Tag: hair treatment

Let’s Gain An Inch A Month Of Hair Growth ‘Til December, Shall We?

Published on by Lee2 Comments

StayUniquee. Merry Curly. Maryam Hampton. BeYoutifully Natural. Seun Okimi. Eugenia Kelcy. Natural Academia.Yinka Naturalista. Believe me, I could go on and on, but for the sake of time and space, those are 8 naturalists on YouTube who have some pretty long hair (most of ’em are Type 4 hair too). I thought that shouting them out would be a great way to intro this because, if one of your new year’s desires is to have the longest ponytail ever come Christmas time, those women can inspire you—right along with some tips that I’ve got down below.

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I won’t lie to y’all. Genetics play a valid role in how long our hair gets and how fast it gets there. Yet if you’re someone who thinks that you can’t get longer tresses than you’ve ever had because your hair simply doesn’t grow, that’s a bald-faced lie. It grows. Somewhere around a one-half inch and an inch a month, to be exact. You’ve just got to make sure that you do all that you can to retain your inches. That’s where these tips come in.

If your deepest desire is to keep as much new growth as possible, apply the following 10 suggestions and watch how close to your goal you get by around this time next year.

1. Take the “Less Is More” Approach

When I first began my length retention journey, I would spend hours a week on YouTube, listening to what different naturalists would put in their hair to get the inches that they had. I got so excited that I purchased 4-5 tubs of Blue Magic, right out the gate. Unfortunately, using it more than to seal my ends every once in a while ended up being way too heavy for my hair (although some folks have been thriving with it). Anyway, after spending more money than I ever thought I would on a bunch of other products that are still in both of my bathroom cabinets, the thought crossed my mind to simplify and see if that would be my best bet. It was. Hands down.

I’m not even going to get into the specific products that worked for me vs. the ones that didn’t because it doesn’t matter. All of us are unique, so it is different strokes for different folks. What I will say is clogging up your hair follicles and weighing down your strands with tons of stuff is gonna probably do more harm than good. So, get to know your hair type and texture, try a few things that are branded for those two things specifically and wait at least a month to see how it all turns out. In the long run, you’ll probably come to realize what I did—that less (product) is more when it comes to hair growth.

2. Boost Your Collagen Intake

If you want your hair to thrive, it needs protein. Something that a lot of people don’t realize is collagen is one of the most abundant forms of protein that there is. The reason why it’s so good for your tresses is that, for one thing, your hair is made up of mostly protein (keratin). Also, collagen provides your hair with the amino acids that are necessary to build protein. Also, collagen fights off free radicals at the root (your hair follicles) and, as a bonus, it can slow down hair thinning and greying as well. This is why it’s wise to eat foods that contain a good amount of collagen. Some of those include fish, chicken, berries, citrus fruits, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and bone broth. If you’d like, you can also take a collagen supplement. 

3. Stay Hydrated

Our bodies are made up of more than 60 percent water, so of course, we need to consume a lot of it daily. Unfortunately, 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated which can lead to all sorts of health issues. If you’re wondering if you could be among that number, check out “10 Overlooked Signs That You’re Dehydrated“. As far as your hair goes, a sign that it could use some extra hydration from the inside out is if your strands feel dry and brittle, no matter what you do or if your scalp dry.

In the quest to have long hair, a lot of people overlook very simple steps. When it comes to making sure that your hair is moisturized, it’s not going to matter how many moisture-rich products you use if your system is begging for water on the inside. So, make sure that you get no less than eight glasses a day. Your hair will thank you with every sip.

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4. Take a Vitamin B12 Supplement

A vitamin deficiency that is pretty prevalent within the Black community is Vitamin B12. What are some signs that you could be low in it? You’re irritable. You have low energy. Your vision is blurry. You have unexplainable shortness of breath. You’re constipated. You sense that your muscles are weak. Your tongue feels “slicker” than usual. There’s a random numbing or tingling feeling throughout your body. You’ve got memory loss. Your hair follicles are dormant.

Since Vitamin B12 is something that helps to keep your iron in good condition, when you don’t have enough of it in your system, it can weaken the blood supply to your hair follicles which can result in weak follicles, hair thinning and even hair loss. This is why it’s also a good idea to take a Vitamin B12 supplement and to also eat foods that are loaded with this particular nutrient. Some of those include fortified cereals, salmon, eggs, Greek yogurt and beef.

5. Wash Your Scalp More than Your Hair

A huge mistake that folks make when it comes to washing day is focusing a ton on their actual hair more than their scalp. The reason why this is a no-no is that your scalp is the foundation of your hair. If you don’t get all of the gunk and build-up off of it, ultimately, your hair isn’t going to thrive. Not only that but I once read an article that said, a part of the reason why it seems that white women have more success with length retention is they shampoo their hair more often which means their scalp gets massaged more in the process.

First up—white women’s hair doesn’t grow faster. Their hair is straighter (so it appears that way), it’s naturally oily (which makes it harder to break) and we experience more shrinkage (by a country mile). Second, I didn’t just say all of that so that you would up your wash day frequency (more than once a week can rob your hair of the little natural oil that it has). However, it is a good idea to detox your scalp once every 4-6 weeks. Massage your scalp at least once a week (all you need is to warm up a carrier oil like jojoba or avocado, put a few drops of lavender in it and then use your fingertips to rub your scalp for 5-10 minutes), and to put more emphasis on washing your scalp than your hair. The key is to get your scalp clean so that your follicles are healthy; your hair doesn’t need that “squeaky feeling”, tho. The cleanser that drips down from your scalp is more than enough.

6. Rinse Hair in Cool Water

It feels divine to let hot water run down your hair and scalp, but it’s not the best thing for your hair’s progress. It’s because hot (or even super warm) water can end up drying out your hair and causing frizz. So, how can you avoid all of this? By actually rinsing your hair in cool water after your deep condition it (because you do that every wash day so that it’s extra moisturized, right?). Cool water is what will help to seal your hair’s cuticles while closing the pores on your scalp too.

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7. Dust More than Trim

Is there anything more annoying than uneven hair growth? When you want to get your hair down your back, probably not. The thing is, having one side of your hair that is thicker and grows faster is pretty normal, for two reasons. One reason is that the left vs. the right side of our bodies is not identical. This is why one of your feet or breasts may be bigger than the other. The other reason is that we tend to give one side of our hair more stress than the other when it comes to things like constantly sleeping on one side, parting our hair on one side—stuff like that.

While you would think that the remedy may be to constantly cut the “thriving side” so that it will catch up with the “weaker” one, that is actually gonna be more counterproductive than not. Your best bet would be to focus on dusting (lightly trimming) your ends (you can watch videos on how to do that here, here and here) and then keeping your hair in a protective style so that you don’t even have to think about it. Then, once the weaker side has made some real progress, you can get a trim to even things out. Make sense?

8. Remember That Protein Is Essential

Again, your hair is made up of protein, so it needs a lot of it to remain healthy and strong. Aside from what I already shared about getting more collagen into your system, something else that you should do is eat other foods that are high in protein. Meat is an automatic protein booster. If meat’s not your thing, check out “Vegetarian Or Vegan? Check Out These High Protein Foods.” for a list of other options.

Speaking of protein, it’s also really important that you give yourself a protein treatment, about every six weeks. It’s what will help to improve your hair’s elasticity so that it can endure more of the styling and manipulation that you do. A lot of people notice more breakage than they should because they miss this small-yet-impactful step. I hit on this specifically in “10 Things Your Natural Hair Needs In The Winter“.

9. Leave Permanent Dye Alone

There used to be a time when you couldn’t guess what color my hair was going to be on a pretty much weekly basis. Now that I know how detrimental hair dye and chemical relaxers are, especially to our health (“our” meaning Black women), I tend to use hair wax or a semi-permanent alternative (henna is a pretty good one too). Besides, if you are serious about gaining ½-1″ of growth each month, permanent hair color is gonna be your ultimate nemesis. The main reason why is because the ammonia in hair dye strips your tresses of their natural pigment (to deposit the color) which can make your hair brittle as all get out. And if your hair keeps breaking off, you’ll never reach your hair goals.

