Search Results: Shellie Reneé

Sometimes I like to tiptoe out into cyberspace to see what some of the latest trends are. When it comes to hair, specifically, I’ve noticed that ponytails are getting a lot of shout-outs right now. Not just any ponytail, though — the super sleek ones. 

Thing is, we curly girls know that whenever our hair is chemically-processed straight, achieving this kind of look is absolutely no problem. It’s when we want to make this look happen without permanently altering our natural texture that things can get a bit — pardon the pun — hairy.

That said, if you’d like to rock your own super sleek ponytail every once in a while and you’re wondering how to do it without damaging your tresses in the process, here are a few tips that can hopefully make that pretty easy for you.

1. Start with the right styling tools

Any good hairstyle is going to need some great styling tools. When it comes to a sleek ponytail, you need a wide-tooth comb, a soft bristle brush, an old toothbrush, a satin scarf (silk ones will sometimes stick to your hair after you apply product to it), an elastic hair tie and a fine-tooth comb too (for precision). Also, don’t forget about hair gel, mousse and/or pomade. Oh, and some edge control (check out our article “How to Make Your Own Edge Control”, “5 DIY Edge Control Recipes For Curly Hair” and “How to Lay Down Your Edges the All-Natural Way”). When it comes to whatever product that you choose, just make sure to go with something that results in as little residue as possible once it dries. Remember, it’s going to be hard to remove “white stuff” from your hair once your ponytail is set.

2. Be open to implementing a side part

The more parts that you have in your hair, the easier it will be for your hair to dry (whether you’re choosing to create your ponytail while it’s wet or you’re waiting for the product to dry completely). Plus, there is something that’s both sophisticated and sexy about a sleek ponytail that has a side part to it. For accuracy’s sake, go with a fine-tooth comb to make this happen.

3. Use gel on freshly washed hair. Pomade on towel-dry hair.

As far as product goes, my recommendation would be to apply gel on hair that’s just been washed and is still damp. If you’re trying to make this look happen on mostly dry hair, go with a pomade instead. Gel on wet hair because your tresses are most cooperative when they’re wet (which makes it easier to mold). Plus, gel tends to “set into hair” better when it’s wet (or at least damp). Pomade is great on towel-dried hair because although it is activated by water, a little bit goes a really long way. If you’re wondering what the perks of going with a pomade are, I personally don’t know anything that can tame curly hair and hold a style quite like it does. Plus, it creates a really sleek look along with a level of shine that’s pretty unmatched as well. If you’d like to use a gel that contains no alcohol (alcohol can be drying over time), Sheamoisture Daily Hydration Styling Gel 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Hydrating, Alcohol-Free Hair, Rolda Black Styling Hair Gel Extra Strong Hold and Giovanni LA Natural Styling Gel are good options. There are a few more listed in our article, “6 Best Alcohol-Free Gels for Wavy Curly Hair”. If you need a little bit of assistance as far as pomades go, check out our article, “10 of the Best Pomades for Thick and Curly Hair”.

4. Sleek your hair down in sections and then secure with a ponytail holder

Now that you know what kind of product to use to get this kind of ponytail, it’s really important that you don’t forget this particular point (especially if your hair is really curly or super thick). While it might initially seem easier to just plop a pile of gel or pomade onto your hair and comb it in, that really isn’t going to give you the end result that you’re after. Your best bet is to part your hair into sections, apply some product, comb or brush your hair into place and then “rinse and repeat” with another section. My recommendation would be to put your side part in and then part your hair horizontally in semi-small sections, so that you can distribute your product evenly and get each section of your hair nice and smooth. Then secure your ponytail with a ponytail holder. 

5. Focus on your edges and nape

It doesn’t matter how great your ponytail looks if your edges and nape aren’t laid down as flat as possible. So, once you’ve got your ponytail done, it’s time to use your old toothbrush, your fine-tooth comb and some edge control to hone in on these areas of your hair. Actually, this part of the styling process can be a lot of fun because you can even put some tiny design in if you would like. Just make sure that after you’ve finished this part that you use a satin scarf to tie around your edges and nape for about 15-20 minutes, so that your ponytail can really get smooth and sleek (another tip is, if you want to use heat, this would be the time. Turn it on to medium and move the blower around your head. It will help the product to dry even faster!).

6. Tie your hair down at night and…

Unless you only plan on wearing your sleek ponytail for a day or so, this tip doesn’t matter much. But if you want to make it last for a week or more, it is an absolute must that you tie it down when you’re about to go to bed, when you’re about to get into the shower and also if you’re planning on working out. You need to do it at night, so that your ponytail isn’t messed up by you tossing and turning all night long. You need to do it before washing and exercising, so that the humidity won’t cause some of your hair to rise up. Honestly, when it comes to maintaining your sleek ponytail, your scarf should be considered to be its very best friend.

7. Keep some mousse on hand

So, what about if you need to do some touching up? Mousse can be super beneficial, mostly because it’s specifically designed to reduce humidity and hold a hairstyle. Plus, it dries faster than gel. Just make sure to keep in mind that “less is more”. In fact, if you want to some tips for how to avoid product build-up, a naturalista offers up some good insights here.

Enjoy your ponytail!

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Dry hair. It really is the worst, isn’t it? And unfortunately, when you’ve got naturally curly hair, it’s something that you typically have to battle with more than those with straighter textures.

Why does my curly hair look dry?

Curly hair can look and feel dry because it is more challenging for the natural oils from our scalp to travel down the shaft and coat all of our strands. We typically need to use leave-in moisturizers, oils and deep conditioners more than people with straight hair do. Aside from moisturizing our hair there are other things that can reduce our shine and sheen levels too. Extreme weather. Using harsh hair products. Not tying our hair up at night. Applying too much heat. Not sealing our hair. Relaxing and color-treating too much. And that’s just for starters. The good news is you don’t have to settle for hair that looks dull and dry. You also don’t have to apply a ton of products (like silicone, for example), just to get the shininess that you’re after either. There are simple and natural things that you can do to get your hair to where you want it to be. I’ve tried all of the following things — and can vouch for every single one.

1. Clarify your hair

If you’re a big fan of hair products, you definitely need to make it a point and practice to clarify your hair about once a month. “Clarifying” is simply removing any build-up that will not only make it difficult to style your hair but can make your locks look really dull and lifeless over time too. As far as what you should clarify your hair with, probably the only time when I will shout out a shampoo that contains sulfates is now; that’s because the drying agents in them can help to strip all of the “gunk”. However, a much kinder hair option is apple cider vinegar. It will get rid of build-up while still letting your hair retain moisture. An apple cider rinse can also help to soothe your scalp, restore your hair’s pH balance and reduce hair shedding. I’m a big fan of it. Have been for years. Anyway, for more details, check out our article, “Do a Hair Rinse with Apple Cider & Vinegar”.

2. Eat more antioxidants

You might’ve heard that antioxidants help to boost your immunity and that would absolutely be the case. As far as your hair is concerned, consuming them is beneficial because they strengthen the blood vessels that provide nourishment to your hair follicles. Antioxidants also help your system to produce collagen, so that your hair has more elasticity. And yes, the properties in antioxidants have also been known to make your hair shine more when you consume them on a consistent basis. Some of the foods that are high in antioxidants include green veggies, berries, citrus fruit, dark chocolate, pecans, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

3. DIY a honey and olive oil mask

Honey is a wonderful hair ingredient because it acts as a humectant; this means that it pulls moisture from the air and puts it into your hair. Since honey’s also categorized as being an emollient, it is literally able to smooth your hair follicles which can give your hair more sheen and shine overall. As far as olive oil goes, thanks to the vitamins E and K and fatty acids that it contains, it’s the type of oil that will make your tresses easier to detangle while also adding moisture, softness and shine. So, if you’re looking for a hair mask that will up your hair’s sheen, add two teaspoons of honey to a half cup of extra virgin olive oil. Let it sit on your clean damp hair for 20 minutes and rinse. You will immediately see an improvement.

4. Take a probiotic

It might surprise you that a probiotic can be good for your hair, especially since so much talk about it has mostly to do with how it is good for your gut. However, a probiotic is great for your hair’s health because the “good bacteria” that’s in it will help to reduce scalp inflammation which can help to prevent hair loss. It can also help to decrease cortisol levels (that can increase hair thinning) and it can even stimulate your hair growth phase. As far as shine and sheen go, probiotics are awesome because they help to bring balance to your body’s pH levels which can cause shiny hair to happen.

5. Rinse with cool water

I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say that very few things feel more therapeutic than really warm water running down my scalp. Still, as much as I’ve tried to fight it, my hair has proven that cooler temperatures are best. That’s because, not only is hot water pretty drying, cooler water is better at sealing the cuticles of your hair. And when your cuticles are nice and smooth, your hair appears to have more sheen. I’ll admit that it takes some getting used to but it’s well worth it in the long run.

6. Apply some aloe vera gel

If you’re someone who likes to use gel in order to give your curls more definition, but you’d prefer to go with something that has as few chemicals as possible, aloe vera gel is just what you’ve been looking for. First of all, since aloe vera is a plant that is loaded with vitamins A, C, E and antioxidants, it definitely will help to strengthen your hair whenever you apply it. As for some other bonuses, it’s also the kind of gel that will help to soothe an itchy scalp, strengthen your strands and make your curls look shinier. To get the best results, apply it when your hair is damp. And please don’t feel like you have to pile it on. A little bit of gel goes a pretty long way.

7. Make a vegetable glycerin spritz

If you’re wearing your hair in its natural state and you’re looking for a bit of a pick-me-up, make a hair spritz that has vegetable glycerin as its base ingredient. It’s another humectant that will reduce frizz (frizzy hair oftentimes looks like dry hair). Vegetable glycerin will also help to keep your hair hydrated, reduce damage and help to prevent split ends. The key here is to not overdo it. Meaning, if you constantly apply it to your locks, that can make it sticky (I’ve learned from up close and personal experience!). You can check out a video that features pros and cons of it for natural hair here. You can check out another that features a homemade spritz recipe here.

8. Make your own sheen spray too

Women within the Black community know what oil sheen is. And if anything was going to make our hair shine, almost with a glow, that would have to be it! Well, if you’d prefer to make some of your own, all you need is — one cup of rose water (it will soften your hair); a half cup of avocado oil (it reduces dandruff and breakage); a tablespoon of rosemary oil (it strengthens your hair while adding sheen), and 5-7 drops of cedarwood oil (it reduces frizz). Putting all of these ingredients into a spray bottle and shaking before using will give your hair the shine and sheen that you want while keeping your hair healthy in the process. Brilliant. Literally.

Image Source: @naturallycurly

There’s not nearly enough time to get into all of the things that makes summertime so awesome. Warm weather. Vacations. Beautiful sunsets. Countless scoops of ice cream and glasses of sweet tea. That’s just for starters. Not to say that the summer season doesn’t come with its own set of challenges too. Take your hair, for example. Hours out in the sun, salt and chlorine water, dry or humid hair—all of these things can take a real toll on your locks; in some ways, especially if yours happens to have a natural curly texture to it. That doesn’t mean that you should spend all summer underneath a big brim hat. It simply means that there are proactive steps that you should take in order to get your tresses prepped for what the summer season has to offer. You ready?

1. Get a fresh trim

You’ve probably heard that if you want to keep your hair nice and healthy, you should trim your hair every 4-6 weeks. Eh. The actual truth is if you want to maintain the length that you currently have, that time window is best. As far as trimming your hair for the sake of its health, every 8-10 week is pretty good. But if you’ve noticed that you’ve got straggly ends, your curls are tangling up or frizzy or your hair doesn’t have a lot of definition—all of these are clear signs that you should start off the summer season with a good trim (if not a full-on haircut).

2. Use a frizz-fighting shampoo

With summertime comes frizzy hair, mostly due to the high amount of humidity that’s in the air. One thing that you can do to keep the frizziness at bay is to apply a little serum to your locks after styling your look. Another thing that can (significantly) help is to shampoo your hair with a frizz-fighting shampoo; preferably one that is sulfate-free and contains keratin and collagen in it.

