Rehairducation – Page 29 – Hair Care for Hair Growth

Lade December 5, 2014

TOP 7 HAIR CARE PRACTICES ( Which Made My Hair Journey Successful)

I was looking through some of my really old (and mostly blurry) hair pictures and was reminiscing about the ups and downs my hair journey.

I found myself thinking about the practices that I believed truly made my hair journey a success and decided it would be a good blog post. I hope this post will serve as a reminder that hair care techniques are way more important than hair products for a hair journey to be successful.

My Top 7 Changes I Made To My Hair Care Habits

Please note that this list is personal. These techniques may have different effects on your own hair but as always I am only offering up my own experience as a guide.

No 7 : Air Drying

Pre Hair Journey:
I knew regular washing was supposed to be good for black hair so I would wash my hair weekly and I would blow dry on a high heat setting. I would drag the comb attachment of the blow dryer through my hair. Unbeknown to me a lot of things I was doing on my wash days were making my hair break and was actually causing damage.
Blow drying on high heat always left my hair feeling extremely dry and brittle…aka crunchy. I would lose sooooo much hair but thought that was expected for black hair.
I had read in so many magazines that blow drying wasn’t great for our hair but I always thought “common, once a week can’t hurt”.

Post Hair Journey:
I decided to give the air drying thing a try. What I noticed firstly was that I didn’t have tons of hair breaking off each weekend and that may hair was did not feel as brittle. Although I did miss the swing that blow drying gave my hair.
With time I noticed a vast improvement in my hair and blow drying weekly became ancient history for me. My hair was getting fuller (because it was growing and I was getting less breakage) and it absorbed and retained moisture better.
After a few months of air drying, my hair looked so much healthier and had better elasticity. With time I have learnt how best to air dry my hair so that it feels bouncy and fluffy.

No 6 : Combing Only on Wash Days

Pre Hair Journey
I would comb my hair every morning before styling it because it seemed like a regular morning ritual…like brushing your teeth.
I would drag the comb through my hair and loads of hair would break off.

Post Hair Journey
I finally understood that our hair is fragile and realised that daily combing was not advisable for black hair. Combs tend to cause breakage when dragged through matted or tangled hair. Combing regularly also physically stresses and contributes to the damage of our hair fibres over time.
Weaker damaged hair = higher risk of breakage

The less often we comb our hair the better. This does not mean we should allow our hair to tangle and matt. Finger detangling and finger combing is a better option. Also you can locate and remove tangles better with our fingers.
I initially switched to combing my hair a few times a week and eventually began combing it only on wash days. I noticed less breakage and less thinning of my hair at my ends.

No 5 : Moisturising and Sealing

Pre Hair Journey
I used to use greasy products to “moisturise” my hair. I thought at the time that moisturising my hair was something I need to do to make styling my hair easier. Applying a form of hair crème or grease and then combing my hair was just another morning ritual. I never ever sealed my hair before my hair journey.
My hair always felt coated but dry.

Post Hair Journey
I finally understood why black hair tends to be drier than that of other races and that this was why ensuring our hair is moisturised is important to minimise breakage. I began to experiment with a few “truly” moisturising products and picked the ones I felt worked best with my hair.
I learnt about the benefits of sealing with an oil to help lock in moisture within our strands for longer.
My hair felt soft through the week and was not weighed down with grease. I also noticed that I had less breakage when my hair was due for a relaxer touch up. This was because I had learnt the importance of keeping my new growth well moisturised.

Texlax Result December 2010. This was 1 year and 3 months into my hair journey and I could see that all my hard work begining to pay off.

No 4 : Working in Sections

Pre Hair Journey
I knew nothing about caring for hair in sections. I thought hair only had to be sectioned for processes like relaxing or perhaps trimming.

Post Hair Journey
I learnt a lot from other ladies who had started their hair journey before me and inspired me to start my own journey. These ladies often talked about applying product in sections to ensure even distribution and to have better access to their roots.
They also discussed combing and manipulation their hair in sections to reduce the risk of tangling and breakage. I tried it and experienced all the benefits I had read about.

A huge benefit that I would like to add is that working in sections will help you get to know your hair a little better. I was able to identify which part of my hair grew faster or slower, which parts sheds more, which parts were sensitive at the scalp, which parts needed more or less products, which parts tangled more, etc. I think it’s the best way for you to learn how to understand YOUR hair so that you give it what it needs.

