Hair Care Archives

In Hair Care

Is It Possible to Blow Dry Hair Without Damaging It?

5 Mins Read

Countless women across the globe continue to blow dry their hair regularly, completely oblivious to the possible damage it is causing their hair.

Constant blow-drying of hair does lead to damage, dry hair with split ends.

However, imagining every after-shower routine without blow-drying hair seems like a nightmare for a lot of women.

It’s because we quite often take a shower right before sleeping, so waiting for hair to dry itself naturally seems to take forever. Thus the only solution left is using the good old blow dryer.

Alternatively, people with wavy and curly hair are sometimes even afraid to let their hair air dry on their own because it becomes a real mess.

The good news is there is a way out with blow-drying with no damage done. You basically need to learn to take a few precautions, learn how to choose the right blow dryer, and practice recommended damage-free technique for blow-drying.

Will Blow Drying Damage My Hair?

Let us first try to answer the main question in your mind – will blow-drying damage your hair?

The extensive heat coming from a blow dryer, causes hair to lose its natural moisture that is inside the hair. Once the hair lacks the water it needs, the hair simply cracks and becomes brittle, and shortly after it breaks.

The most important part here to understand is that the damage can be eliminated if the correct drying method is used.

Notably, scientists even say that letting the hair air dry on its own can sometimes be more damaging. Studies done in this sphere claim that when the hair is being dried using a blow dryer at a distance of 15 cm, it causes a lot less damage than when it’s airdried.

Professionals say that the excess amount of water for hair is not advantageous, and the longer the hair strand stays wet, the more the cortex has the potential to accumulate and weaken the hair.

Moreover, the usage of a good blow dryer, heat protectant, brush, and drying technique helps to get rid of hair breakage dramatically.

Guide To Damage-Free Blow Dry

Firstly, you need to pay close attention when choosing to buy a blow dryer.

Blow dryers with options to choose temperature and power are known to be the most suitable ones.

You might want to purchase a blow dryer, which incorporates ionic technology because it’s specially designed to cause the least harm possible.

Secondly, the time you keep your wet hair inside a towel matters when it comes to avoiding damage.

The most appropriate amount of time should be ten minutes and not longer.

Also, something that you don’t want to miss in achieving damage-free blow drying is the correct usage of heat protectant.

It’s known that heat protectants are a must, but those should be applied equally and with the right quantity to deliver the best results. When applying, it is crucial to spread the product throughout the scalp, not forgetting about the back of the hair.

Moreover, don’t forget about choosing the right brush. Always remember that when the hair is wet, it’s in the most fragile form, and you better be very gentle while treating it.

Choosing the right brush depends on your hair type and what kind of blowout you want to achieve.

If you have thin and short hair look into round brushes with comparably small sizes. This gives you more control to deal with your hair. On the other hand, people with thicker hair may use larger sized brushes to create volume with more ease.

Also, be aware that brushes that include vented barrels speed up the time needed to blow dry. Ceramic ones can hold the heat inside them perfectly, while bristle or nylon brushes are a tool to achieve shiny hair when blow-drying.

Speaking of the process itself, professionals suggest starting at low speed and heat options. Dry the hair holding the dryer 15 cm away from the hair strand, and only when the hair feels near 90 percent dry, you may adjust the temperature to higher heat.

In the end, you may turn your hair upside down, dry, and brush hair in that position for a few minutes. This will help you achieve a lot of volume at the roots and a salon-like blowout.

Takeaway

Blow drying hair is nothing to be fearful about as long as you take a few precautions.

Fortunately, it is a reliable method if it’s used wisely and not overused, of course.

And remember that nothing is harmful when used in proper quantities.

These simple yet valuable steps for your regular blow-drying process should feel both time-saving and satisfying.

If you happen to be blow-drying your hair too often, consider making these changes to your routine, and experience the best possible results with beautiful, shiny hair.

In Hair Care

Effects, Benefits and Usage of Aloe Vera on Skin and Hair

6 Mins Read

If you are getting increasingly conscious about your hair as well as skin and want to establish an efficient routine for both, try to include pure Aloe Vera gel in your regular care schedule.

Aloe Vera is one of those natural ingredients that have the potential to leave you amazed in a short amount of time.

To learn exactly what makes Aloe Vera such a magical plant, how it works on your skin, hair and body and what are the effective methods on applying it on your face and hair, do read on for more insights on the topic.

About Aloe Vera Plant In General

This thick type of plant called Aloe Vera or Aloe Barbadensis is enriched with carbohydrates and has numerous beneficial compounds like vitamins, amino acids, minerals, etc.

The most prominent characteristic of Aloe Vera gel that should be mentioned above all is that it acts as an excellent moisturizer.

The reason behind it, is connected to the fact that the plant of aloe grows in rather a dry climate, which actually makes it full of water, hence an effective moisturizer.

Besides that, Aloe Vera is a well-acknowledged remedy known to treat skin sunburns, be used as a mouthwash, and even as a method to fight against diseases such as cancer.

Benefits of Aloe Vera Gel For The Skin

Besides it being a perfect moisturizer for the face, Aloe Vera gel also has the capability to downturn the look of irritated skin, and this is due to compounds of the plant, like acemannan, which aid the cells to reduce the redness of the skin.

Another benefit of Aloe Vera gel for our skin is its ability to act as an anti-aging remedy. Components present in the plant of Aloe Vera help improve the natural collagen production of our skin cells. The regular application of Aloe Vera is known to have tightening effects for the skin.

Adding to the benefits mentioned above, the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of this plant also act as a helping hand when a person deals with acne. There are variants of masks to try out; however, even applying the Aloe Vera gel itself with nothing added is a way to soothe the skin cells and treat acne.

Moreover, if you notice some dark spots on your body and want to find a remedy to treat those naturally, try applying Aloe Vera directly to the affected places.

Aloe Vera Gel For Hair Care

Enough said about skin benefits. What about the amazing results that Aloe Vera may have on your hair?

Besides being a great natural product to be used on the skin, Aloe Vera gel can help you with its unique advantages when it comes to hair care.

If your hair scalp struggles from excess oil build-up, you have dry and damaged hair, or you desire quick hair growth, then Aloe Vera can be one of the ideal solutions for your problems.

When you rub Aloe Vera gel directly to your scalp and leave it for nearly one hour, it works as a cleanser for hair follicles. It cleans up all the excess oil while simultaneously keeping the natural oils inside the hair, promising healthy and shiny looking hair.

Since this plant contains vitamin A, C and E, and other essential amino acids, it is also beneficial to achieve soft and healthy hair. These vitamins are acknowledged to promote healthy cells, which therefore results in having shiny looking and smooth feeling hair.

On top of this, when applied to the hair scalp, this plant acts as an excellent hair growth promoter. It is full of minerals like zinc and copper, which are known to be enriching the hair follicle actively, leading to extensive hair growth.

The simplest method of applying Aloe Vera is to use the gel from the plant’s leaves, or if you prefer a bottled version, you can buy Aloe Vera gel from your nearest supermarket or pharmacy.

How to Use Aloe Vera Gel?

There are two ways that people usually get hold of pure Aloe Vera gel.

1) You can buy the thick leaves of this plant and extract the gel yourself. There are those who grow the plant in their garden and use the leaves as and when ready to harvest.

However, if you are planning on doing this, you need to be careful. When you cut the leaves of Aloe Vera, they also contain a yellowish liquid along with the actual gel. This liquid needs to be carefully drained out from the leaves before you can scoop the gel for further use. Not doing so can lead to skin irritation and worse in some cases.

2) The other method is to simply buy pure Aloe Vera gel from the store. This is the easiest and most recommended method of acquiring natural Aloe Vera gel.

What you need to keep in mind here is that the store-bought gel should be pure and free from other artificial ingredients. Some companies add a natural perfume and Vitamin E to the gel to enrich it further. This is fine as long as both those ingredients were natural and not artificial. Perfume is added since pure Aloe Vera gel has a fragrance that not many will like.

Regardless of how you get your Aloe Vera gel, for usage, you need to take a teaspoon worth of the gel on your fingertips and massage gently around your scalp or skin.

Initially, you may feel a bit slimy but the gel dries out very fast. So keep this in mind and wait a few minutes after applying Aloe Vera gel.

Final Thoughts

Aloe Vera gel is one of the best gifts of nature for both our hair as well as skin. As long as you are using pure Aloe Vera gel, you are fine and can possibly see excellent results.

As always with anything, do apply only a bit first to check for allergic reactions. If you are fine, then use it regularly for your skin as well as hair care routine.

In Hair Care

Understanding Grey Hair: How To Prevent And Reduce It Using Natural Remedies

5 Mins Read

Noticing even just one grey hair can be a real nightmare, especially if it appears in your early twenties.

But is there really a reason to get that much frustration about having grey hair?

People who are 50 and above are already more or less comfortable with the idea of having grey hair. However, even at that age, knowing that it’s normal, people seek treatments to deal with and reduce the quantity of grey hair they have.

Hair greying can be seen as a unique kind of phenomenon, and the reason why that transformation happens engages a lot of people.

This article will focus on how the process happens, why hair has a tendency to turn grey or white, what are some of the natural measures that can be taken to prevent and cut down premature hair greying.

How Exactly Hair Turns Grey

Hair turning grey is a sign of aging and is an entirely natural process. In fact, at the age of 50, half of the human population has at least some of their hair turned grey up to 50 percent.

Most people find themselves contemplating at the reasons for their hair turning grey and feel it is a sign of something gone wrong with their body internally.

The reality is that the hair follicle contains a natural hair “dyer” that affects our hair color when it comes out from the scalp.

The particular hair pigment called melanin is responsible for the color of our hair, and when the amount of melanin decreases, the hair starts to lighten its color, turning grey or white.

So, what we need to know is that, as for now, researchers are still studying this process.

They succeeded in finding out how it happens, but the question of whether or not there is a way to slow it down is still unanswered.

Factors Affecting Grey Hair And What Can Be Done To Prevent It

Multiple affecting factors are known to be reasons for hair greying.

Genetics, ethnicity, stress, or lifestyle influence the amount of grey hair a person has.

Out of all of this, genetics is the particular factor that affects the hair greying process the most.

However, other factors like a non-healthy diet, smoking, or stress may also play a huge role in getting grey hair faster.

Even though for this case, the stress factor hasn’t yet been proven scientifically; however, it’s a known fact that smoking can cause early depigmentation in the hair.

