Touch ups: Stretch it out but don't hurt your hair

Stretching is like the holy grail of healthy hair practices for those who relax. If you are able to do it successfully, you'll be rewarded with thicker, more resilient hair. It's no wonder you see hair boards loaded stretching superstars able to extend the time between touch-ups up for up to a year. Remember the days when relaxing every 6-8 weeks seemed like a long time? Well those days are long gone so stretching correctly is now a must.

Like a two sided coin, stretching can produce two very different results. A couple of wrong moves and your hope of retaining length from the process is destroyed. I received an email from a Relaxed Hair Health reader asking me "when is a good time to say when" while stretching. I figured I would further elaborate my answer here for everyone's benefit.

So let me start by saying that when you're deep into your stretch, it's a whole 'nother ball game. By the way, for the purposes of this discussion, I will not be talking about specific weeks post relaxer because terms like "deep in your stretch" are different for everyone. When I say deep in your stretch, I'm referring to a period of time when you have adequate new growth.

So as you begin to deal with two distinct textures, you've got to be able to adapt fairly quickly. What is your hair asking for now? Are those watery leave-in conditioners still cuttin' it? Is rollersetting still the best method of styling? I don't have those answers for you but these are the types of questions you should be asking yourself during that critical time. This is do or die for your hair and you must be able to react quickly.

A couple of things you should consider while stretching. First, don't be a superhero and try to stretch 30 weeks if your longest was 9. I only recommend super-extended stretches if the hair is protected and little manipulation will occur. A stretch should be just as the word implies, waiting just a little longer than last time and building your resistance gradually. So your last stretch was nine weeks, why not set a goal for 10 or 11? It's all about progressive improvement and keeping the hair healthy at the same time.

So let's talk about breakage. Part of the reason I have such a supped-up moisture regimen comes from trying to maintain elasticity while dealing with the two textures. Your hair has to be able to withstand breakage so keeping the hair moist is key. I'm pretty proud of my last stretch where I was able to reach new heights both in duration and in how manageable the hair was throughout. It was from my days of stretching that I began adding conditioner boosters and seeking out the benefits of steam. These are the times where your hair requires more and if you're willing to respond, you may find yourself with some ultra-healthy habits that can benefit your hair long after your stretch is over. Your goal should be to fine tune your regimen ever so slightly to incramentally improve upon your results.

With every stretch, you should acknowledge your hindrances and address them the following stretch. For instance, my last experience was bitter sweet as I had to spend nearly a full day babying a bazillion tangles out of my hair. So my lesson was that I couldn't just leave my new growth alone and see what happens, I had to be proactive and take the time to fully detangle on a regular basis. Lesson learned and I'm making sure I don't run into that problem ever again.

Your stretch is also a good time to figure out if you're using the right products at the right time. In general, you want to start heading for the thicker, more nourishing products that act as extra reinforcement to the hair. Thicker oils, creams, and moisturizers are wonderful especially during times when you manipulate the hair. You can opt to dilute those products if you wish but they are certainly worth including in your regimen.

One last piece of advice I would give you is to not be afraid of "giving in" and touching up if necessary. Again, this is not about being a hero, it's about doing what's best for your hair. The minute you find yourself completely overwhelmed with breakage, tangles, etc, and you're losing more ground than you're gaining, it's time to relax. But don't just relax for the sake of relaxing, I also want you to identify what the barrier was to you reaching your goal, then address it next stretch. The end game of it all is all about retaining length. So make sure you do what's best for your hair during that time.

Lessons Learned from my last Relaxer Stretch

I'm so excited. I officially accomplished a personal goal of stretching a full 16 weeks. For me, that was the longest relaxer stretch ever! Four months ago, I visited a Dominican salon for a touch up. I walked in there with three months worth of summer new growth growth, I walked out with freshly relaxed bone straight hair and about 3 inches of hair cut off. No, I didn't ask my stylist to cut my hair but, for some reason, she had a strong desire to do a major trim. Looking back, I know exactly why she did it.

I'll get back to that later but the real reason for this post is because I want to discuss all the good and not so good, I experienced over the past four months. I'd like to be as detailed as possible for my own edification. I'm going to use this post as I would an entry in my hair journal, as a way of sealing in the learning from the last four months so I can replicate the successes and course correct in the areas where I struggled.

So let me start by discussing the state of my hair as it is today. The goals I set out four months ago were to eliminate/reduce breakage, increase moisture levels, strengthen strands overall, and last but not least, thicken the look of the my hair overall. Four months later, my hair feels much stronger, is more elastic, and has retained length and thickened. I'm not exactly where I want to be but I'm more than half way there. Now let's get into what I did the past four months.

Nutrition
I tried my best to remain as consistent as possible with vitamin support for my hair. If you remember, the last stretch was when I was introduced to Noridic Naturals purified omega 3 fish oils. I must say that I'm pretty proud of myself on how consistent I've been with these fish oils. I've already gone through my first bottle and and now working through my second (larger size) Nordic Naturals Omega 3. We're partners for life now. Other supplements that I've tried to remain consistent with are my chlorella green tablets. I also take biotin, a vitamin B supplement, and a multi from time to time. One other supplement I started taking fairly consistently was Cell Food. I'm not sure what the benefits to the hair are, if any. I really just take it for overall nutritional support. My main goal when taking the supplements was not growth, I take supplements more for support. My theory is that the hair has to be a strong as possible coming out of the scalp so it can be more resilient when it undergoes the relaxer process. Not sure how much truth there is to my theory but it makes sense on the most basic level so I'm stickin' with it. Oh, and I should also mentioned that I reintroduced carrot juice back into the line up late into my stretch. I went to the grocery store one day and found Bolthouse farm juice in new larger sizes. The minute I saw it, I knew I had to get a piece of that action. One area that we struggle most with when taking our vitamins is consistency. What I tried to do was not get down on myself if I missed a day here and there. I just started right where I left off and kept it moving.

Routines
As you may already know, I don't hide my hair like I "should". I know of the incredible benefits of protective styling so I gave in a little this last stretch. I didn't bun more than normal last stretch, what I did do was tie my hair up with my scarf more often. So instead of laying on my couch watching a movie, I'd lay on the couch with my hair tied up while watching a movie. I should also take a moment to say that I love my silk scarf much more than my satin (polyester) ones. This year, I'll be beefing up silk scarf collection. I think my husband is tired of seeing me in the same leopard print design day after day. I have no problem tying my hair up because I think of it as a way of recharging my hair. As my hair is exposed all day, it's kinda like having your cell phone off the charger. Sure you can use it all day but sooner or later, you'll have to charge it to get maximum benefit. You best believe that I'll be continuing this habit over the next 3-4 months.

Another technique I implemented over the past three months was using a plastic cap in the morning's as a way of enhancing moisture. What I tried to do was use the plastic cap to simulate humidity and create a slightly damp feel on the hair. Once the hair felt slightly damp (after about 5-10 minutes), I'd remove the plastic cap, add some Gleau oil and tie the hair down with a silk scarf to seal. This technique really helped with me with dryness issues, especially during the winter months when the air is drier than normal. I hope this technique continues to impact my hair positively going forward. Another routine I implemented was trimming according to the lunar cycle. I don't know if that attributed to more growth but I will say that I trimmed more last stretch than I've done in a while. At one point during my stretch, I trimmed just for the heck of it only to find out that the lunar calendar trim was only a few weeks away. I trimmed anyway and I still retained length overall.

I think the area where I made my biggest progress overall was in my weekly wash routine. Over the past four months, I've been nursing one side of my hair which seemed to struggle more than the other side. With the introduction of my facial steamer to my routine. I was able to dedicate a little more effort to the pre-poo step. This extra attention was absolutely critical to the progress I made this last stretch. Week after week, I spent a large amount of time paying attention to the areas of my hair that needed the most attention. Four months later....progress. I'm not right where I want to be yet, but I am much closer to seeing the light than ever before. I treat my wash routine unlike anything else in my life. There are certain other practices that I'd like to remain consistent on but I have to admit, it sometimes still is a struggle for me. Not with my wash routine. There is never (ever) even the hint of deviation from my routine. My mind never debates whether I should carry out the extended pre-poo step or whether I should skip it this one time. Never! Now if only I can transfer that level of dedication to some of the other areas of my life.

