Everyone wants rich, shiny looking hair. And if it grows to an enviable length down your back, that would be just fantastic. However, it would seem that despite our efforts at wishing our natural hair to grow long and thick, it remains stunted and drab-looking. It is common knowledge that the hair grows at the rate of about half an inch every month, with that, you’d expect that by now your hair would be flailing in the wind. The reason you may not be seeing any significant difference in hair length or growth is because natural hair is breaking at almost the same rate as it is growing. But it is important to know that your natural hair is growing.
As we all know, dry weather can be extremely brutal, with little to no humidity in the air. This dryness is bound to affect every living creature causing issues like dry and chapped lips, brittle, straw-like hair which is not the go-to style for slaying. To avoid any drama, you need to protect your hair from all the damage that dry weather can cause which include frizz, dry, straw-like hair that can, of course, lead to hair breakage.
What’s The Difference Between Moisturizers and Sealants?
As a budding naturalista, you may often interchange moisturizers with sealants. It’s forgivable. Learning the right terms and moving forward is what is important.
Have you had a persistently itchy scalp, sometimes accompanied by hair loss, flaking and soreness? This could be a result of a dry scalp. Dry scalp is caused by, well, a lack of moisture in the skin. For people who have dry skin, they can relate to the fact that when they do not moisturize properly, their skin can get really itchy and uncomfortable. This dryness causes the scalp to become irritated and flakes off. Dry scalp can also be caused by changes in weather (especially from cold to hot) and the use of harsh hair products. Don’t fret, the treatment of dry scalp is easier than you think. Follow these 4 easy steps and say bye to dry scalp.
You’ve had the same hair care routine and used the same brand of products ever since forever and could not be bothered to change it. After all, that is why it is called a routine – consistency, repetition, and structure are the bedrocks of a hair care routine, asides from the products of choice. However, it may be necessary for you to change your hair care routine from time to time. I know you’re thinking, “why fix it if it isn’t broken?” but not every regimen is a good regimen. You may have picked a regimen because it works for Sister A but it just might not be the best for you because your hair needs are different. You need a regimen built just for your hair. Let’s show you when to switch your hair care routine
First and foremost, remember in the post where we talked about hair porosity (you can read it here) and how important it is in knowing how to care for your natural hair? By now, you should know how to check your hair porosity to determine what your hair needs. Have you also ever experienced dry, brittle hair that feels almost like straw and also looks limp and dull? When you try to run your fingers through your mane, it feels like passing through dry grass. Dry natural hair looks dull and without sheen because it is not able to retain moisture. Dry hair leads, inevitably, to breakage which can in turn translate to a noticeable lack of length retention. Some causes of dry hair include excessive washing which can strip hair of its natural oils, excessive heat application, and changes in weather conditions.
Most natural-haired queens have experienced hair dryness from time to time and we are happy to present you with remedies to help restore shine and life into your hair.
Deep condition your natural hair. Deep conditioning hair after every wash is a way of adding moisture back into natural hair and allows natural hair to retain moisture for days after washing. It is an important part of any natural queens hair regimen and should not be ignored. If your natural hair is really dry, you may want to increase the frequency of deep conditioning to once a week, preferably with heat (again, depends on your hair porosity). Otherwise, deep conditioning twice a month is just fine. The benefits of deep conditioning dry hair regularly asides from maintaining adequate levels of hydration in hair include: improving hair’s elasticity which means you can reduce breakage, and improves hairs’ natural shine. Read more about deep conditioning your natural hair here. Shop our African Naturalistas Deep Conditioning Mayonnaise and add the much-needed moisture to your mane.
Review your natural hair products. Sometimes, your hair outgrows the much loved and trusted products you have been using in your regimen. Your natural hair’s product needs may change over time. Hair needs can be affected mostly by external factors such as changes in weather and heat application. In the drier months, your hair will need a lot more moisture than you usually give, therefore, you may need to look for products that act as humectants, with the ability to retain as much moisture in the hair as possible. A thicker, richer deep conditioner is best for combating dry natural hair. You would also want to add a richer leave-in conditioner to your hair product list.
Do a hot oil treatment. Hot oil treatments are very effective in nourishing dry, brittle hair and help to strengthen and protect hair from further damage. Hot oil treatments work by sealing the hair cuticle, thereby protecting your hair from further damage and at the same time, nourishing your hair. Other benefits of hot oil treatments include reduced dryness of the scalp and hair, increased blood flow in the scalp which in turn will promote the growth of healthier natural hair. Perfect options for hot oil treatments include coconut, almond, argan, baobab, avocado, and olive oils. Shop the African Naturalistas range of carrier oils. You can use just one of these oils or a mixture of two or more. To gain benefits from using hot oils on your dry hair, the treatment has to be done regularly.
