Hair Journey Inspiration

I know more than anyone how hard it can be to try and stick out a hair journey. You struggle to find products that work in your hair, what protective styles to do with your hair and it always just seems like your hair isn't growing. It's tempting to give up and turn to a texturiser or a relaxer as it makes your hair easier to manage but I'm telling you it's worth you sticking at it. I've been natural all my life so some may think I find it easier but I'm telling you I struggle too. I love having braids and weave but there was a point in my life where I hated showing my natural hair because I thought it was too short and I didn't know how to properly take care of it myself. However I came to the realization that my hair will only be as great as the amount of time I invest into looking after it. 
                                                                 So following that, I decided to take a break from weaves and braids and thought it time to look after my natural hair. In the five month gap I had away from weave, my hair has grown longer and faster than it ever has in my entire life. It is hard to begin with I agree but nothing worth having in life ever comes easy. I'm telling you not to give up on your journey. Even if you wake up and think you've had enough  because your hair isn't co-operating don't give up. Even if you're tired of the extreme shrinkage you experience when washing your hair don't give up. This is because when you persevere through the tough times you will start to see results. I have some pictures, utterly horrendous and embarrassing, of me when I was around 14/15 of my hair length which you can come to now:

THEN vs NOW

As you can see, my hair has come leaps and bounds from the length that it was and that's all down to me formulating a hair care regime and sticking to it. This is not impossible to achieve, it just requires dedication so don't give up hope!

Know Your Hair

Hey everyone, I'm back again after a week! I'm sorry it's been a bit of time since my last post but I'm back and with a bang. Divinus Ater has just hit 3,000 views which is amazing and overwhelming. We've also had a cheeky little redesign so I hope you all enjoy.

When I started off my natural hair journey, I enjoyed researching online for helpful tips but I didn't quite understand when people referred to their as '3C' or '4A'. For any of you who may be confused, as I was, as to what those values mean it's a term used in the natural hair world to describe the curl pattern of your hair. Personally, I would describe my hair as 4C as my hair is tightly curled leaving a defined curl pattern. The key to establishing a successful and sustainable hair care regime is to know your hair. Once you know that vital piece of information, it becomes easier to find products that suit your hair type.

This sums up the different hair types making it easy for you to identify.Once you work out what hair type you hair is for example 4C like me, you can now do your research and see what oils, creams and conditioners are best for 4C hair. My hair loves Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Shea Butter and retains an abundance of moisture when used however people with 3C hair may find that Coconut Oil has a better effect.

DON'T BE DRAWN IN BY OTHER PEOPLE'S HAIR LENGTH AND WHAT THEY USE

It is important to realize that whilst other naturalistas on their hair journey's achieve amazing hair growth when using almond oil for example, it doesn't mean you will achieve the same results if you follow exactly what they do. Those people have just found the right products for their hair and are now seeing their hair flourish. As much as we admire those with natural long hair and strive to have our hair at the same length, you mustn't take their blogs/regimes as a Bible that you must abide by to the letter but inside merely take tips that you believe you can add to your hair regime and will aid you on your hair journey. I hope this has been helpful and has helped to clear up any confusion you may have. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or ask on Ask FM. However until the next time, au revoir!

Colourism

This is a topic which is happening in today's generation and has been for many generations previous however we have chosen to turn a blind eye towards it. 

'Dark skinned vs Light skinned'

That's how it's commonly known in our generation of today. Back when our ancestors were slaves it was the mixed race children of the black women, their fathers being the slave masters, who were favored over the black children. They were seen to be prettier and not as dirty as the fellow black folk hence meaning they didn't have to slave for hours in the field, they were able to do more menial tasks within the slave masters' house purely because of the colour of their skin. Today, many people like to believe that we have become a reformed society which embraces everyone of colour and condemns racism however the truth is that the heart of this colour hatred towards black people comes from the black people themselves. They have been indoctrinated for generation after generation that the fairer the colour of your skin, the more well off you will be. This has lead to a segregation and divide between a group of people that should be seen as one. 

