We get a lot of emails from you guys about excessive shedding. If you follow us at all you know that I suffer from lupus and take various medications to combat this disease. One of these medicines, a very strong steroid, was causing my hair to come out in clumps and me to collapse in tears. I had read several blogs about garlic but it really didn't do much for my hair and I really could not stomach the smell. Fortunately, I discovered a great alternative: black tea rinses.
To accomplish a black tea rinse you'll need to brew up some regular black tea (I like Earl Grey and English breakfast but you can use any black tea you like)... Let it cool, then wash your hair. You can either pour the tea directly over your head, catch it in a bowl and repeat that step 4 more times or you can pour the tea in and immediately cover your head with a plastic bag and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then rinse and deep condition.
Don't try to comb your hair before you DC because the tea will make your hair feel very coarse and combing will lead to breakage. You will notice the results immediately and tea rinses can be done weekly.
Even in a world of chaos, you can have a Healthy State of Hair
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Scritching/Scalp Massaging
You've heard me talk about scritching before and probably thought that I just couldn't spell...LOL... but it's not a typo... Scritching is the art of scratching the scalp with an instrument. Some of you are probably looking at the computer screen cross-eyed, for years we've been told not to scratch our scalp. I even had a stylist scold me for it and I thought well what the heck am I supposed to do when it itches. I'm not advocating digging into your scalp with your fingers or even the old fashion scalp scratching that involves vigorously combing the scalp with the teeth of a rattail comb. The problem with both of these methods is that they aren't really controlled motions and you end up breaking the skin of the scalp which can actually lead to infections and/or scalp sores.
Scritching/scalp massaging however, when done correctly are beneficial to the hair AND scalp because they promote scalp circulation which can prevent/treat dry scalp, dandruff and actually promote hair growth.
So I'm going to try my first pictorial (I get a kick out of saying that, pictorial...LOL) to show you all how to scritch/scalp massage
What you'll need:
a metal-less ponytail holder (yes all of mine are stretched out of shape...LOL.. I have a lot of hair)
You can use any of the following 2 items to scritch... I have seen some articles that advocate using a paddle brush with the ball tips but I would not recommend that because it will tangle the hair which will inevitably lead to breakage
a rattail comb
scalp massager (can be bought for about 2 bucks at any BSS)
Steps:
1st pull your hair back in a low ponytail... if your hair is ear length or shorter then brush it all back in one direction
If you're using a rattail comb, push the tail end of the comb through your hair in a zig-zag, back and forth motion
If using the scalp massager, just work in a circular motion until cover your entire head
I usually scritch for about 10 minutes a day 3-4 days a week
Happy Hair journey !!!
Scritching/scalp massaging however, when done correctly are beneficial to the hair AND scalp because they promote scalp circulation which can prevent/treat dry scalp, dandruff and actually promote hair growth.
So I'm going to try my first pictorial (I get a kick out of saying that, pictorial...LOL) to show you all how to scritch/scalp massage
What you'll need:
a metal-less ponytail holder (yes all of mine are stretched out of shape...LOL.. I have a lot of hair)
You can use any of the following 2 items to scritch... I have seen some articles that advocate using a paddle brush with the ball tips but I would not recommend that because it will tangle the hair which will inevitably lead to breakage
a rattail comb
scalp massager (can be bought for about 2 bucks at any BSS)
Steps:
1st pull your hair back in a low ponytail... if your hair is ear length or shorter then brush it all back in one direction
If you're using a rattail comb, push the tail end of the comb through your hair in a zig-zag, back and forth motion
If using the scalp massager, just work in a circular motion until cover your entire head
I usually scritch for about 10 minutes a day 3-4 days a week
Happy Hair journey !!!
NO HEAT STYLES
If you've been following us for a while you know that I have been almost 9 months without direct heat and I feel that it is the reason for my great progress. In September of 2009, I had shoulder length hair and decided that I wanted healthier, longer hair. In May 2010, less than a year later my hair is now bra strap length. Contrary to popular belief, Black hair does grow and although individual hair growth rates vary, on average Black hair grows just as quickly as women of other races . Our problem is with retaining length.
I have received a lot of messages from people stating that they just cannot style their hair without direct heat. I feel your pain because for so much of life I believed only heat and professional stylists could tame my hair. I felt hapless when it came to caring for and styling my hair, and like many of you I was willing to pay almost any amout of money to anyone who claimed they could give my hair that well coiffed look.
The truth is you can style your hair without direct heat and I will prove it to you and even teach you how to do it for yourself.
