My Thoughts: Natural Hair, The 2nd Time Around

When I went natural in 2001, I was 18 years old, and didn't really have any hang ups about hair. I relaxed, colored/bleached, braided, weaved my hair all the time. I liked long hair, but I think because I was so all over the place, I never allowed my hair to grow long, or even thought about it like that--plus I loved cutting my hair short. Whenever I wanted longer lengths, I'd just wear braids for a time.

I did a big chop after 8 weeks post, right before graduating from high school. To all my friends, it was a HUGE deal, lol. They came with me and took pictures because I was "so brave" :-)  Natural hair care communities on the internet had just gotten started (the discussion forums, and trying out new styles, etc) so really there weren't the resources back then that there are now for people to look in to. So I did whatever with my hair, lol.

And for 4 years, my hair looked the same--no different from my relaxed hair except for it was curly. It was still "blah", so I continued to braid, weave, color, experiment just like I did with my relaxed hair. I didn't do any of the regular care maintenance things that I do now (though I did study the Ouidad method for a time).  In fact, it wasn't until I relaxed my hair again in 2005 that I began to invest the time on the forums and develop a regimen. And realized that if I wanted to make my hair look a certain way, I had to do the necessary work and stay consistent.  Then in 2009-2010, I realized that while all my efforts and dedication into caring for my hair was working and I was on the right track, for my situation there was one factor that was undermining my whole plan: relaxers.  I learned about hair texture, porosity, etc and determined that if I was really going to maximize my hair's potential I had to go back to natural.  So I transitioned for a little over a year (to gather more research on my hair's 'tendencies' lol) and here we are today, entering my 3rd month natural. And off to a much better start that I was the last time.

So, all that to say, I learned a lot about basic hair care by caring for relaxed hair, although that's kind of weird to me, lol.  I think it should have been the other way around, but oh well :)  Anyhoo, going into natural hair now is a walk in the park because of the [informational] baseline that I have to work with. I don't even post on forums anymore or really share in the bandwagon discussions nowadays because to me there is just no need. I am still a PJ, though--that'll never change haha. But I do look at products very differently now that I have been into hair science for over 5 years. And to me, curl type does not matter at all. I remember when I was really "forum-active", all the time board members would straight up say that they would not take the advice of someone who had 3c hair because their own curls were 4a or 4b,c, whatever, but that's just dumb.  Nowadays, I use the same kinds of products that a type 3, or even a 2 would use! What matters now (and should have always been the priority) is hair texture, porosity, density and elasticity.  But mainly texture and porosity.

By Texture, I mean the size of the individual strands of hair (fine, medium, coarse), and sometimes [but not always] the feel of of the strands (silky v. wiry).  This determines what kind of products you should be using and how frequently you use protein (if at all).

By Porosity, I mean how well your hair receives and retains moisture (and how your curl pattern shapes up). Your hair's ability to retain moisture can tell a lot about the integrity of the strand when the texture cannot.  This is vastly important if you are throwing chemicals (color and/or relaxers) into the mix.

IMO, if these factors aren't at the top of your checklist when trying out products or just handling your hair in general, then you aren't even in the game.  While it's fun and interesting to watch other people's YT videos about shingling, banding, twists/twist-outs, bentonite clay treatments, etc., I personally just cannot be bothered with all of that.  Back in the day I spent 4 years doing twists on my hair and it didn't do anything positive or negative to my hair--it was just a style. Now had I focused on the basics of hair science and hair care prior to making certain styling decisions, maybe things would've gone differently (and I probably wouldn't have even gone back to relaxers!! *Real Talk*)...

So to anyone out there looking to step their hair science game up, I highly recommend you start researching texture and porosity.  Also, a good starting off place would be Live Curly, Live Free .  I am not affiliated with this site in any way, I just value the info and am passing it along :)  Even without that, the general internet has tons of valuable information to provide those who really want to learn. Once you learn it, you'll see how simple it is, without all the over-production of some of these new marketed systems and techniques out there.  Save yourself some mental energy (and...maybe some cash lol), y'know?

