Dry Detangling

Hello Curlies!
It's been awhile and I know I've been saying that for awhile but alas I have a soon-to-be-toddler on my hands who acts very much like a toddler already so bear with me. I will be back in full form soon. In the meantime I still make a point to pass on my lessons learned in the hopes new natural can have an easier journey sooner than I did and learn from my mistakes.

 I have been natural for going on two years in February and along the way have learned more than a thing or two about what works and what doesn't (for me). When I had a NS-TWA, I did a post on the best way to detangle - in the shower - hair dripping wet, and don't get me wrong, that worked at the time.

I don't know about you but when I first heard of dry detangling, I pictured me sitting at somebody's knees while they raked a brittle comb through my kinked and matted hair with just a tiny dollop of petroleum jelly to save the day (also known as my childhood hair memories).
But fear not, Curlies - this is NOT what I am talking about.

Like many of you, my hair suffered enough as a child at the hands of unknowing, and rushed adults, who in fiercely trying to get a comb through my parched dry hair often ended the hair session by handing me a large clump of shed (*ahem* broken) hair. Of course those traumatic hair sessions are behind me.
 What I am talking about is something new, and it's using patience, gentleness mix in a generous amount of your favorite oils (or butters) a bit of good 'ol water and your trusty and loving fingers to do the work. The result, when you do it right, will be far lessbreakage than even wet detangling can promise.

I adopted dry detangling mainly because my hair grew and with a good amount of hair (haven't measured the length lately), I came upon issues that forced me to revise my strategy and through trial and error managed to adjust my detangling technique to the new length of my hair.
So here I am to pass on a few tips to you: If your hair is at least 5 inches long, you may be finding that shower detangling yields not much less breakage than raking a comb through dry hair especially if you have super-coiled/kinky hair like I have (mostly in the back of my head). If shrinkage is crazy for you as in your hair when wet shrinks more than 50% then I would recommend rethinking your 'detangle when wet' approach.

Once my hair hit more than 5 inches detangling became a nightmare. I made several revisions to get back to my sanity and protect the growth of my hair - here they are:
1. Detangle in sections
2. Detangle on well-moisturized (but dry or at most lightly damp) hair

Yes I SAID dry. I can hear the gasps already. Please don't judge too quickly. Listen up.
The main reason to detangle when hair is NOT wet is to be able to detangle hair in a STRETCHED state. I will say it again in case you missed it: To reduce breakage, detangle hair after stretching.
This of course calls for dry detangling as you know wetting  hair will make it shrink up faster than you can say 'shrinkage.'
This is what I do. A day or two before I will detangle, I stretch my hair by putting it in a ponytail. Before I pony the hair however, I add a generous amount of oils to the hair.
It goes like this: Dampen hair with your spray bottle contents (for me its just water and spearmint oil because the minty camphor feels good on my scalp) and add your favorite mixture of oils in generous amounts (for me this is coconut oil, castor oil and jojoba oil). After I add the oils I baggy the hair to let the natural heat from my scalp warm the oils and soften the hair.
 I leave the baggy on for a good while, its up to you and once I remove it my hair is soft and damp. At this point, I section my hair into large sections and make each section into a ponytail. I don't comb or detangle at this point, I just take a section of hair and put it into a ponytail. I let the damp hair dry in the pony-ed sections.
Once hair is dry the oils should allow it to remain soft (aka moisturized). When you remove the bands, your section of hair should be stretched at least somewhat, making it easier to glide your fingers through.

Detangling on stretched hair also makes it easier to find and remove single strand knots and prevent new ones from forming while you are detangling. After hair is dry and stretched but moisturized, I begin to detangle. Starting with one pony-ed section, I make sure hair has enough oils,  and if not, I add more, mostly coconut oil as it has strengthening benefits.
I then gently use my fingers to separate hair into smaller sections and work on each smaller section one at a time by gently pulling strands apart. All the time I run my fingers down the length of my hair from root to tip, gently but firmly removing shed hair from the section I am holding.
Once I have pulled out all the shed hair this way, I then glide my fingers gently through the section from root to end (yes I start at the root) and when I hit a snag, I patiently work my fingers to clear the knot and the shed hair causing it. If it is the result of or if it causes a single strand knot, I make sure to locate the knotted strand and clip the knot away just above the knot. I do this section by small section until I have done my whole head.
Yes this takes awhile but its worth it when you are done and realize you have not broken any hairs. Because I have a young baby to tend to, my detangling happens over the course of two days or so, not the whole day of course but every time I have a few minutes in the day, either when baby is napping or put to bed.

If hair feels dry or moisture seems to have gone from a section you are about to do because it took you awhile to get to it, just lightly spritz with water (not enough to cause much shrinkage) and continue on.

