Titi's Prescriptions for December's Winning Bloggers

December Winner: sweetface1118, see blog
Prescription:Congratulations on doing the big chop! What a great way to start off the New Year. I’m sure it feels really good and to get such an amazing complement from your husband “I like it…Now I can see your eyes.” That kind of support is priceless! As you mentioned having new hair means having a new regimen. Crème de la Curl is the perfect product to start off with. This cleansing cream is non sudsing and has no harsh lathering agents in it. After you was your hair it will feel clean and naturally soft and moisturized. I would also use the Rapid Recovery deep conditioning treatment no more than once a week. Shea Butter and Almond oil are just two of the moisture boosting ingredients in this intensive treatment so I know your hair will love it. Curly Pudding is a great styling product because it gives you some hold with a lot of shine. As your hair gets longer you will start to see how it also addresses shrinkage, which is a challenge for many curlies. Using either of the Buttercremes as your moisturizer is like a cool drink of water after a work out. Your hair will feel and look regenerated and replenished. Your new year is most definitely off to a great start!

December Winner: Kapikurli, see blog
Prescription: I’m so glad you had the strength to decide what was the best grow out method for you. There is no good or bad way to transition. The only way is the way that you feel most comfortable with. Going from relaxed hair to hair in its natural state is challenging. Mainly because we spend most of our years figuring out how to manage our relaxed hair. So considering this is your first time going natural I think you’re doing well. One way that you can keep your hair at optimum health is to deep condition it. The Rapid Recovery deep conditioning treatment works wonders on the hair. Be sure to use this treatment no more than once a week and to cover the head with a plastic cap and leave it in for 20 minutes. If you really want to increase the conditioning treatment, go under a hair dryer or use a bonnet dryer. Another product that’s a curly favorite is the Crème de la Curl cleansing cream. This shampoo has no sudsing agents in it (like sulfates) so your hair gets clean but doesn’t loose its natural moisture. Crème de la Crème conditioner is the sister product to the cleansing crème and they both can be used as often as needed. Now that your hair is at 5 inches you can definitely get great results from the Curly Pudding. After washing out the conditioner in your hair leave your hair fully wet and apply the Curly Pudding. Use a flat paddle brush to work the product through in four sections and then you can two strand twist. Once the hair is fully dried, and you let out the twists you will see a wonderfully shiny set of curly hair with little to no shrinkage. Cheers to you and your “pursuit of curliness!”

December Winner: lilcaramel, see blog
Prescription: One of the things that struck me while reading your blog was the experience of “transitioning.” Most curlies who had relaxed hair for a long time tend to feel like they’re only transitioning their hair from straight to its naturally curly state. However, for most of us it is also a transitioning of our feelings, perceptions and acceptance. I can see you’ve really worked on identifying and addressing the emotional challenges of transitioning, and look at you now! I can see such a difference in your pictures from before the “big chop” to now. You said it yourself so eloquently “my hairstyle is simply that…a style!” As you realized from talking to your co-worker, curlies go across all ethnicities and races. One of the main challenges for curly hair is dryness. To combat that I would wash my hair with Crème de la Curl cleansing cream. This non sudsing shampoo cleanses the hair while retaining the moisture balance. I would follow that up with the Crème de la Crème conditioner and the times your hair feels really parched Rapid Recovery. Rapid Recovery is a deep conditioning treatment that infuses the hair with nourishing ingredients like shea butter while working to seal in moisture. The Curly Pudding and Curly Meringue that you are currently using are the right styling crèmes for your hair texture. You will most definitely get the full effect of the Curly Pudding once your hair is longer. This product fights shrinkage while adding moisture with some hold. For the time being, don’t forget about our Buttercreme’s. We have the Curly Buttercreme with peppermint oil to invigorate the scalp. There is also the Baby Buttercreme, which is the same formula but without the peppermint oil. Either one will give you a moisture boost and can be used as frequently as needed. I can’t wait to read about all of the new discoveries you will have and to see all of the happy pictures!

December Winner: MisLorac, see blog
Prescription: In reading your blog it made me reflect on the many stories I’ve heard from women regarding their hair. So many women of color have memories of family members not being able to comb through their hair. Then in order to make the hair more manageable they would have to endure hot combs and burning relaxers. So much has changed since that time. Curly hair is more widely accepted and seen in modern day society. We now see everything from wavy hair, loose curls and cork screw curls to tightly coiled curls and afros. All of these curlies are standing tall and enjoying their healthy hair; and to see the pictures of you through all of your hair stages was amazing. So, now that you are a full fledged “curly” the next step is to keep that fabulous look we saw in your pictures. Keeping your hair moisturized is one of the things that will keep your hair in optimum shape. I would start off by using the Crème de la Curl cleansing cream. This is a non sudsing shampoo that will clean the hair and keep it feeling naturally soft. I would then follow that up with the Crème de la Crème conditioner. The Rapid Recovery deep intensive treatment is a favorite of many (even our gals who have relaxed hair). Use this treatment no more than once a week. This is a good time to use a wide tooth comb to comb through and detangle the hair, put on a plastic cap and leave it on the hair for twenty minutes then rinse it out. As a styling cream, Curly Pudding would be great for you. You would apply Curly Pudding to your hair while it’s fully wet. Take a paddle brush and brush it through the hair in four large sections. Then you can do a two strand twist or a coil out. These styling methods would give you two different curly looks so try them both and see how you like them. When your hair has dried you will see that it is soft, shiny and because of the dash of hold factor your hair will keep its curl. If on the next day or two you feel like you need to plump up your curls, lightly mist the hair, scrunch and finger style. Also, when you need a moisture boost use Baby Buttercreme. This moisturizer can be used as often as needed. It was really great reading that you truly like your hair texture. This is an amazing place to be in terms of your hair. I also see that your Mom went natural as well, so now you have a couple of things to share with her *wink*.