Thick Hair Rules #44

MY HAIR VS. GOOD HAIR

I had a friend say to me once, “I have that good hair.” She continued talking about her “good hair,” bragging about how easy it was to comb while complaining about how it wouldn't hold a curl.  I added, “I have good hair, it’s very thick and holds a curl.” She looked at me the way you look at someone when you don’t want to be disagreeable, but you disagree. I understand that my course, thick, 4b hair is not considered “good hair,” but I often challenge people when they use that term to describe hair like that of my friend.

I love my hair, I have good hair-esteem. I make sure it’s healthy and well cared for. 

In the past when I relaxed my hair, I got compliments on its health and thickness.  Now that I've been natural for 18 months, I get compliments on the texture of my hair. 

Still, every time I say I have “good hair,” I get that, has she looked in a mirror? look.

Or the, does she understand the definition of good hair? look.

It seems to me we either need to drop the term “good hair” or redefine the term to be more inclusive.

Old Version:

good hair:

 -noun

( Caribbean ) hair showing evidence of some European strain in a person's blood

New Version:

good hair :

-noun

any texture of hair that is groomed and in a healthy state.

Can you think of a better definition?

Thick Hair Rules #43

The Curly Cut

                        

I've been wearing my hair curly for about six years now and have sampled my fair share of cutting styles. There's the traditional, blow-it-straight-and-trim-away cut. There's the wet cut (a technique I always felt left my hair shaped a little oddly). And recently, at Devachan Salon in New York City, I tried the free-form curly cut. My hair was left dry and curly for Denis Da Silva, co-owner of Devachan to work his magic. "We leave the hair curly because it makes the most sense," says Da Silva. "We can see were the hair needs volume and shaping and what a cut will leave us with."  When I sat down, Da Silva spent the first few minutes analyzing my current shape—abig halo of curls with bangs. He gave it a thumbs up (whew!) but said I needed a little more volume in the crown ("The crown gives your hair its shape," he insisted). So as we chatted about how he's spreading the Devachan techique throughout his native Brazil (through partnerships with local salons), he snipped away at my curls individually. He didn't trim the crown of my head at all, saying that he'd like to let that grow in, but focused his work on the longer sides (my hair had started to get a little mullet-y). After a delightful wash and super gentle detangling session, my hair was dried and Da Silva went in for a few finishing touches. The result was perfection. The curly cut seemed to prevent that dreadful "they cut too much!" moment. My hair was just he right length and a fabulous shape.

By Crystal G. Martin (essence.com)

Thick hair rule # 23

 

Should I use a protein conditioner?

 

I love my Tresemme conditioner.  I love it so much, I buy it in the big 36 ounce-size. Think of it as the size you hold with two hands, it’s so big, it even comes with a pump.  I started to notice that after a year or so, my daughters’ hair was somewhat limp. Not terribly limp, but enough for me to take notice. So I bought a protein conditioner and I loved it on my hair as well as my kids’.  After seeing the results, I wanted to learn more:

This is what I’ve learned about protein conditioners.

·         Protein conditioners  can strengthen dry, brittle hair and mend hair from the damages of  heat styling

·         If you have relaxed hair, use a protein conditioner twice a month, and after every relaxer.

·         If your hair is natural, use a protein conditioner once a month.

·         If your hair is damaged or feels soft, mushy or limp use more often.

 

If you color or relax your hair, you could benefit from a protein treatment.  Protein can protect your strands from the damaging effect of relaxers.  Natural hair can benefit from protein as well, but remember to balance protein with moisture.  Here’s a tip: Use a protein conditioner if your hair has a cobweb appearance when wet, and/or feels limp, whereas, dry hair feels crunchy, brittle and has a lackluster appearance, in that case, you need moisture.

 Protein conditioners are a little more expensive than regular ones.  My 36 oz Tresemme bottle costs $6 dollars, whereas the 13oz protein conditioner I use costs around $8.

Thick Hair Rule #6

Hair Care Routine:

Whether your hair is relaxed, natural, loc’d or weaved; everyone needs a hair care routine to achieve healthy, manageable hair. Your routine needs to be based on your desired outcome. Do you want length? Are you trying to return your hair to a healthier state?

 

My goal is to achieve length.

This is my weekly routine:

Sunday: I pre-poo, shampoo and condition.
Next, I do a wet twist out using Gentry’s Ash Kicking Crème 
Monday: Protective styling
Tuesday: Protective style
Wednesday: Protective style
Thursday: Styled in a Twist out
Night routine: I chunky twist my hair with oil (olive or jojoba)
Friday: Styled in a Twist out
Night routine: I dry chunky twist my hair with oil
Saturday: Styled in a Twist out or puff if my hair has lost definition

This routine had me from a TWA to a shoulder length twist out in 16 months. If your hair is damaged, your routine should include more deep conditioning sessions.

Thick Hair Rule# 36

Hair Out of Shape

You might want to consider getting a trim.











 Your hair may be perfectly healthy, but you’ve noticed that your style isn’t as fresh as it used to be. You experience a lot of flyaway strands or you have to put more time in to get your ‘do just right. This is another sign it may be time for a trim. The longer your hair grows, the more it gets pulled down due to its own weight. While this is good news for anyone who wants her hair to hang gracefully, it’s not so good if you like gravity-defying styles that feature details such as flipped bangs and choppy layers. Make regular trim appointments with your stylist so that your ‘do is always on point. ( blackhair about.com)

Thick Hair Rule #21

How to tell if your hair is damaged

(photo courtesy of dolcevanity)

 

 Throughout my years with a relaxer, I suffered from broken and damaged hair constantly.   With every swipe of my brush my hair was everywhere, my shoulders, pillows, the sink, and all over the floor.  It was damaged and breaking off so badly, I had to cut five inches off. I rarely had hair that grew long enough to touch my shoulders. I had a clue my hair was in bad shape before it started to fall out, but I was always second guessing myself as to just how bad it was.

 Here are five signs your hair might be damaged.

1. Is your hair uneven?  When my hair was in poor condition I noticed that the hairs on the back of my head were always breaking off. Breakage is the most important sign that your hair is damaged. The hairs on the back of my head (anywhere I left the hot iron on my hair for too long) were shorter than the hairs at the top, bottom, and crown.  Unless you are fond of the particular pattern of unevenness, you will have to cut your hair in order to return some measure of uniformity. Without taking steps to bring some symmetry to your style, your hair will only continue to become more and more uneven.
Additionally, you should pay close attention your hair regimen, to see if you can determine what - in particular - is causing your hair breakage. My problem was too much heat, yours could be dryness. Unless you do this, the problem will most certainly return and you’ll find yourself dealing with it again and again.

2. Do you have split ends? No matter what your hair type, we all suffer from split ends. Split ends are when the hair shaft splits, breaks or tears. Some people's hair will split a lot faster than others. Textured and relaxed hair is more vulnerable to split ends, it is a fact that they will split faster. It is not only your hair type that makes you susceptible to split ends, how you take care of your hair is very important. Over brushing will cause split ends and will also make the hair split since it is disturbing the cuticle. Brushing hair when it is still wet is one of the most important causes for split ends because wet hair stretches by as much as 25%. Split ends cannot be repaired. The only efficient way to get rid of split ends is to have them chopped.

3. Is your hair shedding more than the normal 50 to 100 hairs a day? Losing some hair strands everyday is normal. If you are losing an excessive amount of hair like 200 or more strands, beware. Shedding is not to be confused with breakage. Shedding is the entire hair shaft falling from the scalp, whereas breakage is the hair “breaking off” at a certain point. Consult your doctor for abnormal shedding over the course of weeks or months. It could be hormonal or linked to a vitamin deficiency.   

4. Is your hair brittle? Run your fingers down the length of your hair, it should be smooth from root to tip. Roughness is a sign of dryness and damage. If you’re heat styling your hair daily (like I use to) damage is inevitable. Cut down on the use of styling tools like flat irons and blow driers.  Also, your hair should be flexible, you should be able to take a strand of hair and twirl it between your fingers without it breaking. No matter what the hairs texture, hair should have flexibility.

5. Is your hair hard to moisturize? 90% of us suffer with dry, frizzy hair because our hair is lacking moisture. The #1 mission of healthy hair is to maintain a high moisture level. Deep condition your hair at least twice a month. Use natural oils like coconut and olive oil, instead of petroleum based products that coat the hair and don’t allow your cuticles to take in moisture.

If you were anything like me you’ve lost a lot of hair to over processing and heat styling. Remember your hair is not a living thing so it will not repair itself. Healthy hair needs moisture and the least amount of heat styling, the better.

Thick Hair Rule # 7

Say “No” to Petroleum and Mineral oil

 

For years I used mineral oil or petroleum-laced products in my hair.  In most cases, it was all I had because it was all I could afford.  Once price wasn’t an issue, I used them because I didn’t know any better.  If I knew then what I know now about petroleum, I could have saved years of aggravation trying to grow my hair longer.

Whether you have a relaxer or natural hair, beware of the amount of petroleum and mineral oil (grease) you put in your hair.

Here’s what I know about mineral oil (liquid petroleum) and petroleum product:

Mineral oils and Petroleum shine my hair but don’t make it healthy.  Now that I’m trying to grow my hair longer, I don’t mistake shiny hair for healthy hair. Petroleum-laced products coat my hair and create a barrier that is impossible for moisture to permeate the hair shaft.  Without moisture, textured hair doesn’t thrive; it becomes brittle, and doesn’t grow past a certain point.  Still worse, the products I once used prevent dirt and dandruff from escaping from my hair and they clog my hair follicles which suffocate the scalp.   

 Petroleum and Mineral oils are fillers in African American hair products. The reason so many products in ethnic hair aisles contain mineral oil and petroleum is because they are cheap additive.  The other reason is that we aren’t educating ourselves on why certain products aren’t healthy for our hair.  Essentially, we are being taken advantage of by manufacturers who are looking for a cheaper way to make hair products for 14% of the population.  Please don’t misunderstand me; I’m not necessarily blaming them for their business practices.  The companies are saving money, but it’s to the detriment of our hair.  Black people buy a lot of hair care products.  We should resist purchasing products with these “fillers” and focus on products that cultivate healthier hair.  Retailers will change what goes on the shelf once we demand better ingredients for our hair. 

I think it is in the best interest for all curly, kinky, relaxed and natural hair girls to use products specifically made for natural hair.  Natural hair products usually contain no petroleum or mineral oils.  Their moisture is gained from natural butters and oils like shea and jojoba.  These natural products feed the hair as well as promote a healthy scalp.  Petroleum products are great for shine, but not great for much else.