I think it’s safe to say that men and women of all hair types will agree that embracing their natural texture has taught them to listen to their hair. Doing this has led us to creating many unique practices, like co-washing, oil sealing, the LOC method, and clarifying with apple cider vinegar.
What is a pre-poo?
A “pre-poo” is a treatment, typically with oil or conditioner, applied to hair before shampooing or cleansing. It can help provide your hair with moisture and prep your hair for detangling. Many curlies mix their own pre-poo (check out this olive oil pre-poo“>, and then massage it into the scalp and apply it to the hair’s length. You can leave your pre-poo in 15 minutes before you shower or even overnight, depending on what your hair needs.
Do you need to pre-poo?
Whether you have never pre-pooed before or you do not see the point in it, here is a list of signs that may indicate your hair needs a pre-poo.
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A Bunch Of Breakage
This is a curly girl’s worst enemy. A lot of breakage usually happens during the cleansing process inside the shower; the vigorous rubbing can cause hair strands to rub up against each other and rip. Pre-pooing the hair can lubricate the hair strands and protect them from ripping easily. In the long run, the treatments can contribute to length retention by protecting the hair during the cleansing process.
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Squeaky Scalp
We all like to have a clean scalp, but nothing makes me cringe more than that horrid squeaky feeling after cleansing my hair. For some people, that squeaky sound is the sound of a job well don. It lets me know, however, that my detangling process afterwards is going to be full of knots and pain. If you want to avoid that squeaky feeling, pre-pooing will do just the trick. By lubricating your hair before washing it the cleanser won’t be able to remove all your sebum, most of its suds will only work through the pre-poo, thus retaining moisture in your hair.
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Suffering Slow Growth
If you plan to grow your hair ‘faster’, adding a pre-poo to your washing regimen will be your best bet. As you massage the treatment onto your scalp, you promote blood circulation. This helps deliver more nutrients to your hair follicles thus helping to promote longer, thicker curls. Massaging will also help grow back your baby hairs and receded hairlines. A popular hair growth pre-poo is Jamaican Black Castor Oil.
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Tons Of Tangles
If you find yourself constantly struggling with knots and tangles in the shower, a pre-poo can loosen your tangles by lubricating and softening your hair. You can also finger detangle your hair before the shower with a pre-poo to get rid of any big knots.