Peace!

xoxo

Keep it Simple: My thoughts on Healthy Hair Care

 

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After spending so much time, energy, and money (!!) over the years on a healthy hair journey, I found it quite bittersweet when I realized that achieving and maintaining healthy hair is actually extremely simple.  I think because I spent so many years on hair forums, reading books, and interviewing stylists from all walks of life to pick their brains, I felt like there was some mystical secret that everyone had been keeping from me.

But the truth is...I was the one getting in my own way. Always looking out for the next great product or technique. Always touching my hair, thinking about my hair. Like the saying goes, "A watched pot never boils"...my pot didn't even get warm for years, lol.  I got so mad, so frustrated that I threw my hands up and said, "Forget this!" (well, what I really said wasn't so polite, lol!). And I moved on to other aspects of beauty. Namely skincare, makeup, nail care, and now fitness. I even dabbled into fashion here and there, but I have never been one to follow trends, so that just got me even more frustrated. I digress.

The point is, that while I focused on other aspects of how I could improve myself, my hair started to do its own thing. I left it alone, in a positive way. What the Long Hair Community called "benign neglect". I literally did what I found to be the bare minimum, and my hair turned around. I also had to leave those notions of what "healthy hair care" is, based on the hair forum community standards. I had to stop everything, mentally start over, and do what works for me, nevermind what "they" had to say about it. "They" did not have my hair, or deal with it on a constant basis. I had to trust what I learned and make it work for me.

So, this is my advice to those folks out there that may be spinning your wheels in the hair care journey. Take the advice that the forums, the stylists, the homegirls all give you. But only keep what you can use. Discard the rest. And make your own educated and objective decisions on what works for you.  Experiment with techniques, products, etc., but don't let them run you...There really is more to life than hair. Especially since your hair's health depends on how well you treat the rest of your body.  Just something to think about...

The Bare Minimum:

1. Keep scalp clean: Only wash your hair when it's dirty. If your scalp is oily that may mean every other day. If it's dry, that may be once a week. Figure it out for yourself, not based on some "rule".

2. Condition and Deep Condition regularly: Yes, conditioner should be used on most hair types after every shampoo, but deep conditioning may not need to be done every single wash for every head of hair. Too much of anything can be a bad, bad thing. Most cases, it's more purposeful to deep condition only 1-4 times a month.  Regular conditioner will keep you in good shape in between.  Again, figure out what your hair best responds to, and go from there. And more importantly, do whatever it is you do on a consistent basis. The results come not so much from what you do in your routine, so much as how consistent you are with that routine.

3. Keep ends healthy: I already wrote about the importance of trimming, so I won't go there again, but it is important to keep the ends in tip-top shape in between trims, so that when trim time comes, you won't have to remove very much, if any, length. So if protective styling works for you, do it. If moisturizing and sealing your ends every night or every other night works, then do it. It's all you, my dear.

4. Prevent Damage: Most damaged hair occurs overtime. I know some people out there may disagree with this, but it's true. One unadulterated blowdry session isn't going to completely ruin your hair if you have been keeping it in good condition on a long-term consistent basis. Typically, someone who has heat damage or chemical damage had some damaged parts of their hair before the incident and either didn't know it, or ignored it. How could that happen, you say? Easy.

With a lot of the popular products out there ("natural" and mass-produced), there is the commercial need for the hair to "feel" or "look" a certain way after using a product or tool. Usually it's "slip" and smoothness, or a high gloss shine. But what are those ingredients that provide that slip or shine doing to the inside of your strands? Most of the time, they're doing nothing (or they do the wrong thing for what your hair requires at the moment).  And over a period of time your hair dries out, and it's not protected like you thought. So when you go to use that blowdryer, flat iron, relaxer, or hair color, you end up with huge surprise...

You must do your own investigating of products and determine if what that product says it will do is really accurate for your hair. Clarify you hair on a routine basis and "look under the hood" so to speak. If your hair is dry, it may not be your hair's fault...Go by feel, overall look, and manageability of the hair--with and without product. The more you know about how your hair "behaves", the quicker you can tell if something is working for you or against you.

(Note: For the reasons above, I am a huge proponent of salon quality hair care products. Based on my own personal experience, I find that those small-to-medium sized companies that spend a bit more to conduct in-depth lab and salon testing of their products are the ones to invest in. These types of products, while a bit more pricey, require smaller amounts of product used in order to be effective. And results occur much faster. In my opinion, totally worth a few extra dollars.)

