What’s in Your Arsenal? Arming for Growth

So you’ve finally decided to lay down the brush, nix the gels, pull of the wigs, and give the weave a rest…you’re ready to grow your own beautiful head of hair! But you’re wondering how to gear up for your quest. What route to take to get you on the growing path? Well look no more! Before embarking on your journey, we’ll share with you some basic essentials every hair soldier needs in her survival kit. And yes, keeping it simple can and will get the job done!

First, finding the shampoo that works best for your hair type is going to be very important. You want to make it sure that it thoroughly cleanses the scalp without robbing your hair of its vital moisture balance. Look for natural soaps or less harsh soaps that do not contain drying sulfates. Or for you militant chics who just can’t give up that favorite shampoo, bathe your hair strands in light natural oils for up to 24 hours before shampooing to help lessen the drying effects.

Second, you’ll find that leaving out your deep conditioner is a lot like leaving your gun in the holster during the shoot out. Look for conditioners that direct you to leave on hair for 8 or more minutes or to apply heat. Deep conditioning weekly is the single most effective and quickest way to steer your hair back to the path of blissful health. Deep conditioning for as little as 15-20 minutes with heat every week will help to heal damaged strands and restore vital nutrients to the hair. The trick is keeping it balanced. Hair is made of keratin protein, it’s the thing that keeps fragile hair strong, and thick hair shiny and resilient. While everyone may not need protein weekly, by incorporating it into your regimen bi-monthly, you’ll begin to notice stronger, thicker hair in no time. And don’t forget the moisture. Moisturizing conditioners help to restore the smoothness and pliability to the hair after a protein treatment. During the hair growth phase, many women believe that our hair requires different degrees of each of these to reach our hair goals. For example, consistent moisture treatments may help the slowest hair grower get passed the shoulder length hump, while those reaching beyond arm pit length may require more protein to keep those old hair ends strong and free of splits.

Next, you need to stock up on a good water-based moisturizer. Moisturizing your hair in-between conditioning treatments will help retain both moisture and hair length. Some women prefer creamy moisturizers or sprays, but whatever you choose, make sure water is the #1 ingredient. Remember to moisturize your hair in sections so nothing gets left out. Concentrate on keeping your ends hydrated because this is where most breakage occurs and length is lost.

Lastly, seal it up! Sealing in your moisture with a good natural oil is imperative. As water evaporates from hair and can leave it feeling dry as the Sahara, you must always remember to lightly coat your hair with oil to help lock that moisture into your hair shaft. Some natural ladies even choose to seal with pure shea butter. The variety of oils available is endless, so find the one that works for your hair. However, for the beginners, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil are great ones to start with.

The “New Way” to Wash Your Hair

You may not know this, but learning how to properly wash your hair is going to have a tremendous impact on the health and brilliance of your tresses. Start by lightly detangling your hair from hair ends to root with a large tooth comb, then placing your dry hair into large braids to shampoo. In the shower, pour streams of diluted shampoo and warm water from a large cup over your braids. Squeeze the braids to shampoo and rinse. While the braids are still in, add your favorite detangling conditioner to your hair. I like Queen Helene with Ginseng and LeKair Cholesterol Plus. This will make your hair easier to untangle and comb through. Take one braid down at a time and gently comb through with a wide toothed comb, beginning at hair ends and working your way up, and then rinse by squeezing your hair as you pour the water over it. Squeezing will help with the rinse. Braid the section back up. Repeat with all of your braid sections. After you have done all sections, your hair should still remain in the big loose braids. Take each section down to add hair strengthener and oil. Oil will give it more moisture after it air dries. Air dry your hair to keep in moisture. You can also roller set or roller wrap the hair. Look for styles that do not require direct heat; this will help keep your hair at its healthiest.