Shedding or Breakage

Source: Google

More often than not I find people use ‘breakage’ and ‘shedding’ interchangeably to refer to hair falling out of the head generally. This is wrong because these terms mean different things and cannot be used interchangeably. Knowing the difference helps a lot because it helps the different individuals know exactly what they are dealing with and how to fix on control it

Source: Google

What is shedding? Shed hair is hair that has gone through and reached the end of the hair growth cycle. Shed hair falls out naturally from the scalp to make room for new hair and the beginning of a new growth cycle. It is characterized by a tiny white bulb on the end (root). Shed hair is generally long. Shedding is a sign if a healthy functioning scalp, however, if you notice you are shedding a lot more than normal, it could be a medical problem or hormonal imbalance. There are certain times when shedding naturally increases. Some instances are’ during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause; during the use of birth control pills; a sudden change in diet and anemia. And the shedding will reduce when hormone levels return to normal.

Source: Google

What is breakage? Breakage is unnatural and is a sign of weakened and unhealthy strands. It is mostly as a result of and imbalance and hair damage. Hair can be damaged by, heat, straightening and coloring chemicals and mishandling of hair. Breakage is also caused by lack of moisture in the hair strand. A lack of moisture means that the hair loses elasticity, and becomes more brittle. Other types of breakage may be attributed to a protein overload.

Combatting Shedding

Unless you have a medical condition, shedding is normal, and you shouldn’t get worried too much about it. However if the shedding gets out of hand or if you are losing more than a 100 strands a day then you should seek professional help.

Some people have said that garlic in the form of shampoos or garlic scalp rubs have significantly reduced their shedding.

Others have also attributed their reduced shedding to onion juice.

Black tea rinses can also be used because they have DHT blockers. DHT is a hormone which can cause an increase in shedding.

Source: Google. Growth cycle

Dealing With Breakage

You cannot not have breakage entirely but you can work on minimizing the amount of broken strands in your comb to as little as 5 strands.

• Be very gentle with your hair. Comb hair from ends to roots to ease tangling to avoid unnecessary breaking.

• Keep your nails neat and filed smooth so that the hair doesn’t get caught in your nails and snap.

• Keep your hair moisturized daily.

• Reduce heat

• Keep your hair protected especially at night in a satin bonnet.

 

Source: Google. Excessive Breakage 

 Now that you know the difference? What are you dealing with? Was this post helpful?
Leave a comment!!!!

Stay Awesome!

Starting Your Hair Journey (Regimen building)

source: pinterest

Healthy, long hair will not come to you over night. It takes commitment and a little extra effort to get it where you want it. One thing that has kept me focused on my Healthy Hair Journey has been a regimen.

What is a regimen? A regimen is the set of guidelines and routines you create for yourself that you follow using your own personalized systems and techniques to help grow and retain healthy hair. See post on length retention here

A regimen doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, but, in the past year I have identified some things that are worth making an investment on if you want to get beautiful hair. These are:

• Shampoo- Shampoos are cleaning agents for your scalp. This is necessary to get rid of product build-up. It’s also worth noting that a clean scalp absorbs products better
• Conditioner- A hair care treatment used to improve the health and status of hair. Conditioners work on the hair strands. There are different types, and the all have different uses.

1. Moisturizing Conditioner- Adds moisture. eg. Suave Almond Oil and Shea Butter Conditioner
2. Protein Based – Mainly for the strengthening of a hair strands.
3. Balanced- Moisturizes and Strengthens a strands. eg. ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner
4. Deep Conditioners- These are conditioners with smaller molecular sizes and can penetrate the hair shaft.
5. Leave In Conditioner – They are mostly moisturizing conditioners that do not have to be rinsed out.eg. CON Argan Oil Leave In Conditioner.

• Protein Treatments – A hair treatment designed to ad strength and elasticity to the hair by adding protein to the cortex [source: lamasbeauty.com] Protein treatments should be done at least every 6 weeks, before a relaxer update, and after the take down of a protective style that is older than 4 weeks.

A DIY treatment with eggs, mayonnaise, honey and olive oil is a cheap way to do a protein treatment. If you are not into DIY you can get a tub of hair mayonnaise.

• Daily Moisturizer: To provide the hair with moisture and improve hair elasticity.