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So yeah, anyway, as long at the four bare minimum principles are upheld, your hair will thrive. Have goals for your hair, but be realistic. If you were born with thin hair, you won't wake up one morning and have thick Amazon Goddess strands :-) The best thing to do for sanity purposes is to just keep working towards the best hair you can have and it'll be there before you know it.

Hope this helps!!

Peace <3

A.

Hair Care: The importance of trimming

As a result of frequenting the black hair care boards for a long, long time (years), I wanted to post my thoughts on getting regular hair trims, moreso the what, why, when, and how.  Seems like the average hair grower either takes one of two stances: never or too often. No in-between. So here goes:

Trimming those Ends

What is Trimming
Trimming means to cut off approximately 1/8" to 1/2" off the ends of your hair. If you want only to take off specific ends that are split or splitting, this is referred to (at least in the internet hair care community) as "search and destroy". "Dusting" refers to trimming off 1/8" or less (the amount of hair trimmed is so minimal, it looks like dust on the floor). 

Why Trim Your Ends? 
1) Because they get raggedy. LOL. Raggedy, worn-out ends damage the "healthy" ends, or the ones in good condition. Seriously, when the ends split they entangle themselves with the cuticles of the other hairs, and that's where some tangles come from.  Culling your splits saves your overall head of hair.

2) Because it makes your hair look better. What's the point in having healthy hair if it doesn't look the part? That's the point of all that deep conditioning, all those protective styles, right? I know some people are thinking "Why should I trim if I wear protective styles? I keep my hair out of harm's way, so there aren't any splits"...Well, to a certain extent that maybe true, but over time after washing, conditioning, and combing the hair to get it into that bun still causes some change to the cuticles. So the hairshaft is still affected. Granted, you probably won't need to trim as often as someone who is constantly styling their hair, but it still is a good way to help maintain the length that you've retained thus far while you grow more.

Also, trims help to maintain your hairstyle, which also keeps the hair manageable. Anytime I have not had my hair "cut in a style" or "shaped", styling it (flat irons or rollersets) has always been a nightmare. It takes longer, and the results are hardly ever long-lasting or consistent. Once the hair has a shape, the hair performs well while styling (limiting overall manipulation), and any trims down the road keep the hair in a shape that grows out gracefully.  So I'm not maintaining a length with trims, but rather I am maintaining a shape and can get by with trimming less amounts of hair off each time.  This may not be important to someone who protective styles more often than not, but on those days when you do want to wear your hair out, you will be glad that your hair's hemline and shape is nice and looks flattering :)

3) Trimming retains length. Yes, trimming does not "grow" your hair, but keeping the ends in tact and relatively damage free keeps the ends from breaking, and makes your other methods of keeping "healthy ends" more effective. If your ends don't dry out and break, you retain length and the hair grows longer.

When to Trim?
When to trim is going to depend on what's going on with your hair, and what you do (or don't do) to it.  This also causes you to hold your hair care regimen more accountable.  Most stylists are going to recommend trims every 6-8 weeks, but this isn't always best, since you might lose what you are growing and not see any length retention.  DIY-ers are going to want to trim every 4-6 months, if at all. This isn't always the best, either because if you have splits and ignore them, they ultimately will affect the rest of the hair and it's overall condition, resulting in unnecessary damage and breakage. Then when you get a trim, you will need more than 1/2" removed, probably more like 1" or more (which is more like a cut). You're losing length this way, too.

So go based on how much styling you do. A good rule of thumb is to get 1/4" to 1/2" trimmed every 8-12 weeks. In this time, you (or a stylist) should be able to tell if/when to trim again and how much. If you are consistent with your deep conditioning and are styling "smarter, not harder", you may only need dusting and/or can lean more towards 10 or 12 weeks.  But if you are lazy or using your products incorrectly, you will need more hair cut off and/or more frequent trims. Every head is different, and it's important to remember these points as guidelines rather than stick to hard-and-fast rules.

