DRYNESS...THE NATTY TIPS ON DRY HAIR

Greetings Chicas/Chicos..I pray all is well with everyone!!
Ok, so let's talk about a subject that is a 'much talked about subject' when discussing natural hair. And that is DRYNESS. Now, keep in mind, natural hair is naturally drier that straight hair due to the fact that the oils that are produced by the scalp do not easily 'slide' down the follicle of the hair due to the curls and bends in natural hair. We should also understand that just because hair shines does not necessarily mean that it is healthy. Shine and health do not go hand in hand and sheen/shine is due to how light reflects off of a surface. This is why straighter darker hair appears more shiny than other hues of hair, and when it comes to natural hair, again, the shine is not as prevalent due to how light reflects..or rather, does not reflect due to the curls and bends in the natural pattern of curly, coily and kinky hair. So, when we want our natural healthy hair to have a sheen, we help it along by adding moisturizers and butters and oils to give it the desired look we want.  Ok, but now you ask, 'how do I achieve healthy hair that does not feel brittle?' Well, let's discuss that now!!

TIP 1

• EXCESSIVE USE OF HEAT: Excessive heat is when we use items such as blow dryers, flat irons and other straightening tools on our hair. Using excessive heat can cause dryness due to the heat pulling the natural moisture from our hair. In addition, you could expose your hair to possible heat damage. When this happens, you melt the protein bond of the hair changing the molecular structure and the once be
  autiful coil is now damaged and straight, known as 'heat damage'. Unfortunately, there is no way to correct, but treat the ends as you would relaxed ends and either clip them away at once or gradually clip them away. 

TIP 2

• CHECK YOUR INGREDIENTS:  Products that are in many commercial, non natural products as well as some natural products are main culprits of aiding in dryness. Products that contain silicones can block moisture from penetrating the hair and many regular shampoos are not formulated to remove many silicones, which is why a hair detox may be needed to thoroughly remove buildup from the hair and scalp. Silicones give the illusion of a faux sheen that acts as wax buildup that can be difficult to remove, aiding in dryness.  This layer of buildup blocks the hair from receiving proper moisture, leaving hair feeling dry and you feeling frustrated. Detoxing the hair requires the use of a strong cleanser, such as Terressentials Pure Earth Wash , various black soap shampoos, such as SheaMoisture Black Soap Shampoo and Dudu Osum Black Soap Shampoo and a thorough cleansing of nothing but the shampoo for up to 7 days (Terressentials website mentioned details the process of hair detoxing). Though I do use natural and organic products, I do a hair detox of 3 days once per year to ensure buildup is thoroughly removed, as natural ingredients can buildup over time as well. Be sure to check your ingredients to ensure that your tresses receive nourishment as some of these ingredients are known to be very drying in the long term use of them. If you are ensure of an ingredients, visit the manufacturers website or google the ingredient to stay 'in the know' of what you are putting on your hair and scalp.

TIP 3

• IMPROPERLY MOISTURIZING:  Dampening hair with water or a water based product are EXCELLENT!! However, water evaporates quickly, so once the hair dries, it is DRY. So, to combat this and ensure the moisture is locked in, first, apply water or a water based product..THEN lock the moisture in with a butter or oil based product. And since our ends are the oldest part of the hair, be sure to pay special attention to them. A helpful tip that I learned from Ciprana of Urban Bush Babes was dip end into water, or mist them thoroughly with water, soak up the excess water with a paper towel or old t-shirt, then apply a heavy butter (shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, or your Natty Butter) or a heavy oil, such as castor oil to your ends and protect at night. Protecting the hair at night with a satin/silk bonnet, scarf or pillow case is key to helping the hair to retain moisture as cotton absorbs moisture from the hair. 
  

TIP 4

• PRODUCT BUILDUP: it's great to nourish the hair with natural butter based and oil based products, however, not properly cleansing at least monthly will aid in product buildup. At least once per month, try clarifying the hair using a natural clarifying shampoo (SheaMoisture African Black Soap Shampoo, Dudu Osum Shampoo, Terressentials Pure Earth Wash , Dudu Osum Shampoo or Bentonite and Rhassoul Clay Treatments have been known to work amazingly for removing product buildup). When product is constantly built up on the hair, moisture is not allowed to properly penetrate the hair, therby aiding in dryness and lack luster hair.

TIP 5

• HARD WATER: Because normal tap water contains chlorine and other minerals that aid in dryness, it's great to use distilled water to cleanse the hair..OR.. Apple Cider Vinegar rinses are great for aiding in ridding the hair of mineral buildup. The use of Apple Cider Vinegar as a final rinse is great for helping to close the hair's cuticle, which helps the hair hold on to more moisture and gives hair a shinier appearance. It also aids in protecting the scalp from water and environmental contaminants that aid in scalp issues. Water filter systems are excellent as well, just be sure that your system removes chlorine as well. 

TIP 6

• LACK OF WATER, IMPROPER DIET AND CERTAIN MEDICATION: 'Let Food Be Thy Medicine' a popular quote by Hipoccrates meaning, what we put into our bodies affect what comes out of it. Food is meant to nourish, but as we all know, all foods are not nourishing. So be sure to treat your temple to foods that are healthy and nourishing, especially fruits and veggies. Be sure to get plenty of water. Our bodies are made up of mostly water and we need to ensure to we keep it stocked with water, so bottoms up!! And lastly, certain prescription medication can aid in causing dryness in the hair. Check with your medical professional to find out if hair and skin dryness are side effects of any medication you may be prescribed. 

Happy Natty Day!

Healthy Natural hair with moisturizing aids and butters and oils to seal. Hair that is dry makes a crunchy sound and feels rough to the touch. Properly moisturized hair when pulled, will immediately spiral back into a coil. Hair that is dry and damaged tends to snap and break easily when pulled.

Healthy Natural hair with moisturizing aids and butters and oils to seal. Listen to your hair, feel your hair..get to know your hair and recognize when it's time to step up the moisture game. 

NATURAL HAIR AND HEAT..THE DO'S AND DON'Ts (updated)

Hola Chica/Chicos..I pray all is well with everyone!!
Ok, so I get this question a looooottttttt..so I wanted to update the 'Do's and Don'ts of Using Heat on Natural Hair'. Now, let me first clarify that I do not advise the use of heat as no matter how much precaution you take, you are run the risk of experiencing 'heat damage'. Heat damage is when the protein bond in the hair has been permanently damaged and the hair does not revert back to it's natural curl pattern. It can occur on the first use of heat or after many uses of heat. So these are just some precautions to take when thinking of using heat on your natural hair. And these are precautions that I wanted to put to the test myself to ensure that the method works..Trial and Error, you know how it goes...Hope this helps, everyone!

THE DON'Ts

• DO NOT...Use heat on unclean hair. Using heat on hair that is dirty hair creates a greater likely hood of experiencing heat damage due to the buildup, oils and..well, dirt.
• DO NOT...Use a harsh shampoo that contain 'sulfates'. Sulfates is a harsh foaming agent that causes the hair to dry out..exactly, heat is harsh enough so don't add fuel to the fire.
• DO NOT..Use a conditioner or moisturizer with silicones that are non water soluble (for that list, please see the post on silicones). Heat is harsh enough and silicones are dryings, so we don't want to add fuel to the fire.
• DO NOT...Blow dry on sopping wet hair. Carefully dry hair in sections using either an old T-shirt or a microfiber towel prior to blow drying. Using a towel to dry aids in dryness, friction and frizz. Blow drying hair that is dripping wet leads to dry, damaged hair. 
• DO NOT...Use heat that is too high on the temperature setting. When blow drying the hair, be sure to set the blow dryer on the lowest setting. Kinky, coily and curly  hair have a tendency to be on the drier side, naturally,  so blow drying on a high setting is a no no that aid in drying. 
• DO NOT..hold the blow dryer too close to your hair. Hold the blow dryer 5-6 inches away from your hair. Holding the blow dryer too close to your hair, can also affect your scalp, which can lead to dry scalp and flaking.
• DO NOT...Try to achieve bone straight hair. This too can lead to the possibility of heat damage, and the temperature must be at a higher setting when trying to achieve bone straight hair. Hair will burn and experience heat damage at 450 degrees of heat, so be sure to use a temperature setting much lower than that and even lower for finer textured hair.
• DO NOT..Ever attempt to use heat without first using a heat protectant. Many naturals use pure grapeseed oil, a butter or for me and many of my clients, they use their Natty Butter.
• DO NOT...Straighten the hair on a high temperature setting. Be sure to use a flat iron or straightening tool that has a temperature setting gage. You will know when the temperature is too high due to the smell (you know that burnt hair smell) and the feel of your hair and if you see steam coming from the straightening tool..it's too hot!! Warning, it's tooooo hot!!

THE DO'S

• YES..Blow dry and straighten on clean, conditioned hair that a heat protectant has been applied to.
• YES..Allow your hair to dry 75% before blow drying. This method helps to lessen how much heat is needed from your blow dryer.
• YES..Properly detangle hair before blow drying and straightening the hair. Your hair should be smooth and tangle free.
• YES..before blow drying and straightening the hair, condition with a nice moisturizing conditioner. This improves the moisture and elasticity in the hair. Deep conditioning before a straighening session is key to moisture and shine. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your conditioner as a heavy conditioner aids in buildup which also creates a smoky atmostphere when straightening the hair.
• YES..Apply a heat protectant prior to blow drying and right before you straighten with your flat iron or pressing comb, especially paying attention to your ends.

MY STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF USING HEAT

• I cleaned my hair thoroughly using Terressentials pure earth wash, then deep conditioned with my new Natty Cupuacu and Rhassoul Deep Conditioner, rinsed then used my Natty ACV Ayurvedic Hair and Scalp Mist, applied my Natty Moist as my leave in (not too heavy and no silicones or other synthetic ingredients), then applied my Natty Butter and twisted my hair to air dry a day before attempting to use heat.
• Since my hair was 90% dry, it was perfect for blow drying as I didn't need nearly as much heat to dry my hair. I actually spritzed my hair with my Natty ACV Ayurvedic Hair and Scalp Mist only to moisten right before blow drying and to be sure there were no tangles.
• I divided my two strand twists into halves and applied a little Natty Butter as my heat protectant and proceeded to blow dry. This was perfect as I could easily manage my hair due to my hair being previously sectioned and twisted.
• With each divided section of twists, I applied blow dried heat on the lowest setting. It almost felt slightly cool, but it was enought to get the job done.
• After blow drying a divided section, I applied a little more Natty Butter before using my flat iron. 
• I proceeded to flat iron my hair until straightened to my liking, on the lowest temperature setting (300 was my setting).
• After one divided section was done, I repeated on the next section until finished..Now, since this was a demonstration, I only straightened my bang area as I stated before, I have no desire to press my hair out.
• What I found was that I had NO split ends and did not need to trim at all, and this to say, I always trim my natural hair while curly..Here's a great video that I refer to when trimming my ends while curly: CLICK HERE
• After wearing a straightened style, I cleanse my hair using either Terressentials pure earth wash or Dudu Osun Black Shampoo..Deep conditioned, applied a leave in, then sealed with my Natty Butter and twisted my hair...NO HEAT DAMAGE!!! I was oober excited!! As I stated, this is a style for those who wish to press their natural hair only and I always advise that the use of no heat is the best for achieving optimum healthy hair..but, should you choose to use heat, I hope these tips are helpful in maintaining your beautiful natural curls, coils and kinks. Here are some pics of my results..Hope this helped guys!!

THE RESULTS

MY HAIR WITH DEEP CONDISH...NO HEAT DAMAGE

AFTER WASHING OUT DEEP CONDITIONER..NO HEAT DAMAGE!

BACK TO MY CURLY GIRLY SELF AND ALL TWISTED UP

Have a Happy Healthy Hair Day!!

My Natural Hair Regimen (updated)

Hola Chicas/Chicsos..I pray all is well with everyone

Well, guys you asked for it..so here it is..(drumroll please)..My Current Hair Care Regimen

I am going to bullet this rascal so that it will be easy to follow, as I can get wordy sometimes...so here goes, I hope you guys enjoy!

Dominique's Weekly Regimen:

• Co Wash: Once per week or every 8-10 days..It just depends on how often I have worked out that week..gotta keep the scalp clean. I use my Natty Moist Conditioner Creme to co-wash ( click here ).. I co-wash my hair in sections so I can really focus on my scalp...check out my co-washing video here: (Co-Washing ). I use the balls of my fingers to really massage around and cleanse my scalp. My hair is usually loaded with conditioner so that I can finger detangle easily.
• After Workout Cleanse: Because I do incorporate an exercise regimen into my lifestyle, it's important to keep the scalp clean. For a quick rinse, I will place my hair in a tuant bun and allow the water from the shower to rinse my scalp..Or, I will do a simple astringent cleanse, which is where I apply pure lemon juice to a cotton ball and apply in sections to my scalp. (You can also use witch hazel and add tea tree oil).
• Rinse: I rinse, at first with warm water to open my pores. I do a final rinse using cool water and ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar). My ratio is 1 TSP of ACV to 1 cup of water. (I'm going to try the rainwater the next time..will let you guys know how it goes...soo excited)
• Air dry: I only use an old t-shirt or a microfiber towel to dry my hair since regular towels create friction, frizz and aids in dryness.
• Moisture: I leave some of the conditioner or add some of the conditioner that I co-washed with in my hair to provide needed moisture, avoiding my scalp area as to not clog my pores.
• Seal: I seal in my moisture using, my Natty Butter since it's packed with oils that I love.
• Style: I usually rock a protective style such as the two strands throughout the week. When I go out, I will rock a twist out or my natural fro. Because this style is so versatile, it is one of my favorite go to styles. I add a dime sized amount of my Natty Butter to each twist, that is damp (you can do the dry method as well, but be sure to apply water or a water based product first), and twist it up.
• Lessen Frizz: Whenever I take my twists down, I use a butter or oil to unravel my twists..My choice butter of choice is, of course, my Natty Butter.

Other Methods I Use:

• Scalp Massage: I incorporate a scalp massage almost daily. Scalp massages stimulate circulation, therefore promoting healthy hair growth. I take about a dime sized amount of Sesame Oil or Henna Sooq's Cocoveda oil to do my scalp massage...Lighter oils such as coconut, sesame or jojoba are best to use when applying to the scalp for massages.
• Pre-Poo: This is a method that is helpful in prepping the hair for shampooing by lessening the harshness of shampooing. By using an oil or conditioner on the hair prior to shampooing, it helps the hair with detangling and maintaining moisture. It also helps prevent the hair from absorbing too much water too quickly which can cause swelling in the hair.
• Terressentials or Bentonite Clay Treament: I use this as my all natural clarifying treatment if I have product buildup. The ingredients are Bentonite Clay (as much needed as you think will cover your head), Aloe Vera Gel, and Apple Cider Vinegar. Mix these ingredients until the consistency of cake batter. I do this treatment once per month. There is no need to shampoo, as this treatment serves as your cleanse. Always follow up with a deep conditioner. Or..If I do want to shampoo cleanse, I use Terressential's Pure Earth Wash  or Dudu Osum's Black Soap Shampoo . 
• Deep Condition: I use this method once per month. I apply my Natty Cupuacu and Rhassoul Deep Conditioner,  I sit under my heat cap or now, my huetiful steamer for at least 20-30 minutes, or lately, I opt for no heat at all and just place a simple plastic cap over my head. If you have itchy scalp  you can  add peppermint and tea tree oil (only a few drops) to your mixture. If you have scalp issues, such as dandruff, dry scalp or psoriasis, adding oils like tea tree and neem are excellent.
• Hot Oil Treatment: I like these treatments about once per month. You can blend any oil mixture that you like. My current mixture is Grapeseed Oil, Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint Oil and Lemongrass Oil. I apply my mixture and sit under my heat cap for 20 minutes. Shampoo, then condition.I choose to make my own, this way I can gage what goes into it..as many commercial hot oil treatments contain petroleum or mineral oil or other harsh additives.
• Trim: I trim my ends using shears that have only been used for trimming hair to trim my ends when needed. I put my hair in two strand twists and trim the dead ends away...snip, snip, snip.

Hope this helps guys..but please, find a regimen that works best for YOU..even if you choose to follow my regimen, tweek it to fit your needs..A bientot (see ya soon)!

MY RESULTS WITHIN 2 YEARS

Happy Healthy Hair!