3. Create a leave-in conditioner

The sun and saltwater from the ocean (because you are gonna go to the beach, right?) is enough to cause all kinds of breakage to your curls by Labor Day. Prevent this from becoming an issue by applying a leave-in conditioner to your hair (yes, even if you’ve deep-conditioned it on your wash day). You can purchase some at your local beauty supply store or you can make some at home. One of my favorite recipes consists of combining three tablespoons of jojoba oil, three tablespoons of sweet almond oil, two tablespoons of rosewater, 1 tablespoon of vegetable glycerin and 15 drops of rosemary oil. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray your hair with it every day before heading out.

4. DIY a sunscreen for your hair too

Just like your skin needs to be protected from UV rays, so does your hair. If you apply its own kind of sunscreen to it, it’ll keep elasticity in your curls. It will also prevent them from drying out and, if your hair is color-treated, it will keep the color in longer too. A DIY sunscreen (in spray form) is really easy to make. Just fill up an 8 oz. spray bottle up 6 oz. with distilled water. Then add a tablespoon of non-nano zinc oxide and a tablespoon of argan oil and—voila! You’ve got your very own hair sunscreen.

Image Source: @themariaantoinnette

5. Reduce the heat (even more)

Your hair is gonna be getting all of the heat that it needs (and then some) thanks to the summer heat. That said, not only are air-dried curls naturally sexy, they will keep your hair from over-drying and breaking off too. If for some reason, you can’t imagine not using a hair dryer or flat iron, summer is a perfect time of the year to rock a protective style. That’s another way to keep the heat off of your locks.

6. Drink infused water

Your hair not only needs moisture coming from the outside but the inside too. If you’re not a huge fan of plain water, give your taste buds a kick by drinking some DIY infused water instead. Not only will your body (and hair) get the H2O that it needs, the fruits, veggies and/or herbs that are added to the water will provide you with extra nutrients too. Click here for some delicious recipes. Keep some “coverage” in your bag. Remember my mentioning big rimmed hats at the top of this? I’m all for you having a couple of ‘em in your accessories collection. But when it comes to coming up with other ways to protect your hair from the heat, scarves are super cute (based on the kind and what outfit you’re wearing with yours, they can even be sexy)and they’re a lot easier to carry around. In fact, I recently watched Naptural 85 premiere a video featuring five different ways to tie a scarf around your head. It’s just one more way to get—and keep—your curls summer fresh and ready. Pardon the pun but…very cool. Have any additional tips to share with your fellow curly girls? Let us know in the comments below!

Image Source: @syeda_bombom

See, I’m the kind of person who thinks that protective hairstyles are cute. So, when it comes to the reasons why we should consider them, at least from time to time, looking good is enough of one for me. But if you’re also looking for a way to save time, reduce the chances of your hair experiencing damage and/or you want to gain some extra inches of healthy hair, these are some more reasons to put your hair into some box braids, some passion twists or even a killer weave or wig. And once you do decide to go with a protective style of choice, if you want to keep your style looking fresh for as long as possible, here are some tips to definitely keep in mind.

1. Have a professional style your hair in the first place.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that, back when I was in college, some of the best braided styles I ever had were from women who taught themselves how to braid in order to make ends meet. So, if you happen to know someone who, may not have a license, but can work wonders on their own, that is the exception to this rule. But overall, when you’re looking for a way to make your protective style—whether it’s braids, twists or even a weave—last longer, it really is a good idea to see a professional. They are trained in how to not only do protective styles well but how to offer tips on how you can properly style your hair that’s underneath it too. By the way, this also goes for wigs. While you might be able to install yours on your own (you can check out some videos on how to do it properly here, here, here, here and here), if you want your wig to look (and lay) as naturally as possible, it’s a good idea to have a professional stylist cut it for you so that it doesn’t look so straight-out-of-the-box wiggy (if you know what I mean).

2. Wash your scalp only.

Speaking of wigs, when it comes to them, many women cornrow their own hair before putting on a wig cap. Well, when it comes to this particular tip, it won’t really matter if you mess up your cornrows while you wash your hair (since you’ll be putting a wig cap on top of your braids anyway). But if you’ve got a braided or twisted style that you want to look as frizz-free as possible, I suggest focusing less on your hair and more on cleansing your scalp. That cool thing about this recommendation is there are all sorts of scalp treatments on the market that can help to clean your scalp. Plus, thanks to the nozzle that’s on top of the bottle, you won’t have to worry about messing up your hair in the process. Some of those scalp cleansing products include African Pride Black Castor Miracle Braid & Scalp Cleansing Rinse, Taliah Waajid Protective Style Dry Gel Shampoo and Girl+Hair Moisturizing Sulfate-Free Cleanser.

3. Create a DIY moisturizing scalp spray.

Whether your hair is in braids or twists or you’ve got it cornrowed underneath your wig cap, it’s always a good idea to have a moisturizing scalp spray on tap. Not only can it help to keep your scalp (and also your hair follicles) nice and moisturized, it can significantly reduce the amount of itchiness that a protective style can sometimes cause; itching that can result in you constantly having your hands in your hair. Not only can this cause you to mess up your protective style, it can sometimes put too much pressure on your tresses which can ultimately lead to breakage as well. A DIY video that shows you how to combine Aloe vera juice, tea tree oil and Jamaican black castor oil together in order to make a wonderful scalp spray can be found here.

4. Invest in some mousse.

When it comes to braids and twists specifically, while some people think that using hair shears to trim fly-aways is the best idea, if you’re not careful, you could end up cutting off more of your natural hair than you realize. That’s why, I actually think it’s better to keep the trimming down to a minimum and to invest into some hair mousse instead. One what is water-based is not only better for your hair, but it will reduce the amount of flaking and residue that you see too. Some that protective style wearers love includeDesign Essentials Almond & Avocado Curl Enhancing Mousse,Lottabody Wrap Me Foaming Mousse and Shea Moisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Frizz-Free Mousse. You can watch a video on how to properly apply mousse to your braids (and twists)  here.

5. Get some professional in-between touch-ups.

This has got to be one of the most underestimated reasons for why people’s protective styles do not last as long as they would like. Say that you got some microbraids done and, due to the time that it took to put them in (not to mention how much they cost), you can’t see yourself taking your braids out before 6-8 weeks. Still, you can’t exactly control how fast your hair grows and, after about week four or five, your hairline is not looking as “clean” as you would like. A simple solution is to have your stylist braid the first few rows of your front and sides. It will make your braids look brand new again without you having to spend a lot of time and money in the process. In fact, seeing a professional, in-between visits, to touch up any protective style (including a weave) can have your hair looking just like new, even if it’s a few weeks old. Oh, and speaking of looking like new, never forget the power of edge control. Laying down your edges just right is another way to keep your protective style looking on point (check out our article “The Top 10 Edge Controls to Slay” for some of the best ones that are on the market right now).

6. Wrap your hair up at night.

I recently read a tweet that said something along the lines of, “We need to see more shows with Black women going to bed and having sex with their bonnets on.” Indeed. Maybe that would help more of us to regularly wrap our hair up at night. Remember, a third of your 24-day, on average, is spent tossing back and for in your bed as you sleep. That’s a lot of time to totally mess your hairdo up (not to mention dry it out). If you’ve got your hair in braids or twists, consider putting them up in a pineapple. If you’ve got a wig that you can’t simply take off at night, this video and this video can walk you through what to do. As for weaves, this video and this video will hook you up.

7. Keep your hands out of it.

Remember, the whole point in having a protective style is so you can leave your hair alone. This doesn’t just mean that you won’t have to put your hair into a new ‘do every day; it also means that, for the most part, you won’t mess with your hair period. Aside from maybe using a little edge control, pulling your hair up into a ponytail or bun or patting on your head if/when it itches, do your best to keep your fingers from getting all in your protective style. It can mess it up over time but, more importantly, the pulling and tugging could end up damaging the hair that you have underneath it. And you definitely don’t want that to happen—do you? What are your tips and tricks for making protective styles last? Share them with us in the comments!

Image Source: @curlybeviie

Back when I was in my 20s, there was no telling what color my hair was going to be on a week-to-week basis. Call it being creative. Call it being semi-indecisive. Call it not knowing a lot of what I know now. Personally, I think it’s a little bit of all of the above.

Anyway, these days, while I do still like color, I tend to prefer jet black the most (more on that in just a sec). If I do want to lighten things up a bit, I opt for hair wax instead of permanent dye. I think it’s because, with age comes wisdom and, not only do I care more about my health than I used to (more on that in a moment too), but I’ve been trying to get some length retention happening up in here and, let me tell you—if you want your hair to grow long and healthy, hair dye can be a real culprit.

That’s why I decided to write this. It’s not that I’m knocking bright, rich and even dark hues. Not at all. But I do think that sometimes, we can be so focused on our hair being any and every color but what we were born with, that we end up overlooking the benefits and blessings that come with being intentionally au naturel too. So, why should you consider going without dye? At least some of the time?

1. Permanent hair dyes come with their own risks.

Let’s start with the health risks first since, to me, I believe that is what’s most important. When I was growing up, my hairstylist used to say that no one should get a relaxer if they are under 12 or pregnant. When I asked why, she said that the chemicals can seep into your hair follicles and cause health issues. Even then, I was like, “Umm, if it can potentially harm kids and pregnant women, how is anyone else exempt?” Same thing with hair dye. Not only can hair dye potentially cause allergic reactions and hair loss (because it aids in weakening your hair shaft and, if you lighten your locks, that can result in dry brittle tresses), but it’s linked to breast cancer risk—especially among Black women—too. That’s why going with something more natural alternative like henna or yes, hair wax is the wiser option if your overall health and well-being is your main concern.

2. Hair dye can sometimes be (high”> maintenance.

If you get your hair color-treated at a salon (which is your best bet if you want the color distributed evenly and your hair to remain as healthy as possible”>, it’s usually not the cheapest and you’ve got to return to keep your roots on point. If you go with dye and developer at home, if you don’t do it right, you could end up with a hue that you absolutely didn’t want. If you go with a box color, let me tell you—you can be asking for all kinds of drama including super dry hair and breakage. Plus, the amount of extra deep conditioning that you’ll need to do so that you can maintain your inches can be exhausting (especially as you’re trying to find the balance between conditioning your hair and protein-treating it). Yes, color can be amazing. But if you think that it’s a low-maintenance hair styling option, typically, you’ve got another thing coming. On a few levels.

3. The hue you were born with is beautiful too.

When I decided to totally nix texturizers, while it took me a little bit of time to get used to my genuine hair texture, once I did, I asked myself, “Why didn’t I go totally natural a long time ago?”. A similar thing happened when I dyed my hair less too. My natural color, while it’s not bright or bold, is just as beautiful and, when I let my natural hue shine, my hair is far healthier too which is a huge bonus.

So again, while I’m not saying that you should never dye your hair or that there is something wrong with hair color, what I am pointing out is, if you’re color-treating your hair so much that you forgot what your actual hair color looks like, take a risk, let your dye grow out and take a look. Your health will thank you. The condition of your hair will thank you. And, you actually might end up loving it more than you actually ever thought that you could—or would.

What are your tips and tricks for coloring your hair? Share them with us in the comments!

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There’s one thing that I personally don’t think is discussed enough. It’s that, although there’s no question that working out is good for our mind, body and spirit, all of that sweating can be drying for the scalp and cause itching and irritation after a workout. I don’t know about you but when sweat gets to the point that the roots of my hair become damp, sometimes that can cause my scalp to get really itchy and feel super irritating. And here’s the thing — I don’t always have the time to create an entire wash day in order to get rid of either issue. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this. That’s why I thought it would be a good idea to create a bit of a hack list that consists of things that you can do for your scalp to stop the itch – without scratching.

Problem: Excessive Sweating

If when you work out, you sweat more than just a little bit, it’s going to affect you from head to toe. And the more your scalp encounters sweat, the more irritated it’s (probably) going to become. That doesn’t mean that you should reduce your workouts. It just means that you need to find a sweaty scalp workaround.

Solution: Apply Dry Shampoo Before Exercising and Wear a Headband

If you’ve never tried dry shampoo before, there’s no time like the present. It helps to absorb sweat and oil. It neutralizes that odor that may come from sweat. It also helps to keep your scalp and hair healthy. All you need to do is apply some of it to the roots of your hair before exercising. Then put a headband around your hairline. That will help to absorb even more sweat from your hair and scalp and keep sweat from running into your eyes (which is also super irritating!). Read next: The Dos and Don’ts of Using Dry Shampoo

Problem: Greasy Scalp

Your scalp creates sebum. That said, whenever you sweat, it helps to spread the sebum, along with any oil, dirt and debris that was already on your hair to all parts of your scalp. And yes, that can make your scalp — and hair — greasy.

Solution: Clarify Your Scalp

For this one, you’re going to have to rinse your hair. The key is to do it in a way that clarifies your scalp and one of the best ways to do that is to apply an apple cider vinegar rinse to it. The properties in apple cider vinegar will help to restore your scalp’s pH levels; reduce fungal and bacterial growth; exfoliate your scalp; increase blood circulation to your hair follicles, and the anti-inflammatory properties in it can reduce dandruff flakes too.

Problem: Aggravated Dandruff

Speaking of a greasy scalp, the more you sweat, the more oil your scalp tends to produce and that can actually create more dandruff flakes. A big part of the reason is because sweat creates a moist environment that dandruff likes to thrive in. Check out: How To Tell If You Have Dandruff Or Dry Scalp, According To Trichologists

Solution: Spritz Your Scalp with an Essential Oil Blend

The main thing that you should focus on here is doing what will make it more difficult for dandruff to flare up. One way to do that is to spritz your scalp with a combination of peppermint, rosemary and cedarwood essential oils.

• Peppermint is awesome because it contains anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Plus, the menthol in it will provide a cooling sensation to your scalp.
• Rosemary is good because it’s an antifungal agent and since dandruff comes from the yeast-like fungus Malassezia, your scalp can only benefit from having some of this oil on it.
• Cedarwood has both anti-inflammatory and cleansing properties that help to remove dandruff; less dandruff, less itching.

If you put a teaspoon of each oil in a small spritz bottle and then fill the rest up with distilled water and spritz your scalp where it’s itching or you notice dandruff flakes, you should feel some relief within a matter of a few minutes.

Problem: Product Buildup and Sweat

If you’re someone who uses some type of hair product on a daily basis, but you don’t wash your hair every day (or even every other day”>, there’s a pretty good chance that when you work out, the sweat is going to combine with it and create a film that can irritate your scalp and cause some major itching.

Solution: Rinse with Micellar Water

If you’re used to rinsing your hair after every workout session or you’ve currently got a protective style like braids or twists that you don’t mind getting wet, try rinsing your hair out with some micellar water. It’s the kind of water that’s specifically designed to remove product build-up, restore the pH balance of your hair and it even adds some shine and movement to your locks. After giving it a shot, you may ask yourself where it’s been all of your life.

Problem: Itchy Scalp

Whenever you sweat, there’s sodium, urea and lactate that comes out of it. When it’s on your scalp, these properties can be drying and cause your scalp to itch. As much as you may want to, you should avoid scratching because that could irritate your scalp and even create small sores. Besides, there are other options.

Solution: Take an Antihistamine or Apply Aloe Vera Gel

One way to combat this issue is to take an antihistamine prior to exercising. Another thing that you can do is rub some Aloe vera onto your scalp — before and after working out. Aloe vera is great because the antioxidants, vitamins A, B, C and E and amino acids will all help to soothe your scalp, relieve itching and help to make your hair follicles stronger in the process. It’s a way to calm your scalp and help your hair to thrive in the process. Awesome!

Image:@briciaemilyn

 

Just like it’s important to make certain adjustments to our skincare regimen, each and every time that the seasons change, we actually need to do the same thing when it comes to how we take care of our hair. Now that we are fully into fall, I wanted to take a moment to share with you some of the grave mistakes that I’ve made in the past when it comes to my naturally curly tresses, just so that you don’t have to repeat them.

You’ve probably heard before that we each grow anywhere between ¼” and ½” each month. If you want to make sure that you get to retain all of your length during autumn, here are eight mistakes that you should definitely avoid at ALL costs.

 

Not being hydrated enough.

You would think with all of the inclement weather that the fall and winter seasons tend to bring that our hair wouldn’t lack for moisture. Well, that’s partially true. Sure, rain can lead to humidity, but as temperatures drop, cooler air can pull water from the air. Plus, since it is significantly colder outdoors during this time, a lot of us prefer to remain inside. Without a humidifier or switching over to an iconic blow dryer to dry our hair, our locks can end up dry and brittle. One way to get a leg up on this is to stay hydrated. Yes, this should include drinking more water, but during autumn time, there’s also nothing like a cup of warm herbal tea too. As far as the kinds of teas that are perfect for maintaining hair health, check out our article “7 Herbal Teas That Your Hair Will Absolutely Love!”

 

Not sealing your ends.

When it comes to length retention, one of the biggest mistakes that I used to make was not taking good care of my ends. If your hair seems to be plateauing as it relates to hair growth, this very well could be why. One way to “baby your ends” is to seal them on wash day. But another thing that I also do is oil the ends of my hair before turning in every night. One of my personal favorite products is Jamaican Mango & Lime Black Castor Oil in Rosemary. It’s light enough to where my hair doesn’t feel heavy. Plus, rosemary relieves dry scalp, stimulates hair follicles and increases shine too.

 

Sleeping in flannel.

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely adore cuddling up in my bed with a good book or movie on a cool fall day (or night”>. Although I like how flannel sheets or pajamas feel on my body, they are something that can zap all of the moisture out of my hair. If you’ve got some flannel in your linen and PJ collections, my advice would be to wear flannel bottoms but a different kind of top. And, as far as your bedding goes, keep the sheets but make sure you lay your head down on a satin pillowcase or that you wrap your hair up in a silk or satin scarf. This will give you the best of both worlds. Literally.

 

Using too much protein.

When you’re on the journey to grow strong and healthy natural hair, one of the toughest things to do is find a balance between how much moisture and how much protein your hair needs. As far as protein is concerned, signs that you need more of it, is if your hair feels “gummy” (you know, mushy”>, if it has lost some of its elasticity, if you naturallly have high porosity hair or if you happen to color-treat your hair a lot. All of these are indications that you need to protein-treat your hair about every 4-6 weeks. That said, if you are thinking that all of the extra styling that you’re doing warrants extra protein, avoid the temptation to over-treat. That can result in your hair receiving too much and feeling super-dry and brittle as a direct result.

 

Not deep DEEP conditioning.

Again, since you tend to be indoors more often during this time of year, and there is usually “dry heat” that’s inside, although it’s important to deep condition your hair year-round, it is absolutely imperative that you do it during the fall (and the winter”>. I’m not talking about that run-some-conditioner-through-your-hair-for-five-minutes-and-rinse type of conditioning either. I’m talking about setting aside at least 30 minutes to let your favorite kind of deep conditioner penetrate your hair shaft and then adding a leave-in conditioner once your rinse it out. If you do this every wash day, you’ll be amazed by how soft and manageable your hair will be, no matter what is going on indoors—or out.

 

Forgetting to remove all of that extra build-up.

You’ve probably got all kinds of extra-special functions that are coming up. With that, there will probably be more gels, mousses, edge controls and other styling products in your hair than ever. If you don’t make sure to clarify your hair (which basically means to get rid of product build-up”>, not only could the build-up weigh your hair down and leave flakes, it can also cause bacteria to multiply, it could irritate your scalp, and it could also clog up your hair follicles too. So definitely make sure that on your wash days, you give your hair a clarifying rinse by either applying some apple cider vinegar or giving your natural curls some extra definition by applying a mixture of bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar. You can learn more about the clay/vinegar combo by watching this video.

 

Eating too much sugar.

As you start to ease into the holiday season, you’re gonna have access to even more sugary foods and drinks. While I’m certainly not one to discourage you from indulging in some hot chocolate or a slice of your auntie’s sweet potato pie, make sure to remember that moderation is key. Overdoing it, as far as sugar is concerned, will not only cause you to pack on the pounds and do a real number when it comes to your energy levels and metabolism, it can wreak havoc on your hair too. How? Well, the long short of it is, when we eat a lot of sugar, it causes our blood sugar levels to increase. Not only does that damage our hair follicles over time, it can lead to moderate hair loss as well. So, enjoy your goodies. Just keep everything in balance, OK? Your hair will certainly thank you for doing so.

 

Not being careful with scarves and hats.

Hats and scarves are cute in the fall. They can also wear your hair out. Between the drying that comes from the materials, the tension that comes from how they sit on your head, and wearing them so much that your hair doesn’t get a chance to rest and breathe—just make sure that your scarves are made out of silk or satin and that your hats are lined with satin too. Also, make sure that at least sometimes you put your hair into a protective style like braids or twists, just so that your ends won’t dry out or snag on your wool hats or the collars of your wool clothing. That way, come springtime, you’ll have a couple of inches to show for all of the fall hair care that you invest into your locks now. Happy Fall, y’all!

Image Source: Ariel Skelley/Getty Images

Have you been trying to fight the shrinkage and keep your natural hair voluminous, healthy and full – even on the most humid of days? I’ll be honest. My favorite times of the year to wear my natural hair all-the-way-out is the spring and the fall. The temperatures are mild and the humidity levels aren’t super ridiculous, so my hair doesn’t shrink up or frizz out as much as it does the rest of the time. Still, that doesn’t mean that when it’s blazing outside (or when it’s snowing; some of us forget that wintertime can get pretty humid too”> that I won’t rock a blowout. I just have to find some creative workarounds so that I won’t have big-and-glorious hair when I step out of the door and then three steps away from a TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro”> about an hour-and-a-half later.

If you just read all of that and found yourself shaking your head because you totally can relate, I’ve got some suggestions for you. 

For the record, I’m pretty sure that you’ve heard of some of these before, but the key is to apply a little trial and error with the tips and handle your hair with care in the process. If you’re determined to figure out what works best for you, I’m confident that you will.

1. Experiment with bentonite clay

If you pay attention to hair trends, you’ve probably heard about the bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar hair definition combo. I’ve tried it a few times and yep, it works. Not only does it define natural curls, it elongates them too! Plus, if you add some hydrogenated castor oil, melted shea butter, coconut oil or olive oil to the mixture, it is a great way to have longer curls that won’t shrink up (as much”> due to the moisture to the hair. (If you’ve never tried this DIY product before, click here, here andhere for some tips and cool visual results.”>

2. Or try some silicone or beeswax

In the never-ending effort to keep shrinkage at bay, a grave mistake that a lot of us make is using the wrong kind of hair products—the ones that actually attract humidity instead of repelling it. So which ones are no-nos? Glycerin, hydrolyzed wheat protein, any form of glycol, flax seeds, mango butter and products that contain honey definitely top the list because they are all humectants (they pull moisture from the air”>. What’s an ingredient that doesn’t draw humidity in? Silicone or beeswax. Both have the kind of properties that will seal your hair, reduce frizz and yes, help to prevent shrinkage.

3. Try an anti-frizz serum

Something that lots of professional stylists believe that all of us should have in our possession is one (or 10″> bottles of an anti-frizz serum (because frizz is usually the result of humidity”>. It works well because it’s another product that will effectively seal your hair so that humidity isn’t able to get to it (as much”>. What are some good ones to try? Top-rated serums include Mizani Thermastrength Heat Protecting Serum, Curls Cashmere + Cavia Hair Serum and Lubricity Labs S-Total Finish Perfecting Serum.

Image:@powerfluffgirl

4. Try an elongating styler

Aunt Jackie’s Don’t Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel or the Long Aid Naturals Manuka Honey & Coconut Shrink Away Elongating Curl Cream.

Something that we naturalistas have that we didn’t 15-20 years ago is YouTube. I can personally vouch for the fact that if you’re looking for tips on how to take care of your naturally curly hair, there is a wealth of knowledge on there. Anyway, there’s a totally self-professed quirky naturalista who goes by the name Star Puppy, whose channel I find to be cute, memorable and entertaining. On one video, she broke down a way that she handles her own hair shrinkage; it’s with the help of Aunt Jackie’s curling gel. If you want to try a new product, but you’d like to see if/ how it worked for someone else, click here for her very detailed review (it seemed to go well for her, by the way”>.

5. Break the cast

If you use gel for a wash-n-go, make sure to “break the cast.” If you’re going for a wash-n-go look, applying some gel (even if it’s just Aloe Vera gel”> to your hair while it’s wet is a great way to give your curls a good amount of definition. But if after it dries, your hair appears shorter, a good thing to do is to break the cast (the hardness that the gel has caused”> of your hair with a little bit of oil. Two that hold up pretty well in humidity are sweet almond oil and grapeseed oil. As a bonus, they both are light, so your hair won’t feel greasy to the touch. All you have to do is pour a little bit into your hands, rub your hands together and then gently rub your hands down your hair from root to tip like this:

6. Blow your roots

Although you should be careful about how much heat that you apply to your hair, if you’re using a good dryer, you apply a heat protectant (a creamy one is better than a spray if your hair is both curly and thick”> and you set it on cool, you should be fine. As far as avoiding shrinkage goes, make sure that you’re intentional about blow drying your roots. The “straighter” they are, the longer your hair will look and the less shrinkage that you will have throughout the day. Speaking of blow drying, if you want a longer look without straightening your curls in the process, a diffuser is definitely what you should attach to your dryer. Use it after your hair had air-dried halfway in order to get the best results.

7. Test out some natural stretching techniques

If you absolutely do not want to apply heat to your hair, pretty much ever, there are some natural stretching methods that you can try. For the sake of time and space, I’ll hyperlink them—banding, threading and stretch plates are what immediately come to mind. All work on even the tightest of curls and will give your hair at least a few inches.

8. Braid your hair (or pineapple it”> at night

Whether you want your blowout to last longer or you want to stretch out your natural texture a bit, something that can help you to achieve that is if you braid your hair up at night. I’m not saying that it needs to be perfectly parted small braids. In fact, I think it’s best if your hair is finger-parted (so that you’ll decrease the amount of tension you put on your hair”> and that the braids are on the bigger side. The goal is to do something that will keep your hair from shrinking up and/or matting as you rest. Or, if you’re in a rush, pulling your hair up in a pineapple can help to achieve this too. Just make sure that once you’re done with either route that you wrap your hair up with a silk or satin scarf. That way, when you wake up, your hair will be stretched out a pretty good amount, even if you sweated some. And your hair will be ready to take on a full day of humidity!

Read next: 13 Photos of Shrinkage You Need to See

Kay Fochtmann / EyeEm | Getty Images

Something that never ceases to amaze me — especially when it comes to this information age that we are currently in — is how much a myth can strut around as if it is indeed a fact. I won’t lie, it took me a while to get my hair’s health on track because there were certain things that I had heard for so long that I took them to be the gospel truth when they were really not much more than an old wives’ tale or even just a really popular lie.

A couple of them are actually in this article that you’re about to check out. Since temps are dropping and the winter season isn’t too far away, as you’re (hopefully”> in the process of putting your winter hair care regimen together, here are some winter-themed myths that you should totally toss out of the window.

Wet hair doesn’t give you a cold; a virus does

If it wasn’t your mother, I’m pretty sure it was your grandma who told you that you should never go outdoors while your hair is wet (especially when it’s cold outside”> because, if you do, you might catch a cold. It’s a popular myth but definitely an inaccurate one. While it doesn’t actually feel the best to be out in the chilly winter air with wet or even damp hair, the reality is that colds (and the flu and COVID”> come from a virus. Now what you can get from having sweaty hair is a fungal infection because fungus likes to thrive in warm and wet environments, but that’s something that we’ll have to touch on in a different piece (do take note of it, though”>.

Dry shampoo is better during the colder seasons

If you’re someone who prefers to blow dry your hair fully after washing (and conditioning”> it but there are days when you just don’t have the time or energy to do that, an alternative can be to go with dry shampoo. It saves time. It absorbs oil. It helps to increase hair volume and it can also neutralize an odor that your hair may have. Just make sure that you don’t “trick” yourself into thinking that dry shampoo should be a constant replacement for regular shampoo during the winter season. Even when there’s a lot of snow and rain outdoors, that doesn’t mean that your hair doesn’t need the direct moisture that comes from shampooing and conditioning it the old-fashioned way. In fact, hair can oftentimes become pretty dry when it’s cold because the harsh winds can zap moisture outdoors and central air can do the same inside. So again, dry shampoo can help you in a clutch, but it should never replace shampooing (with non-sulfate shampoo“> and deep conditioning, even during the winter season.

Your immune system doesn’t really affect your hair

Getting 6-8 hours of rest. Eating fresh produce. Drinking herbal tea. Exercising. Taking a Vitamin C supplement and a probiotic. Keeping stress levels down to a minimum. All of these are things that can help to keep your immune system strong which can prevent you from getting sick. And since it’s more likely that you will catch a cold during the wintertime, it’s important to be intentional about keeping your immunity in good condition. However, it’s not just for the sake of your health but the health of your hair too. The reality is that healthy immune cells play a pivotal role in hair rejuvenation while unhealthy cells can lead to hair loss. Just something to think about as you’re making some homemade vegetable soup or sipping on some chamomile tea.

Using hot water on wash day is best during the wintertime

Nothing feels better than hot water on your body after coming in from the cold air. I get it. But if you want to retain moisture in your skin as well as in your hair and scalp, hot water is an absolute no-no. Not only does it have the ability to strip your hair of its natural oils, hot water can also dry out your scalp which can lead to an itchy scalp as well as dry, brittle hair that could result in breakage. Another challenge that comes with hot water use is it can irritate your scalp and no one wants that. So, definitely stick to lukewarm. It’s the ideal temperature to stimulate blood flow to your scalp which can help to increase hair growth.

Focusing on moisture isn’t as much of a priority when it’s cold outside

The combination of extremely cold weather outside and the intensely warm (and dry”> heat indoors make for the kind of combination where your hair can end up drier and more brittle than ever. That’s why it’s a huge misconception that you can let up on your conditioning routine during the fall and winter seasons. You should still deep condition your hair at least twice a month. You also should sleep with a humidifier. Not only will it help to keep moisture in your hair as you rest but there are studies which reveal that it plays a pivotal role in reducing the spread of viruses including COVID.

Hat wear is the “protective style” of winter

You may have heard somewhere that the two main things that qualify a hairstyle as being “protective” is if it requires minimal manipulation and it keeps the ends — the oldest parts of your hair — covered. This is true which is why a lot of people think that wearing hats, beanies, scarves, etc. is the best (and easiest”> route to take during the wintertime. Yes and no. While there is certainly nothing wrong with wearing hat accessories, what you have to be careful of is making sure that the inside of your hat wear is lined with satin; that way, the fabric from your hats won’t dry your hair out. Oh, and that you do let your hair breathe from time to time. Again, a sweaty scalp can trigger fungal growth and that’s certainly not ideal if you’re looking to gain some length retention in time for spring. There you have it, y’all — myths debunked.

Vystekimages | Getty

In recent years we’ve witnessed a trend of more Black women leaving their natural hair to return to relaxers. What is concerning though is that alongside this trend, we continue to see more and more studies reporting the chemicals that are in straightening hair products are putting more women — especially Black women — at risk for both breast and uterine cancer. Back when I was in my 20s, something that I was known for was being unpredictable when it came to my hair. From week to week, you never really knew what my hair color or hair texture was gonna be. As a creative, I miss those days. But when it comes to my health, I’m glad that I’ve transitioned to my natural hair and, as far as color goes, I’m into semi-permanent rinses more than anything. I wish I could say that the initial transition was strictly health-related, but it actually wasn’t. Super long story short, I just got sick of putting so many chemicals in my hair that I never really got to know the locks that I was born with. Still, with the influx of intel that’s been coming out about how much hair relaxers and permanent hair dyes are directly linked to cancer — I am relieved that I let the “white crack” (if you’ve never read the book Nappily Ever After or seen the movie before, check them out for the crack context”> and color alone. I’ll expound.

Hair Straightening Chemicals Connected to Cancer. What’s Really Going On?

Scientists have been studying the use of chemical hair straighteners and permanent hair dye and its effects on women’s health, and increasingly the results are pointing to an increased risk of multiple forms of cancer. Boston University’s 2021 Black Women’s Health Study of 59,000 African American women found “Black women who used hair products containing lye at least seven times a year for 15 or more years had an approximately 30 percent increased risk of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer compared with more infrequent users” as reported by PBS.

More studies are being released around the fact that the chemicals that are in a lot of these hair products are putting more women — especially Black women — at risk for both breast and uterine cancer

In October of 2022 the National Institutes of Health released findings of an increased risk of hormone-related cancers in people who use hair straightening chemicals, and Black women are more likely to use these products. Additional study findings published in October 2022 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute examined associations between hair product use and incident uterine cancer among more than 33 ,000 participants in the Sister Study. They found that “Women who had reported frequent use of straighteners (more than 4 times in the previous year”> were about 2½ times more likely to develop uterine cancer” according to the American Cancer Society. Some of these findings say that women who use lye-based relaxers increase their chances of receiving a breast cancer diagnosis by 20 percent while women are nearly doubling their chances of being diagnosed with uterine cancer. All of this is especially alarming within the Black community considering the fact that although Black women are less likely than white women to be diagnosed with breast cancer, they are far more likely to die from it.

Permanent Hair Dye and the Risk of Cancer

It’s not just hair straightening chemicals, permanent hair dye is in question as well. Scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS”>, part of the National Institutes of Health, studied data from more than 44,000 participants in the Sister Study and found that “women who regularly used permanent hair dye in the year prior to enrolling in the study were 9% more likely than women who didn’t use hair dye to develop breast cancer. Among African American women, using permanent dyes every five to eight weeks or more was associated with a 60% increased risk of breast cancer as compared with an 8% increased risk for white women.” The Cleveland Clinic report that some data connects hair dye with other cancers in addition to breast cancer, “the most well-studied connection is between bladder cancer and hair dye.”

Should You Stop Chemically Straightening and Coloring Your Hair?

Does this mean that you should never chemically straighten your hair or color-treat it again? The decision is yours to make, and we want you to know as much information as possible before you make it. It’s important to know that the risk of cancer was linked to regular use, which was defined as “more than 4 times in the past year.” Also, please don’t forget to get regular check-ups while seeking out as many alternatives as possible, so that you can put your mind at ease. Interestingly enough, some Black women feel the era of relaxers is over (check out MadameNoire’s “Hair Relaxer Sales Have Declined Significantly In The Past Decade” and Forbes’s “Black Women Going Natural Push Entire Industry To The Brink Of Extinction””>. As for me and my two cents, lye is a damn lie, so definitely go with a no-lye based relaxer if you must go permanently straight — oh, and the less you use permanent hair dyes, the less you have to worry about them at all. Besides, it’s not like there aren’t healthier alternatives that can help you to achieve the look of straight hair and/or a change in your hair’s hue without so many…potential complications.

7 Healthier Ways to Get Straight and/or Colored Hair

Here are seven suggestions that can greatly help you experiment with hair color and stretching out your natural texture – without using straightening chemicals and permanent hair dye.

1. Invest in an Effective Hair Dryer

Something that I wish I had purchased a LONG time ago is this Revlon One Step Hair Dryer. It doesn’t get super hot. It pulls out way less hair. And my cuticles are much smoother when I’m done using it (I’m not the only one who thinks so; a hilarious YouTube reviewer agrees“>. If you want your hair to get bone straight, you might need to flat iron your hair after blow drying it with this, but I’d be shocked if you needed to do more than a one pass. It’s definitely one of the best investments that I’ve made into my personal hair routine in a long time.

2. Apply some Color Wow Dream Coat

There are so many TikToks about this product that it can literally make your head spin. Yet, interestingly enough, I get why. If you semi-saturate your hair with it before you blow dry your hair, it does seem to make it significantly straighter for a longer period of time; even if you’ve got Type 4 hair. No joke.

3. Stretch Your Hair Out Naturally

It seems like almost since the beginning of time, there have been non-heat-related ways to stretch curly hair including threading, banding, braid-outs and twist-outs. I won’t lie — based on how thick and/or long your hair is, you need to be prepared to watch a movie or catch up with a friend on the phone while using these methods because the process can be a bit long — still, the end results are always worth it.

4. Go with a Silk Press

If you were to ask 20 different stylists to explain the process of a silk press, you would probably get the same generalized answer with a few variations as far as the details go. For the most part, it’s when you blow out your hair and flat iron it. One twist that some stylists add is wrapping hair in Saran wrap (like here, here and here“> in order to “set” the hair. When done correctly, your hair can remain straight for up to two weeks (especially if it’s not too humid outside”>.

5. Color your hair with a semi-permanent product or colored hair wax

As far as hair color goes, semi-permanent dyes and rinses are much safer and since they oftentimes last through at least a dozen washes, they can easily help you to maintain the color that you chose for a few months. Just keep in mind that they are usually best for maintaining your own color, hiding grays or going darker. And what if you want to do something drastic? There’s always colored hair wax to your rescue; some brands are even vegan. It may be temporary but the results are super vibrant.

6. Play with a Wig or Extensions

When it comes to these lace fronts out here, they didn’t come to play! Based on how they’re installed, they can look like the hair is growing straight out of your scalp which means that you can cornrow your natural hair underneath and give it a rest for up to 4-6 weeks at a time. Same goes for a lot of weaves (so long as you sew or clip them in instead of using any adhesive”>. Because both of these options require very little natural hair manipulation and they help to keep your ends out of harm’s way, they fall into the category of being a “protective style” which means you can wear straight and/or colored hair without damaging your own hair in the process. Read next: A Beginner’s Guide to Using Wigs as a Protective Style

7. Embrace your natural texture

Of course, you can do what I’ve been doing for many years now — embracing your natural hair texture. As I basically said in the intro, so many of us have been conditioned to think that curly texture hair is challenging, more expensive to take care of and not as visually appealing that we’ve automatically reached out for relaxers when all of this couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, learning your hair requires time, patience and finding the right products — oh, but once the light bulb goes on…it does wonders for your self-esteem/self-image. And the fact that it’s by far a healthier route to take? Well, that’s just the icing on the cake, y’all. Give it a shot. I’m sure that, in time, you’ll see just what I mean. Looking to straighten your curls without relaxers? Here are the Top 10 Tips to Straighten Curly Hair Without Frizz

Whew. It’s quite the heavy responsibility, raising children to become self-sufficient adults. It truly is the kind of task that has a billion different components to it too. Take hair care, for example. When is it the right time to transition from you shampooing your daughter’s hair in the bathtub and then washing her hair in the sink to letting her do it all on her own?

From what I’ve read and researched, an eight-year-old can do it if she’s highly supervised. Then, between the ages of 10-12, your daughter should be able to do it all by herself. But whether your little girl is 5 or 11, there are things that you can do to get them used to making wash days a part of their self-care (and hygiene”> routine. Here are the ones that I think are most important.

Pictured: @lucien_kids

1. Make a big deal about it

I know. A lot of us grew up treating wash days more like a necessary “evil” than anything else. Personally, I think it should be approached like somewhat of a milestone because, unless your daughter plans on going to the salon for the rest of her entire life, wash days are something that she’s going to be doing for decades to come. So yeah, make a big deal out of them. Schedule them out beforehand. Discuss them with her. Make sure your energy comes off as excited to introduce her to different facets of hair washing rituals. The more we enjoy taking care of our hair, the healthier our hair will be in the long run.

2. Explain to her why wash day is so important

Here’s what’s a trip. I’m willing to bet that if a lot of us were asked why we should consistently shampoo and condition our hair, it would take us a moment to come up with a viable response. The reality is that shampooing our hair cleanses it and our scalp. It also massages our scalp which helps to stimulate our hair follicles. Conditioning our hair adds moisture so that our hair is manageable and less prone to breakage. The clearer your daughter is on the purpose of both of these things, the easier it will be for her to understand why they’re both essential self-maintenance activities.

3. Get her a “wash day” bucket

All of us like having things that are our very own. When it comes to your daughter shampooing and conditioning her hair, she is no exception. So, make sure to get her a bucket filled with her own wash day supplies. Some sulfate-free shampoo. A conditioner (that smells really good”> as well as some leave-in conditioner. A detangling comb. A microfiber towel (explain to her that those are gentler on her hair than the towels that she dries her body off with”>. A few hair masks that she can learn to pamper her hair with. A carrier oil that she can learn to pre-poo with (because the more she learns how to make her hair manageable, the more comfortable and confident she will be about styling it”>. Some alcohol-free edge control (because baby hairs make perfect sense on young women”> — things that will help her to feel like she’s growing up, so that she get (and stay”> excited about washing her own hair.

4. Do more supervising than anything

Okay parents, you know how some of y’all can be. Instead of supervising your child, you kind of take over because you know that you will do a better job. While that very well may be the case, there is no way that your daughter is going to learn how to properly wash her hair unless she does it for herself. Besides, if a lot of us were truly honest with ourselves, we could stand to watch a couple of hair washing tutorials ourselves because all we’ve been doing for the longest is plopping product on our hair, rubbing it in for a couple of minutes, rinsing it out and going about our day. If even you want to make sure that you’re going about your own wash day the right way, check out our article, “The Best Way to Wash Curly Hair”. If you happen to be more of a visual learner (or you’d like a few visual examples to show your daughter”>, check out this video, this video and this video.

5. Let her pick some form of entertainment

If there are days when you don’t feel like washing your hair, you already know that there are going to be times when she won’t be thrilled about doing it either. “Chores” tend to go by a lot faster when there’s some entertainment that can serve as a form of distraction. So, let her pick her own music and/or a movie or favorite television show after she’s shampooed and it’s time to do some detangling and styling. When you give kids something to look forward to, that’s almost always a surefire way to inspire them to follow through on their obligations.

6. Teach her some styling hacks

I don’t know about you but sometimes what makes me want to avoid wash day is going through the styling process. Whether you’re totally against heat or you plan on blow drying and perhaps even flat ironing her hair, I get that you might want to solely take care of that part of the wash day process. But based on your daughter’s age, when it comes to styling, be open to showing her some ways that she can style her own hair, all by herself. Teach her how to braid. Give her introductory courses on how to do a wash ‘n go. Instruct her on how to pull her hair back into a bun or do some two-strand twists. When she’s able to complete the wash day process, it will give her a sense of pride — and that’s something that she can carry along with her for the rest of her life.

How have you encouraged your child to get involved on wash day?

Imagine a world where we all found our hair to be “good” because we were all raised as children to embrace our own natural hair texture.

Although many of us grew up in a time when the internet wasn’t nearly as popular or accessible as it is now, the reality is that children are literally bombarded with images and ideas about body image and their hair on an hour by hour — shoot, moment by moment — basis. Some are positive reinforcement and yet a lot of them are about as close to toxic as you can get.

Even when I was a little girl, I remember putting a towel on my head to try and make myself look like I had longer hair. Make-believe can be fun; however, looking back, I know that a part of me thought that long straight hair was prettier than the (mostly”> Type 4a texture that I have. And I know I’m not alone in this.

That’s the bad news. The good news is there are things that you can do as a parent — or even a relative, close friend or mentor — to make sure that you still remain the greatest influencers in your children’s lives; this includes when it comes to their self-esteem. And one facet of their esteem is how they see their hair.

Here are valuable steps you can take to help the children in your life embrace and love their naturally curly hair. 

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1. Find pictures of people who have a similar texture

A part of the reason why I was so caught up with wanting long straight hair when I was younger is because I went to mostly white private schools. It wasn’t that my parents didn’t praise my Blackness and all that came with it (most of the time, at least”>; it’s just that peer pressure is a real thing, even at a very young age. And to see all of those girls with long pigtails, I thought that was what my hair was supposed to be doing instead of being in braids or Afro-puffs. I remember how much Vanessa Huxtable (The Cosby Show“> influenced me as I started to grow older (especially the season when she had that dope Afro”>. I think that seeing more images of women and girls like her would’ve made me feel less alone. That said, one benefit of the internet is we have more access to photos and videos. So, show your kids people who have hair similar to them. It can help them to feel like there are others like them and that can help to boost their confidence.

Read next: 20 Books That Empower Girls to Love Their Curls

2. Talk to them about all of the benefits of their hair texture

Remember how I said that I used to wish that I had straighter hair while my goddaughter currently wants a thicker and curlier texture? The reality is that every single texture on this planet has some special things that it’s able to do. These days, you couldn’t pay me to switch my natural texture up because I like all of the creative things that I can do with it (braids one day, an Afro another day, a blow-out the next day”>. And my goddaughter? I mean, at her age (11″>, I used to wish that I was her (hair-wise”> because her loose waves made it appear that her hair grew faster than those of a curlier kind (not true; we just have to take care of our hair differently”>. Bottom line, there is such a thing as negativity bias. What it basically means is we’re naturally wired to lean toward the negative of matters rather than the positive. So, how do you get your child to see the good about their hair and hair texture? That’s where the next point comes in.

3. Create a “hair love list” with them

When it comes to self-love, it’s something that we have to literally program ourselves to do. That’s why I’m all about creating lists that include things that we adore, especially so, about ourselves. So, after completing some of these other steps, don’t hesitate to ask your child what they love about their hair texture. If they say the proverbial, “I dunno” followed by an Elmo shrug, help them along by expressing what you like about their hair and what other people would also probably like about it. Then compile the list and put it someplace where they will get to it on a daily basis (like a bedroom or bathroom mirror”>. A couple of times a week, ask them to verbally recite their list to you. The more they get used to hearing what they appreciate about their hair, the more it will literally become a part of their way of thinking.

4. Be intentional with products you use

I’d venture to say that just about all of us have some memories of dreading getting our hair done and it was usually because either A”> our parents were too heavy handed and/or B”> they didn’t apply the kind of products that complemented our own hair texture. Now, in fairness to them, they probably didn’t know much about which ones to use and which ones to avoid. These days, though, there is plenty of access to this kind of information, so devote an hour a week (or so”> to researching the kind of hair products that go with different hair types and how to apply them. My first suggestion would be to take our Texture Typing Quiz to learn more about your child’s hair type. Then you go on YouTube or TikTok and put “hair product hacks” based on the type of hair that your child has.

5. Load up on hair accessories

No matter what the age, hair is always more fun when we have accessories to play around with. That said — hats, scarves, barrettes, hair clips, headbands, hair ties and hair combs…start to see hair accessories as a must-have addition to your child’s wardrobe. The more items that they have to choose from and work with, the more they will look forward to getting their hair done or doing their own hair — regardless of what their hair texture may be.

6. Show them how to do their own hair

You won’t be doing their hair forever, so use each season (spring, summer, fall, winter”> as an opportunity to “loosen the reins” a bit by taking out an hour or so on a weekend to teach them more about personal hair maintenance. The reality is that a lot of us grew up to become super frustrated with our hair, even as adults, all because we had no clue how to style it. There’s no time like the present for your child to learn how to care for their tresses, so that their hair doesn’t end up “intimidating” them. Instead, it can be something that they truly and fully celebrate!

