Your Best Natural Hair

Welcome to Your Best Natural Hair!

noreply@blogger.com (Kitsune) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 06:52:00 +0000

We all know how important our hair is to our image as well as our self-confidence. When looking out over a crowd of people, or simply spotting someone from afar, it is more than likely that the first thing our attention falls to is the individual's hair.

Take the following for example:
Lady A- is wearing a crisp business suit that flatters her figure. Her hair, however, is dull and rests limply on her shoulders.
Lady B- is wearing her comfy pajama pants along with a matching top. Her shiny, flowy hair sways freely with each step she takes.

Your Best Natural Hair is here to help you strive to be among the Lady Bs of the world. Whether you're looking for natural remedies to combat your hair problems or just want the best and fastest solutions possible, you're in the right place.

Your Natural Hair Structure

noreply@blogger.com (Kitsune) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:03:00 +0000

Do you know why you don't experience any sort of pain when you get a haircut? It's because natural hair is composed of protein cells called keratin, which are essentially dead. And although some may say that hair is neither dead nor alive, it basically IS dead.

The hair shaft is made up of three layers. The medulla, the cortex and the outer cuticle.

The medulla is the innermost layer and may not always be present in the hair shaft. It is also the only layer that is not affected by hair products.

The next layer is called the cortex. Your natural hair color is determined by the pigment nestled in the cortex, and can obviously be changed through hair dye. It is also affected by perms, hair straightening and the like.

The cuticle, the outer most layer, is composed of tiny scales that overlap each other, such as the tiles of a roof. These "scales" are made up of a layer of dead cells. It is the condition of this outer layer which determines the state of your natural hair. If the scales lay flat and close to each other, your hair will reflect light and shine. However, if the scales are bent and sticking up and out every which way, your hair will appear dull and more difficult to manage.

Natural Hair Growth

noreply@blogger.com (Kitsune) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:39:00 +0000

If you've got shoulder length hair, it is more than likely that you are sporting 2 years of hair growth. On average, natural hair grows about 6 inches every year, depending on your overall diet and health.

Hair growth happens in three cycles. Four if you consider the shedding phase (known as Exogen). The cycles are as follows:

Anagen
Catagen
Telogen

The anagen phase is the longest lasting phase of the three. This phase is where about 90% of your hair is at any moment, and lasts for about 3 years on average. However, it can range from a few months to a decade! The amount of time spent in the anagen phase determines how long your hair will be.

The next stage, Catagen, is where the natural hair growth in the follicle stops and begins to degenerate.

The Telogen phase can last for up to 3 months in some people. This is also known as the "resting stage" in the process. The hair is being held in place only by a cluster of cells left over from the hair growth cycle, and can thus easily get pulled out by a normal hair care routine such as brushing or showering.

As mentioned earlier, Exogen is the shedding phase of the natural hair growth cycle. It is estimated that a human will lose, on average, anywhere from 30 to 150 hairs a day in this phase. Once a strand of hair is pulled out, a chemical signal within the body will cause a new hair follicle to form around the previous, empty one.

Although this entire cycle repeats itself throughout the lifetime of an individual, there are various factors that may disturb the process and result in severe hair loss. These can range anywhere from certain medications, hormones, chemicals, radiation and even genetics.

Choosing a Hair Brush

noreply@blogger.com (Kitsune) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:27:00 +0000

Many women are not aware of the importance of choosing a hair brush that was made for their specific type of hair. The correct brush will result in a number of benefits for the beauty of your natural hair.

These benefits include: Massaging of the scalp (which stimulates blood circulation and encourages hair growth), distribution of the sebum along the length of your hair (sebum is the natural, oily substance your scalp produces to keep your hair hydrated), and of course untangling and styling.

Although there are benefits to certain hair brushes and hair brushing technique, there are also some negative aspects of overdoing things, or choosing the wrong tool. For instance, over brushing your hair can result in a very greasy scalp and may very well damage both the hair and the scalp.

1) The Paddle Hair Brush
This brush tends to be flat and wide, and the bristles are generally made from boar hair. It is the perfect brush for those of us with long hair. If you have natural, straight hair, this brush will do well in smoothing it down. It can also be used to finish off curly or wavy hair that has been straightened with a round brush. This brush adds no volume to hair.

2) The Round Brush
Contrary to popular belief, the round brush is not use solely to create curls. It is a great tool for acquiring maximum height, volume and lift. It can also straighten your hair if your natural hair is already curly or wavy. The overall size of the round brush you would like mostly depends on the length of your hair. You should be able to wrap your hair around the brush at least once.

3) The Thermal Brush
A thermal brush has a certain type of material at the center of the brush which is conducive to heat. This means that the material becomes hot with the heat from your blow dryer. This brush is basically used for styling your hair, and can be compared with a flat iron (a hair straightener). As with a flat iron, be careful not to burn your hair!

4) The Vent Brush
If you're unsure of which brush to start out with, the vent brush is probably the best. It is the simplest of brushes, offering the simplest effects. That being said, this brush can give you some volume and height as well.

5) The Cushion Hair Brush
This brush is very popular amongst males. It's very simple as well, with bristles resting on a cushioned base. You can use this brush safely on any hair short to medium length which is not naturally thick or dense. This brush will smooth hair without adding any lift.

These brushes are the most popular. You may find other brushes (such as a military styled brush, which has no handle and is instead held within the palm of your hand) but the ones mentioned here cover just about all our bases.

Now that we have this list of hair brushes, what next?
Learn to brush your natural hair!

The Donts
1) Don't brush your hair while it's wet. Instead, purchase a wide toothed comb and use it from root to tip. Try not to get too close to the root though.
2) Some experts say not to brush OR comb your hair while it's wet. Just leave it be! Hair is much weaker when it's wet. 3 times as much! I offer both views so that you may make your own informed decision. (I personally use a wide toothed comb, but that's because my hair is ridiculously prone to tangles and I believe it would do more damage than good to "untangle" it when it's dry!)
3) Don't make use of cheapy plasticy hair brushes.
4) If you've got frizzy, thick hair, put that brush down! A pick comb is your best friend. Use it to style your lovely, natural hair.
5) Never utilize any metal brushes, picks or combs.

The Dos
1) Straighten your hair with the heavier wooden brushes. They are much easier to use for this purpose than their smaller counterparts.
2) Realize that the size of the brush you will need depends on the length of your hair.
3) If you have finer hair, use a small brush. Smaller brushes tend to maximize lift.
4) Make use of a paddle brush to straighten out thick hair.
5) Be certain that all your brushes have soft, rounded bristles.
6) Keep your hair brushes clean! Use a comb to dig out the build up and then wash the bristles with either soap or shampoo.

Untangling Your Hair
Everyone should own a wide toothed comb. Did I mention this already? If not... you need a wide toothed comb missy (or mister)! Why? Because you'll be doing a lot of damage to your hair if you take a brush to it in order to untangle it. Here is the correct way to go about it:

1) Begin combing your hair from the bottom up.
2) You want to untangle the very bottom few inches before moving up a bit and working out the knots there.
3) If your hair is especially tangled (I would glare at my own hair here), you may need to section your hair off first and then begin the bottom-to-top procedure.
4) Try not to simply rip through the tangles. You want to coax them out gently. Otherwise you will be tearing your beautiful strands of hair and setting them up for split endiness!

Once you're done untangling your hair, grab your preferred brush and, using a firm stroke, brush from top to bottom.

If you're experiencing static (in other words, if you've got a noticeable amount of strands flying towards the ceiling), try spraying a bit of water on your hair. I guess your natural hair is a bit like your cat. It behaves when you give it a little spray with water :P

Food For Healthy, Natural Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Kitsune) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:29:00 +0000

The healthy hair you crave cannot be found solely in a bottle of shampoo, conditioner, or shine serum. In order to have truly healthy hair, you need to consider your diet and the nutrients you may or may not be consuming.

Despite the fact that there are many products out there that claim to make your natural hair grow faster or to thicken it, you should be weary of such things because they could potentially backfire.

Although there are many vitamin and mineral supplements you can buy to more simply nourish your hair, always try your best to get these nutrients from actual foods whenever you can. And remember, the statement "the more the merrier" does not always hold true. For instance, excess amounts of vitamin A can actually cause hair loss, where as the correct amount will aid the health and beauty of your hair.

The Best Foods For Your Natural Hair
1) Salmon - This fish has so many beauty benefits due to its abundance in omega-3 fatty acids (which promotes a healthy scalp, and thus, healthy hair) and protein (which is what your hair is essentially made of and is needed for hair growth). It is also packed with vitamin B-12 and Iron.
For those of you who are vegetarian, consider including some form of flax seed (ground, whole, oil) as part of your diet. This is a great plant source for omega-3 fatty acids.

2) Dark Green Veggies - Dark green vegetables (like spinach and broccoli) are a great source of vitamin A and vitamin C. These nutrients are needed in order for your body to create sebum, which is the oily substance on your scalp, your hair's natural conditioner.

3) Beans - Most of us know that legumes (such as kidney beans) are an excellent source of protein, which is essential for healthy hair growth. You can also find a good amount of biotin in beans, which is also important for your natural hair. Deficiency in biotin can very well lead to brittle hair.

4) Nuts - Another great source of protein! Walnuts contain a certain fatty acid that may aid in the conditioning of your hair. Brazilian nuts are loaded with selenium, which is an excellent mineral for scalp health. Other nuts including pecans, almonds and cashews are full of zinc. Lack of zinc can cause some dreaded shedding of your beautiful hair, so go nuts for nuts!

5) Chicken and Turkey - That's right, poultry. Again, full of the ever important high-quality protein healthy hair thirsts for. In fact, without an adequate amount of protein in your diet, you can end up with brittle hair. If your protein deficiency lies on a higher scale, there is a real chance that your natural hair will begin to lose its color.

6) Eggs - We've all watched Rocky down a glass of raw eggs to quench his body's need for protein. Well, regardless of how you serve them up, eggs ARE one of the best sources of protein out there. They also have other important nutrients for your health and beauty: zinc and vitamin B-12.

7) Whole Grains - From bread to cereals, whole grains are chalk full of various B vitamins, zinc and iron.

8) Oysters - If you don't find oysters making their way onto your dinner plate often, there is no need to worry. Although they are packed with zinc, a terrific antioxidant, you can leave the oysters out and go for some of the other foods mentioned here (such as nuts and whole grains). Beef and amb are also great sources of zinc.

9) Dairy Products - Grab a yogurt or some cottage cheese for a quick snack, and consider throwing in some chopped walnuts or ground flax seed (please don't try flax seed oil... I did that once and, needless to say, I had a very hard time eating that thing of yogurt). Aside from protein, dairy products contain an ample source of calcium, which is also important for natural, healthy hair growth.

10) Carrots - This root vegetable is a great source of Vitamin A, which, aside from promoting good vision, is essential for a healthy scalp. And since the health of your scalp is the primary indicator of the health of your hair, you would do well to include it into your diet.

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noreply@blogger.com (Kitsune) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:41:00 +0000

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