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.