Retaining the Hair You Grow: Chapter 7

The ends of our hair are the oldest, and thus, have experienced the most wear and tear. While on shorter hair, the ends may only be a few months to a year old, on longer hair they can be a few to several years old. Imagine how much weathering long hair can suffer in that time frame! Because retaining length is about preserving the health of the ends, it may be beneficial, especially on longer or even damaged hair, to perform a pre-wash treatment, or pre-poo for protection.

What is a pre-poo?
In short, a pre-poo is a conditioning treatment performed prior to washing. A pre-poo can serve the purpose of moisturizing the strands so as to lessen the drying effects of the shampoo process. A pre-poo can also serve the purpose of strengthening the hair such that breakage and wear caused by the washing process are minimized. For more benefits and purposes of pre-pooing, see the links in the "MORE READS" section.

What can you use to pre-poo?
Pre-poos can range from oils to conditioners to other substances depending on the purpose of the treatment. Some examples of moisturizing pre-poos include olive oil, avocado oil, shea butter, or a cholesterol conditioner. Some examples of strengthening pre-poos include egg, coconut oil, or a protein conditioner. Each of these ingredients can also be combined to formulate a mixed pre-poo. For other examples, check out the links below.

MORE READS:
MORE ON PRE-POO #1
MORE ON PRE-POO #2
COCONUT OIL & PRE-POO

Reader's Question: Hair Knots ... Be Gone!

Post inspired by a reader! Thank you for your questions. Post on "When You Get a Knot" coming soon.

Single-strand knots. Double-strand knots. Multiple-strand knots. Be gone!

The truth of the matter is that for many naturals, hair knots are inevitable. We can have a solid hair care regimen, yet they always appear. This is because our curls, coils, and kinks form an environment conducive to tangling and knotting.

Though hair knots cannot be prevented altogether, the frequency of their occurrence can be minimized. Here are 5 tips I have read about and used to reduce the formation of the natural's nightmare - the knot:

1. Protective style - This is the number one most useful tip, and it makes perfect sense. When is a piece of yarn most prone to tangling - when it is in a perfect ball or when it is loose? The answer is the latter, and the same goes for our hair. Twists and braids are probably the most useful protective styles for minimizing knot formation. (If you are one those naturals who still gets knots while in twists, you may want to try braids instead.)

2. Detangle regularly - Hair that is allowed to stay tangled is more likely to knot. Additionally, shed hair that is allowed to accumulate becomes hair that is just waiting to wrap itself around another. Detangling removes tangles and shed hair, thus reducing knot formation.

3. Wash in sections - For some of us, washing the hair loose is just asking for knot city! I recommend washing and conditioning in sections -- particularly in braids or twists -- to reduce tangling and knot formation.

4. Stretched loose style / No wash-n-gos - Straight hair rarely, if ever, knots onto itself. But wait! I am not suggesting that your options are limited to using a flat iron or relaxer kit to reduce knots. Naturals can wear rollersets, twistouts, braidouts, or other stretched styles that temporarily and healthily elongate the curl pattern. Minimize or stay away from wash-n-gos altogether. Caveat: Once a stretched style starts to shrink, the loose hair can be prone to tangling. Try to save stretched styles for non-humid days.

5. Moisturize, moisturize - Some naturals swear by this method for knot reduction. Hair strands that are dry will experience more friction and join into knots. Hair strands that are well moisturized will slide past each other and have a harder time tangling together.  Don't forget to seal with an oil/butter to not only lock in the moisture but to add more slip between hair strands.

Retaining the Hair You Grow: Chapter 5

It is no secret (I hope) that excessive manipulation of the hair can lead to breakage. This includes excessive combing. (For studies on combing and hair damage, see below.) A big part of retaining length involves minimizing hair breakage, and one way to do this is to develop a minimal/no combing routine.

Now for the questions: How do you detangle your without a comb? How do you keep your hair groomed within the week? How do you minimize/eliminate comb usage altogether? Well, here are some strategies ...

1. WEAR PROTECTIVE STYLES
Wear styles that require no manipulation and protect the ends of the hair. Examples of such styles, include buns, twists, braids, updos, bantu knots, cornrows, sew-ins, wigs, etc.

