Guide to Abbreviations and Common Terms

[jazzi]

ACV: Apple Cider Vinegar

BAA: Big/Bad Ass Afro

BB: Blended Beauty (product line)

BC: Big chop; the act of removing all traces of chemicals from natural hair.

BSS: Beauty supply store

CD: Carol’s Daughter

CG: Curly Girl Routine as described in Lorraine Massey's book Curly Girl

CEHTC: Curls Ecstasy Hair Tea Conditioner

CJ: Curl Junkie (product line)

CK: Curl Keeper, curl defining product by Curly Hair Solutions

Clarify: shampoo product build up from hair using shampoo containing a sulfate/detergent and/or a wash containing baking soda, apple cider vinegar.

Clumping: individual strands sticking together in a collective curl/wave pattern.

CON: Creme of Nature

Cones: Shorthand for silicones, an ingredient found in many products that may cause build-up on hair and must be removed by shampooing

Co-rinse/CO: Simply running conditioner through and rinsing to create a moisturized pallette for styling.

Co-wash /CW: Conditioner as shampoo, scalp scrubbing involved.

Curl definition: getting individual curly/wavy strands to clump enough for the curl/wave pattern of the hair to be evident; many separate clumps as opposed to all the curls merging together in one piece. 

Curl enhancement: getting the hair to be curlier; i.e. tightening the already present curl.

Curl elongation: loosening the curl, resulting in longer looking hair.

DT: Deep Conditioning Treatment

EO: Essential Oil

ETA: Edited to add

EVOO: Extra Virgin Olive Oil

FOTE: Fruit of the Earth Aloe Gel

FYI: For your information

Guano: go off topic

HE: Herbal Essences

HG: Holy grail

HIF: Hand in Fro

HTH: Hope that helps

GF: Garnier Fructis

GF SCC: Garnier Fructis Soft Curl Creme

IMO: In my opinion

ITA: I totally agree

JC: Jessicurl (product line)

KCCC: Kinky Curly Curling Custard

LOTD: Lily of the Desert Aloe Gelly

Low Poo: Shampooing less than frequently. To wash hair with a mild, non-drying (esp. sulfate-free) shampoo.  Also the name of a Devacurl cleanser.

MBC: Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner

MBS: Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo

MHC: MY HoneyChild hair product line

No Poo:   A co-wash routine where shampoo is omitted.  It is also the name of a Devacurl conditioner.

OC/OneC: Devacurl One Condition

ORS: Organic Root Stimulator

PJ: Product Junkie

PM: Paul Mitchell

PM: Also means private message,  as in "send me a private message"

Pre-Poo: A deep treatment done before shampooing in order to prevent the shampoo from completely stripping the hair of its moisture.

Shingling: A technique to promote curl definition and elongation. Involves applying stylers to soaking wet hair in small sections, combing through with a fine toothed comb, and smoothing each section between thumb and forefinger. Hair is set to dry under a hood dryer, and when completely dry, the curls are stretched further by holding the hair taut under a hot blowdryer.

Shrinkage: General loss of  appearance of length in curly hair, due to the coiling of the strands. Also tightening of the curl, usually due to water content of environment/product, resulting in shorter looking hair

Slip: The detangling property of conditioners.  The more a conditioner detangles, the more "slip" it has.

TIA: Thanks in advance

TWA: Teeny Weeny Afro, short haircut

[-I Luv My NappFrizz-]

ohh thanks for putting this up because half the time i dont know what yall are saying

[meli]

Jazzi

Thanks for posting this , there were still some abbreviations i was unsure about.

[noviebear64]

Jazzi
Thanks so much for this information, for even though I am new, when I was reading some of the different forums, I did not know what the heck was going on. Now I am enlighten with these abbreviations and terms.

Thanks
Noviebear64

[pixie]

What's BMG?  I'm pretty sure it's a website, but I'm not sure.

[Natakue]

i don't know what BMG means.  where'd you see it? what context?

i learned that SMH means "shake my head."

what does IIRC mean? 

(why am i so slow?  )

[jeamaria]

i don't know what BMG means.  where'd you see it? what context?

i learned that SMH means "shake my head."

what does IIRC mean? 

(why am i so slow?  )

Thank you, natakue; I have been trying to figure that one out for a while now!

[pixie]

i don't know what BMG means.  where'd you see it? what context?

Someone posted that they got some information on BMG.  I assumed it was a hair site that I don't know.

[Natakue]

Thank you, natakue; I have been trying to figure that one out for a while now!

i know! i had to pm someone to find out! (thanks again, stellababy! )

pixie, the only BMG i've heard about is the music store. i know there is a BHM (Black Hair Media) site. 

[pixie]

i know! i had to pm someone to find out! (thanks again, stellababy! )

pixie, the only BMG i've heard about is the music store. i know there is a BHM (Black Hair Media) site. 

That's probably it.  I knew BMG sounded a little too familiar 

[Natakue]

ok "IIRC" means "If I Recall Correctly" (thanks lisa125  )

[bubblecurl]

Thank you so much for posting this jazzi. It has been a lifesaver cuz half the time i've been in a state of confusion as what everybody is talking about.

[Raxxie]

thx sooooo much 4 this topic... lol now i hav an encyclopedia for here & fotki

i wont hav 2 feel like a hair retard 

[lakinky]

AWESOME! I CAN FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE LINGO.

[foxifree]

God bless you! I soooo needed this info!