"My Daughter's Hair Is Not Growing, Why?"

Many of us who are currently on a hair journey went through the phase where you think your hair is not growing.  And many of us learned that your hair will always grow, it's just that you need to maintain and retain what you grew out of your scalp.  That means if you don't care for your hair ends, which is the oldest section of hair on your head, it will slowly break off.  As a result, you think your hair is not growing.  Those ends must stay moisturized being that it tends to be vulnerable to dryness, brittleness and split-ends.  Protective styles tend to be a great way to protect those hair ends and also help keep it moisturized as long as it is being moisturized.

But what about our/your young Curly Gurlz who we are diligently caring for their hairs to acquire a successful hair journey?  We received a few questions about why does it seem like a child's hair doesn't grow when the ends are moisturized and taken care of... And we had also pondered on the same thing at one point during or daughters' hair journies. 

You're doing all of the right things:

*Washing/Conditioning
*Combing from ends to roots
*Moisturizing and moisturizing the hair ends often
*Cowashing
*Using Oils
*Using less tension when braiding/styling
*Staying away from those hair candies that have metal prongs in them
*Tying a satin scarf around their heads or have them sleep on a satin pillow case

But the hair still falls at the same point on the back as it did a few months ago.

The hair is going to grow regardless.  Us being adults, we stop growing at around a certain age...so during our hair journey, as long as we retain the hair we grew, we will see the length as it comes.  But for our little ones, it's a different story.  Some children go through growth spurts and despite that, the hair will seem like it's "not growing" because of the physical growth.  Sometimes the physical growth will "take away" the length of the hair because the child has gotten a bit taller.  If you really want to keep track of your Curly Gurlz' hair progress, you may want to use a ruler/measuring tape/paper clips (lol) to measure the hair, rather to go by where it falls on the back.

One day you can claim that your 6 year old is APL. Then next year, despite all the tedious care you put into the hair, you say that same child who turned 7 is a little past APL...you would think that the hair will fall somewhere a bit further than last year's.

This may be relevant information to some and not to all.  Each child is also different and unique because of the way they were designed by God. 

But do keep this in mind...

*Your child's hair is growing,
*Keep moisturizing and using protective styles to protect the hair ends and retain length
*Measure the hair instead of relying on where it falls on the back to protect yourself from discouragement & disappointment.
*Try focusing on the health of your child's hair and the growth with be an added bonus :)

Hope this helps

Written by Sdestra
(Mom to MadiMelzKurlz

(Disclaimer:  We are not experts, but merely sharing information that has helped us during our Curly Gurlz' hair journies)

Virtual Play Date!!!

We have been invited to a play date hosted by Kandy over at Kandy Land Kurls & by a participant, A Mother's Love.

Thanks so much for including us and allowing us to join in on your playdate.

We must list 10 facts about our little ones to share with everyone else. This is a shared blog that consists of 3 BlessedCurlyGurlz so we will each share some facts about them, separately.

~BlessedMomOf3
(Mom to AngelzCurlz & JoifulzCurlz)
I will share 5 facts about each one of my daughters!
AngelzCurlz (age 4)
1. She has so much personality but you would never know it because she rarely speaks to anyone outside of Hubby and I.
2. She spent a year in preschool and did not say a word to her teacher the entire year...lol
3. She loves to sing, dance and put on a show for her siblings.
4. She could write her name, her siblings names and correctly spell up to 10 words  before she turned 4!
5. Her favorite food is Lasagna and her favorite snack is carrots :)

JoifulzCurlz (age 7)
1. She has no idea how atheletic she is! She has a natural talent for basketball, gymnastics, track, tennis and soccer. She's better than most boys her age and a few years older.
2. She loves to read chapter books (Junie B Jones is her favorite)
3. She has tons of energy and hits the growund running from sunrise to sunset.
4. She's very outgoing and loves to make others laugh.
5. She loves to sing and go to church :)

~Sdestra
(mom to MadiMelzCurlz age 6)
1. She loves to read her Bible (The Sweetest Story Bible).
2. She loves to dance and recently performed in a recital.
3. You can hear her sing her heart out and she can hit those notes!
4. She understands more than she speaks French-Creole (Haitian Language).
5. Extremely active in everything that requires physical energy.
6. She loves her grandfather to pieces! (My father)
7. Adores her baby brother and thinks I don't know what I'm doing.
8. She wants me to cut her hair because it's too long...lol.
9. She loves Haitian, Thai, Indian & Mexican foods (I cook them all).
10. She loves to talk A LOT and will have a full blown conversation with anyone for atleast an hour.


