Our resident natural hair care professional Simeko Watkins-Hartley answers… “My hair seems to be thinning, can you help?” Although hair loss is a normal process that we all will experience at some point in our lives, excessive hair loss, much like excessive hair shedding (see this post for more details) can be caused by a number of different factors and recommendations would depend on the underlying cause. However, keeping your scalp/hair clean and well-nourished with natural oils can be helpful start. Another very important factor is getting your daily intake of vitamins. To get a better idea of how vitamins can help with preventing hair loss, here’s a breakdown: Vitamin A– Aids in stimulating the follicle and making healthy sebum in the scalp Vitamin Bs– Aids in stimulating hair growth. Also may help to reduce stress which may cause hair loss Vitamin C– An anti-oxidant that helps to maintain healthy hair Vitamin D– Plays an important…
Water. I’ve covered this topic a bit like here and most recently here. But since “repetition is the mother of retention”… here we go again. This time, we’ll dig a little deeper into why you should drink water for healthy hair. How Does Water Intake Affect My Hair? The body is composed of about 60% to 70% water. Some of that water is lost throughout the day from things like urination, sweating and even just breathing. Therefore, we need to replace that lost fluid daily in order to stay hydrated and be healthy. If we don’t, we become dehydrated which will have an adverse affect on our hair {and yes, our bodies as well}. Our hair follicles receive their nutrients from our blood which is about 85% water. No water → no nutrients → no healthy hair. But, How Much is “Enough” Water? While many of us may have heard that we should drink…
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…
Of all the concerns and questions that have hit my Facebook inbox, hair growth has got to be at the top of the list. “My hair doesn’t grow” or “my hair isn’t growing fast enough” are common sentiments among newer naturals. Welp, I’m no expert but I’ve definitely learned a few things in my almost four years of… naturalness. The truth is, your hair is always growing… it is! BUT there may be some things stopping your hair from reaching its full potential. Let’s get to it, shall we? Feed Your Hair Healthy hair starts from within! The first thing I ask people who are concerned about hair growth is “how is your diet?” Eating your fruits and veggies and drinking plenty of water will help your hair to thrive, feeding those follicles the nutrients they need for optimal health. Taking a daily multi-vitamin is also a great way to give…
After using oils, butters and creams to style our natural hair, over time, we may see the need to do a really deep clean to refresh our hair and scalp. Here's where clarifying comes in! Read on to see three ways to do it!
