Winter Hair Care

Oh goodness it’s almost that time of year again where we look at ourselves in the mirror and can’t recognize our own hair. It goes all crazy on us! It’s dry, brittle and breaking and we have no clue what to do with it…. Yes ladies…. You got it…W.I.N.T.E.R!!! It is fast approaching, and there is no avoiding it. The best favor we can do for our hair right now is to be PREPARED. Proactive as opposed to reactive…. Actually this applies to life in general, but I will stick to the hair stuff. J

Funny enough our winter temperatures here in Zim are nothing compared to other countries… but at the same time our hair is used to warm climate so any change will definitely affect us even if we don’t have snow! So what must we do to prepare NOW so that when the temperatures drop we are ready….

I recommend three key things to do ….

Read

Winter is like exam period for our hair. You will need to have healthy hair care info at your fingers tips if you are going to make it through. So read read read ladies! The more you understand what you need to do to your hair and WHY, the more likely you are to look after your hair and the more effective your efforts will be.

Apply

All the info you’ve been reading will have to be put into practice through during winter. You can’t get away with reading but doing nothing to help your hair afterwards. The cold temperatures and dry winds are no friend to our hair ladies so having knowledge without action is a big NO NO. Your hair will definitely break… so let’s not be left wanting.

Build a winter regimen

This is a combination of the first two points. It’s your action plan/game plan for the winter. The winter regimen that you will build will be centered around key hair issues that arise during the winter like dryness and breakage and doing everything you can to prevent them. It’s really quite easy…. Your regimen should be centred around moisturising and protective styling to keep your hair hiden away from the elements and to facilitate length retention. If you were not a protective styler before, the winter is definitely the time when you need to become one. Now it’s time to do your reading and put your thinking caps on for a new regimen. If you have anything interesting that you want to try and share please let us all know… the more we share ideas the better off we are so I’ll be waiting for the comments….

 

Start a hair Challenge

A great way to stay motivated over the winter is to start a new hair challenge. Give yourself some goals and go or them! It’s even more fun when it’s a little competitive too. So I’m thinking a tHs WINTER HAIR CHALLENGE would be fun and beneficial to help all of us stay motivated over the winter period. With prizes at the end of course… All those in favor “SAY I” … Well…. in the form of a comment. I’d love to get a feel of how many people are willing to get involved…. So don’t be shy ladies. Post a comment “I’m in” on the tHS Winter Hair Challenge post to enter 😀 “Healthy hair is for us ALL” and this is how we will get there…

~XoXoXo~

K.

 

 

 

 

 

Tale of the Tufts-: Nape Care

Back in high school my friends and I would always tease each other about having tufts of hair that couldn’t be tied in a ponytail or any style for that matter. Without hair gel there was nothing to keep them down and they were great at making any hair style look scruffy and unkempt in no time…. Lol. Are you having flash back ladies? Or maybe this is what you are still dealing with on a daily basis? Either way it’s something that needs to be discussed because it is a very common hair issue for us black women. Just like hairline our nape need extra care because it can thin out, break, become uneven…the works…good thing though is it can be fixed 😀 I have been working on mine for a whillllle now. and it has not been easy  especially if after my relaxer incident. Any way lets get in to it…

The photo below is a random one I found on the internet of those tufts…. I must say though that those tufts are quite full… some people are thin and even or even balding like the hairline….. this can be avoided.

What is your Nape?

The back of your neck and the hair that is in that area

Why our nape is so sensitive to breakage?

Ø       * Structural differences of hair

This I believe is the main reason why. Structurally you know now that our type 4 hair is structurally weaker anyway and usually the hair around our nape and hairline is a lot softer/weaker with a different curl pattern to the rest of our heads. This hair and scalp is very sensitive on MY head around my nape. It needs a lot of TLC as it will be the first to break off as a result of manipulation, friction and stress from styling. However all is not lost. There are a number of things that we can do to reduce the breakage along our nape and retain length.

 *Sensitive scalp

If you are anything like me you know alllll to well about this. The aching of the scalp, the bumps, the constant relaxer burns… ugghhh. It’s no fun, and because my scalp is sooo sensitive I have to be even more cautious with my scalp and pay special attention to the sensitive areas like my nape or else BREAKAGE. I baby my nape as much as I baby my hair line…It’s VERY NECESSARY and luckily it’s yielded the results…hard work pays off 🙂 if you have your jbco and are doing the castor oil challenge besure to massage it into you scalp along your nape.

What causes breakage along the nape?

Too much tension – When we braid our hair too tightly we cause a lot of stress to our strands that become weaker and break. There’s no need to have your hair extremely tight when braiding. It looks nice and ‘neat’ to tart out but give yourself a few months and there will be no hair to braid. Even a simple bun or pony tail when put in too tight is detrimental to our hair.