Products
Over the past four months, I used pretty much the same staples. The only new products I used were the Asience conditioner, and I also purchased Burt's Bees Hair Repair Shea and Grapefruit deep conditioner. I didn't do an official review post on this product because I don't really use it for it's intended purposes. It's supposed to be a 2 minute treatment but I've been using it consistently in my pre-poos. The ingredients are more in line with a moisturizing conditioner than a 2 minute treatment. Since it contained practically no proteins, I put it to use for other purposes. So far so good. Overall, my routine has been a moisture routine with a little protein mixed in. Since my hair doesn't appreciate protein like it should, I sneak the protein into it's food as one would a stubborn child who won't take it's medicine. This method works really well for me so far, but as always, if there's a better way, I'll find it and I'll chuck this routine without even batting an eye.

Struggles
I'd like to talk a little about where I struggled and what I'll do going forward to avoid or minimize the issues I experienced. This stretch just happened to land right in the middle of shedding season. Every year, around fall, my hair begins it's shedding ritual. The crazy amount of shedding pretty much created the worse bout of tangles I've ever experienced in my life. Even after I relaxed, I had beaucoup tangles to contend with. I take 100% accountability for what I had to go through when I spent pretty much all day babying tangles out of my hair. That's the reason why the lady at the Dominican salon cut my hair last relaxer, they neither had the time nor the patience to deal with my hair's issues. When I stretch, I have the tendency to detangle the length of the hair, while overlooking the roots. What I do is allow the roots to remain in it's compacted position without doing my due diligence in detangling. Meanwhile, my shed coils are getting even more deeply intertwined with it's neighbors. I can't let this happen ever again, so I'll have to do a major detangle at least once a week during my pre-poo so I can release all the hair that's been shed throughout the week. If I find that once a week ain't cuttin' it, I'll increase the frequency. Not only will I play defense by detangling on a regular basis, I'll also have to play some offense and implement strategies that slow the amount shedding.

So here I stand ready to begin another long stretch. I've got a lot to look forward to. I hope to learn even more about my hair this go around. And with the focus on uber-healthy ingredients like ceramides and such, only good things will come about I'm sure. If I had to attribute anything to the success of the past stretch, I would say it was consistency. One thing I could certainly say about my last stretch is that I maintained a laser like focus pretty much the entire time. I knew the day would come when I would enjoy the wonderful fruits of my labor in the form of healthier hair. Today, I look back and smile proudly at what I was able to accomplish. Again, I'm not talking so much about the results as I am the focus and dedication level. As long as these remain, the results will follow. Thanks you all for being in it with me for the long haul. Now enough talking about the past, I'm ready to focus on what's next for my hair.

Thanks for listening.

Learnings from my amped up hair journal!

I'm really proud at how consistent I've been with documenting my experiences and struggles in my revived hair journal. I'm on a mission for perfect hair and I can't afford to leave my desired results to chance. One of my secret weapons in this battle will be the insights I gleam from my documented hair memoirs and, I'm happy to say, the learnings have already begun.

Though not much time has passed since I've brought the journal back, I've already identified some wonderful improvements that I hope to have a major impact on my overall results. I'll share with you all some of my early learnings and will continue spread any nuggets of wisdom as they are revealed to me in my writings.

The past couple of weeks have been crucial with regards to breakage avoidance and moisture retention. My last relaxer was late February/early April. Not sure the exact date but that is what I have my hair journal for going forward. The warm weather, coupled with my consistent vitamin usage, have made for a very robust new growth spurt. One major faux pas on my end was my inability to remain consistent with consuming green drinks in the morning. One of the most powerful side effects, for me, of green super-food drinks is the greater manageability of my textured hair. When I did the right thing with regards to my green drink routine, my new growth thanked me.

So now I've learned my lesson and the green drink routine is back! My goal is to stock back up on my spirullina powder and get to 'crackin!