If you have no close relatives whose hair turned grey early, but you start to notice a considerable amount of grey hair on your scalp at the age of 20 to 30, stress and your lifestyle habits are the most probable reasons for that.

Having all this in mind, remember that premature greying connected to genetics and ethnicity cannot be influenced in any way, but there are still other external factors, knowledge of which would help you get that unwanted hair color after your forties, and not twenties.

Natural Remedies Known To Be Preventing Grey Hair

Talking of natural remedies, turns out that usage of different oils for hair might actually have a positive outcome.

Though treatments with various natural and essential oils will not prevent grey hair from coming out, moisturizing hair follicles with masks containing oils may change grey hair’s look, making it less noticeable.

Olive oil and coconut oil are both known to be helpful oils in the process of fighting against grey hair.

Another well-acknowledge natural remedy is treatment with juice of Indian Gooseberry and almond oil. Juice of Indian Gooseberry, also known as Amla, contains anti-microbial features and overall is a great source of Vitamin C. It’s considered an excellent coolant for the hair, which in its place helps to reduce the appearance of grey hair.

Besides applying hair oils directly to the hair, some natural remedies are there to do the job internally, meaning you should include those in your diet, instead of applying directly to the hair scalp.

For instance, consumption of ginger, blackstrap molasses, and black sesame seeds enriches the hair follicle, helping to postpone the greying process.

Getting a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals is another approach people struggling with grey hair should look into.

Vitamins are known to keep the hair healthy and shiny, and more importantly, in this case, they are a way that might delay the appearance of lightened hair.

Moreover, minerals, like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and selenium, are all-natural ingredients that are amazing for hair growth and also for repair.

Final Thoughts

Notably, scientists were successful in finding out the exact process of hair transformation from its original color to grey or white.

What is still under research is the finding of medicine or some kind of remedy, which could actually be proven to be working towards this specific issue.

Any nature-originated treatment known nowadays is just a suggestion by professionals, which they declare based on opinions from various research results.

Most of the time, that research shows specific relationships among factors, such as stress or other poor lifestyle habits versus the tendency of hair to go grey, leading them to make conclusions.

After all, there is no need to get stressed when you notice your hair changing its color to a lighter shade, especially if you’re above 40.

In case of premature hair greying, it might cause anxiety and frustration at first, but try your best to embrace your little greyish hair, and don’t forget that sometimes it’s normal, especially if you’ve family history on greying at younger ages.

And in case you lack motivation, search out and see how many superstars and celebrities are absolutely fine with grey hair, and maybe you’ll change your unfavorable attitude towards this natural aging phenomenon called hair greying.

In Hair Care

5 Expert Tips for Longer, Thicker Hair

5 Mins Read

You know the saying: new year, new you. We can definitely appreciate that, but we can bet there’s one thing that has remained the same as always — your pursuit of longer, thicker hair!

There is an endless amount of information online, but here’s the truth: a lot of it is misguided and overcomplicated. It’s true that growing long, luxurious hair needs more than one solution, but it can all be very simple. We put together 5 of our expert tips for growing healthy, beautiful hair in 2017.

Ready? Here we go:

Find a Quality Shampoo

A good shampoo is the foundation for long and healthy hair. It’s meant to clean your hair, but that doesn’t mean it needs to damage it and strip it of the things it needs.

We highly recommend finding a shampoo that does not contain SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and/or SLES (sodium laureth sulfate). These two chemicals are essentially detergents applied to your scalp. Yikes.

They are great at cleaning your hair, but they also strip your hair of its natural oils, which can dry out your hair and cause split ends. They can also strip your strands of color, so if you dye your hair, avoid SLS and SLES no matter what. An SLS and SLES-free shampoo is less irritating to the skin on the scalp, and usually contain nutrients that help your hair grow like Biotin, Zinc and Keratin. They generally come in a creamier formula but they rinse out clean and leave hair looking naturally thicker.

Also, take care not to wash your hair too often! A couple times per week, or whenever you feel it becoming greasy is a good schedule to follow.

Love Your Conditioner

Don’t underestimate the importance of conditioner. It’s a moisturizer for your hair. Forgetting it or applying it the wrong way is the fastest way to dry out your hair. Can you say bad hair day?

Conditioners do for your hair what moisturizer does for your face. Creating a hydrating seal for your hair keeps it healthy, resilient to damage, and protected from breakage so it is able to grow while looking fabulous. What type of conditioner works best for you depends on what type of hair you have, but generally we recommend a light daily conditioner with growth nutrients and hydrators like keratin, zinc, biotin, and panthenol. These ingredients will help nourish your hair without weighing it down or looking greasy. If your hair is really dry, find a quality leave-in conditioner that you can apply after the shower.

Don’t know how often you should use conditioner? Keep it simple: condition every time you shampoo. Even on days when you’re not shampooing and you want to keep your hair hydrated, wash with conditioner only to keep it smooth without losing moisture.

Scalp Stimulation

Stimulating your hair follicles helps improve the blood circulation. Why’s that important? Your blood brings all the nutrients from your diet and supplements. If you want your hair to grow, they need those nutrients.

Hair follicles don’t go very deep into your scalp — only about 1.25 mm below the surface. It’s not very difficult to stimulate them, but you’d better be using the right stimulant if you want your hair to grow.

