6 Tips to Care for Black Tresses

by Jack Black

Caring for natural hair requires knowledge. That’s because despite its looks, natural hair is fragile and requires precautions to prevent breakage. Also, it is common for more than one hair texture to grow from the same scalp. So finding products that work for all the textures can be tricky. However, taking the following steps will make hair care more manageable.

1. Keep hair and scalp hydrated. Although water hydrates the hair, the frequency that the hair needs to be washed varies. Some wash their African textured hair anywhere from daily to once every two weeks. Wash as often as necessary to keep tresses healthy. And drink plenty of water daily to hydrate the scalp and hair roots.

2. Find a good shampoo. Steer clear of ingredients that can damage hair, such as alcohol. Experimentation with different shampoos will eventually lead to ones that work well. Purchase a few good products and then alternate them from time to time. This way hair will not build up a resistance to the ingredients in one particular shampoo.

3. Always use a conditioner. Once washed, natural hair tends to tangle. So a conditioner that acts as a detangler is a must. Also, don’t use conditioners that leave the hair feeling straw-like. Choose ones that give hair a soft feel after being rinsed out. Also, deep condition at least once a month to revitalize tresses.

4. Comb and brush hair with care. Often, African textured hair contains many coils or kinks. And each of these twists or bends in the hair is a fragile point susceptible to breakage. So it is imperative not to force a comb or brush through the hair. Trying to comb out knots causes the hair to snap off where the knot begins. Instead, use the fingers to work tangles out of the hair. Then comb through with a wide toothed comb. Choose brushes with boar bristles because they are gentler on the hair than synthetic bristles. Also, natural hair is stressed less when combed while wet. But brushing dampened hair is not advisable.

5. Avoid using damaging items in the hair. Do not wear the hair in tight braids or cornrows. Stay away from abrasive head coverings. They rub against the hair and cause friction, which can lead to breakage. And avoid elastic hair holders and rubber bands when possible. Or choose to use non-break rubber bands. And cut – don’t pull – them out of the hair when removing them. Also, heat damages natural hair. So blow dry or press the hair sparingly.

6. Protect hair while sleeping. Silk does not cause friction with natural hair. So sleep on a silk pillowcase. Silk scarves tend to slip off during slumber. So opt for a silk or satin cap instead. They can be purchased at beauty supply shops or even at mass retail stores. Also, prolong styles such as braids and cornrows by wearing a stocking cap while you sleep.

Keeping African textured hair natural can be challenging. It requires patience and flexibility. Also, some trial and error with products and styling methods is necessary. But by utilizing the above pointers, in time, black hair care will become easier.

***

I found this gem of an article on www.articlet.com.

I happened on the Northwest Scents Website a couple of years ago when toying with the idea of “going natural” and was impressed by the company’s intro:

Welcome to Northwest Scents, your home for natural and healthy products for Black, African, African-American, Afro-Caribbean and highly textured hair of all ethnicities. We are pleased to offer you a unique collection of natural hair care products that have been carefully formulated to restore moisture, pamper, and condition hair that is naturally dry, or hair that is dry from chemical treatments or too much heat. Our products are made using the finest natural vegetable oils and essential oils for wonderful products that are good for your hair.

All natural, homemade hair care products made specifically for textured hair?  I’m in!  Of course, at the time of my discovery I was not able to procure any of the products for myself, and so I set the site “on a shelf” for future review.  Just recently I was able to scrape together a few pennies to give them a spin.  Since I’m good with my CD Hair Milk and Healthy Body Butter, I wasn’t looking to acquire product for dressing, so I opted for the 1 oz. shampoo/conditioner/hair oil kit (keep in mind, I only had a few pennies *lol*).  Choosing rosemary and lavender out of the three offered formulas (the other two are peppermint and ylang-ylang) I placed my order and eagerly awaited my package. Wonderfully, the order was shipped on the very same day as it was placed and I received it approximately five days later via USPS, along with a brochure that described each product and its ingredients in depth.  As one can imagine, I was very eager to try out my finds, and so no sooner than they were in my hot little hands were they in my thick, chestnut tresses!