• Oils – Oils can be used for pre-poo (pre shampoo treatment), hot oil treatments and/or sealing of moisture. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and Castor Oil are oils that are easily accessible here in Ghana.

• Satin Bonnet/ Scarf/ Pillowcase - To protect your strands at night.
• Wide tooth comb- For styling, combing and/or wrapping hair.

So now what? Now that you have the products, it’s now time to create a schedule of the hair tasks. You can create a weekly regimen which can look like this:

Or, a general regimen which can look like this:

Remember, it’s not only about creating a regimen but sticking to it too. It’s also worth noting that regimens are subject to change. Not everyone’s regimen is the same. Be consistent and the progress will follow. See my regimen here

Also, it is important to drink loads of water, eat healthy and stay healthy. 

Stay Awesome!!!!!!!

It's My Hairniversary!!!!!

365 days of conscious efforts to take care of myself, and changing my lifestyle for hair growth. A year of learning and adapting to meet my hair needs. I have had questions from people about this journey i have decided to take. I will address these concerns.

The most common question I'm faced with is, "Why are you on this journey? Why did you decide to grow out your hair?" - I decided to start this journey because I was made to believe by people around me and by myself that I had unhealthy 'non-growing' hair. I was tired of looking at other people with thick long hair and wishing it was me and I was ready to make that me. On 16th July last year, I got my hair relaxed for the first time since completing secondary school and decided that this was my first step to long healthy hair. i opted for a relaxer treatment because I fancied long hair and I wanted to have a better idea of my growth without shrinkage. I had done a lot of research before making this decision and I felt inspired by what I saw on the internet and YouTube. I had a lot of hope for my hair. I look back and I'm glad I made that decision.

Correction: 13-07-13** 

I have also had people ask me, "How do you stay motivated? How do you have s much zeal?" - First and foremost, I think that to be on any journey one should learn to be self motivated and try to persevere without external support. Yes it's not easy. Yes, the journey is so much better with support, but if you are overly dependent on that you will give up. You should know that, whatever you decide to do, you do for you.
I have never lacked in support. My mum, my sister and my family have been very supportive during this past year. I also have a very very supportive Whatsapp group. We keep ourselves motivated sharing our successes and setbacks encouraging each other.

One year Comparison Shots

 A personal question to myself. Am I pleased with where I am now? - Absolutely! I am beyond where I ever thought I would be. I know now what my hair likes. I know my staple products and I am beyond content. I see my progress. Other people see my products and are inspired and it is really a fulfilling feeling. 365 days of continuous progress. I have never felt setback. And when I have my hair down, my confidence is to the roof. I am absolutely pleased with where I am now!

Word of Advice: All hair grows. Slowly or Fast, it's growing. You need patience and consistency. And your hair definitely needs Tender, Loving Care if you want it to thrive. If you are one to lean on support find a way to get your friends to also start their journey. Keep one another motivated. Learn to be self- driven. Your progress will not be the same as others. What works for you would not work for others. Find a regimen that works for you. Be yourself. Take loads of pictures. See results!

350+ days comparison shots.

Stay Awesome!!

My Stash

 This is an inventory of my hair products.

Shampoo:

• Creme of Nature Argan Oil Sulphate Free Shampoo
• ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo

 

Conditioners:

•   Creme of Nature Argan Oil Intensive Conditioner
• Suave Almond oil and Shea Butter Conditioner
• Personal Care Herbal Blend Conditioner
• ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner
• Elasta QP Dpr +11-
• ORS Hair Mayonnaise 
• Dark And Lovely Ultra Cholestrol

Leave Ins:

• Creme of Nature Argan Oil Strength and Shine Leave-In.
• Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In
• ORS Elastic-i-tea Herbal Leave In
• Dark and Lovely Deep Repair Leave In

Moisturiser:

• Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 Miracle Worker 
•  Dark and Lovely Oil Moisturiser
• Organic Hair Energizer
• Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer

 

Oils:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Castor Oil
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil
• Ghanaian Black Castor Oil
• TAMA Shea Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Doo gro Mega Thick Growth Oil
• Dr. Miracle's Gro Oil (Feel it Fomula) 
• Peppermint oil
• Tea Tree oil

 

Styling Products and Tools:

•  ORS Edge Control
• ECO Styler Gel - Olive Oil
• Conair Foam Rollers
• Flexi Rods   
•  Hair clips
• Conair Shower Comb

 

Growth Aid and Supplements:

• T444z
• Hairifinity Supplements  

I have a lot of Conditioners and oils. I am needing have a clarifying shampoo and good moisturizers now. Suggest some in the comment section.
Updated- 5th January 2015

Stay Awesome.

