Hiya,




Yes that's my hair with COLOR IN IT!! *Gasps! After I vehemently promised myself never ever to touch a pack of hair dye even with a 10 feet pole again because of the destruction hair dye caused me years ago, I found myself longing and drooling and ogling over colored hair since I became natural...

You know I am natural now right? Okay just checking! :)

I was able to convince myself that since my hair is natural now it can withstand the adverse effects of color better than relaxed hair- FACT.

I however did not want to take a huge leap so I decided to play it safe...Here are the steps I took to ensure that my self color process would not leave me in tears down the line.


Step 1- I thoroughly clarified my hair days before the D-Day with a bentonite clay mask- Follow this link HERE to see how I make my mask. 

Step 2- The day of, I bought the Crème of Nature Honey Blonde hair dye- 


 Before application, I twisted the section I was coloring into about 10 twists then coated the tips with 100% black Jamaican oil- to serve as a protective barrier basically to prevent the hair dye from breaking down the hair cuticle completely since the health of my hair is always my priority.

Step 3- I decided to apply the color to the last 3- 2 inches of the front of my hair, I really wanted to just give my hair some highlights and nothing too dramatic. Again this was to mitigate any major setbacks that could arise from dying my hair...this step is highly recommended especially for those who have never dyed their hair before.

Hiya Ladies,
Hope all is well. I am here to share in summary some messages I have gotten recently asking for hair advice, as usual the aim is to answer these questions in hopes that other readers who have had the same questions have them answered.


So let's get right to it...

Chuckleberry007 asked...
Please I need advice on hair dyes. I am currently trying to transition to natural hair and my hair color is a color 4, I heard brown hair doesn't grow well. So whats your opinion on hair dyes?


Dabs...
Hair dyes are chemicals that either deposit color on the hair strands or penetrate through the cuticle and color the hair, the first category are temporary and are largely safe but the second category are permanent and because of the deep penetration, they can cause damage to the cuticle and cause hair withering and damage. If your natural hair color is a color 4 then this should not be altered as the natural color of ones hair does not affect it's ability to grow long and healthy. Hair color that is brown due to sun exposure or chemicals should not be corrected by dying rather, allow the colored hair to grow out by regular trims and deep conditioning to strengthen and manage the hair in the interim till your new growth grows out.


Kenzo asked...
My hair line is in shambles and my hair keeps breaking and I am getting married soon, how can I fix this asap!!!

Dabs- There unfortunately is no quick fix to damaged hair, we need at least 3 to 6 months to see real changes. I will however recommend that you start now than later to implement the steps in this post HERE


Ada asked...
My natural hair is soft and light and I cannot keep up with maintaining it so I'd like to relax it, what relaxer do you recommend?

Dabs- What you have described is called FINE textured hair, this type of hair can easily be damaged by wrong relaxer applications. My recommendation is to prep your hair with an intense protein treatment to strengthen it a week before you decide to relax it, relax it with a kid's relaxer kit in mild and make sure you go to a professional who will stick to the time chart, also apply relaxer to the tips at the last minute before you wash it out because its always better for the hair especially the tips to be under processed which is easy to correct than over processed which is nearly impossible.

Mma Zoe asked...
I intend to dye my hair temporarily, what kind of dye should I use.



Dabs- Any temporary (rinse out) dye will do, Luckily temporary dyes just sit on the hair strands without depleting the cuticle which makes them not harmful to the hair because there is no drying effect that leads to breakage. Just make sure you are getting a dye that states that it is TEMPORARY and also be prepared to use it multiple times to see the effect/ color as the dyes usually run off and face easily especially in contact with water/ sweat.

That's all for now...do you have more advise for these ladies? Feel free to share and also feel free to send me a message any time (Instagram DM) or ask in the comment section and I will do my best to answer!!


Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
So this post has been a long time coming...last week I had it all written out and was just about to email it and post it on the blog and suddenly the post vanished, just disappeared from my notes section on my ipad...almost smashed it to pieces!! Am I the only one that happens to?

Anyways enough ranting let's get straight to this segment of Ask Dabs :) I like to share some mails here for those who might be asking the same questions and facing the same dilemmas, hope my replies help.

Mail 1- From Sheyi.

Hello Dabs,

Happy new year to ya!!!! I know its almost the quarter of the year already but since this is our first contact this year.  I might as well.

And congrats on your store relocation would surely visit when next I'm in lag.

O well so here goes my hair dilema since i last saw you. My ends have been giving me serious nightmares. Shedding has become a major issue for me as well. I've been steaming quite often and moisturising my scalp as well since i've got dandruff itchy scalp problem as well.

The body of the hair is still nice and healthy. It's just the ends dats my major issue as my hair goal dis yr is length length and more length.

I'll attach a few pics

Regards,
Sheyi.

Hiya,
Thanks for mailing in. I can see the ends from the pictures and my concern is that you might be dealing with split ends that need to be trimmed off before they snap off...when last did you trim your ends...split ends cannot be mended so if you don't get regular trims i.e every 8 to 12 weeks, what happens is that the split ends ride up the hair shaft, ends break off and you are left with uneven thinner ends.

So think about trimming your hair with sharp hair shears, it will take some length away but you will be left with healthier ends that can be retained and grow longer.

Cheers,
Dabs

Note( not in the mail sent)-Update- Sheyi admitted that she hadn't trimmed her ends in ages and will get them trimmed ASAP!


Mail 2- From Stella

Hello Dabs. Good morning. How are you enjoying your vacation? Bring back lots of goodies oo. Lol.
I'm sorry for adding to your worries but I'm damn near close to hysteria. I'm a contender for the six-inches challenge but for the last month,my hair has been shedding like crazy. I admit I don't moisturize and seal everyday but I at least spray with glycerine + water + oils daily,sleep most days with my satin cap,always with my satin pillowcase, I work in sections; pre-poo,shampoo,deep condition, tea rinse, moisturize and seal weekly and still the hair keeps shedding! I try to eat well and I take multivitamins daily.

I think it all started this day when I did a protein treatment and circumstances prevented me from washing off for about four hours. Please help. I didn't want to bother you and decided to work with the tips you provided on your blog but I seem to be failing woefully and I'm at my wits end.
I'm sorry for this long epistle. I hope to hear from you. Ibadan sends you her love.

P.S. I tried the coconut milk + banana thingy and made the Same mistake you made with your son. I tasted it. Lawd Almighty!!! I understand why he kept coming back for more. Hahaha. My love to the little cutie.


Hi Stella,
Apologies for my late reply, hahaha you tried that hair treat? Lol sooo yum! The shedding could be caused by various reasons...your body might be telling you to slow down as stress can cause excess shedding, your hair could be coming off the resting phase to the shedding phase(there are three phases of growth), you might be using the wrong comb or combing technique and most importantly your hair might be suffering from protein overload....I dare say the most important part of a healthy hair regimen is deep conditioning treatments specifically targeted at an issue..the struggle to always stay balanced with these treatments is tricky so I always advice that they should be alternated, moisture this weekend, protein the next,,,any kind of imbalance might lead to the shedding you are currently facing.

Take a step back and review your regimen, you might find the culprit.

Regards,
Dabs

Note( not in the mail sent)- P.S I love talking 'Hair' so there is no mail I get about hair that will 'Add to my worries' :)


Mail 3- From Dr. Faith.

Hi Dabs,
I hope you're enjoying your holiday. I'd like to say a big thank you for helping black women like me realise our hair potentials and inspiring us to reach our hair goals. I faithfully follow your blog and Lesley of Freshlengths because your blogs are the ones I can relate to the most.
In the past year I've come to notice gray hair popping up in different areas of my head. I was so bemused when it became a more regular occurrence. I'm blaming it on Lagos stress! Anyway in the past I'd have run down to the salon and slapped some dye on but since I'm on a hair journey I wouldn't dare for fear of losing all my progress.
I've been looking into using Henna and Indigo but I don't want to end up with green hair if it goes wrong.
Would you be able to shed more light on hair dying without harsh chemicals.
Thanks in anticipation of your response.

Regards,
Dr Faith Umukoro.


Hi Dr. Faith,
Thanks for reading my blog...I am enjoying the holiday thanks. Apologies for the late reply.
Chemical dyes are a no no because they penetrate into the hair shaft causing the hair cuticles to be raised up and exposed to drying and breakage, non- chemical dyes on the other hand deposit the color on the hair shaft without lifting it, this prevents undue dryness that leads to breakage...Henna is great because it not only colors but nourishes and strengthens the hair as it has protein qualities, I'm guessing the indigo added is so you don't get a red tint but a darker tint which is fine. I would advice soaking the powders over night so the color is released before you apply to your hair also applying a little heat will speed up the processing, so use a shower cap and stay under some kind of dryer.

Hope my reply helps....will love to see before and after pics.

