Hair Myth: Trimming makes your hair grow faster!

MYTH: The more you trim your hair the faster it'll grow!

FACT: I've heard this said many times and many ways, but it simply isn't true.

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Your hair technically isn't alive, so it doesn't know its being cut. If it were alive then you'd feel the pain from the cut.The only "live" part of your hair is the follicle, which is in your scalp. Trimming split ends off when necessary will make your hair appear to be longer by making it look more uniform and healthy.

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Fast Facts:

• Hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch per month no matter how much you cut
• Ridding your hair of damaged ends will reduce breakage and help retain length
• Overall health, genetics, and hormones determine hair growth
• Hair that's cut short only appears to be thicker, because the width of hair closer to the scalp is thicker than hair farther away

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Transitioning Tips: Breakage

I think one of the top issues I had while transitioning from relaxed hair to natural hair was preventing breakage. Breakage is the result of your hair not being strong enough, or able to withstand being manipulated. Even healthy hair can break if the force is great enough and limits are exceeded. Breakage was also a motivator for me to be chemical free. There are a number of ways to stop, and prevent breakage from happening. Here are five tips that I find useful and would suggest to others.

Trim your ends!
I know it can be hard to let go of your hair, but if you neglect to trim your ends when necessary you'll end up losing a lot more in the long run. Some sources suggest trimming every couple of months. I suggest trimming when necessary, because you may not have split ends or damage after 6 months. BUT if you ignore damaged ends they'll literally fray, and split up the hair shaft like a loose rope unraveling. The only way to correct this is to cut it off. There are products and methods you can use to temporarily solve this, but extreme split ends are definitely preventable. Neglect in this way can go from needing a minor trim to needing a major cut! Split or damaged ends can become dehydrated quickly, which leads to brittleness. This brittleness is what makes your hair snap off at its weakest point.

Be mindful when using heat!
Over use of heating tools, and lack of heat protector can lead to damaged hair strands, follicles and/or scalp. All of these need to be healthy to maintain health hair, length, and to prevent breakage. Over time heat will lead to damage if used in excess. Heat damage can come from curling irons, flat irons, hair driers, hot rollers, and even the sun! Constantly applying heating tools to your hair weakens it. You can cause permanent damage the first time you apply a heating tool to your hair by incorrect use!

Maintain a healthy diet!
I don't mean start a crash diet, swear off meat, and sign up for a marathon. You should however be conscious of how healthy, and what you eat. Good nutrition and healthy hair do correlate to each other. An imbalanced diet consisting of too many sugars and fats (for example) can be a cause of dry, brittle hair. Both of these lead to breakage. Eating a well balanced diet will allow your scalp and hair to be at its healthiest condition. If certain vitamins/nutrients are missing then you're depriving your scalp and hair of what it needs to stay strong and to combat breakage.

Moisturize & condition!
Keeping your hair sufficiently conditioned and moisturized will help it maintain its flexibility and elasticity. The more flexible and elastic the strands are the less likely they are to break from tension, stretching, and general manipulation. Water is a great moisturizer, and conditioning your hair while it's wet is one of the best times! Hair absorbs conditioner the best when it's clean, and rid of buildup. I'd suggest washing at least once a week. If your hair is dry, from lack of moisture, then waiting longer to wash it is doing more harm than good. Moisturizers will penetrate the hair and conditioners will help smooth and seal it in. If your hair is breaking very easily, lack of moisture is most likely the culprit.

Beware of tension!
Constant tension on any part of your hair will eventually lead to breakage, thinning, or even permanent hair loss. Tension can come from headbands, elastics, rubber bands, hair ribbons, braids, ponytails, etc. Frequent rubbing (friction) from elastics, for example, can weaken the hair at that section. Over time this part of the hair can break off. Pony tails that are too tight can also cause excessive tension at the hair line. Continually doing this can damage the individual hair follicles permanently, leading to traction alopecia. If you're getting headaches, a sore scalp, or tender head from a style/tool, then it is too restricting!

While transitioning it's very important that you stay aware of your hairs condition and state. Preventing breakage will ease the process, and help you maintain length!



