Brazillian Keratin Treatment

The Brazilian Keratin treatment is the new talk of the town when it comes to hair care. Women are falling in love with this new product which is making "bad hair days" a thing of the past. Unlike other straightening systems that change the internal structure of the hair leaving it dry and fragile, the Brazillian Keratin Treatment is exactly what its name states, a treatment. It works by penetrating the open cuticles of the hair shaft and then sealing the cuticles leaving the hair looking extra smooth and shiny. Though the primary purpose of this treatment is to combat frizz, it has another important benefit. Since hair is made up mostly of the protein keratin and Brazillian Keratin treatment infuses the hair with this protein, in addition to smoother, shinier hair, you also end up with a healthier head of hair. Whether the hair is worn curly or straight, styling your hair after having this treatment done is a breeze. Those who like to blow dry their hair will be able to cut their styling time in half as the hair smoothes out much easier and stays that way much longer. As this is not a permanent chemical process, it washes out gradually over time, about 3-5 months depending on how often the hair is shampooed. Specific shampoos and conditioners help to prolong the benefits of the treatment. The treatment is on the pricey side but is definetely worth it and is a great alternative to harsher straighteing systems.

Its a Revolution!

There is a movement at hand. Black women are going back to their roots, literally! Some call it a revolution but what is revolutionary about allowing your hair to be the way it naturally is? Well what's revolutionary is not the act itself but the the mind change among black women that this "trend" indicates. Black women are once again learning to see and embrace the beauty of their natural textured hair. They are realizing that they do not have to be defined by it nor do they have to change it to make their appearance more "acceptable".The decision to "go natural" is not an easy one. I myself battled with the decision for quite some time before I finally decided to do it. After having a relaxer for so many years, you become used to it and you can't imagine your hair any other way. You think maybe your natural texture wouldn't suit you as well. You worry about the process of growing out the relaxer. Finally you wonder about the time and effort it will take to care for your natural hair as well as the styling options available. In future postings I will be adressing some of these questions. My goal is to help women who are treading the line between natural and relaxed hair to make a decision, especially those whose hair has reacted negatively to relaxers but who keep having it done bcause they think they have no other options. I have heard it said that "good hair" is healthy hair, so whether your hair is chemically relaxed or natural, the goal is to make sure you are doing all you can to maintain the health of your hair.

So I was on my way to work one morning when I saw a young African American girl - she could not have been more than ten years old - with a full head of weave! To make it worse it was a bad weave. I wonder if the mother of that young girl took a moment to think about the message she was sending her daughter when she sat her down and had that weave placed on her head. I wonder if she realized that she was indirectly telling her daughter that the hair that grew out of her head was for one reason or another unworthy of being seen . Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with women who wear extentions of any kind but this was not a woman that I was looking at. This was a little girl whose view of the world and, more importantly ,of herself was still being shaped at every moment. She needs to be taught that she is beautiful and complete as is, with out having to add or subtract anything that she was blessed with by her creator. At some later point in her life when she is fully confident of who she is and clear about the source of her worth, then she will be more than capable of making decisions about altering her appearance. Hopefully, at that time she will not be altering it because she feels her natural gifts aren't worthy of being seen, but because she thinks that its fun to switch things up from time to time and have fun with her appearance. After all we are girls, playing dress up is in our blood ; )

Dry Hair

Accordingto the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institues of Health, dry hair is defined as hair that does not have enough moisture and oil to maintain its natural sheen and texture. but we already know what dry hair is don't we? Many of us live with it everyday. The question is how do we treat it? As with solving any other problem we first need to find out the cause(s) of it. There are quite a number of factors that contribute to dry hair. Improper nutrition plays a big role. It is also largely caused by over shampooing, lack of proper conditioning, permanents ( colors, relaxers,perms ect.) ,constant blow drying and thermal styling( flat iron, curling iron). Now that we know the causes , here are some solutions.

- shampoo less. Too much shampooing strips the hair of its natural oils. Also try using mild shampoos or those labeled specifically for dry hair.

- deep condition regularly. A good conditioner replaces some of the hair's moisture and smoothes the cuticle layer of the hair allowing it to regain some of its lustre. I reccomend adding natural oils to the conditioner and leaving it in the hair for at least 30 minutes. Aveda's Beautifying Oil is an excellent choice.

-Minimize heat styling as much as possible. Opt for a traditional rollerset instead of a blow dry. When you do blow dry be sure to use a blow drying aid to protect the ends from excessive heat. The same goes for when you are flat ironing or using a curling iron.

-Last but not least, trim ends regularly( every 6-8 weeks) . Dry hair splits and if split ends are not taken care of in a timely manner the breakeage works its way up the hair shaft until you have a full head of damaged hair.

If your hair doesn't respond to any of the above remedies consider seeing a dermatologist to rule out something internal such as an underactive throid or parathyroid.

Learn to Love Your Hair

Just as the grass always seems greener on the other side, the hair always seem to look better on the other head. Instead of looking at others and wishing you had their hair, take a look at your own and learn what it will take to make it look its best. The right cut combined with the styling know-how can help you to fall in love with your hair once again, or for the first time.

Hair we go!

There is no arguing that a woman's hair plays a major role in her over all appearance. You can be wearing the most gorgeous outfit but if your mane is not properly tamed then you might as well be wearing a bunch of rags.
The first step to beautiful hair is to work on the health of your hair. Mistreated hair ( hair that is constantly being dyed and fried) might start off looking good but in due time all that mistreatment will come to a head.
So how do we keep the hair healthy? Moisiture moisture moisture! chemical processing, thermal styling, too much shampooing and regular everyday wear and tear takes its toll on hair. When hair lacks mositure it looses its elasticity, becomes limp and dry and is very susceptible to breakage. To avoid this try to stay away from harsh chemical processing ( bleaching, perms,relaxers). If that is not an option then be sure to create and maintain a strict haircare regimen. Weekly deep conditioning and protein treatments combining mositurizing conditioners and natural oils is must. Regular trims( every 2 to 3 months) ensures that any split ends are taken care of so hair can grow strong and healthy.