Search Results: Shellie Reneé
Image Source:@curlyfro_angie
While you might not feel it just yet, the spring season is just a few weeks away. That means warmer weather, blooming flowers, singing birds—and time to create a hair regimen that will keep your tresses as beautiful as ever. Although there are tons of commercial products on the market that will make your curls—pun intended—spring up, there are also some in-season foods during the springtime that you should stock up on. Foods that are delicious, affordable and have a real knack for keeping hair strong and healthy, right into the summer.
1. Strawberries
It’s kind of crazy that, something so sweet, can actually be really good for you. But such is the case with strawberries. This fruit is one that is super high in antioxidants like Vitamin C as well as potassium, folate and manganese. Fiber and protein are in strawberries too. Health-wise, they are the kind of fruit that regulates your blood sugar levels, protects your heart and provides relief from arthritis-related symptoms. Also, the salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acid and ellagic acid that’s in strawberries can help to prevent hyperpigmentation in your skin, as its anthocyanins and antioxidant properties will keep free radicals at bay. Although magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids and copper are not in super high amounts in this particular fruit, it’s enough to nourish your hair follicles while Vitamin C removes excess sebum from your scalp that could clog your follicles and hinder healthy hair growth.
How to Use Strawberries: If you want to remove excess build-up from your hair without drying it out in the process, all you need to do is mash up five strawberries with two tablespoons of plain yogurt and a teaspoon of honey. Apply the mask to your hair, right after washing it. Let it penetrate your hair shaft for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse and deep condition your tresses.
2. Chayote Squash
Chayote Squash is the kind of squash that is in peak freshness during the spring. It has protein, fiber, vitamins B6, B9, C and K, as well as copper, zinc, magnesium, fiber and manganese in it (for starters”>. As for overall health benefits go, chayote squash contains antioxidants that reduce body inflammation, folate to keep your pregnancy healthy and nutrients to delay the signs of aging. It’s great for your hair because the combination of the nutrients can delay greying, reduce breakage and strengthen your strands.
How to Use Chayote Squash: Here at Naturally Curly, we’re super fond of squash. So much, in fact, what we wrote an entire feature on winter squash. Check out “Try Winter Squash For Better Length Retention” for a recipe that is equally as interchangeable with chayote squash.
3. Mint
Mint is an herb that is rich in all kinds of nutrients. It contains iron, folate, manganese and Vitamin A, and is able to do everything from improve irritable bowel syndrome and relieve cold symptoms to strengthen your brain function. The reason why you should consider using it on your scalp and hair is because the menthol in mint is great at increasing blood circulation to your hair follicles, plus its antimicrobial and antifungal properties can keep dandruff-causing fungus at bay. Mint is also a great source of carotene and antioxidants; both work together to provide your follicles with the nutrients that they need in order for your hair to stay healthy and strong.
How to Use Mint: Crush 5-10 mint leaves together. Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of melted coconut oil. Apply it to your freshly washed scalp. Let it sit for an hour and then rinse thoroughly. It will invigorate your scalp while removing unnecessary fungi and dandruff flakes too.
4. Kiwi
Kiwi might be tiny, but it makes a really big difference. Thanks to vitamins A, C, B6, B12 and E, along with potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium, kiwi has the ability to boost your immune system, regulate your blood pressure, reduce oxidative stress, protect your vision and even help you to sleep soundly. Something else that kiwi has in it is zinc. Our hair needs lots of that in order to prevent dandruff, hair loss and strengthen our tresses. Eating and applying kiwi can only benefit your hair, long-term.
How to Use Kiwi: One way to use kiwi in order to prevent hair premature greying while strengthening your locks in the process is to combine a tablespoon of fresh kiwi pulp with a teaspoon of Vitamin E and a teaspoon of henna. Apply the solution to your hair and scalp. Put on a plastic bag and let it sit for an hour. Then shampoo, condition and style as usual.
5. Mangoes
If there’s one reason to get hype about spring’s return, it’s because mangoes tend to be at their peak of freshness. Not only do they taste amazing, but they are high in vitamins A, B6, C, E as well as fiber, potassium, folate, calcium and zinc. When it comes to this particular fruit’s health benefits, mangoes are able to lower cholesterol, promote eye and gut health, manage diabetes, treat anemia and delay the physical signs of aging. Mangoes are the perfect “hair fruit” because it contains about 83 percent water; that, along with the E and zinc that is in them, makes mangoes a wonderful ingredient for hair conditioners and moisturizers.
How to Use Mangoes: Are you looking for relief from dry brittle hair, we’ve totally got you. Check out our article, “DIY Mango Mask and Butter for Dry Hair” for a recipe that will provide your hair with more moisture than ever.
6. Bee Pollen
When you really stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense that bee pollen would be in season during the spring season since bees are back in abundance during that time of year. Bee pollen is high in protein, amino acids, flavonoids, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. Because of this, it’s able to prevent liver toxicity, strengthen immunity, relieve stress, reduce menopausal symptoms and promote overall healing. Something else that’s awesome about bee pollen is it has L‑Cysteine in it; it’s an amino acid that is full of sulfur which is something that our hair needs in order to grow without breaking. The vitamins A and E that’s in the pollen can keep your hair moisturized too.
How to Use Bee Pollen: If you want an all-natural way to treat hair loss, add a tablespoon of bee pollen to your shampoo. You should see results in as little as a month if you do.
Enjoy these foods—and the spring season that is on its way! And share with us if you try them out as well!
Image: @naptural85
If length retention is one of your current hair goals, you know that means you’ve got to do all that you can in order to avoid hair breakage, right? And what’s the main things that causes it? Poor detangling habits. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to the detangling process, I think my main issue has been thinking that, so long as my wide-tooth comb can get through my hair from roots to ends, that it’s all good. But that’s not entirely true. Even if it doesn’t hurt to detangle your hair or you don’t experience a ton of tangles, you can still be breaking your hair off, simply because you are being too rough. That’s why you might notice that some parts of your head has thinner hair than others (trust me, I’ve been there”>. It very well could be due to breakage; breakage that came from poor detangling methods.
You know what they say—when you know better, you do better. Well, if you know that you could stand to put some when it comes to your own detangling practices, here are some tips that can help you to hold on to your tresses—every little piece of them.
Wash and detangle in sections.
When your hair is on the shorter side, this tip isn’t really all that necessary. But as you start to get some real inches, sectioning off is imperative; especially when it comes to us curly hair girls. Putting your hair in sections on wash day will help to keep your locks from getting all tangled up while detangling it in sections is what will help you to handle your hair with care (especially since it tends to be quite fragile while it is wet”>. If you’re like me, and you tend to be more of a visual learner, you can watch this video to get an idea of how to wash your hair in sections and this video for tips on how to detangle your hair in sections.
Use oil while finger detangling.
I’ll be honest, finger detangling is not something that I have a ton of patience for. Whenever I sigh and then commit to doing it, I usually need to watch a television show or movie to distract me. But the reason why I think that it is a good thing to consider is because it’s like a master class in patience and how to gently handle your tresses. Although, in some ways, hair is extremely strong (well, it is when its healthy”>, it can also be quite fragile too. That’s why, when we’re combing through it, the yanking can result in tearing which ultimately causes breakage. But when we use our fingers, we can feel where the tangles or knots are and apply less pressure to get them out. Something that makes finger detangling even easier is to 1″> put a leave-in conditioner in your hair and 2″> apply a little avocado, grapeseed or jojoba oil to your fingers before your start the detangling process. What this will do is give your hair a “slip” that will make getting the tangles out, pretty much a breeze.
“Dust” off your fairy knots.
While I’m not the person who thinks that everyone should automatically trim their hair every 4-6 weeks (if you take good care of your hair, you can get away with going much longer than that”>, what I will say is a sign that you could use, at least a little dusting, is if you’ve got a ton of fairy knots. Although knots are normally for curly hair—and some of us can tolerate them more than others—too many can also create a tangled up mess (especially if your hair is longer and you don’t braid it up at night”>. So, if while you’re detangling, you feel quite a few knots in your hair, it only takes a sec to cut them (don’t yank them; that can lead to split ends”>. Just make sure you use a sharp pair of shears (dull ones can also tear your hair shaft”> and pay attention to what you’re doing. If you dust your knots properly (which means you are giving them a “cut” that is less than a trim”>, you should barely notice that you did anything at all.
Invest in a great detangling tool.
When it comes to successfully detangling your hair, it’s not just how you do it but what you do it with. Some people love using a Denman brush. Others are fine going with nothing more than a wide-tooth comb. Something that’s been getting a lot of praise lately is the EZ Detangler. So has the Michel Mercier Detangling Brush. Whatever you decide to go with, just be sure to keep in mind that your hair is not supposed to “catch” on your detangling tool. It’s also not supposed to make you apply a lot of pressure. A good detangling tool will slide pretty easily through your hair; especially if you detangle it when it’s wet/damp (which is what you should be doing anyway”>.
DIY a hair butter.
Something that has brought my hair, so much joy, is hair butter. What I really like about hair butter’s texture is, it’s a wonderful way to keep my hair moisturized, both when it’s damp and when its dry. Another cool thing about it is it’s ideal for detangling my tresses because it’s another item that can give my hair some extra slip. As a bonus, I don’t have to spend a mint on commercial brands; I can make my own. If you’ve never made your own hair butter before, a simple ingredient consists of ½ of shea butter, ¼ cup of pure Aloe Vera gel, two teaspoons of sweet almond oil and a half teaspoon of honey. Mix everything together and apply. If you want to venture out and get more sophisticated with your butter blends, you can find some other great hair butter recipes here, here, here, here and here.
Clean your detangling tool after every use.
Sometimes, it’s the most obvious things that need to be mentioned because they are so often ignored. Cleaning your detangling tool after every use is not only hygienic, it’s another way to keep the tangles down. I’m not just talking about removing the hair that might be in your tool; I mean you should actually wash the tool in order to get the grime and residue that might be left from the dirt that was in your hair or the hair product that might be on it. In order for a detangling tool to work effectively, it needs to be as clean as possible, so set aside an extra five minutes to use a gentle shampoo and old toothbrush to cleanse your tool. It’s a simple step that can make a really big difference in making sure your detangling process is as easy, painless and “hair protective” as possible.
Image: @maryamjhampton
For the past year or so, something that I have become a huge fan of is Chebe powder. If you’re not familiar with what that is, basically it’s a powder that is made by the women from the African Republic of Chad. It consists of ingredients like cherry seeds, cloves, lavender crotons, stone scent and reisin tree sap and has a great reputation for increasing hair thickness, retaining moisture and ultimately promoting long locks—get this—especially when it comes to women with type 4 hair (more on that in a sec”>! And when I say, “long locks”, I don’t mean chin-length. I mean, there are many Black women, who are regular users of the powder who have been able to grow their hair, well past their shoulders and beyond (you can check out some YouTubers who have done it here, here and here“>.
