Before I head off for a bit of last-minute holiday shopping (I know, every year I tell myself I'll get it done in November and have everything wrapped the first week of December -- ha ha ha), I wanted to share this list of best ingredients for black hair with you. It's not a definitive list, but it's a good start for those of you who like to read the ingredients label when you're product shopping, which is just a good habit to get into.

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone!

Black Hair is now on Twitter!

I recently received this reader e-mail:

My natural hair is growing out and I do not know how to style it. Is texturizing a good way to go?

KM

My short answer: no. Why? -- some of you may be wondering. It's because "natural" and "texturizer" are at odds with one another. This FAQ on texturizers and natural hair will give you more details on why anyone who really wants to "be natural" should steer clear of texturizers and explore other options in styling instead.

Thanks to everyone who participated in last week's poll about taking a pill to straighten your hair! The results surprised me a little, but mainly because the majority of women who are born with afro-textured hair choose to straighten it by some means. And my poll takers were split between not taking a pill and yes/if it were temporary. Interesting.

But today, I'm here to share a tutorial on how to flat twist hair. This is one of my favorite protective styles because (1) it works on all hair textures so it's perfect for natural, relaxed and transitioning hair, (2) it's great for kids and adults alike and (3) it's versatile -- flat twists stand as is or can be pulled back into ponytails, buns or into updos.

That's what I call a great style.

(Photo © 2009 D. Sandeen, licensed to About.com, Inc.)

Just when you think you've heard it all, scientists have identified the gene that causes curly hair, which will no doubt eventually lead to messing around with said gene. There may indeed come a future day when all you have to do to have straight hair is take a pill.

Which leads to today's poll: would you pop a pill to have straight hair?

I wonder if the results would be permanent, if you'd have to take the pill every day, if people would even use good judgment and not give these pills to children, etc. This whole messing with genetics issue bugs me, but if you can clone a cow, it's only a matter of time before you can change the texture of your hair, right?