Glossary
This is a glossary of acronyms and other words that I use throughout my blog. Most natural ladies know what I mean but newbies, non-naturals, and natural supporters (bffs or bfs) may not.
A
B
- Braid out- an afro style that is achieved by braiding hair and then gently pulling apart those braids.
- Butter- a very thick cream used for extra dry hair
C
- Cuticle- the outer section of the hair shaft of a single strand of hair.
- Combs- used to detangle hair, not all combs are created equal.
- VCO- (Virgin) Coconut oil taken from the first press of coconut meat, can come from fresh or dried meat.
D
- Detangle- the process in which one removes knots and kinks in hair with fingers, a comb, or brush
- DBCS- Dr. Bronners Castile Soap
E
- EVOO- Extra virgin olive oil
F
- Flax seed oil- oil of the flax seed, often used in gels
- Finger comb- the process of removing knots and kinks from hair with only fingers to minimize breakage.
G
H
- Hair envy- wanting someone else's natural hair do or length
- Heat protectant- a serum or oil that is applied to the hair before blow drying, curling, or flat ironing to prevent heat damage.
- Hot oil treatment- a treatment that involves applying hot oils to damp hair to seal in moisture.
IJ
- JBCO- Jamaican Black Castor Oil
K
- Kinky- extremely textured, natural, African (American) hair is often called kinky because it is hard to comb (unless you do it right)
L
M
N
- Nappy- a derogatory term used to describe African (American) hair.
- Natural (n)- a woman (more specifically of African desecent) that wears her hair in its natural state without any chemical alteration to its texture.
- Natural (adj)- a word used to describe hair that has not been chemically altered.
O
P
- Pre-poo- applying oil to hair prior to shampooing
- Product junkie- a natural that purchases many products or uses many products without any true regimen or a natural who purchases many products to try but has a few staples.
- Protective style or Pro-style- any style that keep natural hair protected from breakage and drying out. Usually involves braids or twists and tucked ends.
Q
R
- Rock (v)- to wear something fiercely, with pride, and great beauty. (ie. After her big chop, Sasha rocked her TWA daily.)
S
- Sealing- using product, usually oil, to seal moisture into hair cuticle.
- Shea Butter- a very rich butter derived from the nuts of the Shea tree which has grown in sub-sahara Africa for centuries
T
- TWA- teenie weenie afro, usually what new naturals rock after the big chop.
- Twists- a style that involves twisting one or more small sections of hair
- Twist out- an afro style that is achieved by twisting hair and then gently pulling apart those twists.
UVW
XYZ