2. WEAR LOW-MANIPULATION STYLES
Wear styles that require little manipulation. Examples of such styles, include ponytails, strawsets, twistouts, braidouts, bantu knotouts, rollersets, etc.

3. USE YOUR FINGERS TO STYLE
Freshen up certain hairstyles with your fingers instead of running for the comb. Rollersets, braidouts, and twistouts can be fluffed with the fingers. If you are either really skilled or do not care about the parting, your fingers can be used to make sections for braids and twists.

4. USE YOUR FINGERS TO DETANGLE
When taking down braids or twists, your fingers may be sufficient detangling tools. There are some cases in which the comb will be needed, but starting off with your fingers will help to reduce breakage from combing.

5. WASH IN TWISTS/BRAIDS
This step will minimize tangling thus minimizing the need for a comb.


For some of us, the comb cannot be avoided entirely, so here are some tips to minimize damage when it is used:

1. OPT FOR A WIDE TOOTH COMB
Wide tooth combs are by far less destructive than thin tooth combs, rattail combs, and brushes. Their bigger teeth are less likely to damage the cuticles and break the hair.

2. MOISTURIZE, PROTECT, & LUBRICATE THE HAIR BEFORE COMBING
Combing dry hair is asking for trouble, in my opinion. At the very least, ensure that the hair is moisturized. Moisturized hair equals soft, pliable hair that is able to withstand combing. When it comes to detangling, it is encouraged to do so on damp hair (not too wet, not too dry) that is protected and lubricated with conditioner. Not just any conditioner will do; use one that has ingredients that -- let me say this again --protect and lubricate the hair. What are some examples of conditioners that do this? Deep conditioners containing protein and oil (e.g., protein conditioner or egg mixed with extra virgin olive oil), coconut oil and cholesterol (e.g., coconut oil mixed with LustraSilk), or protein and cholesterol (e.g., egg mixed LustraSilk, LeKair). Protection comes from coconut oil or protein; lubrication comes from oil, cholesterol, or both. Cholesterol can also weigh the hair down, thus stretching the curl pattern temporarily; this is an added benefit for those with natural hair since it eases the detangling process. Allow whatever deep conditioner you use to penetrate and soften the hair for at least 20 minutes prior to combing.

3. BE PATIENT
Impatience while combing can lead to breakage or ripping the hair out from the roots.

4. START COMBING FROM THE ENDS
.. then the middle, then the roots.

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MY MINIMAL/NO COMBING ROUTINE:
(I only comb 1x a month or couple of months. The routine was derived from a popular member on a natural hair care forum.)  07/12/2010 UPDATE: This routine was while my hair was short/medium length. As it's gotten longer, I've gradually increased the combing to 1-2x a month.


*ALTERNATE BETWEEN TWISTS & TWISTOUTS:
Twists, twists, and more twists. I move directly from one twist style to another using my fingers alone. If I feel like wearing a loose style, I move from twists to a twistout. I wear the twistout for a few days and then go back to twists using my fingers alone. No comb. As I move into a new set of twists, I am sure to remove shed hair and detangle with my fingers.

*WASH IN TWISTS:
I usually wash my hair in its current twist style. Doing this minimizes tangling of the strands. Once my hair is done airdrying, I either wear the twists for some days, redo them, or undo the twists for a twistout. I try not to wash my hair loose.

*WASH GENTLY:
When washing in my twist style, I try not to manipulate the roots too much. Doing so will cause premature matting.

*WEAR LOOSE HAIR FOR SHORT PERIOD:
I try not to wear a twistout for too long. My max duration is somewhere between 2-4 days before tangling starts to occur. When my hair was shorter, I was able to get away with 5-7 days.



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ABSTRACTS ON BLACK HAIR & COMBING DAMAGE:
African hair length: the picture is clearer.
What is normal black African hair? A light and scanning electron-microscopic study.
African hair length in a school population: a clue to disease pathogenesis?
Apparent fragility of African hair is unrelated to the cystine-rich protein distribution: a cytochemical electron microscopic study.

