Brilliant Bargain's (W/C 28th August 2011)

Oils and Hair Care

The truth about Hair Grease

Brilliant Bargains (W/C 24th July 2011)

How to Wash your hair

Clean Hair

Brilliant Bargains (W/C 18th July 2011)

Brilliant Bargains (W/C 3rd July 2011)

Brilliant Bargain's (W/C - 19th June)

Brilliant Bargain's (W/C - 12th June)

Brilliant Bargains (W/C 5th June 2011)

Top Products (Spring 2011)

Afro Hair & Beauty Competition!

Hey!

It's time for our first competition on CARE 4 HAIR! This year The Afro Hair & Beauty Live celebrates 30 years showcasing the very best brands in hair & beauty products. I have got two tickets for you and a friend to the Afro hair & beauty show, taking place at the end of May. The show will be held on the 29th & 30th May at The Business Design Centre, Islington, London.

If you want to be in for the chance in winning these tickets, this is what you need to do...

1. Make a video / blogpost on why you love your hair and why you think the CARE 4 HAIR site is a good place for black British women to come together for all things hair (plus more).

2. Post your video / blogpost in the forum discussion entitled 'Afro Hair & Beauty Competition'

3. Look out for news on the winner next Saturday 21st (Also, check inbox on the Care 4 Hair Network).


Rules!

You must be a member of Care 4 Hair to enter.

Deadline is Friday 20th May 2011.

Restoring pH Balance to Hair

The importance of pH

Help In Reducing Breakage

What Can Be Causing Your Hair To Break?

Top 5 Rules to Care 4 Hair

Exercise and Your Healthy Hair Journey!

It's no secret that exercise has important benefits for the entire body. But did you know it could have good benefits for your hair as well.

One of the primary reasons for the stoppage of hair growth is because of the fact that there is something blocking the progress of hair growth. One of the major contributing factors to this has to do with our blood flow. Lack of blood flow to the scalp causes the stoppage of hair growth and increased shedding of the hair.

If the scalp does not have proper blood circulation, the hair follicle where the hair grows begins to shrink. Shrunken hair follicles lead to hair loss. Exercise keeps the heart pumping, which is responsible for the bodies blood circulation. Good blood circulation leads to the release of vital nutrients that the hair follicles need for the growth of new hair. By exercising, the blocked hair follicles are revived and become unclogged, and as a result are once again capable of producing new healthy hair.

Engaging in physical activity may mean extra time and care for your hair. Here are some hair care tips to follow when engaging in regular exercise:

• You can prevent sweat damage to your hair during exercise by controlling moisture and salt build-up. Salty build-up causes your hair to break, shed, become dull, or become dry. When you sweat, the body is detoxifying the body of waste, which includes salt. The salts and proteins in sweat can break down as they dry becoming acidic and can result in drying out the hair and sometimes irritating the scalp. To prevent this wash your hair with a mild, Ph-balanced shampoo at least once each week to remove salty build-up. You need to make sure you are cleansing the hair and neutralizing the Ph of the sweat being left on the hair and scalp.

• Keep your relaxer looking fresh by avoiding manipulation to hair while it is damp with sweat.

• Work out in front of a fan or in a room with an air-conditioning unit. The body sweats to cool itself off and prevent exhaustion and overheating. So, the cooler you are, the less you will sweat.

• If you don’t like using shampoo to often, why not try co-washing. Co-washing is just simply washing with conditioner only. It gets your scalp clean without leaving your hair dry. The formulas of conditioners are usually alkaline enough to strip away the daily accumulation or production of sweat and oils, and it will help to keep your coarse hair soft and manageable. With this in mind, make sure that your chosen conditioner is moisturising and not protein based. (Or you can use diluted shampoo)

• When swimming coat your hair with light oil. Follow with a shampoo and condition as soon as you get out of the pool.

• Try to move about rather than staying in one spot (e.g. running outside instead of on a treadmill). Moving around and letting air pass by you will help you remain cooler.

• When using a headband to absorb sweat, use a smooth satin material. Try to avoid cotton as it can be quite damaging to your hair. However, if using a headband to absorb sweat on your forehead before it gets to the hair, cotton is a good choice.

