“What are you going to do with your hair?”

Often times, I’m not quite sure how to respond to that question, and I have lost count how many times I’ve been asked it over the past few years.  I’ve heard every form of that question like, “When are you going to braid it?” or “Are you trying to grow locs?”  But while I’m able to keep my composure on the outside (at least I think so), my internal monologue says something like, “Oh, my hair isn’t “done” enough for you?!”

I take great pride in my mane and how I take care of it.  Psychologically, I’ve gotten over the need for it to look perfectly defined and have started to embrace the “messiness” that is my fro.  Unfortunately, there’s still this expectation that my fro, as it stands, is not a complete or good look.  But at the end of the day, I’m happy with it and I guess that’s what matters most, right?

I’ve got an itch…a serious one and it’s driving me crazy! You see, every Winter I try to grow out my beard at least once. I don’t know what it is…maybe I have a hidden desire to be a lumberjack, who knows? What I do know is, my face itches like crazy!

Several of you out there may know what I’m talking about. If you do, you understand how annoying new stubble can be. If you’ve never grown a beard, beware! You’re likely to have a serious itch, especially for the first couple of days/a week.

But there is some good news! While there’s no one size fits all cure to the “beard itchies” as I call them, I’ve found three things that make me feel much better in the growing out phase:

1. Moisture, moisture, moisture. During the first couple of days of your grow out process you may want to consider being overzealous about keeping your mug nice and moisturized. It certainly has helped me a bit. Plus, you should be doing anyway, right?!

2. Exfoliation is key. Using a daily exfoliant, like my personal favorite Shea Moisture Argan Oil Scrub, will help with moisture as well as lifting up beard hairs, limiting tangles and knots which is especially crucial for guys with curlier hair textures.

3. Comb it. Everyday. Just like the mane on top of your head. You won’t regret it.

If you’re going to don a beard, prepare yourself for the discomfort that will come with your protruding stubble. Be smart and continue to moisturize diligently and exfoliate regularly to ease the discomfort. And if you have a thick or long beard, you may to even consider conditioning it. And yes, I’m totally serious.

Needless to say, this change is a bit of a gut check for me as I’ve gotten very used to my hair at a certain length, but I’m glad for the change.   Lately my hair has really been getting on my nerves with all the detangling and such so I headed to the barber for a little fro maintenance.

Honestly, the cut is shorter than I initially wanted (from about 4.5-5  inches to 1.5 inches, roughly) but I’m relatively pleased with where my length is at the moment.  I find a little reassurance knowing that my hair grows pretty quickly and that the barber was very impressed with the condition of my hair (I must be doing something right!).   To be fair, I’m in a bit of shock as I’ve basically traveled back three years in time in under an hour, but I’m very much looking forward to seeing how this change affects how I feel and treat my hair in the coming months.  Until next time!

I started Movember 1st with a completely bare face and immediately felt that I had regressed a good 10-15 years.  I turned into a bashful teenager again and found myself counting down the days until my stache made a come back.  These days, I’m feeling a bit more like my usual self, but shaving off my stache and goatee taught me how facial hair, for guys, really is a symbol of adult/manhood.  I remember being younger, looking at my father and thinking, what will I look like when I grow a moustache?  Will I be cool then?  Will I look “old”?   It’s funny how big a difference a little razor blade and shaving cream can make.

The goatee is slowly making its way back (woo hoo!) and I’m starting to feel like a grown man again, thankfully.  I have to say that Movember was an enlightening experience as it made me more conscious about health issues affecting men around the world.  It also gave me impetus to continue to monitor my health as I get older as well the other guys in my life.  So, I guess Movember serves it’s purpose after all, huh? Plus, the Mo Gala was pretty fun too!

Movember fundraises year round for men’s health issues and you can visit their U.S. page here for more information.  Finally, check out this video from Movember CEO & Co-Founder Adam Garone as he wraps up another successful Movember campaign.

Happy Monday all!  This past month I have been raising money for men’s health initiatives through the Movember campaign.  Thanks to everyone for your donations.  To date, MANE MAN has raised $255 surpassing my goal of $200!  This past Saturday the month of fundraising concluded with the infamous Mo Gala at NYC’s Roseland Ballroom. Having never been to a Mo Gala before I was a bit nervous as I didn’t really know what to expect.  It turns out that the gala is as hilariously entertaining as the official Movember videos seem.  There were lots of costumes (Freddie Mercury and Frida Kahlo were among my favorites) and I had a great time even though I had to scold a few mo’s after their uninvited petting of the fro.

On the other hand, I met some fun people and danced to mostly 80′s music for the majority of the night.  I got the pleasure of meeting Movember Founder Adam Garone, who incidentally complimented my stache!  I even convinced a friend of mine to slip my MANE MAN card in his pocket but that’s neither here nor there.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get good photos of the costumes but I must tell you, if you get the opportunity to go, you should give it a go at least once. Plus, it’s for a good cause!  It is a bit of a circus but only in the best way possible.  I definitely think I’ll be back next year! Check out some pics below!

Anything worth doing…

There were even customized fortune cookies to nibble on.

There was a pretty good turnout…

Anyone up for an impromptu game of soccer? Ok, why not?

Me with Movember Founder, Adam Garone.

A hilariously awesome stache.

See you next year Mos!

If you do an internet search for “natural hair definition” or any combination of the forms of those words you will end up with millions of results. Most likely they will put you in the direction of the best products, tools and methods to define your natural hair. But for me lately, achieving that great definition has seemed less and less important.

For some time now, I’ve been preoccupied, albeit obsessed, with getting the right products to give my fro that definition and clump factor that I’d seen in so many of the You Tube videos and blogs from natural hair gurus. Then a few months ago, I started to notice how good my hair looked on days two and three after doing a “wash and go”. Recently, I had an epiphany…I like my hair the most on days two or three. Go figure!

Achieving definition is a hot topic for debate in the natural hair community and I suspect it won’t be going away any time soon. All I know is, the longer I have had my fro I’ve gotten more comfortable with fluffier hair to the point that I actually prefer it. And trust me, that’s a world of difference from when I first started growing my fro 3 years ago.

You might remember my recent trip to Miss Jessie’s salon in SoHo that left me feeling pretty unsatisfied with my experience.  Well, I decided to give it another shot.  After months of back and forth about getting rid of some length I finally decided to take a leap of faith and recently stopped into a local barber shop one day and said, “You see what I have now, I want to leave with half of it.”  He listened! And after a few moments/days of slight panic, I’m feeling pretty good about the cut!  My only real qualm about the experience was that when he picked out my hair, he didn’t pick from the ends to the root which caused a lot of pulling, but I gave him a pass and even helped by finger combing a bit while I was in the chair.   Here’s my new(ish) look!

Miss Jessie's Curl Bar

Recently, I’ve been increasingly frustrated with my hair and felt like I needed a new beginning of sorts. Plus, it’s been getting hot and humid in NYC so I bit the bullet and decided to do a little chop!  As you might remember, I actually got a trim about two months ago but it didn’t do much to take out any of the length. Plus, that wasn’t really the goal at the time.

I’ve been curious about Miss Jessie’s Curl Bar (in SoHo) for a while and their style of cutting afro/curly textured hair called the “Buttercut”.  A while ago, I tweeted Miss Jessie’s and learned that the “Buttercut” entails blowing the hair out first before the cut to ensure clean and even lines. To be honest, I put off the appointment for a while due to my fear of heat and the possible damage to my hair (and scalp) but when I was given the “Buttercut” service as a birthday gift I decided to give it a shot!

The "Before" Pic on the subway

I ended up at the salon after passing it initially as there is some scaffolding right above the entrance which obscured the building a bit.  Once I entered the salon, I was initially impressed with the clean, white and  metallic feel and the worker (who I think was the manager) immediately greeted me and saw me to my chair.  So far so good!

I got in the chair, all nervous and all, as I was the only guy and truly felt a little bit out of my league.  While the environment is welcoming, it’s not exactly comfortable.  It is a pretty nice salon set up.  Those of you familiar with beautiful salon spaces as opposed to more comfy ones will certainly appreciate it.

