September 2011 Hair Updates

I haven't been blogging for the past month, partly because work and life has me busy, but mostly because I've just been trying to stay consistent with my hair regimen. The only new thing is that I have been baggying more, but I only do it for a short period of time. Either in the evening or in the morning while I'm getting dressed, I apply a little moisturizer to my hair, put on a plastic cap, and then a silk scarf. I keep it on for about an hour while I cook dinner or get dressed. When I take the scarf and bag off, my hair is super moist. I've been doing this 3-4 times a week and it seems to solve my dry hair problems. My edges have always been a problem- they get dry and then break off. I've noticed the biggest difference in my edges. Baggying keeps them moist and they lay down the way I want them to. An hour is just enough for me to baggy. I find if I baggy overnight or for longer periods, my hair is just mushy, wet and weak.

Low Porosity Hair

When thinking about hair porosity, I think of hair as a sponge. Porous hair (high pH level) is like a sponge with large holes, taking in a lot of moisture. Low porosity hair is like a sponge in a plastic bag. It's hard for liquid to penetrate it, but if held under water, eventually the sponge absorbs the liquid. Porosity is mainly controlled by how 'tightly' closed the cuticles on your hair are. The cuticles close in acidic conditions, and open more in basic conditions.

Symptoms of Low Porosity Hair:

* Hair floats when you do the strand test (put a clean strand of hair in a cup of water and see if it floats or sinks)
* Hair takes a while to get wet
* Hair takes long to dry
* Water and oil just sit on the hair
* Hard to moisturize (aka your hair stays dry)
* Hair is sensitive to protein
* Relaxers don't "take"

If any of this applies to you, you may have hair with low porosity! My hair definitely has trouble retaining moisture, takes a while to dry sometimes, and floats when I put it in water. I realized a couple of months ago that my hair had low porosity because treating my hair with low pH levels wasn't working.


Ways to manage lo-po hair:

Use warm water to rinse. It is recommended that we rinse conditioner out with cold water to seal the cuticle, but since low-porosity hair already has a closed cuticle, you don't want to seal it anymore.

Stay away from acidic shampoos and conditioners. For a while I was using Roux Porosity Control, but eventually I noticed that it either did nothing for my hair, or it made it hard. My hair can take apple cider vinegar (ACV) sometimes, but not a lot and not often. I've been using Organic Root Stimulator Aloe-Rid Shampoo, which I love. It clarifies my hair, opens my cuticles enough to accept a deep condition, and makes my hair soft.

Steaming. The hot steam will open up the cuticles, which is why so many low-porosity heads love steaming. I don't have a steamer, so I do the "DIY" method, which is applying conditioner, then a plastic cap, then a very hot wet towel, then another plastic cap, then another hot towel, then another plastic cap. Then I sit under the dryer for at least 15 minutes.

Use moisture-rich products. It is said that this hair type is least resistant to damage through styling and grooming, but it's really important to keep it moisturized. Be careful with the protein! My hair doesn't seem to be too sensitive to protein, so I try to incorporate a light protein in my hair for every wash, whether it's the pre-poo, deep condition, or leave-in conditioner. It's even more important for low-porosity hair to have a good moisture/protein balance. I'm still on a the hunt to find a good moisturizer. My hair is also sensitive to too much oil, so I have to be very light-handed when applying oils.

DC with heat. This is important. It's even more important to deep condition for a substantial amount of time. If I can, I'll leave in my conditioner over night, or for hours while I do housework/run errands/go to the gym.
Edit: I realized the hard way that I have to deep condition with heat.  Working out or keeping the conditioner in for a long period of time doesn't work for me.

Baggy the hair. This is basically bullying your hair to accept moisture. Because my hair is fine, baggying for a long time turns my hair into mush and makes it even more fragile. So, I usually baggy for about 2 hours at a time and that's it. I apply a little moisturizer and then put on a plastic cap for a couple of hours. I've only been doing this for a couple of weeks, about 3 days a week, but I can already tell a difference in my moisture level.

Heat before relaxing to open the cuticle. I don't have a problem with relaxers straightening my hair, but many women will flat iron or blow dry their hair before relaxing to open up the cuticles so that the relaxer takes a shorter time to straighten the roots.

Use alkaline products with a high pH (above 6, or so). Baking soda rinse - baking soda is alkaline.

Apply a semi-permanent color. Semi-permanent color lifts the cuticle

I am not sure if my hair always had a low pH level, or if it came with having a child or just getting older.

I'm determined to keep my hair moist, thick and healthy, so I will continue to try new products, techniques and tools!

Can't Do My Own Hair?!?!

Last week I went to a Dominican salon for a rollerset. I really like how my hair came out. Lately I feel like I can't do my own hair anymore! My hair doesn't come out as smooth as I want it and my ends are never as healthy-looking when I do it. It's like I have a different head of hair when I get it done. When I get it done at the salon, my hair is easier to maintain and it accepts products better. I don't know if it's because my hair is longer, that I don't have a good hooded dryer, or that I'm not using the right products/rollers, but I need to figure out how to create a nice style myself soon. I don't want to go to the salon every week because I hate going to the salon. It seems like a huge drain on my precious time. Fortunately, the place I go for rollersets gets me in and out, but I'm still not trying to be in there on a weekly basis.

The only thing I didn't like about this last salon experience is that the woman who washed my hair, washed the hell out of it. My hair really wasn't that dirty! My scalp felt sensitive when she was done. I wasn't feeling it at all. Fortunately, my hair didn't feel stripped or dry when I left the salon. Even still, I've decided that the next time I go, I'm going with conditioner already in my hair, and I'm not going to let them shampoo me more than twice.

I'm seriously considering investing in a good-quality hooded dryer. I also need to learn how to use magnetic rollers so that I can use the larger ones and shorten my drying time. I don't know how to blowdry my own hair, but I'm not that interested in learning. If I can rollerset my hair and the majority of my hair comes out smooth, I don't mind flat ironing the roots if I need to.

Product Review: Aveeno Nourish & Condition Leave In

I needed a new leave-in conditioner, and since the ingredients looked interesting, and I had a coupon, I bought the Aveeno leave-in conditioner. It retails around $8.50 at drugstores.

Product Description
Aveeno Nourish+Condition Leave-In Treatment with nourishing wheat complex deeply replenishes dry, damaged hair. Does much more than nourish and condition - it quenches the thirstiest hair with a fusion of deep conditioners and moisturizers, recharging it with healthy new life. Hair is instantly revitalized and scientific studies show that just three uses helps repair dry damaged hair. This exclusive Active Naturals formula, infused with Nourishing Wheat Complex, is designed to feed your hair - replenishing moisture as it zeroes in on the weakest part of hair - fortifying the hair shaft with protein where it needs it most.

Ingredients
Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, PPG 3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Triticum Vulgare Gluten (Wheat), Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil (Wheat), Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Quaternium 91, Glycerin, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Butylene Glycol, Amodimethicone, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, May Contain (+/-): CItric Acid

Directions
Spray all over hair or on concentrated areas as desired. Comb through to distribute evenly. Do not rinse. For best results, use the Aveeno Nourish+Shampoo and Conditioner designed to suit your hair texture.

My Experience
I am really blown away by this product! After I rinsed out my deep conditioner, I sprayed the Aveeno in my hair from root to tip. There really isn't a scent, and the consistency is like a watery cream. To me, it's a combination between a creamy and liquid leave-in. I could immediately feel how moist my hair was, which I attribute to the second ingredient, Behentrimonium Methosulfate. Like I do with all leave-ins, I allowed it to sit in my hair for a few minutes before I de-tangled. I find this way allows the conditioner to soften my hair and make de-tangling easier. I then combed my hair with my shower comb- the comb just glided through my strands. Then I allowed my hair to airdry. I noticed that my hair took longer than usual to dry. I didn't mind this, as when my hair dries too quickly, I end up with dry, crispy ends. I also feel like this product actually penetrated my hair, which not many products do since my hair is has a low porosity level. When my hair did dry, it was moist, shiny and thick.

I did the strand test after using this product and my hair did not float! I'm wonding if this will help my low porosity issues...

I have used this leave-in twice, but have not tried rollersetting with it yet. I'll report back the next time I set my hair. I also haven't tried it yet on dry hair as a moisturizer. At least I know it definitely works for airdying, so I'll add it to my list of staples.

Henna Part 2

I henna'd again this past weekend. I still love the color and thickness results, but my hair was a little dry this time. I think I'll skip the apple cider vinegar next time, and replace the water with coconut milk. One of my co-workers recommended that I use the Shehnaaz or Godrej brand next. She said they are higher quality hennas, and their main purpose is to condition the hair. If I don't see them at one of the local Indian stores, I'll order them online. She's also going to have her friend who will be visiting her from India soon, bring me some henna from India. Can't wait!

Same Product, New Technique

I love it when I get a product I didn't like before to work. A couple of weeks ago, I discovered that the Hawaiian Silky 14-in1 moisturizer works better on my wet hair before air drying. This past weekend, I used Organix Coconut Anti-Breakage Serum on dry hair before flat ironing. My hair came out so smooth, shiny and moist! It's been 4 days and I'm still in awe of how great my hair looks and feels. I haven't even had to moisturize my hair, just apply a little oil on the ends.

