Minimize Breakage and Matting During Transition

You’ve decided to go natural, but you’re not ready for the big chop. You’re not alone. Many women choose to gradually transition from relaxed hair to natural hair. However, this process can be challenging. The line where your natural curl pattern meets the chemically-straightened hair is fragile.
During manipulation (combing, washing, braiding, etc.) hair can snap at this weakened juncture. Severe breakage and matting are common during transition. Both problems can be minimized with proper care. 

Moisturize Your Tresses 
Dull, dry hair has very little elasticity and is prone to damage. Moisturize hair regularly to keep it strong, pliable, and healthy. Experiment with different hair moisturizers until you discover which works best for you. Moisturize regularly, but don’t overdo it. Too much product chokes the hair. Moisture can’t penetrate, so the hair dries out.
To give your hair an extra boost of moisture, deep condition tresses at least once a month. A deep conditioner, like Olive You Deep, improves the health of the chemically-straightened hair and your natural hair. 

Detangling Decoded 
Detangle your hair in the shower, or while your strands are damp and coated with conditioner—preferably one that provides good slip. Use a wide-tooth comb and start with your ends. Hair is more pliable while wet, though not as strong. So be gentle! 

Don’t Abuse Protective Styling
Flat twists, two-strand twists, bantu knots and other low or no-manipulation styles allow hair to rest and minimize breakage from styling. Yet, matting can occur when protective styles are worn past their prime. To prevent knotting, avoid wearing protective styles for too long.
Don’t rely on the ponytail during transition. Rubber bands damage hair. Also, pulling the hair too tightly can cause irreversible damage to the hairline.

Protect Hair While Sleeping
Going natural doesn’t mean no hair prep is required at night. Loose strands rub against the fabric of your pillowcase, causing friction which damages hair. Loose, kinky hair tends to mat at night—especially if you perspire. Protect your hair at night by moisturizing and placing in a protective style—like two-strand twists. Then wear a satin bonnet or invest in a satin pillowcase. You—and your hair—can then rest easy.

Cut Your Losses
You may not be ready to for the big chop, but don’t skip trims. Removing damaged hair and split ends encourages the growth of healthy hair. Get ends trimmed every six to eight weeks to prevent tangling.

Break the Heat Habit
Many transitioners rely on heat—blow dryers, hot combs, or flat irons—as a way to cross the bridge from relaxed to natural hair. However, heat styling causes irreversible damage. So avoid heat whenever possible. If you must use heat, minimize frequency and be sure to apply a product that helps prevent heat damage. Most importantly, consult with a professional stylist who specializes in caring for natural hair. Your stylist will recommend products and treatments that can help restore damaged hair.
Transitioning allows you to retain length and gradually move toward the natural hair lifestyle. However, care must be taken to avoid breakage and matting. Balance protein treatments which help repair damage with moisturizers which restore elasticity. Don’t keep protective styles in too long, and get regular trims. If you’re experiencing severe breakage, request a consultation with your natural hair professional.
 

How to Keep Low, Normal, and High Porosity Hair Moisturized and Beautiful

How to Keep Low, Normal, and High Porosity Hair Moisturized and Beautiful

Last week we discovered that knowing your hair porosity is the key to healthy, beautiful hair. After all, not every hair product will work on every hair type. That’s why so many naturals end up with a bathroom cabinet brimming with tried-but-failed hair products. If you read last week’s post here, you now know whether you have low porosity, normal porosity, or high porosity hair. So let’s talk about how to care for each hair type.

Infusing Moisture into Low Porosity Hair

Low porosity hair has a tightly-sealed outer layer which resists the penetration of moisture. So how can you deliver essential hydration to moisture-deprived strands?

Steaming is a process that helps lift those tightly-sealed cuticles and infuse them with essential moisture. Allowing the hair to dry slightly, so that it is damp—not soaking wet—before applying moisturizers, can also help the hair shaft to accept and retain moisture.

Humectants—which help the hair to attract and maintain moisture—can be beneficial for hair with low porosity. Use light, water-based moisturizers which penetrate tight cuticles more easily. Hair milks, like Coconut Hair Milk, and light oils like jojoba can work wonders.

Avoid heavy oils and moisturizers. Rather than penetrating the hair shaft, heavier oils sit on the surface, and make hair look and feel greasy. Also avoid mousses, hairspray, and other alcohol-based products which suck vital moisture from the hair.

Maintaining the Balance in Normal Porosity Hair

Normal porosity hair easily absorbs and retains moisture. To maintain this perfect balance, use a combination approach when moisturizing the hair. Start with a light product, like Aloe Vera Leave-in. Follow it up with a slightly heavier product like Buttery Soy Hair Crème, or a defining product.

Layer on Products to Lock Down Moisture in High Porosity Hair

Heat damage, chemical processing, and other environmental factors can damage the outer layer of the hair and make it more porous. Protein treatments can help to repair some of the damage. However, they should be used in conjunction with moisturizers.

Since moisture easily passes in and out of high porosity hair, it will take a bit of extra effort to prevent this hair type from drying out, and sustaining more damage. A multi-step approach works best. Start with a light, leave-in conditioner. Add a moisturizing lotion on top of that. Follow with a heavy, hair butter, which will lock the moisture in. You’ll also need to moisturize high porosity hair more frequently. Anti-humectants can help deter frizz in humid climates.

Avoid detergents which can rob high porosity hair of its moisture, and silicone-based products which can further aggravate the situation. To help seal cuticles and add a shine boost, talk to your stylist about the benefits of a clear color treatment.

Whether low, normal, or high porosity, your hair can still be shiny, healthy, and beautiful if you choose natural hair products best suited to your hair type. Need help determining which products and treatments will work best for your hair? Stop by Sophia Sunflower Salon for a personalized product consult.

Why Understanding Porosity is the Secret to Healthy, Beautiful Hair

Whether you prefer shiny, bouncy curls, regal locs, or head-turning braids, there is one thing every natural wants: healthy, beautiful hair.

Tons of natural hair products promise just that. But, have you ever tried a product that others were raving over, only to find it was a total bust for you? That’s because hair products rarely work for every type of hair. Knowing the porosity of your hair is the first step to finding the right products for you.

What Is Porosity?

Simply put, porosity measures your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. This is critical because moisture is the key to shiny, healthy, beautiful hair. Thirsty, dry hair is hard to manage, and breaks off easily during styling and manipulation.

Porosity is determined by how tightly the hair cuticles—similar to roof shingles in appearance and function—are sealed. The cuticles can lay flat, stand wide open, or fall somewhere in between. The porosity of your hair determines which products and styling methods will deliver the most moisture to your strands, and help you maintain it.

The Highs and Lows of Hair Porosity

Low porosity hair – When the cuticle lays flat it provides a tight seal that prevents moisture from penetrating the hair shaft—in the same way roof shingles prevent moisture from entering your home. Water inside your home can be disastrous. However, the hair shaft needs moisture. Getting low porosity hair to absorb moisture can be difficult.

Normal porosity hair – This is the ideal situation. Hair cuticles are lifted slightly, allowing moisture to penetrate the shaft. Yet, they are closed enough to enable the hair to retain moisture once it penetrates. This type is the easiest to care for and requires the least maintenance.

High porosity hair – In this type, the hair cuticle stands wide open. The hair soaks up moisture like a sponge. However, since the “doors” never close, the absorbed moisture evaporates from the hair just as quickly. Strands are left dry, thirsty, and prone to breakage. Often the result of heat damage and chemical processing, high porosity hair requires more maintenance.

Knowing whether your hair has low porosity, normal porosity, or high porosity will help you to keep it moisturized and healthy. But how do you determine your hair’s porosity?

Sink or Swim

Here’s a simple test to determine your hair’s porosity. Wash your hair, so it’s free of products. Take a strand of shed hair and drop it into a glass of water.

If your hair remains at the top or sinks very, very slowly, it’s because the strand isn’t absorbing water. You have low porosity hair.

If your hair slowly drifts down, it’s absorbing water at an optimal rate. You have normal porosity hair.

If your hair immediately sinks to the bottom of the glass, it’s absorbing moisture too quickly. You have high porosity hair.

Now that you understand the porosity of your hair, you can make better decisions about which hair products will work best for you. In the next post we’ll discuss which hair products and treatments work best for each hair type. Subscribe to the blog here and get the next post delivered directly into your inbox.