Winter Hair Care Tips for Natural Hair

Consistency is the best way to see results in your hair. Natural hair takes more maintenance. It's more than going to the salon weekly/biweekly or having in braids consistently, or wearing sew ins, you need to be aware of the time you'll need to set aside to get the results you want to see.

"Since I started my transition I've used shea moisture, because that's the only brand I knew about at the time. I used the coconut and hibiscus line, the shampoo and the conditioner for wash, and after the styling products such as the style milk and the curl enhancing smoothie, you need your hair to air dry before going outside due to the cold," said Walki Perez, a Dominican criminal justice major from Queens.

Perez says trying out new and different brands of products work best for her during the winter. "I've recently used Carol's Daughter, I like it but I don't stick to just one brand during this time of the year, your hair gets used to it and then it just doesn't function well," she said.

Perez decided to go natural in January 2017. "My hair still curled, nut some of them would just stay straight; I decided to go natural to see my hair's full potential and repair all of the heat damage," she reported.

"When I went the first few months without heat my hair really changed, then I cut my hair in July and that's when I really started seeing change," said Perez.

She expressed that no matter the time of the year, and especially in the winter, it is important to always trim your hair and keep in mind your hair's health, over length.

Don't dry your hair with a regular towel, the cotton will soak the moisture from your hair. "Drying your hair with a t-shirt or a microfiber towel during your routine will help your hair keep its moisture especially in the winter," said Perez.

"Deep conditioning is important!" said N'aia Anderson, an African American Communications major from Queens.

"You can either make your own deep conditioner watching YouTube videos, or you can buy one and see if it works for your hair," said Anderson.

Perez showed the same sentiments, "You basically just do your regular shampoo routine, if you want extra moisture you could use a conditioner, detangle your hair, wash everything out, and then put the leave-in conditioner product on your hair for about 45 minutes," she said.

Learning how to train your curls and the shingling method will be useful when dealing with frizz and shrinkage during the winter.

"I also do a lot of hot oil treatments and moisturize my scalp more in the winter because my hair gets very dry," said Anderson. Any hair oil will do the trick.

"Get into sleeping with a bonnet," said Anderson, she explained it's the easiest way to put your hair down and just shake it out in the morning.

"In the winter it is also easier to just do protective styles to not damage your hair, such as braids, and updos," said Perez.

6 Hair-Care Myths You Need to Stop Believing

 

Think you know all about hair care? Okay, you might know a lot. But there is a ton of fake news out there about what makes your hair the healthiest and looking its best. Don't fall for 'em. Below, we've rounded up some of the six most common misconceptions about your crown of glory. You may be surprised by what you find!

Cutting your hair makes it grow faster.

"This is a myth and there is no science behind this theory," states hair surgeon Ken L. Williams Jr., founder of Orange County Hair Restoration in Irvine, California, and author of Hair Transplant 360: Follicular Unit Extraction. It comes down to the physiology of the hair growth cycle. "Cutting the hair shaft itself has nothing to do with the hair follicle that is located within the skin or the dermis," he explains. While trimming your strands will make unhealthy ends disappear, it won't encourage your hair to grow at a faster rate.

Washing your hair with cold water makes it shinier.

Well, the good news is you can stop torturing yourself with cold showers. "The temperature of the water has nothing to do with whether the scalp or hair is clean, or the appearance of the hair," says Williams. "You're getting a stimulatory effect [with the cold water — it certainly wakes you up — but that's all it's going to do." However, he states that conditioning the hair can affect its luster and help pump up the shine. Try Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Conditioner to keep your hair shiny and moisturized.

Coloring your hair will only damage it.

"There's a half-truth behind this one," says Williams. It has been recorded in medical journals that people who have used strong dyes have actually burned their scalp. "So it totally depends on the chemical, the dye, and the manufacturer you're using," continues Williams. In other words, every scalp is unique, so results will vary.

Split ends can be repaired.

New York City dermatologist Francesca J. Fusco, who consults for Unilever, notes that split ends are equal opportunity offenders, and when left untreated, hair becomes dull, dry, and tangled. "Split ends cannot be repaired once a split occurs and cannot be resealed or closed," she states. The reason: A split end is caused when the protective outer layer of your hair, the cuticle, is damaged. "The best treatment is to get regular haircuts trimming the ends,"' adds Fusco. They can't be resealed, but if you want to give them some extra TLC, use the Oribe Split End Seal which helps restore your hair.

Dry shampoo is better than washing your hair with regular shampoo.

Dry shampoo can be misleading since it doesn't actually clean your hair. Fusco explains that the scalp needs to be hydrated and washed with shampoo. It also needs to be rinsed. "It is fine to use dry shampoo in a pinch, but nothing replaces...water and wet shampoo," she concludes. Try using the Best of Beauty-winning L'Oreal Paris Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Shampoo for purified and hydrated roots.

Fine hair shouldn't be conditioned.

"This is false — both hair and scalp need to be conditioned!" states Fusco. "Proper shampooing and conditioning nourish the scalp, allowing healthy beautiful hair to grow and also helps to condition the hair." She advises people of all hair types to look for a shampoo and conditioner that is formulated specifically for both hair and scalp, such as Dove DermaCare Scalp Pure Daily Care.

Hair care tips after Balayage

BALAYAGE, a hair coloring technique, has been a craze these days among women who want to experiment on a new look. And I am, actually, one of those.

For someone who has piano black hair, I wanted to find out how I would look if I finally opt for a lighter shade for my mane. So, I visited High Definition Salon along Quimpo Boulevard (just in front on Pan de Pugon). With the magic hands and expertise of Ariel Isod, I was able to have the hair color I have been dreaming of.

After four hours of treatment, my extra black mane is gone. It was already replaced with graduated, natural-looking blonde; the way I have always wanted it to be.

However, such process of highlighting the hair may pose a threat to the so-called crowning glory of the descendants of Eve. In fact, beauty hubs do not suggest hair rebonding after someone had a Balayage treatment.

Below are some hair care tips I have gathered to maintain the healthy glow of our blonde or brunette looks following a Balayage:

Limit washing the hair. Of the many sites I visited for tips, this is the most common recommendation. Accordingly, frequent washing (or use of shampoo) may damage the dyed hair, no matter what color we have. And if we had our hair bleached, the more we need to follow this advice.

Turn to dry shampoo, instead. Since it is not good to keep on washing our hair, dry shampoo is the answer for us to continuously look fresh. When applying dry shampoo, we have to ensure, though, that we are able to remove all the residue, or else, anyone might think that we are rich in dandruff. Haha! By the way, Etude House and Watsons are selling dry shampoo.

Make deep conditioning treatment a weekly habit. Bleaching can make the hair "ugly" if we do not know how to take care of our hair. Considering that it can make our hair dry and brittle, it is important that we use deep conditioner once or twice a week. In the local market, Pantene, Loreal and Neutrogena have one. We can also scour for other brands.

Avoid applying heat. Honestly, I am a fan of electric hair curler and iron. Since we just had Balayage, using these "beautification weapons" may greatly damage our crowning glory.

Heat protectant spray can be an armor. If we think that we cannot really avoid heat, then, we should use heat protectant spray before letting those electric appliances touch our hair.

Leave-on conditioner is another trick to follow. Once we had our hair bleached and dyed, there is a huge chance it will get super dry and brittle. To fight this, we need to apply leave-on conditioner when we come out of a shower and before running a comb through it.

Did I say heat? Well, that includes the sun. If it is unavoidable to go out, we can spray something that protects our hair from the UV rays. We can also use a hat to cover our entire head to help keep the natural moisture of our hair.

These are only few of the many ways we can protect our bleached and dyed hair. If you have some more there, please share them with me.