Category: How to banish dry hair
4 FroHawks That Will Make Your Mouth Drop
I just love a frohawk!
Why?
Well, it’s easy to do, looks am-a-zing and is perfect for the slightly colder months and the humid months where it’s easy to get frizzed up.
Here are 4 gorgeous frohawks that will leave you in awe.
Check them out below and if you like them, leave a comment below sharing what your favourite hairstyle is.
The Final Word On Leave-In Conditioner
If you’ve been reading about maintaining your natural hair for any length of time, you will have surely come across the innumerable articles and mentions devoted to a simple, yet unavoidable, accessory – leave-in conditioner.
To the uninitiated, the dizzying array of jargon and marketing lingo can be at best baffling and at worst wholly off-putting.
Read on below as we attempt to separate the kinks from the kooks and decode the mystery of leave-in conditioner once and for all.
1. What good is it, anyway?
Leave-in conditioner was created in order to reinforce the hair’s natural oils with strength and / or moisture – providing increased ease of styling and assisting in detangling along the way without the usual downsides of weighing down the hair and creating a visibly unappealing buildup on the scalp.
Of course, these aren’t goals singular to the leave-in brand of conditioner: nearly every other natural hair product you’ll see on the shelves of your local Boots will promise the same, often in as many words.
The difference with leave-in conditioner is that the concoctions are manufactured to be lighter as well as conducive to frequent, daily usage – without the unwanted side effects so irrevocably linked with daily hair care.
It’s best used as a third step in your routine, as a means of rinsing out the deeper and more chemical-heavy conditioners that can only be applied during the washing process itself.
What’s in it?
There are five main ingredients in any leave-in conditioner worth its salt.
1. First and foremost on the list is water – as the most efficient hydration agent found in nature, it should come as no surprise that aqua tops the list. Water typically makes up in excess of 60% of the final formula of the conditioner, and for good reason: your hair simply can’t get enough of it!
2. Jojoba oil is about as pure as a natural oil can get; a quality made clear by your hair’s ready acceptance of it upon application. As well as being hassle-free, this nutrient-rich wonder ingredient has been reported to solve a whole host of problems – dandruff, dry scalp problems, thinning hair and hygral fatigue chief among them.
3. Olive oil may seem like a counter-intuitive choice, as its history of use in the preparation of food leads us to imagine our hair becoming greasier than the Italian takeaway down the road.
Fear not, however: by penetrating the hair shaft and retaining moisture, olive oil adds softness and strengthens the hair follicles themselves. We recommend starting out with a tablespoon or two until your hair grows used to this interesting addition to your haircare toolkit.
4. Castor oil is the be-all and end-all when it comes to maximizing your natural hair’s volume. Owing to its high levels of Omega 6 and 9 fatty acids (the beneficial kind!) as well as an exceptionally healthy ricinoleic acid ratio, castor oil is a must-have for anyone who wants to take their natural ‘do to the next level.
Whew! Pretty tiring, right? All those chemicals can get to a gal – and that’s before we’ve even put anything into our hair! While it’s important to understand what it is that makes up the product you’re massaging into your scalp every day, it’s as crucial to try not to be put off by all the scientific jargon.
We encourage your own research into the brand of your choice, as well as consultation with your physician if any extraneous problems rear their ugly head. If you begin to feel daunted, however, do your best to remember leave-in conditioner cannot be that chemically heavy, purely by virtue of its needing to be light and airy in order to effectively cleanse your scalp of the chemicals you just washed it with.
Leave-in conditioner can be a powerful weapon in your haircare arsenal – don’t let the “wall of noise” phenomenon that can arise from too much information put you off and make you miss out on something that could be a potential game-changer for you and your hair.
Do you have any experiences with leave-in conditioner you’d like to share?
Let us know in the comments below!
4 Simple Steps To Longer Natural Hair
On top of that, throughout my childhood and early teens I’d constantly been told that “afro hair doesn’t grow,” OR “black girls can’t grow long hair” which led me to believe that growing long hair was simply impossible for a girl like me.
Opt for hair accessories like ribbons, scarves and flowers rather than applying heat to your hair.
5 Life-Changing Secrets To Growing Longer Natural hair
“My hair could never be that long!”
“My hair’s too tough to comb!”
“Girls like me don’t grow hair to that length!”
These are just some of the many misconceptions that women of African heritage hold about their hair.
If you’ve ever made any of the above statements then this article was written for you in mind.
That fact is that although many of us have felt as if our hair is incapable of growing beyond shoulder length, this is simply untrue.
The actuality is that with proper care and caution, every one of us can significantly improve our hair’s growth and retain far more length.
Here are 5 life-changing secrets that will help you to drastically transform your hair’s length, strength and overall health.
Secret #1
The way you feel about your hair internally has a direct effect on its external progress.
In essence, this means that the way you feel about your hair, your self-esteem and your hair’s ability to grow has a direct correlation with your hair’s actual chances of growing longer.
Why?
Well, think about this. If you believe that your hair is ugly, impossible to look after and difficult to manage, you’re ultimately going to treat your hair as if it the bane of your existence. If however, you have a positive attitude towards your hair, see it as being beautiful and strive to improve it you’ll naturally feel the compulsion to take better care of it. Ultimately, that will mean that you’ll handle your hair with more caution, you’ll treat it better and in doing so, you’ll reduce the damage caused when handling it. Don’t believe me?
Think back to a time when you visited a salon and had your hair treated by someone who didn’t like or understand naturally curly or afro hair. Their disdain for it was evident and so they yanked your hair with a thin-toothed comb and practically ripped your hair out of your head! The way they felt about your hair had a direct correlation with how they treated it and the same applies for when you manage your own hair. Remember, the way you feel about your hair internally has a direct effect on how you treat it!
Secret #2
This secret is an extension of #1. Longer hair comes from great internal and external care. If you want to see your hair grow, start off by reciting positive affirmations to yourself on a daily basis. Examples include things like: “my hair is beautiful and I love it,” “my hair is getting stronger and longer every second of every day,” and “I love every kink and curl that God has blessed me with.”
By reciting these affirmations you’ll open up your heart and mind to a world of self-acceptance and personal growth. Furthermore, you’ll feel happier about yourself which is always a great thing.
Secret #3
Create your own unique, custom-made hair regimen. There’s a lot of talk these days about hair regimens and it can sometimes feel as if the advice you receive on how to care for your hair is contradictory. That’s why it’s essential that you get into a habit of not only finding products that work for you but also finding a regime that works specifically for your hair type.
Once you’ve come up with your regime, get into a habit of making it a daily ritual to look after your hair. For instance, you could spend 5 minutes each night moisturising your scalp and 5 minutes in the morning spritzing your curls with a home-made hair spray.
Secret #4
Stick with the fundamentals.
Fundamental hair care practices for curly and afro-textured hair include:
- Washing your hair with a sulphate free shampoo (about twice a month)
- Co-washing your hair (using conditioner to wash your hair rather than shampooing it) on a weekly basis
- Moisturising your hair every day without fail
- Trimming off unhealthy ends as you see them (also known as dusting your hair)
- Deep conditioning your hair once per month.
These 5 things are fundamental practices that natural (and even relaxed) haired girls should follow. Rather than getting distracted by the newest hair care craze, focus on making the above 5 things a part of your hair care schedule so that you keep your hair in great condition.
Secret #5
Last but not least, set yourself hair goals. For instance, science tells us that the average person (regardless of ethnicity) grows about 6 inches of hair per year. Therefore, you should aim to give yourself a hair growth goal that is in line with this. The main focus however, should be on setting yourself a goal that is realistic and attainable for your hair type. Also, try not to compare your hair’s growth to someone else’s because quite frankly, your hair is not the same as the next person’s and therefore your hair will grow at a different speed.
If you liked these tips, sign up for great free resources by joining our newsletter at mycurls.co.uk.
Will dyeing my hair cause it to break?
Sometimes as a naturalista, you might feel as if your hair could do with a bit of a change. For some people change can come in the form of straightening their hair for a few days, adding clip-ins or wearing a weave. However, if you’ve been thinking about dyeing your hair and you’re unsure whether it will cause your hair to break, consider these things.
Hair dye can cause damage to your hair if your hair is already suffering from some form of damage. That includes breakage, excess shedding or scalp dryness.
To reduce the chances of your hair breaking when it has been dyed, it’s best to only dye your hair if it is in optimal condition prior. If you’ve noticed that your hair shows any signs of damage whatsoever, then don’t dye it. Simply wait until it’s in a better condition before going ahead.
Another thing to bear in mind is that semi-permanent dyes (which last for about 5-7 washes) are a better alternative if you’re simply looking to add colour to your hair or you want a quick change of style or a new look. permanent dyes aren’t necessarily damage-free but they are less strenuous on your hair.
Furthermore, if you want to avoid breakage when dyeing your hair, make sure that you keep your hair very well conditioned and moisturised after colouring it. Hair dyes are notorious for causing dryness which in turn leads to thinning and breakage and it’s for this reason that so many women experience signs of damage after dyeing their hair. To keep your newly coloured hair in great condition, deep condition it at least once a month and co-wash (which means washing your hair with conditioner only) on a weekly basis.
Be sure to trim any damaged ends and moisturise your hair like there’s no tomorrow! Seriously, moisturising can literally make or break your hair’s health. I can’t stress the importance of moisturising it.
If you’re unsure about how to moisturise, do the following:
- Co-wash your hair once a week
- Apply a silicone-free, moisturising hair lotion to it twice a day
- Follow with a good, natural oil like jojoba or olive oil
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 twice a day. Try moisturising once in the morning and once at night.
Keeping your hair in good condition after it has been coloured isn’t impossible. You just need to be more mindful of your hair’s health and fragility and moisturise on a regular basis.
Natural Hair Care: How To Get Amazing Curl Definition
How to get great curl definition
How do you get my curls to be really defined?
This is one of the most common questions that I get asked about caring for naturally curly/unrelaxed hair.
Here are 3 ways to get amazing curl definition.
And don’t worry, you won’t need to spend hours on your hair to get really defined curls.
Step 1
Keep your hair clean through conditioning (co-washing) and not through excessive shampooing.
Over shampooing dries out naturally curly hair and therefore it’s best to shampoo your hair approximately once every 2 weeks or once a week at most.
Instead of shampooing all the time, wash your hair with a silicone free conditioner that does not contain parabens or synthetic oils. A great conditioner will transform your hair so it’s therefore best to be selective about which conditioner you use and don’t be afraid to do these two things:
- Read the ingredients on the label of your conditioner
- Invest in a high quality conditioner
Sometimes people think that the cheapest conditioner is the best but that isn’t always the case. It’s therefore wise to spend more money on a conditioner that is filled with high quality ingredients and is therefore slightly higher in price. I always tell customers that an investment in good hair products is an investment in the health of your hair. Think about it, what’s your hair worth?
Step 2
Play around with twist-outs and braid-outs.
These hair styles can give you incredible curl definition and they work on almost any hair texture. One thing I like to do is to braid or twist my hair at night and then unravel in the morning. That way, I end up with gorgeous curls almost every day. Plus, creating twist-outs and braid-outs isn’t time consuming. Try it!
Step 3
Keep your hair super moisturised.
Curly and afro hair are the driest hair types and that means that our hair needs to be moisturised a lot. To get gorgeously soft and well-defined hair, moisturise once in the morning and once at night. If your hair is wavy or only slightly curly then only moisturise once in the day. As a rule of thumb: the curlier your hair, the more moisture it needs.
Follow these three steps and your hair should be more defined, softer and shinier.
PS. For more hair tips sign up to my free newsletter at mycurls.co.uk.
Natural Hair Rules: 7 Commandments Every Curly Girl Needs To Follow
Ever catch yourself look at girls with enviable poker straight hair and wonder what a ball of fuzz your curly hair is? Fret not! Hereís a detailed guide on how to unlock those dread locks and transform into a goddess with a curly and bouncy gorgeous mane and ingredients to use to pamper your lustrous locks.
Oiling your hair before washing it has proved to be a great conditioner. Curly hair responds very well to jojoba and olive oil.
Deep conditioning always helps cases of unmanageable frizzy hair. In emergency situations, when you have to head out for a hot date or that fancy evening soiree, the best thing to do to control your curly hair would be deep conditioning. Find a protein conditioner that suits you and apply a dime size dollop into your hands and massage into your scalp. This keeps it soft and shiny for the rest of the day and also adds an extra texture to your mane. Natural conditioners like shea butter are very safe to use.
Most curly haired girls are conscious about their texture and often resort to styling methods to straighten out their hair and hide that uneven curly and wavy texture. These methods involve heating tools such as flat irons and clampers. You might want to ditch them as heating your curly hair will only make it weak from the roots and brittle in texture, thereby making your hair look like a frizzy mess.
In a hot weather, it is best to use mild shampoos and not ones that have strong chemicals that damage your hair. In case of too much humidity, when you sweat and you feel like washing your hair every day after a long day at work, use baby shampoo. The strong chemicals in regular shampoo makes curly hair all the more difficult to maintain stripping it from its natural oils from the scalp and with an extra frizz added to your hair. Using a mild shampoo for everyday use or in cases when you want to wash your hair more than the regular thrice a week regime, will make it soft and moisturized.
Split with the dead ends. Going to a hair salon and getting a short trim and cutting your split ends will enable your curly hair to grow stronger and make it look luscious and bouncy rather than rough and erratic.
Always use a wide toothed comb. This is not the eighties. You do not want an afro on your head and you know you have to detangle your hair ASAP! But how will you, with your hair getting stuck in those tiny bristles of that comb? So unless you want to indulge in an arm wrestle by yanking your brush out of your hair, detangle your hair with your fingers and a wide toothed comb and use this comb every day to brush your hair.
Applying salon products like hair serums and hair mousse while proving to be helpful could be very tricky to use. You do not want your hair dripping with greasiness for someone to be able soak it with a paper towel. Use hair products with great care and always scrunch them into your curls. Do not layer it all over your hair into a greasy lump. Honey with a tea spoon of milk gives a nice bounce just like a hair product would
And last but not the least, love yourself including those curls. Being confident is the best gift you could give your hair and yourself. You are unique and beautiful that way. Stay gorgeous.
Natural Hair Treatments: 4 Natural Ingredients Afro Hair Loves.
Do you envy girls who hop out of the shower with silky straight hair while you remain tangled in your curly labyrinths?
Then, youíd be surprised to know that if you have curls like ringlets, you own one of the most enviable crown of heads.
Those girls you envy spend hours to get what you have been naturally gifted. So, instead of fighting those curls, work with them and make them stunning.
If you start adoring your hair and follow four simple tips provided herein, curly hair can make you look like a goddess every day.
Natural Oils
Oils are curly hairís best friend and although itís tempting to ditch the traditional regimen of oiling, nothing soothes your hair more than this session of a few minutes. Sometimes curlies have difficulty finding oils that don’t give their hair the appearance of being dunked in a grease fryer. Certain oils mentioned here would help you combat the havoc:
- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil – What it does is that it penetrates hair shaft; this is why it provides moisture.
- Grapeseed Oil – What it does is that it protects your hair temperature. You can also use it to fight dandruff.
- Sweet Almond Oil seals in moisture and soothes the hair shaft, which is an addition to highly porous hair.
- Jojoba Oil – It balances the production of scalp’s sebum.
Although olive oil and castor oil are heavy oils that are popular in the naturally curly hair community, these highly beneficial light oils can also be used for healthy hair.
Moisturize and Condition
Curly hair requires regular moisturising so that they do not break or frizz with dryness. The most important requirement is to find the right product that suites your hair. A shampoo that would suite one set of curly hair may not suite the other. Also, conditioning is a must after every shampoo.
Protein
Another significant treatment is to maintain the protein balance of your curls. A protein treatment has different protein properties that attach directly to the hair follicle and harden the cuticle layer. This places a barrier around the follicle, which protects it from further damage. There are four types of protein conditioner treatments: protein packs, re-constructors, deep penetrating treatments, and light protein treatments. The hair’s current condition will decide the type of protein conditioner needed for treatment. Use a re-constructor for severely damaged hair. For moderately damaged hair, use a deep penetrating treatment. For slight damage and routine treatments, use protein packs or light treatments. There are a lot of products in the market but only trustworthy ones should be used.
Heat Free Styling
Heat Styling Tools such as Flat Irons or Curling Irons do nothing but damage your locks and, turn your hair into a dry, brittle, unhealthy mess since you are basically frying your hair when using them. So the first thing you should do is get your split ends cut off, you can get this done at your local hair stylist of even do it yourself if you dare. As a curly haired girl, hopefully you already know that unless it’s Halloween and you’re in need of an afro, you should avoid blow drying or brushing your hair because it will just go Poof! To save the embarrassment, you can use styling products such as serums and gels and work them gently with your fingers.
Love is always reciprocated. When you love your hair and follow the above four simple techniques, they love you back by giving hassle free good and gorgeous hair days.
If your curls are in need of some TLC, head over to our online store to find a product that your tresses will love.
Natural Hair Tips: How To Get Rid of Frizzy Hair
Over the past week or so I’ve been busy in the My Curls kitchen whipping together some sweet-smelling hair recipes. I’ll be sharing a few of the things I’ve come up with in an upcoming newsletter so make sure you’ve signed up so you don’t miss out! Click here to sign up (it’s free!)
Since frizz is one of the hottest topics amongst our Curlettes (that’s the name of our amazing community of curly customers and VIP newsletter subscribers), I thought it would be a great idea to create a cute but highly effective graphic on how to get rid of frizz.
How to get rid of frizzy hair
Take a look at the picture and if you learnt something new from it, leave a comment sharing it below.
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Have an amazing week!
Victoria x
How To Care For Thinning Hair
Have you ever felt self-conscious because your hair was thinning?
Have you had to cover it up with scarves and hats to hide thin spots or worried that it was excessively breaking?
Don’t fret because you’re not alone.
Women (and men) of all hair textures and ethnicities experience hair thinning at some point or another.
In fact statistics show that more than 21 million women in the USA alone experience hair thinning at some point.
How can you prevent or reduce thinning hair?
Here are some steps to take:
1. Ditch tight weaves and tight braids. Many women make the mistake of sacrificing their real hair’s health for the fun of wearing a glamorous looking weave or thin braids.
The truth of the matter is that many women fail to keep an eye on how tight their extensions are and as a result they experience traction alopecia (a severe form of hair breakage) because the hair has been pulled too tightly.
If you want a headful of luscious natural hair, avoid getting your hair styled too tightly and tell your hair stylist to be cautious with your hair.
Always remember that your hair is fragile and should be handled with care.
2. Don’t comb excessively. There’s an ancient Greek adage that says ‘nothing in excess.’ That definitely rings true when it comes to your hair.
Combing or brushing your hair excessively or harshly causes it to break, tear and snap. Be careful with how often you comb your hair and try to finger comb instead of always combing it with a brush or comb.
3. Be health conscious. Believe it or not, your diet plays a crucial role in your hair’s condition. If your health isn’t in check, it will often reflect in your hair’s condition.
Firstly, if you experience persistent hair thinning, go to the doctor and get checked out. It could for instance be a sign of an under active thyroid.
If however, you’re experiencing thinning hair despite the fact that you have no medical problems, you might want to pay closer attention to your diet by upping your vegetable, fruit and water intake.
Also, if you haven’t been working out, get moving! Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day and don’t forget that doing things like walking up a flight of stairs, jogging in your living room and dancing all add up.
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