I loved the fragrance would like to say that I had a favourable experience with the shampoo and conditioner, but I did not.  The first issue I had with the products was the shampoo did not lather well at all.  Quite possibly my hair was too this and maybe I should have sprung for the 2 oz. sample kits since I have shoulder length hair that comes in about eight inches from root to tip (per the brochure, 2 oz. is recommended for medium to long hair), but even so, a quarter sized portion of my beloved Garnier-Fructis normally suds me up really  nice.  The directions instruct you to apply the shampoo onto the scalp and massage into the hair, but since my hair is so thick I could barely get the solution down to my scalp.  In addition to that, the shampoo caused my hair to instantaneously shrink and coil, making it difficult to comb through my hair as per my regular process.  I could barely run my fingers through my hair.  Not a good deal.   Once the rosemary and lavender came in contact with my scalp I could feel it’s tingling effects, but because I couldn’t get to my scalp properly I wasn’t able to fully massage it all in.  There was very little difficulty in rinsing the shampoo from my hair, apart from not being able to get my fingers down to scalp level.  My hair did end up clean, despite that snarls and tangles, so it did what it was supposed to do.

When it came time to use the conditioner I was a bit apprehensive based on the shampoo’s performance, but by this time I was committed to the total experience.  Again came the issue of having more hair than product to properly coat it, possibly because the conditioner is not as thick as I’m used to.  And like the shampoo, the conditioner immediately caused my hair to coil which made it almost impossible to comb through it.  Once I accomplished a comb through, I allowed the conditioner to remain on my hair for approximately two minutes, and I could feel the tingle of the lavender and rosemary doing their work.  I assume because I did not have a generous enough coating it was “normal” for the conditioner to dry upon the hair quick, but this was not something I am used to (I normally used Garnier-Fructis 2 n 1, followed by either a cream conditioner or a leave in conditioner of the same brand). I did not feel as if my hair was being “conditioned” at all.  Washing the conditioner out was pretty easy peasy with tepid water, and if nothing else, by the time it was all out I had the most defined coils I have ever witnessed on my head.  But they were “dry”coils, not the soft thick waves I’ve grown accustomed to after a normal washing and conditioning session.

Next comes the hair oil and air drying.  I towel squeezed the water out of  my hair then applied the oil.  Now because I don’t use oil based products anymore to moisturize my hair because of the weight factor, I used the oil sparingly.  Blessedly it is a light product and I really didn’t need much to coat my hair, however, once my hair dried a bit it was left feeling dry, coarse and rough.  Even applying a little more didn’t remedy the rough feeling, and even though the solution is light, I did not want to put anymore oil on my hair.

Once my hair was completely dry, the ends of my puffs were a mass of ringlets about a half a centimeter in diameter.  While this sounds like a delightful endeavor for most who desire defined curls, the ends of my loose hair were so tangled together it was difficult to pick through my hair.  And even after I was able to pick through my puffs, within the span of a millisecond, my ends were once again tangled.  Not a good look.

Now, this may be an issue of incompatibility between the product ingredients and my hair type, but I did not have a good experience with this sampler, although a couple of days after use the oil did prove to be an effective pressing agent.  Of the three products that is the most positive aspect of just one of the components, in my experience.

What I find somewhat odd is that after perusing the testimonial page of the NW Scent Website (which lists glowing reviews sans customer names)  as well as both the eBay (mostly repeated comments on how fast the delivery was) and Etsy reviews (seven, all glowing and positive) and I seem to be the only one who has been displeased with the products.  I’m not sure the comment controls on the seller’s shops, but it seems the bias toward favourable feedback more so than honest feedback, which does not seem quite right.  I can’t possibly be the only consumer who was not pleased.  I guess that’s how it goes sometimes, eh?

So, in breaking apart the sampler kit I give each the following JBTM rankings:

Lavender-Rosemary Shampoo

Lavender-Rosemary Conditioner

Lavender-Rosemary Hair Oil

Of course this if just based on one use of the kit, so I can’t attest to whether or not prolonged use promotes health of growth of hair.  And again, my experience may be totally different than the experience of anyone else using the products.  Since I am a NW Scents affiliate, and they offer a few other products than just the shampoo, conditioner and hair oil and a plethora of resources on their site, I have not given up on them totally just yet.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

While taking a spin through my list of Journey Peeps, I happened upon Afrobella’s entry concerning Trya Banks’ Good Hair episode which aired May 12th.  Since I rarely keep up with the latest and greatest in Boob Tube land, I was unaware of the show until today, and when I was made aware of it I thanked all my lucky charms that I did not witness it first hand.  Just the few minutes of clip I caught on AB‘s site was enough to make me want to write Tyra and her producers and ream them for airing such ignorance in the guise of a legitimate issue. What potentially could have been a blockbuster show, beginning with a young woman’s desire to transition to natural after suffering years of damage because of perms and going on into the “meat” of why hair matters so much in the African-American community, went much the same way as the PBS “interview” about Michelle Obama’s impact on black hair issues.  Down in flames, and a lot of commenters on Afrobella‘s site and the Tyra show’s site agree.

