Hello World and Naturalistas !
For the most part we as women deem our hair as our crown of glory. We have to make sure it looks good before we leave the house and if it doesn't, we cover it up, to avoid embarrassment. For many, it means having long hair but to others it means having healthy hair .. So today I'll list and talk about things that contribute to healthy hair and how to maintain it, whether you're relaxed, transitioning, or natural.
1. Moisturizing: If you watch YouTube videos or keep up with hair blogs, you've heard of the LOC or LCO method. For those who may not be familiar it stands for Liquid (Water), Oil (That seals), Conditioner/Cream. When all three of these are applied on the hair strands they help moisturize the hair. The water adds natural moisture to the hair, the conditioner adds other adherents, and the oil seals in all the moisture. When doing this LOC/LCO method there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
First Thing: Not every oil is a sealant. Some oils sit on top of the hair shaft instead of penetrating it. The three main oils that can be used to seal are: Castor Oil, Grape seed oil, and Jojoba oil.
Second Thing: Some oils are a moisturizing oils like olive, coconut and avocado. I think that many people get the terms "moisturizing" and "sealing" confused. There is a lot of misconstrued information going around. Truthfully, the best way to know is to try it for yourself.
Third Thing: How do you know if your hair is moisturized? Well if styled wet, after it dries it should not feel wet or oily nor should it make a sound if it's rubbed in between your finger tips. Just because your hair is soft it doesn't mean the moisture is sealed in, it could just be laying on top of your hair shaft.
Fourth Thing: Do deep conditioners, hot oil treatments, protein treatments, and cholesterol treatments.
2. Trims: Some people refuse to cut their hair because they want to grow it out long. But the important thing to keep in mind is that after 4 months or so, trims would be needed. If you see split ends, cut them off because it can cause really bad breakage. If you're natural .. when you do a wet set style like, rods or twists on wet hair and your ends flair out like paintbrush bristles, it's time for a trim!
FYI: Always use hair sheers !
3. Breakage vs Shedding: Knowing the difference between breakage and shedding is essential to maintaining length. One way to depict shedding .. if you see a white bulb at the end of the strand, that is a sign that it's coming directly from the root. In this case, the strand is growing a new and pushing out the old one. Breakage are hairs that have broken at a point in a hair strand.
Breakage can be caused by many factors, such as:
1. Too much manipulation
2. Being too rough
3. Split ends
4. Moisturizing scalp: I watch a lot of natural YouTube guru's and only once did I come across a video about scalp moisturizing. Everyone rants about hair but they neglect the scalp. We produce natural oils but some people, like me, suffer from dry scalp and need to put extra effort on moisturizing it. That's where my hair grows from, so it is important for me to stimulate that growth.
5. Heat: Natural or Relaxed, Transitioning ... If you are going to burn your hair strands, make sure the process is short, sweet, and not frequent. Make sure you protect the strands so they can't feel the heat. Relaxed chicks .. I know you don't want thin, shedding hair. And the naturally curly chicks ... will be crying for their curls back... So protect your hair !
6. Low Manipulation: Doing styles that require less hand on hair stimulation tends to respond better .. people with hair like this ... have really picky hair... that does not like to be touched. So, protective styling like weaves, braids, twists, and crotchet braids, will assist in growth. Though you should be careful of styles done too tight or those that stay in too long .. because it can cause more harm than good ... (breakage) and then you'd blame me for the bad advice.
OVERALL
It's important to Know your hair: The key to learning is trial and error ... knowing what products your hair loves and sticking them. The quote "If it's not broke don't fix it" applies here. PRODUCT JUNKIES HOLD OFF AND SAVE YOUR MONEY. Learn what habits it loves and stick to them. If your hair loves low manipulation because you over manipulate it when it's out ... do protective styling. Also, protect when using heat. & Don't forget the scarf !!!
THANKS FOR READING, STAY BLESSED !
Photo Cred: http://my-kinky-hair.tumblr.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment