Shedding vs. Breakage

You hair will NEVER grow evenly! No matter how even you trim it, even if you do a big chop, it doesn't mater... It NEVER will! Why? Because 90% of your hair is in the active phase, it sheds and regrows, and the other 10% is in the resting phase. Your hair stays in that phase for 2 to 3 months and then it sheds... and thus begins the active phase. Unfortunately for you, it's not synchronized.


Shedding is completely natural! Your hair needs to shed in order to regrow. Every day we lose a certain (God given) amount of hair, and when you don't comb (finger combing is just fine) through your hair at least once everyday, at the end of the week it may SEEM like your hair is falling out. A lot of people say that, but really what it is is just your hair that was shed, forming clumps, waiting to be combed out. If you wanna check if you have any clumps waiting to be removed, here's a simple process:


1. Moisturize your hair with conditioner, water or moisturizer.
2. Gently run your fingers through small sections of hair. (Be thorough)


And that's all it takes! SN: try not to finger comb on dry hair because you may form knots easier.


How do I know if it's shedding and not breakage?
Mind you, breakage is totally different! If your hair is breaking, you are being far too rough, and you need to ease up on your hair! The difference is also quite simple. If you see white roots at one end of your hair strand, you can rest east... you're shedding. If not, then yeah.. ease up!


How do I prevent breakage?
The number one way to prevent breakage is to trim your hair! Split ends & dead ends are THE WORST!  You don't have to trim every single week, but if you trim off the bottom 1/2 or 1/4 inch at least once a month, you should be okay. (Granted this totally depends on how dry your scalp/hair generally is.) The hair at the ends of each strand of hair is the first to die. If you keep it well moisturized, they live a relatively long, happy life. If your hair is dry all the time, and you leave it that way, BELIEVE ME, you WILL get split/dead ends and your hair WILL break. Always, ALWAYS moisturize!
Another, very key way to prevent breakage is to reduce the amount of heat put to your hair. Keep in mind that your ends are already living to die. The addition of heat does no good to them, whatsoever. No heat is awesome, but we all (me included) love to straighten, curl, blow dry (etc) our hair. Breakage is inevitable, but it is controllable! 
Also, what you sleep on & wrap your hair with plays a part in breakage. Satin bonnets/head wraps & even a satin pillow case is preferred. You'll get reduced friction and in turn, less breakage. 
And finally, if you KNOW your ends are unhealthy, don't think about how much you're trimming, think about how much healthier your hair will be once it grows back. Your hair will LOVE you for it!


Hope this helps someone :)

Moisturizing & Deep Conditioning [Requested Repost]

Moisturizing 

Time: About 5 minutes
First of all your hair needs moisture, moisture, MOISTURE!! (Especially if you have thick, extra nappy hair). I moisturize on almost a daily basis and whenever I'm styling my hair. Right now, my favorite moisturizer is a Bear Fruit Hair product. I don't actually remember the name of it, but the website gives you the option choosing what oils, butters, herbs, fruits, and scents you want to put in your product (they also have some other ingredients). Their products are very inexpensive. You can find them here.

I also use Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner. It works as a a leave in conditioner, but you can also use it in daily styling ($6 at Wal-Mart). I use the Shea Butter as a sealant - (after I add water, I add the Shea butter to hold the moisture.) Another one of my favorites Olive Oil Organic Root Stimulator Moisturizing Hair Lotion. I use it in daily styling also.

Deep Conditioning

Time: About 1 hour
Deep conditioning is a REALLY good idea for anyone with nappy hair. I do it before I wash (or co-wash) my hair because it makes your hair softer & easier to work with. I think the most important part of this process is the heat treatment. (It's good if you could even deep condition the night before you're going to wash your hair, but doing it right before you wash is fine also.) My deep conditioner is a homemade product (Say yes to saving money!) I actually have 3 I want to try, but I've only actually used just this one recipe. What I use is called Sweet Avocado Deep Conditioner. The ingredients are: 1 avocado, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and honey. It's very simple to mix. (Depending on how thick your hair is, you might not even need the whole avocado. Also, you don't HAVE to have the avocado. The EVOO & honey alone will do just fine.) To mix: 1) Mash the avocado until it's almost completely liquefied. 2) Pour about one spoonful of honey into a sandwich baggie. 3) Pour another spoonful of EVOO into the baggie. 4) Place the baggie in a bowl of water. Microwave for one minute. 5) Open the baggie, and pour the mashed up avocado into it. 6) Mix it with a fork until the mix looks uniform. --> AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! (All of the basic recipes listed here can be made almost the same way. If you have any questions ask me!)

*Other recipes:
Baby Banana: banana baby food, EVOO, honey
Cucumber & Egg: 1/2 Cuke, 1 egg, 1/2 and eggshell worth of EVOO.
A sidenote: As you can see, the constant ingredient is EVOO. Believe it or not, it works WONDERS for nappy hair!

The process: 1) Part your hair in four big sections. 2) Apply the deep conditioner very generously throughout your hair. After you've applied it to one section, make one big twists. 3) You can leave the hair in the twist when you do this step. Put a shower cap on your head and sit under a hair dryer for 50 minutes. (Try to tilt your head just to make sure the back and the front of your hair get some heat. This step is really important! The heat opens your pores so that your scalp really takes in the deep conditioner.) 4) After 50 minutes, take the shower cap off and wait 5 minutes. 5) After 5 minutes, wash your hair out with COLD water.

After you've done this you can just go straight into your wash. If you're doing the overnight process, stop at step 3 for the night, and pick up at step 5 the next day.