Twist and Curl Pictorial

Hey Kurlfriends,

This is a pictorial (picture tutorial) of my first time attempting a twist and curl using perm rods. My twist and curl came out shiny, moisturized, bouncy and just overall, freaking awesome! I absolutely loved this hair style, and it was super easy to maintain. 

Let's hop to it! First off, I started with dry stretched hair. Remember those medium size twist I was rocking in my recent post for Fashion Friday; I took my hair down from those to do this style. To also achieve this style, I used three products, which were my homemade moisturizing cream, aloe/water spray mix, and perm rods. 

With those three products, I completed the following steps:

1. Take a small to medium size section of hair. 

2. Spray the section with the aloe/water spray mix and begin lightly finger detangling. 

3. Apply a dime size amount of the moisturizing hair cream (or the cream of your choice) to the ends of the section of hair and then twist the section of hair.

4. Once the section is twisted, take the perm rod and begin rolling up the ends of the hair. I only rolled up an inch or so.

Twelve plus hours later, I took my hair down, and it looked like this:

Left picture: My hair immediately after perm rods were removed.
Right picture: My hair after I carefully separated the twist. 

After a little finger fluffing, my hair looked like this:

I loved the center part! It definitely made a statement! 

I took away the part on these pictures! You couldn't tell me nothing with this hairstyle!
Kurly Ken in full effect!

Now, I attempted to maintain this style for several days. 

The pictures below detail the hairstyle's progression.

The picture above is day 2 hair. By the end of this day, my hair encountered some precipitation.

The picture above depicts day 3 hair, which still had some curls, but it obviously had some shrinkage as well. I made this a fro-hawk day. 

By day 4, I surrendered and gathered my hair into a puff! I definitely think this style would have lasted longer if my hair had not gotten wet on Day 2. To maintain this style at night, I wrapped my hair up in a silk scarf, and in the morning, I would fluff and go. That's it! 

I hope this pictorial helps you in achieving this style. If you have any questions or want a video tutorial, leave them below. Happy hairstyling! 

Until next time...

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken

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Do you pre-poo?

Hey Kurlfriends,

I've been modifying my hair regimen and adding certain elements. One element is "the pre-poo". Pre-pooing has multiple benefits, and I want to share these with you as well as my own experience pre-pooing for the first time.

What is a pre-poo?

A pre-poo is the process of applying a conditioning treatment prior to your hair being shampooed or washed in efforts to provide additional moisture to your hair follicles.

What does pre-poo do for your hair?

When you pre-poo, it claims to do four things for hair. First, it can provide additional moisture to your tresses. A pre-poo can also keep you from "over cleaning", or stripping, your hair during the shampoo process. Often times, shampoos can be very drying, and pre-pooing combats this issue. Additionally, it can aid in alleviating tangled tresses and leave your hair über soft and shiny. When I pre-pooed, I was amazed when I saw each one of these benefits on my own hair.

What are the best products for a pre-poo?

The best product to use truly depends on what conditioning treatment is best for your hair. You can use a store brought conditioner like VO5, Garnier, Tressemme Naturals, and the list goes on of other eligible conditioners or hair masques that can be used. You can also use oils like coconut, grapeseed, jojoba, or olive. Other suggestions are adding yogurt, bananas, or a humectant like honey to create a homeblend for a pre-poo. 

When I pre-pooed, I used coconut oil. My tresses had a nice amount of slip to finger detangle my hair before washing, and it also left my hair shiny and soft. My hair was extremely happy!

The Million Dollar Question: How do you pre-poo?
1. Gather all ingredients necessary for your pre-poo
2. Section your hair in at least 4 or more sections
3. Detangle each section
4. Apply your pre-poo over each section
5. Cover your hair with a plastic cap. You can intensify this step by sitting under a hooded dryer or jumping in the shower to let the steam do its thing under your plastic cap. It is recommended to leave your pre-poo on for 15-30 minutes. 

6. Rinse out your pre-poo and wash your hair as desired.

My resourceful self used a plastic bag from our local grocery store as my plastic cap. I also left my pre-poo in overnight, plastic bag and all! Just pure laziness on my part... Lol! But the result was hair that was soft as silk snd shinier than a new quarter! 