First up is airdrying..... I'll never forget the first time I tried this my hair was a hot mess... There is just no other way to say it. I swore it off immediately but recently I revisited airdrying and I've found a system that works..
Here are my steps
Pre-poo
Wash
Coffee rinse
Deep condition
Applied leave-ins... I used our own moisturizing leave-in and shea butter moisturizer
Parted my hair down the middle and then ponytailed one section
Using a wide tooth comb to evenly sepaprate the hair I gently combed the section that was not in a ponytail. Take ponytail down and repeat on new section of hair.
The ends dried fairly quickly but the roots were still damp afvter many many hours so I sat under the hooded dryer for about 15-20 minutes on cool.
Afterwards, my hair was still very stiff so I added more moisturizer so that I could shape my hair and return the softness...
Now ya know I wouldn't leave you without pics
this is immediately after
and this is 3 days later...as you can see it got progressively better
.jpg)
Maintenance: I didn't wrap it because lately wrapping my hair has been causing serious tension on my edges. Instead I parted my hair down the middle and did 2 french braids and then slept on my pillow case... In the morning, I take down the braids and shake out...it does leave a little wave pattern to my hair but I like that
Protective style I tried after airdry
I have received a lot of messages from people stating that they just cannot style their hair without direct heat. I feel your pain because for so much of life I believed only heat and professional stylists could tame my hair. I felt hapless when it came to caring for and styling my hair, and like many of you I was willing to pay almost any amout of money to anyone who claimed they could give my hair that well coiffed look.
The truth is you can style your hair without direct heat and I will prove it to you and even teach you how to do it for yourself.
First up is airdrying..... I'll never forget the first time I tried this my hair was a hot mess... There is just no other way to say it. I swore it off immediately but recently I revisited airdrying and I've found a system that works..
Here are my steps
Pre-poo
Wash
Coffee rinse
Deep condition
Applied leave-ins... I used our own moisturizing leave-in and shea butter moisturizer
Parted my hair down the middle and then ponytailed one section
Using a wide tooth comb to evenly sepaprate the hair I gently combed the section that was not in a ponytail. Take ponytail down and repeat on new section of hair.
The ends dried fairly quickly but the roots were still damp afvter many many hours so I sat under the hooded dryer for about 15-20 minutes on cool.
Afterwards, my hair was still very stiff so I added more moisturizer so that I could shape my hair and return the softness...
Now ya know I wouldn't leave you without pics
this is immediately after
and this is 3 days later...as you can see it got progressively better
.jpg)
Maintenance: I didn't wrap it because lately wrapping my hair has been causing serious tension on my edges. Instead I parted my hair down the middle and did 2 french braids and then slept on my pillow case... In the morning, I take down the braids and shake out...it does leave a little wave pattern to my hair but I like that
Protective style I tried after airdry
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Stretching: What is it? How can it help you? Should you be doing it?
Stretching, in the world of healthy chemically treated hair, refers to extending the time between relaxer applications.
For years Black women have told that they must re-touch their relaxers every 4-6 weeks.... The problem with this is that on average the hair grows .5 inches a month (that's the average, your hair may grow slower or faster than the average) so at 4 weeks you probably don't have enough noticeable new growth and you are much more likely to overlap , i.e. putting the relaxer on hair that has perviously been relaxed. What's wrong with that? Putting more relaxer on hair that has previously been relaxed breaks down the previously relaxed hair leaving it weak and prone to breakage.
Most hair care gurus suggest waiting at least 8-10 weeks between relaxer applications to prevent overlapping but we think 10-12 is better.
Don't get me wrong, we undertand that stretching is an adjustment... We're so used to slapping in a relaxer at the first sign of new growth and you'll probably even have some well-meaning friends and family members say, "Girl, it's time for a re-touch" but in the end your hair will be stronger, healthier, and you'll be able to retain length, making it much longer.
You have three choices on how to handle your new growth when you're stretching...
1) wear curly hairstyles so that the different textures aren't that obvious... try braid-outs, bantu knot outs, or twist outs to blend the two textures
2) flat iron your new growth only.... It is healthier to apply heat to unprocessed hair than it is to apply it to chemically treated hair... Don't forget the heat protectant and don't make the flat iron too hot
3) just let the new growth go.... Personally, I've just embraced that my new growth is what it is...my hair... and so I usually roller set through my stretch which tames the new growth some but my hair and heat seem to be mortal enemies so I don't intend to subject them to each other often
More Tips for stretching:
1) Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize.... pay special attention to the line of demarcation between the new growth and the relaxed hair, the new growth itself and those vulnerable ends
2) Only detangle in the shower or when hair is wet.
3) Wash hair in sections to diminish tangles
4) Balance protein/moisture
HHJ!!
For years Black women have told that they must re-touch their relaxers every 4-6 weeks.... The problem with this is that on average the hair grows .5 inches a month (that's the average, your hair may grow slower or faster than the average) so at 4 weeks you probably don't have enough noticeable new growth and you are much more likely to overlap , i.e. putting the relaxer on hair that has perviously been relaxed. What's wrong with that? Putting more relaxer on hair that has previously been relaxed breaks down the previously relaxed hair leaving it weak and prone to breakage.
Most hair care gurus suggest waiting at least 8-10 weeks between relaxer applications to prevent overlapping but we think 10-12 is better.
Don't get me wrong, we undertand that stretching is an adjustment... We're so used to slapping in a relaxer at the first sign of new growth and you'll probably even have some well-meaning friends and family members say, "Girl, it's time for a re-touch" but in the end your hair will be stronger, healthier, and you'll be able to retain length, making it much longer.
You have three choices on how to handle your new growth when you're stretching...
1) wear curly hairstyles so that the different textures aren't that obvious... try braid-outs, bantu knot outs, or twist outs to blend the two textures
2) flat iron your new growth only.... It is healthier to apply heat to unprocessed hair than it is to apply it to chemically treated hair... Don't forget the heat protectant and don't make the flat iron too hot
3) just let the new growth go.... Personally, I've just embraced that my new growth is what it is...my hair... and so I usually roller set through my stretch which tames the new growth some but my hair and heat seem to be mortal enemies so I don't intend to subject them to each other often
More Tips for stretching:
1) Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize.... pay special attention to the line of demarcation between the new growth and the relaxed hair, the new growth itself and those vulnerable ends
2) Only detangle in the shower or when hair is wet.
3) Wash hair in sections to diminish tangles
4) Balance protein/moisture
HHJ!!
Benefits of Hibiscus
LOL... yes I'm talking about the flower.... In addition to being pretty and fragrant, the hibiscus flower also offers a lot of health benefits.
Health benefits of the hibiscus flower include:
Lowering blood pressure... scientific studies have proven what non-traditional medical practictioners have known for centuries... hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure by successfully preventing oxidation of low-density lipoprotein. But don't just take my word for it read about it here: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20081110/hibiscus-tea-may-cut-blood-pressure or watch it on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wts2HHW1AdM
Packed with vitamin C, hibiscus is also helpful in boosting your immune system and
helping to recover from colds
Hibiscus tea also helps fight cholesterol and CAN AID IN LOSING WEIGHT... yep yep that pretty little flower acts a diuretic and can reduce your appetite. AND it's caffeine free!!!
Now I couldn't leave this blog without telling you all about the benefits of hibiscus on HAIR!!! Hibiscus helps prevent dandruff, HAIR LOSS, and helps prevent split ends... Indian women have been using hibiscus treatments for decades and rave about its ayurvedic powers.
Personally, I have added hibiscus oil to my scalp massage oils and added hibiscus water to my leave-in conditioner.... I also suffer from high blood pressure (apparently a side effect of lupus) and have been drinking the hibiscus tea daily for a week. I'll let you know how it goes after 30 days...
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
NO SPLIT ENDS!!!!
Oh yes, you read correctly..... I have been dying to tell you all but I wanted to wait until I reached the TWO MONTH mark.... I have been a whole 2 months with no split ends... Not ONE...and please understand that I do search and destroy where I look for split ends at least ONCE a week, sometimes more....
Now you may be asking yourself why I am so obsessed with split ends.... For as long as I can remember (at least since I was about 13 and knew what a split end was) split ends have plagued my hair... Natural or relaxed it never mattered... I would be sitting in class or riding in the car, take a quick glance to the right or left and there would be at least 20 split ends all pointing and laughing at me.... I used to visit the salon weekly and faithfully get a trim with every relaxer... but less than a week after the trim I would still see split ends hanging around.... She started trimming my hair every 2 or 3 weeks...and never once told me,"hey, you have a problem"
Okay okay I know you want me to shut and stop talking about how great it is to have conquered split ends and just tell you how I accomplished this feat.... I always felt like my hair was so dry but growing up my mother(like most Black mothers) thought grease was some kind of magic potion and slathered it on like butter on toast ( ha ha I made a funny).... what I remember vividly about those days is that my head always felt like it was too heavy for my body.... everyone said it was because my hair was so thick but the truth was that mineral oil was weighing me down like an anchor.... So as soon as I started doing my own hair I vowed that I would not be using any grease... Swearing off grease was probably wise but I made the mistake of giving up on moisture period and that was not good...
A few things that I have learned that altered how I treat my hair:
Now you may be asking yourself why I am so obsessed with split ends.... For as long as I can remember (at least since I was about 13 and knew what a split end was) split ends have plagued my hair... Natural or relaxed it never mattered... I would be sitting in class or riding in the car, take a quick glance to the right or left and there would be at least 20 split ends all pointing and laughing at me.... I used to visit the salon weekly and faithfully get a trim with every relaxer... but less than a week after the trim I would still see split ends hanging around.... She started trimming my hair every 2 or 3 weeks...and never once told me,"hey, you have a problem"
Okay okay I know you want me to shut and stop talking about how great it is to have conquered split ends and just tell you how I accomplished this feat.... I always felt like my hair was so dry but growing up my mother(like most Black mothers) thought grease was some kind of magic potion and slathered it on like butter on toast ( ha ha I made a funny).... what I remember vividly about those days is that my head always felt like it was too heavy for my body.... everyone said it was because my hair was so thick but the truth was that mineral oil was weighing me down like an anchor.... So as soon as I started doing my own hair I vowed that I would not be using any grease... Swearing off grease was probably wise but I made the mistake of giving up on moisture period and that was not good...
A few things that I have learned that altered how I treat my hair:
- The body makes its own natural moisturizer called sebum. Sebum not only adds moisture to your skin and hair but it also works as a barrier to protect your hair and skin from drying elements like wind and air.
- The curlier/kinker/coarser your hair the harder it is for the sebum to travel down the hair strand AND sebum can't travel down a strand that is longer than neck length
- 4 a/b/c hair is naturally drier than straighter textures
- A split end is formed when the outer protective cuticle of the hair is destroyed, this causes the hair to literally split into two
When it comes to split ends an ounce of prevention is worth more than an ounce of cure
- Limit your use of chemical applicatons like relaxers and dyes (these chemical processes break down the hair and alter its natural structure... use them sparingly... this year I am getting 3 relaxers... next year I plan to try and only get 2....contrary to what most stylists tell you, your hair does not need to be relaxed every 4-6 weeks)
- Limit your use of direct heat (put the blow dryer, flat iron, and curling iron away and only break them out for extremely special occasions)
- Pay attention to the ingredients on your hair care products -- mineral oil, a very popular ingredient in commercial hair products, does not add moisture to the hair. Instead, it sits on the hair suffocating your strands and blocking OUT moisture... Use products that contain mineral oil very sparingly
Now for the DOS
- Do use products that contain ceramides -- I promise I have a blog coming on ceramides because I think they may be the holy grail of healthy hair but everytime I think I finish the blog I find more info on ceramides and fall in love all over again.... but for a quick overview ceramides act like a glue for the hair... they help hold together the scales that make up the fragile outer layer of hair
- Do deep condition your hair regularly-- I feel so silly for abusing my hair for years... I had my hair flat ironed every week and then used a curling iron throughout the week BUT I thought deep conditioners were just a treat for the hair so I'd have a DC done once a month or once every couple of months.... silly silly me...it's a wonder I had any hair left at all... Now I DC at least twice a week (yep you read that right!! LOL)
- Do trim split ends as soon as you see them (despite what you read on the label NO product has been scientifically proven to CURE split ends...once you have them you HAVE to cut them...that's why you have to focus on PREVENTION)
- Moisturize your hair as needed (I actually moisurize once a day but I know a lot of people who do it twice a day and some who only do it twice a week.... You have to determine how much moisture your hair needs but give it ALL the moisture that it needs)
- Steam Treatments are heavenly.... your hair will thank you for them... some people don't want to buy a steamer (personally I think it's worth saving up and making the investment...skip the vending machine at work for a month or two and save that money towards a steamer..your hair and your waistline will thank you) but there are some YouTube videos which show you how to do a "homemade" steam treatment.
Okay, I don't think you can ever completely rid yourself of split ends (or maybe I just believe that because it makes me feel better) BUT you can certainly take control of them before they take control of your hair... That's all for now
Lots of Love
Ke Ke
Friday, May 14, 2010
HENNA REVIEW
So I have been threatening to henna my hair for a while now but I didn't have the guts.... I have been highlighting my hair for about the last 10 years because I just felt like my hair was too dark for my facial features.... While I love the look of the blonde/copper highlights, I think that putting the bleach on top of my already relaxed hair is just asking for breaking and damage.... So I finally jumped in and did the henna...
Here's how it went down....
I mixed the henna with beer, coconut milk, olive and safflower oil, covered it and let it sit overnight... I washed with a clarifying shampoo, braided my hair and went to bed.
The next morning I mixed the indigo with black coffee and safflower oil.
Then I took the braids down and applied the henna to my air dried hair and covered with a plastic shower cap... I had intended to sit under the steamer but henna was all over my bathroom floor and sink so I spent the entire hour cleaning it up (I had to mop my bathroom floor.. this stuff goes every where).
I co-washed the henna out in the shower and let me tell you it was gritty and it took a 22.5 oz bottle of conditioner to get it all out.
After co-washing, I applied the henna and then sat under the steamer for about 20 minutes. Then I spent another hour in the shower and another 22.5 oz bottle of conditioner to get it out.
I was exhausted after all that so I literally slapped in the DC, put on a plastic bag and a satin scarf on it and then went straight to bed.
THE RESULTS:
hmmm.. well my hair is darker and it severaly toned down the highlights but it did not cover all of them.... I think that part of the problem was that I didn't order enough henna.... They said 100 grams for shoulder length hair and my hair is longer than shoulder length but I did not want to order 50.00 worth of this stuff when I didn't even know if I would like it. The good news is my hair does feel stronger...
What I liked:
Stronger hair
Nice color
What I didn't like:
Gritty and messy ( I wore clothes that I didn't care about but this stuff was falling all down my shirt, despite weraing gloves my nails currently have a green tinge which I find a little embarassing)
Took forever to get out of my hair
Will I do it again???
At least once more... I need to cover all of these highlights so I will do it at least once more.... After that I might consider doing it once or twice a year but I cannot see doing this every month or every other month like some other people do...I don't enjoy torture that much...LOL
Okay the pics.... Okay so I did not take good care of my roller set because I was really disappointed in the fact that all of the highlights weren't covered... So I will take better pics....
the henna
the look I wanted
the before
the after
Here's how it went down....
I mixed the henna with beer, coconut milk, olive and safflower oil, covered it and let it sit overnight... I washed with a clarifying shampoo, braided my hair and went to bed.
The next morning I mixed the indigo with black coffee and safflower oil.
Then I took the braids down and applied the henna to my air dried hair and covered with a plastic shower cap... I had intended to sit under the steamer but henna was all over my bathroom floor and sink so I spent the entire hour cleaning it up (I had to mop my bathroom floor.. this stuff goes every where).
I co-washed the henna out in the shower and let me tell you it was gritty and it took a 22.5 oz bottle of conditioner to get it all out.
After co-washing, I applied the henna and then sat under the steamer for about 20 minutes. Then I spent another hour in the shower and another 22.5 oz bottle of conditioner to get it out.
I was exhausted after all that so I literally slapped in the DC, put on a plastic bag and a satin scarf on it and then went straight to bed.
THE RESULTS:
hmmm.. well my hair is darker and it severaly toned down the highlights but it did not cover all of them.... I think that part of the problem was that I didn't order enough henna.... They said 100 grams for shoulder length hair and my hair is longer than shoulder length but I did not want to order 50.00 worth of this stuff when I didn't even know if I would like it. The good news is my hair does feel stronger...
What I liked:
Stronger hair
Nice color
What I didn't like:
Gritty and messy ( I wore clothes that I didn't care about but this stuff was falling all down my shirt, despite weraing gloves my nails currently have a green tinge which I find a little embarassing)
Took forever to get out of my hair
Will I do it again???
At least once more... I need to cover all of these highlights so I will do it at least once more.... After that I might consider doing it once or twice a year but I cannot see doing this every month or every other month like some other people do...I don't enjoy torture that much...LOL
Okay the pics.... Okay so I did not take good care of my roller set because I was really disappointed in the fact that all of the highlights weren't covered... So I will take better pics....
the henna
the look I wanted
the before
the after
UPDATE: So over the weekend I had time to really get used to the color and I feel in love.... I will do at least one more henna and then after that maybe I'll henna twice a year because it is very very very messy.... I took it down out of a bun just to take these pictures for you guys so be nice..
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