Enriched shampoos and conditioners are a good start, but the real magic starts to happen when you add essential oils. Essential oils do a fantastic job at improving circulation. Two of our favorites are peppermint oil and horsetail plant oil. They both help prevent residue buildup and can even clear out clogged pores around your hair follicles. They’re hypoallergenic, and can leave you with a fresh, awake feeling from the stimulation.  To use essential oils, just massage a small amount into your hair for 30 seconds before washing your hair. The tingling sensation means it’s working, and that blood is starting to flow to your scalp.

Use the Power of Illusion!

You can’t magically grow your hair 3 inches overnight, or transform your hair strands in a couple hours…or can you? Using the power of illusion is a great way to make your hair look thicker and longer without actually growing it out. Here are a couple:

Wear your hair darker — Hair that’s a bit deeper near the roots and then lightens up at the tips makes your hair look longer. Just like that.
Try Bangs — Short bangs will make your hair look longer. Why? It’s such a dramatic jump from bangs to the rest of your hair.
Extensions — Hair extensions are really good nowadays. Find an expert to put them in and no one will ever know the difference.
Hair Thickening Fibers — These products give your hair a layer of coating to make each hair strand look thicker. Easy to apply!

There’s no shame in using some of these tricks while you are growing out your hair in other ways. Make sure to find someone who knows what they’re doing so your hair always looks as natural as possible.

Take Care of Your Insides

You know this already, but it’s always worth repeating: Don’t take your diet for granted.

Eating well and taking care of yourself from the inside out is one of the most important steps to healthy hair. If you’re missing certain hair growth vitamins and nutrients from your diet, you will never see the results that you want. Look into a daily vitamin to make sure you’re getting the recommended allowances each day.

Also, be aware of any hormonal changes from medications or birth control. Thinning hair is one of the most common side effects from changing hormones. If you’re not sure how it might be affecting you, speak with your doctor.

In Hair Care

How to Tell if Your Hair Likes Protein

3 Mins Read

Protein is one of the most common ingredients found in strengthening shampoos and conditioners. From my experience I can tell that not all hair types like protein or products that act like protein (such as coconut oil).

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell whether your hair will do well with a protein-based treatment. First there’s the fact that everyone’s hair is unique and will likely react differently. Then, to make this even more complicated, there are several different types of protein used in hair care products (whey, keratin, etc). So what does protein sensitivity look like and how to tell whether your hair likes protein or not?

When to Use Protein Treatments

For the most part protein treatments for hair are designed to strengthen broken, weak and damaged hair. These products are often called reconstructive treatments and can vary in intensity from mild to intensive/strong. These products are created to be used on hair that has suffered some sort of chemical (too much hair color), physical (heat) or environmental (sunlight, toxins) damage.

Now, the way most stylists recommend protein-based hair care products is simple:

If you have fine hair that breaks off easily, you should use a shampoo/conditioner that contains protein.
If your hair is of medium complexity – use protein based products about once per week, but only if you want to strengthen your hair. Most people should choose moisturizing treatments instead.
People with thick hair should not use products that contain protein.

The general principle is very simple: fine hair contains far less protein than coarse hair. Since protein acts as a shield (seals in moisture and strengthens, but doesn’t moisturize), it can prevent fine hair from breaking off easily. Coarse hair can be easily overloaded with protein which is not a good thing.

This all sounds great and is pretty straightforward… except for the fact that sometimes fine hair absolutely hates protein while coarse hair seems to love it! In reality, the only way to find out whether protein will work well with your hair is to give it a shot and look out for any side-effects.

Side Effects of Protein on Hair

Most side effects that arise from protein overuse can be categorised into two types: protein overload and protein sensitivity/buildup. Overloading your hair on protein will normally lead to it suddenly breaking off in large quantities (pretty rare). Protein sensitivity is a bit trickier to notice and can have many different side-effects:

Hair that is straighter than normal and feels waxy/straw-like.
Hair can be very difficult to detangle. Breaks off easily when trying to detangle.
The very ends can feel dry and rough.
Extremely dry hair.

In most cases the above side-effects can be cured using a clarifying conditioner. If you notice that your hair appears to be protein sensitive, try using moisturizing products/oils instead of products that contain protein (or mimic protein the way coconut oil does).

In Hair Care

Are Stress and Hair Loss Related?

4 Mins Read

Hair loss is an extremely touchy and stressful subject for most people. It can be caused by many different factors and determining the exact cause early on is crucial. In this article, I’m going to talk about a very specific type of hair loss – one that’s caused by extreme stress.

Why Does Stress Cause Hair Loss?

There are many types of stress and, at least in most cases, we don’t know exactly why or how it leads to hair loss. Some studies suggest that since hair growth is not considered to be a critical function by the body, it can sometimes stop new hair growth during periods of extreme mental or physical exhaustion. Here are the two most common stress-related conditions that cause hair thinning:

Telogen effluvium: This condition occurs when a very stressful experience in your life causes a large number of hair follicles to enter the resting stage (also known as the telogen stage). Once the resting stage is over, hair sheds and new growth begins.
Trichotillomania: A very fancy word to describe a very simple condition – constant pulling of hair from scalp and other areas of the body. We all do this from time to time. In people under extreme stress, however, this condition can get out of control and cause serious damage.

