Not Seeing Growth? Six Major Hair Killers by Omonike Anderson

1. Addictions: Yes! Alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine—when consumed in excess amounts—can rob the body of essential nutrients your hair needs to thrive. In addition, smoking has been conclusively proven to prematurely harden blood vessels, restricting blood flow and damaging capillaries (tiny blood vessels that pass blood from arteries to veins). Limited blood circulation means VERY little stimulation for hair growth. To avoid stunted growth, consume these stimulants in moderation.

2. Dehydration: Insufficient water intake not only leaves your hair dry and brittle, but can completely halt hair growth altogether. Here's why; water nurtures the cells that divide and grow your hair, so when cells aren't being adequately lubricated they cannot perform their job properly. To be certain your body is receiving sufficient water, the Institute of Medicine recommends that women consume an average of 9 cups per day while men consume an average of 13 cups.

3. Fatigue: Chronic lack of sleep can affect your body’s chemical balance, which can stunt hair growth—or even cause hair loss. Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep, but 7-9 hours of rest per night is highly recommended for adults, according to Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. Even more so, it is essential to establish a regular sleep schedule when you are guaranteed to get a quality night’s rest.

4. Laziness: Getting that blood flowing is not just good for the body, but can also work wonders for your hair. Regular exercise gives the body the circulation it needs to promote hair growth and maintain healthy tresses. Studies prove that inactivity contributes to stress which produces a hormone called cortisone. This hormone is known to stop hair follicles from growing altogether. Exercise can help combat this hormone as increased activity reduces the amount of cortisone present in the body. To be certain you are getting enough exercise, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommend working out for 30 minutes at least five times a week.

5. Nutrition Deficiency: It’s not rocket science, healthy looking hair often grows out of healthy bodies. Since your hair is the last part of your body to receive nutrients, hair growth may be stunted when there isn’t enough to go around. Eat the foods your hair loves, such as lean meat and poultry, eggs, yogurt, broccoli, spinach, and fish rich in Omega 3’s. These foods are excellent sources of protein and are proven to have positive effects on hair growth.

6. Improper Hair Care: Excessive heat, roughhousing, and failure to thoroughly moisturize are all practices that can keep the hair breaking just as quickly as it grows. Remember, your natural strands are VERY delicate and demand the proper TLC to thrive. Be sure to keep those blow dryers and flat irons under the recommended 347 degrees Fahrenheit (or low/medium setting), be gentle when handling or detangling, and always remember that dry hair is the prerequisite for breakage.

Natural Chicka's (Mae) Top 10 Tips for Natural Hair Care

I’ve compiled some tips that have helped me along my natural hair journey in hopes that it will help you too! *Mae*

1. Don’t be afraid to experiment with products and styles. You’ll learn so much about your hair!
2. Get involved with the rapidly growing online natural hair community (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, Fotki, etc.).
3. Protect your hair at night by sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase, and/or wearing a satin or silk bonnet/scarf.
4. Look for products that have a water base to moisturize your hair & remember to drink water!
5. To help with detangling, use a wide tooth comb on hair that is wet and saturated with conditioner.
6. Sample products. Try to buy sample sizes that you can test first and visit swap” parties to exchange products with friends.
7. Do Natural YOUR Way. No two heads of hair are alike, so stick with what works for you.
8. Take pictures! Documenting with photos can help you keep track of your hair journey and will remind of you of what worked and what didn’t.
9. Moderate your use of heat as excessive heat use can lead to heat damage over time, which can loosen and permanently damage your natural curl pattern.
10. Minimize breakage by ensuring that your hair is free of split ends. This can be treated with trims as needed.

HAVE FUN WITH YOUR NATURAL HAIR JOURNEY!

Types of Hair

Some have questions on what type of hair they may have. Listed below are the different hair types. Check and see which category you fit in!!!

Andre Walker, an Emmy award winner, has created a numerical system for hair typing. This system is used to simplify and provide an exact definition for each type of hair.

Type 1:This type of hair is always straight.

