LENGTH RETENTION TIPS.

If you want reach your hair goals or just have healthy hair, then you have to always make sure you seal your ends, regular moisturising is insufficient for some people. sealing maybe necessary to lock in the moisture and keep the ends supple.


The sealing process: Begin by moisturising the ends of your hair with water ( or water-based moisturiser) then follow up with an oil  ( e.g coconut, olive, avocado oil) or a butter (Shea). Be sure to seal your ends after every wash as well.

HOW TO AVOID "HAND-IN-THE-HAIR" HABIT

This habit can be defined as frequent touching, twirling,pulling(or any other form of manipulation) of the hair especially the ends.

I just noticed that i have developed this bad habit of constantly touching and twirling my hair, i think am still fascinated by my new growth and coils.
Here are some techniques that has been helping me  keep my hand out of my hair.

• For long hair style- wear pinned updos or buns. these styles will make it difficult for you to keep your hands in your hair since your hair is well tucked away.
• Wear scarf or bonnet when at home.
• Occupy your hands with other object when you feel the urge to play with your hair 

WAYS TO USE CASTOR OIL

Castor oil contains vitamin E, minerals, proteins, antibacterial and anti- fungicidal properties. it also has healing benefits. it also contains anti-inflammatory properties, all of which are related to healthy hair growth.

Here are some ways to incorporate castor oil into a healthy hair regimen.

1. Added shine                                                           Castor oil hair treatment is believed to increase the lustre of hair, this effect is caused by castor oil's ability to coat the hair shaft, sealing in moisture and creating a slicker surface. Dull hair may benefit from the use of castor oil hair treatment, but in frequent use can result in an oily scalp.                                                             
2. Improve scalp circulation                                       Castor oil on your scalp can help to increase circulation. the strengthening effect it has on hair follicles can stimulate hair growth in cases of hair-loss or alopecia.                                          
3. Prevent hair loss                                                      The anti fungal and antibacterial properties in castor oil are useful in combating scalp infections.                                                                         
4.   Mositurizing scalp and thickening hair        omega 6 fatty acids in castor oil helps keep your scalp drying out, while regular use of castor oil may encourage thicker hair growth. unrefined castor oil is preferred over refined types, because it contains more nutrients and healing properties.

WASH DAY!!!!!

Took down my braids after 6 weeks.

1. Detangled- with my finger 
2. pre-poo- with mixture of grapeseed, extra virgin olive, coconut oil.
3. shampoo- one wash with natur vital Henna shampoo
4. protein treatment- deep conditioned with a mixture of mayo, egg, honey and grape seed oil, and covered with a plastic cap for 45 minutes.
5. Rinsed with cold water and diluted apple cider vinegar
6. Air dried- 80-85 percent.   
   

SOME WAYS WE SABOTAGE OUR HAIR

Washing too often

one of the most common ways we sabotage our own hair is by washing it too much , which leaves our hair feeling super, squeaky clean and which simultaneously make it dry and brittle in the process.

 Avoid washing your hair too much since some shampoos contain ingredients that can strip hair of its natural oil. you could go 3 to 4 days without washing hair depending on your daily activities.

Drying too long

Drying hair for a long period of time can make your hair fizzy, brittle and cause it to break from constant heat exposure. Try not to dry your hair for more than 5-10 minutes if you must use heat. Let your hair air dry as much as possible.

Always check the heat setting and be sure it is not set too high, so that it does not burn your hair and cause heat damage.

  Product overload

•  If you are a product junkie, then you could be sabotaging your hair in a big way. serum, gels, sprays e.t.c all these styling agents can strip hair of its natural oil, making your hair stiff and prone to breakage. if you must use products, try to pick one or two per use and not over use different product.  

OATMEAL

''Just as you must eat to survive you must feed your hair to maintain it's health, shine and manageability'' unknown.

Oatmeal is very nourishing for the hair, it also leaves our hair healthy looking soft an silky. this recipe only needs 3 ingredients that is always around the house and like must have noticed that i love treatments that are quick, simple and most of all cost-free.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of oats 

2 tablespoon Almond oil(olive oil)

1/2 cup of milk

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together 

Apply to well detangled hair

Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes

Rinse with water. 