When I was a young girl I loved and embraced the skin I was in. I loved my hair and how versatile it was and was proud to call myself a young Caribbean girl. I was a very alert and aware and always noticed things around me. From a very young age I noticed how my fellow peers with lighter skin and longer, straighter hair than me were seen to be prettier. They were always complimented by parents and teachers with them paying no regard to myself. The thick, coily hair and the dark brown skin that I once embraced no longer became desirable. I yearned to have long, straight hair and lighter skin in order to me looked upon as much as my friends. Being the young, naive girl that I was, I told my mother my qualms with regards to my skin colour. My mother has always been a strong figure in my life that I've done nothing but look up to. She sat me down and told me:

"Kia, you are beautiful. Your skin, your hair, your personality, everything is beautiful. In this generation we have lost sight of the true meaning of beauty and have decided to judge it upon the colour of a persons skin rather than the person that they truly are. You are smart, funny and kind hearted and have the power to achieve everything that you want to in life. However, the unfortunate fact is that you are going to have to work twice as hard as your fellow fairer skinned peers. Opportunities will not be offered on a plate to you. Education will not be a breeze. You WILL have to work twice as hard to get to where you want to be. It's unfair I know but it's the society that we live in. Please do not see you skin as a misconstrued conception of 'ugliness', but as something you can use to your advantage. You don't see many black women CEOs or business owners and why do you think that is? Society has told them that that's not their place, they're not eligible to fulfill that role. I'm telling you that you are. You need to believe in your true ability and not let anyone hold you down on your way to the top. Kia, you are black and you are beautiful"

I was lucky to have such an amazing role model in my life who was there to constantly push me forward and never let me give up however that's not the case for everyone. There are many girls out there who believe that they are ugly with dark skin and therefore bleach to become lighter. There are many girls out there who believe that their natural, kinky, afro hair is too short and nasty and therefore require a weave to be seen as beautiful. The truth is that we are all beautiful. Mixed race or Black, we are all apart of the same society and share a common ancestry of pain, hardship and inequality. The equal rights movement for black people took the voices of strong black leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks who fought for black people to have equal rights as white people. We do not tolerate racism from others so why are we so ready to dish it out to our fellow black peers? If we truly want racism to stop then we must first recognize this ingrained racism, which has taken many forms over the years, and put a stop to it. We cannot argue for equal rights if we place a divide between our own people. Black people ARE beautiful. The complexion of our skin takes many different tones which makes us so diverse, unique and amazing. It has come the time to acknowledge how beautiful our race is and use this to our advantage. You can achieve whatever you want in life if you rely on your true talents and abilities and not on the colour of your skin. It's time to cast a shadow on this separation between our kind and start our journey into a brighter, more accepting tomorrow.

Male Hair Journey - Kemar

When it comes to talking about natural black hair we tend to fixate on females however we shouldn't forget that some of our counterparts are on a natural hair journey of their own. Here we have one of my amazing friends of whom I've known for years, kindly giving Divinus Ater his hair journey story, enjoy!

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What’s gwaanin. My names Kemar and I’m here to share my hair story with you. 

I’m a 17 year old male of mixed descent, with my mum being from Ireland and my dad from Jamaica. Apart from me and my dad, nearly all the males on my dads side of the family have dreadlocks so I guess you can say that males with long hair is common in my family. Up until I was around 9 I used to have long hair just because I hated going to the barbers, however when I turned 10, I began to get regular hair cuts.

Just after the beginning of year 10 (October 2012) I decided that I would grow my hair out again, this time however I was determined to look after it. The first couple of weeks were the worst, at the time my hair was really curly but after around two months, the curls started to loosen up and I was able to comb my hair out. By the time I had started year 11 I had a fully fledged Afro, for the entirety of Summer 2014 I had my hair in twists and when I had taken them out I noticed a big difference in the length of my hair; I was no longer able to wear my hair as an Afro as it was too large and was forced to tie it back, which now brings us to the present day.

My Routine:

Step 1:

I tend to wash my hair once every week. I have found that my hair doesn't get dirty as fast as others might and so this works well for me. I usually take the Sunday off to wash and dry my hair, also as others before me have said I only use sulphate free shampoos and conditioners to ensure that my hair retains its natural oils.

Step 2:

I always towel dry my hair, making sure that I pat and not rub my hair as rubbing can lead to breakage, whilst my hair is still a damp I apply Argan Oil to my hair and scalp, this ensures that my scalp remains moisturised and prevents it from drying out, it also helps to lock moisture in my hair. The product that I have found works best for me is Avon Advanced Techniques 360 Nourishment, however you should try different brands to find what’s best for you.

Step 3:

Allow to air dry before styling.

Sometimes instead of combing out my hair after washing it, I allow it to curl up, resulting in my hair looking like this.

This is one of my favourite hairstyles as it requires little work, all I need to do is spray my hair with a braid sheen, which helps moisten the scalp during the week. 

My main tip for any male wanting to grow their hair out is to remember that your hair has needs and simply washing and combing it may not be all that it needs, your hair may require a lot more attention from you than you are currently giving it and so making sure that you use the right shampoos and oils is essential to having healthy hair.