To join the play date, post 10 facts about your little one/ones in the comment section below. If you have a blog, post 10 things about your child/children. Next thank and link back to the person who invited you to the play date and invite a few other blogs to participate in the online play date!

We would like to invite: Mochamom (Cherish My Daughter)

Protective Hair Styles

We believe that protective hairstyles are essential for hair retention and can ultimately give you the added benefit of hair growth.  Protective styling helps to prevent breakage since your hair may be breaking off faster than it grows. What protective styles do is keep your ends "protected."

When wearing protective styles, be sure that your ends are put away and that you moisturize your ends at least 3 times per week.  Moisturizing and sealing your ends helps to protect your hair from shedding and dryness. 

Try any of these protective styles and see if you experience more hair retention.  But please be patient, things do not happen over night :-).  Taking pictures from time to time of your Curly Gurlz' hair progress will help you compare progression. 

~ BUNS: This is a simple style that works for any occasion, especially dressy or formal ones. All you need are bobbypins and/or an elastic/ouchless band. Buns work on relaxed and natural hair with a relative amount of ease. You can part your hair down the center or on one side if you prefer.  Feel free to add hair accessories such as flowers, a decorated barrette, clip on hair bows or head bands to give it that added touch.

~ 2 STRAND TWISTS/FLAT TWISTS:  This is a very popular protective style that we love to do on our BCG's.  It is not only simple and durable but it is quite versatile and can be worn for any occasion. Twists work best on natural hair because it gives the hair a better hold without unraveling. They work for children and for adults.  The variety of ways in which they are worn give you fashionable styles while still protecting your delicate ends.

~ BRAIDS: You can either braid, cornrow or do a combination of both on your daughter's hair. Wearing this protective style also gives you versatility and longevity. You can easily get 2-4 weeks of wear out of this simple, low maintenance style. Like twists, braids can also be worn for a variety of occasions and worn fashionably with added accessories. You still need to care for your hair and scalp while you're wearing them. So be sure to moisturize and protect your hair by wrapping it in a scarf every night. And to keep the hair looking fresh after it starts to look a little unruly...you can moisturize the edges and use a light gel to smooth the hair and tie it down with a scarf.

~ CORNROWS: The cornrow hairstyle involves braiding the hair very close to the scalp. Cornrows come in a variety of designs and are worn on both your hair and your daughter's. One of the advantages of cornrows is that they allow the hair to be worn long, without the requirement of chemical treatments to keep it under control.   Cornrows can provide many benefits such as length retention, hair protection and offer many style possibilities. They are quick and simple to do and allow an endless amount of creativity. They can be dressed up or add color coordination by adding hair accessories such as beads, flowers, head bands, barrettes and etc... But be sure not to braid too tight, this can cause too much tension to the scalp and hair being pulled.

Other protective hairstyles include bantu knots, box braids, banding, african threading, low pony's (with your ends tucked away) and weaves/extensions/clip on pony's and etc...  We personally do not use weaves or extensions on our BCG's hair simply because of personal preferences.  We have found that the use of the protective styles previously listed have been beneficial in providing them with healthy hair.  Protective styling can be considered as styles that don't require so much work and mostly protect the hair ends.  For more pictures of these type of styles please click on the tabs "Styles" and "Braids/Twists" on the right and you will be directed to a variety of pictures.

Feel free to share your ideas !!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY~ Celebrate those wonderful dads!!!

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it...
Dad
- Author Unknown

Have a wonderfully blessed Father's Day!

With Love,
BlessedCurlyGurlz, Sdestra & BlessedMomOf3

Hair care: Sun, Skin & Swimming...

YAY, IT'S SUMMER TIME!!!!!

It's getting hot outside for most of us and we can't wait to pack the cooler, the bathing suits, the car and hit the road to jump into the water! Whether it's the pool, beach, lake, even enjoying the outdoors in the sun...there are some things that you can do to intercept some of the damaging things that can affect the hair & body.

