Shampooing tips

Some shampooing tips:

-Do Not apply shampoo to your ends. This can be very drying to an already fragile part of your hair. Instead apply near roots and let suds run down to ends during rinsing process

-Do Not tangle hair by piling hair on top of head. Try to keep hair tamable and hanging downward

-Do Not scratch scalp with fingernails, but massage with fingers tips

- If you have a lot of build-up place a little baking soda in your shampoo. This helps remove extra build-up

Starting Internally

Ok for optimal hair growth you have to start internally.

-Of course drinking lots of water

-drinking green tea

-lean proteins (if you’re vegetarian like me, soy products and tofu are full of protein)

-Legumes (which are found in beans)

-Fresh Fruit

-Leafy green Vegetables

-Vitamins increase scalp circulation like:

§  B3

§  B6

§  B12

§  Biotin aka Vitamin H (which can be found in egg yolk, legumes, and nuts)

§  Vitamin E

§  Vitamin A

§  Vitamin C

§  if you know you don't get your vitamins in, you should look into a supplement

-Minerals

§  Copper (which is found in nuts and seeds)

§  Zinc (which is found in proteins)

-Omega 3 (which is found in seafood. If you don't like sea food there are many supplements)

-Silicon dioxide: strengthens hair:  this can be found in potatoes’ skins, Cucumbers, and green and red peppers.

-Herbs

§  Saw Palmetto

§  Ginko Bilbao

§  Nettles

§  Rosemary

§  These herbs help to promote circulation, which aids hair growth.

If you have any questions on any of this please feel free to comment

Perms, Relaxers, Creamy Crack?

So what is a Perm?

-A perm chemical product mainly containing lye, water, and petroleum jelly.

So what is lye?

• Lye is also know as Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

What are uses for lye?

• Laundry detergent 
• pool cleaners
• metal polishers
• drain cleaners
• oh and of course straightening black hair

What does a relaxer do?

-Relaxers break down disulphide bonds that hold hair proteins together

-p.s. hair is consisted of 90% proteins

Effects..

• chemical burns that could lead to scalp and hair follicle permanent damage
• Strips hair of amino acids and moisture
• Hair loss
• damage protective outer layer of hair 
• dry and brittle that breaks off
• weak hair

Solutions... 

- there is none... damage is irreversible 

Hello All

Hello Everyone. Here is my blog spot for BIB: I Love My Natural Hair. I would love to hear your comments on the post so feel free to comment.  All of the post here should be posted on my facebook group Black Is Beautiful: I Love My Natural Hair and vice versa.  Thanks for following the blog!

Zari

Hair Terminology

Hello beautiful natural (or soon to be natural) women.  Ok so this is the first piece I’m doing.  Just for future reference, you may hear your hair referred to by a number and a letter.  This simply means:

• Type 1: Naturally bone straight hair (white hair)
• Type 2:  Wavy hair
• Type 3: Soft and curly hair

ok now for us...

• Type 4: Coilly/ Kinky hair
• 4a: Looser coil spiral shape
• 4b: tighter kinky zig zag shape
• I have also seen a reference to 4c, but I’m guessing it’s the most curly/coilly/kinky of them all.

Unfortunately, type 4 hair is the driest and most fragile of them all.  Black hair is usually dry by nature but is also caused because unlike straight or wavy hair our hair’s natural oils cannot go down to the entire hair shaft.  Therefore, the oils stay near the base and our ends tend to be dry and brittle.  This is why it’s extremely important to condition your hair well. (Stay tuned for a segment on conditioning techniques) I notice this when my hair is straight because after four to five days my hair is oily (you will learn that I don’t like my hair greasy, but i hate dry hair). On the contrary, when it’s natural I can hardly tell any sign of increased oiliness.  I feel it’s important to know your hair and when it gets oily.  Everyone no matter what type of hair, has to determine when it’s best to wash their hair.  For me it probably should be every four to five days, but I usually wait seven days for my own convenience.  But no matter how fast oils are produced I believe hair should not exceed two weeks without a washing. Personally I wash my hair every week and I’m a firm believer in this, and through some of my research there are others who agree.  Reason being that hair collects not only your own oils and sweat but also toxins, dirt, and other pollutants from the environment that sit on the hair as a build up, blocking pores and prohibiting hair growth.  (I will do another segment on when and how to wash) Feel free to ask questions if you have any. Okay well until next time... LOVE YOUR NATURAL HAIR!