Help! How To Maintain Your Hair Underneath Wigs

Bonjour tout le monde!

Many of us naturalistas L O V E our protective hairstyles whether it be braids, weave or wigs. It's super easy to get these hairstyles done but then it dawns on some of us that it's not as easy to look after our natural hair underneath. Ever gotten like that? Well I have and I'm here to share some of my top tips with you!

Some of you may not know unless you follow me on social media (@ikeeyah on Instagram and @_kayMUNI on Twitter) that at present I am currently rocking a fabulous short wig. This is a wig that I made myself as well as cut and styled and I purchased the hair from a vendor on AliExpress (feel free to contact me if you'd like to know what vendor!)


The hair is silky and super versatile and never loses the gloss and sheen that it first started out with. I've had this wig for about a month now and have fallen in love with styling this hair everyday. However it did occur to me that not only did I have to look after and preserve my wig but also my hair underneath. So once this obvious concept dawned on me, I took to creating a regime to take care of my natural hair in cornrows. Below I've listed my tips to maintain your hair underneath wigs:

•  KEEP YOUR HAIR MOISTURISED - Many of us forget about this but even though our hair is in cornrows, it needs to be kept hydrated too! This is very simple, I have a spray bottle that I have just filled with water that I spray all over my hair right before I go to bed. You can whip up your own concoction filled with other types of waters and oils depending on your hair type but if that's too complicated, just keep it plain and simple like me and just use good, old fashioned water!

• WASH YOUR HAIR REGULARLY - Just because your hair isn't on show doesn't mean it's not still there! Many of us, myself included, tend to neglect our hair and forget that it's still there when we have wigs and weaves. Be sure to wash your hair every 2/3 weeks (the frequency is up to you) to remove any dirt build up and revive your hair. This is probably one of the best times too to incorporate a deep conditioner into your wash routine as you can strengthen your hair whilst placing minimal stress on it as it's protected!

• DON'T PUT STRESS ON YOUR HAIR - Now if you're like me then you might like to put clips in your wig to secure it to your hair. This prevents it from falling off (could be very awkward) and just generally makes styling your hair on your head much easier. However, sometimes these clips can cause a lot of stress on your hair if it is digging too much into your cornrows and is on your head for a long period of time. Be weary of this and be sure to make sure that the clips are secure on your head but doesn't dig into your cornrows to cause damage.

• EAT HEALTHILY & DRINK WATER EVERYDAY - I preach this every day all the time because it's the truth! No amount of hair growth pills can benefit your hair as much as eating and drinking healthily can. Some foods such as avocado, nuts and fish are super good for our body, especially our hair and can aid its growth as well keep it moisturised from the inside out. I urge you all to do your research and find some foods you enjoy, even if you start eating one food more regularly, it all makes a difference! Drinking water is the number one best thing for hair growth too. I try my best to drink 2L water every day. It sounds like a lot but trust me, it does wonders to your body, you feel more energised and your hair feels and looks healthier!

Here are just a few of my tips, I'm looking to do a YouTube video on this just to go into more depth on this. Let me know if you have any videos you'd like to see from me!

Au revoir x

My 2016 Hair Growth - Update

Bonjour tout le monde!

I can't believe Christmas is round the corner! It feels like it was just yesterday we were celebrating the new year! This year has been up and down, good and bad but it has definitely taught me a lot of lessons with regards to every aspect of my life. I have learnt a whole lot especially regarding looking after my hair and I am so happy for those lessons. It was tough at the beginning of the year having to cut my hair extremely short due to the heat damage my hair had incurred. It was a completely new situation for me to deal with as I had to adapt my hair care routine and the hair styles I had to do. I put the hurt I felt from chopping off the vast majority of my hair to the side and made a pledge to myself to make this year my year of growth to restore my hair back to its former length and glory. I have definitely seen my hair grow leaps and bounds over this year and I am so happy at where I am now. My current hair length isn't too far off the length it used to be but I am so happy that I can finally tie my hair up! Going from struggling to even cornrow my hair when I first cut it to comfortably being able to wear my hair out in an afro is such a great achievement for me. Even though I didn't see it at the time, I now realise that this was what needed to happen because before the heat damage, I was neglecting my natural hair and allowing it to get extremely damaged. However now my hair is fuller and healthier than ever!