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Type 2: Wavy HairThis hair type is a combination of type 1 and type 3. This type of hair has a little more texture with a “S” pattern to it. Type 2 hair lays flat with the “S” form that starts from the root of the hair down to the ends. A frizzy wave can also indicate this hair type. There are three Type 2 subtypes: A, fine and thin; B, medium textured; and C, thick and coarse. Type 2A is very easy to handle. It can be blown out into a straighter style or take on a curlier look with relative ease. Types 2B and 2C are a little more resistant to styling and have a tendency to frizz.

 

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Type 3: Curly Hair
This hair type is where you will see a definite curl. If this hair type is healthy, your curls will be springy and have strong elasticity. With this hair type, the cuticle layers don’t lie as flat so the hair may not be as shiny as type 2 hair. When this hair is wet it looks straight, but when it dries the absorbed water contracts the hair into its curliest form. Humidity is no friend to type 3 hair. It will make the hair frizzy and dull looking. Your curls may then appear dry and fuzzy.

Subtypes of type 3 hair:

Sub Type 3A Very loose curls. These curls require a little moisture that will help to define your curls. Make sure this hair is not weighted down with heavy or too much product. This will shrink or tighten the curl making the hair appear shorter in length. It is recommended that this hair be air dried or diffused. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase or tying the hair with a satin wrap will reduce tangles.





Sub Type 3BHere you will see a tighter curl. More moisture is needed for this hair type along with products used to eliminate frizz. Again, let hair air dry or use a diffuser for faster drying time. A satin pillowcase or a satin scarf will reduce tangles.

Sub Type 3CKinky or very tight curls. Extra moisture is a must for type 3C hair. If the right amount of moisture is not used, the hair will easily break or appear dry and damaged.

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Type 4: Kinky HairThis is kinky, or very tightly curled hair. Generally, Type 4 hair is very wiry, very tightly coiled and very fragile. Type 4 hair has lots of strands densely packed together. Type 4 hair is the most fragile hair type. It has fewer cuticle layers, which means that it has less natural protection from the damage of combing, brushing, blow drying and straightening. There are two subtypes of Type 4 hair. Type 4A is tightly coiled hair that, when stretched, has an “S” pattern, much like curly hair. Type 4B is also tightly coiled, but has a “Z” pattern.

Do you have a hair care regiment?

I have been reading the book Grow It by Chicoro. The information in the book is very informative. In fact, I got the idea to read the book from Kimmaytube. It is one of the books that she read to help get her on the right path to grow longer, stronger, healthy hair.  While surfing the net today, I also found a website that pretty much suggest the same technique as Kimmaytube to help obtain healthy hair. I am going to share the link with you and encourage you to share your hair care regiment with the followers on this page. We can all learn from each other. I will begin next week to start the hair care regiment on the site that I will paste below. For me, the only changes will be is how I detangle my hair and my method for sealing in moisture. I hope this site help anyone who is struggling to get settled on a technique to help their hair start growing.

http://growblackhair.net/natural-haircare.php

As always, invite your family and friends to the blog. 

Peace, love and many blessings to you!

Nakia AuNaturale Davis

Come Totally Clean

I wanted to share with everyone my regiment I used today to totally clean my hair from all the buildup and oils I had been using over the last several weeks.  After I got off work, I shampooed my hair which I only do every now and then. Then I used Koils By Nature Stimulating Hair Growth Rinse which has ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) in it  

"will restore the pH balance to your hair, close the cuticle layer, creating great shine, softness, and manageability.  The normalizing effect will remove buildup & restore the hair’s natural acid mantle.  The infused nettle, burdock root and horsetail will, stimulate the scalp and follicles promoting hair growth. "

Ingredients:  purified water, organic apple cider vinegar infused with burdock root, horsetail, nettle, and essential oils.  This is directly from her website.