I Got Hairfinity......

So, a while back, I talked to my big brother in the United States about starting on Hairfinity Supplements. I have wanted to try Hairfinty since the start of my HHJ, but, it's not available here in Ghana. If it is, I have never seen it. I have read great reviews about it. most of the customers I have come across have reported thicker and visibly longer hair within a month.And I know I want that. Yesterday my and my sister's Hairfinity arrived in the mail from my brother. I was super excited and I took my first dose this morning.

My Game Plan
Hairfinty Directions:
Adults, take two capsules daily, as dietry supplement.
I will not be taking both pills at the same time. I will split the pills and take one in morning and another in the evening after my breakfast and supper.

In addition to taking the pill, I'm going to up my water intake to avoid break outs and/or other side effects known or unknown.

I am on Hairfinty now!!!!!! I already took "before" pictures but, I will upload it together with my "after" pictures in 30 days. Let's see if it's worth all the hype. I hope it is. If you haven't heard or seen the hype, go to hairfinity.com and get updated. I'll keep you updated with new developments.

Stay awesome!!!!!!!!

Hairfinity is a natural supplement and 100% drug free. At this time, there are no clinically proven negative side effects of taking these vitamins. - See more at: http://www.hairfinity.com/FAQs.htm#sthash.JeNB7DPj.dpuf

Hairfinity is a natural supplement and 100% drug free. At this time, there are no clinically proven negative side effects of taking these vitamins. - See more at: http://www.hairfinity.com/FAQs.htm#sthash.JeNB7DPj.dpuf

Ruby Directs

1.Your hair is........(relaxed includes texlaxed, natural, loc'd)

My hair is Relaxed

2. What's your current length?
Shoulder Length

 3. How long have you been on a hhj and how long did it take to get to your current length

I have been on my HHJ for 16 months .

4. What's your daily and weekly regimen like?

I do not have a strict regimen, I just give my hair TLC. When my hair is not in braids, I moisturize everyday with Emily Millionaire and Seal with Castor or Coconut oil. I co-wash my hair every week and wash with shampoo once a month. When I braid my hair, I GHE every night, apply T444Z on my scalp weekly and on my edges daily. I also wash my braids twice a month.

5. How do you like to wear your hair? ( i.e your go to protective style)

I mostly wear corn rows or bun my hair as they are my favorite protective styles.

6. Do you use direct heat? If so, how often?

I seldom use heat on my hair. I air dry after every wash.

7. Are you on any diet or are  taking any vitamins to promote healthy hair growth?

shoulder length

I am not on diet and not taking any vitamins for now.

8. If you could have 5 hair related items, what would they be and why? (Briefly)

. Hooded Dryer: It will make Deep Conditioning easier
. Satin Bonnet: To protect my hair whilst I sleep
. Grogarnics Hair and Nail pills: Cos I want long healthy hair and beautiful skin
. CON Argan Oil Range: My hair just loves it.
. Lots of Castor Oil: It grows, thickens and makes my hair shiny and healthy.

bantu knot out

 9. What do you wish you knew before your HHJ?

I wish I had known too much heat was not good for the hair as I used to flat iron my hair daily which made my hair weak and light.

  10. Encourage someone also on a HHJ.

To all the lovely ladies on HHJ’s, I want to encourage you that it is possible to get healthy long and beautiful African hair provided you give your hair all the love and care it needs and also using the right hair products and sticking to good hair practices. No matter how short your hair might be, it will surely grow to your desired length if give it your attention.

Have A Nice Hair Day

progress

Stay Awesome!!!! Mucho Amor. :*
 

I Did My Own Braids.......

.........., with a little help. :)

So last week I came up with the idea of doing box braids as a protective style for a few weeks, but, I didn't want to go to the salon and I wanted to challenge myself.  I went on YouTube, and watched box braid tutorial videos. I downloaded a tutorial video which I watched almost daily for the week. So, on Sunday I went to a salon and bought a pack of kanekelon hair extensions. I wanted something black, but, what I got was a colour 99J which was reddish/wine-ish.

I started the process at half past four in the evening.  It was difficult stretching the extensions.  The stylists make it look so easy. It's not! Took me almost an hour stretching one pack. I started the braiding process at half past five and I had to go eat supper. By, a quarter to seven I had started the braids. I decided to call it a day at 9pm. I was excited. I was done with the front. I still had a lot to go behind but I knew I could do it. I went to bed.

On Monday, I started braiding again after 8am. I braided till I ran out of extensions. That was around 10am. I took my bath and relaxed with tv and instagram and anything else. After 2am I decided to go get another pack of hair. Stretching although easier this time was still time consuming. I started braiding again a few minutes to 3pm, stopped for supper and went right back. It was hard getting to the back and so I waited for my mum. She started at 8pm while watching her telenovela so. It took almost an hour to do 10-15 braids and by 9pm, we were done and waiting for water we had put on the fire. By 9.30 the process was completed and the braids had been set.

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12533297/?claim=tsxxkyryeru">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

I am super pleased. I will definitely do my own braids again.

Stay Awesome! ♥♡

#Afrotastic 2014

.Last Saturday July 5, 2014, I had the priviledge to not only attend but also take part in a natural hair event as a team member. It was, Afrotastic 2014 and it took place at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in Adabraka in Accra. The show was a success.

The show was supposed to start at 9am but by half past eight the first guest arrived all the way from Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region. I was surprised and I knew that the event was going to have a huge turn up. I wasn’t wrong.

The show was well organized, well planned and very entertaining. The auditorium was full with women being the majority and all of them seemed really eager to see what the show had to offer. The MC of the show was comedian / public speaker, James Brown, sporting an afro wig. He kept the audience entertained and laughing for a majority of the show.

The show started with a prayer as should all shows. There was a viewing of a documentary titled “400 Years without a Comb”. It was basically a history of black hair. Their journey through slavery, when they felt unworthy or inferior because of their hair, the transition to the hot comb and lye relaxers and grease and finally the return to their roots and the beginning of self- acceptance.

The audience was introduced to the sponsors and vendors of the show. There were lots of good products and accessories for sale. The vendors were from Ghana and Nigeria. They included, Afrocomb natural hair salon, African Naturalistas hair products, Body Butter Company, AfroRiri products, Urban Makes, PMK World, TAMA products and others. The variety was amazing.

There was spoken word by two very talented poets. And poems were uplifting and witty and just really good. There was a song performance from Abena and her guitar which was also very entertaining.

Then, we had a talk on Personality and Self-Confidence by the beautiful Rama Brew. Most of the audience was star struck, pulling out their ipads, tablets, and phones. I personally think it was the most recorded segment of the event. Rama was so interesting. She captivated the audience with her mini stories and demonstrations and enlightened the audience. She talked about loving youself. She talked about taking charge of your own hair. And then she talked about her locs. She was just being herself and that was awesome.

The Basic Hair Care with Questions and Answers segment was next, led by AfroDiva and Annette. It started with the debate on what natural hair was. The audience had different views on what constituted natural hair and some felt ‘virgin hair’ was a better term for the kinks. They talked about regimens and hair care but they didn’t recommend any products because as AfroDiva explained, everyone’s hair is different. Different products work differently for different people. Annette also demonstrated the ideal way to wash natural hair with less tangles and breakage. It was followed by a live big chop for a lady who had been transitioning from relaxed to natural.

The hair show followed with three hairstyles from AfroComb on three models. Followed by more poetry and music.

Next, was my favourite part. Giveaway and raffles!!!!!! While I wasn’t allowed to win anything as a team member, it was exciting to watch the reactions of the winners and wanna-be winners. Some ladies had their fingers crossed and were chanting their names. The winners had this smile of sheer happiness. And some were bummed out. It was an exciting time. I was even more excited when my twin sister won and then my cousin. Hell yeah!! I’m sharing their stuff with them. And I went with a little girl to get her price. That makes me a winner too. Don’t you think?

When the show ended everyone rushed to the vendor stands to get the products they had set their minds on. While others posed against the Afrotastic back drop for their selfies and groupies. I got myself a few goodies too. I stocked up on my shampoo and conditioner. I wanted a coloured satin bonnet but I too was bummed out because it ran out.

The event was a mega success. I loved it.

Stay Awesome ♥♡♥♡