Healthy Hair Care 101

Have you ever wanted to have long beautiful hair, but thought that it could never happen? This is exactly how I used to feel. Growing up, I always wanted long hair down my back like some of my friends but my hair never grew past shoulder length (SL). I didn’t understand why black hair seemed to not “grow”. I thought surely we couldn’t be the only race to be stuck with short hair. Later my eyes were opened and I realized that we actually can grow long, beautiful, healthy hair!

There are so many misconceptions when it comes to black hair, and we must first understand why you see so many black women with short, broken off hair. The issue isn’t that our hair can’t grow; it’s that we are not retaining the length that we are growing. If you are relaxed or have ever been relaxed, think about how frequently you got your touch-ups. That’s proof that your hair is growing, hence the term “new growth.” So the problem is not in our hair growing, but in keeping the length that we grow (retention.) Hair grows about a half inch per month or about 6 inches per year, but if our ends are constantly breaking off then we will never see the growth.

Our ends are the oldest part of our hair, and are more delicate. That means we must give our ends special treatment to take care of them to prevent them from splitting and breaking. Length retention has been an issue for most black women because many of us have never been educated on healthy hair care practices. We have been passed down the same hair care practices that our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers used.

There are many reasons we haven’t been retaining length and it could be due to one or more of the reasons listed below:

 -Relaxers and over processing

-Color/Bleach

-Double Processed with Relaxers and Color

-Excessive heat use

-Not using a heat protectant

-Combing and brushing too harshly and frequently

-Not moisturizing regularly

-Not using protein, especially with chemically treated hair

-Pulling hair to tight with ponytail holders

-Weaves installed incorrectly or too tight

-Braids installed too tight

-Scissor Happy Stylists

-Not sleeping with a silk/satin scarf

In the beginning of my healthy hair journey I couldn’t believe that I was doing so many things I just mentioned! I was determined to take better care of my hair in order to have that long beautiful hair I had desired since I was a child.

Once you decide to take better care of your hair, you’ll need to assess your hair to see what exactly you need to do and/or stop doing. I want to go into detail with you on why the things I mentioned above can affect length retention:

Relaxers- As most of us know, relaxers are a process to chemically treat hair in order to make it permanently straight. For women that wear relaxers, they need to stay on top of their moisture, protein, and deep conditioning. Relaxers break down the protein bonds in your hair. Therefore it’s beneficial for women to use products with protein to help strength their hair. Moisture is also needed to be added to the hair because the hair can become dry from relaxers.

Color/Bleach-Color and bleach are also chemicals to alter the color of one’s hair. Just like relaxers they can be drying on your hair and women with color treated hair need to stay on top of their moisture, protein and deep conditioning routine as well. Women that are double process really need to take extra special care of their hair because their hair can be extra dry, fragile and damaged due to so much chemical use.

Excessive Heat-This is one of the major reasons why black women have trouble retaining length. Flat ironing, curling your hair with a curling iron, and blow dryer too frequently can cause breakage. In addition, heat should only be used on clean, freshly washed hair. Everyone’s hair is different, and not everyone’s hair can tolerate the same amount of heat. Some women can use heat weekly and their hair can withstand it while others may only be able to use it sparingly without it affecting their retention.

Heat Protectant-This is a product you should use on your hair before using any heat. Heat protectants do just that. ..help protect your hair from heat. Let me say any time you use heat you are taking a chance with experiencing possible breakage, splits, and or heat trained/heat damaged hair. However, you may lessen these chances if you use a good heat protectant.

Combing /Brushing-Combing and brushing your hair too harshly and too frequently can lead to splits and breakage. When combing your hair, always start from the ends and work your way up. This prevents you from ripping through your hair. Also with natural hair in its natural state, you should always comb your hair when it’s wet. Trying to comb your natural, unmanipulated hair when it’s dry can definitely cause your hair to break.

Moisture and Protein-As mentioned earlier our natural hair needs moisture very frequently. Everyone’s hair may require a different amount of moisture, but initially you may want to try moisturizing your hair daily and seal with an oil. (Seal means to lock in the moisture.) You may find that your hair needs protein as well to be strengthened, although natural hair may not need protein as frequently as chemically treated hair. There are great moisturizing conditioners, protein treatments, protein based conditioners, and conditioners that are good mix of both moisture and protein.

Pulling hair too tightly-If you wear your hair in a ponytail too tightly you may experience breakage around your edges, and the area where you wear your ponytail. If you are going to wear your hair in a ponytail, be sure change the position of your ponytail because wearing it in the same spot too frequently can lead to breakage. Also don’t wrap the ponytail holder around your hair too tightly, and be sure to use ponytail holders that don’t have the metal piece. The ponytail holders with the metal piece makes it easy for your hair to get snagged.

Weaves and Braids-Weaves and braids can be great protective styles when done correctly. However they can also be one of the leading reasons for breakage. Be sure your braids or weave aren’t  installed too tight where it’s uncomfortable, and/or you see little white bumps along your hairline. Also while in braids and weaves be sure to moisturize regularly.

Scissor Happy Stylists- I’m sure you’ve probably heard to get trims every 6-8 weeks. However, if you are taking care of your hair, and protecting your ends, then it shouldn’t be a need for you to get trims that frequently. Being that hair grows about a half inch a month, if you are getting an inch trim every 6-8 weeks you are cutting the length you’ve just grown, therefore you will never see any retention. Instead try dusting your ends. This is taking off about 1/8 to ¼ inch of hair as needed when you see split ends or to prevent splits.

Satin/Silk Scarf or Bonnet-You should always tie your hair up at night and sleep with a satin or silk bonnet or scarf. Cotton scarfs and cotton pillows can cut your hair and cause breakage. You can purchase satin pillowcases as well if you don’t like sleeping with anything on your head. Just be sure to twist or braid your hair at night because sleeping with it loose can cause your hair to tangle.

Now that you understand the basics of healthy hair care, you are to learn some hair lingo and build a good regimen!!