Lack of moisture – Our hair needs to remain elastic, so that when we brush it, it doesn’t not snap off. Rather it should stretch and spring back into place. Dry hair WILL break.

Heat damage – Our hair is structurally weaker than other hair types and constant exposure to direct heat causes excessive breakage at the nape as the hair becomes dry, thin and brittle. 

Over brushing– Our hair likes to be left alone and so when we constantly brush and manipulate it we experience breakage.

Tight hair accessories – From head bands, head scarfs to hair scrunchies all of these things can be of detriment to our sensitive nape as they pull and tug and cause tension and friction.

Friction – there’s a lot of friction between our nape hair and whatever we are wearing ALL day long. It’s the first point of contact, so whether it’s scarfs or shirts when our hair comes in contact with it, eventually it weakens and breaks off.

 

So what shall we do to stop breakage?

The opposite of all the things that cause breakage! Lol

 

but…Here are a few key things that have worked for me…. and I have the results to show it…. My nape is not perfect but it’s definitely good work in progress…and I can tie a good pony tail without worrying about “tufts” anymore….I can pull my nape hair in all directions as it’s growing along with the rest of my hair *fist pumps

……Pictures of my nape hair taken today… (I even photo edited a little for fun 🙂 )

Caution when relaxing

Now that we understand how relaxers work from my post on hair teams, I don’t need to go into much detail on the impact of chemicals on our hair. Given the hair around the nape is a lot softer/weaker breakage is most likely to occur here if the hair is not pre-treated before relaxers and well maintained after.……..When I relax my hair I apply the relaxer to my hairline and nape right at the very END. This is something I decided to do recently after I read more about differences in hair texture and I was sick of constantly getting burns on the base of my scalp. I also drench the hair in an oil or vaseline to slow down the relaxer process on my hair.(texlaxing)

Make your nape your baby…

The same way your sensitive hairline needs TLC is the way our nape does too! It’s just as sensitive and yet people tend to forget about it until they want an up do and alas, their hair doesn’t reach.lol… When washing your hair be gentle. Don’t use harsh aggressive strokes, rather gently create the lather in the shampoo using circular motions and gently rise out. Carry out protein treatments and always keep the hair free of tension and moisturized. Also be gentle when combing, detangling…finger combing IS your friend!

Also one more random thing…. when you shower/ bath… try not to yet your nape get wet. This is something that happenes to alot of us when our hair is in protective styles. I say this because our nape get dirty very quickly and so that contact with water makes our hair get matted together. then the day come to un do out hair and we experience stuck matted hair that’s impossible to detangle/comb….BREAKAGE!!….

Remember ladies ….”HEALTHY HAIR IS FOR US ALL”

~XoXoXo~

K.

❀❀ tHs Castor Oil Growth Challenge :Cycle 1 ❀❀

Challenge Guidelines:

 

• tHs Castor Oil Challenge Cycle 1 – **23 October 2013 – 15 January 2014**
• Challenge 1 Goals – Hairline growth AND increased hair thickness**
• Protective style – Wig or Weave. NO BRAIDS during hairline challenge.  (email me for consults on personalized wig/weave regimens)**

• Take starting pictures and submit by the first day of the challenge to kundayimawema@gmail.com
• Follow challenge regimen for three months taking note of any problems or improvements
• Submit final pictures after on the last day of the challenge for final review of results
• Challenge winners announced on tHs the following week

            *1st place winner of challenger will receive 1 bottle of Jamaican Black Castor Oil. 8oz

             *2nd place winner will receive 2 bottles of an essential oil TBA

 

…WHAT TO DO….

Oil scalp with JBCO and MS 4x week

• Heat 2-3 teaspoons of JBCO until warm and thin, NOT HOT.either heat in microwave or sit the bottle in hot water to warm the oil
• First apply JBCO to the hairline and gently but firmly smooth product in using fingertips. JBCO is sticky so be gentle and smooth in ONE direction as you don’t want to pull out.
• Next apply JBCO to the rest of the scalp in sections using your finger tips (between lines of cornrows if using a weave and between parted hair if using a wig)
• Massage scalp deeply for 5minutes focusing on problem areas
• Lightly moisturize  the length of your hair and the use JBCO to seal in oil. I recommend that you use the product residue from your scalp for the sealing.

Wash hair and do a deep conditioning treatment after 2weeks

• Shampoo/co-wash hair every 2 weeks. 
• Follow up with deep conditioner with heat – Add 3tblsp JBCO to your conditioner and sit under a heat cap OR cover hair with a plastic shower cap and warm towel Sit with this treatment for 30-40 mins then rinse out with cold water

 

Challenge Details:

~The tHs Challenges will run for 12weeks/ 3 month cycles throughout the year. With a 1month break in between each to give people a chance to re-group, re-visit their hair goals, and restock on product.

~All challenge participants will be required to take starting pictures of their hair before the start of the challenge. Focus on specific areas e.g the hairline or any thinning/balding areas as well as the length checks. Submit pics to kundayimawema@gmail.com with your name and the date of the picture by Friday 25^th October 2013 to be eligible to enter the challenge. Then take pics of the same areas after 3months of the challenge and submit to the same email at the end of the challenge i.e by Friday 17 January 2014.

~Start and end pictures submitted by challenge participants will be reviewed to determine winners of the challenge. The winners will be chosen based on the most improved hair, length thickness, growth etc.

• 1^ST Prize- 8oz Jamaican Black Castor Oil
• 2^nd Prize- 2 Bottles of an essential oil

~Every challenge will have a goal/s in mind to help direct our efforts consistently and track specific results.

~There will be use of protective styles during the whole challenge– one that does not go against your hair goals.

~There will be no use of relaxers or flat irons during the challenge. Only blow drying on cool setting on wash days.

**Important- Any Castor oil that is NOT 100% pure is NOT acceptable for the challenge.

Only use Jamaican Black Castor Oil on your hair, pharmacy castor oil is not considered for the challenge as the benefits are not the same..

~Deep condition with heat every 2 weeks and add JBCO to the conditioner to maintain moisture, elasticity and strength of our hair throughout the challenge

~Winners of the blog will be featured as tHs Hair Story Feature: Castor Oil Challenge Winners, as well as anyone who would like to share their results.

Tea Rinses

After reading my washday feedback or just the title of this post I’m sure there are a lot of you wondering what exactly is TEA RINSING?!? Yes it refers to the tea we drink, who would have thought! I found it odd at first but when it comes to my hair I’m like ok, if others are doing it and getting results then I’ll give it a shot. So let’s talk about it.

 What is tea rinsing?

Rinsing your hair with black, green or other herbal tea mixes. You can apply the tea by either pouring it onto your hair and scalp from a bowl/pitcher, or using a spray bottle to apply it directly to the roots and shaft of your hair (I use this method)Tea rinses are done on freshly washed or co-washed hair.

 Why do tea rinses?

To reduce the impact of shedding and increase thickness

Black and green teas contain caffeine which suppresses the release of Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.  DHT,is a chemical derivative of the testosterone hormone and is present in both men and women. It restricts the follicles ability to sustain and produce hair growth. Therefore healthy hair cannot survive and shed hairs are not replaced in the long run. Teas also contain essential vitamins that stimulate hair growth and reduce dandruff

 How I made my Tea rinse

I boiled four Freshpak green tea bags in two cups of water for about thirty minutes and then let it steep and cool completely while I was de-tangling and co washing my hair.

*You can use more or less tea bags depending on how strong you want you mix to be. The choice in tea bags is yours.

How I did my tea rinse

• After co-washing I left my hair in the 6 big braids
• Poured cooled tea mix into small spray bottle

• Sprayed tea mix directly onto my new growth and along the length of the braids
• Massaged tea into my hair and scalp
• Added a mixture of protein treatment and moisturizing masque to my hair
• Put on shower cap and sat under my heating cap for 35mins

*Tea rinses, in particular black tea tend to leave hair feeling hard and matted together. This is a big challenge especially for transitioning hair and those stretching relaxers. To curb the effect you can carry out a deep conditioning treatment at the same time as your tea rinse to add moisture back to the hair and maintain softness.

 Benefits of Green and Black tea

Green Tea Benefits	Black Tea Benefits
Helps stimulate hair growth Helps with dandruff and psoriasis Vitamin C which guards against UV radiation Vitamin E which restores dry hair Contains panthenol which strengthens hair and prevents split ends	Blocks production of DHT Hormone Helps thicken and strengthen hair Darkens hair and adds shine

 Other teas you can use and why:

Sage tea – Reduces oil build up on your scalp
Nettle tea – Prevents dandruff and increases circulation to the scalp which could also benefit hair growth

Chamomile tea – Accentuates your hair’s natural highlights
Rosemary tea – As with rosemary oil it promotes hair growth and soothes the scalp

As I said this was my first time and so I am yet to see the results, I am waiting for my next de-tangling session to compare the amount of shedding. The benefit of snapping a lot of pics during a hair journey is that you get to compare before and after pics. It’s very rewarding 🙂

Here’s a picture of my shedding this weekend. Now to wait and see if it reduces over time

Shedding: 24/08/13

I hope you all try this out and add it to your regimens, I definitely am.

~XoXoXo~

K.

 

How To: Wrap Hair

You may or may not know about wrapping hair. I had no clue a few years ago but once you start you never look back. Wrapping is part of our night time care for our hair and must be a core part of every HHJ. What we do to our hair when we sleep is especially important, all our efforts at length retention can go down the drain just because of one simple thing we fail to do.

