Q: My name is Arielle and I am a college student in Rhode Island. I straightened my hair with a CHI staightener and it looked great. I then missed my big tight black curls and wanted them back. So I washed my hair and only one side of my head went back to normal and the other side is still straight! I need to know if there is something I can do to get back my big beautiful hair that I love and would cry for if I had to give it up.
A: Hair is like fabric and has some degree of memory to it. It should be handled with care. We see this all the time in the salon where someone has straightened their natural hair only to wet it and it not snap back to being as curly as before. Heat can break those bonds that make your hair curly just like a chemical. The key is not to style your hair straight, because it is unpredictable as to whether you will regain your curl or not. What you can do now is wash it and try to style it curly. If your hair does not regain its original curl I’m afraid it will never will. You will have to take this as a learning lesson and grow it out. The thing with straight-styling curly hair is that it is unpredictable whether the curl will come back or not. It depends on the hair’s porosity and the amount of heat used and the application of this heat. This is sometimes difficult to determine so I say always proceed with caution when you are styling your own hair straight. A flat iron can be a dangerous tool because if the heat is allowed to rest in one area too long the hair might remain straight. I would recommend straight styling with a rollerset and blow. Only use a flat iron if you are a professional.
Q: I have type 4 hair, and I live in Philadelphia, PA.I currently use Aubrey’s protein shampoo and conditioner. Currently I keep my hair plaited and I wear wigs. I am so tired of the wigs. I would like to wear my own hair, but I don’t want to put chemicals in it, nor do I want to put heat on it. Can you help me with some products for shampooing, conditioning and everyday care of my type 4b hair. Thank you.
A: For shampooing I would recommend Creme de la Curl, its a non-sulfate shampoo that cleanses with moisturizing castor oil ( the idea being that oil removes dirt”>. For conditioning I would recommend Creme de la Creme and Rapid Recovery Treatment. These are moisturizing conditioners that will aid in detangling and really make your hair manageable. If your hair is a similar texture all over then I would recommend Curly Pudding for fingerstyling your 4B hair. If you have varied textures all over I would do a two strand twist with Curly Pudding. Moisturize daily with Baby or Curly Buttercreme.
Q: My son’s hair varies in texture from the back and sides, to the middle and along the front of his hair line. Several months ago he scratched the top of his head so much that he created a bald patch. He was diagnosed with excema and once a week we gently wash his hair with a prescribed version of Selsum Blue shampoo. Afterward, I just massage in a little extra-virgin olive oil and comb it out with a wide-toothed comb. Now that he passed his first birthday I wanted to ask if you have tips on how I can manage his hair. After he wakes up each day it is so dry and right now, I just wet it a little and brush it. But this does not help much.
Q: I have had this problem for a while now. I wash my hair in sections once a week concentrating on my scalp with Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Shampoo and deep condition with 365 no fragrance conditioner with Extra Virgin Olive Oil added. I then twist my hair in two-strand twists in the back (from crown to nape”> and flat twist the front (from temple to crown”> using my mixture of Shea butter, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, peppermint oil, and vitamin E oil (based in olive, jojoba, rosemary, oregano oils”> and pin it up in an updo. No more than 4 days can go by and my scalp starts itching like crazy. When that happens I promptly take it down and either wash it or just oil my scalp with coconut oil. The oiling of the scalp helps for just one day then it is back itching like crazy.
A: Crazy itching only 4 days after washing may indicate a deeper problem. Have you seen a dermatologist? As far as natural remedies go have you tried tea tree oil? It’s naturally anti microbial and may help with your scalp situation.
Q: What is ‘heat trained’ hair and is it considered healthy for hair?
A: I have never heard of ” Heat Trained” but if I were to guess, I’d thin it was altering the texture of one’s hair by making it looser with heat. I would say this is not a healthy option. Using heat to alter the texture of one’s hair is not a predictable or sustainable method. How would one determine the right texture they are looking for? And if they were to achieve it by some freak of nature how could they prevent additional loosening every time they heat styled their hair? Hope that helps!
