Hair Tips for healthy, stronger and more beautiful hair

Ok... so you now know the importance of treating your hair follicles to ensure that your hair grows out healthy and strong and shiny from the root. SEE OUR ARTICLE ON THIS.

But.. what about the hair that you have to walk around with and face people daily? Working with so many South Africans, I have come to know that many, many use things like vaseline, sunlight soap and the like on their hair.  Now.....  vaseline will probably make your hair lie flat and give it a vaseline wetlook shine but what good does it do for the hair or even for the skin for that matter. The fact is that vaseline is not a "moisturizer," but rather a "barrier" which means that having no moisturizing properties of its own, it reinforces and seals the moisture into skin provided by other sources. For instance, if after applying water to your skin, you coat it with a layer of vaseline, you will have in essense sealed in some of the moisture from the water, into your skin, along with whatever was already lying on your skin like oil, sweat, etc.

Another fact is, vaseline is excellent when strong absorption is needed for topical aids, medicines, creams and so on, as it helps provide a more concentrated delivery to the point needing attention. People have slathered some on after applying other treatments first to ensure absorption. The down side and actual danger of doing this is that as a barrier applied to the skin, vaseline does not allow the natural and normal release of toxins, in various forms, from the skin. Ever been around someone who had eaten too much garlic or drank alcohol and you were able to smell it through their skin?

Another fact is that the human skin is our largest organ and it "breathes," taking in both the good and the bad. When vaseline is applied, it smothers the skin and hair strands. Imagine wrapping your head and face in cellophane and trying to breathe, it would be pretty hard, if not impossible.

Take this new information that you have jusst learned and now apply it to what you know about your scalp. As a part of your skin, your scalp sweats, itches, and may be oily or dry. The bottom line is: your scalp does what it is supposed to do and does the best job it can alone to encourage a healthy environment for the growth of your hair. But what happens when something gets in the way to discourage growth by offsetting its ideal balance of moisture and favorable conditions? When vaseline is involved, things can get complicated and extremely messy, literally.

Then... lets take a look at sunlight soap.  Check the ingredients.  Sunlight soap can be and is very often used to wash POTS and PANS... Washing your hair with this soap will be a definite way to ensure that your hair weakens and breaks off.  Yet... many many South Africans are using it and then they cannot seem to understand why their hair is breaking and in bad condition.  Pulling your hair back into a tight ponytail to make it look pretty, off your face and sleaker... This puts so much strain on the hair follicles, especially around the face area, that the hair strands snap and break. Braiding is another culprit.  Some braiders braid so tightly that they damage the follicles and if done constantly, this will cause the hair follicle to eventually die. 

We understand that many South Africans do not have the money to purchase expensive shampoos, conditioners and masques so our advice for the majority of South Africans would be the following....

Use a mild inexpensive shampoo specially formulated for HAIR.  You can purchase a matching conditioner that does not cost an arm and a leg.  If you cannot afford a masque, perhaps smother your hair with conditioner, place a shower cap or plastic bag over the hair and chill in the sun with a book for awhile.  Leave on for as long as you possibly can and then rinse.  Try not to use hairdryers and tongs too much.  If you need to tame the hair a little, rather let your hair dry naturally and then place rollers in.  If you have to use a dryer, try not to use every single day.  If your hair is fuzzy and out of control, use a tiny bit of the conditioner, rubbed between hands and gently apply to the areas that are wild and woolly. 

And then... once again.... always remember, nothing that you put ONTO your hair will ever ever make up for treating and feeding your hair from the inside out, right at the source where most problems start, which is the root.  

The Hair Beauty Team