Natural Hair Tips: 12 Protective Styling Tips For The Winter

By: Emily-Ann

It’s getting cold outside baby, and your hair is letting you know it. In my case I’ve got type 4 A/B hair. This means my hair is prone to extra dehydration around this time. I found that my spray bottle and black Castor oil are my best friend. In saying that, I have been scrolling through Pinterest, and looking at protective styles. I am seeing beautiful workmanship in braids and interesting details in hair jewelry. Our culture is so diverse and talented I kind of forget to celebrate just that. 

We express our self through hair, dance, music, and clothing. It’s really great to see the different ways of braiding your hair. If you're looking for some inspiration, you can definitely find a ton of work on Pinterest. Here are some ideas to try out this holiday season. I know for many of us, we are the caregivers in our family big or small. The last thing you want to think about it is your hair. I’m sure your hair will understand and appreciate the tiny break. 

Don’t forget to take mini breaks in between protective styling and be kind to your edges. Speak up with your stylist if you feel the braiding is too tight as well. Happy styling everyone.

Reminders

• Give your edges a break, the constant manipulation can do more harm than good.

• Keep your scalp moisturized by using applicants with your favorite mixture. My mixture is Aussie moisture conditioner, and Olive Oil

• Get a good sealant, Black Castor oil, Grapeseed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, and Jojoba Oil. These are just a few great oils.

• Get hot oil treatments and or a protein mask. If your hair isn’t sensitive to protein treatments.

• Use heat to help products penetrate the hair follicles. For example, personal heat cap, hooded dryer, or for the lazy natural use your shower steam to help apply products. It works just as well.

• Apply the Greenhouse method for moisture retention. This is achieved by placing a plastic bag/cap over your hair and leave the bag/cap overnight to let your natural body heat do the work. Place a satin scarf or bonnet over your hair and continue the night time routine. In the morning remove it and let your hair dry. Do this method maybe 1-2 times a week.

• Pre poo your hair with your favorite conditioner. The more slip the better, helps to avoid breakage and retain the length you did achieve. 

• Trim your edges as it’s the oldest and weakest part of your hair

• Part your hair in sections, much easier to work with

• Sleep with a satin pillowcase or bonnet

• Tuck in your ends

• Try to purchase slick lined winter accessories, less snagging and pulling of the hair

Enjoy the holiday season 247liveculture family!

Disclaimer: I am not a professional hairstyle nor do I claim to be one. Always seek out professional and licensed stylist in your area. I am natural hair enthusiast, sharing my tips, tricks and stories at successful managing my natural hair with my fellow naturals.

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Determining Your Hair Porosity | The Key to Healthy Natural Hair

By: Natasha Marsh

I am still quite new to the natural hair club. It was 9 months ago that I did the big chop and since then I have experimented with a plethora of natural hair products. I am starting to understand my hair a lot better but of course, there have been some bad hair days sprinkled in. A few months ago I was at the airport going through TSA when the agent looked at my passport picture, showing myself with a long mane, and then at me with my current short hair and said “so you chopped it all huh sis”. Beaming with delight and confidence I said “sure did”. To my surprise she says “ you should look up porosity” hands me back my passport and says “next”. At the time, I had no idea what hair porosity was, all I knew was this TSA agent didn’t have the friendliest tone in suggestion. 

When I eventually looked up hair porosity I was shocked that my stylist never mentioned it, after all the times I inquired about what products were good for my hair. Porosity refers to how well your hair absorbs and holds moisture. Most naturals, like myself, only consider curl patterns when curating a hair care regime, but porosity could be the answer to all our bad hair days. 

Basically, each individual hair strand is made of multiple layers. The outermost layer is called the cuticle. This layer opens up and allows oils and water to pass in and out of your hair. How porous hair can be is generally based off of genetics but can be greatly affected by coloring, heat styling or relaxing the hair. 

Any woman with curls will tell you, caring for and styling curly hair is no easy task. Understanding your porosity level is essential in understanding what products to use. Generally there are three tiers-- low, medium, and high porosity. To figure out what tier you are, take the below test. 

THE TEST 

1. Float test- Take a couple of strands of hair from your combo or brush and drop them into a bowl of water. Make sure hair is clean as oil in hair can affect results. Let hair sit in the cup for at least 5 minutes. If your hair floats, you have low porosity. If it sinks, you have high porosity. 2. The slip n’ slide test: take a strand of hair and slide fingers toward the scalp. If you feel bumps along the way, this means that your cuticle is lifted and you have high porosity. If your fingers slip smoothly, then you have low porosity hair. 

LOW POROSITY HAIR 

Low porosity hair has a cuticle layer that is too tightly together, making it difficult for moisture or anything to enter the hair shaft. Generally you have low porosity if your hair takes a while to dry or if products sit on your hair instead of penetrate. 

You’ll want to avoid using too many creams. The likelihood of buildup with multiple creams, shampoos, and conditioners, is high. If product is sitting on your hair it makes it harder for moisture to get through which ultimately leads to dryness. We recommend using lightweight formulas, indirect heat (hot water or heated deep conditioners) to open cuticles to let moisture in, and a weekly clarifying shampoo to remove residue. 

MEDIUM POROSITY HAIR 

Hair with medium porosity is the sweet spot, often requiring slim to no maintenance. The cuticle layer is looser, allowing moisture to get in and preventing too much from escaping. Hair with normal porosity tends to hold styles well, and can easily be colored or permed. Over time, however, these heat processes can change hair from normal to high porosity. To keep medium porosity, you’ll want to look for products for normal to dry hair as there is no need for a lot of conditioning. 

HIGH POROSITY HAIR 

If you have chemically processed hair or live in a big city with lots of pollutants you most likely fall into the high porosity category. The cuticle here has numerous gaps and holes, letting in too much moisture but instantly tangled or frizzed once dry. Essentially, getting the moisture in your hair is no problem, however, keeping it takes work. The key to high porosity is hydrating with moisturizing cleansing conditioners and leave-in conditioners, strengthen the cuticle with protein treatments, and locking in moisture with a gel or styler.

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Do You Want Long Natural Hair? 4 Essential Oils For Natural Hair Growth

By: Emily-Ann

Growing long natural hair can be daunting especially if you’ve been relaxed for a long time. Sometimes you don’t know where to begin. You can also become obsessed with playing with it and wanting to keep touching it. Our hair is very delicate, and the kinkier it is, the more delicate the hair is. Reality hits and you start to question yourself. Why can’t I grow long natural hair? How can i make my hair grow faster? You see the women and even men on social media with big natural hair. Take inventory of your natural hair care products and what you are using on daily. There are some essential oils for hair growth that you may want to implement to get your natural hair and curls to the next level! Remember this equation if nothing else I mention here.

Essential oils + massage = healthy, happy scalp, and growth

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care Products For Black Hair: What’s in Your Spray Bottle?

Let’s talk about Vitamin E! It reduces inflammation, repairs damage to the follicles and encourages growth. Typical application in oil form can prevent dry hair issues. Let’s be real this summer has been a heat wave and with high scoring temperatures, and our hair and curls are bound to suffer from the sudden high-temperature environment. Not to mention daily manipulation and styling effects.

Another essential oil that you may or may not be familiar with is Jojoba oil. This oil helps the scalp to maintain a natural balance of oils, and at the same time moisturizes the scalp and follicles without leaving any residue. Vitamin E helps to repair damaged hair follicles that may be at the root of your hair growth problems.

>> SEE ALSO: Top 10 Things You Should Know About Natural Hairstyles For Black Women

You can also add foods to your diet that contain high sources of Vitamin E, like sweet potato, olive oil, butternut squash, avocado, and spinach just to name a few.      

Peppermint Oil is another great oil to include in your natural hair care products collection and hair growth oil regimen. Remember to use a carrier oil because this oil is pretty strong alone. It helps to increase blood circulation to the scalp which will also help stimulate hair growth. 

Rosemary oil is good for those who are experiencing a handful of hair loss. It can promote strong, thick, and luscious hair. Rosemary oil acts like an antibacterial agent for your scalp. Healthy hair growth takes time, and patience. Some naturals can easily find what natural hair care products and methods work best for them. Keep in mind that you are unique, and so is your hair. Therefore, your journey will not be the same.

>> SEE ALSO: Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

You may want to speak with your doctor and discuss multivitamins being added to your diet. There are many chewable vitamins on the market right now. It's an alternative option for those of you who are not the pill taking type. Although multivitamins can aid in boosting your overall health it should not be taken as a replacement for good natural hair practices. Ultimately, you are responsible for the consistent practices and patience if your goal is grow long natural hair!

Stick to protective style methods and make a few dietary changes. Don’t forget to trim when needed and dust the ends with sharp hair scissors. Use the right tools is key to great results. Practice good hair hygiene by cleaning not only your hair but your hair tools.

Comment below with your thoughts on this post or let us know what you would like to see discussed here.

Disclosure: I am not an expert nor do I claim to be one, these tips and tricks are what I have found to work for me. Please, consult your doctor or healthcare professional before taking any multivitamins if you have health condition or taking any other medication..

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Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

By: Emily-Ann

I know you are all familiar with saying, “The rules are meant to be broken”. I think it’s no different when it comes to hairstyles for african american women. Now, I am not telling you to completely break all of the rules, but there are a few you can tweak or just throw it all way. I’ve listed a few that I feel you can do without.

The first one would be the Denman Brush. This is a staple in the natural hair community and the brush is said to be a must-have when you are dealing with natural hairstyles for black women. The rule here is to remove every other row; I did not do that, needless to say I found the brush to do more harm than good. I’ve used this brush, and all it did was cause grief. It literally pulled out more hair than anything else and not only did I break this rule but I threw it in back of my closet never to be seen again. Okay, well that is not entirely true. I can’t stand not being organized, even if it’s something as small as that. I did purchase a plastic bin to place all my hair tools.  

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care: Eco Styler Gel Is Cancelled

There is another debate that seems to be going on in the natural hair community. The question that seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. Do you co-wash vs. use shampoo? Now for those of you who are new, let me break down real quick to you. The term co-wash, simply means to use conditioner in place of shampoo to perform your washes. There is a lot of back and forth about this particular method. I have done this method for awhile and I can honestly tell you that I have mix feelings. I say break this rule, it’s okay to do co-wash once in awhile, but honestly I did not see any real benefits.

>> SEE ALSO: Top 10 Things You Should Know About Natural Hairstyles For Black Women

There are so many chemical free shampoos now on the market, and wide selection to choose from. We no longer have that small section in the drug store. Growing up my mother had to take me to a small neighborhood beauty supply store just to get my natural hair care products. I can now walk-in a walmart or another store, and find black hair care products on shelves. It’s okay to put back the shampoo in your routine, just make sure to read the label. I can give you example; I am currently using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter line. My main focus is on moisture retention, so I purchase products that will promote just that. I have type 4 natural hair, with low porosity so my hair goals may be different from your own. I find that it is in great benefit to know your natural hair types and porosity level for this very reason. Trust me, you’ll thank me later for encouraging you to know your natural hair types.

>> SEE ALSO: Transitioning to Natural Hair: Are You Ready?

When it comes to oils, this would be the top of the list for best natural hair products in the natural hair community. If you guessed Coconut oil, you are correct! I am not one of these naturals that has success with this oil, so don't feel bad because I feel your pain. I say break this rule too! Whoever said that coconut oil works for all natural hair types is lying lol! I often discuss this in my own personal blog post at Blushgirlcurl, and I am very honest when it comes to expressing my feelings about natural black hair products. Go ahead, put it down and break this rule, if it doesn't work for your or your hair that’s okay! Pass it on to another natural who may have some success with coconut oil. It’s okay hunny, I won’t tell!

Last but definitely not least; the liquid oil cream method or LOC method, which is the grandfather of all rules when it comes to learning how to take care of natural hair. This is like the holy grail of natural hair care rules and until recently, I thought breaking this rule would doom your chances of success! I thought you had to follow this method when trying to figure out how to make my hair grow faster. I happen to come across an article that suggested trying a  different order for you hair type. This concept surprised me and I did try this out to see if it would work for me. I broke this rule and the order, I am now using LCO for my method of choice. If you are lost and have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, allow me to elaborate further. The LOC method, stands for Leave-in, Oil, and Cream, which is the chosen standard for sealing in moisture in the hair for extended periods of time. I broke this rule, well kinda and switched the order to see if the results would change. I switched it up and found that my natural hair responded much better to the LCO, rather than the LOC. 

Don't be afraid to try different methods to see which one works for you! Let me know in the comments below, what rules have you broken and have gained success?

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: black natural hairstyles, black natural hair, black natural hair products, black natural curly hair, natural hairstyles

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