Winterizing Your Hair

 

Thanksgiving is around the corner and there is "white stuff" on the ground so there is no doubt that winter is here. Time to pull out the coats, hats, and gloves for protection from the cold but lets not forget about our hair. There's more to it then putting on a hat.

Let's start with moisture. There is no way to get away from moisture loss. The harsh outdoor weather can suck moisture out of your strands as well as the dry indoor heat. Take these points into consideration so that your hair will survive this winter.

1) Intense moisturizing under a steamer or a hooded dryer with heavy conditioners and oils are necessary to prevent your hair from drying out. Oils like olive and coconut are very beneficial.

2) Use less shampoo and moisturize more often. Because there is no way to escape moisture loss, moisturizing often is the key to maintaining healthy strands. Moisturizing 1-2x a week is good.This can be done by co-washing. Click on highlighted text for a link on co-washing.

3) Wear your hair in a protective style like a bun, ponytail. or a sew in and stay away from wool accessories. This prevents your hair from rubbing and snagging on your scarfs, turtle necks and sweaters. For those wearing locs, this prevents lint from getting stuck in your locs

4)Drink lots of water. Keep your body hydrated from the inside out because whatever happens in your body shows on the outside.

Remember "Moisture is Key" this winter and "Knowledge is Power". If you have any questions, feel free to contact Gradieh Wreh at 952-847-3204

Basketball Wives LA

Reality TV is a guilty pleasure of mine and many others, even though they don’t like to admit it. Basketball Wives on the other hand is not a favorite. I can’t handle the nonsense arguments, power struggle, and physical altercations but I’m sure somebody out there can cause they are still on TV.

Anyways, I was flipping my channels instead of doing homework and I came across the B-Ball Wives reunion special. I was blown away by the hair styles. Here are my favorites:

I Love the display of waves in this hairstyle. It is classy yet trendy. It is also very versatile. I can see a glamour chick rocking this from a night in the city to her wedding day. I love it. This is going to have to go on my “to do” list.

Gloria’s hair is “Simply Gorgeous”. What more can I say? This is a style that can compliment many face shapes. It never fails at lightening up one’s face. When in doubt, go with the middle or off centered part.

This is my absolute favorite of them all. This is a classic hair style from the 1940s. It is worn perfectly when paired with red lipstick. It also has a “glam factor” that is off the radar.

No more Braids

I took my braids down today and I was excited to see how much my hair has grown. It is long enough to braid in cornrows and you all know what that means.......<drum roll>........I CAN GET A SEW IN,YAY. If you know me well, you will know how much "love me a sew in".
Anyways my plan is to recycle the virgin hair that i used for my braids by getting it sewn unto a track(yes you can do that and I'll write a post about it). Once that's done, I will install the hair along with a lace based closure. The lace based closure will allow my weave install to look as though my actual hair is left out when it wont be. Its quite interesting and pretty when done properly.
As for tomorrow, I cant wait to get to work and sit under the hair steamer. I will be steaming my hair with olive oil and coconut oil. I can't wait.

Protective styling

Okay Ladies,
We are in the middle of October and it is starting to get cold out in here in Minneapolis. We all know what that means for our hair. Its gonna get dry and brittle and that leads to breakage.
How can you prevent breakage during the cold winter months?
•Deep conditioner
Ideal if done weekly but you can get away with biweekly. Incorporating olive and coconut oils makes a highly effective DC.
•Leave in conditioners
--Aloe Vera Leave in
--Wave Nouveau finishing mist
These can be used on hair 3-5X a week
• Protective styling
Protective styling includes weaves, braids, twist, buns and wigs. Protective styling allows your hair to be put away to avoid loss of moisture and breakage caused by friction from combing and rubbing against your clothes. Remember that hair can still be deep conditioned while in braids and weaves .
Call Hairitage Creations Beauty Salon and ask Gradieh for a sew in weave. Mention this blogpost and receive 20% off.
763-566-2155

