WATER, OUR HAIR'S BEST FRIEND.

 Although while growing up,i was taught to avoid water touching my hair except on wash days. that water was not good for my hairstyles and making my hair to last longer while in cornrows or braids, that water was the enemy!!!. Now that i know better, mineral oil and petroleum based products are our hair's real enemy.

Keeping our hair moisturized is one of the biggest challenges when on a healthy hair journey, as hydrated hair will experience less breakage.

   we can try keeping our hair moisturized by some of these methods:
Finish every wash with a cold rinse, washing our hair with warm water helps to remove dirts and products build up, it also increases the hair porosity i.e the cuticles open up so that all the good stuff from your shampoo and conditioner are easily absorbed.                        Rinsing hair with  cold water at the end of washing process will help to flatten the cuticle and lock in moisture.

• Always try to apply moisturizers to your hair before you applying natural oils and shea butter.                                          oil is not a moisturizer, oil and water don't mix hence when  used, oil  should be applied last so as to help hair retain moisture and natural oils and shea butter are excellent in locking in moisture.
  

spritz hair twice a day, this helps it hydrated.

• Drink lots of water; a lot of hydration operates from the inside of our bodies.
  
• sleep with satin bonnet at night or use satin pillow case, because cotton absorbs the moisture from your hair a lot more than satin does and it is also more smoother than cotton  so making your hair less vulnerable to breakage.
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• Also try wearing protective hairstyle when the weather is harsh. when its very hot or windy hair tends to dry out quickly.

SIMPLE HOMEMADE ALOE VERA LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER

I feel that there is no need to spend tons of money on some simple things you can easily make on your own, just like the aloe vera leave-in conditioner which of course is all natural and very healthy for your hair. the best part about making this conditioner is you only need three ingredients. 

With a pH range of 4.5, the acidity of aloe vera is what works for our advantage. it adds to closing the hair cuticle. this causes our hair to be smoother, minimizes fizz and gives our hair strands more definition and shine. 

pure aloe vera is light enough to keep hair moisturized without feeling greasy or weighed down. it also gives hair control without making it stiff and crunchy.

 
  Aloe vera gel leave-in conditioner.
4oz water
4oz aloe vera gel
10 drops of essential oil(pick any of your favorite!)

Add water and aloe vera gel into a small bowl and stir very well with spoon. pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake well. add your favorite essential oil and shake well and voila you have your own leave-in conditioner.
use daily or as often as needed to restore softness.

Benefits;

• gives hair moisture
• detangles
• defines curly hair
• reduces itchy scalp
• tames oily hair
• balances pH level of hair 

WASH DAY!!!!

• Pre-shampoo- this is basically applying a conditioning/treatment to the hair prior to shampooing/washing so as to help add moisture the the follicles.                                   i did mine by applying the hot oil treatment using extra virgin olive oil and grapeseed oil, the night before washing my hair.

shed hair after taking down my braid extensions.

• washing: i first saturated my hair with diluted apple cider vinegar to help remove product buildup from wearing braids for almost 5 weeks.

i shampooed all my hair without putting them in sections since my hair is not even ear length or shoulder length to put into sections.

• i towel dabbed the excess water before applying my homemade mayo/egg/honey deep conditioner.

i finger detangled before using wide tooth comb to complete the detangling, i made sure not to over comb,then covered it with a plastic bag and let it sit for about 2 hours.

• rinsed: i rinsed with cold water and also rinsed with black tea. and i let it air dry.
• results:my hair was clean and happily fresh and wash and there was less breakage than what i normally experience. the detangling process was my least favorite as my back hurts so bad from bending over and trying to run my fingers through my hair.

It took over 5 hours to complete the whole process, i can imagine what people with longer hair have to go through each wash day, because i was really exhausted from washing my very short ear length hair.

i pray and hope all my hard work will pay off.

TAKING DOWN BRAID EXTENSION

Since am trying to transition from relaxed to natural, i tend to mostly wear my hair in protective styles . am currently wearing box braids and i think it time to take then out, and knowing the time and energy i have put into caring for them, i really wanted to be careful when taking taking the extensions down so as to avoid damage or unnecessary breakage. and here are some important tips i found which i think can be very helpful.

NOTE; if your goal is to grow longer healthy hair, then never leave your braids extensions in your hair longer than 10 weeks.

 if you mess up your extension removal process all your hair growth and handwork will be in vain.
  Before you begin taking down your braids, realize that every average person sheds between 70-100 hairs a day. so when removing braids which has been in for weeks without manipulation your hair must experience some shedding.this shedding is natural, this is the hair that would have come-out on a daily basis if the hair was not braided.
Before you start your braid extension removal process, try having the following;
conditioner-

rat tail comb

well manicured fingernails free of snags and chips

 and you will also need plenty of time and patience!!!!!!!!!!!


_be sure your fingernails are well filed and oiled,because your finger will be doing most of the work when removing your braid extensions. if you have snags or chipped nails in your fingernails this will break your hair.

_if your hair is short and you are absolutely sure where your own hair stops in the braids, then you can go ahead and cut your braids few inches below where you know your natural hair stops. this will definitely save you several hours and lots of energy. if you are not sure where your own hair stops at the braid extensions then you can use the rat tail comb to unravel your braids or twist.

_if you find that your own hair has matted or stuck to the extension, then apply some oil to the hair as you are unravelling the braids. when you come across a snag or knot do not tug or force it, stop and apply some conditioner to the knot then continue to slowly unravel the braid carefully.

_once you have removed all your extensions form your hair, apply a generous amount of conditioner to soak into your hair. use fingers to untangle your hair and remove all knots or tangle from each section of the hair. many times you will feel a knot where the hair extension was attached and will also feel the accumulation of dust and lint. you want to unravel this gently because this is where most of us become impatient and loose most of our hair.

_when you are finished with the de-tangling process you can then use a wide tooth comb and comb through the entire hair.

THE GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

 The belief is that if you use the greenhouse effect, your scalp will thrive because it is moist, if you have healthy and happy scalp, your hair will grow as well. i even read that it can double and triple hair growth.
 
   some benefits:

• hair growth
• naturally softening the hair
• moisturised hair has more definition
• it is easier to seal in the moisture                                                   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  At bedtimes, apply some oils on the length of your hair this step is optional if your hair is already oiled.
  pull your hair/braids to a loose bun, ponytail or your chosen style.warp your hair in a plastic or shower cap, you can use a scarf to tight it just to ensure enough warmth as possible. you can leave the hair covered for as long as possible if possibly overnight.
  when you remove the plastic/shower cap you should be able to  notice some tiny water bubbles and those tiny bubbles is called the greenhouse effect. after removing the plastic/shower cap, your hair should be damp,allow to dry natural.
  moisturise and seal your hair with oils and style as desired.
  
  

HOW TO GO FROM RELAXED TO NATURAL HAIR.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being relaxed, whether you are natural or relaxed your main goal is to always have healthy hair,but i decided to go natural because my hair was seriously damaged after prolong use of chemicals and harsh weather conditions made it worst. 

 there are two ways that you can go from relaxed to natural hair , the first thing you have to do is STOP relaxing your hair, that means no touching up even the edges of your hair to get them laid flat.

BIG CHOP- if you want the fastest transition, then you may opt for the big chop, instead of getting your next relaxer,you have to simply be asking your stylist to cut it all off.

2. LONG TERM TRANSITION- sine am not bold and comfortable enough to wear the bald look, i decided to transition slowly before cutting my relaxed ends off, its also a good way for people who want to retain length. the one thing that am still learning about long term transitioning is patience, for my to grow out to a comfortable length.                                                                                                                            these are the only two ways because no product can ever make a relaxed hair comeback to its natural state , or will wash way relaxer from your hair.

perhaps the most difficult part of transitioning from relaxed to natural is dealing with the new growth. the two different textures can get very frustrating to style and manage if you don't know how to properly care for it.since an so new to the whole going natural i tend to wear my hair in protective styles that help blend the two different textures. but i have found some ways to soften my new growth: 

i always use home made conditioners because they tend to soften the new growths and it also restores moisture , and also use natural oil which penetrates the hair shaft thereby increasing hair moisture, it also softens new growth.

DEBUNKING SOME MYTHS ABOUT AFRICAN HAIR

black hair it strongest of all hair types.                  after reading so many reviews on the internet i found that the black hair is not stronger than every other hair type, black hair texture is actually the most fragile compared to other hair types. 

African hair is more prone to breakage in its natural and relaxed state if it lacks moisture. that is why it is very important to deep condition and apply treatment with natural oils such as coconut oil,olive oil regularly.tools like wide- tooth comb and soft brushes can help prevent hair breakage.

African hair cant grow very long like other races.

i think am most guilty of this myth for a very long time, however on the average the African hair grows half an inch every month. the natural curl of our hair and shrinkage can make our hair look much shorter than it really is. However, our hair is very sensitive and must be cared for to reach optimal length.

Relaxers make our hairs grow.

our type of hair only appears to be longer when it is relaxed, but the chemicals in the relaxer do not promote hair growth,it simply break down our natural growth by eliminating the curls and straightening it to its full length. hair growth can only be promoted by healthy habits and caring for our natural hair. 

Natural hair is healthier than relaxed hair.

this is definitely not true, the health of your hair depends on how well you care for your hair. some people then to believe that natural hair is better than relaxed hair,this is not true staying natural or being relaxed is all matter of choice. the main focus is having good hair care routine and use the right products and treatment.  relaxed hair can be just as healthy as natural.