"Reader Mail"

Dear Yakini,

I read your healthy hair post last week and it was really helpful, thanks.  My hair is still shedding though and I'm not sure what to do.  Every time I comb it I find broken pieces on the floor and in my comb.  It's gotten to a point where I don't even want to comb my hair any more. I've gotten the 2-step moisturizing process down pat, but now what?  Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

Dear Reader,

Thanks for reading!  What you're describing actually sounds like breakage.  You see, a shed hair is long (the length of a full strand)
and has a bulb at one end.  Shedding is a natural process.  Breakage is NOT natural and can totally be prevented! Usually breakage is caused by a lack of moisture or protein (or both).  It sounds like what your hair might be missing is the latter.  Protein treatments are important when you want to strengthen the hair cuticle and  prevent breakage and split ends. 

It's also important to note that healthy hair starts from the inside out.  If you don't think you're getting enough protein in your diet then add a protein shake. In the past I've drank Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Whey Protein (vanilla).  It's delish, especially when you throw in some fresh fruit and honey!   

There are many protein treatments on the market and below I've discussed one of my favorite protein staples. Hope this helps!

Why Use Protein?

Since hair is made up of about 70% keratin protein, giving it a good, hardcore protein treatment will help to strengthen it from the inside out.  Protein treatments have important restorative and fixative value that is essential for damaged, chemically processed hair.

My protein treatment of choice, the Aphogee Treatment For Damaged Hair,
repairs the hair for up to six weeks and then needs to be repeated.  You'll find that it keeps the hair shaft strong and prevents breakage before it even starts.

Before You Begin

I know that the Aphogee has a bit of a "reputation."  I'll admit that I was quite nervous the first time I tried it… I'd heard the "stories" (of how rock hard the hair becomes during application) and wasn't sure if it was really for me.  However, after you've tried this ONCE and gotten the initial “scare” out of the way…. it really becomes quite fun!  Watching your hair harden before your eyes, like the helmet of a Warrior Princess, is very cool!

*Please note that I find it best to do this without a shirt on and without a towel around the neck.*

The reason why it’s best to be shirtless is because, as your hair starts to harden and dry, it sticks to the surface of whatever it is touching. If you have a towel around your neck, or a shirt on, the hair may stick to the fabric…. and you may unable to remove it without tearing the hair.  If you opt to leave your hair down rather than pinned up during the treatment, try not to move your head around too much as it hardens/dries and sticks to your back.  While the sensation of that is very annoying, it’s best to leave it be, lest you inadvertently tear/break the strands.

Now You're Ready To Get Started

1) Two weeks after a touch-up I use the Aphogee protein treatment. After shampooing, saturate hair with the Aphogee treatment. Do NOT comb through. Use your fingers to gently and quickly work it into the hair.

2) Apply heat to the hair, using a hooded dryer or a blow dryer with funnel attachment. You should feel your hair harden, like a helmet. Do NOT try to comb or manipulate your hair during this time. If your hair is long (i.e., beyond armpit) make certain to concentrate the heat toward the ends, so that can harden as well.  I pin my hair up using one giant bobbi pin.

3) Once your hair is hard all over, rinse the treatment out THOROUGHLY. As soon as the water starts to hit it, you should feel the hair start to soften immediately. At this point, you still don’t need to use your fingers/comb to manipulate the air. The pressure from the water will be sufficient to soften the hair.

4) Follow up with the Aphogee Moisturizing Humuctant. I then apply another moisturizing conditioner, usually a cheap condition (i.e., Suave Toasted Coconut or V05) blended with a few heaping spoons of honey and olive oil. I let this to sit in my hair for about fifteen minutes before rinsing.

*NOTE* It is essential to MOISTURIZE after a strong protein treatment, as overuse of a protein conditioner can cause the hair to feel dry and straw-like.

5) Moisturize with a generous amount of the ORS Olive Oil OR the Cantu Shea Butter: Break Cure & Strengthening Treatment and then roller-set or dry as desired (I usually will form one plait and air-dry).

*NOTE* An intense protein treatment like this one is ONLY necessary every 6-8 weeks (as needed), and it will keep the hair shaft strong and prevent breakage before it even starts.

Final Note

As you can probably tell, your hair is VERY fragile throughout this entire process. However, just be very cautious during this process, and you will see that it is well worth the mess and hassle!

My hair responds well to strong protein, but that doesn't mean yours will too.  I use Aphogee Treatment For Damaged Hair every 10 weeks, but I sometimes use a milder protein treatment in between.  I like the ORS Hair Mayonnaise as a pre-shampoo treatment but there are plenty of other gentler protein treatments on the market. Find the one that is best for you!

image source: Fotosearch

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"Reader Mail"

Dear Yakini,

I am in the beginning stages of trying to take care of myself: skin, hair, and body.  So you can imagine my joy when I saw your website!  My question is about my hair. It is soooooo thin. What do you recommend to aid in thickening it up? 

I'm in the process of washing and deep conditioning once a week now so we shall see if this helps at all.  Are there any special conditioners you'd recommend?  What about vitamins?  Hair tips!  Anything would be greatly appreciated!  I'm looking forward to all of your updates and advice.  I will be sharing your site with all of my friends!

Thanks

Dear Reader,

Thanks for the lovely email!  I'm always happy to share healthy hair tips from my regimen with other ladies.  Be mindful, however, that I have extremely fine-textured and soft, type 4a hair that is mildly relaxed.  So I designed my regimen with minimal manipulation in mind, as this is what has allowed me to retain length while also thickening the hair shaft.

I encourage you to use these tips as a guide to help you develop a personalized regimen, based on your own hair type and needs.

Overview

As I've indicated, my hair is naturally very fine and that is genetic.  However, prior to 2005 it was thinner and limper than it had to be.  This is before I joined an online hair community and learned to properly care for it.  At this time my hair was seriously thin and over-processed, primarily from relaxing too frequently and also indulging in one too many Dominican blowouts.  Further, the ends were split and raggedy.  [Aside: I am a major advocate of Dominican salons today.  However, now I only get the roots blown out after a rollerset].   

In August 2005 I made the decision to start taking better care of my hair, stop relying on extensions for length, and do only what works for me, rather than following the advice of a stylist or hair magazine.  It was at this time that I began to discover the factors that were keeping my hair thin and contributing to breakage. 

Past Mistakes

• roughly combing my hair every day, throughout the day
• wrapped my hair every night, in the SAME direction, and securing the wrap with a BRUSH
• relaxing my hair every 6 weeks, and sometimes a few days sooner, if I felt that it "needed" it
• using a regular touch-up, when all my hair ever needed was mild
• playing in my hair with my fingers (combing through it absent-mindedly and/or twirling it around my fingers)
• failing to wear protective styles (i.e., wearing it down often, so that the ends were frequently brushing against my rough cotton coat or shirt)
• not moisturizing properly, especially not the ends. This resulted in dandruff and dry, rough ends that would break easily
• trimming too much and too often. A good trim 1-2 times per year is all you really need… that is, if you protect the ends and DUST them regularly to remove splits
• dying my hair, using permanent dye with bleach, repeatedly, several times a year (out of sheer boredom)
• using a curling iron on a daily basis

Since embarking upon my healthy hair journey in 2005 I've picked up some really valuable tips.  I'm pleased to note that my hair is substantially thicker and had also reached waist length (prior to my cutting it back to bra strap length during my first trimester).  I attribute this progress to a number of reasons:

Thicker, Healthier Hair

*Note* These are tips that work for me.  Various hair types require varying levels of care, so make sure you tweak your regimen and do what works for yours!

Drink lots of water and eat a healthy, balanced diet! Healthy hair begins from within. Your hair, skin, AND nails will thank you!

Sometimes it isn't possible to get all the nutrients our body needs from our daily diet.  Vitamins will complement your diet as well as help to stimulate your hair's growth rate.  I suggest taking a multi- and hair vitamin.  I recommend:
Biotin (10 mg)
One A Day For Women
B-100 Complex (optional)

Avoid DIRECT heat at all costs. That includes flat-irons, blow dryers, and curling irons.

In lieu of direct heat, roller set under a hooded dryer (indirect heat) to dry, with large magnetic rollers. Then finger tousle, rather than comb out, your hair… as the curls fall naturally, this makes for a really sexy, big, wavy look! Very "Charlie's Angels."

Pin curl your hair at night to maintain that fresh-out-of-the-salon, bouncy look. For a curly/roller set look, make the pin-curl smaller. For a looser, wrapped look, make the pin-curl looser….. OR just tuck the hair under your satin bonnet and sleep with it loose.

Shoulder Length Ladies: When hair is shoulder length it's even MORE prone to breakage because it's in contact with your clothing. The frequent rubbing against rough wool and cotton is fraying those ends!

Avoid wrapping if you can (especially fine-haired ladies). Over time, it may thin out your hair on one side. If you MUST wrap, alternate directions nightly.

Try "stretching" your relaxer.  See if you can go 2-3 months instead of <6 weeks. This prevents overlap of the chemicals onto the previously relaxed hair, and avoids weakening of the hair.  Eventually, your hair will be stronger. There are some women who can stretch for 4 months plus. Do only what works for YOU. I find that stretching this long isn't good for my fine hair, so at the most i'll stretch for 8-9 weeks.