Seal. Seal. Seal. After you have done all of the above, you definitely need to seal in all the moisture you have packed into your natural hair. Not sealing natural hair after going through the trouble of moisturizing will only lead to frayed ends and dry hair in a couple of days. Thick oils and butters like shea butter and castor oil are perfect options as sealants, especially if you have thick coarse hair.
After infusing the much-needed moisture into your hair, you have to ensure that the moisture is not lost by covering hair with your satin bonnet or scarf while sleeping. Also, you may want to keep your natural hair in a protective style and remember to spray hair with a hair spritz such as the African Naturalistas Daily Hair Mist that is carefully formulated to keep your hair moist and supple.
Which of these tips have you skipped before? Found this article helpful? Don’t forget to like and share. Oh, and leave us a comment, we’d love to hear from you. :)
Without a doubt, you have encountered tangles in your hair. Well, unless you have locs, that is. Tangles are caused when hair strands coil around each other. Tangles are a part of every naturalista’s hair growth journey and it is very important to know how to remove tangles and knots from natural hair without causing any damage. Detangling thick, natural, and dry hair can be very time consuming and difficult. Have you tried combing through your hair after a few days of rocking a badass afro puff only to hear the sound of hair ripping? Pretty sure you have.
We don’t all have the same hair type or hair needs. Even siblings do not have the same hair type or structure, that is why it is very important to know what to look out for when picking products for your hair. What works for Titi may not work for ChiChi. The primary purpose of needing to get hair products for your natural hair is to find what works for your hair and also, to be able to use them in the best way possible. Your hair in whatever stage has two major needs: moisture and protein. So, the products you use on your hair should be able to ensure that your hair is moisturized and protein-enriched (if your hair does not have any protein sensitivity).
Here’s a checklist that will help you make the right choice when purchasing hair products:
We have all heard different myths regarding hair care, ranging from the relationship between the frequency of washing and how bad it is for hair to how the hair will grow faster if you cut it. Myths arise from a lack of information regarding a topic or situation. Well, we are here to debunk all these myths and tell you what you should really believe about your hair care.
MYTH 1: Natural hair is difficult to manage.
This is so untrue! Your natural hair needs to be understood. Natural hair cannot be treated the same way relaxed hair is and be expected to conform. Just like you, your natural hair is full of character and spunk. You need to understand what your hair needs at every given point in time. More moisture? More/less protein? To be put away? Less manipulation?
What is a slay queen with lackluster, limp, dry, and possibly patchy hair? You can only hide it for so long with a wig, right? You want to be able to flick your own luscious hair to the left or right or flaunt your afro puff or twist outs but you definitely cannot do that with stringy, dull, and lifeless looking hair.
We know that how fast your hair grows is dependent on factors such as genetics, age, health, and diet. Of these four factors, you have the most control over your diet.
Healthy and vibrant looking hair has a lot to do with your diet or the lack of it. A nutritional deficiency with a lack of nutrients will have a direct influence on hair and the body in general, with hair loss/thinning and lackluster hair as the most visible effects. Proper nutrition is very important to the body and specifically to the hair. Hair is mostly a protein called keratin,
As a natural haired chic, it can be traumatic having damaged hair that is dry, brittle, and filled with split ends. You literally have to restrain yourself from tearing your hair out (what’s left of it, anyway) and you may be wondering what you can do to restore life to your hair. Some hair damage may be permanent especially given that hair is a collection of dead cells. But depending on the kind of damage, health can be restored to damaged hair. Otherwise, a pair of scissors, time, and better hair care routines may be the solution.
The first step to fixing damaged hair is to identify the cause of the damage. The most common causes of damage to hair are dyes and heat.
There are some habits and practices that over time will help to restore life, shine, and elasticity to your natural mane. Let's get into it.
As a naturalista, you must have asked yourself “What can I use to make my hair better?” a number of times. Even though there is no one thing that can guarantee your hair growth and all-round hair-health, a combination of healthy hair habits can sure help.
Essential oils are one of the things you can add to your natural hair care regimen to boost your natural hair health. Essential oils with promises of impressive hair growth and a host of other benefits. Why essential oils? Essential oils are extracted from the aromatic parts of plants and contain a wide range of unique medical components. They are so versatile and can be used in a variety of ways to
As a practicing Naturalista, deep conditioning isn’t a new term for you. In fact, the first thing you learn on your way to becoming a Naturalista is the need to deep condition. The coven of natural hair queens starts chanting it to you every minute so you don’t forget! The natural hair movement is so strong that even relaxed hair sisters are bookmarking some of our methods, including deep conditioning. This is all because of how important deep conditioning is to your natural (and relaxed) hair.
So, What is Deep Conditioning?
Deep conditioning is one crucial step in your natural hair regimen that helps restore and maintain moisture in your hair. It is also essential for helping your hair to prepare for any manipulation that would come after deep conditioning.
We know what deep conditioning is, but why should we do it? Does it really matter? Yes, it does. Here are some reasons why you should deep condition your natural hair:
We can all agree that having natural hair has so many advantages and no real disadvantage, only challenges. One of those challenges is frizzy hair. Frizzy natural hair is quite unattractive and you may think that it is inevitable due to how often it occurs and how many people have now taken it as the new normal. Frizzy hair can be handled and avoided completely.
What is frizzy hair?
Your natural hair gets frizzy when the cuticle layer of your natural hair is raised. A raised hair cuticle allows more moisture to pass through and swells the hair strands, resulting in dehydrated and dry hair. When your natural hair is dry, it appears frizzy rather than smooth and well-defined. Unfortunately, curly natural hair is more prone to frizzing than straight hair.
What causes frizzy hair?
Now we know that frizzy hair is a result of dehydration in your natural hair. So, what are the main causes of dehydration in natural hair which result in frizz?
Locs, also called dreadlocks, dreads, or “dada” (by our Nigerian people) is a great way to carry your natural hair. When done right, they are beautiful, versatile, and unique. You will be able to rock your natural hair in so many different ways and also, nurture them to attain an impressive length. Locs are not your easy-way-out to treating your natural hair. If you don’t take care of your locs, they end up looking unhealthy, unattractive, and most importantly, like the dreaded local dada. You don’t want that.
Locs need as much TLC as your normal natural hair, maybe even more. Following a regular regimen for caring for your locs will leave you with healthy, beautiful, and enviable locs. Below are some tips to help you on your journey to locs that people want to copy!
If you are someone who has a bit of flair for the dramatic, you may have considered coloring your hair at least twice in your life (that’s if you haven’t done it already). But, there’s a small problem. You have heard stories of women who have dyed their natural hair before and their hair never remained the same. Their hair became damaged, dry, and brittle, prone to breakage and lacking that shine and luster they were formally known for. It can be a really sad situation especially if your hair was full and beautiful.
You don’t want to be like them, that’s why you are reading this. You want to know what you can and can’t do to ensure that your hair doesn’t end up “un-beautiful” and you get the amazing color you desire. That’s why we are here. Below are 7 do’s and don’t’s that can help you get the hair color for your natural hair that you truly desire.
When you see natural hair queens on Instagram or on TV, you have dreams of having such beautiful, long hair. You see these women twist and curl and manipulate their hair into forms that can only be explained by natural hair pros. They may even be the reason why you decided to start the natural hair journey in the first place. But you’ve been growing your hair diligently for years now but your hair is not mid-back length yet. You don’t know why even though you follow all the instructions the manufacturer wrote down.
You are stuck with the same hair length. You now believe that your hair has stopped growing, the same way people stop growing when they reach a certain age. The good part is, you have a faint glimmer of hope that you are wrong and your hair will still grow. We are here to tell you that faint glimmer is about to bloom bright and beautiful!
Your hair grows about half an inch every month and about 6 inches of newly grown hairs every year. That’s an amazing amount of growth. So why does it seem like it’s not growing? Why doesn’t your hair look like the queens of natural hair on TV and Instagram?
We all want beautiful, lustrous, healthy hair. The rave of the natural hair woman is back and here to stay. We keep saying we want long hair that is full and able to bend into different magazine-worthy styles. You claim you are doing right by your hair, but you constantly struggle with hair that is dry, dull, and not at all what you see in natural hair magazines. You can swear you follow the natural hair product manufacturer’s instructions. You even saw a trichologist in Nigeria to help you at some point. Still, your hair is running away from you. So, what are you not doing right?
Having healthy hair is underrated. A lot of people erroneously think that by using just natural hair products, you will miraculously grow healthy, lustrous natural hair. Some even focus on length only and ignore everything else. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. The health of your natural hair should be a top priority and it doesn’t take a lot to change small unhealthy hair habits. Here are 7 small natural hair habits you should indulge in to give you and maintain healthy natural hair.
