I changed the name of my blog to The Wavy Library. Here is the story behind the name change.
My sister and I started the Curly Girl Method at the same time. I had lots of time to research it. She had a baby, was moving, and fixing up the new and old home so she was too busy to read anything. I bookmarked everything so she could read it later. When I was posting on Curl Talk, I'd often add one of my bookmarked links to a post. This earned me the nickname The Wavy Librarian, which I think is a pretty awesome nickname. Unfortunately, naming the blog The Wavy Library didn't occur to me until yesterday. Well, better late then never.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Tangle Braid and Tangle Low Ponytail
Some people were confused about what exactly was happening with the "braid". My hands are in the way in the video, so it isn't that easy to see. Here are some visual aids I made. Just ignore what is written in pen, the demo didn't work as I originally envisioned. I tried to demonstrate the entire braid with yarn, but that just looked like a big ole pile of yarn.
If you have a large tangled clump, you can just make a hole in it and skip to the blue thread looping shown in pic 4.
If not, cross the strands/clumps that you have pulled straight back from the bang area.
Cross the sections/clumps a second time.
This creates a "hole". You will pull the next section/clump through this "hole".
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| Tangle Braid on my hair. |
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| Tangle Braid using more sections of hair then I used in the video. |
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| Tangle Braid |
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| Tangle Low Ponytail |
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| Tangle Braid. |
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Why You May Not Want to Buy CURLS Products if You Are a Wavy (or another hair texture for that matter) and Why You Certainly Don't Want to E-mail CURLS
On 9/5/13, CURLS put up this Facebook post:
"Received an email today from someone in need of products for her "extremely kinky hair." Excited at the prospect, i replied, "send me pix, i'd love to help!" OMG...she had STRAIGHT hair, a tiny limp...just lots of frizz. Not really CURLY HAIR..."
Several wavies got offended by this. Straight, frizzy hair is wavy hair with few exceptions. (Damaged straight hair can be frizzy. Straightened curly hair can be frizzy.) I would expect the person who answers e-mails and gives product advice would know this basic fact about wavy hair. I guess not. The woman who wrote in most likely has wavy hair that might actually benefit from their products. Kinky hair can mean type 4 hair. It can also mean hair that narrows and widens at the hair shaft or has torsion twists. This can occur on any hair type. 40% of my wavy hair is kinky. Are their products not for tiny limp hair? Are they only for thick hair? I can't imagine how the woman who wrote in must feel having the gist of her e-mail made public, having the company publicly insult her hair, having the company make her look foolish, and then having the company make a joke at her expense. In my humble opinion that is exceptionally unprofessional behavior.
Several wavies were offended and commented on this post on the CURLS Facebook page. (link to the post above) Instead of recognizing that what they did was offensive and taking the post down, they chose to defend it. Not only did they defend the post, the defended the disparaging comments about the customer who wrote to them. Then, they deleted the critical comments made by posters and blocked them from the site. Here are some examples of the comments that were deleted. I'm sure you will agree that they are not rude.
The first comments from A are not an exact quote. They are reconstructed from her memory. The other comments are taken either from screen captures or the commenter made a copy of their comment. "A" was one of the first people to have her comments deleted. She did not know she would need to make a record of her comments. There were more similar comments from other posters that were also deleted.
A's comments were deleted and she was blocked.
I have and use curls products, does this mean since i am a wavy and not a "true" curly, that i should discontinue use of your products? Shall i stop recommending them to other WAVIES? Lots of wavies use ethnic hair care products because they DO work for us. I really liked the products, but i guess i won't be re-purchasing.
A posted in response to comments about the above post:
For the record, I do "get" the post. I just think it's inappropriate. Many wavies spend their lives believing they have "frizzy" "wonky" straight hair. But with the right products and techniques, they can into beautiful ringlets. Maybe we don't have the same problems as "true" curlies, but we have our own set of unique problems that are not the issues of straight hair. I think it's bad business to not educate yourself on these issues and the potential benefit of your products for this hair type.
J's comments were deleted and and she was blocked.
"The word "kinky" has different meanings in different countries/cultures/ethnic groups. To Caucasians in the UK it means hair that appears neither straight or properly wavy, just unruly or wonky or cowlicks. Most of the time that is wavy hair that is treated badly, especially if there is a lot of frizz. I can EASILY get my 2c ringlets to look straight but poofy/fluffy/frizzy with shampoo and brushing. I've even seen 3a Caucasians be able to achieve the same. Shame on you for being publicly RUDE about a potential customer and so lacking in knowledge of the behavior of hair with weaker curl patterns."
J also commented:
"CURLS says frizzy and straight, anyone in the wavy community will tell you that doesn't exist in nature- it is either totally fried hair or the vast majority of the time, hidden wave. Of course we know our own hair type, just as you know yours."
H's comments were deleted and she was blocked:
"Why does it matter so much that she had straight hair or that she described it as extremely kinky? She clearly wanted to try something to help with the frizz. Moisture often helps tame frizz, and your products aim to hydrate hair and minimize frizz. Your company is called CURLS, but under the label it is still a conditioner or a cleanser or a styling product.
My friends daughter "loves" your products, and her hair is straighter then mine. She swims a lot and she sometimes dyes her hair, so it gets frizzy and dry from that, and your products help her hair regain moisture and strength. They are a treat for her when her hair needs help. Should she stop buying them because her hair is straight? Are you so curl snobby Clique-y as to want to cut off potential customers by saying your products don't work on their hair (which is a stupid thing to say)? Why not let them buy and decide for themselves?
