Keeping Hair Simple

Hello Berries!

So I get a lot of questions about what I do to my hair and honestly I can never really tell people, because I really don’t do anything to my hair. I keep it simple and do the bare minimum to keep it from looking crazy. I think that is what people with natural hair or hair in general forget to do. You do not have to do all this extra stuff to your hair to get it to look nice or to grow. If you just love your care and take care of it, then it will grow. One thing that I learned is my hair likes to cleaned and left alone.

So here are some simple steps for any person with hair, whether you are natural, relaxed, texlaxed, transitioning, or whatever.

**** I will not be talking about co-washing, because I do not like to co-wash. This is all my own opinion and the things that I think you should do to your hair.

Cleanse your hair

You can co-wash your hair if you please, but you MUST shampoo your hair at least once a month. If you are using products with chemicals or heavy oils, you must strip all that product out of your hair and scalp or that stuff will sit on your hair and make it look dull or will gunk up your scalp and cause some issues.

Condition your hair

You need to replenish the hair of all the stuff you look out of it when you cleansed your hair. Find something that makes your hair soft and able to detangle easily.

Deep Condition your hair

I do not deep condition my hair. I do not have time for this and have yet to find a deep conditioner that works for me. I do use a protein treatment once a month though. Honestly, this step is optional.

Moisturize your hair

Leave-ins, butters, and oils. You do not have to use the LOC or LCO method in this step, but you do want to use something that moisturizes the hair and seals in that moisture.

Style your hair

Style your hair the way you want your hair to look and leave it alone or not, the choice is yours. Just enjoy YOUR hair.

Question: What is your regimen?

Thanks for being beautiful

XOXO

Shampooing/Cleansing Your Natural Tresses

****This is a very broad topic. Many people wash their natural hair differently from the way I have listed. If you do not like my tips, you do not have to take them! Also, I am NOT a fan of co-washing, so there will be very little information about it. If you want me to do a blog on co-washing I will be happy to do one, but it will take awhile, because I would have to research the topic!!!!!

Washing Hair starts after you have applied your pre-poo treatment. This is the step where you rinse it out and start your cleansing process.

When to Wash?

• This is completely up to you; some of the factors that will determine how often you wash your hair are your lifestyle, porosity, hairstyle preference, hair texture, and hair length.
• Many naturals choose to wash every 5-10 days. Some wash once a month, others wash every two weeks. If you use a lot of products or get buildup or a dirty scalp fast, it might be best to wash once a week.
• Also, exercising plays a big role. If you workout you might want to wash every couple of days to wash away the salt buildup on the scalp, or you can just rinse your hair with warm water after a workout/sweating.

What to Use?

• Many naturals use shampoo. This shampoo can be a sulfate shampoo or a sulfate free shampoo. You should really use a sulfate free shampoo; because sulfates are stripping and can leave that “squeaky” clean free on your hair. Also it can be damaging and over drying.
• You can also use a conditioner to wash your hair, but is a topic for another day.
• When deciding on a shampoo it is best to use a moisturizing shampoo or clarifying shampoo.
• A moisturizing shampoo will give your hair moisture and not strip it as much, but will usually give you a clean scalp.
• A clarifying shampoo cleans and removes buildup from the hair. Do not use this shampoo every time you wash your hair. Rule of thumb is to use a clarifying shampoo once a month or less.

How to Wash?

1. Wash in Sections

• When washing your hair this way, the key is to leave the roots loose so you can scrub your scalp properly. The key concept to remember is, “Divide and conquer”.  It is the key to natural hair care, otherwise it becomes overwhelming.
• Your hair should already be in sections from the pre-poo. If you have 6 inches or more of natural hair length, washing the whole head of hair loose may not be the best way to do things.
• Try sectioning your hair into 4 or 6 sections that twisted or braided. Remove one braid or twist at a time and wash that particular section only. Re-twist or braid the section when the section is washed. This process takes a lot longer, but fewer tangles, knots and breakage is totally worth it.
•  Wet your hair in sections thoroughly. It may take a few minutes to completely saturate your hair.

2. Lather With A Shampoo

• Shampoo is for cleaning the scalp and the run off of water and suds work to clean the length of hair. If you get the scalp and hair sufficiently wet, you should be able to get shampoo right to the scalp and work a good lather.
• Allow the water to work the shampoo down the shaft of your hair. You can help it along with your fingers.
• Unless you have heavy products or buildup in your hair, you don’t need to scrub the hair squeaky clean with shampoo. Work one section of your hair at a time. If you shampoo at least once a week, one lather session should be enough. If you shampoo less often or if you have heavy buildup, a second shampoo may be required.Thoroughly rinse the hair, beginning with the scalp and working the water down. Make sure all traces of shampoo are rinsed away.
• If you feel like you need another wash, repeat the first step until you feel that your hair is clean enough for you.

*EXTRAS*

• Do not pile your hair up on top of your head. This is the biggest mistake people make when they wash natural hair. Do not wash your hair like the ladies on the commercials, piling your hair up on your head will lead to tangles and knots.
• Stay away from harsh shampoos. Use gentle shampoos or alternative cleansers. You can also try diluting your shampoo with water to make it less harsh. Cleansers do not have to strip your hair to be effective.
• Consider detangling your hair before washing your natural hair. I remove all major tangles from my hair with conditioner before I get in the shower. The conditioner also helps prevent your hair from being dried out by the shampoo.
• Do not pull or tug on wet hair. Hair is the most fragile when it is wet. Allow the force of the water running from the shower or faucet to help clean your natural hair. If you insist on combing wet hair make sure it is loaded with conditioner or detangler. Comb my hair while it is damp but not soaking wet.
• Always condition after washing. Shampoo cleanses the hair so you need conditioner to help deposit ingredients onto the hair that will help protect it and prevent breakage. 

****What it all comes down to is making your wash routine unique to you. Those who are just starting out will have to experiment and see what works best.