Some tweaks to my hair routine have come about because my diligent approach to hair care. For one, I've started my pre-poo step by locating the most damaged areas of the hair and paying extreme attention before moving on to the rest of the hair. I finally figured out that I've developed some patterns in my hair routines that have led to the creation of damaged areas. I figured the only way I can reverse this damage was to change up how I take care of my hair. So long story short, I leave the healthiest parts of my hair for last whenever I deep condition or pre-poo.

*Tip* Generally we tend to pay closer attention to the hair we can see (i.e. the front and sides of the head), make sure you also give equal attention to the entire head of hair whenever you moisturize or deep condition.

Next, I've also begun treating my pre-poo step as I do the deep conditioner. I no longer just apply product to the hair when treating it. I now cover my hair with a plastic cap and towel for deeper processing both when I pre-poo and when I deep condition. The results of this slight shift in routine are impressive. Moisture levels are high and the amount of breakage i am experiencing this many weeks post is incredible. My hair is definitely liking this. I have no doubt in my mind that this method will do wonders for my hair long-term.

I'm extremely grateful for these insights that I've received in such a short while. Right now my mind is completely open to any and all ideas of how to continue on this hair improvement journey I am on. Not sue where this journey will lead me, but I'm glad that I have some company with me as I go.

Thanks for stopping by.

My ayruvedic oil wash results!

Last time, I talked about this awesome ayruvedic scalp massage treatment commonly practiced in Indian spas. Today, I decided I would treat myself to a modified version of the process while standing up and tell you guys about how it panned out.

First off let me just say that the best part of my experience was getting to use my new applicator bottle I bought from Sally's. This thing is magnificent boys and girls! The pointed tip made applying oils to my new growth a breeze. I felt as if I had so much precision and control during the application. It is by far the best two dollars I've spent in a long time.

So in my bottle I mixed some jojoba oil, meadowfoam seed oil, avocado oil, and amla oil. I created four ounces of oil blend in total. By the way, I didn't create some secret formula, I just mixed some oils together. I didn't measure. I had other oils to chose from but these were the closest to arms reach. I did, however, use more amla in the mix than the other oils. By the way, I should also mention that I did use some conditioner on the dry hair before I added the oil.

So I stepped in the shower and dampened by hair. I made sure that the hair was only damp, not wet. For me the difference between the two is that water drips down the back when its wet. Once my hair was damp I started to apply the oil mix. I concentrated on the scalp because of the amount of new growth I would have to contend with. Plus I hadn't washed in a while and my scalp was an itchy mess. Honestly, I thought that four ounces would result in a large amount of oil run off. Boy was I wrong! My hair drank up the oil like nothing and still was begging for more. After I used up my entire mix, I put on a plastic cap and killed some time cleaning the bathroom. Good thing I did because while organizing by medicine cabinet, I found a nearly full jar of coconut oil! I immediately began filling my applicator bottle with it and used some on my already saturated hair.

Moments later I rinsed and experienced a slight feeling of uneasiness as I touched my oil-laden hair. Next I clarified with Suave shampoo and followed that up with my Hair One conditioning shampoo. The result? My new growth felt amazing....well- defined and moisturized. Once the shampoo was washed out, I no longer had that "my hair is covered in oil" feeling. Now instead, my hair felt stronger and protected. I conditioned as normal and airdryed. I even decided to skip the hair fixer this go-around.

This process didn't feel like a regular pre-poo, it felt more like I was giving my hair a luxurious treatment! I can absolutely see the value in "oil washing" (I just made that up...I think..) going forward. Especially when new growth is involved. I'm sure naturals would love this method because I can't keep my hands out of my "kitchen." Even now as I air dry, my hair is still feeling moisturized strong. I normally load my hair with oils to tame whenever I air dry but not this time. Even my beloved shea oil is getting a break. If I had to sum up the results in one sentence I would say that my hair feels like the oil is in my hair as opposed to on my hair.

I love it!