The part of your hair where your natural hair meets the relaxed hair (above in pink) is the weakest of the strand!! It's extremely important to take care while styling, washing, etc. Staying on top of conditioning can help protect this area and minimize breakage.



It can be challenging to blend the two textures of hair while transitioning. Don't let this discourage you!

Style Ideas:

Flat twist styles/updos

Creative buns

Twists done properly using weave

Bantu knots or knot outs

Braids done properly using weave

Two strand flat twists

Rod sets

Combo of any of the above & more

Do you have any styles that you'd suggest to someone who's transitioning? Any tips?? Follow me on http://www.twitter.com/mzdezy and share!!

Video: Warning High Heat!

Warning: High Heat!

How do you protect your hair from heat damage?? Do you have any horror stories? I know I do!! One of the worst things that I've don't to my hair was trying to hot comb it. The comb was way too hot and burned right through my hair. The section was on the crown of my head. so there was no hiding it. About two inches of hair was left. Terrible!! Learned my lesson with that! You can learn more about heat damage H E R E!!

Share your stories on my Facebook Fan Page wall! H E R E!!

Link Between Food & Hair?!?

What does diet and hair have to do with each other?? Do you know the answer? Believe it or not they are directly related! If your diet doesn't have enough fatty acids, vitamins, and protein, for example, you could experience hair loss. Not having enough, or an imbalance can cause dry, brittle hair.

FACTS:

• To make sebum (oil in scalp/hair) your body needs Vitamin A and C
• Not getting enough zinc can cause your hair to shed
• A low protein diet can result in brittle hair, or even loss of hair color
• Vitamin A helps condition the skin, which leads to shinier hair
• Not getting the proper amount of calories can stunt your hair growth

I always try to be conscious of what goes into my body, the long term effects, and being healthy over all. I've seen what poor food choices can do to you over the years; I've even had my own scare, and to me it's not worth it. I haven't always been this way though! If I wanted it, it looked and smelled good, and then I was going to eat it. Negative effects on the body, skin, hair, etc wasn't even on my mind. Over time, I've learned that your health is something that you can't always get back. You don't always have a say in what happens to your body, but the areas that you do--take advantage while you can.

You don't have to swear off meat, only eat yogurt, or strictly stick to green foods, but you should be aware of the pros and cons.  ^_^" You may already have an eating style that you're not aware of! I didn't know I fit into a category. Personally, I don't eat red meat, but I had no clue there was a name for that. I just knew I avoid eating Bessie at all costs...and Babe too! Nemo and Chicken Little weren't out of the woods though!

Partial Vegetarian is what my eating style is called. Basically I avoid red meat, but may eat fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs. Carnivore, vegan, ovo vegetarian, and flexitarian are more examples of eating styles.

What's your eating style? Need more info to decide? Check out a blog post I did on eating styles H E R E!! Comment below and tell me what yours is!!

MzDezyB on YouTube!

YouTube is a site that I've learned a lot from--both good and bad. It helped me learn how to do flat two strand twists, reconstruct my own t-shirts, make flax seed gel, that there reallyare people in the world who put bacon on everything, the latest dance moves to avoid at all costs, and more! I had no idea how challenging it could be to make my own video for YouTube!! So far I have two made!!! The first was the most difficult, but I made it. Check them out, subscribe to my channel, let me know what you think, and keep your eye out for more!!

Olive Oil Treatment

Hot oil treatments are one of my favorite things to do to my hair and scalp! They can come in handy in the hot summer time, or during the cold, dry winter. Personally I don't do them more than twice a month, if that often. There are a ton of premixed oil treatments at stores, but you can easily make it with things you probably have at home already. Carrier oils that I like to use for treatments are jojoba, carrot, coconut, tea tree, and olive. To enhance these oils even more I like to add vitamin E oil, vitamin A oil, or even a drop or two of an essential oil (EO) such as lavender. Here's a simple recipe:

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Olive Oil Treatment

1/4 Cup Olive Oil (less if hair is short)

1 Tablespoon Honey

3 Drops of your favorite EO (optional)

*** Mix the ingredients together in a bowl, and then add to damp hair. Make sure to concentrate on your ends. Cover your hair and leave on to condition. If you have a heat cap leave the mixture on for 20 minutes. If you're using a regular shower cap leave the mixture on for 40 minutes. Next rinse your hair well, then continue, and style as usual.

