Twist Series: Conditioning and Re-Twisting

1. Do you treat the twists as you would your normal detangled hair when washing/co-washing? i.e wash -> deep condition -> LOC method. 

My answer: Yes, I do.  (Backtrack: "Twist Series: Washing & Matting".)  After washing, I apply conditioner to my twists down to my ends.  I let the conditioner sit for however long (15-45 minutes) and then rinse.  When rinsing, it helps to squeeze my twists in order to squeeze out most of the conditioner.  I then plop my hair to help it air dry and moisturize + seal.
If my hair is not that dirty and/or I want to preserve the "neatness" of my twists a little longer, I sometimes use this washing method instead.  For this latter washing method, it is very important that I use thoroughly diluted shampoo rather than shampoo alone.

2. How do you re-do the twists you mentioned? Do you unravel, detangle, re-twist and then wash all of them or do you wash first then unravel and re-twist? 

My answer: I wash them first, allow them to air dry to about 60-80%, then unravel and re-twist them. When un-raveling them, I also make sure to remove any shed hair.

"Soul" Food Sunday || That Breath ...

Healthy Hair on the Web: Omolade (Texlaxed/Relaxed)

Today's healthy head of hair belongs to Omolade.  Isn't just beautiful!  If you are texlaxed/relaxed and want proof that type 4 hair can grow long and thick, here it is!  Omolade relaxes her tresses about twice a year and lives in protective styles (mostly updos, buns, and wigs).  You can read more about her routine on her blog: http://www.rehairducation.com.

Protective Style Lookbook || Twist Updo with Side Swoop

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

Model: Naturally Michy

Difficulty level: 2/5

Description: Twists are rolled and pinned into an updo with a side swoop.

Hair Diary || Braids and 6-Month Protective Style Challenge

So I found a protective style (a second old faithful from the past).  It is not twists, but it does meet my needs in an interesting way.  The protective style is braid extensions, which I self installed ten days ago.  In the mean time, I can give my hair a serious break from manipulation and get it back to the length I had.  (My hair is now BSB.  My goal is to get it back to WSL.) I hope to keep this set of braids for 3-4 months.  Until next time, here are more hair pics (from the past few months):

Old braid out.

Twists (only wore them for a few days).

Fresh wash-n-go.

Old wash-n-go.

Mixology || Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioner

Ingredients:
1/4 cup pure cocoa butter (melted)
1 tbs safflower oil
1 tbs sweet almond oil
1/4 cup conditioner of your choice

Instructions:
Melt the cocoa butter on the stove at low heat. In a bowl or cup, stir the melted cocoa butter, conditioner, and oils together. Apply to hair and allow to set for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and style as usual.

How to || Heatless Blowout on 4B/4C Natural Hair

Watch Nyla's tutorial for a heatless blow out on thick 4B/4C hair.

Description: overnight braid out on damp hair followed by threading (worn for only a few hours).
Tools: thread, brush (or wide-tooth comb)

Absolutely NO HEAT! :o)

Winter Healthy Hair Tip || Retaining Moisture During Washes

{Image Source}

Switch out every other shampoo for a co-wash.  Doing this will help to remove some of the gunk without stripping your hair dry.

Don't like to co-wash?  Here are some other options:

• Use a cleansing conditioner, which is designed to clean the hair better than a regular conditioner.
• Apply conditioner to your strands and only shampoo your scalp.  This way your ends are protected from moisture loss.
• Pre-poo with an oil and/conditioner.
• Use a mud wash or clay. 

Hair Diary || Back to Protective Styling ... But With Heat and Jumbo Twists?

So, after another summer of going wild (hair-wise, that is), it is time to get back into protective style mode.  However, there will be some changes from my usual small/medium twists on air dried hair.  Why?

1. I want to see my length more.  My twists shrink a lot, if you haven't noticed already.
2. I want to be able to switch from a protective style to a loose style and back in one day.  After spending hours to twist my hair, undo-ing those babies prior to 3-4 weeks is seemingly wasteful.
3. I want shorter detangling sessions.  Long-term protective styles equate to hours of detangling while short-term protective styles can mean 45 minutes or less.  However, the trade-off is more manipulation (re-styling) per month.