• Avoid over processing. This means limiting your use of heat appliances, including blow dryers and straighteners.

• Use a wide tooth comb to style your hair.

Also, consider the following when choosing a hair style to wear when working out:

• Pull your hair away from your face and neck when you exercise.

• Never pull hair too tightly as the will cause blood flow restriction.

• Ponytail - A good way to help maintain a straight style and protect your hair is with a tight ponytail. Use a soft bristled brush to smooth your hair and bundle it up tightly at the middle back portion of your head. However, of your hair is long enough to still touch your neck or back, put it in a bun to avoid frizzy ends.

• Bun – This is great for relaxed hair.

• Wrap your hair with a scarf.

• Roller Set – This is done by taking large section of the hair, combing each section into one large curl, twisting the curl down onto the scalp and securing the curl with a bobby pin or equivalent.

• Braids – Braids come in various styles and provide great low-manipulation and protection of your hair.  More importantly, don’t let your hair be pulled too tightly during braiding. This can very damaging to your hairline causing it to receding.

• Twists – Another great low-manipulation style. However, this style may not last long if you sweat a lot.

• Locs – Easy to wrap and go. However, do try to keep as dry as possible to avoid mildewing.

• Bantu knots – Very simple as all it involves is twisting your hair until spirals into a ball the looks like a knot. It’s worn close to the scalp.

• To flatten your edges use natural hair butter. These can be thick and often offer a healthier alternative to gels and pomades. Tie with a smooth (satin) scarf for at least 15 minutes and your hairline will be smooth.

• Short hair is easy to wash, dry, style and wear.

• Natural hairstyles hold up to frequent shampoos.

• Make use of hair accessories to help change your look.

So avoid the ‘Mane Excuse’. Don’t let the thought of sweating out a fresh style stop you from exercising. Healthy lifestyles are important if you wish to have healthy hair.

Hard Water and Your Healthy Hair Journey!

It’s common for people to notice a difference in their hair after moving to a different city or country. Humidity and pollution levels – even altitude - can play havoc with curls, frizz, texture and shine. If these factors don’t account for suddenly dry, rough hair, hard water may be the culprit.

What is hard water?
Rainwater is soft and mineral free, but as it seeps through the ground it picks up minerals from the soil and rocks, which give it its character. By definition, hard water is rich in minerals. Calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, silica and lead can all be found in hard water. Hard water can especially be found in rural areas.
Chlorine can also be found in hard water. Chlorine is a harsh oxidizer added to the water to kill bacteria and also badly effects hair.

Some signs of hard water are:

• A rust or green colour around the drains of the bathtub
• Needing to use lots of soap to get a lather

What are the effects on your hair?
Signs include:

• Discolouration
• Lacks body
• Less shine
• Brittle texture
• Early grey hair
• Split ends
• Dry itchy scalp
• Hair loss

EXTRA FACT: Hard water can inhibit the proper processing of perms, colour and relaxers.
On the other hand, hard water isn’t all bad news for hair. Drinking it can help prevent mineral deficiencies which lead to hair loss.


What can you do to prevent the problems hard water causes?
For damaged hair, treat with a clarifying (or chelating shampoo). Once this is done, continue the rest of your washing routine using soft water and plenty of moisture and protein.
Here are a few quick and easy solutions that will bring more life and vibrancy to your hair and also prep the hair to receive colour processes more effectively:

• Installing a water filtration system to soften the household’s water supply is an expensive but convenient solution to the problem. Alternatively, some filters attach directly to the showerhead, and purify water not only from minerals but chlorine. As chlorine is also damaging to hair, this is a particularly hair-friendly investment. They are supposed to be good for about 6 months before needing a replacement filter.

• A clarifying shampoo is another great way to strip off built up product as well as some minerals from the hair. They are designed to remove impurities like minerals from hair while restoring it back to its best possible health and shine. The effects are immediate. Your hair will feel softer and look fuller and shinier. If you use it too often it will dry the hair. Be sure to condition afterwards.

