onlyalittlecrazy
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Natural Hair Care During Adventures / Apocalypse / Modern / Historical settings
Caring for natural (curly) hair in a setting with no access to modern hair products
So it’s the apocalypse. Your curly-haired character is on the run. They find themselves on an adventure in a fantasy world. It’s a castaway story. Or the whatever-eth century and they’re in an environment that doesn’t exactly accommodate curly, coily haired types.
Either way, manufactured hair products are far and few between, or they’re simply not made for afro hair. Considering how your Black character handles their hair in this environment makes their circumstances more realistic and relatable.
Topics Featured in this Guide:
Hair Products found in Natural Environment
Hair Oils - Benefits and How To Extract
Protective Hair Techniques & Styles
Curly Hair Types & Hair Needs
Hair Routine Samples
Hair Straightening
FAQ
There is a writing takeaway at the end of each topic.
Brief descriptions provided after images. Contact me for fully accessible version.
Hair Products found in Natural Environment
Consider the essential needs of afro hair: water and fat.
Water (or liquid) is essential for nourishing the hair.
Fat (hair oils, creams, butters) is essential for both growth and protection.
Many curly-haired folks already use natural resources and plants to care for their hair - aka DIY hair-care. So characters concocting their own products should not be a strange concept. (I personally buy most of my natural hair products, and create my own hair masks, protein treatments, and oil blends.)
What they could use would depend on environment, time, and availability.
Hair Healthy Produce
Coconut - The all-purpose hair aid with multi forms, from oil to solid cream. Hardens in cold weather; best not to use when environment has freezing temps.
Banana - Typically removed after use (hair masks, conditioners)
Avocado - Applied as hair products, masks, and oils.
Strawberry - Mashed and applied directly to hair or mixed with oils.
Hair Healthy Proteins, Plants, Fats
Eggs - Hardens when dry. Strong odor. Removed after use. (protein masks)
Honey - Pulls moisture from air into hair - avoid during the dry winter!
Shea Nuts - Made into shea butter. All-purpose hair and body care.
Flaxseed - Gel made by boiling & straining flax seeds. Many DIY videos online.
Hair Healthy Herbs and Flora
Hibiscus - Sebaceous = oil-producing gland. Flowers crushed into paste or oil.
Peppermint - Can rub out oil from leaves. Often used in oil form on scalp.
Lavender - Often used as an oil directly applied to the scalp, or brewed as tea.
Rosemary - Often combined with olive oil in use with hair; can be used alone.
More Hair Healthy Herbs and Flora
Aloe Vera - Succulent. Can extract sap directly from leaf and apply like gel.
Burdock - Contains essential fatty acids and phytosterol compounds.
Dandelion - Can use the roots, stems, leaves and sap for hair and skin.
Rose - Common use is rose water: steep roses in boiling water to create.
Hair Healthy Products (rare or require effort to make/find)
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) - Diluted before use and often washed out after.
Bentonite Clay - Aged volcanic ash. Combined with ACV for best activation.
Oils - Key component for sealing moisture. See the next discussion.
Yogurt - Base of many DIY hair products like masks and deep conditioners.
Oils for Hair
Oil is a key component to afro hair care. It nourishes and seals in moisture. Let’s discuss common hair oils and extraction methods that could, more likely, be done using homemade or historical equipment.
Oil Extraction
If oils aren’t readily available to purchase, the person would need to find or create tools to either extract the oil via pressing or heat the nuts or seeds. Consider the basic tools that have been around since ancient times. For example, the mortar and pestle. What creative use can be made out of existing tools in the person’s environment?
Hair Oils and Benefits (by potential ease to extract.)
Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado and Grapeseed Oil.
FYI: These aren’t the only methods or necessarily professional means of extraction. I also left off hair-healthy oils that seemed complicated to extract without high-grade equipment. So, this isn’t an all-inclusive list of oil or methods.