I am so over airdrying (and Mane & Tail product review)

Alrighty....as part of my winter hair care routine I decided to give air drying another chance. Well I'm here to tell you that I failed miserably. Not because the airdrying process itself was bad, but because there were certain obstacles that I just could not overcome. Over the course of my air drying journey, I was able to defeat the dryness and brittleness that once plagued my airdryed hair. I even felt hopeful once I found my beloved shea oil which kicked up my airdrying results to the next level. But alas, I was not willing to combat the most stubborn of my airdrying enemies- tangles!

Because of my deep seated fear of combing wet hair, I would constantly end up with a mass of stubborn tangles once my hair dried. Add to that the fact that I was nearly three months post my last relaxer. I had an inch or more of curly new growth that basically wrapped itself around other hairs when shed. Not to mention that fact that I was minimizing most of my combing action in an effort to avoid excessive breakage. Long story short, I found myself unknowingly creating dread locks while avoiding excessive manipulation.

Finally, while strolling down the aisle of my local Sally's beauty, I decided to ask for help. You see, I am the do it yourself kinda girl who normally avoids special aids and tools to get the job done. Under a normal frame of mind, I would have easily blocked out an hour or so to undergo the painstaking task of detangling my knots. But this time I was desperate. Before leaving the store , I asked one of the African American female employees for a recommendation on a good detangler. After thinking for a few moments, she used a lifeline and asked her AA female counterpart. I could hear their brains working as they desperately were searching for the answer. Finally, a Hispanic male, who overhead the conversation from the stock room, came to the rescue with his Mane and Tail recommendation.

"Of course! Mane and Tail," I thought to myself, they make pretty good quality products so I had no problem giving it a go.
I used this product on dry hair which had not received a thurough detangling in weeks! You could just imagine the pain I went through. The pain wasn't so much physical as it was mental. I kept thinking, about how much hair I would lose during the process. At any moment, I could have easily given up, whipped out the scissors and commenced to proceed with the big chop.

In all my frustration, a glimmer of hope came in the form of the Mane and Tail. That stuff loosened my shed hairs like nobody's business. I was extremely pleased to say the least. This product definitely receives my recommendation. What I appreciate most about this product is that I was able to get the job done with little casualties (breakage) to my hair. For those of you seeking a detangling aid (and I believe that we all should have one) Mane and Tail is for you.

(Muchas gracias Sally's guy!)

My devious plan to kick up my hair growth this Winter

Next week will make two months since I've last relaxed. Right now I'm battling a ton of new growth. Its been said that hair grows fastest in the warmer months than at other times of the year. I've decided to keep charging towards my goal this fall/winter by taking purposeful actions to keep the growth a comin'.

Last year I suffered some major set backs with my hair. This year has been all about rejuvenating the health of my hair. Next year will be the year of beautiful hair!

So how am I gonna get there?

I've decided on three actions.

Winter for me means dry itchy scalp. My dandruff is unbearable. One of my chosen remedies for this issue is coconut oil. I read online about the anti fungal properties of this oil and decided to implement this new way of using coconut oil right away!
Not only does rubbing the oil on my scalp help curb my dandruff woes, I'm also subjecting myself to a soothing scalp stimulation at the same time. And we all know what scalp stimulation leads to boys and girls.....growth!

I especially focus on the front areas of my scalp because my of seborrheic dermatitis which can cause dryness and peeling around the hair line. I've massaged my scalp with the oil several times a week for the past several weeks and I already can tell the difference in the new growth and with the flaking.

My new job has me on the road for most of the week. Because of lack of structure, I fell off the vitamin wagon hard. When I worked at an office, I would pack healthy meals and salads for lunch. Now I'm on the road grabbing what I can or eating the decadent food from a nearby restaurant. I'm slowly adapting to life outside an office by pickup up some healthy foods and convenient snacks, but I was struggling to get back to the days when spinach was a staple for me.

