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Showing posts from 2012

Relaxed And Natural Hair Pyramid

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It's feels so good to be alive on this beautiful 12-12-12! Thank God we have witnessed the last calendar combination of this century! On to the biz of the day. I have been reading about this hair pyramid and fortunately, I got to see the pyramid in the course of reading a post by a member of hairlista. I had to share it with you, ladies (and possibly gentlemen)! These pyramids serve as a guide to achieving a balance in the hair care process. 

How To: Saran Wrap Natural Or Relaxed Hair

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--> The saran wrap is used to achieve a straighter, smoother hair . The lovely  prettywitty77 ,  jenichris23  and  kinksNcurlsLc1  show us how to do it. This is something I'll be venturing into when I can get my hair into a wrap. kinksNcurlsLc1

How To: Start Your Locks

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When it comes to natural hair,  it's not everyone who wishes to be a loose natural. However, often times, you don't know where to start and how to start the loc journey. You have to know the type of locs you want, how it is installed, how to care for it as well as maintaining it. These tips should guide you: pecadora99 BronzeGoddess01

Product Review: Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream

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I have been using this product for months and I think it's time to share my experience with you. A good number of ladies have raved about how effective this product is and in my quest to find a moisturizing deep conditioner, I chose to give it a try. Price :Ghs10.00,  Madina market (Also available in most cosmetic shops)

How To Wash Your Own Hair: Roller Setting Techniques

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It's the last part of the series on how to wash your own hair. If you don't want to air dry or not a fan of air drying, you can do your own roller sets. Yes, it's possible to put in rollers all by yourself! mskibibi CoCogLam22

How To Wash Your Own Hair: Air Drying Techniques

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This is second part of the series on how to wash your own hair. After washing the hair, you can choose to allow the hair to air dry; that is, without the use of hooded dryer or blow dryer. Four methods are illustrated in the videos below. Scarf method by HairliciousInc

Tutorial| Goddess Side Braid

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I can't wait to have enough length to try this style by Dessy Gt

Why We Can All Have At Least Bra Strap Length Hair

--> I know what you are thinking-for the where? You mean a Ghanaian woman grow her hair to that length? You don't know what you are talking about. Stop dreaming! How is that possible? Don't worry,  after you head over to Naijahaircangrow.blogspot.com , you'll believe it!

How To: Havanna Twists!

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Remember the crotchet braids style ? This type of twist also uses the same method except you twist the hair after crotcheting. Watch how it is done by   TashaMylee

Dark And Lovely Ultra-Cholesterol Conditioning Mask Review

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Most often, I use a deep conditioner that needs to be left on for more than 15 minutes and requires heat to work. However, I needed an alternative deep conditioner that I can fall on when am tied up and won't require time and heat in order to work. I was browsing through the product arsenal of The Game shop when I came across the Dark and Lovely Ultra-cholesterol conditioning mask 500ml by Softsheen Carson and decided to purchase it. Price : Ghs10.00

Growing The Edges With Miconazole/Daktarin

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Yep! I posted this on our  facebook page  this afternoon and decided to share it with you. The one I bought is the foot cream; not the vaginal one. It contains miconazole nitrate 20mg per 1.

Oils In Ghana: Rapeseed Oil

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--> Source: www.buzzle.com As more Ghanaian ladies are becoming aware of the herbs we have at our disposal, I've decided to add a series on oils to show case what we also have in order to achieve healthy hair over here. I'll start off with rapeseed oil also known as Canola oil. Canola oil   comes from a rapeseed plant. Rapeseed belongs to the mustard family (remember mustard in the bible?).  It helps to repair damaged cells in the hair shaft and protects the hair from spilt ends.

Do You Know Why Your Relaxed Hair Is Breaking?

-->   Once upon a time, I didn't know why my hair never got past my collar bone. Then, I took matters into my own hands when I couldn't take the nonsense  unwarranted breakage I was always experiencing. Fortunately for us , Dr.Fomsky's series on why your relaxed just won't stop breaking  has come to solve this problem for you. She discusses the levels of breakage, how to curb it using deep conditioners, hair care practices that contribute to breakage and how to curb this problem. Read   Thesizzlingmommy.com

Hair Products I Want To Try

By chance, I went to the mall during the week. In the process, I found the following products in shoprite and a shop adjacent to shoprite as well as The Game : A ffirm Conditioning Creme Relaxer with Protecto (STEP 2) Affirm Moisture Plus Conditioning Relaxer with Protecto for Dry Hair & Sensitive Scalp Formula (STEP 2)

Weave Failure: Not My Fault

Well, this isn't new for those who interact with us on facebook. If you've also noticed, the current protective style widget is gone but not forever. I failed and as much as I want to blame myself, I won't do so; I'd rather blame the weather.  I hate this HOT weather!

