Coffee rinse Washday: No step is worth skipping!!

Hey cuties! so is a quick recap of my easy breezy washday :-) I'm currently 12wks and some days post relaxer and the only thing my new growth and texlaxed hair does so well right now is SHRINK! lol

      I had in mind to cowash my hair but i haven't used a shampoo for sometime now and you know cowashing alone does not cleanse the hair well. I decided to shampoo.
I have noticed some shedding and i know its because of stress. Its been a long time since i did a tea rinse and i knew i needed one. Teas such as black tea, green tea and coffee contains caffeine which helps block the hormone responsible for hair shedding. This means there would be less shed hair when you do tea rinses.
      Now always remember that you should brew the tea or coffee in hot water and then leave it to cool completely before you use it. However...i was soooo lazy last night i decided to just put about a quarter spoon of coffee in my spray bottle filled it halfway with water and shake! shake!! lol (i know its bad...i wont try it again....*covers face*). so here are my steps

(1) sprayed my scalp and hair with coffee (it wasn't dripping wet just light sprayed so its damp).
(2)prepoo/deep condition with Organics by Africa's best cholesterol tea tree oil deep conditioner. Applied it to my coffee spritzed hair in 7 sections, twisted each section up and put them in Bantu knots. covered with shower cap
(3) deep conditioned overnight...
(4) rinsed it out and shampooed my scalp thrice...yes three times!! because it was needed.

        Now this is where the skipping starts... i was late for morning class so i couldn't do a quick conditioning :-(
(5)T-shirt dried while i got ready to leave the house
(6)took down each damp section... applied little organics cholesterol D.C (it can be used as a leave in too)
and sealed with Shea butter.
      I ran my fingers through each section and used a wide tooth comb to detangle. Separated the bangs or front section and did a loose flat twist then pulled the rest of my hair to my back and did a ponytail which i later braided. A wet ponytail that air dried throughout the day.

As soon as it got dry... IT GOT DRY! lol...understand what i mean?? my hair got soo dry. I just couldn't wait to get home. I knew it was because of the steps i missed but i was running out of time...

How i got back my moisturised hair-
First thing i did when i got home was to take down the pony. Spritz my dry hair with some detangler, then moisturise my hair and seal with Shea butter. Put my hair in a bun and then I covered it with a plastic cap for up to 3hrs and my hair felt really good. It was moisturised. wheeew!

An interesting washday... lots of layered products... i didn't mind because of the harmattan. It will only prevent my hair from dryness. This washday would have been my worst if my new growth matted a lot...i feared it would but thank God it didn't. This is to tell you that there is no step worth missing in a hair regimen. When you have gotten so used to following the steps religiously and then you miss a step or some steps you will surely notice. When you do its best to get yourself back on track.

Do you follow the steps of your hair regimen religiously?
                     *much love*

5 ways to step up your moisture game this season

Hey lovelies! this post is all about how to handle your hair to prevent it from drying out. We all know that Hair needs moisture to stay healthy so how are we going to win the battle against dryness? here are some tips to help you through

(1) steam your hair with a hair steamer more frequently or once in a while. If the saloons near you don't offer steaming and like me..you do not have a steamer :-) no worries. Simply moisturise your hair lightly then cover your with a shower cap for up to an hour or more and let the green house effect steam your hair with your natural body heat! No stress, No charge! but always remember to seal that moisture in if its not deep conditioning where you have to rinse your hair again

(2) Moisturise more often. This implies that if you normally moisturise once a day make it twice or thrice as the case may be.

(3) Add humecants to your deep conditioner. Humecants help draw moisture into your hair strands to prevent it from drying out. Examples of humecants are honey, glycerine and castor oil.

(4) Use heavy oils or butters to seal and lock the moisture in. This is very important especially when a humecant has been used. Humecants tend to do the reverse when the dryness in the atmosphere is a lot compared to the hair...meaning it would loose moisture from your hair into the atmosphere. Some people may advice to stay away from humecants but when properly sealed in it doesn't make your hair dry out.
      I even observed that my hair gets very moisturised in the early morning and at night when there is some sort of humid atmosphere. what i do every morning is seal with Shea butter immediately the fog created by water droplets in the air is completely gone  ( *hmm SCIENCE!* lol).