Go with the mildest relaxer that you can! How do you really know that you need that super…. or that regular? If a milder relaxer can straighten your hair to your liking, then opt for this one!  I recommend experimenting with a milder relaxer for one touch-up just to see how your hair likes it. 

As long as the ends of your hair are exposed…. they aren't protected!  During your grow out process, they should be seen only rarely. Find a style that allows you to moisturize and tuck those ends in.  (Click the thumbprint to enlarge image of my protective style).

Be creative AND frugal! Use what's in your kitchen.  Add eggs or mayonnaise (protein) honey, ripe avocado, coconut milk, or coconut/olive oil (softness/silkiness/moisture), crushed garlic (prevents breakage), or cayenne pepper (stimulates scalp) to your conditioning treatments for at-home special pampering treatments!

Dust as needed.  I haven’t had a "major" trim in years.  And I really don’t need it! If you protect the ends well, all you'll require is an occasional dusting. You'll NEVER see growth if you allow your stylist to give you a trim with every touch-up! While fresh, bluntly cut ends are attractive, be mindful that this is an aesthetic preference and has very little do with growth!*

If the ends have already split or thinned you have no choice but to cut them.  Best to get rid of the damaged ends now….then protect, protect, protect! The good news is that after one GOOD trim, all you'll need to do is dust for maintenance from that point on.

Try not to comb your hair every day! The less you comb/manipulate your hair, the less your ends risk breaking off (especially during the early phases of your hair journey, when your hair is still vulnerable/damaged). The growth that you retain will be well worth it! Combing when wet is best for me.  When I do comb dry, I use a soft, medium- to wide-toothed comb.  If you can find a seamless comb, even better.

Whenever possible, avoid brushing your hair.  The bristles of a brush are harsh and may snap your hairs, resulting in unnecessary breakage. 

Your hair is made up of about 70% Keratin Protein. Essentially, you NEED protein for healthy hair! If you don't think you are getting enough protein in your diet, then add a protein shake. In the past I've drank Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Whey Protein in mango peach.  It is delish! Have fun and throw some fresh fruit and honey in it!

My hair responds well to strong protein, but that does not mean yours will too.  I use Aphogee Treatment For Damaged Hair every 10 weeks, but I may sometimes use a milder protein treatment in between.  I like the ORS Hair Mayonnaise as a pre-shampoo treatment. Topical protein is just as important as internal protein!

Deep condition your tresses at least once per week, for a minimum of 15-20 minutes.  I exclusively use Dominican products (Aceite de oliva shampoo by Capile or Nacidit, Aceite de oliva rinse for detangling, Avocado Cream Conditioner with cholesterol for deep conditioning).  However, there is a wide array of shampoos/conditioners on the market, and I urge you to do your research, experiment with a few, and find what your hair likes/responds to!

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!!!! This is a 2-Step Process: moisturize & seal.  African-American (Type 3-4) hair is naturally drier than Type 1-2 hair…. so it's important that we keep our hair moisturized in order to retain our growth. Otherwise, it will grow…. and then break right on off.

Still not getting enough moisture? You may want to consider "baggying" your entire head at night. Here's how a frugal lady like me baggies: I use one of the cheapie plastic caps from the drug store, or saran wrap/plastic grocery bag if I've run out.  Moisturize as usual, bun loosely, wrap the plastic around my head closely, and put on my silk scarf to secure. You will find that your hair is slightly damp in the morning, and that's okay. In the morning your hair is already styled (the same bun from last night) and all you need to do is use your fingers to "clean it up," i.e., lightly scrape back any hairs that are awry. The brush/comb does not need to touch your hair at all during this process.

Shedding is natural. A shed hair is long (the length of a full strand) and has a bulb at one end. Breakage is NOT natural! If you are finding short, broken hairs on your shirt and/or the floor when you comb or style this may be an indication that you are lacking protein, moisture, or BOTH!

Consider using Henna, especially if you have FINE strands like me.  Henna thickened my strands substantially, and also added a lovely, subtle auburn tint. It was somewhat drying, so I did have to increase my moisturizing to counter this. At one point I was using the Henna weekly, then my schedule no longer permitted.  After I stopped the results of the Henna lasted for a few months, and then I found that my hair reverted to its natural finer texture. Refer to my Henna article for more about my experiences with this.

Treat yourself sometimes! Although I'm a major advocate of protective styling, I do wear my hair out on the weekends and special occasions.  I find that wearing a bun, or similar updo, is an attractive, conservative look for work.  However on the weekends it's fun to "let my hair down" in every sense of the word. I encourage you to do the same! 

Concluding Remarks

Achieving healthy hair is a process and it does take time.  However, if you are reading this post and have reached the end, it means you have decided to take back control of your hair, as I took control in 2005.  Congratulations to you!  That is the FIRST step, and a very important one.