Whether you're going natural or simply stretching your relaxer, at some point you're likely to experience breakage at the line of demarcation. This is the point in which the relaxed hair and natural hair meets, and it's a very fragile area. The more new growth you have, the more fragile the demarcation line will be, so it's important to keep your moisture levels up - especially at this area! As I get deeper into my transition, I'm noticing my hair - especially my roots are feeling extra dry. So I'll share with you a simple yet effective tweak...

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Deep conditioning is a crucial aspect when trying to grow and maintain healthy hair. It aids in providing the moisture and strength that our fragile hair needs, helping it to cope against chemical services, manipulation and heat. Using heat is a great way to deep condition hair as it allows the cuticle to open, thus allowing the conditioner to penetrate deeper into the cortex. I use a great product called LookGreat Heat Wrap, which is a head wrap with microwavable gel packs inside. It allows you to condition with heat on the go. Figure 1 (below) shows that as the temperature...

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So I'm officially 5 months since my last relaxer. Even before I had decided to transition, I had never gone this long so I'm quite proud of myself. It's a whole new experience for me, and exciting too seeing my natural hair come in. Since my mum was the one who looked after my hair when it was natural, I've never really got to 'know' it, and so I believe transitioning instead of 'big chopping' is better for me as it's a slower process. My thoughts so far: My new growth feels much rougher and drier compared to...

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So I've been thinking for a few weeks that I want to dye my hair jet black. I've been wanting to do it for months actually. I just find that jet black hair reflects shine better and looks healthier and more exotic. So here are the pictures! I like it ...

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Hair is primarily composed of a protein called keratin, which is what makes our hair strong. While all hair needs protein to keep its strength, relaxed hair often needs a dose more often. This is because the chemicals in a relaxer break down and weaken the protein bonds in the hair, thus reducing strength.  There are several other factors that reduce the amount of protein within the hair: Manipulation of any kind: touching, twisting, coming, washing etc can all reduce protein in the hair The elements: harsh weather such as cold winds can reduce the strength in your...

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Why do we need to moisturise our hair? Black hair especially needs moisture to help keep it supple, soft, retain its elasticity and keep it from getting dry. Moisture deficiency in afro textured hair is probably one of the biggest reasons for not retraining length. Let me start by saying that water is the utmost moisturising ingredient. When our bodies are dehydrated, we drink water. This is no different for our hair. It is a complete myth that 'black hair should not get wet'. Our hair loves water and moisture. Furthermore, you can not moisturise your hair by simply adding...

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After a disaster flat ironing episode a few weeks ago (didn't use heat protectant), my hair was suffering from heat damage. I was determined to get my hair cut. Not only would it get rid of the damage, it would get me closer to being fully natural by getting rid of more relaxed ends. When I arrived at the hairdressers, it was closed. I was so eager to get a haircut that I went to another salon and asked them to keep the same bob style, but just go shorter. As soon as the woman started cutting, I...

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My crown area is the first place to break when I have a considerable amount of new growth. It's happened before and it's happening now.  For me, I know it's demarcation breakage. Some years ago my nape also broke off - I basically had a hole at the back of my hair where you could see through to my neck. In my case, it was because I used to wear wooly scarves while wearing my hair down. They used to rub and result in breakage. I've heard many stories about similar situations, so I've compiled a set of...

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So I'm 4 months and one week post-relaxer and my hair's really starting to break at the demarcation line* New growth. Shaking my head at how thin my relaxed hair looks  The relaxed hair in my crown has broken off so bad, leaving just the two inches of natural hair. I've been experimenting with braid-outs and twist-outs but they look pathetic because my ends are so thin and straight. It's been recommended that I use curling rods at the ends of my twists to combat this problem. I will be trying this. Anyway, let's get to the point:...

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