African American Hair Care - For Growth and Health

Spybubble Cellphone Spy Software - Spy on Any Phone! - Home

2011-02-26T08:12:00.000-05:00

Spybubble Cellphone Spy Software - Spy on Any Phone! Facts and Misconceptions About Mobile Spying Software. Mobile Spying is now a reality that anyone can get on Internet for a few dollars. As with most new technologies, it has created controversy. Some people think of it as an invasion of privacy while others believe that it is the ultimate application for protecting their money and their families.

Let’s start the most cell phone trackers common misconception about mobile spying software: that it can be used to spy on whomever you want. This is just not true. You can only install the software on a mobile phone that you own, and even so, you need to have it connected to a computer for at least a few minutes. While some friends might lend you their mobile phone for a quick call, they certainly aren’t going to let you take it home with you. And neighbors and strangers certainly won’t leave you alone with their mobile phones. And no, you can’t spy on their mobiles just because the software is installed on your phone.

Spybubble Cellphone Tracking Software Program cell phone trackers track a phone cellphone tracer track a cell phone spy on a phone

2011-02-26T07:06:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard the cell phone trackers
track a phone

cellphone tracer

track a cell phone

spy on a phone identify of blackberry? Sure, it is a tremendously common cellular phone product. It's got superb technical attributes that are incredibly useful for you. That is why they belong to some considerable marketplace share. So blackberry is out there in Smartphone kind. Naturally, blackberry design is favorite amongst the employers and households. That is the cause why you need to find out about blackberry spy. It essentially offers you a lot of advantages. Within this write-up, I'll attempt to clarify some astounding positive aspects of this gentle spy.

Will be the staff performing nicely with their blackberries? Are they sustaining price and time successful use from the cellular phone? They're typical concerns. Certainly, the solutions of those concerns have a very romantic relationship together with your small business. By way of example, if they misuse the cellular by chatting with their girlfriends, you may be looser. Naturally, you do not wish to be considered a looser. That is why you'll need blackberry spy. Blackberry spy software will keep track of their phones and return in particulars.

Blackberry spy has all of the technological attributes to provide you with the get in touch with data plus the numbers. It may also provide you with place from exactly where a get in touch with was originated. That indicates you may use this spy software to track your loved ones members and young children. Therefore, you may be cost-free from undesirable concerns that wreck you gradually. Also, general worker price may be decreased by monitoring the phones of your workers and taking correct actions to stay away from illegal utilization.

Properly, it is incredibly uncomplicated to make use of this gentle spy. You do not have to acknowledge right into a coaching center to find out concerning the suggestions and methods. Set up the software within the goal phone and keep track of by means of the web, that is it. Are you currently asking yourself regarding the method? Okay, blackberry spy sent get in touch with logs as well as other facts immediately. You'll need not be so significantly apprehensive in regards to the method. Make sure you discover to make use of it.

Blackberry spy software just isn't permitted to make use of illegally. For those who very own a cellular phone, you are going to acquire the required rights to make use of this software inside the phone. I do not recommend you to make use of it inside the phone of the stranger. Merely should you do not personal the phone, you'll be restricted by law. As we have now observed that one can find a lot of rewards of making use of this gentle spy. The reverse facet is needless to say hazard. That is why appropriate treatment must be used to be able to preserve a wholesome romantic relationship with blackberry software.

One more progress picture...for good measure

2010-03-22T08:22:00.002-04:00

Here's a pic I just took of my sad little slicked back ponytail.

All kinds of things going wrong in that pic! LOL

Wow, Sorry It's Been So Long!

2010-03-22T07:34:00.002-04:00

I havent posted to this blog in a while and I'm very sorry for that. I have been occupied with other things.

For the first post in 2010, I suppose I will start off with pictures of my current hair length that I just took a few minutes ago.

My hair grows so slowly! I've been on this hair care journey since 2005, and while I am grateful for the progress I've made, I feel like my hair is nowhere near the level it should be or the level that other women whose hair is leaps and bounds past where mine is in regards to both length and health in just one year.

The ends are still sparse and see through. My hair is relaxed and freshly pressed with a hot comb this morning....and that's still the best it could do. LOL

Oh well, like my aunt says: "Gotta work with what ya got."

I'm still using Megatek to grow my hair. I only use it occasionally. I've started using pure vegetable glycerin as a moisturizer and I like it, even though it gets sticky after about a week and needs to be washed out.

I've been trying new products and have come across some other things that I really like. I will post again soon about them.

Until then, enjoy my pics and enjoy the blog.

Top Hair Growth Secrets - Black Hair Growth

2009-11-17T04:48:00.000-05:00

How to grow black hair long, strong and healthy. I always wondered why black hair only makes it to the shoulders and hardly every grow to middle of back length. Growing black hair hair does not take a life time or a miracle. Lets find out how to black hair or mixed hair once and for all. Learn how to take control of your hair care and grow your hair as long as you want it. Without wearing wigs, weaves, braids or extensions.

How To Do an After Shampoo Deep Conditioning Treatment

2009-11-17T04:40:00.002-05:00

As the cold weather sets in, you may notice your tresses suffering a little stress. Cold weather can wreak havoc on hair strands especially if you color, perm, relax or use excessive heat on your hair more often than not.

This is an excellent time to make use of the wonderful moisturizing properties of a deep conditioner. Use it monthly to add sheen and shine to your hair and help to keep it moisturized for optimum health.

Follow these steps for using Moisturizing Conditioner as a monthly leave in.

1) After shampooing your hair, get out of the shower and wrap yourself in a robe, you’re going to be a little busy. Parting your hair in 4 sections using banana clips apply about 1/4 cup of Moisturizing Conditioner to each section and clip back up after conditioner has been applied.

2)Place a plastic shower cap on your head, or if you do not own any of these, wrap a section of plastic wrap around your hair. The first time, you may need some help with the plastic wrap but the idea is to make a personal sauna for your head.

3) Now sit under a bonnet hair dryer for 15 minutes on low. High is really nice for your hair but the heat may be more than you can stand. Remember your hair is not exposed to this dry air is just the plastic so that your hair reap the benefits of this mini sauna.

4) After your 15 minutes are up get back in the shower and detangle each section.

Continue with your hair care as you normally would.

Take Care of Your Hair When You Sleep

2009-11-17T04:39:00.001-05:00

Hair care is not only important when you are awake, it is also important when you sleep. Sleeping without preparing your hair first can cause unnecessary damage. Here are some steps to take to prepare your hair before you going to sleep:

1. Remove all hair accessories. Wearing hair accessories when you can sleep can cause tension on your hair leading to damage.
2. Apply moisturizer to your hair. Night time is a good time for your hair to get a moisturizing treatment. Apply some hair oil, or some leave in hair conditioner to your hair and gently massage it through your hair.
3. If your hair is relaxed or pressed, gently finger comb through your hair to remove snags and tangles.
4. Wrap your hair in a smooth silk scarf or wear a satin bonnet. This will help to reduce friction between your hair and your pillowcase. If you wear braids, tying up your hair a night will also prevent your hair from getting fuzzy.

Pamper Your Hair With A Pre-Wash Hair Oil Treatment

2009-11-17T04:38:00.001-05:00

If your hair is suffering from excessive dryness, consider a pre-wash hair oil treatment. Hair oil aids in strengthening the hair by moisturizing and conditioning the cuticle. This prevents dryness and helps the hair to stay flexible. It also causes the hair to appear sleek and shiny, and helps it to be more manageable. To do a pre-wash hair oil treatment use either a natural hair pomade (made with natural oils) or natural hair oil, and apply a generous amount to your hair before you wash it. For the maximum benefit, leave the oils in your hair for about an hour. To help the oils penetrate your hair you can sit under a hooded dryer on a low setting or put on a shower cap and let the heat from your head help the oils to penetrate your hair. When you are done wash your hair as usual.

Vitamins For Hair Growth

2009-11-17T04:37:00.001-05:00

Hair growth begins on the inside. It stands to reason that if you are healthy on the inside, then your hair, which begins on the inside, will be healthier as it grows out of your hair follicles. For hair to be healthy, your hair follicles have to get the nutrition that they need. To do this you should make sure that you eat a balanced diet, drink lots of water, and take nutritional supplements as needed.

My personal favorite brand of nutritional supplements is NOW. NOW stands for Natural, Organic and Wholesome. They are the manufacturer of the products they sell. They have several vitamins to choose from.

One of my favorite places to shop for vitamins and nutritional products is House of Nutrition. They sell NOW and most of the other major brands of vitamins. And they offer flat rate shipping in the US, and free shipping for orders above $150. They also have a coupon page where you can get additional savings.

Dealing With Dry Hair

2009-11-17T04:36:00.001-05:00

One of the most challenging aspects of dealing with our black hair is combating its natural dryness. Black hair tends to be dry because of its physical structure. Dry hair is brittle hair, and when hair is brittle it breaks easily. However there are several steps that you can take to deal with dry hair.

One of the most important things you can do to deal with dry hair is to be sure you always wash your hair with a gentle shampoo. Avoid shampoos made with the chemicals sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium laureth sulfate. These detergents are some of the most commonly used cleansers in shampoos. However these ingredients strip the hair of natural oils and leave the hair feeling dry and harder to manage. A gentle moisturizing shampoo will cleanse your hair without stripping it of natural oils. Always condition after washing to soften your hair and help make it more manageable.

Another important step to take in dealing with dry hair is to seal in moisture after washing with a natural hair oil or a natural pomade. A natural hair oil or pomade applied to the hair after washing will help seal moisture in the hair shaft which in turn will help the hair retain more moisture in between washings.

A third step you can take to deal with dry hair is to limit your use of heated appliances such as pressing combs, flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers, etc. These tools are fine to use in moderation, but if they are used too much (like every day or every other day) or at too high a level of heat, they will contribute to hair dryness by causing the moisture in your hair to evaporate, leaving you with dry, brittle hair. When using heated appliances, use a thermal protectant on your hair (such as a natural hair oil) to protect your hair from the heat.

Video: Shima addresses black hair growth

2009-11-03T23:18:00.001-05:00

INSPIRATION!!! Pictures of Real Black Women with Long Healthy Hair!!

2009-10-26T20:26:00.008-04:00

Black Hair Growth - Secrets for Faster Hair Growth

2009-10-21T02:47:00.001-04:00

Black hair, due to its dry condition requires special care. The best techniques for minimizing breakage and promoting healthy growth have been outlined in this report.

Pre-Washing
Pre-wash weekly with a good oil product. Organic Virgin Coconut oil is the best pre-shampoo because it actually penetrates the hair, unlike most oils which only coat the hair. You can use this oil like a hot oil treatment, covering with a plastic cap for 30 minutes without heat (or 15 minutes with heat). Then continue to wash hair with a gentle shampoo.

Washing
Wash weekly with a gentle shampoo. Only wash and rinse once. Over washing can cause a dry condition, which will ultimately lead to breakage. While washing, massage your scalp. This will reawaken sleeping follicles and promote thicker healthier hair.

Conditioning
You need two types of conditioners: one for protein, and the other for moisture and sealing. Or, alternatively you can have only one conditioner, and add an egg when you want to do a protein treatment. You must do deep conditioning with both separately. First, apply the protein treatment. After allowing the recommended elapsed time and following the manufacturer’s instructions, rinse your hair. Second, apply the moisture treatment following the instructions and rinse. If you have done a pre-shampoo treatment, you may not need to deep condition with the moisture. Instead, you can leave in for about 5-10 minutes to seal the cuticle.

Applying the protein treatment:
The best way to apply the protein treatment is with an applicator brush. You must apply the treatment to the entire hair shaft from roots to ends. Pay attention to the ends, so they will not be left untreated. Cover your head with a plastic cap. If you are using an egg treatment, you should not apply heat. Leave in hair for 60 minutes, covered. Then rinse, shampoo, and condition as ususal. If you are using a protein product , and apply heat with a hooded dryer (medium heat) for 15 minutes. Do not use a blow dryer.

Applying the moisture treatment:
Like the protein treatment, the moisture treatment should be applied with an applicator brush paying close attention to the ends. Cover with a plastic cap and apply heat with a hooded dryer (medium heat) for 15 minutes. Once again, do not try to substitute the hooded dryer with a blow dryer. It will not have the same effect. If you have done a pre-shampoo treatment, you can skip the moisture treatment. In this case, you would apply your conditioner and leave for 5-10 minutes, then rinse.

Relaxing
Now this is where all of your washing and conditioning treatments can either pay off or be sabotaged by damage. First of all, do not relax your hair more than once a month. Be careful not to relax hair “bone straight.” This robs the hair of its natural elasticity and causes it to break easily. Assess your hair before attempting to relax it. It may only need to be washed, moisturized, and straightened with a heat tool. If you must relax it, choose a mild relaxer.

Applying the relaxer:
It is best to have someone else apply the relaxer because they have a full view of your head. Before you begin, rub a generous amount of scalp protectant in your hands and apply to the entire hair shaft. Petroleum jelly can be used. Pay close attention to the ends of your hair when applying the protectant. This is to protect hair that has already been processed. Next, apply the relaxer using the manufacturer’s directions. Follow the timing chart so you do not over process your hair. Be sure to wash out all of the relaxer with warm water. Apply a neutralizing shampoo and wash and rinse at least three times. If there are still traces of relaxer in your hair, continue to ash until all traces have been removed. Once all traces of relaxer have been removed, apply the neutralizing shampoo to the hair again. Leave the neutralizer in for 10 minutes. It is very important that you leave the neutralizer in for 10 minutes. Do not skip this step. Next, the neutralizer can be rinsed. Now you can apply the protein treatment, and then follow with the moisture treatment as previously discussed.

Daily Maintenance
Your hair needs to be moisturized daily. You will need two different types of moisturizers: water based and oil based.

Water Based Moisturizer penetrates the hair shaft, oil based moisturizer coats the hair shaft (and seals moisture in or out). To use the two effectively, you will need to apply your water based moisturizer first, then the oil based. The reason for this is that oils and other moisturizing products that contain petrolatum, lanolin, and mineral oil do not moisturize your hair effectively. Instead they seal moisture in or out of your hair. They should only be used to seal the hair and add shine. Try appling your oil moisturizer after rinsing the moisture treatment to combat dryness.

Also, to help with dryness, you need a penetrating moisturizer. The only oil that penetrates the hair shaft is coconut oil. Other oils only coat it. You can use virgin coconut oil as a daily moisturizer or a water based moisturizer. Some examples of water based moisturizers are:

Organic Root Stimulator Carrot Oil
Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-in
Profectiv Anti-Tangle Leave-in
Profectiv Mega Growth
Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong
Elasta QP Mango Butter
Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in

Use a light oil moisturizer following the application of these water based moisturizer to seal moisture in the shaft.

Hot curling:
Make sure your hair is properly moisturized before hot curling or using any heat tools. If it sounds like you are scraping your hair when you pull the iron down your hair shaft, then it is too dry. The iron should glide down the hair, and curls should be defined without using spritz or hairspray. Do apply spritz to hair before using heat tools because it will dry hair out and cause breakage. Curl hair section by section and leave curls undisturbed. Then spray a light finishing spray all over (lightly). Still, leave the curls undisturbed for at least five minutes, then style.

Braids, weaves, etc.:
False braids, waves, and even wigs can cause hair breakage. The chemicals used to make the hair can cause damage to your hair. Your hair rejects foreign substances much like every other part of your body. Also, the products will sometimes cause you to neglect your own hair and the dry condition will lead to more breakage. If you are going to war a wig for a special occasion, make sure that you moisturize your hair first, wrap it, and put on a wig cap. However, wearing wigs daily is not recommended.

Weaves not only break your hair because of the chemicals in the false hair mixing with your own hair, but he glue used to apply then pull your hair from the roots. It cannot be emphasized enough that these products will damage your hair, so steer clear of these.

Products
1. Essentious Shampoo, Mizani Botanifying Shampoo, or any shampoo that does not contain harsh sulfates (Gentle Shampoo)
2. Essentious Protein Treatment, Any regular conditioner with an egg added, Mizani Kerafuse Intensive Strengthening Treatment (Protein Treatment)
3. Essentious Moisture Treatment, Mizani Moisturefuse Moisturizing Conditioner, or Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (Moisturizing Treatment)
3. Organic, Virgin Coconut Oil (Pre-shampoo Treatment)
4. Mizani Phormula-7 Neutralizing / Chelating Shampoo (Neutralizer)
5. DOO GRO Stimulating Growth Oil ( Oil Based Moisturizer)
6. Organic Root Stimulator Carrot Oil (Water Based Moisturizer)

Biracial Hair Care Guide

2009-10-08T20:09:00.003-04:00

Expectations for Biracial Hair

The number one complaint we get about black hair is that it looks dry or dull. We get the same complaint about biracial hair, followed closely by complaints of “frizzyness” and difficulty in combing. Before you go too far to make your natural hair full of sheen and shine, it’s best to have the proper expectation.

Natural Black or African hair will not be as shiny as permed hair or Caucasian hair. A major part of what makes hair shiny is the structure of the hair, not just the amount of oil or moisture it contains. If the cuticles lay flat (smooth hair), the hair will reflect light better (translated will appear shiny). If the cuticles are raised, the hair will absorb light (translated will appear more dull). Without changing the structure of the hair (as in getting a perm or relaxer for us African Americans), our hair will only be so shiny. By applying a lot of grease to make it shinier, you could end up damaging the hair. Having said that, natural African hair can appear healthy, smooth and have a nice healthy sheen.

As I said, the second complaint we get most often about biracial hair is that it is too curly or too frizzy. There are some things you can do to control frizzyness and curliness. But, if you want to effect “permanent” (permanent until it grows out anyway) changes, you are looking at a chemical process. One thing we often advise mothers about though is please do not expect your child’s hair to be like yours. And, please do not make her feel as though something is wrong with her hair because it’s “frizzy” or curly. You should picture your child’s hair as a collection of fine fibers. You should treat it as gently as you would a fine washable silk blouse. The better you treat her hair, the easier it will be to grow and the better it will look. You should be aware that African hair and biracial hair tends to be drier than Caucasian hair. The structure of our hair makes it more difficult for the oils to work their way from the scalp to the ends of the hair.

Because our hair is kinky, it tends to tangle more and pulling these tangles out can cause breakage. In spite of appearances, black hair and biracial hair tends to be more fragile than Caucasian hair. The lack of moisture and elasticity and the kinks that get grabbed when styling or combing make for hair that can be broken easily. Someone once asked me if natural hair is meant to be combed. Actually, the answer probably is no. I don’t think our hair was structured to be combed at all. So, as long as we’re going to do it, we have to do it causing the least amount of damage possible. Both of my daughters have natural hair. We receive a lot of compliments about their hair. They are technically not biracial. We have a mixed heritage (as do most African Americans). But, many of the same things I do for them can be adapted for biracial hair care. Here are my “secrets”.

Tools for Biracial Hair Maintenance

* Wide tooth comb or pick or brush made for African American hair. We like “detangling” combs and the Kakakiki KombBrush
* Good moisturizing shampoo and cream conditioner
* Moisturizing solution or spray
* Deep conditioning treatment or hot oil treatment for once a month application
* Satin sleep cap or satin pillow cases
* Spray bottle to spritz hair in case you just want to hit it with some water to comb
* Microwaveable or professional conditioning heat cap

Combing Out Kinky Biracial Hair

This section will be particularly important to those of you who have not worked with kinky hair. Never try to comb out kinky hair while it is dry. Use a moisturizer to provide elasticity to the hair and to reduce friction. Be sure you have a wide tooth comb. You might want to look for a “detangling” comb. If you’re used to fine tooth combs, it might look a little strange to you. But, generally speaking, the farther apart the teeth the better. I generally do not use bristled brushes because I find they tend to grab the hair. I have a Kakakiki KombBrush, which does a great job on the girls’ natural hair. It’s a combination comb and brush in one device. It’s shaped like a brush, but has round teeth more like a comb. Be patient and gentle when combing kinky hair. If your daughter is screaming, you might want to consider that you are pulling too hard. I begin by working in sections. I part the hair and tie off the part I am not working on at the time. I gently grasp the hair near the scalp with my free hand and work the comb against that hand, rather than against the scalp. Comb gently beginning near the roots and work your way up- until all kinks are free. I then tie that section off and start on the next section.

Tips for Washing Biracial Hair

You should begin by washing hair about once a week. In the winter this might stretch out a little longer. I wash more often in the summer when the kids are playing outside and sweating. But, one of the commonly made mistakes non-African parents of Biracial or African children make is to wash their children's hair too frequently. Many of my Caucasian friends wash their own hair daily because they have fine hair that gets weighed down with their natural oils. In a biracial child, overwashing can lead to dullness and dryness. For biracial hair care, you may want to consider washing a little more often than once a week. But, you will rarely want to wash more than a couple of times a week. I like to use different shampoos to eliminate the possibility of build-up from a particular shampoo.

Between Washings

If your child swims or sweats from her scalp, you may be tempted to wash too often. One way to stretch out the time between washings is to just rinse the hair with warm water, condition and go from there.

Washing an infant's hair

If your child is very young (too young to keep her eyes closed), use a no tears baby shampoo. These shampoos contain agents that keep the eyes from stinging. Our shampoo for babies and young children is Kayshay Kids Baby Shampoo, which is a mild, moisturizing shampoo excellent for babies. Most of these shampoos can be drying, especially for African or biracial hair care. So, if you use someone else's baby shampoo, transition to a nice mild shampoo as soon as possible.

Drying biracial hair

Wash gently, but thoroughly, massaging the scalp while washing. When you dry, blot with a towel rather than rubbing vigorously. Avoid heat as much as possible for drying. Allow the hair to air dry or you can even use a conditioning cap to drive some of the moisture out before blasting the hair with forced hot air.

Tips for Conditioning Biracial Hair

Always follow each shampooing with a moisturizing and/or detangling conditioner.

Deep Conditioning Biracial Hair

At least once or twice a month, after shampooing, deep condition the hair. I use one several products:

* Treasured Locks Deep V Conditioner
* Treasured Locks Hot Hair Repair
* Baka Beauty Sahara Clay
* HumiNature Rhassoul Clay

Put one of the deep conditioning products on after shampooing and use either a microwave or professional heat cap for 30 minutes or so. The gentle moist heat from the caps allows the cuticles of the hair to open and the moisturizer to penetrate the hair shaft. A good hot oil treatment could be done here instead.

Tips for Moisturizing Biracial Hair

The most important key to healthy African American or Biracial hair care is moisture. Because of the structure of our hair, it tends to become dry easily. Dry hair lacks elasticity and therefore is brittle. Moisturize with good products and do it often. Moisturizing is not necessarily the same as oiling. And it is certainly not the same as putting on what we used to call “grease”. After the Deep Conditioning or Conditioning I moisturize. I recommend moisturizing at least twice a week. I moisturize whenever I style and often in-between, if we happen to be wearing a leave in style for several days. I use one of these products:

* Treasured Locks Leave-in Spray Conditioner
* Black Earth Protective Mist Bodifier
* Treasured Locks Conditioning Balm
* SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner
* Treasured Locks Locks Of Curls Pomade & Gel

To Oil or Not to Oil Biracial Hair

The subject of whether to oil or not is controversial in African or biracial hair care. You’ll have to decide for yourself. My experience has been that, for my daughters, and me, oil is good for our hair. The right oil though is of vital importance. We only use all natural oils, mostly plant oils. We avoid mineral oil and petroleum based products. The one notable exception to the plant oil rule is emu oil (an animal oil). I love emu oil! Not only does it soften and lubricate, it contains essential fatty acids and reduces inflammation which helps hair grow. However, oiling is one of those places where you’ll really have to experiment. One of my daughters can use a heavier oil than the other. She can even use pure Shea Butter. The other daughter’s hair is too thin and looks weighed down with Shea Butter. My biracial nieces have different needs. One has very fine, smooth hair and needs no additional oils at all. The other can use a light oil which really helps control the frizziness.

To apply the product, I put a little of the product in the palm of my hand (and melt it, if it’s a solid product). I then rub it on the hair and massage into the scalp. I will not use anything that doesn’t melt at body temperature. If I happen to use something with a little beeswax (which has a relatively high melting point), I make sure it still melts at body temperature so that it doesn’t build up. I often mix a couple of the products. To be safe, I mostly use products that are liquid at room temperature. Some of my favorite oils are:

* Shea Butter Oil- has the wonderful properties of Shea Butter, but in a much lighter, liquid form. We began our company selling nothing but Shea Butter products. That was before Shea Butter was as popular as it is now. It’s still a key ingredient in many of our hair and skin care products. We use Shea Butter as the main carrier oil in several of our products.
* Emu Oil- unbelievably good for scalp health. Improves circulation, reduces inflammation and has natural antiseptic properties. All help promote hair growth.
* Jojoba Oil- the closest thing to natural sebum itself. Jojoba oil is technically a wax, not an oil. It can actually make oily skin less oily and dry skin more oily, In other words, it helps bring skin into balance. In the case of biracial hair care, we are generally seeking to add oil to the scalp.
* Castor Oil- nice all natural plant oil that helps humectify (draw moisture to) the hair and scalp

You can choose from the following products (from heaviest to lightest in order)

* Pure Shea Butter- Treasured Locks sells a premium grade raw Shea Butter
* SheaMoisture Shea Butter Herbal Pomade (contains some petroleum)
* Black Earth Strengthener- (contains some petroleum)
* Treasured Locks Herbal Hair Balm- Shea Butter based with other natural butters and oils. Solid product with a low melting point.
* SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner
* Treasured Locks Hair & Scalp Elixir
* Treasured Locks Conditioning Balm
* Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Serum- with Emu oil. My favorite.

Repetition

This is very important. I repeat the Moisturize and/or Oiling steps above on a daily basis when I’m combing/styling the girls’ hair. Even if we’re in a non-comb style (like twists), I’ll touch them up just about daily, with something. I’m careful to avoid build-up and I don’t use a lot of product.

Styling Tips for Biracial Hair

Generally, I style the girls’ hair without the use of styling products. Since they are young, mostly, they’re in ponytails, plaits, braids or the like. But, I mix it up and am very cautious about overly tight styles that can lead to scalp damage and even a certain type of hair loss. I especially avoid any styling products that contain alcohol might be drying to their hair. You’ll want to be very careful with hair sprays, mousse products, gels etc.

How to Maintain Natural Ringlets in Biracial Hair

Many biracial people have naturally beautiful curls when their hair is wet and would like to keep that look once the hair dries. If you have naturally soft curls, one of our clients has suggested a way that she styles her biracial hair that works for her.

For those with softer, natural curls who just want more definition, this is a great technique. This hair style is well suited to bi-racial hair types. For soft springy curls here is the procedure.

1. Wash hair at least 1x per week (the other days just rinse)
2. Detangle hair each day
3. Put in a leave in conditioner. Whatever helps detangle and leaves hair feeling soft. SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner is great for this step.
4. Saturate hair with Black Earth Protective Mist Bodifier
5. Put Treasured Locks Locks of Curls Curl Defining Pomade & Gel or other styling gel in hair
6. Apply a little hair oil
7. Let air dry if possible (you can put your hair in a ponytail to stretch it a little or just let it air dry
8. In the winter- use a blow dryer on the lowest temp, gently stretching the hair as you dry it.

Controlling Frizzyness & Curliness in Biracial Hair

As I said earlier, expectations are important when it comes to hair. Most of the time biracial children are not going to have hair that is as smooth as Caucasian or Asian children. So completely eliminating frizziness and/or curliness may require drastic methods and send a message that the natural hair is undesirable. But, we do have products that will help reduce the frizzyness, to an extent. Natural-Laxer MIX is a treatment that can be applied about once a month. It is all-natural and works to gently tame wild hair. It does not actually alter the structure of the hair like a relaxer would. It can be applied in the home and wears off after several weeks. For those looking for a more permanent solution, a mild relaxer, a texturizer or a kiddie perm might be something to consider. Before you do though, please read our precautions when it comes to permanents/relaxers (see below).

Perms and Relaxers for Biracial Hair Care

We often get questions concerning perms for young girls. Generally, we recommend against perms for prepubescent girls. Their hair and skin aren’t fully developed and changing their hair texture this early in life (especially a permanent change) can send the message to them that their hair isn’t good enough. Our nine year old is proud of her natural hair and says she will never perm it. But, our six year old says she will. Ironically, it’s the older one who has the thicker hair. When they are old enough, they can decide on their own. I use Natural-Laxer MIX on our older daughter. It has made her hair much more manageable and improved the texture. I can comb her hair in about half the time it used to take and I’ve seen a large reduction in the amount of hair left in the comb after combing. Perming or relaxing the hair might seem like an easy solution to the kinky/frizzy/hard-to-comb problem. But, there are several things you should know before heading down this path. We’ve seen unaware mothers actually make things much worse by not knowing this before getting started. Consider the following before you start perming.

* We do not recommend home box perms. People often ask us to recommend specific perms to them. A beautician has told us that they are not the same quality as the salon perms. I don’t know if that’s true. But, even if it is not, a chemical relaxer or perm is a process that is best performed by a professional. Serious damage can be done to the hair (that can never be repaired, it has to grow out). A relaxer, improperly applied can do permanent damage to the scalp. The only compromise we would even contemplate on this would be to take your child to a local beauty school, if you just cannot pay the money the salons are charging. At least they’ll get the perm under professional supervision. And, the cost is usually a pretty small fraction of the cost in a salon.
* If you insist on applying perms at home, please read and follow the instructions carefully. Do not keep perming the part of the hair that has already been treated. Only apply the perm to the new growth (the kinky stuff underneath). Perming the same part of a strand of hair over and over again thins it a little each time. Eventually, it will break. This is not an "if" question. It's a "when".
* If you begin to relax your child’s hair, you must keep on doing it. When the natural hair reaches a certain length underneath the relaxed hair (hair grows from the root), the hair begins going through a transition stage. At this point, the hair is very vulnerable to excessive breakage. Generally speaking, a perm will be required every 6-8 weeks unless you are prepared to transition back to natural hair. Transitioning, without taking proper precautions can be very traumatic because of the breakage.
* If you relax your child’s hair, you weaken the hair and reduce the ability for the scalp to naturally oil itself. Permed hair is especially delicate and must be cared for even more diligently than natural hair. But, it's better to perm hair than to fry it with excessive heat trying to make it straight or to end up breaking it off by combing it too aggressively.

Ponytail Do’s and Don’ts

As I mentioned earlier, these bound hairstyles are great for little girls. They keep the hair from going wild and from tangling. I can often get a few days out of a style, too. But, these bound styles can lead to hair disaster- as in severe, and even permanent, hair loss. Here are some dos and don’ts you will want to be aware of:

* Don’t- use common rubber bands to hold her hairstyles. Also, avoid the bands with the metal clips, which grab and break kinky hair. Rubber bands cause too much friction on the hair and will eventually cause breakage. Buy covered bands or smooth bands made especially for hair.
* Do- remove any bands from the hair every night before bed time. Even the best bands should be removed before retiring for the evening.
* Don’t- pull the hair too tight. While it may be attractive, if you see your daughter’s eyebrows arching like she’s just had a face-lift you could be doing damage to her scalp. If you start to notice bumps around her hairline or elsewhere on her scalp, you could be causing traction alopecia. Normally, changing the hairstyle easily reverses this. But, if it is continued, this practice can lead to permanent hair loss.

Sleeping

As instructed above, please remove tight bands from hair before sleeping. Using a satin pillowcase or a satin sleep cap will reduce friction with the pillow and help retain moisture in the hair.

Trimming the Ends

The ends of the hair are the oldest parts because hair grows from the root. If the ends are neglected, they can begin to split; causing damage even further down the hair. It may be counter-intuitive. But, trimming the ends can actually lead to having longer hair. If you notice the ends of the hair are very dry, you might want to make sure you are doing a good job conditioning. If you notice they looked frayed, more tangled than normal or split, have them trimmed. I neglected this for a long time with my girls. But, since starting, I immediately noticed an improvement in the manageability of their hair. It was actually easier to comb just after trimming the ends.

How to Take Care of a Mixed Child's Hair

2009-10-08T20:01:00.000-04:00

Discovering how to care for your biracial child’s hair is simple once you know how to style and have found the right products. Biracial hair is just as beautiful as any other hair type.

The art of hair care is simple once you master it once. Once you learn which products and ingredients work well with different hair types, especially your biracial child’s hair, it can make things so much easier.

Just as you have experimented with different shampoos, conditioners and hair care products on your own hair; you should also experiment to find the best hair products that produce the best results for your child’s hair.

Due to the diverse textures of biracial hair, no one rule can be followed. Each hair type is quite unique and therefore may require different styling techniques, products and maintenance.

But first you must remember to first take time to understand your hair and its needs. But most importantly, you should also be patient! The only way you will begin to know your hair is by trying various techniques and seeing what works best for you. The techniques used on one individual may not necessarily work on another, but through trial and error your hair care routine can become much easier.

But for someone working with biracial hair, these tips are most useful when followed correctly:

Don’t wash the hair everyday. Over-washing the hair can make the hair dull but also strip the hair of the necessary essential oils that keep it looking and feeling healthy.

Always use a wide-tooth comb while the hair is wet as this separates the hair easier without pulling or tearing on the hair.

Never brush the hair! But if you must brush the hair, do so when the hair is still wet using a natural boar bristle brush, as the fibers in this type of brush are closest to the natural texture of human hair. But before you brush the hair (while wet), a wide-tooth-comb should be used first, followed by the natural boar bristle brush - if you so desire.

Always use a leave-in conditioner to soften, moisten and detangle the hair. The Just for Me Leave-in Conditioner and Infusium 23 are great leave-in detangler conditioners!

Always section the hair when styling using sectioning clips (please see below). Sectioning the hair allows for easier detangling and manageability of the hair.

Use a satin pillow case or a silk scarf at night to reduce tangles, breakage/split-ends and to hold in moisture. Because biracial hair can sometimes have the same characteristics as African American hair (in that it requires extra moisture), keeping in this moisture is essential not only because the hair is curly, but because it may have some of the same needs as African American hair.

NEVER use heavy oils on biracial textured hair as this may clog pores, weigh the hair down and leave the hair feeling greasy and looking lifeless.

Always use a shower filter! A proper filtering system removes chemicals from your water which can damage the hair, leaving curls looking dull and lifeless. A shower filter is the best option for sustaining moisture and in promoting healthy hair.

Allow your biracial child or African American child to get to know their hair texture. Let them embrace their curls while giving them lots of styling options so that they will learn to love their curls.

Teach them gradually how to care for their hair. The more they learn about themselves and their biracial hair the more they will love themselves. Curls are a blessing not a curse.

Caring for Your African American or Biracial Child's Hair

2009-10-08T19:58:00.001-04:00

Caring for Your African American or Biracial Child's Hair

Caring for your angel's tresses can be a daunting experience, but it doesn't have to be. Armed with the proper education, the right technique, and, most importantly, the right products - you can master the art of caring for ethnic hair.

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with hair. Because my hair was easy to manage, I began styling my own hair at an early age. Using my long locks, I taught myself how to French braid and soon became a styling expert (or so I thought). As I matured, my interest in healthy Black hair peaked. I learned which hair care ingredients were good for my hair type and which ingredients were not. I learned how to shampoo, condition, and properly handle my hair. Most importantly, I learned to love my hair. With the proper care, your child will love his/her hair too!

Over the years I've read, seen, and experienced unbelievable acts of ignorance regarding ethnic hair care. It is my attempt to provide a few basic tips and tricks so you will avoid common pitfalls.

What You Need to Know

Black hair is extremely fragile. A gentle touch is required to avoid unnecessary breakage and hair loss; therefore, always use a wide-tooth comb or pick when combing the hair. Avoid fine-tooth combs as they snag and pull out curly/kinky hair. Invest in a quality brush; natural boar brushes are the best.

Curly/kinky hair needs moisture, moisture, and more moisture! Consider this when purchasing hair care products. Avoid drying products such as hair spray, mousse, holding gels, etc. Opt for moisturizers, leave-in conditioners, and styling lotions.

All products are not created equal. Just because a product claims to be created for "curly hair" doesn't guarantee that it will be suitable for ethnic curly hair. Products created for Nicole Kidman's curly hair may not work for Angela Bassett's. Caucasian hair tends to produce more sebum (oily secretion created by the sebaceous gland) than Black textured hair; therefore, Black hair requires more oil. Read, no, scrutinize the ingredient list. Look for natural oils and quality ingredients. Remember, the ingredients are listed in order of volume.

What You Need to Have on Hand

Wide-tooth comb or pick... the wider the better (Goody has a variety of combs available at most grocery stores)

Natural bristle brush (The Body Shop has a nice selection of brushes)

Hydrating shampoo (try Curly Qs Hydrating Shampoo)

Moisturizing Conditioner (try Curly Qs Quenched Conditioner)

A daily moisturizer - this will add needed moisture, and ease Combability (Moist Curls is a great daily moisturizer)

Common Mistakes Made When Caring for Ethnic Hair

Over-shampooing - Black hair should not be shampooed every day, or every other day for that matter. Instead, shampoo your child's hair every 5-7 days. I know this may confuse those who shampoo daily; however, you must remember that Black hair needs oil, and because it distributes less sebum, frequent shampooing can dry out the hair and scalp. Product recommendation: Try our Curly Qs Hydrating Shampoo. It gently cleanses the hair without stripping away essential oils and nutrients.

Tip for getting through "shampoo-less" days: Rinse hair with warm water, apply our Quenched conditioner, and rinse well. This will give you a clean start and provide added conditioning and moisture without stripping away protective oils.

Under-conditioning - Proper conditioning is one of the most important steps for healthy hair. Unfortunately, most do not take the time to adequately do so. I recommend giving your daughter a deep conditioning (with heat) once a month, especially during the winter season. Product recommendation: Our Quenched conditioner works great...with or without heat.

Using the wrong products - We've discussed the need for natural oils for Black hair; however, you must know that not all oil is good oil. One misconception that plagues African Americans concerning hair care is the use of grease. Grease (thick pomade-like product that usually contains mineral oil and/or petrolatum) is commonly used to moisturize dry hair and scalp. Do not use products that contain mineral oil or petrolatum. Both of these cheap oils clog pores, rob the hair's moisture, and can retard hair growth. Natural oils are the best bet. Jojoba and coconut oil are great conditioning oils. Shea butter is an excellent moisturizer. Avocado oil is rich in vitamins A, D, and E, potassium, and scalp-soothing sulfur. Curls and Curly Qs products contain all of these!

Combing, detangling, and styling faux pas - To avoid pain, tears, and massive hair loss when combing out kinky hair, part the hair into four sections. Get a tight grip on the hair (not to hurt your child) and start combing at the bottom and work your way up to the top, section by section. If her hair is extremely thick and coarse, secure the combed out section with a pony tail holder to avoid further tangling. You should always use a moisturizer when combing her out hair, doing so will help to soften the hair and ease combability. Never use water to "wet" the hair! Product recommendation: Our Moist Curls moisturizer is a great choice!

Ponytails and Pigtails

Girls and ponytails/pigtails seem to go hand and hand. Here are a few tips to avoid pigtail disaster:

Do not use rubber bands to secure her ponytails, instead use elastics and covered bands. Rubber bands can cause undue breakage and damage.

Remember to always remove the ponytail holders before bed time.

Make sure you braid (or twist) the hair completely... all the way to the ends. Exposing the ends to environmental elements will guarantee split ends.

I recommend adding a coat of leave-in conditioner to the ends before braiding for extra protection. Remember, the ends are the oldest and most fragile part of the hair. They require extra attention.

How to Braid Cornrows

2009-10-08T19:41:00.001-04:00

Cornrows are a popular African style of braiding the hair along the scalp. They are also known as "underhand track braids". It's a traditional art that anyone who has the patience can learn, but it takes some time and skill to master. This article will help you get started with the basics while avoiding some of the mistakes beginners often make.

Steps

1. Plan your style. Having in mind what your end goal looks like will help you to form a path for getting there. You can do this in your head, draw a picture, or make some marks on a Styrofoam wig holder. The easiest amount to begin with will probably be four to six sections from the front to the back of the head.

2. Spritz some water, or water mixed with detangler, on the hair. Comb or brush it through to remove all major tangles. The hair should be slightly damp, but not too wet. The reason for this is that you don't want to have to pull the hair a lot to create the tension needed to hold the style together. Hair contracts when it's wet and expands as it dries. Despite what some people say about a tight braid, this is the best way to achieve it - not by pulling the hair hard away from the scalp.

3. Part a section of hair that you would like the cornrow to follow along. put the sides of the hair that you aren't braiding in two pigtails so they don't get in your way. Move other hair out of the way so that you have a clear path to follow. Then take a small section of hair where you want the cornrow to begin. Don't take too much, especially near the hairline, or you will have to pull too hard to continue.

4. Separate that small section into three strands and make a normal braid of about 2 "stitches" to get it started.

5. Holding the two outer strands aside, reach down under this initial braid to add a little hair to the middle strand. Fully merge this new hair to the middle strand so that it becomes a part of it, and you again have 3 strands. Make a braid stitch out of these strands.

6. Continue braiding, each time adding a little more hair to the middle strand, and repeat this until you've run out of hair to add. If you've reach the end and there is still hair left over, then continue with a regular 3 strand braid.

7. Secure the cornrow with a snap bead, hair clip, end bar, barrette, bolo tie tip, or whatever you like, just so long as you will be able to easily remove it later. Uncovered rubber bands (elastics) are not recommended unless they are the kind made specifically for hair. The ones made for office use will break off the hair.

Tips

* People with straighter or slicker hair may need to use what is called "aqua wax" or a protein hair gel to help the style last, and to preclude the need for extra tension during styling.
* If you do not wish to wet the hair first, you may consider at least using a hair cream or hair mask or leave in conditioner. (However if you wet fragile hair it could cause breakage because hair shrinks as it dries.) Some people don't like to wet the hair, and this is fine. However, if you don't, you will need to be extra mindful of tension. Use a featherlight touch.
* Precise braiding, not pulling hard from the scalp, is what makes a long lasting style. Pulling too hard from the scalp does nothing to help a style to last. It only leads to pain and hair loss.
* Hair can be washed with cornrows in. Simply wear a stocking cap over it, and use a shower massager or water pick to force water underneath the braids. Use a diluted shampoo and water mixture to wash, clear water to rinse, and spritz the hair with a leave in conditioner or hair oil afterwards.
* If you tuck the hair under, you are making an "invisible" track braid, and if you reach for hair from beneath outwards, you are making a "visible" track braid.
* People with fine or sleek, straight hair may want to use some sort of braid spray to help make the hair "stickier" so that the braid does not fall out as it's being put in the slicker, fine hair.
* Narrow braids stay in longer than larger ones.

Warnings

* This style should not hurt. If you can see the scalp is raised, or the person is complaining that it's painful, back it up and start over. Too much braid tension can cause traction alopecia (a specific type of hair loss), and it might be permanent. It can also lead to infections and irritations.
* To keep braids in place, use a moisturizing flexible hair gel or aqua wax during styling.
* Wear a scarf or durag while sleeping, and braids will stay for up to one week. After that they'll probably need to be redone, depending on how thick the rows are.
* For curlier or "nappy" hair, braids can last for up to a month.

Things You'll Need

* A rat tailed comb. These can be found at many beauty supply stores, but if you can't find one, the end of a tint brush may suffice.
* Coated rubber bands for hair.
* Plenty of time.
* Be careful in the sun. It is very easy to get a sunburn on your scalp, because the rows will expose the skin. Rub in sunscreen or wear a hat.
* You may need hair grease and/or aqua wax.
o For straight hair you may need to use a hair wax that is based on distilled water, not oil. It looks sort of like a firm gel. Aquarius Wax and Ice Wax are good ones. Butch Wax may do the job, but it is a little oily.
o Very tightly curly hair should be treated with a moisturizer that does not break down too soon. This excludes most hair creams. The best thing to use is a hair food or hair grease, or a natural oil mixture.
* Spray bottle to dampen if hair gets too dry.

All About Weave Hair!!

2009-10-08T19:38:00.000-04:00

Remy vs. non-Remy hair:

During the collecting and sorting of the donated hair it is divided into two groups:

· Remy hair: Hair that has been cut, and maintained with the roots aligned and bound together at the top of the bundle. These bundles are carefully preserved throughout the export process and arrive at the factory still intact.

· Non-Remy hair: Hair that does not have its roots aligned. It may have been collected off the floor, or there may be some other reason they were unable to keep the roots together and running in the same direction.

This hair is sold at a much cheaper price than remy hair.
Once the hair arrives at the factory, it is treated in a hydrochloric acid bath to remove the cuticle. A word of warning - hydrochloric acid is extremely hazardous. Please do not put yourself at risk by experimenting with this chemical! It’s not the remy hair; remy hair is relatively easy to process and the damage inflicted during de-cuticalization is slight. Non-remy hair is the villain.

Non-remy hair requires a higher concentration of acid since the cuticle runs in both directions. This frequently results in hair with very low moisture content that appears dry and straw-like. Moisture is critical to good-looking hair. Human hair usually contains 10.5% - 11% moisture (measured in a controlled environment of ISO 40% - 63% moisture). Non-remy hair has trouble retaining this vital moisture.

Unfortunately, the problems do not stop here. The de-cuticalization process itself is often conducted inefficiently. Some bundles of hair are only partially processed. Others are over-treated or under-treated, which contributes to tangling problems and limp or lifeless hair. Regrettably, a lot of this lower grade non-remy hair can find its way into “expensive” custom-made hairpieces. Your vendors usually have no way to tell whether the hair in the units they sell is remy, non-remy, or non-remy blended with remy hair. This doesn’t make things easy for them.

We have to understand that non-cuticle human hair means hair that has been fundamentally damaged. I compare it to my hand losing its protective layer of skin. I know this sound brutal, but mechanically it’s similar. If your hand were damaged in this way, you would run to the hospital where they would apply bandages and oil-based ointments not just isolate the pain but to prevent chaffing that could cause additional damage. Well, the same logic applies to non-cuticle hair - except it will never heal. Just like the hospital, we try to isolate and protect the hair by applying special oil-based liquids such as conditioners that (should be) designed specifically for non-cuticle hair. If you use hair care products made for normal hair, you will be doing your client a major disservice.

Regular conditioners are formulated to condition the cuticle layer, a very durable layer that is over 30% protein. Instead, you should be using a conditioner formulated for the under-layer without cuticle. This layer is made up of only 3% protein (10 times less!) and requires a more powerful lubricating system! But it doesn’t stop there.

The lack of a protective cuticle layer has other consequences. It allows everything to be easily absorbed into the hair – and lets vital moisture out again. Non-remy hair dries at a much more rapid rate and quickly loses its luster and body. You would never consider cleaning your favorite fine Italian cotton shirt with same detergent you use to clean your old cast iron pot. And you would not clean your carpet with the same detergent you use to clean your wood table. And yet many people do precisely this when it comes to human hair. Let me repeat - cuticle and non-cuticle hair are different product types with different maintenance needs. Each one requires its own specialist product.

We are going to classify human hair as follows. I will describe the characteristics of each variety and summarize its pros and cons.

Origin: China, Eastern Europe, Russia and India

Grade: Cuticle, Non-Cuticle, Virgin, Processed, Single Drawn, Double Drawn, Remy and Non-Remy

Type: Caucasian, Asian

ORIGIN

Chinese Hair (aka Asian Hair): A thick and coarse fiber that is naturally straight and dark brown to black in color.

Advantages: High Quantity, Durability and Low Cost. It is the strongest human hair and is able to withstand multiple chemical and mechanical processes. It is easily mass-produced making it a low cost item. It is the most popular hair in the industry because it is comfortable to process at the manufacturing level and there is no shortage of supply. Ventilating a hairpiece does not require as much skill or care as with cuticle hair.

Disadvantages: Poor Quality. Chinese hair requires extensive chemical processing to output hair that simulates European texture, color and body. The majority of the hair is collected and processed as double drawn, non-remy hair that requires heavy-duty chemicals to remove cuticle layers. It is still at a high risk for severe tangling problems because the cuticles are large and the layers are dense. The thick strands reflect light differently and appear 3 times as large next to Caucasian hair.

Common Use: Inexpensive off-shelf wigs, hairpieces and machine made hair extensions.

Indian Hair (aka Asian Hair, Italian Hair): A variety of fiber types from fine and straight, medium thick with bodywave and curly to thick coarse hair. “Italian hair” is actually Indian hair that has been processed in Italy or Spain and then sold at premium prices.

Advantages: High Quantity, Good Quality, Variety and Low Manufacturing Cost. Indian hair is popular to use for custom made hairpieces because it can be made to resemble European hair. Although prices for remy Indian hair increase every 2-3 months, it is still available in the less expensive non-remy form. The Indian hair fiber is small in diameter compared to Chinese hair and after chemical processing can feel and look just like European hair. Finally, a great attribute of Indian hair is that it comes in a full range of textures and body.

Disadvantages: Low Quality and Higher Retail Cost. Indian hair still requires quite a lot of chemical processing to make it appear as European hair. And the efforts to maintain the integrity of remy hair and/or buy the best quality in India can increase prices closer to European hair. To reduce time and materials, many manufacturers choose to work with non-remy Indian hair, which must undergo the same processes as Chinese hair that results in a poorer quality. Indian hair is also known to have split ends; lice and most exporters handle the hair badly.

Common Use: The remy hair is often produced as European or Italian hair for custom-made wigs and hair extensions. The non-remy hair is processed for custom-made hairpieces and less expensive wigs and machine and hand made hair extensions.

European Hair (aka Russian Hair, Caucasian Hair): A fine to medium density fiber that is naturally straight to slight wave and available in a variety of natural colors, most commonly dark blonds to medium browns. The Virgin colors will often be streaked with lighter shades or the ends will be much lighter than the roots due to weathering.

Advantages: High Quality. True Caucasian hair, whether originating from Russia, Eastern Europe or even the United States, is the best quality for the European and American market. The fine textures and natural colors eliminate the need for extensive processing and can often be sold as is (virgin hair). It easily matches the density of Caucasian customers so the hairpiece or extension blends in with their own hair.

Disadvantages: Low Quantity and High Cost. It has always been an availability problem and is becoming more difficult to source lengths longer than 15 inches and of a good quality. Limited availability makes the European hair a valuable item. The care that must be taken at the manufacturing level, as the fiber is fragile in comparison to Indian and Chinese hair, adds to the overall cost of working with European hair. Usually those that choose to work with this hair want it as close to its virgin state as possible, so much care and skill must be taken when ventilating a wig or hairpiece to keep the roots in one direction and properly trimmed to avoid tangles.

Common Use: High priced custom wigs, hairpieces and hand made hair extensions. Preferred hair type by production companies for the film industry.

GRADE

Cuticle Hair (aka Remy Hair, Virgin Hair): Cuticle hair can refer to all hair, no matter the origin. It defines the state of the fiber and quality. The cuticle layers have not been chemically altered and care must be taken to keep roots and tips from running opposite directions.

Advantages: High Quality. Hair with cuticles usually has the feel and look of natural hair. It retains dye colors and perms better than processed hair and lasts longer through normal wear and tear because the cuticles act as a protective layer for the rest of the fiber.

Disadvantages: High Cost and Tangles. Cuticle hair is considered a higher grade of hair and the time and care during production make it a more expensive hair. If not properly handled or cared for before and during the life of the hair replacement or extension, it is prone to tangle. (Although it costs the manufacturer more to process hair to non-cuticle, many have the opinion that cuticle hair is more expensive. They are confusing the cost of ventilating cuticle hair with the hair process cost. Non-cuticle hair is a more expensive hair but easier to ventilate. Cuticle hair is a less expensive hair but requires greater skill to ventilate.)

Common Use: High priced custom wigs, hairpieces and hand made hair extensions. Can only be manufactured by factories that know how to work with cuticle hair.

Non-Cuticle Hair (aka Processed Hair): This hair type can also refer to all hair no matter the origin, including European. The cuticles have been chemically processed to remove the first few layers and fuse the remaining layers. The roots and tips can be mixed in opposite directions.

Advantages: Low Hairpiece Manufacturing Cost and No Tangles. Less labor time when making hairpieces or wigs and less hair required per unit. If cuticle process is done correctly, this is a permanent process and used to prevent tangles even if the roots and tips are mixed in opposite directions.

Disadvantages: High Hair Manufacturing Cost and Poor Quality. Unfortunately, this type of hair is usually mass-produced in large factories using harsh chemicals that greatly degrade the hair. Also the hair purchased for non-cuticle hair is usually non-remy hair. When the chemical process is applied poorly and the hair starts to tangle, it tangles severely. Dye colors and perms do not last and the overall damage to the hair creates a very short life for this type of hair.

Common Use: Low to medium priced hairpieces, machine-made extensions and wigs.

Virgin Hair (aka European Hair, Cuticle Hair): All hair types no matter the origin. Usually refers to European hair as Chinese and Indian hair is rarely sold in their original colors and textures. This is hair that has not been chemically altered at any time and care must be taken to keep roots and tips from running in opposite directions.

Advantages: High Availability and Low Hair Manufacturing Costs. When it is truly virgin hair, the manufacture has very little preparation to perform before selling it. The lack of chemical processing leaves the hair in a healthy and natural state resulting in a longer life for the finished unit.

Disadvantages: Low Availability and High Cost. The dwindling availability of good virgin European hair, especially in lengths longer than 15” has made it an expensive commodity. There is still quite a bit of hair to find, but most of it is very old hair that has a musty odor and tangles very easily. Unfortunately, most Russian exporters are selling this type of hair.

Common Use: High priced custom wigs, hairpieces and hand made hair extensions.

Processed Hair (aka Non-Cuticle Hair, Non-Remy Hair, Asian Hair): All hair types can be chemically processed (cuticles, color, texture). Usually the term processed refers to non-cuticle hair and its most common form is non-remy hair. If handled well by the hair manufacturer, processed hair can retain much of its original quality properties.

Advantages: Variety. The hair manufacturer is able to chemically alter the cuticles, color and texture of the hair to simulate European grade hair and offer multiple color and textures to the customer.

Disadvantages: High Manufacturing Costs and Low Quality. The hair manufacturer must apply multiple chemical processes to the hair. Each process lowers the quality of the hair and shortens the life of the finished piece.

Common Use: All types of wigs, hairpieces and extensions.

Single Drawn Hair (aka Cuticle Hair, Virgin Hair, Remy Hair): A bundle of hair, no matter its origin or grade that appears like a ponytail because all the short lengths of regrowth hair are kept in the bundle. Many a novice buyer thinks the shorter lengths are split ends. Different manufacturers sell bundles of hair in single drawn form, but sometimes split the percentage of short hair and sell at a higher rate. They may decide to take out perhaps 50% of the shortest lengths and leave the rest in the bundle.

Advantages: High Availability, High Quality and Low Manufacturing Cost. Single Drawn Remy hair is much easier to process the cuticles than Double Drawn Non-Remy hair because it requires less chemicals and processing time. This leads to a higher quality type of hair. The shorter lengths make the bundles appear tapered, therefore more natural. (Many prefer this type of hair. For example, one famous actress insisted that her wig be made with single drawn hair because the shorter lengths give it the perfect look.)

Disadvantages: High Manufacturing Cost. The ratio of short hairs to longer hair within a bundle is usually greater, which causes a high amount of loss and waste. The manufacturer must purchase higher quantities to account for the wastage.

Common Use: Medium to high quality hairpieces, wigs and hair extensions.

Double Drawn Hair (aka Non-Cuticle Hair, Processed Hair, Non-Remy Hair): A bundle of hair, no matter its origin or grade that is all one length. There are no shorter lengths of hair present, which creates a very smooth and polished look. Due to expense and availability with Remy hair, Non-Remy Processed hair is usually sold double drawn. The term refers to a mechanical process that draws out all the shorter lengths from a bundle, and then draws again to realign the top of the bundle.

Advantages: High Quality for Remy Hair, Low Cost and High Availability for Non-Remy Hair. One length creates a seamless silky curtain of hair that looks picture perfect. It gives the illusion of very healthy hair that has never suffered normal wear and tear.

Disadvantages: High Cost and Low Availability for Remy Hair. Hair grows and breaks and regrows so that a natural head of hair contains several different lengths of hair. When a ponytail of hair is donated or sold, the bundle tapers down to a point. If the bundle is 18” in length and you draw out only the strands that are 18”, you are left with only a few strands of hair that represent maybe 10-15% of the bundle. The rest of the bundle contains the shorter regrowth hair. It would take 10 kilos of single drawn 18” hair to make 1 kilo of double drawn 18” hair. This makes it very expensive and undesirable for the manufacturer who is now left with 9 kilos of shorter hair. It is much more cost effective to offer double drawn non-remy hair, but the blunt one length look makes the hair appear synthetic.

Common Use: From Non-Remy hair: Low cost, off the shelf hairpieces and wigs. From Remy hair: High priced custom wigs and hairpieces.

Remy Hair (aka Cuticle Hair): Hair that was carefully bundled at the roots from the moment it is cut from donor and maintained throughout production – the cuticles run in same direction. This hair is usually processed to non-cuticle, but the root direction is maintained.

Advantages: Low Hair Manufacturing Cost, High Quality. The cuticles are not always removed for remy hair, therefore lowering productions costs and time. If the cuticles are processed, it is much easier than non-remy hair due to less chemicals and processing time. The reduced chemical processing reduces the level of damage that leads to a relatively higher percentage of moisture, as opposed to other types of chemically treated hair. This prevents the straw-like appearance that happens with processed non-remy hair within the first few months.

Disadvantages: High Cost, Low Availability and High Hair Manufacturing Costs. For unknown reasons, the temples that collect the hair do not take care to keep the roots and ends sorted correctly; therefore the resource of non-remy is much more than remy hair. Remy hair with cuticles require smaller batches and careful processing during production to avoid matting and tangling the hair during bath circulations.

Common Use: High Quality, custom-made hairpieces, wigs and hair extensions. (Our lab tests on many hairpieces submitted to us by customers have shown that the units were actually made with non-cuticle non-remy hair, although they were told that it was remy hair.)

Non-Remy Hair (aka Non-Cuticle Hair, Processed Hair, Asian Hair): Hair that was cut and collected from the floor so that roots and ends are mixed. To solve the inevitable tangling, the cuticles must be chemically removed. Non-Remy hair is sold in Double Drawn form.

Advantages: Low Cost. The reasons factories in the Orient prefer to buy this type of hair are for two reasons: 1) It is much cheaper than Remy hair, 2) you can bleach and dye several kilos of hair in one batch without worrying about matting during circulation, thereby lowering the manufacturing costs significantly.

Disadvantages: Low Quality. The hair must undergo heavy chemical processes to remove cuticles. As a result the hair becomes very dry over a short period of time. The proceeding bleaching and dyeing reduces the diameter of the hair, creates dry course hair that eventually splits and cracks along the fiber. The tips are already vulnerable naturally due to years of growth and weathering. In Non-Remy hair the tips are running both directions so the entire bundle suffers split ends and breakage. There is also uneven distribution of fiber thickness since some roots are at the top and some at the bottom of the bundle, which makes it resistant to combing.

Common Use: Medium to low priced hairpieces, wigs and extensions.

TYPE

Caucasian: Russian Hair. Very small resources in Poland and Romania.

Asian: Chinese and Indian Hair. Very small resources in Philippines, Vietnam and other small countries, but the quantities are so small that they are not really considered.

It is important to analyze the benefits of frequent hair rotation versus the possible loss in hair quality before you make a recommendation to your client. Could it be that today's new service plans have your clients wearing hair that is no better than yesterday's hair systems after six months of wear? To understand the dilemma, you must to see it through the eyes of a hair factory manager. Hair factories have a choice of many different grades and sources of human hair. The highest grade is of European origin, usually from Eastern Europe. This is the most expensive hair available anywhere and the longer lengths are limited in supply. Next comes Indian hair, which in many respects, with the exception of color, can resemble European hair. Finally there is a Chinese hair, known for its strength and affordability.

Top quality European hair can cost up to 10 or 15 times as much as the cheapest Chinese hair. Expectedly, the price differences are most dramatic in the longer lengths. Price variations for short hair are much closer. However, when you multiply those price differentials by the number of systems manufactured, the impact becomes dramatic.

But the cost of goods is not the only consideration. Factory managers also have to maintain close relationships with their overseas suppliers and the cost of travel, ongoing contact, and the business infrastructure necessary to accurately place and track regional orders can be considerable. So the search for economies is inevitable and you need to know where those savings are likely to happen – and who is going to be affected by them.

A client who is replacing his hair system every 4 to 12 weeks is unlikely to receive exactly the same hair he got in the past. Professionals should be aware of those differences even if their client is not. If the client used to wear European or Indian hair, the first point of difference may be the diameter (denier) of their new hair. The hair that is most likely to be used in high-turnover system comes from China and has a thickness of 0.1 mm and up on average. As a result, it is not going to have the same texture, luster and manageability as European hair, or even Indian hair, even after decuticalisation.

Furthermore, it is likely that the color palette has had to be changed and this means removing much of the original, dark hair pigmentation and re-dyeing the hair, usually with a fabric die, to the desired shade. While most factories have perfected this technology, it is nonetheless an assault on the hair, and it becomes more vulnerable no matter how gentle the color correction process may have been.

Healthy Black Hair of The Day

2009-10-08T19:30:00.001-04:00

Healthy Hair Case Study - Eryn C.!

1. What is your styling preference (relaxed, natural, texlaxed) and hair type?

I like my 'do fried and layed to the side. I texlax my edges and nape and it's really been helping with retention. I relax the rest about 90% straight. My hair type is a little 4a but mostly 4b.

2. What is your regimen? What products do you use? How do you style your hair from wet to dry and on a daily basis?

I'm a PJ to the fullest so I rotate products depending on how far into my stretch I am. Then, I tend to go more for "slip" products to aid in detangling my new growth. My favorites are listed below. My regimen format stays the same and that is:

Prepoo: Protein product or oil
Shampoo: CON Detangling or Elucence Moisture Balance Shampoo
DC: One of MANY!! It just depends on what I prepoo'd with.
Leave in/serum: Giovanni Direct Weighteless Leave In/Aphogee Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer/Fantasia Shine Polisher
Style: Airdry with do-rag, rollerset or flexirod set

If I prepoo with an oil, I'll DC with a protein/moisture balanced conditioner like Silicon Mix. If I prepoo with a protein product like ORS Hair Mayo, I'll DC with a straight moisture conditioner. My regimen is very simple and doesn't take alot of time since convenience is important to me and I have to walk back and forth to the bathroom.

I am still working on my pincurl game, but I alter my daily styles between french braid, bun, and flexirod sets. I have been using growth aids for the past 5 months with great results of increased length, thickness and strength.

3. What is your favorite styling technique and why?

I've recently fallen in love with flexirods. They are easy and produce a fun style that can last a few days. I am also loving the new Southern Tease bun I learned on maneandchic.com. (pic attached)

4. Please briefly describe your hair journey. How has Healthy Textures helped with your journey?

Like many other ladies, I got to a point where I was tired of being on a hair rollercoaster dependant upon stylists. Now that I'm back overseas, I saw the condition of my hair deteriorate and I got fed up. It started when I googled "black hair growth" not really expecting anything. I eventually found out about fotki, saw a link for Gennifer's old blog and began reading. I hesistated joining Healthy Textures (1) because I couldn't understand that there was a forum for hair. But I joined anyway and it was the best thing I could have done for my hair!

5. What has made the most significant change in your hair?

The texture of my hair has dramatically turned around for the better. It's smoother and softer due to so many techniques I've learned such as reducing direct heat, heat protection, deep conditioning, and moisture protein balance.

6. What advice would you give to ladies that are just starting on their journey?

If anyone could learn from my mistakes it would be:

- Keep your regimen simple

- Avoid bandwagons - do your own research and make your own decisions

- Give yourself at least 30 days on the same regimen to see improvement

- Health before length!

7. How has achieving healthier hair impacted or influenced other areas of your life?

HT has helped me not only learn about haircare, but have renewed faith that a group of black women can actually be supportive of one another. It's also help for me to get my femininity back and now I've gotten motivated to take a more active role in skin care. The motivation and willingness to help with everyone here has been unmatchable across the many boards I've seen on the net.

TOP TEN MOST HAZARDOUS RELAXERS

2009-10-08T19:28:00.001-04:00

According to the Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database, the following relaxers are the most hazardous. By hazardous, they mean these relaxers have ingredients in them that have been linked to: Cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, and other things. But before you read the list, let us remind you that IT IS NOT THE NO-LYE THAT IS THE CAUSE OF THESE PRODUCTS BEING ON THE LIST.

10. Smooth Touch New Growth Relaxer Kit Regular

09. Luster's PCJ Pretty-N-Silky Smooth Roots No-Lye Conditioning New Growth Relaxer Kit, Childrens Coarse

08. Luster's PCJ Pretty-n-Silky No-Lye Conditioning Cream Relaxer Childrens Coarse

07. Luster's Pink Conditioning No Lye Relaxer, Super

06. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Normal No-Lye Relaxer System

05. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Extra Strength No-Lye Relaxer System

04. Africa's Best Organics Touch-Up plus Organic Conditioning Relaxer System for New Growth

03. Dark & Lovely No-Mistake No-Lye Children's Relaxer System

02. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil No-Lye Relaxer Extra Strength

01. Africa's Best Kids Organics No-Lye Organic Conditioning Relaxer System with ScalpGuard, Kids Regular

For those who might have miss the big, bold, and underline text in the first paragraph, let me reiterate IT IS NOT THE NO-LYE THAT IS THE CAUSE OF THESE PRODUCTS BEING ON THE LIST.

Types of Moisturizing Products

2009-10-08T19:15:00.000-04:00

Types of Moisturizing Products:

*Note* Some of the products listed as moisturizing do contain small amounts of protein—but in my opinion, their moisturizing abilities override any protein overuse concerns.

Moisture-Based Conditioners:
Crème of Nature Nourishing Conditioner
Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner
Nexxus Humectress
Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner
Dove Intense Moisture
Neutragena Triple Moisture Daily Conditioner
Neutragena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Mask???
Elucence Moisture Balancing conditioner
Keracare Humecto
Mizani Moisturefuse

Moisture-Based Moisturizers:
ORS olive oil
ORS carrot oil
S-Curl
StaSoFro
Hollywood Beauty Carrot and Olive Oil
Most Braid Sprays
*moisturizing leave ins can be used as waterbased moisturizers- especially crème based ones)

Moisturizing Leave Ins:
Neutragena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave in
Profectiv Anti-Tangle Leave In

Types of Protein Products

2009-10-08T19:14:00.000-04:00

Okay-- Here is the product breakdown. This list is by no means exhaustive, but its a good start. It'll help you see which side you've been leaning on product wise and which side you need to incorporate products from to achieve your balance. Please feel free to help me add products if you don't see one you use up here- and help me put them in their proper placements. I've included strength indicators for most of the protein products- but those are only based on my hair and what I have used. If you've used a protein product, make sure you indicate the strength so that can be added too! If see something and you think its on the wrong side, let me know!

Types of Protein Products:

Specialty Treatments:
Nexxus Emergencee (moderate)
Nexxus Keraphix (moderate)
Aphogee 2 Min Keratin Recon. (mild/moderate)
Aphogee Treatment for Damaged Hair (heavy)
LeKair Cholesterol (mild/moderate)
Dudley’s DRC
Motions CPR(mild/moderate)
ORS Mayo (moderate)
Elucence Extended Moisture Repair
KeraCare 5 n 1
Joico K-Pac (mild)
Elasta Qp Anti Breakage serum

Protein Conditioners:
Motions Moisture Silk Protein conditioner
Mane N Tail (shampoo)
Aubrey Organics GPB
Mane N tail (moderate/heavy)
Garnier Fructis Long N Strong (mild)
AtOne Botanicals Reconstructor w/ Moisture Recovery* (light)
Any Instant Conditioner like Suave and V05 (light/mild)
Got2B Soft 1 Minute Emergency (light/mild)
Rusk Sensories 60 second Revive
ORS replenishing pak (light/mild)

Protein Moisturizers:
Cantu Shea Butter Break Cure
Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong
Elasta QP Mango Butter
Profectiv Mega Growth and Healthy Ends

Protein Leave Ins:
Infusium 23
Cantu Shea Butter Leave In
Salerm 21(moisture w/ protein)
Nexxus Headress (moisture w/protein)
Mane N Tail (Conditioner can also be used as leave in)
Profectiv Break Free Leave In

*So light, this can double as a moisturizing conditioner.

After the Wet Assessment - Hair Balance

2009-10-08T19:13:00.000-04:00

I'm Balanced- Now What?

Now once your hair is balanced and the breakage has minimized you can try to maintain the balance for as long as you can by interchanging your products. It doesn't have to be on a particular schedule. It is a constant struggle to balance these two. Ladies, I remember when I first started trying to get a growth regimen going- I planned out all my treatments on the calendar. Now, I've found that this method just doesn't work. Sometimes you need more protein, sometimes none at all. Sometimes its more moisture! You have to listen to your hair to know what do when. So you could say, I'll use protein every other week...but what do you do when your hair decides hey! I want to act brittle and dry and break (a sign of too much protein) the week you are due for more protein? Balance is the word! You'll know how to handle it as you gain experience.

The Importance of Wet Assessment

2009-10-08T19:10:00.000-04:00

When the Balance Tips, You Must Wet Assess

Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Hair is not exempt from this old adage. Growing out your hair is a constant battle between maintaining an even protein and moisture balance. Breakage is the result of the hair chemistry being thrown off balance. . Remember Kim and Trina from the beginning of the section? Hair that is shifted too far on either side of the balance (too much protein or too much moisture) will break.

The Importance of Wet Assessment

Though health assessments can be performed on dry hair, determining your cause of breakage is often easiest on wet hair. Hair in its wet state exudes the basic properties of hair---elasticity and strength—excellently. In fact, these qualities are often exaggerated on wet hair. Thorough and frequent wet assessments will help you maintain your hair’s health and condition.

Hair in its optimal condition will not break when wet unless undue stress is placed upon it through aggressive combing or detangling. A balanced and healthy hair strand will stretch and break only under undue, or unusual types of pulling stress. Balanced hair will feel soft and supple, yet strong while wet. When you comb through it when wet, it should resist excess stretching and will hardly break if you are careful. Over time, and with trial and error, you will be able to tell what is normal stress for your hair.
If your hair does indeed break when wet, the way the hair breaks under these conditions will give you a sure indication of wether more moisture or protein is required to regain the proper balance.

How Do I Perform a Proper Wet Assessment?

It will be difficult for you to wet assess your hair by holding a single strand and pulling on both ends. That type of stress would be considered "undue" stress, because no single hair is ever really subjected to that sort of tension at one time. Any strand of hair (healthy or not) that you pull on by both ends has the potential to snap depending on the pressure you apply to it. Hair should be wet assessed by the normal act of combing though it or touching-testing it.

Wet Assessment Break Down

If your hair:

(Wet or Dry) Stretches slighty/returns to original length /no breaking= you are balanced just stick with maintaining!
(Wet ot Dry) Stretching a little more than normal then breaks= more protein

(Wet or Dry)Stretching, stretching, stretching/no breakage yet= more protein

(Wet)- Weak, gummy, mushy, limp hair= more protein

(Wet or Dry) Very little/no stretching then breakage= more moisture

(Dry) Rough/tough/hard/tangly/brittle hair= more moisture

Unsure= err on the side of moisture

For those of you just starting out on your journey to healthier head of hair, I recommend you begin with a more moisture friendly regimen before you incorporate the protein aspect. The reason being, many of us (before our hair care awakening) have naturally moisture deficient hair care routines and regimens- especially those with no regimen at all. Rarely have I seen a woman have hair problems that are a result of over-conditioning her hair and too much moisture. I can guarantee you that almost 99% of the time, poor moisturizing and conditioning are the issues that spawn our hair care interventions.

When the Balance is thrown off by too much protein:

Hair that is shifted too far on the protein side will break easier, both wet and dry, because it lacks elasticity. Hair that breaks with very little tension or stretching is moisture deficient. Any type of stretching or tension will break it because the protein goes in and adds structure to the hair. Too much structure will make the hair rigid, decrease its elasticity, leave it brittle and prone to breakage. This was the issue with Kim’s hair. She was feeding her hair more protein than she needed to maintain a healthy balance. If this describes your hair at any time listen up! To correct this imbalance, you will need to go into a simple deep conditioning and moisturizing regimen. You may not be doing "protein treatments" per se, but you may be using other products that are protein heavy ingredient wise. I would watch out for protein in common products like leave in conditioners, moisturizers,gels, and instant conditioners like Suave and V05. Protein hides in alot of everyday products- so avoid those for a few weeks until your moisture balance is corrected. This will give your hair a chance to even out the protein/moisture balance.

Should I schedule my protein treatments in advance?
I do not advise "protein-ing" on a specific schedule, simply because our hair is seasonal. Setting aside a week or two in your regimen for protein conditioning is just not effective at addressing your hair needs as they arise. It doesn't know or understand our "schedules". It's needs and wants change from day to day, week to week. The only product you must adhere to a schedule is the Aphogee Treatment for Damaged Hair because it can only be used every 6 weeks or so because of its strength. The other treatments in between that one should only be done as you need them. Sometimes that might be weekly, other times it may be every 2 or 3 weeks! Only your hair can dictate that to you. I'm sure you've seen the threads where I discuss how to tell when your hair needs more protein- or when it needs more moisture. There are very specific ways to tell =) Once you get to know your hair more and more, it will be like second nature! Scheduling is good for when you are just starting out and getting into the groove, but you'll soon start to see that your hair often has its own plan for when you need different things for it! Then, scheduling kind of becomes useless in the grand scheme of hair care things. It also prevents you from truly developing an understanding of your own hair because instead of looking for certain cues and signs, you are looking at the calendar. Protein-ing on a schedule can eventually lead to protein overload if you aren't careful! It is so much harder to bounce back from an overload of protein than it is an overload of moisture/conditioning.

