This question comes to us from @phemonawoman on Instagram. Our resident natural hair care professional Simeko Watkins-Hartley answers… When you wash and condition, should you blow dry and style or let it air dry then style? Answer: It all depends on the style/look you are trying to achieve, as well as the condition of your hair. As we all may know by now, natural hair tends to be dry so the less heat we use on our hair the better. However, blow-drying the hair on a low/medium temperature, once in a while, to accomplish a style/look should not cause any major damage to the hair if it is relatively healthy. When the hair is blown out it appears to be longer and less frizzy. So when styling the hair in a set style (rod, roller, bantu knots, twist/braid out, etc.), blowing it out prior, will aid in achieving a more smoother, elongated…
Have you incorporated scalp massages in your hair care regimen? I’ll admit, I always start out strong and then fall off at some point but I’m making a concerted effort to be regular for best results. Why Scalp Massages Work It’s rather simple: massaging the scalp with the pads of your fingers improves blood flow and circulation to the scalp. This increased blood flow helps carry essential nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicles which (TADA!!) stimulates growth. Pretty cool, I think. Scalp massages also have emotional and overall health benefits, helping you to relaxing and de-stress… much like a good ole back rub or spa massage. How To Do It Use your carrier oil of choice (Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, etc.). Apply to your fingers or directly on the scalp- you don’t need a whole lot. Using just the pads or tips of your fingers, massage your…
Our resident natural hair care professional Simeko Watkins-Hartley answers… Should you sleep with conditioner in your hair? Answer: You shouldn’t, as this can be potentially harmful by having an adverse effect on the hair. Let me explain but first let me ask you this… If you were experiencing symptoms of some sort and the doctor prescribes medication, would you follow the instructions given by the doctor or would you take more than what was prescribed in hopes that the symptoms go away faster? Would you not agree that by doing the latter, you may cause more harm than good?! Well, likewise with deep conditioning your hair. If the manufacturer states to leave the product on the hair for a certain period of time, it’s most likely because through tests and trails, they were able to determine the amount of time it takes for the product to absorb and penetrate into…
Consider this a continuation of yesterday’s post…This is probably one of the main tips I find myself stressing to newer naturals time and again. Being length-obsessed can be counterproductive. Even worse, comparing the length of your hair or growth rate with the likes of popular vloggers Naptural85, NikkiMae (Natural Chica), Taren Guy or really anyone for that matter can be frustrating and frankly, discouraging. Everyone’s hair is different. Plus, what we see in YouTube videos is the result of years of growth and I’m sure, trial and error. Have you ever gone back to their early stuff? *cue Drake’s “Started From The Bottom”* Even if you may be at the same point in your hair journey as your “hair crush”, there are so many factors involved (diet, exercise, regimen, genetics…) as to why their growth may seem to be on >>fast forward>> while yours is seemingly on «pause». I’ve been there…
This week’s mani is brought to you by my favorite colors {as of last year}: coral and teal. I acquired this coral polish at a friend’s wardrobe & accessory sale last summer. I had to have it! This particular shade, Blazed, seems to be a rather old nail color from Wet n Wild‘s Wet Shine line as I’m seeing reviews dating as far back as 2011. Pairing it with Sinful Color’s Rise and Shine was a no-brainer. They were meant to be! I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to do an accent nail this time around but I went ahead and tried a little something. A dotting tool would’ve been ideal for this design but I made do by holding the brush on an angle, using the edge ever so carefully to form dots {or as close I could get to ’em!} in a diagonal pattern… Hey, if I…
