PROFILE: T'Keyah Crystal Keymah

Actress, writer, producer, dancer, singer T'Keyah Crystal Keyman is a quiet storm. She is best known for her ubiquitous work on the Emmy Award winning comedy, In Living Color where she won many fans with stunning impressions and an unending stream of original characters. During her five seasons on In Living Color, Keymah earned an NAACP Image Award Nomination and a Soul Train Comedy Award Nomination. Keymah then played Scotti Decker, the sexy, general contractor on the ABC comedy, On Our Own, and Denise Everett, an earthy comedy writer, on Fox's The Show. She also guest starred on The John Larroquette Show, The Commish, Quantum Leap and Roc Live. Keymah gained a whole new set of fans and another two NAACP Image Award nominations as Bill Cosby's newest TV daughter, the flight attendant turned attorney turned aspiring chef turned wife and teacher Erica Lucas, on CBS' COSBY.

She had fun with the character and learned a great deal from one of her first inspirations, Bill Cosby. Today, Keymah stars as Tanya Baxter along with cast members, Rondell Sheridan, Orlando Brown, Kyle Massey and Raven on Disney Channel's new comedy series, That's So Raven. The series stars Raven, an eccentric and offbeat teenager who has the ability to foresee flashes of the future, albeit inaccurately at times which sends mother, Tanya and other family members on a psychic roller coaster of comedic turmoil.

From the age of three, Keymah entertained her family; singing, dancing and reciting original poems and stories. She wrote her first play and her first song in elementary school. In high school, she performed with the Mary Wong Comedy Group, and produced and directed theatrical variety shows! Florida A & M University's School of Business and Industry recruited the National Merit Scholar. On scholarship, Keymah excelled in their Leadership program. The university has since given her their second highest honor, 'The Meritorious Award', and she is listed among the 100 most influential FAMUans of the Century.

During and after college, she taught theater, dance, and pantomime. Keymah even served as an elementary substitute teacher by day, while working in many of Chicago's renowned theaters such as the Court, ETA and The Goodman (where she returned last spring to play Beneatha in Chuck Smith's production of A Raisin in the Sun). She also performed with companies such as Wavelength, Chocolate Chips, and Light Opera Works, sang with Rafo International Combo and danced with the Bill Cody Dancers and the Najwa (West African) Dance Corps (with whom she currently appears as a guest artist).

Keymah's theater performances include Love Letters (with David Alan Grier) and The Five Heartbeats Live (for which she received a NAACP Theater Award nomination).The critically acclaimed show garnered her NAACP Theater Awards for Best Actress and Best Play and an AUDELCO nomination for Best Solo Performance. Through a collaboration between The Eugene O. Neill Playwright Center and the Moscow Ministry of Culture, T'Keyah was part of a select group sent to Russia to workshop and perform in John Henry Redwood's drama, The Old Settler. Her new show, T'Keyah Live! ... Mostly: A True Variety Show, featuring actress Margaret Kemp, debuted at the 1999 National Black Theatre Festival to rave reviews and is gearing up for a national tour. Her film work includes Rusty Cundieff's Tales From the Hood, Quentin Tarantino's, Jackie Brown and Booker T. Mattison's The Gilded Six Bit.

Keymah's theater performances include Love Letters (with David Alan Grier) and The Five Heartbeats Live (for which she received a NAACP Theater Award nomination). Her critically acclaimed one-woman show, SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS: A Collection of Characters toured the country with Keymah playing eleven characters. This critically acclaimed show garnered her NAACP Theater Awards for Best Actress and Best Play and an AUDELCO nomination for Best Solo Performance. She has performed as a singer in plays and at various venues in Chicago, Los Angeles and Senegal, West Africa. Through a collaboration between The Eugene O'Neill Playwright Center and the Moscow Ministry of Culture, T'Keyah was selected as part of a group sent to Russia to workshop and perform in John Henry Redwood's drama, The Old Settler. Her lastest show, T'Keyah Live! 'Mostly: A True Variety Show, debuted at the 1999 National Black Theatre Festival to rave reviews and began touring last year. Her film work includes Rusty Cundieff's Tales From the Hood, Quentin Tarantino's, Jackie Brown and Booker T. Mattison's The Gilded Six Bits. Keym'h has done voiceover guest spots on HBO's Happily Ever After, and WB's Hysteria, Pinky & the Brain and Batman Beyond. She created three of the voices for the Fox special Cool Like That over a dozen for WB's Waynehead and the voice of Tweety's newest pal, Aoogah, in Warner Brothers' video feature, Tweety's High Flying Adventure.

Keymah has also taken on the challenge of producing films! With actor, writer and director Bobby Mardis, she starred in and executive produced the award winning romantic thriller, One Last Time. For Showtime, the two also produced the acclaimed short subject, Circle of Pain, starring Todd Bridges and Glynn Turman which won 2nd place at the Charleston Worldfest International Film Festival and 3rd place at Temecula Valley International Film Festival. Keymah is now developing a romantic comedy that she will star in and produce through her own company, In Black World Inc. Undaunted by neither the scarcity of opportunity nor the negative images sometimes generated by mainstream Hollywood, she feels that it is imperative to avoid complacency and to "carve your own road." She feels that she has been very fortunate so far, but plans to push her luck!

T'Keyah Crystal Keymah enriches her life with charitable work and writing. Through her 2001 T'Keyah Live! tour, Keymah raised funds for the relief of our recent national tragedy. A member of Delta Sigma Theta, Public Service Sorority, Inc., she also works with the NABSIO prison outreach program and Color Me Bright Youth Foundation. Keymah is currently working on a screenplay and completed her new book on natural hairstyles, Natural Woman / Natural Hair. She has co-hosted the National ACT-SO Awards, and the Orange Bowl and Aloha Parades. She enjoys public speaking and directing workshops, especially for youth audiences, and tempers her schedule with a vegan diet, gardening, reading, daily exercise, meditation and prayer.

Below are pictures of Miss Keymah

Here is a comedy reel of Miss Keymah..you can see an awesome timeline of her hair growth!!! 

HAIR TYPES

We don't like to categorize our heads of hair on Nappturality, trying to maintain that ALL hair no matter how kinky, curly, wavy and zig zagged it is, is GOOD hair. However, it is sometimes necessary to differentiate hair types due to the differences in care and product usage necessary. What I don't want to do is bring in an ste in stone *labelling* system to categorize our hair in general terms, for instance, the "Andre" system of Type 4 hair.

Andre's type 4 hair was a blanket generalization of our hair which was said to be the "worst" hair out of his category system.

Eg: 4a = well at least you have some coils. 4b = get the straightener out and 4c = just shave it off and buy a wig.

What people don't realize is that it is rare to have just ONE Andre hairtype on your head. Andre just says it's a "4" and lumps us all into a,b,c or z depending on the level of nappiness and undesirability (badness). 

So there's another system: the LOIS system.

• L = l shaped strands
• O = round circular coils
• I = straight with angular or sharp bends
• S = s curls

Nappturality tried using this for a few months but it did not catch on. However I still feel it is the best characterization of our hair yet. I can guarantee you, you have these types of strands on your head in great amounts. No matter what "type" of hair you have.

Most napptural hair falls within the LOIS system. You may have a combination of all these strand types all over your head, or just dominated by one. The hair on top may be different from the hair underneath. Then there's the kitchen and hairline...

If you must use one of Andre's system types to name your hair, it is your choice. However keep in mind where this came from and learn more about your hair. You will find that that simplistic system does not do your beautiful crown the justice it deserves.

After washing your hair, pull a single strand out of your head, from underneath is the best place, since it is less likely to be damaged by the sun or dryness. Place it on a contrasting surface and study it... see how it falls. Does it curl up like slinky? Does it turn into a bunch of S's? Does it have sharp angles? Does it stay straight, with the occasional bend? When you roll it between your fingers does it "catch" or is it a "smooth" roll?

This is your first step in telling you how and why your hair does what it does.

Hair Types

We come in all shapes, sizes and colors... and our hair comes in all shapes, widths and textures. It is difficult to categorize hair because of all the variation that occurs. However, attempts have been made to categorize in an effort to help people better know their hair.

Black/afro-type hair is difficult to categorize for a few reasons:

1) our hair differs in pattern - coils, springs. zig zags, s-curves

2) our hair differs in pattern size - watch spring to chalk size

3) our hair differs in density - sparse, dense

4) our hair differs in strand diameter - fine, medium, wide

5) our hair differs in feel - cottony, wooly, spongy

And on one head it is possible to have all 5 category differences represented somewhere, each reacting differently to the same routine.

Andr� Walker, Oprah's stylist, came up with a system in his book, which put all hair into categories. Number 1 being straight Asian type hair and 4 being "kinky" or "nappy" or "tightly coiled" African American type hair. He then divided the numbers with a lettering system, 'a' being the straightest within a category, 'b' being the next curly.. etc and so on down.

Shine - hair that reflects light along its surface.Sheen - hair that sparkles as light bounces off it.

Patterns
L = BendO = CurlI = StraightS = Wave

Strands can beThick, Medium or Thin/Fine

One half of a piece of inexpensive sewing thread (such as the kind that is contained in those palm sized personal sewing kits) split in two is about the thickness of a medium strand size of human hair. If you hair is larger than this, then your strand size is thick. If you hair is smaller than the split thread, then your hair strand is thin, or fine. If you want to compare your hair strand to a split piece of thread, it can be done by moving the thread back and forth between your thumb and forefinger holding the free end taunt. 

Textures*
Thready - low sheen, high shine, low frizzWiry - sparkly sheen, low shine, low frizzCottony - low sheen, low shine, high frizzSpongy - high sheen, low shine, high frizzSilky - low sheen, high shine, low frizz

• Thready texture of hair usually has a low sheen, with high shine if the hair is held taunt (as in a braid), with low frizz. Wets easily but water dries out quickly.
• Wiry hair textures have sparkle sheen, with low shine and low frizz. Water beads up or bounces off the hair strands. Hair never seems to get fully wet.
• Cottony hair texture will have a low sheen, a high shine if the hair is held taunt and has high frizz. Absorbs water quickly but does not get thoroughly wet very fast.
• Spongy hair has a high sheen with low shine with a compacted looking frizz. Absorbs water before it gets thoroughly wet.
• Silky hair has low sheen, a very high shine, with a lot or low frizz. Easily wets in water.

How to determine which hair type you have:

1. Remove a single strand of the most common type of hair on your head. Aim for 70%, so if you have different textures, use the most common texture on your head.
2. The hair should be freshly washed without products applied to it and rinsed in cold water. Or, gently rinse a single hair with a little dish detergent and rinse in cold water.
3. Lay the hair on an absorbent paper towel to dry.
4. When the hair is completely dry, look at the pattern without touching it.

If the hair has all bends, right angles and folds with little to no curve then you are L.

If the strand is rolled up into the shape of one or several zeros like a spiral, then you are O.

If the hair lies mostly flat with no distinctive curve or bend you are I.

If the strand looks like a wavy line with hills and valleys then you are S.

It will be common to have a combination of the LOIS letters, (with more dominant) which can help you determine which daughter of LOIS you are. If you cannot see one letter over the others, then combine the letters. Example: LO or IL or OS.

With all this in mind, we'll combine Andre's system with LOIS for a general category, then further divide us into more detail. It is important to understand that every head of hair is different and it's impossible to include everyone's exact hair. A close-as mentality is best when viewing other women's hair.

THE TRUTHS ABOUT RELAXERS!

The Process 

Most of us have no idea what these relaxers really do to our hair... how they actually go about the process of straightening. There are two types of relaxers.  They are SODIUM HYDROXIDE (lye-based) and GUANIDINE HYDROXIDE (no-lye). Although the no-lye products are thought to be less damaging, both types are harmful to the hair because in order to straighten it, they must first strip it of its natural moisture and then break down the structure of the hair.