How to Trim
This is up to you, but I recommend trims be done by a stylist that is a good listener. I like chain salons like Great Clips, Hair Cuttery, or JC Penney for this purpose, just because the stylists here cut hair all day long.  They know to go though the whole hair and trim, and not just the perimeter.   Doing the whole hair maintains the condition of the hair, especially if you have sections of your hair that dry out and split no matter what you do.  Also, they listen and cut only what you request them to, and don't work on commission, so there's less pressure to get more than what you asked for.  But if you trust your regular stylist to do this for you, by all means stick with them.

Some people feel comfortable to trim at home, but I've never been like that, just because I prefer the proper technique of trimming and not just trimming the ends haphazardly. I personally trim at a salon every 8 weeks to maintain a hairstyle or to get rid of damage, and every 12 to reshape the hair and maintain the ends if I'm growing hair out. Again, this is based on my habits and my hair.

Now you know my views, share your own! How often do you trim? Is it working for you? I'd love to read your experiences.


xoxo,
A.

Hair Care Rave: L'anza Healing Moisture

Hi Lovelies!!

I just wanted to post this really quickly. Taking a break from some school work. Anyhoo, if you have dry or chemically-treated hair and haven't found a shampoo/conditioner set to fall in love with yet, here's definitely one to check out.

L'anza Healing Moisture (click to see site)

Mannnnn! First of all, let me say that this is not a new product for yours truly. I've had this a while, but I have such a large product stash that I had only tried it once. But then it got so cold here in the "A" that I started pulling out all my intensive moisture products for a quick fix to the windy cold foolishness. This did the trick in ONE wash. Second, the smell is the bomb, especially for this time of year. It's so dark and dreary outside, this fragrance takes you to like Tahiti or somewhere like that, gives you a cabana boy and an umbrella drink, lol! Third, the shine my hair has is crazy amazing. I can't even describe it further--just give it a try.

I think all the products retail around $22US each. I use the shampoo (sulfate-free) and conditioner. I also have the Moi Moi Masque, but haven't tried it yet. I had the Detangler, but didn't really like it like the other products, so I returned it. All in all this stuff is the bomb. Today I am 4 days post wash (2-3 wks post relaxer) and my hair isn't dry at all (and I wore it down or in a ponytail all week). Um, yeah, I'm sold lol.

xoxo

Relaxed Hair Care Part 3: Prevention

Ok, this is the final stage of this series. If you've battled through stage 1 and stage 2 and made it here, congratulations! Now you can do whatever you want, lol!! Just kidding, haha. Don't want to go back to where you started...

Styling ideas can be a little more adventurous when you have a head full of actual healthy hair. All the hair has this gloss to it, this natural sheen. So now, what do you do? Maintain it!! Keep deep conditioning weekly or every other week (don't forget your regular protein treatments). If you were getting trims every 6-8 weeks to get rid of damaged hair, see if you can safely push your trims out to every 10-12 weeks. (No later than 12 weeks though). Remember the point of trims is to prevent problems. So even if your ends appear healthy, they still could be a little drier than they used to be. This means that if you don't trim now, they will get drier and drier and then split. You'll be cutting less hair off now, versus if you wait. (This is when dusting the ends is appropriate).

And um, yeah, that's it. Just keep consistent and don't do anything to your hair that you may regret lol.

Hope this series was helpful!

xoxo

A.

Relaxed Hair Care Part 2: Maintenance

Ok, so once you've figured out where you stand with your hair and you have a good stabilization routine down (being doing it anywhere from 6-12 weeks), you then start looking to maintain what you've built with your hair. By this point, some new hair has grown in, or the scalp has calmed down, so your focus can switch from a "911" mentality to more of a "critical care" mentality. Depending on what you had to deal with in part one, this can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years. I know when I started my hair journey, I had to stay here for 2 years to grow out all new hair. (Unfortunately, I recently had a couple of setbacks & fell back into Stabilization phase, but I'll get to that.) So it's up to you and your hair to determine how long Maintenance will be.

In maintenance, you can do more with your hair in terms of styling. For example, if you air-dried only in Part 1, you can wet-set your hair in Part 2. Your hair has built up enough strength to withstand the manipulation of wet and dry combing due to your intense conditioning regimen, so your style variety expands here (finally!) What you shouldn't do is use your blowdryer or flat iron just yet. Any damage you have that isn't completely shot and broken-off could easily go off the deep end due to incorrect styling, so don't EVEN go there!