Chlorine & Salt Water- Chlorine & Salt can cause so much damage to the hair. One of the ways to protect the hair before getting into the pool is to wet the hair prior to going in. Remember that the hair is like a sponge and will absorb what you put on it. And since the hair is already wet prior to getting in, the chlorine will not have much room to get in.  It will penetrate LESS into the hair. Another thing that has worked with our Curly Gurlz is to saturate the hair with conditioner prior to getting into the pool.  It is also important to wash the hair right away and not let the chlorine or salt dry.

Hats- Hats can and will protect the hair from the harsh heat and rays from the sun. Extreme exposure to the heat without any protection can cause the hair to become extremely dry and brittle over time. Put that hat on!  They are stylish and so much fun!

Sunscreen- This is important for the skin and to protect it from burns and other damaging affects in the future. The skin is the largest organ on our bodies.  And just as it protects our internal organs from the elements, it would be good to protect it too so it can do it's work for us.  Another affect the skin have is that it regulates our body temperature in the summer.  When it gets hot, it responds by releasing/secreting sweat through the sweat glands to help cool the body. 

There are many misconceptions about certain skin tones/shades out there in regards to the use and non use of sunscreen.  No matter what skin tone/shade you are, sunscreen is a must for everyone!  Protect your skin. 

Swimming Caps - Swim caps help in reducing the amount of water that goes into the hair.  Personally, it does not prevent water from wetting the hair, but it will not saturated.  The less chlorinated or salted water that is exposed to the hair, the better.  For some, it may be uncomfortable to wear, but it does it's job.  Swim caps are good for those that swim almost every day.

Conditioner- .  Washing with a moisturizing conditioner into the hair atleast 1-2 times a week will help with restoring moisture in the hair that may have been lost during the grueling heat from the sun and the water. Leave-in Conditioners work great in the summer and there are some out there that do have sunscreen in them

Heat- Not only does the heat from the sun can damage the hair, but heat sources like the blow dryer, flat irons and such can also take a toll too.  Trying to do more styles where you can air dry will keep the hair from getting hit so many times with heat.  Too much heat will and can damage the hair and cause slow breakage where length will be difficult to retain.

Protective styles - Protective styling are hair styles that keep the hair off the shoulders. Children get irritated easily especially in the hot heat. There are plenty of styles you can do with your Curly Gurl'z hair that will keep from tickling their skin, but also help in keeping the hair ends protected too. Protected ends equals retaining length.  The styles are endless...you can refer to one of our tabs with plenty of photos for inspiration!

Moisturize, moisturize & moisturize! 

Try not to get too worked up or overly concerned about your Curly Gurlz getting their hair wet. If their hair comes in contact with chlorine just be sure to do a good wash (with a non drying clarifying or non chelating shampoo) and condition once the fun has ended for the day. Deep conditioning throughout the week will be beneficial as well. This is good for those who are frequent swimmers. If you don't have a clarifying shampoo you can add baking soda to your shampoo. This will help remove some of the chlorine from her hair. If you plan to spend the day outdoors or at the beach apply Sesame oil. It is a natural blocker of UV rays. Most importantly relax, make plenty of cherishable memories and HAVE FUN!!

And don't forget to drink plenty of water!

(Everything on BCG's blog is for informational purposes only, we are not experts and suggest taking and using information at your own discretion.)

Patience With Hair (Tips & Ideas)

 We do get frustrated at times, especially when we are first starting a healthy hair journey for our Curly Gurlz.
The more you take your time, the less time you waste.  Many of us get frustrated with so many different things.  Among them are of course, the hair.  Whether it's our own or our child's(children's) hair, we tend to sit there and rack our brains to figure out how to style it.  Sometimes we do so many hairstyles that we forget them. Here are some ideas to help you with your frustrations that has helped us along the way.  And please, by all means, share what works for you when it comes to styling!

Some ideas & tips:

~ Keep in mind that you will not produce your best work when you're frustrated.  It is important that you set aside some quality time for tedious hair styles... especially if you are trying a style for the first time :).  When you're caring for natural hair, you really need to be as gentle with the hair as possible.  You want to avoid ripping and pulling the hair apart. This not only causes more frustration but it can lead to breakage, shedding, split ends, hair loss, an irritated scalp and much more. 