First off, Tyra with “for show”  corn rows when her normal style is bone straight lace fronts or hyper teased curly weaves?  Giving consideration to the fact that she was “playing the part” in concert with the topic of the show (as we Archer’s are known to do… although she didn’t pull it off convincingly enough for me) I was able to let that slide, because Tayheedah’s issue was the real topic at hand.  But then Shay got to talking about her “white girl flow” and Ahkia began rattling off a laundry list of adopted stereotypes as to why straight hair is synonymous with good hair, and I began to hear my pulse in my ears.  As if that wasn’t enough, there was only ONE natural sister on the initial panel, and she was so anti-chemical hair altering that you’d have thought the makers of Dark ‘n Lovely had car jacked her on the way to a Black Panther Party.  And hear tell it, the ratio of “naptural” was woefully lacking  in the realm of show guests, with the one sistah I did see (Kelley) sporting locs and possibly as far removed from knowing her hair texture personally as the first two women on the panel.  Again, I am thankful I did not see the show in its entirety, but even the 8.05 minutes that I was witness to was 8.04 minutes too much.

As I look at my calendar yet again to reassure myself this is indeed 2009, the question of why the good hair vs. bad hair topic is still a hot button issue echoed through my gray matter.  And it’s no longer just the Perm & Weave Brigade with their silky tresses who are professing to be on the side of the good while us natural sistahs are on the side of bad.  Nope, the Nappy Nazis  seem to have done a second “n-word” flip and crucifying those who dare pick up the “creamy crack” habit, and are now proclaiming natural good and chemically altered bad. Seems the spin on this one is spinning out of control and it’s really a shame.  Isn’t the fact that anyone has hair when they have it a good thing?  That’s what my Grandude used to always say.  The way I see it, whether hair is kinky and curly, straight and snarly or feather light and fly away, if it grows, is healthy and properly maintained then it’s all good.  Hell, even bald is beautiful if you ask me, but that’s another topic for another day.  So, with all hair being good on it’s own merit, why are we still having this debate with ourselves and the world at large?  And even beyond that, why, even when on such nationally syndicated stations such as NPR and shows as Tyra’s (I think Oprah did a similar show a couple of years ago as well),  why is the surface only skimmed and why are there never any concrete answers that materialize from the discussion?

I personally am sick of it all.  The good hair versus bad hair issue has been going on far too long for us to 1. not take off from the superficial points of it and  dig further to the core of the topic, 2. find reasonable elucidation for carrying this into yet another century, and 3. eradicate it once and for all.  One of my missions while on this journey was to personally understand the history of black hair in America for this very reason.  It has never been my intention to “go natural” for socio-poitical or fashion reasons, but before I could fully understand the process and break away from the stereotypical misconceptions surrounding black hair, I had to properly educate myself.  It was through this process that I was able to break free from the good hair/bad hair stigmas and move into an appreciation for hair period.  To me, how you choose to where your hair is a personal preference, no more linked to racial authentication or self acceptance than the style of clothing we choose to wear. If we are going to partition, let’s do it along the lines of healthy hair vs. unhealthy hair, or healthy self image views vs. unhealthy self image views.  Isn’t that what this really boils down to once we get past the relaxer fumes, tracks, fros and locs.

I would love to see the day when black hair is taken deeper than the tips and on down to the roots.  I will be overjoyed when, since we know where all the hoopla started, we collectively and nationally combine the sides of black hair, and put the division to rest.  Call it a beautiful dream, but I’m sure we can achieve it, once we begin to fully represent what black hair “means” and demand that platforms like The Tyra Banks Show, The Oprah Show and other media mediums do so as well.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

Healthy Hair Wishes,

Hey Fellow Nappies!!!

I have been so busy shaking and moving that I almost totally missed my Blogiversary!  But one year and ten days ago I humbly started Journey Back to Me as a way to chronicle my transition from relaxed to natural.  From there, it seems, JBTM has blossomed into the E-journal you see today, full of personal updates, insightful articles, resources and tributes to others who have taken up the naptural cross.  While the process of transitioning and keeping the journey Blog updated has had its ebbs and flows, overall it has been such a fun undertaking — measuring my growth about myself from the growth of my hair, discovering new ways to maintain health from the outside in (and back again), sharing my story as well as the stories of others.