Think of it this way: When we break an arm or leg, we rush to the ER to get the injury assessed and repaired (or more accurately reset), but as soon as we get that cast put on, we can't just go out and do whatever we were doing before (throwing a baseball or running a mile). We have to sit it out and wait for the break to heal completely. And in some cases, we might have to enroll in physical therapy to "re-learn" the proper use of the arm/leg. Then once we heal completely we have to be mindful of the injury and try not to do it again, which will cause more damage if the limb is injured again. Same thing with hair! (and skin, too.) So take your time, and give your hair a chance to get better :)

I feel like I am always in Maintenance, lol! My hair is often quite fragile, and one wrong move can have me right back in the Hair ER. So this is something I have to mind for myself, too. You know, when your hair starts feeling good, isn't really breaking and is behaving, you begin to think that all is forgiven and your hair is CURED!! Fat chance, girls, that damage is still there and you have to GROW IT OUT or CUT IT OFF. Sorry, but trust me (a chick who is starting her hair journey over again...) this is the only way to deal.

If anyone feels discouraged or frustrated in the purgatory of Step 2, leave a comment. Let's get through it together :)

xoxo

A.

Relaxed Hair Care Part 1: Getting started and Stabilization

Ok, so in my free time (rare nowadays) I like to Google info on relaxed hair care, just to see what's out there. I normally see the same points hammered home: Relaxed hair is dry, you need to moisturize constantly, keep your hair wrapped, stay up on your touch-ups, etc.

It has been my experience that while a lot of the hair care tips are good for certain situations and to generally address the relaxed hair community, there's not much more than that, which annoys me because with my fine hair, I've had to re-work my entire regimen as a result of listening to other people, and not paying attention to my hair.

So this post is going to get to the common sense basics of hair care--the rest will be up to you and your hair.

1) Assess your hair situation.
First of all you need to look at your hair and determine its present status. The best way to do this is to get a gentle, yet effective clarifying shampoo (yes, they exist, but IME they're not sold in drugstores). Apply the shampoo, in a small amount to your hands first, then rub in your hands and apply to the scalp. I find for my shoulder length hair, it is best to part my hair with my fingers and pull small sections of the hair up away from the scalp so that I can apply the shampoo directly, preventing tangles. (I do this method for all my shampooing, not just for clarifiers). The clarifying shampoo I use is L'anza Daily Clarifying, but Kenra and Fantasia IC also sell gentle formulas.

So anyway, once your hair is properly shampooed and rinsed, towel-blot the hair and allow it to air dry, either completely or at least 80-90%. Then you'll be able to assess a few things:
1) Elasticity
2) Porosity
3) Level of strand damage
4) Level of scalp damage

If you are into proper hair care at all, you'll know that you can Google for the first two concepts, so I'm not going into them here, but the next two, I will write about here.

Strand damage
If you are like me or any of the hair chicks I know, you've probably switched relaxers before--at least once. This is more of a big deal than most people realize because hair that is inconsistently relaxed creates more likelihood of "sites of vulnerability", or areas along the hair shaft that are weaker than others. Other types of strand damage you can see or feel are changes in diet, hair care, and the lack thereof.

Scalp damage
You know, everyone wants healthy hair, but how many people focus on their scalps? I personally am aware of how much scalp damage I've experienced due to years of no-lye relaxer abuse by my parents as a young girl. Ladies, if you had an abrasion, cut, or burn on your arm or leg (or even your face!), would you scratch it every day as it healed? Of course not! And yet so many of us do this to our scalps. See a dermatologist if you have to, but if your scalp isn't healthy, get it there before trying to focus on hair goals. Seriously. It affects your hair, believe me.


Stop that foolishness!
Okie-dokey, now that we know what what we are starting out with, what we need to do is stop whatever damage we have in its tracks. No matter if its your scalp or your hair that is in need of a 911 call or a room in the ICU, you need to check your shampoos first!!