Natural Hair Product Creation
So what exactly would your character create? Here’s some natural hair products and potential main ingredients. May be used alone or combined.
Leave-in moisturizers: Plain water, coconut water, rose water
Leave-in creams: (protect/style) honey, shea, aloe vera, flaxseed, flora
Hair Cleansing Conditioner: plant water, coconut, honey, light oils
Hair Rinse/Co-wash: Apple cider vinegar, coconut, brewed tea water
Hair Masks: Mashed fruits, yogurt, proteins (eggs), clay, honey
DIY Recipe Search: Try keywords like “DIY natural hair” + “curly hair” “Afro hair” or search all natural hair products and read over the ingredient list. Try small home business and independent sellers (Like etsy)
More Sources:
15 DIY Hair Recipes for Almost Every Step in Your Regimen
14 Homemade Leave-in Conditioner Recipes
Best DIY Recipes for Naturally Curly Hair
Product Storage:
Most homemade products last everywhere from a few days - weeks
Extend the life of spoil-prone products via the cooling system in the work.
Honey does not spoil. Be mindful if it’s mixed with spoil-prone ingredients.
Oils can usually be kept at room temperature and last a long time.
Keeping a small bit of ready made supply may prove time-efficient. If impossible, they may opt to use products that don’t require much time and effort, and are worth their time to make in small batches or to potentially dispose of after.
Writing Takeaway - Natural Product/Oils Creation
With just the above compounds, I can see creative naturals being able to create styling products and moisturizing leave-ins, shampoos, conditioners and hair masks.
Do consider the following:
How simple or complex can their regimen be?
Would they rely more on protective hair styles in their situation?
What is the natural environment: what products are accessible?
How will they store products or must they make a new batch each use?
Can items be purchased by craftsmen or found in abandoned locations?
Can they afford to use edible plants if food is scarce? Food scraps and non-edible plants (like the flora) might be what they rely on.
What are their specific hair care needs? -Discussion on this later-
Natural Hair and Styling
LOC Method as base style
Moisture, sealing in the moisture, and protection are the basic needs for natural hair. The Liquid, Oil, and Cream (LOC) Method, or a variation of the steps, fulfills those basic needs. It can be treated as both a care routine and a style in itself. Personally, if my hair is not in a protective style, I use it every week.
Liquid - Liquid opens hair cuticles to allow moisture to enter hair strands.
Oil - Once cuticles are opened, the oil penetrates hair & seals in moisture.
Cream - Cream further locks in the moisture, and can be used as a styling agent as well to shape and define curls.
Should you use the “LOC method” by name in your work?
A modern setting? Sure. But don’t assume readers know what it means.
A fantasy setting? Probably not, unless earth and its terms carry over.
A historical setting? No. It is a newly coined term.
Protective Hair Styles
Protective hairstyles protect the hair by tucking ends away from the elements. For example, heat, air, hand and fabric manipulation. While not forever solutions (except maybe locs which are a permanent style) there’s many benefits to your character’s wearing them.
Benefits:
Hair growth retention
Saves time styling hair
Helps prevent damage and keep hair healthy
Ideal for any natural (the best style itself may depend on hair type)
Lessens hair’s need and dependence on moisture and hair products
Eliminates some hair maintenance activities (such as detangling)
Considerations:
Hair more difficult to wash and dry thoroughly.
Dryness (unable to access all tucked away hair to moisturize)
Styles kept in too long accumulates dead skin and product build up.
Uninstalling styles can be time consuming, and should be done gently.
Style gets frizzy from growth overtime and/or getting soaked in water.
Protective Styles Short-term (lasting days to weeks)
Afro puff(s) or bun(s)
Back Tuck or Roll and Tuck
Bantu knots
French roll
Pompadour
Roller set
Two-strand twists
Wash and go (low manipulation style)
Shaved (lower maintenance, but not an overnight decision)
Protective Styles Long-term (lasting weeks to months+)
Braids (endless styles and patterns. Typically smaller braids last longer)
Cornrows
Dreadlocks/locs (permanent style, research the hair care)
Extensions
Flat Twists /Twists
Head wraps and hats (endless wrapping styles, colors and patterns!)
Wigs (unless glued, hair maintained underneath or often put in braids)
Writing Takeaway - Protective Hairstyles
Protective styles are an amazing way to protect the character’s hair and would very likely be the go-to for any natural in an uncertain or fast-paced environment. Just in everyday life they’re highly worn so it would especially be the case! Just remember the character needs to eventually undo whatever protective style they have installed to do some hair maintenance (washing, detangling, etc) and give their strands a rest. Also, even hair in protective styles need some attention.
Curly Hair Type and Associated Needs
Determining your hair type is important to knowing its needs. Certain ingredients work best for certain hair types. However everyone is unique and there are more factors to consider than just curl pattern (Also, most curly folks cross into a mix of hair types). There is hair thickness (width & density) and how much moisture and product your hair absorbs (porosity) to consider as well.
I will only cover curl pattern and the commonly associated needs here. To learn more about porosity, width, and density check out the FAQ under the read more.
naturallycurly.com is a great resource and is the source for the images, terms, and information provided below.
Curly Twirly (3A)
Defined loopy “S” pattern. Curls well defined and springy. Big, loose and shiny. Size: Sidewalk chalk size.
Best Products: Gels and creams with light moisture and curl definition.
Curly Spirally (3B)
Well-defined, springy copious curls that range from bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews. Size: Sharpie size.
Best Products: Gels and styling creams with extra moisture and frizz control.
Curly Kinky (3C)
Voluminous, tight corkscrew curls. Either kinky or very tightly curled, with lots of strands densely packed together. The very tight curls are usually fine in texture. Size: Pencil.
Best Products: Styling creams, butters, and oils. Needs gentle care.
Coily Springy (4A)
Well-defined “S” Pattern. Tight, coily, and the most fragile curls.
Size: Crochet Needle or smaller.
4A Best Products & Tips: Styling creams, butters, and oils.
Clarify scalp with tea tree or jojoba oil during washes
This hair needs extra moisture and tender care
Be gentle when handling and detangling hair to avoid stress & breakage
Use thick moisturizers like mango and shea butters to maximize styles
Coily Crimpy (4B)
Less-defined “Z” Pattern. Tight, coily fragile curls. Hair bends at sharp angles.
4B Best Products & Tips: Styling creams, butters, and oils.
Add moisturizing oils before washing (pre-poo/pre-shampoo) with coconut or castor oil to help retain the natural oils in scalp
Do heat-free styles on stretched hair for maximum definition and less frizz
Air-dry hair whenever possible, or use soft cloth to gently dry.
Terry cloth will strip hair’s natural moisture and cause tension on strands
Coily Ziggly (4C)
Tight, coily, fragile curls. Curl pattern won’t clump without styling. Little to no visible definition.
4C Best Products and Tips: Styling creams, butters, and oils.
Use a cleansing conditioner with slippery elm or marshmallow root
Use a creamy humectant [like honey] as a leave-in to maximize protection
A curl defining custard or gel can stretch the coils safely for styled looks
Read the full guide here: Curly Hair Guide: What’s YOUR Curl Pattern?
Writing Takeaway - Hair type and needs
While hair type is just the start of all the intricacies of natural hair needs, it’s definitely a good start. There are other important parts to consider for real life naturals, but going off from hair type and the commonly associated needs should be enough for a story. (But read the FAQ under the read more to keep learning)
Do not get lost in the details, especially for a story that won’t need to cover tons of it. Learn enough to know what you’re talking about and can describe hair care accurately for situations that would affect hair.