How much is too much?
I totally agree that relaxed ladies need more protein. If you are relaxed or color treated, those processes have compromised the protein structure of your hair--so you kinda need the supplemental protein. Not everyone needs protein though, some naturals can live without it...

For the relaxed ladies though, It's like we've all sustained different degrees of "damage" from the relaxing processes. Some people's hair is more protein deficient by nature (from the coloring/relaxing) so they require more to keep the balance in tact. Relaxing and coloring breaks protein bonds so depending on the type and degree of relaxer and level on bond breakage you will need more or less protein than someone else. So you can't say weekly, daily, or monthly protein is too much or too little because we do not know the true condition and specific needs of your hair to start with. At the end of the day, you must experiment and get to know your own head of hair.

Some proteins are stronger than others, but daily or even weekly use of even the milder protein treatments may result in an imbalance between the protein and moisture levels within the hair strands in some people. But honestly, its almost too hard to even go by the "types of proteins". You never know the percent composition of these products so though it may have a specific protein down the ingredient list, it might not be as strong as if it were higher on the ingredient list(greater percent composition). The protein in question could be 30% of the product or 0.3%! Who knows! You have to play around with different products to know how strong it is on your hair. You can't really say "Oh this is wheat protein so its gonna very light!" Or "this is animal protein, so its gonna be very heavy." It would be nice if that were true all the time, but because the product percent composition really plays such an important role, label reading can only do so much. For example, every product with keratin isn't going to feel the same way across the board. Just like every product that contains glycerine or water isn't going to feel the same! You must experiment and find your hair tolerance and it will vary from product to product, not necessarily protein to protein.

For example, some people think Aphogee 2 minute is a mild to tough protein, but my hair tends to laugh at it and feel the exact same after using it. For me, I just experimented using different combinations of products to find out what my hair tolerance is.

When the Balance is thrown off by too much moisture:

Yes! There is such a thing as “over-conditioning” the hair and Trina found that out the hard way. Hair that is shifted too far on the moisture side will be "super-elastic" and stretch more because it lacks a sound protein structure. Many ladies describe the feel of over-conditioned/over-moisturized hair as “mush-like” or “overly soft” when wet. It has almost a weak, limp spongy feel to it. Protein deficient hair will tend to pull and stretch along with the comb and then break. It will always stretch first then break which is the result of very low supplemental protein in the regimen. When this is the case, you will need some kind of protein to give the hair structure which will make it feel rigid (stronger) again. If your hair is stretching without returning, even if its not breaking you should use a light protein to correct this. When your hair stretches, the strand "thins" and becomes weaker across the cross section. It may not break right then at that very point in time, but stretched out of and beyond its shape, it is compromised and will eventually break at some other point. Your hair should be springing back to position. If its stretching and stretching without breaking it may be your hair's way of telling you, "Hey, I need a little structure (protein) here! I'm getting waaaay too elastic, but not yet enough to break-- so do something now!" This is where a preventive maintenance protein application would come in. You don't have to wait for breakage to act. Your hair is telling you now Start light, and work from there. You may not need a heavy treatment just yet.

And, you don't have to get all of your protein from a "treatment" per se or conditioner either. You can always throw in protein based leave in conditioners like (Infusium23) or waterbased moisturizers like (Cantu's Breakcure/or Elasta QP mango butter) to help you maintain the balance within your regimen. This way you can get a little or a lot without relying on one product.

Sealing in your Moisturizers

2009-10-08T19:09:00.000-04:00

Sealing in your Moisturizers:

Our hair naturally contains moisture, but because our hair is also naturally porous, keeping the moisture inside is a difficult task. Sources of outside moisture, or external moisture supplementation is a must for black hair. Water molecules and moisture from these supplemental moisturizing products easily passes into the hair shaft, but they pass out just as easily. The moisture you apply needs to held in by something. Oil.
A light coating of oil on top will help seal the moisture inside. Oils are made of large molecules. These molecules are too large to absorbed by the hair strand. Applying oils to the hair and scalp will coat them and trap moisture that is inside on the inside and moisture that is outside on the outside. The key is to lock in the moisture within the strands with your oil. If you use oils without a moisturizer or before one, the oil will seal the moisture out of the hair strand and lead to eventual dryness. This technique of moisturizing and sealing has really been helpful to me and is a resonating hallmark of my regimen. Moisturizing success is all in the order in which you apply your products.

REMEMBER! Oils DO NOT Moisturize.
Perhaps a words like “nourish” would be better than moisturize. If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me to recommend a good oil that moisturizes, I would be rich! Oil alone will not and cannot moisturize within the hair shaft. An oil can only coat the outside of the strand, and give it shine- the illusion of moisture. Again, the molecules that make oil are much too large to penetrate. Oil molecules are “hydro-phobic” which means they repel and do not readily mix with water. Remember, if you apply an oil product to your hair before you have added a moisturizing product, you have created a seal on your hair strand that water and moisture cannot penetrate.

Protein and Moisture

2009-10-08T19:08:00.000-04:00

Protein and Moisture

Scenario 1: Kim’s hair is breaking like crazy and feels like a brillo pad. Every time she touches it, pieces seem to just pop right off. Snap, crackle, pop. Combing is impossible without tons of little hairs covering her sink and back. Her hair feels hard and rough even when wet. She’s given it protein treatments because the product says its supposed to stop breakage in its tracks and rebuild the hair, but so far nothing is working and her problem is getting worse.

Scenario 2: Trina’s hair is breaking like crazy as well. Her hair feels dry, looks dull, and is very weak. Her hair is too weak to withstand simple combing. It feels extra stretchy when wet and almost follows the comb as she pulls through to detangle. She’s deep conditioned and done hot oil treatments on her hair once a week. Since her breakage began, she’s stepped up the conditioning but her problem has gotten worse.

Both of these women have issues with breakage, but the solutions to their individual problems require two very different approaches. Before you go shopping for your hair care product arsenal, you must understand the difference between protein and moisture and what they mean for your hair. Protein and moisture are the key cornerstones of great hair care. Maintaining a proper balance between these two entities is critical for the healthiest hair growth possible. The two scenarios above perfectly illustrate what happens when the balance between protein and moisture is tipped too far in either direction. This section will teach you to effectively recognize the difference between protein based and moisture based problems and help you can organize your hair regimen to effectively combat these issues as the arise.

Protein

Protein is what gives the hair its strength and structure. Hair is about 70% keratin protein by nature. Protein is found most prevalently in products like instant conditioners (bargain brands like Suave and V05), leave in conditioners, protein conditioner treatments, and even some moisturizers.

Moisturizers

Moisturizers are products that are water-based and nourish your hair deep within the strand. Water is the ultimate moisturizer so waterbased products are best for really getting the best moisture benefit. Products with moisturizing properties tend to be your conditioners and other water-based products. Moisturizers may also be protein-based, but these protein based moisturizers do not have the moisturizing benefit that moisture-based moisturizers have. Good moisturizers will not contain ingredients like petrolatum, mineral oil, or lanolin. These are cheap product fillers. Be wary of products that claim moisturizing benefits and contain these ingredients. There is nothing moisturizing about them! Petrolatum and mineral oil are sealants and have the potential to suffocate the hair and scalp and seal out the moisture it needs.

Breakage and Shedding

2009-10-08T19:07:00.000-04:00

As we all know, breakage and growth and hair health go hand in hand because with breakage, health and growth potential are greatly reduced.

I've shared this info on the Ezboard site I frequent, and I've decided to share a bit of what I've been writing with you all too. Some of you will recognize alot of this because I've been saving many of the posts I've done on various boards. Please excuse the millions of typos as well-- I haven't had the chance to go through and truncate the repetition or correct for spelling. Forgive me ahead of time, it is still a work in progress and this is only an excerpt.

I believe this information will help the newbies, and the vets sort out their breakage issues and give them some useful background information so that they can get a better sense of the direction they should aiming product and technique wise. Ladies, feel free to add to this thread. We want to share and provide each other with as much information as possible.

Breakage and Shedding

Understanding the difference between breakage and shedding is an important part of any healthy hair regimen. Many people use these terms interchangeably to refer to any hair that falls from the head. In its true sense, shed hair is hair that has reached the end of its growing cycle and naturally falls from the scalp along with its root attached. The root is a tiny white bulb on the scalp originating end. If a hair does not possess this white bulb, then it is not a naturally shed hair—rather, a broken one. Shed hair tends to be longer in length than broken hairs which are generally short pieces of varying lengths. If you have stretched your relaxer for a great number of weeks, your shed hair will have the curly new growth present on the area next to the scalp, and you will be able to see where the relaxed hair begins. Some find that garlic shampoos or products with garlic extracts help curb shedding. But remember, shedding is a natural, internal process and may not respond to topical, external treatments. So don't be alarmed if nothing works for you. Changes in diet, hormone imbalances, birth control pills, and pregnancy can also affect the rate at which hair is shed.

Breakage on the other hand is not natural, and is an indication of an imbalance of important forces within the hair strand. Broken hairs do not fall naturally from the head, but are typically a sign of mishandling or abuse. The proper treatments, will help stop breakage in its tracks.

PRODUCTS THAT HELP GROW OR REGROW HAIR

2009-09-25T21:49:00.000-04:00

The Growth Aids

Miconazole Nitrate
Miconazole Nitrate is an ingredient found in antifungal and yeast infection creams. This ingredient has been shown to help promote hair growth so many women opt to use it as a growth aid. A popular mixture is a tube of MN and a 1/4 jar of Sulfur 8 grease. You can find MN in Monistat and Neosporin AF. Or you can use the generic stuff. Family Dollar has a good MN.

MTG (Mane-Tail-Groom)
It's a growth aid used for horses but also for many women. It contains Sulfur, which is a great for growth. The makers of MTG (http://www.shapleys.com) have made a Human version called Sulu MAX GRO (http://www.suluhair.com).

Boundless Tresses
Another popular growth aid. It's similar to MTG with the Sulfur, but it doesn't contain Mineral Oil. (http://www.growthspecifics.com)

Surge Hair Revitalizer Plus 14
Yet another popular growth aid. It contains Biotin and Keratin proteins.

BASIC HAIR CARE INFORMATION FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS

2009-09-25T21:48:00.002-04:00

The Basics

Protective Styles
Protective styles are hairstyles that keep your hair off your clothes. Clothes tend to be harsh on your hair, especially the ends. Protective styling is great for retaining length. Great styles are: Flexi-rods, Rollersets, Braids, Ponytails, Phony Ponies, Sew-ins, etc.

Stretching
Going a while without getting a relaxer. Saves money and hair.

Line of Demarcation
The point where the natural hair and relaxed hair meet.

Shrinkage
When your hair appears to be shorter because of the tight curls of your natural hair.

Breakage
Broken pieces of hair with no white bulb. Can be caused by too much moisture or protein. It can also be caused by poor hair care. Ouch

Shedding
Strands of hair with white bulbs on the root. Hair goes through a natural shedding phase, so don't worry if you're taking care of your hair and it suddenly starts shedding a bit. If you ARE worried, try using Garlic. It's been known to stop shedding.

The Baggy Method
This method is simple. You moisturize your hair, seal with an oil of your choice (I love Coconut Oil), and put on a plastic cap. You can leave on for half an hour or overnight. Your choice.

Texlaxed/Relaxurized
Not letting the relaxer take completely to the point of being bone straight Dead. Basically underprocessed on purpose. Great method for those who flat iron bone straight hair anyway. I've done it before and I love it. Gives your hair some thickness.

Transitioning
Going from permed/relaxed to natural.

CO-Washing
A.K.A Conditioner Only Washing. Instead of using a shampoo, which can be harsh on your precious strands, you can use a conditioner. This way, you can wash everyday if you choose.

CWC-Washing
AKA Conditioner washing first then shampoo and condition again. This way your hair stays softer and more manageable after using shamppo. And makes your shampoo do less harm if it has lots of harsh products.

Pre-Pooing
A.K.A Pre-Shampooing. This is a method used to give your hair some good treatment before washing. You can pre-poo with a protein conditioner if your hair hates deep conditioning with protein, or you can pre-poo with garlic and olive oil if you're experiencing breakage/shedding.

The Dominican Blowout
A Rollerset followed by blowing out the roots with a hot (Shocked I mean HOT) blowdryer and a round brush. I love getting blowouts when I'm stretching because it gets my straight enough for me to keep stretching.

Scalp Massages
Massages to the scalp that get blood flowing to help growth.

Basic Hair Care Tips for Newbies

2009-09-25T21:48:00.001-04:00

I don't claim to be an expert on hair but I have picked up a few things about it over the past couple years from this site and a few others across the net. So here's my tips I hope they help you

1. Be gentle always with your hair the longer it gets the gentler you have to be with it to maintain its good health because the ends normally get weaker the longer they are around. So in the words of many long hair experts, treat your hair like old lace.

2. Stay in good health and you help your hair stay in good health. A good diet some daily exercise, lots of rest and drinking water are a good start.

3. Try to learn your hair type so you can find products that suit it.

4. If you use any kind of styling product reguarly then a weekly or biweekly clarifying may be in order. ( I find a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with a regular shampoo is a great gentle clarifier.)

5. A wide toothed comb with no rough seams and a boar bristle brush are usually good tools to begin caring for your hair with. (There are exceptions to this though certain hair types do better with no brushing and combing only and some hair types like mine like only fingercombing so your mileage may vary with this tip. ) On another note the purpose of using a boar bristle is the bristles gentler on your hair. Also they clean the hair strands as well as spreads your natural oil that your scalp produces called sebum.

6. Don't use hot water on your hair try to use cool or lukewarm water even warm water is better than hot. A cold rinse is said to be beneficial for your hair smoothing down the cuticles and making your hair easier to comb. You need only rinse long enough for your entire head of hair to be penetrated with the water to get the effect. Experiment and see if the cold rinse helps or not.

7. What works on someone else's hair won't nessecarily work on yours. Everybody has a very individual head of hair. Unfortunately there is no pat product or routine that works for everyone. Trial and error and paying attention to what your hair needs is the only sure way to find a routine that works for you. And it takes a lot of experimentation sometimes to so don't get discouraged!

8. Looking at your hair's condition is also a good way to find out what it needs. Are certain areas of your hair dryer than others? More prone to splitting? More moisture and better conditioning could be the answer. Or perhaps daily misting with distilled water. ( Misting is a term refering to having a spray bottle that you fill with a mixture of water, oils ect. of your choice then spray your hair with it as needed.)

9. If you have hard water and even if you don't, distilled water can be a nice treat for your hair. If you try a final rinse with it or perhaps just misting occassionaly I think you will find your hair to be softer and more moisturized.

10. Damp updo's can be very beneficial to your hair. A damp bun with your ends tucked inside to soak up the moisture is a very good thing for your hair. Even damp braiding can be good for you hair and (a plus for those of us with not very defined waves) it gives you beautiful waves. Also a damp updo feels great during summer a nice cool bun or braid on the back of your neck is a definite plus.