ABSTRACTS ON HAIR BREAKAGE & COMBING:
Hair breakage during combing. III. The effects of bleaching and conditioning on short and long segment breakage by wet and dry combing of tresses.
Hair breakage during combing. IV. Brushing and combing hair.
Hair breakage during combing. I. Pathways of breakage.

Healthy Hairstyling #3: Short Natural Hair

Just because your hair is short doesn't mean you can't fit "healthy hairstyle" and "beautiful" into one sentence. Twists do not have to be boring. Twistouts do not have to look crazy. Play your styles up with a beautiful clip, scarf, or headband. Put a spin on a simple twistout with partial cornrows in the front or a pompadour. Wear protective and low manipulation styles ... but HAVE FUN and FEEL BEAUTIFUL while you're at it! Healthy hairstyling does not have to be bland.

HEALTHY STYLES FOR SHORT NATURAL HAIR:
Twists (protective)
Braids (protective)
Finger coils (protective)
Bantu knots (protective)
Twistouts (low manipulation)
Braidouts (low manipulation)
Coilouts (low manipulation)
Combinations of the above (protective/low manip)
Wigs over braids/twists/cornrows (protective)
Strawsets (low manipulation)
Sew-ins (protective - when properly done and cared for)
Kinky twist / braid extensions (protective - when properly done and cared for)
Etc.

Here are some PHOTOS of protective & low manipulation styles. I did these when my hair was shorter. (Hair length was approximately 4 to 6 inches.)

Retaining the Hair You Grow: Chapter 4

CHAPTER 1: SOME BASICS
CHAPTER 2: CHEMICAL DAMAGE
CHAPTER 3: EXCESSIVE TRIMMING

Trying new hair care products and techniques is rarely a perfect road. We may experience trial and error which is absolutely normal. We may even encounter a setback and a lesson learned which is a part of life. Once setbacks become a routine, however, length retention becomes a next to unattainable goal. Here is some advice to help you break the setback cycle:

DO YOUR RESEARCH
Do sufficient research before taking your hair down a new path. Read product reviews. Speak with an expert or someone you can trust. Visit hair care forums for advice. Use Google to search and understand the ingredients listing of a product. Do not just pay attention to good reviews; research the bad as well. The more knowledge you acquire, the more likely you are to minimize setbacks.

How do you know if a product review is legit? There is no guaranteed way to tell. However, feedback given by someone who is compensated to use the product may be questionable. The same goes for feedback given by someone who has a relationship with the owner, though this is not always the case. You can also gauge the number and percentage of positive reviews to determine if a product is potentially a good investment. Understand that even with good reviews, the product may ultimately not work for you.

How do you determine if someone is an expert? Trained experts include trichologists (specialists who deal with hair and scalp health) and dermatologists (doctors who deal primarily with skin diseases). Dermatologists have a medical degree, and many can also diagnose hair conditions. Trichologists, on the other hand, are not always medically qualified, but they must complete a recognized trichology program. It is important to know which one to consult especially if a product trial may initiate or aggravate a medical condition (in which case, consult a dermatologist instead of a trichologist). Licensed hair stylists who value healthy hair care are another group of experts you may consult.

What about someone you trust? Take notes from those who have experience with a product or technique you are interested in trying. Talk to individuals who have a solid regimen and a healthy head of hair to show for it. Speak with those who have years of good hair care practice behind them. Experience is the best teacher, so learn from someone who has it.

KEEP IT SIMPLE
Avoid doing too much to your hair. Refrain from techniques that require too much manipulation. Do not overpopulate or complicate your hair product collection. Keep your hair care routine simple, and your hair will love you for it.

LISTEN TO YOUR HAIR
Stay away from products containing ingredients that your hair loathes. Avoid techniques that have caused your strands grief in the past. Refrain from methods that can be detrimental to hair in general. Learn to listen to your hair because it will save you a lot of trouble. The best way to listen is to keep in mind how your hair responds to certain substances and methods.