The good news is that most of the time stress-related hair loss is temporary and can be cured by successfully reducing stress and anxiety. Oh and another interesting fact: stress has not been shown to cause gray hair and premature aging of hair. Most people believe that stress does cause gray hair to appear, but it’s mostly just speculation without any real scientific proof (yet).

How to Cure Stress Related Hair Loss

The very first thing to do when you notice hair loss, thinning or uneven hair growth is to get an accurate diagnosis. I’ve written a little about this in my other hair loss article, but remember that only a medical professional can help you in this regard!

Note: most experts believe that only extremely stressful events can lead to hair loss. Just because you are under a lot of stress at work or have to deal with irritating colleagues, you should not experience any problems with hair loss. Only events that quite literally shake you up and keep you up at night for days can lead to such a strong reaction. Things like a serious accident, extremely intensive workouts, catastrophic debt (foreclosure, bankruptcy and so on), sudden illness, loss of a friend/loved one, and so on.

Once you know that your hair loss has been caused by stress you can begin treatment. Now, treating stress induced hair loss is tricky, since you have to address the main cause of stress instead of treating the symptoms (hair loss). This counterintuitive approach can be difficult to follow, which often leads to people using various hair loss medications that do not have any long-term effect and simply cannot treat their hair loss problems.

Here are some tips to get you started:

Talk to your doctor and try to rule out all other causes of hair loss. Think over the last 3-5 months of your life and consider any stressful experiences that may have triggered hair loss. Remember that stress induced hair loss is usually delayed by about 2-3 months (that’s how long your hair stays in the “resting” stage).

If you suffer from ongoing issues with stress, it is time to start making some serious lifestyle changes. See a professional counselor at least a few times to help you build a focused, individual “plan of attack”. Once your stress is under control, normal hair growth will resume and things will slowly go back to normal.

Once your stress issues have been dealt with (or if you experienced very severe, short-term stress) you can ensure that your hair grows at the fastest possible rate by taking natural vitamins, using essential oils and following these hair care tips to maximize hair retention.

Good luck!

In Hair Care

Tips for Growing Afro-American Hair

6 Mins Read

People of African descent are often living with the false assumption that they can’t grow hair as quickly or as long as people of other races. This is simply not true. The kind of science behind hair growth that I’ve presented in other articles on this website is clear – hair grows at a natural rate of about half an inch per month or six inches (15.24 cm) each year. The real problem is that many people do things to their hair and their health that slow down or stop this natural growth. Having said that, African hair is unique and does require some special considerations when keeping it as health and growing as much as possible.

Optimal Overall Health is the Key to Growing Healthy Hair

This rule applies to anyone of any race. The plain fact of the matter is that your hair can only be as healthy as the rest of you, which means the health of your hair is an indicator of your overall health. The exception here, of course, is hair loss driven by genetics, but even that can be effectively combatted. I’ve tried to make it as clear as possible on this site that the best thing you can do for your hair is maintain optimal overall health by paying attention to hydration (drinking 8 glasses of water each day, 8 ounces each), getting plenty of aerobic and strength exercise each week, and maintaining a well-balanced, nutritional diet.

Foods that Stimulate Hair Growth

A hair-supportive diet is one that focuses on making sure you get enough iron, protein, biotin and zinc, which means the top 10 hair-growing foods are the following: Salmon (rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D), walnuts (rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E), oysters (rich in both zinc and protein), sweet potatoes (rich in beta carotene that is turned into vitamin A), eggs (rich in zinc, selenium, sulfur and iron), spinach (rich in iron, beta carotene, folate and vitamin C), lentils (rich in protein, iron, zinc and biotin), Greek yogurt (rich in protein, vitamin B5 and vitamin D), blueberries (rich in vitamin C and antioxidants), and poultry (rich in protein, zinc, iron and B vitamins). If you want fast-growing healthy hair, you must avoid junk food. And guess what – the rest of your body will benefit as well.

Everyone wants their hair to look a certain way, and many people do whatever it takes to achieve that desired look. Unfortunately, when that involves a lot of styling, drying, curling, crimping, coloring, and all the other ways we manipulate our hair, we aren’t doing any favors to hair growth. And yes, this includes relaxing your hair. All of the different treatments we use damage hair and slow down its growth. If you really want to grow your hair, you have to minimize all these different rough treatments. You also need to make sure you’re using a shampoo that actually helps your hair rather than hurting it, which is a trickier proposition than you might think. Too many shampoos have chemical ingredients in them that damage your hair in the long run. I’ve covered this in detail in another article on this website, so just know that you want to avoid shampoos and conditioners with the following ingredients: Sulfates, polysorbates, isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, hydrolysed collagen, parabens, propylene glycol, and polyethylene glycol. If you see any of those listed on a bottle of shampoo, put it back on the shelf. What you want instead are shampoos with nut and seed oils (jojoba, avocado and shea), acidic ingredients (cirtic acid or sodium citrate), panthenol (a type of vitamin B), and glycerin. Simple enough, right?

Protective Styles

When you do get your hair growing the length you want it, you can provide it with additional protection by using what are called protective styles, and they happen to look fantastic for African hair. The basic idea is to keep the ends both up and out of sight, which means they won’t get damaged by rubbing against clothes, pillows, car seats and so on. Protective styles include the chignon (your basic bun), braids (using either just your natural hair or in combination with extensions), the two-strand twist (very attractive, and something you can learn to do yourself), weaves, and flat twists (these can look quite stunning when done well and are similar to cornrows). You can easily find YouTube tutorials on how to do any of these common protective styles. Just remember that nothing should be so tight as to cause pain or potential breakage, and don’t keep any particular style in place for long periods of time.