Yes I know that relaxed hair can be dry, and using a moisturizing shampoo makes sense, but not all of them are good for this purpose. Some moisturizing shampoos contain pore clogging and hair-coating ingredients that prevent moisture from getting in over time. I'm not going to play "Hair Police" with this; instead I'm going to give you some options. If you like your moisturizing/conditioning shampoo and what it does for your hair, but your scalp is suffering, I propose you
1) try using the clarifying shampoo prior to each shampooing with that product; and
2) use less shampoo in general--rich lathers indicates too many detergents, so just pour less in your hand. Good for your scalp and your wallet.

This could also help you if your hair is not properly benefitting from the shampoo. Another option could be switching to sulfate-free shampoos, but there are pros and cons about that, so just do your research.

Oh!! And before I forget. Shampoo AS NEEDED. Every 2-7 days. No more, no less. Just do it. You wash your butt (I hope) and brush your teeth, so wash your hair. Trust me, your hair won't dry out if you choose the right shampoo (and use less at each washing--sometimes only lathering once).

If you need to stablize breaking hair or it's just really dry, then frequent/regular cleansing will help you, but your main focus will be on your conditioner. Your deep conditioners need to be done every time you wash at this point. Leave it on no more than 20 minutes a pop. Don't sleep in deep conditioner, it does more harm than good. Keep your styling very conservative, ie, protective styles or curly styles. I normally love a good flat iron, but if your hair is damaged, stay away. Once you get back on your feet, you can use them. For now, just take a break. You may want to wait an extra week or two between relaxers (esp if your scalp is in trouble) to get the situation resolved.

Stay tuned for Part 2...

How to Safely Straighten Hair with Heat

Hi Everyone!! For those of you who know me from the Long Hair Care Forum, you may have read my posts on how heat can be used safely. I decided to post my tips from my Journal entries here in one place...For the most part, this is just to give you an idea of what to do; what works best for you of course may vary, but the main point to remember is to just be patient and take your time. You don't want to cause any unnecessary drama when styling the hair. If it's frustrating you, then stop and choose a another styling method. When you are more calm, you can come back to this technique... I also want to add that I have modified the ideas here; I have learned quite a bit with my hair since I first wrote this... I don't recommend doing this more than 1-2x/week, b/c that's just too much general manipulation (I just don't style that much) but the techniques and products are such that you probably won't need to do anything more than this. Let me know if I wasn't clear on something. HTH Alrighty, let's get started: First, you want to start off with clean, well-conditioned hair, no exceptions. After you've rinsed out your deep conditioner, gently and lightly towel-blot the hair (you still want it fairly wet, not damp). Don't rub or do any other man-handling. Next, apply your leave-in conditioner. I love Paul Mitchell The Conditioner or Kenra Daily Provision, but I have lots of leave-ins, so it doesn't matter what you use, so long as you use one. Ok, it's technique time: Get your blowdryer (a ceramic one) and either a round brush (either boar bristle or the ball-knobby kind) or a paddle brush, and some clips. Does your dryer have speed settings, heat settings and a cold shot?? If not, get one. Your hair should be pretty wet w/a little bit of product in it at this point (b/c you used SMALL amounts). Without the concentrator nozzle (*trust me on this!!) you want to "rough dry the hair". Ok, don't let the word "rough" freak you out--you're not actually roughing up the hair. Set the dryer on low speed, but hot heat. Using your fingers and pointing the dryer down and 7-8 in. from your hair, blow dry your hair to about 80% dry. (If you don't want to do this or you aren't in a hurry you can airdry to a/b 80&). Once you've gotten to 80%, next comes your heat protectant. I apply Joico K-pak Smoothing Balm, but you can also use a Garnier serum or something like that if you don't want pricey items. Tresemme has WONDERFUL heat protectant products (comparable to Nexxus). I like the Joico one b/c it has humidity protection...In any event, use a small amount, and apply to the ends first, then to the roots (esp. if you have lots of new growth), then comb the product through to the distribute the product to the remainder of the hair. Now this is where it can get tricky and takes some practice. Set the blowdryer on low speed, medium heat. Take the small section you want to blow dry and run the round brush under it and hold the running dryer over the top (approx. 6-8 inches away) and run the brush down the length of the hair. If using a paddle brush, using the brush over the hair, starting at the roots. Anyways, continue moving the brush and dryer down the length until dry. Keep the dryer moving at all times to prevent burning the hair, and make sure not to leave the dryer blowing on the ends of the hair too long (the ends are the oldest part of the hair, and you want to focus on limiting their chances of damage). If you want a bump at the end, bend the round brush at the ends of the hair. Next use the cold shot feature on the dryer to lock in the straightness and shine (the straightness will last longer if you use the cold shot). How do you get the brush back up the roots after you got to the ends to do it again?? I place the dryer nozzle under the hair section so that it’s laying on the dryer, then place the brush back at the roots to reset my starting place. If you have a blowdryer stand, you can use that too. Go over the top of the section of hair to get the roots straighter; I prefer using a paddle brush for this reason. Here are videos of a stylist doing it: How To Blow-Dry Hair Straight How To Use A Round Brush To Curl Hair Here are more blow drying tips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6HR1KsQ7xo http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip100019.htm http://www.hair-styles-secrets-revea...blow%20dry.htm So once you’ve gotten all the hair dry and fairly straight, get out your serum (I like Chi Silk Infusion) and apply a dime-sized amount to each of the 4 sections you previously created. Then, starting at the nape of the first section, part out a piece of hair to start flat ironing if you want more of a finished, polished look. The flat iron should be ceramic, preferably tourmaline, and it should not be set on the highest setting it has. In fact, start with the lowest setting, and gradually turn the degree up to reached the effective temperature (if you find that the look you want is not achieved with the temp at 375 or lower, you need to practice your blowdrying and flat ironing technique some more). I have a Solia and I keep it at 250-270 around a recent touch-up, and 275-300 when I have lots of new growth. Make your sections less than ½’’ thick and get a rattail comb and put it under the section. Follow the comb down the length of the hair with the flat iron. Go slowly, but not too slow; take maybe 2-4 seconds for each pass of the iron. If you see smoke or hear a sizzle, turn the iron down! NO EXCEPTIONS. You should be able to comfortably touch the hair almost immediately after running the iron on it. Flat Iron Video: Richard Ashforth's Tip: How To Use Hair Straighteners So go over each small section once (no more than twice) with the flat iron until you finish your hair. When I finish, I like to take a little more Chi silk infusion and rub it all over the hair (focusing on the ends) for extra protection and shine. And voila!! You are done :) Hope this helps someone. Regular Heat Use threads: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/for...d.php?t=110350 http://www.longhaircareforum.com/for...d.php?t=114270 http://www.longhaircareforum.com/for...d.php?t=144439 http://www.longhaircareforum.com/for...d.php?t=129013

