My first mini veil style on Gyrlande was a roaring success, in my humble opinion! I love this because it gives her head some height in the back, and her hair is not long enough to be a super unmanageable afro. This didn’t take me that long, either. I have been wanting a style that would leave the braids sort of sticking up and “unfinished.” This is it!

This is not hard to do at all. It gives the illusion of someting very intricate. Adding the beads is a big bonus in the bling department. Since there are so few beads, use something really snazzy.

First, I part the hair for some bangs. I did not use any snaps in this style, I finished with a bead. Go here on my website to see how to do this; it’s the second info box down on the page.

Second, I part from side to side for the first row of boxes. I start with the center box right behind her bangs. Gather this all up, put some Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel on the section, and secure with a black rubber elastic. Continue the box parts on this row from ear to ear and secure all with elastics. Make sure the elastic is wound around lots of times so that it is as compact as possible. Then, use your Easy Beader to add a single bead of any shape to these tails and squash it down on top of the elastic, hiding it. If your child has a lot of hair per box, you may need to invest in some larger holed beads, which I carry on my Pony Beads Page. Gyrlande’s hair is not too thick so a regular pony bead works for us, although I could not get it down actually OVER the elastic on the center box behind the bangs.

Next, part from ear to ear again for the second row. Now, the parts in this row will be offset from the first row, like building with bricks. Again, start with the boxes behind the center box behind the bangs. Here comes the fun part…

Divide the tail of the hair in the center box behind the bangs in the first row (I’ll call this the bead tail since it has a bead on it), and add the left half of the bead tail to the hair in the box offset behind it to the left, and add the right part of the bead tail to the hair in the box offset behind it to the right. But DON’T SECURE IT YET! You have to now advance to the next bead tails in the first row. Split each bead tail and make a V with the tail, adding the hair to the offset box behind it and to the right or left. Gather these offset boxes, add your Locking Gel, and secure with elastics. Repeat these steps until all of the second row is done.

Now, what I did is just braid those resulting tails, and let the ends be loose. They sort of stick every which way, but they do mash down and kind of blend in with the afro behind it. Or, if you have more time, you can do the whole head in box parts and braid each box and just let the end be loose and free to match. Or you can actually continue the veil style over the whole head using the same pattern and steps!

Happy Beading and Snapping!

Steph (and Gyrlande)

It’s time for another Snapaholics update!

All new products are in and have been added to the website. We have new barrettes, new hair beads, handmade soaps, and a multitude of fun things on the clips and ballies page. We also have 2 new kinds of mini purses, including a darling one with “Princess” on the front, and a beaded handle!

For anyone new to caring for kinky curly hair, it can seem like an overwhelming task! Many people don’t realize how different it can be from the care of straight hair. There is no “wash n’ go” and leave it to just do what it wants, in the realm of Black Hair! When I was going through the adoption process for my Haitian daughter, I was lucky enough to find the Adoption Hair & Skin Care Yahoo group, which was so incredibly informative, that I at least felt somewhat prepared as to what to do and what products I would need. (P.S. you don’t need to be adopting to join!)

The first thing you must understand about nappy/kinky/highly textured hair is that the scalp produces very little oil, relative to that of Caucasian scalps. Therefore, you must actually ADD oil and moisture to the scalp and hair. This can be done daily via spritzes or just by rubbing some hair oil into the palms of the hands and rubbing it gently into the hair. Spritzes can be easily made by mixing hair oil or even olive oil and water in a spray bottle. A good leave-in moisturizer like Jamaican Mango & Lime Cactus Leave-In Moisturizer or Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier can also be applied daily. I like to do all this while my daughter is eating breakfast. Most people of African descent also apply something they call “grease” to the scalp as they are braiding or cornrowing their hair. When you part the hair to braid, twist, or cornrow it, take a fingertip of “grease” (hair cholesterol, or you can use oils or even things like shea butter or coconut oil) and spread it in the part, right on the scalp. When you get done with a style, your child’s scalp should glisten in the sun with the oil/grease that you have added during styling.