(5) Add co-washing to your regimen. This is best for those not willing to use humecants because of the dry effect. Co-washing is simply washing your hair with a rinse out conditioner instead of shampoo. Ordinarily conditioners are not meant to replace shampoos because they don't cleanse the scalp as effectively as a shampoo would but recently the haircare industries have improved and now have "cleansing co-wash conditioners" a good one i have seen reviews on is As I Am coconut cowash. Wherever you find this one dont hesitate to grab one for your self and you can always order from online stores. (click here to see Dabs of naijahaircangrow's review). so if you co-wash (especially using the rinse out that has no claim of cleansing the hair) use it as a way of boosting moisture and conditioning your hair because you still have to shampoo. Some conditioners for co-washing are VO5 conditioners and Hair fruits conditioners, Suarve and tresemme conditioners and all other conditioners that boldly and specifically states "co-wash".
         I haven't actually used any of such "cleansing co-wash conditioners" but readers who have please let us know... do they really cleanse well? can they replace your shampoo? what is the name of the one you used?
          I have added all of the above to my regimen i did my cowash today... so for those wondering which conditioner i uses for co-washing its gentelle hair fruits coconut conditioner. I use both castor oil and glycerine (the type i can easily find in cosmetic shops and it works fine). for steaming... i found a saloon that offers steaming services but i really don't like going to saloons anymore so i probably would stick to some GHE. So dearies...i hope this post helps a cutie out.... :-)
             
                  *much love*

          

Hair porosity.... Tips to help you get healthy hair irrespective of your porosity.

Hello cuties! hope everyone is doing well?!
    This is quite an interesting topic... its really a big deal when it comes to hair care. Anyone who is serious about achieving and maintaining healthy hair must know their hair porosity.

What is hair porosity?
It is simply the ability of our hair strands to absorb and retain moisture.

How to do a Porosity test
* after detangling on washday when  much products have not been added to your hair take some strands of hair from the comb.

*Get a clean bowl or cup of water
*gently lay d strands on top of the water.... that is place them gently on the water surface.
*watch what happens closely

(A) If your hair sinks almost immediately or in less than 5mins you have High porosity hair
(B) If your hair sinks in about 10-30 mins you have normal porosity hair
(C) If it sinks hours later (or never sinks...lol) you have low porosity hair.

Now you have done the test and found out your porosity.... first advice... DON'T FREAK OUT!!! lol.
Know that regardless of your hair porosity you can still have healthy hair. Even those with Normal porosity could still get their hair damaged by not doing things the right way. Second advice is this... get lots of information concerning your hair porosity and bear it in mind always because when moisturising and sealing or any other part of washday you need to know if its necessary to add more or layer your products, if the timing on a product is enough for your strands to absorb the goodness.

Here's an explanation of the porosities and how to get the most out of them.

HIGH POROSITY
This is hair with cuticles raised and open in such a way that it allows free flow of moisture and also freely gives out the moisture in no time... meaning it receives and gives away moisture easily.

Here are some tips to help you handle your high porosity hair
* know that Your hair needs more of protein than moisture. Protein does help to fill in some cracked cuticles thereby helping more moisture retention. So deep condition more times with a protein conditioner than a moisturising one
*ensure that the final water used to rinse your hair is cool as this helps seal the raised cuticles.
*always seal your hair with butters like Shea butter or a heavy oil to help coat the strand and preserve the added moisture for a longer period of time.
*use light protein leave in conditioners
*do a heavy protein treatment at least once in a month
*completely eliminate the use of direct heat as it can further damage the cuticles.
*do not use baking soda treatments because baking soda has a high pH which enables it to open the cuticles of your hair strand which is bad for high porosity hair...opt for properly diluted apple cider vinegar as a final rinse to help it lock in the moisture and other conditioning treatments.

NORMAL POROSITY HAIR
This is hair with cuticles slightly raised. Products enter and leave withing a certain period of time. This type of porosity retains moisture more than high porosity hair but not more than low porosity hair and this is okay...that's why it is called NORMAL.

Here are some tips to help you handle your normal porosity hair
*use a cool water as your final rinse on washday
*moisturise and seal as needed
*maintain a balance between protein and moisture by rotating your protein and moisturising deep conditioners.
*use heat tools with moderation and always use a heat protectant. The safest way to escape heat damage is not to use them at all because all the porosities are prone to heat damage.
*seal with light oils like olive oil, grape seed oil.

LOW POROSITY HAIR
This is hair with cuticles closed tightly. Moisture does not penetrate easily and when it eventually does it doesn't go out easily either. This type of hair does not take to relaxers well...meaning it comes out texlaxed and not bone straight most of the time.

Here are some tips to help you handle your low porosity hair.
*Always rinse first with warm water to open up your cuticles
*use only cooler water for final rinse
*Always deep condition mostly with a moisturising conditioner... bear it in mind that low porosity hair naturally has more protein than moisture so hard core protein treatments are not so beneficial... focus more on moisture treatments.
*Seal your hair with a light oil
*Do not layer products because they will further close the cuticles preventing any more moisture from entering the hair during daily moisturising and sealing
*Limit heat styling because too much heat styling will lead to damage.
*boost the penetrating ability of your deep conditioners by using heat in the form of hair steamers, hot head conditioning cap etc.
*do not use apple cider vinegar because it has an acidic pH and will further close the cuticles of your hair strands and this is bad opt for baking soda which has a higher pH to open up the cuticles... but don't forget to close it with a final cool rinse.
     for more on high, normal and low porosity hair click here and here

When i did this test...my hair kept floating till i got tired of coming to check. So my hair is low porosity hair. I made my research and found out ways to care for my hair and even went crazy with moisturising and sealing. But now its not much of a big deal. Low porosity hair definitely needs longer time to absorb products so if a product says leave on for 15mins its advisable to leave it on for at least x2 of the time. This is common knowledge for bloggers and anyone that has gone far in their hair journey... If you know your hair porosity and work with it you will find that you hair will become healthier in no time.

My flexi rod set washday will be up pretty soon... thanks for always viewing my blog...
          *much love.....muah! :-)*

Get Fuller Edges and Nape!! How to save and maintain your nape and edges!

Hello cuties! hows the day going?
   This post is meant to address a common issue among women regarding haircare. That is the hair on edges and nape. Here i will analyse the possible culprits causing receeding hairlines at d edges and nape as well as the solutions.
  Possible culprits:
* EXTENSIONS
   Wearing extensions is a good way to give your hair a break from every day or week styling. If you braid your extensions too tight it will cause pulling and much tension will be placed on the strands of your hair forcing them to shed or break in a matter of days.

   SOLUTION
   If you must use extensions ensure that the braids at the edges and nape are not held tight... if possible start your braiding about 0.5" before your direct hair line and use a gel to wipe it neatly to help it blend and look nice.

* HATS & CAPS
  When you wear hats and caps that are lined with cotton or velvet materials what happens is that any slight movement of the cap or hat would cause friction between it and the hair strands around that area..
   
  SOLUTION
    If you must wear caps and hats ensure that they are lined with silk or satin materials because these materials have less friction with the hair strands (there is free gliding movement when you move the caps or hats)

Growth Aids....what has worked for me?

Hey cuties! I'm back with an interesting post....growth aids!

What are growth aids???
These are things and methods consciously used to increase or boost our hair growth. There are different kinds of growth aids but you should take note that using any of them is totally up to you. Its not a must use because if you eat well, drink enough water and exercise regularly your hair will grow just as your nails grow. The only need for it is to increase your normal hair growth rate when used consistently.
What are these growth aids?

Ingested growth aids are growth aids in the form of pills or multivitamins. They work to boost hair growth from the inside out because they are packed full with most of the essential nutrients and vitamins that nourish the hair follicles and encourage the production of new hair cells. The most reviewed of these multivitamins are Biotin, MSM and Hairfinity.

DETANGLING... the right way!!