The History of Black /African Hair(It's not just Hair)

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In my endeavour to discover and find out the history of African Hair, I found this video by Onxlsis. She talks of the significance of African hair, which dates back to many centuries and its linkage to African spiritually and ethnic identity. She explains that Africans in Sub-saharan Africa embodied hair in their various rites of passage, in the intricate designs and pattrens found on wooden crafts, in caves etc.

OUT AND ABOUT: CAPE COAST - SLAVE TERRITORY

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One of my favorite past times is travelling in and around Ghana, discovering the larger universe for myself. And this weekend thanks to our Muslim brothers, we had a public holiday on Friday. I took the opportunity to visit my best friend who had been posted to Cape Coast for her national service. I boarded a Ford bus from Kaneshie which cost 9 cedis because it is more comfortable and faster than the Metro Mass and Yutong buses which were 4.50   pesewas and 7 cedis respectively. It takes approximately 2 hours to Cape Coast from Accra without traffic.

How I Washed My Weave!

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It's been two weeks since I got the weave installed and I felt it was time to give my scalp some treatments. I'd wanted to go the salon to get it done but I'll do that during the x'mas period so I can have it flat ironed and cut into a bob for the festive seasons. I tilted the hair backwards so the washing was done that way. I wet the hair, applied the shampoo and rinsed.

Salon Review: Total Trans4mation Beauty Palour

If there's something I've learnt about salons in Ghana, you can only be safe when you already know what you want, you can't rely on the hair stylist to do what is best for your hair. However, when I discovered Mrs Emelia Demor-Grunitzky of total trans4mation beauty palour, I knew I was in for a good time.  I found her salon when I was searching for a place to get my acrylic nails done. I,actually, saw a signboard advertising a salon and decided to follow the arrow direction.

Twist Out on A Rainy Day!!!

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So, I bought a wig on Sunday because of the dust being caused by the road construction in my hood (I live in th capital city Accra,but I dont have tarred roads leading to where I live). This is a Tutorial I did about the wig.

How To: Curl Using Gel

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As far as my hair journey is concerned, my hair has NEVER been this healthy and because I love it now, I venture out into hair styles that I haven't bothered to do. I bought some gel to slick down my edges. Then, I thought of using it as a hold for twists in order to have some curls. I got this idea from my previous attempts without using a gel for hold where the curls lasted for only a few hours. This time, I knew it could take me through a whole week but I had to wash the hair. Ok, let's move on to how to create yours.

Hair Confessions!!

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It's been one year and four months since I embarked on this hair journey and I must tell you, it's been full of ups, downs, surprises, joy and unpredictable results.  Let me open up some hidden thoughts. I am not a product junkie not because I can control myself but due to several reasons. I always read everything into details before I take a step.

Learn The Correct Terms:)

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Image Source: www.rodsbot.com Just an observation I have made from the comments and questions from my fb pals. Because we are accustomed to these terms, sometimes, it becomes a bit tedious understanding what I mean. These are the answers to the questions you asked. The hair dresser calls it steaming= it is deep conditioning. *thonging = it is  flat ironing *steaming cream=it is deep conditioner *small comb=it is rat tail comb *smooth rollers= it is magnetic rollers :) I'll try to indicate the local terms within the post if I use something different. Emprezz

UNCLE OBAMA’S BANANA!!!

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So I one of my best friends asked me if I had heard the Uncle Obama song and I finally heard it this weekend and I was like OMG!!! In the video Sister Deborah goes to the market and saw a guy selling banana and asked if she could buy for her monkey and it goes on on and on...

Do You Shampoo After Or Before Deep Conditioning?

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There's been a debate over whether it's advisable to dc before or after shampoo. Well, JC of  www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com  has written a beautiful piece about this. If am not mistaken, she wrote a similar article years ago and it sparked the debate. Well, the lastest post discusses what to do if you want to shampoo before deep conditioning and if you want to shampoo after deep conditioning. Read Deep conditioning: Dry hair, Wet hair or Shampoo hair? Check out my post on "Do you pre-poo?"

