Deep Conditioning!

If you know me you know one of my favorite parts of being natural is DEEP CONDITIONING! When I go down any product aisle my attention goes straight towards the deep conditioners FIRST! Being natural it is Very important to deep condition at least twice a week! 

Importance of deep conditioning:
1.  Prevents Breakage
2. Prevents dryness
3. Promotes growth
4. Strengthens the hair 
5. Rebuilds the cutical 
6. Restore moisture  

My top three favorite conditioners:

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YouTube introduction!

Hey UniquelyCurled followers! I'm coming to you with a exciting update, I will be starting YouTube videos soon!  I want you to all subscribe to my channel which you can do right now! My YouTube name is Uniquelycurled Brenae! Thanks guys and I look forward to your reviews on my upcoming videos. I have A LOT of goodies in store for you all!!!  ❤️😘💋😁

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Products used to achieve this twist out!

Twist out GREATNESS!!

Products used

To prep my hair I first washed and conditioned using my trader joes shampoo that I listed in a previous blog and for my conditioner I used Aussie moist which is also listed in a previous blog. After washing and conditioning I then parted my hair in 4 sections with a part down the left side. To switch things up a bit I did two flat twist going along the front side of my hair line going straight down. Flat twist are also posted on a previous blog. For the back I did regular individual twist(about 12). Beefore styling I detangled my hair thourly before styling. After detangling I then used the product that you see listed above which is the Shea moisture strengthening milk from root to ends and then overlayed that with the Eco styling gel listed above from root to end. I let hair air dry over night and took down twist in the morning and fluffed to my liking! 

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Shedding vs breakage

Hair Breakage:

Hair breakage occurs when you lose hair anywhere along the hair shaft, other than the root, because the hair has become weak in that spot. This type of breakage affects length and can be caused by numerous things including, dryness, hair styling, hair tools, excessive handling, etc.

Hair shedding:

Hair shedding occurs when hair is lost at the root. Hair grows in cycles and strands are always replenishing themselves after shedding. We naturally lose old strands of hair and grow new ones daily. It’s normal to lose between 50 to 100 strands of hair each day.

Shedding vs breakage:

Between hair breakage and hair shedding, breakage is the unhealthy of the too and it is the type of hair loss that you want to minimize.  How do you know if you have breakage verses shedding? Do the Bulb Test. Hold the loose strand of your hair up to the light and see if there’s a tiny white bulb, which is the root, 
attached at the end. If you don’t see a white bulb, it’s breakage. Losing a few hair strands to breakage is okay. However, seek professional advice if you notice multiple strands breaking daily.

How to Avoid extra shedding:
Shedding though a normal part of the hair cycle can be problematic if it becomes excessive.  If you are losing more than 100 strands a day, try to eliminate some steps and/or tools in your hair routine that may be harmful. Avoid excessive heat styling, stay hydrated, avoid styles that are too tight and styles that tug at your hair strands or edges.

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CoWashing

(The picture above are some great conditioners that I've used to cowash) 
Cowashing is some of us natural girls best friend! Basically it is when you wash your hair with conditioners only, yes no shampoo conditioner ONLY! Some natural girls do this for long periods of time and some do it every now and then. Me personally I do not  do it so often because my hair gets build up way to often. However they do sale cowash ready products or you can use your own conditioner. Continue reading for step by step instructions.

1) You need to have a lot of conditioner since you will be washing your hair often using conditioner. Any cheapie conditioner will do. However when you deep conditioner your hair you should use a better quality type of conditioner.

2) You can wash as often as everyday or a few times a week. Washing in the shower is easiest. Just like you would use your shampoo, use the conditioner instead. You want to really saturate your hair with conditioner. The thicker your hair is, the more conditioner you should use. Massage it into your hair well.

3) After you are finish, rinse all the conditioner out with cool water. Then towel dry your hair.

4) Add some leave in conditioner and style as usual. After a few weeks you will notice the difference in the smoothness and condition of your hair.

Recommended cowashes:

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Hair growth

Combed out fro 

Hair growth stages 

 When it comes to hair growth there are three main things I go by and that is deep condition regularly, moisturize and scalp massages.

Deep conditioning...

