HGKWW ::: Q&A V

Q: I have a problem with my scalp. I started trying the co-washing thing and my hair loves it, but sometimes there's a white film on parts of my scalp. When my hair dries, it flakes up a little bit. Is this a bad reaction to the conditioner?

A: It sounds like you simply haven't been rinsing the conditioner out of your hair well enough. I doubt your scalp is having a bad reaction to the conditioner. You just need to make sure that you are getting all of the product out of your hair or else you'll experience residue build-up. One thing you can do is experiment with different conditioners. Here are a few ways to avoid and remove product build-up from co-washing, or even just shampooing.

1. Wash your hair in SECTIONS. If you haven't done this before, the difference will be life-changing. Depending on your patience and hair length & thickness, you should part your hair into 4-6 sections before washing it. Not only does it make the hair easier to manipulate and minimize tangling, you will have better access to your scalp. Not having to navigate blindly through your hair will help you target common problem areas, such as the crown of your head and the area behind the ears. Many people experience product build-up in those areas since they are easy to miss.
   
2. CLARIFY YOUR SCALP using a clarifying shampoo. These shampoos are more drying to the hair than others so I suggest you focus them on where they are needed most--your scalp. Clarifying shampoos break down build up and make way for your conditioners and moisturizers to work their magic.
   
3. Use a CLARIFYING CONDITIONER when you are co-washing. They are designed to not leave behind any residue as normal conditioners will do over time. You still need to be sure to rinse well, but it makes the job a little bit easier.
   
4. Try an APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (ACV) RINSE after using your conditioner. In addition to removing build up from the hair, ACV rinses can help the hair cuticles to lay flat, helping to prevent split ends and lock in moisture and nutrients. Your hair will also get a boost of shine!!! You simply spray or pour the ACV rinse on your hair once you have rinsed out the conditioner.
   
   
   Apple Cider Vinegar Mix

   1-2 tbs apple cider vinegar
   2 cups room temperature distilled water/rosemary water/spring water
   
   
   
   

HGKWW ::: Q&A II

Q: What can I do to minimize how tangled my hair gets whenever I wash it?!

A. Detangling hair can be a very frustrating process. But the best way to make detangling less of a hassle is to minimize the amount of tangling that happens in the FIRST place! Here are a few simple tips.

• Wash your hair in SECTIONS.  You will not regret it. Depending on the thickness & length of your hair, separating it into 4-6 sections should be sufficient. I usually braid or twist sections that I am not working with at the moment. Honestly, whenever I do anything with my hair, I put it into sections. It makes the hair so much more manageable.
• Detangle while conditioning. Use a shower comb or a medium to wide toothed comb to detangle the hair after applying conditioner to wet hair. Conditioner helps make the hair easier to work with.
• Work from the ends to the roots. Nothing hurts my soul more than seeing someone quickly drag a comb from their roots all the way to the ends of their hair. You are tearing your hair out. Ripping it. If you take a moment, you will HEAR the hair breaking as your comb goes through it. Take your time. Start at the ends of the hair and work your way up to the roots until you are able to carefully comb through that sections of hair. 
• Use a deep conditioner w/ silicones or natural oils. Let it sit in your hair for at least 20 minutes. If you have a hooded dryer, cover the hair with a shower cap and sit underneath the dryer while you are conditioning. The silicones and oils in the deep conditioner will help the comb glide through your hair.
•  Detangle w/ a natural oil before washing. Only a little bit of oil needs to be applied to each section of the hair. Because the hair is still dry, work tangles out with your fingers. Using a comb on dry hair is BEGGING for breakage. 
• & last..........................BE PATIENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

HGKWW ::: Dry Cleansing & Conditioning

Soooooooooo

I tried something new recently & it was amazing. I was actually being lazy (don't be like me!!!) & then after my great results, I did some google'n just to find out that other people already knew about this.

Ok, Jess. What the crapizzle did you do?!!!!!!

I put conditioner in my hair while it was still dry. & it was good.

I had just shampoo'd my hair a few days before, but I'd been having a dryspell & decided to co-wash & deep condition as an attempt to get my moisture balance back in check. However, I was being drawn into this episode of "Dr. G, Medical Examiner" & didn't want to be away from the TV too long...and behold, my lazy behind idea.

From a few natural hair forums, I discovered that people refer to shampooing and conditioning the hair when it is dry as "dry cleansing" and "dry conditioning," respectively.

Here is my little version of both processes:

Dry Cleansing (shampoo)

• Section hair
• Work the shampoo only on to the scalp and near roots of the hair (Shampoo is drying & I prefer to only apply it to the base of my hair follicles so it won't weaken my ends)
• Rinse out each section.
• Why this rocks?
• Avoid drying length of hair
• Shampoo can latch on to dirt and oils without interference of water
• Helps focus on getting scalp cleaner, especially for those with scalp issues---buildup, dry scalp, flakes

Dry Conditioning (conditioner)

• Section hair
• Work conditioner thoroughly into each section.
• Detangle (carefully) with shower comb.
• Rinse out each section after at least 10 minutes.
• Why this rocks?
• Less detangling to do without the initial rinse of hair before adding
• Less shrinkage!!!!!!!!

As for the dry cleansing, that may take a little longer than traditional shampooing since you are focusing on the scalp. Other than that, this new discovery has changed my life. Really. Especially being able to condition and deep condition without the initial rinse. It is just great. I recommend you give it a whirl & let me know how it goes for you!!!

HGKWW ::: Let's Be Clear...

Shampoo is shampoo. It all gets your hair perfectly clean.....right?

Wrong.

There's clean and then there's squeaky clean.

Now WARNING: To all of you who like to go overboard & make a good thing bad...

You do not want your hair to be "squeaky" clean every time that you wash it. You will eventually risk stripping your hair of its nutrients and weakening it leading to BREAKAGE. So please do not take what I say & run away with it...at least, not too far. Do we have an understanding here? Great.

We have our lovely moisturizing and nourishing and replenishing and repairing and revitalizing shampoos. But the problem is, many of these shampoos can leave some residue behind. Yes, I know. You are looking at me crazy because how can something that is supposed to clean your hair get it dirty, too?! All of the ingredients put in shampoos used to moisturize and nourish and replenish and repair and revitalize your hair can cause buildup over time. This is why you need to invest in a CLARIFYING SHAMPOO.

Clarifying shampoo gets rid of any leftover gunk from other shampoos and conditioners. It also clears the way for nutrients to better penetrate the hair shaft when moisturizing and conditioning. People who have trouble with scalp buildup (meee!!!) will benefit from having a fresh foundation. Your hair will have that squeaky clean feeling and should even gain some shine!

I don't recommend doing this more than twice a month. Of course, you should adjust your usage depending on how much product (mouses, gels, cream, leave-ins, etc.) you've been using in your hair. I usually focus on the roots and scalp area and squeeze the shampoo through my hair towards the ends once I am about to rinse it out. (Remember shampoo can be drying on the ends of the hair!) And don't forget to still condition your hair after using your clarifying shampoo!

Clarifying shampoos to check out:

Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo

Pantene Pro-V Purify Shampoo

V05 Clarifying Shampoo

Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo

HGKWW ::: "Do as I say & not as I do"

When it comes to my hair, I am far from a saint. I have some lazy ways and bad habits. Yes. Shame on me. If I wasn't blessed with so much hair, I swear I'd be bald.

College made the laziness REALLY kick in because I always found an excuse not to carry out my hair routine (meetings, coursework, SLEEP). Part of the reason I started the natural hair posts on my blog is to create some kind of accountability for myself. Yes, people always ask me how I got my hair to do this and that...but it's hard to tell people what to do when you're not doing it yourself. Guilt will keep poking you in the ribs, reminding you that you are not practicing what your preach.

Now that I have completed my undergrad career, I have more time to focus on me. This includes taking better care of my hair again.

In my last post, I gave the basic rundown of how you should go about washing your hair. In the interest of keeping it simple, I didn't go into which shampoos and conditioners should be used and how often and so on.

FIRST
Here is a 2 minute tutorial on understanding protein and moisture (more in-depth post coming soon):

• Moisture: water gives hair elasticity
• Protein: gives hair strength and structure 
• Your hair needs to have a balance of moisture and protein to be healthy and avoid breakage.
• How to tell what your hair needs:

THE WET ASSESSMENT

Use this chart to evaluate your hair while running through it with a comb or your fingers.

When your hair is…	& it does this…	Then you need…
Wet or Dry	Stretches slightly and returns to original length w/o breaking	Neither more protein or moisture—you are BALANCED
Wet or Dry	Stretches a little more than normal before breaking	More protein
Wet or Dry	Keeps stretching with no significant breakage	More protein
Wet	Feels weak, mushy or limp	More protein
Wet or Dry	Snaps with little to no stretching	More moisture
Dry	Feels rough, dry & brittle	More moisture

If you aren't really sure about what your hair needs from how it behaved, then add more moisture to be on the safe side.

Now all of this was important because there are protein based and moisture based products. You need to know what your hair needs in order to know which products you need to be using and how often.

• SHAMPOOS
• Moisturizing Shampoo (use 1-2 times a week)
• soften & detangle hair, sodium/ammonium lauryl sulfate free
• Neutragena Triple Moisture Cream Lather Shampoo, Creme of Nature Shampoo, Aveda Sap Moss Shampoo
• Clarifying Shampoo (use 1-2 times a month)
• remove hair product buildup, gives squeaky clean feeling
• Pantene Pro-V Purity Shampoo, Suave, AVEDA Detox, V05
• CONDITIONERS
• Deep Conditioner (use protein or moisture based depending on hair needs; use once a week after moisturizing shampoo for 30-40 minutes under a hooded dryer, if possible)
• Moisturizing: Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Conditioner or Deep Recovery Mask, Dove Intense Moisture, Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner, Ms. Jessie's Rapid Recovery Treatment
• Protein: Suave Humectant, ORS, Motions Moisture Silk
• Leave In Conditioner (Use after shampooing hair or as daily water-based moisturizer)
• Moisturizing: Neutragena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave In, Kinky Curly Knot Today, Motions Spray Leave-In
• Protein: Cantu Shea Butter Leave In, Mane & Tail

There are hundreds of products out there. I only listed a few products I have used before (& boy have I tried a TON of hair products). Go out there & experiment! Research your products! Don't just trust the brand and the label.

***Also...just because something is in the "ethnic hair care" aisle does NOT mean it is the best for your hair. I purposely included brand names like Neutrogena, Dove & Herbal Essences because many times we write those products off since we grow up thinking they aren't made "for us." We become married to the products we grew up using, but we really don't need to be. For example, you will only find hair grease under ethnic hair care, but grease is not even good for your hair!!!!!! Don't limit yourself to a product line because it is packaged in shades of brown or has a brown-skinned woman on the front of it. EXPAND!!!!!!!!! EXPLORE!!!!!!!!!! EXPERIMENT!!!!!!!!

The Wet Assessment Source

HGKWW ::: all washed up!!!

Washing your hair may seem as simple as slapping your favorite shampoo around in your hair for a couple minutes before rinsing it out...but there is a little more to it.

There actually is a right way to wash your hair.

Before I say anything else, though...do yourself a favor and buy a shower comb!!! They really are that great, especially if your hair is natural. There is such a difference between how a regular comb versus a shower comb glide through your hair when detangling in the shower. Plus, there is much less of a risk of ripping your hair out.

I usually co-wash (washing hair with conditioner...post coming soon), but this will focus on how to correctly execute a basic wash using shampoo, conditioning the hair afterward.

TIP: Before we begin, I strongly recommend placing your hair into sections. This allows you to manuever through your hair more easily and results in less tangling. It will also make the rinsing process quicker and more effective.

ONE: Rinse your hair for about a minute or two before adding shampoo. You want to saturate your hair and rid it of any topical debris, dirt and oil. You also want to make sure all hair product buildup is gone before you add shampoo

TIP: Warm or cold water are fine to wash your hair with (notice I did NOT say scalding hot); however, I recommend using warmer water initially to help open the cuticles and cooler water for the final rinse to close and seal them.

TWO: After getting a lather going in your hands, work the shampoo on to your scalp and NOT the ends of your hair. This is where washing your hair in sections may come in handy, especially for thicker hair. Shampoo is actually very drying on the ends of your hair, something I learned only a few years ago, so you will want to focus on using it to clean the scalp and near the roots of your hair.

TIP: Use your fingers to rub and massage--not scratch--your scalp. Although it feels so good sometimes and we might even remember Mom giving our scalp a good scratch'n when we were younger...your fingernails really should not be making that much contact with your scalp, if any. Scratching damages and irritates the skin, which is not conducive to a healthy scalp.

THREE: Rinse WELL. Time permitting, repeat shampoo process. You might want to allow the shampoo to rest for a couple minutes before rinsing it out the second time around. This gives the shampoo more time to bind to any leftover dirt and oil from the first round. Rinse THOROUGHLY.

FOUR: Apply a conditoner, focusing on the hairline and ends of the hair. Remember that good ol' shower comb? Use it to comb conditioner through the hair, which will smooth and detangle the hair. Place shower cap on your head to allow the conditioner to do its work for about 10 minutes before rinsing.

Simple, right?

There are different kinds of shampoos and conditoners that all have different effects and purposes, depending on what your hair needs. Do your research! Make sure you know what you are putting in your hair and if you are giving it what it needs. And of course, I'm always here to help you find your way ;-)