I decided to take decisive action in the form of liquid vitamins. No longer will I have an excuse not to take my vitamins. Now I only need to take a capfull of the liquid nourishment once a day. At my previous job, I could pop my vitamins in the privacy of my office. Now many of my lunches take place in a group format. No one would believe that I could consume upwards of seven pills at a time simply for the sake of my overall health. With my liquid formula, I simply pour a little into my drink or I take a spoonful at breakfast. Don't get me wrong, I still consume some pills, but with the liquid vitamin, I can miss a day or two of taking the pill form of my vits, without feeling guilty all over. Not to mention the fact that supplements in liquid form are far more readily absorbable in the body than vitamin pills.

Last but not least, I've stepped back from my weekly rollersetting routine and shifted to more frequent washings and air drying. The reason for taking this action was two-fold. The main reason was because of my ever growing dread for the amount of time a full wash and set required. The other reason I am on a rollersetting hiatus is because I wanted to round out my growth increasing actions with more frequent washes. Its only logical to conclude that the more often I wash my hair, the more growth I could experience. More washing means more conditioning, more conditioning means more moisture, more moisture means less breakage. Along with the increased levels of moisture, my frequent washings also subject my hair to further instances of scalp stimulation as I rub in my
scalp treatments in with my finger tips.

Airdrying is not my method of choice for styling. I need to clarify that statement by saying that I once loathed airdrying. This new (and temporary) wash routine has forced me to come face to face with my enemy and find a reasonable compromise. We are not where we need to be but we've come a long way from our shaky beginnings. Airdrying, for me means less hair loss during the wash (because of the reduced level of manipulation) which is why I decided that I had to make peace with this styling method. The time I save by airdrying is also a huge plus for me which makes it possible for me to wash twice a week instead of weekly.

These shifts in my hair world are relatively minor but I am extremely confident in the outcomes arising from the changes. Its all about asking yourself if what you are doing now will get you to the results you want. For me, the answer was no so I decided to take action. Once I'm where I need to be, I'll once again shift and evolve with my hair.

Thanks for listening.

Nanokeratin, could this be the salvation for our relaxed hair?

My husband's family reunion is over the July 4th weekend. After 3 months of stretching, I figured that a visit to the Dominican Salon would be just the thing to get me ready for my California adventure. Let me first start off by saying that I normally dread every trip I take to the salon. I actually begin having a minor panic attack over the thought of having some heavy handed, busy shampoo girl run a comb though my tangled hair.

The reason why I have such apprehension about my salon visits is because no matter how much I prepare for the experience, I still end up losing a ton of hair in the process. I preteat, detangle, and oil my hair before trip but they still manage to leave half my head of hair on the floor between the comb out at the shampoo station and the rollerset.

The good news is that I may have figured out how to minimize the amount of tangles I experience during the process. One of the joys of the wash and set, for me, is the heavenly scalp massage I receive as the stylist vigorously scrubs my hair. I normally just roll my eyes in the back of my head, sit back, and enjoy the experience. Yesterday, the tangles we so bad that I asked that the comb to be handed to me so I could attempt to undue the damage myself. As I worked through the massive tangles, I asked myself, "why doesn't my hair get this bad at home?" "why is this happening to me right now and how much hair will I have left when this is all over with?" The answer to my question became clear as day to me. The scalp massage! The way they massage the scalp is not condusive at all to tangle-free hair. When I massage my scalp at home, I take extra care not to cause or create tangles. Going forward, I will forgo my beloved scalp massages as a necessary sacrifice for the hair which I love so much.

Although I have long thick hair, one area where my hair could definitely improve is in its strength. Whenever someone (usually a stylist) does my hair without using the utmost amount of care, I end up losing lots of hair in the process. For years stylists have told me that my hair is not in the greatest condition and that I needed the healing touch of their hands to nurse my hair back to health. Judging from the amount of hair on the floor, I would usually decide not to take them up on their offer. My alternative was to take care of my hair at home. This arrangement worked well for me for two reasons:

1. I actually like doing my own hair and I have the patience needed to avoid causing any damage.
2. I usually experience more growth when I do my own hair as opposed to when I go to the salon.