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Benefits of Olive Oil:

• Helps keep the scalp conditioned and moisturized preventing dry scalp and dandruff
• Contains natural fatty acids and can help minimize frizz, dry, or damaged hair
• Adds shine that sulfates (found typical shampoos) strip from your hair
• It's linked to preventing hair loss by stopping production of the hormone DTH
• It's a natural anti-fungal and antibacterial

Benefits of Honey:

• Helps seal in moisture, because it's an humectant (holds water)
• Contains vitamins such as: B1, B2, B6, B5, B3, C
• Trace amounts of iodine, zinc, and copper are found in it
• It's a natural anti-fungal and antibacterial
• Full of antioxidants which help prevent cell damage

** Honey naturally contains trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide, so over time it can lighten your hair. This would depend on how frequent you use honey in your hair, or mixtures.

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T I P !!

*** To turn this recipe into a hot oil treatment put the mixture into an empty bottle and let it sit in warm water as you wash your hair. The water will warm the oil before you use it.

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This hair olive oil hair treatment is great for anyone who has heat damaged hair, chemically damaged hair, dry scalp, dry hair, dull hair, lifeless hair, and anyone who wants healthier hair! Try it out and let me know your thoughts!! Do you have any hair treatments of your own? Share!!

It's My (BC) Anniversary!!

I am coming up on the anniversary of my BIG CHOP (BC)!!! Deciding to go chemical free wasn't a hard decision for me. Up until I started college I actually didn't relax my hair. What pushed me into doing it was I honestly had no idea how to do my hair. Sounds bad right??

Well, back home I was able to go to a salon once a week to have someone else manage my huge head of hair. Being 100 plus miles away I was lost and confused. After relaxing it I STILL had to learn how to do my hair. Relaxing my hair wasn't the simple fix I thought it would be. The "I need my hair relaxed" phase lasted about a year or so before I was sick of it. To me, there was more maintenance, upkeep, and rules (no chlorine, avoid the rain, dance too hard and your curls will disappear, etc) that needed to be followed.

There were two attempts at transitioning my relaxed hair back into my natural state. They both failed! Failed either because it hurt SOOOOO bad to comb my hair that I couldn't take it and was near tears, or because my hair was breaking off badly. Both of these reasons caused me to go to town on my hair with scissors and a relaxer kit! The end results were super cute, but that's not the point. As you've probably heard before, the third try was the charm for me   ^_^"  What actually made a difference my third time around was I had a close friend who did a BC, and had met other people who already had natural hair. They helped me learn some things along with a hair dresser I started going to.

Strike 2: relaxed and cut my hair

Strike 1: layered and relaxed my hair

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Research was a big help in me transitioning. I did an online search for salons in the city that had stylists who specialized in natural and/or textured hair, then went from there. It was important to me that I had a full in person conversation with the person that I would be trusting to do my hair. There have been plenty of times I've went to salons and the stylists are confused, don't know where to begin, call others over to see, tell me it's going to cost more, ask me how I do my hair, so they can do it.....there is no way I'm sitting in your chair and letting you do anything if your initial reaction to my hair is even remotely similar to these!!!!

Luckily I did find a salon, and they offered a free consultation with the stylist. Some of the things I felt helpful that he asked, suggested, mentioned were:

• What was my over all goal with my hair. (Health, length, etc.)
• What products was I currently using? (Shampoo, oil sheen, hair spray, etc.)
• Mentioned the good/bad of specific products I named that I used. (Pantene for Natural, oil sheen, etc.)
• Suggested quality products I could find at stores myself. (Ex. Mizani)
• Asked about my typical hair routine. (How often I wash, what tools do I use, etc.)
• Explained why I had the issues I currently did (Breakage, etc.)
• Explained how different hair textures had different needs (Less oil, more moisture, etc.)

In my opinion this consultation was one of the best things I could've done. We ended our consultation with him giving me a haircut. Since I was terrified of cutting off ALL of my hair at once, he suggested that I get a shorter style and start there. Cutting my hair a few inches at a time helped keep the ends healthy, let me retain a comfy length, and slowly remove the relaxed hair. I'd get about 2 inches cut once a month. When I was finally left with a few inches of relaxed hair and the rest was a comfortable length for me I was ready. My hair was still short, but it wasn't too short that I didn't feel good about it. If you're in doubt or self conscious it'll show no matter how sweet your haircut is.



Courtesy of Mr. "Don't Use My Gov't Name" aka UIPHOTOS ^_^
Check him AND more of me out   H E R E !!



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It took about 6 months for me to finally say, "DO IT!" The picture above is what was left when every single chemically relaxed strand of hair was gone from my head and I loved it!! It's been a rap ever since and I haven't turned back.

The journey definitely wasn't always easy, and I honestly have had my fair share of discouraging time, but as you can see I'm still going strong! Some things I did to keep my head up before and after my BC was:

• Talk to friends and strangers who were chemical free to find out tips, get help, etc.
• Find blogs online for how-to's, product suggestions
• Splurge on products in clearance bins to try for cheap
• Join "Meet Up" groups that are geared towards natural hair, or just the interest
• Keep in touch with your stylist for pointers
• Find local support groups/events
• Watch YouTube vlogs (keywords: natural hair, big chop, encouragement, natural hair styles, etc.)
• Be open to trying new styles, or accessories you wouldn't have before
• Remember that opinions are just that..opinions, and everyone has one (family and close friends included)
• Search for books at your local library

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The last time I had a relaxer put in my hair (take #3) was fall of 2007. I transitioned from there to my BC in 2008! So for about 4 years I've been relaxer free. Occasionally I would get my hair cut into different styles, and of course keep up with trims as needed. My hair grows fast, but maintaining HEALTHY hair is my biggest goal so losing a couple of inches to make sure it's at its best doesn't worry me. I'm having fun trying new styles, meeting people (chemical free or not), and learning new things about hair in general. It's definitely been a journey with some bumps, but I'm in it for the long haul!

Product Quickie

There are so many stores that sell hundreds of products. What's the best store to buy hair products at--I'm not sure. It depends on what you're looking for and your budget. A lot of products I use, or try, I find randomly. I might be at the store for socks, and see there's clearance shelves full of conditioner, and there it is! I'll show you some products that I use, describe them, tell where I found them, and how much.

I've used Eco Styler gel for some time now. Just recently was the variation with Argan Oil was discovered by me. Eco Styler with olive oil was the version that I was familiar with. It was mostly used to smooth down the edges of my hair, for flat twists, and wash n go's. Notice the difference in size of these two containers.

Eco Styler Argan Oil Gel:

• Bought at Sally's Beauty Supply
• 32 ounces
• Cost about $8
•  Alcohol Free
• 100% Pure Argan Oil
• My uses: wash n go's, edge smoother, flat twists

Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel:

• Bought at Dollar General Store
• 16 ounces
• Cost about $5
• Alcohol Free
• 100% Pure Olive Oil
• My uses: wash n go's, edge smoother, flat twists

My favorite way to do wash n go's, and probably the easiest, is to simply use conditioner. If I'm in a hurry, or know that I'll be doing my hair later in the day, I'll use a cheap conditioner. Conditioner is the easiest and quickest way to define my curls after washing/wetting it. I choose a cheap one, because I can afford to use a ton of it at a time. If I pay $15 for conditioner it's not going to be used up in one day--just saying. Suave Naturals is my go to cheap conditioner for quick wash n go's! I like the smell of coconut, so Tropical Coconut is the scent I choose.

Suave Naturals: Tropical Coconut

• Bought at: Dollar General Store
• 15 ounces
• Cost $1
• Water based
• Contains honey, rosemary, and coconut extract
• My uses: wash n go's

Lustrasilk is great for deep conditioning. This helped me a lot while I was transitioning! Your hair feels soft, smells great, and is easily detangled after using this. There are a few different kinds out there, but these are the two that I use the most. I see these often at just about any store I go to that sell hair products. The only difference, like with the Eco Styler, is probably the price. After washing my hair I use a couple of hand fulls of this, and soak my hair, then cover with a shower cap for at least 30 mins before rinsing.

Lustrasilk Tea Tree- liquid cholesterol (blue):

• Bought at: local hair store
• 20 ounces
• Cost: about $5
• Contains vitamin E, tea tree oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, rosehips extract
• Great for dry, itchy scalp
• My uses: deep conditioning, wash n go's

Lustasilk Herbal- cholesterol (orange):

• Bought at: local hair store
• 20 ounces
• Cost: about $5
• Contains carrot oil, rosemary oil, sage
• Great for damaged, relaxed, and chemically treated hair
• My uses: deep conditioning

I try to keep an eye out for clearance bins of random products. When products are super cheap it's a great time to buy and try! Even travel sizes are cool if you're curious about something, but don't want to spend the money on the full bottle. Walmart usually has a clearance isle. I've found tons of hair products, tools, accessories there before. I'll keep you posted if I find a good haul!

Do you have any products to add to the list? Know of any places for hair products? Comment below ^_~"

Don't forget to subscribe! You can now subscribe via email...just type it in the box up in the top left corner and hit "submit".

Warning: High Heat

Did you know.... that using a heated hair tool that's too hot can permanently damage your hair after just one use?? Yep, it's true! This damage causes the cuticle to stay straight and not return to its curly state even after many washes.

Did you know.... that your hair can literally boil from heated hair tools if they're not properly used? When this happens the keratin softens and can explode.


Magnified you can see the heat damage--bubbles were caused
Image from: pgbeautygroomingscience.com



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The 1st piece of hair gets the tool when it's at its hottest and in its most damaging state!!
Example of heat damage from a styling tool--courtesy of my cousin

 Did you know.... that different hair types (straight, curly, wavy, and thin, etc.) have temperature limits when it comes to heat?


Do you use the suggested amount of heat? Too much, too little?
Image from: Folica.com


Did you know.... that the smoke you see while blow drying is actually moisture evaporating from your hair! This can cause serious damage that can't be repaired.


Image from: wikipedia.com



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Photos of Heat Damage:



Magnified Split Ends
How to fix--cut them off! If you ignore
them, they can travel up the hair shaft.



THIS is what my patch of hair looked like when I tried to hot comb it!!!
The only difference was that the damaged remains were in the crown of my head. There was NO hiding them!



Healthy hair over length! If you focus on the over all
health; the length will come.



Over processing your hair with chemicals can result in the same damage as putting too much heat on it!

****TIPS****

~~Always flat iron clean and conditioned hair! This can help minimize possible damage.

~~It's best to towel dry your hair as much as possible before blow drying. Blow dry on medium-low heat.

~~Invest in a good flat iron. The money spent is well worth the protection and outcome of your hair!!

~~Always use heating tools that YOU can control the temperature of! Off-On buttons aren't going to cut it.

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Ways to Protect Your Hair:

• Check to see if the flat iron you bought also has heat protecting products
• Use the lowest recommended setting to begin
• Recognize different textures (if any) in your hair. Different sections may need different amounts of heat
• Never style wet hair!! Make sure your hair is 100% dry
• Use shampoos/conditioners that assist in straight styles. That way you won't have to apply heat daily
• Blow dry/flat iron in sections. Smaller sections will need less time under heat vs. a thick section
• If heat's a must--deep condition weekly to prevent damage
• When possible--air dry your hair
• Try heat activated products
• Follow the directions that actually come with your styling tools

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You shouldn't be afraid of heat, or avoid it completely. With all things, moderation, information, and protection are the key!! At least in theory right ^_^  Me personally, I use a flat iron, and blow drier, but on rare occasions. It only takes one time for damage to be done though! There are ways to help protect your hair against the heat of styling tools.

Heat can also be a positive thing for you hair. When conditioning, the reason it's advised to rinse with lukewarm water, or to wear a warm towel/shower cap, is because of the heat. Heat "opens up" your hair allowing for the conditioner to be absorbed. If the heat source is too hot, yes damage may be done.

Are there any products that you use to help prevent heat damage?

Have you had to deal with damage done by you, or a stylist??

Is there a brand of styling tools you'd recommend???

Comment below!!!