ph Balance and your child’s hair and scalp

The pH of a healthy adult’s scalp is between the range 4.5 to 5.5.  At this level or range the microorganisms [bacteria and fungi] that live on our scalps are regulated or under control and our scalp has a good balance.

A scalp that is not balanced or not within the ideal 4.5 to 5.5 range will be more prone to developing conditions that cause flaking, itching and infections, etc.
The pH balance or levels of our scalp is set or created by both sweat and sebum. When either sweat or sebum production is abnormal [too high or too low] the scalp pH is thrown off balance.

From age 3 to 6 months, the sebum production of a child slows significantly and stays low until the child hits puberty. This low sebum production is why babies are less prone to cradle cap after 6 months. It is believed that cradle cap is caused by the overproduction of sebum on the scalp.

Although less risk of cradle cap is a pro for lower scalp sebum production, there are also cons to it.                                                            Low sebum production causes the hair and scalp of children to be HIGHER than the ideal range. This means the microorganisms on their scalp are not as well regulated as they are on an adult’s scalp. Because of this, children are more susceptible to scalp infections and conditions like ring worm.

The increased risk of scalp infections makes having a healthy hair care regimen and practicing healthy scalp hygiene very important for children. Ideally a child’s hair should be washed once a week. For many female black children however, washing every single week is not practical especially because often, their hair is kept in twists, cornrows, single braids or other woven styles created to last for two or sometimes even three weeks. Washing their hair in those styles often results in the style becoming very rough or even unraveling partially.

These challenges do not have to prevent your child’s scalp health and hygiene from being possible.
A practical and quick way to help keep your child’s scalp clean and fight the heightened risk of infection is to use a cleansing and scalp care product such as the Infusions by Hairducation No Rinse Scalp Cleanser + Toner kids formula. The formulation of this product is non stripping so it will not deplete the little sebum that your child does have. It cleans your child’s scalp and influences its pH level so that is better regulated and less prone to scalp infection.

It is easy and convenient to put a child’s hair in braids and abandon all hair care for several weeks, the out of sight out of mind approach. An approach which has caused so many of us to have varying degrees of hair loss and hair follicle scaring from childhood.    It will be so much more difficult for our daughters to have a healthy positive relationship with their hair and see regular hair care as a normal hygiene requirement rather than a chore if this approach is adopted.


There really should be a middle ground between practicality and healthy hair care practices for black girls.

Creating a practical hair care routine, choosing styles that can be worn for a couple of weeks and combining that with innovative child friendly hair and scalp care products that make is possible for your child’s scalp to be kept clean and healthy between wash days is the much better approach.

I hope you have found this post helpful.

Lade

 

The Healthy Hair Trinity – Genetics

Hello ladies,

Happy new year!!!I hope you are happy and thriving wherever you are.

Hairducation is focused mainly on hair care, however hair care is just one of the aspects that is important to have a healthy head of hair.  I’ve come to realise that so many ladies believe that hair care alone matters when on a hair journey and although hair care is ESSENTIAL, there are other factors which will determine the state of your hair besides your hair care practices.
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Over the first few posts of 2019, I would like to give Hairducation readers a fuller picture of healthy hair.
If you follow Hairducation on Instagram you may have seen one of my IG stories last year  in which I shared that healthy and long hair is determined by three main factors: Genetics, Internal factors and external factors.  I like to call these The Healthy Hair Trinity.
I wrote a post a short while ago about these three factors which you can read by clicking on this link.  I think it makes a good introduction into The Healthy Hair Trinity series.

In today’s post, I will put up a reminder of which characteristics of our hair is determined by genetics.  The main focus of this series however is on internal factors and external factors and how these factors can either support or hinder your hairs genetic potential.

 

GENETICS & YOUR HAIR


The vast majority of the physical characteristics of our hair is determined by our genetic make up
Some of these characteristics includes

  • The colour of our hair
  • The texture and thickness of our hair strands
  • Density (number of strands)
  • How long our hair can grow and the speed of our hair growth                                                                                 

I once had a client who decided to transition to natural hair.  When she told me she had decided to transition, she sent me pictures of the type of hair she wanted to grow.  Predictably it was the Tracee Ellis Ross-esque curly kind of hair.  I had to burst that bubble and explain that her natural hair type would be determined by mother nature.

Focusing too much on another person’s hair may prevent you from embracing the qualities and beauty of yours.  Altering our genes is not really an option so accepting your hair type (either in its virgin or relaxed state) is very important.
What I find fascinating is that many ladies may never know what their hair’s true genetic characteristics are. This is because of the variety of internal and external factors that are preventing them from realising it potential.


So by now I’am sure you’re wondering what these internal and external factors are!!!!!
My next post will focus on internal factors, the significant impact they have on the “reality” of our hair and what control we have over these factors.  It will be a good read if I dare say so myself.

