Grow African Hair Long GAHL: 2011

Today is Monday, the 28th of Nov 2011.I am currently 4months 1week and 2days post last relaxer.(about 17+ weeks).
I have so much new growth and I am so looking foward to this relaxer.I am taking necessary measures to make sure that the process will be a success and despite using a chemical on my NG, my processed hair must remain strong and healthy!
The count down from today is about 6days to the relaxer.Looking to relax on Saturday.What I have done to my hair is the STEP 1 of preparing for my relaxer!

STEP 1:
CLARIFY HAIR WITH A CLARIFYING SHAMPOO
This is an important step before relaxing so as to strip of the hair of any Products that have built up during the previous week.Hair should be very clean and product free to maximize the relaxing process.I did not have a 'clarifying shampoo' in the house so I just use my Motions Neutralizing shampoo- my hair does feel squeaky clean!You could do it differently and use other shampoos such as ORS Creamy aloe but I would think any sulphate bsaed poo should be able to strip your hair.I will only apply products to the length of my hair and not my NG in the remaining days whilst I wait for my relaxer.If you desire an underprocessed result you could keep up with your normal regimen but I prefer properly processed hair.This step should be done at around 5days before your relaxer.

STEP 2
PROTEIN TREATMENT
Its been years since I used an actual EGG for a protein treatment and that's what I feel like today.Its after the clarifying wash this morning and the egg treatment, I am gonna do it over night to save on time.I will mix my oils namely; castor oil,teatree oil,sweet almond and any other natural oil I can get my hands on into my 1 or 2 egg mixture(depending on size).The oils will counteract the drying effects of the egg protein to the length of my hair.
The purpose of a protein treatment at this stage (which could be any brand of your choice such as ORS MAYO) is to fortify your strands as you go into the relaxing process because the relaxer manipulates protein bonds in your hair strands.
PS; Depending on the 'protein needs' of your hair, you would choose amongst, Heavy, medium and light protein treatments to use for this process

After step 1 and 2, I'll try to keep my hands off my scalp, not to scratch an itch etc..this will help minimize chances of relaxer burning!

Recently i have been doing some research on shampoos and this is what i have come up with. There are different types of shampoos out there and i will just mention them briefly.

Clarifying shampoo.

These shampoos mainly contain acetic acid which literaly strips all build up from hair products and also the hair´s natural oil(sebum) leaving it squeaky clean. these shampoos should never be used too often especially if you have naturaly dry hair i would say if you have hair type 3c & all type 4´s.(to find out what your hair type is please view this blog http://growafricanhairlong.ning.com/profiles/blogs/hair-type-chart ) Using them too often only dries out your hair even more.
Apple cider vinegar ( very diluted) can also be used to clarify the hair since it does contain acetic acid. in conclusion shampoos with a low pH clarify the hair. (acetic acid has a pH of 2.4)

Daily shampoos

Daily shampoos are usualy moisturising shampoos and often contain moisturising agents. these can be used more often especially if they do not contain sulfates. However you should also go for those with a neutral pH these have the same pH 5.5 as your skin and hair and will clean your hair but will not strip it of it´s oils. These shampoos cannot remove all product build up and therefore it is advisable to cleanse your hair every 4 to 6 weeks.These shampoos are suitable for dry hair. I have realised that there are some baby shampoos with a pH of between 5 and 7 and these are great and tear free. water has a pH of 7 too. the closer you are to your skins natural pH the better.

how do you know what pH your shampoo contains?

invest in litmus paper( pH paper) this changes colour when dipped in a solution. if it´s acidic it turns red and if it´s alkaline it turns blue. it also comes with a chart where you can check the different pH levels. if your shampoo is acidic and you would like to neutralise it. it sometimes helps to add water to it( Note: not to the whole bottle just the bit you want to use).

what to avoid in shampoos.
avoid shampoos containing sulfates e.g sodium laureth/lauryl sulphates these just dry out your hair. some baby shampoos do not contain sulfates. next time you go looking for a good shampoo just check the ingredients list.

What your hair looks like when it comes out of your scalp may either be geneticaly predetermined or just a matter of nutrition. some people geneticaly have fine hair but this does not mean that their hair is not healthy. one way to tell if your hair is healthy is to check what it looks like immediately after it has been washed and dried without the use of any heat appliances e.g blow drier. you will notice some sheen in healthy hair whereas unhealthy hair will just look dull. Adding heat to your hair may be deceiving since it makes the hair look shinier and healtheir than it really is. you can do your hair and your whole body a huge favour by just eating right. Remember that your hair is not a vital organ( vital organs include the heart, liver, kidneys, skin e.t.c) so your body will will first supply nutrients to all other vital organs before it gets to your hair and nails. Your hair and nails literally get only the left overs so you have to eat enough to have some left overs for your hair.
your hair needs the following nutrients in order to flourish.

Proteins. your hair is made up a lot of proteins so eating more proteins will help your hair grow stronger and healthier.
Water. I know drinking water is a big task for most people i am one of them but i´m trying my best to drink enough water. This does not only keep your hair healthy but it also cuts the risk of getting kidney stones, helps with digestion, blood circulation, moisturises your skin and makes it glow e.t.c the benefits of driniking water are endless. drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily will ensure you get all these benefits.
Vitamins A, B; E & biotin. these vitamins are important for healthy hair growth, they can also be supplemented if you don´t get enough of them through the foods you eat. however supplement vitamins shouldn´t replace a healthy diet.

here´s a list of great healthy hair foods.

Beans are rich in iron, proteins, Zinc and biotin.

Fish are rich in fatty acids, proteins vitamin B 12 .

Eggs are rich in protein, vitamin B12 and biotin( great for healthy hair, nails and skin).

Nuts contain fatty acids, zinc and selenium which are very important for a healthy scalp.
Eating foods rich in fatty acids will keep you from getting dry scalp because it locks in moisture in the skin.

Green leafy vegetables such as spinach & sukuma wiki contains lots of iron and vitamins.

Note: When a consistent healthy diet is practised a change in hair condition can be observed after three months.

Since starting my healthy hair journey i have come to learn a lot about hair care. One of the most important lesson i learnt was that growing my hair longer had very little to do with products. there are good products out there which will definitely improve the health and length of your hair but you will have the biggest role to play and not these products. your habits and practices will greatly determine how your hair will look and how long you can get it to grow. all you need to do is to forget all those black hair myths and start a healthy hair journey (HHJ). here are a few tips to get you started.

Be patient.

This is very important. growing hair longer takes time. it does not happen overnight and therefore you will need a lot of patience. try out products and find out which ones exactly work best for you, remember everyone´s hair is different and has different needs. what works for your sister may not necessarily work for you. Get your hair healthy first and then start focusing on gaining length. but from experince i know that healthy hair grows, as soon as you get your hair healthy the length will come automaticaly.

Stay away from too much heat.

Heat is one of the major causes of hair damage, using blow driers, flat irons, curling irons and other forms of direct heat dry out the hair and cause the ends to split. opt for air drying or if you have to use heat invest in a hooded drier it is much safer.

Wash your hair weekly.

Washing your hair weekly will keep your scalp and hair clean. A clean scalp is healthy and will produce healthy hair. clean hair is much easier to manage than dirty hair. However avoid using shampoos containing sulfates these only dry out your hair more and may cause damage to your hair.

Condition your hair weekly

Deep conditioning weekly will help to moisturise your hair and maintain it´s manageability. remember to alternate between protein and moisture deep conditioners. a balance of the two will keep your hair strong, elastic and healthy.

Moisturise and seal daily.

African hair is naturaly prone to dryness so it is very important to keep it well moisturised. dry hair will automatically break more easily. get yourself a good daily moisturiser preferably mineral oil/ petroleum free since these only clog your hairshaft. after moisturising coat your hair with a light oil like coconut oil in order to seal in the moisture. depending on how dry your hair is this can be done once to twice a day.

Do not grease your scalp or hair

Avoid using grease on your scalp and hair. grease mainly contains mineral oil or petroleum e.g vaseline which clogs the scalp. your scalp needs to be able to breathe in order to produce hair like it should. grease can be used to seal in moisture but the only problem is that you will not be able to moisturise your hair until the grease has been washed off. opt for natural oils such as castor oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, argan oil e.t.c

Wear protective styles

Wearing hairstyles that require low manipulation or keep your ends hidden will definitely help you to maintain your length. When hair rubs against clothing it tends to break off. this is why many women tend to have long hair in the middle of their heads and then it gets shorter at the back. examples of protective styles include buns, ponytails, weaves, wigs, braids, scarves, hats, braid outs, bantu knot outs e.t.c.

Use wide toothed combs

always use a wide toothed comb this will save you a lot of hair, also remember to comb from the ends upwards and in a downward motion.

Massage your scalp regularly

stimulate your scalp into producing hair by treating it to scalp massages regularly. this will increase blood circulation in your scalp and thus hair growth. excercising regularly also plays the same role.

Avoid getting major trims to often

If you keep trimming off your hair regularly you might end up never seeing a change in your length. try dusting your ends instead. this means that instead of trimming off an inch or more of your hair you just take off a 1/4 of an inch this is really very little hair and it won´t make a difference to your length. should you discover a split end just take a pair of sharp hair scissors and cut them off immediately.this is called the search and destroy method and is very effective.

Cover your head with silk/ satin scarves.

covering your with a silk/ satin scarf will keep your hair from drying out and from breaking due to friction while you sleep. this will save your edges and keep your hair moisturised.

Stretch your relaxers

If you relax your hair try to wait at least 8 weeks before getting a retouch this will help reduce the number of times your previously relaxed hair comes into contact with relaxers. also make sure that the relaxer is only applied to the new growth and not to previously relaxed hair. overlapping relaxers causes thinning hair and breakage.

Daily/Regular moisturising with a moisturising lotion during the week is great for our hair. However, it is nothing compared to what a good moisturising deep conditioner (M.DC) does. Most ladies find that they only need to protein-treat their hairs when need be but they still use the moisturising deep conditioner weekly!

Please understand that most moisturising conditioners do contain some mild proteins which is very okay. Wheat& Silk amino acids are examples of mild proteins that you are likely to find in the M.DC. They actually play a good role in that they enhance ability of moisture to bind with the cuticle!

How to find your Moisturising Conditioner

Check for a lot of fatty alcohols. In a M.DC, fatty alcohols (the only good alcohols for hair) would include : cetyl alcohol, stearyl alohol & miristyl alcohol.

Check for Humectants (are hygroscopic substances that draw water from the environment!) and emollients (they increase hydration by reducing evaporation) Humectants, Emollients and other conditioning agents include: Glycerin, Polyquaternium, Propylene Glycol, Polypropylene, centrimonium chloride, Sodium lactate and other natural waxes and oils.

Check for very few light Silicones. Silicones ‘cones’ are not always hair-friendly but one or two in the ingredients actually help detangle wet hair..these are not necessary you can do without!

Finally and the most important ingredient which should be the first listed, is Aqua ( water).

Please avoid as much as possible M.DCs with petrolatum/mineral oil/parraffinium etc as these will only coat your hair! A little mineral oil (like almost last ingredient in the list) can be ignored as you will wash off any way. But avoid it in your cheapie conditioners and leave-in. Avoid heavy proteins and heavy oils too.

tip: Products labelled Reconstructors are likely to be Protein Conditioners eg: Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor.

Examples of Moisturising deep Conditioners include :

Lustrasilk mango shea butter cholesterol
Keracare Humecto
Silk Elements Megasilk Moisturizing Treatment
Mizani Moisturefuse
Queen helene cholesterol
Africa's Best Organics Olive Oil Deep Conditioner
Motions Moisture Plus Conditioner

This list is not by any means exhaustive!

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