Tenderheaded

Being tenderheaded can mean painful experiences when we are grooming our hair and more importantly our children's hair. I remember having my hair combed on Saturday Mornings and hating it. It was painful and my hair broke countless combs with my mom's attempts to detangle my hair, trying to comb my hair while dry was a horror. I have learned so much since than.

A tenderhead means that the scalp is sensitive to tension and to ingredients in many hair care products. Having a simple routine with minimum manipulation of the hair is best.

• Avoid tension: Hairstyles that involve tension should be avoided or kept to a minimum (cornrows, braid extensions, weave, tight ponytails, etc).

• Avoid tension to the hairline: This is important, just because the interior hair is not tightly style it doesn't mean that their isn't any tension to the hair line. Asking the person who's hair you are styling if it feels tight around the hairline is an excellent way to avoid hair loss and inflamed hair follicles.

• Don't maintain the same hair style for an extended time: This can vary from person to person. For me I have to cleanse my hair every week and most of the time that means taking out my hairstyle.

• Cleanse, condition and treat on a regular basis: I cleanse once a week, do a deep treatment every one to two weeks and do treatments (oil or protein) every month to three months

• Use hair accessories that limit friction and damage to the hair: I love the Goody Ouchless Collection of accessories because they do not make their products with metal clamps which limits tangles, and breakage; A wide tooth comb, a boar brush for smoothing and my hair's best friends, my hands.

• Avoid products/ingredients that cause dry scalp, flaking, bumps on the scalp and redness (sulfates and alcohol), or any products that after you use it you notice your scalp is very sensitive.

Products for Tenderheads

Water: Using water when detangling hair is a must

Condition, condition, condition: You can't get enough of this product. It should be the most common product you have (I stock pile conditioners)

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize: Moisturizing the hair and scalp maintains pliability to the hair.

Apple Cidar Vinegar: Brings the ph balance back to the scalp (mix with water)

Neem Seed Oil: Great for soothing the scalp and adding a natural luster to hair (hot oil treatments mixed with Peppermint and Rosemary EOs)

Jojoba Oil: Jojoba oil mimics the natural sebum that our scalp produces and is a good lubricant for the scalp

Tenderheaded: A Comb-Bending Collection of Hair Stories (Paperback) by Pamela Johnson