Like most, when I was a little girl my mother washed my hair.  One of the things I remember about those memorable hair days is that she used a ton of shampoo every single wash day.  I’d be lying on the counter with my head leaning over into the sink and she’d pour handful after handful of shampoo onto my hair and while rubbing vigorously she complained “Your hair takes forever to get a good lather!”

Remember, this was back in the time that more lather was equated to cleaner hair.  I always thought this to be true and concluded that thick, coarse, kinky hair was more difficult to clean.  As I grew we switched from countertop to leaning over the sink while standing on a stool.  In this position, the nape of my neck was the first to be reached by the water flowing from the faucet and I noticed that when my hair did finally lather, it was in the back first.

By the time I began washing my hair myself, I learned that my hair actually wasn’t difficult to clean and that using a half a bottle of shampoo wasn’t necessary with every wash.  The trick was to “clean” my hair before even adding any shampoo.  I’d “wash” my hair with water first.  By wash, I mean not only allow the water to rinse my hair thoroughly but I’d actually use my fingers to massage the water throughout my hair and scalp to remove and/or loosen any dirt or buildup. This would do the trick because once I began doing this, the first addition of shampoo would cause the best, most bubbly lather!  Granted, back then the goal was to get my hair squeaky clean, but this still is an important step in my hair regimen now.

By washing with water prior to shampooing, it means that my hair requires less washes to cleanse thoroughly, which means less stripping is done to the hair.  This is particularly important when using a sulfate-shampoo. Plus water is the ultimate moisturizer so this is actually a very healthy practice.

Other than weekly washes, water shampoos are important when I relax my hair.  I recently began self-relaxing as many women do and I was asked how I am able to rinse the relaxer completely without having a friend help me.  Well, the answer is water shampooing!  I wash for as long as it takes to remove all of the relaxer crème from my hair.  This is much better than adding the neutralizing shampoo because the shampoo only neutralizes the relaxer, it doesn’t actually remove the heavy crème from your hair.  I know that water rinsing works because my relaxer comes with a color indicator shampoo and by the time I am finished rinsing with water and actually neutralize, the lather is white – not pink.  After three shampoos, you can be certain that there are no traces of relaxer left in your hair.

So give it a try, wash your hair with water before you actually wash your hair and see if it doesn’t make a difference!

Surprisingly when added to your hair, honey can impart sheen and softness. The most important property of honey with regards to hair is that it works as a natural humectant attracting moisture to otherwise dry strands.

Here are 8 benefits of honey with a couple recipes sprinkled in that can be very healthy for your hair.

1.    Honey is safe for the hair: chances are if you can eat it then it is pretty safe for the hair. Honey contains trace minerals vitamins and anti bacterial properties that are very beneficial to the scalp and hair keeping it nourished and enriched.

2.    Simple Honey Recipe: Mix equal parts of honey and olive oil to make a thick paste, apply it to your hair before you shampoo for 20 – 30 minutes. Shampoo and condition your hair as normal, the hair should come out soft and super shiny

3.    Honey is budget friendly – The benefits of honey greatly outweigh the cost of purchasing it. Support your local farms by purchasing local honey from your grocery store or local farmers market. Raw honey is not hard to find and at minimum of six or five dollars ajar you will be able to take advantage of one of the best natural ingredients for imparting moisture and shine to your hair.

4.    Honey is great for hair loss and thinning edges- This recipe for thinning hair calls for equal parts of cinnamon, olive oil and honey applied to thinning  areas of the hair. The application can be done 2- 3 times a week to help with problem areas.

5.    Hydrating honey protein treatment – 2 table spoons of honey, 3 table spoons of olive oil and 1 table spoon of plain Greek yogurt. Blend all ingredients together and apply to damp clean hair using an applicator brush or your hands. Cover your hair with a plastic cap to hold the heat in and let it sit for 20-30 minutes or longer depending on your needs.

6.    Honey can naturally lighten your hair – The property in honey that contributes to lightening the hair is the natural hydrogen peroxide found in it. Depending on the porosity of your hair and how well it absorbs the honey will determine how light your hair gets. Honey lightening will take quite a few applications for any noticeable differences.

7.    Honey lightening recipe – using some distilled water mix honey in the water using a 4 to 1 ratio ensuring that the mixture is thick enough to be applied to the hair. Apply the mixture to the hair and scalp allowing it to sit for up to an hour so that the hair can absorb the honey thoroughly. Ensure that the mixture is completely rinsed out of your hair using a mild shampoo. Condition and style as normal.

8.    Honey can be used daily – Add 1 or two table spoons of honey and olive oil to your favorite conditioner for daily use. The added ingredients will not only impart maximum shine but your hair will be super soft every time you co wash.

What are your favorite honey recipes, tips and tricks?

Shrinkage is an issue that most Naturalistas deal with. However, just as all people are different, so are the opinions on shrinkage.

For instance, some hate shrinkage with a passion. I can relate to this, because one minute you are rockin a fierce twistout, or bantu knot out, and people are asking if your hair is a wig, or they are incredulous as to how much hair you have. Then, after wash day, and shrinkage, those same people are like, “What?! Did you cut your hair?” And then you have to explain shrinkage to them. Meh.  I know, I know. You worked hard to get and keep the length you have, and you want to show it off. You gon’ witcha bad self!

Then there are others who don’t mind shrinkage. I have a friend  loves, loves, loves her shrinkage. She says that it’s just what her hair does, and she doesn’t mind it because she knows how long her hair is. Then, (because I asked, of course), she tells me about the dangers of heat styling and blah blah blah. (Sorry, I love her, but that drives me nuts.)

Personally, after I detangle my hair and dry it, I stretch it out. I don’t mind shrinkage, but when I let Claudette (my hair’s name) shrink, she goes nuts. She curls into my scalp like and angry fist. And after about one day, she’s tangled, she’s dry, and hard. I find that when I stretch her, I can manage her better, thus keeping her happy and healthy. During my hair journey, I have stretched my hair with heat and without.  I have found what works for me, and perhaps I can help you find what works (and what does not work) for you.

So, beautiful ones, let us discuss the 2 methods of stretching hair that I am familiar with- Heat and Heatless.

1. Heat

Yes, lovelies, there is a way to Stretch your hair with heat. You can use a heat protectant, then put a comb attachment onto your blow dryer, and stretch it out.  Be sure that your hair is detangled before you use the blow dryer, and do not dry saturated hair. Let it dry about 70%.  DO NOT use the highest setting. And I can not stress enough the importance of a heat protectant. Otherwise, YOU WILL FRY YOUR STRANDS.

Or, you can put your hair in twists,  dry completely, and then flat iron the hair straight. Once again, a heat protectant is crucial.

2. Twists, braids, or banding  (Heatless)

Side View Twisties

These are the methods I use. Not because I am anti-heat, but just because my hair likes it better.

a.) Twists and Braids

This is pretty simple. Wash the hair, detangle, seal in moisture with your favorite oil or butter, then twist or braid. Flat twists and cornrows stretch the hair better than free form twists and braids. (But be as it may, I cannot flat twist to save my life.  So it’s free form for the ol’ Ashter.)

The Hair will stretch more if you wait until it is about 70% dry before twisting or braiding. For a more defined look, make smaller twists/braids. If you plan on doing something else to it, such as putting it in a bun or updo, big twists will suffice. Pictured above are what mine usually look like:

It doesn’t take as long as one might think, once you get the hang of it.

b.)  My version of  Banding

Not too tight!

Banding is when you take all of your hair, or sections of it, and wrap elastic bands around it in order to keep the hair from moving (and thus shrinking) as it dries.  I do this occasionally if I am on the run, for instance if I only have an hour to shower and wash my hair before I have to be somewhere.  (Read about my regimen here: thenaturalconundrum.blogspot.com) I dry her as much as I can with a black t-shirt. Then, when she’s still damp but not dripping, I seal the moisture in with my olive/jojoba oil mix, and throw her into a puff as far back as it will go (But not too tightly!). This will keep her from shrinking as much as if I just did a wash and go. I usually will twist her later, because she’ll still be damp enough hours later for me to do so. This is my version of banding,  because I would tear my hair out doing it the traditional way. To each his own, right?

The main constant in both Heat and Heatless stretching, as well as allowing your hair to shrink, is moisture.  No matter what you decide to do, your hair will not be happy if it is not moisturized. Perhaps you are like me and find that it is easier to maintain moisture when your hair is stretched. Or you could be the opposite, and find that the manipulation of stretching isn’t right for you.

Now, I am by no means a one-hair-rule-fits all type of person. As a matter of fact, I hate hair “rules”.  Yes, you can heat stretch your hair and then twist/braid it. Yes, you can twist/braid your hair and then sit under a hood dryer. (Although I don’t use heat anymore, hooded dryers were soooooo relaxing to me.)  It really depends on what works for you, and what you prefer.

What are your thoughts on shrinkage, Beauties? If you do stretch your hair, what methods do you use?

Sometimes perfecting a braid out can be very difficult without practice or a great technique. Here are nine steps that you could try in order to acheive the best braid out ever:

1.    Separate your hair into 4 sections for ease of manipulation. Apply your favorite oil to each section before shampooing to add a little moisture to the hair helping to reduce the stripping effects of the shampoo once applied to the hair in the next step.

2.    Shampoo the hair in sections paying close attention to the scalp gently removing buildup and any old product that may be weighing the hair down.  TIP: if you need a more clarifying effect put some diluted apple cider vinegar in an applicator bottle and apply it all over the scalp for gentle clarifying.

3.    Using your favorite conditioner hair directly after shampooing to add moisture back to your locks and help with detangling. Tip: use the shower stream to help with detangling, water will literally melt tangles away and make it a lot easier for you as you prepare to braid.

4.    Apply more conditioner to each section after you have thoroughly detangled preparing the section for braiding. Separate each section into two and begin braiding while in the shower. I know this is weird but with the conditioner and the water braiding is a breeze, braid quickly as moving through each section keeping the braids tight so that you can remove excess water from the strands

5.    Once you are done braiding exit the shower and grab your favorite leave in conditioner, apply the conditioner to the length of each braid concentrating on the ends. As you apply the leave in squeeze the braid to remove the excess water this will speed up drying time

6.    Time to seal: Using your favorite oil seal each braid to lock in the moisture that you have placed in your hair from the water and the leave in conditioner applied.

7.    Allow the hair to dry overnight or as you run errands  all day

8.    Release each braid once the hair fully dried

9.    Style the hair as you see fit, the textured look is great for high buns and side swept bangs

Pros

Stretched hair- Braiding the hair in the shower in comparison to twisting stretches the hair as the water is squeezed out more effectively and reduces hygral fatigue of the strand which often contributes to shrinkage.

Less product- Because you are not applying a ton of product, your hair should feel light and moisturized instead of heavy with product.

Cons

Wasting water as you braid in the shower – Let’s face it, as effective as the shower stream is in detangling the hair, having the water running as you detangle and braid will certainly lead to more water wasting in comparison to just using a spray bottle. Not great for the environment!

I wrote this advice in a recent newsletter but I think it is worth posting as a stand alone article to help the newbies among you decide what conditioner or deep conditioner to use weekly in your HHJ.

What do you use to condition your hair every week? Do you usually use a protein or moisturizing conditioner and how do you know what to choose anyway? Hair will have different needs depending on the texture of your hair and whether you have used any chemical services (including color).

For natural ladies with coarse wiry hair that is usually worn in natural styles, you should err on the side of moisture with steaming sessions to reduce brittleness and increase elasticity. Protein conditioners can take a back seat with once a month being plenty.

If you are a natural who straightens regularly, remember that you lose a lot of protein while styling so protein conditioning will need to be bumped up to once every couple of weeks. If like me you are a natural who both wears your hair straight often and colors (lightens) you hair, then a light protein deep conditioner even as often as weekly should benefit rather than hinder your progress.

For relaxed heads, I would suggest that you err on the side of protein as a starting point. Include a light protein conditioner every two weeks until you can tell instantly what your hair needs. It is entirely possible however to be relaxed and still have wiry coarse hair in which case, steaming and moisturizing conditioners will be your best friend to begin with.

For your protein needs I recommend Joico K Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor, its fabulous at adding strength to your strands without being too heavy.

For moisture you can always use a cheapie moisturizing conditioner like V05 and use it to bump up your moisture levels by combining it with a steaming session. Steamers are the most wonderful accessories to invest in your hair journey. Whether you are relaxed or natural steamers give your hair an added boost of moisture which reduces breakage substantially.

If you are a heat addict (trying to quit of course!), a steamer is a tool you can ill afford to do without. I have previously recommended the Huetiful Hair and Facial Steamer but I had an email from one of our newsletter subscribers saying that there was another steamer that’s just as good:

“Another good steamer that is affordable and of the same design as the huetiful steamer in portability and ozone technology is the Secura Hair steamer… Its only $80 and comes with a facial attachment as well… It can be purchased on amazon and its got a lot of GREAT reviews. I have since purchased it and will be testing it out myself!”

The Secura Steamer looks to be a good contender for a budget brand. Remember, the cheaper you go with steamers, the less the quality is likely to be. Either you are not really getting steam but a heat source for your hair which would have to be damp to begin with or the steam does not reach every part of your head, especially the back!

Please note that this advice gives you an excellent starting point but does not account for individual differences and you must always make sure that you are not protein sensitive before going crazy with the protein conditioners!