I encourage anyone with damaged hair or ends to take the plunge and chop it off as it is such a revitalising experience and as you can see, hair does grow back! Now enough of my chitter chatter, below are my hair growth pictures throughout the course of the year. I'd love to hear from anyone and everyone who may be looking for motivation, support or just simple hair care/growth tips, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email!

Until the next time,

Au revoir x

Finally Heat Damage Free!

Bonjour tout le monde!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while - exam season. But thankfully I'm done next Thursday and I'll be the first to say I cannot wait!

I recently took out my black chunky braids that you saw in my previous post to uncover the my five months worth of hair growth!

Here you're able to see the amount of growth I've had over the last five months which is absolutely incredible - natural hair does grow! I kept my hair in protective hairstyles such as braids and twists over the five month period and had my natural hair out periodically to give my hair a break. This is my hair after I took out my braids, moisturized my hair with ORS Curls Unleashed Coconut and Honey Hair Milk and sealed the moisture in with Jamaican Black Castor Oil. This made my hair feel so soft and easy to manage! I wash my hair with my Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner (review link here) which is one of my absolute favourite products to use in my hair. The picture above shows my hair just being combed out. As you can see my hair looks like it's been blow dried/straightened which is the heat damaged parts of my hair. I felt so great seeing how fast my hair had grown in such a short space of time that I decided to cut my hair once again and finally get rid of all of the damage, here's my hair now:

I absolutely love the texture of my hair now as finally my natural texture is all back! It's short again I know but now I feel like I can kick start my hair growth again properly. I'm going to go 100% no heat from now on, not even to dry my hair if I'm in a rush, and use various different methods to stretch out my hair. This may sound very laborious and time consuming but your hair will thank you for it in the long run! I'd been religiously taking biotin supplements but I think I may try out the new Mane Choice hair growth supplements and see the results I get from that. 

I hope this has inspired even just one person who may have been hesitant to cut off their damaged ends to just go for it as hair does grow back! My hair looks and feels amazing now and I can't wait to see my hair growth six months from now. Anyone have any tips they'd like to share on how to boost their hair growth? Feel free to email me or leave a comment!

Au revoir x 

My Growth Challenge/#12WeekMourChallenge

Bonjour tout le monde!
So I've decided that I'm going to do a growth challenge! I'm doing this not only to grow my hair back to the length it used to be (If I take care and retain length that should be by the end of this year/beginning of next year), but to also show to everyone that your hair DOES grow and you can achieve growth if you put your mind to it! So I'll start by, in this post, showing you the current length of my hair and then each month I'll take a picture to enable you to see any growth or progress that's been made!

If you currently feel unsatisfied with your current hair length or have cut your hair like me because of chemical or heat damage then I'd strongly urge you to take up this challenge with me! I know everyone has busy day-to-day routines so I'll be sure to throw in a few quick tips that you can use when you're on the go! I'm going to be doing my growth challenge until the end of this year so lets see how much progress we can make!

There are some amazing, all natural cremes by the name of MourMour Cremes that I absolutely love. My current favourite is the MourMour Mint as I find that it really moisturises by hair and encourages hair growth. The company MourMour are holding a #12WeekMourChallenge whereby you use their products over a twelve week period and see the hair growth you have. So far the results I've seen have been incredible! This challenge begins at the end of April after their re-launch so be sure to stay tuned for that as I'll be joining in with that and grab some products for yourself!

I have an amazing hair length t-shirt from MourMour which I'll be using at present to measure my hair length with.

I hope some of my fellow naturalistas join me with this challenge!
If you are joining but are unsure on where to start or need some words of encouragement or advice, please send me a message either by filling out the contact form to the right of the web page or dropping me an email at:

inquiries.divinusater@yahoo.co.uk

Au revoir x

Do Lace Front Wigs Damage Hair?

Bonjour tout le monde!

Now if you're like me then you like alternating between wearing your natural hair out and protective hairstyles such as weave and braids. I pride myself in knowing quite a bit about protective hairstyles and the best way to do them that doesn't do any damage to my natural hair. However I must say, one protective hairstyle I know the least about is lace front wigs. We always see our favourite celebrities such as Beyoncé and Rihanna sporting these beautiful lace front wigs but in reality, how good is it for your hair?

