Curl Up and Write » Hairdays

Don’t Get it Twisted

Trina — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

The winner of the joke contest is Nina D! Nina, email me your address so I can send your book. Thanks for everybody that entered on Facebook, but sorry folks the contest was only here on the blog. Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled program…

I know I preach about how much I love weave. And I do. It’s one of my favorite accessories. But like any great accessory, it has to be removed. (I mean who really goes to sleep wearing their Chanel sunglasses, or an armful of gold bangles?) That being said, right now I am not wearing a weave. That’s right folks, I’m wearing my real hair, and I plan to for the duration of the summer. Yes, I love my weave, but the foundation to any great hairstyle is healthy hair first. So take a look at Naomi Campbell’s bald spot.

This is sad guys. I’m not a doctor, but her bald spot looks like traction alopecia. Traction alopecia is caused by tightly woven weave, tight ponytails or anything that causes unnecessary tension on the scalp. If corrected promptly, the hair will grow back, but not if it’s been abused for years. I have seen so many clients that come to me with bald spots caused by improper weave placement. Most of them want to continue wearing their weave, not as an accessory, but because of necessity to hide their thinning hairline. Yes, Naomi is the epitome of glamour with her long locks, but her hair should never have gotten to this point. Ladies, I fully endorse the loveliness of weave, but don’t get it twisted—never at the expense of your real hair!

This post is not meant to poke fun at anyone, clearly Naomi is embarrassed by all the coverage of her bald spot. This post is meant to be a wake-up call. Ladies, weave is meant to accentuate your natural beauty, like makeup is used to highlight the beautiful features of your face. It should never be used to the extent where you have to wear it, because the hair underneath is severely damaged. Yes, weaves and wigs can be a lifesaver for those women who suffer from hair loss due to cancer or alopecia. But if your weave practices cause damage, then stop. Just stop it.

I love weave. But look at my hair.

Full, thick, but most important–healthy. (I admit it’s a little Texas Pageant, but I live in Houston folks!) At any length, healthy hair is beautiful hair. I cannot stress this enough. Yes, folks I rock a weave. But trust, my weave does not rock me.

Sweat Off the Neck

Trina — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

It seems that there are a lot of ways to spell Unbeweaveable. It’s a spin on the word unbelievable—my main character Mariah is addicted to her weave and discovers an unbelievable family secret—hence the title, Unbeweaveable. I’ve always spelled Unbeweaveable adding the –e before the –able. But unbelievable doesn’t have the –e, so many have it spelled like this: Unbeweavable. Small hiccup I know but I don’t want any of you guys getting confused. Unbeweaveable, Unbeweavable—it’s the same book and as long as you’re out there purchasing a copy—which I’m sure many of you have already done, pre-order now!—I don’t care much about the spelling. As long as it’s correct on the book, which it is, then it doesn’t bother me.

I know what a boiled egg feels like. Every time I step outside my door I run into a brick wall of heat. It can get intensely hot in Houston—and that leave’s a Weavy Wonder like me to answer some of your hair care dilemma’s this summer to keep the sweat off your neck and keep you fierce in this boiling summer heat.

Bob It

The obvious thing to do would be to cut all your hair off. (A bald head means a cool head right?) But if you’re not up for a big chop, try a bob. It’s the look I plan to wear this summer and to make it carefree I plan to add tousled loose waves like Selma Hayek on the June issue of InStyle.

Ladies, a bob is classy, chic, cool—three adjectives I know most women are going for this summer. So obviously, to keep sweat off your neck this summer rock a shorter style. Afraid to go this short? Have your stylist fake it out by pinning the back up with bobby pins and have your layered hair hang over. Or go for a full fake-out with a sew-in weave. You can braid up your long locks and add shorter hair for an instant update to your look.

Pin It

I am loving Jada Pinkett’s hair lately! One of my favorite looks, (besides her flawless waves) is when she wears a ponytail.

Too simple, you say? No way! A ponytail highlights your cheekbones, your eyes, and if tight enough can take ten years off your face. (Insert laughter here.) But seriously, it’s the rare woman that can’t pull off the ponytail, so play with what works for you. The goal is to have attention brought to your beautiful face. Now who wouldn’t love that?

Braid It

Braids are many women’s go-to source to beat-the-heat-beauty. And why not? If done correctly they provide your real hair with a break and are extremely low maintenance. (I said low maintenance, not no maintenance! Every style will require a few things to keep it up.)

You can rock an elaborate corn-rowed look like Jill Scott; or wear a romantic up-do like Mary Kate Olsen. Either way you cut it, both looks scream summer style, just make sure your stylist is experienced with different braiding techniques.

So there it is folks, my way to beat the heat this summer. Sweat on the neck is never a cute thing, but trying new looks to beat it is always in style. Besides you need room to put the ice-pack on your neck—did I mention how hot it is outside?

Wigs, Wigs, and More Wigs

Trina — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I’m still in lovely Florida and will be home soon to post pictures of my adventures. I had a lovely time with family, and didn’t worry about my book launch one bit. Well maybe two bits. I mean, who takes a vacation three weeks before their book is out? I do. And I enjoyed every second of it. I have book give-a-ways soon and other lovely things to give away. And my lovely hubby has promised that my website will be finished before Unbeweaveable is released. Isn’t that right baby?