~ It is beneficial/healthy for the hair when you style your Curly Gurlz' hair while in its damp/wet state.  This helps the hair to become more manageable and less tangled.  Be very careful not to over manipulate the hair (do excess combing/brushing) so that retention and growth will not be compromised.

~ A great idea is to have your Curly Gurl(z) watch a favorite show or movie, read a book or indulge themselves in a handheld game.  That usually keeps them distracted while you work on their tresses.

~ Find styles that you can recycle!  You can twist or do individual braids on the hair.  For a few days, you can have it out.  Next, you can put it all in a ponytail.  Half in a pony and the back half down.  If the hair is in twists, you can just unravel the twists and wear a beautiful twist out. 

~ Take pictures of the styles as you do them.  They can help later if you're stumped on a hair do.  And if you see one that you like, take note of that style to reference back to, so you can try it out.

~ Try not to get complicated with a hairstyle especially if it's the day of a special occasion and you want to do something fancy.  If time allows you, do it the night before...that way you can correct a mistake and/or decide on a different hairstyle.  And what helps with a simple style is when that moment comes to get dressed and the style says "no", you can quickly do another hairstyle that will not leave you flustered and in dispair.

~ Sometimes the simplest styles are the ones that stand out.  Remember, you can also accessorize the hair with beautiful flowers, barrettes, bows and clips.

~ Find a regimen that works.  A regimen does not have to be complicated.  It can be as simple as a wash, cowash, conditioning, moisturizing and styling.  That's it!

~ Start combing from the bottom up.  Starting from the top may and will cause the tangles to compress and cause a tangled mess.  Then you will go through the daunting task of tedious detangling, hair breakage and hair knotting (knots in the hair is a form of split ends).

~ Keep the ends moisturized.  If you have the hair out in braids, twists, wash/gos and even a style that allows the hair to flow freely, be sure to moisturize the hair.  Especially the ends.  This will help retain the length of your Curly Gurl'z hair and when it comes to detangling, it will not be as annoying.

~ And let us not forget that sometimes the Curly Gurl wants to play in her hair!  Sometimes they can wreak havoc and cause some damage.  Especially if she loves her hairstyle or feels that she wants to make it look a certain way.  Now, let's calm down, you know our Curly Gurlz want to be and feel independent!  We can sit with them and have a part in what they want their hair to look like.  Encourage them to watch you when you style, by sitting in front of a mirror.  Ask them what they would like their hair to look like.  You can also get a doll's head for them to practice some techniques that you've used on their hair.  Teach them some braiding techniques (if it's possible depending on their age), how to moisturize their ends, and show them the products and what it is used for.  Educating them will help the Curly Gurl have a better understanding on what is going on. And to encourage them to keep their hair healthy and beautiful.

Don't forget to remind them how beautiful they are as a whole.  They will appreciate who they are and will worry less and not compare themselves with their peers.

Hope this information helps you along the way with your Curly Gurlz' healthy hair journey!  We encourage you to share your wonderful tips!  God Bless!

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! Let's celebrate those wonderful moms!

The BlessedCurlyGurlz along with Sdestra & TheBlessedMomOf3 would like to say Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful mothers out there.  Being a mother is such a blessing!  Not only are we mothers, but we are daughters, aunts, granddaughters, great granddaughters and god daughters.

We are especially blessed to have such great role models in our mothers, to look up to.  They have taught us to be the strong, caring, nurturing women that makes us the moms that we are today.  We can only hope and pray that our Blessed Curly Gurlz will one day embody all of these characteristics and grow to be the best mothers they can be. 

We pray that you are able to enjoy your special day with your loved ones. It is YOUR day to sit back, relax and enjoy the love that your children, husband and loved ones shower you with today! So, whether you're a mom, daughter, sister, grandmother, aunt or friend be sure to acknowledge another mom on that special dedicated day. Wish them a Happy Mother's Day and thank God for allowing them to be in your life... thank him for entrusting you with the job of being a mother as well :).

~Blessings to you~