Unfortunately, our type of hair as black women does not afford us the luxury of just rolling in to bed and falling asleep with our hair all over the show. We will beasking for breakage and boy will we get it! LOTS OF IT!

So what is wrapping?
The name is self-explanatory. Simply put wrapping is brushing hair so that it wraps around your head
 
Why wrap hair?

• To smooth hair and maintain straightness of our hair overnight. eg from relaxers, blow drying or flat ironing
• To retain oil and moisture in our hair overnight
• To protect our ends from breakage while we sleep
   
  Types of wraps I use

1. Doobie wrap or just ‘the wrap’
2. Cross wrap

What you will need when wrapping hair (as shown in photo above)

• Daily moisturizer and sealing oil
• Silk/ satin hair wrap
• A wide tooth comb and soft boars bristle or paddle brush
• Hair clips or bobby pins (optional)
  *can you tell that purple is my favourite colour 🙂 lol

 Doobie wrap/wrap

*This is how I do it. It’s not the exact text book method but it’s close enough

1.  Moisturise and seal hair
2. Using a wide tooth comb gently brush you hair downwards from the centre of your head. Your hair should look be all around your head in your face etc
3. Go to the top of your head where the centre part is and slowly start to brush hair in a circular motion around your head.
4. Continue this process working down your head and hold hair in place with free hand as you do. There should be more hair the lower you go so make sure you are combing from the roots and getting all the hair securely wrapped around. Use your free hand to smooth the hair and secure it by using clips or bobby pins.
5. Hair that is newly relaxed or layered might fall out of place so you will need a few more pins
6. Use your boars bristle brush or paddle brush to smooth hair and get rid of any bumpy areas
7. Get your satin scarf tie it securely on your head. Don’t ruin the wrap and do not cut of blood flow to your head by tying too tight! Finally you can slightly twist your satin cap in the direction of your wrap to stretch the hair a bit more if you feel your wrap is a bit loose.

Removing wrap:

• Remove head scarf and bobby pins if you had not slipped them out before sleeping
• GENTLY loosen the wrap from the end by pulling hair in the opposite direction to which it was wrapped. I usually shake my head a little to further loosen, finger comb slightly and then gently brush my hair into a desired style.
• Your hair should be straight and falling naturally into place
• Same removal method applies to the cross wrap.

 Cross wrap:
This wrap is a lot less involving than the doobie. I do it more especially when I have lots of new growth coming in which makes it hard to comb through my roots. I also just do it to minimalize manipulation of the hair, thus reducing breakage.

Personally I prefer the results of the doobie on my hair more than this type of wrap. However my scalp prefers cross wrapping as all the brushing for doobies tends to aggravate my scalp.

It’s also my go to wrap when feeling lazy 🙂

 How to cross wrap

1. Moisturize and seal hair as usual
2. Part hair down the middle using fingers
3. Securely grab hold of both sides of your as close to the root as possible- hold left side of the hair with your right hand and vice versa and cross the hair over each other
4. Pull hair across to opposite side and up around the side of your head and secure it down where the hair ends using a clip or bobby pin
   Do the same for the other side
5. When both sides are secured cover hair with satin/silk scarf for the night

**I don’t like the indent of bobby pins in my hair and so I slip them out while my scarf is on.
 

Things to note

Wrapping is not for everyone. Some people simply put their hair in a loose bun overnight and wear their satin scarf. The main thing is to have your hair secured and protected while you sleep.

Wrapping for me helps with straightness. I hate having bumps in my hair so I do the wraps

Cross wrapping require little or no brushing so it is better for hair, especially when it has growth. There is less manipulation of the hair involved which is great and put less strain on the hair.

The length of your hair will determine what wrap works best for you. Obviously a cross wrap will not work if you have NL hair and doobies are a bit impractical with MBL hair.

DO NOT pull too tight when wrapping. it must benefit not harm your hair

If you are doing the doobie, don’t always brush in the same direction, alternate

Doobie wraps tend to make MY scalp and edges rather sore if do them continuously so I will cross wrap more often. However everyone is different. I will post pics of how I wrap my hair next week when I have my wash day

Happy wrapping!!! And be sure to post comments and let us all know how your first wrapping experience goes! If your arent a first timer, what do you do to your hair at night and how is it going for you?

 ~XoXoXo~

K.

 

What you didn’t know about your Cotton Pillow Case

A lot happens to our hair on these pillow cases of ours at night. If we are getting as much sleep as we should, our hair will spend up to 8hours every day pressed up against our pillow cases, and if it is not protected this can be a serious cause of damage to our hair. The biggest problem is that most of us don’t realize it!!