The next thing you need to know is that you do NOT need to shampoo the hair as often as Caucasian hair. In fact, you SHOULDN’T! I only shampoo maybe once every few weeks unless my daughter’s hair gets especially dirty for some reason. Otherwise, I take out the style and just gently scrub her hair and scalp with a good moisturize (this is called a No Poo….”No Shampoo” wash). It gets out debris, makes it smell nice, and adds needed moisture. You should ALWAYS do a No Poo after swimming in chlorinated water. The chlorine is murder on their dry hair and dry skin. Don’t freak out that you are not shampooing their hair like we do. Trust me, a No Poo GETS IT CLEAN! The detergent in the shampoo products is what you want to avoid overusing.

It is necessary to make the time to coat the hair with a deep conditioning treatment or warm oil, then put a plastic cap over the head to let it sit for awhile. It was recommended to me to do this EVERY TIME I do a No Poo or even a Shampoo wash. I put a lot of nice product on G’s hair, but was informed that it is still dry and NEEDS deep conditioning. The easiest thing for children’s hair is to microwave a damp washcloth (make sure it’s not too hot!), lay it on their heads with the conditioner all worked into the hair, put on a plain plastic shower cap, then put a snug fabric swim cap on top of that (you might need to gather all the excess plastic from the shower cap into an elastic at the back) and let it sit on there for as long as you can, as long as the washcloth stays warm.

For skin care, you will notice a grayish, dusty tone to the skin, called “ash.” This simply is the appearance of brown/African skin that needs moisture. You will need to moisturize the skin often. Thick body butters or pure raw shea butter or coconut oil is good for the skin. I have also been told that the Jamaican Mango & Lime Cactus Oil is excellent for extremely dry skin and eczema…on anyone!

The great thing about the intensity of care that your child of African descent’s hair and skin requires, is that it is a GREAT time for bonding! Putting pretties in the hair is also a time for enhancing self-esteem, and rubbing on body butters is a great opportunity for you to tell her how lovely and yummy her skin is.

We at Snapaholics are happy to assist you with any hair care questions you may have. Please look for our next blog update next week!

Snappily yours,

Stephanie & Gyrlande
“Mama Snap & Lil’ Snap”

Welcome to the maiden voyage of the Snapaholics Blog! Check back here frequently for product and styling updates. To begin with, here is an introduction to the products I carry.

Hair snaps are a great way to finish off braids and twists in your child’s hair. These ingenious little doodads eliminate the need to hang large barrettes or ballies on the ends of the braids. They are also great for holding beads on the hair. Snaps come in all shapes and colors, and we are always searching for new styles to add to our store. To use snaps, simply wrap the very end of the braid or twist around the hinge of the snap once or twice, and capture what’s left of the hair in the closure. Most styles of snaps are very secure and will hold many beads on the hair. Beads are best put in the hair with the help of a beading tool. This works like a giant needle threader. Multiple beaders can be loaded with beads (a great task for kids who are getting their hair done!) and this makes styling go faster.

Proper moisturizing and oiling of the hair and scalp for children with kinky, dry hair is essential. Shampooing should not be done daily or even every other day, as is done with Caucasian hair. Instead, weekly or even less frequently is recommended, depending on how dirty and/or dry the hair and scalp is. Some people take down hair styles and wash the hair with only moisturizer, to just get debris out and “freshen it up.” Always remember to moisturize and oil the scalp afterwards. Leave-in moisturizers or oil spritzes are a great way to make sure the hair stays moist and healthy on a daily basis. This can be applied to the hair every day perhaps while the child is seated at breakfast. In this manner the scalp will stay oiled and the hair will appear shiny and healthy every day.

Several products help in proper styling of kinky hair. These include seamless bone combs, the Unbraider comb for taking down braids, twists, and cornrows, the Coil Comb for creating textured styles and ringlets, and the Professional Latch Hook/Beader which is a teeny hook specially designed to tighten locs and extensions. It also works great with beads that have smaller holes than standard pony beads.

There is no better way to help your little girl feel like a princess and love her hair than to keep her hair neat and styled with lots of fun beads and snaps, clips and ballies, so she can celebrate her kinky, curly crowning glory. Kinky hair takes work and time, but the rewards when she looks in the mirror and sees what a fun, colorful style you have created in her hair, and the smile she’ll give her reflection, is priceless!