Ms Direction Healthy Hair Challenge!!!!!!!!

Hey lovelies!!!! So I have decided to come to you with A HEALTHY HAIR CHALLENGE!! This is my very first challenge and it’ll run on the blog, my Facebook page and Instagram (with hashtag: MsDirectionHHJ). The aim if this challenge is to become more familiar and used to healthy hair practices, as well as make this healthy hair journey a lifestyle for most. The challenge will run for 6 months, and commences on 1^st January 2015 and ends 31^st June 2015. If I find that the challenge serves the purpose it was created for, I’ll gladly extend or restart it. I want this challenge to be more focused on healthy hair rather than length growth. Once the hair and scalp are healthy, length WILL follow. There will NOT be a prize at the end of this challenge but I do hope a positive transformation at the end of the challenge will be more than enough encouragement.

RULES OF THE CHALLENGE

1.       Scalp should be kept clean as frequently as possible, at most once a week, and at least every two weeks for my ladies in protective styles or starting the journey afresh.

2.       A sulfate free shampoo is recommended. However if you do not have one, it is mandatory to pre-poo (pre-shampoo treatment) before every wash day.

3.       Always condition your hair after washing either with an instant conditioner or moisturizing or balanced deep conditioner (A deep conditioner is more recommeded).

4.       Always detangle before wash day.

5.       Always moisturize and seal in the moisture as often as required (A daily M&S routine does wonders for length retention).

6.       Scalp massages with an oil of choice at least 3 times a week to boost circulation and in turn promote growth.

7.       Mild protein treatment once a month and a hard protein treatment every 2 months. At the end of the challenge you should have done 3 hard protein treatments.

8.       Air dry after washday or use indirect heat. i.e a hooded dryer.

9.       NIGHT TIME ROUTINE! ALWAYS sleep with your hair covered with a silk or satin bonnet or head scarf

10.   Keep your ends tucked in 70-90% of the time

KEEP YOUR ENTIRE BODY HEALTHY BY:

·         Drinking loads of water at least 1500 ml and at most 3000ml. You can do more if you need to or want to

·         Cutting down on junk food.

·         Getting an exercise routine

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

·         A Good Shampoo (preferable sulfate free) eg. CON Argan oil shampoo, ORS Invigorating Shampoo, Tresemme Naturals……..

·         Moisturizing or Balanced Deep conditioner eg. CON Aragn oil Intensive Conditioner, ORS Replenishing conditioner, Beautiful Textures DC……

·         Leave in Conditioner eg. CON Argan Oil Leave in, African Pride Leave in, Beautiful Textures Tangle taming leave in……..

·         Water based moisturizer eg. Beautiful Textures Moisture Butter, Elasta QP Mango butter, African Pride Moisturizer……..

·         Mild/Light Protein Treatment/conditioner eg. ORS Mayonnaise, Elasta QP Soy Oyl……

·         Oils for hair, eg Extra Virgin Olive oil, Extra Virgin Coconut oil, Castor oil, Grapeseed oil, Shea Oil, Jojoba Oil…….

·         Wide toothed comb

·         Satin bonnets or head scarf

WHAT TO AVOID

Petroleum and Mineral oil Based Products, Direct Heat, Unfriendly hair accessories ad stlyers, small tooth combs for daily use.

HOW TO JOIN

Send in starting pictures to my email – miranisa2103@gmail.com

Or To my FB page – Ms Direction Gh

Or on instagram – NISA_HRHJ through a DM Or by using hashtag: MsDirectionhhj

ALL entries must be sent in by December 31 2014

All hair types invited!!!!!!!!

Leave suggestion or questions in the comments section.

Stay Awesome

HHJ Kitchen Finds- BANANAS!!!!!!!!

Episode 2 of the HHJ Kitchen Finds Series. Today our focus is on BANANAS. Yes! Bananas! Sweet, sweet bananas.

Bananas are seriously such an amazing fruit. They provide various health benefits and are fortified with vitamins such as zinc, iron, manganese and potassium. They are very good instant energizers and help to lower cholesterol. They are used to combat stomach ulcers. One great thing about bananas is that it can be used to either gain or lose weight. They can be used to do opposite things depended on how they are used. Smokers can also use bananas to recover from nicotine addiction. And banana mixtures are great for hangovers. 

source: google

The benefits of bananas do not end in the body. This miracle fruit is used for beauty treatments. Banana face masks are known to promote younger looking, glowing skin. Bananas have good moisturizing benefits that they are used to treat dry, cracked heels. They are used in many foot treatments.

How amazing are BANANAS!

Hey, let me end there and get back to hair. How are bananas beneficial for my hair?

Besides the fact that bananas keep the body healthy and healthy hair thrives in a healthy body, bananas can be used in a number of D-I-Y hair packs. Bananas are rich in potassium, carbohydrates, natural oils and vitamins which leave the hair super soft and healthy at the same time, promoting hair elasticity and preventing split ends and breakage. After doing a banana a banana treatment expect to have amazing shine. (Bananas make me used the word “amazing” too much.) Bananas are awesome deep conditioners with moisturizing benefits.

BANANA DEEP CONDITIONER

1 ripe banana

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp honey

Mash all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Apply to damp hair, scalp and ends. Cover hair with a plastic cap. Let it sit for 10-25 minutes. Rinse with warm water and proceed to wash

source: google

• For Hair Loss- Bananas and Raw Yoghurt should do the trick. At least, twice in a month. 
• For Shine and Health – Banana, Olive oil and Egg mixture is recommended at most once a month.
• To keep hair soft- Bananas, avocado and coconut milk works wonders
• For Damaged Hair- Banana and almond oil.

Be sure to completely mash or blend all ingredients into a smooth paste. You wouldn’t want to be stuck with chucks of banana in your hair. 

Good thing about D-I-Y is the recipes are unlimited. Make yours and let me know in the comments below.

Stay Awesome (and amazing….. of course.)!!!!!!!                             

Hair Growth and Length Retention!

My hair would not grow. My hair doesn’t grow. My hair has stayed at the same length forever. It’s not uncommon to hear people make these complaints over and over. The problem is not with growth but with length retention. The fact that you are relaxed and you have to go for a relaxer touch up or the fact that you can see undergrowth in your braids or weaves or the fact that you have no disease or illness that has stunted your growth means, YOUR HAIR IS GROWING. The problem is with retaining the old length. That is holding on to or keeping your length and adding to it the “new growth”.

There are many reasons why we don’t retain length but the main cause is man handling the ends of your hair. The ends of your hair are the oldest and the most fragile. They require some TLC (Tender Loving Care). I’ll direct you on how you can retain your old length and gain new lengths. Just keep reading.

• ·         Keep Your Hair Moisturized- Hair lacking in moisture tends to be very brittle and brittle equals BREAKAGE. By keeping the hair moisturized the strands become more elastic and less prone to breakage. Less breakage means you get to hold on to your old lengths and that is a great thing if you ask me. :)

• ·         Avoid Over Manipulation- Over manipulation of the hair by combing too often; getting extensions constantly without giving your hair a break; getting braids too tight you name it, weakens hair strands and eventually causes the ends to break off. The ends are fragile and get stressed easily by these practices. Avoid over handling the hair if you want to hold on to your ends. Go for low manipulation styles like braids, buns, weaves, cornrows, curly styles.

Curly style that doesn't require combing. Good way to avoid manipulating too often. Flexi-rod set. (left)

Curly style converted to a curly pony tail a week after. Still low manipulation. (right)

• ·         Protect your ends by keeping it tucked in most of the time. The environment can be an enemy to your ends and so by tucking it in or hiding it, you protect it from external factors like wind, and other unfriendly textures that might come in contact with the hair. Even the fabric of your shirt could be an unfriendly external factor to your ends. Use buns, fold ups, wraps, braids and weaves to hide your ends.
   
  Protecting my ends with a teenie weenie bun. :)
  
  

• ·         Trim off splits and damaged ends. Holding on to damaged ends do no good for anyone. If split ends are not trimmed or gotten rid of. The split travels up the strands and it ends up in more damage. Keep your ends healthy and retain the healthy ends.

• ·         Finally, do not trim too often. Let me explain why. If your ends are not damaged do not trim. On average hair grows ½ - 1 inch per month. By trimming monthly or too often, you do not gain any length because the new growth replaces the trimmed ends and then you are stuck at the same length forever. If you feel the need to trim every time you relax, you should consider stretching relaxer often.  And if your stylist or hairdresser is scissor happy you should start rehearsing how to tell her NO when she pulls out the scissors J

Happy hair retention! Stay AWESOME!