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Black Women’s Guide to Surviving an Australian Winter ~The Benefits of Wearing Hair Weaves
May 24, 2011
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What Are Weaves Good For?
There was a time when celebrities were the only women who wore — or could afford to wear — hair weaves. Back then, the fact that the hair on their heads didn’t actually grow out of their scalps was a hush-hush affair.
Not anymore! Today, many women experiment with hair additions in every length, color and texture. Instead of simply being a way to add inches and volume to your style, hair weaves have become a way to introduce variety to your style repertoire. Plus, there are some useful benefits to wearing hair weaves.
1. Low Maintenance
Maybe you don’t have a lot of time to spend styling your hair and are looking for low-maintenance options besides a short cut. Wearing a hair weave will allow you to style your hair in a hurry, perfect for time-crunched mornings. Synthetic hair comes pre-styled, so all you really have to do is fluff it and go. Human Hair Weaves offer more versatility than synthetics, but are still generally easy to care for.
Weaves are good for vacation-hair. You can relax and enjoy your getaway without spending precious minutes or hours on hairstyling.
2. Protective
In the case of sewn-in hair weaves, hair is typically braided close to the scalp and extension hair is added in wefts. The extension hair takes the daily wear-and-tear, so your natural hair is protected from the elements and styling practices. Your hair won’t have to suffer the heat from blow dryers, curling irons, flat irons or hot rollers. It won’t be affected by harsh weather or cotton pillowcases. Your hair will be protected from all of those routines and outside influences that can slowly split the ends and dry it out. It’s one of the protective styles that will do your hair good, with proper care while you wear it.
3. Low Commitment
Weaves are designed to be worn for a short amount of time, anywhere from one day to a couple of months. Unlike a haircut, which you have to wait on to grow out, hair weaves are low commitment options. If you’re not crazy about how your weave style looks on you, you can either ask your stylist to change it up or remove it. You’re not stuck with a weave forever, which is perfect for women who like to switch things up often.
4. Experimentation
Want a new color? Or see how you look with naturally kinky locks? How about trying an ultra-short cut without having to snip your long tressses? Hair weaves can do all of this and much more!
Now you can experiment with color without worry of damage to your own hair. This can be especially helpful to women who have to be careful about the types of chemicals they use on their locks. Platinum blonde is a particularly harsh shade for black hair, so being able to weave it in, while your hair stays protected, is a great benefit for those of you who’ve always wondered if blondes have more fun.
This experimental benefit also works for natural-haired women who want a straight look without applying heat or relaxers.
By Del Sandeen
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Best Ingredients for Growing Black Hair~ Think Natural
May 4, 2011
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Think: Natural
You have to be your own hair care advocate when it comes to buying the best products for you. There’s a lot of information out there on what’s good and what’s bad for black hair. What happens when you use a product with ingredients in it that the latest hair expert says is a no-no? What if it works for you? Remember that everything doesn’t work for everybody. Your hair may love shampoo, ‘cones and plenty of oil, so if it’s thriving under that program, there’s no need for you to not shampoo, avoid ‘cones and oil! Still, look at the ingredients in every product you buy. These are some of the best for black hair.
1. Water
Water is the ultimate moisturizer. Not only does it work on the outside of your body, it works from the inside, too. If this is the first ingredient listed on products, that’s a good thing.
2. Coconut Oil
You’ll find products that contain coconut oil, but if you can buy it pure and/or organic, you can use it straight from the jar. It’s a wonderful emollient because unlike other oils, coconut oil actually penetrates the cortex instead of simply sitting on top of it and making it look all nice and shiny. It absorbs wonderfully and is multi-functional; use it on your skin and cook with it, too.
3. Shea Butter
Look for pure, unrefined shea butter that’s pale yellow and smooth. Gritty, dark yellow, white or green shea butter is either too refined or even rotten. Again, look for a light yellow color and uniformity when buying shea butter. There’s plenty of products that have jumped on the shea butter bandwagon, but if it’s not one of the first five ingredients listed, it’s probably not doing you much good. You can either buy a shea butter-based product, or better yet, use it straight from the jar. Pure shea butter can be firm, but it melts easily and absorbs into dry hair well.
4. Olive Oil
Another multi-tasker here, olive oil is great for hot oil treatments and for mixing with rinse-out conditioners. Use sparingly as this is a heavy oil and can weigh your hair down when used in large amounts.
5. Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is prized as a natural ingredient because its composition is similar to that of your scalp’s natural oils. Use straight from the bottle, although it’s not considered as effective a penetrator as coconut oil, or mix with conditioners and hair moisturizers.
6. Sodium Laureth Sulfate
For those of you out there who are already into reading ingredient labels, this one may throw you, especially if you avoid using sulfate-based shampoos. The vast majority of commercial shampoos contain either sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate. The former, sodium lauryl, is drying and should be avoided. The latter, however, sodium laureth sulfate, is a suitable cleanser for black hair that won’t overly dry it.
7. Avocado Oil
If you’ve ever used mashed avocado as a conditioning treatment, you’re familiar with the moisturizing properties of this vegetable. The oil is good for use on dry hair.
8. Aloe Vera
Purported to prevent hair loss, aloe vera does more than soothe sunburn. A good aloe vera shampoo is said to restore the pH levels of the scalp.
9. Castor Oil
Good for cleansing the scalp, promoting thicker hair growth and removing toxins, use castor oil once to twice per week.
10. Cetyl or Cetearyl Alcohol
Don’t let the alcohol scare you; this is nothing like SD-alcohol 40, which should be avoided. It’s a non-greasy, non-sticky ingredient you’ll often see used in conditioners, to make them thick and creamy, just what dry hair needs.
By Del Sandeen
BHC Worldwide 