Cure for Crunchy Locs

Many people assume that if they loc their hair, they won't have to do anything to it but get it twisted. That’s true, if you are content with dry, dull and crunchy locs. Many people, on the other hand, have dry and crunchy locs because they are not aware of how to take care of their hair. As a stylist, I was unaware for quite a while until I started researching and applying some of the methods that I read about.
One of my favorite discoveries is steaming. I had no idea what steaming was. I did not learn about it in school and it was not a service that was offered in the many Minneapolis salons that I had been to. As I began reading, I found that steaming works by opening the hair cuticle to allow conditioner and oil to penetrate the hair shaft better. Steaming also moisturizes hair 5x better than regular deep conditioning and prevents dry and brittle hair due to chemical and heat damage. It also helps to opens the hair follicles which helps your hair grow faster.
After reading all of that, I decided to try it out on some of my clients. I washed their hair with Redken Cleansing Cream, a clarifying shampoo and applied a mixture of virgin oils. I mixed Nairiobi Humecta-Sil conditioner with extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, jojoba oil and a few drops of rosemary essential oils. They loved it. Their hair felt a lot softer and was very flexible. I decided to add this into their monthly regiment.
In addition to steaming, I decided to stop using gels to twist hair. Gels can cause to build up on locs which leads them to being stiff and dry. Instead, I had decided to use an alcohol free loc cream mixed with water and oils. I have found that locs look and feel a lot better.
This method works for me now but as I continue to research and expand my knowledge on natural hair care, it is my hope to provide all of my clients with the best hair care possible
For a steam treatment, call Hairitage Creations @ 763-566-2155 and ask for Gradieh.

Hair care under your weave

How do I take care off my hair while I’m wearing a sew in? This is a question that I should, but don’t get very often. This post is my plea to all the weave wearers out there. You must take proper care of your hair when wearing a weave. Wearing weaves can promote hair health and hair growth but if done improperly, it can be a disaster.
The first thing you must keep in mind is the health of your hair before your weave install. If your hair is dry, brittle or breaking, installing a weave is not be a good idea. The first thing you should do is to get a deep conditioning treatment(DC) that suits the need of your hair. If you are installing at home, make the sacrifice and get a professional DC, it goes a long way.'
Some tips for your sew-in:
Keep your foundation firm but comfortable. In other words, don’t braids your hair so tight that you can’t blink,smile or make a facial expression. That is a weave crimeand the consequence is not pretty. It can lead to major breakage and scalp damage. Make sure your braids are firm enough to manipulate without coming lose but comfortable enough for you to bend you neck back and forth without discomfort.
Sew-ins should not be kept for more than 8-10 weeks. Keep in mind that your hair is growing underneath the weave and tends to matte up as it grows out. It is also extremely important to keep your hair moisturized while wearing a weave. Spraying your hair with braid spray, leave in conditioner or my aloe vera leave in three to four times a week helps a great deal. Oiling your scalp with olive or coconut oil once a week also helps.
I hope this post contributes to you healthy hair journey

Facial by New Look Skin

About 2 months ago, I was introduced to Dina, a cute petite Russian lady that knows her stuff. I was in dire need of a facial. I hadn't had one in over a year and a half and it was obvious. My skin always looked dull, with or without makeup ( if your skin is in bad shape, it will always show through makeup), the pores on my cheekbone was seriously congested and I had countless blackheads. Yuck!!!
Dina is located in Maple Grove,494 and Bass lake Rd, in her home. It was a bit tricky but thanks to my handy dandy navigation, I found it. She has her spa set up in her basement. It's clean, neat and very professional.
The appointment started of with me telling her what I wanted to fix on my skin, what products I was using at home and what my skin care regiment was.The facial included cleansing, exfoliation,steaming,extraction( painful but necessary), a mask, and a foot and hand massage. She uses Skin Ceuticals products. This is an awesome product line, I used it in cosmetology school. Before I knew it, an hour and a half had past by and my very relaxing facial experience was over. My face was bit swollen from extracting the black heads and my face looked a bit ashy but that was because she applied baby powder to soothe the swelling.

my face before and after my facial treatments

Before I left, Dina and I had a very lengthy conversation about skin care at home and she gave me some great tips. Some great tips from Dina:
•Wash face with green tea. It has plenty of antioxidants that can prevent break out and improve the health of skin.
•Green tea can also be used during the day as a refresher for your face.
• apples, oranges, and any other acidic fruit can be used to exfoliate your face.
For more info on Dina, visit
 www.newlookskin.com
6460 Ranchview Lane
Maple Grove, MN 55311
763-577-1410 

Homemade aloe vera Leave in conditioner

Since today was my regular day off work, I decided to make a trip downtown Anoka and pay the local Co-Op a visit. I needed a few items to make some leave- conditioner for my braids.
I picked up aloe vera juice, some unrefined coconut oil, Maxi-Hair vitamins, and empty spray bottles.
I decided to go with aloe vera juice because it

