How to Winterize your Hair!

From hat hair to static electricity, split ends to dry frizz, when winter weather hits, a bad hair day can last an entire season. In fact, even if you live in a moderate climate, experts say you're still susceptible to hair-raising changes as the seasons pass. Here are several tips to help you prepare your hair to withstand the harsh winter weather:

Cut down on Wash N Go's & Co-washes (walking outside with a wet head will probably get you sick). Co-washing 1-2x/week should be sufficient. Wash your hair in the evening so that your hair air dries overnight as opposed to when you're outside.




Wear your hair up! Winter calls for thicker clothing, so wearing your hair up will protect your ends from snagging on wool coats, turtle necks, or sweaters you may be wearing.

Add An Extra Dose of Moisture: Your hair will benefit from an extra surge of nourishment in the winter months. Keeping your hair and scalp well conditioned will ensure that your hair stays healthy strong and protected from the cold.

For dry scalp: If your scalp is dry or feels tight, use a lightweight scalp oil to moisturize and soothe, without weighing the hair down. Miss Sixx Peppermint Clove Scalp Oil which uses grape seed oil, extra virgin olive oil, castor oil, clove oil, lavender oil, and vitamin E masterfully blended with essential oils to improve scalp condition and promote micro circulation.

For dry hair: Boost hair's resistance to breakage and split ends by restoring moisture balance using a hair moisturizer. Massage Miss Sixx Shea it Isnt So! Moisturizer into hair and scalp for healthy-looking shine.

Bring out the heavier products! For example, Miss Sixx Alma Essence, Miss Sixx Carribean Glam Jam, Cholesterol Conditioners, Pomades, or Butters (Shea, Cocoa, Mango).

Increase and Intensify your Deep Conditioning Sessions: The dry heat inside the house and the cold air outside can pull moisture from the hair. Remember to deep condition with a heat source (steamer, hooded dryer, heat cap) for at least 30mins. Here is an example of a natural deep conditioner that I use to prevent dryness caused by the atmosphere:

Ingredients
2 jars of stage 3 banana baby food
1/4 cup of (raw) honey

1 tablespoon of evoo or oil of choice

To strengthen hair you can add 1 egg or 1/3 cup of mayonnaise

Directions: mix all ingredients together, apply to hair ( I separate my hair into 4 sections for easier application), cover hair with a heating cap for 30-90 minutes, rinse

Seal in your water-based moisturizer or conditioner with heavier oils: For example, Shea Butter, Castor Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil, or other emollients. This will provide extra protection from the brisk weather.





Try Hot Oil Treatments: You can do them as a pre-shampoo treatment (20mins with heat) or after you shampoo. For an extra kick, mix oils into your deep conditioners for a 2-in-1 treatment. Here is an easy peasy receipe for an all natural hot oil treatment

Ingredients

Olive Oil or Grape seed oil ( or 50/50 mix of each)

2 tablespoons of honey (optional)

Directions: add oils and honey to a clean bottle, insert bottled oil into a cup of hot (not boiling water), allow oil to warm through, shake well, and apply oil to hair. Pour a small amount of oil into the palm of your hand. Rub palms together and gently apply to ends of hair. Once the mixture has been applied, wrap your hair in a warm towel ( or cover with a heating cap) and leave on for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, wash the mixture out of your hair and follow up with a mild shampoo.

Protect Your Hair: Wear scarves or hats to protect your hair from cold temperatures and wind. Add a satin/silk lining into your winter hats, stay away from rough wool hats, which can lead to breakage, and stick with soft, smooth fabrics like silk and soft cottons. Lubricate the ends of your hair with oils, such as: Sweet almond, jojoba, or castor oil will help to prevent the results of friction to your hair.

Don't Over Style: Keep your use of hot styling tools to a minimum. Blow drying and flat ironing can dry out and damage your hair. If you need to use heat, always use a thermal heat protector on your hair before blow-drying or flat ironing and never turn the dial past 400 degrees. Increase protective styling, this will help retain length and lock in moisture. You can try buns, French Twists, Braids, Wigs (Half or Full), Weaves etc.





Divas, get healthy and great looking hair with Au'Naturale By Mz. Sixx Hair Products. All products are enhanced with a lush combination of natural oils and shea butter. This unique combination helps to stimulate hair growth while simultaneously moisturizing and nourishing the hair. For more information, please visit http://www.etsy.com/AuNaturalebymzsixx

A'Yianah-She So Fly!