Heating Deep Conditioners To Enhance Effectiveness

So, this is what I've learnt from JC of TheNaturalHavenBloom -that you can heat your conditioner ie deep conditioner.  She recommends the water bath method. To do this, take a glass container or a heat resistant plastic container. Put the conditioner you are going to use into it. Never heat up the whole conditioner bottle since you will affect the preservatives.

Can Chemical Relaxer Stretching Damage Your Hair?

By Audrey Sivasothy Chemical relaxer stretching is often promoted as the key to any healthy hair regimen that involves the regular use of chemicals. Unfortunately for some, stretching chemical relaxers can become a hair breakage nightmare. If stretching is executed incorrectly, or with techniques that just don't suit the stretcher's hair, hair breakage problems can crop up during a relaxer stretch and end up damaging the hair more than helping it. Read on to learn more about what causes hair breakage and hair loss during relaxer stretching and what you can do to prevent the downfalls of stretching! Read more

Prepare For Harmattan

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--> Image source: cbtamale.blogspot.com Now, it is this time that you find the rush for braids and weaves hoping to avoid breakage. The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March (winter). The temperatures can be as low as 3 degrees Celsius.( wikipedia.org ). I lived in the Northern Region for a long period and I can boldy say that this season can bring out the worst in you; cracked lips, feet, bleeding nose, etc. The season also comes with dusty weather. Looking at the duration, it's safer to plan ahead of time. Here are few guidelines for the season:

Palm Oil Hair Deep Conditioner

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--> Image source: ghanatravels.wordpress.com Image source: /blackethics.com Palm oil (the one you use in preparing ampesi) is one of the cheapest oils on the Ghanaian market. This oil is obtained from the fruit of the palm tree. The palm fruit can be used in the preparation of soups eg abe kwan (palmnut soup). After using mango and yogurt deep conditioners, I searched for another home grown recipe for deep conditioning. 

How To: Prepare Amla And Brahmi Treatment

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-->   Image Source: wikimedia.org Phyllanthus emblica (syn. Emblica officinalis), the Indian gooseberry, or aamla from Sanskrit amalika, is a deciduous tree of the Phyllanthaceae family. It is known for its edible fruit of the same name. Ayurveda practitioners use amla oil for its conditioning benefits and pigments. Benefits of Amla Oil Apply the oil to your hair after shampoo. *Restore shine and soften hair texture with daily application of amla oil. *Those with oily hair should apply the oil only twice per week to limit oil build-up. *Decrease the effects of harsh shampoos by adding amla oil to the shampoo or applying to your hair prior to shampoo. Several commercial shampoos and conditioners contain amla oil. *Apply amla oil to the scalp to combat dandruff or soothe an inflamed scalp. The vitamin C present in amla acts as an anti-inflammatory. *Apply nightly if you suffer from a chronically itchy or sore scalp. Massage the oil into your scalp using circular patter

Banana clip Updo With Pin Curls On Natural/Relaxed Hair

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--> TGIF!!*doing an azonto dance** When you want that extra swag to your look, rock this style. It can be done on either natural or relaxed hair.    My Version

Relaxer Dos And Don'ts

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It's fair to say caring for relaxed hair is not as simple as my fellas think. It's not about sit, slap the relaxer on, wash and see you in 4 weeks time for another rendezvous. These are the few things I've learnt about relaxed hair. Protect your ends with conditioner, oil or grease. The rational behind this is that in the process of washing out the relaxer, the water definitely runs over the already processed hair. As this increases, you eventually have the already processed hair becoming weaker and also causing overprocessing. The protector can be applied a day before the relaxer or right before the relaxer. I use sheabutter.

Selecting Shampoos Based On Purpose

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  Shampoos may be purchased for specific purposes. Let's examine some of these shampoos and their functions.thebeautybrains.com classifies these shampoos into four main groups. Chelating Shampoos Conditioning Shampoos Baby Shampoos Anti-Dandruff shampoos Cleansing Shampoos These shampoos are designed to get gunk off your hair and scalp. (produced as: volumizing, clarifying, balancing, oil control, or thickening). Clarifying shampoos are meant for deep cleansing.If you see things like Dimethicone, Polyquaternium-7 or Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, on the label, the formula will probably deposit conditioners on your hair that you don’t want if you’re trying to clarify.(The beautybrains.com)  Chelating shampoos: A chelating agent can chemically bind with minerals and keep them from depositing on your hair.This type of product has most application to areas of the country where there is hard water. Soft water already has the minerals removed. Look for products with the

Natural Hair Dos And Dont's

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We are aware that we deal with both the rainy and harmattan seasons. However, treating natural hair in these seasons will vary depending on: The products you use Your regimen How you style your hair Even though there are a lot of naturals, most naturals assume that all you need to cater for the hair is water and sheabutter. These products are good for moisturizing but when it comes to other aspects of the hair care journey, most naturals are ignorant or too lazy to care. They complain and nag about not seeing any length as well as facing difficulties in caring for the hair in general. If you are reading this post, kindly note the following dos and don'ts to save you the headaches. The points provided are based on what I know and what I've read: Never, ever,ever comb natural hair in its dry state: For 4b hair like mine, you can't even get the comb through it. Yet, ladies will attempt combing the hair and worse off, with small tooth comb. This causes major breakage

Selecting Shampoos Based On Ingredients

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image source: shampoostyle.wordpress.com Most of the questions I get from my facebook pals have to do with how to choose a shampoo from the lot. With the  kind of attendants at most cosmetic shops in our markets, it is always safer to know the exact product you are looking for (see an encounter in Gossip Train5#Shopping Time ). From what I've learnt, depending on your hair needs, there are several considerations in the choice of a shampoo. I will discuss two categories; choice based on component / ingredient and selection based on purpose / function .We are going to use a bit of science so buckle up! According to thedailybeast.com ,Paula Begoun, author of Beautypedia.com states that only the first five or six ingredients of shampoos impact the formula’s effectiveness.  Thedailybeast.com lists them as follows:

Baggy Method And Green House Effect (GHE)

-->  What is the difference between the baggy method and the Green House Effect? Baggying involves using a moisturizer (which contains chemicals) and a plastic cap to help retain moisture and hydrate your hair. The green house effect is mainly to help promote hair growth in a natural way as well as restore moisture.The greenhouse effect encourages your body heat and natural oils to moisturize your hair. These two methods can aid in hair growth and retention. Some women that do this regularly (3-5 times a week) have shown that they get 1 inch of hair growth a month. This method is great for anyone with dry, brittle ends.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil In Ghana Now!

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--> Hurrayyy!!!! Image Source: kaboodle.com By courtesy of sheabuttercottage, JBCO is now available in Accra. If you don't know the essence of this oil, read these... naturallycurly.com Jamaican Black Castor Oil works for all hair types. It will moisturize, thicken, strengthen and rapidly increase hair growth. It increases blood flow to the scalp, supplying valuable nutrients to hair follicles. Jamaican Black Castor Oil will also prevent hair breakages, dandruff, eczema and dry, itchy scalp. Jamaican Black Castor Oil has crossed over into other ethnic groups, and is now being used widely for some of the same purposes, as well as new found uses including eyelash and eyebrow hair growth and as massage oil... Over the last ten years, it is an established precedent that Jamaican Black Castor oil is more effective than the clear pharmacy castor oil because of the ash content due to roasting of the beans. Therefore, it stands to reason that the more ash content, the more effec

How To: Curl and Straighten Synthetic Hair

Many people believe that synthetic hair cannot be curled or straightened unless it is labeled heat resistant. However, this is untrue. There is an easy way where synthetic hair, whether its on a wig, weft, or loose hair can be straightened without burning the hair. This method will help you be able to re-style your synthetic hair giving you the same styling options as human hair. Read on...

Tutorial: How to Flat Iron Relaxed Hair

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TGIF!!!You know what goes on here on Friday so let's get CREATIVE! If you are like me and have experienced flat ironing in the hands of a hairdresser, the experience might be quite unpleasant. However, you can flat iron your own hair with help from  crystalroselove .  Watch and learn.

The Concern Over Silicones

According to treasuredtressesblog.wordpress.com and curlynikki.com , there are several categories for silicones approved for use in hair care products. 1. Dimethicones  2. Low molecular weight cyclic silicones (cyclomethicones)  3. Dimethiconols 4. Dimethicone copolyols  5. Phenyl trimethicones  6. Amine-functional silicones  

Bantu knot-out On Dry Relaxed Hair

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By  tamekans PS: I hope to put up a post on the challenge day 9. Stay tuned Emprezz

How to Texlax Your Hair

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--> Properly "texlaxing," or gently underprocessing, your hair is an art. But done correctly, texlaxing can be extremely beneficial to your hair. This article will describe techniques for "texlaxing" your hair to perfection every single time. What is Texlaxing? "Texlaxed" hair is a term that was coined in the Internet hair world to describe a hair texture that falls between texturized curls and chemically relaxed, straight hair. "Texlaxing" is the intentional underprocessing of hair with a relaxer chemical, and is typically done to create volume, body, and texture in relaxed hair. Popular Texlaxing Methods There are many methods for texlaxing the hair, and most center around reducing initial disulfide bond breakage in the hair fiber. Disulfide bonds are the bonds that cause our hair to have a naturally curly, or kinky texture. Breaking these bonds prepares them for straightening in the smoothing stage of the relaxer. An alternative

How To: Shampoo and Condition Relaxed Hair Properly

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--> How can you shampoo and condition relaxed hair without causing damage?  Relaxed hair doesn't necessarily have to be washed at the salon all the time. You can wash your own hair in the shower and style it afterwards.  To wash your hair, it may be a bit tedious the first time but with time, you'll get the hang of it. When washing, remember to be gentle in order not to cause breakage.  Watch and Learn from  crystalroselove  (I use a similar method in the shower). PS: For those without shower heads, pour the water from your shower pail in the same direction to avoid knots and tangles.

Four Wedding Hair Styles For Locs

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! Today's tutorials feature various loc styles for WEDDING! Dread locs as well as sisterlocs can be worn in several, gorgeous styles. All you need is a good stylist to interpret what you want to wear on the wedding day. If your locs are short, you can request for added extensions to increase the length. DynamicRunner chescalocs chescalocs kokofemme

Seven Wedding Hair Styles For Loose Natural Hair

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This is a small collection of videos of hairstyles for loose natural hair that can be used for that special day; WEDDING! Add your  flare to it... allthatsgold allthatsgold simplymevlogtv

There Is No Natural Hair Movement...

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It is one of the most controversial topics for naturals. Here's  sunshinelovespeace 's opinion.  What do you think?

Hair And Heat Usage

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There has been varied arguments on the use of heat on either relaxed or natural hair. How does heat interact with our hair? What are the possible effects of heat on hair? How do you prevent heat damage? Find out more from  1mits1

Financial Literacy In Hair Care

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I become envious whenever I get to read on products available for ladies in,especially, the US. Apart from the fact that there seems to be an abundance of hair care products, they tend to be very affordable. Ordering for products into this country can cost three times the product price. The cost of shipping is enough to buy ten products for someone living overseas. Coupled with this problem is the issue of the unavailability of paypal services in Ghana which makes it difficult to make purchases. Visa cards and debit cards have charges that are, sometimes, twice the price of the product you are purchasing. With all these challenges, it is important to have a level of financial literacy when caring for hair in this country. What will cost 1$, is about 10Gh which is quite on the high side. This means you have to take advantage of sales promos such as the one I posted on  Gossip Train:#2 . If you take advantage of this promo, you'll have enough cheap conditioner to tweak up for d

How To: Start Your Own Hair Care

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My hair journey is a personal journey. Every journey has a beginning and an end Where I live determines what I use.  My finances determine what products I can afford.  My diet is key in maintaining healthy hair. Keeping the eye on the goal  helps in overcoming setbacks.  Take some time to ponder over these questions because they will guide you in all the decisions you make in starting your own hair care. In the next post., I will expound on each point... Stay Tuned! Emprezz

Natural Hair is Unprofessional? Or Is The Style The Problem?

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Comments from some ladies who wish to go natural vary from what products to use to how professional it is to wear natural hair. Listen to what  sunshinelovespeace  has to say and share your opinion.

Growth Aids: Cayenne Pepper Mixtures

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Cayenne pepper infused in oils is by far, the cheapest growth aid!. Capsaicin is the primary ingredient found in cayenne pepper. Check out out the post  Growth Aids:Vitale Olive Oil 4-in-1 Growth Serum for more on capsaicin. Cayenne pepper increases blood flow to the scalp. The increased blood flow strengthens hair follicles, which results in stronger hair roots--ultimately leading to thicker, healthier hair. Mixtures One way to use this treatment is to mix 1-to-2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper with 1-to-2 teaspoons of olive oil, creating a thick paste that you then rub into the base of your scalp and any balding spots. Massage the paste thoroughly into your scalp and hair and leave in for ten to fifteen minutes, covered with a shower cap or plastic bag. The olive oil will neutralize the heat from the cayenne. Remove cap, shampoo and rinse thoroughly. You can also leave the paste in your hair overnight if you wish to intensify its effect.