More details on these changes will be posted once I finalize them.  In the mean time, here are some hair pics:

From "purple haze" back to ...

Copper.  Semi-flat ironed hair.

Old braid out.

Twist out and pinkish (accidentally via "purple haze"
mixed with conditioner as a toner) hair.

Mixology || Orange and Vanilla Honey Shampoo

Do you want softer, easier to detangle hair after a wash?  Then check out this honey-based recipe.

Recipe Source

Ingredients:
1/2 cup castile soap
3/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup African black soap (or just more castile soap)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sweet orange essential oil
1 tsp vanilla essential oil

Instructions:
Mix together thoroughly, wet hair, massage mixture into hair, then rinse out completely.

Protective Style Lookbook || Glammed-Up Plaits on Locs OR Twists/Braids

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

Model: Jungle Barbie

Difficulty level: 3/5

Description: Updo created from plaited locs. (Can be modified for you twist and braid wearers.)

Product Review || As I Am Cleansing Pudding

NOTE:  This product was purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply.

Purpose: Sulfate-free moisturizing cleanser.

Product description: Cleanse the hair of residue and product buildup.  Rid the scalp of excess sebum, environmental impurities and shedding scale debris.  At the same time, help promote a healthy environment for the growth and restoration of your hair.

Ingredients: Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified) Extracts: Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine)¹, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol², C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Cetearyl Alcohol², Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Glycerin¹, Phytosterols¹, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract¹, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice ¹, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil¹, Poyquaternium-10, Piroctone Olamine, Potassium Sorbate, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene. Source: 1-Natural, 2-Coconut.

Number of trials: several over the course of the spring and summer months

How I used it:

Wet hair thoroughly. Rub a liberal amount within palms and distribute throughout hair. Lather product through hair and massage into scalp. Leave on for 3-5 minutes in order to eliminate shedding scalp debris. Rinse well.

_____________

THE REVIEW:
It has the consistency of a super thick, creamy conditioner but it is also very cleansing without the dryness or buildup. I like using it whenever my hair feels too dry to wash with my usual shampoo but too dirty to co-wash with a regular conditioner. In fact, this product boasts the ability to “remove excess sebum, environmental impurities and shedding scalp debris”, and my hair and scalp seem to believe it.

___________________

PROS: pleasant light smell, non-drying, a little goes a looong way, no residue or buildup from continued use

CONS: none

RATING: Overall, I give the As I Am Cleansing Pudding 5 out of 5 stars.  

This product is ideal for those who:

- get dryness from regular shampooing AND buildup from regular cowashing

Hair Diary || Working on a Non-Protective Style Regimen

If you've been following my hair diary, then you probably already saw this coming.  After years of protective styling in twists and a couple summers of experimenting with loose hair styles, the day has come.  I'm ready for a drastic regimen change.  The details are still being worked out, but for the last couple of months I've successfully been doing the following:

WEEKLY:

- Wash (As I Am Cleansing Conditioner or homemade honey shampoo) and condition (Tresemme Naturals followed by Aphogee 2-Minute Keratin Reconstructor or ORS Replenishing Conditioner) hair

- Finger detangle conditioner-soaked hair (~30-40 minutes)

- Rinse then seal 

- Plop hair for 20-45 minutes

- Braid hair into 8-10 sections for a braid-out the following day

DAILY:

- Wear satin bonnet or loose satin scarf to protect braid-out

- Fluff the next morning

MONTHLY:

- Switch finger detangling for comb detangling

- Deep cleanse my hair (Shea Moisture African Purification Masque or Dessert Essence Shampoo)

Stay tuned ... 

