Hair

Curly Reggie and Products 2014

A new year can often mean that a new regimen is in order. Although I have what I consider to be my tried and true methods for obtaining and maintaining a healthy head of hair (See My Regimen for Long, Strong, Natural Hair), I must say that I have done away with a lot of my former habits and have adopted a much simpler routine.

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My Regimen for Long, Strong, Natural Hair

Lord knows I have experienced several ups and downs in my hair care journey. Even at times when I knew better, I suffered setbacks thanks to laziness and lack of care. Over the years, I've experimented with tons of products, tools and techniques. If I've learned anything throughout this little adventure of mine, it's the products, care and styles that work best for my hair.

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How I Heat Protect & Air Dry

Many of you have asked me to demonstrate how I prep and protect my hair for heat styling. Although I've shared the process through pictures and words in my How I Air Dry My Hair Prior to Straightening post, I finally went ahead and put together this video tut for you. Enjoy!

Healthy Hair Quiz

I stumbled upon this quiz while surfing the net the other day and thought it would be fun to share. It's basically a healthy hair quiz. Although it only covers a few basic questions, I think it will give you a general idea of how well you treat your hair.

Q and A Volume 8

Q&A Vol 8: Hot Oil, Deep Conditioning & Hair Dye

The latest installment of my Q&A series answers questions pertaining to deep conditioning treatments and the damaging effects of hair dye. Since some of my subscribers have asked that I do a video tutorial on my pre-poo olive oil treatment, I thought this would be the perfect time for a demonstration. Enjoy!

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Hair Throughout The Ages 

 

From infancy up, our hair can go through many changes. It's said that our hair actually changes, on average, every seven years. Just as our body ages and can go through different phases due to hormonal changes, so does our hair.

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Thick Hair, Thin Edges

In this video I share my postpartum hair wins and losses, as well as what I've been doing to encourage hair retention. Unfortunately, many women suffer from thin edges, and I wish to share some information that may assist in their regrowth efforts.

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Ingredients: Use at Your Own Risk

When I was twelve years old, my mother allowed my girlfriend's mother to straighten my hair. When I say this woman could press some hair, I mean she could press some hair! There are fully licensed stylists who don't know how to do a good press, but my friend's mother could get your hair so straight that it looked like a relaxer. Although this was many moons ago, I still recall the product she used to achieve a silky smooth look: Hair Culture Solution by Lustrasilk.

For years I wondered what this stuff was, since it's not a cream, oil, or serum. It's a pure liquid that you're supposed to apply to damp hair prior to drying and straightening. The only thing I hated about the process was that this product would sting something awful! That's mainly because my friend's mom would scrub my scalp so hard to get my hair squeaky clean, and then spray the solution on my hair, which would get into what I'm sure were open cuts on my scalp. Well as they say, no pain, no gain, 'cause despite the torture I had to endure, my hair came out looking fantastic!

Recently, I was very happy and eager to purchase some of this elusive product when I spotted it on the shelf at my local beauty supply store. I was going to use it on my mom's hair to straighten it, but something told me to do an ingredient search first. After all, I wouldn't put anything on anyone else's hair that I wouldn't put on my own. I've always heard that the first five ingredients of any product are the most crucial, so when I saw that something as harmless as water was the first ingredient, I assumed I was on the right track...

The second ingredient in this product is acetamide, and after doing a Google search, I discovered this bit of info:

• This ingredient is authoritatively recognized to cause cancer, according to the State of California (Proposition 65).
• This ingredient is suspected of causing skin or sense organ toxicity, according to sources compiled by Scorecard (www.scorecard.org)

(Source: www.goodguide.com)

Now, I'm sure I've used many makeup and hair care products that contain carcinogens, but to know it definitely makes you pump the breaks. Needless to say, I won't be using this product on my mama or daddy for that matter, LOL! So ladies, I've said all that to say this: please beware and be aware of product ingredients. As G.I. Joe used to say, "Knowing is half the battle."

