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Monday, November 7, 2011

Help! My Hair Is Dry!!!

Well...not my hair. Not at this very moment anyway...

Moving on along....

We are now knee deep in autumn with winter fast approaching. I don't know about yall but around this time of the year, my hair craves moisture. It *needs* it. It has to have it. My hair likes a little protein every now and again but it absolutely hands down needs moisture! Usually around this time or year,my hair will tend to lean towards being on the dry side. Currently, this long behind stretch that I'm doing has my roots feeling a little dry and puffy. So, I have really had to be on my P's and Q's about this moisture thing.

So how do I remedy, my hair's need for moisture? I have a few things I do once I rule out porosity as being an issue ( a quick way I check for porosity is to observe my hair after I wash it. If my hair is bone dry mere minutes after I get out of the shower..I need to get my porosity in check...asap-edly). Keep in mind that I may do them individually or in varying combinations (e.g.--a hot oil treatment followed by relaxer method DC). Do whichever works for your hair w/ the products your hair loves!


1) Pre-Poo: It is the most obvious fix, right? Bombard the hair with moisture from all angles (from pre-poo, to shampoo, to DC) and your hair will be good to go! What I usually do is take a moisturizing cheapie conditioner (my favorite is HE Hello Hydration) and slather it on my dry hair. I then put a plastic cap on my hair and sit under the heat cap for an hour (or two or three). Following that, I shampoo and DC as normal.

2) Hot Oil Treatment: I have been loving hot oil treatments right now. My hair just drinks up the moisture! One of my favorite hot oil treatments to do is one with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). I love how I can grab something out of my pantry and just go to work. Another oil that I have been introduced to (thanks to one of my blog readers :) ) is Jamaican Black Castor Oil. I did a hot oil treatment last Friday with it and let me say that my hair is in LOVE with it. During a typical hot oil treatment session, I warm up the oil and then proceed to apply it to my hair. I primarily focus on applying the oil to my roots but I work the oil down my hair shaft ( I hope that makes sense). I then put on a plastic cap and sit under the heat cap for about 30min (if you can sit longer, more power to you. I just get annoyed from the oil running down my face. And I get super paranoid about oil getting on my furniture. Imagine me sitting extremely upright...lest I get oil on the couch. Yeah....I can't do that beyond 30min lol). I then shampoo and DC as usual. Keep in mind that you can do a hot oil treatment with any oil you desire....grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, EVCO, EVOO...heck you can even use those blends you see in the store. I know yall have used Hot Six Oil... don't front lol. It makes for a great oil treatment though. I will caution against using coconut oil. Don't get me wrong...I love coconut oil. However, it does have some..protein-like qualities. So...use it in moderation if that is your oil of choice. I don't want your hair to start breaking b/c you went overboard with the coconut oil.


3) Relaxer Method DC+ Extended DC time: I really don't know why this works for my hair. I just know that it does. I guess it's because I'm taking the time to make sure my strands are coated with conditioner. I dunno. It works though and I can't argue with that.. I basically section my hair (4 big sections, then I section within those sections) and I apply my DC using a relaxer brush. I make sure to focus primarily on my roots, then work my way down. I then DC for 2-3hrs or even overnight. My hair comes out feeling soft and moisturized for days!


Having dry hair sucks but there is always a remedy for it. Sometimes you have to bombard your hair with all the moisture it can stand and just give it some lovin'. I guarantee that your hair will love you for it!

What are your tried and true methods for combating dryness..especially during the cold, winter months?

6 comments:

  1. Ooo great post.

    I used to have the same problem with oil dripping down my face and neck, until I bought a turbie twist from Sally's. I apply the oil, put on a plastic cap, and then put on my turbie twist. The only downside is that I can't sit under my heating cap but to make up for that, I just leave the oil in longer and let my body heat work its magic lol. So, a turbie twist is an option.

    As for my go to moisture remedies:
    1.) Hot oil treatments
    2.) Mixing my moisturizer with a little water and applying it from root to tip (I use a spray bottle to make it easier to apply the moisturizer to my roots and massage it in), sealing with an oil for consecutive nights. Even though I'm watering down my moisturizer, I find that it helps my moisturizer penetrate into my hair without leaving my hair greasy and weighed down throughout the week.
    3.) Deep conditioning for 2-3 hours under my heating cap.


    www.justgrowalready.com

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  2. Awesome post, I just add a couple of things to what you already listed:
    1. I prepoo overnight
    2. I use less glycerin during the colder months or even remove it from my regimen altogether since it tends to make my hair drier in the winter
    3. I use my steamer to DC. MAN that thing is awesome (or as you would say 'awesome sauce'). It truly does leave my hair moist for DAYS.
    4. I use a heavier moisturizer and oil to seal with
    5. I do less protein treatments and replace a shampoo wash with a cowash

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  3. @Jenijen I had a turbie twist but I guess it grew legs and walked out of my apt because I cannot find it for the life of me lol. I may just have to go ahead and purchase a new one b/c sitting up paranoid about this oil getting on my furniture is not an option!

    @Age in ATL See you're gonna make me run out and get a steamer! I have been eyeing them for a while and everyone sings it's praises. Hmm....

    Jenijen and Age in ATL: thanks for adding your methods for dealing with dry hair! :)

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  4. Girl, Christmas is around the corner..make sure a steamer is on your Christmas list!! You (nor your hair) will regret it!

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  5. Hi Sharday and Jenjen,

    About the runny oil treatments, something I learned from DLewis' blog has worked for me for years now.

    After applying your oil treatment or condish, put on the condish cap, then a shower cap (optional), then a wide elastic headband. The headband "seals" the edges, so no drips. I can even sleep this way. If I want heat, I put an winter cap over it all before I go to sleep.

    Hope this helps,
    Life in a Shoe

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  6. @Life in a Shoe I tried the method you suggested and it worked perfectly!!! I'm definitely going to do this from here on out!

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