Healthy Recipes || My Peach Smoothie

Over the past couple of months, I have upped my homemade smoothie intake from every other morning to every morning.  There is just something that feels so good and refreshing about drinking a healthy, fruit/veggie smoothie first thing in the AM.  It has been a while since I posted a recipe, so here I go:

Ingredients:
1 organic peach
1 banana
4-5 frozen organic strawberries
1/2 tsp honey (add a bit more depending on your desired sweetness)
1-1 1/2 cup organic soy milk (depending on your desired consistency)
2 tbsp natural peanut butter

Instructions: 
Toss all the ingredients into a blender, and blend thoroughly.  Pour out into a cup and enjoy!

WANT MORE VITAMIN A?
A cup of apricots can offer you a vitamin A content of 60% the daily value, while a cup of peaches only offers 10%. So, switch out the peaches for apricots.  (I exchange every one peach for two apricots.)  Apricots also contain more vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber.

For more smoothie recipes, check out the "Smoothies" label.

Chery818 is Back with a Hair Breakage Update!

So, I follow a lot of naturals on YouTube, and Chery818 is one of them.  She is known for her thick, long (BSL-ish all around), 4c hair and advocating finger detangling.  Her last video (before her recent update) was sad because she had discovered some serious breakage in certain areas and was debating whether to cut all her hair.  That was almost eight months ago.

Well, I'm happy to report that she is back to YouTube!  Check out her update below ... and also notice the higher video quality.  I'm loving it all!

Mixology || 3-Oil Nighttime Facial Moisturizer

So, I've been using this mix for weeks now, and I'm in love.  The thought of sleeping with oil on my face initially scared me (e.g., fear of pimples) but quickly went away as I noticed my face was doing just fine.

So, why the 3-oil mix?  Well, I wanted to get the researched benefits of avocado oil, olive oil, and grapeseed oil all in one.  *smiles* So, without further ado, here is my recipe:

Ingredients:
1 part pure avocado oil (helps heal wounds, improves elasticity)
1 part extra virgin olive oil (decelerates sun damage, potent antioxidant effect)
1 part grapeseed oil (may lighten UV-induced hyper pigmentation, may reduce blackheads and whiteheads)

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients into a spray bottle and use on face after your night time wash.

That is all!

Protective Style Lookbook || Textured Updo with a Scarf

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

Model: VeePeeJay

Difficulty level: 1/5

Description: Chunky twist out into a textured updo with a scarf.

Study || Cherries Reduce Abdominal Fat?

I was eating some cherries a couple weeks ago and thought, "Hmm, I wonder if there is any research out there on cherries and fat".  Up until that point, I thought the fruit was pretty useless other than being a fix for my sweet tooth.  Well, guess what? There is research out there, one of which associates a regular intake of cherries with a reduction in abdominal fat weight, percentage fat mass, and more.  Check out the abstract: REGULAR TART CHERRY INTAKE ALTERS ABDOMINAL ADIPOSITY, ETC. (2009).

Hair Diary || From Copper-Blonde to Purple Haze

After my fun with copper-blonde highlights (see this previous post), I have gone to purple haze.  All I did was apply a color (from Manic Panic) on top of my previous highlights, and voila!  As for my hair routine?  It has basically consisted of weekly washes with twist outs and braid outs over the past month.  For now, I've returned to big twists.

And now for more hair pics:

After depositing the color.

After depositing the color. (Before twisting.)

After depositing the color.

Chunky twist out.

I believe this was a braid out.

Mixology || Castor and Coconut Moisturizing Mist

The beauty of distilled water is that it is “soft” water; it does not have the negative effects (e.g., stiffening of the hair strand[1]) like hard water.  Meanwhile, castor oil can improve the shine or sheen[2] of your natural hair, which is a plus for you castor oil lovers out there.  As for coconut oil?  Well, you all should know about its strengthening and moisturizing benefits by now.

Ingredients:

2 oz distilled water

2 tsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 tsp castor oil

a few drops of essential oil (e.g., lavender, jasmine, orange)

Directions:

Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle, and shake vigorously to blend.  Store in a refrigerator until ready for use.  Shake before each use.  SHELF LIFE: ~2 weeks.