 

See you soon

X

Lade

Hair Update : 6 Months Post Relaxer Rant

 

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Hi ladies,

Its been a little while since my last hair update.  Somehow, I’ve found myself at 6 months post relaxer again despite saying over and over that stretching this long probably isn’t the best for my hair.  Unfortunately, my schedule meant I kept pushing it further and further back.  However going forward, I am determined to reduce the length of my stretch to 4 months…..okay maybe 5 months

I wanted to share pictures of my hair at this stage, to show that, its not easy and its not pretty.  It’s the usual things I complain about, the tangles and matting, the fact that wash day becomes a major chore, constantly fighting dryness and because I have so much volume at my roots, my ends look rather thin and damaged in comparison.
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I took the pictures in this post about a week after washing.  I was supposed to put it in box braids (with no extensions) day or two after washing but couldn’t because life happened.  I had moisturised and detangled my hair about an hour before taking the pictures and I could already feel it beginning to clump and matt a little which you can see  in one of the pictures below.

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When I have a lot of new growth, my hair tends to matt quite badly if I wear it loose for a few days.  And when I say loose, I mean in a bun or faux bob style, I wouldn’t dare wear it down  or completely loose because I know I’d probably end up with locked hair and a trip to the barbers. I have to be very thorough and gentle when detangling, which with so much new growth, can be ridiculously time consuming, frustrating and frankly, it is not practical for my lifestyle and work load.

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You can see that my hair is beginning to clump and matt/tangle in this picture

Hair with a lot of new growth is very fragile and must be treated with extreme care to avoid breakage.  Also, day to day manipulation should be avoided when deep into a stretch. And this is WHY I need wigs to help me get through my stretches.  I simply refuse to spend so much time on my hair daily.  When my hair is in box braids under my wigs, I can focus on moisturising and sealing and because my hair is confined within the box braids, it no longer tangles.  However, I still spend good time and care detangling when I eventually undo the box braids to wash my hair.  I don’t enjoy wash days at all when I am deep into my stretch, but I suppose I only wash once in two weeks so it’s not too bad.

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So yes, this post is a major rant or vent of how much I don’t like stretching excessively.   Sorry 😊 How long was your longest stretch?  Were you able to manage it well and avoid breakage?  Share your tops for getting through your relaxer stretches.

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My next post will be an educative one about drying your hair.  Micro fibre versus towels versus t shirts and how to use them correctly.  Its going to be a good post.

See you soon

x

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow

Ready Steady: Preparing your Hair for Relaxing and Permanent Hair Colours

 

Hello Ladies,

‘My hair is breaking!! I don’t know what happened, its been breaking so much and I don’t know why’ .
Lade, can you tell me how to make the breakage stop?

This is a question and scenario I have heard and been in so many times.   Each time I am faced with this question, I take a deep breath and ask myself, where do I start from? How do I explain that there are so many things that can cause hair to break and in most cases it usually isn’t one thing.

I will write more posts about breakage, the numerous things that can cause it and how best to prevent it.  In this post, I will discuss one of the most hidden reasons for damage and breakage and how to avoid it.

One of the biggest game changers and key contributors to my success on my quest for healthy and long hair was learning that hair must be prepared for relaxing or colour processing.    When I began my hair journey and took every aspect of it seriously, I stopped the habit of removing my hair from extensions and relaxing it the same day or the day after.   I did the right things instead.  Keep reading if you want to learn more 😊

 
Why Hair Should Be Prepared for Chemical Services
Relaxers and chemical hair dyes break down some of the protein bonds in the cortex layer (inner layer) of our hair and unfortunately this makes our hair weaker.  Relaxers and hair dyes are harsh processes and if done on hair that isn’t strong enough to withstand the process, will result in more protein breakdown than would have occurred had the hair been prepared correctly.  So yes relaxers and colours weaken the hair but the weakness will be a lot worse if you don’t complete some steps 4 to 7 days prior.

Now if you don’t prepare your hair for a chemical service your hair will not disintegrate or fall apart on relaxer or colour day.  As a matter of fact, it may even look great and feel great on relaxer or colour day and in the initial weeks afterwards.  Overtime (months and years) however, the hair will become so weak and damaged it will eventually break  and each strand will become thinner too. So ladies if you notice that your relaxed or coloured hair is beginning to break more and more and you can’t figure out why, note that incorrect preparation for the chemical process may be just one of the many reasons your hair is breaking.

My hair after my Ready Steady wash day. PS – excuse the corny hand on shoulder pose. I was hiding my underwear 🙂

How to Prepare Hair for Relaxing
For ladies who are new to Hairducation, I’d like to make it clear that contrary to popular belief, hair should not be very dirty before a chemical process.  Preparing hair for relaxing should begin 4 to 7 days before the relaxer or colour treatment.  A cleanse to remove build up from hair should be completed and this must be followed with a conditioning treatment that will fortify the keratin levels in the hair.  In other words, it isn’t your regular wash and condition day. This is one of the many reasons why we offer a variety of wash days at Hairitage.  We have a wash and condition treatment called Ready Steady which was designed specifically to be completed by ladies in advance of their relaxing or colouring services.

After the wash day, wait 4 to 7 days before you proceed to relaxing or colouring your hair.   You should leave your hair alone in those 4 to 7 days and avoid any intricate hair style that may stress or irritate your scalp.  A simple bun or goddess braids would be ideal.  Essential oils should be avoided that week too.
I will be relaxing my hair very soon after almost 7 months and I have completed my own Ready Steady wash day.  Cannot wait!!!!!

