Category: Hair Texture

Shea Butter Magic

Hair Texture Length retention Moisturising creams Natural Hair Care Relaxed Hair Tex lax Transitioning - Veronica Daley - January 24, 2016

Shea butter has vitamin A properties and is an excellent moisturizer with exceptional healing properties.

I recently made up this exceptional healing and thoroughly moisturizing formula for my hair.

It works on natural and tex lax and relaxed hair. It worked very well on my natural hair when I flat ironed it – it kept it moist and strait without bringing back the curlies!

So here it is.. enjoy and let me know what you think!

5oz Shea butter

3oz black castor
2oz Neem oil
2oz Avocado oil
2oz Burdock root oil
3oz Grapeseed oil

Put all in a blender until light and fluffy!!!!

You don’t have to measure the ingredients exactly just put the amount of oil you are comfortable with..

How to manage texturised hair

Hair Texture Tex lax - Veronica Daley - August 13, 2014

You’ve probably come to this page because you have texturised often known as (tex lax) your hair or your thinking about it! Whatever your reason welcome!

In some ways texturised hair can be drier than non texturised hair in that case all you need are the right moisturisers for your hair type and you’re on your way! With so many different moisturisers on the market you are spoilt for choice!

If your natural hair is fine – texturising your hair will give you wonderful body! Your hair over the coming weeks and months with evolve in its own special way!

If your hair is thick – it will you superb manageability.

Step one

To keep build up to a minimal shampoo your hair at least once a week! Use a good quality shampoo and conditioner.

Step two

Once a month apply a good protein condition which is useful in keep the hair strong.

Step three

Go easy on moisturiser sprays and conditioners straight after you have washed the hair. Let it build up slowly – only apply a small amount of your favourite moisturiser spray – just enough to comb through, and then add a little more the next day. Too much use of moisturisers and conditioners can weigh down the hair.

Step four

Very important – comb your hair with a wide toothed comb. Avoid using a hairbrush which can not only damage but maybe pull out a few needed strands of hair!. If you really must use a brush a good quality one is Denman.

Avoid using heated styling tools which can rapidly dry out texturised hair, leaving it brittle and dull. For special occasions it’s no harm but a continual blow out will break those delicate hair strands.

Step five

Have fun with using gels to create waves on your texturised hair! Gel the sides for a different look!

Step six

Whether you choose to texturised every 16 weeks or six months! Remember it’s just the new growth you are interested in, remembering also to adhere to the timing of 15 – 18mins or less whatever your hair type is. Also do not be tempted to use anything other than your figures for smoothing the new growth! Anything other than your fingers will give you straight hair!

Have you tex lax your hair – what’s your experience?

Texturizing black natural hair – are you tempted?

Hair Texture Natural Hair Care Relaxed Hair - Veronica Daley - August 5, 2013

Textures which may benefit Texturizing..

The textures that seem to benefit from Texturizing is 4a/b and c, especially c – this hair texture is very tightly coiled..

What does the process involve?
In the first instance you need to purchase a texturizer like the one shown.
This texture softener

is the best one to use and has favourable benefits. Relaxers have been used but they are very strong and the chances of you coming away with relaxed hair rather than texturized is very likely – best not to chance it!.
This product has been designed to loosen the coils slowly and pre -packed with oil and neutraliser etc… You have between 15 and 18 minutes to texturize a virgin head of hair or new roots. Just enough time to soften the hair – just loosen the curl. The aim of this is to soften the hair texture leaving it with curls or waves but leaving much of the volume in the hair. The texture of the hair after the texturizer depends a lot on the initial curl pattern of the hair. Large corkscrew curls will become S-shaped curls after a texturizer, tighter curls will look loosened and hair with no definite curl pattern tends to get waves

Basically the difference between texturizer and relaxers is the chemical makeup. When you relax you break two of the bonds that coat the 3 layers of the hair, so you are basically left with one layer of protection whereas with texturizer, less bonds are broken leaving you with more protection, 2 of the 3 layers that coat each strand. When chemical bonds are broken, hair is vulnerable to breakage scientifically speaking your hair is dead, sodium hydroxide relaxers do a permanent change in your hair that cannot be reversed. A texturizer does not entirely change the physical properties it rearranges physical properties giving you a softer curl pattern.

It is normally carried out twice a year for most people who texturize!

What are the pros and cons of texturing?
Pros:
Softer and lighter hair all round..
Softer coils that is easier to manage
Less shrinkage
The hair has a lot of elasticity left in it so it’s less prone to breakage than relaxed hair
Better retention of hair style that stands up to the elements
Quicker to style hair with heated tools and much quicker wash n gos!
Better retention of growth rate – a plus!
Cons:
Sodium hydroxide relaxers do a permanent change in your hair that cannot be reversed.
Hair slightly weakened
Tightly coil hair will just become looser – you won’t go from a 4c to a 3c!

Helpful tips
Apply 2 minute Aphogee intensive protein treatment – shown here

This puts back some of the protein that you have lost in the initial process.

after the Texturizing process and after you have neutralised your hair.
Deep condition with oil of your choice, olive or sweet almond oil

Is very good, after a protein treatment and/or steam hair with conditioner for 30mins. This will bring softness and moisture to hair after Texturizing and protein treatment.
Moisturize. Moisturise -also make your own shear butter and add to ends of hair..
Your newly texturized hair will feel dry at first but in a few days with spring to life! Just follow my tips above!

Are you thinking of texlaxing?

Relaxed hair – ten reasons why your hair is not growing

Hair Texture Relaxed Hair - Veronica Daley - July 15, 2013

It would be unfair to leave out our relaxed hair sisters. After all its your choice if you remain relaxed! As I was once relaxed – as many naturals were once – I have more than enough years experience! so it’s only right that I share some of those experiences with you all!.

Here is my definitive list on how i cared for my relaxed hair and got it growing….

Shampoo and condition

Hair loves a clean scalp – shampoo and condition every week with quality products..

Using a blow dryer

Reducing the use of the blow dryer on your hair is a good idea because it pulls out moisture and causes the hair to become dry and break. Basically little bits of hair scatter to the floor! A better way is to set the hair on rollers and use a hooded dryer. If you insist on blow drying I would recommend that you use a very good heat protector and use a radial brush to gently blow dry each section of hair.

Using a Marcel Flat Irons

Using a Marcel flat irons is damaging to the hair because the tools heated in the oven have uncontrolled heat. You never really know what the temperature is on the tools and the extreme heat will cause damage. Instead use ceramic irons where the heat can be controlled.

Using pressing comb

Just like a using a Marcel flat irons, using tools such as a pressing comb that is heated on the stove top of the oven is damaging. The heat is uncontrolled and this calls for a high change of heat damage to your hair. Instead use ceramic irons where the heat can be controlled.

Not neutralizing hair after relaxing

A neutralizing shampoo actually stops the relaxer process and brings the hair back to its acid pH balance. Regular shampoo can’t do this and after a relaxer the pH is on the alkaline end of the chart. Failure to neutralize after relaxing leads to extreme breakage and even balding! Some beauticians even decide to condition the hair before neutralizing because the cuticle layer is still open. While this is taking place the relaxer process is still going on. Instead of doing this neutralize your hair immediately after your relaxer then apply the conditioner and sit under a dryer for 20 minutes to allow the heat to reopen the cuticle and allow penetration of the conditioner.

Overlapping relaxer

Applying the relaxer to already relaxed hair can cause the hair to become over processed which causes breakage and hair loss. Many women have this problem when self-relaxing because it is difficult to see the back of the head. It’s best to go get your hair relaxed by a professional. If you can’t go to a professional apply a protective base to your relaxed hair and use a relaxer brush to apply the relaxer to avoid overlapping as much as possible. Try to stretch the relaxer for as long as possible to retain a more healthy condition to your tresses.

No moisturisation

This is the main culprit. A lot of relaxed sisters are not aware of this one you have to be very consistent with this. As soon as I started to moisturise my hair properly I saw growth in six weeks! You will need a cream moisturiser and a spray moisturiser and a oil to seal, coconut , castor or Olive oil. Coat the oil over the moisturiser and cover your head at night with a silk scarf. So in actual fact you are basically moisturising then sealing your hair. Another useful ideal is to wear your hair ‘wet’ on some days – which means ‘moist’; and leave in a protective style like an updo or french pleat. The moisure level in your hair is paramount – and in a few weeks you will notice a marked difference.

Protein treatments

Relaxing weakens the hair – and we forget the hair is now in a weakened state. Do light Protein treatments weekly to keep hair strong, use a protein based treatment that you leave in your hair for 30 mins after shampooing.

Spilt ends

Cut split ends every six months.

Vitamins and multivitamins

There are lots of good vitamins for hair growth – pick one and drink lots of water and don’t to exercise – it all helps!

Let me know how you get on!

How to grow natural – African American hair

Hair Texture Natural Hair Care Transitioning - Veronica Daley - June 30, 2013

The Transitional Process

First stop relaxing your hair! Take the time to educate yourself about natural hair and the products. When going from relaxed to natural – decide if you want to do the big chop or grow it out. It will take guts to use this path or just rock your natural hair along with the relaxed ends until it grows out to a sufficient length of your choice, just remember to trim as you go. Then when it gets to a length you are happy with probably 5 or 6 inches do the cut yourself or get a barber to do it for you!

I have to warn you though depending on your texture (I myself wasn’t warned about this neither did I observe it anywhere) but if you are 2 to 3a/b/c working with these textures and moisturizing your natural hair should be breeze. There should be no breakage. However if like me your natural hair texture falls within 4b/c it can be a little more challenging to manage You will need to do clever moisturizing morning day and night to ensure there are no breakages at either side of your head.

Some people might prefer a trendy look while they transition – so opting for a salon for a gentle blow out and flat iron might be more to ones taste and be less stressful to you, but be choosy about the hairstylist you choose – any rough handling could loose you precious tresses!! I personally transitioned for one year. Had I been aware of my hair texture I may have done the big chop earlier on if only to reduce the trauma involved in caring for two types of hair on my head! if you can – wait for as long as possible – if anything you will avoid the TWA unless of course you wanted that!

Your hair will look weird though, with the two textures – just find an hairstyle that works like pin curls, braids and braid outs..

How was your journey?