• The use of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and water mixture as your final rinse. This helps flatten the cuticle for the hair. The acidic nature of the ACV helps tighten and close those raised cuticles allowing your hair to retain more moisture. Apple Cider Vinegar also stimulates hair follicles to encourage healthier hair growth. The high acidity and powerful enzymes in Apple Cider Vinegar also supports a healthy scalp. Use 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 cups of water. Mix that up and pour it over the hair in the shower as a final rinse after deep conditioning. The rinse will help lock in all the benefits from the Deep Conditioner, into your hair, by closing the cuticles. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm/cool water.

• Distilled water. Distilled water is completely free of minerals. Used as a rinse after washing hair, it can help alleviate dryness and discolouration caused by hard water. Filtered or bottled water are cheaper alternatives.

What products are available here in the UK?

• You can buy Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) from most supermarkets and health food shops.

• Distilled water can be found in local hair shops and Amazon.

• Clarifying shampoos found here in the UK include: Tresemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo, Nexxus Clarifying Shampoo, Elasta QP Scalp Stimulating Shampoo, Boots Expert Product Buildup Shampoo, ORS Creamy Aloe, KeraCare 1st Lather, Organic Root Stimulator Uplifting Shampoo and Nexxus Aloe Rid Shampoo (To name a few).

Moisture and Protein Balance

One of the most important things to remember when taking care of your hair is to keep a balance of protein and moisture. Keeping the hair balanced between these two entities is very important. An imbalance of these two components can be the main reason for many hair related problems. However, you must experiment and get to know your own head of hair to find out what your hair needs are.

Protein is important for your hair because it gives your hair strength. Hair is about 70% keratin protein naturally. Protein-based products bind to the hair cuticle and help reinforce its natural strength. It is important to keep out hair strong to help it fight breakage.

The processes of relaxed and colour treated hair compromise the protein structure of the hair, which means women with relaxed or colour treated hair need more protein than others. "Relaxing and coloring breaks protein bonds, and depending on the type and strength of the relaxer, and level of bond breakage you incur, you will need more or less protein than someone else." (Audrey Sivasothy, 2007).

Moisture is important for your hair because it gives your hair elasticity. Since water is the ultimate moisturizer, water-based products are best for obtaining moisture. Water based moisturizers help to nourish the hair deep within the strand.

It is best to avoid products that obtain ingredients such as petrolatum, mineral oil, or lanolin. These ingredients have no moisturizing benefits and would just cause unnecassry product build up.

To keep hair moisturized, a sealent must be used to lock in the moisture. Hair is naturally porous, which means... So, to keep the moisture in, it is best to seal with an oil. Natural oils like CASTOR, JOJOBA, OLIVE, CARROT OR COCONUT OIL are good examples of sealents. A light coating of one of these oils will help to keep hair moisturized for longer. "Oils are made of large molecules. These molecules are too large to be absorbed by the hair strand. Applying oils to the hair and scalp will coat them and trap the moisture that is inside on the inside and the moisture that is outside on the outside." (Audrey Sivasothy, 2007). Oil alone cannot moisturize our hair. Make sure you use your water based moisturizer before coating with your chosen natural oil to avoid dry hair.

The benefits of keeping a balance of protein and moisture include...

LESS BREAKAGE

LESS SHEDDING

There is a simple test you can do to see if your hair needs more moisture or more protein. It is all in how the hair breaks when wet.

THE WET ASSESSMENT

When hair is wet run your fingers or a wide tooth comb through it. (Alternatively do this with hair from a brush / comb)

Results:

If your hair stretches slightly and returns to its original length without breaking, you are BALANCED!

If your hair stretches a little more than normal then breaks, you ned more PROTEIN!

If your hair stretches and doesn't stop with no significant breakage, add a bit more PROTEIN!

If your hair feels weak, gummy, mushy. or limp. you need to add more PROTEIN!

If your hair feels rough, tough. hard, dry, tangly, brittle, or any combination of those, you need more MOISTURE!

However, if you are still not sure what is causing your hair breakage, do a deep moisturizing treatment first. This is suggested because protein induced breakage is harder to repair than moisture induced breakage.

Regimen Building for Noobs!

"Your regimen, in order to be successful, should contain products that work together to address your two most important hair needs: moisture and protein. It should be basic, flexible, and be able to evolve based on your ever-changing hair needs." - Audrey Sivasothy

Info: There are two main types of product categories: protein based products and moisture based products. Use of your protein or moisture based product should depend on what your hair needs at the time.

Tip: "Building a good regimen also means that you will need to experiment with a wide variety of products before you find The Ones!"

What to do:

Select one or two products from each category below.

1 - A Moisturizing Shampoo: "the best moisturizing shampoos are sodium/ammonium lauryl sulfate free and do not leave the hair feeling stripped, tangly, or squeaky, squeaky clean. These shampoos are gentle cleansers that leave the hair feeling soft and detangled."

2 - A Clarifying Shampoo (and / or Chelating Shampoo if you are a swimmer or have hard water): "Clarifying shampoos strip the hair of product buildup and are great for starting the hair off fresh each month. Your hair will and SHOULD feel squeaky, squeaky clean after clarifying."

3 - A Moisturizing Deep Conditioner: Apply to hair after every shampoo with heat for times indicated on packaging.

4 - A Protein Deep Conditioner: Apply to hair after every shampoo with heat for times indicated on packaging.

5 - A Protein Conditioner: Used for rebuilding the hair. Select one (1) protein treatment on the light to mild end of the spectrum for light touch ups and select another (1) protein treatment on the moderate to heavy end for more intense protein conditioning. Protein reconstructors should be followed by moisturizing deep conditioners to restore moisture and pliability to the hair.

6 - Leave in Conditioner: You will need one moisturizing and one protein leave in. This will be used after you have washed your hair.

7 - WATER BASED Moisturizer: Again you will need one moisturizing and one protein leave in. Used for daily moisture supplementation. The best water-based moisturizers are products that do not contain mineral oil, petrolatum, or lanolin.

8 - Essential Oils: Scalp stimulants! (Important to check whether or not your chosen oil needs to be diluted before applying to scalp.)

9 - Other hair tools:

Wide and medium toothed seamless comb

A boar or soft bristle brush

Satin Scarf, Bonnet, and or Satin Pillowcases (for night care)

Plastic Shower Caps (for deep conditioning)

WHAT TO DO:

- Shampoo your hair with a moisturizing shampoo 1-2x/week (Preferably sulfate free)

- Use a moisturizing deep conditioner with heat (At least 30mins) after every shampoo

- Always follow up with a leave-in conditioner

- Use a water-based moisturizer 2x/day (Morning & night) then seal in the moisture with a natural oil

- Always wear a satin/silk scarf or bonnet to bed

- *If You Are Relaxed* Relax at least every 8 weeks (If You can go beyond that, even better)

- Do a protein treatment when needed (Whenever the hair feels very limp, mushy, overly soft etc.)

- Trim when needed

- Use a Clarifying shampoo (remove buildup) 1-2x/month (depending on the amount of product you use)

- Use a wide tooth comb to comb/detangle your hair. You'll experience less breakage.

Hair Types

Andre Walker is the man who came up with the most communly used classification system for hair types based on the curl pattern.

To read an interview with Mr Walker visit Long Hair Don't Care .net at the following URL: http://www.longhairdontcare.net/long_hair_dont_care-deleted-2009062...

In his book 'Andre Talks Hair' he implies that there are 9 different hair textures. Below is a list of these textures along with a brief description:

Type 1-

Type 1b - Straight (Medium) - Hair has lots of volume & body.

Type 1c - Straight (Coarse) - Hair is normally bone straight and difficult to Curl. Asian women usually fall into this category.

Type 2 -

• Sticks Close to head; it won't bounce up, even when layered

• Three subtypes

• Use lighter products such as mousses or gels that enhance curls, but don't weigh them down

• Let hair air dry or use a diffuser

• Do not use a brush or comb on your dry curls

• Reduce tangles by sleeping on a satin pillowcase

Type 2a - Wavy (Fine/Thin) - Hair has a definite "S" pattern. Normally can accomplish various styles.

Type 2b - Wavy (Medium-textured) - Hair tends to be frizzy, and a little resistant to styling. Has a tendency to frizz.

Type 2c - Wavy (Thick and Coarse) - Hair is also resistant to styling and normally very frizzy;tends to have thicker waves.

Type 3 -

• There is definitely a loopy "S" pattern

• Curls are well-defined and springy

• Type 3 has a lot of body; it is easily styles in its natural state or straightened with blow-dryer

• It isn't coarse, like many believe, but soft and very fine-there's just a lot of it

• Combination of Type 3a and 3b curls are common

• Let hair air dry or use a diffuser

• Do not use a brush or comb on your dry curls

• Reduce tangles by sleeping on a saturn pillow or sleep with a satin cap

• Use styling creams, butters and oils for type 3c hair

• 3c hair needs extra moisture and tlc because it can be fragile

Type 3a - Curly (Loose Curls) - Hair tends to have a combination texture. It can be thick & full with lots of body, with a definite "S" pattern. It aslo tends to be frizzy. Curls are naturally big, loose and usually very shiny. Use cream moisturisors that offer light moisture and curl definition.

Type 3b - Curly (Tight Curls) - Also tends to have a combination texture, with a medium amount of curl.

Type 3c - (ADDED BY HAIR CARE INFUSIASTS) - (Tight Curls in corkscrews) - The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed together. Getting this type of hair to blow dry straight is more challenging than for 3a or 3b, but it usually can be done. The very tigt curls are usually fine in texture. Detangle hair with a lot of conditioner in your hair and use a comb or detangling brish.

Type 4-

• Type is kinky, or very tightly curled, with a clearly visible curl pattern.

• The hair is very wiry, very tightly coiled and very, very fragile.

• Type 4 hair as fewer cuticle layers than and other hair type, which means that it has less natural protection from te damage you inflict by combing, brushing, curling, blow-drying and straightening it.

• Type 4 hair is known to shrink up to 75% of the actual hair length

• Use styling creams, butters and oils for type 4 hair

• This hair type needs extra moisture and tlc because it can be fragile

• Detangle hair with a lot of conditioner in your hair and use a wide tooth comb or detangling brush

• Let hair air dry or use a hood dryer

• Do not use a brush or comb on your dry curls

• Reduce tangles by sleeping on a satin pillowcase or wrap hair in a satin cap

Type 4a - Kinky (Soft) - Hair tends to be very Fragile, tightly coiled, and has a more defined curly pattern. When stretched, hair has a "S" pattern, much like curly hair. It tends to have more moisture than 4b.

Type 4b - Kinky (Wiry) - Also very fragile and tightly coiled; however with a less defined curly pattern -has more of a "Z" pattern shape.

Food and Your Healthy Hair Journey

I just wanted to share some information I found about food that helps

for different hair problems (i.e. How different foods benefit your

hair).

Thicken = Soy Beans, Tomatoes, Romaine lettuce and Carrots + Almonds,

Eggs, Onions, Cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, goat's milk, cow's milk,

raspberries, strawberries, oats, jelly

Cell Renewel = Spinach, Asparagus, Lettuces, Fresh beans, Sunflower

seeds

Produces blood flow for growth = Chicken, beef, cereal, milk, avocados,

tomatoes, leaf vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus,

whole grain, mushrooms, turkey, citrus fruits, strawberries,

pineapples, green peppers

Stimulates new growth = Whole grain, red meat, jelly, broccoli,

avocados, Soy, wheat, seeds, beans, almonds, whole grain, pumpkin seeds,

sumflower seeds, blackcurrant

Prevent hair loss = Pork, cereal, whole wheat, oatmeal, sunflower seeds,

brown rice asparagus, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges

Less breakage = Sweet potato, carrot, broccoli, butter, spinach, leafy

vegetables, cantaloupe melon, mango,

Herbs for growth = Sage, Green tea, Rosemary, Parsley, Lavender,

Ginseng, Chamomile, Aloe

Obviously a balanced diet is important but I Hope this helps : )

www.care4hair.ning.com

This site was built to help you and many others in the ultimate hair care journey. It is hard to find information on good products and services for us here in the UK. Care 4 Hair targets mainly a UK audience so we can help each other in getting the healthy hair desired and share our passion for hair care. Plus, Care 4 Hair provides a platform to find general knowledge on Hair Care and promote those involved in the community. Whether it be a video, blog, article, forum or website, please share with us here at Care 4 Hair. Come together to learn and share the knowledge! : ) HHJ