Conditioning is Key

An absolute key to growing healthy African hair is to condition it properly. Castor oil turns out to be one of the best hair conditioning agents out there, so consider using it. You want an unrefined castor oil because it will have the riches array of nutrients, moisturizers and protectors your hair needs, including ricinoleic acid, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, vitamin E and amino acid proteins. It’s basically a wonder treatment for any hair that I’ve covered in greater detail in another article on this site. The act of massaging it into your scalp and hair provides a boost to blood circulation to your hair follicles, which is essential for hair growth and health. It even has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, which means your also protecting your scalp from infection from all kinds of nasty pathogens that can cause serious hair problems.

People of African descent can grow hair just as long and beautiful as anyone else on the planet. All it takes is treating your hair and your body in gentle ways that optimize your overall health. Be sure to check out the other articles on this site for more details on all the different topics covered above. Adopting the black hair care tips in this article will put you on the path to growing the long, healthy head of hair you’ve always wanted.

In Hair Care

Best Shampoo for Hair Growth

6 Mins Read

If you’re like most people, you probably wash your hair pretty frequently, if not on a daily basis. Wouldn’t it be nice if just the act of washing your hair would stimulate hair growth? Well, in a way it can no matter what shampoo you use. If you take the time to thoroughly and gently massage your scalp as you wash your hair, this is an important form of hair therapy. Massaging your scalp helps stimulate and increase blood flow to the scalp, and your hair follicles absolutely need plenty of nutrient-rich blood to grow and keep health hair. What about the shampoo that you use? What is the best shampoo for hair growth?

What’s Really in that Bottle of Shampoo?

What I want to do is first describe what you do not want in your shampoo. It has always mystified me that products like shampoo that should not only help you clean your hair but also keep it healthy, often wind up containing ingredients that might actually be doing more harm than good! That’s the problem with large-scale manufacturing and business – they often do things that add dollars to the bottom line without caring or realizing that what they’re doing is not in the best interests of the consumers that buy their products and keep them in business! Look at the ingredients of any shampoo you use or are considering. If it has any of the following, put it right back on the shelf and keep looking:

Sulfates. These are strong chemical detergents found not only in some shampoos but also in dish detergent. That should be a clue right there that they’re probably not something you want on your scalp or in your hair. They can cause itching, irritation and redness. They help make shampoo foamy, but the price you pay for some extra suds is very much not worth it!

Polysorbates. These chemicals help oil and water stick to each other, so it gets put into hair products to dissolve the fragrance and various oil ingredients into the shampoo. You’ll find it mostly in conditioners, but it’s also in some shampoos, and it’s one you definitely don’t want in any of your hair products. It can totally upset the pH balance of your skin and break down protective barriers.

Isopropyl Alcohol. This is a cleaner that comes from petroleum and is great at dissolving oils, which is why you’ll find it in antifreeze, wood finishes and even shellac, but you shouldn’t let it anywhere near your hair. It’s extremely drying, which is not what you want for your scalp or your hair. Excessive dryness can lead to both hair damage and loss.

Formaldehyde. This one is a preservative. At some point in your life you’ve probably seen something icky in a jar, preserved by formaldehyde. Sure, it kills bacteria, but it also causes cancer and be very irritating to your eyes, respiratory system and inflame the skin. Steer clear of formaldehyde!

Hydrolysed Collagen. You’ve probably heard the importance of collagen to both skin and hair, and it’s true. So this one doesn’t cause any damage, but it’s also completely useless in a shampoo. The collagen molecule is too big to be absorbed by the skin, so any shampoo claiming benefits from its collagen ingredients is just blowing smoke.

Parabens. Look for ingredients such as methylparaben and propylparaben. These are more preservatives that can not only irritate your scalp, they can even upset your body’s hormonal balance.

Propylene Glycol. This is another form of alcohol, which means it can cause excessive drying (and oddly enough is found in many skin-moisturizing lotions). It’s also a detergent that helps the cleaning power of shampoo really penetrate your hair, but it also causes important proteins your hair needs to deteriorate, and can also irritate those with sensitive eyes and skin. And if you see another form of glycol called polyethylene glycol, that one’s a cancer-causer.

So the overall problem with all these chemicals is that many shampoos are just too harsh. Your scalp produces natural sebaceous oils that help keep your hair healthy, and there’s also good bacteria that also help keep hair healthy. The harsh detergents and antibacterial preservatives in many shampoos strip your hair of all that natural good stuff, leaving hair vulnerable to damage and your scalp open to invasion by all kinds of less kind pathogenic organisms that can cause irritations and infections. Any chemicals strong enough to eliminate your natural sebaceous oils are also undoubtedly damaging your hair follicles, which can only serve to accelerate hair loss. You also can’t necessarily trust any label on a shampoo bottle that says “natural.” Take the time to look at the ingredients and you’ll more than likely find that even many “natural” shampoos are full of suspicious chemicals.

What You DO Want in a Shampoo?

