Thursday, August 28, 2014

Keeping Combs and Hair Brushes Clean

Combs and hair brushes are important hair care aids that keep your hair tangle free, well styled, and well under control. It is very easy for them to accumulate dust, dead skin from the scalp and hair strands, and even stale natural oils by coming in contact with your scalp on a regular basis.

Here is a look at some simple ways by which you can keep combs and hair brushes squeaky clean and ready to use for your African American hair care routine.

The brush and comb together

Washing the brush and the comb together can actually work out beautifully,with the brush cleaning the comb and vice-versa. Follow the following steps and see the results for yourself.

  • The first thing to do is to manually remove all the excessive hair strands and fur from between the brush bristles, while it is still dry. Remove as much as you can taking help from pins and toothpicks, and really get to the strands that have gotten stuck between the brush bristles.
  • Place the brush and comb under flowing warm water. Water helps in softening the residual hair strands and locks.
  • Apply a small amount of shampoo over the brush and lather it gently with the help of the comb. Shampoo helps in removing the grease and grime stuck between the bristles and the teeth of the comb. Remember to use the comb over the brush bristles in one direction only, so as to not cause damage while removing the residual hair locks from the brush.
  • Repeat the process by re-applying shampoo if all the hair has not been eliminated from the hair brush. For best results, keep the hair care tools under running water intermittently. The flow of the water also helps in dislodging stubborn hair and grease.

Warm water and toothbrush method

  • Soak the comb and the hair brush in some warm water, and add a little bit of shampoo and vinegar to make a cleansing liquid. The active agents in both the ingredients along with warm water will loosen up the deposits on the tools, which can then be easily removed with the help of an old or discarded toothbrush. You may have to apply some more shampoo or soap to make your combs and hair brushes squeaky clean.

Dirty combs and hair brushes can defeat the entire purpose of hair wash day. It will deposit on your scalp and hair all the dirt that you want to get rid of in the first place. 

Monday, August 25, 2014

How To Have a Tangle Free Wash and Go?

Although wash and go sounds easy enough, for Afro-American women, it is a different ball game altogether. This is because as the hair dries naturally, it tends to shrink and get caught up in tangles, intertwining with the rest of the hair. This causes it to stand out in different directions, making it look un-groomed and unprofessional. It is for this reason that a lot of women fall back on heat styling their hair, even though it can be damaging, when done frequently.

There is a way to have a tangle-free wash and go if you start directing your hair while washing it.

Steps to get tangle free natural hair

  • Section off your hair while washing – It is better to divide your hair in sections with the help of plastic clips while washing and conditioning your hair. It prevents all the hair from getting jumbled together, reducing the occurrence of tangles from the word go. Usually four to five sections are enough for most Afro-American hair types.
  • Finger detangling – It is best to detangle your hair gently with your fingers both before and after using washing and conditioning products in your hair. If you do not have a hair fall and breakage problem, a complete detangle works best to keep your curls free and bouncy.
  • Product application in sections – Whatever product you wish to treat your hair with, be it natural hair styling products or African American hair care shampoos, make sure that you continue to follow the sectioning rule. This not only makes sure that the nutrition and moisture reaches even the tiniest parts of the hair, but also prevents the bunching up of hair that results in more shrinkage and tangles.
  • Focus on the roots – Applying a good moisturizer automatically helps prevent tangles to a large extent, but it is usually the roots where the confusion occurs. Do not ignore the roots while applying product of a painless comb and finger detangling on wet as well as dry hair.
  • Satiny bliss – Make it a point to sleep on satin pillow cases or with a satin hair scarf. This reduces friction and hence, reduces the occurrence of tangles. Cotton is a strict no. It irritates the hair strands and absorbs all the moisture from it, leading to frizz.

There are many other ways by which you can achieve a tangle free wash and go, but following the above tips are easy, and do not require the use of too much styling products.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

What Exactly is Alopecia Areata?

There are few things that are more readily disheartening than hair fall. Finding a hair in your shower drain and your brush is not welcome for any woman or man. Imagine finding clumps of hair  dropping off your body from various places. This may not be a problem till it reaches the head. Alopecia Areata is a condition that makes hair fall off, in patches, leaving smooth bald patches on the scalp or  in the body. The hair loss is usually permanent and these patches may spread or get bigger. It can be a nightmarish in the sense that it can appear out of nowhere and start dropping . 

Alopecia Areata

This has been described as an auto- immune disease, they are those that attack healthy living cells in the body thinking that they are a threat, it can be compared to a programing error in the system. This particular kind of disease attacks only hair bearing cells and makes them weak. It does not scar the skin in any way, but leaves a smooth hairless surface where the hair once was. While not strictly hereditary, Alopecia Areata, can affect members of the same family. It is also not contagious in any way. 

Patterns

There are several patterns that this disease follows. You will usually find spots of baldness on the scalp. This is the most common form. There is also a slightly more severe form of the condition known as diffused Alopecia Areata, in this case the hair loss is more spread out and larger portions of the scalp are affected. Rare cases of total hair loss in the body is called Alopecia Areata totalis. 

Treatment 

Alopecia Areata, like most other auto- immune diseases is hard to both diagnose and come up with a definitive prognosis. It can appear once and go into complete remission or may keep on attacking the body. There is also no way to know when the body will be attacked nor is there any known treatment for this condition. The effects are also only centered around hair fall. There is no other marked effect of this condition apart from the severe emotional distress that it causes. The hair that is lost as a result of  Alopecia Areata may not always be permanent. If the condition goes into remission, the hair will grow back, but the color and texture of the hair may be different.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Get Gorgeous Bouncy Curls Without Heat

Curls always look good on any kind of hair or any kind of hair type, but it requires a hot curling iron to nearly singe the straightness out of your hair right? Not necessarily, as there are ways to curl hair without using curling irons and damaging the hair for a curly bounce that does not even last that long. Here is one way to do it. 

  • Firstly, you need to wash and condition your hair as you normally would. 
  • Your hair has to be damp and not entirely dry. Don't blow dry your hair, for you may not get that even dampness all round, you do not want wet, damp and dry spots all over your head. Towel it or tie up your hair  and remove all the wetness. You will need a 60 to 70 percent dampness still remaining. 
  • Remove all knots and tangles in your hair. Use a wide toothed comb or better still, your fingers and gently disentangle your hair. You need a nice smooth base to work with. Tangled hair is very difficult to work with.
  • Wear an elastic head band over your head and behind your ears. It has to be firm and not too tight. Also make sure that there is no hair sitting over the band, all the hair has got to be tucked underneath the band. 
  • Take a small bunch of hair about an inch wide, form a curl and tuck it under the band. Make it look like a twisted loop. The strand should have gone under and around the band from front to back. You need to keep on repeating this till you have a roll of hair strand around the band. 
  • Work from front to back and do it over and over again till all of your hair has been wrapped around the hair band. 
  • Work all of the hair eventually covering even the hair at the base of your head. All the hair has to be looped. This is crucial. 
  • Sleep on the roll, the next morning, slowly unfurl the band and you've got yourself some lovely curls!

This is not the  best way to go about curls and certainly not the only way. There are a lot of other methods that can be used to curl your hair. This is a way that can be done safely on hair types. 

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Does Shine Mean Healthy Hair

Shiny hair is something that most women universally want to posses. Although some of this desire is a result of aggressive advertising of hair products, there are certain things that you need to know about hair shine before you can jump to a conclusion about the state of your hair. 

The types of hair shine

Two of the main factors that determine whether your hair is shiny or not are curl pattern and hair density. The first type of shine is basically the ability of the hair to reflect light, something that is more noticeable in hair that is straighter or has a fine structure and texture. The second type of shine is the one that is induced with the help of hair products like gels and serums that reflect light and make the hair appear shiny. 

Although a lot of women choose to add shine to their hair in the second manner, the truth is these products do not do anything for your hair at an intrinsic level. It is important to remember that shine is not always an indicator of healthy hair. Hair that is shiny may be artificially achieved, while hair that does not shine can be healthy. Curly hair can often times be healthy, but not as shiny. 

Shine not necessary

Many times, hair appears shiny due to the presence of a layer of natural oils on the hair strands. This is a healthy sign since it indicates that the hair does not lack  nourishment. This health indicator however, may not be so apparent in hair that has dense or coil-like curls. It does not mean that your hair is not healthy. It is important to notice real hair indicators including hair breakage, hair fall, split ends, dull and dry appearance and extreme frizz among others, to determine whether your hair is healthy or not. 

Natural products that can add shine to your hair

Although not a real indicator of health, there are a lot of women who might want to up the game from time to time, especially on special occasions. Instead of going for the nearest silicone based hair serum, try using natural ingredients like olive oil or jojoba oil. These agents are easily absorbed by the hair and nourish the hair strands from within while reflecting light in the desired manner. 

Always remember that there is never a standard appearance of healthy hair. Just each individual has unique hair, its look can also be different. Just keep listening to the needs of your hair and keep nourishing it. 

Monday, August 4, 2014

A Low Down on Type 4 Hair: What to Expect

Type 4 or kinky curls are back in fashion, and going natural is the best thing that you can do for your hair. Transitioning from relaxed to natural hair can be challenging, but one way to prepare is to know what to expect from your natural hair.

Here is a low down on what you can expect while transitioning or growing long your type 4 hair.

Common type 4 hair issues and resolution tips

  • Individual strand knots – Curly hair, especially the gorgeous type 4 curly hair has the tendency to curl around itself, resulting in individual strand knots. The curls also have a tendency to increase in number as your hair grows longer. You can try stretching your hair from preventing these knots, but if you have many, it is best to eliminate them. A few of them are not going to get in the way of your hair growth and are a completely natural phenomenon. 
  • Trimming – The ends of your hair are the oldest and the most fragile part of your hair. It is for this reason that they are more prone to breakage and damage. Try to keep the ends protected with protective hairstyles and make sure to go for trims as soon as you start noticing the development of split ends.
  • More time and more products – You will need to start investing more time on washdays as your type 4 hair grows longer. Sometimes women can take up to an entire day to get around their hair. Most natural hair experts can manage their wash routines in a couple of hours. As far as the use of hair products goes, it is not necessary to burn a hole in your pocket to take good care of your type 4 hair. There are many natural ingredients that are not very expensive and last longer, and function effectively as hair stretchers, curl conditioners as well as definers, and more.  
  • A bond – The more you accept your type 4 hair, the more it is going to reward you. Love and acceptance can alter your attitude towards your hair, making you more conscious about what is good for your hair. You will automatically start giving up on habits that may have a negative impact on your hair. 

Your kinky type 4 hair is a part of who you are, and kudos to all of you who are transitioning into this glorious as well as beautiful new world of natural hair.