Drop The Dryer: 5 Natural Hair Must-Have Products

After 3 months of heat-lessness Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge wants to shed some light on her process. Next week, look forward to hearing her top three natural hair lessons. This week, she spills the beans on her top 5 natural hair product categories. 

It's hard to navigate the sea of hair products out there, but here are some I love...

1. Oils/Sealants:

I like both light and heavy oils for my hair. The lighter oils (argan oil and olive oil) I utilize for everyday use and the heavier one (coconut oil) I just use once a week. A lot of people with bigger curls don't like heavier oils, but my hair drinks it up. Also, shea butter is hands down one of the best sealants I've come across.

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Drop The Dryer: 5 Tips For Natural Hair

This week Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge reflects on her 3 years as a natural and the top 5 lessons she's learned:

Last Press & Curl (April 2012)

I have reached the 3 month mark of 12 month challenge! In addition, I am celebrating 3 years as a natural haired gal! I wanted to share some of my reflections after 3 years of the natural life because I think that they will be helpful to those of you who are starting and continuing the journey...

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Drop The Dryer: Flat Twists On Natural Hair

This week Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge tackles the flat twist-out. Check out her styling & results:

I had never flat twisted all of my hair before, but I heard great things about the results from friends. I decided to give it a try and below is a part of the process and the results!

Step 1: I flat twisted my hair straight back while my hair was still wet from having just been washed and conditioned. It wasn't soaking wet, but still damp enough that I didn't need to use a spray bottle to re-moisturize. I did my normal moisturizing regimen, which is Coconut oil, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk-Touch Leave In Conditioner, shea butter and Mizani True Textures Moisture Stretch or MoroccanOil Intense Curl Cream.

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Drop The Dryer: Bun Tutorial On Natural Hair [VIDEO]

So Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge heard your requests to do a video tutorial about her "Bun Remix" on natural hair. Behold the grand tutelage below...

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Drop The Dryer: Pin-Up Tutorial On Natural Hair

Some days you jut don't feel like dealing with the "wash & go" or the twist-out or anything that requires curl control. On lazy days or on those days when you need just a touch of sophistication, here's a go-to style that requires little effort with chic results. Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge shows us her pin-up look sans heat-styling...

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Drop The Dryer: Mini Twists Twist-Out Styling

On this week's rendition of Drop The Dryer, Nikita from My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge experimented with Mini-Twists last week. Here's an update on what her mini twist "twist-out" looked like. Check it... [CONTINUE]

Drop The Dryer: Wash & Go Tutorial

Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge gives us tips on achieving the perfect "Wash & Go.". Check it out:


I was failing majorly with Naptural85's wash 'n' go method much to my dismay, but I have found something that seems to work well for me. This wash 'n' go method does leave you with wet hair for part of the day so I wouldn't suggest it for winter, but it does preserve my curl pattern.

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Drop The Dryer: Mini Twists Tutorial

This week Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge is breaking down "The Process" and "The Product" of doing mini twists on her natural curls. Mini twists are no small feat. Check out how she breaks hers down: [CONTINUE]

Drop The Dryer: Bun Styling on Natural Hair

This week's Drop The Dryer hairstyle is all about the high bun. Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge shows us how she remixes the traditional high bun with a chic twist. Check it out:

Who loves Pinterest?! ::raises hand enthusiastically:: It's a hub of ideas and I saw this hair style on there and thought it was a great protective style as well as a cute one.

1. Pin up the hair at the front of your head (I parted it right behind my ears)

2. French braid your hair starting from the back going upwards until you reach the part (yes, you might have to bend over to do it. I did lol). I finished the plat/braid just to make sure the whole braid wouldn't unravel.

3. Brush up the hair you had pinned in the front and along with the extended braid from your French braid and wrap a ponytail holder around it. Pull-out/unbraid the extended braid.

4. Separate a piece of the ponytail that's now on top your head (it's going to get wrapped around the bun for a finished look). Take the rest of the hair and form a bun anyway that you would like (I just pulled the hair up and back and pinned it).

5. Wrap the piece of hair you left out around the entire bun and pin it securely.

Viola! Bun Remix!

Have an awesome heat-free hairstyle to share? Send us pics and a description at DropTheDryer@gmail.com and we'll feature YOU!

Drop The Dryer: Trimming Your Ends

This week's Drop The Dryer is all about hair maintenance and trimming your ends. Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge drops knowledge about when, where & why:

No one likes when people have scissors close to their head. Why? Because the people with the scissors are often scissor happy. Unfortunately, you can't avoid the scissors forever. At some point, you need to get your ends trimmed because your hair, much like a tree, needs to be pruned so it can continue to grow in a healthy manner. A split end can ruin an entire strand. So how often should you be getting your hair trimmed? When do you know it's time to go in? How do you trim your ends without straightening you hair? I have some answers.

How often should I get my hair trimmed?

There are many different opinions on this. Naptural85 trims her ends about every 8 months according to one of her videos. Some people do it every 3 or 4 months. Personally, I trim mine every 2 months and will not go any longer because without fail my hair will begin to split at that point. Basically, it's different for everyone, but I'm pretty secure in saying that there is no need to get your ends trimmed every month. Every 6 weeks is the shortest amount of time to go in between trims in my opinion. Also, if your hair is suffering from heat or color damage you may have to get your hair trimmed more often so your strands don't split up the shaft.