Hello cuties! This is a long post but if you want longer hair its a must read!

What is detangling?
Answer: combing!
Its simply the process of combing thereby separating the hair strands from curling onto each other. It also aids better distribution of products applied to the hair.

Hair can be detangled either by:
*using combs
*using your fingers (finger detangling)
  If you detangle using combs its best to use a wide tooth comb and not use a metal comb. Do not use fine tooth (rat tail) combs for detangling.

How do you detangle your hair the right way?
  This is a big question because how you detangle your hair can help your hair increase in length overtime or decrease in length in no time! so this is how:
(1) Apply a detangling aid. This means applying a product that provides slip for the hair (detangler, moisturiser, an oil, water and glycerine mix).

Starting your Healthy hair journey

What is a Hair Regimen, why do i need one?
A hair regimen is simply an other of activities carried out consistently to improve the health and length of our hair. If you desire to have a healthy scalp and hair then you definitely need to start yourself on a regimen. Make it your hair time table if i should put it that way.

What results would having a hair regimen yield you?
*Healthy scalp and hair
*Hair that is not dry and brittle
*Hair that is free from dandruff and other scalp conditions
*Hair that visibly increases in length over a period of months.
     who wouldn't want that??

Yes i want that but how do i get started?
Simple.
First step is to set your mind on it and agree within yourself that you can do it...that you can get healthy hair. Great things happen when you believe so believe in yourself.

A basic hair regimen should consist of the following steps:
1. Pre-shampoo step
2. Shampoo
3. Deep Conditioning
4. Moisturise and sealing
5. Detangling (I will do a separate post on detangling soon)
As you keep on the journey and become more enlightened and conversant with some practices (like co washing, tea rinsing etc) you may like to add them to your regimen.

PRE-SHAMPOO (PREPOO)
A prepoo is a preshampoo treatment either an oil, conditioner or a hair cream applied to the hair prior to washing. This helps to reduce the stripping or harmful effects that shampoos may have on the hair. It can be done by simply applying the product on the entire length of your hair and then leaving it on for sometime before shampooing.

SHAMPOO
Shampoos are the main cleaning agents that is what you wash your hair with to get rid of dirt, dust and oils. There are so many types of shampoos; clarifying, moisturising, conditioning, voluminising and so on. I personally think you don't need to have all of them but which ever you choose is all up to you. However make sure to use a good quality shampoo that does not contain sulphates or you dilute it thoroughly because sulphates are bad for the hair.

DEEPCONDITIONING
This is a must for healthy hair and all haircare divas swear by it! It is a step that must not be skipped.
Hair should be deep conditioned to add back moisture or protein after shampooing. A deep conditioner is different from and cannot be replaced fully by a rinse out conditioner. There are deep conditioners either store bought or home made that provides moisture, protein or both.
Simply means you need a moisturising deep conditioner to add moisture and a protein deep conditioner to add protein. Protein and moisture are essential for healthy hair but should be balanced.
How often you deep condition is up to you but if you are starting out on a hairmegency then it should be once a week. you can adjust it when need be.

MOISTURISING AND SEALING
This is another essential of haircare that must not be over looked. Moisturising your hair with a water based moisturiser or leave in conditioner will help keep your hair soft and moisturises during the weekdays before washday. This will prevent dryness that can lead to breakage. Always remember to seal in the moisture with an oil or a butter (e.g shea butter) so that the hair strands will hold on to the moisture for a longer period of time.

DETANGLING
This is also a basic part of your regimen (except you have locs) because how you comb your hair and what you use to comb your hair will help you retain length or make you loose length. It has been my holy grail since i began my hair journey and it deserves a separate post.

GROWTH AIDS AND METHODS are up to you but i will still discuss it in another post.

Side gist:
Did i say use hair creams (i'm writing this because we are in Naija and don't want to name some products...lol) on your scalp? NO. Any hair cream that contains petroleum and mineral oil SHOULD NOT be put on your scalp or used to seal your hair. They just gunk up your hair and scalp...your hair doesn't really need that and if you keep using it its not going to be as healthy as it would be without it...trust me.