How to Know When It's Time for a Trim

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Split ends. We know they're bad. But how do we know when it's time for a trim? Read on to find out when it's time to reach for the trimming shears.

Split ends have many forms. But no matter how they look, they've gotta go!
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When split ends are allowed to linger they can rub up against neighboring strands and cause tangling and knotting, which can lead to more splitting. And the split end itself can destroy the rest of the strand if it isn't addressed. That is why it's important to get trims. But I'm not an advocate of trimming hair every 6 weeks, which is the time frame that is recommended by many professional hair stylists, and here's why. 

Everyone's hair is different because 1) we're all uniquely made so no two heads are alike, and 2) we all have our own maintenance and styling preferences. All of these factors need to be taken into consideration when it comes to establishing a trimming routine.

After blow drying my hair last month, before
flat ironing and trimming. Notice how fuzzy
my ends looked. It was definitely time for a trim!

What should you do if you find a split end? A split end here or there is not the end of the world. If I have time I'll grab my trimming shears (never use regular scissors) and snip it off. But really, who has time to sit around and stare at their ends? I'm sure you don't, and neither do I. So how do you know when it's time for a trim? Here's a good rule of thumb:

     You need a trim when your hair no longer holds styles well.        

When you twist your hair you'll notice that the ends won't wrap around each other neatly. When you wear your hair straight, the ends will look and feel rough, your hair won't move fluidly, and it will feel stiff. When you flat iron your hair, the ends will need more than one pass - a definite sign that they're due for a date with your shears. 

                                                                  

What about those products that claim to "repair split ends"? The sad truth is, once a hair is split, there's no way to repair it. Products that make those claims may make your hair feel softer and smoother by temporarily coating the split ends. But the only way to "fix" a split end is by cutting it off. 

Check back soon for my next post: How to Trim Your Curly Hair

Natural Hair on a Budget

Let's face it. There are a ton of products out there for natural hair, and if you're not careful you could easily drop a bunch of money on them. But do you really need a big wallet to wear your hair natural? Absolutely not! I used to be overwhelmed by all the products for natural and curly hair out there, until I realized I don't need a ton of products - or expensive ones - to keep my hair healthy and stylin'. Here are some tricks that I've used over the past couple years to stretch my products and my wallet. 

Dilute If you do like to use shampoo, I'd recommend a sulfate-free one. I prefer SheaMoisture's Moisture Retention Shampoo. It gives you lots of lather without the sulfates and really gets the job done without stripping your hair of moisture. Whatever shampoo you choose, you can make it stretch by diluting about a tablespoon of shampoo with lukewarm water in an applicator bottle. Shake well and apply to your hair. Rinse and follow up with your favorite conditioner. You'll use way less shampoo while still getting your hair clean. Can't splurge on a sulfate-free shampoo right now? No worries. Take whatever shampoo you have on hand, follow the same steps above and just add a little oil on top (I like grapeseed, but use whatever you have). 

Less is more I discovered this trick thanks to my thick, dense curls. (In other words, I've got a LOT of kinks, coils and curls!) The only way I can effectively distribute products through my hair is by separating it into smaller sections and smoothing the products down from root to tip. When applying products this way, I've found that I need a whole lot less product for each section. So I get the look I want without going through half my stash in one styling session. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Mix it up This is a great trick to use for your deep conditioner. Take your deep conditioner (or any moisturizing conditioner) of choice and put about 2-3 tablespoons in a small mixing bowl. Add 2-3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and about 1 teaspoon of castor oil. Mix ingredients together and apply to your hair using the method described above. The natural oils will be extra conditioning for your hair while also stretching your favorite conditioner. Check out my video on how I deep condition.  

Water is your friend You've probably heard it before, but let me reiterate: water is the best moisturizer! And it's the least expensive "product" you can get. Keep moisture levels high by spritzing your hair with water daily and sealing with an oil. If your hair is tightly coiled and dries out easily, then you may benefit from sealing with a heavier oil such as extra virgin olive oil. Have a looser curl pattern? Jojoba, apricot or another light oil will seal the deal. 

How do you stretch your wallet 

when it comes to natural hair care?

"How Often Should I Wash My Hair?"

I often hear this from women who are transitioning or newly natural. It’s a good question because keeping your hair and scalp clean is key to growing healthy hair. Dust particles and lint are easily caught up in the kinks of our hair, and when these particles combine with product build-up, this can lead to clogged hair follicles on the scalp and tangles in the hair. Clean hair is also manageable hair.

A good general “rule” is to wash your hair at least once a week. But the frequency of your wash day is going to be determined by your lifestyle. If you exercise several times a week then you’re going to want to consider washing your hair more than once a week. But if you exercise only once a week or not at all, then you can probably get away with washing only once a week. The key is listening to your scalp and hair. A scalp that is frequently itchy all over is “asking” to be washed. Also, when you look at your hair and you can easily see lint particles or product build-up, then it’s time to wash it.

