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Ways To Promote Hair Growth
Drink plenty of water. The daily recommended amount is 8 glasses of water.
Eat Healthy. You will provide your hair with the proper nutrients it needs to grow and look its best.
Avoid Heat. Heat adds stress to your hair. If you have to use heat always apply a heat protectant to minimize damage.
Keep your hair clean. Shampoo your hair regulary to keep from clogging your pores.
Protect your ends. Oil or moisturize your ends daily to keep them from breaking as your hair grows.
Do not braid your hair too tight. This can cause alopecia which is the leading cause of hair loss amongst African American women!
Try different methods of hair extensions. Any hair extension or weave method that requires glue & heat is extremely damaging to our hair. This would also include glued-in hair extensions. Sewn in weaves are more expensive, but is perhaps a better way to go because hair is normally cornrowed and protected as extensions are sewn into them.
Avoid spritz. Any style that will “freeze” the hair into place is very damaging to black hair. Anything that makes the hair hard and 
crunchy should be left alone.
Avoid rubbing hair. When drying hair, do NOT vigorously rub the hair with a towel to dry it. Always remember that our hair needs to be handled with extreme care. Gently pat the hair dry.
Do Not Grease/Oil your scalp. This can clog the pores of the scalp. These clogged pores suffocate the hair follicles and lead to unnecessary hair loss (i.e. oil folliculitis). Oils should be applied directly to hair only, not to the scalp.
Combing Methods. Be patient and gentle with your hair when combing. Use a wide tooth comb to gently detangle hair before
combing. This can prevent breakage.
Use satin night scarves. Be sure to rotate the position of the scarf when wrapping hair at night so that the point where the knot is tied does not always rest in the same place. The top (forehead) area is ideal since most people tend to sleep on their backs or sides.
Protein Treatments vs. Cholesterol Treatments
QUESTION: What is the difference between using a protein treatment versus a cholesterol treatment as a form of deep conditioner?
ANSWER: GREAT Question! Think of the proteins and cholesterols as different yet necessary rooms in your house of healthy hair practices. The bathroom is different from the kitchen but a house is not complete without both!
PROTEINS
Proteins are the large biological molecules that make up the hair. You get proteins from the foods you eat such as eggs, dairy, and lean meats. When your hair is damaged, it can be fortified (strengthened) by topical protein treatments. Unhealthy hair is typically knicked, broken, and damaged. This damage leaves the hair weak and lackluster. Proteins can fortify damaged hair by filling in the knicks or damaged areas. Think of proteins as you would wall putty. Putty is a superficial fix that goes over the hole to cover and thus fortify the holed area of the wall. Proteins perform a similar function. Protein treatments act as a superficial fix that goes over the hair to cover and thus fortify the knicked/damaged area. To that same point, if your hair is not damaged, such a fix simply sits on top of the knick and creates unnecessary build up. This is why you should avoid protein treatments when they are not necessary.
Try it!: If your hair is broken, damaged, and lackluster, apply a protein treatment to fortify the knicked areas and add shine and luster to your tresses.
CHOLESTEROLS
Cholesterols are fats (lipids) and they help to feed/ strengthen the hair. Fats are jam packed with the nutrients your hair needs. Cholesterol treatments are great TOPICAL treatments for the hair. They are also jam packed with vitamins and nutrients. Cholesterol treaments are only topical in nature. Ingesting/eating additional cholesterol as part of your diet is NEVER a good way to improve the health of the hair (or body)!
Try it!: Try prepooing or deep conditioning with LeKair Cholesterol. You can pick it up in your local WalMart or your local beauty supply store. While there are many brands of cholesterol available, I find LeKair to be thicker and richer than most brands.
Source: Journey 2 My Roots
The Curly Hair Oil Roundup
A guide to ten popular, natural hair oils for curly, kinky and wavy hair.
When it comes to maintaining your curly hair, you may be seeing lots of products bombarding the market touting all sorts of ingredients. Especially when it comes to the sheer number of natural hair oils, it can be confusing to know which one may work best for your hair. Although you can learn by trial and error, it’s always a good idea to do a little research before trying new ingredients.
To give you a brief introduction on hair oils, there are a couple main types of oils you’ll come across: carrier oils (vegetable/nut/seed derived oil, usually odorless, can be used alone or used to transport or “carry” the scent and properties of an essential oil) and essential oils (highly concentrated scent, contain specific therapeutic benefits, normally extracted from plant sources and diluted with carrier oils).
Examples of essential oils widely used in the natural hair community are rosemary, tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus, lavender and sandalwood. Of course there are many others, but these are found in many natural hair products for their healing and restorative properties.
On their own, carrier oils have their own individual benefits and are extremely popular among curly girls. Whether you have type 2 waves, type 3 curls, or type 4 coils, there’s an oil out there that can benefit your tresses. To help you navigate, here’s a list of some of the more popular, and a few obscure, natural oils on the market.
- Coconut Oil (Extra Virgin) Light and non-greasy, coconut oil can easily be used by all hair types. Coconut oil is one of the few oils that can actually penetrate the hair shaft. There are several types of coconut oil available, but go for the extra virgin (EVCO). This oil is typically clear in its liquid form and a white color that is solid at room temperature. Shelf life: approximately 1-2 years.
- Olive Oil (Extra Virgin) This multipurpose oil is a staple in many naturals’ hair care regimens. Not only is olive oil a great pre-poo and hot oil treatment option, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) works wonders to seal moisture in and can add a kick to your conditioning routine too. If you have finer hair you may want to use just a small amount in order to not weigh the hair down. Shelf life: up to 2 years.
- Castor Oil (Jamaican Black Castor Oil) A heavier oil great for tighter coils, castor oil can be great for sealing moisture into your hair. Many have also used this oil to help regain thickness around thinning hairlines. A little definitely goes a long way with this oil; too much can leave your hair heavy and weighed down. Another popular variation is Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO). This less refined version can be used to encourage hair growth as well as protect and seal your ends. Shelf life: indefinite.
- Grape Seed Oil This super light and moisturizing hair oil can benefit all types of curls. A natural heat protectant, grape seed oil can actually be used as a thermal agent up to 425 degrees when blow drying or flat ironing. Apply a bit throughout the hair before applying heat to give your hair added shine and protection. This oil works great to strengthen each strand, increase manageability and can also be used to combat dry scalp and dandruff. Shelf life: approximately 1 year
- Jojoba Oil Closely matching the sebum, your hair’s natural oil, jojoba oil is a great staple in your natural hair care routine. This hair oil can be used to balance oil production at the scalp, aiding overproducing glands that cause oily hair. Jojoba is also non-greasy and gives your hair a healthy shine. At this time, however, jojoba oil is very scarce and that is reflected in the skyrocketing price. Shelf life: can be indefinite.
- Sweet Almond Oil This light, all-purpose oil is great for all hair types and offers many benefits to naturally curly hair. Sweet almond oil works great as a sealant, so apply a small bit on top of your moisturizer to lock in the moisture. It’s also great for improving manageability by smoothing the hair shaft. Shelf life: approximately 1 year.
- Avocado Oil This super nutrient rich oil is heaven for thick haired curlies. Chock full of natural goodies like amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, avocado oil can help strengthen hair and enhance deep conditioning treatments. Try mixing a bit of this hair oil with your favorite conditioner as a deep treatment, adding a plastic baggy or heat cap for added conditioning. Since this oil is a bit heavy and slightly oily, it’s best for thicker or more tightly coiled strands. Shelf life: approximately 1 year.
- Argan Oil This rare oil is making waves in the natural hair community for its moisturizing properties. Easily absorbed and quite nourishing, this oil is great for your hair, skin, and nails too. For curly girls, argan oil helps with manageability and can also strengthen the hair. It can be pricey, but a little goes a long way. Shelf life: approximately 2 years.
- Ayurvedic Oils For ages these hair oils have worked wonders across the globe and they’re a wonderful option for naturals. Some of the more prominent oils are amla, neem, brahmi, and bhringaraj; each of these distinctive oils offer their own unique benefits for your curls. For example, amla oil is great to strengthen and condition the hair, neem oil is excellent for tackling dandruff, brahmi can be used to stimulate hair growth and bhringaraj is great to combat shedding and breakage.
- Rose Oil A lightweight oil, rose oil is perfect for wavies or those with thinner hair. Rose oil strengthens hair at the root, protects against frizz and adds shine.
Source: Naturally Curly
I Am Lady Fab 