If your ends are particularly rough-feeling, lightly spritz on that small section you are working with and keep hair stretched by pulling taut but gently, as you work your way through with your fingers, You want to be able to feel the ends of your strands so you can identify single strand knots. If your ends feel too rough you will have difficulty identifying the single strand knots.
After detangling I re-twist and when I am all done, I either wash my hair this way or take each twist into a bigger section and braid it in preparation for washing. After washing, when conditioner or castor oil is in my hair in generous amounts, I run a comb through the section I am working with just once, maybe twice, but this is just to disperse the conditioner or oil as my hair is mostly detangled by this point.

Detangling on dry but moisturized hair as opposed to soaking wet hair means less breakage as hair is in a more fragile state when wet and will stretch more than it should if you rake a comb through it soaking wet. On short hair, wet detangling is still my favorite way to go but with more length comes more tangles and thus more chances for breakage.
I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions please feel free.

Simple Mud Mask for Soothing your Scalp

Does your scalp feel tender or itchy by wash day?

Are you experiencing very dry or oily scalp by the time you get around to shampooing?

Are you experiencing product buildup causing your scalp and hair to look dull?

Well here is a very simple mask I use mostly to soothe my sometimes tender and itchy scalp but that also works great to add shine to my hair - all you need is:
1/4 - 1/2 cup Rhassoul Clay depending on how thick your hair is (Bentonite will work too)
1/4 cup honey
3-4 tbspns pure virgin coconut oil (vatika oil can substitute)
Water to desired consistency

Mix rhassoul clay and water to desired consistency. Add honey and coconut oil and mix until smooth. Use the paste right away as it will dry out if left to sit. Here I am with the paste in my hair.

I apply the paste while my hair is still braided in sections and massage it in to ensure it gets to all parts of my scalp including the parts hidden away in the braided sections:


Apply paste directly to scalp with fingers and once scalp is covered, smooth along hair - no need to apply to hair ends unless you want to. Let sit no more than 3-4 minutes. Do NOT let the mask dry out on your hair.
 
Rinse out the paste while it is still moist. For that added cool feeling on the scalp, pour a jug of cool water with a few drops of spearmint essential oil over your hair and scalp as a final rinse.
I do this mask before I condition but after shampoo. You can do it however you like, just make sure to rinse away all the paste from your hair.
Let me know how it works for you.
To see my growth so far, check me out at fotki.com/demena24.

Snapshot of My Hair

Puff from an old twistout -
Don't be fooled at the length, the shrinkage is crazy

Just Beautiful

I had the chance to try Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Mask a few months ago (the brand offers samples which makes it much easier to try their products if you are unsure you want to drop the amount of money their full bottles cost before you fall in love with them).
I have to say I was skeptical when the bottle showed up. The consistency of the mask appears light - actually reminded me of a cloud and in fact the color of the conditioner is white. My immediate thought was, I bet this is too light for my (4-something) hair.
But I had committed to giving it a try based on the raves of other naturals.
I used it about a week later after a pre-poo detangling session and then a hair wash and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to sit on my hair and be water-y but it instantly absorbed unto my hair and offered excellent slip for finger and comb-detangling. It also coats very well.
I know this because I accidently got some on my lips (don't ask me how) and after washing it away  still felt a film on my lips. Not good for lips, but for protecting the hair strand -  a good quality. Don't worry it didn't cause any noticeable buildup. It comes either unscented or scented - your choice. I opted for unscented because I put other products in my hair that are scented and the combination of scents can be overwhelming so it was refreshing to have one product that didn't contribute to the cacaphony.
My overall opinion: Love it!
My only hesitation is the price. I am on a budget and just cannot afford the $25-$40 (plus shipping if you are not in NY) a pop for this stuff and maybe I am using too much in my hair but it goes fast as I have alot of hair (longer).
Still, if you are up for spending alot for a product you will love, I highly recommend it. The list of ingredients are awesome and you will definitely be left feeling like you just did something good for your hair.

Vatika! Vatika!

I read the other day on another blog that 80% of blogs are abandoned within the first year. I can't remember how long I've been blogging on natural hair but I'm pretty sure I'm over the 1 year mark. I mention this though because my posts have been less frequent and I want you all out there who read my blog to know that this is temporary.
I certainly have not gotten bored with either my natural hair journey or blogging about it. Its just that I have a new little love in my life and he needs some tlc since this is his first year of life. I have been busy loving him up and that has taken up my time. Plus the stresses of life in general as I'm just trying to re-gain my bearings with this new addition to my life and currently being out of work, the suck-y economy and I can go on.

