Hair Wash Day pt. II

Before I start, I would like to deal with several well-known myths:

• Our hair is difficult to wash/manage, so should not be washed often
• Greasy hair is good, so our hair should only washed once every two weeks
• Moisture is not good for our hair (biggest myth out there, because our hair loves and needs moisture)
• Heat makes our hair behave (wrong! Frequent use of heat on relaxed hair further weakens it)
• The hotter the hair dryer the better (wrong again! Too much heat literally fries hair! – if you get the burning smell at any time when drying hair, STOP IMMEDIATELY)
• If it works for caucasian hair, it’ll work for me (not necessarily true)

As we all know, our hair is completely different from other hair types, not only because of the shape and texture, but also because its needs are very different.

For example caucasian (white) hair tends to get greasy and sometimes smelly when dirty, which is why most of them wash daily. Our hair in contrast tends to get very dry after a few days wash, because our hair produces less natural oils than other hair types. So daily washing is certainly not advised, neither is fortnightly washes; our hair needs moisture.

So where is the balance?

I’ll take you through what works for me and I expect should work for other with my hair type, 4A or 4B.

Normally, I –

• Wash my hair twice a week – condition, shampoo, deep condition (DCi-ng affects the cuticle, the outer layer of hair);
• Use a hair reconstructor weekly or fortnightly, depending on what my hair needs (with time, you’ll realise your hair will tell you exactly what it needs) and
• Do a heavy protein treatment every six weeks.

Every other week, I use Roux Porosity Control Shampoo and conditioner. It would be impossible to explain the purpose of these products in a few sentences, so I will dedicate an entire write up to them.

Here’s how I do it:-

Some people pre-poo their hair overnight before they wash using EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), I think this is ok; I sometimes include this step, but not all the time.

The first thing I do is condition, if it’s a little tangled, I may run a wide-toothed comb through it, if not, I do not comb. I use Revlon Flex conditioning crème; I let it saturate. At this point I comb the hair and if it’s still a bit tangled, I don’t force the comb through my hair, I leave it.

Hair is rinsed after about 5 minutes. During this process, I comb the hair in sections. I find that when water runs through the hair, it’s easier to comb. Water is the best detangler for our hair type.

Next stage is the shampoo stage.

Our hair is naturally dry, so should stay away from shampoos that’ll dry out your hair this means stay away from shampoo specially formulated for caucasian hair as almost all of them strip hair of natural oils. I always read the ingredients on hair product before I buy them; I suggest you do the same.  

Later on I’ll do a series on shampoos and what to look out for, but for now do not buy shampoos which contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (please note that this is different from Sodium Laureth Sulfate)

I alternate between Crème of Nature Kiwi & Citrus Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo for dry and brittle hair and Dove Intense Damage Therapy Shampoo (your hair doesn’t have to be damaged for you to use this; relaxed hair needs all the help it can get!) The shampoo is applied just once and I concentrate more on the scalp with a gentle massage. I don’t let it sit on hair for too long before rinsing.

After the shampoo rinse-out, the next step is a deep-condition with a mild protein treatment/conditioner/mask. I alternate between Dove Therapy Reviving Mask, Nelly Hair Mask (native to Spain) and Xheken Capilar - I use this in combination with Elvive Smooth Intense Anti- Frizz conditioner. Another great DC-ing product is Hair Cholesterol.

Apply the DC in sections and comb through hair from the roots to the ends.

After this, I put on a shower cap and sit under a dryer for about half an hour, sometimes more. When I come out from under the dryer, I rinse my hair generously with tepid water and style as usual (will do a write up soon on styling and the need to minimise heat)

I hope this piece has been helpful and that you enjoyed it! Please leave a comment.

...part 2 of 2 

Hair Wash Day pt. I

I decided to blog today about how to wash African hair (unaltered or relaxed) because I think it is extremely to know how to wash our hair and keep it in tip-top condition.

As a lot of us already know, this matter is one of great controversy and most times confusion. Over the years a lot of wash theories and methods have been bandied – wash once a week, wash every fortnight, co-wash (shampoo-less ‘washing’, done only with a conditioner), pre-poo (pre-shampoo), and dry washing (washing without water – don’t know how this was achieved, but I reckon it’ll be fun to watch!),  to name a few.

While I understand that everyone has different hair needs and that there will always be exceptions, what I intend to do today is give you an idea of what I do and how it works for me and for other people I help out.

Because of the wealth of information available, I’ll split this into 2 sections starting with how to wash natural hair.

Washing Miss Boo’s hair

My beautiful niece is 5 years old and has natural 4B type hair that's grown past her shoulders (check out your hair type here.) Thankfully, her parents intend to keep it that way – natural.

I got to spend a couple of days with them, and was asked by her mom to help with her hair. Here are the steps we took:

• The first thing we did was release the hair from the afro-puffs she had. I did not comb her hair at this stage because it was very dry.
• To start the wash, I made sure the water was tepid, and not too hot, as too hot water could further dry out the hair. I ran the water over her hair several times to remove the residue and dregs.
• Then I conditioned gently using Revlon Flex Conditioner. I applied this in sections allowing it to permeate the hair, while lightly massaging the scalp.
• After rinsing out the conditioner, I shampooed the hair with Crème of Nature Kiwi & Citrus Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo once. I worked it through the hair from the roots up, starting with a light scalp massage.
• I rinsed out the shampoo, gently squeezing out excess water. Then I applied Elvive Smooth Intense Anti- Frizz conditioner. I mixed this with a light/mild protein treatment  - I used Xheken Capilar, but any ol’ mild protein treatment will do. I divided her hair into four sections and worked the conditioner and protein treatment into her hair gently. When a section was fully saturated, I used a wide tooth comb starting from the roots and working my way up to the ends. After combing through each section, the hair was held with section clips.
• After the conditioning/protein treatment process, her hair was rinsed generously with tepid water.
• Subsequent to the final rinse, I applied several water based moisturisers generously to her hair, starting from the roots and working my way upwards.
• Then, I applied sweet almond oil to her hair, to seal in moisture.
• Her hair was then left to air dry a little bit.

She had her hair plaited after that and it was very easy to manage because it was fully moisturised. Half way through when it started to dry out, I applied JOHNSONS® BUDDIES™ Easy-comb Detangler, which kept it adequately moisturised and without tangles.

...part 1 of 2

Why Michelle's Hair Matters

Below is a link to great article on how Michelle Obama wears her hair and what it signifies.

Why Michelle's Hair Matters

Traction Alopecia

Traction Alopecia simply means hair loss resulting from traction (deliberate and prolonged pull). See Picture 1

Unlike other causes of hair loss – shifts in hormonal levels (menopausal or pregnant women), heredity, poor diet and hygiene habits, outstanding health issues, e.g. thyroid maladies, stress induced illnesses, traction alopecia is self-inflicted.

Traction Alopecia is a major cause of hair loss among women of African origin. It's due to the excessive stress and tension applied to hair while executing several cultural hair practices or procedures, such as hair braiding or threading.

These practices when carried out properly are fantastic hair growth tools, but when this is not the case, hair loss is inevitable, sometimes to catastrophic proportions.

How do I identify traction?

• Does your scalp hurt while you are getting your hair braided?
• Does the part or your scalp with braids already in feel sour and tender?
• Do you experience a mild throbbing while and/or after getting braids done?
• Do you experience a constant tingling feeling while and/or after getting braids done?
• Are you unable to smile or move facial muscles after getting braids?
• Are you unable to sleep after getting braids put in?
• Do your braids feel too heavy?
• Do your braids start exactly from your hairline?
• Do the braids at the hairline pull out hair follicles from their roots? (you know its pulled from the roots if the end of the  hair is white)

If you answered yes to any of the questions, then you may be a prospective candidate for the self-inflicted hair loss a.k.a ‘Mama Eko’ syndrome.

How can I avoid traction?

Very simple, do not apply excessive or disproportionate force/tension to hair while braiding. If you do not do your own braids, school your hairdresser or braid specialist on how to handle your hair and scalp. Even if she tells you ‘ah auntie, the hair will not be neat o’, let her know a ‘not so neat’ hair style is better than hair loss.

Other Dos:

• Do lovingly deep condition hair before and after each braid service (the common practice is applying a chemical relaxer to the hair after taking out braids – this is VERY VERY bad!)
• Do wash scalp and braids at least once a week (not washing braids because they go bad is a myth – I will do a special in the near future on braid care)
• Do tease out hair along the hairline if you are getting individual braids; apply gel to keep it down. (If the gel is too thick or tends to get flaky, mix it with a little water and oil or you can use aloe vera pulp instead)
• Do keep hair adequately moisturised
• Do wear a scarf when going to bed
• Do use an oil based moisturiser, a.k.a Pink Oil to base the scalp when getting your hair braided instead of the normal hair food or hair cream as we know them in Naija (most hair creams contain petrolatum and mineral oils which do hair no good whatsoever; they not only clog the pores, they also make hair greasy…no, greasy hair is not good)
• Do resist the urge to pull hair tightly in a ponytail. Pulling hair tightly in a ponytail a.k.a The Croydon Facelift also causes Traction Alopecia
• Do stay away from the use of alcohol or ‘spirit’ on the scalp. I know this is a common practice in Naija to use these to ‘clean’ the scalp while with braids, but this dries out the scalp; next stop dandruff.

Ok, so I think I already have Traction Alopecia, what do I do?

Well the first thing you have to do is take those braids out if you have you hair braided right now. Yes, I know you paid good money for them, but I would advise you to take them out for your own good.

Secondly, give your hair a break! Let your hairline recuperate. How? By wearing your own hair for a while, no braiding with extensions a.k.a attachment or attach and no weaves. If Traction Alopecia is not addressed quickly, it can lead to permanent hair loss. Wearing a wig in Naija is just not imaginable, believe me I know.

Thirdly, try to minimize hair pulling or excessive combing or brushing. Also try to minimise the use of heat on the hair.

A daily massage of the area with hemp oil is highly recommended, as this stimulates hair growth…no, not ‘igbo’, Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) is completely different from Cannabis/marijuana (Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica). Hemp is rich in Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9, amino acids (both essential and nonessential), vitamins and minerals.

I am not sure how readily available this is in Naija, but if you can't get hemp oil, you can use olive oil a.k.a anointing oil instead. Now I know we have an abundance of that!

Honey is another great hair stimulant and because it has antibacterial properties, it can also be used to combat dandruff. Simply apply to the area in question, scalp, not hair (I would advise using sparingly or in combination with your normal conditioner to avoid a sticky outcome - no pun intended) leave for about an hour and the rinse off. You can use this with a shower cap.

Cucumbers are also great. They are rich in silica, which is really good for hair. You can incorporate it into your diet...I know, I know...salad jokes...dem cook ya own? Another way to use it is to make into a paste and apply to the area in question.

Last words – Braids are beautiful and very creative, they aid hair growth and also serve at times as protective hair styles, but they are also the number one cause of Traction Alopecia in women of African origin. So where is the balance? Scalp conscious braids and a new attitude to hair care.

¡Hasta la Otra!

Black hair, still tangled in politics

The link below is to an article by The New York Times on black hair and perceptions in the US. I think it´s worth reading.


Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics