It's Not a Season; It's a Toxic Cycle: Redefining Black Hair Care Practices

It’s November. A time when holiday parties and gatherings are on the horizon, and everyone wants to look their best. Yet, it’s the time we’ve come to know as “Silk Press Season”, following right behind “Protective Style Season”. Healthy hair looks good and withstands the test of time in any season, and we all want stunning hair. Whether you wear your hair straight or natural, if healthy hair is the goal, the practice of these “seasons” don’t align with the goal. It does more harm than good. Let’s call it what it is: It is a pattern of destructive behavior that is harmful to the overall health of one’s hair. In therapy or psychology, that’s called a toxic cycle. When and how are we going to break this damaging cycle?

Let’s break the cycle, so that we can enjoy great hair in 2023 and beyond.

Breaking a such a cycle often requires education, adopting healthier hair care practices, and seeking professional guidance to repair and maintain the hair's health. However, in order to maintain, you have to obtain. In therapy, to break a toxic cycle, you start by identifying the unhealthy patterns, and tracing them back to their root cause and triggers.

6 Habits We Need to Bury

1) Not Cutting It

Hair health often begins with regular cutting of split ends. Avoiding haircuts can lead to split ends traveling up the shaft every time you manipulate it, resulting in breakage, and stunted growth. Regular hair cuts help maintain the overall health and appearance of your hair. After all, what’s a style without a shape?

2) Using Heavy Products While Neglecting Regular Detoxification: 

While products can be beneficial, using heavy or greasy products can weigh down the hair, make it appear flat, and even lead to product buildup. Buildup gives the hair a magnifying appearance, making it less shiny. It can also cause the hair to look and feel dull. Choosing lightweight, hair-friendly products can help maintain volume and keep buildup to a minimum.

Hair can accumulate product residues and pollutants over time. This buildup prevents the hair from absorbing water (hydration). Neglecting regular detoxification can lead to these unwanted substances, sabotaging hair health.

Same head. Separate Visits.

Incorporating regular detoxification practices can help maintain a clean and healthy scalp and hair.

3) Infrequent Shampooing: 

Skipping regular shampooing can lead to insoluble product buildup, scalp issues, and an unclean feeling. Not removing environmental pollutants, and bodily secretions is unhygienic. Scalp is still skin, and skin is your body’s largest excretory organ. Can we please bury the practice of being unhygienic six feet under? Finding a balance that suits your lifestyle is key to maintaining healthy hair and a clean, healthy scalp. Going more than 7 days without cleansing your hair and scalp with actual shampoo will lead to hard to remove buildup on the scalp, which results in flakes, and it also leads to longer wash days. For every day after day 7, add 7-10 minutes to your way day.

4) Committing to Mediocre Products: 

Choosing high-quality, performance-specific products can make a significant difference in the health and appearance of your hair. Sometimes, investing in better products is worth it for better results. While you may spend more on a bottle of shampoo or conditioner, the cost comparison of higher quality products save you more time and money because they tend to last longer and healthier hair needs less.

5) "Protective" Styles that Are Not 

While "protective styles" are popular, not all of them are genuinely protective.

What makes a style protective?  

A style that is protective is the least manipulative and supports healthy hair practices.

A style that enables you to avoid healthy hair practices and prevents adequate access to water is not protective. Styles that cause tension, excessive pulling, or stress on the hair can lead to damage. It's essential to choose styles that genuinely protect your hair.

6) Transitioning from Braids to Heat

Going from protective styles to heat styling is a bad idea. Braids, whether as a style or under a weave, prevents adequate access to water. Heat should be used carefully, and hair should be adequately prepared for heat styling to avoid damage.

When coming out of these styles, the hair needs time to resuscitate. How much time your hair needs to resuscitate depends on how long it’s been in jail, I mean in braids. Generally, at least 4 weeks of at least 4 shampoo sessions. You can get away with 2 weeks and 2 shampoo sessions before meeting hot plates. When you are flat ironing hair, the hair needs sufficient hydration levels to prevent damage and last longer.

If you need product recommendations specific to your needs, or are confused and need more insight, schedule a virtual consultation and we can set up step by step guidance and tutorials virtually. Is that something you’d be interested in? Let us know?

No matter where you are in the world, we got you!