Top Hair Care Mistakes From The Last Decade

I’ve been talking to women about healthy hair care for over a decade now.
Looking at my inbox alone, I’ve received over 2000 emails from ladies telling to me about the issues they have with their hair.  Adding this to the people who approach me in person and those I have advised online I can confidently say that over the last decade, I’ve spoken to thousands of women about their hairs challenges and their hair care practices.

All these conversations have taught me so much and given me an outstanding amount of data from which I have identified the most prevalent hair care mistakes we seem to make. Some of them are classics and some are new trends I have noticed over the last couple of years.

The Classics

These mistakes have taught me that despite healthy hair information ( both accurate and inaccurate) being available online for many years, the vast majority of women still don’t know the basics about black hair care. The myths about our hair are still popular than the truth about our hair. The most classic mistakes may women have made with their hair over the last decade and which I also made before my healthy hair awakening are

1) Using oils as moisturizers.

2) Believing slow hair growth or no hair growth is our problem when more often than not, the real problem is damage and breakage.

3) Thinking you can only have long healthy hair if you were born with it aka -believing that long hair is down to genes alone and not accepting that how you treat your hair has MAJOR impact.

4) The Holy Grail Growth Product syndrome – believing that it is products that will grow hair and not understanding that the main function of products is to help keep hair healthy (preserve the hair fibre for as long as possible) and this is what leads to length retention (longer and thicker hair).

5) Not taking care of our hair….and wondering why it’s not doing well.
To be fair many ladies think they are caring for their hair but are making so many mistakes and inadvertently cause a lot of damage.

 

The New Kids On the Block

Over the last two years I’ve definitely noticed a shift with ladies who are on healthy hair journeys or have awareness of correct hair care and then take things overboard and cause self-inflicted hair loss as a result.

1) Under-manipulation aka abandonment.
There are many ladies that know that excess manipulation is to be avoided but for some reason this is being converted to zero manipulation which results in badly knotted or matted hair. Manipulation for hair care is essential. It is excess manipulation that is to be avoided.

2) Doing the most!!
Many of us on healthy hair journeys get so carried away with new fads and want to try everything. So we complete the essential aspects of hair care and then also want to add tea rinses, chebe, rice water, onion juice, aloe vera gel, cayenne pepper, a myriad of ayurvedic herbs, etc
Sis, its too much!!! Although most of these will impart some benefit or the other, they are not essential and we should not do them all and jump on every wagon. Incorporating a few is okay but doing them all isn’t wise.

When I started my hair care journey, majority of the above was new to me but I learnt quickly and try to educate others.
Although many ladies have made significant and positive changes in how they care for their hair, the fact remains that majority of us as black women still have problems with our hair and don’t know how to care for it.
Unfortunately, having damaged hair is still more prevalent than healthy hair and in most cases the breakage and damaged we experience is due to lack of or incorrect hair care.

A mission I had and began to fulfill through Hairducation was to demystify black hair and to normalize healthy thriving hair for black women.
It’s a new decade and the mission continues!!!!

x

Lade

Damaged Hair: What Is It, How does it Happen and Why Afro Textured Hair Is Prone to It ?

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“Damaged” is a word no one wants to hear when their hair is described because it often means breakage and hair loss isn’t too far behind. I find that many blog posts focus on setting out causes of damage and how to avoid it.  This is great and I have done the same in previous posts.  In an effort to add another facet to the topic and to bring more understanding to anyone reading I would like to share more of what exactly damage is and the reasons why afro textured hair is more susceptible to damage than other hair types.

 

 

What is Damage? 

Damage is degradation of hair fibres.  After hair grows out of our scalp, the fibres will begin to sustain damage from various things such as harsh weather conditions, harsh products, chemical processes, hair care practices, general wear and tear and styling choices.

Even with great hair care, our hair will sustain some damage due to general wear and tear.  What we can do is control the severity of damage and slow down how quickly it occurs through hair care.  Damage can be sustained quickly over a few months (resulting in high levels of breakage and unhealthy looking hair that seems stagnant in length) or happen gradually over several years (resulting in longer and healthier looking hair).
Everyone’s hair is damaged, just to different degrees or severity.

Hair care preserves hair fibres so the that wear and tear or damage occurs at a much slower pace.  The better our hair fibres are preserved, the healthier our hair will look and feel and the longer the fibres will go without breakage.
Bad hair care and bad hair styling practices will speed up the damage and wear and tear of hair fibres  resulting in unhealthy looking hair and breakage much much quicker than hair that is well cared for. For example, flat ironing hair every wash day will likely result in hair becoming damaged which may break off or need to be cut after a few months.  If hair is flat ironed 2 to 3 times a year, the hair will not become damaged as quickly.  This along with other hair care practices, will help the hair fibres look healthy, have very little breakage and go several years without the need for a major cut.