Question: Do you pre-poo? If so, what do you use? If not, would you be willing to try it? 

Until next time...

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken

My Hair Regimen

Hey Kurl Friends,

I get so many questions regarding my hair products and practices. Soooo.... I decided to share my hair regimen.

The Background: When I first went natural, I have to admit that I was consumed with the techniques everyone else was doing on their hair and what products I should be using to achieve the same results. Now, three years later, through trial and error, I finally realized I had to do what was best for me, my schedule, and my 4a/4b tresses.

The Breakdown: I like to break my hair regimen down into two different perspective: internal and external. My internal regimen consist of things that I currently do internally to enhance my hair growth through a healthy living. My external regimen are the external things I do to enhance my hair growth through hair products and practices.

Internal Hair Regimen

• I take one prenatal vitamin, biotin, and fish oil per day.
• I drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. 
• My diet is mainly pollo-pescetarian, which means my meals consist of fish, chicken, vegetables, and fruit.
• I work out at least 3 to 4 times per week. 

External Hair Regimen

• Daily, I moisturize my hair with aloe vera gel, unrefined shea butter, and olive oil. I mix these three items in one container to use as my "hair cream". 
• At night, I section my hair and create plaits all over my head. Yes, the same plaits Celie wore on The Color Purple!  On average, I have about 10-12 plaits. I then cover my head with a satin cap.

Don't you dare judge me or my

plaits...Lol!?!

• Bi weekly, I wash my hair. I currently wash my hair with a mixture: 4/5 water and 1/5 baking soda. Rinse with warm water. Next, I condition with Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise for 15 minutes. Rinse again, and then deep condition with a plastic cap for 45 minutes (way over the time limit it says on the products's directions) using Elasta QP DPR 11. Then I apply my hair cream listed above. 
• Monthly, I was (notice I said was) using Jamila henna purchased from my local Indian market, but I have gotten lazy over the course of this semester. Plus, henna can be quite time consuming and messy. In spite of these little setbacks and lazy moments, I have big plans to resume my henna regimen at least quarterly (once every three months).

That is my hair regimen in a nut shell! It is continuously changing as I figure out things that work better for me. If there are any questions regarding my hair regimen, please feel free to ask in the comment's section. 

Also, feel free to share your hair regimen or some products/practices that work great for you!  

Welcome to Keeping Up with Kurly Ken

(Just me, maxing and relaxing)

Welcome! This is officially my first blog post, and I couldn't be more excited. Where to begin? Well, first, I am a newly wed. My husband and I recently got married on December 22, 2013. We met three years ago in March 2011 and instantly connected through our words, sharing our similarities, inner most weaknesses, ambitions, and dreams. Now, almost six months into our first year, I can honestly say our marriage has been an exciting journey, full of growth, and I look forward to the things life has in store for us.

(Hubby and I during our wedding ceremony)

(Hubby and I after our wedding reception)

What else can I share? Additionally, I am a doctoral student, studying School Psychology. I recently finished my third year. I still have three more years to go, but at least I am at the halfway point, right! I have so many career aspirations it's ridiculous, but you better believe I plan on accomplishing them all. Currently, I work as a teaching assistant, and I am absolutely loving it! I love sharing my knowledge with others,and I love to see people have that "AHA moment" as they make connections in their learning. 

Other random facts about me:

• I love eating! Some of my favorite foods are pasta, sushi, and my hubby's fried chicken.
• I love to work out, and for the most part, I try to eat healthy. I currently run several times per week, and I am a smoothie queen.
• I am a natural hair enthusiast, and I have been so for the past three years. 
• My husband and I do not have children as of now, but one day, we will.
• I love to paint when I have time. 
• I have a passion for fashion. Therefore, shopping is my weakness, and I am a thrift/vintage clothing lover.
• In my social relationships, I am a very loyal person, but I embrace meeting new people. 
• I am a very kind and outgoing person, who loves helping others.

Follow me as I embark on this journey called life. More to come soon...