Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
What can I say… I LOVE IT! After hearing a quite bit of a buzz about this little hair tool, I gotta say, I was intrigued! When I realized that I was being followed by Q-Redew on Instagram, I took the opportunity to reach out to its creator, Heidi. First Impressions The steamer arrived rather quickly and right away, I was impressed with the smart packaging. The wand was neatly packed in a sturdy, plastic mold and was accompanied by an instruction manual and a cute welcome card from Heidi herself. I immediately grabbed the steamer to get a feel for it and found it to be lightweight and very comfortable in my hand. Getting Started Because I still had Marley Twists in when I received my steamer, it was a few weeks before I actually used it but I read the instructions right away. They were simple: carefully remove the reservoir…
Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
Last Saturday at the Healthy Hair & Beauty Affair, attendees watched like proud mamas as college student Amber Fraser got her relaxed hair chopped off to reveal a beautiful, young naturalista! I felt it only right that I chat with her a bit about how she got to this point… At what age did you get a relaxer and why? Describe the state of your hair during this time. My hair wasn’t damaged when I got my relaxer at age eight. I have a picture of my mom and I, around age four, where she did what many other mothers did: braid my hair and tie the braids with those cute bubble hair accessories. However, my mom worked a lot and as a result, felt that relaxed hair would be more manageable because she wouldn’t have to put in much time or effort to style it. How long have you…
Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
In a Word… NO The myth that you will speed up your hair’s rate of growth by trimming it is one that I have been hearing since my teenage years and even then, it didn’t make sense to me. Here’s the thing: hair growth starts at the follicle and the truth is, what happens at the ends of your hair really has little to do with what’s going on at the follicle level. It stands to reason, then, that trimming your ends has no real bearing on the actual growth of the hair… Why the Common Misconception? Well, it’s like this… as noted in the graphic above, hair may seem to grow faster when it is trimmed regularly simply because any damage that may be present is stopped in its tracks and healthy ends are maintained. Healthy ends are less likely to break or split which means you retain more…
Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
Brrr… it’s hat season! Wool is often the go-to option for obvious reasons. Even so, this über warm fabric can cause unwanted damage to your natural hair… While they serve an important purpose, wool winter hats can cause breakage from friction. Have you ever worn a wool turtleneck or scarf pretty often and notice later on that the hair at the nape of your head is thinning out? Yup… friction! Also, much like cotton, wool absorbs moisture from your hair which, as we know, can eventually lead to breakage. So look for hats with satin or silk linings. Now, don’t go throwing out the wool hats you already own to run to the mall for those that are satin-lined! Who has that kinda dough?! If you’re a DIY-er, all ya gotta do is head to the fabric store for a bit of silk or satin fabric (don’t forget to check the…
Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
Last month, I showed a little love for the TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro). This one’s for team #bighairdontcare. From big, blown-out coifs to naturally colossal coils, full, fluffy fros make us gasp, swoon and most times just stare in awe! Ebony Clark, like many of us, “started from the bottom” with a Big Chop and worked her way to the lovely long mane you see here after years of care. Results WILL vary (as far as terminal length and rate of growth) but she is truly the poster child for what can be achieved through healthy hair care practices. I leave you with her own encouraging words to her Instagram followers a couple months ago upon posting this photo… “I can PROMISE you that if you stick with it and take care of your hair, with time you’ll reach your goals… Be/Stay encouraged! ♥” xoxo Toia B.
