It's Major: Deep Conditioning

It has preventative and restorative functions. It's a necessity. Period.

The greatest change in the manageability and elasticity of my hair is most definitely due to deep conditioning consistently.Having been dependent on a hairdresser for many years, I thought of deep conditioning as a special extra $20 treatment that I only had to do once a month. It was only recommended to me once a month. At home, conditioning was using the partner that came with the shampoo on sopping wet hair for the 2-3 minutes directed. The use of sulfate-laden shampoos and heat-styling tools should always be preceded by and followed with a conditioning treatment that provides moisture and strength appropriately.

The most difficult thing initially will be recognizing when your hair needs a specific treatment i.e oils, moisture, protein or cholesterol. That's why it's important to become an expert on our own hair and not a just copy our hair idols.

I thought I knew how to deep condition when I first started this journey. I was wrong. Mimicking my old hair dresser did nothing for my hair. Here's what I changed:

-Give the DCing process it's due respect: I hop out of the shower after squeezing out excess water, lightly pat with a towel and apply conditioner in sections. This is one of the best tips that I've learned. Removing the excess water allows the conditioner to penetrate better and applying it in sections ensures that I haven't neglected patches of hair.

-The cold water rinse: It closes the cuticles and helps to seal in the moisture.

Make sure you have a deliberate and effective deep conditioning experience. :)

BTW, Shout out to CHAKA who so wonderfully pointed out that the header had been misspelled for months. Smh @ anyone who saw and didn't say anything lol.

Also, if you emailed me, I'm currently going through them so be patient with me. AND if anyone has any tips on how to get over a guy in 24 hours, it would be greatly appreciated ::sniffles::

Lisa Akbari on Hair Texture.

In her book, The Black Woman's Guide to Beautiful Hair, Lisa Akbari states the need to set aside discussing "grades" of hair and instead be attentive to "real information that will empower your hair."
This focus is the hair strand, which tells us the texture and type of hair. She notes that textures come in fine, medium and coarse. As texture relates to heat damage she writes:

"Fine strands cannot tolerate excessive pressing or heat from a curling iron, blow-dryer, flat iron, pressing comb or heat rollers. Fine hair will damage easily because it has fewer protective layers than medium and coarse hair strands. The smaller strands requires the least amount of maintenance products in order to manage.
Medium hair strands are of average size, have a medium quantity of layers and can tolerate heat and chemicals better than fine hair. Although this is true, all hair strands burn if the temperature of a heated tool is greater than 150 degrees. So you must be careful not to overuse heated styling tools or chemicals. I recommend that you avoid pressured heat, instead try a lower more indirect heat.
Coarse hair strands are the largest of the three are thicker and are difficult to damage...."

You can listen to Lisa's radio show on this site: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lisa-Akbari

The "My Dominican Salon" Blow-Out.

I've been to a Dominican salon when I lived in Brooklyn. I saw how a blow-out was done on natural hair and decided against getting the service. This salon is in my neighborhood in Lawrenceville GA.

Someone commented on their youtube channel about the amount of smoke coming out of the dryer. This was their response:

"the smoke you are seeing is actually the moisture from the creams evaporating, this process does not damage the hair, infact it grows the hair and keeps it healthy , remember with natural hair always request "deep conditioning""

((???)) I know some relaxed girls rave about these salon services, but I would not want this process done to my hair. Regardless of how it looked at the end, that's far too much heat and manipulation for me.

I don't think I'll ever go to a hairdresser again.

Maintaining Straight Hair.

You can stretch relaxers, why not heat-styled natural hair?
Here are a few of my tips and tricks to making the straight look last:

-When you shower at night or in the morning, your scarf and your shower cap can't leave your head, especially if your bathroom resembles a sauna when you're showering. Make sure all of your strands are hidden underneath your tightly secured scarf before you put on the plastic cap.

-When it's raining, foggy, humid or any other indication of precipitation, opt for a sleek bun. I usually put on a dab of oil, serum or moisture block before styling. A well-prepared heat-styled natural may also Google her local weather forecast for the week and anticipate having to carry a stylish scarf or hoodie, elastic band and mini-umbrella.

-Try to avoid getting water on your edges when doing your face washing routine. The soap can dry out the hairline and the water will cause it to revert. It took lots of practice but I've become really good at rinsing my face, with my eyes open, in sections.

-If I have to use a product that contains Humectants or a water-based moisturizer, I rub it into my hands and apply a very light amount to the strands before applying a drop of oil.

-I keep my straight style in for, at the very least, 2 weeks. Throughout the week I'm not heavy handed with products and if I feel like my scalp is getting oily I'll use a rag (pointed into a finger shape) or a q-tip dipped in diluted Apple Cider Vinegar to clean my scalp.

Testing The Temperature.

When using any heat-styling tool on your hair, you should test the temperature first:

Get a paper towel and moisten it until it's damp. Press the tissue paper
between the heating plates of your flat iron and hold for a few seconds. Discoloration, smoking and sizzling of the paper, would be an indication that the iron is too hot.
For hot combs, place the comb on a dry piece of paper and leave it for a few seconds. An imprint of the comb is normal but any discoloration or burning would also signal the need to rest the comb or turn down your heating oven.

Dickey on the First Lady's sleek look.

Michelle Obama

Her sleek hairstyle
If you have naturally curly or kinky hair, the least-damaging way to straighten it is to blow-dry hair with a comb attachment, says hair stylist Dickey, whose celebrity clients include Michelle Obama. Before styling, use a sulfate-free shampoo (try Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream, $22) to minimize the dryness your hair texture is prone to, and a leave-in conditioner or heat protectant to seal in moisture and buffer heat, he says.

More on Michelle's hair and look at:
http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/p_michelle_obama/p21732/page4

**Not trying to start another heated debate**

Blow drying tip: Air flow direction

One of the most common mistakes made during this heat styling step is the direction we guide the flow of air coming out of the blow dryer.
The cuticle layers of the hair are comparable to that of scales on a fish. If you have some experience cleaning fish, you know that the best way to raise those scales are to use the knife against the way they lay.
The cuticle layers of the hair are pointing toward the end of the hair strand. Blasting air in the opposite direction lifts the hair cuticles and making it more prone to damage, tangles and roughness.
Guide the air flow in the direction the hair grows for shiny hair and flat cuticles.

Flat Iron Temperature

Everyone loves a Sedu iron. It's the popular kid in the flat iron class. I'm not lucky enough to own one, so this is not a review of it's functions. My concern is the instructions that come with this iron:

Adjustable temperature: 240 ^oF~410^oF (120^oC - 200^oC) for all hair types. For normal hair, temperature setting at 370-390^oF is recommended; for bleached, fragile, damaged and fine hair, the lower setting is advised; for coarse, thick, ethnic and resistant hair in healthy condition, maximum heat on high setting is used to save time and effort.

Sedu gets most things right. Fine, damaged hair should use a lower setting and healthier hair can take more heat. It's the use of the word "ethnic" that may confuse some people. These instructions are not unique to Sedu. Most flat irons have a similar guide. I'm just picking on Sedu today.
We know that ethnic hair is not necessarily coarse hair. We also know that heat softens the keratin of hair. But there are some people who don't know. Some people may read these instructions thinking that heat setting should be dictated by ethnicity.

Even with very coarse hair, the highest heat setting can still damage or "train" hair. This is how straighter ends/ pieces can come about. The lowest possible setting, to get the desired results, should always be used.

Here are some tips for getting a sleek look without high direct heat:
-Your hair should be well-conditioned and detangled before you begin the straightening process.
-Blow dry or roller set first. I use the tension blow dry method on cold.
-Flat iron in smaller sections
-Pull the hair taut with your hand as you are straightening
-Do the final pass of the flat iron with a comb (comb chase method to ensure even distribution of heat)
-If you still don't have the desired straightness, try wrapping your hair with Saran wrap or a head tie and sitting under a dryer for 10-15 mins.

Divide and Conquer.

At 10 o'clock at night on the Sunday before Monday morning work or school, you may be tempted to grab a large section of hair and pass the flat-iron through several times. Don't do it. The best results are achieved using smaller sections (approximately 2 inch sections).
Smaller sections ensure an even distribution of heat while avoiding passing over hair that has already been straightened.
Remember that the results you desire take time, patience and elbow grease so schedule your routine accordingly.

Edges reverting?

If your edges start reverting before wash day do not go in for the touch up. Heat styling dirty hair is a heat styled natural NO NO. You may notice that dirty hair straightens faster, it also burns faster and you're just baking in the dirt. Instead, apply a light oil to your edges (eg. coconut, jojoba, grapeseed), smooth with a boar bristle brush, then tie down for at least 30 minutes. Works every time!

Oil exacerbates heat damage

Many novice heat styled naturals ( myself included back in the day) have fallen prey to the end result of an oil-laden press. Here's the thing, that shiny bone straight look you were going for comes at a significant price. Using a high heat blow dryer or iron on oily hair is equivalent to cooking the hair. Also remember that a hot sunny day can affect your hair in the same way.

Less Heat: Pin Curls

After I straighten my hair, I usually wrap it and go to bed. If I want a little more bump, I'll pin curl my hair as I finish straightening each section. When I finish my entire head, I leave it pin curled for at least an hour then wrap it. when I take down the wrap, I have a little more curl and body almost as if I had used a large curling iron.