Style: Protective Up Do

Complete: 1 Hour

Products Used: Shea it Aint So ( new to product line up) and Peppermint/Clove Scalp Oil (new to product line up)

Tools Used: Rat tail comb, my fingers

Reason for style: Protective Style for the week

How To Achieve style: On freshly washed and conditioned hair, section hair into two parts (1) for the corn rows in the back, (1) for the twist/braid out. Take the back section and corn row upward - make 6-8 cornrows- twirl the ends into bantu knots. The remaining section in the front- apply product and braid as if you were doing a braid out- BUT roll the hair on rollers to the scalp. Allow hair to "air dry" over night. Remove rollers, apply oil of choice or shea butter to your hands and undo each braid. Once all rollers and braids are removed, "finger"style- apply flower to the side or back. Wrap hair with a satin scarf or bonnet at night

Mz Sixx & Mini Me- Just Sharing!

I got a handle on my twist outs-PART 2

Hello Divas,

After the blog post " Finally! I got a handle on my twist outs"-I was asked to provide pic's of my hair in twists (for my twist outs). You can read the original posting in its entirely- HERE.

Below are a few shots of the twists - I have permanent parts in my head , so I just "finger " part the twist, apply a little coconut oil ( if any at all) and twist each section (try not to "borrow' hair from the twist-make them as even as possible).

Twist Unraveled & Separated

These pic's are day 2 old twists, finger styled, fluffed, and refreshed with my homemade spritz

Finished Look

My Daughter was a victim of FB cyber-bullying last night

My heart is heavy with this post. My beautiful daughter A'Yianah( who is 11 yrs old, 6th grader at Murray Hill Middle School) has become a victim of cyber bullying. Last night we was made aware of a FaceBook page dedicated to "going on" the students. There were several posts about random students of the school. Then at 8:21 p.m. the coward posted a random post about my daughter ( it was so trifling and disgusting that the principal couldn't read it in its entirely). She is being teased unmercifully for being skinny- she was accused of having anorexia, told she need to go somewhere and eat a sandwich , and how dumb she look wearing skinny leg jeans( I'm given you the clean verison), and spoken about in ways that no one should ever speak to another human being.

I was (am) angry, very, very, angry- the profile is "private" so at this time I have no way of identifying the coward who owns the page or wrote the post-that may be a blessing in disguise that I don't know who it is. I made a police report last night, and the police also reported the page to FaceBook. This morning, -I went and spoke to the school officials and The Board of Education. Apparently due to the recent suicides, etc FB has a partnership with school officials that will provide them the IP address of the individual(s) that create/post to these type of pages. CYBER BULLYING IS A CRIME- and Howard County school officials is taking this very seriously! I must admit that in the beginning I didn't feel the urgency from them- but I let them know... If I don't have an update by COD today-all the media up/down I-95 will be contacted at 6am tomorrow- my FB friends started providing me with direct media contacts and my boss ( thank you) provided me with media contacts he have on speed dial! The legal team at work was drawing up the cease letter ( for FB) and composing my statement for the media, and a press release. The school has called me 3x's since 9am- they know I'm serious ( I had my poker face on, and my "take your ass to court suit " ). Once I left the building- I sat in my truck and cried. I called one of my besties ( Antinette) and let it go. Its very hurtful. Its really hard being a kid these days, and its harder being a parent. I've instilled in my daughter that looks don't mean a thing- its your character that will get you far in life. Last night and today- I realized that I have a good circle around me. People that I've never met was calling/texting me offering me support. I love ya'll - I know my friends and fam ride for me and i also heard about the bail fund...lol..lol..( I was prepared.. I'd left my debit card with my daughter in our secret place- I was PREPARED to catch a case- still am prepared-truth be told).

We didn't sleep much last night, buts she wanted to go to school this morning. I gave her her pep talk, she got ultra "clean" for school today and walked in with her head hung HIGH!!! (that's mini sixx) she had her get it girl swagger and I was proud. She is not a victim- she is a survivor!!!!! I'm not too sure if I could have walked in "like that" and faced everyone after what was posted for all to see. She went up in their like she owned the building [pumps fist!!!] that's my girl.. Stay tuned for the updates.

Finally - I got an handle on my twist outs

Divas,
Have you ever made something harder than what it actually is? We'll thats what I was doing with my twist outs. I realized that I was making the hair "too wet", using too many products, and just doing too damn much! lol..lol..

I now twist using only coconut/grape seed oil mix and a "small" amount of Eco-Styler gel-I make a total of 12 twist ( 6 on each side). Nightly I make I make a total of 8 twist ( 4 on each side) and cover with a bonnet. THAT's IT! In the morning- I un twist, separate a few of the "larger twist" and finger fluff- That's it!!!

Day 1 Twist Out







I like my twist outs most on day 2-3-no work, no worries, no fuss. Basically on the 2nd-3rd day I spriz the hair "lightly" with my homemade spritz and finger fluff and GO!

Day 2 Twist Out



Day 3 twist Out




As you can see, with each passing day, the hair get bigger and bigger- and BIGGER IS ALWAYS BETTER :)