Do you prepare your hair for relaxing or permanent colour treatments? Yes or no??

My next post will be my relaxer update post and I’ll be sharing a bit about some major challenges I’ve faced with my hair over the last year and how I have overcome them.  Come back soon ladies!!!

Happy hair journey

x

Lade

 

 

The Benefits and Challenges of Natural and Relaxed Hair

Image source: Pinterest

 

 

Hello ladies,

I wrote a post while back about the differences between natural and relaxed hair regimens to help readers understand that there are many similarities in caring for both hair types.  If you would like to read that post please click here.

Working with so many ladies on their hair journey over the years via my consultation service, I have noticed the high volume of ladies transitioning from relaxed to natural.  A new thing I’ve noticed however is the increasing number of ladies going back to relaxing after being natural for a few years.  I get the feeling that in a few of these cases, some of these ladies are looking for a way out of hair care and think that swapping one hair type for the other will release them from the task of caring for their hair.

The reality is that both virgin and relaxed hair have their challenges and, in this post, I set out some the benefits and challenges of both hair types.

 

Benefits of Virgin (Natural) Hair

1) Natural hair that is well cared for is structurally stronger and healthier that relaxed/texlaxed hair that is well cared for.

2) Natural hair has a high level of elasticity which helps it fight breakage.

3) Natural hair fibres tend to have better volume, body and bounce than relaxed hair.

4) Versatility – Natural hair can be worn in straight hair styles and if healthy should revert to its kinky, coily and curly state when washed. Please note that the excessive use of heat can alter the texture ofnatural hair and in some cases, the hair may not fully revert to its original texture.

5) Natural hair has a  beautiful and unique hair texture

 

Challenges of Virgin (Natural) hair

1) Although shrinkage is an indicator of healthy hair, natural hair that is left in its shrunken and compacted state for an extensive period will form knots, tangles and single strand knots.  Trying to detangle hair that is badly tangled and knotted usually results in some breakage.  For this reason, it is important for natural hair, when being worn loose, to be stretched out regularly.

2)  The structure of natural hair makes it prone tangling and knotting on itself and this makes it more susceptible to breakage from manipulation.  Combing and styling of natural hair must be done gently and only after being moisturised and detangled to reduce the risk of breaking.

3) Natural hair can be a bit more time consuming to detangle, comb and style than relaxed hair.  A key factor is the need to first stretch the hair before many styles can be created.  Some styles also require the use of many heavy gels and products to make edges sleek or make coils/curls pop however not all natural ladies go for that look.

4) Ladies who chose to wear their natural hair straight often achieve this look by using high levels of heat and this can result in heat damaged hair.

 

 

Benefits of Relaxed/Texlaxed Hair

1) Relaxed hair is less prone to knotting and tangling on itself because the relaxing process removes majority of the kinks and bends in natural hair fibres.  This reduces the risk of breakage from manipulation and some ladies find it easier to retain length when their hair is relaxed.

2) There is less risk of single strand knots forming and there is no need to continually stretch relaxed hair. Although relaxed hair, especially if texlaxed does experience some level of shrinkage, it is not at degrees as high as that of natural hair.

3) Relaxed hair is less time consuming. Simple styles can be created without the need to stretch the hair first.

4) Relaxed hair is faster to detangle and comb.  Please note that texlaxed hair, depending on how much texture is left in the hair and the length of the hair can be time consuming to detangle.

5) Versatility: relaxed hair when texlaxed can have the appearance and features of natural hair but can also be sleek and smooth like relaxed hair using very little to no heat.

 

Challenges of Relaxed/Texlaxed Hair

1) Relaxed/texlaxed hair is structurally weaker than natural hair.  The relaxing process breaks down the protein in hair fibres and this weaker structure increases the risk of breakage.

2) Relaxed hair has lost some of its natural elasticity and this also increases the risk of breakage.  Ladies who relax their hair should never allow their hair to become 100% straight when relaxing.  The maximum level of straightness should be approximately 80% so that there is some elasticity left in the hair.  The more texture you leave in your hair, the more of its natural strength and elasticity you will retain.

3)  Relaxed hair that is over-processed can have a flat and lifeless look and feel.  As already mentioned in the point above, not letting the hair go beyond 80% straight will help prevent the hair from becoming too limp.

4) Relaxed hair is easier to manage but more complicated to care for.  Relaxed hair often has multiple porosity levels.  It is difficult to determine the levels of protein and moisture balance that is right for each ladies relaxed hair.

What I hoped to achieve in this post is helping readers see that black hair has so many great qualities however it can be somewhat challenging to care for in both it’s virgin or relaxed/texlaxed state.  It is possible for both to thrive so long as you put in the work required to get the results you desire.  I hope this post has encouraged you in some way.

Do you think any hair type is easier than the other in terms of care?  Lets have an open non-judgmental conversation about this 🙂

 

My next post will be an educative one about a cause of breakage most ladies are not aware of.   I’ve drafted it already so it should be up this week.   See you soon.

x

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow