Rehairducation

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

New Hair Style Series

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Hello ladies,

Last year, I forced myself to get out of my hairstyling laziness/rut by starting a bun of the month series.
I tried to come up with simple and easy to do bun hairstyles each month that were different from the everyday super plain ones I usually wear.

The bun of the month series went down well and this year I’ve decided to start an up-do of the month series.
Now here’s the thing….. I love up-does…. but I love them more on other ladies.  I actually do like creating them but the reality is that I will probably keep wearing my buns or faux bobs when I have my hair out because I prefer them for myself.   I’ll probably save the up-does for special occasions.

And on that note, here is the first up-do of the series.

Please look past the facial expression and focus on the height of the style 🙂

 

I absolutely loved how much height the front/top of the style had (thanks to my new growth and all the texture left in my texlaxed hair). I don’t know how I managed to forget to take a picture of the back of it.   I’ll do better ladies, I promise.


Please come back soon for the educative post about how scalp massaging boosts hair growth.

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

 

 

Highlights of 2016

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I wore my hair in a faux bob over most the holidays

Happy New Year ladies

I do realise that we are in the middle of January already but even if I didn’t get this post out till June I would still start by wish you all the very best of life, good health, peace and happiness in 2017. Thank you all so much for your continued support, feedback and encouragement. To all the new readers…I see you!!
In 2016 so many of my long term dreams and ambitions for Hairducation actually materialised and this I know has been the grace of God…without a doubt. The year began with me speaking about hair care on Moments ( a popular talk show in Nigeria).

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I also began writing hair care articles for BellaNaija, updated the look of Hairducation and worked super hard on improving the quality of the pictures on the site by learning photography which is been a hobby I’ve wanted to get into for so long.  The following pictures are not hair related but they show progress and growth  in my photography so I guess they fit in with the theme of the blog.

The very first photo I took with a DSLR camera

.                               …after a few weeks of learning and practice, I got a lot better.

 

Hairducation grew in so many ways and through all the wonderful experiences and interactions with so many of you; I’d like to believe I’ve grown too.

What took me by surprise was how the consultation service I offer really took off in 2016, especially with international clients. I have had clients from Canada, Ghana, Tanzania, Australia, London, New York, Ohio, Washington, Boston and many more states across America. It’s also been an honour and so much fun to meet and coach so many amazing ladies.   My youngest client is 8 weeks old and the most mature is in her 80’s. So you can just begin to imagine the huge variety of ladies I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
I have also had so many readers send me emails or tag me in their pictures to let me know how well their hair is doing from what they have learnt on Hairducation. All the above continues to make blogging about hair care worth it.

I think it is very important to give a balanced perspective of things, especially because we live in an age where social media can create the impression that other people have perfect lives. I assure you that in some ways I too felt the wrath of 2016, there were many disappointments and some things just fell apart. When things fall apart, we just have to find the strength and courage to put ourselves back together with the hope that everything will work out for the best.
I have big plans to improve Hairducation even more in 2017.  As always, my aim is to do more to help you with your hair journey and to do my bit in dispelling the lie that black hair is bad hair.   Again I thank God and all of you for making it possible for me to live out this dream.

What are your plans and hair goals for 2017??  Mine is to try to be consistent through the whole year.

My next post will be about penetrating and non-penetrating oils and how best to use both on your wash day and through the week. I’ll also have a hair update post up soon.

Happy hair journey

X

Lade