I knew that I just needed to find "that" product that my hair would drink up. Years ago, I found it with BBD oil, but after a while, my hair started rebelling against it. My hairstylist has been encouraging me to flat iron a little more, but I haven't been too successful. The other day after I co-washed and air dried my hair, I planned to do a braidout or something, but since using serum as a heat protectant was on my mind, I decided to try a small section with the Organix coconut serum. I've had the serum for over a year. When I first bought it, I used it to rollerset with. My hair came out okay, but not as shiny, moist or light as I had hoped. I rubbed a drop in my hands, and applied it to a section of hair. I couldn't believe how smooth and shiny my hair came out! So I decided to flat iron my whole head. It's like I have a new head of hair. Even though I only used a drop on each of the 4 sections of my hair, I may have used too much, because my hair is a little heavy, but I'll take it over dry, limp hair any day. It's so nice to have an inexpensive product that you don't need to use a lot of AND that works!

Henna!

I finally decided to try henna in my hair. I've been wanting to do this for a couple of years, but have always been afraid- of the mess, of the possibility of it making my hair drier, of not liking the color results, etc. I've been reading about it for years, asking other henna heads for advice and eyeing stores and websites that sell henna. I'm hoping that it will condition my hair, make it "heavier," and cover some of my grays.

Since Lavendar and others suggested doing henna a week after a relaxer, I felt this was the perfect time. Also, since it's summer and my hair is a little more moist in the summer months, I figured this is the least riskiest time to do it.

I used Lavendar's henna gloss recipe:

1 box Jamila henna (or 100 grams of any BAQ henna)
1/4 - 1/3 cup VO5 Strawberries & Cream Moisture Milks conditioner
1/4 - 1/3 cup Lustrasilk Shea Butter Mango Cholesterol conditioner
2 T organic apple cider vinegar (ACV)
3 T brahmi and bhringaraj oil

Mix henna with hot tap water until thoroughly wet, but lumpy not saturated or at the creamy stage. Mix in conditioners and ACV until whipped in appearance. Cover bowl with heating pad set on low (never hotter than that) for aid in quicker color release. Let bowl set for 5-6 hours. Remove heat and let bowl cool for 20-30 minutes. Mix in oil. Apply to clarified, towel-dried hair. Let set in hair for at least 4 hours with heat cap (can use heat cap on and off if needed). Wash out with lots of cheapie conditioner. No need for shampoo, as shampoo tends to lessen the color payoff. BUT, if you tend to have allergies like I do, you can do a light shampoo if you usually experience itching for any length of time after co-washing out henna. Just remember, you may not have an optimal color outcome. I do a final condition with Elucence mixed with oil for 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and style. You can also do a DC if you wish, but remember you just deeply deposited the lawsomes into the cuticle. You want to close and seal the cuticle as soon as possible after the treatment (that's why shampooing usually isn't a good idea). A henna gloss is a great way to get your feet wet with henna and bypass all the dryness issues.

I bought some Reshma henna from an Indian grocery store near my job. I did not use brahmi or bhringaraj oil because they didn't have any at the store. They did have neem oil, but I didn't buy it. Maybe next time. I was a little weary about adding the apple cider vinegar. I read that it could be drying, but I also wanted to follow Lav's recipe, and tweak it the next time if I need to. I mixed it up Friday morning before work and let it sit until I got home:

When I got home from work, the henna mix was extremely smooth. I added some vatika and my grape seed oil mix to the henna before I applied it. I applied it to 4 sections. I was pleasantly surprised how smoothly and easily it went on. I used as much as I could, but I still had over half left over. I decided to freeze it and use it if I decide to henna again. After putting 2 plastic caps and a scarf on, I left the henna in overnight. I thought that if I walked around with it in my hair for hours, I would get paranoid and rinse it out too early.

Sleeping with the henna in wasn't bad at all. I did have a little leakage in the back of my neck, but I just slept with a towel over my pillow. The henna does have a distinct scent, but it didn't bother me at all. When I woke up, I co-washed the henna out with V05 conditioner. It washed out really easily- no clumps, no staining, no tangles. I deep conditioned with Aubrey Organics White Camellia for about an hour without heat and rinsed. I rollerset with only Salerm 21 leave-in:

This picture really doesn't do my hair justice. My hair is moist, shiny, heavier, and overall beautiful. It's extremely moist from root to tip. I didn't even put any moisturizer or oil in it. My platinum hair is now a reddish-orange, but it's not too bright. In the sun, I can see reddish brown highlights throughout. I'm not sure how often I will do this, but it will definitely be incorporated into my regimen, even if only once a month. I can't wait to see how my hair does, as I read that it only gets better!

On Sunday, I went to the beach and my hair got a little wet, so I had to co-wash to get the salt water out. I airdried and put my hair in bantu knots. This was my best airdrying exprience, which I credit the henna for. My hair usually airdries frizzy, but this time, it was smooth, and my ends were extremely smooth and moist. I think I might be addicted...