5 Things I Now Know About Healthy Relaxed Hair That I Couldn’t Live Without

Most of us on healthy hair journeys will come across tips and tricks on how to deal with our hair. Some tips are good, others are great and yet others are so fantastic that you absolutely cannot live without them. Today I saw fit to share with you my top 5 hair care lessons that I could never depart from. I think these are must knows for anyone on a healthy hair journey!

1. Deep conditioning

This was a slightly new concept to me. Back when I relied solely on my stylist I would be asked if I wanted to deep condition my hair and I would be like “Okay sure, if you say so”. I was told I should do it once a month, but to me, I thought it was just something the stylist wanted to do to charge me extra.

Now I can say that deep conditioning is like food and air to my crowning glory! A week can not go by without deep conditioning* my hair and it has never been more moisturized, more healthy and more able to retain length in all my relaxed years! To all my relaxed, texlaxed and natural sisters; Deep condition, it is important. Whether overnight or for a few hours or a few minutes with heat, you won’t regret it and your hair will thank you for it.

2. Hot oil treatments and scalp massages

This was also a fairly new concept to me when I started my hair journey. Even though I was unknowingly doing it a couple months prior to finding out about healthy hair, I was advised that leaving castor oil* on my hair and going under a hooded dryer* for a few minutes would help it grow, which it did!

Hot oil treatments can be done in a variety of ways in my opinion whether using the greenhouse effect, heating the oil then applying it to your scalp or applying the oil then sitting under a hooded dryer*. Just get that warm oil on your scalp and hair, let it sit for a while, then rinse. You will have yourself a hair treatment you will be happy to repeat again and again!

Use whichever oils you have, my personal favorites are castor, olive, peppermint*, rosemary, jojoba, vitamin E* and coconut. Yes those are a lot but I usually mix them all together or just use castor oil on it’s own – yep castor oil* is my baby. Either way when you say hot oil treatment? Your hair will scream YES PLEASE!

Now if you really want to stimulate some hair growth the secret is…. Shhhh… Come close…. Scalp massages! Yes I told the secret, but it’s too good not to share!

Whether you use oils or not when you massage your scalp you are stimulating blood flow that will nourish your follicles. Blood filled with vitamins and nutrients reaching your hair follicles will make it to grow even faster than you would expect it to. And not only are you increasing blood flow, scalp massages are relaxing too which is an added bonus. After a hard day at work or school just unwind with a scalp massage, they are a two for one deal, and who can pass up a good bargain?

3. Moisturizing and sealing

Also known as the LOC or LCO method, it is the ultimate rule NOT to break when it comes to healthy hair journeys. You absolutely have to moisturize and seal!

You won’t retain an inch of hair or have healthy hair if you do not moisturize. As women of color, whether African American, Caribbean, mixed or not, your hair needs moisture. Just as your skin needs a moisturizer to keep looking young, fresh and dewy, your hair needs that treatment as well.

So find a good moisturizer that works for your hair, just make sure that one of the first few ingredients is water to ensure proper hydration of your strands.

And after you give your hair that sip of moisture don’t let the environment take it away! Seal it in with any oil of your choice. It is recommended to use a light oil like jojoba* but you can adjust this rule to suit your own hair.

You can also make your own sealant. Use raw Shea butter and a mix of your favorite oils*…. whip those together and you have a moisturizing concoction that will have your friends demanding to know the recipe! *wink*

4. Air drying

Now this one took me a minute to master! When I first began my hair journey my hair used to clump together, look limp and lifeless after air drying, I just didn’t get it yet. But with practice and patience I have cracked the air drying code for my relaxed hair and now I can’t go back.

I have banished the longing I had to blow dry my hair to get volume and flow. Now I can achieve that with air drying and my hair has never been happier. Air drying when mastered is an amazing and powerful thing. Not only are you limiting the heat you are applying to your hair you also get full, healthy looking tresses, and to me that’s a pay day plus a bonus!

I love the “lion hair” that I achieve with air drying and my hair has become so much stronger for it, just try it for yourself sometime. Some ladies master it from day one and for others like me it’s a trial and error process but, as they always say “the race isn’t for the swift but for those who endure”. Don’t give up and your hair will reward you for your diligence.

5. Finger combing, wide tooth combs and protective styling

Now I know that sounds like three points but I feel that they should be grouped together as they are all connected.

I used to think that I needed to comb my hair day in and day out, boy was I ever wrong! Finger combing is a hair saver and is available to be used by all. I am still amazed that my tiny fingers alone could actually be used to groom my hair. Goodbye fishing for a comb in my handbag.

Finger combing allows me to get up close and personal with my hair. I can feel my natural texture and feel the knots so that I can remove them with little damage. Plus I lose far less hair strands without the yanking that I used to get with a comb.

But I can’t completely get rid of my comb, cheers to my old faithful, I use it once a week on my wash days or when I want a super sleek style. I have however changed my comb choice, fine teeth (rat tail) combs are non-existent to me now.

Before my hair journey I used any comb my hand could grab hold of and a lot of times it was a rat tail comb*. I shudder to think of the ripping and yanking that I did in the past. Oh hair, how I mistreated you for so long!

Now all I use is wide tooth combs. They do just as much work of ridding your hair of knots and tangles as smaller combs but without the damage. Can I hear a win win? Shower combs for detangling on wash days are a blessing too.

So after all the detangling and such comes the fun part; styling your hair. Protective styling is what has helped me finally pass shoulder length after being stuck there for the past 8 years.

I love my bun, it is professional looking yet stylish and most importantly it keeps my ends off my shirts, plus with buns you can style them in multiple ways. I have learned about other great styles like braid outs, twist outs, pin curls just to name a few. I can now enjoy my hair without damaging it, so goodbye Mr. Flat iron* and Curling iron* and hello beautifully styled healthy relaxed hair!

Those are my top five! If you are new to your healthy hair journey try some of them out. If you are more experienced what are your opinions? I would love to hear from you. To all, I wish happy hair growing!