The bigger issue with this post is the attitude toward the customer and the fact that the thoughts were aired publicly like this. It's highly unprofessional and gives your company a bad image that you talk bad about customers/potential customers. It is also bad form to ban A- and delete her comments. I saw nothing overly rude. It shows how petty you really are. It's your page and you can do what you like, but this outward persona doesn't look good from a customer service stand point. Why you choose to stand and defend this post to the point of losing customers is beyond me. It clearly hit a nerve with some people, so the gracious and courteous thing to do would be to say "I'm sorry if this post was in poor taste or offended people." and then remove it and be done with it."
H also wrote:
"I, for one, would like to see the picture of said straight hair. Wavy texture is pretty much everything between straight and curly hair. It can have very loose and light waves to deeper waves and some spirals. But again, the name CURLS on the bottle is just marketing. All the little sub groups like the ones for kids have identical ingredients listings, just different bottles. And cost less, and they work the same too. So underneath the label, it's just shampoo and conditioner and some stylers marketed to ethnic hair. If you go into a LUSH store, they'll still sell you Curly Wurly even if your hair isn't curly, but because they think the ingredients might be beneficial. They've never said, I can't sell you this because you don't have curly hair. Banning multiple people and deleting posts is just bad business, in addition to talking bad about a potential customer. I'm done with this brand, and will help spread the word that the CURLS brand is an elitist company so prejudice against anything but true curly hair (whatever that means) even if your website is more inclusive. Curl patterns can very, but hair properties are the biggest indicators on how to take care of it."
And H wrote:
"Kinky hair and curly hair are not the same. Hair can be both kinky and curly, but one does not always include the other.
The Natural Haven: Curly vs. Kinky: What's the Difference?
I have fine wavy hair that has some individually kinky strands, if you look at straight texture on the strand, but my hair is definitely not curly. It is wavy, which is neither straight nor curly...it is in between."
K's comments were deleted:
"Your open banter certainly felt like making fun of. I haven't liked your page, nor will I. But know that your posts have been copied and pasted into online forums and you are not presenting yourself in your best light."
"Oh dear, and you are banning people that took offense? I don't think that will make them lighten up the way an apology would. You still have time to act to make amends, I would do it! Represent yourself well!"
S's comments were deleted:
"Agreed."
"Congratulations, you have just lost one wavy customer. Well done"
C wrote two comments that were deleted:
"Wow. I've been silently following this mess and I'm honestly shocked and appalled at the way the whole situation was handled. I'm sure at some point all of us have been guilty of saying or posting something that unintentionally upset and offended someone (or in this case, a large group of people). Had you simply apologized and removed the original post, we wouldn't still be having this discussion. But instead, you chose to hide/delete the comments pointing out that the post was (unintentionally) offensive to some people and then create an additional post essentially implying that these people are unable to handle "open banter." In the end, it wasn't about the post itself; it was about the perceived self-righteous response that followed. Please keep this in mind when the dust settles. I spent 10 years in customer service related fields, and I never would have dreamed of letting my ego cause this much bad publicity (and please know that this has definitely resulted in bad publicity for your company, as many of the deleted posts and responses have already made their way to other forums, which is how I found out about it in the first place)."
C posted this in response to the post below that refers to open banter. This comment was also deleted:
"The deleted posts and banning people from further comments was happening on the post that started this whole mess. And having silently followed this since it flared up, I can say that out of the 70 comments that were made, conveniently only one glowing review of CURLS products is still visible to the public. I don't consider that "open banter," I consider that spin doctoring. So please don't accuse people of a lack of ability to comprehend what they read if you don't know the whole story. But not to worry, I've already seen screen shots of many of the deleted posts in other forums, and the feedback from outsiders hasn't been very favorable towards CURLS. So we'll see how long my post actually lasts on this site and move on."
I (me, not someone who's name starts with I) commented. My comments were deleted. IDK if I was blocked, since I decided not to post on CURLS anymore.
"I have hair that is fine and thin. Someone else might describe it as tiny and limp. Before I knew how to treat my wavy hair, it was straight and frizzy. My hair is 40% kinky. I know because I've had it analyzed. Does that give me enough qualifications to be offended by your e-mail and this post?"
In response to a separate post by CURLS the following day that read:
"
"Possibly I am misunderstanding yesterday's post. The way I understand it, I customer wrote in to you for help. You then publicly shamed her for not using kinky in the way you think it is defined. You further insulted her hair by calling it strait, frizzy, limp, and tiny. Then you posted the curly hair problem "people calling their frizzy hair curly". Many wavy haired people took offense to this, because wavy hair looks strait and frizzy when not properly cared for. Mine looked straight and frizzy before I knew how to care for it. When people posted that the were in fact offended, you deleted their comments and banned them. Rather then just saying "our bad" and taking the post down, you continued to defend this post. You even defended your 6th grade mean girl comments about the hair of the customer who wrote in for help. Is there any part so far that I have wrong? I don't think so. I don't understand why you think it is O.K. to poke fun at this customer in a public forum. Can you explain that to me? Also, I don't understand why it is O.K. to poke fun at wavy hair (A.K.A frizzy, straight hair. Nearly all "frizzy, straight hair" is actually wavy). When people online or in life poke fun at other hair textures I set them straight and tell them it is not O.K. to say such things. I would not tell the people who had to hear the offensive comments to just calm down. I would stand up for them. If you could explain why it is O.K. for your company to poke fun at wavy hair, I'd be interested in hearing that too. I await your response."
CURLS responded to this.
" yes...you absolutely did misunderstand and jumped to horrific conclusions. read the recent post on this page for clarity."
I responded:
"I have read the most recent post. I don't believe it clarifies anything. Could you address the two specific concerns in the post above please?"