Anyway sorry for the rant. Let me get to what this post is about before my little one (who is currently napping) calls me away. I bought vatika oil a few months ago and I can't remember what prompted me except I was turned on by how cheap it is. One of my favorite oils is coconut oil as I believe it has helped to keep my hair strong and its a very light oil so I barely feel it in my hair. I have been on an ayurvedic challenge since a few months into going natural and have used amla, shikakai and brahmi in my hair so it was natural to be turned on to a product that included all my faves.
I believe in pre-poo-ing even from my relaxed days and vatika seems the natural choice to support my new state of frugality. The smaller bottle (can't remember the ounces) cost only about $3 a pop, the smell is bearable to neutral and I have noticed an improvement in the general strength of my strands.
I apply it the day before or the morning before a hair wash and let sit with a shower cap on. I find that after I shampoo, my hair still has slip (I shampoo with dudu-osum mixed with a shikakai tea) which is amazing considering how shampoos generally strip hair.
I also suffer barely any breakage (no breakage is pretty much impossible) which I attribute partly to washing my hair in sections and only combing/detangling before with some product for slip and dampened with water (I don't detangle on dripping wet hair. I will explain why in another post on updated tips for detangling).

So I will give vatika oil a 4 out of 4 stars. It has become one of my staples and I have very very few staples. If you use coconut oil, give vatika a try in its place, you  may notice stronger hair.
Later, Curlies!

Hair 101

So I'm sharing the tips I've learned in the year and a half that I've been natural. They are minor things, some I've come to through trial and error and a number of mistakes, some I stumbled upon pretty quickly, but they have all worked to help me refine my regimen.
Speaking of regimen, I have come to realize that it's the regimen, not the products that results in healthy hair.

Of course the right products are equally important, but you could be using the most amazing products,and  if your regimen is not solid or is counterproductive, you will have issues with length retention, breakage, etc.

Now for the tips, here goes:

Tip #1: For those of you who joined me on my ayurvedic challenge (here and here), you remember my shikakai hair cleansing tea/shampoo. And if you used the tea, you realized that it does not lather in a way we are used to with suds and bubbles and it is watery, resulting in a mess if not used in the shower.
If you want the benefits of using an ayurvedic cleanser such as it is but with the comforting experience of a lather, try mixing a 50-50 ratio of the shikakai tea and your traditional shampoo (of course I recommend a natural shampoo like dudu-osum but anyone will do). This will get you the benefits of the tea in a form familiar to you.

Tip #2: If you are on a budget like I am and need a natural-based conditioner with great slip, then I recommend the Kinky Curly leave-in. If, however, the price is steep for what you get, like I think it is, then try this:
 Mix the Kinky-Curly leave-in with your co-wash/daily/detangling conditioner. You will still get the slip the Kinky Curly leave-in offers and because it is mixed with another cheaper conditioner, it will last longer. I mix my Kinky-Curly leave-in (50-50 ratio) with the Everyday Shea conditioner from Whole Foods. You get alot of conditioner and the mix does equally well with detangling. The only drawback is you end up rinsing away the Kinky-Curly leave-in unless your detangling conditioner is a leave-in as well.

Tip #3: Pre-shampoo with oils - any oils will do. You will read naturals suggesting pre-shampoo with a specific mix of oils but the reality is it doesn't really matter what oils you use. The result is just to coat the hair and smooth the cuticle to counter the effects of a traditional shampoo which will tends to strip your hair. Just make sure your oil is plant-based and I have found that virgin-processed oils impart great herbal benefits as well for your scalp. Great virgin-processed oils are virgin olive oil, cold-pressed tamanu oil and castor oil. But to be honest, good ole corn oil that you use to cook, works just as well.
Tip #4: Mix conditioners. Yes. You can. I have in the past gone through phases of PJism (I have to admit) and I throw nothing away. I mean I paid good money for it. So I mix my conditioners to get the benefits of each. Right now I am mixing my Everyday Shea detangling conditioner with my Kinky-Curly leave-in to get the slip benefits of the leave-in and make it last longer.

Tip #4: Wash your hair in braids. Its only  a bit less time consuming but it has saved my hair alot of breakage.

Tip #5: Wanna skip the time and work it takes to henna but enjoy the strengthening benefits of henna? Try a henna tea and use as a rinse. Basically boil your henna powder, add your favorite oils, let cool for at least 4 hours, strain, and pour the cooled mixture over freshly shampooed hair. You can even bottle any remainder for future use, saving you the time to re-mix or make a new rinse. If you are in the bath, you can let the rinse sit in your hair for awhile before washing it away. The longer it sits, the more of its benefits your hair will sustain.
That's it for today folks!
Look for the following upcoming posts from me:
Review of Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Mask
Review of Vatika Oil
For the Busy ( or Lazy) Naturals Like Me: Using Aloe Vera Mist to Get Moist Re-Twists

Diary of a Naturalista: Addendum: SEE LINK!

I came across this article and from the title I was expecting something laughable and indeed it was.  Check out #7, because that pertains most to us naturalistas but I couldn't help but laugh.  Is it true?  I wrote a whole blog about dating and men and talked a lot about black men's response to my hair so I won't go into that again.  I laugh at it but I guess it may be true for some black men... but I don't think those are the ones I'd be interested in anyway, so I'd probably just say good riddance.  But read the entire thing.  You'll get a good chuckle at least or maybe just shake your head. 


http://madamenoire.com/48275/eight-ways-to-make-a-black-man-run/9/