Writing Takeaway - Overall:
You don’t have to be lavish in detail, but acknowledging how hair is handled here and there or in a dedicated section is thoughtful and satisfying to see included. It’s also a neutral way to show race without the use of micro-aggressions or racism. Finding the time and means for proper hair care would be a part of their life and potentially a stumbling block on the adventure, so mentioning how hair is handled during these circumstances is a fine idea.
It’s also a great means for representation.
–Mod Colette
Additional Info:
The following information will be nestled under the read more:
Hair Routine Samples - One super simple and one complex hair routine
Hair Straightening - Not ideal to maintain in survival situations, but also was a means of survival and daily living during some historical contexts
FAQ - Would any of this matter during the apocalypse? And what about natural products that attract bugs? Plus more.
Keep reading
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god gives his biggest battles to the strongest soldiers (trying not to add a thousand commas in every sentence)
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shaking six year old me by the shoulders YOU WERE RIGHT. YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT LOVE AND ABOUT FAIRNESS AND ABOUT SHARING IS CARING. YOU WERE RIGHT. THE ADULTS DON’T KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT TRUTH THAN YOU DO. KEEP BELIEVING IN THE FAIRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN. NOTHING IS “JUST THE WAY IT IS”. I AM SORRY THEY EVER CONVINCED YOU TO FEEL SHAME. YOU ARE REAL AND A PART OF THIS WORLD. YOU WERE RIGHT.
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some fucking resources for all ur writing fuckin needs
* body language masterlist
* a translator that doesn’t eat ass like google translate does
* a reverse dictionary for when ur brain freezes
* 550 words to say instead of fuckin said
* 638 character traits for when ur brain freezes again
* some more body language help
(hope this helps some ppl)
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pspspsppspsps
pspspspspsppsspsps
(ignore that i forgot tumblr existed for MONTHS lmao)
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some fucking resources for all ur writing fuckin needs
* body language masterlist
* a translator that doesn’t eat ass like google translate does
* a reverse dictionary for when ur brain freezes
* 550 words to say instead of fuckin said
* 638 character traits for when ur brain freezes again
* some more body language help
(hope this helps some ppl)
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is there ANYTHING more pure than a friend sharing their wip novel or their comic idea or literally any creative project of theirs with you……NO. you made that with your own two hands and if i could eat it i would (out of love respect and admiration obviously)
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when my obsession with superhero aus manifests into an original superhero story-
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Writing romance between characters
A lot of readers like romance, don't they? From romance books to romantic subplots in a fantasy/sci-fi/thriller, we have some sort of romance in the books we read (though not all of them). A lot of times though, we feel the romance is forced and can be extremely unpleasant to watch. Let's discuss some tips about how to write romance properly.
Tension, tension, tension
Tension is key to any romance, whether it be enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, rivals-to-lovers etc. Some examples are longing gazes, hands brushing each other, wistful gazes, hugs that last a little too long and more! Without tension, the romance just feels will be flat and boring and the readers won't be engaged in it. Please note that for the tension part, the things I listed can be platonic as well! What I mean to say is their reactions, such as them realizing they've caught feelings and now acting differently with each other, wistful gazes at someone they know they can't romance etc. All these actions I've listed in the post can happen platonically, especially for queerplatonic friends etc.
2. Give intimacy
Intimacy is not inherently sexual. It can also be emotional, and when portrayed in books properly, it can be marvellous to watch. Intimacy means being vulnerable with another person, being able to show them baring out their souls to one another, showing that they trust one another. Because if two people can't be intimate or vulnerable with each other, then no, we can't expect them to be in a romantic relationship.
3. Make them great individually
If the characters themselves aren't compelling characters, then we can't expect them to be any better in a romance. If one (or both) of the characters is flat and boring and the very embodiment of meh, then they're also going to be very "meh" in their relationship. Make the character engaging and exciting to watch, whether they're a villain or a hero. To gain some tips on how to write characters properly, check out my post on character writing!
TIP!