From my humble beginnings to trying styles on for size to impromptu hiatuses and a bit of homemade experimenting, both my journey and maintaining JBTM have been a wonderful adventure physically and spiritually.  When I started I never imagined something so seemingly simple would be such an involved and evolving experience, and I have loved every single moment of it.

In both the near and distant futures I hope to extend the fun I’ve started here into more natural feature spots, more product, book and site reviews, more style experimentation and eventually a book of my very own.  I also intend to reach out to other natural hair and beauty Blog owners, such as Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik of Afrobella and of Belle Cheveux and Sunshyne of The Course Hair Diaries, to create an interconnected Blogweb of resources to help newbies and veterans alike.

So here’s to a year, with hopes for many, many more!

Healthy Hair Wishes,

(click the image to visit site)

I learned about this site from its Founder and Editor, Yardley Messeroux, who contacted me concerning a contributing position.  As any good  writer does, I took a trip over to TCR to get a feel for the publication’s format and content, and was delighted by what I saw.  A very clean and classy format embraces abundant resources by way of interviews, articles and even a section that a helps readers select that best products for their hair.

Updated monthly, The Coil Review is a mixture of  celebrity and commoner features designed to inspire, educate and celebrate the natural beauty of ethnic hair.  With sections like Salon which offers a stylist and style training course directory, as well as the Research Doctor’s Office, which outlines common scalp and hair conditions, TCR provides its subscribers with uncommon information to help keep hair healthy and their kinky spirits encouraged.

I particularly like the photo sections which display natural stars within the entertainment industry, along side our every day sistahs (and brothas) who are proud of their crowning glory.  To me, the diversity of the galleries demonstrates the high fashion and accessibility of natural hair styles, providing a touch of fantasy with a dash of reality.

The mission of TCR mirrors that of my Blog, to provide a central source for the limited natural hair resources available, as well as provide inspiration to others who are going the naptural route. In my opinion, the publication more than fulfills its purpose, so be sure to give The Coil Review your review soon.

NOTE: The image used for this spotlight is the property of TheCoilReview.com . All rights reserved.

Happy exploring!

Healthy Hair Wishes,

As I mentioned in a previous post, I love coffee.  Actually, thanks to BF Emeritus, I’m a bit of a coffee snob. *lol* But as much as I like drinking it, I hold an affinity for the bean for another reason… It is a wondrous natural beauty aid for both hair and skin.  Here are a few examples:

Coffee: Kitchen Cupboard Beauty Tips

By Cait Johnson

She’s smart, she’s sassy and she is married to one of the sexiest black men ever born (in my not so humble opinion *lol*).  She’s Michelle Obama, and she’s our country’s first African-American First Lady.  Understandably, because of her position she is pretty much considered the national representation of what it means to be a black woman in American, something that is both fortunate and unfortunate, depending on how you look at it.  On the fortunate side, Michelle’s poise, intelligence and sense of integrity show the world at large that the black woman is capable of more than what certain detractors believe.  On the unfortunate side, we are all individuals incapable of comparative assumption based on just one model.  But be all that as it is, the way the world works, Michelle is the African-American woman of the moment, and from where I’m standing, she seems to be doing a damn good job of breaking certain stereotypes.

The other day as I was researching information on how hair changes during various stages of our lives, I happened upon an NPR podcast entitled “The ‘Obama Effect’ On Black Women’s Hair Issues.”  Of course this piqued my interest considering all the stigmas surrounding hair, as well as how politically charged the topic is.  So I figured there’d be some real exchanges between author and Newsweek correspondent Allison Samuels and celebrity stylist Marcia Hamilton (who has the worse Myspace page I have ever seen… just saying) concerning real issues concerning women of colour and their hair, and how The First Lady’s example can possibly set the record straight on the matter.  I shared the link via Plurk and Twitter with fellow Nappies, hoping it would start serious dialogue or provide enlightenment on one level or another, then settled in to listen.

What followed once I pressed “listen” was approximately a two minute mention about Michelle’s hair, a three minute gloss over of the negative odiums attached to black hair, and twelve minutes worth of weave discussion!  Yes, you read that right.  An impromptu dissertation on which type of weave works best for which style, how to care for weave and what to expect from your weave stylist.  I had to check the title a couple of times, as well as share it with a few more people, just to make sure I had not gotten the wrong impression of what the discussion was supposed to be about.  Here is the page blurb, which further made me assume the discussion would contain some “meat” and real introspection:

Whether a press and curl, relaxer, Afro or weave, the relationship between African-American women and their hair has always been a complicated one.