The bottom line: you have to figure out what works for your hair. Some naturals can get away with washing their hair less often. For example, I haven’t gone for a run in the past 14 days. Two weeks ago yesterday, I washed my hair and set it in large twists. I took the twists out this past Thursday and rocked a twist-out for two days then bunned it for the Walk the Talk event and didn’t take it down until Sunday night. Aside from the fact that I had to wash all that gel out, I knew my hair needed to be washed because A) it had been two weeks and that is my hair’s limit when I don’t run (when I do run, I have to wash it once a week); and B) I massaged my scalp after taking out the bun and I could literally feel the dirt on my scalp, plus it was itching. I cleansed with a sulfate shampoo diluted with distilled water and a little grapeseed oil and slept in my deep conditioner.

What do I use to DC? Stay tuned to find out ;)

Green Tea Rinse

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As I continue to research natural hair care techniques, I find more and more interesting stuff. Like the use of herbs in cleansing and conditioning the hair. Who knew that cup of tea could be good for your hair, too?! I was sure surprised at this!

In my week of braid-outs post I mention using green tea as a rinse to top off an all-natural wash day routine (i.e. no store bought shampoos or conditioners). I prepared the tea and allowed it to cool. I rinsed out my squirt bottle and filled it with tea. I doused each twisted section of hair with the tea. And can I tell you, it felt SO GOOD!! It was absolutely invigorating! And my hair was soft, well-moisturized and sealed to boot! ;) I will definitely be incorporating this into my regimen as often as possible. It's a great conditioner and sealant due to its acidic nature.

Have you done any tea rinses? What kind of tea did you use and what was your experience?

A Week of Braid-Outs

Last week I began the week with a slightly different wash day. My goal was to cleanse, condition and detangle my hair using only natural products. Until recently I'd always been skeptical of all-natural regimens. But another blog that I've been reading recently has been leading me to believe that it is possible - and maybe even yields better results.

With that in mind, I cleansed with an ACV rinse using distilled water instead of tap water for the first time. My goodness, the slip was amazing! It was much easier to finger detangle my hair. I could literally feel the difference with the distilled water. It was awesome lol.

Next, I conditioned with a mixture of oils: coconut oil, olive oil, a little castor oil and a little jojoba oil. I had no idea what I was doing but my inner-mixtress was feeling creative! LOL! I finger detangled some more, twisted the four sections then put on a plastic shower cap while I finished showering. After about 5 minutes I rinsed my hair. There was lots of slip due to all the oil and my hair felt very soft. Right before hopping out of the shower I rinsed with a green tea rinse (brewed with distilled water) - I'll post on this later because the results were phenomenal!!
                                     
When I got out of the shower, I was all prepared to braid my hair and seal with my natural oil blend and gel as usual. But when I saw how oily my hair was, I realized I could skip the oil and get away with using only a little gel. I braided it up, slept in it and had to release them before they were dry the next day. However, once my hair was out of the braids I saw how truly oily it was - too oily! So I decided to co-wash again and leave in some conditioner. I once again braided my hair and released them the following day. It wasn't as oily but was still quite moisturized.

The following night I did something that is normal for many naturals but something I'd honestly been avoiding because of laziness and scheduling: I braided my hair up before going to bed, moisturizing with a light, creamy and water-based leave-in which I focused on my ends. The next morning...WHOA!! I was super happy with the results!! Buttery-soft, defined and detangled hair!!
                              
I did this all week. By the end of each day, the definition would fade and my hair would get bigger and fluffier, threatening to take over the entire city LOLOL!!! (Now I understand why some naturals have nicknames for their manes because mine certainly has a personality! And I can't help but wonder what God was up to when He gave a reserved and quiet gal such a big, loud head of hair.... ;)) Sometimes I let it do its thing; other days I attempted to rein it in, lol (that's right, "attempted").

By the end of the week, I began to see and feel lint build-up when I ran my fingers through my hair, so I knew it was time to wash. But aside from the over-oily start of the week, I was really pleased with the results of my braid-outs for the week...and proud of myself for committing to braiding and moisturizing my hair each night. :)

This pic cracked me up! I look like Pinocchio!! LOL!

I did something different: instead of sticking bobbi pins in the front
to keep my hair out of my face, I kept the front braid in at the base at first.
I really like this idea. The simpler the style for me, the better.
I'm definitely going to use this again.

Took the front braid all the way out to see the full results.

I parted my hair on the side at an angle when I sectioned it for braiding.
It had been a while since I'd parted anywhere but dead down the center.
I really like the side part. It gives an entirely different look and feel.

All of the pics capture my hair right after let-down. I meant to take pics of how huge it looked by the end of the day! Maybe I'll post pics of that later ;)