No 3- Protective Styling

Pre Hair Journey
I knew before I started my hair journey that regular heat styling should be avoided and that leaving my hair down every day could lead to dry frizzy and split ends. I ignored these facts and did whatever I liked with my hair. On some days if I was bored at home I would use a curling iron to create various styles in my hair just for fun and would be at it for over an hour.
When I started experiencing severe breakage I cut down the heat and wore my hair in ponytails (not buns). My ends were still exposed to the elements and would rub on the back of chairs, clothes and scarves, etc which led to split ends.

Post Hair Journey
I realised that the mistake I was making was not fully grasping the concept of protective styling. I was only going half way…I was wearing protective styles but did nothing to care for my hair whilst it was in those protective styles. So even though I began hiding my hair under wigs my hair continued to suffer from neglect.
Some of my styles were low manipulation hair styles like the ponytail but they were not completely protective because my ends would get dry from exposure to sun and wind. They were also sustaining damage and wear and tear. I would need to trim very regularly as I always had split ends.
Now when my hair is out I ensure that majority of my ends are hidden in the styles I choose to wear. Off course I can leave it down occasionally if I want to.
I created my wig regimen which I still follow to ensure my hair would not become damaged from neglect when wearing wigs.
With my wig regimen, I was able to retain more hair than ever before and as I have always said, this was the regimen that took me from shoulder length to bra strap length and beyond.
This was my own personal formula for growing (retaining) hair.

Texlax Result January 2012. This was 2 years and 4 months into my hair journey. I saw this picture and then I really believed that my hair could groooooow just like all those ladies I had seen on YouTube

2- Balancing the Use of Protein & Moisture

Pre Hair Journey
I knew absolute zero about whether a product was protein based or moisture based or how it affected my hair.
What I did know was that my hair always felt dry, brittle and crunchy like dry hay or straw leaves. I had no idea that using my hair products incorrectly was the cause of this.

Post Hair Journey
On starting my hair journey, I would often notice write ups about protein and moisture balance but always ignored them. Finally one day on a long commute to work I read about it and suddenly EVERYTHING (on a hair front) made sense. It was the missing piece of the puzzle for me.

With protein and moisture balancing I could “choose” how I wanted to make my hair feel but most importantly I understood what my hair needed to thrive. My hair was no longer a mystery.
I understood why my hair had been feeling dry for years…….90% of my products were protein. I remembered times in the past when my hair felt mushy and limp and over stretchy and realised that that had been caused by using too many moisture products.
Its like my eyes were finally open and I felt like Neyo in The Matrix.

Now my approach to selecting conditioners and leave in conditioners is always guided by whether the product is moisture or protein based. My hair thanks me for this by thriving.

Please see this post for more information about protein and moisture balancing.

No 1 : Washing in Braids

Pre Hair Journey
I always washed my hair together as one and was usually left with very matted and tangled hair on most wash days. Every wash day felt like a mini set back. I would lose tons of hair.
The worst thing is that when I wore weaves or braids, I would sometimes try to wash and deep condition my hair a week before relaxing because I read in a magazine that it would prepare my hair for relaxing. However, when I followed that advice I often suffered from major tangling and locking which would result in major setbacks.
I decided to begin relaxing my hair the same day I removed extensions which obviously caused its own set of problems and I would still lose a lot of hair. It was a lose-lose situation.
My wash day tangles were one of the major reason my hair never really grew past shoulder length.

Post Hair Journey
I am not sure when exactly on my hair journey I learnt about washing hair in box braids but I can say that for ME without a doubt this is the ultimate technique. It stopped completely what was causing ME to have minor and major setbacks with my hair. So for me it is number one because it was the solution to MY biggest hair problem.
Although my wash days became significantly more time consuming as have to put my hair in box braids before washing, it is worth it. I always ALWAYS wash my hair in braids.

Ladies whatever challenges you are facing on your hair journey, do a little research on what that problem is and see how other ladies have overcome it. Remember what works for someone may not work for you but if you don’t try then you will never know.

This post was waaaaay longer than I planned but I hope it has encouraged someone out there to not give up on this mini lifestyle change we call a hair journey.
I still have my challenges but hey….its not called a journey for nothing….. I am still learning, changing and growing…..
What issues are you having on your hair journey ladies? What have you tried to overcome them?

The next blog post will be a hair update and a hair style pictorial. I really wasn’t keen on the last ones I did and I am determined to do better on the next one.
See you soon

Lade
Learn | Change | Grow

Lade November 23, 2014

My Leave-in Conditioners and I

Despite how it looks, I really wasn’t shoving hair products up my nose…….

