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Showing posts from September, 2016

What Might Be Causing Your Dandruff?

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Today's post is dedicated  to dandruff, a common hair woe that most of us battle with. If you are an exception, then you must count yourself lucky! So what is dandruff? Dandruff is a scalp condition that causes the skin cells on your scalp to flake and itch. Although it's not contagious, it is sometimes very irritating and quite embarrassing. What causes dandruff? The direct cause of dandruff is a rapid renewal of the skin cells on the scalp. The human skin is composed of layers. The epidermis which is the outermost layer sheds off as new skin cells grow. As this process continues, the old skin cells fall out and  die off. This physiological process produces an amount of flaking which is normal and is usually invisible to the naked eyes. However, in certain people, this process is exaggerated and leads to excessive shedding of skin cells that accumulate on the scalp and clump together with the natural hair oils. The result is unsightly visible flakes that hover their way down t

Ways To Protect Your Hair This Harmattan Without Protective Styles

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If you are like me and don't see harmattan as the time to wear wigs and weaves nor braids  then,  you have to develop a regimen that can provide you with moisture and fortify your hair against the  harsh winds and weather.  The first thing I recommend is decide on how you'll protect your ends from the harsh  weather. You can wear buns or roll and tuck in styles. You can also do halo braids with or ponytail with extensions to keep the ends from breakage.  You should also increase the moisture routines such as deep conditioning twice a week and sealing the hair with butters. Another way to protect your hair without weaves and wigs is to do green house effect or baggying about thrice a month.  My intention is to stop braiding when I can pull the hair into a good pony so if that  happens by December, then,  I definitely be weave and wig free for the harmattan like I used to do. 

How To Prepare Your Hair For Braids

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I did a post on preparing your hair for weaves a while ago and today, I want to specifically touch on how to prepare your hair for braids especially for this harmattan. Basically, the routine for the preparation doesn't differ from that of getting a weave on. 1. Detangle your hair before going to the salon so the stylist doesn't mishandle the hair or use the wrong comb to detangle. This is especially crucial for natural hair. In addition to that, you have to also stretch your natural hair before getting to the salon because experience has shown that some stylist can't stretch your hair without charging extra or even creating more mess by using a hot tool to stretch without proper protection. 2. Deep conditioning before braids will provide the moisture your hair needs. Since your ow hair is going into hiding, it's best to give it a lot of moisture. 3.Choose the correct braid size for your hair. If you have thin hair and decided to get large plaits, you

Protect Your Hair Before Swimming

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If you happen to love the beach side or pool side, then, you may have had salty or extremely dry hair after taking a dip in the water. To protect your hair from the chlorine in the pool water,  you can use sheabutter or petroleum jelly to  prevent the water from getting into the strands - the kind of protection you give your hair prior to a touch up.  I prefer Vaseline since it's very thick. I put some in  my supplies and add a rinse out conditioner. This is to wash the hair after swimming  before getting home.  There are swimmers conditioners too -  saw some at max mart and other shops at the malls. How do you protect your hair before swimming even when wearing a cap? 

HOW TO USE ALOE VERA FOR HAIR GROWTH

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Aloe vera  is a short stemmed, succulent plant mostly found in tropical and subtropical climates. It has thick spiky leaves with a gel in the center.  Aloe Vera  is a household name that has gained so many accolades in the beauty industry. It is popularly known for its numerous benefits on health, skin and hair. Aloe vera, apart from  being made of 99 percent of water, is rich in amino acids, minerals and vitamins needed to aid hair growth and prevent breakage.  Aloe vera gel cleanses, nourishes, conditions and strengthens the hair. It hydrates the hair by trapping in moisture (humectant). Glycoproteins found in this miracle plant help speed up healing by stopping pain and reducing inflammation. It is therefore helpful in battling scalp inflammation. Its antifungal and antibacterial properties help improve scalp health, help control dandruff and reduce hair fall. If it's harvested at home in its natural  form, prepare a quantity that will be used right away and keep any leftover fo

How To Prepare Your Hair For Harmattan

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I have a post on the best protective styles for harmattan and 3 tips for harmattan. In today's post, I rather want to focus on how to prepare your hair for harmattan so you won't have any need to stress over your hair. These tips are what I also intend to do though some are applicable to those with longer hair than mine.  Baggying your ends at leat three times a week will provide the ends with moisture. My hair isn't long so I rather fold the ends into the pony to protect it. By December, I'll be using the baggying method too. You can also use green house effect to provide moisture for your hair. The  September 2016 challenge is green house effect so join it. I'll be wearing  cornrows beneath my wigs but will still make use of Green  House Effect for optimum moisture.  Get your moisturizing and sealing game on right  now ! I've discovered the Cantu sheabutter gel oil as a very moisturizing oil for my hair so I won't be dependent on the Cantu sheabu

How To Finger Detangle Relaxed or Natural Hair

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Detangling shouldn't be a hassle if you know how to use your fingers to aid you. I often talk about this technique and so decided to demonstrate it. Apart from  using conditioner and oils in the detangling process,  your fingers will not only guide you to remove knots quickly,  they will also help you separate the intertwined strands.

3 Tips For Extremely Dry Hair

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As we make our way into harmattan, I'm sure we are going to see the resurrection of weaves, Senegalese twist, braids, wigs and more which will mean the battle against dry hair will begin. Eventually, it's going to be the battle with extremely dry hair. Extremely dry hair can  be the worst nightmare the quest for long hair because it leads to breakage and thereby causing loss of length. If this habit of extremely dry hair isn't curbed , you'll end up cutting off all your hair! In the video,  I give you some tips to help with extremely dry hair. These are tips I'll also be using at when I get to wear my hair out in a couple of months time. Yes, my hair is going to be hidden for the rest of the year. More on that later.