naturalfinegeh

Been a while since I gave my hair my regular TLC , I got really really lazy and as a result, my hair fought back..... it became dry and very thirsty, the ends became very brittle and weak. As usual, I decided to fall back to my avocado hair mask treatment but unfortunately , no AVOCADO ........! So, I decided to try BANANA HAIR MASK!!! I only used banana with avocado , I never thought I could use banana for my hair.
HOW TO PREPARE

• 1 mashed banana
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 5 tablespoons olive oil

From my experience, the mask made my hair very soft and shiny, it was unbelievable ....... I will probably stick to this routine for a bit... Try IT !

• Keep your hair hydrated. The biggest struggle with transitioning your hair is preventing breakage due to damage and dryness. Use a water based leave-in conditioner on a daily basis. Every evening before bed, thoroughly incorporate either coconut oil or olive oil into your hair and let is soak for 30 minutes to an hour. This will help replenish your hair with moisture and nutrients that will strengthen the demarcation line (the part of the hair where the transition is occurring).

• When you wash your hair, add a little conditioner to your strands prior to shampooing. This will help to keep the shampoo from stripping all the moisture. Then, condition as  usual.

• Consider using a leave-in conditioner for your hair during the day. Apply some to your hair before you style it, paying careful attention to the demarcation line.

• Use a deep conditioner regularly. Deep conditioning treatments take adding moisture to a new level. Although they are typically only used once a month or so, transitioning hair needs extra conditioning and can handle the treatments more frequently. 

• Stay away from heat. In general, hot tools should be avoided if you’re trying to protect your hair. Using curling irons, flat irons, and blow driers can stress your hair and cause breakage. While transitioning your hair, do all that you can to allow it to be as natural as possible. 

• If you absolutely must use hot tools, keep them away from the demarcation line and avoid using them on your roots where your natural grow-out is forming. Remember to use a hear protect-ant.

• Limit your hair washings. This goes hand in hand with adding moisture to your hair; washing your hair frequently strips your strands of the natural oil that helps to keep it strong. Wash your hair as little as you can, using plenty of conditioner when you do. If you’re able, wash your hair once every 7-8 days so that there is plenty of time for your natural oils to thoroughly coat each strand of hair.^[1]

• Give yourself a hot oil massage. Waiting for your hair to grow out is often the most frustrating part of the growing-process. Rather than waiting idly by, you can promote new hair growth by giving yourself frequent scalp massages. Use a bit of oil (coconut, olive, avocado, etc.) warmed slightly to massage your scalp. This will stimulate the hair follicles and help the strands to grow a bit faster. Hot oil massages can be done as frequently as you would like, but should be done at least once a week for the best results.^[2]

• Avoid adding chemicals to your hair. Although it may seem like a given, you should be avoiding all relaxers and perms when trying to transition your hair. In addition, stay away from hair dyes  as these cause significant damage to your hair, causing it to break and become frizzy. 

Steaming is a process that every "naturalista" should include in their hair routine. It means adding moisture in the form of moist heat (steam) to the hair strands. This can be done different ways .You can use  a handheld hair steamer or a standing steamer.
Why should i steam?1. Helps reduce breakage: the steam  adds moisture to the hair  and thus can make dry, brittle and thirsty hair supple and hydrated.
2. Lifts the cuticle to allow product/ingredient absorption: the heat from the steam raises the hair cuticles, which makes products absorb easily into the hair. This is particularly helpful for low porosity hair because it raises the cuticles for better absorption of products.
3. Enables hair stretching, less shrinkage and tangles: When the hair is properly hydrated, the level of shrinkage reduced.
4. Helps clean the scalp and promote hair growth: the warmth from the steam fights  through some product build-up/dirt on the scalp, making it easier to keep your scalp clean. A clean scalp is a healthy scalp which means  healthy growth. The warmth also helps stimulate blood flow in the scalp which again helps with hair growth.

                                     

How often should you steam?

This depends on how dry your hair feels, how often you need to wash your hair and how difficult/easy it is for products such as deep conditioners, leave-in conditioners etc. to penetrate your hair strands. You can steam 1-2 times weekly, it totally depends on how your hair feels.I steam every weekend and this has made my hair more elastic and hydrated.

Here's a list of some essentials 

•  Iron rat tail comb

• Hair scissors  and hand held mirror

•  Spray bottle

• Bobby pins –open and closed bobby pins

• Hair bands

Bantu knot is something that has always caught my fancy. It is simple to do and the results are absolutely amazing. Have you ever wondered why your bantu knot never dries out well especially for a 4c hair type? This is because you use to many products to twist and knot. Refer to the previous post on how to know your hair type...

http://naturalfinegeh.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-know-your-natural-hair-type.html


Owing to the thickness and density of 4c hair, you do not need too many products to set your bantu knot,  just WATER! I struggled with this for years until I finally tried just water and a sealant ...........result was excellent.

1. Wash hair and air dry .
2. Whilst hair is still damp, partition in small sections.
3. Apply a sealant to sectioned hair and do a tight two way twist. You can use raw African shea butter as sealanr (ori).
4. wrap twist several times round until it form a knot.
5. Tie hair with a silk/satin scarf before going to bed.
6. Before you undo twist in the morning, rub bantu knot with a light weight oil eg coconut /argan oil.
7. Undo twists gently........
8. Simple right......

Your Options In Natural Hairstyles

Is this you? No shame in admitting because this used to be me , yep. I cried for months from combing my hair, combs broke in my hair, I tried everything and almost gave up! One merry day I discovered the secret to softer and more manageable hair! Are you interested? Read on.......

source The natural haven

1. Always have your hair in a protective style before going to bed or else your hair will be stiff and shrink beyond recognition in the morning . You can do  two way twist or three way braid(calabar).
2. Deep condition more often. Constant deep conditioning makes the hair softer and loosens up the coils.
3. Always apply a leave in conditioner . Leave in conditioners makes your hair soft instantly! Yes it works like magic...so you should invest in a very good leave in conditioner. Ensure to buy water based leave in conditioners, this keeps the hair hydrated.
4. Apply shea butter, popularly known as "ori"...I use this mostly when I am braiding my hair, my stylist applies it to my hair before cutting it in portions to braid. Combing my hair without shea butter brings me to tears no jokes...

African shea butter