Whether it’s heavy micro-braids (see Ki Dezemba post), dry hair under bad wigs, or bone dry hair from a blow dryer; there are certain no-no’s that are to never be repeated again if you care about that beautiful crown you call your hair.
Before we get to the good times of great coils and happy ‘fros that bounce around in the sun all year round, we need to make sure we have the basics down. We need to make use of the best hair potions and techniques, because your ‘fro knows that it cannot do it alone! For most of of the Real ‘Fro partners (okay, all of us), the journey began not more than five years ago, and mistakes have been made along the way; here are some basic don’ts to keep the kink in your hair kicking.
Using Bicarbonate of Soda in my shampoo
Uhm! Once every two months is certainly enough. I mixed about two table spoons of bicarb into a shampoo and water solution, and then continued to use that every time I washed my hair for three weeks. Which means that was a wash every week, and my hair started breaking off. So! Once was enough because it softened my hair and made de-tangling bearable, but I’ve read that because of the high pH (apparently 10; try keep within a pH of 4-7) found in bicarbonate of soda, it can irritate your skin/scalp, as it did mine (felt a little like my relaxer days—torture!). Relaxers have a pH of 14. Also, it is an alkaline based cleanser, so extended/overuse will probably get you bald quicker than your teenage brother with the early balding gene. Keep the olive/coconut oil shampoos close, and use the bicarb once in a blue moon.
Using the hot oil treatment from Jabu Stone
No shade! But shade; it just wasn’t feeling great on my hair, and that was before the Bicarbonate of soda and shampoo mix. I must say when rinsing it out, my hair did feel soft, but then as my hair started drying, I didn’t feel like my hair had retained much of the intense moisture a hot oil treatment should give you.
NOTE! USE THE BEST HOT OIL TREATMENT FOR YOUR HAIR. JUST BECAUSE MY HAIR WAS REJECTING THIS POTION DOES NOT MEAN YOURS WILL. WE CAN’T ALL BE THE SAME RIGHT?
For this one (hot oil treatments), I will stick to what I know: African Pride Olive Miracle, Growth Oil. I warm some of this oil in an applicator bottle in the microwave (just an empty bottle because I do not have the bottle with the correct nozzle), and then, I place the applicator bottle in warm/hot water in between applying the hot oil treatment to my hair. My hair was definitely thankful for this addition to my routine; it was even popping! So trust the 4c natural gurus on the YouTube when they keep talking about the regular use of hot oil treatments. They work! Hair is softer, healthier, stronger, shinier, and this all means length retention joy!
Mandisa: I use my own homemade hot oil treatment because I know that it only has oils. No potentially drying ingredients. I used olive oil because it is high in vitamin E, which is essential to hair growth. I also throw in some essential oils such as peppermint (stimulates scalp to grow hair) and tea tree which is an anti-bacterial oil that eliminates itching and dandruff.
Using a blow-dryer on dry hair
Why would I do it? Why would I do that? Would I heat up a hot cup of tea I poured for myself a minute ago? I don’t know about you, but issa no. Spritz a little water on my hair, or a little heat protector assomblief! Also, do consider if it’s worth it. Ask yourself: “Did I think this through?” “Why didn’t I bantu knot/ flat twist/ two-strand, three-strand twist/braid my hair last night?” I may be one of the few unfortunate people struggling to keep my 4c hair moisturized, and it needs all the help it can get. In summer, it’s the sun; winter, it’s the cold and dry air. My hair needs all the help it can get to retain moisture so why I go d’zo my hair dirty and torch it with a blow-dryer? Andile may have very different advice because she has an amazing gizmo, and because, depending on your hair and its needs, a little warmth (not scorching heat) is necessary for your hair to take in more of the good stuff you throw onto it. But again, you’d probably need some water/heat protector.
Leaving my hair out in a FRO
I’m a real sucker for ‘Fro day out, but it’s either the sun is out burning my strands, or the humidity in the air is causing ridiculous shrinkage. Then you get winter…haha, winter you will lose your hair because you want to look cute in a ‘fro every dzamn day. Hair is knotted and possibly dry because I get lazy about detangling and putting back in a protective style, and then I just leave it to shrink into a tiny ‘fro. I suffer from the need to manipulate my hair constantly, but I am so tired of losing my hair because I like things. So, goodbye ‘fro; my hair will just stay in these twists and come back in a year or so, longer and stronger in a bigger fro!
Not moisturizing my hair often enough
Because my hair is so dry!!! Hot oil treatments once/twice every two weeks are not enough. Hair needs to be well moisturized. Mandisa is/was in the habit of spritzing a DIY leave-in into her hair ever so often when she was “cultivating her locks” and her hair is amazing now, because she did the work then. It’s not too late: I promise to moisturize my hair at least five times a week (is that excessive?) with the use of a daily moisturizer, light essential oils, DIY leave-in…
(try a Dr Miracles Deep Conditioner and water mix; make it watery enough for everyday use, or any other deep conditioner preferably. Right now I’m using Dark ‘n Lovely Au Natural Conditioner with a tad of African Pride Olive Oil and the rest of my Jabu Stone Multi Spray).
All within reason and interchangeably, because I will not wake up with a pillow stained with product.
Keep the ‘Fro growing. Patience, optimism and enjoying the kink, at whatever length. Also! Mandisa is about to drop a bomb on you to help you kick into high gear for growing that beautiful crown! It’s literally a minute after this post drops!