Newly Natural?: Developing a Hair Regimen

As I stated in my previous post, having a regimen is very important. It tells you what to do and when to do it. it has to be said that developing an effective Regimen is only the begining, Patience is KEY in any journey. As you hair grows, you need to maintain your routine.

what you'll need to work out is when you would like to

Wash
Condition
Seal/Moisturise
Style

Wash:

You need to decide how often you would like to wash your hair and what you'll be washing it with. i need not remind you that whatever product you choose will greatly impact the health of your hair. Using regular shampoo have been shown to dry out hair and strip it off its natural oils so i wouldnt recomend it. However, this doesnt mean that you cant use them. i would suggest washing your hair with a sulphate free shampoo (sulphate is an ingredient that dries out your hair) theres loads on the market. An inexpensive option would be Tresemme Naturals which is what i use. it isnt neccesary to shampoo wash your hair every week, i wash my hair atleast once a month, and if need be every 2 weeks. This isnt a rule but only a guideline , if you have lots of build up, regular or clarifying shampoo can be used. Please note that there several types of shampoo seven to be exact ( i only know of 7 anyway lol)

Condition

once your hair has been washed, the next step is to condition. this step is less complicated. different conditioners do different thigs for your hair, (i.e if your hair is damaged you'll need a conditioner for damaged hair. if its dry or needs moisture you'll use a moisturising conditioner) again i like to use Tresemme Naturals smoothing conditioner. do use your research to find a suitable conditioner for your needs.

When you're not washing your hair with shampoo, you can opt to wash it with condtioner instead, this is called co-washing, this is an alternative way to cleanse your hair. A good rinse out conditioner is used to wash hair as normal, this will leave your hair well moisturised without the dryness of shampoo. Again, any shampoo can be used ilike to use Herbal Essenses :Hello Hydration when i co-wash

Tresemme Naturals Shampoo and Conditioner

You might also like to deep condition your hair. This optional but highly recommended. The simplest way to do this would probably be to use a conditioner of your choice (I like to add some olive oil and some honey) wrap ur hair up and either put on a steaming cap or walk around/ do whatever you need to do for about 30 minutes. This way your body/scalp will generate heat on its own which will inturn condition your hair. Rinse out will cool water so your cuticles are closed and moisture is retained.

Moisturising

Once your hair has been rinsed out, follow up with a good leave in conditioner. I like to use the kera care brand. Hair especially Black hair needs moisture so it is important that you get this right. As always it will be a case of trial ands error finding the right products for your hair. Some will over moisturise or even dry out your hair. Natural butters such as Shea butter are always a good place to start. You can opt for readymade moisturisers but be sure to check out the ingredients amd ensure that they do not things like parrafin. Also always seal your ends with oils light oils like EVCO,EVOO. And if you suffer from really dry ends heavier oils like castor oil will keep those ends moisturised.

Styling

This the fun part. You can be as daring, creative, crazy, experimental as you like the possibilities are endless. For example: afros, puffs, twist outs, braid outs, bantu knot outs etc .If you do not wish to have your Afro out all the time, you can also choose to have some protective styling. This is your chance to try different styles that you wouldn't otherwise have on your natural hair. I.e. you can choose to straighten your weaves as supposed to your natural hair. Options also include but are not limited to cornrows, Senegalese twists, Marley braids, solange braids, locks, wigs, half wigs etc

Protecting your hair while you sleep is also crucial to prevent breaking, snagging etc. satin bonnets, silk pillow cases, scarf can prevent this from happening.

Hope you found this post helpful I'll include some pictures of how I like to style my hair with some protective styling included. :)xxx