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT
Sometimes it is best to stick with what works and leave it at that. Say your hair thrives on weekly washes, bi-weekly deep conditioning, and daily moisture. Say your hair flourishes with glycerin, castor oil, and Suave products. Why change what your hair loves? Stick with what works.

Retaining the Hair You Grow: Chapter 3

Freeze! Drop the scissors! Put your hands up! Stop cutting!

Excessive trimming can hinder length retention. If your hair grows six inches a year and you trim half an inch every month, then you are essentially cutting off all your growth progress. In order to retain length, you have to (1) be healthy from the inside out, (2) treat your hair right, and (3) pick up the scissors only when necessary. There is a time to trim that is not dictated by the calendar on the wall but by the health of the ends of your hair.

TO THE RIGHT: A photo of hair that has not been trimmed in over a year. The ends are not blunt, but they are also not damaged. Trimming for style is your choice, but if you want maximum length retention, then only trim when needed -- when the ends are damaged.

HEALTHY VS DAMAGED ENDS:
Healthy ends are free from splits and other damage. Splits are an indicator of damage to the cuticle and come in all shapes and sizes. Some occur at the very ends of the hair while others form in the middle of a strand. The hair may be appear to be split into two pieces or more. It is a myth that split ends can be repaired; some products may temporarily make them less visible, but splits cannot "heal" themselves and will exist until cut off. If you are taking great care of your hair, you will see fewer splits. Fewer splits = healthier hair. Healthier hair = fewer trims.

CUTTING DAMAGED ENDS:
Even if you've determined that your ends are damaged, a full-on trim may not be required. Search and destroy is a method for only cutting the strands that have splits or other visible damage. Dusting is a method of trimming a very small fraction of hair -- about 1/4 of an inch or less. Search and destroy and dusting are ideal for hair that exhibits a small amount of damaged ends. A full-on trim is needed when a large portion of the hair's ends are damaged.

MORE READS:
MINIMIZING SPLIT ENDS (great article btw)
SEARCH & DESTROY AND DUSTING

Retaining the Hair You Grow: Chapter 2

Let's talk about chemical damage ...

WHAT IS IT?:
In general, chemical damage of the hair can result from the misuse of chemical treatments, such as relaxers and certain color dyes. Relaxers are designed to straighten the hair by breaking and rearranging bonds in the hair shaft. Misuse of relaxers involves overprocessing (leaving the chemical on the hair for too long), overlapping (applying the chemical to previously relaxed sections), inadequate neutralization of the relaxer, etc. Chemical color treatments -- particularly permanent ones -- lift the cuticle and interact with the cortex of the hair to alter the natural pigment. Misuse of color treatments involves overprocessing and other improper application procedures. Chemical damage leaves the hair severely weakened and irreparable. The damaged part must grow out or be cut.

MINIMIZING COLOR DAMAGE:
*Natural dyes: A sure fire way to prevent chemical damage is to use natural alternatives to chemical treatments. Henna, lemon, honey, cinnamon, and chamomile tea can all be used as natural dyes. Another option is to use plant-based hair dyes on the market, some of which boast salon-quality results. One thing to note: the darker the hair, the subtler the result with natural dyes meant to lighten. Sometimes multiple applications may be required to achieve your desired color. (Please read article links below.)
*Rinses: Rinses are temporary dyes that deposit color onto your hair. They are ideal for those wanting to deepen, rather than lighten, their natural color. The color disappears after a few washes.
*Semi- and Demi -permanent: Semi-permanent colors contain no ammonia and last for a few washes. Demi-permanent colors also contain no ammonia and but slightly lift the cuticle to deposit color. Thus, they last much longer than semi-permanents. The potential for chemical damage with these options is less than with a permanent color.