 I’m sure we have all gone to bed at least once with well moisturized hair only to wake up the next morning with our hair feeling rather dry we are left with a big question mark as to why…. Well just take a look at what you are sleeping on. Yes your lovely pillow.  If I’m not mistaken it’s probably got a cotton pillow case too, yes?  Well there you have it. Cotton is a highly absorptive material. Not only does it easily absorb water and other liquids. It sucks up the moisture and oils from our hair when it comes in direct contact with it.  Contrary to how it feels cotton is not the smoothest of materials, it is made up of fibres that are a more rough than other fabrics like silk or satin. Hence every time we toss and turn at night, our hair gets tangled and rubs against the fabric causing friction which makes for a perfect breakage of our oh so delicate ends. You may have experienced seeing pieces of hair left on your pillow case when you wake up in the morning- you can tthank your cotton pillow for that. This breakage and when left uncorrected it will only get worse. We MUST protect out hair at all times and especially at night. 

 “Moisture sucking cotton + plus 8hours contact/friction with hair = BREAKAGE”

 So what can be done?

1)      Wrap your hair at night with a silk/satin scarf

2)      Change your pillow case to a silk/satin one

*Silk and satin fibres are much softer than cotton, the do not absorb moisture easily and therefor they are less harsh on the hair and cause minimal breakage. hair will glide over it as opposed to getting caught on it. 

 

ps that’s a satin pillow case in the photo

Hair Length Chart

Where are you now and where do you want to be?

When I did my last length check in March 2013 I was at APL and my hair goal is to reach MBL by February 2014 next year!

Please post comments letting us all know your current hair length and what your hair length goal is.
We can track progress and encourage each other!

~XoXoXo~
K.

Hair Care Glossary: Do you speak hair?

as ou progress in your hair journey you will come across and use a number of acronyms and strange words you have never heard before. Us hair lovers have our own terminology that outsiders struggle to understand. At first when I started my hair care journey I was like huh??? What on earth is APL, HTH, Baggying etc but after going through a hair care glossary I was enlightened! Now it’s your turn. I’ve copied a glossary below for you to read and use as a refence point. (particularly the newbies) You will be ‘speaking hair’ in no time!

~XoXoXo~  

K.

Acronyms:

EL – Ear Length
NL – Neck Length
SL – Shoulder Length
APL – Arm Pit Length
BSL – Bra Strap Length
BSB – Below Shoulder Blade
MBL – Mid Back Length
WSL – Waist Length Hair
GHE – Green House Effect
NG – New Growth
BC – Big Chop
DC – Deep Condition
NTM – Neutrogena Triple Moisture
MNT – Mane N Tail
CW– Conditioner Wash
CWC – Conditioner, Wash, Conditioner
ACV – Apple Cider Vinegar
CON – Creme of Nature
WRTC – White Rain Tropical Coconut conditioner
BSS – Beauty Supply Store
PJ – Product Junkie
Slip – When the comb easily glides through the hair
IMO – In My Opinion
HHG – Happy Hair Growing
BHM – Black Hair Media
LHCF – Long Hair Care Forum
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
EVCO – Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
JBCO – Jamaican Black Castor Oil
DIY – Do It Yourself
HTH – Hope This Helps
ETA – Edited To Add
TIA – Thanks In Advance
ITA – I Totally Agree
IA – I Agree
SMH – Shakes My Head
SO – Significant Other
DH – Dear Husband
DD – Dear Daughter
BRB – Be Right Back
BTW – By The Way
HE – Herbal Essences
HE LTR Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship
MMF – Mizani Moisturefuse.
SE MS MT Silk Elements Mega Silk Moisturizing Treatment
SE MC Silk Elements Mega Cholesterol
MT – Mega Tek
MN – Miconazole Nitrate
EO – Essential Oil
SAA – Silk Amino Acid
S&D – Search & Destory (Method for Triming off Spilt Ends)
FFOTD – Fab Foto Of The Day
LOTD – Look Of The Day
ALS – Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
SLS – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cones – Silicones
AOHSR – Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner
AOGPB – Aubrey Organics GPB Conditioner
Bumping – When you want to push/bump your topic to the top so that others can respond. It is more visible so that others can see it.

Definitions:

Pre-poo – Preparing your hair prior to shampooing. You do this by adding a moisturizing conditioner or natural oils into the hair . You can do this overnight or 30-40mins before you shampoo. This helps keep the moisture in your hair after you shampoo or clarify. Prepoo-ing helps keep that moisture in.

Co-washing – Washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. This helps to put moisture back in the hair without stripping the hair of its natural oils.

Protective Styling – Wearing your hair up in a style that doesn’t put strain on your edges/nape and keeps your ends off of your back & protected from outside elements i.e Buns, Clips, Pony Tails etc.

Low Manipulation – Leave your hair alone! So barely manipulating your hair. The less manipulation the better which leads to less shedding and breakage which eventually leads to healthier hair. For example, Buns, Wash n Go’s, Twist outs, Braids, Braid outs, Afro’s etc.