So what sorts of things do you actually want to see in a shampoo? Here’s the run-down:

Nut and seed oils. Look for jojoba, avocado and shea, all of which help moisturize your hair and make it shine while at the same time helping to eliminate any oily build-up.

Acidic ingredients. Cirtic acid or sodium citrate a great because the give shampoo the right pH balance to clean your hair while at the same time making your hair cuticles lay down nice and flat, which give hair a smoother, shinier look.

Panthenol. This is a kind of vitamin B, which means it will help make your hair follicles thicker as well as promote shine and moisture retention.

Glycerin. This one forms a protective barrier for follicles that helps seal in moisture.

Hmmm… are you noticing something here? The list of bad ingredients in shampoos is much longer than the list of good ingredients. In a way, that shouldn’t be surprising. Simpler is often better. Your shampoo simply shouldn’t have a mile-long list of ingredients with names so complex you can’t even read them. For those of you who might have thought I was going to recommend specific brands of shampoo, that wasn’t the point of what I wanted to do, which was to educate you about what to look for in shampoos so that you can make your own informed choice. After all, you need to find one that works for you. So to answer the question of what is the best shampoo for hair growth, the answer is simple – the one that has the fewest and most natural ingredients that works for you. Happy hunting!

In Hair Care

Jojoba Oil for Hair: Benefits and How to Use It

4 Mins Read

Jojoba oil is commonly used in various skin and hair care products, including shampoos, moisturizers, and even makeup removers. When it comes to using jojoba oil on hair, most people use it as a carrier oil, which means that it “carries” other oils (such as essential oils) and improves absorption into the scalp. Let’s have a closer look at the benefits of using jojoba oil for hair.

What Is Jojoba Oil?

Jojoba oil is extracted from the seeds of a plant called simmondsia chinensis, which is commonly known as the jojoba plant. This oil is considered to be “universal” in a sense that most users should not experience any side effects when using it as a pre-shampoo or leave-in treatment (unlike other oils that can make hair brittle and extremely dry). With that said not all types of hair like jojoba oil and you should experiment with very small doses to start with.

Many articles claim that jojoba oil is best suited for thicker hair while other oils, such as almond, are better for thinner hair types. I believe this to be false, because I’ve seen many cases where people with extremely fine hair use jojoba oil with amazing results. Other common complains include:

Jojoba oil smells like “burnt wood” or “bacon”: Not true, although some types of jojoba oil seem to have a very weak smoky scent to them. Pure jojoba oil has virtually no smell at all.
Jojoba oil can make hair fall out/shed more than normal: Maybe if you use way too much of it. In general, however, most cases of hair shedding are caused by other ingredients (such as petroleum products) found in commercial oils. Don’t be fooled by the label on the bottle – always read the ingredient list!

The structure of jojoba oil is similar to that of sebum, which is a natural moisturizer produced by our skin. This makes it a superb face moisturizer (when diluted with water), as well as a good way to treat dry scalp/hair.

How to Use Jojoba Oil

Just like any other oil, jojoba can be used in a variety of different ways. I’ll describe some of the most common methods below.

Jojoba as a leave in treatment: This basically means applying some jojoba oil (often mixed with essential oils) to your scalp before washing your hair. Some people leave this mix in for about 20-30 minutes and then wash it out, while others prefer to soak their scalp/hair in oil overnight and wash everything out in the morning. Experiment to see what works best for you!

Jojoba oil mixed with shampoo or conditioner: A very popular technique which is somewhat similar to mixing coconut oil with shampoo. The only difference is that jojoba oil comes in liquid form and doesn’t need to be melted before use! Mixing jojoba oil with conditioner instead of shampoo can often produce much better results – give it a try!

Using jojoba oil after shampooing: This technique doesn’t work for everyone, because jojoba oil is quite heavy and using too much of it will leave your hair looking greasy. Normally, just 1-2 drops of jojoba oil applied to the ends of damp/drying hair should be enough to provide long-term protection from breakage and dryness. If your ends feel somewhat “crunchy” after applying oil, it means that your hair simply doesn’t like this type of oil.

Remember that everyone’s hair is different and the only way to find out which oil suits your hair is through experimentation! In general however, I find that jojoba oil works well in places where coconut oil doesn’t. For example:

If your scalp doesn’t like coconut oil treatments, try jojoba + essential oils instead.
If your lengths can’t stand jojoba oil (look greasy and dry), try using a little coconut oil instead.
Many people find that jojoba oil works best when applied lightly to the very ends while they are still wet after washing. In some cases however, this can make the ends feel dry and crunchy. If this happens – try using coconut oil instead.

Good luck and don’t forget to report back with your results!

In Hair Care

Herbs for Hair Growth

6 Mins Read

If you want your hair longer, there are several options. You could go to a medical doctor and go home with a prescription medication such as Minoxidil, and then deal with side effects as they arise. Minoxidil is a vasodilator that allows more oxygen, blood and nutrients to get to the hair follicle.

You could improve your diet on your own and hope that this change makes a difference. You could be more proactive about your nutrition and see a nutritionist who can give you a plan to correct any vitamin and mineral deficiencies. You could also take herbs for hair growth.

When you consider all three of these methods, the one solution that has stood the test of time is using herbs for hair growth. The interesting part is that science hasn’t kept up with research on herbs over the years. Science has lagged behind and now medical doctors tell you there’s not enough research on herbs for hair growth to recommend them. You will have to determine whether or not there is enough research or not yourself.

