I’ve just finished doing a new client’s hair and this is the story behind her hair: She had dread Locks (Natural) and it was all her own hair for years. Now she decided to wear her hair in a Fro. To achieve that, she combed the Locks out. Then she found that the Fro was not manageable. Then, she decided to apply relaxer to her hair. I am glad to have her because I have learned so much again. During the consultation, I checked the hair and the scalp. Although there was nothing or no obvious damage to her hair, I realized that she has some damages to the scalp at the hair-line. We talked about all the possibilities and versatility of styles or things she could do with her hair. Then we concluded this: No relaxer right now until I learn to know and understand her hair. You will not understand one’s hair until you work with it. After that, we scheduled her for a service: treatment. When she came the next time for her first service, oh Lord! It took me more than three times’ efforts to achieve a straight look. (Thermal care). My Missy’s hair was very though even the relaxer wouldn’t have worked at this first time.

What I have learned most is that, her hair was softer then, than it is now. It then became tougher or became harder during those years due to the Dread Locks. Now we have to work together to bring her hair to be more flexible, manageable, with a better elasticity before we can decide whether she still want to apply the relaxer or keep it natural. Stylists, please never assume that you know what you are doing or saying without really getting to learn to understand, know the type of hair you are going to work with. Consultation is a key to better service our valuable clientele. Stay blessed

Avoid too tight pulling of the hair from braids, weaves especially around the edges where the hair is the most vulnerable.
-no more chemical chemical services such as relaxer, perm, color if the hair is already over processed or in a weakened state.
In my personal experience, the front lace weaves Itch my hair line and this phenomena makes me feel like my hair is being traumatised at the hair lines. so avoid lace front wig or sew-ins if the scalp already lacks proper stimulation or is already chemically damaged.
Stop every day’s or daily flat ironing or blow drying
Use alcohol free based styling helps such as sprays and gels that harden and dry out the hair.
Use natural carrier and essential oils of your choice to massage your scalp and hair. I recommend that you do the scalp massage as many time as you can in a relaxed atmosphere. Try this to repair your hair and let me know

Honey-Banana Hair Mask

Ingredients:

1/2 reped banana or a jar of baby food (banana)

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Mash banana and mix honey and lemon juice to it. Beat the mixture until it is frothy.

Apply this mixture when hair is dry or wet after shampooing . After 30 minutes, wash it with mild shampoo and lightly condition your hair with a conditioner for drie damaged hair.

Research shows that anagen is is the active growing phase of hair follicles. The root of the hair are dividing rapidly, adding to the hair shaft. During this phase the hair grows about 1 cm every 28 days. The  Scalp hair stays in this active phase of growth for 2–7 years. The amount of time the hair follicle stays in the anagen phase is genetically determined. if your hair is pulled out of the follicle at that phase, there can be two situations: Either an activation of the blood flow that will increase the production of the hair nutrient to the cells of hair grow. At that time you here people say that although my braids were tight, they made my hair grow more and faster. Or the hair will just fall for too much mechanical pulling and might cause a beginning of traction alopecia. At the end of the anagen phase Epidermal growth factor that regulate the cell’s growth, its proliferation, and differentiation causes the follicle to go into the catagen phase.

The catagen phase is a short transition stage that occurs at the end of the anagen phase.Catagen signals the end of the active growth of the  hair. This phase may last for about 2–3 weeks while the hair converts to “ Hair Club” . A club hair is formed during the catagn phase when the part of the hair follicle in contact with the lower portion of the hair becomes attached to the hair shaft. So the hair follicle shrinks.  This process cuts the hair off from its blood supply and from the cells that produce new hair.  Again if the hair pulling appears during this period of the time, you see there will be no blood supply for you hair to nourish the hair cell that are ever far from the blood supplying source. you might even lose the hair at that moment and it can take long to grow back or never, because , the hair will be entering the resting phase. When a club hair is completely formed, about a 2 week process, the hair follicle enters the telogen phase.

Telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair follicle. At this phase, the hair follicle does no work and everything is like pending. If at that period,  the body is subjected to extreme stress, sickness, mechanical pulling such as tight braids, chemical burns,   your hair can prematurely enter a phase of rest,  your hair will  begin to fall, causing a noticeable loss of hair. This condition is called telogen effluvium meaning stress and hair lost subject to telogen phase. The club hair is actually  the final product of a hair follicle in the telogen stage, and is a dead, fully keratinized hair. 50 to 100 club hairs are shed daily from a normal scalp. See how much hair you will lose after some bad chemical day and too tight braids and weaves day.

