Healthy, thick, braided, cornrowed, extensions, pressed, trimmed, cut or styled are just some of the words that come to mind when I think about hair. It’s quite amazing how hair makes you feel. It is part of your person. You feel sexy, confident, smart, born to rule the world perhaps? Throw on a pair of jeans and white T, put your hair in a pony tail and you could easily be lounging around the house. Take your hair down, toss it, tease it, pull it, pat it and you feel like a completely different person. Anyone share that sentiment?

Half the time, I don’t know what to do with my hair so I end up putting it in braids and leaving it in for 6 months. First off, that’s terrible for your hair but I just can’t help it. The same excuses come to mind: don’t have time, waste of time, don’t have the right products, don’t have the money (big one this is), don’t know anyone that can fix it up. Any sympathizers out there? Fact of the matter is, if we want our hair to look and feel good we just need to dedicate time for it. With the advancement in communication channels its so easy now to look for new styles on the internet or even just watch a video about it. YouTube is a great source to learn new styles for all hair kinds. Type “natural hair styles” in the search box and be off to a merry start.  In one of my many endeavors to find out more about how to treat my hair to get it back to its former glory, I sit down with writer and blogger Kismit, of hairaboutthis.wordpress.com.

This interview is geared towards African/African- American hair. Kismet is not a hair professional nor does she claim to be the all knowing guru about hair. She has researched hair and the different ingredients that could possibly help stimulate growth as well as proper hair care. She has transitioned from cutting her locks of permed/relaxed hair to wearing her hair naturally.

Q: What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think about caring for your hair?

A: Moisture. Curly or coily hair tends to be a lot dryer than straight hair, so keeping moisture, protein and ph balance is very important for health, growth and maintenance. Of course, what you eat plays an important role also.

* Rebels I believe the best way to get protein or any form of nutrient for your body is always by consumption of food- can I hear organic? With our busy lifestyles there are always various other ways getting this such as a protein shake or supplements. For your hair specifically there are also protein replenishing packs that you can apply per the instructions on the pack. But again DO YOUR RESEARCH AND KNOW YOUR HAIR. One person’s regimen to glorious hair could be someone else’s route to baldness.

Q: So what does moisture in your hair mean?

A: Moisture for me is water. Drinking lots of water or eating lots of foods with water and actually putting water on your hair, whether its by washing it or using moisturizers or leave in conditioners with water listed as an ingredient. A lot of people think oils act as a moisturizer, but the oils usually help to seal in moisture or prevent water loss from the hair. A light oil like jojoba oil or coconut oil for example, is really good. It really depends upon a person’s preferences. Some people prefer jojoba, some like coconut, some like castor, carrot oil, aloe vera oil, or even olive oil. The choice is yours.

Q: How often should you moisturize your hair?

A: Its good to have some sort of regimen. Some people moisturize and seal twice a day, others once a day and some every other day. It’s what you feel your hair needs to survive and thrive. Sometimes just spraying water won’t work. You may need to actually wash your hair and deep condition or apply a hot oil treatments. It all depends on your hair texture and what it responds to. Deep conditioning, moisturizing, massaging the scalp and trimming your ends, while eating a balanced diet  will put you on your way to a good start. If problems still pertain afterwards then you should probably see a doctor.

Q: What are some common household ingredients you can use in your hair?

A: There are a lot of things with in our kitchens that we can use on our hair, like mayo, eggs, oil, honey, water etc. They can be used together as a deep conditioner or pre-poo. There are a lot of recipes for combination of house hold items to use on your hair that can be found on the internet. Do your research first, experiment and be a little creative. Use and find out what’s best for your hair. Some people even use coconut milk, yoghurt or beer for example. Research is important though. Don’t just go by what I say or what someone else says, because our textures may be different and what works for me may not work for you. I think the saying that everything in moderation is true. Everyone is different. Too much heat damages the hair and of course if you are going to use heat, you should protect the hair with some sort of heat protector. Now and then is good, but too much of it will over time cause havoc on those beautiful locks.

Q: What are some of the harmful ingredients to look out for in a hair product?

A: Look out for sulphates. Those tend to dry out the hair. You find them in shampoos for example. If your shampoo has this in it, you can dilute the shampoo or just make sure to moisturize or deep condition you hair really well afterwards. I prefer to not use shampoos with sulphates in them just because I think my hair thrives without it. Parabens are another thing to look out for and certain types of alcohols. You should also minimize mineral oils and products with synthetic fragrances in them. My motto is if I can’t pronounce the ingredients and eat the majority of them, then I should probably think twice about using it on my hair or skin.

Q: What are some of the signs of damaged hair?

A: Breakage, split ends, patches, clumps of hair coming out, very dry and brittle hair are some of the indications that your hair needs some more TLC. Causes of damaged hair could be medication, change in climate, change in diet, you name it. It’s good to catch these signs at the early stages and start treatment before it gets worse. Don’t be afraid to get rid of those split ends because an inch now can probably save you three or four inches in the future.

Q: What’s a good treatment for your hair after braids?

A: Prep your hair before you put them inbraids and take care of you hair whilst its braided. Washes or scalp cleanses and moisturize your hair as best as possible. After you take out the braids or the weave it really depends on if you are natural or have a relaxer as the treatments will differ.

If you have natural hair, be sure to deep cleanse and do a deep conditioner. If your hair is relaxed, then wash and condition, but wait a while maybe a few days or a week or something before you relax again to give the scalp a break. Again, clean moisturize and seal, especially those ends and maybe do a scalp massage. The scalp massage helps to stimulate the blood to flow up there. It helps in healthy hair growth.

Q: Parting words?

A: Do your research when it comes to your hair. Know what you’re putting on it. Healthy hair takes work, patience and time and sometimes less is more. Don’t go overboard with all the processing, flat ironing, etc. Sometimes just let your hair do its thing and try to do a style that requires less direct heat. Just like we mentioned earlier, everything in moderation. Also remember, that what you take into your body shows on the outside.

Rebels, if you noticed, we have stressed research over and over again. Just as you know your body or yourself, know your hair type and what works best for it to make it as glorious as you are. There’s a lot of information out there on how to take care and manage all hair types. Like all things in life, time, dedication and patience will go a long way to make a difference. Do you have a hair story that you would like to share? Leave a comment for the other rebels out there.

Stay true to your r’ebel.

-Lspyce