Can rubbing your nails really increase hair growth?

I've been holding back on writing this post for months now for fear of sounding like a complete loon. But I've decided that since we're all friends here, you all will at least forgive me if I do sound crazy. You see it all goes back to either late 2009 or early 2010 when I was chatting with a co-worker from India. From time to time we discuss holistic treatments and such. So we're talking about meditation, eating right and so on when all of the sudden he tells me this: "Do you know what my dad does for healthy hair? He rubs his fingernails together." "He does that all the time and his hair is thick and healthy." My friend has to be in his forties, so if his dad has thick and healthy hair, that would be considered a great accomplishment.

I've heard of adding strange herbs and pouring oils over your scalp for healthier hair, but rubbing nails together was something totally new to me. Was rubbing your nails together for long hair equivalent to clicking your heels together if you wanted to get your wish? To me the idea sounded that farfetched. Even so, the very next moment I could get in front of a computer I immediately began to seek out the merits of this claim. Turns out that there's quite a bit of information online about rubbing the nails together to impact, shedding, growth, and even grey hair.

Being the curious individual that I am, I immediately sought to uncover the logic behind this method (if it did indeed work). What I did discover is that most believe the nerve endings in the fingertips are also connected to the scalp. In Chinese acupressure, certain parts of the body are stimulated to directly impact other areas. So as we create friction by rubbing our nails together, the scalp is then also stimulated. In essence, the scalp is said to receive increased blood flow and stimulation as we rub our nails together. Best of all, the technique only has to be practiced for 5-10 minutes daily (twice a day is recommended).

When I scanned online posts for testimonials, most people either laughed it off as complete nonsense or said they did it for a little while but remained inconsistent. Along with the naysayers, there were also the group of people who said they practiced this technique regularly and have seen positive results. I was amazed when I read from some people that they felt their scalp itch, or tingle when using the nail rubbing technique. So what about me, you ask?

Well I did use this technique religiously for a little over a month. I rubbed my nails together for several minutes periodically throughout the day. My friend from India even caught me doing it one day at work and referenced our conversation a month earlier.

So what results did I experience? First off let me just say that my nails were the most beautiful they'd ever been when I "rubbed" regularly. They had a gorgeous natural shine to them. Not only that, they were thick and strong. Retaining nail length was not an issue. So even for this result alone, I think the practice was worth it. Now let's talk about my hair. When my friend first alerted me to this technique, I was well into my relaxer stretch. I was already packing plenty of new growth. When I finally did relax, I was all smiles over the amount of length I'd achieved in the duration of stretch. Unfortunately, that was the same stretch were I was plagued with massive tangles. So that kinda took away some of the glory of the length I'd achieved. Not too long after my touch up, I neglected my nail rubbing practice. When I think back to why I stopped, the only reasons I can think of were because I was doing it so frequently, that I feared it looked like I picked up a nervous habit. I could be sitting in a business meeting and there I was rubbing my nails together.

That was several months ago. I find myself looking back now wondering what could have been if I kept this practice up regularly. I'm looking down at my chewed up nails reminiscing of the days were I had fabulous, thick, healthy nails and a head full of dense new growth. For this reason, I've decided to re-implement this practice into my routine. This time, however, I decided to share with you incase anyone out there wanted to try. If it turns out that nail rubbing does actually encourage hair growth, I'd be wrong for not sharing. Think what this could mean if it's true. You could be giving yourself a "scalp massage" while sitting in a waiting room without actually touching your scalp. Either way, the results, for me, were promising enough for me to reinstitute nail rubbing into my daily life once again.

So basically the technique only involves rubbing the nails together. I would describe is buffing your nails as you would with a nail buffer, only instead of a buffer, you use your other set of nails. That's it! One can do it for 5-10 minutes a day or longer if desired. So who's open minded enough to give it shot?

Deep Conditioning for Maximum Moisture

Deep conditioning, ah yes, the holy grail of our hair care practices. Deep conditioning is where we enlist the powers of our fave product(s) to bring about glorious results. The strength of your hair for the week to come relies on how well your deep conditioner was able to get the job done. Because of the crucial nature of this process, we need to make sure we get this step right.

In order for this to be a well rounded discussion, I feel that we need to first cover the basics of deep conditioning. Let's talk fundamentals:

First you'll need.....a deep conditioner. Notice that every conditioner is not a deep conditioner. What you're looking for is a conditioner specifically designed to work even more instensely with increased time/heat. Take a look at the back of your current conditioning product, is it instructing you to rinse a minute or two after application? If so, then your product not working deep enough. Damage to the hair can occur deep below the surface layers so your product needs to get at least that deep. What you're looking for as you inspect your product label is the requirement that the product remain in the hair for more than 2 minutes. Anything 2 minutes or less is not likely going to have a dramatic impact on the hair.

I'm not going to specifically name or recommend products in this post. We all know that not all conditioners are created equal. What I love may work just o.k for you. Because of this, I'll keep my discussions at a higher level. I will tell you that when I deep condition, I rarely rely on the strength of just one product to get the results I am seeking. Most often, you'll find me blending a variety of products each with its own specific purpose.

Although strength should be a major objective of deep conditioning, I almost always layer my need for strength within my desire for moisture. I've tried several different methods of deep conditioning only to find that, for me, I can rarely ever go wrong if I first focus on moisture. So what I do is seek out thick moistening conditioners that coat the hair heavily. I don't have the time, nor the money, to allow even a small percentage of my product to run down my back and into the shower drain. I need my product to stay where I need it the most, on my hair. So thickness is key.

Along with thickness, my deep conditioning products have to soften the hair the minute its applied. I'm not waiting all the way to the rinse step to know for sure whether the product has softened the hair. I've been disappointed one too many times by deep conditioners leaving me less than impressed after rinsing. If I can't get slip from my deep conditioner, when is it gonna happen?!

Softness, slip, and strength. How can you get this from one conditioner? If you've got a conditioner that fits this description, then more power to you. I find that I get more of the result I want when I combine several heavy hitters to make one phenomenal conditioning concoction. There is no exact recipe involved in this creation. Only the mixing of moisture heavy conditioners coupled with strengtheners to create a delightful masterpiece. Prior to selecting my favorite conditioners for the mix, I made sure to measure their pH levels with my testing strips. Adding this step makes me feel a bit more confident that I wasn't just mixing for the heck of it. My creation also landed in the desired pH range where the hair most benefited (quick tip: Porosity Control boasts of a low pH. This is perhaps the reason why this product added to conditioners makes them seem more effective somehow). The final product looks something like this: 80% moisturizing 20% strengthening. This percentage only arises out of the fact that my hair doesn't deal too well with heavy proteins. If your hair can flourish with a 50/50 mixture, then have at it! I find that if I am able to create balanced enough conditioning mixtures of strength and protein, I don't have need to set aside certain weeks where I've got to barrage my hair with an intense strength treatment because I've been overlooking that aspect of my regimen. Same goes for the moisture aspect.

Ok, so once I know that the product going on the hair is impactful, my next area of focus is in maximizing the conditioner with the application technique. Once upon a time, my conditioner application consisted of me, standing in the shower, while rubbing a single conditioner into the length of the hair. As you would imagine, there were several problems with this technique:

1. By remaining in the shower, I was unable to accurately keep track of time. I always had this false impression that more time had passed than realized. In the end, I was robbing my hair of precious and much needed repair time.

2. Another fatal flaw in my technique was my lack of attention to detail during application. I AM CERTAIN this is the reason for the areas of damage my hair suffers from today. I wasn't taking the time to gently part my hair into multiple sections before applying. I did this thing where I'd apply all over the parts of the hair that were most visible to me. The result was long thick hair in the front and sides while the hair underneath struggled to maintain strength levels. I head my head in shame when I think of it.

3. Finally, I have to also admit that when I followed this technique, I rarely did anything more special than placing a plastic cap over my head. There was no additional heat for deeper penetration. No warm towels, no sitting under the hair dryer, nada. Honestly, I don't know how I expected to have healthy chemically treated hair deep conditioning the way I did.

But now, my friends, I am in a different place. Deep conditioning is no longer executed poorly. I now put in an adequate amount of time thinking about ways to improve on what I do, even if its only a slight adjustment. No change is too small.
There will probably be a video from me in the near future discussing the virtues of deep conditioning the right way. Until then, I hope this post was helpful in your quest for moisturized hair.

I'd love to hear your comments.

Detangling just became a whole lot easier

I've talked about the importance of documenting your hair journey in previous posts. Well I just became the beneficiary of my own written documentation process when I came across a draft of an old post that I never published.

Just last week, while I was setting my hair, I thought about setting a goal of reducing the amount of loss (breakage and/or shedding) week after week. After analyzing my routine over and over, I still couldn't figure out what I needed to do differently to loose less hair. That is until I found this excerpt taken from my drafts folder.

Take a gander:

In my quest for glorious hair, I've often sat back and thought about the washing process in general. I know that wash day should be the one time of the week were I'm nourishing and replenishing the health back into my hair. But for some reason, I could never become comfortable with loosing a lot of hair in the process. Well not too long ago, I heard about a method of washing the hair in braids section by section. The idea never caught on with me because I figured that because I wasn't scrubbing the hair and overmanipulating, there was no need to go the extra step.

This week, however, I bought into the idea that I need to try something different if I want to experience different results. So here's what I did:

-A day or two prior to washing I pre-pooed with one of my fav conditioners. My schedule that day prevented me from washing. Actually, I didn't get to wash until two days later. The morning of the actual wash, I re-applied a bit more conditioner and some Alma oil and proceed to create four large braids.

-Next I stepped into the shower and took one braid loose so I can apply Keracare Dry Itchy Scalp shampoo liberally to my scalp. Then came the Hair One conditioning shampoo down the length of the hair. This product is so moisturizing that I am able to begin detangling with ease. Afterwards I apply a really moisturizing conditioner to that section and two strand twist.

-I repeated this step with each section seperately making sure to keep re-twist each section after applying shampoo and conditioner. By keeping each section separate, I found that I had more control of the entire process. I wasn't dealing with an entire head of hair at once, I could focus on one manageble section at a time.

-Finally, I took the sections individually and applied a heavier conditioner. I re-twisted once again, put on a plastic cap and went on about my business.

By the time I did my final rinse, you could imagine my glee when I washed the conditioner out of perfectly detangled hair. I rinsed each section separately. I also opted not to retwist after the final rinse. The results were amazing! I normally air dry in a pony tail and loose a ton of hair trying to work the tangles through. This time was a totally different experience. I had no worries once I stepped out of that shower.

This method does take a little bit more time than normal to execute but believe me, the results are well worth it. I can only imagine who easy rollersetting will be going forward. Today I'm going about my day as normal but I've got a bit of a swagger. My confidence is sky high because my hair feels good, looks, good, and will only get better.

I'm excited about being reintroduced to this method of detangling. I'm going to reinstitute this method into my routine going forward. Will keep you posted on how this works for me long term.

Steam Pre-Poo Treatment Healthy Hair Video

Recently, I posted about my new and improved wash day experience ever since this facial steamer came into my life. I figured that mere text wasn't enough to detail the intricacies of readapting a facial steamer for hair benefits.

So I made a video......

Watch and enjoy!

Braidout Tutorial!

I've posted my latest video tutorial on Youtube. This episode is all about the braid out. I share my technique to working to manage the new growth prior to the actual braiding process. Braidouts are a lifesaver at the end of your stretch. It's one of those styles that works with your new growth, not against it. I know there are a million braidout tutorials out there already but I thought I'd share anyways.

Enjoy.

Heatless Hairstyles Episode 1: The "loose flowy waves"

Time for another relaxedhairhealth video!

In this episode, I attempt to recreate the lovely soft wavy curls that I often see emulated in other youtube vids. But instead of using the all-to-common curling iron, I recreated using my steam curlers.

I attempted this heatless hairstyle as an alternative to resorting to the evil curling iron. I wanted to prove to everyone that yes we can create fabulous styles without compromising our desire to remain (direct)heatless.

So here it is, hope you love it!

A simpler way to rollerset

Today I'm presenting the third installment of my youtube video series. Rollersetting can sometimes be difficult to perfect. You have to worry about perfect parts and flawlessly smooth hair in order to get the look you want.

If you are struggling with trying to perfect your rollerset, try this underhand method and see if you like the results.

Ayruveda Hair Oil Treatment video

I'm sure that most of us has some type of Indian ayurveda product in our hair product stash whether it be henna powder,amla oil, brahmi powder or whatever it is you fancy. I personally have been using amla oil for my pre-poos since forever and nothing quiet gets my pre-poo right like when I use the amla.

Whenever I prepoo, I first saturate my hair with a thick moisturizing conditioner, then I add a layer of amla over the conditioned hair. A couple hours later I wash the oil out and proceed with my wash routine. To be honest, I was pretty satisfied with my method of application until I saw this video on youtube. Its a promotional video for an Indian spa treatment facility. From the 1:00 minute mark to about 2:06, were are introduced to a demonstration of an ayruvedic treatment where nurishing oil is applied and massaged into the scalp and hair of a lucky recepient.



My first thought was, OMG! How do I learn to do this at home???
Well I don't quite have the answer yet but I do have some thoughts. First I need to refine how I apply my amla oil. Today I pour a small amount in my hand a little bit at a time and apply section by section.

For this treatment, I'll propably have to purchase a plastic application bottle like this one in order to apply the oil evenly throughout.


Next I have to chose a suitable place to apply the oil. I'm thinking the bathtub is th only place I can get away with pouring on that much oil without causing too much damage. My vision of the process would include a large cheap plastic bowl that will serve as the container for the oil run off. Finally I'll likely have to dampen my hair prior to applying the oil so I can replicate the smooth application process witnessed in the video.

I also considered mixing oils just because I don't want to use an entire bottle of amla in one sitting. Luckily for me, I've got tons of coconut, jojoba, avocado, sweet almond and other oils sitting around. I do think, that alma would be the main oil used the first go around. Ultimately, I do forsee this process serving more as a monthly treatment rather than a weekly ritual. Who knows, the labor involved in recreating the ayruvedic hair massage may not be worth the results. If, however, this method turns out to completely revitalize the look and feel of my hair, I'll find a way to work it into my routine at least twice monthly.

Tangles No More! A better way of washing your hair.

Once upon a time I struggled with air drying because of the massive amount of tangles I had to endure. I'm one of those people who rarely combs my hair during the week so you can only imagine the number of shed hairs I have to deal with once a week on wash day. Couple the shed hairs with curly new growth and you have the perfect recipe for tangles.

In my quest for glorious hair, I've often sat back and thought about the washing process in general. I know that wash day should be the one time of the week were I'm nourishing and replenishing the health back into my hair. But for some reason, I could never become comfortable with loosing a lot of hair in the process. Well not too long ago, I heard about a method of washing the hair in braids section by section. The idea never caught on with me because I figured that because I wasn't scrubbing the hair and over manipulating, there was no need to go the extra step.

This week, however, I bought into the idea that I need to try something different if I want to experience different results. So here's what I did:

-A day or two prior to washing I pre-pooed with one of my fav conditioners. My schedule that day prevented me from washing. Actually, I didn't get to wash until two days later. The morning of the actual wash, I re-applied a bit more conditioner and some Alma oil and proceed to create four large braids.

-Next I stepped into the shower and took one braid loose so I can apply Keracare Dry Itchy Scalp shampoo liberally to my scalp. Then came the Hair One conditioning shampoo down the length of the hair. This product is so moisturizing that I am able to begin detangling with ease. My large tooth comb glided through my hair with the help of the hair one and the flowing water. Afterwards I applied a really moisturizing conditioner to that section and did two strand twist. (If you don't have a moisturizing shampoo, I recommend you start detangling while rinsing out your conditioner)

-I repeated this process (wash,detangle,condition) section by section making sure to keep re-twist each section once I've applied the shampoo and conditioner. By keeping each section separate, I found that I had more control of the entire process. I wasn't dealing with an entire head of hair at once, I could focus on one manageable section at a time.

-Finally, I took the sections individually, rinsed out the moisturizing conditioner, detangled again, and applied a heavier fortifiyng conditioner. I re-twisted once again, put on a plastic cap and went on about my business.

By the time I did my final rinse, you could imagine my glee when I washed the conditioner out of perfectly detangled hair. I rinsed each section separately. I also opted not to retwist after the final rinse. The results were amazing! I normally air dry in a pony tail and end up loosing a ton of hair trying to work the tangles through. This time was a totally different experience. I had no worries once I stepped out of that shower.

This method does take a little bit more time than normal to execute but believe me, the results are well worth it. I can only imagine how easy rollersetting will be going forward. Today I'm going about my day as normal but I've got a bit of a swagger. My confidence is sky high because my hair feels good, looks, good, and will only get better.

"Are you packin?" Five healthy hair must haves for your purse.

Beautiful hair doesn't just happen on wash days, your hair constantly requires maintenance throughout the day to ensure it remains fabulous around the clock. It's what we do on a daily basis that adds up to healthy beautiful hair.

I've seen some youtube videos in which well-known makeup divas invite us to view what they always have with them in their designer purses. I figured that while having a small bottle of perfume and three types of lip gloss is a good idea, we should also have an arsenal of healthy hair items within arms reach at all times.

Here are my top five healthy hair purse supplies we should all have in our handbag.



Wide tooth comb
Think of the wide tooth comb as the cornerstone of every woman who seeks to maintain healthy hair. Ultimately, you should not be combing your hair much throughout the day but if you get caught in some crazy windstorm and the need arises, you shouldn't have to look far for a hair-friendly comb. Any wide tooth comb is not the answer, you need to carry your trusty comb. The one that loves your hair as much as you do.







Baby Brush
For those of you who have sworn off combing/brushing for fear of over manipulating, the baby brush may be your answer. Baby brushes do a fabulous job of smoothing the hair and creating a polished finished look. The bristles of a baby brush are super-soft and non-threatening. Its purpose is not to detangle like normal brushes. It merely helps promote smoothness and shine by gently taming flyaways and other hindrances to pretty hair. Best of all, you can pick up a baby brush for a couple of dollars at Wal-Mart or Sally's. Next time you're in one of these stores, use the baby brush on the palm of your hand and feel the difference.


Moisturizer
Ever since reading Wanakee's pamphlet on healthy hair, I've become extremely weary of the damaging effects of exposing our hair to the air throughout the day. There have been times when I've worn my hair in a style where half my hair was pinned up and the remaining half was worn loose. At the end of the day, the loose(exposed) felt hair dry while the hair that was pinned up remained moist and supple. That's when I knew that exposed hair required additional moisturizing throughout the course of day. We all have moisturizing product our hair responds well to. Once you've identified that product, buy a small travel size container so you can create a portable version of it. Now that you have the travel size version of your fave moisturizer, use it and use it often.



Oil
Sealing the moisture in your hair is key. That is why you should also have a little bit of oil in a spill proof travel size bottle. Please remember to look for the a bottle that avoids spills if you plan on carrying oil in your bag. Oil is a quick way to add shine and suppleness to the hair very quickly. I also recommend you use a tiny bit of oil whenever you plan on combing or brushing. This will help avoid any possible friction and allow the comb/brush to glide through the hair with the greatest of ease. I sometimes even mix my oil and moisturizer in one bottle and create a quick healthy hair blend. Because you may be touching up the hair several times a day, you should think of using a lighter textured oil like jojoba instead of a thicker oil like castor so your hair doesn't feel too weighed down.

The key is to remember to use the products throughout the day. Remaining consistent my be hard at first but if you use it at certain times of the day like whenever you use the restroom, you begin to develop a habit that will soon turn into a routine for you. I can't tell you how many hair compliments I get when I faithfully moisturize/oil my hair throughout the day. I've even had to break out my miniature bottle of oil on several occasions to show people who've stopped me to ask about my hair routine.

Hair Pins
Your purse should always contain some sort of hair tool that helps you maintain a cute style even when you change your mind about the hairstyle you are wearing. For me the answer comes in the form of hair pins. If I feel that my hair has been down too long or beginning to feel dry, I can just grab a couple of hair pins and create a loose bun or put my hair in an upsweep. You can also substitute hair pins for a large clip but just make sure no damage can ever come of your hair from using the hair clip. Hair pins are so convenient and I don't have to worry about matching them with my outfit like other hair accessories. They are a definite must have at all times.

Honorable Mention: Satin Scarf
Photo courtesy of modestworld.com


Even though I completed my top five list, I still want to mention another option that can also benefit your daytime hair....a satin/silk scarf. Sure maybe you can't wear a satin scarf around your head to work, but have you considered using one the moment you get in your car for your commute home. Often times we don't break out the satin scarf until just before bed meanwhile the air is slowly but surely sucking your hair's moisture with every passing second. If you were to tweak your routine to tying up your hair after work, you can protect your hair's moisture levels for up to an additional 30 hours a week! Go and find cute scarfs that you would want to wear in public. If you stick to your 10 year old scarf that you wear to bed every night you wont be motivated and your hair won't benefit.

Think about how healthy your hair will look and feel if you make sure you're packin' everything you need to take care of your hair throughout the day. I can almost guarantee you that if you are consistent with the periodic moisturizing and tying up your hair well before bedtime that you will radically improve the look and feel of your tresses.

Creating an easy to maintain style even at 11 months post relaxer

Ever since I watched my first episode of MTVs Daddy's Girls starting Vanessa and Angela Simmons, I became immediately enamoured with the hairstyle of one of the friends of the Simmons girls, Alycia. I just love the easy, no hassle feel of this look. I'm not so much in love with the length as much as I'm diggin' the soft waves that cascade down ever so effortlessly.










Take a look at this style in living color.


I've spent the last several days trying to figure out how to execute this fabulous style. I asked myself a series of questions like "should I use flexirods or do two strand twists?" How do I maintain the softness and movement that Alycia has? Well I still don't have the answer to how to best recreate this look but, please believe me, I do plan on trying and trying until I've created a suitable replica. Once I do have the answer, I'll share with all of you. In the mean time, I came across a couple of updated youtube videos featuring LHCF all-star, Sylver.

She just posted a two-part video series on how she maintains her 11 month post-relaxer style with braidouts. Kudos to Sylver 'cause I don't know if I could ever possibly handle two texture types for so long. She does a wonderful job of managing all that fabulous hair of hers. Best of all, her finished product looks something like the style that Alycia rocks on the show.

Thanks for sharing Sylver