When do I know it's time to go in?

I think Nicole Hollis of Hair Liberty put it perfectly on Curly Nikki:

"These are a few signs that your hair is overdue for a trim:

• When your hair is wet, the ends clump together like very thin threads. You have to wash and detangle in small sections.
• When your hair is dry, the ends catch on each other and knot easily.
• You find single strand knots often (knots can happen anywhere on the strand, but they are signs that something in your routine is causing problems and you should be getting trims at least every 10 weeks).
• If you straighten your hair, you feel like you have to curl your ends under because they look “raggedy” when hanging straight.
• If you straighten your hair, the upper portion of the strand smooths out easily, but the ends seem to require extra passes (the ends should need the least heat, not the most)"

Single strand knots are a great indicator. I actually go on "search and destroys" for them sometimes.

How do I trim/get a trim without straightening my hair?

I had this question myself for a long time and it was actually my main reason for thinking that going without heat was impossible. How was my stylist going to trim my ends without straightening my hair?! Well, your stylist can do it quite easily (my stylist gave me the "of course I can still trim it silly" look when I asked lol). You just need to make sure that your hair is as stretched as possible. Some people attain a stretched state with heat (blow dryer or blow dryer/flat-iron combo), but it can also be done by doing a twist-out/braid-out and then detangling, or by using water.

Some people like to trim their hair themselves. I am not one of those people at the moment and may never be one, but below is a video that can show you how some people go about trimming their ends:

  

I really hope that was helpful to you all. Let's keep our hair healthy!

Drop The Dryer: Show & Tell!

This week's "Drop The Dryer" featured diva is Savonne Whitfield from Oakland, California!

Savonne Says:

I've never had a perm in my 24 years of living but I have always kept my hair flat ironed. I miss my curl pattern- so I'm on a mission to get it back! I have a very dry scalp so Dr. Miracle's works for me until I find an awesome all natural shampoo that works the same.

I use African Pride Olive Oil moisturizer lotion right after a wash. OR I use both Shea Moisture products (as seen in the picture) immediately after a wash.

I part my hair in 8 sections (6 in back & 2 up front) two-strand twist each section and roll them up in long cushion rods/twist rods. I wrap my hair with a silk scarf around the perimeter of my head (leaving sectioned rodded hair   Exposed I then put a silk bonnet on top of that. Sleep over night and take it down the next day.

Gorgeous Savonne! Thanks so much for sharing. Have a heat-free style you want to share? Email dropthedryer@gmail.com with a pic and a few words about how you achieved the style!

Drop The Dryer: Curlformers

Alright folks! Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge is back with another installment. Check out how she made use of Curlformers to style her locks...

Want curls, but don't want to us heat? Curlformers are the answer. I had never heard of them before watching Naptural85's video, but they seemed to really work for her so I started doing some research. I found them for a good price and decided to give them a try.

I purchased a bag of the long and wides which came with 40 Curlformers and 2 hooks and ended up using all 40 curlformers after I washed and moisturized my hair, and separated it into 6 sections using plastic duck clips (I find that the plastic ones are much kinder to my hair than the metal ones).

 I kept a spray bottle full of water with me to make sure that my hair was damp before going into the curlformer. I also combed my hair out with a tail comb before it went into the curlformer.

I had already detangled when I conditioned my hair, but I wanted my hair to be as smooth and detangled as possible going into the curlformer. Sleeping on these things was not at all pleasant. I suggest you sleep on the fluffiest of pillows when you do this lol.

Here are the results!

Give them a try and let us know how it goes! Have a cool heat-free style to share? Send us your picture and description at dropthedryer@gmail.com!

Drop The Dryer: Bantu Knot Out

So last week I introduced you guys to Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge! Here's her very first installation of "Drop The Dryer". Check out how she styles her Bantu Knot Out:

One of my favorite heat-free styles is the bantu knot-out. It's quick, easy, really cute, and maintainable for days at a time. I also like it because it is also a great way to retain moisture. I start my bantu knots by first creating twists with wet or damp hair.

I make about 15 twists (4 at the bottom, 5 in the row above that, 3 at the crown and 3 at the front) and then create a bantu knot out of each twist, which I then secure with a bobby pin. Tie a scarf on your head (I suggest satin or slik) and then put on a satin bonnet over that in case the scarf slips while you sleep. If you have your own hair securing method, please use what works for you.

The next morning, after showering (do not take your bantu knots out pre-shower!), Pull out each knot and separate the twist. Then separate each half into two halves. To get rid of the all of the parts, use your fingers to gently lift your roots (you can use a pick instead if you'd like) making sure to not pull your fingers all the way through.

It's nice and easy, and you can just moisturized with some jojoba oil and shea butter, re-twist and bantu knot at night for the same look the next day. Below are my results:

This style requires no heat, retains moisture and can easily have handbands, clips, and hats incorporated with it. Give it a try and let me know your results!!

- Nikita, My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge

Have a cute heat-free style you want to share? Send us your pics at DropTheDryer@gmail.com!