Let me briefly explain. The hair has two bonds, a physical bond and a chemical bond, referred to as the S and H bonds. These bonds create the S-shaped kink or curl in African-American hair. Chemically processing the hair changes the molecular structure by breaking down these bonds... thereby damaging the hair.  Once the bonds are broken, the hair loses its natural shape and elasticity, and can then be manually formed into straight hair. The changed S-shape bond can never be returned to its original healthy form. It has undergone a permanent change caused by chemical damage.

Hair Damage
Sodium hydroxide and guanidine hydroxide both have a very high pH factor, meaning they are highly alkaline products. When applied to the hair, they immediately strip it of all moisture, because any retention of moisture would reduce the effectiveness of the straightener.  This is why a deep-conditioning treatment is always applied to the hair after the chemical process.  These treatments are designed to drive moisture back into the hair shaft and to coat the hair strand to make it look shiny and appear healthy, or in other words -- to camouflage the damage. But no hair that has undergone a chemical relaxer is healthy. It’s been purposely and permanently damaged by the chemicals... and hair can’t be damaged and healthy at the same time.

Relaxed hair is always dry.  This is why we’re constantly putting something on it.. oiling our hair and scalp two or three times a week. There are several reasons for this: 1) Start with the moisture-stripping process of the chemical relaxer that I spoke about in the above paragraph; 2) Add the steady regimen of hot-comb touch-ups, curling irons & flat irons (all work with heat which is drying to the hair) and hair sprays and styling/holding gels, (these contain alcohol which is drying to the hair). The natural oils our scalps produce can’t serve our hair’s needs. The scalp can’t manufacturer enough natural moisture to replenish the moisture we’re stripping from our hair on a daily basis; and 3) The products we usually use in an attempt to fight dryness (usually petroleum-based products, or "grease") don’t really add moisture to the hair at all. They simply coat the hair with petroleum to provide shine. At the same time, they clog the pores of the scalp so that the scalp can’t secrete its own natural moisture.

I always thought black hair either doesn’t grow as fast as Caucasian hair – or doesn’t grow at all.  WRONG!  All hair grows at the same rate – on average ½ inch per month.  But the reason that most black women have shorter hair is because of breakage. Why does the hair break?  Because of the harsh treatment we give it.  We strip it of its moisture in every way we possibly can!  So after a period of time (short for some, a little longer for others) the need for a cut to camouflage the damage done to your hair will become evident.  When your stylist suggests a “designer cut” (like the fade), that should be your cue that your hair has had enough.

Skin Absorption
In addition to the damage done to the hair by these chemicals, we should remember that the process involves more than simply straightening or texturizing the hair above the scalp.Chemicals are absorbed through the skin into the tissue, cells, and blood stream. We rub creams and lotions on our skin -- knowing that the skin will absorb them and be moisturized by them.  The medical industry administers drugs through skin absorption -- like the patches for smoking, sea-sickness, and birth control. The skin absorbs everything; and as strong as these chemicals are – causing sores and abrasions on the scalp – why wouldn’t some of it be absorbed through the skull and possibly into the brain?  

Causticity
The instructions on the relaxer boxes always say to wear gloves -- because the chemicals are caustic, however it is applied directly to the hair and scalp and left there for a period of time. Women experience burns and scabs from the toxic chemicals, and yet they continue to go back every few weeks for their regular dose of this creamy crack.  The FDA banned the manufacture of household liquid drain cleaners that have a higher than 10 percent solution of Sodium Hydroxide because it corrodes drain pipes. Because it is so strong, it may cause dermatitis of the scalp. If left on the hair more than 10 minutes, it will dissolve the hair, causing it to tear easily and become fragile and limp. Would anyone put this cream on their face, or on their arm, and leave it there for 10 or 15 minutes?  Then why put it on your head? 

Inhalation
And then there are the fumes. A study done by the Cancer Surveillance program at the University California School of Medicine found the number of cases of blood cancer to be excessive for females in the occupations “cosmetologist, hairdressers, and manicurist.”  Dyes, shampoos, conditioners, relaxers, permanent wave solutions, nail antiseptics, fungi, and bacteria are the suspect causes of this. Although the study does not specifically look for race in the findings, it is known that blacks in these beauty occupations typically have higher rates of blood cancer. Also, frequent  inhalation of this chemical can lead to lung damage.

Love Yourself
In order to stop these damaging practices, we must first learn to love ourselves as we are. Why should we continue the practice of chemically damaging our hair so that we can wear it in styles created for other hair textures when African-American hair can be styled beautifully just as it is? It’s not hard to work with, and there are lots of varieties of styles to choose from.. From locks to twists to coils to afros... from dressy up-dos to the no-care-hair of free-styling.  Our hair is not unmanageable, as many people think. My aunt once told me that our hair is easy to manage as long as we stop trying to force it to do things it wasn’t designed to do. 

Our skin is brown because it’s supposed to be.  Our hair is kinky because it’s supposed to be. It’s not something that needs to be fixed or hidden. It’s not something to be ashamed of.  It’s just hair. It’s not bad hair or good hair.  Just hair.  The idea that it must be fixed (or straightened) is left-over baggage from the days of slavery... an idea that we’ve held for so long that we no longer have a clue how to manage and maintain our hair in its natural state. We shun our own natural hair texture because we have been told for generations that nappy hair is bad.  We’ve been made to feel that the only way to attain ‘good’ hair is to straighten it. We’ve turned perfectly neutral descriptive words into negatives. Straight isn’t a negative word.  Wavy isn’t a negative word. When we can hear the words kinky and nappy as being purely descriptive and carrying no negative connotation, and when we can all “stop living the lye”, we will have made it to true acceptance of ourselves.

Link to original article Sandy's Journey 

DIY: DEEP CONDITIONER TREATMENTS

If your hair is dry, damaged, brittle, or over-processed, why not try a homemade deep conditioningtreatment? You can mend your hair for a fraction of the cost of using salon or drug store products, and you probably have the ingredients in your kitchen. Whether you choose an egg, mayonnaise, or oil pack, your hair and budget will both bounce back.

1. Egg. (Deep Conditioning Egg Treatment)

How it works: Eggs are rich in protein, a component of hair, so eggs restore and nourish your strands. Eggs are also renowned as one of nature's best moisturizers.

How to use it: Take 2 egg yolks, 2 teaspoons of a vegetable oil (olive oil is good), and 1/8 cup of water. (You may want to double or halve these amounts, depending on the length and texture of your hair.) Mix well and apply to hair after shampooing. Leave the mixture on for at least 15 minutes. Rinse with cool (not warm) water.

2. Mayonnaise. (Mayonnaise Mask for Distressed Hair)

How it works: The main ingredients in mayonnaise are eggs, vinegar, and oil. Each one of these elements is good for hair in its own right. Eggs nourish and fortify, vinegar adds shine, and oil moisturizes and protects. The mixture addresses all the problems of distressed hair.

How to use it: Apply about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to your dry hair. (Avoid the scalp if your hair tends to be oily.) Massage in thoroughly, and then cover your hair with a disposable shower cap, plastic bag, or plastic wrap. For deep penetration, cover the plastic layer with a hot towel. Allow the mayonnaise to stay on for at least 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and then shampoo as usual.

3. Oil. (Homemade Hot Oil Treatment)

How it works: Hot oil is widely recognized as powerful therapy for damaged hair. The heat causes the hair to open and allows the oil to penetrate deeply. The oil softens, nourishes, moisturizes, and protects the strands. Oil is a good vegan option for those who don't use eggs.

How to use it: The best choice is virgin coconut oil, an ingredient that is solid at room temperature but liquefies when slightly warmer. Olive oil is also excellent for hair. If neither is available, any vegetable oil will work. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil until it is very warm to the touch but not uncomfortably hot. Apply the oil to your hair, section by section, to condition all areas evenly. If you tend to have oily hair, leave the oil off your scalp. Wrap your hair with a plastic bag or wrap to keep in the treatment and warmth. For even better results, cover with a hot towel from the dryer. Leave the oil on your hair for at least half an hour. Shampoo thoroughly until your hair is clean but not stripped.

These do-it-yourself treatments are safe, gentle, and natural, but that doesn't mean that they're ineffective. They're packed full of high-performing proteins, vitamins, and emollients. Your hair will look and feel better after one use, but treat it once a week to keep your hair in top condition.