Baggying – Putting on your moisturizer and then applying a plastic bag over the hair to trap the moisture in. You can either baggy your ends with a small sandwich bag or you can full head baggy with a plastic shower cap. This is very helpful treatment for those with dry damaged hair and dry ends. Check out my post on The Truth About Baggying.

Deep conditioning – Deep conditioning is a nice treat for those with chemical relaxers, colored, dry, brittle, damaged hair. Deep conditioning with a conditioner specifically formulated for conditions similar to the ones already listed will help revive dull lifeless hair thus giving it more strength, elasticity, moisture, softness, and shine. It is a really good way of replenishing lost moisture leaving it less prone to breakage. It’s good to deep condition at least 1x per week.

Moisturizing – Applying a moisture based product to dry hair without washing it out. You can use a water-based or cream based moisturizer 1-2x per day. This helps to prevent breakage and increase elasticity in the hair.

Sealing – Using a natural oil to lock in the moisture after you’ve moisturized the hair i.e. Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil. By using an oil over the moisturizer will allow your hair to stay moisturized longer.

Leave-in Conditioner – A quick way of adding moisture back into the hair after shampooing/conditioning. It helps to detangle the hair leaving it soft and manageable. Most leave-ins provide thermal protection for styling afterward.

Braid-Out – Braiding your hair in sections while hair is still damp after deep conditioning/co-washing. Air dry the braids. Once dry,unravel the braids and style. You can wear this style up to 3-4 days with little to no touch ups.

Stretching – Prolonging the time between relaxers. Instead of relaxing at 6 wks, relax every 8, 10, 12 wks.

Humectants – Attract and retain moisture from the air i.e Glycerin, Honey, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol.

Line of Demarcation – Where the natural hair and relaxed hair meet. This location can be very delicate so be very gentle when stretching.

Hair Type

2a, 2b, 2c
Loose curls

3a, 3b, 3c
Thicker, coily curls. Alicia Keys and Tracee Ellis Ross fall into this category.

4a, 4b
Kinky, coily hair. 4b is the thickest. Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill fall into this category.

STRAIGHT HAIR – Straight hair is classified as a 1. There is absolutely no curl pattern in the hair. It is completely straight. Straight hair is very sleek and shiny because there is no curl pattern, which allows the light to reflect off of the hair giving it a shiny finish. Some straight hair that appears dull is usually because it is damaged. Proper care is always necessary if you want beautiful healthy hair.

WAVY HAIR – Wavy hair is classified as a 2. Type 2 hair can be categorized as 2A/2B or 2C. Basically, 2A hair is fine, while 2B hair is medium. 2C hair is thick and coarse with a frizzier look. If you have type 2 hair, you have a wide variety of styles available to you. You can straighten the hair for a sleek look, or add tighter curls for a different look. The versatility can make the hairs texture look totally different. This hair type has a natural “S” curl pattern as it hangs.

MEDIUM CURLY HAIR – Type 3 hair has a tighter curl pattern. It can be categorized at 3A/3B and 3C hair. 3A hair types have a looser curl pattern, while type 3B hair has a tighter curl pattern and type 3C hair has a tightly curly look and may look slightly kinky. This type of hair has a lot of body and can be styled in many different styles. When wet, type 3 hair easily absorbs the water and shrinks quite a bit. But it is not as shiny as straight hair because the hair cannot reflect the light as easily. Type 3 hair is very springy. If you pull on it, it bounces back into its original curly state. This type of hair can sometimes be a challenge to straighten, especially 3C hair. However, if you blow-dry and use a hot comb or straightener the hair will have a smoother sleeker finish.

KINKY COILY HAIR – Tightly coiled type 4 hair is a lot kinkier than the type 2 and 3 hair types. Although this hair type is much coarser and appears thicker than other curly hair, it is actually quite fine. Type 4A hair has an “S” pattern to it, while type 4B/C hair is more wiry with a zig-zag pattern. Type 4 hair is hard to grow since it has fewer cuticle layers than the other hair types. Once brushed or combed it’s common for hair to break, leaving it shorter and easily susceptible to damage. (Note: Never brush dry curly hair as this creates frizz and can lead to breakage). An easy way to rid yourself of this damage is through proper conditioning, hot oil treatments and not putting tension on the hair daily with pony tails or styles that pull on the hair and add tension.Type 4 hair is extremely versatile and holds well on it’s own without the aid of styling products. Some common styles of this hair type are curly fro’s, afro puffs, two-strand twists, braids, straightening, cornrows and so much more.

The letters a, b and c after the number tell you how thick the hair strand is. One would think the thicker the strand the less fragile the hair. But, actually type 4c hair can be the most fragile because of the curl pattern and the dryness of the hair. Type 4c hair needs to be moisturized regularly & treated gently.

The Cuticle – The cuticle is the thinnest layer. It is transparent and consists of overlapping scale-like cells. It protects the cortex from chemicals.

Dusting – A very light trim. Cutting only 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Good idea if you don’t want a full blown trim.

Texlaxed/Relaxurized – Not letting the relaxer take completely to the point of being bone straight . Basically under processed on purpose. Gives your hair some thickness.

Shedding – Strands of hair with white bulbs on the root. Hair goes through a natural shedding period, so if you’re taking care of your hair and it suddenly starts shedding a bit, don’t be alarmed. If you are worried, try using Garlic. It helps to stop the shedding.

Breakage – Broken pieces of hair without the white bulb. This can be caused by too much moisture or protein. It can also be the cause of poor hair care.

Carrier oil – Known as base oil or vegetable oil, is used to dilute essential oils i.e. Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil etc. These oils can also be used to seal/trap moisture in the hair.

Clarifying – Clarifying your hair is always a good idea to remove the build-ups some products leave on your hair which can make your hair dull and lifeless. Clarifying can remove the chlorine swimmers get on their hair. A Simple clarifier i.e. Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons shampoo. Lather, wait 5 minutes, rinse and condition. OR you can use 2 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed into 2 cups of warm water, pour it on your hair, wait 2-3mins, rinse and condition.

Moisturizing Shampoo – Neutragena Triple Moisture Cream Lather shampoo, Creme of Nature green and red label shampoos, Kenra Moisturizing Shampoo, Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo, Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo, and KeraCare Moisturizing Shampoo.

Moisture Based Deep Conditioners – Mizani Moisturefuse, Keracare Humecto, Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner, Keracare Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair, Crème of Nature Nourishing Conditioner, Atone Botanicals Reconstructer, Elasta QP DPR-11, Queen Helene Cholesterol, Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner, Jason Sea Kelp, Aubrey Organics Conditioners, Joico Moisture Recovery, Elucence MB Conditioner, Jane Carter Replenishing Conditioner, Phytonectar and jojoba conditioners, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Mask, Pantene Relaxed and natural mask, Nexxus Humectress, Hydratherapie by Biolage, Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner, Joico Moisture Intensive Treatment Extra Conditioning Conditioner.

Protein Based Conditioners – Aphogee 2 minute Reconstructer, Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner , Mane and Tail Original Conditioner, Ors Replenishing Pak, Aubrey Organics GPB, Nexxus Keraphix, Phytospecific Intense Nutrition, Motions CPR, ORS Hair Mayo.

Hair Serum – Hair serum makes the hair shiner and does not allow the hair to entangle. It protects the hair from the damages done by over exposure to sun and hair styling products.

Hair serum forms a thin protective layer on the hair strands. It returns the moisture lost due to exposure to sun, heat generated from the hair styling gadgets. It is primarily used for dry and frizzy hair, which breaks easily, or hairs that have under gone excessive chemical treatments like perming, coloring.

(Compliments of Hairlista mbr Leentora!!)Relaxing Bone Straight – Allowing the relaxer to “relax” the hair to it’s fullest potential, making sure the hair strands are as straight as possible.

Relaxing Straight– Allowing the hair to get straight. But not bone straight.

Texlaxing – Allowing the relaxer to loosen the curl pattern and make it easily managable, not necessarily straight.

Texturizing – Loosening the curl pattern slightly, with no straightness at all.

Over-lapping – Applying relaxer to already relaxed hair instead of just focusing on the new growth.

Over-processed – Leaving the relaxer on too long, resulting in a bone straight/limp appearance.

Under-processed – Waves, curls and kinks are still present in the hair after a relaxer. The relaxer did not process/penetrate the hair enough.

Hair Regimens

Let’s chat a little about hair regimens. From your reading thus far I’m sure you have a good idea of what to expect when it comes to managing your hair. There is still so much info out there but we will take it one step at a time to keep it simple. The theory side of hair is great yes, but we can’t slack off on the practical side which I promise you is the most difficult part.

I am someone who applies discipline as and when I please and to be honest when it comes to my hair I tend to be very lazy … surprise I know… I talk the talk well but when it comes to walking the walk…let’s just say it’s a bit of a struggle. That is why having the most SIMPLE hair care regimen is so important, especially if you never gave your hair any loving before. You just need to “K.I.S.S”  keep it simple stupid…( well none of you are stupid but you know what I mean… :-I lol)

So what is a hair regimen and why all the hype ……???

~A hair regimen is a routine you follow for your hair care / what you do to your hair consistently to obtain specific results from it ~

It can be as simple as washing your hair every Friday to maintain a clean scalp. That’s great… but obviously we aim to DO BETTER and get MORE from our hair since we are all hard core hair fanatics ..YES!!?? lol… Hair regimens are formulated through trial and error based on what works for YOUR  hair so you need to figure it out. You will find however that there are core things that feature in most. Eg washing, deep conditioning, m&s, protective styling etc.