After rinsing out the Stimulating Hair Growth Rinse, I applied EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and her Moisturizing Shealoe Leave In Conditioner and bagged it. Went to bed for about 3 hours and woke up to rinse it out. I applied a little more of the Shealoe Leave In Conditioner after completing the wash as a leave in moisturizer. My hair is super soft. My kinks and coils are defined and softer than ever. Over the course of the last three hours, I have been doing mini two strand twist which will be my protective style for the next two-three weeks.

I am not saying that you have to use the same products that I used but it is good to use ACV for a thorough cleansing of your hair.  The Stimulating Hair Growth Rinse is only $6.00 and it is for a big bottle. I will post her website at the end of this blog.  I am currently doing my twist with AloeFlax Gel by Naturalista Cosmetics. I am already liking the feel of my twist and how they are staying so neatly in place.  And you can always just pre-poo with EVOO and a leave-in-conditioner and get the same softness. I just know how much product I put on my hair and wanted it to "Come Totally Clean" today!!!!

Websites:

http://koilsbynature.com/products.php?product=Stimulating-Hair-Growth-Rinse

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64951548/aloeflax-gel-by-naturalista-cosmetics   (currently having a buy one get one free sale for today only) And yes, I placed my order!! :)

As always, I hope this information helps with taking care of your AuNaturale hair.

Keep being the natural you!

Peace, love and many blessing!

Nakia AuNaturale Davis

Ingredients You Should Avoid

Hi Naturals,

I hope everyone is doing well. Here is a quick list of products you should look for in products you buy. Everyone has different opinions on what they consider natural. So if a product is listed that you consider okay for your hair, that is perfectly fine. This is a list of ingredients that I try to avoid. 

Ammonium lauryl sulfate, behenamidopropyl dimethylamine lactate, butyl paraben, cetyl alcohol, cocamide MEA, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, hydrolyzed protein, lauramide DEA, methyl glucose dioleate, myristamine oxide, octyl methoxycinnamate, olefin sulfonate, polysorbate 20/60, sodium cocosulfate, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, sodium myristoyl sarcosinate, soyamidopropalkonium, stearalkonium chloride, TEA (triethanolamine) lauryl sulfate...

I hope this info helps when you are on your PJ (product junkie) spree and trying to find exactly what may or may not be healthy for your hair.

Take care!!!

Peace, love and many blessings!

Nakia AuNaturale Davis 

Tips and Tricks for your hair

Hi My AuNaturale,

I hope that you are taking good care of your kinks, curls and locks but here is some tips and tricks for you to maintain healthy hair:

(1) Binding wet hair into a tight pony is a curly hair care no-no, and can cause split ends. Instead, slick wet hair back with conditioner and a little oil or gel.
(2) Avocado butter is quite effective in stretching curly hair. When hair is twisted or braided with the butter, it will generally have much less shrinkage than without it.
(3) Twist on wet hair and allow ample time for hair to completely dry. Untwisting when your hair is damp will inevitably give you the frizzies.
(4) Deep condition regularly as hair behaves best when it's nice and moisturized. DC every week for softer, more manageable hair.
(5) Co-wash or shampoo with sulfate, silicone and alcohol FREE products. When it comes to all your product try to keep it all natural.
(6) Don't EVER skip your Hair Conditioner. Opt for all natural conditioners and not just the ones that say all natural but read the ingredients.
(7) NEVER towel dry your hair. This only causes frizzness especially if you’re using a terry cloth towel. Drip dry, t-shirt dry or use a microfiber towel.
(8) It is imperative that you cover your hair while you sleep with a satin scarf or bonnet or invest in a satin pillowcase. This will not pull at the hair or absorb the moisture in the hair.
(9) Grab a spray bottle, fill it half way with water and add three tablespoons of olive oil. Shake well and use daily to add moisture to the hair. Spray liberally.
(10) The human head sheds on average 50-100 hairs each day. Detangling will help you get these hairs out and prevent tangles from reforming.

Info is the advice of Curly Nikki! She is great and has awesome hair.

Take care and you got it.......love being the natural you!

Peace, love and many blessings!

Nakia AuNaturale Davis