Take Care of Your Hair
In 2017, I shaved my head. Bald. On Facebook Live.
My long hair hating the humidity at a wedding in Hawaii in 2015
My hair was relaxed, bleached 7+ times in the course of 3 months, and dyed bright aqua. It felt like straw and looked like a wig you’d buy on Halloween.
Repeat after me: Coconut Oil does not fix everything!
For my hair, I only use Coconut Oil in my hair before I go swimming in a pool or the ocean. Otherwise, I find it does little to help with dryness, and can actually make things worse (for me).
My hair is dark dark brown, naturally around 3A or 3B-ish in type (aka CURLY), VERY thick, VERY porous, and I have A LOT OF IT. I once shaved 70% of my head and no one noticed - A LOT.
I’ve struggled with my hair my whole life; drying it, de-tangling it, styling it, trying to make it look like what I saw in magazines. My hair hates being told what to do, and hates humidity even more. Living on the Eastern Coast of the States or in France, things were messy. My long, full head of hair could be wet for a whole day. My hair has grown to just about my chin, and I have about 60% of the sides on bottom shaved off. I also live in the desert now, so drying it is easy. I just walk out of the shower!
Since shaving it, I’ve been VERY careful about my hair. Air drying, not too much heat when I do straighten it, it’s not dyed, etc.
EVERYDAY MAINTENANCE:
I brush my hair a lot. I use a wooden brush for when my hair is extra oily or wet, and a boar bristle brush for when it is dry. I brush my hair before I shower/get it wet because otherwise I would have a poofy mess.
I wash my hair about 2x a week (your hair may need more or less washing). I use natural, gentle shampoos that I change once the bottle is 1/2 full - or about once a month. Right now, I’m using Acure shampoo/conditioner. I shower at night, so if I need my hair looking cute while curly I wet it in the morning with a spray bottle and some Rose Water.
After washing, I towel or air dry, running A LOT of oil through it. I use Argan Oil, but again your hair type may need more or less moisturizing power. Remember, more moisture is not always better. if you have straight / fine hair, oil will weigh it down and make it look greasy. If you have 4c hair, you may take care of it completely differently.
MASKS:
Maybe once every two months, I’ll do a mask. My hair isn’t damaged anymore (since I shaved it) so it’s not as dry. Feel free to let me know what works for your hair (for example, some people are fine with a coconut oil mask once a month). My masks can be olive oil with an egg whipped together and put in for 12-24 hours, or I melt some honey into water, let it cool, and use it as a rinse. It depends on my issues, but right now with my hair care regimen I don’t need it as much.
HAIR GROWTH:
WARNING: TURMERIC WILL STAIN EVERYTHING YOU LOVE
Once a month, I do a Castor Oil treatment on my scalp to help with growth. Thinning isn’t a problem with my hair, but I like to stay on top of it. Sometimes I add Turmeric and Ginger powder to promote blood flow to the area. I dump the oil on my scalp and massage it into the skin, leaving it on for as long as possible (sometimes I start one morning, leave it in all night, and wash out the NEXT night). This is for hair growth; I do not focus on working this down to the ends of the hair, but if you like the way it makes your hair feel after washing, go for it.
DANDRUFF:
Sometimes (mostly after having an allergic reaction to something) I get an itchy scalp. My step-brother gets dandruff. He actually inspired me to write this article after making him a list of products to get rid of his flakes. It happens. The number one thing that will help: Tea Tree Oil.
For my step-brother, when he came to visit I put some Tea Tree and Neem Oil in Coconut Oil and made him wear it all day. I did this for a week. I also sent him home with Castor Oil to put in his hair once a week. I also advised him to wash his hats with Tea Tree, and to spray his bike helmet with a water mixture. My step-brother has very fine, mousy brown, thinning, 3B-3C hair.
If your dandruff is terrible, try cutting out sugar and/or getting a food allergy test. I’ve heard an apple cider vinegar rinse helps, but I hate the smell and since changing my diet I haven’t had much of an issue.