Many women like wearing lace front wigs as it gives the illusion of long, straight hair growing from their scalp whilst ensuring that none of their own hair is left out. The traditional method of securing lace front wigs is by merely applying glue or tape to the circumference of the head. About 6 years ago, Countess Vaughn who played Moesha's bestfriend in the 90's sitcom, spoke out about the adverse reactions she had with regards to lace front wigs. She was introduced to them by her hair stylist and fell in love with them instantly. Lace fronts enabled her to change up her hair as often as she wanted whilst, as she believed, causing no damage to her hair. She gradually however began to experience oozing from the nape of her hair, wherever she had applied the adhesive. She then noticed that her hairline was receeding as she wasn't take care when removing her wigs as each time she took them off, it removed a layer of skin each time. She now experiences discolouration under her eyes and around the nape of her hair which makes her more self conscious. 

This all sounds really scary doesn't it! Now I know there's many of you probably thinking 'why would I ever wear a lace front wig!' There are other ways to ensure that you are able to sport this hairstyle whilst minimising the damage caused to your natural hair:

• USE ADHESIVE IN MODERATION - if you have to use adhesive such as glue or tape to secure your lace front wig then please use it in moderation. Apply glue once a week and take care to look after your wig so it doesn't lift or come off which would force you to have to reapply the adhesive. 

• DO NOT WEAR FOR LONG DURATIONS - lace fronts are fine to be worn for 1 - 2 months but do not wear for long blocks of time such as 6 months. Your natural tresses need to breathe! Not only will your hair be severely damaged as it lacks moisture, you may cause excessive damage to your edges as you're placing unnecessary tension onto your hair for long periods of time. 

• SEW OVER GLUE - there are more people than before who want to wear lace front wigs without experiencing the damaging effects of glue/tape. There are many hair stylists who are able to install these wigs to give the natural look without having to use anything but thread to secure the wig into the head. Make a conscious effort to seek out stylists in your local area who are able to sew in lace front wigs to minimise hair damage. 

I hope that has been helpful for you!

Au revoir x

Water Infuser Bottle - Orange and Vanilla

Salut tout le monde!

As many of you will know from my previous posts, I've been using my water Infuser bottle for a little while now. I'm trying to cleanse my body from the inside out and keep myself healthy. So over the next couple of weeks I'll be showing you different recipes if you will for you to follow to keep yourself healthy! 

Now you do not need a water Infuser bottle to follow these recipes, they work just the same with a normal water bottle. However, if you like the look of a water Infuser bottle or find it easier, you can purchase your own on eBay for around £4-£5. To me, a water Infuser bottle is a lot easier because I don't have the fruit slices floating all over my water bottle and it's a lot easier to replace the fruit slices when I'm done. Okay so today is  orange and vanilla and is a pretty easy and tasty recipe. 

To begin with all you'll need is:

- 1 Orange Sliced

- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

- 220ml cold water

Begin with just slicing up your orange thinly and placing it into your water bottle or Infuser bottle. Add the water to your bottle and add your vanilla extract to the water. Allow your water bottle to sit for 1hr so the flavours can infuse and there you have it! 

It's a really simple recipe and has a lovely flavour to it! For those of you who may be wondering 'what has infused water got to do with healthy hair?' It's simple, take care of your body and your body will take care of you! You'll see improvements in your skin, hair and more importantly, you'll just feel great! I hope that was helpful and I'll see you guys soon,

Au revoir X 

Why I Cut My Hair

Bonjour tout le monde!

Now as you'll be able to tell from the title, I cut my hair!
Many of you may be confused as to why but I'll tell you. My hair had been dry and brittle for a long time and has extreme split ends, more and longer than usual. I hadn't been taken as much care of my hair during the winter months and often left it exposed to the elements which worsened the condition of my hair. I had also used heat on my hair (As you'll see from my post 'my first straightening experience') which hadn't done wonders to my hair. In that post you'll see that I say heat isn't the devil and I still believe that but only in moderation and whilst taking good care of your hair. Applying heat on the current state of my hair only made it worse and led it to become heat damaged so I decided to give my hair a big 'ol big chop. 