Oil Tutorial by Heidi (LHC)

A common myth is that oil is used to moisturize the hair, but oil is meant to condition and protect the hair from the elements. Learning how to properly use oil so that we can best benefit from it is very important and that's why I am posting the link to an article from Heidi W. on The Long Hair Community (LHC). (Posted by RainyDZ) For the full article, Click Here.

Relaxer Stretching

Ok, so what is "relaxer stretching"? Quite simply, it is waiting longer to relax your new growth longer than usual. If you are like many of women who still relax every 4-6 weeks, consider this: There are 52 weeks in a year, so by relaxing every 4-6 weeks, you are creating the potential of high-level scalp damage 9-13 times per year! Sound a little excessive? Want decrease the risk of hair loss? Start stretching. Also, if you just want to minimize the frequency of potential overlapping that occurs with chemical relaxing, stretching is for you. And, if you are experiencing thinness in the bulk of your hair, and your doing everything else right (deep conditions, scalp is clean on a regular basis, no damage to the hair), relaxer stretching can be a way to thicken it up.

What determines a "good" stretch is purely subjective. However, generally a good rule of thumb is to stretch not based on the number of weeks you wait between touch-ups, but by the amount of new growth you have acquired, anywhere from 1"-2" of growth. So if your hair grows the average 0.5" per month, you should acquire about 1" in 8 weeks or so. If you get 0.75"-1" per month, I would still wait it out maybe 6-8 weeks, respectively. (Most cosmetologists recommend this window of time anyway, again basing it on how much new growth you have.) If your hair grows less than 0.5" per month, then you'll likely be waiting a while, lol! Either way, I think your hair will thank you for it!