MINIMIZING RELAXER DAMAGE:
*Stay/go natural: Avoidance of relaxers is the only guaranteed method of preventing relaxer damage. Rollersets or flat ironing the natural hair on a safe heat setting are ways to achieve a temporary straight look.
*Texlaxing/texturizing: This process involves relaxing the hair just enough to loosen the natural curl pattern. The chemical is left on the hair for a shorter period of time than specified so that the hair is not relaxed to full straightness. Thus, this method minimizes the possibility of relaxer damage.
*Jojoba oil, wax, & relaxers: According to one study, most conditioning agents in relaxer kits break down and have no effect by the time the consumer uses them. This finding implies that using some level of added conditioning while relaxing may minimize damage. What is the best conditioner? According to a second study, jojoba oil is amongst the best at protecting the hair while relaxing (with thioglycolate-based relaxers). Polymethylene wax (in conjunction with other substances) is beneficial for the traditional NaOH- and LiOH-based relaxers.
*Don't Overlap or Overprocess: Follow the instructions.

Ultimately, the best way to prevent chemical damage is to avoid chemical treatments altogether. I've only presented a few options so if you do your research you may find more. If you can't avoid chemicals, then merely practice the proper use of them. Follow the application instructions to the tee or seek a professional. It is possible to have healthy colored, straightened hair with or without the use of chemical treatments.

SOURCES & MORE READS:
CHEMICAL DAMAGE & MORE
CONDITIONER BREAKDOWN IN RELAXERS & POLYMETHYLENE WAX
JOJOBA OIL & RELAXERS
BLEACH DAMAGE
CHEMICAL STRAIGHTENING
NATURAL DYE RECIPES
NATURAL DYE INGREDIENTS
HOW HAIR COLORING WORKS
COLOR TREATMENT FACTS
DEMI, SEMI, & PERMANENT COLORS

Retaining the Hair You Grow: Chapter 1

What is included in this series is gathered from my personal experience, internet research, and tips from those who've retained what they've grown. Please do your own research as well. Thank you.


Are you having trouble with length retention? If so (assuming you are a healthy individual) constant trims and/or breakage may be the culprit. It is that simple. The difficulty, however, is minimizing trims ... and more so, minimizing breakage.

REASONS FOR TRIMMING: Desiring an even length, eliminating split ends, removing color treated ends, removing damaged ends, etc.

REASONS FOR SPLITS: Dryness, over manipulation, chemical damage, mechanical damage, weathering, etc.

REASONS FOR BREAKAGE: Dryness, over manipulation, chemical damage, mechanical damage, etc.

So what steps can one take to minimize trims and breakage ... and thus retain length? Attack the problem: dryness, over manipulation, chemical damage, and mechanical damage. More on chemical damage another time. In the time being, here are steps to address the other areas. Feel free to add them to your hair care regimen:


* PUT YOUR HAIR AWAY: Aim for a majority protective-style (styles that protect the ends of your hair) routine. Some of these styles include: braids, twists, buns, wigs, weaves, etc. Be sure that these styles are not done too tightly. Also be sure to allow breaks between styles. For wigs, it is best to stay away from drying wig caps (such as cotton).

* SIMPLE, BASIC REGIMEN - In a nutshell, keep it simple. Cleanse, condition, and moisturize. How you do these three steps is your choice, but keep it simple. A simple, basic regimen also means no over using relaxer and color applications. Simple = low manipulation.

* ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE HEAT - Stay away from direct heat altogether, or at the very least, minimize its usage. Direct heat includes flat-irons, blow dryers, pressing combs, etc. Opt for indirect heat or airdrying instead. Go for a roller set under a hooded dryer instead of blow drying and flat ironing. Airdry in chunky braids and unleash your fro instead of blow drying for that stretched fro.

* MINIMIZE COMBING / BRUSHING - Less combing equals less breakage. Use your fingers in place of your comb (or brush) as much as you can. I currently comb my hair 1x every few months.

* PUT THE SCISSORS DOWN - Turn to dusting or search & destroy instead of regular trimming. Trim 1x every 6 months as opposed to every 1-2 months. Trim ONLY when you have to. With the steps above, you may be able to prolong the period between your trimming sessions.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:
* USE COCONUT OIL - Extra virgin coconut oil has been shown to strengthen the hair and reduce breakage. It is best to apply this oil to your hair prior to manipulation.

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12715094
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11413497
http://www.hairloss-research.org/UpdateTopicalCoconutOil5-08.html

For tips on dusting and search & destroy:
http://www.long-healthy-hair-advisor.com/trim-your-own-hair.html