As the first African-American First Lady, Michelle Obama has encountered her own share of scrutiny over the decisions she makes with her hair.

NPR’s Allison Samuels and celebrity stylist Marcia Hamilton explore the issues of African-American women, hair care, and Michelle Obama’s sartorial influence.

So naturally, my assumptions were justly based, right?  And the comments were almost as idiotic as the segment itself.  Some were outraged that Michelle was “used” as a hook for the segment, others complained that there were more important matters at hand than Michelle’s hair, and still others maintained offense at the preposterous weave advice.  Understandably, the comments were closed after thirteen.

I swear, “we” have made some impressive strides in bringing black hair issues to the forefront and breaking down certain negative stigmas surrounding black hair, yet still carry around their implications.  Instead of openly discussing them we end up discussing ways to skirt around them, such as what happened in this “interview.”  Why is so much weight placed on black hair, particularly by black women?  Why, even after coming to a point where we know we are not our hair, is it still the number one “character definer?”  You see a woman with an Afro or locs, you immediately assume she’s a political activist or a poet.  See a women with weave, you automatically assume she’s high maintenance.  Permed hair, all depending on which side of the hair divide you’re on, she’s either “conforming” or “defying.”  With the rise of more women sporting natural styles we’re coming somewhat close to a place where our hair is really just our hair, but for me… not fast enough, it seems.

It’s a damn shame that Michelle, who is a caring mother, a loyal wife and lawyer educated at Princeton and Harvard, is now carrying the proverbial weight of black hair and black hair care assumptions on her head — a long with Sasha and Malia — even before we have properly demystified what the hoopla is all about.  Sure, hair plays a significant role in the lives of every woman, but when it comes to the black community, the question of why is never uncovered in clear enough terms.  Some say it’s a spiritual thing, others a political thing, others purely personal or heritage based.  There’s never one concrete reason why hair matters so much.  This may be because while all our reasons for how we feel about our hair are similar, they are as different as the ways we choose to wear our hair.  So to look at Mrs. Obama as the Black Hair Ambassador and draw blanket conclusions on black hair and grooming is not just unfair to her, but takes the individuality away from us all.

I hope having Michelle as the First Lady helps encourage real dialogue about black hair and beauty issues that have alluded us for so long.  I think it will, as long as we don’t stick a push pin in her likeness declaring her the primary representative for how we should wear our hair.  Because while she is black, and she does have many of the same issues most of us do, it needs to be recognized that Michelle Obama’s hair is not “black hair.”  It’s Michelle Obama’s hair.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

I absolutely LOVE handcrafted soap and body care products and once entertained possibly taking up the process myself.  Not as a commercial undertaking, of course, but as a way to personally maintain nature based products at home.  But with the supplies being way beyond what my budget could handle at the time, and the method way more time consuming than I was able to devote energy too, I abandoned the idea and remained a consumer of other’s work.  Well one day, as I was minding my own business in Plurk (which is not entirely the truth, because I never mind my own business in there *lol*) I happened to become acquainted with Michelle Oritz, Owner and Head Soap Maker (I made that up) of Pegasus Handmade Soaps.  Needless to say my heart leapt with joy and my spirit did a little dance because of this, although my “ends” weren’t exactly sound enough to become a regular customer of Pegasus’  homemade goodness just then.  But a couple of weeks ago Michelle announced she’d just listed a fresh batch of Mocha Morning Coffee soap in her store (anyone who knows me knows I have an extreme coffee jones — I love the smell, the taste, the versatility of the grounds in beauty treatments), about the same time I was able to procure a bar or two for my very own, and I couldn’t place my order quick enough!

No sooner than I received my package (approximately a week after I placed my order) did I tear into the wrapping in order to view the coffee-dy goodness.  Much to my surprise, in addition to the two bars I’d ordered, Michelle had gifted me a sample size of her Black Raspberry/Vanilla Musk soap, a 1 oz. bottle of her Shea Butter and Aloe Vera lotion, and a shower poof (in my favourite colour of green, I might add).  I instantly fell in love with the raspberry-vanilla soap’s aroma which was like Sweettarts, although not overbearingly so, and while I really liked the smell of the lotion (very clean and crisp) it proved to be a bit too “light” a consistency for me.  BUT, to its credit, the lotion does leave the skin very soft and supple, and is relatively long lasting.  It comes in a variety of fragrances and I highly recommend it as a warm weather moisturizer.

I had the pleasure to sample the Morning Mocha bar within a couple of hours after it arrived in the mail and let me tell ya… It became an instant favourite in my hygiene arsenal.  Although made with actual coffee grounds which work as a wonderful exfoliation agent, the bar itself does not smell like coffee.  Instead, it faintly smells like warm oatmeal cookies and light baby powder.  Working with the poof, the bar lathers lusciously and rinses clean away without leaving the filmy lather behind like most commercial soaps do.  A definite plus.

After my shower I discovered another attribute… this soap is non-drying to the skin!  So much so that I could forgo applying a moisturizer for up to two days after use!   It leaves the skin actually feeling clean, polished and soft to the touch. Suffice it to say, I am wholly infatuated with the Morning Mocha soap, and while I have not used the raspberry-vanilla bar yet, I anticipate much the same experience of wonderful.

Affordably priced for the quality ($3.40 per bar) this soap is longer lasting than most other soaps I have used.  Typically, the soap I use most often (Dial gold) lasts me between four to five showers, but as you can see from the picture below, after about four uses, there is still a significant amount of the Mocha bar left.

Also, unlike the soap I usually use, the Mocha bar actually air dries without leaving that icky, gummy wet soap residue behind!  Yet another reason to love this soap.

So, having said all that — and i’m quite sure this comes as no surprise…

JBTM Rating:

And yes, Morning Mocha Coffee soap come so highly recommended by me, I bought two bars for my BFF for Mother’s Day. *smile*  If you’d like to try it for yourself, Pegasus offers sample sizes via their Etsy and Artfire stores.  But honestly, you may as well get a whole bar for yourself because I guarantee you will love it.

Michelle, I thank you so very much for creating such a wonderful product, and rest assured, you will see many return orders from the likes of me.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

I was on a phone call to my very good friend and writing mentor, Sylvia McClain, playing catch up since we have not talked in almost two years (I’ve been horrible with keeping up my literary connections, but that’s changng).  The topic of conversation turned to my natural hair book project and Sylvia, who has been natural  since waaaaaaay before I was born, brought up a concern of hers: hair loss.  As far as I have been aware, Sylvia has always had what we term “good” hair, the kind that softly waves and curls, and has always been conscious of her hair’s natural shedding process.  But lately, she expressed, it seemed the process had kicked up a notch.  In addition to the shedding, she noted that there were also changes in her hair’s texture and thickness, and that it was more brittle and prone to breakage than it had been before.  Sylvia attributed the changes in her hair as part and parcel of the change, but needed help finding possible solutions to restore her hair to it’ previous healthy state, because not even medical doctor’s had been able to find the real cause.

As we traded ideas I was hit with an “AHA” type realization that in all the information provided in books and message boards and Websites, I have never seen anyone discuss the changes a woman’s hair goes through as she ages!  I mean, it’s only common sense that as we grow and develop biochemically, our hair becomes affected, and so should the ways we maintain our hair.  But, because the change in hair’s make up is such a gradual process, very little attention seems to be paid to this important aspect of hair care, whether it be natural or chemically altered,  And even less is paid to it in the hair care resources I’ve come across.  Of course graying is the most obvious change, as melanin production in the hair decreases, but also as we age hair thins because the hair follicle diminishes in size, and sebum and keratin production slows resulting in drier, more brittle hair.  And this is probably most apparent during menopause, as Sylvia is discovering, but throughout life similar processes are set into motion which each change our bodies undergo.

But this is not just a topic to ponder once menopause creeps upon us.  Our hair constantly changes in correspondence to the different stages of our development.  From infanthood to puberty, through pregnancy, menses and various other emotional/chemical shifts we women endure, it is apparent that the texture of our hair changes, the density of the hair shaft either increases or decreases, and the moisture quality ebbs and flows.  But with life happening at the speed of blinks while we’re in our “prime”, those minute alterations in our hair  become something we take for granted in a sense.  We really never notice how our hair changes until those changes are drastic.  With this being the case, I had a grand idea to add a section in my book which covers some of the normal changes our hair undergoes during the life cycle.  Quite possibly, by understanding hair’s metamorphosis as we age, we might be able to better care for it in order prevent certain common hair problems that plague us when we get older… or at least change our hair care regimen to compliment the changes.

So wish me luck, because this is an enormous undertaking since there seems to be so little in-depth information on the topic itself, but I am excited about the prospects of shedding light on another faction of cultivating healthy hair, for a life time.  If you have any ideas, resource suggestions or any other information that might prove enlightening, feel free to pass it along.

Healthy Hair Wishes,