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| Funmi from Nigeria. Source: www.blackgirllonghair.com |
I've been getting questions on a how to develop a healthy hair regimen and
the kinds of products to use. I'm far from being an expert on the subject but I love to share information. So I just decided to do a post on my blog about “A healthy
hair regimen”. The information I have listed
here is mainly the result of personal research, which I have done since I decided to start taking better care of my hair. I have been practicing these for five months
and I have seen some results, though I would not say I have a completely healthy
hair, I can say I am on my way there!! So these are a couple of findings I have
made after going to numerous websites, blogs and vlogs:
1.
Be ready to invest in products that are good for
your hair type: I put this as the first because we are so used to dashing to the
salon and allowing the hairdressers use whatever products they have no
matter what quality they are. I used to do this a lot but not anymore, though my
hair suffered for it. Anyway you need
a.
SULFATE FREE SHAMPOO, a good example is DUDU
OSUN (BLACK SOAP). Yes I said it, Dudu Osun is good for your hair!!! I found this
out when I watched this youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29XZPLa8dOM.
By the way she is a Yoruba girl living in the US and her hair is lovely.
b.
Good natural rinse out, deep and leave – in conditioners,
like the VO5 product line, the GIOVANI line e.t.c.
c.
Natural hair oils and butters. Like coconut oil,
shea butter, cocoa butter, castor oil, jojoba oil, peppermint oil (essential
oil use in drops with other oils).
2.
Wash your hair at least once a week: For me this
was a surprise because I only use to wash my hair like once a month or two
months even, lol!!! It is funny but I was seriously ignorant about hair care
until five months ago. For me I wash once a week, sometimes I do what I call co
washing (please look at the hair language tab to find out what this means).
3.
Deep condition at least once in two weeks: This
is almost the same thing as what local salons call “steaming”. I do my own by
mixing my regular conditioner, GIOVANNI SMOOTH AS SILK CONDITIONER, with coconut
oil, peppermint oil, castor oil and olive oil. I apply this to my hair and then
cover with a plastic cap for about 30 mins and then I rinse it out. I do not
currently use heat in my regimen so I don’t sit under a dryer for deep
conditioning.
4.
After washing your hair and rinsing out the
conditioner, you apply your leave in conditioner (cream based product) and then apply your oil. The leave in conditioner puts moisture in your hair while the oil
helps to seal the moisture in. You can re moisturize your hair in between wash
days if you feel it’s dry.
5.
Protect your hairline whenever you want to put
in attachment (hair extensions) or weave – on (weaves) on your hair. Most of
our local salons in Naija try to pick the living daylight out of our hair line when
braiding it. That part of the hair is very sensitive and should be treated with gentle care. Tell them not to braid it too tight. I have noticed that a majority of
Nigerian women, including me, have damaged and thinning hair line due to tight
braids, Ghana weaving, tightly sewn weave on and use of chemical relaxers. You can
corn row that part before you braid and apply natural castor oil daily, it really
helps.
6. Invest in a silk scarf or satin bonnet. You cover your hair with a silk scarf at night (an old waist slip will even do, lol!!). The silk material will help keep the moisture in your hair while you sleep unlike the hair net we normally use.
6. Invest in a silk scarf or satin bonnet. You cover your hair with a silk scarf at night (an old waist slip will even do, lol!!). The silk material will help keep the moisture in your hair while you sleep unlike the hair net we normally use.
7.
Trim regularly. This can be done every four to six months or as much as you think is needed. The areas close to the tip of every hair strand is the oldest part, it is usually
either split or knotted (single stand knots). The splits and the knots impede
hair growth, so it does the hair no good. Trimming these parts regularly
ensures the health and growth of the hair.
8.
Learn and practice doing your hair yourself. Most
of us are so dependent on the hairdressers at our local salons; we put the fate
of our crown in the hands of these women. I am not saying you should never go
to the salon but at least, politely let them know how you want your hair
treated. They may frown at you for a while, but when they see the results, they
will be your friend and even ask you for tips!!
There are a whole lot of other things to know about caring
for your hair, but this is a good start. I will make another post on places I
know you can get natural hair products in Nigeria, especially Lagos.
Have I left something out or do you have other healthy hair
tips? Please type it in the comment box below.
Please support this blog by posting a comment, rating the
post and subscribing to this blog.
V.Basic and well put together... Go chara go acharacha go.....lol
ReplyDeleteB.
Thanks a lot babes. You know you're one of my kinspirations *wink*
ReplyDeleteNice post. Tanks 4 encouraging Nigerian women abt our kinky hair. What's Funmi's hair type?
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Tush, we bless God. Then Funmi's hair type is 4B/C. You can read her story here http://blackgirllonghair.com/2013/04/funmi-4bc-natural-hair-style-icon/
DeleteThanku for this post. Impressive.......
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot :)
DeleteI have thick coarse hair that looks great when it is relaxed. I have been experimenting with other products and forgot how much I love the Shielo Restoration Oil.
ReplyDeleteI use the Shielo Oil on my hair for conditioning every few days (depending on hair dullness). My hair looks amazingly shiny and more manageable. It also helps me prevent split ends. Recently I was in a wedding and we used it as a finisher for my upsweep. The hair stylist was amazed, she commented she had never seen hair with so much sheen.
That's really nice to know, I've never heard of the Shielo Restoration Oil. it sure sounds like a good one, I'll be sure to google it and know how it works.
DeleteThanks for the info Sharma.
ReplyDeletewonderful!!!the hair style and hair treatment was so good.keep blogging...
ReplyDeletehealthy hair
Thanks a lot!!
DeleteNo, Dudu Osun is not necessarily good for hair. I bought into this hype after watching lots of Youtube Videos including Latifatumi's video which really praised Dudu Osun as an alternative shampoo for hair. I went and used Dudu Osun. Twice. Never since my almost 2 year hair journey have I lost so much hair. And I'm not talking breakage. I'm talking of hair that pulls out from its roots in alarming volume when you put your fingers through your hair. Major setback. I even had to blog about it so others won't fall into the same trap I did with all the hype. I had to see a doctor about this and we found it to be the soap. I found even further clarity from a brilliant Kenyan girl on Youtube: DuchessGabrielle who discovered that black soap has a pH10! The hair only has a pH4.5-5.5. That's incredibly high and not good for hair. My point? Yes, Dudu Osun may be good for some. But not everyone. It is incredibly harsh and drying. Use it on your skin and see. Anyone using it should try doing so with caution. You may be in the minority. Like me.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Mosun, this is an insightful information. You know, sometimes we get carried away on what works for our own hair and create such a big buzz about it. So sorry to hear about your experience with Dudu Osun. In any case, two things could be at play here. The first is that there is a huge possibility that there are adulterated versions of the soap out there and we might fall victim of using it. The second is that what works for one may not work for another. This is one big lesson to learn here, we must always find out what works for OUR OWN COILS and stay with it, we must not use what the next natural hair sister is using just because they do. Once again, thanks a lot.
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