The Science of African Natural Hair RSS

By Yolanda Malembe

One of the misconceptions among many afro-textured hair women is the belief that they must follow a certain chain of events in their regimen in order to grow and maintain healthy hair. Sure, there are certain things that you have to do in oder to retain health and length such as moisturizing the hair, trimming, etc, but you do not have to follow the timeline of another person’s regimen to achieve the same objective. This is why it is important to learn your individual strands in order to make the best decisions for your hair.There are naturals who use heat, color their hair, etc who are still able to grow their curls and retain their length, but this doesn’t mean...

Here is a very simple sample regimen that you can use as a base in creating your own individualized regimen. Weekly: Wash, condition and deep condition the hair. After completing the cleansing and conditioning process, you should apply your leave-in conditioner and seal the hair to retain moisture. You can then proceed to style your hair in whichever style you choose. Daily: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize and seal. This is very important as this makes the hair more manageable. I moisturize my hair by spritzing  my hair with warm water from a spray bottle( I use warm water because I have low porosity hair), and then seal with my shea butter mixture to keep the moisture in my hair. Moisture makes...

A leave-in conditioner is just a lighter, thinner  version of the regular rinse out conditioner that you use after shampooing. The difference is that it is lighter and have smaller molecules which makes it easier for the product to penetrate the hair, and of course you do not rinse it out. A leave-in conditioner is usually used after the washing and treatment processes to give the hair that extra moisture that it needs, but it can also be used on dry hair during daily styling.

Chemicals such as sodium hydroxide have the ability to damage the scalp and follicles severely and ultimately prevent hair growth. So be extremely careful when using any chemicals on the hair, so be sure to see a professional stylist for these treatments. Other factors include: Medications Unbalanced hormones Poor diet Extreme heat Illness Unhealthy hair products