So yesterday, the guy who did my hair (not my usual stylist) took a look at my hair and summoned an English speaking employee (the one who was responsible for the massacre of my hair that took place at the shampoo station) and asked that she interpret a message that he had for me. After listening to him speak in Spanish (in hopes of being able to miraculously understand what he was saying), I turned to my interpreter and waited eagerly for her explanation. She then proceeded to tell me that I needed have a special process done to my hair called Nanokeratin.

Nanokeratin, she explained, would help make my hair stronger by adding keratin to the hair. Her English was not fluent enough to convey the message completely so I quickly looked for someone else who could do some justice to his message. A second stylist told me that for a minor cost of around $250.00, I could literally have keratin infused into my hair strands from a revolutionary system invented by scientists in Brazil. According to her, once my hair received this treatment, it would once again regain its natural strength along with shine and softness.

I know that most of you are thrown off a bit by the price tag. I was thrown off by the fact that this is a new system created in Brazil (remember the Rio disaster of the 90's) If the claims of this product were actually true, $250.00 would only be a minor inconvenience for having a head of strong, soft, long, healthy, hair. I read somewhere online that unlike normal protein conditioners and treatments, the size of the keratin particles are so small that they literally bond to the weak and broken areas of the hair shaft. Normal protein particles are large and therefore lay on top of the hair which restrains the movement and ultimately causes that "protein hardness" that we all try to avoid.

Here is some additional information that I obtained from their website:

History

The Tanagra Nanokeratin machine is made in Brazil. Dr Fausto Silva discovered the system whilst working for the Cancer Research Institute in Brazil, trying to find a cure for skin cancer. Using Tanagra Nano technology on his patients� arms he had so far been unsuccessful in curing their cancer but found that the hair on their arms was becoming stronger and healthier. It took 6 years to develop this find, into a product, which could be used on human hair.

His company �TANAGRA� is now one of the biggest names in the hairdressing industry in Brazil for innovative products and services. The Tanagra Nanokeratin - Permanent Hair Repair System can be found in most salons throughout South America and is now available in many countries around the world, including Central America, USA, The Middle East, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.



How it works:

Tanagra Nanokeratin is a revolutionary approach which uses the combination of keratin and nanotechnology to recover cuticle damage in the hair by replacing the hairs natural keratin lost through chemical and heat usage.

This advanced state of the art system produces keratin nanomolecules turning them into a micro mist which is then brushed into the hair. Unlike traditional keratin sprays, the Tanagra Nanokeratin process reaches the flaws and fissures of strands avoiding the hyper conditioning and the feeling of dry hair.



What is Keratin?

Your hair structure is a combination of a complex natural protein called keratin, and moisture.
In normal healthy hair, keratin accounts for approximately 90% of the structure and moisture the remaining 10%. Keratin is principally responsible for the hair’s strength and resistance to general wear, while moisture is mostly responsible for its elasticity, flexibility, softness and manageability.

Unfortunately straighteners, colours, perms, blow drying, sun damage, pollution, pool chemicals and even everyday wear and tear like brushing can damage your hairs keratin and moisture levels.

How do you know your hair is damaged? Well your hair will feel and look coarse, woolly and dull. If we look at our hair through a microscope you would see cracks, splits and craters in your hair strands.

Now, with a breakthrough in advanced nanotechnology, scientists in Brazil have developed a
brand new and permanent hair repair system that can ‘turn back the clock’ and restore your
hair structure back to how nature intended it to be, soft, shiny and healthy.

The state-of-the-art Tanagra NANOKERATIN system uses nanomolecular keratin, particles so small that you could get millions onto a pinhead! An incredibly fine and powerful penetrating mist
inserts them into the damaged areas of the hair structure filling them completely. Then the nanomolecules are locked into the hair with another mist, forming permanent and insoluble keratin, just like natures’ own!

The result is beautiful, soft and silky hair in superb condition with an incredible shine. The hair instantly becomes healthier and more manageable. The TANAGRA NANOKERATIN system quite literally puts life back into the hair! Repair is approximately 80% effective on the fi rst application, 90% on the second and 100% on the third application. The TANAGRA NANOKERATIN system uses the same keratin protein as would be found in your hair, but in its smallest possible size, which is then locked in to the hair structure for permanent repair.