XOXO,

DPrincess28

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Winter Hair Survival Kit

With winter comes low temperatures and harsh winds, which can wreak havoc on our tresses. We're just entering winter, and I'm already noticing that my scalp is becoming extremely dry. It is therefore imperative that I adjust my regimen to accommodate the change in season. If I had to put together a healthy hair survival kit for the winter, it would include the following items/practices:

#1. A good moisturizing, deep conditioning treatment. True, moisturizing deep conditioning treatments are great year round, but they're especially important during the cold winter months when the cold from outdoors and heat from indoor heaters seek to dry out strands. Deep conditioners not only infuse moisture into the cuticle, but also alleviate a dry scalp. I would recommend using Organic Root Stimulator's Olive Oil Replenishing Pak; Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Neutrogena's Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner (they also have a dry scalp shampoo); and any conditioner that contains tea tree oil (For more info on the healing properties of tea tree oil, check out The Healing Power of Tea Tree Oil).

#2. A Moisturizer to protect the ends daily. There are a plethora of moisturizers on the market to choose from, but I would highly suggest using one that is light enough to use daily. If you choose one that is too heavy, it will weigh down the hair, causing it to look lifeless and limp. Pure coconut oil, Bronner Bros. Oil Moisturizer Hair Lotion, and Hawaiian Silky's 14-in-1 Miracle Worker are three moisturizers that I've used that fit the bill. Yet, as I stated earlier, there are several on the market to choose from, so you just need to find one that works for you.

#3. A light scalp oil. I hardly, if ever, put anything on my scalp throughout the year, but my scalp and skin are becoming excessively dry as the temperature continues to drop. Hollywood beauty carries olive, carrot, and tea tree oils that are so lightweight, they absorb quickly into the scalp. Vitamin E oil is also a great option. I would highly recommend using these over a heavy oil/grease that can cause the hair to become greasy and limp. I would also avoid using a water based moisturizer that can cause your hair to revert at the roots if worn straight.

#4. Protective Styles. Although I'm not a big fan of protective styles, as I enjoy wearing my hair out and down and do so most of the time, protecting the ends is crucial during these cold winter months. Any style that hides the ends of your hair, whether it be a bun or even a simple ponytail with the ends tucked under, is great for ensuring that the ends of the hair don't dry out and split excessively.

#5. Ban the blow dryer! The heat from a blow dryer can dry out the ends of the hair on any given day, but it is especially harsh during the cold winter months. Avoiding heat as much as possible will help keep the ends from drying out, as the cold weather is already doing a good job of that! Thus, if you wish to straighten your hair, opt for air drying.

#6. A diet rich in protein. Remember, hair is mainly made of protein, so eating a diet rich in protein will help keep it strong and healthy, not to mention shiny :-). For those of you who don't eat meat, be sure to incorporate protein rich alternatives such as nuts, tofu, quinoa, and beans.

What steps are you ladies taking to protect your hair during the winter that aren't mentioned here?

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10 Foods for Healthy Hair

Last winter I made a video titled, "Healthy Hair Tip: Eat Your Wheaties ;)," in which I explained the importance of nutrition when it comes to maintaining overall health -- and a healthy head of hair. Although I talked about diet and vitamins, it seems the one thing people took from that video was to take a multivitamin. True, vitamins are great in terms of filling in for deficiencies, but they will never compensate for a poor diet. You must eat right and obtain essential nutrients from food in order to keep your heart pumping! As blood continues to flow efficiently throughout the body, one's scalp will be nourished and also benefit from the nutrients in the blood stream.

A recent article on Yahoo! Shine stresses the importance of a healthy diet when it comes to achieving and maintaining a healthy head of hair. 10 Foods for Healthy Hair details all the foods you should try to incorporate in your diet and why. So, if your hair is shedding or just dull and lifeless, you may need to switch your focus away from the hair care aisle and instead head to the grocery store for the foods that will cure your hair care woes from the inside out.

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Protection for Fine Hair

Fine hair is susceptible to damage, even moreso than coarse hair. Thus, us fine-haired ladies must take special precautions to guard against stressing out our fragile strands. Below is a snippet of an article I found on Yahoo! Shine that addresses fine hair and the ways one can protect it from the stress of daily styling.

"Superfine may be a desirable descriptor when it comes to your looks -- but just not your locks. Unfortunately, lackluster hair is an irreversible malady for many women. 'Fine hair is something you are born with!' says Ricardo Rojas, owner of the eponymous Manhattan salon. To get the most out of what you have -- no matter how little -- healthy hair is key.

'Breakage is a common concern for women with fine hair,' says Rojas, who has given a boost to everyone from Natasha Bedingfield to Kate Moss. And it should be -- weak hair not only looks lifeless, but constant breakage naturally results in hair loss. For proper strength straining, Rojas recommends bulking up with regular deep conditioning treatments and says to lay off the straightening irons and tight buns and ponytails."

Read the full article here: Healthier Hair Solutions for Lackluster Hair.

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How I Air Dry My Hair Prior to Straightening

In my latest YouTube video, "Take Back Your Hair" and Cut The Crease with Wine & Roses, I mention that I air dried my hair prior to straightening it with my GVP Generic Chi flat iron. The steps I took to prep my hair for flat ironing are detailed below:

#1. I washed my hair with my One 'n Only Ceramic Silk Thermal Protection Shampoo, then deep conditioned it with Organic Root Stimulator's Olive Oil Replenishing Pak. I used the method I shared in my How to Cheat a Deep Conditioning Treatment post.

#2. After towel drying my hair, I parted it into four sections and distributed about a quarter sized amount of One 'n Only Ceramic Silk Thermal Protection Ironing Crème to each section. I then gathered my hair into a ponytail to allow it to air dry.

#3. After my hair was about 80% dry, I took it out of the ponytail so that it could continue drying.

#4. As bedtime approached, I decided to spritz some Megasilk Olive Heat Protection Spray on my hair so that it could soak in. Doing this versus spraying it on each section of hair prior to flat ironing eliminated the greasy residue that the Megasilk can leave behind. After I combed the product through, I sectioned my hair into three buns.

Can you believe I got all this:

Into these tiny buns??

#5. I wrapped my hair in my satin bonnet and went to bed. The next morning, I took the buns out and flat ironed my hair.

Eliminating the use of a blow dryer greatly reduces the amount of heat used during the straightening process. Although this process takes a lot longer (two days versus a matter of hours), it's worth it because it's a lot healthier for the hair!

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How to Cheat a Deep Conditioning Treatment

Heat is an important part of the deep conditioning process because it opens up the hair shaft and allows the conditioner to penetrate. Conversely, using cool water to rinse out the conditioner is important because it seals the hair shaft, giving the tresses a shiny, healthy look. Normally, I sit under a hooded dryer for about ten minutes or so to allow the conditioner to process. Yesterday however, we reached scorching hot temperatures, so the last thing I felt like doing was sitting under the dryer and getting fried to death.

A simple way to include heat in the deep conditioning process without using a hooded dryer is to take a towel and heat it. I assume you could use a warm towel fresh from the dryer, but since that wasn't an option for me, I simply took a towel and drenched it in hot water:

I distributed some Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Pak throughout my hair with a wide tooth shower comb, then placed a processing cap on my head:

I removed the towel from the sink and squeezed most of the water out. I then took the towel and wrapped it around my head on top of the processing cap:

Please excuse the greasy face in this pic! I had just stepped out of the shower, so my face was freshly moisturized with no powder, LOL! Anyways, I kept the towel on for ten minutes or so, and the cool thing was I didn't lose any time, as I was able to pluck my brows and check my email while at the same time treat my hair.

This may not be as effective as sitting under the dryer, but it's how I "cheat" my way through the deep conditioning process.

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Hair Q&A

In Hype Hair magazine, readers are given an opportunity to ask questions regarding hair care. Although I've given out a ton of advice regarding hair care both here and on my YouTube channel, I've mentioned many times that I am not a licensed cosmetologist. I therefore love it whenever I see a hair care article by a professional that validates a lot of the advice that I've dished out.

Below are two questions that were answered in the August/Fall 2009 issue of Hype Hair magazine ("Hair Q&A," page 28). One is regarding weaves, and the other hair breakage. I know I've answered these questions before, but I wanted to share with you what the pros have to say regarding these issues.

Question: I want to get a hair look like Kelly Rowland's. She wore her hair in a jet-black shade with long layers. I am going to achieve it with a weave. Since this is an investment, how long can I leave a weave in my hair?
Answer: The length of time that you can leave your weave or extensions in varies. It can be anywhere between 4 and 12 weeks. However, this depends upon how the hair is maintained as well as the natural growth of the hair. To get the most out of your weave, visit your professional hair designer regularly. Maintenance is key, and we advise seeing your stylist every two weeks as you would with your own hair. Your hairstylist can check for slippage. Often consumers pop sewing thread when they comb their hair. Then the track becomes loose. Your stylist can check for such things and prevent tracks from coming out.

Question: What steps can I take at home to reduce hair breakage?
Answer: First, talk to your doctor before introducing any vitamins into your diet. That said, hair vitamins could provide your body with important nutrients that can help supply the body with more of what it needs to grow hair. Poor nutrition and lack of proper vitamins can have adverse effects on hair growth. After doing your routine shampoo and moisturizing conditioning treatment, apply a leave-in hair strengthener such as Infusium 23 Moisturizing Leave-in Treatment. This product is great for dry and unmanageable hair. Infusium 23 Moisturizing Leave-in Treatment instantly repairs and strengthens damaged hair, moisturizes hair from root to tip and detangles wet or dry hair instantly.

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Exercise & Hair

A lot of ladies have asked me how I maintain my straight hair during and after a workout. In this video, I demonstrate what I do with my hair before, during, and after I exercise. More importantly, I talk about the significance of exercise and how critical it is that each and every one of us make a conscious effort to incorporate some form of physical activity into our daily lives.

Exercise and Hair


Although I sweated out my roots, I was still able to rock my straight locks. After touching up the front (basically my bangs) with a curling iron, I was ready to move on with my day! Here are some pics of the aftermath:



Remember, health should always trump vanity. Besides, when you take control of your heath, you'll not only feel better, but you'll look better too!

Hair

Protecting Your Hair From Chlorine

Summertime brings the heat, and most of us want nothing more than to throw on a bikini and jump in the nearest pool to keep cool. Aside from providing relief from the warm weather, swimming can also help you maintain your bikini body, as it is a great, low impact workout. Yet, whether one chooses to take a dip in the pool to keep cool or get a workout, protecting one's hair while swimming is important, for chlorine can wreak havoc on our tresses.

Some ladies have asked me what I do to protect my hair while I swim, and although I've answered this question on an individual basis several times, I have yet to do a post. Thus, I think it's important to know that the best way for anyone to protect their hair while swimming is to wet it prior to getting into the pool. Our hair is very porous, so if it is already soaking wet, it can't absorb as much chlorinated water as it would if one were to jump into the pool with dry hair. Now, I've seen a lot of ladies of different races put baby oil or some type of oil in their hair to protect it from chlorine's harsh effects. Yet, I hate the fact that so many women do that to the point where the oil builds up in the pool, making it a cloudy, oily mess!

I was reading the latest issue of US Weekly, and in their article, "Get Hot Hair by the Pool," (June 29, 2009, pg. 76) celebrity hair stylist Mark Townsend offered this advice for prepping one's hair for swimming:

"Before jumping in, make sure to drench your locks with fresh water. 'Hair that's already saturated absorbs fewer chemicals.'"

Furthermore, Warren-Tricomi Los Angeles stylist Kaz Amor had this to offer: "If your hair is porous, 'seal hair shafts with a drop of neem or argan oil from the health-food store.'"

Do you hear that ladies? If you opt to add oil for protection, you only need a drop! Others advise using a leave-in conditioner in place of oil, but that's up to each individual's discretion. Remember, no matter what you choose to put in your hair prior to getting into the pool, be sure to wash all the chlorine out when you're done. Sally's carries a swimmer's shampoo, but a good clarifying shampoo will also do the trick.

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Wanakee: My Hair Role Model

Last week I did a post on Wanakee, former spokesmodel for the Verifen Complex hair care system. I mentioned in my post titled Cathy Howse vs. Wanakee that Wanakee was one of the biggest black hair care gurus of the early 90s. I was surprised to see how many of you had never heard of her or Cathy Howse. Back when I was just twelve years old, Wanakee served as a great inspiration for me. I thought she and her hair were absolutely gorgeous, so of course I wanted to learn how to take care of my hair so that it could be just as long and healthy as hers one day.

As you all know, I've had my ups and downs when it comes to caring for my hair. I feel like I'm in a down cycle now that I'm trying to recover from the heat damage I've incurred over the past year. I really do want to take all the lessons I've learned and use it to not only help others in their hair care journey, but to also ensure that I NEVER incur damage of any kind again. In order to do that though, I know there are some key things I must do. Avoiding heat as much as possible is one of them. Below are the healthy hair care tips that Wanakee highlighted in the Verifen Complex brochure I acquired years ago. I believe these tips to be universal truths when it comes to attaining and maintaining a healthy head of hair. Her advice is as follows:

#1. Have all dry, damaged ends trimmed away. Then, trim healthy ends regularly every 6 to 8 weeks before they split. (trimming only 1/8 to ¼ of an inch. Remember, if your hair grows 1 inch in 8 weeks and you trim ¼ of an inch, you've gained ¾ of an inch of healthy hair. It may not seem like much, but the inches add up before you know it).

#2. Wash and condition hair at least once every 7 days (waiting longer than this between washings may cause hair to become overly dry and the scalp to become itchy and irritated).

#3. Keep hair lightly protected with Wanakee Oil for the Hair daily (especially the ends. The oil acts on hair much the same way lip gloss does on lips, effectively preventing dryness) and when using heat implements to straighten or curl hair.

#4. As often as possible, wear hair in "protective styles" (this is extremely important in preventing split ends and acquiring noticeable length. The more protective styling, the less ends dy, split and break).

#5. Whenever possible, sleep with hair wrapped or tied up as protection against movement during sleep (be creative, make it look like a daytime style. For example, using a wide spandex band helps prevent hairline movement, while an extra-fine hairnet wrapped around a bun is practically invisible as it stops the ends from rubbing. Night wraps need not be grounds for divorce).

#6. Understand that your hair is growing, and that a healthy state and length is not up to your hair, but is up to you (so be encouraged that your hair will definitely respond to consistent care).

Now obviously, you can adhere to these methods by using products of your choice. As I mentioned in my previous post, I never tried any of the Verifen Complex products, although I did follow Wanakee's advice to a T. I especially love that she advocates regular trims, although I do believe that you can reduce the frequency with which you trim your ends the more you abstain from heat. I've said many times now that I honestly believe that my ends are much healthier and for longer periods of time now that I use little to no heat on my hair. I also love how she mentioned that tying your hair up at night shouldn't be grounds for divorce, as we want to keep our hair healthy, but don't want to look a hot mess doing so, LOL!

I think what impressed me the most about Wanakee's philosophy on hair care is that she really broke down in simple terms how our hair grows and how important it is for us to take care of it in order to retain length. In other words, although she did promote products that she felt assisted the hair in staying healthy, she never made any claims that the products she sold would in fact help one's hair grow. This is what she had to say about hair growth in general:

"Many hair products claim to make hair grow. But the simple truth is that hair growth is an internal function of the body. The body produces this growth at a certain rate of speed, much the same way it does the fingernails. External shampoos and conditioners don't speed that growth rate. Quality hair products are formulated to help you preserve and protect the growth that has already occurred…

Your roots have a life of their own, as you already know if you've ever had a relaxer or permanent color. Touch-ups are needed frequently as evidence that the body is busily producing hair growth. But, it is vital to focus on and protect the ends from damage. When the ends stay healthy at the same time the roots grow out, real progress becomes visible."

I agree with Wanakee 100%, which is why I believe adopting a good diet and exercise regimen is a key step in not only staying physically fit, but also for improving the overall look and feel of one's hair. After all, hair is just a byproduct of what goes into our bodies, so if we're not drinking enough water or getting the vitamins and nutrients we need to stay healthy, all our hair care efforts will really be done in vain. Many ladies ask me about what products to use on their hair to get it to grow, but as Wanakee mentioned, the products we use simply serve to preserve the beauty that already exists.

For more healthy hair tips, visit the Healthy Hair Tips section of Glorycrown.blogspot.com.

Hair

Healthy Hair Tip: Take Advantage of the Summer Heat

I'm sure many of you will be hitting the great outdoors this summer, as soaking up some sun at the beach is a favorite activity among many. Since you're going to be catching some rays, why not use that time as an opportunity to nurture your hair? Laying on the beach can be a great time to deep condition your hair, as the heat from the sun can process the conditioner just as good as any hooded dryer. Just make sure to double up on the sunblock, for the sun's rays are more powerful now thanks to global warming. Although some sun can be good for our health (We get Vitamin D from the sun), too much can be detrimental, so just be careful!

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Healthy Hair Tip: Clean Your Combs & Brushes!

Okay, so this may seem like a "duh" moment, but for those of you who may not know, it is very important to clean your combs and brushes. What purpose would it serve to have clean hair if you're going to use a dirty comb or brush that will deposit dirt and oil back into the hair?

I would strongly suggest that you clean your combs and brushes as often as you wash your hair. Below are the steps you can take to getting your combs and brushes clean so that your hair and scalp can remain fresh and healthy.

#1. Start by removing any hair that may be tangled inside your comb or brush (You don't want to clog your drain, so it's best to pick it out with your hand prior to heading to the sink).
#2. Next, pour a small amount of shampoo on your brush and comb.
#3. Place the brush under running water and start running the comb through the bristles so you can remove any dirt and grime that may be trapped inside the brush. Doing this will also help to simultaneously remove any grime that has built up in between the teeth of the comb.
#4. Once you have removed all visible residue, set your combs and brushes aside to air dry.

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Don't Pull That Pony Too Tight!!!

Constantly placing your hair in a tight ponytail can lead to a condition known as Traction Alopecia. Traction Alopecia is basically baldness that occurs as a result of too much stress being placed on the scalp. Wearing weaves back to back without allowing the hair and scalp time to recuperate can also lead to Traction Alopecia. The hair loss can become permanent if one doesn't cease wearing hairstyles that constantly place tension on the scalp. Thus, if you are noticing hair loss around your edges, or anywhere else on your head, just know that your hairstyle may be the culprit. This is why it's so important for women to switch up their hairstyle. So many women choose to wear weaves while transitioning from relaxed to natural, but be forewarned: You could lose some of that naturally curly or kinky hair before it has a chance to grow in if you're not careful.

Luckily, in some cases, Traction Alopecia can be reversed as long as one ceases wearing the hairstyle that caused the condition in the first place. In addition, that individual should immediately begin to nourish that portion of their scalp by lightly massaging it with some pure oils that are known to promote hair growth like Vitamin E.