11. Conditioner is a useful and nessecary hair care item. Depending on your hair type and condition you will want to use more or less of it. But in every case enough conditioning is good too much can be bad. If your hair is shiny moisturized you probably have found your routine. And that's great. If your hair is always weighed down brittle very tangly. Then I would suggest a look at your products and perhaps a clarifying treatment.
In conditioner there are some elements that may coat your hair any ingredient ending in -cone ( cone is short for silicone ) and also I think that Emulsifying wax is a coating agent. Look for these on your conditioner and shampoo ingredient list. If there are a lot of cones in your conditioner or emulsifying wax then that could be causing the problem try to find a conditioner with no cones or wax. If your hair behaves better after switching it may not like cones in large doses or at all. Another possibility is that you are overconditioning. Overconditioning symptoms are usually brittle hair and tangly hair. If that's happening cut down on your conditioning or try a lighter conditioner.

12. Shampoo look for shampoo's that have Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Sodium Myreth Sulfate listed on the ingredients list. These are two gentle cleansing agents. Watch out for these cleansing agents though, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate these are harsh cleansing agents. With natural shampoos I would suggest watching out for Olefin sulfonate which is also said to be harsh on the hair. You may also wish to try a natural shampoo with no sulfates which are usually available at your local health food store. If your hair doesn't like cones watch out for shampoos with multiple cones listed.

13. Ingredients I have already listed quite a bit about shampoo ingredients and also about the two coating agents in conditioner that I know about. Here are some things to look for in conditioner.
Sorbitol and Panthenol these are called humectants they hold moisture in your hair.
Soy protein and Wheat protein these proteins and others help strengthen your hair shaft.
Aloe vera gel and amino acids, and shea butter these are moisturizers generally beneficial for the hair.
Oils are considered to be beneficial as well especially Jojoba oil.

14. Don't dissarrange your hair during showering by piling it up on your head or rubbing the length all together to spread the shampoo. A quarter sized amount of shampoo is all you need rub in between your hands gently massage your scalp with it then smooth the rest of it over your crown. Then just rinse your hair (if you have delicate ends you may wish to cover them with conditioner or simply hold the length out of the way while you rinse). You can leave your hair falling naturally down your back during washing or bring it in front of your shoulders. I don't reccommend washing it hanging in front of your face like a curtain. If you have thick hair parting it in the middle and washing both sections apart from each other makes for less tangles. You don't need to wash your hair twice usually. Try washing it only once and see what happens.

15. When you put your hair up in a towel don't toss it forward in front of your face then wrap a towel around it. Try this instead grab your hair with one hand in a ponytail at the nape then bring the length up over your head and let it rest on the crown of your head while you grab the towel. Remember to keep holding onto the ponytail. Wrap the towel and then you're done. Or do it this way grab your hair and gently lay it over your head from the side tilt your head to keep it this way then wrap a towel around it and wallah!

16. When you're trying to get the excess water out of your hair don't start rubbing it with your towel. Just simply scrunch your hair with your hands or gently (very gently! it's not a towel) twist it and wring it. When you take it down please don't start towel drying unless you have a no damage or rough rubbing method just let your hair air dry if possible. If it's nessecary to blow dry only do it so the hair is no longer wet then stop.

Alright that's all I can think of for now I hope these tips help and with all of these tips please remember that your mileage may vary.
Take care and enjoy your hair

PROTECTIVE HAIR STYLES

2009-09-25T21:46:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to include what protective styles are: the bun, braid-outs, twist-outs, bantu knots. These keep your hair from being fried up by the curling irons and keep the moisture optimal. Also, keeps hair off the shoulder where rubbing with clothes causes breakage.

Also, if you starting out with some dry, breaking hair, the S-curl "no-drip" is the way to go. This stuff will keep you hair from breaking, unless you need a trim, until you find other products and get you regimen together.

BUN and s-curl is what got me thru.

HAIR CARE TIPS AND INFO

2009-09-25T21:45:00.000-04:00

1.Common Abbreviations and terms
NTM-neutrogena triple moisture (great line of products)
WGO-wild growth hair oil
MTG- Shapley's original mane tail groom (shapleys.com)-smelly but aids growth
pre-poo- pre-shampoo treatment where you apply oil(s) to your dry hair and let sit for a while (whatever works for you)
EVOO-extra virgin olive oil (Rachel ray-nah)
EFA- essential fatty acids
co- wash- washing with conditioner instead of shampoo
HTH- hope this helps
IM(H)O- In my (honest) opinion

Popular supplements: GNC horsetail (green bottle 8.99), biotin, Flax oil/EFAs,HF57, MSM (the powder form is the most potent-but is very bitter), multi-vitamins

common advice:
-Start a fotki (online photo album) to track your progress- that way you can see that your hair is growing-even when the mirror says otherwise
-Increase hair washing- I co-wash 6 days and shampoo wash on the 7th
-Deep condition weekly (I do 1hr under a hooded dryer)
-Reduce the heat applied to your hair (I only apply heat when deep conditioning)
-Treat ends with a water based moisturizer (Elasta QP Mango Butter is a fave) and then seal with oil (coconut, jojoba, etc) others use Vitapointe etc.
-Sleep with a satin/silk scarf or sleep cap
-Trim as needed
-Treat with protein, as needed (for severe breakage use Aphogee Treatment for damaged hair every 6 weeks or so, if not so severe use Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor)-
-If relaxed, extend the time between relaxers (stretching) if you can, reduces the likelihood of overlapping previously relxed hair-which can lead to breakage
-If you decide to use MTG, massage into scalp daily for optimum results
-Wear you hair so that the ends are protected
-Drink more water (see Phoenix 1017's water calculator post)

Popular oils: Jojoba, coconut, EVOO, Castor(thickens hair), sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil. Recommended to get the unrefined, organic ones.

Oils to mask MTG smell: Peppermint, lemon, jasmine and other essential oils (Phoenix 1017)

Making new growth softer: mix together water, glycerin (available at your local pharmacy), honey and aloe vera (caramel diva)-for those natural or those stretching relaxers
Recommended viewing
growafrohairlong.com

Finally,
Realize that hair takes a while to grow, try not to get discouraged. If you do come back here for support. First goal should be healthy hair, length will come after.

If You Need to Make Some Extra Money...

2009-09-19T02:09:00.002-04:00

Do you know that companies are paying top-dollar to have users like you try their products and services for free? At CashCrate, we pass that money on to you. Simply complete free offers and get paid without spending a dime!

I have been making money online for 6 years and I have been able to learn what works and what doesn't by trial and error. Here are some tips and places to go to start earning some online income for yourself.

It's a free survey site and it's one of my personal favorites. I found it during my endless search for a survey site that didn't make you pay in order to make money.

This site does just that: you complete surveys, free trials and offers and get paid. You never pay them anything or do anything other than the offers you choose. They also pay a lot of money if you get referrals.

My Hair Growth Progress Pictures

2009-02-01T23:19:00.003-05:00

I just put a relaxer in my hair. I only use ORS Olive Oil Relaxer, btw. There has been some good growth. I've been using Megatek as a growth aid...I only use it 2-3 times a week. It works pretty fast, so I usually wait a week or two after a relaxer before using it because the new growth can get out of control very quickly.

I'm very ready for my hair to finally cover the first line of words on that darn shirt! Maybe next time...

Free Ways to Make Money Online!

2009-02-01T18:49:00.003-05:00

I know I havent posted any hair entries lately, but they're on the way! In the meantime, I thought I would share some free ways to make extra money online. I know it will come in handy for some people!

Here are a few of the things that have worked for me:

Get paid to complete advertising offers and refer new people - I earned $1,400 last month just with referrals. These are two free ones I found:

http://earnathome.vze.com

-AND-

http://earnathome.url-Go.com

======================
The 7 minute movie on this site tells you about a domain/web hosting company that gives you a free website and you just have to get people to go to it and if they buy hosting from the company, you get commissions.

Earn Spider Web

======================
This company gives you your own free search engine and you get paid every time someone does a search...

http://acmesearchengine.vze.com

======================
I found a new search bar that pays you part of the ad revenue generated from clicking ads. You can click as many as you like and you get paid for referral's clicks up to 7 levels deep. I've already made $300 my first day. It's completely free and you will definitely want to tell your friends about this one! Here's the link to learn more: Get The Search Bar

I'll post more things that I learn about as time goes on!

Products That Work for Damaged Black Hair

2008-11-16T17:29:00.011-05:00

I thought I would take some time to mention products that I find to be extremely good for damaged hair. All the products I mention I have used myself, so this is all first hand advice!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner:
This is by far the best moisturizing conditioner I have ever used! After shampooing, I put a generous amount on my hair and let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then rinse out. My hair always feels so soft afterward! Sometimes I even leave a bit in my hair as a leave in moisturizer. I also put a small amount on the ends of my hair before I go to sleep. My ends are still a bit damaged, and this conditioner really makes them smooth and healthy. I love it....it's a bit pricey, but it's well worth the price! And you get such a big bottle, too!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nexxus Emergencee Strengthening Polymeric Reconstructor

This product saved my hair. It is expensive but has made a huge difference for me. I use it weekly and slather it on, put on a shower cap and let it work for about 30 minutes. If you have one, you should also try using a heat cap--the results will be even better. Emergencee is a heavy protein product, so NEVER leave it on your hair for more than an hour or so before you wash it out. And remember to use a moisturizing conditioner and a moisturizer afterward.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nexxus Headress Weightless Leave-In Conditioner:

This is one of the best leave-in products that I have ever tried. It left my hair shiny, manageable, and soft. It's has a nice scent as well. My ends have already gone from frizzy, wayward strands to smooth and shiny.

My October Hair Growth Update Pictures

2008-10-04T20:56:00.004-04:00

As promised, here are new pictures I just took of my hair a few minutes ago. I am wearing the same yellow shirt as the old hair pictures to keep better track of progress. Sorry for the bad quality, I took them on my camera phone.

Oct 2008
I have been occasionally using Megatek as a growth aid and it is working very well. Without it, I only manage to grow about 1/4 of an inch a month. I haven't used it since August because it gave me so much sudden new growth that I was unable to get a comb through my hair at about 3 weeks post relaxer (insane!), but I plan to start using it again today.

Hopefully by next month, my hair will be covering the first line of words on my shirt. :)

A Word or Two About Essential Oils and Carrier Oils

2008-09-21T15:02:00.002-04:00

Essential oils are an important part of proper Black Hair Care. Many of them have benefits that will greatly impact the health of our hair, keeping it moisturized, shiny and more manageable. I have put together a short list of essential oil and carrier oils, with a brief explanation of what these oils do. I recommend replacing any petroleum based "hair grease" product you are using with one or more of these oils. You will be very glad you did!

CARRIER OILS

Here are a few oils that are good to use directly on your hair/scalp or blend into other products or with other oils. You can also use these for hot oil treatments and get great results. Carrier oils are also great for sealing in moisture after you have used a moisturizer. (apply the moisturizer BEFORE applying the oil!)

* Sweet Almond Oil - This oil is extremely good for dry and dull hair. Contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and E, as well as essential fatty acids (good fats).

* Olive oil - Olive oil is easily absorbed and conditions hair and scalp very well. I use olive oil regularly in my hair to seal in moisture and provide softness.

* Castor oil - Castor oil added to hair care products helps to seal in moisture. It also makes hair softer and is known to thicken thin hair over time with regular use.

* Coconut oil - This oil is another moisture sealer. It also smells wonderful and leaves hair feeling soft.

* Vitamin E oil - Vitamin E oil is great for rejuvenating dull, dry, and damaged hair when used regularly.

* Jojoba oil - Jojoba oil is very similar to the sebum that our scalps naturally secrete. Because of our hair's tight coil pattern, black women's hair usually doesnt receive enough sebum, which results in the dryness and breakage. Sense it is so similar to natural sebum, it is easily absorbed by the hair and scalp and provides excellent lubrication and smoothing.

* Sunflower oil - This oil contains lots of vitamins and is great at protecting your hair and scalp.

ESSENTIAL OILS

These oils are pure concentrations of certain herbs, plants, or seeds. Mostly, you will want to add these oils to CARRIER OILS and other products (like conditioners and shampoo) instead of using them directly on your hair/scalp, especially if you have sensitive skin. But some essential oils can be used directly with no problems for most people. These are only a few of the essential oils. There are hundreds!

* Rosemary oil - This oil promotes hair growth by increasing circulation in the scalp. Smells wonderful and can be used directly on the scalp.

* Peppermint oil - Peppermint oil is great for stimulating hair growth because of the tingling sensation is provides to the scalp. It also reduces itching and of course, the smell is great. Can be used directly on hair/scalp.

* Grapefruit oil - This is another oil that is good for stimulating hair growth.

* Tea-Tree Oil - This oil has a multitude of uses that are useful for your hair! It is anti-bacterial, antiseptic and fungicidal, meaning that it will free hair follicles of any bacteria and fungus that is clogging them. (Fungus in hair follicles is sometimes the reason for slow hair growth!) It blends easily with other natural oils that your body makes, so it is absorbed easily. Tea-Tree Oil also reduces dandruff, itching and any sores and lesions you may have on your skin/scalp. This oil has many more uses that I have not mentioned, so I suggest you look into it some more if you have lice, skin problems or under-active sebaceous glands. Also, you will have to add tea-tree oil to a CARRIER OIL. Using the concentrated form is not recommended. And, NEVER INGEST (drink or eat) TEA TREE OIL!

This is of course not a complete list of essential and carrier oils, but it is a good start. Try doing research on your own and learn about the different kinds of oils and what they do. Try a few and see which you like best for your hair.

My Personal Hair Care Journey

2008-09-06T00:32:00.007-04:00

Since I have started a blog dedicated to helping black women repair their damaged and unhealthy hair, I should share a bit more about me and my own struggle with my hair.

I am 24 and for the majority of my life, I have had extremely short, dry, broken hair that I used to think was normal. Most black women I knew had this kind of hair and the only thing I knew then about taking care of my hair was to put grease on it and comb/brush it. I look back now and remember the times I would touch my hair and it would actually CRUNCH...just from touching it. No wonder I could never grow it longer than ear length!

One day I just happened to find out about a woman named Cathy Howse, who had written a wonderful book called Ultra Black Hair Growth. I suggest you pick up a copy!! It completely opened my eyes because the whole book is so common sense, I was like...why didnt that occur to me to do that to my hair?!?! Cathy's book taught me how to fix my dry broken hair and taught me about products to use, just like I am trying to do for you with this blog. Cathy has beautiful hair, which you can see on the main page of her website.

Since reading Cathy's book, I have also found a handful of black hair care message forums online that are FULL of black women talking about products, techniques and posting their hair growth success. I suggest doing a google search and joining a couple of these communities. You will learn a lot.

My hair grows very slowly, which is something I have accepted about myself, so my growth for the past 3 years is a little less than someone who has a normal hair growth rate would have, but I have gone from having broken ear length hair to now being about 1-2 inches from ARM PIT LENGTH. I want to eventually grow my hair to about waist length.

A lot of people, of all races, believe black women cant grow long hair, but it isnt true. My goal with this blog is to start featuring some of the hundreds of women I have met on the black hair care forums who have grown their hair to mid back and waist length. These are regular black women, with the same naturally dry, kinky hair as you, the only difference is they have learned all of the things their hair needs to be healthy, so they can now grow it to any length they choose, just like women of any other race can! I hope to be another example, and I feel that I am well on my way.

Here are some pictures I was able to find of my progress along the way. I dont have any recent pictures of my hair, because I am currently stretching my relaxer, which means my hair is experiencing shrinkage and a lot of curling, so you wouldnt be able to see the full length. I will post a new picture when I get another relaxer next month.

**The first 2 pictures were taken in 2005, right when I first began learning to take care of my hair. It was ear length and VERY damaged and dry. The pictures are from a cell phone and arent good quality, but you can tell the hair is in bad shape.

**The next picture is 2 years later in September 2007, and my hair is shoulder length.

**The last picture was taken earlier this year and my hair is a few inches past shoulder length.

If I can go from having dry, ear length, crunchy, damaged hair to having hair almost to my arm pits, so can you!!! You just have to put the effort into giving your hair the right care.

I wish I could show you how long my hair is now, but like I said, that will have to wait until about this time next month when I get my next relaxer. Right now my hair is all curled up because I have a lot of new growth.

Creating a Black Hair Care Regimen

2008-09-05T23:49:00.004-04:00

In previous posts, I have already described moisturizing and washing. But for optimal growth and health, you should develop a week by week regimen of what you will need to do to your hair in order to keep it clean, healthy and growing.

To create a basic hair care regimen, you need to determine the following things:

--DAILY--

1.**Figure out what times of day you need to moisturize and what products work best for your hair. You should have at least one moisturizer for adding moisture AND another moisturizer that specifically says it contains protein or that it is "Anti Breakage". Alternate between these two moisturizers as needed. I will tell you in another post how to tell if your hair needs more moisture or more protein.

2.**Oils and Sealants
To keep moisture in your hair after using your moisturizer, you will need to apply an oil to "seal in" the moisture so your hair wont get dried out. Good oils to use are olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, rosemary oil, sweet almond oil, carrot oil, tea tree oil, castor oil, etc. I'll have a detailed post just on essential oils later.

3.**Determine when and how you will style your hair and find products necessary to protect your hair from that styling. For example, if you style with a lot of heat, you will need to use a Heat Protectant on your hair each time you style to prevent damage.

4.**Leave-In Conditioner
Find a good leave in conditioner that makes your hair feel and look better. It may take a while of trying different products to find the one you like best. Infusium 23 is an example of a good leave-in conditioner.

5.**Determine how you will protect your hair while you are sleeping. Either wrap it up with a satin head wrap or use a satin or satin-like pillowcase. This prevents excess friction on your hair as you move around in bed, which will cause less hairs to be accidentally broken off. Wrapping your hair up in something also keeps the products you put on it from messing up your pillows and sheets!

6.**I have not yet discussed protective styles yet, but basically they are styles like buns, wraps, wigs, weaves, etc. that you can use to keep your hair protected from excess sun, dry air and friction from clothing. Putting a good moisturizer on the hair and using a protective style during the day is a great way to keep your hair moisturized all day. The less your hair is out and messed with, the better!

--WEEKLY--

1.**Determine how often per week (or bi-weekly) you will wash your hair and what products you will use. Remember to use a moisturizing shampoo.If your hair is very damaged and feels mushy, you should use a protein conditioner that says on the label that it contains protein or keratin. If your hair feels hard, stringy, dry and broken, use a moisturizing conditioner.

2.**Find a good deep conditioner. I would suggest using a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week. Even more if your hair is very damaged. Just like conditioners and moisturizers, there are deep conditioners especially made for hair that needs more protein or hair that needs more moisture. I will discuss deep conditioners and how to use them in an upcoming post. I personally use the Motions Deep Penetrating Treatment. Your hair may like a different product. Try a few different ones to see what works best.

3.**Vitamins, Diet, Exercise, Growth Aids
A good diet and exercise contributes a lot to having healthy hair. The body focuses first on internal processes, then on things like hair and nails last. So that means, if you arent taking care of your insides as well, your body will give nutrients and vitamins to your insides first and your hair and nails may get neglected if you the body doesnt have enough nutrients to use for them. Using a good multivitamin supplement is a great idea to make sure your hair and scalp get their share of internal attention as well as the attention you pay to it from the outside. There are also supplements like Biotin, which can make hair and nails stronger.

4.You can also consider using growth aids to speed hair growth if that is your goal. Popular hair growth aids are Megatek by a company called Equiss and M-T-G by a company called Shapeley's. Do your research on products like these first and see what results others are having and how they need to be used. I am currently using Megatek and have also used MTG, so if you would like more specific information on these products, please comment or send me an email.

--MONTHLY--

1.**Determine how often you will relax your hair. It's a good idea to stretch as long as you can between relaxers to reduce the chance of you re-relaxing hair that has already been relaxed before. I will talk more about stretching later, but it gives the hair time to grow, so that it will be easier to apply the touch up relaxer to the new growth only.

2.**When you use a lot of products in your hair every month, as most black women do, it is then necessary to use a Clarifying Shampoo once a month to remove buildup that regular shampoos do not remove. I use Suave Clarifying Shampoo once a month. If you continue to pile products onto hair that already has a lot of product buildup, products will start to not have as good of an effect on the hair as it did the first few times you used it. Clarifying gets rid of the buildup so products will once again be able to provide you with their full benefits.

If you do these things, you will have a pretty good basic regimen. It will take some time on your own to find the right products that work for you and are available in your area, and you can try to add things that you discover work for your hair that I may not have mentioned here. The important thing is that you learn what your hair needs on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis and keep up with doing it.

When and How to Wash Black Hair

2008-08-24T13:23:00.004-04:00

When it comes to the topic of how often Black women should wash their hair, you will hear different answers based on who you ask. A lot of women I know only wash their hair once a month, which is far too long to go without washing.

Recently my aunt asked me to do her hair and she told me at that time she hadn't washed it for about 3 months! The amount of buildup, dandruff and gunk in her hair almost made me sick, and I tried telling her she should shampoo her hair more often, but she said she was too busy to bother with it. Her hair is only about 4 inches long and its in BAD shape!

I can only assume that there are a lot of women like my aunt out there who either dont feel they have time to properly take care of their hair, or some women actually believe it is good for black hair to be dirty, claiming that "dirty hair grows better". But I am willing to bet that those womens' hair is not very long or healthy at all.

I am here to tell you from personal experience that your hair does NOT like being dirty and does not grow better from not being washed regularly. The only reason some women may experience hair growth during long periods of not washing their hair is because black hair DOES like low manipulation. Meaning, the less you touch, comb, brush or interact with your hair, the less chance you have of breaking off or ripping out strands of hair. Hair is always growing, and the more you leave it alone, the retention rate increases.

But unfortunately, we cannot go without interacting with and manipulating our hair for long periods of time because it must be washed, moisturized, conditioned and styled. Washing and shampooing your hair cleans out the pores, and gets rid of all the gunk and product buildup so that your hair can grow even better. Plus, the water provides a good dose of moisture to your hair, as long as you make sure to use the right products that will help retain it after your hair has dried.

The frequency with which you should wash your hair is different for each head of hair. Some black women do well with washing as much as every other day, others will only wash their hair once every 2 weeks. You will have to try different frequencies and see how your hair responds. If you try washing 3 or more times a week and your hair just seems dry and is breaking and shedding a lot, your hair may not like the increased manipulation and you may be washing too much.

You also need to consider your budget when deciding how often to wash, because the more you wash, the faster you will go through all of your hair products and you will have to buy supplies more often.

If you choose to only wash your hair once every 2 weeks, first consider how much styling and heat you subject your hair to. If you style a lot, and use a lot of products to protect the hair from heat and retain moisture, you will want to wash more often to get rid of buildup.

Regardless of how often you choose to wash, you should always wash your hair in one direction. The shower works best for this since the water can reach all of your hair without you having to move it around. Make sure to massage the shampoo at your scalp to clean the pores, but do not move the rest of your hair around too much. Try to keep the hair going straight down so that you do not cause tangles. So resist the habit of piling all the hair on top of your head and rubbing it around!

Some of the Main Causes of Damage to Black Hair

2008-08-20T03:25:00.001-04:00

So, in the last post I told you that the most important reason so many black women have short, brittle, damaged hair is because they are not moisturizing their hair.

This is only one piece of the puzzle that is black hair care. The rest comes in how we treat our hair the rest of the time and what products we use in it. There are some products that will severely damage your hair if you dont do something to counteract the effects.

Here are the main culprits and what you can do to reduce or eliminate any damage they may cause your hair.

1. HEAT
Many black women use curling irons, flat irons, blow dryers and pressing combs on a daily basis, but do nothing to protect their hair from this damaging high heat. There are many products referred to as "Heat Protectants" on the market that are made just for protecting your hair from the use of high heat appliances. Also, using an oil on your hair, (Olive Oil works well for me) can help protect your hair.

If you do use a lot of heat on your hair frequently, then daily moisturizing and weekly or bi-weekly deep conditioning treatments are a REQUIREMENT to keep your hair healthy and keep the damage to a minimum.

The best option, of course is to stop using heat completely, or only once a week at the most. Air drying is great for black hair(remember to moisturize!) and if you want curls, use a roller set!

2. Petroleum/Mineral Oil Based Products

The amount of hair products on the market that feature these ingredients first on the list is staggering. But from the view point of the companies that make these products, their widespread use is understandable--its a cheap FILLER.

Petroleum and Mineral Oil arent use in hair products because they are good for it. They are just cheap bases for the company's concoctions. They offer no benefit to the hair, except to seal in moisture after using a moisturizer product or to protect the hair from heat.

Instead of using Petroleum based greases, look for products made with shea butter and essential oils(I will explain these later). Olive Oil is a great(AND AFFORDABLE!) oil for your hair, and if you start using it in place of your "grease" you will love the improvement it makes in your hair so much, that you will never want to use grease again.

3. Gels and Hairsprays Made with ALCOHOL

Black hair is the driest kind of hair there is. This is because of the tight curl pattern that gives our hair its distinct texture. The natural moisture that is created by our scalps has a hard time traveling down the entire length of the hair to where it is needed, so it tends to stay near the scalp.

This being said, the use of alcohol based gels and hairsprays that dry and harden the hair into place dry the hair out even more. And if you aren't washing that product out regularly and replacing that lost moisture with a daily moisturizer, your hair is going to suffer from extreme damage and breakage.

4. Brushes

In general, there is nothing wrong with using a brush while styling to occasionally smooth the hair down to make it look sleeker. BUT the problem comes in when you are using a brush on dry, damaged and broken hair that is already weak from bad care. Each stroke of the brush breaks more and more hair off, leaving you with much less hair than before you started. If your hair is very damaged and broken, put the brush away for a while and just smooth your hair down with your fingers. Trust me, that brush is not helping you at all!

5. RELAXERS/PERMS

The hair straightening process that many black women refer to as a "perm", is actually called a relaxer. Relaxers are a choice for many women who do not like or do not know how to properly care for their hair in its natural state. It uses very strong chemicals to relax the curl pattern of the hair and make the hair strand permanently straighter. The problem with using relaxers comes when the hair is not properly cared for after the relaxer is applied. Relaxed hair is weak hair that has been chemically altered. Even more so than natural hair, relaxed hair needs to be moisturized often, not over manipulated, and not overheated.

Another problem is overprocessing the hair. Many black women(I used to be one of them!) will get a relaxer and put it on all their hair, then 6 weeks later get another relaxer and again put the mixture over all of their hair that had been relaxed the last time. Relaxing hair that has already been relaxed is EXTREMELY damaging. Your hair will start to look fried and broken real quick if you keep doing this.

Try stretching relaxers out past 6 weeks in order to grow enough new growth so that you can easily relax the newly grown hair without getting any of the mixture on the hair that is already relaxed. Start out by stretching the time between relaxer touchups to 8 weeks, then work up to 12. Try to go as long as you can between relaxers. As the new growth starts to become unmanageable, try getting braids, weaves, wigs, hair pieces(fake pony tails) to make your hair easier to deal until you get a new relaxer. Your hair will appreciate the break!

The MOST IMPORTANT Thing That Black Hair Needs to Have In Order to Become Healthy and Grow

2008-08-20T03:05:00.001-04:00

MOISTURE!

For as long as any of us can remember, we have been told that water and moisture is an arch enemy of black hair and will only dry it out. This is not true.

Most black women in my family have a hair routine that sounds a little like this:

1. Comb and Brush Daily
2. Use Alcohol Based Gels and Hair Products multiple times a week
3. Get relaxers each and every 6 weeks
4. Use curling irons/heat to style at least 2-3 times a week
5. Shampoo hair once a month
6. Use grease(petroleum/mineral oil based) on the scalp frequently
7. Dont protect their hair while sleeping

Does this sound anything like you or the black women you know?

The result of this kind of treatment on black hair is damage, breakage, and short fried ends that will NEVER grow or become the healthy hair that you desire.

The main reason for this is a severe lack of MOISTURE.

A good WATER BASED moisturizer is the MOST IMPORTANT thing black hair needs to have EVERY DAY in order to become healthy and end the breakage that leads to the little or no growth that many black women suffer from. The reason that black hair seems to become so extremely dry after being wet with water is that the air carries all the moisture out of your hair as it dries. The solution to this problem is to find a good MOISTURIZER product that will bring moisture back into your hair and prevent the moisture from being absorbed by the air as your hair dries.

Petroleum and Mineral Oil based "grease" products only coat the hair and keep moisture out, making your hair drier and more damaged in the end. Dont get me wrong, I use "grease" occasionally on my ends, but only AFTER I have moisturized and I never put it on my scalp, only on my ends to seal the moisture IN. Using these products on the scalp blocks the pores and can lead to dandruff because your scalp cant get any moisture in through the grease.

So step ONE, ladies...find a good hair moisturizer that lists either WATER or GLYCERINE as the first ingredient on the label and use some on your hair 1-2 times a day. No need to saturate your hair with it to the point that it is dripping with product, just use enough to spread evenly through your hair without making it look wet.

This alone will make a BIG difference with the condition of your hair.

Welcome!

2008-08-20T03:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the African American Hair Care - For Growth and Health Blog!!

This blog aims to teach black women how to properly care for their hair, eliminate breakage and damage, and achieve growth they may have thought was impossible for them.

All of the advice in this blog comes from personal experience and the experiences of others that I have seen firsthand.

For the first 21 years of my life, I hated my short, damaged, ear length hair. Now my hair is past shoulder length and the healthiest it has ever been in my life! I will teach you how it can happen for you too, and provide you with proof that black women can grow long healthy hair if you give it the attention it needs!