This may be weird for some of you as I am well and truly on my natural hair journey but stranger things have happened! I decided it was the best course of action to take as it allows be to get back on track with my journey and start again, putting all of my time and effort into my hair. I cut off around 3-4 inches of my hair and my hair is rather short now I must admit. I know many people may be petrified to cut their hair even if they hair is heat or chemical damaged or just haven't seen any growth in their hair for a long time due to their hair just being damaged but NEWSFLASH - hair DOES grow back! This thought gave me the confidence to cut my hair knowing that not only will my hair grow back, but it'll be longer and healthier than ever and after all, doesn't every naturalista want long natural hair?

I'm deciding to keep my hair in protective styles for the next couple of months to keep it protected and allow my new healthy tresses to grow.  My hair isn't SUPER short but it's the shortest I've ever had it but it'll be a fun and interesting twist to my journey! I'll be posting a variety of my protective styles in the weeks and months to come but until then, if you're scared to cut your hair or want any advice, feel free to email at:

inquiries.divinusater@yahoo.co.uk

Other than that, have a good week!

Au revoir x

Product Review - Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner

Bonsoir tout le monde!

So I thought today I'd give you guys a review on the brand new shampoo and conditioner by Xpel Hair Care. I bought the set which included their 'Revitalising Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner'. This was bought from a homeware shop called Home Bargains in East London for 99p each (bargain!). The products say that they 'immerse your dry or damaged locks of your hair with our specially formulated coconut water rehydrating shampoo, revitalise dehydrated hair back to its sleek, shimmering best.' The product comes in such as amazing looking bottle that anyone would think you'd spent a fortune on the products!

I've been attempting to find a product that can keep my hair hydrated during the winter months and combat the harsh weather and so I decided to give these products a try. Both products went onto my hair and felt so lovely. The shampoo lathers very much so allowing you to get a deep wash of your hair and leaves it feeling very much moisturised when you rinse out the shampoo. In addition, I had also bought a paddle brush to be used in conjunction with my shampoo and conditioner. I had read up about paddle brushes and had seen that it was suitable for all hair types. Having 4C hair, I didn't believe that it was suitable for my hair type at all one bit however I was pleasantly surprised. The paddle brush glided through my hair, wet or dry, detangling with minimal breakage. This is become my new go-to tool alongside my wide tooth comb when doing my hair. This reduces the amount of breakage that comes about as a result of excessive styling. 

I'd recommend this brush for everyone due to how gentle it is on coarse natural black hair. It's also very cheap as I also bought this brush from Home Bargains for £1.99 which was a brilliant deal and one of the best products I've ever purchased! My hair feels so lush and weightless thanks to these products!

Merry Christmas guys! I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this post and is having the most amazing day surround by great food and those that they love dearly. We're only one more post away from 2016, see you guys soon!

Au revoir x

My First Ever Hair Straightening Experience

Bonjour tout le monde!

Guys I know it's been ages since I lasted posted but I'm still here, you can't get rid of me that easily! I've been overloaded with college work and Christmas that I've put everything else on the back burner but I'm here don't you worry.

So today I thought I'd share with you an experience that happened about two weeks ago, my first ever straightening experience. Now perhaps some of you may find it weird that this is my FIRST EVER time using intense heat on my hair but you better believe it baby!

So I must admit, this really wasn't something I'd planned for. Initially, I went round to my friend Amy's house just to visit and chat with her and her mum. I had showed them both a hair treatment that I wanted to get done for my birthday, one that my friend Tomiwa did a review on, a silk press treatment. They both fell in love with the results I had shown them and Amy's mum wanted to have a go at straightening my hair. Now I'm not a big fan of someone who isn't an expert with handling natural black hair doing anything on my hair but I thought I would let my guard down for a minute. The agreement was for her to ONLY straighten a section of the back, just so she could see how it would come out:



This was how my hair came out. I was pretty impressed as I had never seen my hair so straight before so it was definitely a new sensation for me I must admit. Heat protection is a must when applying such hair levels of heat directly onto your hair so we used the 'TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray' which gave my hair a lovely finish.

So after that I thought I was finished, but boy was I wrong. My friend's mum insisted on carrying on as 'the back row has come out so lovely, why not continue!' and so I begrudgingly allowed her to continue.






Here are some more pictures:

So as you can see, my hair continued to get straightened and we continued to see the results. It took all in all around two hours because my hair is so thick it had to be straightened in really small sections. Here is the final result with my hair tied back:

Now one thing I must say is that my hair didn't come out bone straight. Now I don't know whether that was because of the straightener used, my hair or the products that were in my hair but it instead came out like a super blow-dry in my opinion. Nonetheless, the final outcome was very nice and I really liked how it looked on me!