Cheers,
Dabs

Note( not in the mail sent)-P.S I am always sooooo humbled when people say things like; 'Thank you for making black women like me realize our hair potentials' to this I say no thank you for caring enough to even read what I have to say on this blog, thank you for going a step further to try the advise out and for you that has told all your friends and family about this blog....thank you!! It makes it all worthwhile!!

I will be doing an Easter Bonanza on the blog in the spirit of my thanks and as a precursor of what to expect at the JUNE SALON DAY OUT(yep it's happening again this year and I am striving to make it bigger and better!), this blog is my first love and I am truly thankful to you all for the massive love and support each passing year!!


Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
How's everyone doing?!! Well I am good, been missing in action on the blogsphere for a while but I've decided to come back to my first love- this blog!! I have a series of interesting things lined up so stay tuned ladies!!!

Now down to business!! You remember at the start of the year when I announced the 6 inches of growth challenge and 32 ladies sent in their pics;

Check them out; HERE, HERE AND HERE



So now that we have roughly 4 months to go, I'd like to know; HOW'S IT GOING?

1. Who has retained length?
2. Did you try any extreme measures like the inversion method?
3. Who has suffered a set back?
4. Did anyone get a major cut?
5. How many trims have you had all year long?
6. Is anyone having an inverted V?
7. Did anyone color their hair?
8.  What has been your go to protective style?

Now let me go ahead and answer the questions I asked;

1. Yes I have retained at least 3 inches since the challenge began, my ends are not great though but I am holding up...

2. Since the last time I blogged about it, I haven't tried the inversion method but I think I need to be on it, I however have been exercising and most of the exercise involves staying on a mat and flipping my head around as I venture to do Pilates and I feel that has helped with aiding blood flow in my scalp region and promoting growth.

3. I have not exactly suffered a set back but my back hair has refused to catch up with the rest of my hair which has been the case since I started my hair journey, I have also noticed my temples get thin once I stop using black castor oil for a few weeks so you best believe I've been using it diligently!!

4. Nope I have not gotten a major cut, been tempted anytime I see my back hair but after trying to even things out three times in the past three years, I now know its genetics and will just keep babying the back till it catches up.


5. I've trimmed my hair 6 times this year :) Let's call it dusting...when I look at my ends and see split ends, I go under bright light preferably my laptop light and seek and destroy with sharp hair shears...trimming should be less than 1/2 an inch of hair so you don't loose length except your hair needs a hair cut. There's never any need to hold on to split ends.

6. The inverted V is trying to rare its ugly head but im just doing the best I can to avoid it :(


7. This year, I've experimented with color more than ever since I started my hair journey but its had nothing to do with my own hair, I've used crotchet extensions and clip ins to achieve the desired looks (spy my instagram) and they have worked great...using hair color especially those lighter colors that lift the hair shaft rather than deposit on it(like Henna) are a no-no because they exposure your hair to undue dryness and breakage. So if you must indulge I recommend crotchet extensions, clip ins or wigs.

8. As for protective styling, what will my hair be without them...this year its been crotchet extensions done at the hub from the Senegalese twists to marley hair, if you follow me on instagram you'd already know how much I love them, I also have been bunning as usual, tucking those ends away so they don't rub on my clothes and dry out. Remember, with our hair its all about MOISTURE MOISTURE MOISTURE then PROTEIN but MOISTURE is usually paramount!!

And with that, I'd like to know your answers, please comment below, let's compare notes as we race to the finish line!!

The winner will win $100 cash or $100 worth of products (their choice), the winner will also be featured in the Savvy & Chic hair/beauty magazine...there are also goody bags up for grabs Y'all so take these last 4 months seriously, give it your best shot and you just might be walking away with the star prize!!!

Happy growing!!

Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
I have been loving the ombre hair celebrities have been rocking lately;


 You see the color bug is seriously after me but I know the commitment that comes with permanent hair coloring and frankly I am not ready for that especially having ombre hair! Coloring the tips of my hair which is the oldest and most fragile part of my hair is just not a good idea. So I did some brainstorming and I came up with an Idea!! Why not buy temporary hair color spray and sray my tips!!

So off I went to Sally's beauty and bought temporary hair color spray

 I put a paper bag under the tips of my hair to prevent the color from staining my top

And then I went for it, spraying just the tips of my hair and I must say, though the spray didn't give me exactly blonde tips, I was happy with the results and the fact that there's no commitment with this spray. The results below;
Oh well that's my safe attempt at having ombre hair!!! tell me what you think, thanks for stopping by!!

Dabs