• moisturizes
• activates fresh hair growth
• heals and soothes damaged scalp e.g scratches, burns and dandruff
• anti inflammatory

I also decided to start taking the Maxi Hair vitamins again because I really liked the results when I took them last winter. My hair and my skin felt and looked better.
I plan to spray my hair every other day with this mixture. Maybe as we get into winter, I'll spray daily and even increase the oil content
My mixture:
1/3 cup of aloe vera juice
1/3 infusium 23 leave in conditioner
1 1/2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. of virgin coconut oil
5 drops of rosemary oil

Braid Challenge

Now that the weather has done an almost complete 180 degree turn in Minneapolis and my fall semester  has begun, I decided to join a braid challenge on http://www.blackhairmedia.com/. I’m very excited about this challenge because I have not worn braids for the past six years. Wearing braids will allow me to “get up and go” while staying cute on those busy mornings and also keep my hair protected.  The challenge started in September and will end in December. I don’t have a hair length goal, all I want to do is keep my hair growing healthy.
Since I have only been natural for just a few months, I don’t really have a regimen for my hair. I’m still experimenting and finding the likes and dislikes of my hair. I do have some olive oil, coconut oil, rosemary oil and jamiacan black castor oil in my cabinet so I will definitely start mixing something up. Wish me luck.

• I plan to moisturize daily
• wash and deep condition bi weekly
• Updating as often as I can

Braids done by Phoebe at Hairitage Creations in Brooklyn Park. 763-566-2155  www.facebook.com/HairitageCreations
1 week old braids
side length (about 3 months of growth)
Front length
the back(about 1 month of growth)
Braids when wet (virgin indian hair,texture softwave)

Black Hair Care Myths

1.       Black hair can’t grow long

I laugh every time I hear this. This is definitely not true. Hair growth goes through three different phases and race is not a factor. With the right products, maintenance and a healthy diet, you can retain your hair.

·         Anagen Phase- this is the growing phase. During this phase, hair grows for two to eight years. The length of this phase is determined genetically and also determines how long your hair will grow.

·         Catagen Phase- This is the resting  stage. During this two to four week period, the hair does not grow during this time but it get ready to detach

·         Telogen Phase- During this phase, the old hair is pushed out by the new hair. This is the hair that comes out when you brush or wash. The phase can last between two to four months

2.       Braids makes your hair grow

·         “Braids Does Not Make Your Hair Grow”, braids can help to protect your hair from breakage. Braids helps to keep the hair strands packed together therefore minimizing the exposure that your hair strands get from heat, wind and environmental damage. Don’t forget that even when you hair is in braids, it still needs some T.L.C.

3.       It’s good to grease your scalp when its dry

·         What happens when you put grease on dry hair?  You hair stays dry. It’s greasy but it’s dry.

A lot of hair grease has petroleum, mineral oil and lanolin in them. These products do not contain moisture in them so there is no way they will add moisture to your hair. Matter of fact, they prevent moisture from getting into the hair. Let me paint a picture for you:

a.       Have you tried washing oil off your hands with water and no soap? Your hands remain oily because water cannot penetrate oil and it prevents the water from touching your hands. That’s what happens when you put oil on your hair that is already dry.

b.      The best way to use grease is as a sealant. You can apply it to your hair after you have applied a water based moisturizer. I found a list of water based moisturizer that can be purchased at F&G Beauty supply, Sunny’s Hair and Wigs, and Walgreens

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-in
Organic Root Stimulator Carrot Oi
Profectiv Mega Growth
Elasta QP Mango Butter
Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in
You can also try applying your oil moisturizer after rinsing the moisture treatment out to combat dryness.
Use a light oil moisturizer following the application of these water based moisturizer to seal moisture in the shaft



I did it and I love it

Ok, so after taking one of the those "Out Of This World" afternoon naps, I woke up and decided that it was

time. I hopped up, walked to the bathroom, pulled it out, plugged it in and I went to town. Yep, I SHAVED

my head and It felt sooooo good. After years of constantly relaxing, coloring, and heat styling my hair, I

decided that it was time for a fresh start. After all, i didn't even know what my actual hair texture looked like.

 

 

 

I got my first relaxer at nine years old. Can you believe it, NINE YEARS OLD, that is way too young. I remember sitting in the bathroom while my older cousins over processed my hair with box relaxers. My hair was always crunchy, dull and lifeless. If i knew what i know now, i would have shaved my hair off a long time ago.