Once my hair reached shoulder length my sister told me that I NEEDED to be washing it in twists to prevent hairs from breaking. I like the idea, it makes sense that you will incur less breakage if your hair is clumped together, however, I hated shampooing my hair in twists. I'll explain why in a moment.
These are your three options for when to twist your hair: 1. Twist hair after detangling but before shampooing This, in my opinion, is not the best time because:
Who might this method be best for? I would say people with bra length hair or longer. I am not there yet. In this case you could make the twist loose enough at the base to ensure that you can still reach in to wash the scalp properly. Importantly, if your hair is this length you can get by with just 2 to 4 twists so undoing to apply conditioner and then re-twisting isn't a big deal. 2. Twist hair immediately after applying conditioner I think this works. All the above negatives don't apply. 3. Twist hair after conditioner has been in hair for 30 minutes I think this also works. Personally, as my hair is just below the shoulders I prefer 2 or 3. I usually use method 3. I think 3 is best if your hair was very dry to begin with. All the good stuff in the conditioner will have had a chance to penetrate your hair; I think my hair is (probably) least vulnerable to breakage if I do a proper detangle and twist using method 3. What's your opinion?
Any stubborn greases, waxes and gels that are hard to wash off your hair and scalp are referred to as "product buildup".
Weaker sulfate-free shampoos will tend not to get rid of such product build up; they are too gentle. What's wrong with product build up on natural hair? Hair growth is at its best when the scalp is clean. Lots of product build up means the scalp is clogged up and not breathing properly. How do you know if you have build up? You strands feel particularly, heavy, weighed down or too oil. When you scratch your scalp you have dirt under your nail. Sometimes, I'll wash my hair, especially when I'm in braids and I'll have lifted some "white stuff" so it's visible but it doesn't wash off. This occurs because I've been oiling the scalp daily so there is layer upon layer of dirt and I need something a little stronger than my sulfate-free shampoo to get rid of that build up. So how can you get rid of buildup?
Water is the supreme moisturiser. When you wet your hair water moelcules penetrate the hair shaft and make the hair softer, more elastic and easier to handle/style. After you've washed your hair it natural dries out over subsequent days. To hydrated and soften the hair properly another wash is needed. There is a belief out there that water is bad for black hair and that view is completely wrong. I had a misinformed hair stylist tell me that my scalp itched so much because I washed my hair too often - huh? Once a week is not too often at all. In fact, if I go past seven days without doing a wash my hair gets harder and harder. To keep hair moisturised between washes: spritz it with water. Then add a leave-in conditioner to reinforce the moisture; finally, lock the moisture in using an oil and cream via the LOC or LCO method. If water is so great, why not wash natural hair daily? Because the washing process is a prime time for breakage. When you're handling your hair in any way - washing, combing, styling - you will release shed hairs and get some breakage. If your hair is short breakage during washing and handling is minimal; if your hair is long it will tend to tangle more leading to higher rates of breakage during your wash. In summary, moisture = hydration, hydration = water, hydrated hair = less breakage. If anyone tells you that water is bad for black hair get them to drop me a line to explain their science! Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. Fabulous news! Naturally Happy Hair has recently launched in the USA. I am one of the natural hair contributors and below is my tear sheet of my debut article in this magazine. Subscribe to Naturally Happy Hair Magazine for more :). I wrote an article for them titled, Pre-poo vs. Co-wash vs. Shampoo - What Do I Do? Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.
Polar oils are oils that have molecules that can migrate into a hair fibre. They are attracted into the hair shaft by the protein keratin found inside the cortex.
Polar oils are effective for sealing in moisture but only for a limited time. Over time, polar oils migrate into the hair fibre so the seal is removed. On the other hand non-polar oils form a complete barrier and don't allow moisture into or out of the hair fibre. This may sound like a fabulous feature but it isn't because hair natural dries anyway. Once the hair dries a non-polar oil would make it almost impossible to re-moisturise the hair.
Polar oils offer you flexibility because whilst they can seal hair effectively they can also be rinsed off easily.
If you follow a no-poo regime or use weaker, sulfate free shampoos then you'll have no problems washing polar oils off. Petrolatums and mineral oils need the strength of a sulfate-containing shampoo to be washed off and they need to be washed off to re-moisturise hair again. You might also like: What Are Polar Oils? How Do They Protect Natural Hair from Hygral Fatigue? Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.
So you walk into a supermarket and can't find a single sulfate free shampoo; or you find one and it's pumped so full of cleansers it's worse than a regular sulfate shampoo.
What do you do? Go for a moisturising shampoo. Moisturising shampoos, are a less harmful alternative to regular sulfate shampoos. They clean your hair without stripping it completely of its natural oils. A moisturising shampoo is gentle enough to use weekly. Of course, if you have cheap and easy access to a good quality sulfate free shampoo, then by all means go for that! However, if you don't want to pay the premium you could pick a moisturising shampoo. You might also like: How To Shop for a Sulfate Free Shampoo: Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Decyl Glucoside
First, what is hygral fatigue?
When hair is wet, it absorbs water and swells. As it dries it releases water and shrivels. The shrinking and swelling can lead to hair damage called hygral fatigue. What is polarity? Water atoms are polar. This means that the atoms on one end have a negative charge whilst the atoms on the other end have a positive charge. Polar and non-polar atoms do not mix. Generally, oils are non-polar but some oils have polar regions on them. This polarity gives them benefits to natural hair that non-polar oils do not have. Polarity is relative - some oils have more polarity than others.
One of a polar oil's key features is that it can penetrate the hair fibre. The oil is attracted by the protein keratin inside the hair shaft.
When a polar oil makes its way into the hair fibre it reinforces it from inside and strengthens the structure. The higher the concentration of saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids the better the ability of the oil to penetrate hair. According to the Science of Black Hair, researchers have discovered that using polar oils such as coconut oil as a pre-shampoo treatment can protect the fibre against hygral fatigue. Coconut oil and other polar oils prevents hair damage from hygral fatigue by reducing the extent to which the hair swells. However, if you choose to pre-poo, make sure to do so with a polar oil. Using a non-polar oil will make it very tough to moisturise your hair.
I washed my hair 6 hours ago and it's still wet!
Granted, I have been wearing a beany hat all day and it is in plaits but even when it's loose my hair does take a long time to dry. The key driver of the rate at which hair dries is its porosity. Porosity refers to how easily water and other chemicals can diffuse into and out of hair. If the outer layer of the hair fibre, the cuticle, is very tightly bound and lies very flat the hair is not very porous. This type of hair is quite resistant to the entry and exit of chemicals including water. If the cuticle layer of hair has been damaged, it's weak and much more porous. Porous hair dries much more quickly than non-porous hair. Porous hair once moisturised loses that moisture much more quickly than hair that is not porous.
Other environmental and external factors influence the rate at which hair dries:
According to The Science of Black Hair, an intensely hot blow dry for a short period of time (10 - 20 minutes) is far more damaging than much milder heat application for a longer period of time, e.g. sitting under a hooded dryer for 45 minutes. Keep these factors in mind when you want your to dry fast!
Overall, air drying natural hair is the safest option. You can't get heat damage from the hair, however, some air drying methods are better than others!
I don't have a loose curl pattern. I have kinky 4C hair on 80% of my head except for the back where it is actually wavy, it's not curly at all. I did my first wash and go in December 2012, roughly 18 months into my natural journey. When my hair was wet it was easy to moisturise and seal but by the next day my hair had shrunk very, very tightly and it was more tangled than usual. Remember that the chances for incurring breakage are highest when you're detangling very tangled hair. There's no point in keeping hair healthy by air drying and then incurring breakage due to the resulting tangles! My conclusion is that air drying hair that hasn't been styled into twists or plaits is not the best option for thick, course kinky hair. It makes handling the hair much harder two or three days later.
So, what is the best way to air dry?
Loose curls and fine hair:
Short hair
Thick, course or very kinky hair:
What is your experience with air drying?
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By Heather Katsonga-Woodward
I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx Categories
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