I did take me some time to adjust seeing how different my hair looked in the mirror but overall it was fabulous.

After my straightening experience I have two pieces of information to share with everyone:

1. HEAT IS NOT THE DEVIL - many people paint heat use to be the 'be all and end all' and that you must 'stay away from it at all costs' however I'd beg to differ. When used in moderation with the appropriate hair products, heat can be your friend. If you aim to use heat only once a month with the necessary heat protection then there is no problem with heat at all. On the other hand, if you prefer to only apply heat twice a year then there's no problem with that either. However regularly you choose to apply heat to your hair is completely fine once the necessary precautions are taken.

2. DO NOT FORGET TO MOISTURIZE - I noticed that my hair was more susceptible to dryness and becoming brittle from the harsh weather conditions of London whilst my hair was straightened. So I decided to up the moisture in my hair regime and moisturize my hair nightly before bed and then tying a silk scarf around it. This allowed the moisture to penetrate the hair and keep it hydrated in its straightened form. I also took extra care to reduce the manipulation as it's very easy to comb your hair excessively whilst your hair is straightened but this can aggravate breakage which wouldn't have otherwise taken place.

I hope you guys all found that useful, feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Au revoir x

7 Little Known Secrets to Maintain and Protect Your Hair During Winter

Bonsoir tout le monde!

I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful event at the Afrotherapy Salon in Edmonton all about how to care for natural black hair during winter months on the 4th November. They claimed to have 7 secrets to success with regards to looking after natural black hair. I must admit it was very useful and interesting to learn about. Before I give you a lowdown on the secrets I thought it best to explain the layout of the night. We spent a decent amount of time being let in on the 7 secrets before being given a presentation by one of the representatives and hair experts for a French company Phytospecific. This company produces hair products which are completely plant based and their Phytospecific range is made just for kinky/coily hair. They have some amazing products and I'll be trying some of their range pretty soon so keep an eye out for that! There was also a Q&A section and some of the stylists were able to demonstrate a few useful protective hairstyles perfect for the winter for all different hair lengths and hair types. 

Now onto the 7 secrets!

1) Science of Hair - our hair texture is influenced by each strand of hair. The thicker each strand of hair is, the thicker your overall hair is. Most people who believe that they're suffering from hair may in fact be experiencing thin strands of hair. In order to rectify that problem, it's recommended that you use a thickening or strengthening product to bring back the original texture of your hair. Porosity is also a key feature to understand about your hair. If the porosity of your hair has increased, this means that the cuticles of your hair (like snake scales that protect the cortex of your hair) become raised and damaged. This could be due to either relaxing or over-styling so moisturizing products are great to reinstall moisture back into your hair. 

2) Effects of Weather on Hair - cold hair can cause the cuticle layer of you hair to lift up. Dry/hot air can also draw all of the moisture out of your hair due to the change in temperature from cold to hot. Strong winds can cause tangling and increase the rate at which hair moisture evaporates. 

3) Effects of Water on the Hair - hard water found in many countries such as England, can cause your hair to dry out and become itchy. This is because this water is rich in calcium and magnesium ions which cause it to dry up. You can buy special wipes to pass through your hair to remove the calcium and magnesium build up. 

4) Best Treatments for Winter Hair - during the winter time, natural hair is prone to moisture loss so the best products to use and those rich in moisture (eg. Shea butter, coconut oil etc). Shampooing too frequently can also dry hair as it is bracing stripped of its essential oils. 

5) Best Products for Winter Hair - moisture-rich products are the way to go. The Phytospecific range has a lot of very good hair products which allow the re-installation of moisture. Some other good products are Shea butter or Jamaican Black Castor Oil. 

6) Protective Styling - this is especially important during the winter months as the extreme wind and cold can cause damage to the hair and create splint ends. So it is recommended that during this period, you shampoo your hair every 7 - 10 days. If your hair is very dry and brittle then make sure you incorporate treatments into your hair regime every 2-3 weeks. 

I've only just realised there were only 6 secrets but still very good to know! Each attendee was given a goodie bag with a few samples from the Phytospecific range which I shall be trying very soon. 

All in all it was a great night and I enjoyed myself. Hope to go to more natural black hair events like this in the future,

Au revoir x