Great Styling Products for Kids

Ok ima show you the few things I use for my kids hair. that I love love love...

Styling/ protecting hair Care Reg.

Now when it comes to styling and maintaining your hair I believe there are 2 most important things to remember..

NEVER BRUSH!!!! Curly hair is the most fragile hair

Right where the red arrow is is the most fragile part of curly hair. Where it curls.. It can break so easily. and Brushing does not help it hurts your hair.. ALWAYS use a WIDE TOOTH comb...

The Second thing it. always moisturize then use a light oil to seal in the moisture.


Below are a few things I use on my hair...

Shampooing and Conditioning Hair Care Regimens

ok so now for the fun part... Natural curly hair can be hard to maintain... so a good regimen could make your life so much easier. I have tried several and finally found one that works for me...

so to build your own you need the following..

A GREAT Shampoo
A GREAT Conditioner
A deep conditioner
A protein Treatment
Daily Styling aids.



Now there are many brands of hair care products out there and the one I use may not work for you that's fine this is a learning experience.

I use  Shea Moisture....






Lets Start with the Shampoo.. I only Shampoo once or twice a week.

Before I shampoo I use a pre shampoo oil blend that we make a TreAwsome.

This oil blend I rub on my scalp and it helps clarify and get all the dirt and icky stuff off my scalp.
then I shampoo TWICE





Then I use the 2 step protein shot (you can get these at Sallys)
Follow the directions very carefully...

Then
I use the deep conditioner. I work this into my hair and my scalp and let it sit for 10 to 20 mins ( this also works very well under heat) so I put my shower cap on and wait...then rinse,,,

Finally I Condition


I love love love this conditioner.!!!!!

Now One week I will use these Shampoo and Conditioners
The next week I use the Curl and Shine..

To Relax or not to Relax?????

Ok so before we go on into Hair Care Regimens I think its best if we go over relaxers and texturizers..
 Now I got my 1st relaxer when I was 12 and I have relaxed my hair every 3 months for 15 years.. Until this last year. I have been Natural for a year and a month,..

So what is a relaxer?  a hair relaxer is a lotion or cream that makes the hair easier to straighten and manage. It reduces the curl by breaking down the hair strand and chemically altering the texture.  Hair Relaxers are available in many types: Lye relaxers and No-Lye relaxers seem to be the most used. Lye relaxers are known to work quickly on the hair, but as a result they might also rinse out of your hair easily. Their main ingredient is sodium hydroxide, and they are also known as “alkali” relaxers. No-lye, on the other hand, is mostly made of calcium hydroxide, which can dry out the hair. However, no-lye is better for people with sensitive scalps. When using no-lye, it is imperative that you use a “de-calcifying” shampoo to prevent calcium buildup. Bad? hair relaxers might cause breakage, hair thinning, and stunt your hair growth. And can Also cause scalp irritation, scalp damage or hair loss.
There is also Thio Relaxers

Thio relaxers

Thio relaxers use ATG, or ammonium thioglycolate, which is also used in permanent waving, but at a much higher pH and concentration than used in permanent waves. It is usually higher than a pH of 10. These relaxers are also thicker with a higher viscosity, or thickness, which makes for an easier relaxer application. Thio relaxers break the disulfide bonds in hair, similar to the permanent waving process. When enough of the disulfide bonds in the hair are broken, the relaxer is rinsed from the hair and the hair is towel dried. After towel drying, a neutralizer of some sort is applied to the hair.

How does it work?
The relaxer cream breaks down the chemical bonds of the hair shaft, disrupting the elliptical shape and reconstructing the bonds in a different way. Though hair follicles themselves are not damaged, the hair can become very brittle and break off.


Once your hair is relaxed there is no going back...unless you Chop it off or let it grow out...

my best advice do not relax!!!!!!

Hair Width(Texture)

Hair width or Texture is how thick the individual strands of your hair are, To find your hair width, take piece of your hair from a brush or comb and hold it up to the light. If the hair is very wide and easily visible, then you have coarse hair. If it's so thin that you can hardly see it, you have fine hair. If your hair appears neither thin nor coarse, you have medium width hair.

The strands in coarse hair are very wide in circumference, making them the strongest of all hair textures. As a result, it's easy to maintain length with coarse hair since it's more resistant to damage.

Hair with medium width consists of strands that are strong and elastic, and neither too thin nor too thick. Medium width hair is also somewhat resistant to damage, making it easy to maintain length.

  
Hair with fine width has a very small circumference and is very delicate and easy to damage. As a result it's often difficult to maintain length with fine hair.

And that's it for the last factor Knowing these things about your hair will help determine what products to use and how to maintain your hair...

Density

While hair width measures the width of individual strands of hair, density refers to how closely those strands are packed together on your head. Your hair's density can also be affected by your hair texture, porosity and width.


To check the Density of your hair, let your hair hang loose, unparted. Look closely at your hair if you can see your scalp easily then you have low hair density. If you can barely see your scalp you have medium hair density and if you can not see your scalp you have high hair density.

 That's pretty much it on Hair density...

Porosity

The Next Important thing you need to know about your hair is it's Porosity.
Porosity is how well your hair is able to absorb moisture as well as hold it in. It is affected by the flexible outer hair layer called the cuticle, which determines how easily moisture and oils pass in and out of your hair.

There are 2 ways you can find out how porous you hair is. The Float Test and the Slip n slide test. The float test is the best way to go because it's the easiest.

The float test- take a few strands of your hair. (from the sink or comb) and put it in a cup of water. Let it sit for about 5 mins. If your hair floats you have Low porosity and if it sinks you have high porosity.



Low Porosity - Hair with low porosity has a tightly bound cuticle layer with overlapping scales that lay flat. This type of hair is usually considered healthy, and is often very shiny, especially when it's dark in color. Low porosity hair repels moisture when you try to wet it and is hard to process since it resists penetration of chemicals.
Low porosity hair is also prone to build-up from protein-rich deep conditioning products, which can leave it feeling stiff and straw-like and nasty.


Medium Porosity- Hair with medium porosity often requires the least amount of maintenance. The cuticle layer is looser, allowing just the right amount of moisture to enter while preventing too much from escaping. Hair with normal porosity tends to hold styles well, and can be permed and colored with predictable results. Over time, however, these processes can damage your hair and increase its porosity.


High Porosity-  High porosity hair has gaps and holes in the cuticle, which let too much moisture into your hair and leave it prone to frizz and tangling in humid weather. Even simple acts such as bathing, swimming and shampooing can create more damage and breakage due to the sheer amount of moisture highly porous hair can absorb.


And that's it for Porosity... I no that this is a lot to take in but stay with me til the end and I will really pay off...

Curl Pattern

Your Curl pattern defines what type of curly you have. It shows the amount of wave or curl your hair has. They are 4 types and 3 subtypes. So lets begin.


Type 1 is Straight hair



Type 2 is Wavy Hair

Under Type 2 you have
2A- Wavy Swavy -slightly "s" waved hair that sticks close to the head     
2B- Wavy Curvy - the wave or curl forms throughout the hair in the shape of the letter "s". It has a bit more wave in it than Type 2a has     
2C- Wavy Whirly-Type 2c is thicker, coarser wavy hair that is composed of a few more actual curls, as opposed to just waves





Then you have

Type 3 Curly Hair

Under Type 3 you have

3A-Curly Twirly- curls show a definite loopy "S" pattern. Curls are well-defined and springy. Curls are naturally big, loose and often very shiny
3B-Curly Spirally-  have well-defined, springy, copious curls that range from bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews. 3b curls' circumference are Sharpie size.
3C- Curly Coily- has voluminous, tight curls in corkscrews, approximately the circumference of a pencil or straw. The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed together.

And the Last Type is Type 4  Coily Hair

In this Type we have

4A- Coily Springy-is tightly coiled hair that has an "S" pattern.  it has a definite curl pattern. The circumference of the spirals is close to that of a crochet needle
4B- Coily Crimpy- has a "Z" pattern, less of a defined curl pattern. Instead of curling or coiling, the hair bends in sharp angles like the letter "Z".
4C- Coily Ziggly-composed of curl patterns that will almost never clump without doing a specific hair style. It can range from fine/thin/super soft to wiry/coarse with lots of densely packed strands.














This is just a brief description that I found for each Type, If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask...


Asia

What Type of Curly ?

So as we all know, no ones hair is the same. So finding out about your hair and what your hair needs will benefit you in the long run. You will know what products to use which ones you need to stay away from etc. So There are 5 Very Important categories to understanding your hair. They are: Curl Pattern, Length, Porosity, Width, and Density. Sounds a bit like science huh lol. I will create a separate post for each category, and give you enough information about each so you can find out what type of curly you have....



Asia

Welcome.

Hey guys, as you know my name is Asia. I have a family full of mixed children with curly hair, as well as myself. I know it can be frustrating OMG do I know. So I decided to create this blog to help. I have been on a long journey trying to figure out what works, what doesn't work, and what might work. So I am so excited that I can share all of my tips, tricks, and suggestions with you all...


Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy!!!!