So, if you’ve been looking for a way to retain your inches—because remember, our hair is always growing; we get length my reducing shedding and breakage—check out some of my personal-experience reasons why investing in some Chebe powder could be the solution that you’ve been looking for. (By the way, I purchase mine on Etsy but it’s also available on Amazon.”>
It can balance the pH of your scalp.
Since your scalp is the foundation of your hair, it’s important to keep it as healthy as possible. One way to do that is to do all that you can to keep it at the right pH level which is somewhere between 4.5-5.0. When its pH level is off, that can lead to all sorts of problems. For instance, if your scalp is itchy and dry or you notice you’ve got dandruff or eczema patches, chances are, its pH level is somewhere above 7.0. Something that can neutralize a highly alkaline scalp (a scalp that’s between 7.0-14.0″> or keep a healthy one balanced is using Chebe powder. That’s due to the alkaloids that are in it. You can simply apply some of it to freshly washed hair, gently massage your scalp with the powder, let it sit for about 20 minutes and then rinse clean.
It contains potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Something else that’s pretty cool about Chebe powder is it contains anti-inflammatory properties. How can you know for sure that you’re dealing with scalp inflammation? If your scalp is tender, if it’s red or if your scalp seems particularly dry, these are indicators. Something else to keep in mind is if you tend to use a lot of product and you don’t wash it out often (at least on a bi-weekly basis”>, the build-up can also lead to inflammation overtime. The powerful yet soothing ingredients in Chebe powder will wash the build-up away while also healing your scalp so that your hair follicles can remain strong and your hair can grow as a direct result.
It’s one of the best deep conditioner ingredients.
Most of us know that deep conditioning is one of the keys to growing and maintaining long and healthy hair. Well, something that I do to make my hair feel super soft, is I add a tablespoon of Chebe powder to my hair conditioner. I mix the two things together and then apply it, right after shampooing my hair. Then I let it sit for at least four hours (sometimes, I even leave it on overnight”>. That gives the powder time to totally penetrate my hair shaft. After rinsing the conditioner out, it’s amazing, just how soft and strong my hair feels. I honestly haven’t found another deep conditioner that has been able to compare to this particular combo and its benefits yet.
It’s a great way to keep your hair moisturized in between washes.
Are you someone who, after about three days of deep conditioning your hair, it’s back to feeling dry; brittle even? I wouldn’t be shocked in the least if Chebe powder ends that dilemma for you. But, if you feel like your hair needs a little reinforcement in between wash days, especially when it comes to protecting the ends of your hair, applying some homemade Chebe butter is a great solution. I like it because it’s moisturizing without being super greasy. I will give the heads up that sometimes purchasing Chebe butter can be a little on the pricey side. So, if you’d like to keep some money in your pocket and make your own instead, there’s a cool DIY recipe video here.
It’s able to provide length retention results for type 4 hair.
Remember how I mentioned at the beginning that Chebe is great for type 4 hair? As someone with (mostly”> type A hair, that is what makes me such a big endorser of it. While it has been a long time belief that women with hair like mine cannot grow long hair, that actually couldn’t be further from the truth. Every type grows hair. The key is figuring out what helps you to maintain what you are growing and Chebe is able to do that. Since using it, I’ve encountered a lot less breakage. The less breakage there is, the more length retention that occurs and the longer your hair becomes. So yeah—do yourself a favor and treat your hair to a little Chebe powder. I’d be absolutely floored if you don’t become an immediate fan. Just like I am!
Image: @efikzara
The Universe works in some pretty remarkable ways, boy. When I decided in 2019 that 2020 was gonna be the year when I gained more inches than ever, I actually smiled to myself when a YouTuber by the name of EfikZara popped up in my suggestions. First of all, this Nigerian naturalista is absolutely stunning. Secondly, look at her hair. All of that beautiful, healthy, type 4 hair! Geeze. And third, guess what she heavily attributes to getting her locks that way. Are you ready? It’s hair grease. I’m dead serious. Two of her videos that especially caught my attention was The TRUTH About GREASE + How I Use It to GROW Low Porosity 4c/4b/4a Hair and 5 BIG LIES The Natural Hair Community LIED About GREASE!!. I must admit that both videos brought up some pretty valid points (more on that in a sec”>.
After checking out both videos in their totality and thinking back to when I used hair grease as a child and recalling that it was longer back then than it ever has been using all of these popular commercial natural hair products, I decided to do even more digging around. Low and behold, even more YouTubers were singing grease’s—especially Blue Magic Hair Grease—praises (you can check out a few more here, here, here and here“>. So yeah—rather than telling myself to not give grease (another”> try, simply because that’s what the natural hair commercial community has said to do, I took myself to a beauty supply store, picked up a couple of jars of Blue Magic, and applied them on my following wash day. When I tell you that it was one of the best things that I’ve ever done? Words cannot express. Here’s why.
Hair grease is cheap.
Although I’ve had my moments of buying more natural hair products than I would ever need (or be able to use in one lifetime”>, I’m not the biggest product junkie in the world. The main reason is because, while there are some good hair product lines out here, a lot of them are very much so on the pricey side and a sistah is on a budget. And honestly, that is probably the top selling point for why I was willing to try grease again. Even if you’ve never used Blue Magic before, I’m pretty sure you know what a jar of it looks like; it’s big (12 oz, to be exact”> and mine only cost $3.99. Name me one product that is that size, that’s about to do all that I’m about to talk about, that is that cheap. So yeah, the fact that I don’t have to eat Ramen noodles for a month in order to keep my natural hair looking and feeling amazing is definitely a major selling point.
Image: @limitlessbloom
It seals in moisture.
Something that I had to learn the hard way about my hair is that it is high porosity. This means that although it easily absorbs moisture, it also has the tendency to act like I never put any water on it about a day after applying a conditioner, cream or oil of some sort. Dry hair is one of the main causes of hair breakage. But after watching the videos that I listed and applying the tips, my hair has been able to hold moisture, pretty much from wash day to wash day (which is weekly for me”>. I simply wash my hair, deep condition it, apply the hair grease (as my sealant“> and dry it on low heat (my hair does better when it’s dried and stretched than moisturized on a daily basis”>. You might think that it would make my hair feel greasy, but it actually doesn’t. By the time I wake up the following day, it feels amazingly soft—from root to tip. And, it stays feeling that way for days on end. So, why do some people say that grease dries out your hair? It’s because they apply it once their hair is already dry. The problem with that is, since grease not only keeps moisture from getting out of your hair, but it also prevents any from getting in, you must apply it to wet hair. Otherwise, a brittle greasy mess is exactly what you’ll be dealing with.
It (can”> protect your scalp.
Personally, I don’t use grease to oil my scalp; I use Jamaican Black Castor Oil instead. But I do see why ErikZara is a fan. Sometimes we forget that our scalp is made up of skin, just like the skin that covers up the rest of our body. If you’re someone who suffers from dry scalp, applying a little bit of grease (again, while your hair is damp”> can seal in moisture there too so that you end up with less itchy, scaling and flakes.
It’s a great wash ‘n go ingredient.
One way that I haven’t tried grease, but a lot of naturalistas are big fans of, is using it as the “base” for their wash ‘n gos. Basically, what they do is wash and condition their tresses and then apply the grease before braiding their hair up and allowing it to air dry. It really is something how, once they take their braids apart, not only do they end up with hella definition, but their hair also looks super soft and shiny. Listen, if you don’t want to take a chance on hair grease for any other reason, at least consider it as the prime ingredient to get your wash ‘n gos looking on-point. If you’re worried that it will be hard to get the grease out once you put it in, that’s a fair concern. I use a black soap shampoo bar. Others use castile soap as an alternative to another way to easily remove grease—sulfate shampoo.
It helps to retain length.
I’m telling you—if you look at the ladies in the YouTube video links that I provided, you’ll see that, when it comes to at least considering adding hair grease to your hair care routine, the proof is in the pudding. When your hair is soft and manageable, that means less breakage, less fairy knots, less ripping when you’re combing, brushing and styling your hair. And that ultimately means more length retention.
It’s only been a good month or so since I’ve been using hair grease again. But I must admit that I’ve seen much less shedding, my ends feel much smoother, and I haven’t been losing nearly as much moisture. So yeah, despite how many natural hair care professionals may be rolling their eyes while reading this, I’m gonna stick with what had my long hair as a little girl—good ole’ grease. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Yeah, my point exactly.
This is one of those articles that comes from true trial and error. Just when I had figured out just what my hair needed in order for me to grow out the glorious Afro that I’ve been wanting for quite some time now, I allowed my deep desire for jet black hair to consume me. And so, I picked up a box of hair dye and colored my hair. Have mercy.
Before going deeper into all of this, I think that it would be totally irresponsible to not say that we probably need to consider using henna and more natural alternatives more; not just so that our hair will be able to flourish but so that we can avoid become a statistic when it comes to articles like “Hair Dyes and Straighteners May Raise Breast Cancer Risk for Black Women”. Information like this shouldn’t make us fearful, but it is important to be aware of the risk factors that come with color-treating our hair.
With that said, before getting into how dyeing my hair totally jacked me up recently, I also think I should mention that in my 20s through my mid-30s, it was nothing for me to change my hair color, pretty much on a weekly basis. I also wore it super short back then, so issues like breakage was basically a non-factor. But now that I actually want hair that’s well past my shoulders, I have to be more careful. Admittingly so, this last time that I colored my hair, I wasn’t. This means that—le sigh—I eventually had to cut off about three inches (yep, due to breakage”>, “baby” the hair that is left, and remind myself that if I do decide to go the DIY route again, it’s important that I apply the following steps that I’m about to give you. Not some—ALL. Especially if I am going to dye my hair during the harsh winter season.
Image Source: @naturallycurly of @jessicapettway
1. Consider going darker.
Yeah, I know. I just said that I dyed my hair jet black and, I also said that I experienced breakage. I don’t think it has so much to do with the hue as the facts that 1″> I went with a box brand rather than going the developer route, 2″> I didn’t prep my hair well before coloring it and 3″> I didn’t deep condition as intensely as I should have after the color was applied. With those clarifications out of the way, not only is wintertime a great time of year to go with a darker and richer shade of hair but, because dark colors don’t strip your hair of its natural melanin, that’s another reason why it can be less damaging in the long run. After all, hair dyes that lighten locks tend to have a lot of peroxide in them; peroxide that removes eumelanin pigments and can weaken the hair shaft. So, when you factor in that winter weather tends to already make hair dryer, it can be a “double whammy” to go lighter instead of darker during this time of the year.