Okay, I had a question from a reader asking me why I don’t talk about wigs. I never meant to leave my Wiggy’s out of the equation, and of course I’ve worn several in my lifetime, so today let’s talk about wigs—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

First off, wigs are—and should be—every woman’s best friend. I personally think that every woman should have a few in their hairstyling arsenal. Think about it ladies, haven’t you needed to run errands and didn’t feel like worrying about your hair? Maybe you wanted to sit a full day with deep conditioner or you had your niece play in your hair revealing a few crooked cornrows, (Is that just me? Oh, alright…), whatever the case may be—you don’t feel like doing your hair. But if you owned a wig—Ta-da! Out comes a perfectly coiffed head of hair ready to be worn. No need to make an appointment with your stylist. (Now before you pick up your phone, you can’t fire ‘em—you still need them to maintain your wig and your hair underneath.) If you owned a wig you’re ready to go at a moments notice. Wigs are also more comfortable than the wigs of yesterday—now they can be worn without sweat rolling down your neck—thanks to a feather-light base. Wigs come in various colors and styles; synthetic hair, (machine-made hair, cheap if you’re on a budget, but need to be replaced frequently), human hair, (my personal preference, can be styled just like your natural hair, shampooed, curled, blow-dried, more expensive but lasts much longer.)

The one myth about wigs is that lace fronts are a new trend. These wigs have been around for years, (hairstylists have used these wigs for decades on movie sets) and now they have hit mainstream. These wigs can look beautiful, but are expensive, (some costing well over $5,000.) Of course, most of us can’t spend that much money on wigs, so we run to our local beauty supply and spend $100 dollars on a cheap lace front wig. What’s worse, some of the young girls are now shaving their hairline to make their wigs look more natural. Ladies, I’m all for beautiful hair, but if you are shaving hair, to get hair then you don’t need any hair. It’s ridiculous and it’s just as glaring as a bald man wearing a bad toupee. Trust me ladies, it’s ugly and if you’re friends aren’t telling you, I am. Stop it!

Wigs are definitely becoming the trend for celebrities. Katy Perry donned a blue wig for this year’s MTV Movie Award’s. What I like about her look is that she is making a statement, letting everyone know that she is wearing a wig. I mean come on people how many of us have hair like this?

Another Wiggy is Lady Gaga. She loves to change her look as we all know, and nothing is like a wig to help her achieve her transformations.

This is an obvious lace front, but she has opted to keep her hairline. (I feel like I’m on a Save the Hairline campaign!)

But my all-time favorite Wiggy, has to be Wendy Williams. I love her honesty about her wigs, I love how her wigs have almost became another character on her show.

This woman loves her wigs like it’s another child and has several to take her through the day. (She even has a wig that she wears when she works out—now that’s a true Wiggy!)

So guys I love wigs just like my weave, but the most important rule is that you must take care of your hair underneath. Because healthy hair is beautiful hair. But a bald hairline is not.

Color Me Bad

Trina — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Have you guys seen Rihanna’s new hair color. It’s umm…a little bright. It brings to mind images of Kool-Aid.

I think because she is a musician she can get away with just about anything. Red hair, shaved head—anything goes when you don’t have to clock in at a nine-to-five. What do you guys think of the color? Love it or leave it?

Go Janet!

Trina — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:44:00 +0000

I got so excited about this I had to post twice in one day! Have you guys seen Janet’s new haircut? She’s looking fierce!

I think it looks great. It really shows off her cheekbones, (one of her best features in my opinion). I know, I know, I’m a Weavy Wonder, but I’m all for whatever hairstyle looks best on you. I don’t know how long she plans on keeping this look, but I love that she gave up the weave for awhile, (Aack, I can’t believe I said that!) and is trying something new. All I have to say is—Go Janet!

What do you guys think, love it or hate it?

The Brave Ones

Trina — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:57:52 +0000

In case you guys haven’t heard, Chrisette Michele has cut her hair. Again.

When Chrisette first came on the music scene she wore a shoulder-length weave. (Don’t ask me how I know. I just know.)

For her second album she started strutting her stuff in a much shorter ‘do.

I wasn’t very fond of this cut on her. Not that I liked the weave style much either, it just seemed that neither hairstyle matched her style vocally. But now she has done it again. The BIG chop.

I LOVE her hair now. It really fits her, (I keep saying what fits her as if I know her personally. Old hairstylist habits die hard…) and now she stands out in a very crowded market of female performers.

Now, I will always will be a fan of weave. But I do realize that when I’m having an acne breakout, (Like right now. Hello bangs!) or when I don’t feel like wearing make-up, I swing my weave around to draw attention away from what’s really going on. When my hair was shorter I didn’t have that to lean on and I felt vulnerable. There was nothing to hide under, I was putting myself out there. In a lot of ways I grew up when I cut my hair. I learned to lean on me, and not use any physical thing to shield the true me. That experience helped me to realize that hair is just hair. It’s the secret person of the heart that truly matters.

