Search Results: NaturallyCurly
Living in a cold climate is hard on hair and skin. Don’t forgo a warm hat in order to preserve your hairstyle, ears and hair need protection from the cold, dry air. A trendy tam (tam o’shanter”> style hat or knit beret with plenty of “slouch” and a not-too-tight band will cradle even long hair and won’t smash curls and flatten your style. Wool is warmest and double-knit wool is warmer still. Regardless of the fiber, you can line any hat with silky, smooth fabric (satin, silk, charmeuse”> to prevent friction, tangling and breakage. Fluff your hair after removing the hat and you’re ready to go.
All commercially manufactured hair products contain preservatives to keep them fresh and to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. May of these chemicals can also cause dry, itchy scalp and skin. Here are some commonly used preservatives that are known to cause skin irritation:
- Benzyl alcohol
- Imidazolidinyl urea
- Diazolidinyl urea
- Sodium Hydroxylmethylglycinate
- Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl parabens
- Phenoxyethanol
- DMDM hydantoin
- Quaternium-15
- Methylisothiazolinone
For silky, soft, fine curls or hair with loose curls or waves, use a hair diffuser to remove much of the moisture from hair. The warmth helps fine hair hold its shape longer. Water in hair (and moisture in styling products”> weighs hair down and pulls out the waves. Use products with glycerin or a heat-protectant to prevent damage.
A mayonnaise hair treatment is an effective hair conditioner that can help restore vitality and sheen to your hair. It contains oil, vinegar and egg yolk, which are all natural conditioners and cleansers that help in adding luster and shine to the hair. Mayonnaise is especially recommended for dry and overly damaged hair.
Simply apply a liberal coat of mayonnaise on your hair, making sure to cover strands from the root to the tips. Leave on for at least a half hour, then wash normally.
Fine hairs have a diameter of around 40-50 microns. Medium hairs (average”> have a diameter closer to 100 microns, but most hairs of any diameter have a cuticle that is about 4 microns thick. Fine hairs are about 35% cuticle and medium hairs are closer to 15% cuticle.
The cuticle doesn’t play much role in perming or relaxing—that takes place in the cortex of the hair, but this is one reason why perms for fine hair can be more difficult: there is less material (cortex”> to be relaxed or permed relative to that which is not alterable by the chemical treatment (cuticle”>.
Use relaxers and perms for fine hair with caution—it will require a potentially more damaging process to dramatically change the shape of your hair, and its small diameter gives it less buffer from the environment once it is chemically altered.
On average, a hair grows for 3 to 6 years. Average hair grows about half an inch each month during that time, but at the temples, it tends to grow a bit more slowly. After this time, it slows its growth for a few weeks, then rests for a few weeks before being shed. There are always people whose hair will grow longer than 3-6 years or for less time than that. Variation is normal, of course! Hair on the legs and in the armpits grows at a similar rate to scalp hair.
Is there a natural cause for dry hair? Hair dryness depends on your scalp condition, your age, gender, and the health of your scalp. Scalp “oils” are a combination of various-sized fatty acids and other fat-based molecules.
With dry hair, there can be a difference in the chemical composition of scalp “oils” which does not allow them to distribute as well over the hair surface. There may be little to no difference in how much oil (sebum”> is produced on a head with very curly hair versus a head with very straight hair. Oiliness may be more obvious on straight hair, however, since oil is more easily distributed over a smooth surface.
Dry hair can look frizzy and dull and be prone to breakage. Make your own yogurt hair mask by whisking one egg until frothy. Then blend in ½ cup of plain yogurt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Apply to damp hair in sections. Leave on for at least 15 minutes then shampoo and condition as usual. The lactic acid in yogurt will smooth and hydrate your strands.
Rosemary has been proven to stimulate hair follicles to make hair grow longer, stronger and thicker over time. Massaging rosemary oil into your scalp increases blood circulation to hair follicles, making the roots stronger and leading to less hair loss.
Excessive stress can wreak havoc on your curls. Stress and hair loss are connected because stress releases hormones that contribute to thinning hair. Regular exercise is a great way to release stress and get your circulation going contributing to healthy hair growth.
To help preserve your new color job, seal it with a clear glaze. This will help preserve your new color while adding amazing smoothness and shine.
If you have finer hair in front, on top, or coarser hair underneath; patches of tighter curls or straighter hair or areas which tend to frizz more than others, you have combination hair (that’s a lot of us”>! Treat each area according to its specific needs, even if they are vastly different.
Frizzier places may need more moisture or a combination of moisture and protein. Sections of your hair may need more styling products than others or a different type of styling. Responding to your hair’s varied behavior will give you the best end result.
The cuticle of hair (the outer covering of “scales” over the inner fiber”> is very rich in protein, especially cystine. The epicuticle (a protein and lipid-rich layer covering the cuticles”> is rich in amino acids (smaller components of proteins”>. To temporarily repair damaged hair, protect porous hair and add body to fine/thin hair, look for products containing hydrolyzed wheat, soy, quinoa and keratin proteins and amino acids to add cystine to the cuticle for shine and moisture retention.
Panthenol is a form of Vitamin B5. It is small enough to penetrate through the cuticle of hair, and is a highly hygroscopic (water-attracting”> chemical, acting as a humectant, attracting water to itself. It also soothes irritated skin and helps hair retain moisture in the cortex and on the surface, leaving it more pliable, shinier and slightly thicker.
Coloring your hair opens the cuticles, so we must be sure to close them back down!
Deep conditioning after any permanent chemical dye is a good way to lock moisture into your hair. Chemicals will only further damage dry, over-porous hair, so it’s important to maintain the proper moisture levels in the hair.
Silica supplements, usually from the plant horsetail (Equisetum”> can increase the thickness of hair and help it maintain its strength and elasticity. Plant-based forms of silica have varied absorption rates. Choline-stabilised orthosilicic acid has been tested and demonstrated to be effective, but is more expensive.
Silica supplements should be used with caution: horsetail herb can cause liver damage and vitamin B1 deficiency if overused.
Try a warm oil scalp massage two or three times a week to stimulate and moisturize the scalp. Use good-quality coconut, olive or almond oil, slightly warmed, and gently massage the oil into your scalp with the pads of your fingers. Leave on at least two hours, preferably overnight, then shampoo the oil from your hair. You can also use Ayurvedic hair oils containing Bhringaraj—also called “king of tresses”—and Brahmi.
Want to add slip (detangling”> to your cleansing? Add oil to your shampoo. Coconut oil is wonderful for hair, evening primrose oil is soothing and healing to the scalp, canola oil is light and has little scent. You can also use melted shea butter or cocoa butter—any vegetable fat found in most natural hair products will do.
Add 1/8 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon to a very shallow palmful of shampoo for fine hair, or 1-2 teaspoons for thick or very curly hair. Your shampoo will probably foam more than usual, but your hair will be left feeling silky.