Hello ladies

How are we all doing? I hope you are being good to yourself and your hair.
I decided to write this blog post because I am often asked when and how I use my leave in conditioners. I may be wrong but I get the impression that ladies who are new to hair journeys get slightly confused between leave-in conditioning and moisturising and sealing and at what stage on their wash day to do either.

I have written posts about leave-in conditioning and moisturising and sealing previously. In this post I will be addressing leave-in conditioning in a more practical way. I will be sharing what my staple leave-in conditioners are, how and when I use them in my regimen. What I hope to achieve by sharing my approach is to give one example of how leave-in conditioning can brought into a hair regimen.

Before I get into it, ladies please note that products which make my hair feel great may have a different effect on your hair and vice versa.
Our hair reacts differently to various products and this is why it is important to not focus too much on what other people are using. It is okay to experiment with recommended products but always be guided by how a product makes YOUR hair feel before deciding on whether to carry on using it in your regimen.

MY LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS

Aphogee Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer (Protein)

How I discovered this product

I discovered Aphogee a few months before I began my hair journey. It was during the phase when I was experiencing severe breakage and even my work mates at the time noticed my hair was disappearing. I was talking to one of them about my hair woes and she mentioned that a product line called Aphogee was great for hair breakage. I initially bought the two step treatment and the Keratin and Green Tea Reconstructor. The two step treatment didn’t seem to do much for my hair but immediately I sprayed on the Keratin and Green Tea Recontructor my breakage reduced instantly.
I loved the fact that on my wash days and for a few days afterwards my breakage was reduced.
Although I made some mistakes with this product (mainly spraying on too much which caused my hair to feel extremely brittle) I learnt how to use it correctly and it has been a permanent part of my regimen for over 5 years now.

When do I use this product?
On wash days after shampooing and deep conditioning.

How I apply this product
After shampooing and deep conditioning my hair in box braids, I unravel and detangle one box braid and spray 2 to 3 pumps of the Aphogee on my palms and apply it to the section that I have just detangled. I apply it from root to tip ensuring my ends get a good share of the product.

Why do I like this product
The simple answer is that it works well with my hair. It makes my hair feel strong and smooth. I like that it contains a lot of hydrolyzed proteins. This means that the protein in the product has been broken down so that it is small enough to be absorbed and/or bind to hair cuticles.
It is very light and non greasy so it tends to leave my hair feeling bouncy and fluffy.

What I do not like about this product
Using too much of this can lead to really dry and brittle hair which breaks easily.

Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Cream (mild protein)

How I discovered this product

I had seen a few good reviews of this product across several hair blogs. I was stocking up on hair products and noticed the leave-in on one of the shelves. On a whim I decided to try it. It was love at first application. This product has been a staple of mine for about 4 years.

When do I use this product
I use this on my wash days and during the week for moisturising my hair.

How do I apply this product
On wash days: after applying the Ahpogee, I apply a mixture of the Cantu Shea butter and Luster’s S-curl to the section of hair that has just been detangled. I apply the mixture from root to tip.
For moisturising and sealing – I apply a mixture of the Cantu Shea Butter and Luster’s S-curl to my hair in sections from root to tip and seal with coconut or olive oil.

Why Do I Like This Product
Like I noted above, I fell in love with this product at first application…why??? Because it made my hair feel super super smooth. I like the consistency of the cream, it is light and non sticky or greasy. It leaves my hair feeling hydrated, soft and smooooooooth.
My sister in-law and niece who are both natural love it too.

What I do not like about this product
I initially used the Cantu to moisturise daily without mixing it with any other product but I noticed that by the third or fourth day my hair would feel a little coated and …weird.
When I use this product mixed with s-curl I do not have this problem.

Luster’s S-Curl “No-Drip” Curl Actor

How I discovered this product
Similar to the Cantu Shea Butter, I had seen the product being used by several ladies on hair blogs and decided to try it. I was aware of s-curl before my hair journey but thought it was strictly for people with Jherri curls.
I hated it at first but when mixed with my cantu shea butter I really like it.

When do I use this product
I use this on my wash days and during the week for moisturising my hair.

What Do I Like about This product
I like that it is makes my hair feel very well moisturised.
When I am deep on my stretch I love that I can spray it on my new growth and it softens my new growth really well. I also like its consistency: it is very light and non greasy.

What I do not like about this product
When I use it on its own daily to moisturise and seal, it tends to make my hair feel mushy and limp by the third day. However when mixed with cantu shea butter I do not experience this.

Additional Points

On my wash day after applying my leave in conditioners, I air dry my hair and then moisturise and seal either on the same day or maybe the next depending on what I think my hair needs….and how tired I feel.

I have to emphasise that my way is not the only way. It’s what I have learnt works for me and I would love to know about what works for you. What are your leave –in conditioners, what do you like about them and how do you use them?

I am still planning on uploading a video at some point. I just have to figure out how to overcome a few network issues.
In the interim the next blog post will be about the top 6 changes I made to my hair care habits which helped me “grow” my hair. I hope you’ll come back soon to see what they are.

Lade
Learn | Change | Grow

Lade November 8, 2014

FOOD FOR GROWTH

Hello ladies

How are we all doing? I hope your hair journeys are still going well. It has been so lovely to meet some of you when I am out and about in Lagos. Life is still pretty busy for me but I realise now that I simply have to work harder on all fronts including blogging.

It is so easy to get caught up in hair products and hair care techniques that sometimes we forget that what we eat and how we treat ourselves affects our hair growth and hair loss. I am certainly guilty of this and perhaps this blog post can remind us all about the many benefits of having a good diet.

HOW DOES OUR DIET AFFECT HAIR GROWTH

Following on from my blog post about exercise and how it helps to encourage hair growth, I would like to discuss in this post the even more important topic of healthy eating and why it is essential for a lush head of hair.

The stronger and healthier the strands of hair we grow, the easier it will be for us to prevent the hair from breaking. When we don’t eat right even though hair growth may continue, the strands of hair we grow will be weaker and thinner than what they ought to be. Also our hair is likely to grow slower than it should when our diet is poor.

If I am honest my diet isn’t always the best but I certainly notice that when I go through one of my healthy lifestyle phases my skin looks good, I feel great and energized, my hair grows faster and my shedding reduces as well.
My biggest challenge is that I always fall off the wagon and end up going off my healthy lifestyle regimen. I am just not consistent. However I am always keen to get back on track.

Below are some of the foods we need to include in our diet to help our bodies stay healthy and encourage it to grow some beautiful and healthy head of hair.

FOOD FOR HEALTHY HAIR GROWTH

Protein

The majority of our hair fiber is made of a protein called keratin. Not eating sufficient amounts of protein will result in slow growing and weaker hair strands.
Our bodies produces proteins however there are some proteins which our bodies cannot produce such as amino acids which have to be provided from the food we eat.
To encourage hair growth and strength, make sure you eat a protein rich diet.
Good sources of protein include, beans, lentils, nuts, eggs, fish, yogurt, poultry and meat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is needed for healthy cell division.
Our hair grows when the cells at the base of hair follicles divide and increase in numbers. The older cells get pushed up, keratinized and become a hair fiber. Lack of cell division will result in slower growing hair.
Vitamin A also helps our bodies produce make sebum (our hair’s natural oil). Lack of sebum can lead to dry hair and scalp.
Sources of vitamin A include carrots, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, mangoes, spinach, dark leafy vegetables, milk cheese, eggs, etc.

Vitamin B

A diet which is low in vitamin B-complex can lead to hair loss and hair thinning. Vitamin B helps with tissue growth and repair.
Foods rich in vitamin B include beans, peas, carrots, bran, nuts, poultry, peanuts, almonds, whole grains, salmon, avocados, cheese, etc.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. It helps in the production of collagen, which helps our bodies absorb iron. It also facilitates the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of our bodies.
A diet that is poor in vitamin C can lead to dry, brittle hair and weak hair that will break easily.
Natural sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers , berries, kiwi, broccoli, etc.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects our bodies against free radicals. Free radicals can slow hair growth and cause premature greying.
Antioxidants like vitamin E neutralizes free radicals and keeps you and your hair healthy and vibrant.
Good sources of vitamin E include Avocados, peanuts, kiwi fruit, spinach, tomatoes, pepper, carrots.

IRON

Irons function is to carry oxygen from our lungs to various parts of our body including our scalp.
Iron deficiency can lead to the growth of dry and dull hair. It may also lead to an increase in shedding rates.

Good sources of iron include Lentils, kidney beans, green leafy vegetables, soybeans, bran, red meat, poultry and fish.

OMEGA 3

Omega-3 fatty acids are fats that help to keep our scalp and hair hydrated. Omega 3 helps to increase our hairs elasticity and strength. It therefore helps to reduce breakage.
Our bodies do not produce omega-3 on its own and so it must be obtained from our diet.
Food rich in Omega 3 include salmon, tuna, kale, broccoli, seeds and nuts, etc.

I I hope this post gives us another reason why we should all try to eat better ( and drink more water too). Personally I am keen to reduce my shedding rates and I truly believe that improving my diet ( on a more consistent level) will help me achieve this.
What are some of the reasons you want to improve your diet: to increase the speed of your hair growth, reduce shedding or just to be healthier overall?
The next blog post will be all about leave-in conditioners. From some of the comments and questions I get it seems some ladies are not sure of when exactly and how to use them. I will also be sharing what I love about my staple leave in conditioners and how I use them.

I may be wigging it at the moment but my leave in conditioners are still essential in my fight against breakage.

Seeing clients and still wearing my Hair by Type 4 “Runway” wig

I hope you have found this post helpful and that you’ll be back soon. happy hair journey.

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow

Lade October 27, 2014

HAIR & PRODUCT UPDATE

Hello Ladies

I can’t believe we are almost at the end of October already. I am back from my holiday which I enjoyed more than I intended to. Majority of the work I planned to do just didn’t happen. I am behind on everything!!!! But I am back to reality and have been eager to update the blog in a more helpful way. And that brings me to my next point…..videos!!!!

I was always adamant that I would not create videos for Hairducation because I felt it would be too time consuming and I know absolutely nothing about video editing, lighting, etc. However because I haven’t been consistent lately with blogging I thought I should go the extra mile in making it up to my readers by creating my very first video ever!!!

The fact is some things are better explained by video. I tried to write a blog post on how I detangle and finger comb my hair but realised quickly that a video would be more appropriate. As I am typing this up I don’t even know how to upload videos to Hairducation but I am sure I will figure it out.

(It turns out I cant and have to re-record the whole thing. I had to set up a You-tube page which I did. But the file is too large for me to upload the video to YouTube because the network/signal in my area is soooo poor it just isn’t working. I even went to an internet café and still no joy).
I intend to get on re-recording asap. In the interim please see my hair and product update below.

HAIR UPDATE – WIG REGIMEN MODE

I put my hair in 24 box braids whilst on holiday and I transitioned to my wig regimen.
I wore my Hair By Type 4 “Runway” wig which is a part of the R collection whilst on my break. I used to think the wig was a little on the long side but now that my hair is the same length it feels pretty normal. My own hair is not that thick though ( I wish).

Going to pick up my niece from school but first………

Again I was really slacked with hair care whilst I was away. On this trip I cleansed my scalp with wipes a few times but only moisturised twice in over three weeks…..#badhairblogger

My hair seems okay but it is quite dirty and my scalp is a little on the itchy side. I am about to start unravelling the box braids to wash and give my hair a much needed deep condition. Fingers crossed the neglect hasn’t done too much harm to it.

PRODUCT UPDATE

I had a good stash of hair products before my trip but off course I stocked up a little bit. As you can see I decided that I really like the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner and have decide to include it as one of my moisturising conditioner options.

You may also notice the huge jar of Motions Moisture Plus Conditioner. I mentioned in an old blog post that I would be giving this up and replacing it with Tresemme Nourishing Moisture. Although I still have a lot of “respect” for the Tresemme conditioner, when I was deep on my stretch it didn’t seem to moisturise my hair as well as the Motions did. So for that reason I decided to re-introduce Motions Moisture Plus into my regimen. I think I am going to stop fighting the fact that I like a conditioner that contains mineral oil. I guess it’s just meant to be.

Other products I stocked up on were coconut oil, rosemary and peppermint oils, Cantu Shea Butter leave in conditioning cream and S-curl.
I intend to spend the next few days playing catch upon all your emails, responding to questions and settling back to work.
The next blog post will be about food for growth, ie what we should be eating to help us grow healthy hair fibres and shortly after that the detangling video should be up. See you again soon.

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow

Lade September 28, 2014

HAIR STYLE PICTORIALS

Hello ladies

How is everyone’s hair journey going? I’ve been out the loop for a few weeks as I am enjoying my break in London. Its been brilliant seeing family and friends and getting through my eat list; all the food I’ve missed and intend to eat before I return to Nigeria. So blogging has been a lil slow. When I eventually found some time to take some pictures for the hair style pictorials, I didn’t think they were up to standard. I just felt the styles did not photograph as well as they look in person and that I did not prepare my hair well enough.

I wasn’t going to post the pictorials below but changed my mind eventually because I figured they could still be usefull to someone out there.

PICTORIAL ONE

PICTORIAL 2

I hope these pictorials give you an idea of how lovely these styles could be and if you are not a lazy hair styler like me you will probably do a much better job than I did in creating them.

The next blog post will be a guide on how my technique for finger combing my hair and how to prevent breakage when finger combing and detangling in general. I will try to get the post out before end of September so please come back soon.

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow