Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Megan's hair update
From day one it had grown in uneven. I kept thinking I should cut it all even but I never did and by the time i was going to, i didn't want to hack it all off. So I kept working with it and trimming off more than the usual to get it full and healthy.
Her texture has very little curl definition, is very delicate and very dry (not brittle, just hard to retain moisture) which made it challenging to retain length evenly. I felt like I tried every moisturizing product there was, with little result.
In the past year tho I have started her on a new routine which has her hair doing MUCH better. I'm seeing a lot of growth and fullness. I'm still cutting it down so it will all be even in length and fullness but after the next few trims I think it will be exactly where I want it to be. And I'm excited!
I love to see little Afro American girls with long, thick, healthy, natural weave free hair. I love the confidence and pride it gives her to see her own hair make progress. I know hair isn't everything, and I teach her that. But it does mean a lot to know that being a black girl doesn't inhibit you from having longer lengths. and that you don't have to feel inferior to someone of another race who has long hair.
Her moisture level is in control, I've found that contrary to what I thought, her hair doesn't like heavy shea butter (as a moisturizer). It makes it sticky, and weighed down, and attracts a lot of dirt which only locks into her braids and makes it a nightmare when it's time to take her braids down. Rather her hair responds very well to lighter oils like coconut oil which penetrates the shaft.
This past wash day I was thrilled to see her hair thickening quite a bit , and the length she's acquired; which means I can start trimming off less hair per trim (3-4 time a year).
Routine: I wash her hair once a month with either a sulfate free shampoo or mostly co wash (her hair loves to be co washed) deep condition with every wash, trim 3-4 times a year, and an occasional protein treatment (for strength) and I pay close attention to her hair needs. And I haven't been blow drying it. I twist and she sits with a dryer bonnet on.
Shampoo: Shea moisture yucca and baobab thickening shampoo (her hair loves this stuff it seems to be working... It's been 3months)
Co wash: Trader joes tea tree tingle conditioner or suave rosemary mint conditioner
Rinse out / detangle: same as co wash.
Deep conditioner: shea moisture deep penetrating treatment or I make my own.
Leave-in/styling: herbal essences LTR leave in, garnier fructis sleek & shine leave-in, most recent loreal ever sleek leave in, tresemme heat tamer spray, tresemme keratin smooth heat protection spray, coconut oil, Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie, profectiv growth sheen to finish.
Mya's hair update
Routine: She gets her hair washed once a month (depending on how dirty it is, i will either do a sulfate free shampoo, or i will co wash it), along with a deep conditioning treatment. I trim her ends 2-3 times a year because I'm working on length retention and I've been doing a lot of protective styles where her ends are not exposed, especially because I don't live with her and can't do daily/ weekly maintenance. Her hair is worn in braided styles to preserve the health of her hair and coconut oil is used approx every other day to maintain moisture.
Products:
I have her on a no sulfate, low silicone routine so...
Shampoo: If I shampoo I use organix shampoos, trader joes nourish spa shampoo, and most recently loreal ever sleek reparative shampoo.
Co wash: trader joes tea tree tingle conditioner.
Deep conditioner: I either make one or I use shea moisture deep penetrating treatment.
Rinse out/detangling conditioner: suave rosemary mint conditioner, trader joes nourish spa conditioner, and most recently loreal ever sleek reparative conditioner.
Leave in /styling: herbal essences long term relationship leave in, fructis sleek and shine leave in, most recently loreal ever sleek leave in, tresemme heat tamer, most recently tresemme keratin smooth heat protection spray, coconut oil, shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie, profectiv growth sheen spray.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Measurements for july 2012
Watch "How do I measure up?" on YouTube
Monday, October 1, 2012
Beauty from the inside, out.
So... you want great looking, healthy, long hair.
What do you do first?
Browse the counters for the perfect product that stimulates/ promotes hair growth? How about something to fix / mend your split ends? Dr. So & so said this product will tingle your scalp so good your hair will grow in no time. Protein treatments. Protective style here, no heat there... still seeing no results?
Thats because these are things to do when the hair is already on the outside of the body. As we all know once hair emerges from the scalp, it's dead, so its impossible to give life to or nourish something thats already dead.
Being that hair is dead, we still want to make sure that it is treated delicately in order to preserve it and keep it in tact. But what about when its still alive within the body? That's when it would make more sense to feed, nourish and care for it more so, because thats where we can actually do something about the health, look, length, and feel of our hair.
Exercise, healthy habits & diets play a vital role in the health of our hair.
Foods high in fatty acids such as salmon. Its loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron. If you're a vegetarian you can just opt to include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed in your daily diet for some plant-based omega-3 fats instead.
• Dark green veggies such as spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard, are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles. Think of it as the body's natural hair conditioner.
• Beans like kidney beans and lentils should be an important part of your hair-care diet. They're not only chock full of protein which promotes hair growth, they provide an ample amount of iron, zinc, and biotin. A biotin deficiency (which is very rare) can result in brittle hair.
• Nuts such as walnuts, cashews, pecans, and almonds are a great source of zinc. A zinc deficiency can lead to hair shedding, so make sure nuts are a regular part your healthy hair diet, if you're not allergic to them of course.
• Proteins that are found in meats like chicken & turkey, and even eggs (which also provide biotin and b-12) help produce, and to add strength to hair. Think of it as an internal protein treatment. If you are a vegetarian or are vegan there are many other ways to get these proteins such as green leafy veggies, legumes, tofu, barley, lentils, macadamia nuts, avacado, potato w/ its skin. There are also proteins in powder form that you can make shakes or smoothies with.
An additional way to insure that you have all the healthy hair minerals and vitamins is to take a good healthy hair, nails and skin supplement that include silica, MSM, biotin, and horsetail. These, in addition to the major vitamins, help to keep the hair in the growth phase longer. Just check with your doctor, if you're on any medications, or have any pre-existing health conditions, before taking anything.
Drink plenty of water to keep your skin, organs and body hydrated. This cleanses your system by flushing it of toxins and waste, which allows all of the body's cycles to stay in sync.
Regular vigorous exercise gets the heart rate up which gets blood flowing, oxygen distributed, and rids the body of toxins. Exercise also gets you breathing, inhaling brings in oxygen and exhaling pushes out carbon dioxide. The more healthy circulation you get going, the better oxygen distribution, the heathier production of cells you'll have, the better and happier your skin, hair, and over all health will be.
The more vigorous the work out the more you sweat, while yes sweating is the body's natural cool down mechanism, it is also a way to excrete toxins through the pores and allows the skin to breathe. Which is why its a good idea to cleanse and exfoliate after a good workout, to wash away those impurities before they settle back into the skin, leading to clogged pores, which can inhibit hair growth and cause blackheads, and acne.
Reduce or stop your cigarette and/or alcohol use. Nicotine and other toxic ingredients in cigarettes constrict blood vessels which strains the heart to work harder to pump blood through out your body leading to heart issues and/or failure. The less circulation the body gets the less able it is to produce healthy cells that reform vital organs, and form healthy hair, skin and nails. It also slows down the regeneration process our bodies naturally have, leading to a plethora of other harmful, fatal effects which include but aren't limited to respiratory issues, lung cancer, enphasyma, and COPD.
Drug abuse and excessive use of alcohol are associated with depression and only makes it worse. Depression is a serious issue and one of the leading causes of death, so you may want to talk to doctor and see if your drug abuse or drinking is due to you're feeling depressed. Just keep in mind there's nothing to be ashamed of. You may need actual medication to correct it and help you feel like you again. Alcohol, like cigarette smoke, also constricts vessels. It's known to dehydrate your body, slowing or even stopping the regeneration process, inhibits cell regrowth which is the exact opposite of what we need for healthy hair growth, and more importantly can lead to serious health issues such as liver and kidney failure.
So there you have it, a healthy diet, dietary supplements and healthier habits are the key to actually making your hair reach its fullest potential. What you put into your body, is what you'll get out of it. Cherish your body and you will reap great benefits.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Protein Sensitive...
Have you used a protein treatment thinking that it would strengthen your hair, reduce your shedding or breakage, reverse your damage... only to have hard, dry brittle, crunchy feeling hair, that is now shedding more than it was prior to your treatment? How many of you ladies feel that it's due to your hair being "sensitive to protein"? I've been stumbling across this phrase on and off of blogsites, forums and youtube videos. If "black hair so and so" has informed you of your new found "sensitivity"... I'm going to have to let you know that you've been ill-informed.
First off, let me start by saying that there is no such thing as "protein sensitive" hair. That's almost as ridiculous as being told that your hair hates water/ moisture. Your hair is composed primarily of proteins (88% to be exact). These proteins are of a hard fibrous type known as keratin. Keratin protein is comprised of what we call "polypeptide chains." Polypeptide is basically digested or broken down protein.
Amino acids placed in their correct order will form a specific protein; i.e. keratin, insulin, collagen and so on. The "alpha helix" is the descriptive term given to the polypeptide chain that forms the keratin protein found in human hair. So if your hair is 88% protein fiber... how could it possibly be sensitive to what it's primarily made up of?
The real culprit to your adverse affect to protein treatments is pretty simple: YOU DON'T NEED IT! just because you're experiencing some shedding (which just may not be due to breakage), does not warrant a protein treatment. Too much of any good thing can be a bad thing. It's almost like fixing whats not broken... literally. If you take too much penicillin... your body becomes immune and it (penicillin) doesn't work. if you take too much of a vitamin (more than your body needs), whatever excess doesn't run straight through you may remain in your body and do the exact opposite of what it does, or triggers a new ailment. The same it goes with your hair.
Protein treatments are for hair that lacks a certain amount of protein; meaning that you'd have to be doing something to your hair that would deplete its level of protein, or alter the chemistry of the hair. When you're thinking of altering the chemistry of hair you think- CHEMICALS. Chemically treated hair is what those protein treatments are specifically geared towards. Now if you're a natural gal... there would be no need for a protein treatment. Natural meaning no permanent color, peroxides, ammonia, metallic, dye, relaxer- thio, lithium, sodium, or calcium hydroxide, no body wave, jheri curl, cold wave etc. process on any part of the hair. If you have never had any of these on your hair; or you have, but have long since cut it all off- you are not a candidate for a protein treatment. Therefore not being a candidate for this treatment, it does too much of what it's supposed to do- to the point where it hardens your hair; giving it a dry, brittle, hard to comb feel, which in turn breaks the hair.
Hair sheds, it's part of it's nature, life cycle, what have you... but hair sheds. Some people experience more and then less shedding during different times of the year. Know your hair cycle and stop panicking at the sight of a few more strands than you're used to. You're not going bald, and it's not breaking off. And if there is any reason to be concerned... see a professional. Just because a person has a youtube account and makes some eye catching videos, does not make up for the fact that she is not licensed in what you're seeking advice for. Only a licensed professional- who has studied cosmetology, chemistry of hair, trichology, can give you real sound advise and administer treatment. Which is why most of these "treatments" your giving yourself read on the bottle "FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY". DIY's are great if you have the correct knowledge in doing so... if not then your just a "penny wise, pound fool". you saved a bunch of money by switching... but only to set yourself back in hair.
Just sayin. :-p
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