2. Don’t use ammonia either way.
Whether you decide to have blue-black hair or you want to be blonde instead, look for a brand that contains no ammonia. While, on one hand, ammonia has the power to deeply penetrate your hair’s cuticle and deposit brilliant color, it can’t do that without damaging your hair in the process. The damage tends to be irreversible too, so it’s better to take out an extra five minutes or so to see if ammonia is listed on the box of ingredients or to ask a sales agent to recommend an ammonia-free brand for you (they exist, so it shouldn’t be a problem”>.
3. Do some extreme conditioning the week before.
In retrospect, I have to admit that my hair was pretty dry before I actually applied any color to it. I was more focused on making sure that it was product-free than deeply conditioned on color day which is totally my bad. Next time that I decide to take the DIY hair dye plunge, I’m going to make sure that the week before, I do an overnight deep conditioning treatment. I tend to do those every couple of months and my hair feels absolutely amazing every time that I do. For me, it consists of a deep conditioner, mixed with some Chebe powder. I apply the mixture to freshly washed hair, put on a plastic bag, put a scarf on over that and go to bed. The next morning, I rinse and style as usual. The way my hair feels when I do that is unbelievable. I’m pretty sure my tresses would’ve handled the hair dye experience better if I had added this step.
4. Wash less/deep condition more.
There are two reasons why it’s a good idea to wash your hair less whenever you’ve got dye in it. For one thing, washing your hair tends to take out a lot of the moisture that was in it; that’s why it’s so critical to 1″> use a sulfate-free shampoo as much as possible and 2″> to deep condition, each and every wash day. Secondly, whenever you shampoo your hair, you open up your hair’s cuticles, making it possible for some of the hair dye’s pigment to come out. Now, I’m not saying that, in order for your hair not to break, you shouldn’t wash your hair from Christmas through Valentine’s Day. I’m simply saying that if, for instance, without dye, you were shampooing on a weekly basis, you might want to go bi-weekly. And whatever you do, do not ever skip deep conditioning (yep, it really can’t be said enough!”>. Between the hair dye and the winter weather elements, your hair needs to be coddled as much as possible. Deep conditioning your hair is one of the most effective ways to do just that.
5. Ease up on the heat.
Winter weather is already gonna zap your hair of moisture. Then hair dye is going to make your hair even more fragile. So, try and not go overboard when it comes to applying heat. This first means to not wash your hair in hot water. No matter how good it might feel on your scalp, hot water has a tendency to zap your hair of its natural oils. Not only that, but it can also dehydrate your scalp and cause frizzing too. That’s why lukewarm water is, by far, the better temperature to use. Also, make sure to apply a thermal heat protectant (spray is fine for thin hair; cream is best for thicker locks”> and to keep your blow dryer on a low/cool setting. As far as your flat iron, daily usage really should be avoided. Remember, your hair isn’t at its strongest once it’s dyed. You’ve got to give it extra TLC if you don’t want dry brittle ends or to ultimately lose length.
6. Ease up on the retouching too.
Whether it’s a light or dark shade, hair dye manipulates your hair cuticles to some extent. That’s my nice way of saying that it’s going to do, at least a little bit of damage. So, please don’t go overboard when it comes to retouching your roots. It really is best to retouch your color no less than every six weeks or so. One way to prevent your color from fading too fast is to wash and condition your hair with a product that is specifically made for color-treated tresses; then follow that up with applying a leave-in conditioner. As far as covering up “rooted greys”, it’s not like people are going to see all of your roots simultaneously. So, a great “work around” is to consider applying either a temporary root cover-up spray or spraying your hair with some colored dry shampoo. You might be shocked by how well both of these actually work.
7. Protect your ends.
If hair color directly affects your length retention, it’s probably happening from the ends breaking off, not your roots. That’s because your ends are the oldest and most vulnerable parts of your hair. That’s why, it can never hurt to trim your ends before coloring your hair and then sealing them with a cream and butter or even hair grease. Oh, and if like me, you like to rock hats during the winter month, make sure they are lined with satin so that your hair, including your ends don’t dry out or “catch” on the fabric.
Listen, nobody said that you still can’t have beautifully colored hair during the wintertime. Just make sure that you take super extra precautions so that while you’re rocking stunning color, you can keep your length in the process. Real talk.
What are your tips for protecting your hair? Share with us in the comments!
Image: @moknowshair
While I’m not all that big on making formal new year resolutions (because most of us just end up breaking them anyway”>, what I am all about is goal-setting; one of the goals that I have for this year is to gain some real inches when it comes to my hair. While I know that it’s not going to be easy, while watching a couple of YouTube videos on hair growth challenges (like this one, this one and this one“> to remind me that I’m not alone in desiring to see my hair flourish, I thought I’d share some tips real quick on what you can do to gain some inches by summertime.
I’m hoping that it goes without saying that a clean scalp and deep conditioning are paramount. Other than that, though, there are a few other things that you can do to get your hair out of the TWA stage or away from the plateaued state that you’ve been dealing with for months now. Are you ready to not only grow up to a ½” a month but maintain those inches? Let’s do this.
Get a good trim.
I already know that some of you are rolling your eyes with this one. But if you’ve got split or raggedy ends, it’s only going to wreak havoc on the rest of your hair shaft over time. Plus, it tends to make your hair look pretty frizzy too. That’s why, if you’re truly serious about growing out your hair this year, it’s important to start things off by getting a good hair trim. Now, no one is saying that you have to go to a stylist who you already know doesn’t know the difference between a trim and a full-on haircut. Shoot, I’m not even saying that you have to see one at all. If you want to dust your ends at home, that’s fine too. Just make sure that you invest in some really good shears, (a pair of bad scissors can mess up your ends as well”> and that you take your time while you trim your locks. Oh, and no one said that it’s written in stone that you’ve got to trim again every six weeks. Trim when you notice that your ends need it. If you are intentional about taking good care of your hair, that could mean that you only need to do it 3-4 times a year.
Keep color out of it.
While watching a video by a YouTuber who goes by Mini Marley, she talked about something that I can totally relate to. She said that after dyeing her hair and realizing that, while it looked amazing, her curls weren’t “poppin’” like they used to, she had to cut a significant amount of length off. Boy, when you’re on a mission to gain inches, accepting that your hair is so damaged that you need to cut some of it off can be a really hard pill to swallow. But it’s always good to remember that 1″> your hair is always growing and 2″> healthy hair is better than long hair that is dry, brittle and chocked full of split ends. The good news is that if you want to avoid what Mini Marley went through, you can always lay off on the hair dye for a few months. Instead, try some henna or colored hair wax. Sure, colored hair can be really pretty to look at, but there’s no way around the fact that it also weakens your hair cuticles. So, if length retention is what you’re after right now, why risk it by doing something that you know will automatically make your hair locks more vulnerable?
Don’t protective style ALL of the time.
Protective styling is cool, but too much of anything put bring stress and strain on your hair eventually. For instance, I adore box braids, but the weight of them can wear myedges out if I’m not careful. So, while you’re planning your next appointment to put your hair up in a favorite braid or twist hairdo or you’re about to purchase another wig—just remember that your hair needs a break even from those. Your scalp needs to breathe and your tresses need to not have to constantly deal with the “pressure” that oftentimes comes along with protective styling.
Take a multivitamin.
It’s common knowledge that most Americans do not get all of the nutrients that their body needs from diet alone. What we tend to lack the most of is calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E. When our system is malnourished, it reflects in our hair. One way to stay on top of this issue is to take a multivitamin. If you want to take one that is specifically designed to aid in hair growth read more here.
Care for your hair follicles.
Your scalp is the foundation for your hair and your hair follicles, in a nutshell, are what anchor each of one of your hairs into your scalp. Within your hair follicles, there are hair bulbs and within each hair bulb, there are cells that develop and build your hair shaft. Bottom line, if you want healthy hair, you’ve got to take care of your hair follicles. There are several ways to go about doing this. You can get 6-8 hours of rest every night. You can give your scalp weekly massages with a mixture of Jamaican Black Castor Oil and lavender and/or rosemary essential oil. You can give your scalp a monthly hot oil treatment. You can “feed your follicles” by eating more protein (like eggs, poultry and nuts”>, antioxidants (like citrus fruit and berries”> and spinach and sweet potatoes (which are basically considered to be “perfect foods” due to all of the nutrients they contain”>. And, you can drink lots and water; every part of our body needs that.
Get more sulfur.
Something that our hair needs is sulfur. Basically, sulfur is what helps to protect proteins in our body like keratin (which is what our hair is made up of”>. As a bonus, sulfur is also what helps to lengthen the growth stage of our tresses so that we’re able to gain more length retention. Personally, I get more sulfur into my system by taking an MSM supplement in the form of powder (you can read more about that here and watch videos on how it benefits the hair growth process here, here and here“>. Or, if you’d prefer to simply get more sulfur via your diet, some sulfur-rich foods include cabbage, collards, onions, garlic, fish, peaches, olives, walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds.
“Baby” your ends.
No matter how much it might seem like your hair isn’t growing, it most certainly is. If you have a hard time believing that because it seems like your tresses never get past a certain length or phase, it probably has more to do with your ends than your roots. That’s why it’s essential that you “baby your ends” as much as possible. Make sure to seal them on wash day with a hair butter or oil. Try and keep your ends off of your shoulders whenever you can. Put your hair up in a pineapple and then tie it up with a satin scarf at night. Consider applying an oil that has vitamins B12 (it produces new hair cells”> and E in it (that will strengthen your ends”>. Keep your hands out of your hair (manipulation weakens hair overtime”>. All of these things will help to keep your ends in good shape so that you can see some real results by summer.
RELAX.
It’s not a myth that stress can hinder hair growth. There are plenty of proven facts out in cyberspace which point to the fact that when we are anxious, worried or if we aren’t getting enough rest, that can lead to hair breakage and even hair loss. One of the main reasons is because stress can actually force our hair into a resting stage where it refuses to grow any longer or it even weakens overtime. You know what this means, right? Anything (or one”> in your world that may be causing you to climb the walls? Now is as good a time as any to set some real boundaries. Not just so your hair can grow, but so the quality of your health stays intact. Two great reasons to totally let stress go, to chill out and relax instead, if you ask me.
Keep us posted, please.
Image: @RawPixel
Onion juice. Make no mistake about it—it tastes strange and doesn’t smell all that great. But here’s the thing—taking a chance on it anyway is something that can do wonders for you from the inside out. As far as your health goes, consuming this juice on a regular basis can do everything from lower your cholesterol and regulate your blood sugar to reduce depression-related symptoms and fight a cold.
