniably good!

Product Review: "First cut" human hair

"First cut" human hair is essentially hair from one person. The cut hair is from a ponytail cut off of someone's head. It is not a blend of human hair and other fillers. It is "first cut." Only specialty companies can process and disinfect this hair. It is so original that it can be colored or permed without damaging it.

When discussing boar bristle brushes, the terminology "first cut" is sometimes used to also describe a higher quality bristle brush.

"First cut" human hair is sold by the ounce in bulk. You pay extra to have this hair wefted. The length of the hair is solid and full. There is no need to pay for extra length just to be cut off. You would purchase the mininum length that you need and add two inches for the hair to be folded for the wefting service.

Because of the decline in the quality of the hair in the beauty supply stores over the years, I am in the process of stocking this "first cut" hair in small quantities.

It will average about $125 per ounce. The average person will need from 3 to 4 ounces to complete a half head of extensions. The hair can be reused for six months to a year.

There is not a "brand" necessarily attached to "first cut" hair. I would purchase from my supplier, and it is sent to me in tissue paper. This supplier does not sell any "junk" hair. They do not have hair at different quality levels. It is either good hair or they DO NOT sell it. < period > They stand behind their hair quality.

Hairdreams, a company that I have been certified with since 2004, also uses first cut hair, but they do not offer wefting service nor bulk hair. However, they offer infusion strands and partial integration units. On a separate note, Hairdreams does have "basic" hair versus their premium hair. For darker color hair, the basic hair is probably just as good of quality as their premium hair.

Because the cost of the hair alone is so expensive, your initial purchase plus extension service labor will start at $600. If you reuse the hair which you should, then in the future, you would be paying for labor only to remove and re-apply the extensions.

Product Review: Cuticle Remy XQ Human Hair

Cuticle Remy XQ human hair comes in double packaging. It has a newspaper wrapper and a tissue wrap around it. The hair looks and feels beautiful. It is straight hair and does not hold curls well. It will hold a bend.

If you wash and set it, it seemed relentless to hold curls past four hours. So for straight tangle free styling, it may be worth the investment. However, after trying everything from hot curlers, hot irons, setting lotions, and razoring, it finally held the curl a little longer, but it started tangling.

So if you want sleek, straight hair, then go for the Cuticle Remy XQ human hair.

Personally, I am planning to start stocking first cut human hair. It will run around $400 a bundle, but it will last about six months. Lately, the beauty supply hair is not lasting even if you are paying $100 per pack. By the time, you pay $100 to $200 for two packs of beauty supply hair every two months, it is cheaper to get premium first cut hair. Please see separate article on the first cut human hair. Article coming soon!

What does cheap weave look like?

This hair was $22 for the pack. It was supposed to be 12" length. However, it is only solid for the first 3 inches past the weft. So really this hair is not but about 4" long with some stringy ends. A waste of money. It was downhill after day two. Ten years ago, $22 could get you some nice, full, middle grade commercial hair. Now, year 2011, if you do not pay at least $35 per package, then you should not expect much performance out of the hair.

Also, I was watching Dateline the other night. A black hair weave was found near a skull that was buried in the desert. I had to laugh. They identified the lady as being Black by the texture of the hair weave amongst other things. Hair weave lasts forever. LOL! On a more serious note, I hope that the victim rests in peace.