I hope this helps anyone looking for some tips! Continue to support Kia and keep on reading her blog.

Peace out…

Exam Season = Braids Season

It's that time of the year again, exam season! The time of the year we all know and love. I'm joking of course, it's a stressful time for us all. I've already had one of my exams, Economics, and have plenty more on the way so what better protective hairstyle is there to have but braids! They allow me to just throw my hair into a style in the morning without having to fuss around too much. I do my braids myself and I must say it does take me many hours and my arms do get tired. However I just soldier through, put on a cheeky bit of Scandal and keep plaiting.

I used to get my hair done either in the hair dressers or by a professional but here are my reasons as to why I don't do that anymore:

1. Hairdressers, unless professionally trained to deal with natural black hair, pay no regard to your hair. I don't enjoy applying heat to my hair if possible and many hairdressers will either insist on applying large quantities of heat onto your hair or comb your hair so hard that half of it ends up on the floor besides you.
2. Hairdressers also have a tendency to plait braids in very tightly. Although your hair looks freshly done without any hairs out of place, you're left with your scalp pulsating and not being able to sleep for a few days due to the pain. The tightness of the braiding means that you risk permanently pulling out your baby hairs which can lead to balding, not a great look!
3. Getting your hair done can be very costly. Some hairdressers charge between £40 - £50 on top of the money you spend buying the extension hair. So myself, I prefer to cut down the cost to just the cost of buying the hair which leaves more money in my pocket for other things (chinese!)

I must admit it's not the easiest thing in the world to master but it can be done with a bit of practice. I learnt how to do my own hair just through replicating what I saw a hairdresser do on my hair when I got it done. However there are many different methods such as YouTube videos that you can use if you're interested in having a go yourself. Here are just a few pictures:

Silk Press Treatment - How Good Is It For Natural Hair?

Hey everyone!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm trying to maintain a level of consistency with regards to my blog post uploads so you should expect to see a new post every Tuesday and Friday on Divinus Ater. 

So as some of you may or may not know, I love to change up my look very often and I'm always eager to look into the 'next new thing'. I happened to stumble across something on Instagram called a Silk Hair Press Treatment. Now this treatment apparently is designed for natural hair as it enables the hair to be straightened out without the use of chemicals. I was shocked myself but here's a few pictures I came across:

A Silk Press Treatment is done on blown out natural hair, using a ceramic flat iron, to straighten natural hair and give the look of relaxed hair. This is a good way for women to be able to achieve the illusion of straight, relaxed hair whilst cutting out all of the harmful chemicals. It prevents the heavy build up of products on the hair causing it to be limp and dull when hot combed and inside allows it to be light and full thanks to the infusion of essential oils and conditioners into the hair when Silk Pressing. When done correctly by a professional hair stylist, this does no damage to natural hair.

<< But how is this possible? Excessive heat always causes damage? >>

This is because unlike hot combing where the comb passes over the strands of hair a number of times to ensure that it is straight, the Silk Press goes over each section of hair once and the hair is blown out on a medium heat. Overall this leads to less heat on the hair causing no heat damage to the hair. The treatment is able to last around 2 - 3 weeks when looked after properly and your hair is able to revert back to its natural curl pattern when water is added.

This treatment seems amazing and has fantastic results on the hair but would I try it myself? I would have to say no only because I've never really had heat applied to my hair so it seems like an abstract thing to me. Also I don't know of any professionals locally to carry out this treatment and wouldn't trust anyone who isn't a professional loose on my hair. However that doesn't mean I would rule it out completely. I do love what it does to the hair so perhaps in the near future I may try this out but for now, I shall stick to weaves in order to achieve the straight look!

Celebrations!

Divinus Ater has just hit 2000 views! (Substantially loud round of applause)

After only being around for around three weeks it's been amazing to see my blog grow and continue growing in front of my eyes and so now it's time for me to get stuck in. 

1. Posts - I'm sorry that I've lacked rhythm with regards to new posts however I can assure you that there will be new posts every Tuesday and Friday (and a few more in between if I have time). If anyone has any suggestions of any future posts they'd like to see or any products they'd like me to try, either leave a comment or hit my ask fm:

www.ask.fm/divinusater

2. Redesign - this baby is getting a make over in the very near future so keep an eye out for that! I'm working alongside some very talented people to design a logo and design for Divinus Ater which I'm extactic about. 

3. Collabs - all of the hair journey posts or collabs I've done so far seem to have been a huge hit so I've got more of those coming, if you have any questions for anyone who has been feature feel free to leave a comment on their post. 

So that's me for now. Some interesting things are soon to come to Divinus Ater so keep your eyes peeled!