So back to my experience to say that hair braiders and hair dresser should have in might that their work is done on humain being that have blood flowing in their bodies, subject to functions of regulation, proliferation, division or differentiation, reproduction and the list goes on and on. As doctors are  always gentle in the tasks they perform on human beings so will you too be.

Moreover, listening to your clients from their needs to their feeling is very important. As the lady was braiding it, I could feel pain straight to my chest in my heart. I had to hold my chest and say that it was painful and I could feel it on my heart. Do you know what she said, OH! You are exaggerating, It will be ok. Also she said, it because your hair in natural. So much I have artificial hair then I would not feel the pain. where do I get the artificial hair from to make it mine and get it braided without pain?  At the end the braids were so tight that I did not think that I could  cook or do anything when I get home. So I stopped at the local Little Oven to get some Pizza for my family . As I got home and we were eating, the pain was so much that I had to put ice on my head, poured cold water on. Next I felt like I was going to  faint. Then I lay down. The night for me was full of bad dreams and many times waking ups. The next day, my scalp was very sored with swollen spots on my scalp. Lastly, I lost the hair at different spots of my head. I know that you are wondering why I did not take the braids down right the away . I understand but I couldn’t do that because of the pain, the time, and the future time that I could not have. How will I wear my hair ? Once the pulling is amorsed it is done. there is nothing one can do to stop the already activated hair pulling. I know that it will ease the pain if I have taken the braids off but not the hair fall. That is why I say, that people should learn the science of braiding. I pray the Lord to show me the way so I can come up with the”Science of Braiding” . Remain blessed

How it works: The active ingredient is Guanidine Hydroxide, a mix of calcium
hydroxide cream and guanidine carbonate, or ammonium thioglycolate. These are
called no-lye, but they are still lye. These chemicals, like sodium
hydroxide, break down the hydrogen and sulfide bonds that give the hair its
shape rearranging the hair bonds.

A no-lye relaxer is an option for people whose scalps are sensitive or who use a
permanent coloring agent, although it is not recommended by many experts. This
formulation is best on hair that just needs its curl loosened a bit.

Pros:
It allows you to color and relax your hair, but never do both at the same time.
Space these processes at least two weeks apart, or be sure to consult a trained
cosmetologist before coloring your hair after a relaxer. Only a well-trained
and experienced professional can handle the dual processes well, and only women
with well-conditioned and coarse hair should opt for both.

Cons: This type of
relaxer deposits additional calcium on the hair, making it more prone to
dryness and breakage. A consistent moisturizing regimen is a must with relaxed
hair be it with no-lye or lye based relaxers. No-lye relaxers will not
completely straighten super-tight hair, which leaves the shaft more porous and
susceptible to damage. For this reason, many experts do not use this product.
Like lye relaxers, no-lye relaxers can cause severe scalp and hair damage. This
information does not mean that you should absolutely not apply No-lye Relaxer.
It’s still can be used if applied incorrectly. Always seek for professional
services.

Christmas and New Year were the most important days one could receive a gift. In order to be
eligible to receive a gift from our parents, we really had to work for it and
it worked for us. First of all, we had to make sure we were nice, obedient and
respectful, hard worker before our parents; most of the time it was the father
who will judge of how good or bad we as children were in order to get some
tries. So we knew that. That is why we did apply ourselves greatly and on the
Christmas day, we offered pictures of flowers, birds accompanied with nice
words acknowledging how good our parents were to us during the year, how much
they mean to us, what they deserve and lastly we wished them happiness, better
health for the end of the previous year and coming year. We wished them
prosperity and plenty of good things. We offered some pictures and these
pictures were drowned by us on a paper that we put in an envelope and posted at
our parents, family members and family friends very early morning before they
woke up. Then we got the best food that we did not eat often in our family. We
went to church, if we were believers, helped our mothers cook and with the
necessaries when family members and friend came in. Moreover, we had to go to
other people that we offered our drawings so that we could get for our gifts in
return. As I am writing this today, some children somewhere in world didn’t
even have what I had and people I had around. Another children at some parts of
the world didn’t even know what these periods of gifts meant. Moreover there
are still children hoping to get a smile from somebody. That why I am begging
Santa Clause when he comes, not to forget about those who are really in need.

Remain blessed.