I met with my stylist Diana who I told to cut off 1/2 of my total length. I even gave her license to cut it a little shorter than that as I was trying to lose a lot of length for the upcoming Summer heat.  She nodded in affirmation and said, “No problem!”  First though, I had to have my hair blown hair out.  The assistant went to town and needless to say, the heat was on.

Look at all that hair! Did I mention it was hot?!

After the blow out, Diana got to chopping away and seemed a bit modest with the scissors so I kindly reminded her to chop away.  “Go at it!” I said.  After a while, she stopped and moved me to the shampoo bowl where I got my complimentary wash and conditioning (using Miss Jessie’s products of course!).  I thought my hair looked a little long, but it was still blown out after all so I figured after washing it would shrink up quite a bit so onto the bowl I went.  After my refusal of any styling services, Diana and the assistant insisted on putting in some curly pudding so I figured what the hey, go for it.  But, now that meant I had to sit under the dryer.  Did I mention it was a pretty warm June day already?

Very hot and unhappy sitting under a dryer.

After several checks from both the assistant and the stylist, I was finally released from the torture chamber (I kid, I kid) and went back into the chair for my final touches, or at least that’s what I thought.  I took one very quick  look in the mirror and told Diana something like, “This isn’t nearly short enough, I’m sorry but I need you to cut more.” She seemed a bit puzzled but ran with it, and then re-blew out my hair and started chopping away again.  It’s hot and I’m hungry.  Can I go yet?!  Meanwhile, her next client arrived who was now being worked on by the assistant and the woman in the chair next to me requested a new stylist apparently because hers was seemingly slow and she had places to be.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one having problems.

The cut was noticeably shorter this time around so I was much more satisfied.  After cutting away some more, I went back to the bowl for a condition and this time I adamantly refused any dryer time or styling.  Again, the manager insisted the assistant scrunch in some Baby Buttercream.  PS I HATE the way that stuff makes my hair feel! With the end in sight, I didn’t protest too much and went up to pay.  My distaste with some of the days happenings must have been written all over my face as another stylist approached me at the register and asked if I needed it to be re-cut. “No thank you,” I stated flatly….”it’s much shorter now.  Thank you though.”  I left the salon, re-emerged into the urban grid and went home to relax.  I checked myself out in the mirror at home and noticed it was good cut, not as short as I wanted, but definitely a good cut.   A few days later I washed and conditioned with Curly Kinks products (review coming soon!) and felt good about the cut.

Arriving home after my visit to Curl Bar.

Overall, I think the salon is a bit too fancy for a guy like me but would be more suited for someone who is more used to the bells and whistles.  It’s beautiful and in a trendy area which some people might really gravitate to, but for me, it wasn’t what I expected.  Ultimately, the communication between myself and my stylist  left me with a less than stellar experience but I think I understand the madness that is the “Buttercut”.  My curls certainly pop a lot more than they did pre-cut, and the staff at Miss Jessie’s Curl Bar was nothing but polite and courteous.  I was there for entirely too long and it seems the staff is a bit stubborn when it comes to client requests and directions.  I had really high expectations which my experience did not meet.  Would I go back?  Probably not. Would I recommend it to someone else?  Not really.  It’s sad, I really wanted to LOVE it, but I just didn’t.

• Courteous staff and customers.  I have to admit the first time I went into Afrigenix, I was nervous as I’m not used to going to salons for hair care.  As many of you know, barber shops have a totally different vibe, but I was pleasantly surprised that everyone I have ever run into at Afrigenix is nothing but professional and courteous.
• Reasonable prices.  Now on this one, I have to piggy back on feedback from other customers.  Truth be told, I was used to going into a barber shop and paying $20 total for a shape up and cut.  While Afrigenix has reasonable prices, I have to say that the first time I went there I experienced a bit of sticker shock.  However, I have to say that apparently Afrigenix is a good value, especially in NYC.
• Versatility of styling options.  While I don’t get any styling done while I’m there the salon offers a variety of styling options for both naturals and non-naturals alike.

Before the cut!

After the cut..the picked out fro!

So, there I was having a good time with friends and there came a lumberjack/bear of a man who was making a bee line towards me. For real, I was scared y’all.  So, he gets closer and asks, “IS YOUR HAIR REAL?!” At the same time, he had his wooly mammoth bear paw outstretched to go in for the kill.  There was no, “Can I touch your hair?” Nothing.  And that’s when I realized I had perfected my fro-tastic fail proof plan for ignorant boundary pushers… “the Duck & Swipe”. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Identify the ignorant.  Keep tabs on lurkers around your area and people who lock eyes on your mane.  Try not to be TOO hypervigilant though. You don’t want to ruin your fun.

Step 2: Watch the approach and time your duck perfectly.  Be sure to bend your knees for taller offenders and always duck in the direction opposite of their approach.  This is very important.

Step 3: While in mid-duck,  you already should have started your arm swipe to fend off any predators.  In my experience, if you wait to swipe after you’ve said “No!” it will probably be too late.  The timing takes practice.

Step 4: Practice, practice, practice.  After a few failed attempts you will become a pro in no time and be able to fend off any fro-hungry zombie no matter where you are.  It also helps to have good friends who aren’t afraid to swat away when a random sneaks up on you.  Good luck, it’s rough out there!

It looks a little something like this. Accessories are entirely optional.

]]> http://www.manemanblog.com/2012/03/12/the-duck-swipe/feed/ 1 http://www.manemanblog.com/2012/02/07/a-detangling-nightmare/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-detangling-nightmare http://www.manemanblog.com/2012/02/07/a-detangling-nightmare/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:20:39 +0000 MANE MAN http://www.manemanblog.com/?p=1290 I’m so frustrated y’all.  This past weekend I shampooed and then started to detangle.  This time, and this has been happening a lot lately, my Denman laughed at me.  I’m talking full on, gut-jiggling chortle.  First, the pad slipped out of the brush and went flying around the bathroom. Once I reassembled (mind you, I was still in the shower) and restarted my detangling I realized the brush felt a bit weird in my hair. It just wasn’t catching the way it normally would.  So I pause for a moment, look down and one of the rows is all wrapped up underneath the pad…how the hell did that happen?!  Did I mention, this is a modified Denman!

I’m fed up.  The Denman use to help out quite a bit but now it seems like its more of a hindrance than a help.  Finger detangling takes so much time (which I don’t always have) and my wide tooth comb is just alright these days.  Got any suggestions?

What’s your favorite tool for detangling?

In NC we didn’t really have anything like this to enjoy.  If we wanted to go holiday shopping we would just head to a mall or nearby shopping center and go at it.  It’s nothing like here where you can be out in the fresh air sipping on hot cider  and nibbling on delicious baked goods.  This past Sunday I went to the Bryant Park Holiday Market and did a little shopping.  We even got to see some folks fall while ice skating. Don’t you just love the holiday season?  In NY, there are multiple holiday markets to check out and I think they’re all open until Christmas Eve…awesome huh?  The are three Manhattan locations: one at Bryant Park, one at Columbus Circle and the final one at Union Square.  In the next few weeks, I’ll be making the rounds and I hope you will too if you’re in the area.  I took a few pictures with my phone while we were out and about. Check em out below! (Click on the picture for full sized photos)

At the Sabon booth. They sell bath and body products and were kind enough to give me a body scrub demo...my hands have never been so soft! Check them out at sabonnyc.com.

A nice day in NY!

CitiPond at Bryant Park

Finally found the Shea Moisture booth and got a great deal. 3 products for $20! Check them out on the corner of 41st and 6th Avenue.

The fountain at Bryant Park. My phone seriously does not do it justice.

My Shea Moisture products. I'm finally trying their body products. I'll let you know what I think!

I didn’t try the food at Pranna but the drinks were decent, although a bit pricey, but I heard more than a few folks praise the food.  Check it out if you’re in the Murray Hill/Gramercy area and in the mood for a cool and sophisticated lounge. Thanks to Kisha (pictured far left) for sending the picture along!

Kisha, Me, and Curly Nikki!