Thursday, December 16, 2010

Update On Lo's Hair!! + How To Get Your Stylist To Take Better Care Of Your Hair!

Many of you may remember my partner in crime Lo! And those that may not know her by name may remember seeing her thick, black, curly mane on my blog! After almost two years of not pressing her hair, Lo decided to pay a trip to a stylist to get her hair done a few weeks ago to change up her mojo!
Almost two years ago, she big chopped and rocked a tiny TWA under wigs until she started wearing her hair in twist-outs as pictured above.
A few weeks ago, she decided to go straight for the winter!
Over dinner, we discussed how difficult it is finding a stylist that not only caters to natural hair, but also specializes in healthy hair care. Many stylists are thoroughly trained on how to properly execute a style to satisfy their patrons, but often techniques like blow-drying, pressing, and the use of styling aids are done without the health of your hair in mind. - It is for this reason that it is important to not only monitor the habits of your stylist, but talk to them about your goals, expectations, and hair regimen before going through with the service. 
Here are some important things to look out for and discuss when choosing a stylist:
Does your stylist "scratch" or "massage" your scalp when shampooing: Scratching the hair can weaken the bond between the hair and follicle which could later lead to hair loss. Massaging or rubbing the scalp is a healthier, more effective alternative. 
Bring your own products: If you notice your hair is drier than usual, or your scalp is dry and flaky after a service, it could be from your stylists shampoo or conditioner; opt instead to bring your own. 
Pack your own microfiber towel:  Cotton terry towels can wreak havoc on all hair types and textures, so it is important to use a microfiber towel when towel drying your hair. Microfiber towels absorb more moisture and also help cut down on frizz, eliminate split ends and damaged follicles [from towel drying]. If your salon doesn't carry microfiber towels, bring one with you!

Towel dry thoroughly: Towel drying thoroughly means less time spent blow-drying. Less time blow drying means less heat which equals happy hair. Make sure your stylist gently squeezes your hair with a towel versus rubbing hair; as rubbing can cause split ends, breakage and follicular damage.

Avoid mechanical damage: You can avoid split ends, single strand knots, breakage, and eliminate fly-aways by speaking to your stylist about the manner in which they detangle your hair. Don't be afraid to speak up, it's your hair, and you are paying for the service. Be leery of a stylist that isn't attentive to your needs. Remember to express the following to your stylist:
  • Hair should be detangled in small sections using a wide tooth, seamless comb [bring your own if you have to] 
  • Hair should never be detangled while it is soaking wet, as that is when your hair is in it's most fragile state. Instead make sure hair is towel dried thoroughly. 
  • Stylist should lubricate hair with either a light leave-in or serum to help the comb better glide through the hair. 
  • Stylist should hold the hair closest to the roots whilst detangling to help reduce the amount of tension placed on the follicles.  
  • Hair should always be detangled from the bottom up.
Proper blow drying techniques: Highly textured, kinky hair should never be blow-dried on high heat. However many stylist may choose to do so to get the hair as straight as possible prior to pressing. While it may make the hair easier to manipulate when pressing, it can dry the hair out, and make the hair overly porous. Overly porous hair will have a hard time retaining moisture, and breakage/split ends can occur. - Also keep an eye out for how close the blow-dryer is to your scalp/hair; a healthy distance is between 6-8 inches. If you notice your scalp is tight, flaky and dry after blow-drying, the stylist either had the blow dryer too close, too hot, or a combination of both. 

Go easy on the spritz's and serums: Yes hair spray may help keep every hair in place, but they can also be very drying on the hair due to the alcohol content. Spraying each section of hair before pressing or curling it with hair spray that contains alcohol can be a recipe for disaster [breakage, split ends]. Excessive use of serums can also shorten the time span of your hairstyle. Hair that is weighed down with serums gets stiffer and dirtier quicker than hair with minimal product. - If you want to minimize the amount of time you see a stylist monthly, make sure to talk to them about going easy on the styling aids. 

Heat control: This is a biggie. How much heat is your stylist using? Unfortunately it is impossible to know how hot the pressing comb is before the stylist presses your hair. You can however take note of these signs that may indicate the incorrect temperature: 
  • You start to notice areas of hair that don't revert, or the ends of your hair may appear straight when your hair is wet. 
  • You start to notice thinning, usually it appears first around the area that frames your face [bangs, and sides of your hair]
  • Hair may also be dry and brittle to the touch [keep in mind that brittle hair can also be a result of improper blow drying techniques, and the excessive use of styling aids containing alcohol.
Make sure the pressing combs are cleaned regularly: Pressing combs that are cleaned thoroughly give you a straighter, sleeker press, and are actually less damaging than combs that are loaded with buildup. If you notice your hair has a weird smell after a service, chances are the combs were not cleaned prior to using them [I typically clean my combs after each use, which completely eliminates that "pressed hair smell"].


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    40 comments:

    1. Awwww...Lo, I miss her blog! Hair looks great!!!

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    2. Lo's hair looks beautiful and healthy. Love it!

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    3. You have beautiful hair Lo! :)

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    4. I LOVE Lo's hair and style!!! There are So Many (legitimate) things you need to be aware of when somebody else does your hair!!! I need to get on my MTM hair straightening method ASAP for all of that! lol. Love you blog girl!

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    5. Great post!.. I wanted to know if the hair is straight and doesn't revert back as a result of heat, what are the steps to take proper care of it or products that can help besides cutting the hair? I am facing this problem due to a hair stylist applying a great amount of heat to my hair. I feel like I am transitioning..

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    6. Lo's hair is frickin fabulous! So healthy!!!

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    7. beautiful hair! what daily moisturizers are good for pressed hair so that it does not revert?

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    8. Lo's hair looks beautiful straight but I must say I love it in it's natural state even more. Great post Nik.

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    9. wow, she looks like a totally different person. i'm missing the kinky-curly natural, but wish her all the best with her new winter do!

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    10. I miss Lo's Blog. I think she looks more glam in her natural do but I know how it feels to want a change.

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    11. Although I am a fan of the natural, I totally understand the low maintenance of pressed hair in the winter.

      http://www.89twenty.blogspot.com

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    12. Her hair looks great! I straightened my hair just once and it took all day and still didn't last to be worth the time and money. Never again.

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    13. Lo's hair is great curly and straightened. I'm going to need about her workout plan though.....I need to get right over the winter

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    14. LO!!! I MISS UR BLOG!! START ANOTHER... UR HAIR LOOKS GOOD AND HEALTHY!!

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    15. Lo's hair is so beautiful, and healthy. And this post couldnt have came at a more perfect time! I've been thinking about finding a new stylist, ALL of the items u listed has been a problem with my current one. Its like they dont have the time to really worry about the health of your hair. You have to really take charge and make sure the health of your hair is number one priority.

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    16. Lo's hair is beautiful!

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    17. 2 sistas with beautiful heads of hair taking on the world one day at a time. I don't know who Lo is as I am a newcomer to your blog. I would love to see her blog or even the archives if she still has them. God Bless and continued success in your hair journeys!!

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    18. Her hair looks great! I do have a question, how do you clean a pressing comb?

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    19. Love hair and thanks for the tips. LLP~OGC

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    20. I agree with everyone else. I miss his and her chicago and rouseardor. Lo's her looks fab either way.

      michaboa

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    21. Please share how Lo plans to maintain her style especially products and night time routine.

      Also, how exactly does one "clean" pressing combs?

      Thanks for sharing all your infinite wisdom with us.

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    22. Lo your hair looks great!!!!

      jen
      http://blankwhiteframes.blogspot.com

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    23. Yay! Lo's hair looks gorgeous as always!

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    24. I LOVE IT!!

      Lo looks like a totally different person, however I do love both.

      I think you should do a tutorial on how to press and blow dry hair (:

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    25. WOW!!! Lo looks like a different person! She looks cute both ways tho as does her hair.

      Great post! It IS very hard to find a stylist that does AWESOME hair and cares for the hair as well :-( But once you find them..NEVER let them go..lol

      www.pretty-girl-rock.com

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    26. WOW, I LOVEEEE her hair. Its stunning! I loved her blog!

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    27. I'm loving Lo's current hair. It really grew from the last time i saw a pic of her last. Very nice, Lo!

      http://itsall411.blogspot.com

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    28. Lo! I miss your blog so much!! You look FAB!! It really has grown out so much!!

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    29. I MISS YOUR BLOG LO!!!

      Lo is seriously my hair/fashion idol. My goal is to achieve one of her lovely twist-outs.

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    30. I love this post so much! Question, where did you get those leopard print shorts?? I've been looking for something like that FOREVER! Please let me know! loving everything about this bloggg!! <3

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    31. wow... thanks! Since I've decided to transition, i've wondered if I'd EVER step foot in a salon again... I just hear so many bad stories.

      But this was helpful... and has me looking towards the future... one day... very very far from this one. lol

      Thanks for the tips!

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    32. This information was extremely helpful. Do you use an electric pressing comb or stove? I use an electric comb, and if you do what is the proper heat setting?

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    33. i love lo's hair ..and also thanks for the info its very helpful

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    34. Lo looks amazing!!

      DITTO, I miss your blog!

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    35. Thank you so much everyone!!! I sincerely appreciate it!! My goal was to remain natural with absolutely no heat for 2 years, and while it was hard the first few months I loved my curls so much I ended up giving away all of my thermal heating supplies. My regiment was never consistent, but the one thing that made the most impact on retention and overall health was that for the entire 2 years I maintained protective styles and was VERY careful in how I handled my hair. While it was time consuming, I spent time detangling after washing/co-washing and refrained from any additional styling after completing a twist out. I slept on a satin pillowcase every single night and only lightly retwisted sections that lost definition at night. Also, I kept my hair moisturized with Monoi Tiki Oil during the week and sealed my ends at least 3 times a week with Shea Butter.

      I hope that helps for the ladies that asked about my reggie! I followed Nik's suggestion to not use additional heat on my newly pressed hair also. After having it pressed, I keep it wrapped while at home (and in the car, I have no shame lol) and when it looses its bounce I bantu knot it over night to give it a loose wave.

      @ Chantale Sterling I got my shorts this past summer at Forever 21 during a sale for only $6!

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    36. Great post I always admired Lo's Hair and style!!!

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    37. Gorgeous! Lori, is the Monoi Tiki Oil and Shea Butter all you use to achieve your twistouts? I've been trying for months now to get some definition from my twistouts and I only end up with frizz. Help. :(

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    38. Love you LO! Your hair and style is just fabulous! Love you too Nikki!

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    39. Lo's hair looks amazing either way! I love the versatility of natural hair, though right now I'm going through a serious case of heat damage and am planning on weaving for awhile to give my follicles a rest. I love you ladies and your fabulous hair!

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    40. Lo's hair is the BOMB.com! Lo, bring the blog back, the ppl love it ;)

      Thanks Nik for these tips! Like Lo, I plan on refraining from heat for a good while to let my hair grow out, but these are amazing tips for when I do decide to straighten my hair next Winter.

      Cece from LoveBrownSugar

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