Rehairducation

February Up-do of the Month

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Hello ladies

Thanks to Solange Knowles, beaded braided hair styles are popular again.

I decided to create a hair style inspired by her for the February updo of the month post. I certainly wasnt going to braid all of my hair but I decided to somehow incorporate the trend into an updo.  I ended up with this bun and 4 box braids combo.
I was concerned that the beads would feel heavy but suprisingly it was comfortable however I only had the style in for a few hours so i am not sure what it would feel like after a day or two. When I moved or walked around the beads would crash againt each other and were a little bit noisy…and for some reason I enjoyed the noise.

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I actually really loved the style and I am looking forward to texlaxing in a few more weeks just so I can wear it again.

 

Happy hair journey ladies

x

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow

How to listen to your hair

Listening to your hair is an essential part of the journey

Hello Ladies

Something that I heard a lot when I began my hair journey and I find myself saying to my clients all the time is; listen to your hair.

There are so many varying techniques and products used by ladies when caring for their hair.
At the beginning of a hair journey, you probably learn from hair care blogs and YouTube and it can be tempting to try every technique and develop a severe case of product Junkie-ism.  And you know what, it’s okay..actually…… I would say it is important to experiment a little or a lot at the beginning of your hair journey but if you are not listening to your hair, you will be wasting your time, your money and stressing your hair and scalp out.

In this post, I will share how to listen to your hair and when to listen to your hair.

 

How to Listen To Your Hair

Listening to your hair simply means to see how your hair feels and how your hair reacts, for example does it feel dry and brittle, is it too soft and weak, did it seem to break more when you tried something new. If you are able to assess/review how your hair feels and understand the principles of hair care, you will then be able to make adjustments in your regimen accordingly. The way your hair feels will act as a guide that will tell you what

So for example if your hair feels too soft or too weak, you will know that you may need to use more protein in your regimen or you may be moisturising your hair too. You may not be able to find an immediate solution but the point is seeing or reviewing how your hair feels will help you identify or narrow down where the problems may lie and you can make adjustments until your hair starts to feel just right.

 

When To Listen To Your Hair

To be honest you should always have a rough idea of how your hair is doing however two very good times to listen to your hair is:

  • When trying out a new product
    See how your hair feels when you use/apply a new product to your hair. When you applied the product did your hair become easier to work with or did it make your hair matt, tangle, feel brittle, etc. I once added aloe vera juice to a homemade spritz some years ago and immediately I applied it to my hair it began to tangle badly. I tweaked my formula so many times but it just was not working for my hair so I knew I had to let it go. Even though many ladies love how it made their hair feel, my hair was having none of it. A helpful tip I should share at this point is to avoid trying too many new products at the same time. Perhaps try one or two at a time. It will make it easier to determine how compatible the products are with your hair.

 

  • When experimenting with a new technique
    If you are trying a new hair care technique or method, eg co-washing, washing in sections, washing in braids or twists, the LOC/LCO moisturising and sealing methods, pre-pooing etc. Always see how your reacts during and after the process. Off course somethings take some practice before you get it right but if you have tried something 3 or 4 times and it just not working for your hair, go back to what you know does works for it.

 

  • When Starting A hair Journey
    This is the most important stage at which listening to your hair is essential. Unfortunately most ladies new to hair care don’t know how to judge the way their hair is feeling. Also many ladies new to hair journeys have very badly damaged hair and it can take several months before their hair begins to show signs of improvement. My advice for ladies in this position is that your hair should feel soft as opposed to brittle like dry grass. It shouldn’t sound very crunchy. Also your hair should feel strong as opposed to feeling limp and weak. Try a few new things and gradually you will begin to notice what seems to be working for you hair., ie what makes it feel soft and strong and makes it more manageable.