I have read this somewhere and I feel it's a really good tip! Use the no-kiss rule. Imagine the couple/ship you're writing. Write them but make sure that they don't kiss. Objectively, can you tell they have feelings for each other? If no, then do better or scrap it. If characters need to kiss to tell that they're in love, then they're not in love. Period.
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I'm not sure I can express this sentiment strongly enough, but I'm going to try via the medium of large bolded text.
Write what the fuck you want.
Write what makes you happy. Write what makes your soul sing. Write what fucks you up and makes you cry. Write what comforts you. Write what distracts you. Write what you want to read. Write what you want to watch.
Write what you want to dream about tonight.
Write what you can't get enough of. Write what you're completely obsessed with. Write what wakes you up at 4am and drags you out of bed because you can't stop thinking about what your characters are going to do next.
Write what turns you on, if that's your vibe. Write characters you're in love with and characters who inspire you and characters you want to be friends with and characters you fucking hate but oh my god they're so much fun.
Write about things you would sell your soul to do in real life and things you would never do in real life. Write about things that are happening right now and things that happened a thousand years ago and things that might happen in the future and things you wish could happen.
Write to get a publishing deal or to sell your books yourself or not to sell your books at all. Write for your friends or for strangers or for the people who reblog your posts on Tumblr and send you songs that remind them of your characters.
Write for yourself.
Fuck any system that tells you there's only one right way to create or one valid way to share your writing. Your story, the way you tell it, has so much value. Make people smile or piss people off or do both of those things because art is divisive and fascinating and beautiful.
Start writing. Keep writing. And write what the fuck you want.
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it's ok to write only for yourself
it's ok to not share your writing with the world
it's ok to want validation
it’s ok to only write fanfic it is just as valid
it's ok to write self-indulgent stories
it's ok to only write one genre
it's ok to share your writing even if you're not the best at it
it’s ok to write abt clichés or “overdone” concepts
it's ok to praise your own writing
it's ok to fail and start over
it's ok to abandon wips
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“Ao3 needs an algorithm” no it doesn’t, part of the ao3 experience is scrolling through pages of cursed content looking for the one fic you want to read until you get distracted by a summary so cursed that it completely derails your entire search
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One thing I hate so fucking much about people dig up shit to “cancel” people for is that they are never part of the affected demographic. They are not looking for shit someone did wrong 10 years ago because they want to make sure they’re a good person, they’re doing it because they want an excuse to hate them.
The obvious consequence of this, however, is that suddenly an entire demographic is deeply uncomfortable with a creator who once brought them joy.
A thread recently came out about how when Wilbur Soot was 19 he made a lot of very harmful antisemitic jokes. He is now 25 years old. He has talked numerous times about how much he hates the person he was before he was about 22, and how much he’s grown since then. He’s demonstrated this growth too.
The person who published this thread was not jewish and I would assume that the person who gave them the information is not either.
I am jewish. Seeing these screenshots of “jokes” about the genocide of my people fundamentally hurt me. These screenshots do not show his current beliefs or behaviors. It would be impossible to find these jokes if you hadn’t gone actively searching for them. However I still felt betrayed and panicked, no matter how much I knew that Wilbur has changed. I do not know if I can ever watch his content again and find comfort.
This is the problem with digging into peoples past this way. It is never, and never has been, a selfless act nor a form of activism. It is the very opposite. It is the exploitation of marginalized identities to justify your dislike of someone.
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Me reading a really good book: god this makes me wanna write
Me reading a really bad book: ugh this makes me wanna write
Me having coffee: i wanna write
Me going on a drive: i wanna write
Me doing the dishes: i wanna write
Me waking up: i wanna write
Me writing:
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AISHEIAJSNAIJA
yes but are you a ✨lady✨
i am a ✨lady✨
i am also
✨a bitch✨
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always bestie always
yes but are you a ✨lady✨
i am a ✨lady✨
i am also
✨a bitch✨
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✨hell yeah✨
yes but are you a ✨lady✨
i am a ✨lady✨
i am also
✨a bitch✨
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