Apply conditioner as normal and rinse out with cold water.

EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HAIR LOOK HEALTHY

1. COLD WATER

  

One of the easiest ways to make your hair shiny and look healthy is to always do a cold water rinse after you wash your hair. this  does not mean you should use freezing water.

This cold water rinse helps smooth your hair cuticle, making it reflect light rather than absorbing light and making it look dull.

2. VINEGAR

Adding this can make your hair super shiny.

 Get some apple cider vinegar from your kitchen cabinet and add one part vinegar to three parts water. vinegar helps restore the pH on your hair, helps clarify your scalp from product build-up and also helps smooth the hair cuticles.

3. LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER 

If your hair is stressed out, dry and dull. A leave-in conditioner can be a miracle worker. leave-in conditioners can tame frizz, moisturise and help give you a beautiful shine. 
They are too easy and cost free not to try out. add one part your favourite conditioner and 3 parts water. you can spice it up by adding your favourite essential oil and aloe Vera juice.

GO BANANAS!!!!!

 Bananas leaves your hair shiny, soft and much more manageable and healthy looking.

 Ingredients:

1 or 2 ripe bananas

1 egg white

2 tablespoons natural yoghurt

2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Mash the bananas as much as you possibly can, or blend until you have very smooth consistency. you don't want chunks getting stuck in your hair.

whisk your egg white in a separate bowl then add yoghurt and honey to the whisked egg white, then add all these to the mashed bananas and mix very well.

Wash your hair as normal, then work the mixture to your hair thoroughly.

Put on a shower cap and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Rinse the mixture out of the hair and make sure there are no hidden bananas bits lingering in your hair.

use small conditioner to lightly wash your hair then rinse out.     

AMAZING HOMEMADE HAIR REMEDIES FOR SHINY HAIR

If you are looking for some remedies for shiny hair, it is as easy as stepping into your kitchen!!
Sometimes it's fun to pamper yourself with a hair treatment which are easy to make, low cost and you know exactly what you are putting on your hair.

YOGHURT.

Ingredients:
1 container of plain yoghurt.

Direction:
Take the yoghurt and spread it all over your hair, you can cover it with a plastic bag or shower cap, leave it in for 20-30 minutes and wash off. than wash hair your hair as normal.

BLACK TEA.

 This hair treatment will not only help hair to shine it also helps deal with shedding, breakage and helps maintain hair's dark colour.

  Ingredients:
2-4 teabags of black tea.

Direction:
Add 2-4 teabags to boiling water ( the amount of teabags and water all depends on how much hair you have). let it brew for a few hours or overnight. take the tea and pour on your hair after it has been co-washed or shampooed, allow it sit for 10-20 minutes. this is always easiest to do this in the shower  to avoid dripping.
rinse hair and style as usual.

Avocado and olive oil.

Ingredients;
1 ripe avocado peeled and mashed
extra virgin olive oil, you can substitute with jojoba, sweet almond or grapeseed oil.

Direction:
in a small bowl whisk mashed avocado with olive oil until well combined.
apply hair mask on damp hair including scalp and hair ends, tuck hair in a shower cap.
After 20-30 minutes, rinse off the hair mask, wash hair as usual and enjoy shiny, soft hair.

TREATING SPLIT ENDS

Honey; it has moisturising properties, take 3 or 4 spoons of honey(depending on the volume of your hair) leave it on for around 30 minutes and wash off normally. you can also add honey with your regular conditioners for a soothing effect mixing equal parts of olive oil and honey also serves as a great natural conditioner.

CASTOR OIL:mix castor oil, olive oil and grape seed oil in equal proportions. massage this amalgamation of oils into hair wrap your hair with a towel and leave for around 30 minutes.have a normal hair wash.


EGG: take one or two egg yolk depending on your hair, beat it with 2 tablespoon of almond oil and apply on your hair. keep it on for an hour and wash away regularly. you can also beat 2 eggs and one banana and lemon juice into a paste, apply this mixture to the hair ends, wraps hair with a shower cap and leave it for 30 minutes.