That’s not it either. What more people are discovering is onion juice is an awesome all-natural beauty concoction as well. As far as your skin goes, the Vitamin C that’s in the juice will help your body to produce collagen which, in turn, helps your skin to be soft, supple and youthful-looking. And your hair? As you’re about to see in just a moment, if you’re looking for something that will feed your hair follicles, trigger hair growth and also help you to maintain length retention, onion juice is able to do all three things—remarkably well.
Why You Should Give Onion Juice a Try
Thanks to all of the vitamins and minerals that are in onions, that’s what makes them so good for our hair as well as our scalp. Some of those nutrients include—Vitamin C, calcium, iron, folic acid, antioxidants and quercetin (which is a flavonoid that contains antioxidants”> as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Another bonus that comes from onions is, since they are anti-fungal food, they are very effective when it comes to keeping dandruff (which comes from a fungus”> at bay.
But perhaps the best ingredient that onions have to boost our hair quality is sulfur. Since our hair is made up mostly of the protein keratin and a lot of what makes up keratin is sulfur, you can see why using onion juice can be a major plus. Although I have personally not tried onion juice on my hair (yet”>, what I have been taking is a sulfur supplement called MSM powder and I can definitely vouch for the fact that it does wonders for hair strength and length retention.
How? Well, basically our hair experiences three different phases. The anagen phase is when our hair actually grows. The catagen phase is when our hair is dormant (it stops growing”>. The telogen phase is when our hair then sheds. Although our bodies naturally produce a certain amount of sulfur, when we take a sulfur supplement or apply onion juice to our hair, that stimulates even more growth and also extends the anagen phase so that we can gain even more hair length (pretty cool, huh?”>.
As I briefly touched on before, another awesome thing about sulfur is its ability to promote the production of collagen in our system. Collagen helps to create healthy skin cells; so, when it comes to our hair, that means healthy hair follicles and even the regrowth of hair in areas where there is thinning and even balding.
How to Apply the Juice
Now that you know why you should give a little bit of onion juice a try, you’re probably wondering how you should apply it. Although different people tend to put their own twist on how to use it (you can check out a couple of videos here and here“>, the gist is this. First, start off with red onion; it contains the most sulfur. Peel it, cut it up and put it into a blender. Then put cheesecloth over a bowl, put the blended onion on top of the cloth and push down on the onion with a spoon so that the juice comes out. You can either apply the juice alone or you can mix it with rice water to get “double the effect” (learn more about that here“>. Either way, most people put the juice into a bottle before applying it. You can go with one that you would color your hair with and run it along your scalp, or apply the juice via a spray bottle.
As far as technique goes, you’ll probably see the most results if you first shampoo your hair and rinse. Then apply the onion juice, put a plastic bag onto your head and let the juice penetrate for 30-60 minutes. Follow that up with shampooing and deep conditioning, as normal, making sure to apply this method every other wash.
So, What About the Smell?
I already know. No matter how intrigued you might be, there is probably a part of you that simply can’t justify dealing with the smell that onions bring. I won’t lie to you—you will have to suck it up and deal with that, but one way to make the stench more tolerable is to apply a few drops of your favorite essential oil (or oils”>. If you’re curious about some that are also really great for the health of your hair, check out “8 Essential Oils That Are Great for Curly Hair”. Either way, don’t worry too much about the smell lingering. Most of the smell goes away after the second round of shampooing and definitely within a couple of hours of applying the juice. Besides, once you see the results after three or so months, something tells me that the few moments of smelling like a raw onion will be well worth it.
Yep. It’s that time of the year again. The time when you won’t be able to open up a magazine or go on a website without seeing a list of things that will be trending in the new year whether it’s fashion, make-up or even food. With all of the talking that we do about hair on a daily basis, we couldn’t let this season go by without sharing a forecast of what will be popular, strictly as it relates to natural hair trends in 2020.
Whether you’re simply curious or next year is the year when you want to totally switch your hair look up, these following styles will definitely make you—pun intended—stand heads above the rest. No doubt about it.
Geometric Curly Cuts
King Solomon once said that there is nothing new underneath the sun, so it’s probably not so much that Vanessa was ahead of her time so much as history is repeating itself (because Grace Jones used to blow minds with hers too”>. Either way, geometric Afros make quite the statement and you’ll be seeing a lot more of ‘em in the months to come. One stylist who comes to mind who is known for creating silhouettes and moving shapes with textured hair is Mona Baltazar, master stylist in NYC who creates bolds and voluminous curly cuts for all textures.
Textured Bangs
Traditionally, the straighter and sleeker bangs are, the better, right? That is so not the case in 2020. Now, it’s all about allowing the natural texture of your curls to shine, right where your bangs are. One look I saw that was particularly cute was a woman who had cornrowed her hair to the front and then let her 4c-type bangs naturally flow. It created a striking touch to her face. Plus, since her hair wasn’t straight, something tells me that she didn’t have to cut a set of bangs in order to create the look. That is definitely a “plus” if you want to wear bangs for a day without losing length in order to get them.
Micro Locs
Micro locs are smaller versions of normally pencil-sized dreadlocks and can be started using a number of methods, including braids, interlocking, and twists. Most women opt for this option versus traditional dreadlocks because they are neater, more versatile, and even easier to maintain, plus give you volume and definition.
Embellished Braids
Whenever I wear box braids, I don’t feel complete unless I’ve wrapped them with some metallic yarn or put some silver cuffs on them. And that’s kind of what “embellished braids” are all about—adding hair jewelry to adorn your already beautiful braids in order to give folks a little more insight into your style and personality. From beads, shells, rings and gold cuffs there’s so many ways to accessorize braids to stand out and professional braider, Susan Oludele, who is the mastermind behind Beyonce’s iconic lemonade braids, keeps us inspired with her intricate braided designs and creative styles to pay homage to our culture.
Buzz Cut
When I think of buzz cuts, two women who immediately come to mind are R&B singers Tamar Braxton and Keyshia Cole. As someone who’s spent many years with a pair of clippers being my hair’s BFF, I can totally vouch for how freeing it is to buzz my hair off and not have to give it a second thought until it’s time to edge it up again. It—no pun intended—shaves minutes off of my morning routine and going to bed with a scarf? Forget about it! So long as you’ve got a bold lip color and a big pair of hoops, you’re all set when it comes to this particular hair trend.
“Wet” Wash ‘n Gos
You might have read this one and thought, “Aren’t wash ‘n gos already wet?” They are, but they don’t remain that way. At some point, the combination of the water and whatever product that you decide to use dries. But with a “wet” wash ‘n go, you actually apply a product to your wash ‘n go that makes your hair look wet (like maybe Super Wet Gel“>, even once it completely dries. It might take a little trial and error to find the right gel or silicone to pull this look off, but I’ve seen a few end results and, I must admit that I personally like it.
Adorned Puffs
Afro puffs are adorable all on their own. But I actually do appreciate the fact that next year, we are being encouraged to “dress them up” a bit. Maybe add some sequins to the actual puffs or tie a brightly colored scarf around each one; just use your creativity in order to make your puffs stand out more and you’ll be all good. (By the way, Bantu knots that are turned into little puffs are going to be a big trend as well.”>
Dip-Dyed Ends
For the most part, dip-dyed ends are just like they sound—it’s all about applying hair dye to the ends of your hair and nowhere else. If you want to experiment with hair color in a more unique way, this is the route that you’re gonna wanna take in 2020. The cool thing about this particular hairstyle is you don’t have to use permanent hair dye; you can go with some hair wax, hair chalk or semi-permanent hair coloring as well. If you’re curious about dip-dyeing but you’re wondering how it would actually look, this video and this video can give you a bit of an idea.
Which look is your favorite? Share with us in the comments!
If you want to get the special people in your life a little something, but you’re on a budget, plus you’re not sure what to buy, at least take a moment to check out this official natural hair stocking stuffers list. Although you probably know just as well as I do that there are hundreds of products to choose from, you can be confident that the ones featured on our Shop.Naturally.Curly pages are healthy, beneficial and yes, even affordable. In fact, all of the items here are twenty bucks and under.
So take a moment, skim the list and pick up a few items for your loved ones or even for yourself. To give products that will result in strong and beautiful hair is something that will truly be the gift that keeps on giving!
1. Creme of Nature Pure Honey Moisture Infusion Edge Control (2.25 oz.”> — $5.99
C’mon. Who doesn’t need a little bit of edge control, pretty much on a daily basis? Something that’s really cool about this particular brand is, since its infused with honey, your buddies won’t have to worry about this product drying their edges out. They can literally rock this out for 24-hours straight with no fly-aways or drama.
If there are some people in your life who swear by co-washing, treat them to this particular co-wash product. Aunt Jackie’s is a brand that is beloved by many naturalistas, and the flaxseeds that are in it are something that I can personally vouch for if you know some people who struggle with nourishing dry or brittle hair.
3. MYHoneyChild Shea Shampoo & Body Bar — $7.20
Some of my favorite items are what I call “multi-task products”. They are the things that serve more than one purpose. In walks, MYHoneyChild Shea Shampoo & Body Bar. It is so gentle—and natural—that you can use it on your body as well as your hair. What I particularly appreciate about this bar is it contains pure and simple ingredients; literally just plantain skins, palm kernels, agao bark, coconut oil and shea butter. That’s it.
4. Design Essentials Agave & Lavender Thermal Protection Creme (4 oz.”> — $7.99
I’m known to rock a blowout; this means that I’m also known to constantly have some thermal heat protectant in my possession. Without it, I’m pretty sure my hair would be full of split ends right about now. Anyway, if there are special people in your life who also like to use their hair dryer to stretch their curls, this product has the soothing hair humectant benefits of agave and the scalp healing benefits of lavender is one that they will love you for gifting them with it.
5.groSecrets Leave-In Lotion (8 oz.”> — $8.99
Everyone could use a good leave-in conditioner, right? Especially during this time of year when it’s freezing outdoors and there’s less humidity in the air to keep our curls moisturized. If you get this particular brand, your friends will adore you. That’s because, not only is it sulfate-free and paraben-free, groSecrets Leave-In Lotion contains some moisturizing must-haves including water, glycerin, shea butter, keratin and wheat protein.
6. Long Aid Naturals Manuka Honey & Coconut Triple Creme Styling Custard (16.4 oz.”> — $8.99
Honey is one of our hair’s absolute favorite ingredients; that’s because it’s a humectant (which means it pulls moisture out of the air so that our hair won’t dry out”>. Manuka honey is even better because it has the ability to clean hair follicles and promote hair growth too. So, if you know someone who’s been looking for a product that will help to “set” their curls, this is one that they should try. The manuka honey will protect their hair as the custard-like texture will bring definition to their natural tresses.
