Healthy Hair Journey 101
Here’s to a fabulous 2015 ahead! I say this with so much joy in my heart, because I know it will be a demanding but rewarding year. This is the year to make big things happen. The energy 2015 carries is powerful. It is for change, and testing personal power. This is the time to start living up to your potential if you haven’t been. (I will be putting in more effort to making EW the blog it’s been yearning to be. A world class site). So mote it be! I wish you the best on your personal earthly journey. Bowing to you.
Now for the fun stuff, id est what you came by for.
This is my first post this year. One of many. A continuation of what I started last year. My resolution is to keep my promises. To that end, here’s yet another black hair care post. As promised! I know it’s late, but still :)
Writing specifically for South African ladies, because we don’t have resources Americans girls do.
When getting started on a natural or healthy hair journey of your own, here's a list of things you need to know.
♥ Get your head in the game.
♥ Repair existing damage. Figure out the current state of your hair. You’ll need to do a porosity test, and ascertain your moisture and protein levels.
From the little bit of experience I’ve had with managing my own head of hair, I think those are the three most important things you need to know. My daily battle is with ultra dry hair. I've had dry skin all my life (luckily I have discovered creams to fight that), so it’s no wonder that lack of moisture affects my tresses too. Restoring hair moisture is not as easy as simply using creams like I do with my skin. It involves an understanding of what the underlying causes might be. Losing the natural oils that exist in your hair tends to be a common problem.
Shampoos with sulfates as a primary ingredient tend to harm your strands, leaving them unsightly and dry. The intention behind adding sulfates to shampoos isn’t malicious, as they help balance ph levels, but their use always results in dryness. So, you may need to pre-poo before using that shampoo, and find a moisturizer that will put moisture back into your hair (even if it’s through trial and error like I did). To save you the trouble, here are a few suggestions;
Or try changing your shampoo and find alternatives that don’t contain sulphates.
Preventing or combating dryness (which can lead to breakage), every chance you get is the only way to ensure you retain that ¼ of an inch growth month to month.
Protein moisture balance is like a scale. Manage the relationship by recognizing which one is missing and adding more of the other. Protein helps strengthen your shaft. When manipulated excessively, it will dry out your Rapunzel-like locks. So use sparingly. When too much moisture exists, it overwhelms the shaft and it will droop like a wilting plant. So tread lightly to keep the balance in check.
♥ Tackle your ends as soon as practicable. Either with a pair of hair scissors or a treatment to prevent them from splitting. Check out Lesley’s upload on dusting to learn the tricks of the hair trimming game. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
Preventing or combating dryness (which can lead to breakage), every chance you get is the only way to ensure you retain that ¼ of an inch growth month to month.
Protein moisture balance is like a scale. Manage the relationship by recognizing which one is missing and adding more of the other. Protein helps strengthen your shaft. When manipulated excessively, it will dry out your Rapunzel-like locks. So use sparingly. When too much moisture exists, it overwhelms the shaft and it will droop like a wilting plant. So tread lightly to keep the balance in check.
♥ Tackle your ends as soon as practicable. Either with a pair of hair scissors or a treatment to prevent them from splitting. Check out Lesley’s upload on dusting to learn the tricks of the hair trimming game. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
♥ Keep you ends sealed and out of sight. At night, sleep in silk/satin cap/scarf.
♥ Section and finger comb. Once you’re through, use your tools to get at the puny knots. This helps you deal with your main a lot more easily on wash day. Patience and utmost care pay off big time. Should you feel yourself getting so impatient to the point where you’re breaking instead of combing your hair: wrap it up with a silk scarf and take a rain check. You don’t have to do it all in one day!
♥ Keep your tools clean and functional. Combs with missing teeth don’t work. Buy hair tools from reliable brands to avoid disappointment. My favourite combs are from Toni and Guy. How to recognize investment tools? The sturdier they look and feel, the better.
♥ Use natural products. You’re ridding your hair of one major toxin – the dreaded cream relaxer, don't substitute it with other toxins. Even if it is inadvertently so. The rule is, if you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it!
♥ Avoid combing dry hair.
♥ Detangle conditioned hair only.
♥ Massage your scalp daily.
♥ Take supplements. Not to mention assessing your diet. Does it help / hurt the health of your hair?
You are what you eat. Monitor your intake to ensure it’s benefiting the health of your hair.
♥ Wear protective/low manipulation hairstyles.
♥ Come up with a regimen that works for you.
♥ Minimize stress levels. This is good for you all round not just in helping your hair. Lose the loser, get moneyed and relax.
♥ Minimize stress levels. This is good for you all round not just in helping your hair. Lose the loser, get moneyed and relax.
♥ Let go and it will grow. Much like let go let God. By leaving things up to Gaia, your hair is left no choice but to grow. This will only work if you followed points 1-8.
Quote of the day, ‘’Rome wasn't built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.”
The things no one tells you about, that you have to go through by yourself to know about:
Everyone is going to hate on you. Telling you black hair don’t behave like that. etc. Ignore it. Like the chemical in your hair, their bad vibes will go away.
Everyone will try to talk you out of it. From my mom to my stylist, people couldn't stop themselves trying to let me know of the horrors my hair would see without the frequent use of a crème relaxer.
Soldier on sistah!
Links to Natural Hair Movement Literature;
And of course easywarlike.co.za
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