OLIVE OIL:  our beloved olive oil never fails us for treating split ends, warm olive oil must be massaged into the hair, this acts as a deep conditioner. All you need to do is heat olive into your oven and then apply it, put on your shower cap and loaf around the house for around the house for around 30 minutes, wash your hair as as you do regularly.

HOMEMADE DANDRUFF TREATMENT

Apple cider vinegar.

 To give your dandruff the brush-off, follow up each shampoo with a rinse of 2 parts apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 parts water. you can also fight dandruff by applying 3 tablespoon vinegar on your hair and massaging the scalp, before you shampoo wait a few minutes then rinse it out and wash as usual.

Lemons.

 If itchy, scaly dandruff has you scratching your head, relief may be no farther away than your refrigerator.

Just massage 2 tablespoon of lemon juice or more depending on your hair and rinse with water. repeat this as many times as possible until your dandruff disappears. 

Baking soda.

 To get dandruff under control, wet hair and rub a handful of baking soda into your scalp. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.

Baking soda tends to strip your hair of its natural oils, so follow up with moisturisers and natural oils. 

Adding tea tree oils and peppermint oil in your shampoo and conditioner and any other hair products. 

SIMPLE AND EASY HOME-MADE SPRITZ RECIPES

The moisturising Spritz is ideal for those with fine hair or those who prefer a lighter alternative to thick butters.

These are some simple home made moisturisers, but you can spice it up depending on what you prefer or have available.

 The water spritz.
 - water 
  -few drops of essential oil(your favourite)

The leave-in spritz.
-5 parts water 
-1 part conditioner(your favourite)

The works spritz.
-3 to 4 parts water
-2 parts aloe Vera juice
-2 parts glycerine 
-1 part coconut oil
-1 part olive oil
- few drops of essential oil(your favourite)

* some of these spritz are not to be left for long.(few days to a few weeks) so be sure not to create too much in one sitting.

SOME INEFFECTIVE WAYS WE MOISTURISE OUR HAIR

Moisture is everything when it comes to healthy hair care. Most times we struggle on how to properly keep our hair well moisturised.

• Moisturising dirty hair/hair that has product buildup.                                                      If there are too much dirt or product on your cuticle, then there is little chance that any moisturising product you apply will make it to the cortex.                                                                      
• Focusing on the roots more than the ends.                our hair ends are usually the driest part of the strand, and most susceptible to breakage and our natural oils that the scalp secretes don't travel down far enough to coat the ends. it is very important to be proactive when protecting them.                                          
• Under moisturising.                                                    Hair can be in dire need of moisture before it begins to feel crunchy and dry. you might need to moisturise twice daily.                                        
• Using water based products without sealing.                 Just like oil and butters are not effective as moisturisers, water quickly evaporates out of the cortex unless a sealing product is applied to lock it in.                                               
• Over moisturising.                                                         Properly moisturised strands does not have to feel soggy and wet, they feel supple and strong even when they are dry. Applying too much moisturising and sealing products can leave the hair perpetually wet and making it difficult to handle and style.
  
                                                                   
• Using butter or oils as moisturisers.                            With the exception of some oils like coconut oil and macadamia oil  that can penetrate the stands. oil and butters will sit on  the 'outside' of the strand because they are sealants and not moisturisers. their main purpose is to lock in moisture and not supply moisture.  

DEALING WITH SENSITIVE HAIRLINE /EDGES

1. Minimize pulling of the hair back too tight.         Pulling the hair back tightly causes tension along the hairline and may result to broken hair or hair loss over time. styles in which the hair is pulled back should be worn minimally and/or loosely. if the style hurts, then listen to your hairline. 

  2.   Don't sleep in ponytails,buns and tight updo

     If your hairline is sensitive this is one of the worst things you can do, because turning and tossing at night can cause more problems. it is always best to wear  wrapped in a bonnet or in several loose braids/twist.

 3. Avoid wearing elastic headbands, tight scarf.
     Opt for loose scarf instead of tight headbands when you can.

 4. Apply natural butters/oils and then massage.
   This is really important for a recovering hairline. natural Shea butter and natural oils e.g( coconut,olive, castor,grape seed) contains substances that can soothe and nourish the scalp along the edges. they contain vitamin A , which plays a plays an important in the growth and maintenance of the follicles.
massaging the hairline may stimulate growth.  

      
  5. Don't make your braids/twists too small and tight along the hairline

 6. Try to redo braids/twist along the edges biweekly.

TIPS WHEN TRANSITIONING

1. Go easy on the use of heat.                                                             if your hair is beginning to have plenty new growth, minimise the amount of heat you apply to your hair. heat can permanently damage the natural curl of your hair. if you use a lot of heat while transitioning to merge the natural hair with the relaxed hair, you may find that your natural hair is more difficult to manage and in addition it may end up been heat damaged( regular repeated/high heat use can lead to dry and breaking hair)

2. Detangling : take your time detangling your hair, it is a skill that is learned overtime. it is very easy to comb hair that is well relaxed or hair that the curls have been loosened.

natural hair is totally different, another tip that really helps is adding oil to for more slip and add more conditioner if it is not slippery enough when combing.

 

3. Be very careful with the demarcation line

     this is very crucial if you are planning on long transition, the region where the natural hair meets the relaxed hair should be your top priority. ensure that it is well conditioned and be careful when detangling or combing.

 

4. Accessories

      This is the best time to start accumulating  your styling arsenals. simple things like scarf  head bands, pins and flowers will really help during transitioning and early years of natural hair.

Hair pins and flowers can be useful for both helping to control hair as well as saving you from a bad hair day.

GETTING GREAT HAIR WITH BEER

I enjoy finding  about more unconventional methods of  growing healthier and longer hair without spending so much money on fancy products.

 It is believed that beer can help your hair, that are special component within beer including Vitamin B, wheat proteins and maltose sugar.the complex carbohydrate in beer have a hydrating effect, while the proteins coats each strand giving them more strength and elasticity. it has similar benefits as apple cider vinegar.

  

After washing hair apply flat beer: this means beer without carbonation, that has lost its 'frizz' with no bubbles.

Leave on for a few minutes, and rinse thoroughly with old water.

•  i have not tried the beer rinse will definitely be trying it on my next wash day.

IMPORTANCE OF PRE-SHAMPOO

When i started my healthy hair journey, one of the things i didn't really get to understand was the act of  pre-shampoo. why put so much of my delicious oils and end up washing then away on wash days.it sounded backwards, because i grew up to understand you oil your hair after shampoo and not the other way round.

Cleansing the hair with shampoo is important because it washes away products build-up, dirts,pollution and any other thing that has gotten stuck in the hair during the week. the downside of most shampoo is that it can strip our hair of it's natural oil, and our hair need some amount of oil to remain healthy. we don't want our hair to be squeaky clean. so this is where i found out why is very necessary to always pre-shampoo our hair before washing.

The pre-shampoo gives the hair a softening , deep oil treatment and also provides extra protection so that our hair does not get completely stripped during the shampooing process. its is also very important to use pure naturals for this process and this is very beneficial to whether you are relaxed or natural.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR TONER

Since finding about the whole natural and healthier lifestyle, i have been getting to know so many informations that are so overwhelming and which sounds so good to be true.

   I have always had serious problems with my skin since i can remember. pimples, zits, Acne ,breakouts, whichever they name they are called i have had them all. its been absolutely horrible and just depressing.

Have tried almost everything both conventional and unconventional methods. products like proactive, neutrogena, clearasil, clean and clear, oxy,clinique, olay, cetephil, i can just keep naming them and i have even tried going to the dermatologist and getting prescription creams and drugs, nothing seems to just to work. sometimes it even seems to make it worse because my skin will just be seriously irritated.

so i have decided to try the so much talked about apple cider vinegar toner;

• get any clean, empty plastic bottle with a lid.
• fill the bottle 3/4 with water
• fill the rest with apple cider vinegar
• add a few drops of tea tree oil 
• close the bottle and shake to mix very well. pop lid open and pour a little on a cotton pad or cotton ball.
• after cleaning your face like you normally would, swipe the ACV soaked cotton pad over your entire face, avoiding the eye-area and lips. A little burning may occur, but its noting compared to some of the alcohol based astringents or toners that i have tried before.
• let your face dry completely, then apply your serums, creams lotions as you normally would.                                                        

I just started mine on the 1st of November and lets see how this one goes, will bring an update after 2 months so that you also can see if this is going to be my saving grace from a life time of struggle with bad skin. 

• anybody who cares can join me so we can motivate each other to achieve clearer skin
  
  please excuse the very ugly expression on my face. the nose just looks so arhhhhh..... was only trying to get a very close shot of my face.

LIEBSTER AWARD 2013

I was nominated for the liebster blog award by my two beautiful blog sisters( onyeka, so sorry for taking so much time in accepting the award, this is by far the hardest post i have written.) and uzoma@Don't touch that hair.

What is Liebster Award?

Liebster is a German word that means kind. The Liebster Award is a blog award nomination presented to novice bloggers in an effort to spread blog love and increase blog exposure. 

Here are the rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you and post a link back to their blog
• Answer the 10 questions provided by the blog that nominated you
• Provide 10 questions for the bloggers you nominate
• Let your nominees know of their award.                                                                                              Here are my answers to onyeka's questions:                                                                             
• What do you like about blogging and why did you start blogging? i love talking and sharing about things i never knew where helpful to our hair and i started blogging when i had a terrible experience with my hair that left me with a lifeless limp of damaged hair.
• 
  
• Who do you have in mind when writing your blog posts? people like me who didnt know about some simple changes that would make a whole lot of difference in the growth of our hair.
•  
• Do you have a favourite blog(s) you visit often? yes!! i love Linda ikeji's blog, where i keep to date with Nigerian gossip and news.
• 
  
• Do you always leave a comment on posts on blogs you like or follow? sometimes when i can relate to what the blogger is trying to say.
• 
  
• If you do not like or you are not in support of a post on a blog would you say(comment) or ignore (pretend you didn't read the post.? yes i pretend i didn't read it
• 
  
• Are you into 'KEEPING FIT AND HEALTHY EATING'?   yes am struggling to keep fit and eat more healthier 
• 
  
• What's your favorite food in the WORLD?  bitter leaf soup and fufu!!!!!!
• 
  
• Do you wear your hair relaxed or un-relaxed?  am trying to transition to a more natural hair.
• 
  
• Whats your 'hair goal'? 
• if you have any....  right now i will love to pack it in a bun.
• 
  
• If you were asked to make a wish, what would you wish for? i would wish for a pimple free face  and very clear skin.
• 
  
• What do you hate most about yourself? i tend to start things with a strong force and loss interest very quickly( i pray it does not happen with my poor blog)

And here are uzoma's questions

My 10 questions for the nominees:

(1) Why did you decide to start a blog? trying to document my hair growth challenges and share with people some fascinating things i have been learning from the internet

(2) What is your favorite thing about blogging? sharing useful tips that can help

(3) If you could travel to any place in the world, where would it be and why? the  Bahamas i have heard is like a slice of heaven.  

 (4) List one interesting fact about yourself? am a very good listener and i try very hard not to judge people

(5) Fanta or Coke? i used to loooove coke, i think i was even addicted. but i try to drink water more these days.

(6) What is your favourite TV series? greys anatomy

(7) What three words that best describe your hair? damaged, ear length and in- recovery.

(8) What is your favourite piece of clothing or accessory in your wardrobe? my leather jacket.

(9) Do you have a hidden talent? What is it? don't think i know of it

(10) What is your favourite song? Whitney Houston i look to you 

thank you so so much onyeka and uzoma.  ONE LOVE

My questions to the nominated bloggers…

 

Tell 11 Interesting Facts about Self and answer the below questions

 

• What single quality do you most appreciate in people?

•  Why did you start blogging?
•   what you know now, what advice would you give your 13-​​year-​​old self?
•  one interesting fact about yourself
•  How many times do you post per week?
• How do you balance life, blog, social media ?
• What are three things you cannot live without?
• What is your most prized possession?
• Describe yourself in three words.
• What is your guiltiest pleasure?

The Nominees:

 beauty

yours truly

the chronicles of lady G

its not all about my hair, honest

yvonneslove

So, there you have it. I’m looking forward to seeing the responses. Thanks so much, 

myrebornhair and 

donttouchthehair.

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.
• 
  
  

• 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.