This question comes to us from @curiouscoils (how appropriate!) on Instagram. Our resident natural hair care professional Simeko Watkins-Hartley answers… How do I soften my ends? Answer: Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize! Usually, when the ends tend to be harder or rougher than the rest of your hair, it may be due to lack of moisture. The ends are the oldest part of the hair and tend to hang out furthest away from the scalp, so they may dry out faster, leaving a hard, brittle feel. Here are some steps you can take to whip those ends back into shape: 1. When cleansing your hair, use a moisturizing shampoo and luke-warm or cool water to rinse Moisturizing shampoos are usually pH balanced and generally have ingredients that will lubricate the hair, making it soft. Cool water helps to seal the cuticles which aids in making the hair smoother and shinier. 2. Treat your hair to an…
While I hate to say goodbye to Summer, I welcome fashion’s earth tones {oh, and bangin’ boots!!} with open arms! Summer may be gone but that doesn’t meant you have to bury those shorts just yet. After searching through a few of my favorite stores on the interwebs, I found this slick pair of cuffed shorts from UNIQLO. Check out those clean lines! Just slip on a cute pair of tights like these and you’re ready to brave the chill. H&M never disappoints! This easy-going, flowy viscose top in teal {my favorite color of late} serves as the perfect complement to the camel-hued shorts. Both blend right in with these amazing burgundy knee-high boots, also from H&M! And how ’bout this Danielle Nicole purse?? O_O HOLLA! For accessories, I went bold with a gold fringed bib necklace and then scaled things down with simple antique-y earrings from ALDO. The blush-toned scarf…
Our resident natural hair care professional Simeko Watkins-Hartley answers… Do you have any advice on shedding? Remember the adage, “out with the old in with the new”?! Well, that pretty much sums up the process of shedding. Old hairs fall out so new hairs can come through. In technical terms, this process is the telogen stage in the hair growth cycle and lasts about 1 to 4 months. When should you be concerned about shedding and what can you do about it? Generally, hair sheds about 50 to 100 strands per day and anything in excess of this may potentially be a cause for concern. Excessive shedding can be the result of a number of things such as stress, hormonal imbalance, crash dieting, deficiency of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and protein, certain medications, anemia, thyroid disorders and the list can go on and on. In essence, when the body goes through…
Hey ladies! This is something I see all too often- women who are scared to get a much needed trim because they don’t want to lose length. STOP it! Holding on to nasty ends in an effort to keep length does not help you but actually does the complete opposite. When you don’t nip ’em in the bud early, split ends will only continue to split further up the hair shaft. Yup! If you delay in getting a proper trim when there is noticeable damage, you run the risk of even MORE damage. This means that when you do finally get that trim, you’ll then need to cut off more hair than you would have if you had done it sooner. Now, how often one trims will differ from person to person. One who manipulates their hair often will need to trim more frequently than one who wears more protective styles…
So, you’re thinking of or decided to go natural. Now what? The hardest part of going natural is changing your mindset. Once you've got that straight, there are three important steps to a smooth transition: Moisture, Strengthening & Protection.