Some people have regimens that incorporate washing your hair 2x week. That doesn’t work for ME…why?

1.     Because my scalp is SUPER sensitive/tender  so the less contact the better

2.     My hair is a bit anti social, she likes to be “oiled” and left alone to do her thing (growing) for at least 3weeks

3.     I’m always in protective styles and too much washing makes MY hair get knots

That example is exclusive to MY hair it will be different for everyone so figure out what works for your hair, what it likes and doesnt like etc. Let me try help you take the first step in figuring out your regimen …. 

We all have that one time we went to the hairdresser and she was like “maiwe bvudzi rako rakura!” translation… wow your hair has grown, right? GREAT and I’m sure at that stage you didn’t have, or know what a regimen was…but there was something you did…and you did it right…so try remember what it was and work from there.

Did you moisturise your hair every other day? Wash it after about two weeks? Did you not use heat? Was your hair braided? Were you “oiling” your scalp every day?  All of those things make up a healthy hair regimen. so if you did any of the above be sure to keep doing it by making it part of your regimen.

My Core Regimen(when my hair is down or in protective styles (ps)

• Oil scalp 3x week
• Moisturize and seal hair 4-5x week
• Wash and deep condition every 3-4 wks
• Blow dry/straighten 1 or 2x month after treatment
• PS for 2months at a time

That’s the core of most of my regimens. I have a couple but the above is in all of them. There are adjustments depending on my hairstyle and what hair challenge I am doing at the time.

Now it’s your turn, figure out a very simple regimen or copy one you’ve seen and GET STARTED…. Be sure to monitor and note down your progress, any challenges you come across, any adjustments you make etc.

Remember ladies, regimens are very important in your hair care journey. It’s all about deliberately doing certain things to your hair on a regular basis in order to achieve specific results. This is how we grow and keep the hair we’ve always wanted.  

Things to do:

1. Do a length check the day you start regimen. Note the date
2. Get a diary/keep notes in your phone specifically for your hair
3. Write down your basic regimen and note start date
4. Pick your products
5. Be patient- hair growth takes time but you WILL see results

 

Breakage and Shedding, what’s the big deal?

So while I am still fresh off the topic of healthy ends I’m going to touch on something that we experience everyday with our hair. it’s a very important topic to understand if you are to truly care for your hair the right way.

Hair Shedding and Hair Breakage

What is Shedding?

Shedding is when hair reaches the end of its growth cycle and the full strand of hair will fall out with that little white bulb looking thing at the end (follicle). It’s completely normal and happens on a daily basis so do not be alarmed. With time you will find that you shed a certain amount daily and when it becomes excessive you will know. (I’ll post something on hair cycles soon)

I’ve found the only time this is really bad/alarming for me is when i experience shedding because of hairstyles that put too much tension on my hair and pull it out. For example when you get braids put in too tight and you see a little collection of follicles sticking out from the root of your braids along your hairline. At that stage you know it’s LATE for your hairline!!!. Back to square one! And…. according to the hair cycle it takes about 130 days for hair to be replaced when the same place it was removed 😮

Ps- They say you shed 50-100 strands per day. I think that’s beans personally, it sounds so excessive but hey it makes me feel better about what I see from my own scalp. Lol. After having protective hairstyles in for some time you will notice a lot of shed hair coming out when de-tangling, and remember that is to be expected. You can take a look at the pic I attached on my post “Key How To’s: Part 1” …it shows my shed hair in my hand after three weeks of being in braids.

Now what’s breakage??

Breakage is different, it’s not at all a natural process. Rather it occurs from poor management of hair which results in thinning ends, reduced elasticity of hair and eventual breaking off of the hair along the strand leaving behind the rest of it a number of centimeters SHORTER than before.. There’s no long strands and follicles and its usually small jagged pieces of hair. We’ve all seen a collection of these pieces of hair on the back of people’s shirts after they have combed their hair with a tail comb right!!! 😱😱😱 THAT IS BREAKAGE, and after such treatment, it’s not surprising at all.

**Ladies do yourselves and your hair a favor … Stop combing your hair with tail combs. Yes your relaxer is fresh, your growth is gone, you have that silly hair go back, hair blowing in the wind type of feeling But it’s no good for your hair. You are just asking for breakage!!! ***

There’s no going back when it comes to breakage…. You’ll just need to get a trim and work on reducing breakage going forward by doing all things RIGHT to your hair. These things and tips are noted in my previous blogs and there’s more to come 🙂

~XoXoXo~

K.

Point to note on the pic attached:

• This is excessive shedding…or is it breakage?? Do you see a follicle? Please comment and give feedback on what you think… breakage or shedding ?? Lets talk about it 🙂

• Do not use this type of brush on your hair for de-tangling. Boars bristle brushes are good for styling and when used minimally. They tend to be quite harsh of the hair when used often especially if hair is weak.

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