How Herbs for Hair Growth Work in the Body

Herbs for hair growth are quite interesting because they work via one of a few different mechanisms. They may:

stimulate hair follicles to grow
have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitical activity that eliminates the ‘bug’
on the scalp causing hair loss
decrease high levels of testosterone that increases hair loss
decrease effects of stress which deplete necessary nutrients to keep hair growing
restore female hormone levels
provide active vitamins and minerals that are necessary for hair growth
provide medicinal constituents not necessarily known for hair maintenance,
synthesis and hair growth

Red Korean Ginseng: One of the Herbs for Hair Growth

Before you give up on herbs for hair growth, you have to read about what happened when scientists compared the effects of corticosteroids on hair growth and density against effects from Korean red ginseng.

If you love using natural remedies, this study will be one more piece of evidence that what you believe in is correct. The study followed people with alopecia, a type of hair loss, who were in their 30s for 12 weeks. Fifty people were divided into two groups of 25 individuals. One group was given corticosteroids as treatment since alopecia has an autoimmune component to it. The other group was given cortiocosteroids plus ginseng. Both groups received treatment for 12 weeks. The goal was to see who had the best hair growth.

Here’s a table of the results:

Types of Treatment	#Patients	#Hairs		Hair Density
		Before	After	Before	After
Corticosteroids + Ginseng	24	44 cm2	101 cm2	0.062	0.085
Corticosteroid	24	40 cm2	91 cm2	0.058	0.078

Korean red ginseng is known for its ability to prevent hair loss and make hair grow. And according to this study, it did – although researchers said that statistically, there wasn’t a difference in the results of the two groups.

The researchers concluded that Korean red ginseng can improve hair regrowth in those with autoimmune causes of hair loss. They proposed that the reasons why it worked so well was because the herb contains medicinal components called ginsenosides that are known to be anti-inflammatory and anti-allergies.

Fo-Ti: Affects Hair Regrowth Via Interfering with Testosterone

While you’re using Red Korean ginseng for hair growth, you may also want to check out the herb Fo-ti. As many women in menopause produce less estrogen, their testosterone levels may increase. High levels of testosterone are sometimes associated with hair loss. It’s one of the hormonal disruptions that can be related to hair loss.

Fo-ti has been known by herbalists for centuries to turn restore the original color of gray hair over time, and recently, has been found to have estrogen activity. Thus for those women who don’t want to take hormone replacement therapy, the herb fo-ti can provide three benefits all at one time:

Eliminate the gray hairs
Provide more estrogen
Reduce the testosterone levels in the body

Fo-ti provides about 1/300th of the activity of 17-beta-estradiol, according to researchers at the University of California in San Diego. (Source: Jour Clin Endocrin Metab 2003,88(9):4077-79.)

Eclipta alba: Another of the Herbs for Hair Growth

An Indian herb called Eclipta alba Hassk is known in that country as one of the herbs for hair growth. Research on rats confirmed the legends about this herb. When a water extract of the herb was incorporated into an oil cream base and applied topically, the researchers might have been surprised about the results. Compared to Minoxidil, Eclipta alba worked twice as fast! The herb initiated hair growth quickly. Even the time for completed hair growth was significantly less. This herb for hair growth grew 46% more hair than Minoxidil. (Source: Arch Dermatol Res 2008 Aug; 300(7):357-64.)

Chinese Herb Extract Dabao Acts as a Hair Restorer

Dabao is used in China to grow hair in those with alopecia androgenetica. In a randomized, double-blind study with 396 volunteers, Dabao grew 24 more hairs in a 5 cm squared area.

That’s quite a bit, considering the placebo group only had 109 hairs; it comes out to about 22% more hairs. When the volunteers had to rate their results, 42% of the Dabao group were happy with their results, compared to 37% in the placebo group.

(Source: J Clin Epidemiol 1991;44(4-5):439-47.)

Chinese Ginseng Works Too

Panax ginseng is not the same herb as Korean red ginseng. They are two separate plants. Besides Korean ginseng helping improve hair growth, Panax ginseng does so too. Radix panax ginseng is widely used in China for alopecia (hair loss).

In one study using a slightly different plant, Fructus panax ginseng was tested to see whether or not it also might grow hair in mice. It did. A topical application of the new herb lengthened the amount of time that the hairs stayed in their growth phase and enhanced growth of the dermal papilla cells compared to the placebo of Minoxidil.

(Source: J Ethnopharmacol 2011 Nov 18;138(2):340-4.)

Rosemary Extract: Another Herb for Hair Growth

A 6-inch branch of rosemary from your herb garden made into an extract may also be one of the herbs for hair growth you use.

In a Japanese study reported in the Phytotherapeutic Research journal, scientists tested a topical preparation of rosemary extract on mice that lost hair due to high levels of testosterone.

The rosemary extract promoted hair growth and the dosage of the extract determined how much testosterone 5-alpha-reductase was inhibited. An 200 mcg/ml rosemary extract inhibited testosterone enzyme by 82.4% while an500 mcg/ml rosemary extract inhibited testosterone enzymes by 94.6%. (Source: Phytother Res 2013 Feb;27(2):212-7.)

There are dozens of other herbs that have been used as herbs for hair growth over the centuries. These are only some of them!