Better Hair = More Confidence????

Okay so I realize that some of you may be reading the title and saying "Duh Ke Ke".... But I have to say that I did not realize how much my confidence was actually tied to my hair... Like every human being, I've experienced moments of self-doubt or even felt unpretty but for the most part I'm a pretty confident chica....

Whenever my friends and I have prepared for big events, we've often channeled or compared ourselves to our favorite celebrities... For instance, I am about the same complexion as Halle Berry and even the same hourglass body shape(but I am heavier than she is) so many times when I was considering a style or an outfit, I used her as inspiration... In fact, once a friend and I were planning a vacation and I literally planned all of my outfits based on various outfits Halle Berry was wearing in pics... Yep it was that serious... and before you fall out of your seat laughing you should know that I got compliments on my clothes all week.

So what's the point??? Well a few weeks ago I was having a conversation with some friends and the question arose about which celebrity we'd most like to "be" like... In the past, I would have had a ready answer for that question... While I don't envy her personal life, I've always admired Halle Berry's beauty, confidence, and persistence to pursue her dreams...BUT for whatever reason that day when the question was asked I felt like I was at a loss... I don't envy any celebrities, I thought and really the way I feel about myself right now I don't want to emulate any of them... I'm just so proud to be Ke Ke right now.. and quite honestly, I feel like the only thing that has changed about me in the past few months is my hair...

Maybe it sounds crazy but I really feel like the triumphs I have had with my hair over the last 9 months have instilled a new confidence in me.... I have always known that when it comes to work if I set my mind to it then I could accomplish it but some things I thougvht were beyond my control... my hair was definitely one of those things... when it wanted to behave it did and when it didn't I couldn't do anything about it but pull it back in a ponytail... I no longer feel helpless about my hair... in fact, I feel like I can grow it to any length that I'd like... I love that it is full thick and bouncy...I see myself differently when I look in the mirror... I used to envy women with long hair (especially women of other races) because it seemed like they had "perfect" hair and I just thought that was beyond my reach AND now I know just how great my own hair CAN be... and it's a great feeling...

I have received messages from Black women who say they thought the only way Black women could have long thick hair is by getting a weave or wearing wigs.... the truth is, Black women can grow long hair.... Our hair grows at the same rate as everyone else's...there is no scientific proof at all that our hair grows slower than other races...our problem comes with length retention and we fail to retain length because we don't know how to properly care for our hair... But we can learn !!

Remember even in a world full of chaos, you can achievve a healthy state of hair...

Should You Be Oiling Your Scalp??

I know that some of you have no intention of reading this entire article, so I will make it easy for you….
The short answer is: Yes, if you want to achieve healthy, shiny hair you should be oiling your scalp. Why ?? Ha ha that’s the gotcha—if you want to know why you have to read the article…
The human scalp naturally produces and secretes oil known as sebum. Sebum lubricates your scalp and even helps moisturize your hair.
So if you have sebum, why would you need to oil your scalp? I’m getting there…
Commercial shampoos, environmental stresses, excessive heat use and even improper diet can affect your sebum levels. Also your curl pattern affects the ability of the sebum to actually lubricate your hair. Sebum cannot travel well down curly and kinky hair strands. Adding to that, scientists have discovered that if your hair is longer than neck length then the sebum does not travel the length of your hair shaft which can leave your hair dry and brittle. Sebum also acts as a barrier to keep moisture locked into the hair and skin and keep out certain harmful bacteria so when your sebum production is low you hair and scalp are much more vulnerable.


Okay so now that you know all the reasons you should be oiling your scalp, you need to know with what and when… Read on for a few tips
Choose oils that won’t clog your pores
Jojoba oil-- actually has the closest chemical composition to sebum
Safflower oil—good moisturizing oil
Castor oil-- many believe it thickens the hair and promotes hair growth
JBCO—many believe it thickens the hair and promotes hair growth
Coconut oil

Oiling your scalp and greasing your scalp are not the same thing—Never put any product that contains mineral oil or petrolatum (like most greases) on your scalp. Mineral oil/petrolatum can clog the pores trapping dirt and dust in your scalp.

Choosing how often to oil your scalp will depend on a couple of things
How often you wash your hair (especially with shampoos that contain harsh detergents like SLS); the more you wash the more your scalp will appreciate the oil replenishment
How thick or think your hair is and your hair texture; remember, the tighter your curl pattern the harder it is for sebum to travel down the hair shaft. Also, if your hair is densely packed your natural sebum may not be evenly distributed through all your hair and you may need to oil more often.

Have fun oiling…. Reach us with questions at healthystateofhair@live.com