I know for some of you, it sucks to even think about going without dye. But sometimes we’ve gotta make sacrifices for the greater goal. Bottom line, color, or inches? In 2021, which one is it gonna be?

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10. Use Saw Palmetto Oil

If there’s a new oil that you’d like to try on your hair, my vote is sawed palmetto. It has a great reputation for preventing and even restoring hair loss because it blocks an androgen known as DHT from developing in our bodies. Why does that matter? Because DHT plays a direct role in hair loss. Saw palmetto also has a pretty good reputation for increasing hair density too. Not only that but it’s an oil that can decrease inflammation, treat urinary tract infections, and can regulate your man’s testosterone levels too. For internal health benefits, it’s probably best to consume it as a supplement (like maybe a liquid extract) or in tea form. If you want it to be the main oil that you use for those scalp massages that we already talked about, a cool place to purchase some is right here.

11. Apply Extreme TLC to Your Ends

One more time for those in the back. Again, a myth that you need to make sure to debunk for the rest of your life is your hair doesn’t grow. That is a damn lie. If you are living, your hair is growing. The reason why a lot of us don’t see proof of this is that our ends break off as fast as our roots grow. The way to prevent this from (further) happening to you is to treat the ends of your hair like you would a newborn baby in the sense that you choose to treat them oh so very gently. Seal them on wash day. Try and keep your hair in a protective style (even if that’s a wig) most days of the week. Wrap your hair up in a silk or satin scarf (or bonnet) at night (friction is your hair’s enemy too). Let straggly ends go. When your hair is out, keep your hands out of it. Simple things like this will keep your ends about as fresh as your roots.

12. Stick with What Works

Out of all of what I said, the main thing to remember when it comes to achieving hair growth is you’ve got to be as patient with the process as possible. The reality is, growing out your hair is a lot like baking some cookies—if you keep watching the oven or your roots, it’s going to seem like nothing is happening. However, if you cultivate a routine, stick with it and try and leave your hair alone as much as possible ( that doesn’t mean to stop moisturizing and washing your hair), by June you could have 4-6 inches, and by December…at least double that!

Alright. Let me get off of here and nurture these braids I’ve got so that I can walk the talk, chile. Let’s all check back in around the holidays to see how things have been going. Can’t wait to see you flipping your hair back. Whew, girl. #wink

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Cardi B’s Secret To Healthy Hair Is So Easy To Make At Home!

Published on by Lee3 Comments

The Grammy-winning rapper is no stranger to popping up on our timelines in colorful wigs and with various cuts. Cardi B always comes through, period. Whether she’s serving up rap bars, haute couture looks, or candy floss wigs, she doesn’t do anything in half measures. Her DIY hair mask is no exception.

Last week Cardi took to her Instagram stories to share her go-to replenishing hair mask for her and her daughter Kulture. The ultra-rich mask is jam-packed with ALL of our favorite hair-nourishing ingredients from growth-giving black castor oil to restorative avocado.

The best part about the DIY treatment? All the ingredients can be found at a supermarket or even in your home.

Cardi B notes that while she doesn’t have a defined curl pattern ( her hair is straight, it is puffy-afro ), unlike her precious daughter Kulture who has a head full of curls and little coily hair texture, Cardi B explained that this DIY concoction adds elasticity and definition to her daughter curls. However, regardless of your hair type, judging by the ingredient list, this mask can help address a myriad of hair concerns from dry, damaged hair to brittle ends, and dandruff. Here’s everything you need to know…

Cardi’s DIY Hair Mask

Cardi shared the end results of the hair mask on her Instagram page…

We’ve got to admit, Cardi knows her stuff! This hair mask – packed with avocado, eggs, honey, banana, castor, and argan oil – is the ultimate do-it-all DIY. Bursting with fatty acids and omegas, it’ll work overtime to nourish and strengthen the hair follicle, thereby locking in moisture and reducing frizz for a high gloss finish. The rich blend of hydrating oils will provide a surge of moisture to repair and restore brittle, split ends while it will help soothe and nourish your scalp. It even contains a natural source of hair-hero, biotin, as well as vitamins A and D, which with regular use can help reduce hair fall and encourage healthy hair growth.

The Ingredients

Side note: The below measurements are guestimations from Cardi’s recipe as she did not provide exact measurements.

  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tablespoons of argan oil
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 5 tablespoons of black castor oil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 banana

The hair mask recipe requires 7 ingredients: avocado, argan oil, black castor oil, olive oil, mayonnaise, eggs and honey.  And if you want extra nutrients for your tresses, the rapper suggests adding a banana.  “All the good things you put in your body, you’ve got to put in your hair,” she said.

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth and combined. Apply to the hair for 30 minutes and then rinse with shampoo, followed by a hydrating conditioner. We recommend using this mask as soon as you make it – you can always cut the recipe in half to avoid wasting any if you think this is too much for your hair.

To find out more about Cardi’s beauty routine, check out her instagram.

MORE HAIR ARTICLES….

GISOU HONEY INFUSED HAIR OIL + HAIR PERFUME REVIEW

Published on by Lee1 Comment

We’ve probably all come across Gisou scrolling through Instagram at some point. The luxurious hair care brand founded by famous Influencer Negin Mirsalehi kept intriguing me since the beginning. The beautiful glass bottles, the fact that it contains honey,… I kept trying to resist because of the high price tag, but the brand kept calling my name. I finally caved and purchased my first bottle of honey infused hair oil. I was so pleasantly surprised by the scent of the hair oil that I later on also purchased the honey-infused hair perfume. It’s almost been 4 months since I first purchased from Gisou, so I’ve been putting these products to the test!

SHOP GISOU

There’s no denying the fact that the packaging of Gisou products is to die for. It is so simple, yet so elegant and feminine at the same time. The cardboard box has a soft shade of pink with gold lettering. The glass bottles look so luxurious, chic and are a beautiful addition to any makeup vanity.

HONEY INFUSED HAIR PERFUME

The key ingredient in the hair perfume is, of course, honey. And I can honestly say I do notice a hint of honey in this delicious smelling hair perfume. The scent is very floral and feminine and in my opinion, also very unique. I’ve never smelled anything like the Gisou products before.

Recently, braids have become my go-to hairstyle again. So, I haven’t been applying many products to my hair but I do use Gisou Honey Infused Hair Perfume Pocket ($44) hair perfume to add a bit of moisture back into my sculpt which has a divine floral scent. Also, I use this product on my clothes and body. The scent lingers on for about 4-5 hours before it starts to fade away ever so slightly, which I think is pretty average for a ” hair ” perfume. It’s also nice to note that the hair perfume is formulated without silicones and of course, is cruelty-free.

HONEY INFUSED HAIR OIL

The honey-infused hair oil ( $46 ) claims to deeply condition, strengthen, and nourish your hair thanks to the key ingredient, honey. Speaking of ingredients, the hair oil does contain silicones which are important to note especially if you have curly hair. Silicone-based products in curly hair may produce build-up since the ingredient doesn’t dissolve in water. I for one, have very kinky curly thick hair and I don’t mind silicone in my hair products, as long as it’s not too overpowering. If you take a closer look at the ingredient list, you’ll also notice that honey is actually at the bottom of that list. I guess the hair oil would’ve become too sticky if they added too much honey. The hair oil also contains sweet almond oil, coconut oil, and vitamin E.