I hope you have found this post worth reading. My next post is this months up-do of the month which involves a whole lot of beads (thanks for the inspiration Solange).
x

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow

 

The Benefits of Scalp Massaging

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A practice which is optional in hair care but  is one that I always recommend is scalp massaging.
From my own personal experience I know that my hair tends to look and feel better when I have been massaging my scalp regularly. I am also convinced that it boosts my hair growth rate and there are a few scientific studies that back this up.
In this post, I will be sharing the benefits of scalp massaging, the science behind how it works and setting out the steps of a good scalp massage.

 

Benefits of Scalp Massaging

  • It helps to promote scalp health by helping to keep the scalp toned and conditioned. A healthy scalp is necessary for hair growth.
  • It stimulates the hair follicles and encourages new growth
  • Some studies have shown that it can increase hair thickness
  • It enhances the strength of our hair follicles ( roots)
  • It helps in the removal of toxins from the scalp by helping with lymphatic drainage.
  • It is great for relaxation and overall well being.

 

How It Works

The manipulation/kneading/massaging of the scalp opens up the blood vessels which increases blood flow to the scalp. This is where the magic happens.
The blood that reaches the scalp helps to deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the hair follicles in the scalp.  All this goodness (oxygen and nutrient) being delivered to our scalp at increased levels or more regularly because of scalp massaging is what leads to all the benefits listed above.
The use of essential oils for scalp massages has been shown in a number of studies to help boost the effects of the scalp massages. Essential oils have also been proven to have positive effects when used in the treatment of alopecia areata.

 

How to do A Scalp Massage

  • Step 1 – select your oils.
    You should choose the carrier oil and the essential oil(s) you would like to use.
    A few examples of carrier oils that can be used include Jamaican Black Castor Oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, grapseed oil.
    Some of the essential oils that have been shown to be good for scalp massages include rosemary, peppermint, lavender, thyme, cedarwood, etc. For my scalp massages I tend to use one teaspoon of carrier oil mixed with 4 to 6 drops of essential oils.

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  • Step 2 – Dip and Apply
    Dip the pads of your finger tips into the mixed oils and apply it to your scalp

 

  • Step 3 – Knead or manipulate
    Use the pads of your finger tips to knead/manipulate/move your scalp in a gentle circular motion staring from the front at your hairline and working your way back towards your nape.
    Apply gentle pressure with your fingers during the massage.
    Do not tangle or rub the hair on your scalp, the aim is to move/knead the scalp not the hair on the scalp. The scalp massage should last between 5 to 10 minutes.

 

As always I hope you have found this post helpful and I encourage you incorporate regular scalp massaging in your hair regimen. When I ‘am being good, I try to massage my scalp twice a week and I would do it often if I had the time.
Do you already massage your scalp regularly?  If yes what oils do you use and how do you think its improved your hair?

My next post will be another educative post about how to understand what your hair is telling you.

See you soon

X

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow

Hair Update

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Hello ladies

Its time I share my hair update especially since I have managed to stay on track after narrowly escaping a major setback late last year. I am proud of myself for that 🙂

I had a wash day a few days ago and decided I might as well take a few pictures to share with you all. I took these pictures 4 days after my wash day and had not combed my hair since wash day. I haven’t done a proper length check in such a while and decided to do and impromptu one hence me pulling my hair in all kinds of angles. This is the wrong time to do a length check though as my hair is sooooo many weeks post relaxer and isn’t its “normal self” at the moment.

 

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How Many Weeks Post am I?

I am currently 19 weeks post relaxer. I think I have about 2 inches of new growth.

 

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Cousin Itt vibes 🙂

 

 

Current State of My Hair

When my hair is this many weeks post relaxer, it tends to feel mega dry despite me moisturising and sealing daily. It also tends to feel stiff and is difficult to style. I usually switch to heavier products when my hair begins to act this way.

The thing that annoys me is how the length of my hair tends to clump together and matt when it has a lot of new growth. It means I have to detangle it daily or every other day and this can be quite time consuming. This is the biggest challenge I have with my hair at the moment and it is the reason I use wigs to help me avoid spending so much time on hair care daily. Please click here to see my wig regimen.
What I do looooove about my hair having this much new growth is how much volume my hair has. My buns look huge and I can create a lot of gravity defying up-does.

All in all I am really pleased my hair and I have kissed and made up after I neglected it for about a month. My hair looks healthy and my ends aren’t bad either. But this is because I trimmed off about an inch and half a few weeks ago.

 

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That’s my hair update in a nutshell. What’s happening with your hair ladies? How many weeks post are you? What challenges are you facing with your hair at the moment?

My next post will be an educative one about how scalp massages help boost hair growth. Come back soon!!!!

x

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow

Penetrating versus Partially Penetrating Oils

 

Me: Do you moisturise and seal your hair regularly in between your wash days?
Client: yes I do, very regularly
Me: That’s good, so what products do you use to moisturise your hair?
Client: coconut oil
Me: oh!!!, I mean before sealing with the coconut oil what do you use to moisturise your hair?
Client: well, the label of my coconut oil says it can be used to moisturise hair so I just use it alone
Me: Erm…….

 

Hello ladies,

My post this week is inspired by the conversation I had with one of my consultation clients.
I recall before my hair journey, I would spend what felt like a lifetime in the hair product aisles trying to find a product to stop the extreme breakage I was experiencing. Reading through the product descriptions, many claimed to do it all…. give your hair strength whilst making it soft, stop breakage and repair split ends, protect my hair from heat damage and so on….all in one product.
Each would present itself as the messiah to all my hair problems and I would leave the store with my purchases hopeful that I’d found the holy grail product. Well fast forward many years later, I know better and many of you do too.

It is better to know what hair needs and what product ingredients are able to meet these needs. This is the best way to avoid being misled by product labels. In this post I will be talking about penetrating oils (which some people refer to as moisturising oils) and partially penetrating oils. I will also give advice on how best to use them in your hair regimens.


Penetrating Oils and Their Benefits

In general, each strand of hair has three layers, the cuticle (the outer most layer) the cortex ( the middle layer) and the medulla ( the innermost layer).
The structure of some oils allows them to penetrate through the layers of our hair strands gradually over time.  So when used on our hair as a sealant, they initially form a good seal however these oils will gradually sink into our hair fibres and the seal will not be as good, ie moisture will be able to escape from or be absorbed into our hair when the sealing effect is reduced.
Penetrating oils do have some moisturising properties however please note that for black hair care purposes, used alone, they may not provide adequate hydration for our thirsty locks.

Benefits Of Penetrating Oils
Hair absorbs water when being washed and it often swells to the point that the cuticle layer will begin to crack and split with regular washing.   This is known as hydral fatigue. Hair that has damaged cuticles tends to look rough and frizzy and will be more prone to tangling.

The key benefit of penetrating oils is that they helps to prevent hydral fatigue when used as a prepoo. Coating your hair with a penetrating oil like coconut oil and giving it an hour or two to penetrate into the hair fibres will prevent your hair from absorbing too much water during the washing process.

Using a penetrating oil as a pre-poo reduces the risk of hydral fatigue thereby preserving the hair fibre and helping to prevent protein loss. This helps hair remain healthy looking and keeps it feeling smooth.

Penetrating oils can also be mixed in with your deep conditioner and used for oil rinses.

 

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Partially-Penetrating Oils and Their benefits

These oils only penetrate the outer layers of hair fibres and for this reason they tend to work really well as sealants. Partially penetrating oils tend to give hair shine and lubrication so that it tangles less. Some examples of partially penetrating oils are olive, avocado, grapeseed, argan oils, etc.

If your hair tends to get dry very quickly after you have moisturised and sealed you may want to try a partially-penetrating oil because it creates a more long lasting seal, it will trap the moisture in your hair for longer.
I hope you have found this post informative and helpful. What oils do you use for your pre-poo and as a sealant? Are there some oils that work better for you than others? Please share.

The next post which will be my hair update post will be up next. See you soon

X

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow