Positive Hair Day

These are some of the notes that have been developed from our regular PHD hair care workshops.

DAILY MAINTENANCE if you have Afro/mixed heritage Hair

Afro and mixed race/heritage hair needs a different care routine from European hair. For example it is not advisable to wash your hair every day. Once a week is usually sufficient, although this depends on your daily routine (for example people who swim regularly in chlorinated water should use anti-chlorine shampoos to remove the chlorine from their hair as often as they need to).

Depending on your hair type, it's a good idea to grease, comb (using a big toothed comb) and massage your scalp up to 3 times a week. This helps to look after your scalp, and it prevents dryness and encourages healthy new growth. How often you grease the scalp depends on how dry it is.

In order to do this, section your hair into 4. Part the hair and put hair food on the scalp (you can use a more natural alternative such as olive oil for young children). Comb this thoroughly into the roots and apply to the scalp. After you have covered the whole scalp, then apply curl activator to the hair itself.

Trimming 

You need to trim you hair regularly (every 8 weeks ideally) even if you wish to grow your hair. If you don't do this the ends split and the hair is weakened. Regular trimmings will ensure that your hair is healthy.

If you trim your own hair do so when it's wet in order to ensure the lengths are even.

If you don't comb the ends of your hair regularly they will fuse together in clumps. This is particularly damaging if you don't trim your hair regularly since you will cause further damage to ends which are already weakened.

Do tie your hair up at night to keep in the moisture. Twist (or plait it) and apply softening oil moisturiser. You can put it in a satin scarf/pillow case overnight (avoid cotton scarves which take away moisture).

Pure Tea IC Moisturizer and Beautiful Beginning are two products which have a nice fragrance and some people find good to use.

Relaxing your hair 

People sometimes relax their hair because they don't know what to do with it. But relaxing is very harsh on your hair (because of the strength of the chemicals which are used) and it can be particularly harsh and damaging on young people's hair.

Products

Avoid using hair products created for White European hair which are too drying for our hair. Products containing Cocoa butter and shea butter are very good for Afro/mixed heritage hair.

Products can be divided as follows:

Hair food sometimes called hair dress. This is aimed particularly at the scalp to help moisturise and encourage healthy new growth.
Daily use moisturiser. For daily moisturising of hair and curl activator for daily dressing of curly hair.
Shampoo and Conditioner (use separate shampoo and conditioner)
Oil sheen used to give extra shine to the hair (optional).

Top Tip (from Dionne):

A good natural treatment for your hair, “better than other expensive hair mayonnaises I've bought before." Mix up Organic yoghurt, bicarbonate of soda and liquid amino (which can be bought from health stories). Leave it in for 10 mins and then wash out.”

For children 

Getting your children used to having their head manipulated is important from an early age.

For example, a regular greasing and combing/plaiting routine can be an opportunity for a child and parent to have a “bonding time” together. It also gets them used to having their hair manipulated, making it less scary when they go to the hairdressers.

Nits 

A good way to avoid nits is to plait your child's hair so that the nits can be easily spotted, isolated and removed, in a way that is manageable.

Top Tip (from Jodi):

“As a parent I can recommend this treatment for nits. Click here to go to the web page.

Afro /Mixed Parentage Hair maintenance for Boys: 

1. Groom hair everyday with Hair moisturiser (Hair food/cream/oil) massaged into scalp from the root to the end of the hair.

2. Use a comb or brush depending on length, texture and type of hair.

3. Try not to wash any more frequently than every 3 to 4 days (dependent on lifestyle).

4. Use a Shampoo and conditioner suitable for Afro hair.

5. Hair styles can be viewed on the internet via You Tube. Search Afro hair styles. The hair care section of this will shortly have a designated section for Male and female hair styles and Q & A hair advice.

Afro/Mixed Parentage hair maintenance for girls: 

1. Groom hair everyday with Hair moisturiser (Hair food/cream/oil) massaged into scalp from the root to the end of the hair.

2. Dependant on style, length and texture comb through hair using a suitable comb/ detangler in order to detangle

3. Try not to wash any more frequently than once a week dependant on lifestyle

4. Use a Shampoo and conditioner suitable for Afro hair.

5. Hair will need to be trimmed every 4 to 8 weeks dependant on speed of growth.

6. If hair is prone to be dry use a head wrap at night ( Durag, silk scarf, old stockings, section hair into loose plaits.)

7. Always use products relevant to your hair type.

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