I am starting my own personal challenge for 2008 to start stretching my relaxers for 3 months (approx. 1.5"-2") of new growth for the entire year. I normally wait 8-10 weeks. I am doing this for a few reasons:

1. I want to increase my hair's overall thickness
2. I am no longer self-relaxing in '08, and want to make sure my future stylist has enough new growth to work with to minimize overlapping
3. I want to minimize the potential for high-level scalp damage from the relaxer
   

I'll keep you guys updated on how this is going for me. I haven't decided if I will link my Fotki to this blog, or if I will just continue my journaling here. Either way, when I know, you will know :)

Deep Conditioning

Using a deep conditioner is probably the #1 most important thing you can do for your hair, especially as a fine-haired chica. Deep conditioners feed the strands, protecting and preventing damage from the elements. Since we fine-haired gals don't have as many cuticle layers as our coarse-haired counterparts, we need all the supplementation we can get.

I personally deep condition my hair once a week, faithfully. Typically I apply deep conditioner to damp hair in small sections, making sure that all my hair is covered (esp. the ends), cover my hair with a plastic cap and sit under the hooded dryer for 15-20 min on medium heat. If I want to let the conditioner sit longer, I do so, but not under the heat source. I find that DC-ing under heat longer than 20 min can over-swell the the hair shaft to quickly, doing more harm than good. Afterwards, I rinse the conditioner out well, then proceed to styling.

Make sure that the conditioner you use to deep condition has ingredients that can actually penetrate the strands. Don't cut corners here, ladies! VO5, and Suave are NOT deep conditioners!

Some popular DCs are: Paul Mitchell Super-charged, Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner, Joico K-pak Intense Hydrator, Pantene Women of Color Breakage Defense Mask, and Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol Plus (cheapie but a goodie!)

Products - How to Choose What you NEED

In general, I think a lot of people are trying methods that work for people with different hair types or for a specific hair need unlike what their own hair needs at the current moment. The same goes for a review of a product on non-clarified hair. Hair that has not been properly clarified can still hold on to properties of previous products, thereby skewing the final results. Also, sometimes changing many different products in your wash day rather than just one can have the same effect. You’ll never know what product caused what effect with this method.

So let’s say, for example, that your hair needs moisture and you give it protein. Clearly the products will not work for you the way they worked for someone else who actually needed protein, even if both of you have the exact same hair type. Now, if you feel your hair needs protein at the moment, and normal protein on clean wet hair doesn't work for you, then try it a different way (such as pre-pooing with the protein on dry hair).

One of the best things to do when testing a new product is to try things based on your hair type and specific hair need (before saying something "doesn't work"). Wait until you need a type of product (moisture/protein) to try it, so that your hair gives it a fair shot.

In general a method that a coarse-hair uses may not work for a fine-hair (like pre-pooing your protein or using an extra-thick moisturizer). Now if you're just bored and want to try it anyway, then go ahead, but just be aware that there may be consequences...

If a product doesn't work for you one time, just remember that there are so many factors that go into that one experience; that one time could just be a fluke. At least give that product a fair shot on your hair before you chuck it or throw it away.

What is Fine Hair?

Fine hair is determined by looking at the individual strands of hair on your head. The actual diameter of the strand is smaller than most, and has a tendency to be flyaway or wispy. Fine hair has the least amount of cuticle layers than medium or coarse stands, coarse hair having the most. “Thin” hair is not the same as fine hair, but sometimes you can see this occur together. If you have a problem keeping volume in your hair, you probably have fine hair.

Furthermore, just because someone has fine hair, doesn’t mean they have thin hair, either. Density of the hair refers to how many strands of hair are actually on the head. The categories for density are: thin, medium, or thick. So it is possible to have fine, thick hair or even thin, coarse hair.

During my time on hair boards, I have observed that most fine-haired ladies have certain issues in common, regardless of strand density. The following is a list of factors that fine-stranded women much keep in mind when deciding to grow out their hair:

1. Porosity
2. Relaxer Schedule/Degree of Straightness (if you choose to relax your hair)
3. Protein/Moisture balance of products
4. Vitamins
5. Heat or No Heat

These factors will be discussed individually in upcoming posts, so stay tuned!