7.The Mane Choice Crocodile Clips (6 pc.”> — $9.99
Just a couple of days ago, while I was trying to style my hair, I couldn’t find my hair clips and that drove me absolutely up the wall! Moral to the story? Sometimes, it’s the little things that really can mean a lot. If any of your people have some length to their hair, they will not be mad at you in the least for filling up their stocking with some new hair clips. I promise you that.
8.ApHogee Hair Strengthening Kit — $14.99
One of the greatest challenges that comes with trying to obtain—and maintain—length retention is finding the gentle balance between how much moisture and how much protein our hair needs. For the most part, if you do a protein treatment every six weeks or so, you should be fine; ApHogee is one of the most popular brands to go with. I would be shocked if most of your “folks” had protein treatments lying around. Bless them by gifting them with one less thing to worry about.
9. Soultanicals Knot Sauce Coil Detangler (8 oz.”> — $16.00
Has someone in your world recently made the declaration that 2020 is going to be the year when they go from relaxed to natural locks? If so, they are going to need to use hair products that will help them to smoothly make the transition. Since single strand knots are kind of a given when it comes to natural dos, Soultanicals Knot Sauce Coil Detangler should be a staple when it comes to their hair regimen. Not only will it help to easily detangle their hair, but broccoli seed oil and coconut nectar will leave their hair feeling really soft as it helps them to retain length during the growing out process.
10. DevaCurl DevaTowel Anti-Frizz Microfiber Towel — $20.00
If you’ve heard (or read”> somewhere before that you shouldn’t dry your hair with the same kind of towel that you would your body, that’s not an old wives’ tale or a myth; that is absolutely true. Between the fibers of standard towels and the excessive rubbing that a lot of us tend to do, that can actually tangle and potentially weaken our hair overtime. It’s actually better to either use an old T-shirt or something along the lines of this microfiber towel. It has a remarkable way of drying your hair, keeping your curls’ shape and decreasing frizz in the process. Definitely the kind of stocking stuffer that you should get for yourself, no one else. Happy Holiday Shopping, y’all!
Which product is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Personally, I am a fan of making as many of my own hair products as possible. Aside from the fact that it can be so much cheaper to go that route, DIY recipes mean that I am in total control of what I am putting onto my hair and, into my system (since our scalp is able to absorb what we put onto it; sometimes, we forget that”>.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t get the convenience that can come from purchasing already-made hair products. Matter of fact, a line that I semi-recently became aware of—and actually like a lot—is Canvas Beauty. One reason why I’m a fan is it’s a Black-owned company. Another reason is because a lot of the ingredients are natural. Not only that, but you’d be hard pressed to find the kind of things in this line that you shouldn’t have in your hair. You know, things like mineral oil, petroleum, sulfates, parabens, isopropyl alcohol, synthetic foaming agents like Diethanolamine (DEA”> and Triethanolamine (TEA”>, or even a ton of artificial colors.
If you personally are fonder of products than DIY recipes, this article is just for you. So, here’s the thing—if you see a hair product that particularly piques your interest, when you turn it around the skim over the label of ingredients, now that you know what you should avoid, perhaps you are curious about what a product needs to have in it. If so, I’ve got you covered. As you’re reading through all of this, just remember that, the more a beauty product has the following things in it, the better off your hair—and overall health and well-being—will be.
1. Water
Since our bodies are made up of between 60-65 percent water, it would make sense that water needs to be not only an ingredient but hopefully the top ingredient in all of our hair products. Water hydrates. Water moisturizes. Water is also the key component that our hair needs in order to remain healthy, retain length and ultimately thrive. If a product that you’re considering doesn’t list water first, I would pass if I were you.
2. Vitamins
Although the hair that we actually see and style is dead (which is why you can cut it and it doesn’t hurt”>, our hair follicles aren’t. Therefore, they need to be nourished as much as possible. Vitamin A is great for cell growth and renewal. B-vitamins trigger hair growth as they strengthen your strands. Vitamin C contains antioxidants that fight off free radicals. Vitamin D is able to aid in creating new hair follicles. Vitamin E is a wonderful moisturizer and collagen booster. Zinc aids in tissue growth and repair; it can also help to prevent hair loss. Collagen is a protein that can build up your hair strands (since your hair is also a protein; it’s made up of keratin”>. So yes, if you see a product that contains any—or all—of these vitamins, that is a product that is definitely worth investing in.
3. Extracts
Basically, an extract is something that is pulled out from another source. And yes, there are certain extracts that are really good for our hair. Some that you should be on the lookout for include—chamomile (it nourishes your scalp”>; horsetail (it stimulates hair growth”>; marigold (it treats over-processed hair”>; burdock root (it balances out sebum production”>; rosemary (it slows down premature greying”>; Aloe vera (it’s great for moisturizing and adding volume”>; ginseng (it stimulates your hair follicles”>; henna (it softens your locks and helps your hair to keep color without damaging it in the process”>; alma (it softens hair and aids in length retention”>, and nettle (it fights off dandruff”>.
4. Humectants
If you’re always struggling with having dry hair, make sure you get the type of hair products that contain humectants. Humectants are good for you because they are able to pull moisture out of the air and into your hair. As a bonus, humectants are also able to reduce frizzy hair (which is something all of us curly girls want”>. Honey is a humectant. So is vegetable glycerin, coenzyme q10, hydrolyzed collagen, algae extract and mango butter.
5. Certain Oils
Remember how I mentioned that there are two types of oils that you should avoid—mineral oil and petroleum? The reasons why are because mineral oil can lead to scalp irritation and, if used too often, it can actually lead to dryness. As far as petroleum goes, it can clog up your hair follicles. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some oils that are good for your hair and scalp. Some of those include light and nourishing oils like avocado oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, macadamia oil, argan oil and, if you’re looking for the kind of oil that will really boost your hair growth, a more uncommon oil is baobab oil. (Keep in mind that if a hair product doesn’t have these, you can always purchase the oils separately and then add some of it into the product itself.”>
6. Essential Oils
Essential oils are therapeutic. Essential oils are soothing. Essential oils smell absolutely wonderful. At this point, most of the hair products that I make or own have some jasmine, cinnamon, citrus, patchouli or something in them—if for no other reason than the scents alone. So yeah, if you see on the back of a label that there are some essential oils listed in the ingredients, that is a “perk” that you should definitely take advantage of. If you’re wondering which oils are the most beneficial for your hair and scalp, no worries. Several months back, I penned a piece on that very topic—” 8 Essential Oils That Are Great for Curly Hair”.
Now that you know what is a label ally and what is a label “enemy”, hopefully, you feel more confident about what product to pick up and what to leave on the shelf. Bottom line, if the things I just shared are there, you’re in pretty good hands. Shop on.
What are some other ingredients you like to look for in your products? Share with us in the comments below!
If you’re someone who happens to prefer wash ‘n goes over the more traditional protective styles like braids and twists, I absolutely support that. Aside from the fact that there are super-convenient, just like an article that we published on the site a few years ago states, wash ‘n go hairstyles also offer low manipulation, can improve the strength of your hair and, the gel that you use to set your wash ‘n go can oftentimes serve as a protective cast for your hair. Yep. Wash ‘n go looks are awesome.
The challenge comes in when you want to wear this look but it’s thirty degrees outside. If your grandma saying to you that wet hair will cause you to catch a cold ends up repeating itself in your mind enough, you might talk yourself out of it. First of all, that is a myth; colds are caused by viruses not moisture or cold air. And secondly, while it’s not the best idea to go outside with dripping wet hair (if for no other reasons, it could “freeze” your hair or mess up your clothes”>, you can actually rock a wash ‘n go all year round. The key to pulling it off during the winter season is to apply the following tips.
Image Source: @tierechristyan
1. Wash and clarify your tresses the day before.
One of the best things about rocking a wash ‘n go hairstyle is it has the ability to bring out the best in your natural hair texture without you having to do a ton of work to make it happen. But in order for your curls to look their absolute best, it’s important that you shampoo your hair with a non-sulfate brand (sulfates dry out your hair and that can lead to frizz and breakage”> and to also clarify your locks so that all build-up is removed. In order to achieve an optimal wash ‘n go look, I’d recommend clarifying your tresses with some bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar. I’ve done this a few times and, not only does it make my hair really soft, it also defines my curls in a way that few products have been able to (so far”>. If you’ve never tried this mixture before, you can watch an easy video tutorial here.
2. Deep condition your hair the day before too.
If you’re someone who likes to use a considerable amount of gel in order to make your wash ‘n go curls pop, it’s important that you follow up washing and clarifying your hair with a deep conditioner. Not only will it keep your hair feeling really soft and healthy once your wash ‘n go dries, it will also protect your hair if you happen to use a gel that has an alcohol in it (more on that in a bit”>. If you’d prefer to DIY your deep conditioner, this video will show you how to make a recipe out of yogurt, honey, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. If you’d prefer to go with a few favorite products, our article “Top 18 Deep Conditioners of 2018 for Naturally Curly Hair” features some pretty good recommendations. Whatever you do, just make sure that you leave the conditioner on for no less than 15 minutes; that way, you’ll be able to get all of the benefits that deep conditioning provides.
3. Apply a leave-in conditioner.
There are all kinds of reasons why leave-in conditioners are a great addition to naturally curly hair. They can provide extra moisture. They can create the kind of hair that is a lot more manageable. They can help to prevent knots and tangles. They can make hair feel soft, in spite of what products may be on your hair. They even have the ability to add sheen to color-treated hair. That’s why, I also recommend that you put a leave-in conditioner on your hair, even after deep conditioning it. If you worry that it will be overkill, don’t. So long as you’ve done a protein treatment within the past 6-8 weeks, your hair should be just fine.
4. Use a curl defining product.
Now that you’ve finished prepping your hair for a wash ‘n go, the next thing that you need to do is apply a product that will add extra curl and definition to it—something like a curling cream or curling custard. Many people like Eco Styler gel; for me, it results in a bit too much flaking for my personal liking. Still, whatever you go with, again, make sure it has as little alcohol—and residue—as possible. Once you run the gel through your hair—and maybe add a bit more water for definition and some sweet almond oil or avocado oil for sheen—you should be good to go. Well, after following the last tip which I’ll get to after sharing just one more suggestion.
5. Spray—don’t drench—your hair with water the following day.
If you still want to stick with what grandma told you, then all of the tips that I’ve shared so far should happen the day before you plan on heading out. If that’s the case, it’s important that you tie your hair up with a satin cap or scarf so that your hair has a greater chance of maintaining its definition. Then, the next morning, put some water and maybe a little grapeseed or jojoba oil (along with an essential oil in order to make your hair smell good”> into a spritz bottle and spritz your hair. It will “wake up” your curls without causing your hair to become soak and wet.