"Also I have copies of many of the deleted comments. They do not meet the criteria for deleting comments you out lied in your post today. I can share the comments with you if you wish."
After I wrote the comment where I said I had copies of the deleted comments, all of my comments were deleted.
CURLS wrote:
"with all due respect...no one was publicly humiliated, NO names were given, COME ON...was just sharing with fellow curlies."
CURLS also wrote:
"Thank you (5 people named) for understand the internet was not meant to insult."
Hmmmm... I bet the customer who wrote in for help wishes you would have realized this before you uploaded this post where you insulted her hair.
CURLS wrote in a separate post the following day:
"ATTENTION: For those that took offense to the post about people posing as curly, and calling their "frizzy hair curly" PLEASE lighten up! The person that emailed was NOT publicly OR privately embarrassed, she was graciously assisted, and was happy with our HONEST feedback and product assistance. If this kind of open banter is NOT up your alley, this is what we do on this page, feel free to dislike the page now."
In response, I (me) wrote this comment.
"'I'm not sure I understand your argument. Is your argument that Facebook is not public? Is your argument that she was not embarrassed? If the second, how do you know? Have you been in touch with her since you posted "Received an email today from someone in need of products for her "extremely kinky hair." Excited at the prospect, i replied, "send me pix, i'd love to help!" OMG...she had STRAIGHT hair, a tiny limp...just lots of frizz. Not really CURLY HAIR..." about her hair? I don't believe these comments would make her feel more beautiful, more confident, or like a valued customer.
Also, you say you have open banter, yet you have deleted many comments that are critical of your treatment of this customer or your lack of understanding of frizzy straight (A.K.A wavy) hair. None of the comments I saw that were deleted were rude, just critical"
On 9/7/13 Curls posted this in a separate post.
"MESSAGE FROM MAHISHA DELLINGER, CURLS FOUNDER:
Good morning and happy Saturday CURListas! I am going to address the post that got out of hand, once and for all. This will be the last post about it in hopes of dropping this matter and moving on in our normal fashion. There are just too many textured hair topics to discuss for us to keep coming back to this!
The post that some viewers took offense to is below...
"Received an email today from someone in need of products for her "extremely kinky hair." Excited at the prospect, i replied, "send me pix, i'd love to help!" OMG...she had STRAIGHT hair, a tiny limp...just lots of frizz. Not really CURLY HAIR..."
A FEW THINGS....
1. No where did we reference race (African American, Caucasian, Latina, or Asian). We speak in the terms of texture, not race.
2. The person's hair is straight (no waves, curls, or kinks) with frizz and damage to her cuticle from bleaching and heat styling.
3. The person is NOT on Facebook. The person's name and picture was not and will NOT be posted/shared.
4. The person referenced asked for product advise, for her hair, and received a few product recommendations, that would truly benefit her. She was appreciative that she received honest help vs. selling her on a line that wasn't created for her.
5. CURLS caters to all textured hair....from the loosest wave to the kinkiest kink and everything in between. While some products (e.g. our cleansers and conditioners) can be used by anyone...we don't cater to this market.
6. CURLS does not discriminate based on color of one's skin or texture of hair.
7. Our Facebook page is here to help those with (or caring for) wavy, curly, and kinky hair. CURLS is a resource in time of need. Our Facebook page is a place to congregate, engage, and chat about all things hair and lifestyle.
8. We aren't a resource for straight hair, it isn't our speciality. Our straight hair counterparts have the entire hair care section, while us textured tresses have a fraction of it. We cater to an overlooked audience.
9. We will remove anyone that is rude, uses harsh language, or insults my staff, my brand, or myself. NO questions asked.
10. This page is owned by CURLS....our opinions are ours. While we will never intentionally insult anyone, if the page doesn't fancy you...unlike the page, and please move on so the rest of us can enjoy.
11. At no time did we insult anyone (or any texture)...not even the rude posters. We expect the same in return.
12. There wasn't an apology because there wasn't an insult. Had I or my staff insulted someone, there would have been an apology, STAT! We are human, so mistakes can be made....and we own up to ours.
13. Lastly....the person that emailed was a Personal Trainer i was referred to. During our conversation she found out what i do, and said she, too, had kinky, curly hair. She emailed the picture before our first meeting. I let her know that her hair was simply damaged from bleaching and wasn't kinky in texture. It was frizzy and damaged and needed a lil TLC and no more bleaching. I showed her a picture of truly kinky hair, we shared a laugh and I advised her on how she could get her silky straight tresses back. We moved on to getting me in the best shape as possible!
Now...may we move on to the next topic? We have too much to chat about!"
I will not respond on the CURLS page again. I am willing to let this die. However, I'd like to respond to the post by the owner here.
3. If she is not on Facebook then that makes it O.K. to say unflattering things about her hair publicly? Is it O.K. because it is "behind her back"?
9. I'd like the reader to consider whether the deleted comments posted above fit this criteria. Many of the deleted comments actually praise the products.
10. So you don't view "tiny, limp...just lots of frizz" as an insult? Is it a complement? They also call critical posts unintelligent. (see below) Is that a complement?
11. I refer you to my response to 10^^^ and ask you to read the deleted posts and see if you think they qualify as rude.
12. Again, so "tiny, limp...just a lot of frizz" is not an insult? People who call their frizzy hair curly is not an insult? It is strange then that so many people actually felt insulted.
13. So, you are publicly making fun of the hair of a person you employ (your personal trainer) and that somehow makes it O.K.? Again, I wonder if she is actually aware of this Facebook post.
Curls wrote in one of their threads:
"PLEASE explain to us how we hurt your feelings? We are baffled... if others are talking, unintelligently about a gravely misconstrued banner, i cannot control that...nor will we worry about it. we cannot please everyone, certainly not those with an axe to grind. i will continue to service those that can and will 1. communicate respectfully with us 2. present their ideas clearly, as you did, and 3. have a clear and open mind. "
In one post they say they don't insult people. In the next post they call people who don't agree with them unintelligent. The reader should judge for themselves if the deleted comments above seem respectful, clear, and open minded.
Here is a link to a NC.com post about the CURLS Facebook posts.
"Received an email today from someone in need of products for her "extremely kinky hair." Excited at the prospect, i replied, "send me pix, i'd love to help!" OMG...she had STRAIGHT hair, a tiny limp...just lots of frizz. Not really CURLY HAIR..."
Several wavies were offended and commented on this post on the CURLS Facebook page. (link to the post above) Instead of recognizing that what they did was offensive and taking the post down, they chose to defend it. Not only did they defend the post, the defended the disparaging comments about the customer who wrote to them. Then, they deleted the critical comments made by posters and blocked them from the site. Here are some examples of the comments that were deleted. I'm sure you will agree that they are not rude.
The first comments from A are not an exact quote. They are reconstructed from her memory. The other comments are taken either from screen captures or the commenter made a copy of their comment. "A" was one of the first people to have her comments deleted. She did not know she would need to make a record of her comments. There were more similar comments from other posters that were also deleted.
A's comments were deleted and she was blocked.
I have and use curls products, does this mean since i am a wavy and not a "true" curly, that i should discontinue use of your products? Shall i stop recommending them to other WAVIES? Lots of wavies use ethnic hair care products because they DO work for us. I really liked the products, but i guess i won't be re-purchasing.
A posted in response to comments about the above post:
For the record, I do "get" the post. I just think it's inappropriate. Many wavies spend their lives believing they have "frizzy" "wonky" straight hair. But with the right products and techniques, they can into beautiful ringlets. Maybe we don't have the same problems as "true" curlies, but we have our own set of unique problems that are not the issues of straight hair. I think it's bad business to not educate yourself on these issues and the potential benefit of your products for this hair type.
J's comments were deleted and and she was blocked.
"The word "kinky" has different meanings in different countries/cultures/ethnic groups. To Caucasians in the UK it means hair that appears neither straight or properly wavy, just unruly or wonky or cowlicks. Most of the time that is wavy hair that is treated badly, especially if there is a lot of frizz. I can EASILY get my 2c ringlets to look straight but poofy/fluffy/frizzy with shampoo and brushing. I've even seen 3a Caucasians be able to achieve the same. Shame on you for being publicly RUDE about a potential customer and so lacking in knowledge of the behavior of hair with weaker curl patterns."
J also commented:
"CURLS says frizzy and straight, anyone in the wavy community will tell you that doesn't exist in nature- it is either totally fried hair or the vast majority of the time, hidden wave. Of course we know our own hair type, just as you know yours."
H's comments were deleted and she was blocked:
"Why does it matter so much that she had straight hair or that she described it as extremely kinky? She clearly wanted to try something to help with the frizz. Moisture often helps tame frizz, and your products aim to hydrate hair and minimize frizz. Your company is called CURLS, but under the label it is still a conditioner or a cleanser or a styling product.
My friends daughter "loves" your products, and her hair is straighter then mine. She swims a lot and she sometimes dyes her hair, so it gets frizzy and dry from that, and your products help her hair regain moisture and strength. They are a treat for her when her hair needs help. Should she stop buying them because her hair is straight? Are you so curl snobby Clique-y as to want to cut off potential customers by saying your products don't work on their hair (which is a stupid thing to say)? Why not let them buy and decide for themselves?
The bigger issue with this post is the attitude toward the customer and the fact that the thoughts were aired publicly like this. It's highly unprofessional and gives your company a bad image that you talk bad about customers/potential customers. It is also bad form to ban A- and delete her comments. I saw nothing overly rude. It shows how petty you really are. It's your page and you can do what you like, but this outward persona doesn't look good from a customer service stand point. Why you choose to stand and defend this post to the point of losing customers is beyond me. It clearly hit a nerve with some people, so the gracious and courteous thing to do would be to say "I'm sorry if this post was in poor taste or offended people." and then remove it and be done with it."
H also wrote:
"I, for one, would like to see the picture of said straight hair. Wavy texture is pretty much everything between straight and curly hair. It can have very loose and light waves to deeper waves and some spirals. But again, the name CURLS on the bottle is just marketing. All the little sub groups like the ones for kids have identical ingredients listings, just different bottles. And cost less, and they work the same too. So underneath the label, it's just shampoo and conditioner and some stylers marketed to ethnic hair. If you go into a LUSH store, they'll still sell you Curly Wurly even if your hair isn't curly, but because they think the ingredients might be beneficial. They've never said, I can't sell you this because you don't have curly hair. Banning multiple people and deleting posts is just bad business, in addition to talking bad about a potential customer. I'm done with this brand, and will help spread the word that the CURLS brand is an elitist company so prejudice against anything but true curly hair (whatever that means) even if your website is more inclusive. Curl patterns can very, but hair properties are the biggest indicators on how to take care of it."
And H wrote:
"Kinky hair and curly hair are not the same. Hair can be both kinky and curly, but one does not always include the other.
The Natural Haven: Curly vs. Kinky: What's the Difference?
I have fine wavy hair that has some individually kinky strands, if you look at straight texture on the strand, but my hair is definitely not curly. It is wavy, which is neither straight nor curly...it is in between."
K's comments were deleted:
"Your open banter certainly felt like making fun of. I haven't liked your page, nor will I. But know that your posts have been copied and pasted into online forums and you are not presenting yourself in your best light."
"Oh dear, and you are banning people that took offense? I don't think that will make them lighten up the way an apology would. You still have time to act to make amends, I would do it! Represent yourself well!"
S's comments were deleted:
"Agreed."
"Congratulations, you have just lost one wavy customer. Well done"
C wrote two comments that were deleted:
"Wow. I've been silently following this mess and I'm honestly shocked and appalled at the way the whole situation was handled. I'm sure at some point all of us have been guilty of saying or posting something that unintentionally upset and offended someone (or in this case, a large group of people). Had you simply apologized and removed the original post, we wouldn't still be having this discussion. But instead, you chose to hide/delete the comments pointing out that the post was (unintentionally) offensive to some people and then create an additional post essentially implying that these people are unable to handle "open banter." In the end, it wasn't about the post itself; it was about the perceived self-righteous response that followed. Please keep this in mind when the dust settles. I spent 10 years in customer service related fields, and I never would have dreamed of letting my ego cause this much bad publicity (and please know that this has definitely resulted in bad publicity for your company, as many of the deleted posts and responses have already made their way to other forums, which is how I found out about it in the first place)."
C posted this in response to the post below that refers to open banter. This comment was also deleted:
"The deleted posts and banning people from further comments was happening on the post that started this whole mess. And having silently followed this since it flared up, I can say that out of the 70 comments that were made, conveniently only one glowing review of CURLS products is still visible to the public. I don't consider that "open banter," I consider that spin doctoring. So please don't accuse people of a lack of ability to comprehend what they read if you don't know the whole story. But not to worry, I've already seen screen shots of many of the deleted posts in other forums, and the feedback from outsiders hasn't been very favorable towards CURLS. So we'll see how long my post actually lasts on this site and move on."
I (me, not someone who's name starts with I) commented. My comments were deleted. IDK if I was blocked, since I decided not to post on CURLS anymore.
"I have hair that is fine and thin. Someone else might describe it as tiny and limp. Before I knew how to treat my wavy hair, it was straight and frizzy. My hair is 40% kinky. I know because I've had it analyzed. Does that give me enough qualifications to be offended by your e-mail and this post?"
In response to a separate post by CURLS the following day that read:
"
"Possibly I am misunderstanding yesterday's post. The way I understand it, I customer wrote in to you for help. You then publicly shamed her for not using kinky in the way you think it is defined. You further insulted her hair by calling it strait, frizzy, limp, and tiny. Then you posted the curly hair problem "people calling their frizzy hair curly". Many wavy haired people took offense to this, because wavy hair looks strait and frizzy when not properly cared for. Mine looked straight and frizzy before I knew how to care for it. When people posted that the were in fact offended, you deleted their comments and banned them. Rather then just saying "our bad" and taking the post down, you continued to defend this post. You even defended your 6th grade mean girl comments about the hair of the customer who wrote in for help. Is there any part so far that I have wrong? I don't think so. I don't understand why you think it is O.K. to poke fun at this customer in a public forum. Can you explain that to me? Also, I don't understand why it is O.K. to poke fun at wavy hair (A.K.A frizzy, straight hair. Nearly all "frizzy, straight hair" is actually wavy). When people online or in life poke fun at other hair textures I set them straight and tell them it is not O.K. to say such things. I would not tell the people who had to hear the offensive comments to just calm down. I would stand up for them. If you could explain why it is O.K. for your company to poke fun at wavy hair, I'd be interested in hearing that too. I await your response."
CURLS responded to this.
" yes...you absolutely did misunderstand and jumped to horrific conclusions. read the recent post on this page for clarity."
I responded:
"I have read the most recent post. I don't believe it clarifies anything. Could you address the two specific concerns in the post above please?"
"Also I have copies of many of the deleted comments. They do not meet the criteria for deleting comments you out lied in your post today. I can share the comments with you if you wish."
After I wrote the comment where I said I had copies of the deleted comments, all of my comments were deleted.
CURLS wrote:
"with all due respect...no one was publicly humiliated, NO names were given, COME ON...was just sharing with fellow curlies."
CURLS also wrote:
"Thank you (5 people named) for understand the internet was not meant to insult."
Hmmmm... I bet the customer who wrote in for help wishes you would have realized this before you uploaded this post where you insulted her hair.
CURLS wrote in a separate post the following day:
"ATTENTION: For those that took offense to the post about people posing as curly, and calling their "frizzy hair curly" PLEASE lighten up! The person that emailed was NOT publicly OR privately embarrassed, she was graciously assisted, and was happy with our HONEST feedback and product assistance. If this kind of open banter is NOT up your alley, this is what we do on this page, feel free to dislike the page now."
In response, I (me) wrote this comment.
"'I'm not sure I understand your argument. Is your argument that Facebook is not public? Is your argument that she was not embarrassed? If the second, how do you know? Have you been in touch with her since you posted "Received an email today from someone in need of products for her "extremely kinky hair." Excited at the prospect, i replied, "send me pix, i'd love to help!" OMG...she had STRAIGHT hair, a tiny limp...just lots of frizz. Not really CURLY HAIR..." about her hair? I don't believe these comments would make her feel more beautiful, more confident, or like a valued customer.
Also, you say you have open banter, yet you have deleted many comments that are critical of your treatment of this customer or your lack of understanding of frizzy straight (A.K.A wavy) hair. None of the comments I saw that were deleted were rude, just critical"
On 9/7/13 Curls posted this in a separate post.
"MESSAGE FROM MAHISHA DELLINGER, CURLS FOUNDER:
Good morning and happy Saturday CURListas! I am going to address the post that got out of hand, once and for all. This will be the last post about it in hopes of dropping this matter and moving on in our normal fashion. There are just too many textured hair topics to discuss for us to keep coming back to this!
The post that some viewers took offense to is below...
"Received an email today from someone in need of products for her "extremely kinky hair." Excited at the prospect, i replied, "send me pix, i'd love to help!" OMG...she had STRAIGHT hair, a tiny limp...just lots of frizz. Not really CURLY HAIR..."
A FEW THINGS....
1. No where did we reference race (African American, Caucasian, Latina, or Asian). We speak in the terms of texture, not race.
2. The person's hair is straight (no waves, curls, or kinks) with frizz and damage to her cuticle from bleaching and heat styling.
3. The person is NOT on Facebook. The person's name and picture was not and will NOT be posted/shared.
4. The person referenced asked for product advise, for her hair, and received a few product recommendations, that would truly benefit her. She was appreciative that she received honest help vs. selling her on a line that wasn't created for her.
5. CURLS caters to all textured hair....from the loosest wave to the kinkiest kink and everything in between. While some products (e.g. our cleansers and conditioners) can be used by anyone...we don't cater to this market.
6. CURLS does not discriminate based on color of one's skin or texture of hair.
7. Our Facebook page is here to help those with (or caring for) wavy, curly, and kinky hair. CURLS is a resource in time of need. Our Facebook page is a place to congregate, engage, and chat about all things hair and lifestyle.
8. We aren't a resource for straight hair, it isn't our speciality. Our straight hair counterparts have the entire hair care section, while us textured tresses have a fraction of it. We cater to an overlooked audience.
9. We will remove anyone that is rude, uses harsh language, or insults my staff, my brand, or myself. NO questions asked.
10. This page is owned by CURLS....our opinions are ours. While we will never intentionally insult anyone, if the page doesn't fancy you...unlike the page, and please move on so the rest of us can enjoy.
11. At no time did we insult anyone (or any texture)...not even the rude posters. We expect the same in return.
12. There wasn't an apology because there wasn't an insult. Had I or my staff insulted someone, there would have been an apology, STAT! We are human, so mistakes can be made....and we own up to ours.
13. Lastly....the person that emailed was a Personal Trainer i was referred to. During our conversation she found out what i do, and said she, too, had kinky, curly hair. She emailed the picture before our first meeting. I let her know that her hair was simply damaged from bleaching and wasn't kinky in texture. It was frizzy and damaged and needed a lil TLC and no more bleaching. I showed her a picture of truly kinky hair, we shared a laugh and I advised her on how she could get her silky straight tresses back. We moved on to getting me in the best shape as possible!
Now...may we move on to the next topic? We have too much to chat about!"
I will not respond on the CURLS page again. I am willing to let this die. However, I'd like to respond to the post by the owner here.
3. If she is not on Facebook then that makes it O.K. to say unflattering things about her hair publicly? Is it O.K. because it is "behind her back"?
9. I'd like the reader to consider whether the deleted comments posted above fit this criteria. Many of the deleted comments actually praise the products.
10. So you don't view "tiny, limp...just lots of frizz" as an insult? Is it a complement? They also call critical posts unintelligent. (see below) Is that a complement?
11. I refer you to my response to 10^^^ and ask you to read the deleted posts and see if you think they qualify as rude.
12. Again, so "tiny, limp...just a lot of frizz" is not an insult? People who call their frizzy hair curly is not an insult? It is strange then that so many people actually felt insulted.
13. So, you are publicly making fun of the hair of a person you employ (your personal trainer) and that somehow makes it O.K.? Again, I wonder if she is actually aware of this Facebook post.
Curls wrote in one of their threads:
"PLEASE explain to us how we hurt your feelings? We are baffled... if others are talking, unintelligently about a gravely misconstrued banner, i cannot control that...nor will we worry about it. we cannot please everyone, certainly not those with an axe to grind. i will continue to service those that can and will 1. communicate respectfully with us 2. present their ideas clearly, as you did, and 3. have a clear and open mind. "
In one post they say they don't insult people. In the next post they call people who don't agree with them unintelligent. The reader should judge for themselves if the deleted comments above seem respectful, clear, and open minded.
Here is a link to a NC.com post about the CURLS Facebook posts.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Sweet Curls Elixirs on ETSY
Looking for a place to buy Flax Seed Gel or Okra Gel? Go to SweetCurlsElixirs on ETSY. She also sells a Flax Seed Spray that sounds great for second day hair, a Flax Seed Curl Cream, and an oil treatment. All the orders are custom. You can add exactly what your hair needs. There is a list of add-ins and scents to choose from. To make choosing a scent easier, the owner has a list of her favorite combos, which sound amazing.
Monday, August 26, 2013
French Braid Alternatives
Many of these are much easier then traditional french braids. The first video on this post gives a tutorial for french and dutch braiding, if you would like one.
The french rope braid. Much easier then a french braid, but still looks complicated.
Here is a french rope braid variation on the side of the hair once worn by Rihanna. The style starts 1 minute into the video.
Tangle Braid, easier then a french braid. This style is one "invented" by my sister (We are sure she isn't the first to invent this.) She calls it Tangle Braid because she does it when she is out and about and the weather has killed her hair. Because you can section hair in larger sections then French braid, it works well on tangled hair. Thus, the name tangle braid. Click to see my blog post on Tangle Braid with a visual aid.