Yes, I love my weave but after taking it out for a year I’m not dependent on it. As a hairstylist I’ve rocked many hairstyles, (blue highlights, spikes, crimped waves—trust me when I say I’ve done it all…) and now I’m growing my hair out and plan to rock a bob this summer.

When you cut your hair you are saying to the world, “This is me, look at me.” It puts the spotlight, not on your hair or your body, but your beautiful face. And with a face like this who wouldn’t want to rock their hair short?

Your Signature Look

Trina — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I’m on the part of my novel where I need to push myself past the hum-drum and get to the meat of the story so I can finish this book! I’m very close to the end, but I seem to be wasting time on little scenes, instead of getting to the crux of the story. It’s funny, I can’t wait to finish this book, but seems I’m hesitating to finish. What will I complain about once I’m finished writing it? Oh wait, revisions. Dang, thought I was on easy street…

Looking at Jill Scott at the “Why Did I Get Married Too” premiere she really reflected her hit song, “Golden”. She looked gorgeous.

Love the braids going down the side of her head and the cascading curls on the other side, (helped out with my best friend, weave of course.) And her body in this dress? Slamming.

Jill loves to play with different looks where her hair is concerned, but all of the styles are quintessential, Jill.

This is something I’ve preached to my clients for years. Find a look that’s uniquely yours, but be willing to update your look from time to time. Jill loves her natural hair, but it’s the fact that the she plays with different textures and colors that keeps her look fresh.

Having a signature look doesn’t have to be boring. After years of playing with different hairstyles I’ve finally found my signature look—long hair. But I change up my hairstyles so much (bangs, sleek and straight, voluminous curls), that it never looks stale.

Trying something new while still keeping your “look” isn’t as hard as it sounds. Little tweaks here and there to your current style is all you need. Have a great weekend everybody!

Ciara is Addicted Too!

Trina — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Guess what’s the one thing that Ciara can’t live without?

Her hair extensions!

When Essence.com asked her what’s the one thing she couldn’t live without she said:

This may be very blunt, but I can’t live without my hair extensions! It’s the truth! I don’t want to wear my (real) hair all the time because I want to protect it. What would the world be like without some extra hair? It would be crazy! I need my extensions; I love the drama. I love to be able to have fun with my hair and protect it at the same time.

Aaahh, a women after my own heart.

This confirms the fact that I’ve known all along—that my novel, Unbeweavable, is timely, and many women can relate to the heartbreak of losing their weave.

To read the entire interview, click here.

Bangs Continued…

Trina — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:00:00 +0000

I’ve talked about how much I’ve wanted to rock bangs. I wore bangs for most of the month of December. Here’s a picture of me, before the hubby and I went out to dinner:

(It looks like I’m wearing a blanket for a shirt, but it’s actually a really cool dress. I’m tall and the dress would have been scandalous if I’d worn it alone so I added tight black pants under the dress. Made a really nice ensemble).

I don’t look too bad with bangs.

My hair is different now. I’m getting ready to revamp my website for my next book, Unbeweavable, so I chose a style that I wouldn’t get tired of looking at through the year.

So all you scaredy cats out there—don’t be afraid to try something new! Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won’t, but at least you will get used to looking at something different in the mirror. Changing your hair is the easiest way to a) look younger, b) feel revived and renewed, and c) update your look. If you don’t have money to change your wardrobe, then change your hair. You can leave the house dressed in a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans—partner that with a glamorous head of hair—and you will turn heads. (The same can’t be said for wearing a designer dress and walking around like Buckwheat by the head.)

Start the new year with a new hairstyle and a new you will slowly unfold.

Have a great weekend!

Go Shorty

Trina — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0000

I love Halle Berry’s hair. She cut her hair for the new movie role she’s playing based on the main character in the book Nappily Ever After.

I’m a weave fanatic, but I’m a stylist first. (I know I’m retired. But once a stylist, always a stylist.) I say that to say, that a women should wear their hair for them. Not for anyone else. The three things that you have to think about when considering a hairstyle change is:

Your Face

Please don’t walk around in a hairstyle that doesn’t fit your face. Look at Halle Berry. Yes, she looks good with longer hair, but she looks better with her short, pixie cut. It flatters her face and brings out the delicate features—her skin, her cheekbones, her long neck.

Your Lifestyle

You have to pick something that you can keep up with. Always on the go? Then don’t pick a hairstyle that will take you hours to do in the morning. If your hair is curly, stop fighting the flat-iron and rock your curls. Short hair is high-maintenance. So if you don’t have the time for weekly salon visits, then keep enough length so that you can throw it in a ponytail on days you’re rushed for time.

Your Money

Get something you can afford. Don’t dye your hair platinum blond if you can’t afford the upkeep. Don’t rock a weave, (I know—shocking that I would tell any woman that she shouldn’t wear a weave), if you can’t afford to go to the salon to take care of it.

Basically, do you. Forget trends. Pick a style that looks great on you, something that fits your lifestyle and something you can afford. It’s your hair. Make it the best it can be!

Have a good weekend everybody!