TIPS FOR RELAXED HAIR
Washing: For some reason there is this myth that relaxed hair grows better when it is dirty, i.e. prolonging washes. Nothing could be less true. When you hair is dirty sebum and dirt accumulate on your scalp and this could greatly hinder growth. While washing hair could seem counterproductive to getting that straight look, it is very essential to hair growth.
So here are some things to keep in mind
1.Wash hair every week (of course if you have extensions in this may not be possible).
2. Try using a shampoo like Giovanni’s invigorating tea tree shampoo. It contains tea tree which is great for scalp issues which many people with relaxers suffer from.
3. Avoid shampoos that have Sodium Laureath Sulphate as this chemical will dry out your already dry hair.
1.Wash hair every week (of course if you have extensions in this may not be possible).
2. Try using a shampoo like Giovanni’s invigorating tea tree shampoo. It contains tea tree which is great for scalp issues which many people with relaxers suffer from.
3. Avoid shampoos that have Sodium Laureath Sulphate as this chemical will dry out your already dry hair.
Conditioning: Invest in a very creamy moisturizing conditioner with a low PH. A good conditioner would be our very own Natural Saturdays Deep conditioning treatment (available for our readers in Nigeria only for now) or Giovanni’s Smooth as silk Deep conditioner. Both of these are excellent and the NS deep conditioner is multi-purpose! A few tips
1) Condition hair after every wash! Never skip this step
2) Deep condition hair at least twice a week you can use The NS conditioner or browse the blog for a home-made deep conditioner recipe ATTENTION watch out for the ingredient mineral oil/petrolatum – this is a cheap grade by-product of crude oil and it has no moisturizing properties, in fact it does more harm than good. Apply a deep conditioner on the hair and wear a heating cap/ a plastic cap and wrap a towel around your head/ or a plastic cap and sit under hooded dryer for at least an hour. The heat allows the conditioner to penetrate the hair cuticle thereby thoroughly conditioning the hair
3) When rinsing our conditioner, use cold water for the last couple of rinses as this closes the hair cuticles reduces frizz and promotes shine.
Moisturizing: Water is the best and most natural form of moisture of course this becomes a challenge when trying to attain the sleek straight look, applying water seems counterproductive. The best way of course is to “lock in” moisture while the hair is still holding water i.e. damp. You can do this by adding natural oils Natural Saturdays Hair oil is created exactly for this purpose. It is a light mix of oils and infused with a lot of hair-loving essential oils and herbs. If you are unable to get this Coconut oil will work similarly it is light and easily absorbed into the hair cuticle. A few tips
1.When moisturizing less is more- a little goes a long way, relaxed hair is easily weighed down and therefore might appear limp… for that bouncy look, use less product (yeah tell that to Nigerian hair-dressers lol)
2.Look out again for that “poison” called mineral oil.
3. Concentrate on moisturizing the ends of your hair, this is the weakest part of your hair and needs the most care.
Special Treatments: Relaxed hair loses most of its elasticity and as a result can be dry brittle or limp. To combat this, your hair should be on a rotation of Deep conditioning treatments, protein treatments and hot oil treatments bi-weekly, so every two weeks you should be doing one of these, it may seem time consuming but the results begin to show quickly.
1.When moisturizing less is more- a little goes a long way, relaxed hair is easily weighed down and therefore might appear limp… for that bouncy look, use less product (yeah tell that to Nigerian hair-dressers lol)
2.Look out again for that “poison” called mineral oil.
3. Concentrate on moisturizing the ends of your hair, this is the weakest part of your hair and needs the most care.
Special Treatments: Relaxed hair loses most of its elasticity and as a result can be dry brittle or limp. To combat this, your hair should be on a rotation of Deep conditioning treatments, protein treatments and hot oil treatments bi-weekly, so every two weeks you should be doing one of these, it may seem time consuming but the results begin to show quickly.
Here are some brief tips:
1) When doing a hot oil treatment heat the oils using a double broiler method as opposed to microwaving.
2) For protein treatments you can simply add a spoon of mayonnaise to your deep conditioning treatment.
3) Remember that these are special treatments and should be treated as such. Overdoing it is not encouraged
1) When doing a hot oil treatment heat the oils using a double broiler method as opposed to microwaving.
