Friday, November 28, 2008

Daily Maintenance of Hair

Okay quiz!
What should we always remember to do to our hair daily?
Here's a clue:



Answer: Moisturize!

Remember your hair needs to be moisturized daily. You will need to moisturize daily with a water based moisturizer and lock it in with oil.
Water Based Moisturizer penetrates the hair shaft; oil coats the hair shaft (and seals moisture in or out). To use the two effectively, you will need to apply your water based moisturizer first, then the oil. If you are like me and you work in a dry climate, carry a small spray bottle of water in your purse to ensure that your hair is not drying out.

Ladies, stop using hair GREASE on your scalp! The reason for this is that all grease products that contain petrolatum, lanolin, and mineral oil do not moisturize your hair effectively. Instead they seal moisture in or out of your hair. That is one of the reasons you see people with dry dull hair. Ahhh, it irks me to see a female in the hair store with a jar of grease ready to purchase it!



A Factor of Thick Hair

What aids in thicker hair?

The number of sebaceous glands will determine how thick the hair is that grows in this area, and the more glands there are, the thicker hair will be.

Now what is a sebaceous gland? A sebaceous gland produce and discharge a substance better known as sebum into hair follicles to lubricate the hair. Sebum is an oily substance that lubricates the hair and skin giving protection against bacteria.


What is the Hair Growth Cycle?

Okay we know our hair grows but exactly how does it grow and when?
There are three stages of hair growth which is important to know about. These are called: anagen (growth phase), catagen (transtional phase), telogen (resting phase). Hair is in one of 3 stages of growth at any given time: Anagen, Catagen, and Telogen.

Okay in case you dont feel like reading this entire post, here is the short version:
  • Hair's active growth phase is called Anagen. It lasts for an average of approximately 1,000 days in the human scalp, but can last as long as six years! During Anagen, the hair contains an abundance of melanin.

  • Catagen is the regression phase when the lower part of hair stops growing but is not shed. The follicle is reabsorbed. The Catagen phase lasts only one to two weeks.

  • The resting phase is called Telogen during which the old hair falls out in preparation for the develpment of new hair. This phase which lasts for about five or six weeks.


Now for yall who like to read alot:
Anagen - Anagen is the active phase of the hair (hair which is living and growing). The cells in the root of the hair are dividing rapidly. A new hair is formed and pushes the club hair up the follicle and eventually out. During this phase the hair grows about 1 cm every 28 days. Scalp hair stays in this active phase of growth for 2-6 years. Some people have difficulty growing their hair beyond a certain length because they have a short active phase of growth. On the other hand, people with very long hair have a long active phase of growth. The hair on the arms, legs, eyelashes, and eyebrows have a very short active growth phase of about 30-45 days explaining why they are so much shorter than scalp hair. Hair loss occurs when anagen is interrupted by certain medications (e.g. anti-cancer drugs), or by the 'autoimmune' disease, alopecia areata. Anagen hair is tapered or broken-off.

Did you know? Your anagen (growth phase) which allows your hair to grow much longer before it enters the resting and shedding phases. One way to do this is to incorporate
vitamins for hair growth in your diet. (Another way to do this is to become pregnant. While a woman is pregnant, all of her hair is locked in the growth phase.

Catagen - The catagen phase is a transitional stage and 3% of all hairs are in this phase at any time. This phase lasts for about 2-3 weeks. During this time growth stops and the outer root sheath shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair. This is the formation of what is known as a club hair.

Telogen - Telogen is the resting phase and accounts for 10-15% of all hairs. This phase lasts for about 100 days for hairs on the scalp and much longer for hairs on the eyebrow, eyelash, arm and leg. During this phase the hair follicle is completely at rest and the club hair is completely formed. Pulling out a hair in this phase will reveal a solid, hard, dry, white material at the root. About 25-100 telogen hairs are shed normally each day, generally more in autumn or winter. Excessive shedding results in telogen effluvium, often a couple of months after an event such as child-bearing, fever, an operation, weight loss or certain medications. Sometimes there appears to be no recognisable cause, and the shortened hair cycle can continue for years (chronic telogen effluvium).

After the Telogen phase the cycle is complete and the hair goes back into the Anagen phase. New hair shafts form and older hair is pushed out and lost. The hair growth cycle then repeats.

Did you know? At any given time, a random number of hairs will be in various stages of growth and shedding.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

August and November (Braid) Updates...




These are some more pictures I found of my August update. This is at the salon in Alabama. That glob you see on me in the bottom left picture is conditioner! Also I had a bad tan from the Bahamas.






And this is a comparison of my braids from Nov 05, 2008 - Nov 22, 2008!



Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Tip:

Some Indians also use rice starch as a type of natural emulsifier to bind the herb powders together and make them easier to apply and rinse out.

Q&A On Indian herbs

Frequently asked questions about Indian oils and pastes.
*This information was copied and pasted*
Long Hair Community

"How do I get rid of the bits of herbs in my hair?"There are a few standard methods to remove excess herb debris that is left after rinsing:1) Strain the herbs so there isn't much left to remove2) Use lots of conditioner3) Soak hair in a bucket, filled sink or mermaid soak in a bath tub4) After hair dries, brush out or shake out the excess herb bits. You can hold your ends and shake your hair to get out the bits. It works pretty well.

"Will Indian herbs darken my hair?"In general, most people do not experience darkening when using Indian herbs. Factors that can increase the possibility of herbs darkening include leaving on the herbs for a long period of time and cooking herbs for extended amounts of time before application. People with light-colored hair are more likely to notice a color change, so strand testing is advised. You many find that oiling makes your hair darker, or redder. Oiling may also increase drying time.

"How much oil should I apply to my hair before washing with Indian herbs?"It is usually helpful to start off with small amounts of oil and work toward an optimal amount. A light oiling can consist of a thumbnail-sized amount or less of coconut oil or 1/2 tsp. or less of a liquid oil. Giving the oil time to soak in before washing can help ensure a thorough removal by the herbs.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

05 Nov 2008 Growth

I can't believe I have gotten this much growth. I hope too see at least a little progress when I take out these braids because this is a struggle! Since I am going home in Dec I definitely need to step up my game on the Mega-Tek. I want to get as much growth as possible.