 

 

How Does It Occur?

Damage usually begins at the outer layer.
The layers of the cuticles and the bonds between the layers are broken and weakened when hair is being damaged.  This makes the cuticle layer thinner and in some cases the cuticle layer is totally removed.  The cuticle layer is supposed to protect the inner layers and once weakened or destroyed, it allows the inner layer sustain damage what will eventually lead to breakage.  Damage to the cuticle layer is also the first step in the forming of a split end.
Hair with damaged cuticles will look and feel damaged.  Hair with little or minimal damage to its cuticle layer will look and feel healthy.  Understanding this has made me respect the cuticle layer so much more.  This knowledge greatly influences how I choose and use my hair care products, which practices I complete and how I select ingredients for Infusions by Hairducation hair care products.

 

 

 

Why Black Hair Gets Damaged Easier Than Other Hair Types

 

The main reasons why black hair is much more susceptible to damage and breakage is to do with the unique shape/structure of our hair fibres. Being very brief, three reasons why our hair gets damaged and breaks much more easily is set out below.

1 – Each curl and kink in our hair is an area of weakness (the fibre is thinner in those spots) which means our hair has several points at which at the risk of breakage is higher.

2 – Curly/kinky hair is much more prone to tangling and this increases the risk of wear and tear, damage and breakage.

3- One of the most forgotten reasons why our hair sustains damage easily because afro textured hair has less cuticle layers than the hair of other races.  This means our hair has less protection than other hair types.

 

Our hairs structure means that it requires care using particular methods and rich products to stay well preserved (healthy) and to retain length.  Unfortunately, we often have the most aggressive hair care and hair styling practices, the very things our hair does not cope well with.

Products which are able to penetrate and help strengthen the inner layers of hair, help maintain the integrity of the cuticle layer, reduces the forming of tangles and reduces the damaging impact of detangling by lubricating hair fibres should be in your hair products arsenal.

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And yes I am pushing my market and very proudly so because I know the infusions by Hairducation Hair + Scalp Oil is a highly effective hair product that does all the above.

 

I hope you have learnt something valuable form this post that will have a positive impact on your care.

More blog posts coming soon.

 

Lade

 

Introducing the Infusions By Hairducation Hair + Scalp Oil.

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I’ve lost track of the number of people who have sent me enquiries asking to purchase my hair products to which I always responded I don’t make or sell any.
I am happy to announce that that is changing finally because I’ve launched the Hairducation Line of Hair Care products.  The first item to be released is the Infusions By Hairducation Hair + Scalp Oil.

So you might be thinking…just another hair oil, right?  Definitely wrong!!! I decided to launch the Hair + Scalp Oil first because oils are the most underrated and misused hair care product given their versatility and proven effectiveness for hair care.

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THE INFUSIONS BY HAIRDUCATION MISSION

The aim with the Hair + Scalp Oil was to create an infusion of oils which, based on proven scientific findings, would be capable and effective in meeting the needs of the multiple layers of hair as well impart benefits to the scalp.
Every ingredient of the Hair +Scalp Oil was selected, sourced and combined with the intention that the finished product would be factually able to preserve the hair fibre, support length retention and improve scalp health, without being overcomplicated or excessive.

To give just one example of why and how the Hair +Scalp Oil benefits the hair;  the outer layer of hair contains lipids which have an essential role in in keeping hair healthy and enabling it to protect the inner layer.  These lipids become depleted from washing, wear and tear, chemical treatments, UV exposure, etc.  This causes hair to become dull looking, dry, rough and increases the risk of it sustaining damage. The Infusions Hair & Scalp Oil is very rich in the type of lipid that is found in the outer layer of hair and helps keep the cuticles more intact when applied to hair.

The effect of this is:

  • Increased moisture retention thereby reducing breakage
  • Strengthening of the outer layer of hair which makes the hair more capable of enduring wear and tear
  • Increases smoothness and manageability of hair
  • Reduction in the formation of split ends
  • Aids detangling
  • Increases shine and a healthy appearance.

I will share so many more benefits of the Infusions by Hairducation Hair + Scalp Oil in due course.

 

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HOW TO USE

  1- To Preserve and Protect hair Fibres;
Use as a pre-shampoo oil treatment by applying a generous amount to the ful length of your hair an hour (or more) before washing.  This prevents hygral fatigue, a kind of damage that occurs when hair is being washed or when hair is wet.

2- To stimulate hair growth and to sustain and improve scalp health;
Use as a scalp massage oil once or twice a week to increase the flow of blood within the scalp Only a small amount, one to two teaspoons, is to be used to prevent clogging of the hair follicles.  The oil is intended to be a lubricant for the scalp massage not as a “scalp grease”.

3 -To prevent dryness, breakage and split ends
Use daily as a sealant by applying a few drops to hair after moisturising.  A water based moisturising leave-in product should be applied to your hair.  This should then be followed by application of the Infusions hair and scalp oil.  Doing so will slow down how quickly moisture evaporates from the hair fibre and this keeps it feeling softer for longer. Rub a few drops of the oil on you

4 – To boost the richness of your conditioner, strengthen inner layers of your hair and replenish the outer layer;
Mix a one to two teaspoons  into your deep conditioner and apply to your hair.

 

Ingredients

An infusion of high grades of botanical oils such as Babassu, Neem, Cedarwood  and Lavender essential oils.
Full ingredients listed on product packaging

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How to Purchase, Price & Shipping 

  • Standard size ( 100ml) : ₦3,500 ( $10 USD)
    Click the link in my bio on Instagram to order or Pick up in store at Hairitage Salon, The Lennox Mall, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Large size (300ml): ₦8,000 ($23 USD)
    Click the link in my bio on Instagram to order or  Pick up in store at Hairitage Salon, The Lennox Mall, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria
  • Shipping will be nationally (within Nigeria) and internationally (UK, USA, Canada and Ghana)

 

The oil has had such great reviews so far and I look forward to you trying this and future products from the  Infusions by Hairducation range.

x

Lade

Is Water A Friend Or Foe

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Every wash day, I love the feeling of water flowing through my hair and how my scalp goes from being clogged with build-up to feeling brand new.  My hair goes from being a greasy mess to light and fluffy.  I love the outcome of wash days and water has a big part to play in it.

I often have flashbacks though, to those days when most wash days went wrong once I poured water on my hair.  And I am sure most of us grew up hearing tales of how water is bad for our hair and we needed to stay away from it, frankly it seems true because often in those day my hair getting drenched with water would result in it looking frizzy and feeling brittle.  So………in this hair care life we have chosen is water our friend or a foe.

Short answer, It’s a bit of both. But please read the long answer below.

 

Water As A Friend

  1. As I mentioned above, water is one of the key elements of wash day. You can’t wash your hair thoroughly or remove deep conditioner without it.  No water no clean and conditioned hair.
  2. Water is an essential ingredient in any deep conditioning or leave in conditioning product. Water is needed to moisturise hair and products that don’t contain water frankly will not be able to infuse moisture into our hair strands.

 

  1. The ongoing battle many of us fight with dryness and breakage cannot be defeated without the repeated use of water rich products in between wash days. So water has to be introduced into our hair on a regular basis for healthy (well preserved) hair and for length retention (longer hair).

 

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Water As A Foe

  1. Water can be a locking agent.
    Water can tighten knots and tangles in our hair so severely that cutting out the knots and tangles is the best option. Even if severe knotting can be untangled, a lot of breakage and damage to the hair fibre will be sustained in the process. This tightening of knots and tangles tends to happen during the washing and rinsing steps on wash days.  The pressure of the water flowing through hair will tighten the knots or matted hair.  It will also encourage shed hairs not removed before washing to wrap around the non-shed hair creating new tangles. This is why so many  of us have stepped out of the shower with locs we didn’t plan on creating.
    This is a key reason why hair should be well detangled and shed hair removed before washing.  I suppose a second tip is to ease up on the water pressure. Prior to my hair journey I never detangled before washing and it always resulted in high levels of breakage.  For some reason I believed water pressure would somehow detangle my hair and that any shed hair would just glide out.  Don’t be me.

 

  1. Now this one is a favourite of so many ladies. We hear all day every day that water is key for healthy hair, that water is the best moisturiser, that water is the be all and end all of what our hair needs (okay I ‘am exaggerating a lil)……so I understand why many ladies simply use water alone as a moisturiser.
    In as much as water is a key aspect of moisturising our hair, water alone is not at the right the PH level  to be used as a leave-in moisturising product.  Using water alone will result in puffy, frizzy and less manageable hair.  It will also increase the risk of tangling.  Good quality moisturising products will definitely have water as the main ingredients but will contain other ingredients and be formulated so that its PH is at the ideal level that will leave the outer layer of hair more compacted than what water alone would.  This will result in smoother, better moisturised and healthier looking hair which is easier to manage.
    In this case, it is the incorrect use of water that is the problem.

 

  1. Exposure to the wrong kind of water will lead to environmental damage (unless correct steps are taken to prevent damage). Hard water, chlorinated water and mineral rich water can cause a lot of damage. I’ve written posts about this which you can read by clicking here.

I hope this post has been useful.  In summary water can be a friend or foe but which it will be is up to you.

Xx

Lade

 

** Image from Pintrest

How I Scammed Myself and Ended Up With Protein Overload

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I know my hair; I know her well.
I’ve invested 10 years in this relationship with her.  When she acts out I know what I’ve done wrong and how to fix it.  One of the first things I learnt about my hair is that it does not respond well to being deep conditioned with moisture alone or protein alone.  I always have to use a mix of both to get the right balance of strength and softness.
When I use a protein deep conditioner on its own, my hair feels very rough and brittle.  When I use a moisture deep conditioner alone, my hair feels excessively soft. Please note that this does not happen to everyone’s hair , many ladies can use protein or moisture alone and have their hair respond well to it.

I have many products I’ve used over the years and currently my go to moisture and protein deep conditioner are from the Motions brand.  My hair responds even better to them now they have levelled up on the ingredients by removing the crappy ingredients and replacing them with natural oils.
I was reviewing the ingredients in the moisture conditioner (Motions Active Moisture Plus) and the protein treatment (Motions CPR- Critical Protection and Repair) and noticed they had extremely similar ingredients and even the same type of proteins.

 

Why Moisture Conditioners Have Proteins In Them

I wasn’t suspicious about why a moisture conditioner had protein ingredients in it, in fact, I expect good moisture conditioners to have a small amount of protein in it.  Why, because protein ingredients will help hair fibres hold on to or retain moisture ingredients for longer.  This way hair stays softer and has good elasticity for longer.  This feature is quite important for ladies with normal to high porosity hair.  It’s actually quite smart of product formulators to make this move. Please note that it may not be great for those with low porosity hair

 

 

How I Scammed Myself

What raised my concern was that the ingredients were more or less the same, just in a different order and that both had protein listed as the 11th and 12th the ingredient.

The first 12 Ingredients in the protein conditioner are

  1. Water
  2. Coconut Oil
  3. Castor Oil
  4. Soybean Oil
  5. Biotin
  6. Shea Butter
  7. Vitamin E
  8. Olive Oil
  9. Argan Oil
  10. Aloe Vera Extract
  11. Hydrolyzed Silk
  12. Hydrolyzed Oat Protein

 

The first 12 ingredients in the moisture conditioner are

  1. Water
  2. Soybean Oil
  3. Shea Butter
  4. Argan Oil
  5. Olive Oil
  6. Coconut Oil
  7. Vitamin E Oil
  8. Sunflower Oil
  9. Castor Oil
  10. Aloe Vera Extract
  11. Hydrolyzed Silk
  12. Hydrolyzed Oat Protein

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I wondered, is Motions simply the packaging the same product with  slight adjustments and selling it as two separate products? Or the brand formulate it so that the percentage of protein in the CPR is much higher than the Active Moisture?

I decided a way to find out would be to use the protein deep conditioner on its own to see the effect it had on my hair.  I had used the moisture alone on a small part of my hair in the past so I would compare the effects.

Wash day came and I put my plan into action.
Ladies, from the second I applied the CPR (protein one) to my hair I knew I had entered one chance (Nigerian slang for a bad situation).  My hair felt rough and angry as I was applying it in comparison to when I use a mix of the moisture and protein.
For some reason, I decided to carry on because I already knew how I would fix the impending disaster of rough tangle prone hair.  I hoped maybe it would feel different….feel better when I eventually rinsed out the products but it didn’t.
I spent the next week moisturising my hair more heavily than usual and it really helped soften my hair but the balance was still off…my hair still had a very rough texture.  I had to detangle way more often in those two weeks and the knots were more challenging to unravel.  This resulted in some breakage for sure.

I was so eager for my next wash day where I went back to using a mix of my moisture and protein deep conditioner and order has been restored to my hair world.  I basically had a corrective wash day and now it’s all good.  The image above is of my air dried hair after the corrective wash and condition.

 

Lessons to be learnt from this blog post

1 – Get to know your hair and give it what it responds well to

2 – Experimenting with a small section of your hair rather than your whole hair is wise

3 – The importance of judging a product based on how your hair responds to it rather than the brand or list

4 – A personal note to myself: who sent me (another Nigerian slang but I am not sure how to explain this one)

I hope you enjoyed and learnt a lil something from this post.  Next one coming soon.

x

Lade

Learn | Change | Grow