February 24, 2010

Are You Killing Your Coils?

Over the past year I've noticed a lot of people talking about how healthy their hair is once they stopped using heat on a regular basis, started doing low manipulation hair styles, and sticking to products that always do them right.

Than I started thinking, wow, so maybe some of us are damaging our hair and than complaining our hair doesn't grow and that their isn't anything on the market that will moisture or deep condition our hair like we wish many products would. So, are we killing our coils?

Are we unnecessarily doing things to our hair that causes damage which will alter our natural texture and than we think it is just our natural hair texture when in fact we ourselves are the culprits. Their are some basics that never fail: leave your hair alone, keep your routine simple, style with low manipulation in mind and use products that have very few if any toxins or synthetic ingredients like silicones, and petro-chemicals.

I have seen women perplexed as to why their hair 'won't grow' and why is it so dry when they rarely deep condition, skip on moisturizing, and find it a bother to protect their hair at night and wear protective hair styles during the day. Each of us have different needs, and some of us need to deep condition more than the next person, so just do it, your hair will thank you. Natural hair care is more so a mind set, its based in how we perceive our hair. If any women with natural hair thinks that using heat on a weekly basis and skipping on deep conditioning is great than unfortunately your hair will suffer.

We watch videos where people discuss the 'next big thing' when our hair is fine with what we are already using. I recently saw a woman who purchases a lot of different product lines and is always trying something new discuss bald spots in her hair and was perplexed as to why it was happening. Our hair is fragile and even when we use natural hair products that have plants extracts and herbs that may clash when a new product line is introduced to our hair, which in turn can cause adverse reactions to our hair and scalp. Plant and herbs are so much better than chemicals but they can damage our hair and scalp if not used properly or in ignorance.

Also, their are people allergic to coconuts, tea tree, peppermint and citrus fruits and must stay away from these both topically and internally. Another example is on You Tube I saw a lady discussing how baking soda when added to her conditioner ruined her natural hair.

What happened to cleanse, condition, moisturize and oil? These steps are simple. What happened to just loving our coils and kynks, and not fighting them? Their is so much information out their about our hair but having a foundation of healthy hair care will always do you right if you decide to try something new. Don't ruin your coils, liberate them and love them as yours.

5 comments:

Sultana said...

Good post. I recently had a scare after flat ironing my hair (first time using heat in two years and two months) I was really frantic when after washing I noticed the front, fine section of my head remained straight. Decided to give it a good deep conditioning treatment, protein treatment, and left it alone. It's back to being curly again. Phew...! Not again. At least not in the near future.

savvybrown said...

Excellent post. Keeping things simple is definitely the best option. I've talked to so many women who've put 4 and 5 products in their hair within one week,trying to make their hair look like someone else's. We'd all save a lot of time and money if we stuck to one routine seasonally, and then maybe changed it up depending on the weather or temperature.
- savvy

Natalie said...

@ Sultana

I bought a flat iron last year and only used it once on a section of my hair to see how well it works and haven't picked it up since, I hear you on the flat ironing tip:)

Natalie said...

@savvybrown

Yes, I know what you mean. Why do some women use so many products and than complain about their hair. KISS always works!

Chrissystina said...

Amen! I have forced myself to back away from the products, and my hair is better for it.

I love making my own products, something is very liberating and calming about that.

Eek. Baking soda applied to a random conditioner? I don't think so.

Also, Nu Kynk, you hit in right on the (curly) head with the mixing of natural igredients from different lines.

I always look up every single one of the ingredients to see what I am dealing with. The plant extracts in Aveda? NOT for my kind of coils:-D