6. Wait about an hour before heading out.
I’ve gone out with my hair damp, even in the wintertime, enough to know that it’s not gonna kill you; not even close. But, when it is extra chilly outside, it can never hurt to wait about an hour before going outdoors. That will give the pores on your scalp a little bit of time to close. Plus, it will keep the coolness of the air from making your curls feel crunchy (if you need to speed up the drying process, you can always get under a hooded dryer and diffuse for 20 minutes or so”>.
If you follow these steps to a “t”, you should end up with the kind of wash ‘n go that you will love and onlookers will envy—all winter long!
What are your tips for wash `n gos in colder weather? Share them with us in the comments!
Even with all of the hair commercials and hair products that we are inundated with on a daily basis, if there’s one thing that we’ve got to make sure we have in our hair care arsenal, it’s protein. Why? Because our hair is made up of keratin and, as I’m sure you well know, that is protein. The challenge is trying to come up with ways to get our locs the protein that they need with over or under doing it.
If that’s the hair dilemma that you’ve been personally experiencing, for about as long as you can remember, here are some cool and relatively easy ways to give each strand of your glorious hair the right amount of protein that it both needs and deserves.
Image Source: @NaturallyCurly of @tropicurlie
1. Eat some meat.
No matter how popular Impossible Whoppers may be right now, there’s no way around the fact that meat is packed with protein. Not only that, but meat is iron-rich, full of zinc and is a great way to build muscle while keeping your bones healthy and strong. The key is to eat meat that is low in fat, to not overdo it when it comes to red meat consumption, and to prepare your meat in a healthy way. Meats that are high in protein include red meat, poultry and seafood. Some non-meat alternatives include eggs and yogurt.
2. Or, eat some plant-based protein.
If you happen to be a vegetarian, vegan or your simply want to monitor your meat intake, another way to get some protein into your system is to eat the kind of protein that is plant-based. And just what would some of those foods be? Some that top the list include nuts, lentils, quinoa, hemp seeds, potatoes, kale, broccoli, green peas, teff and whole grains.
3. DIY a protein treatment.
Since your hair is made up of the protein keratin, of course, it needs protein on the inside and the outside. In fact, a lot of us experience breakage because we’re not intentional about giving our hair a protein treatment no less than every six weeks. There are popular protein treatment brands that you can find at your local beauty supply store. But, I’m also a fan of making some of my own. A really great recipe is to mix the following—an egg, half of an avocado, a tablespoon of Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of honey. Apply it to freshly washed hair, let it sit for 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Protein treatments are beneficial because they strengthen your hair strands, add volume and thickness while also making your hair feel soft and manageable too.
4. Give yourself a protein scalp massage.
Something that a lot of us don’t do enough of is give ourselves scalp massages. We need to because, not only are they super-soothing, they are able to bring much-needed nutrients to our scalp by increasing blood circulation to our hair follicles. You can give your follicles a lil’ boost of protein by massaging your scalp with a mixture of sweet almond oil (that’s where the protein comes in”> and chamomile essential oil (it adds shine while soothing your scalp”>. If you warm the oils up a bit before applying, it’s the perfect treatment for your hair before turning in at night.
5. Try an almond milk hair rinse.
Remember how I said that nuts have protein in them? Almonds are no exception. So, a great way to pamper your hair and scalp with a dose of protein while moisturizing it in the process is to rinse your hair with some almond milk every other wash day. The protein in the milk will reduce breakage, the iron will prevent hair loss, the fatty acids will soften your tresses, the potassium and magnesium will strengthen your hair and the Vitamin E will condition it. All you need to do is mix a half-cup of almond milk with two tablespoons of sweet almond oil, a teaspoon of lavender oil and one tablespoon of castor oil. Put everything in a microwaveable bowl, zap it on high for 30 seconds and pour over clean hair. Put on a plastic hair bag, let sit for an hour and then rinse thoroughly with warm and cool water. Your hair will wonder when was the last time that it felt so good.
6. Apply “contaminated” oils.
If you’ve read somewhere that coconut oil is a good source of protein, including when it comes to your hair, there is some truth to that and all essential oils. The key is to use the kind of coconut oil that is contaminated, which is another way of saying the kind of oil that isn’t distilled (purified”>. If you’d like more of a breakdown of this particular point, we penned an article on it. So, before heading out to get a jar of coconut oil so that your hair can receive an extra boost of protein, check out “The Great Coconut Oil Debate: Does It Have Proteins?” If you do decide to apply it, just remember that a little bit goes a long way—when it comes to coconut oil and protein in general.
Enjoy, and share your tips for getting protein with us in the comments!
I don’t know about you but, hands down, one of my absolute favorite things about the fall season is all of the cool accessories that I’m able to wear, especially my hats. Brims. Golf caps. Wool beanies. Believe me, I’ve got quite the collection.
Image: @StyleFeen
But I must admit that, in times past, sometimes I didn’t make the direct correlation between my autumn-themed hat wear and my dry hair and split ends. That’s because it wasn’t until I decided to get really serious about length-retention, that I noticed something. Without “prepping my hair” for all of the different things that I was putting on top of it, although I would look cute, my locks would also end up getting pretty damaged in the process. Geeze. No wonder I’d need a major trim come spring.
If you adore hats during this time of year, just about as much as I do, here are some ways to keep your own tresses in great condition while you’re out here being all stylish and beautiful.
Line your hats with satin.
I’ve got some hats that, even I must say, couldn’t be more dope. A lot of them, I actually found either at a thrift store or an antique mall. The problem with several of them is they have no lining though. Not only does that mean that they aren’t the most sanitary hats on the planet, but they are the perfect storm when it comes to drying out my hair and putting unnecessary tension around the band part of them. If when you look inside of your own hats, you notice that there is no satin in them, don’t assume that means they need to remain tucked away in their boxes. Simply set aside a couple of hours one weekend so that you can line them. That way, your hair will remain cleaner, retain moisture and experience less friction whenever your hats are on. If you’d like some tips on how to line your hats like a pro, click here and2 for some step-by-step instructions.
Put your hair in a protective style underneath.
Let’s be honest. Something that is so awesome about hats is we can take the “Hmm, what’s that?” approach to bad hair days. When our locks don’t seem to want to act right—especially during high humid days that happen due to inclement weather—all we’ve got to do is put our hair in a protective style, throw on a hat and call it a day. That style can be braids, twists or even a wig if you want to be “doubly protected”. Whatever it is, the outcome will result in less manipulation of your hair and, less hair that will feel the tension that can sometimes come with wearing a hat.
Keep your ends sealed.
Whether your hats are satin-lined or not, you still run the chance of some part of the hat that isn’t lined running up against your hair. Between the roughness of materials like wool and then your hair also rubbing against your sweaters, blazers, and coats, these things could “rub the dryness” right on out of your hair’s ends should you put a hat on top of long hair or a blowout. One way to protect your ends from drying out is to seal them. For the best results first, do it on your wash days. Then “back that up” by applying a little sweet almond, grapeseed, jojoba or even shea butter on your ends at night and/or the days when you plan on putting a hat on. It’s a great way to “weather-proof” your ends all fall and winter long. (Check out a video on how to seal on wash days by clicking here.”>
Keep your ends trimmed too.
One of the biggest problems I’ve had with my fall hats is trying to take them off without snagging my hair on the fabric they’re made out of. Snagging isn’t good because that’s something else that could cause breakage over time. You know what else? Snagging can also be a bit of a red flag that your ends either have fairy knots or that it’s time for a trim. So yeah, if it’s been three months or more since you’ve trimmed your hair, either schedule an appointment with a professional stylist, or at least dust your ends at home. Not only will your hair remain healthier that way, but it will also be easier to put your hats on, move them around and take them off once you’re ready as well.
Don’t always position your hats in the same way.
One of my favorite fall hats, last year, after wearing it for a week or so, I started to notice a little bit of breakage around the sides of my forehead. When I retraced my steps, I realized that it was 1″> because my hat was wool (and not lined”> and 2″> I had been tilting my brim the exact same way. Between the pressure of the positioning and then scratching my scalp on top of the hat, the wear and tear on my hairline was starting to take its toll. This is just one more reason why lining your hats are so important. This is also a reminder to not always wear your hats the same way; especially if you’re planning to wear a few of them back-to-back.
Don’t wear them all of the time.
“Too much of a good thing” can apply to just about anything in life—including your amazing hat collection. So, no matter how much you may adore your cashmere cloche, your felt beret or your wool fedora, just make sure that it’s not an all day, every single day, part of your style routine. Just like positioning your hat the same way can put too much pressure on your hair over time, so you can constantly wearing your hair under them.
No doubt about it—hats are a great accessory, especially during the cooler months. But there are other accessories that you can—and should—try too. Ones that will be gentler on your hair so that come spring, you’ve got a little more length to show off. Enjoy your hats, yes, but don’t forget to throw some other things into the mix too. Your hair—and outfits—will thank you!
One of the best things about fall is all of the foods that are in season—cabbage, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, grapes and garlic are just some of the ones that immediately come to mind. Well, those and the eight that are on this list as well.
Come to think of it, what makes these eight foods even better is, not only can you eat them, but they all come in the form of an essential oil. Not only that, but each of them can do wonders for the health and quality of your hair; especially as you head right on into the fall season.
As the temperature drops and the time changes, are you ready to give your curly locks some of the extra pampering that it deserves? All you need to do is add a few drops of the following oils to a carrier oil or into a bottle of your favorite conditioner. Then watch how much your hair will look and smell like all of the best things that the fall season has to offer!
Pear
Image Source: Getty Images
Technically, the kind of pear-related essential oil that you should get is prickly pear. It contains an unbelievable 150 times more Vitamin E in it than argan oil (Vitamin E is a hair moisturizer and healer”>, is loaded with fatty acids (which helps your hair to produce more collagen”>, and it contains lots of antioxidants that can play a role in increasing your tresses’ elasticity.
Pumpkin
Image Source: Getty Images
Pumpkin seed oil is like a multi-vitamin for your hair. It’s got Vitamin E, omega 3- and 6- fatty acids and zinc in it; things that play a direct role in keeping your hair healthy and strong. Another awesome thing about pumpkin seed oil is it can inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. This is a good thing because without that enzyme working overtime, your hair is able to grow fuller and longer. Some extra benefits of this oil is it feeds your hair follicles, adds shine and can soothe your hair and scalp if it’s stressed out from heat or chemical relaxers.
Cinnamon
Image Source: Getty Images
Two things that cinnamon oil contains are cinnamaldehyde and eugenol. What they basically do is provide anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-microbial properties while increasing blood circulation to your scalp. If you mix it with a little bit of sweet almond oil, cinnamon oil can serve as an invigorating scalp treatment too; one that strengthens your hair follicles and soothes dandruff-related symptoms as well.
Ginger
Image Source: Getty Images
Sometimes, our hair isn’t as healthy as it should be because we don’t give our scalp enough attention. The cool thing about ginger oil is it contains properties that help to cleanse and even detoxify your scalp. Not only that but ginger is also able to increase blood circulation to your scalp, which ultimately promotes hair growth.
Cranberry
Image Source: Getty Images
If there’s a signature fruit for fall and winter, it’s probably cranberries. Get a leg up on the holiday season by applying a little cranberry seed oil to your hair. It also contains a bevy of omega-3, 6, and 9 essential fatty acids, along with antioxidants and Vitamin A. The Vitamin A is essential because your hair needs it in order to produce a healthy balance of sebum so that your hair and scalp is thoroughly moisturized. Also, thanks to cranberry oil’s nourishing properties, if your hair is naturally dry, this can make it feel extra soft without feeling too greasy in the process.
Pomegranate
Image Source: Getty Images
Pomegranate oil is a winner because it contains antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, fights off free radicals and polyphenols to prevent UV ray damage (because the sun shines all year-round”>. A few other reasons to consider going with this particular oil is it has punicic acid in it to strengthen your locks, oleic acid to soften your hair and, because it’s technically considered to be a “dry oil”, you can apply it without worrying about it leaving a lot of residue behind.
Clove
Image Source: Getty Images
If there is any oil on the list that I would recommend you doing a skin test with first, clove oil would be it. I say that because it is super-potent which certainly brings new meaning to a little bit goes a long way. Your hair (and scalp”> will love clove oil because if you apply it directly to your scalp, there’s a high chance that you’ll start to see a lot less hair shedding. Or, if you put a few drops of it in your hair conditioner, it can soften your hair while strengthening your roots simultaneously.
Vanilla
Image Source: Getty Images
Very few oils smell as feminine and seductive as vanilla essential oil does. The B-vitamins in it support the strengthening of your locks. And, if you add it to a carrier oil almond, avocado, grapeseed, castor oil or jojoba, it can play a direct role in keeping your hair follicles healthy and ultimately promoting length retention too. Your hair will look, feel and definitely smell delicious all autumn long. Enjoy!
Ugh. I don’t know about you, but if there are two things that sometimes turns my journey of growing out my natural hair into a full-on-knock-out-drag-out struggle, it’s split ends and fairy knots. As far as split ends go, you can check out our articles “THIS Is Why You Have Split Ends and Breakage” and “7 Ways to Deal with Perpetual Split Ends” to get some tips on how to deal with those. But today, I’m going to try and offer up a little insight on how to keep those totally irritating and annoying fairy knots at bay.
That way, as you’re trying to retain length when it comes to your locks, you won’t lose any of it due to the tangling or breakage that fairy knots have the tendency to cause whenever you comb your hair and the teeth get caught on those lil’ suckers or you run you hands through your tresses and somehow they get “stuck”.
Photo by Baylee Gramling on Unsplash
What Causes Fairy Knots?
If there’s a part of you that’s always wondered why people with straighter hair types don’t seem to have nearly as many issues with fairy knots as we do, here’s why. First, curlier texture hair is naturally more prone to tangle up. Secondly, fairy knots happen because whenever we shed hair (which is daily; typically, 50-100 strands a day”>, our curly strands can lock up around one another, creating tiny knots. This happens even more when the cuticles on the strands of our hair are raised. This is why you should avoid alkaline substances on your hair; they throw off its pH balance and can damage your hair’s cuticles.
What Should Your Plan of Attack to Get Rid of Fairy Knots Be?
As for getting rid of fairy knots—oh, if it were so easy as simply “untying” them. The first thing to keep in mind is when you have curly hair, getting a few knots every know and again is pretty common; especially as your hair grows longer. It honestly only starts to become a real issue once you are getting a lot of them. Many knots typically means that A”> your hair is very dry; B”> you’ve got a lot of split ends and damage overall and/or C”> you are not detangling your hair as often as you probably should (we’ll get more into that in the final point of this article”>.
But what should you do if you do get a knot? If it is a single strand one, as much as I hate to say it, your best bet is probably going to be to cut it off. Just make sure that you use actual hair shears and not some random scissors that you have lying around. The reason why I say that is because paper-cutting scissors (for example”> tend to have a dull blade that can snag your ends, cause more split ends and yep—you guessed it, more fairy knots.
If you happen to have a bigger knot, while it might seem like cutting it off is the only thing that you can do, try applying some oil (like avocado, jojoba or almond”> on it to see if it will unravel on its own. Sometimes, even if the knot feels tight, it might loosen up if you use oil and your fingers to gently—emphasis on “gently”—pry it loose. Whatever you do, just make sure that you don’t pull/snap the knot off; that will break your hair strand and could ultimately cause more harm than good.
(By the way, if you like to watch videos on natural hair care, you can check out a cool video on the topic here.”>
How Can You Prevent Future Fairy Knots?
Remember how I said that fairy knots are generally the result of some sort of dryness, damage or a lack of detangling? That said, if you want to know how to keep from getting fairy knots, it’s important to deep condition your hair, get regular trims, detangle your hair on your wash days and, if you wear it out regularly, either tie it up or braid it up at night. Matter of fact, when it comes to your nighttime routine, it can never hurt to apply a little light oil onto your ends (that will make it harder for your hair strands to “stick” together”>. To keep moisture in during the daytime, it’s also a good idea to spritz your hair with a DIY blend (check out our article “DIY Homemade Hair Spritzes” for a few ideas”>.
Another good tip is to make sure that there is a good balance between moisture and protein in your hair. If your locks are not hydrated with moisture or strengthened with protein, that can also lead to damage that could result in fairy knots. Oh, and make sure to oil rinse your hair at least every other wash day as well. If you’re not familiar with what that is, it’s when you literally pour a light oil (like grapeseed or coconut”> over your hair right after you condition it. It’s an easy way to seal your ends so that they don’t get tangled up as much.
One more thing. Use your fingers to detangle and style your hair as much as possible. While it might be quicker to use a comb or Denman brush, sometimes, it’s the rushing through our tresses that can cause knots in the process.
Believe you me, the longer my hair gets, the more knots come and the more annoyed I tend to get. But all of these tips that I just shared are tried-and-true; they’re ones I know for a fact will reduce the amount of the ones that you get.
For better or for worse, fairy knots are a part of what comes with having curly hair. Just remember that proactive care is definitely what helps to prevent them. Good luck, sis.
Have some tips of your own to share? Put them in the comments below!
Image: @curlyhairbri_
It’s been a minute since I was a college student. And by “a minute”, what I mean is spring of 1996. But because the 90s were some of the most impacting years of my entire life—which is a book unto itself, sis—I remember that time very vividly. One of the things that I recall is that money was scarce. It was kind of crazy how my friends and I were able to make a twenty-dollar bill stretch over an entire week; two if we were really focused.
As far as my hair routine went, I must admit that it was only a real issue for me until the middle of my second year. I say that because one day, out of the blue, I let my late fiancé take a pair of clippers to my head. After that, I rocked some variation of a fade or a texturized TWA most of the time. But I do remember my freshman year requiring a little bit of financial finagling. So, if you’re currently in college, money is tight and you’re trying to figure out how to manage your curls when seeing your stylist every other week is totally out of the question, I’ve got a few tips to help to get you through.
Find an on-campus naturalista.
As I’m in currently in the process of at least trying to grow my hair out, my go-to protective style is medium-sized box braids. With the hair included, I usually pay somewhere around $200 (when people think of how many hours long ones take to install, that’s actually not half bad”>. I adore the Kenyan ladies who do it and they last for about eight weeks, so I’m happy. But I must admit that, what made me even happier, was when one of the girls in one of the dorms on campus gave me some for like forty or fifty bucks. What made me even happier than that was teaching myself how to cut hair and styling hair for some extra money too. It might seem like a bit of a risk, but there’s not a hint of hesitation in me when I say that you should look for an on-campus student-stylist. They’re good, they’re cheap and they can keep you lookin’ right without you needing to surrender all of your gas money.
Become a scarf-tying master.
Short of wearing a protective style, if you’ve got early morning classes and, more times than not, you wake up to your hair being a tangled mess, rather than frustrating yourself by trying to rake through it with a comb—hopefully, a wide-toothed one—or a Denman brush, wrap it up in a scarf instead. Even now, scarves are something I like to rock. They’re not only really stylish but if you and some of your girls go thrifting to look for some, you can find some beautiful prints that are really inexpensive. Just make sure, for the sake of keeping moisture in, that the material is silk or satin. Oh, and if you want some scarf-tying tips, check out some visual tutorials here, here, here, here and here.
Deep-condition and detangle—often.
No matter what you cut back on if two things are a total non-negotiable keep, it’s deep conditioning and detangling. In order to do both well, you’re going to need some product. Luckily, there are some conditioners and detanglers that are on the frugal side. Some that you may want to try are EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi Deep Conditioner and Suave Professionals Natural Shea Butter & Pure Coconut Oil Cream Detangler Spray. While we’re on the topic of super-affordable products for curly hair, some other great ones include tgin Moist Collection for Natural Hair, Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Cream, Tresemme’ Between Washes Curl Revive Styling Foam, ApHogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer and Curls Hair Gel Goddess Glaze Curl Gel.
Keep your ends trimmed.
Let’s all be honest with ourselves. One of the main reasons why our curly hair ends up not looking as, well, curly as we’d like it to is because sometimes, we like to skimp on getting a good trim. Now, when I say “trim”, I don’t mean going to a hater stylist who seems to be obsessed with chopping inches off. I mean making sure that your split ends and those knots that seem to appear out of nowhere are removed. If you should save up for anything, a professional trim is it. Or, you can go the semi-daring route, invest in a really good pair of shears and dust your own ends every six weeks or so.
Try some colored hair wax.
When I was in my 20s, I promise you that my hair turned a different color at least twice a month. Looking back, it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do; especially since I went the permanent route. But, in my defense, there was no colored hair wax back then. Luckily, you have that and it’s a great temporary way to go subtle or extreme in hues and give your hair definition without damaging it in the process. An affordable wax that works well on natural hair is Hair Paint Wax. And guess what? It only cost $7.
DIY hair oil.
Hair oil—so long as its light—gives our hair sheen and, if it has an essential oil added to it, it also gives it a wonderful-smelling scent too. Exploring all of the carrier oil and essential oil combos that you could try is an article all on its own. For now, I’ll say check out our throwback articles “The 10 Most Popular Oils for Curly Hair”, “Top 20 Essential Oils” and “Love Essential Oils? Here’s How to Use Them on Curly Hair” to get a good idea of what will work best for you.
Master a solid nighttime routine.
It really is a hair-lifesaving truth—if you go to bed “right”, it’s harder to have a bad hair day. Listen, no matter how long a study session or party goes, make sure that your head does not hit your pillow until you’ve put a little moisturizer or leave-in conditioner on it (if you don’t have it in a protective style, that is”>, you braid it up or put it into a pineapple and your wrap it up. If you’d like to watch some videos to help you master a bedtime technique, go here, here or here.
Don’t be afraid to rock a blowout or twist-out.
I’ve shared before that I am one of those “4” women where heat is my friend. So, when my hair is not in a protective style, it’s not uncommon for me to have it in a blowout. The key is to deep-condition first, to make sure you use a heat protectant (a creamy type is best for thicker or kinkier textures”> and a good dryer like a Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer Brush. It’s another affordable option and your hair will be full and super fab as you’re going from class to class!
Want more back to school inspo? Check out our these back to school hairstyles that you can do in under 7 minutes!
If you’re someone who battles with natural hair thinning, don’t feel bad; you’re certainly not alone. After doing a bit of online research, I discovered that somewhere around 40 percent of women struggle with this very thing at some point in their lifetime. Although sometimes it’s due to challenges like hormonal shifts, certain medications, thyroid issues, illness or infection (which is why if you’re noticing more shedding than usual, it is always beneficial to see your doctor or a dermatologist”>, sometimes the underlying cause is directly related to how we handle our hair on a daily basis.
The best way to narrow down the cause is by the process of elimination. Take a moment, check out these very-popular-yet-totally-underrated reasons why some of us see more hair thinning out than we should, in order to determine if just a few habit changes can get your hair back on track.
1. Super sleek ponytails
I’ll tell you what. I continue to stand amazed by the things that we as Black women can pull off when it comes to hairstyles, regardless of length or texture; a video right here reminds me of this very fact. If you don’t have time to check it out, it’s basically an instructional video on how to create a sleek ponytail on relatively short 4C hair. Although the stylist most definitely did her thing, it wasn’t without quite a bit of manipulation and product. While I was watching the video, my main takeaways were 1″> the look was really cute and 2″> it’s not something that should be done every day. I say that because yes, our hair is strong but it’s also pretty fragile too (kind of like how silk is”>. So, if going sleek is totally your thang, try and only limit it to special occasions. Otherwise, you could end up with a bit of thinning; the kind that could’ve been avoided if you had used this particular hairstyle—less.
2. Protective styling
Have mercy, this point can’t be emphasized enough! Protective styles are great—so long as you remember that the point and purpose of them is to help your hair to grow. If the style is too tight, if it’s putting too much pressure on a particular section of your hair (like your edges or your crown”>, if you don’t wash your hair regularly, if the style stays in too long, if you have a style that is too heavy (faux locs and braids can cause this sometimes”> or you’re neglecting your scalp altogether—these are all things that can cause a protective style to work against, rather than for, you. If you are a big protective style person and you just read this and immediately knew that it personally applied, remember that protective styles should remain in your hair no more than 6-8 weeks max. It’s also important to keep in mind that you should give your hair a couple of weeks off in between installations. Oh, and technically wigs and weaves are protective styles too. Because of that, the less adhesives that you use to keep them in place, the better.
3. Always wearing the same style
Before I get off of this hairstyle topic, it has to go on record that another thing that can result in unnecessary hair thinning is wearing the same hairstyle, day in and day out. Not only is that boring, but the same hair placement and pressure can start to do damage to your hair follicles, resulting in extra shedding and breakage. So, if ponytails are your go-to style, move them around a bit. If you like braids, don’t always part your hair the same way. Your scalp and follicles need a break sometimes. Changing your hairstyles can help to make that happen.
4. “Harsh” styling tools
A part of the reason why, for the most part, heat is a no-no, is because it can take a real toll, not only on your hair but your scalp as well. When hair becomes dry and brittle, it breaks. When hair follicles become damaged, hair thinning occurs. That’s why heat-related styling tools need to be used at a minimum. When you do apply them, put a thermal heat protectant on your tresses first (cream is best for thick hair while a spray is best for thin”>. Besides, heated styling tools are used to stretch out your natural curl pattern. This site is called “Naturally Curly”, so you already know that we’re all for you letting your natural soul glow in the best way and as often as possible anyway.
5. A lack of Vitamin B12
In order for your scalp to regenerate new hair cells, it’s going to need a heavy dose of Vitamin B12. Unfortunately, this is a vitamin that many of us are deficient in. How can you know if you are? Fatigue, moodiness, dizziness, changes in vision and shortness of breath are some of the more common symptoms. Taking a B12 or B-complex supplement can help to restore your health in this area. It’s also a good idea to eat foods that are loaded with B12. Some of those include fortified cereals, salmon, beef, Greek yogurt and eggs.
6. Stress
If you were to ask a dermatologist what the number one cause of unnecessary hair thinning was, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they said stress. I could write an entire article on why being over-stressed is never good for any part of your body, but the short reason why it’s bad on your hair is it can push your follicles into a resting phase; this means that it can prevent your hair from growing. Exercise and getting 6-8 hours of sleep can help to combat this. Another thing that you can do is pamper your scalp and hair follicles by heating up a combination of lavender oil (it stimulates hair growth”> and jojoba oil (it moisturizes your hair follicles and thickens your hair”> and massaging your scalp a couple of times a week. Not only is this a form of pampering but studies reveal that, by doing this regularly, you can see a noticeable improvement in 24 weeks or so. How cool is that?
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Image: @brooke_._marie
One of the last times that I went to get my box braids installed, there was the cutest little girl there. She couldn’t have been more than 6 or 7 and her mom wanted her to get some feed-in cornrows. I must admit that I kind of chuckled to myself because before the braider even touched the child’s hair, she winced and said, “Ouch”. Yeah, I definitely have this theory that some little girls aren’t as tender-headed as they profess to be; they simply don’t want their hair combed. But once the braider actually began and I saw the little girl’s eyes start to well up, a feeling of empathy came over me. Although I’m a grown woman and not really all that tender-headed at all, sometimes the parting and “catching” of tiny hairs can be a bit uncomfortable, even for me.
“Maybe y’all should blow it out first,” I heard myself say. I could tell that even though the little girl’s hair appeared to be clean and detangled, it was not. As the mom and the braiders considered doing just that, I thought about my eight-year-old goddaughter who also has a tendency to “show out” when it’s time to get her hair done.
I’m pretty sure that a lot of curly-haired girls across the world would like nothing more than to never have a styling tool in their hair again. But in honor of the moms, stylists, and aunties like me who love them too much for them to go out looking crazy, if there’s a little girl in your world who is tender-headed, here are some styling tips that can make life easier; hopefully, for you both.
Image: @twin_momma_mullings
Wait until they are in a good mood.
If there is no other takeaway that you use from this, I really hope this one sticks. With schedules being as hectic as they are, a lot of us have a “get in where you fit in” approach to styling our little one’s hair. But if we’re tired and they aren’t in the best of moods, that can truly create the perfect storm. That’s why it’s a good idea to not wait until they are sleepy or already irritable. Instead, try and do their hair right after they wake up or they’ve done something that they enjoy. If they are in a good mood, that will put them in a bit of a “mind over matter” headspace. They still probably won’t be thrilled with getting their hair done, but at least you won’t be starting with them already on the wrong (emotional”> foot.
Make sure they are preoccupied.
If a tender-headed little girl is sitting in a chair, in a quiet room, with nothing but the sound of you sighing and a comb racking through their hair, it’s gonna be a long day for both of you. That said, no matter how much a child may hate to get their hair done, it’s easier to get them to compromise with you if they are watching a favorite show and/or eating a snack. It might seem like you are bribing them, but the more they are thinking about having fun, the less you will have to deal with them wiggling, trying to move away and possibly even crying (which is the absolute worst, right?”>.
Detangle with fingers as much as possible.
This point right here is something that we should apply to our own hair as much as children. A part of the reason why kids are so tender-headed is that a lot of us sit them down and start yanking away with a comb. And on dry hair, no less. Things will go by a heck of a lot more smoothly if you have a spray bottle with some water and leave-in conditioner in it. Then, after lightly spraying her hair, first, use your fingers to get out any tangles or knots. You can even distract her a bit by encouraging her to use her own hands to feel for any hair that is tangled up.
Image: @creuniquestyles
Work from ends to roots.
It’s going to be a lot more difficult to complete the detangling process if you start from the roots. If you want to not create more of a mess and, if you also want to prevent hair breakage, it is much better to work from the ends of her hair, up to her roots. Try and use your fingers as much as possible at first. Then, on the second pass, use a wide-tooth comb. (Remember to still apply some leave-inif you need to during this process as well.”>
Use the right products and styling tools.
When you’re dealing with a tender-headed curly-haired girl, the products and styling tools that you use are just as important as your technique. I already gave a shout-out to leave-in conditioners and wide-tooth combs, but you should also have detangling shampoos and conditioners; some sweet almond, avocado or grapeseed oil; vegetable glycerin; a detangling brushand non-elastic hair ties (ones that have no metal on them because metal closures can also pull on her hair”>.Vegetable glycerin, especially, is a good way to give your little girl’s hair some “slip” and moisture so that her tresses are easier to work through.
Image: @kmsalzano
Practice empathy.
Something that I think is important for all adults to do when it comes to interacting with kids is to try and put ourselves in their shoes. I know I remember when I loathed getting my hair pressed. Wash day wasn’t always the most thrilling either. Remembering these types of things before I put my hands in a child’s head helps me to try different approaches, to distract them with jokes and to not get frustrated when it feels like they are doing any and everything in the world but working with me. This brings me to the last point.
Be patient.
If you’ve got a tender-headed child on your hands and you only have 10 minutes before you need to get somewhere, resign yourself to the fact that doing her hair is gonna be a tug of war. Come to think of it, if you find yourself rushing a lot, it might be best to put her hair into a protective style, so that all you have to do is take off her scarf or bonnet and head out the door. But if you do decide to be her “stylist”, out of all of the things that I shared, never forget that patience is key. By going slow, being intentional about remaining calm even when she’s not and even taking mini-breaks when needed—while it might seem like it’s taking forever to finish up her hair, you will get it done; virtually drama-free.
(Oh, and if you want to watch some tutorials for how to make doing your little girl’s hair easier on the both of you, some cool ones are here, here and here. Have fun. Or at least, good luck!”>
Are you a mom of curly kid? What are your top tips that have helped you when caring your childs hair? Let us know in the comments below.