Waterfall twist. This one works for shorter layers. It was about the same level of difficulty as a french braid (to me).
The french rope braid. Much easier then a french braid, but still looks complicated.
I don't know the proper name for this, but I call it a two strand twist headband. It is like a french rope braid where you twist as you go. This makes a more substantial "braid" then a traditional french braid. Substantial is good if you have thin hair. :) This style works on chin length hair and possibly shorter. Another beautiful preview pic of me. *sigh*
Twisting hair can be a good way to get the layered sides to stay in an updo. Start watching at 1:15 for the style and at 5:30 to see twisting the sides.
French fishtail. I'd say this is more difficult then a rope braid, but easier then a French braid. It takes more time to do then a french braid.
The waterfall twist for long hair or long layers. This is sort of a cheater version of the waterfall twist (or you can do this for a cheater waterfall braid). It won't work on short layers.
The following braids are all equal to or harder then a french braid (to me). The first two knot braids however are a little easier then a french braid.
Waterfall Braid. I can do this on someone else's hair, but get confused doing this on my own hair. Advanced level braiding.
The Knot Braid Updo was a little easier french braiding. The second video is the same as the first in this group, the "braid" just starts higher on the head. The second video has clearer directions. You must cross the hair with the correct strand on top, pull the correct strand through, and twist the strands the right way for each side. The last version is easier then the first two. I still have to concentrate to make sure I keep knotting in the same direction.
"Braiding" starts 1 minute into this video.
This is another version, the Knotted Headband. I kept getting confused on this one. This is more difficult then the two above. Mine did not look nice and neat like the one in the video. :(
Friday, August 23, 2013
Looking for the Science-y Hair Blog Recipes?
Science-y Hair Blog is up and posting again. (Woo-Hoo!) I've taken down the page on my blog that had her recipes listed. If you want to find the recipes, head over to Science-y Hair Blog and they are on the recipe page on that blog. While you are there, be sure to enter to win a free GoosefootPrints hair analysis. Enter before August 30, 2013.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Win a Free Hair Analysis From GoosefootPrints on ETSY
Want to win a free hair analysis from GoosefootPrints on ETSY? Of course you do. But how? Head on over to Science-y Hair Blog before August 30, 2013 for more info on how to enter. Don't know about GoosefootPrints and the awesome Hair Analysis? Read my blog entry with my sample hair analysis. Trust me. You want to win one.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
A Bobby Pin Primer
This post will show you the basics of how to use bobby pins.
Bobby Pinning 101
Bobby Pinning 201-pin invisibility and how to fix the wonky bits with bobby pins.
The bobby pin trick (from me). It is a way to hide the bobby pins in your hair. I only look like I'm on drugs, I swear. Sheesh, what a bad preview pic.
Get your bangs out of your face with hidden bobby pins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7JE-FY-9co
Me showing the bobby pin trick I learned from my sister, who learned it from someone else. I didn't have pink eye, that is just an effect I managed to create with my eye shadow. :(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uI-2149tRM
Skip to 1:45. Cute retro way to put the sides up with a bobby pin.
A good strategy for pinning up wavy hair. Put the pin in halfway down your hair and then pin that to your head.
Sally's vs. Goody bobby pins (get the ones from Sally's) and how to remove bobby pins. (Me again.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOp7wEZlF1s
Bobby Pinning 101
Bobby Pinning 201-pin invisibility and how to fix the wonky bits with bobby pins.
The bobby pin trick (from me). It is a way to hide the bobby pins in your hair. I only look like I'm on drugs, I swear. Sheesh, what a bad preview pic.
Me showing the bobby pin trick I learned from my sister, who learned it from someone else. I didn't have pink eye, that is just an effect I managed to create with my eye shadow. :(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uI-2149tRM
Sally's vs. Goody bobby pins (get the ones from Sally's) and how to remove bobby pins. (Me again.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOp7wEZlF1s
Friday, August 16, 2013
Braid Bonanza
The Braid Encyclopedia: French, Dutch, Fish, Rope, round 4 strand, and 5 strand braids.
Cute bohemian braids. Most are super simple, but look complicated. Some are just braiding with unequal sections of hair.
Easy crisscross braid. Skip to 1 minute in.
Organic braid without an elastic. For when you are out and about and want to put your hair up.
Rope Braid using one small and one large section.
Twisty braid. Just a bunch of twisting.
Rope Braid using one small and one large section.
Carrousel Braid
Not really a braid. This takes several ponytail holders.
3D Split Braid. You spit the outer section. Bring the middle section between the split outer section. Recombine the outer section to become the new middle section.
This one looks complicated, but it isn't. You split the ponytail and do two rope braids. Then you twist those rope braids together.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Ponytail Palooza
Here are some tutorials showing ponytail variations.
The Fake Pony Tail for days when you are out and about and the weather has killed your hair. It requires a few bobby pins.
The Stacked Ponytail (by me). It looks more put together then a regular pony tail. Your hair only has to be long enough for the front section of your hair to reach to the back center bottom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFtQmTIC4bg
Not Just a Ponytail. A good one for work.
How to do a perfect ponytail. The "mohawk" section is left out, teased slightly, and then added to the ponytail. A piece of hair is wrapped around to hide the band.
Organic ponytail for longer hair. This does not require a ponytail holder, so it is good for when you are out and your hair needs to be up NOW.
Flip through ponytail or topsytail ponytail and some variations.
Side ponytail
Side ponytail with the Goody Twisty Comb for short hair (It's me). You can use ponytail holder instead. Watch at 2:15 for the trick to get your shorter layers to stay.
The Fake Pony Tail for days when you are out and about and the weather has killed your hair. It requires a few bobby pins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFtQmTIC4bg
Organic ponytail for longer hair. This does not require a ponytail holder, so it is good for when you are out and your hair needs to be up NOW.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
I Updated my Hair Growth Post
I updated my post that tracks my hair growth with the CG method. My hair is longer then it has ever been (which is still not long at all).
Monday, August 5, 2013
GoosefootPrints Hair Analysis with My Analysis Results
So, last year the owner of Goosefootprints on Etsy needed some fine porous hair to experiment on. She tests hair in her spare time when she is not working as a scientist. (Some people crochet...) Hey! I have fine, porous hair! So I sent her some. Since she had my hair, she analyzed it for me and took some cool pictures under a microscope (see below) and she sent me a report about my hair. (Some people collect stamps...) I also had my mom send her some hair, so she could experiment on medium-coarse hair with low porosity. Well, if I did hair analysis, I’d be fired. My mom’s hair is fine-medium and porous, so I was way off in my “analysis”. Since then, I stopped giving my mom “helpful” advice on how to treat her “coarse, non porous” hair. *smacks head*
Fast forward to last week. People on the Wavy Hair Community were discussing a place that does hair analysis for $85. I was joking that I think I owed her some money. Well...yada, yada, yada...no, no,you should totally do it...messages back and forth...she decided to start a hair analysis business on ETSY. Woo-hoo! The report below is a report on my hair, and you can get a similar one about your hair if you order from Goosefootprints on Etsy. The best part? Only $22. No, I think the actual best part is having cool pictures of your hair under a microscope. That is pretty darned awesome! But wait, there’s more. Not only do you get this uber cool report with pictures, you also get a 9 page document that explains the science behind your hair, why certain things work for certain hair types, and all about hair product ingredients. Plus, you get a chart that shows you which product ingredients will work for your hair type. That’s 10 whole pages of solid hair info, people!
Seriously though, I think this is a great service that gives you the information you need to know about your hair and hair in general. I highly recommend it. My sister's reaction was that if this existed when she started Curly Girl, she could have saved 3 years of experimenting with all the wrong products -- which cost far more than $22! The documents that come with this report helps you to apply the results of the analysis to your haircare. I have fine hair, so I just check the section with fine hair to learn how to treat it. There are similar sections about kinking, pH, etc. The hair analysis below is just the icing. The cake is the accompanying documents from GoosefootPrints.
The Analysis
Hair Analysis Results For:
Pedaheh
Hair strand thickness: Fine
25% is very fine, 35% is fine, the remaining 40% is medium - but most hairs are at the finer end of the medium range.
Key for strand thickness:
Very fine hair: Less than or equal to 40 microns
Fine hair: 40-60 microns
Medium hair: 60-80 microns
Coarse hair Greater than 80 microns
1 micron = 0.001 millimeters
Hair elasticity dry: Normal
Hairs stretched between 20% to 35%
Hair elasticity wet: Normal to low
Your hairs stretched between 28% to 40% of original length, so there is quite a bit of variability - you have a mixture of normal elasticity and low elasticity hairs.
"Normal" dry elasticity is the ability to stretch 20-30% of original length
"Normal" wet elasticity is the ability to stretch 50% of original length
Porosity: Normal to porous
Your hairs vary from normal porosity to porous, with only slightly increasing porosity from root to ends. Kinking adds increased porosity. In some cases, there is normal-porosity hair immediately next to a microscopic kink upon which there are many more broken cuticles. The kinking on your hairs, where it occurred, is microscopic and can occur as frequently as 0.4 mm apart (0.015 inches apart). Those hairs feel bumpy. When it occurred less frequently (and in finer hairs) the hair feels mostly smooth and slippery with just a few bumpy places.
Porosity is determined visually.
Low porosity: Hair with cuticles intact when viewed face-on and with cuticles overlapping snugly when viewed on the edge of the hair.
Normal porosity: Takes into account normal wear and tear. Viewed face-on there are chipped cuticles with rare small gaps, rare cracks. Viewed from the edge, cuticles look like shingles on a roof with few flaring or jagged ("raised") looking cuticle scales.
Porous: Many chipped, broken or missing cuticle scales. Cracks may be present and frequent. Viewed on the edge, cuticles can be seen flaring out at the ends or standing away from the hair.
Kinking: Kinking is present. 40% of the hairs examined had microscopic and some macroscopic (visible to the naked eye) kinks of the narrowing and also twisting type. This kinking is significant enough to add porosity to your otherwise healthy hair.
pH: Because you said you occasionally use citric acid rinses, I tested your hairs in a citric acid and distilled water solution at 2 concentrations: 1/4 teaspoon citric acid in 1 cup of water
(pH 2-2.5) and 1/8 teaspoon citric acid in 1 cup of water (pH 3). At the higher concentration, the hair began to show signs of acid moving into the hair (see photo) and more swelling than in water alone. The lesser concentration had a lesser effect.
You might consider reducing the amount of citric acid in your rinses if it will still give you the desired result.
I also tested your hair in a solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda per cup of water, pH 8. Your hair responded dramatically to this! Swelling was pronounced, cuticles were clearly lifted away as a result and bubbles were evolving from the hair, which is common when hair is placed in too-high pH - that high pH solution is diffusing in and proteins and lipids are going out into the baking soda solution.
 |
| The above 2 photos are the same hair with a different focus to show the details. |
Disclaimer: This analysis is based on physical measurements and visual examination. There is
no guarantee that the suggested ingredients will work for your hair. Recommendations are based on ingredient manufacturer’s specifications and testing, articles published in peer reviewed journals, and hair science texts.
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