HHJ:Kitchen Finds - ONION

I have decided to start a new series titled "HHJ:Kitchen Finds". This new series will be to feature natural ingredients easily found in the kitchen that can be used on your hair journey. This ingredients are easy to find and relatively cheap. I hope you enjoy this series.

-Ms. Direction

Onions are used in all households for making their meals, but what many people don’t know is that onions are very beneficial for healthy hair. Onions are a relatively cheap way of enhancing hair growth and overall hair health on your journey. Onions are also very easy to come by.

• Regular consumption of onion helps to treat many hair problems while also promoting healthy hair growth.
• Onions when applied directly to the scalp is an excellent hair growth treatment. The sulfur present in onions is great at stimulation the scalp to provide blood circulation which in turn promotes healthy hair growth.
• Onion juice can be used to prevent and treat pre mature graying and hereditary hair loss respectively.
• Onions can be used to slow down, treat and cure alopecia or female pattern baldness.
• Onions have antibacterial properties for treating scalp infections caused by fungi and/or yeast.

Source:Google

Now you know the benefits onions have to offer, how do you incorporate onions into your regimen?

1. Make onion juice by using a grater, blender, juicer or food processor. Onion juice can be applied directly on the scalp for 30 minutes or more before you wash your hair.
2. Onions can also be used in your shampoo. Cut onion into tiny pieces and put in your shampoo. Allow it to sit for 15 days to infuse. It stinks bad from what I have heard but the smell doesn’t linger. Follow with a nice smelling conditioner or hairdress and you are good to go.
3.  Mix onion juice with honey and use as a hair mask. Leave overnight and wash out with a good smelling shampoo and conditioner.

Do not wait to be bald and crying!! [source:google]

I hope you learned something new. Let me know if you'll add onions to your regimen and how? Do you know how else onions can be used for hair health? Leave a comment!!!!!!!!!

As usual. Stay Awesome.

Preparing for A Weave or Braids Installation

Braids and weaves are great protective styles if the correct procedures are followed. They can however cause a lot of damage instead of protecting your ends. Now, before you get your braids or weave there are some things that must be done, and taken note of. Hey, that’s why I’m here. I’ll direct.

Sew in Weave

1. Before you book your appointment to get your braids or weave installed be sure you have not just taken out another weave or braid. Your hair requires at least one week between extensions, to give the hair time to recuperate. A lot of manipulation goes into taking down braids or weaves and you wouldn’t immediately want to subject the fragile strands to more manipulation. During this break the hair should be kept protected and free from manipulation.
2. Deep Condition Your Hair- It is important to ensure that the hair and scalp are strong enough to take on another installation with all the tugging and combing. A strong protein treatment is recommended to restore the hair’s protein and to provide strength.
3. Create a maintenance and cleaning routine. Your hair should not be neglected while you hair is in extensions. What this means is that you should establish guidelines to help you take care of your hair in your braids or sew-in. Two things that have to be done is cleaning the scalp and moisturizing the strands. Depending on the how long the protective style will be kept, you can also deep condition. 

   

   Box Braids

• Cleaning- You need to think about how long you intend to keep the style for and then decide how many times you are going to wash or clean the scalp within that time. You also decide how you are going to clean the scalp. Are you going to use regular shampoo or waterless? Are you going to use wipes or methylated spirit?

Scalp wash/waterless shampoo [source: google]

• Moisturizing- You should get for yourself a braid spray, leave in or moisturizing DIY spritz. Establish a moisturizing routine. Remember hair thrives more when it’s getting enough moisture.

Braid Spray [source:google]

4. Night time routine- Get yourself a hair net or scarf big enough to keep your style in place. This will not only preserve your stlye but also keep your hair in place o reduce the amount of movement your strands go through especially as you sleep. Also to prevent breakage especially with the braids.  

Hair Net [source:google]

 Onec you have this down, you are ready to get an installation. Happy Hair Journey. Keep the hair protected.

Stay Awespme!!!!! 

First Sunshine Blogger Award :))

Hey Lovelies, it has been a while. I'm pretty excited about this post because it is about a blog award, my first blog award. I was nominated for a SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD by Stella of GhLongHair. Stella's blog was one of the first Ghanaian hair blogs I came across. Her progress was amazing and we have become friends. It is quite an honour to be nominated by someone who inspires you.

Rules:

• Acknowledge the nominating blogger with a link to the website. Thanks Stella!!
• Share 11 random facts about myself by answering the questions the nominating blogger has created for me. 
• List 11 bloggers I believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love! (I can't nominate the blogger who nominated me.)
• Let the 11 bloggers know you nominated them.
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers I nominate to answer. 

My Answers To GhLongHair

1. Which do you love and care for most? Your hair, skins or nails?

I care for my hair most but I love my nails more. I have long hard nails which i personally think are to die for but my hair is a work in progress as you can tell from my blog. My skin has never been an issue for me lately being that its not perfect but not horrid.

2. Do you still watch cartoons? 
Can I ever stop? Watching Tarzan as I type. With cartoons I can watch them over and over and have the same level of excitement. And the soundtracks are the cutest. 
 

I wear my badge with pride. [source: google]

 

3. What have you always wanted in life? Did you get it? 

All I have really wanted in life was happiness. And I have learned that you create your own happiness. I'm proud of my achievements in most aspects of my life and the grace of the Lord God still sines in my life. So, yes, I got happiness.

4. At what age did you last dance in the rain?

19. My current age. A few days ago :D

5. What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? 

Boy! It is cold!!! (It had been raining all night and was still raining when I woke up.)

6. Best compliment you have ever received?

You are beautiful! 

7. What type of music do you listen to?

Movie or Cartoon soundtracks. And anything with lyrics that speak to my soul. Current fave: pink-just give me a reason . Awesome lyrics.

Pink lyrics[source:google]

8. What did you do on your last birthday? 

Lunch with my friends. Lots of cake. Then dinner at a Turkish restaurant. 

9. Are you still learning who you are? 

Yes. Isn't everybody. lol. And it is interesting the things we learn. :)

10. What is your favourite thing to spend money on?

I'm a spender. Everything I spend money on is my favourite thing. lol. But lately it is jewellery. :D

11. Would you rather go a week without bathing but be able to change clothes? Or a week without changing your clothes but be able to bath? 

Tough one! I have been thinking about this answer since I started typing this post. The other questions did not require thinking. Thinking is so much work. ugh. I think I will go a week without changing clothes provided it is a dress or skirt. I definitely cannot go a week in the same shorts. lol

Nominated Bloggers

• Naya, Imelda and Dorcey of mimeldo.blogspot.com 
• Dorothy of myhairvolution.wordpress.com 
• Jay of jaykinkskoils.blogspot.com 
• AfroDiva of ghanaiannaturals.blogspot.com
• Nitie of nitiescreations.blogspot.com
• Anita of growingmymane.blogspot.com
• Yvonne of dairyofarelaxedchic.blogspot.co.uk
• Jo of growafricanhairlong.blogspot.com
• Abena of ghanaianemprezz.com
• Afton of hotdrumommy82.blogspot.com
• Kirsty of blackhairspice.blogspot.com

Questions:

1. What inspired you to start a blog?
2. Who is your biggest supporter?
3. If you could live anyone's life for one day, who would it be? Why?
4. What quality do you value most in a person?
5. What is your favourite quote?
6. When was the last time you tried something new?
7. What day stands out as the happiest day in your life?
8. What's your favourite thing about you?
9. What is one thing you usually forget?
10. What does friendship mean to you?
11. Would you rather be dumb and awesome or smart and boring?

I had fun answering these questions. Stay awesome!

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!