Be Consistent!

Hair that is deep conditioned regularly is more manageable, softer, less prone to breakage and frizz, and is able to retain length.

Remember that whatever "regularly" means is determined by you. Some naturals and transitionsers deep condition their hair every 3-4 days. Some, every 2 weeks. I personally aim for once a week, twice a week if I'm lucky. My recommendation is to start out weekly - if your hair begins feeling weak and limp, lessen to every two or three weeks. If it still feels dry, pump it up to twice a week.

Switch it up!

One of the keys to healthier hair is a proper protein to moisture balance. Alternating your deep conditioning sessions between moisture and protein will help keep your hair soft, strong, nourished, and minimize breakage, aiding in growth and length retention. For moisture and softness, stick to conditioners that have fatty alcohols like cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl, plus emollient butters and oils, humectants like glycerin and aloe vera, and ceramides. For strengthening treatments, look for ingredients like hydrolyzed proteins, amino acids, keratin, and henna.

Treat those ends!

Have you ever actually read the directions on the back of your jar of deep conditioner? Most of them say to start and concentrate on the ends of your hair first. I know personally, I'm guilty of the exact opposite. However, starting with the ends of your hair is the most beneficial, because your ends are the oldest, driest, and most prone to breakage and splitting. By starting with your ends, you allow them a little more time to soak up and adsorb all of the deep conditioning goodness your product has to offer.

Moisturize...

Stay away from drying products
It’s already difficult enough to keep our hair moisturized. Avoid using products that contain alcohol, sulfur, and formaldehyde all in which aid in stripping moisture from your hair. Instead opt for those products containing natural oils and humectants.

seal in moisture
In order to properly moisturize your strands Oil should be applied to seal in the moisture, if not, the hair will eventually soak in the moisture and the hair will return to its dry state. Oils like Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, etc…l all work great when sealing in moisture.
NOTE: It is important to follow these steps by applying a moisturizer first then use an oil to trap in the moisture if not if you were to use oil first it will block the moisture out of your hair.

scalp massages...

You can massage your scalp to slowly stimulate hair growth. It's a great technique for areas that have thinned due to weaves and braids. The key to seeing results is consistency. Massaging your scalp a couple of times a week may not make a difference. Commit to a daily massage for at least a month for your best chance at success

      

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Flat Twist

Day 1          

Day 2

                                                                     

Day 3

Flat twists are a neat way to add a protective style to your hair repertoire. Regular two strand twists, which can hang loosely, are usually best for natural hair, but flat twists work well on natural and relaxed textures. They're similar to cornrows, but may be more user-friendly to beginners; you work with two strands of hair at a time with flat twists instead of three, as you do with cornrows.

Continue the part you started at the hairline straight back to the nape of the neck. The end of a rat-tail comb is useful for making neat parts.

 

From the section of hair that you parted, begin working with a small section at the hairline.

 

Now divide the small section of hair at the hairline into two equal parts.

Twist the two sections of hair around each other as you move back along this parted section.

As you twist the hair, gently incorporate hair from the parted section into the twist as you work back. It's important to use the right tension so that you don't cause any pain or damage the hair follicles with tight styling.

 

If the hair is long enough, you'll reach a point where the twist is no longer attached to the scalp. You may want to secure the twist here, but it's not necessary. Experiment and see what works best for you. Here, a small butterfly clip is used to keep the twist from unraveling. You'll often find that the thicker and curlier the hair, the better it is at holding itself together without worry of coming untwisted.

Continue twisting the hair until you reach the ends. If desired, secure the ends with covered elastics or barrettes. Natural hair can usually secure itself without additional help.

 

Repeat the flat twists over the entire head. As you become more comfortable with your technique, you may find yourself creating parts that direct to one side instead of straight back, for more variety.

These are basic flat twists, secured at the nape with small butterfly clips. While this is a good choice for children, adult women may not want to sport accessories. You have other options in styling flat twists as well.

Here you can see how the flat twists appear from the back of the head.

 

Don't want to wear your flat twists hanging loose? You can easily pull them back into a ponytail. Either let the ends hang freely or secure them, as shown here. This is a good option for women who want an easy protective style without all of the little girl accessories.

 

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