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Stronger, Longer Hair Challenge

Take the Healthy Hair Survey

Hi Everyone! I am Lexi, better known as LexiWithTheCurls if you have seen my videos on Youtube. I will be hosting the 16-week Optimum Stronger, Longer Hair Challenge to a better, healthier me and a healthier head of hair! I have done it all and seen it all with hair! I will be writing regularly about my successes and struggles and I ask that you join me. As an added bonus, there will be 16 weekly prizes and 3 grand prize winners!

To give you a little of my back-story, I was relaxed at an early age because my mom was tired of dealing with my natural hair. I grew up with healthy relaxed hair and ran to the salon with my mom as soon as you could see a hint of new growth lol.

I always dreamed of wearing my hair natural so while I was in middle school, I got the courage to stand up to my mom and say I wasn’t getting a relaxer. So I went months and months and after teasing by my peers and the pressure of my mother, I caved in.

It wasn’t until 2002 and I was in college in Atlanta and my mom wasn’t in my ear saying, “Get a perm! Get a perm!”, that I decided to transition…AGAIN. At that time, I don’t even remember the term “transition” being popular. I seemed to be the only one on my HBCU campus making this move. I ended up doing the big chop. That wasn’t my intention. My intention was to grow it out and trim little by little.

Throughout my time being natural, I scoured the internet looking for tips and hairstyles. I had been relaxed for the majority of my life so I wasn’t sure what to do. I was a product junkie. I tried everything out there. I just wanted to make sure my hair looked good. I colored my hair, I straightened, I wore weaves, I did it all. I somehow during the process neglected to make sure my hair was healthy. I’ve been through bad dye jobs that have broken off my hair, stylists burning my hair OFF in certain places, and damaging my curls. I had to get it together!! I decided I need to worry about the health of my hair more so than length or the look.

The internet and the hair community online really helped me out. While going through this process though—I saw so much hatred from Black women dealing with hair online and in person.

I have seen the “Team Relaxed”, “Team Natural” and “Team Extensions” movement. I have seen the “You aren’t natural because you press or color your hair”. I have seen the “You are relaxed so you don’t love yourself”. I have seen the division and the hatred and it’s not cool. The assumptions and all! Why wasn’t the topic of conversation how we can all make our hair healthier?? I was even on a panel at Spelman College last year having a hair debate with about 200 ladies and everything seemed so divided. It’s not that deep! It’s hair ladies!!!

We should be focused on HEALTHY hair versus whether someone is relaxed, natural, or wearing extensions. You can have damaged natural hair just as much as you can have damaged relaxed hair. And you can have healthy relaxed hair just like you can have healthy natural hair. Let’s stop all the bickering and join together!

What are my goals?

1. Make sure I am taking the proper steps to maintain healthy hair.
2. I have color in my hair so I need to protect my color, while making sure the color doesn’t effect my hair’s health.
3. Use products that put moisture in my hair
4. Trim my hair every 8 weeks. (OMG I have gone almost a year one time and let me tell you, that was detrimental to my hair!!)
5. To not manipulate my hair so much. Just to let it go free. Sometimes messing with your hair too much can cause damage.

What are your hair goals?

Let’s support each other on this Healthy Hair Challenge as Black and Multi-Racial women- relaxed, natural, extensions, or whatever else you have going on! We can do it together!
Join the Optimum Stronger, Longer Hair Challenge! Complete the Hair Survey and share your experience in the challenge by commenting below or tweeting us @MadameNoire with the hashtag #StrongerLonger for your chance to be our weekly winner and score amazing Optimum Care products!.

We are looking for the most engaged users. Participate in the challenge, send us your questions… and we could feature YOU on Madame Noire! At the end of the challenge, three Grand Prize winners will receive a salon experience, tons of Optimum Care product, and the opportunity to serve as an Optimum Care blogger. Join us!

Feel free to e-mail us at HealthyHair@madamenoire.com