The online October issue of the The Coil Review, published a great article on Healthy Hair Tips (article by The TCR Editor) for hair styles that include coils and curls. But some of these tips can apply to any one. Here is some information to get you on your way to a healthier head of hair:
"There are so many frequently asked questions out there about our natural hair. Some answers are obvious, and others not quite. What I've chosen to do for this month's Natural Tips is to give you a list of quick facts and tips that will help address FAQs about natural coils and curls.
Get familiar and follow this list of quick facts and tips.1. If Mineral Oil, Petrolatum or Petroleum Jelly are in the list of ingredients of your products, discontinue using it. They are cheap substitutes of healthy emollients. They are known to coat the scalp/hair and clog the follicle, countering healthy hair growth.
2. Avoid combing your hair while it's dry and do not comb too often. Use a moisturizing hair cream or even water to make it easier to run the comb through your coils and curls. Your hair will be more susceptible to tangles and breakage if combed completely dry." (*If you have loc's / dreads - please do not use a cream based conditioner. See below for more information.)
"3. To maintain a healthy scalp, use a light oil like olive oil, drink lots of water a day—up to 8 glasses, and take your hair, skin and nail vitamins regularly—preferably all natural and food-based.
4. Do not scratch your scalp. When you do, you're damaging the epidermal layers of your skin which need to be handled with care. Damage to the skin can effect how the hair grows and if it will grow.
5. Yeast levels produced by your sebaceous glands can rise abnormally for many reasons, which can cause hair thinning and even the development of an alopecia condition. One of the reasons that can do this is not washing the scalp for long periods of time. Maintain a clean scalp. Build up of oils and dirt can effect healthy hair growth.
*This applies to women with both loose and locked hair. "
From Karen - *Note: Cream based conditioners are not healthy for loc's or dreadlock wearers. It can cause buildup and or loc discoloration (It can look like lint or white coating on loc's that's hard to remove). Look for clear or liquid type conditioners with natural ingredients.