Many of us spend about one-third of our 24-hour days in bed which means it’s important that we make sure that we are “sleeping well”, so that our hair can reach its absolute maximum potential.

While you may never have given it much thought before, I’m going to share with you eight things that you might be doing at nighttime mistakes that could potentially be wreaking pure havoc on your hair — whether you realize it or not.

1. Always Sleeping on the Same Side

If something that you struggle with is one side of your hair being significantly stronger and longer than the other, I totally feel your pain. My left side typically thrives in a way that my right side simply doesn’t. While some of this can probably be chalked up to genetics, things like your diet, imbalance hormones, medication, aging, damaged hair follicles (whether it’s from some sort of trauma or even constantly touching, rubbing or pulling at one side of your hair”> and definitely how we sleep can also play a role. Well, as far as sleeping goes, did you know that each hair follicle comes with its own customized blood supply? Not only does this mean that if some follicles have a stronger supply than others, that will lead to them producing longer and thicker hair, it also means that if you constantly sleep on the same side every night, that can compress your blood vessels, so that those follicles are spending hours, each and every day, not receiving the nutrients (from the blood”> that they need. So, while I know it may be difficult — trust me, I know — try and be intentional about not constantly staying on the same side all night long. Or, at least, begin your sleep time on the opposite side that you are the most comfortable sleeping on. It’s a little shift that can make a really big difference over time.

2. And/Or Always Putting Your Hair Up in a Pineapple

OK, I know that a lot of you may be fans of putting your hair up in a pineapple each and every night. However, as the Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “The excess of a virtue is a vice”. What that means, as it relates to this article is, if you’re constantly putting your hair up in the same style and position, for 6-8 hours on end, that can result in tension being on the same part of your head which can lead to weakened tresses and, eventually, breakage. So, if you are adamant about going the pineapple route, try and switch up where your hair goes every few days and definitely don’t hold it up with a hair tie. Otherwise, you’re almost asking for a breakage issue — probably not immediately but definitely eventually.

3. Sleeping in Your Hair Conditioner

If you’re a YouTube fan of hair videos, it’s not uncommon to see ones that talks about sleeping overnight with conditioner on your hair in order to get the maximum benefits from it. While I understand motive of this kind of advice, I actually think it’s not the best idea. The reason why is because our hair tends to be in its weakest state whenever it’s wet (or damp”>. Then, if you add to that the friction that comes from moving around all throughout the night, not only do you up your chances for some major matting and tangling issues come morning, you could end up with some broken strands too. That’s why it’s far better to deep condition your hair for 2-3 hours before bedtime and, if you want some “extra moisture support” put a leave-in conditioner onto your tresses in the morning time instead.

4. You Don’t Treat Yourself to a Scalp Massage

I promise you that I am able to speak from very up close and personal experience when I say that if you don’t make it a point and practice to massage your scalp, at least 3-4 times a week, you are doing yourself a real disservice. Not only does it help to significantly reduce any stress or anxiety that you might feel, it also helps to calm your nervous system (so that you’ll be able to sleep better at night”> and it stimulates blood flood to your scalp, so that your hair follicles can receive even more of the vitamins and minerals that they need in order for you to have thicker and longer hair.

While simply massaging your scalp with your fingertips is beneficial, you’ll really pamper yourself (and your follicles”> if you apply a warm DIY massage oil to those tips beforehand. The tingling sensation that peppermint oil provides will help to increase blood circulation to your scalp. Rosemary oil is awesome because it promotes hair cell regeneration which leads to thickness and growth. Cedarwood oil has a reputation for reducing hair loss. Lemongrass oil reduces the growth of dandruff. Bergamot oil decreases scalp inflammation. Chamomile oil deeply moisturizes. Just add a few drops of one of these to one-fourth cup of a great carrier oil (check out “Top 20 Carrier Oils for Hair””>, massage your scalp for 10-15 minutes and you’ll feel like you’re spending a few moments in heaven. Your hair will too.

5. Not Getting Enough Rest

And finally, did you know that over 70 percent of people in this country say that they have at least one night a month when they don’t get nearly as much rest as they would like? That’s not good because sleep deprivation can lead to all sorts of things including irritability, lack of concentration, a lower libido, a weakened immune system, a greater chance for high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes — and yes, hair issues. In fact, if you’re not getting an adequate amount of rest on a consistent basis, that can result in an increase of stress which can cause your hair follicles to go into a premature resting state and then a premature shedding phase. No one wants that which is why it’s really important to get no less than 6-8 hours every night. Your hair will thank you. The rest of your body will too!

6. Not Wrapping Your Hair Up at Night

I totally get that when it comes to this point (probably the next one too”>, your first reaction is probably “duh”. Still, sometimes we do things without exactly knowing why it’s a wise choice to make. When it comes to wrapping your hair up with satin or silk scarf or putting it into a bonnet that’s designed for your hair, not only does this help to preserve the natural oils that your locks need in order to not dry out and become brittle, “covering up” also significantly decreases the chances of your hair getting tangled, plus it helps to keep your locks from frizzing up too. Oh, and if you’ve recently gotten your hair professionally styled, wrapping it up can preserve it for longer. So yes, it’s definitely a good idea to make this a nightly practice.

7. Not Using Satin Pillowcases

And what if you hate wrapping up your hair or, for some reason, the way your wrap looks when you turn in at night is not the way it looks when you wake up the following morning? Listen, I hear you. The solution for that is sleeping on a set of satin pillowcases. Not just because it will do all of what I just said but, as a bonus, due to how satin material is designed, it will cause your face (and neck”> to literally glide across it; this results in you not getting creases on your face which could lead to fine lines up the road. Also, if you recently got your eyebrows and/or eyelashes done, satin fabric can help to keep them intact too.

8. Your Bedding Is Cotton Instead of Silk

I’m pretty certain that I’m not being too presumptuous about the fact that you probably sleep on some form of cotton sheets. That’s understandable; especially since cotton is considered to be a “breathable” fabric. Still, aside from the fact that silk is breathable as well, did you know that it’s the kind of fabric that repels dust and resists mold and mildew (which is really good to know if you deal with bouts of asthma or allergies”>? When it comes to your skin, silk doesn’t absorb any of the creams or oils that you may put on your face at night (which means that they will stay on your body longer”>. And when it comes to your hair, silk contains its own natural proteins that help to keep your hair from drying out. How cool is that?

Sweet dreams, y’all.

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Listen, I’ll be the first to say that one of my all-time favorite hairstyles is a protective style. Because protective styles are super low-maintenance and really cute at the same time, it can be tempting to put a set in and not really think about my hair all that much for weeks on end. Tempting but not a good idea. Not by a long shot.

The reality is that although protective styles are convenient, they are also designed to be temporary (eight weeks tops”>. That also requires that you implement some type of hair care routine while you have one in — that is, if you want your hair to be healthy once you take your protective style down.

Some people forget that last part which is why I thought it would be a good idea to ask you a few hair care-related questions — just so you can be sure that your daily hair habits are ultimately working for the good of your hair overall.

Is there something “wrong” with putting your hair into the same style every day?

When it comes to getting your hair to flourish, one of the main things it needs is balance. In other words, too much of anything can prove to be detrimental, if you’re not careful. For instance, while a ponytail is pretty low-maintenance, if you put your hair up in the same place for days on end, after a while, you will probably experience breakage due to the tension of the ponytail always being in the same spot. Or, if you always wear a wig, that could weaken your edges “thanks” (but no thanks”> to the friction that your wig band may be causing. Even putting your hair in a crown braid could result in breakage at some point if you’re taking it down on a daily basis (because that’s still quite a bit of manipulation”>.

Moral to the story here is to switch your hair up a bit from time to time. If you’ve got small braids in, wear a wash ‘n go for a couple of weeks after taking them out. If you’ve been wearing your hair in a high bun, pull it back into a low ponytail a couple of times a week. That way, your hair won’t weaken due to the literal pressure of being in the same hairstyle all of the time.

Should you be focusing on your hair more than your scalp?

One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of us make when it comes to protective styles is assuming that once we put in — for example — braids and twists that we don’t have to do anything to our hair until we take them out and that’s simply not true.

That said, as far as what you should be focusing on more — your hair or your scalp — that is a bit of a “which comes first: the chicken or the egg?” kind of question simply because your scalp is the foundation of your hair and your hair is well, your hair. Honestly, the main thing to keep in mind here is a big part of the reason why you have a protective style is so your hair will experience as little manipulation as possible.

That’s why, when it comes to natural locks, a protective style is the time when you can (and should”> focus on things like your diet and consuming a lot of water. Fresh fruits and veggies will give your hair the nutrients that it needs while water will help to keep your hair follicles hydrated. It’s also a good idea to lightly spritz your hair a couple of times a week with a homemade solution made up of a carrier oil (check out “Top 20 Carrier Oils for Hair””> and some distilled water. That will help to moisturize and condition your hair without creating a lot of unnecessary build-up in the process.

But honestly, what I think should get the most attention when your hair is in a protective style is your scalp. If you’ve got braids, twists or faux locs in, you probably have a lot of parts in your hair that expose your scalp. Use this time to gently massage your scalp every night (it increases blood circulation to your scalp and hair follicles”>. If your scalp feels dry or irritated, apply a bit of Jamaican black castor oil (it can relieve itchiness and strengthen the roots of your hair”>. If you do decide to wash your hair while it’s in a protective style like braids or twists, use cooler water (hot water can dry your scalp out”>. Try to avoid using hair products that have sulfates, alcohols or fragrances in them — those can dry out and/or irritate your scalp too.

It can’t be said enough that your scalp is your hair’s foundation. The better you are at taking care of it, the greater chance you will have of your hair being healthy and strong.

How much product should you be using in a protective style?

Something that’s very important to keep in mind is when you have a protective style in your hair, it really is best to take the “less is more” approach when it comes to product use. Since you probably won’t be shampooing your hair as much, you need to make sure that “gunk” doesn’t collect on your strands or that a lot of product ends up irritating your scalp.

Does that mean that you should use nothing? Eh. I’m not saying that. Just make sure that what you do use is applied sparingly and that it serves a purpose.

For braids and twists:

• Use a scalp toner to soothe your scalp
• A leave-in conditioner spritz will moisturize your hair without “caking up”
• Foaming mousses are great for taming fly-aways
• Applying a finishing oil will give your look some sheen

For wigs and weaves:

The main thing to keep in mind with both of these protective styles is the kind of hair that you’re wearing. If you’re using human hair, you can pretty much use the same products that you would for your natural hair (although not nearly as much”>. If you’re using synthetic hair, only go with products that are specifically designed for it.

Are you sure that you’re actually wearing a protective hairstyle? 

There’s one more thing to consider when it comes to if your daily habits are actually helping or hurting your protective styles and your natural hair — it’s if what you consider to be a protective style is actually that at all. By definition, a protective style is a hairstyle that 1″> keeps your ends tucked away and 2″> requires as little manipulation as possible.

You know what this means, right? If your ends are exposed and/or you are putting your hair in a “technical” protective style but you’re taking your hair down and styling it every day, that means it’s not experiencing low manipulation — and that means that it’s technically not a protective style.

So, whatever you do, if you’re calling “it” a protective style, make sure it follows both rules (not one or the other…both”>. Otherwise, no matter how cute your look may be, it’s not a true protective style — and it could be making your hair vulnerable to dryness, weakness and breakage. Please style wisely.

Pictured: @slimreshae

Protective styles are a funny thing. Not in the “ha ha” kind of way but in the sense that, while there are a ton of benefits that come with having them, some people act like they’ve got superpowers when it comes to haircare and length retention. Because of that, sometimes they find themselves pretty disappointed when their chosen protective style doesn’t do all of the things that they initially expected it to.

So, let’s destroy a few popular myths about protective styles today, shall we? Whether you opt to keep your hair in one most of the time or you’re considering a particular look and you’d like to learn more about exactly what you’re getting yourself into, there are a few myths about protective styles that I’m going to do my best to debunk today.

1. Protective Styles Will Automatically Help Your Hair to Grow

You’ve probably heard that your hair grows between ¼”- ½“ every month. This means that if you were able to retain all of the new growth from your roots, you would have six inches of length every year (for the record, reportedly, Asian hair grows the fastest while African hair grows the slowest”>. Unfortunately, lot of us don’t get to see this kind of progress because our hair is damaged, our ends are split or we simply choose to cut our hair often.

However, something that can help you to retain length is a protective style. One reason is because it helps to keep you from manipulating your tresses as much. Another reason is because you can (usually”> keep your ends tucked in (think braids, buns, wigs and weaves”>. Since your ends are the oldest parts of your hair, whenever they’re out of the way of weather elements, styling tools and other things that can dry them out or weaken them, that helps you to keep some inches too.

Keeping all of this in mind, it’s actually a rather gross assumption that protective styles will automatically help you to achieve your hair goals. For instance, a ponytail is technically considered to be a protective style but if you always keep your hair up in one, two things could hinder hair growth — constantly putting it into the same position (because that could weaken that area of your hair”> and always leaving your ends exposed.

So yes, while protective styles can aid in helping your hair to grow, you still have to be a bit strategic in how you use them if you want to see real progress over time.

2. Protective Styles Are the Best Way to Grow Out Your Hair

It’s also not 100 percent accurate that protective styles are the best way to grow out your hair. In other words, don’t think that just because you put your hair into some faux locs or Marley twists that you won’t have to do anything else. There are other things that you need to factor in for your hair to flourish as well:

• Drink plenty of water to hydrate your hair follicles from the inside out
• Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies to provide your follicles with the nutrients that they need
• Moisturize your hair with a leave-in conditioner so that it doesn’t become dry and brittle
• Massage your scalp to increase blood circulation to it (more on that in a bit”>
• Take a multivitamin to compensate for the nutrients that you may be lacking in your diet
• Wrap your hair up in a silk or satin scarf (or bonnet”> at night to reduce friction and prevent dryness
• Be gentle with the edges and nape of your neck in order to reduce breakage

If you do these things and you have a protective style, you could very well be on your way to having longer and healthier hair. Just make sure that you don’t skimp on any of these tips. All must be applied for lasting success.

3. Scalps Love Protective Styles

Let’s touch on your scalp real quick. Even though it’s the foundation of healthy hair, it’s kind of amazing how much it tends to get neglected by so many of us. That said, whether or not you have a protective style in your hair, you need to be intentionally proactive about caring for your scalp; especially when you have a protective style.

One reason is because if you’ve got braids or twists, that means you’ve got more parts in your hair which means your scalp is more vulnerable to extreme heat or cold. Another reason is because if you’re opting to wear a wig or weave, your scalp may be covered up more than usual which can also be potentially damaging. So, as you can see, it’s not really fair to say that scalps are automatically in love with protective styles. In fact, if there’s ever a time when you really should hone in on your scalp, it’s when your hair is sporting a protective look.

You can care for your scalp by doing the following things:

• Cleanse your scalp even if it’s only by applying an apple cider rinse in order to clarify it
• Massage your scalp to increase blood circulation to it and your hair follicles
• Applying essential oils to it or add some essential oils to your shampoo in order to improve the health of your scalp
• Eat more omega-3 rich foods like salmon, walnuts, chia seeds, tuna and fortified yogurt to moisturize your hair and reduce hair follicle inflammation
• Use a scalp scrub before and after a protective style to remove any build-up and reduce the potential for itchiness and irritation

4. Protective Styles Are the “Cure” for Split or Damaged Ends

It really can’t be said enough that your ends are the oldest parts of your hair. This means that they need to be handled with extreme care at all times. Otherwise, you could end up with really dry or brittle ends and that could lead to split ones (check out our article “7 Ways to Deal with Perpetual Split Ends””>. Split ends aren’t good because, no matter how many hair commercials may tell you otherwise, there is no “cure” for them. In other words, if you end up with split ends, the only thing that you can do to prevent them from wreaking pure havoc up the shaft of the rest of your hair is to cut them off.

When it comes to avoiding split ends, while protective styles can certainly help to keep you from getting any new ones, it’s still a good idea to trim your hair before putting your tresses into a protective style. The only exception is sometimes braids and twists (especially if they are smaller ones”> because when your ends aren’t “blunt”, that can help them to blend more seamlessly into your protective look. For the record, if you are going to go this route, make sure that you deep condition your ends first.

Also, while your hair is in a protective style, try and apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair a couple of times a week. If it’s in a spray form, it will be light enough to give your ends some moisture without causing build-up on your protective style in the process like some cream-based leave-ins do (whether you’ve got hair extensions in your protective style or not”>.

5. Protective Styles Don’t Require Natural Hair Maintenance

I oftentimes compare natural hair to silk. The reason why I do that is because I think that, like silk, hair is very strong and fragile at the same time. That’s why I don’t cosign on the belief that some people have, that once your natural hair is in a protective style, you don’t have to give it much thought until you take the style down.

The main thing to keep in mind where this myth is considered is protective styles are designed to give you a break from styling not maintenance. If you always apply this unofficial rule to your hair routine and choices, you’ll be amazed by how quickly your hair will grow and thrive. YouTuber Seun Okimi uses protective styles to grow her hair and you can watch how she washes and maintains her hair when it’s in a protective style (passion twists”>. You can also check out my article “How to Care for Your Natural Hair While Wearing Box Braids.” 

6. It’s Fine to Keep the Same Protective Style in Long-Term

There is someone I know who kept the same microbraids in her hair for years. Don’t get me wrong, she was absolutely stunning in them. Problem is, now she has no edges at all (check out “If You Want Your Edges Back, Stop Doing This””> and her dermatologist says that she has no hope of gaining them back. That’s because she’s been diagnosed with traction alopecia which is hair loss that literally comes from wearing a particular hairstyle for so long that it weakens your hair follicles.

Some things that you can do to prevent this from happening to you is

1. not put your ponytails up in the same position all of the time (like we discussed earlier”>
2. wear a wig cap underneath your wigs (to keep the wigs from irritating your edges”>
3. only keep lace front wigs in for six weeks at the most (and even that depends on the quality of the wig, how it’s installed and how well you care for it”>
4. only leave braids, twists and faux locs in for 6-8 weeks max

Oh and definitely give your hair and scalp a rest before getting more of these looks by waiting 2-3 weeks before another installment. Otherwise, too much of a good thing could prove to do more harm than good. Literally.

The interesting thing about myths is some people take them to be facts and that’s why they prove to be so disappointing in the long run. Hopefully, with these six protective style-related ones being debunked, you can get a hairstyle that really does help you and your hair goals. Because if a protective style isn’t doing that…what good is it? Exactly.

” alt=”This Is How Summer Damages Your Hair (And What to Do About It”>” src=”https://images.ctfassets.net/naq2t3kc7ito/52wzmk1UOrAYi1Jxbaalri/d0343efe57875d427c427841bc3131a3/summer-hair.jpg”>

Every season has its pros and cons, right? When it comes to this time of the year, some of the pros would be that the weather is warm, the days are longer and it’s also traditionally when we all take some sort of much-needed vacation. As far as “cons” go, one of the biggest ones is that summer can cause complete and total chaos with our hair. That is, if we’re not careful. By “careful”, what I mean is, being proactive about taking especially good care of our tresses from now until Labor Day.

In order to stay one step ahead of summertime, it’s important to know how it can damage your hair. That way, you’ll be able to implement the steps necessary to prevent any of that from happening. If you’re ready to do that, this article will provide a pretty helpful breakdown.

3 Ways the Summer Season Wreaks Havoc on Your Hair

1. UV Rays Do a Ton of Damaging Things to Your Hair

If UV rays have the ability to damage your skin (and they do”>, they can certainly do the same thing to your hair. As far as your locks are concerned, when you spend too much time in the sun, it can literally fry the outer layer of your hair. That will lead to discoloration and oftentimes really dry and brittle tresses too. And if you ignore this, your hair could end up thinning out and breaking off.

2. Saltwater Strips Your Hair of the Moisture That It Needs

As for saltwater, I’m not just talking about swimming in the ocean. Technically, sweat is saltwater too and when your hair gets too much of it, it tends to pull all of the moisture out of your hair, making it difficult to detangle or style. As if that isn’t bad enough, if your hair is color-treated, saltwater can fade your dye and even create split ends.

3. Chlorine Dries Your Hair Out

Do you plan on spending a lot of time at the pool this summer? If so, just remember that chlorine isn’t your hair’s best friend either. It’s a chemical that can also dry your hair out. In fact, it can make your hair weaker overtime because it has the ability to eat away at the structure of your hair strands. Something else that chlorine does is remove many of the amino acids that make up your hair which also leads to extreme dryness.

How to Protect Your Hair During the Summertime

Now that you know some of the main ways that the summer season can ruin your hair, let’s touch on some of the things that you can do to prevent that from happening.

Use a leave-in conditioner

Whenever I write an article about how to keep your hair healthy and/or moisturized, you’re probably always going to see me shout-outing leave-in conditioners. That’s because it’s one of the easiest ways to keep moisture in your hair — which is something your tresses are going to desperately need all summer long. A cream-based one is pretty thick. My recommendation is to apply that before getting into a pool or ocean. Otherwise, if you just want to give your hair a bit of a moisture boost without messing up your hairstyle, go for a leave-in that comes in a spray. Spritz your hair before working out, going out on an outdoor date or doing anything that will cause you to sweat and/or spend more than 30 minutes (give or take”> in the sun. It’s a simple thing that can make a really big difference.

Do more pre and post rinses (to combat saltwater and chlorine”>

Did you know that whenever you rinse your hair in hot water, it separates the cells that help to form your hair’s cuticles? That should be reason enough to rinse in cooler water; if you need another one, cool water helps to seal your cuticles. That’s why it’s a good idea to rinse your hair with cool water before excessively sweating or swimming in an ocean or pool. Cool water will help to seal in the moisture that you already have and that will make it more difficult for saltwater or harsh chemicals such as chlorine to penetrate your cuticles too much.

Drink more water

Reportedly, 75 percent of Americans are severely dehydrated, no matter what time of year it is. So, just imagine how much more this is the case between June-September! For the sake of your overall health and well-being, you need to drink plenty of water. You also need to do it in order to replenish your hair because the reality is that water makes up about 25 percent of your hair’s structure (pretty amazing, right?”>.

Eat raw fruits and veggies

So, what if you’re not the biggest water fan on the planet or you want to find other ways to get more water into your system? A workaround is to eat raw fruits and veggies that have a high amount of water in them. Some of those include berries, celery, oranges, cucumber, peaches, spinach, watermelon, cruciferous vegetables, pineapple and zucchini. If you eat all of these raw, you’ll get to take in lots of water and a concentrated form of nutrients that are in them too. Fresh summer salad, anyone?

Apply a carrot seed, avocado and coconut oil blend

A bit of an oil blend can also protect your hair. Carrot seed is good for your tresses because it conditions your scalp (and helps to prevent it from feeling itchy and irritated”>. Hair-wise, it moisturizes and strengthens your hair which prevents hair loss and split ends. Avocado oil is a great hair oil because it gives your hair a bit of “slip” which makes it easier to detangle. It’s also effective at protecting your hair from environmental damage like pollution, ocean water and sun rays. Coconut oil is awesome because it contains properties that will prevent a dry scalp, its fatty acids will protect your hair follicles and stimulate hair growth and it’s about 20 percent effective at shielding your hair from UV rays. A teaspoon of each, mixed together and applied to your hair a couple of days a week can do wonders.

Wear a protective style or wrap your hair up more often

Whether you want to give your hair a break from the heat, the humidity or how much you manipulate it whenever you style it, you can never go wrong with a protective style. Just make sure that you only keep your style in for six weeks at a time and that you still nurture your scalp in the ways that I’ve already mentioned (and that you give your hair a 2-3 week break after taking it out”>. Oh, and if you decide to wear your hair wrapped up in a turban or scarf for a lot of the summer season, applying a leave-in conditioner is an absolute must. Also, try and go with a fabric that lets your hair breathe and reduces your chances of scalp and hair sweating a lot. Organic cotton and silk immediately come to mind. Since both fabrics also help to regulate your body temperature, you can’t go wrong with those.

Pamper your ends

It can’t be said enough that the reason why a lot of us aren’t seeing as much progress as we would like when it comes to length retention isn’t because our hair isn’t growing; it’s because our ends are breaking off, just about as fast as the hair that’s coming out of our roots is coming out. You’ve already seen that the summer season can’t wait to dry your hair out and since your ends are the oldest part of your hair, you need to “baby them” as much as possible. I actually wrote an article on how to do this for the site a while back. For tips on how to take care of your ends, check out “10 All-Natural Ways to Protect Your Ends (That Aren’t Protective Styles”>”. Don’t just read it — follow through. It’s one of the best ways that your hair will survive this summer heat!

Pictured: Franchelli Rodriguez

If one of you were to ask me to name my top five favorite activities, I can assure you that sleeping in my bed would rank in the top three. There is nothing quite like the combination of soft bedding, adorable PJs and cute hair before turning in at night (whether I’m sharing my space with someone or not”>. Thing is, when it comes to finding a hair look that complements everything else that I mentioned, it can be a bit of a tight rope because, although I want my hair to have some sort of stylish look to it, I also want to make sure that I don’t wake up to a chaotic mess the next morning as well.

The solution? The following five ideas (for starters”>. If you’ve been trying to figure out how you can turn in for the night with your hair looking as cute as it possibly can (because most of us like cute hair all of the time, not just some of it!”>, here are some practical tips that are aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and practical (when it comes to easing into your morning hairstyling routine”> too.

1. Master the Pineapple

As far as going to bed “cute” goes, one of my favorite looks (on longer hair”> is definitely the pineapple. If you’ve heard of it but you’re not exactly sure what that is, a pineapple is when you pull your hair up into a loose ponytail and then tie a scarf around it. It’s a great bedtime option because it can help to decrease tangling while also keeping your curls from flattening out after rolling around all night long. Plus, who isn’t cute in a ponytail, right? For step-by-step instructions on how to make your own pineapple, you can watch the tutorial below, as well as helpful videos here and here. If you happen to have shorter hair, here’s how to create a pineapple for it (here“>.

2. Try Some Cornrows or Flat Twists

A look that I personally find to be super sexy — whether you’re wearing it outdoors or inside — are cornrows. Since they can also reduce detangling and help your ends to remain “tucked away” (which reduces breakage“>, of course, they’re a real plus when it comes to adding them to your nighttime routine. No matter how big or small the braids are, it’ll be really cute on you (even if it’s three big ones”> and if you decide to tie a bandana around them (to lay your edges down”>, it will end up looking more stylish than anything else.

Speaking of protective styles at night, flat twists are also pretty cool. They are basically twists that are done in such a way that they lie flat on your head. If you’d like to give them a shot but you need some help on how to do them, this video and this video are super informative. Speaking of twists, another option is to put your hair in twists at night. If you saturate them in one of my favorite products (SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie“> beforehand, you can go to bed with an adorable twisty style and wake up to the cutest ringlets ever!

3. Don’t Break the (Gel”> Cast

Back when my hair was super short (boy, do I miss those days sometimes”>, it was nothing to just jump in the bed with no nighttime routine for my hair at all. A big part of the reason why it was unnecessary was because my hair was so short that sleeping on it wasn’t really going to mess it up, one way or another. Another reason why I wasn’t very concerned was because my hair oftentimes had a gel cast on it (check out our article “What is a Gel Cast? (And How to Break It”>””>. And so, as long as I was sleeping on a satin pillowcase, it was somewhat difficult to “break the cast” in my sleep. Sure, a gel cast (hair that has gel on it in order to define curls and reduce frizz”> can make your hair feel a little “crunchy” but we’re talking about being cute more than just convenient here. Anyway, a gel cast is another styling option to consider if you want to go to bed looking pretty close to being picture perfect (more times than not”>.

4. What Do You Know About “Plopping”?

If the only time it seems that you can actually wash your hair is after work and you’d prefer to not apply any heat in order to speed up the drying process, another method that you can apply to your bedtime routine is a process known as plopping. It’s similar to a pineapple in the sense that you loosely gather your hair together, except you don’t put it all into a ponytail. Instead, you wrap everything up in a towel or scarf instead. Not only does this “scrunch” your curls naturally but it speeds up the drying process too.

Just make sure that you wash your hair no less than a couple of hours before turning in and that you go with a silk or satin scarf. The first tip will keep you from soaking your pillowcase and the second will reduce any frizz from occurring on your curls. Also, while some people put a bonnet on their head when plopping overnight (check out this video below“>, if you’re not a fan of those, there are all kinds of cute ways to tie a scarf around your head at night. This brings me to my last point.

5. Learn Aesthetically Appealing Ways to Tie Scarves

Tying up your hair at night can actually be a really great look. It’s all about not just putting a piece of fabric on your head any ole’ kind of way but instead, mastering different ways to tie it. Putting your hair in a high or low turban (instructional video is below”>, putting a scarf around your head and tying a low knot in the back (instructional video here“> or tying your scarf in such a way where the excess material is knotted around your head and secured in the back (instructional video here“> are all styles that look great and will protect your hair all throughout the night.

Remember, tying your hair up before turning in doesn’t mean that it has to be with some ratty scarf or that you have to always tie your hair up in the same way each and every evening. Cute PJs and a just-as-cute hair wrap style can make you feel just as good about going to bed as you do about getting out of it and figuring out what you want your look to be the following day. I can personally attest to all of this.

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Even though I’ve been noticing more articles out in cyberspace about women who are returning to relaxers, if you’ve been thinking about doing the opposite and going all natural, this article was written with you in mind.

First, a true confession of my own. A few years ago, I went back to “creamy crack” because I decided to rock a mohawk and the kind of style that I wanted required straight hair. The look was just what I wanted but I’ve gotta admit that my hair wasn’t nearly as healthy — mostly because it was a lot more fragile (which tends to be the case with relaxed and color-treated hair”>. So, here I am back with natural hair and enjoying every minute of it.

I just thought I’d share that lil’ tale in order to keep you encouraged if you’re on the fence about going natural or not. Oh, and if there’s a part of you that’s wondering if summer is the best time of year to “make the switch”, I personally think that it is. You’ve just got to make sure to follow these steps, so that you can make the transitioning process a lot easier on yourself.

1. Always Remember to Deep Condition

There are two main reasons why you should definitely not skimp on the deep conditioning when you’re transitioning during the hottest season of the year. First, the extra moisture can help the sun from dehydrating your locks. Second, deep conditioning can make detangling your hair a lot easier to do. This is actually really important while you’re in the process of working between two totally different textures (relaxed and natural hair”> because the less tension that you put on your hair, the less likely it will be to break off.

While we’re on this topic, aside from deep conditioning, try and commit to applying a leave-in conditioner to your hair in between wash days as well. It will also make your hair a lot easier to manage. You can check out what we find to be great deep conditioners on SHOPNaturallyCurly. As far as leave-ins go, we’ve got 20 Holy Grail leave-ins that we think you’ll really like.

2. Exfoliate Your Scalp

During the transition process, one of the things that you want to make sure you’re intentional about is taking care of your roots. After all, that’s the foundation of your “new hair”, so your roots need to be as strong as possible.

By exfoliating your scalp, you help to remove product buildup, so that your hair follicles don’t get clogged up. Exfoliation also helps to keep your sebum levels balanced and it helps your hair to grow out healthier. For tips on how to properly exfoliate your scalp, check out our articles “DIY Scalp Exfoliation: The Do’s and The Don’ts” and “10 Masks & Scrubs that Make Your Scalp Feel Amazing”.

3. Have Fun with Braid-Outs and Twist-Outs

If there was ever a time to have a ball with braid-outs and twist-outs, it would be while you are going from chemically straight to naturally curly. Not only do both looks help you to manipulate your hair as little as possible, they can also give your hair the illusion that it’s all the same texture too. OKae Kaela and Nae2Curly are two YouTubers who can walk you through how to create a beautiful braid-out. Slim Reshae and The Gloved Natural can show you how to come out with an amazing looking twist-out.

4. Leave Color Out

I get that you might be frowning at this one because, when the sun is shining bright, we often like to have it beam down on a head full of color. Problem is, hair dyes can be extremely drying and if you add that to the fact that UV rays can take the moisture out of your hair too — I’m sure you can see where all of this has the potential of going as far as the health of your hair is concerned.

The biggest takeaway here is to avoid permanent hair color if you can during the peak summer season. Your hair is already going to be pretty delicate as you’re going from a straighter to a curlier texture and unless you’re planning to big chop, you’re going to need to be as gentle as possible in order to retain some length. Besides, it’s not like there aren’t rinses and hair waxes that you can play around with. Both are better options, so go with them instead.

5. Apply Some Sunscreen

Speaking of the sun, your scalp needs just as much protection from damaging UV rays as your skin does. And when you’re in the process of transitioning your hair, you want your scalp to be in the best condition possible. The main thing to keep in mind here is if your hair is fine, you should go with a spray while if your hair is on the thicker side, a cream is better.

If you’re unsure of where to start your search for the best hair products that provide UV protection, check out our article, “Top 15 Products With UV Protection”. Or, if you’re someone who likes to go the DIY route so that you can keep as many chemicals out of your tresses as possible, we’ve got you covered. Check out “6 DIY Sunscreen Recipes to Protect Your Hair”.

6. “Baby” Your Edges and Nape

I’ll be honest with you — whenever I go through the process of growing relaxers out of my hair, it’s getting used to my “curly edges” that is the biggest adjustment. But I promise you that if you try and just relax the sides and “kitchen” (the nape of your neck”>, eventually that’s going to lead to breakage. Or, if you’re constantly brushing and edge-controlling your temples to death, that could significantly weaken them.

Leaving both parts of your hair alone is gonna take some getting used to. Trust me, I know. But as you’re trying to be low-maintenance with them, make sure that you apply a leave-in conditioner to your edges and nape. If you’re going to use edge control, make sure that it has no alcohol in it (check out “5 DIY Edge Control Recipes For Curly Hair””> and try to leave the “slick down” obsession alone. Hey, better to have curly edges than none at all…right?

7. Pull Out Your Hair Wraps

Something that I promise is going to be your saving grace while you’re in the process of transitioning your hair is headwraps. Having a bad hair day? Headwrap. Wanna look super cute but don’t feel like going through the drama of styling your hair? Headwrap. It’s so humid that you don’t know what to do with your hair? Headwrap.

Something that I adore about all of mine is I can easily dress them up or down. And what if you don’t have a clue what to do with your scarves and wraps? These days, there are many turbans that already come “pre-tied”. This means that all you have to do is put them on your head and go. A site that has a lot of these options is Etsy. Just go there and put “pre-tied turbans” in the search field. There is a ton of variety to choose from and the prices are pretty good too.

8. Don’t Hesitate to Big Chop

I ain’t gonna lie. Hands down, to this day, the times when I felt my boldest and styling my hair was the easiest was when I was rocking a texturizer TWA. I was CUTE cute (if I do say so myself”> and you can’t tell me nothin’ different. That said, while I’m not someone who thinks that everyone who’s transitioning would automatically be better off cutting off all of their hair — when it’s burning up outside, there’s perhaps no better time to take a few inches off. That way, you’ll feel cooler in the summer sun and a few steps closer to having a head full of healthy all-natural hair. Happy Summer Season, y’all!