2) For protein treatments you can simply add a spoon of mayonnaise to your deep conditioning treatment.
3) Remember that these are special treatments and should be treated as such. Overdoing it is not encouraged
Natural hair becomes easier to maintain the longer you have it. So we would say it is at first daunting as it requires a new way of treating hair in comparison to relaxed hair but eventually, it becomes easier. Also, so far as your hair has basic nutrition, it should function well; so no need to worry about running under the rain!! Most people worry about styling natural hair, we would say that having natural hair in this day and age is no doubt different, but it is a difference we like to associate with and one we think is absolutely fashionable and gorgeous so have fun with it! Be creative about your styling. We all have different methods of style and so our hair fits right into it because we create our hair styles to suit our personality and fashion style.
Maintaining Your Natural Hair:
Hair Products:
-Sulphate free shampoo (It is important to note that these don’t lather but cleanse your hair) e.g Giovanni products or Body Shop’s new sulfate free line
-Conditioners – our very own Natural Saturdays conditioner and hair treatment recipe. Add some protein to it to strengthen the hair or use it the way it is. Our oil treatment also is useful both as a hot oil treatment and as an alternative to hair grease. It helps hair growth, gives shines and restores strength. Avoid hair grease with mineral oil so def no 'apple hair foods' or dax lol! Coconut oil as well as its use as a softener and conditioner, helps with dandruff and gives shine.
Wash, condition and treat hair regularly; so at least twice a month. Wash your hair weekly to clear scalp. Product build-up stunts growth!
Hair Products:
-Sulphate free shampoo (It is important to note that these don’t lather but cleanse your hair) e.g Giovanni products or Body Shop’s new sulfate free line
-Conditioners – our very own Natural Saturdays conditioner and hair treatment recipe. Add some protein to it to strengthen the hair or use it the way it is. Our oil treatment also is useful both as a hot oil treatment and as an alternative to hair grease. It helps hair growth, gives shines and restores strength. Avoid hair grease with mineral oil so def no 'apple hair foods' or dax lol! Coconut oil as well as its use as a softener and conditioner, helps with dandruff and gives shine.
Wash, condition and treat hair regularly; so at least twice a month. Wash your hair weekly to clear scalp. Product build-up stunts growth!
What we have found useful is a daily in-shower steam; it moisturizes our hair and also helps growth. We use our oil recipe for this…alternatively you can use castor and coconut oil.
Spray it on every morning, wear a shower cap and let natural body and shower heat steam your hair.
Avoid heat i.e. hair straighteners, hair dryers. Let your hair air dry or towel dry it.
Avoid combing your hair when dry, comb when the hair is dripping wet and with conditioner in it, or spray a bit of water/ detangler before combing hair. NEVER COMB NATURAL HAIR WHEN DRY!
The kind of comb you use is essential, our hair is curly so a wide tooth comb is the best comb to use on our hair, here's an example of an in shower detangling comb http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=270440277251
This is the most important thing in our opinion- your diet! You need to drink lots of water to clear out toxins if not the products won't work effectively. You also need to maintain a healthy diet- Also for hair growth especially, foods rich in protein are essential- fish is especially recommended! It is difficult (we know) not to indulge in junk food, but eating it at minimal levels is advised.
There are many hair care forums that you can visit in addition to our website www.naturalsaturdays.blogspot.com to learn about natural hair styling options. Never stop learning.
Avoid heat i.e. hair straighteners, hair dryers. Let your hair air dry or towel dry it.
Avoid combing your hair when dry, comb when the hair is dripping wet and with conditioner in it, or spray a bit of water/ detangler before combing hair. NEVER COMB NATURAL HAIR WHEN DRY!
The kind of comb you use is essential, our hair is curly so a wide tooth comb is the best comb to use on our hair, here's an example of an in shower detangling comb http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=270440277251
This is the most important thing in our opinion- your diet! You need to drink lots of water to clear out toxins if not the products won't work effectively. You also need to maintain a healthy diet- Also for hair growth especially, foods rich in protein are essential- fish is especially recommended! It is difficult (we know) not to indulge in junk food, but eating it at minimal levels is advised.
There are many hair care forums that you can visit in addition to our website www.naturalsaturdays.blogspot.com to learn about natural hair styling options. Never stop learning.
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