References:

[1] Evans AO, Marsh JM, Wickett RR. “The structural implications of water hardness metal uptake by human hair.” Int J Cosmet Sci. 2011 Oct;33(5):477-82. 

[2] McMullen R, Jachowicz J. “Optical properties of hair: effect of treatments on luster as quantified by image analysis.” J Cosmet Sci. 2003 Jul-Aug;54(4):335-51.

Healthy Hair Feature || Izzie

1. What made you go natural?  How long have you been natural?

 I went natural because I saw baby pictures of how long and thick my hair was and wanted to try and get back to that. I struggled with a lot of self esteem issues and figured that the best step to having a higher self image was to learn to embrace myself as I naturally am, and that meant natural hair. I have been natural for one year and 8 months . I got my last relaxer right before I started my first year of college. 

2. Did you transition? If so, for how long?  

I transitioned for 11 months. From September 2012-August 2013. My big chop was spontaneous. I washed my hair, saw the curl patter and got excited and just cut off the relaxed ends. I had planned to transition for at least a year and a half while chopping off small amounts at a time. 

3. What is your Healthy Hair routine?

I co-wash my hair once a week. Before I wash, I do a pre-poo of honey, a rinse out moisturizing conditioner and coconut oil. Then I deep condition with heat. Once a month, I do a clarifying wash and a protein treatment.  I moisturize my hair three times a week with a water, glycerin and aloe vera mix. Then I seal with olive oil and a butter. 

4. Do you have a Healthy Body routine?  If so, what is it?

I am a student athlete at university, so during my season I train for professional track and field.  I go to the gym 3 times a week and run every morning, whether sprint intervals or a cardio work out. When I'm on holiday, I do 30 mins of cardio and then do yoga. I drink water throughout the day and try to eat as healthy as possible. I eat fruits every day, mostly for breakfast. I incorporate vegetables into my lunch and dinner. 

5. What advice/tips do you have for naturals?

Embrace your natural hair. Its who you are. Also, moisture is important when trying to retain length. Moisturize as soon as your hair needs it. 

6. Where can we find you?

Instagram: @izziebadsuh

Tumblr: myworldofcurls.tumblr.com

Reader's Question: Alopecia, Regrowth, and Hair Styles

READER'S QUESTION:

I have been following you for a while and I admit I am a huge fan of your articles. After carrying locs for 7 years, I big chopped in January to start a new nappy journey. Unfortunately, my hair start to shed heavily beginning of March. I believe it is because of an alopecia post-partum. (My daughter was born end of December). I even have bald spots. Having short hair and severe alopecia on the edges is quite a tough moment. I would like to know if you could make an article on this topic and give some advices to treat the alopecia and above all to style hair...I find it very hard to style my hair. Thank you in advance for your support. Cheers.

LOO'S ANSWER:

Gathered from what I've read as well as seen firsthand, this sort of alopecia can begin 2-5 months after childbirth (Eastthum, JH. Postpartum alopecia. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2001) and should be temporary.  However, definitely consult a physician, especially if you are noticing more bald spots or no hair regrowth in the next few months.  In the meantime, I don't mind sharing the following:

TREATING POSTPARTUM ALOPECIA:

Time and patience.  I know that this is not an answer one wants to hear, but it's true.  Postpartum alopecia usually resolves itself, so just give it time.  In the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to massage the affected areas to help (a bit) with circulation and regrowth.  I do NOT recommend using essential oils, though, merely because some are not a good idea while breastfeeding.  However, you can consult your physician if you wish to use them.  

HAIRSTYLE IDEAS:

Finding hairstyles that mask the postpartum alopecia are difficult, but you can do your best to make things work until your hair grows back.  Some women (e.g., my sister after giving birth to her child) opt for cutting their to make it all closer to the same length.  Others go for wigs.  The two videos below provide additional options: 1) Fold N Tuck hairstyle for hiding bald spots or thinning areas and 2) a temporary spray-on color for visible bald areas.  I do wish you well and a belated congratulations on the birth of your daughter!

Hair Diary || Wash and Going It + Finding a Use for Gel

My hair boredom is officially cured! I guess all that I needed was to "play in my strands" for a month AND get more highlights.  So, now it's time for me to return to my usual twists, right?  ... Eh, not quite.  Because the summer heat is forcing me to wash my hair 1-2x a week, I would have to re-do my twists more frequently.  Given my schedule, that is NOT happening.  So what to do with my hair?  Wash and going it for now!

Oh, and gel is coming in handy at the moment ... but not for attempting to bring curl definition my undefined coils and kinks.  Rather, the gel is for "freezing" my coils and kinks in place so that they do not tangle as easily.  This then allows me to extend my wash and go to day two or day three (if I'm lucky).

And now for more hair pics:

Flat-ironed hair getting frizzy.

Let the wash and go begin.

After raking it through with some gel (for hold NOT definition).

The front.  I don't bother attempting to make my puff look
neater than this since I don't want to cause tangles.

Study || Antioxidants from Artichoke and Rice Reduce UV Damage of the Hair

Extracts of artichoke and rice to protect our hair from sun damage?  While researching information for a different post, I came across a study which addresses this topic.

"Natural antioxidants obtained from artichoke and rice applied to pretreated hair improved mechanical properties and preserved colour and shine of fibres, coating them and protecting them against UV. .... Furthermore, the lipidic peroxidation of the protein degradation caused by UV was reduced for some treated fibres, suggesting an improvement in fibre integrity. "

Interesting, huh!  Here are some notes I made detailing some of the findings a bit further:

The rice extract was better at preserving the hair's tensile strength.  (It is believed that this is because "the rice extract has biofunctional peptides with high substantivity for keratin".  These peptides can "penetrate and protect the hair from the inside".) 

Both artichoke and rice extracts protected the hair from protein degradation.  The artichoke extract showed a higher protection, "probably due to the strong antioxidants such as hydroxycinnamic derivatives in the extract." 

Both artichoke and rice extracts protected the hair from UVB damage, with the rice extract providing more protection possibly due its composition. Rice extract contains phytic acid antioxidant and medium molecular weight peptides that "may form a protective layer on the hair's surface."

Etc. 

To read more details on the study, check out the full article (only abstract is available below)!

SOURCE
EFFICACY OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN HUMAN HAIR (2012)

Healthy Hair on YouTube: Pure Estrogen

I just LOVE her channel for her elegant hair style tutorials. I call her the queen of stretched styling -- from bantu knot out updos to Curlformer chignons to textured high buns.  She also has some product reviews. Check her out if you're looking for either.
 

Protective Style Lookbook || Natural Hair Chignon

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

Model: Meskie

Difficulty level: 2/5

Description: Low bun with twist embellishment.

Image Source

Hair Diary || Curing My Hair Boredom ...

In my last entry, I mentioned that I’ve literally become bored with my natural hair.  After thinking about it more, it could be because it's that time of year -- spring/summer.  It's that time of year when I crave a change from my usual twists.  The craving this year has extended to changing more than my twists ... to actually changing my hair (e.g., via a cut, color, etc.).

Well, over the past few weeks, I've been taking measures to cure my boredom.  I was in my usual set of two-strand twists (that I usually wear for 3-4 weeks) when I got this severe itch to undo them AND put in more highlights.  I then wore a twist-out for a few days (loose and in updos) until the definition was almost gone.  I then finger-detangled on dry hair and wore the resulting stretch in a couple of updos.  After that, I toyed with a wash-n-go for a bit.  And now?  Well, I'm rocking it straight.  My plan after this is to somehow come up with a summer regimen that balances "playtime with my hair" with retaining length.  I know I have a difficult task ahead of me ...

And now for more hair pics:

My usual twists.  Got a severe itch to undo them after only two weeks.

The resulting twist-out ... oh, and some halfway highlights.
(They had to grow on me.)

Top view of wash-n-go.  

Flat-ironed and cut by my beautiful sis.  You can find her a these sites:
http://minimalassembly.tumblr.com
and
http://theleste.tumblr.com.

Check out the curls on the ends.