The smell of the hair oil is, just like the hair perfume, floral and feminine. It is the same scent as the hair perfume, just more subtle. The consistency of the oil is of course quite oily but you can also clearly feel the silicones. I use about 1-2 drops on my wet, tangled hair and this adds just the right amount of moisture. The hair oil doesn’t make my hair feel greasy as long as I don’t apply too much. It smooths out my hair and makes it feel soft once it’s dry. Sometimes, when my hair is extra dry on the second day, I just apply a little drop to the ends of my hair and it gets rid of any frizziness. This goes to show how versatile this product is. You could use it as an overnight treatment, before styling, after styling, add it to your hair mask,… Just make sure to never over-apply this product, since it can tend to get greasy if you do (trust me: been there, done that!). This is also the second bottle I’ve purchased this year, which says a lot. Anytime, I am trying a new brand and a new product, I go for the travel size, which lasts me about 6 months. But, my second time around I purchased the bigger bottle.

My final thoughts? I enjoy using both products and they have become a staple in my haircare routine. But the big question remains, are these products worth the hefty price tag? The Honey Infused Hair Perfume 100% is! The scent is divine and it’s not more expensive than an average perfume bottle. So worth it! The Honey Infused Hair Oil, on the other hand, depends on your budget honestly. I’m sure you can find alternatives that do the same thing to your hair for a fraction of the price. But, another selling point for me? The Gisou products are made in The Netherlands with honey from the Mirsalehi bee garden and are not tested on animals. The bottom line, I’m a huge fan of both products and I will continue to repurchase them once I run out.

Have you tried out any Gisou products? What are your thoughts? Is it worth the money?

The Hair Treatment Beyoncé Uses For Flawless Hair

Published on by Lee3 Comments

For the entirety of Beyoncé’s career, her hair has made headlines… The iconic braid that birthed the greatest hair flick of all time, her curls at Coachella, and most recently, her beaded IVY Park braids that shut down Instagram.

Anyhow, we digress… Our point is, we want to know what Beyoncé does to her hair, and it turns out, her solution is pretty simple. Beyoncé trusts in her hair colorist Rita Hazan and her Weekly Remedy Treatment that has also nourished the tresses of superstars J.Lo and Mariah Carey. Rita said that whenever she colors hair, she’ll always provide her clients with the Weekly Remedy Treatment For Deep Hydration & Superior Shine, $42, to boost hair health and ensure the color stays in good condition. The treatment is also easy to use on the go as there’s no waiting time and works for straight, curly, coily, and wavy hair. Here’s everything you need to know about the treatment.

The Treatment

The two-step treatment works to restore and replenish the hair from the inside-out to leave your tresses feeling soft and frizz-free. The first step will lift the hair cuticle so that the oils in the second step can penetrate the hair for maximum impact. The second step seals the cuticle and locks in nutrients for deep hydration. And trust us, you want to seal in these ingredients!

Beyonce hair

Source: Rita Hazan

Not only does it contain a potent blend of Mirabelle plum, moringa seed, jojoba, and olive, but it also features rice proteins. Rice proteins are one of the most potent hair remedies as they’re packed with proteins and amino acids that hydrate and restore the hair strand so that it’s less likely to frizz. Plus, it’s a rich source of vitamins including B, C, and E, which can help boost growth while adding shine. There’s even a village in China, Huangluo, known as the land of Rapunzels because it holds the Guinness World Record as the ‘world’s longest hair village.’ And guess what they use? Rice water!

How To Use The Weekly Remedy Treatment

Begin by shampooing the hair as usual, then apply a quarter size amount of STEP 1 from roots to the ends and rinse immediately. Next, apply a quarter-size amount of STEP 2, working it through the hair from roots to end and rinse. There’s no wait time needed and the results will be instant. Rita recommends using this mask once a week for damaged hair and twice for severely damaged hair.

The Reviews

Online at Sephora, one customer wrote “Let me tell you something. This absolutely rescued my hair from being just shaved off.” while another curly hair girl wrote “My hair is thick and curly underneath and this product makes it feel super conditioned but doesn’t flatten my hair, LOVE” as you can probably tell, it’s the bomb.com.

For more amazing hair products and tips, check out HAIR on beautyleebar.com!