Some people will argue that natural hair is healthier just because it is natural. But natural hair is not always the strongest or the healthiest.
The versatility of natural hair is great since we can roll it, twist it, straighten it, blow it, manipulate it to our liking; but our hair is pretty much dead skin cells that need to be preserved to be healthy due to manipulation and environmental factors.
With that said we are always on a quest to avoid breakage and hair damage in our normal day to day routines. But what if we told you that there are some things we might be doing that are considered safe yet can also result in breakage in ways you may not realize?
Let’s name a few:
1. Laying your edges
Say what?! Yes. We all love the polished look of laid edges when having an updo or braids, but when you constantly lay your edges, you are putting stress on your hairline! This can cause breakage.
Your hairline is already naturally thinner than the rest of your hair so your constantly brushing them down with gel, edge controls, and edge focused tools can cause damage. If you want laid edges, do it the old fashion way. Lay ’em down with a scarf overnight.
2. Detangling daily
The daily detangling can definitely lead to breakage. Some of us like to co-wash daily, especially with a TWA (teeny weeny afro).
We tend to detangle to prevent matting of the hair or tangles, but if your hair is not strong enough to withstand the daily detangling, do not do it. Do not completely skip the detangling step, but do be cautious of how much you are detangling and use your fingers to help with knots as much as you can.
3. Re-twisting your hair nightly
I know, I know…you re-twist to maintain your curls or style. Some of you re-twist to keep your hair detangled, but re-twisting nightly can cause breakage.
Try pineappling if your hair is long enough to, or re-twist in larger sections because small sections can be stressful on your hair.
4. Frequent color touchups
Like a relaxer, color treating your hair too often can cause damage. The chemicals are being applied to your roots of course but as you rinse, it runs down to the “already processed” hair. We all know that color-treated hair is drier than virgin hair, so try stretching the color treatments.
So, now you know (or have been reminded). What things have you done that caused stress on your hair that surprised you?
Yolanda says
We all do not like the look of laid edges. I actually cringe when I see someone’s edges “laid” because I keep thinking about how her (or his) hairline is gonna go from laid to Naomi Campbell in no time. I actually like the effortless look of un-laid, not gelled down edges. What is wrong with a little water and a butter mix, put on a scarf for a bit and keep it moving. My opinion and I still have my edges.
Yoli says
We all do not like the look of laid edges. I actually cringe when I see someone’s edges “laid” because I keep thinking about how her (or his) hairline is gonna go from laid to Naomi Campbell in no time. I actually like the effortless look of un-laid, not gelled down edges. What is wrong with a little water and a butter mix, put on a scarf for a bit and keep it moving. My opinion and I still have my edges.