TANAGRA NANOKERATIN is quite simply the fastest, most technically advanced and efficient hair repair system in the world. All hair types benefit from this new technology, but the most dramatic results are seen in extremely damaged porous hair.



Here is a lengthy youtube video produced by the company describing the process in detail.



I am extremely excited about this technology but I am also a bit apprehensive about using "new technology" on my hair. If I do decided to shell out $250.00 dollars for this Nanokeratin treatment, you guys will be the first ones to know. By the way, the stylist said the process could take like three hours because they have to cover every strand with keratin molecules.

I also read online that African American women who are natural do not benefit much from this treatment because the hair is already in a pretty healthy state naturally. Women with relaxed hair receive better results with this treatment.

What do you guys think? Is it worth the money?

Taming your tangles, your hair will thank you

There is nothing more frustrating and time consuming then having to deal with a head full of tangled hair. Not only do you have to spend more time on your hair, you're also risking additional breakage as you detangle.

Here are some tips on how you can keep your tangles at bay.

* You need the right tools and supplies. I probably have over 50 combs and brushes in my arsenal. Over the past several years I've been in search of a special comb or brush that I could use daily without the fear of causing more damage to my hair. I have a couple of favorites that I like.

1. Sally's has a bone comb set that I bought a few years ago. It comes with a bunch of various combs in all different sizes and for different functions. There is even a rat tail comb that I use when I rollerset. When I use these combs properly, I have no concerns that unnecessary breakage is happening because of the comb. The beauty of these combs is the smooth surface and seamless construction. I remember the days of old when I would comb my hair and find single broken hairs caught on the seams of the comb. Breakage is frustrating on its own, you don't want your comb getting a piece of the action.

Another helpful piece of advice would be to finger comb your hair before runnning a comb through it. When you use your fingers, you can feel tangles much more easily and work them out with much more care than you would with a comb. Its one thing if your comb causes your hair to break, its a whole different feeling when you experience breakage from your own bare hands.

*You need the right technique. All the fabulous combs in world won't help your hair if you aren't detangling properly. Whenever you are getting ready to detangle, you should begin with a mindset that the activity alone can possibly cause damage. Think of your hair as fragile strands of silk, better yet, think of your hair strands as being as fragile as a spider's web. You are the spider. You must carefully and gracefully navigate through your entire head of hair without disturbing the beautiful essence of it. In other words, don't just run a comb through your hair.

1. Section your hair. If your hair is as thick as mine, it can be overwhelming to detangle your entire head of hair. If you try to take it all on at once, your arms will inevitably become tired and your will take shortcuts just to finish. That's why I recommend sectioning. Sectioning your hair into four pig-tails should be enough but if you want to be even more careful, you can use smaller sections. The smaller the section, the easier it will be for you to locate snags and to carefully work them out of your hair. Sectioning just helps you to put things into perspective. You soon will learn the most difficult parts of your hair prone to matting when you detangle by section. Then you can carefully navigate through your hair without concern. If you tend to go a few days without combing, I recommend smaller sections.

2. Use short strokes. We've all heard that you should begin detangling a section of hair from the bottom up. I like and have used this technique. But for some reason, I have not been able to faithfully use it. If you can, more power to you because it works fabulously. I, on the other hand, have been using a different technique. I take a small section of hair maybe a couple of inches wide. I then take my trusty comb and carefully work it through my roots. Once I have loosened all of the shed hairs, I grab my roots with one hand and begin using very short strokes, with my other hand, to work the shed hairs down the length of my hair. As I move down with the comb, I also move my other hand further down so my hand is only a few inches away from the section I am combing. I never comb a section of hair from root to ends in one stroke. I am not running the comb down my hair, I am working the comb down my hair. There is a huge diffence between the two.

I hope you get the idea of how I detangle. Trying to explain it in writing is a bit difficult. My method is essentially the inverted version of detangling from the ends up. When you do detangle from the bottom up, you use one hand to hold your hair about two inches from the ends then you begin to detangle that small section. Once that section is detangled then you move your hand an inch or two higher until you finally work up to the roots. Please remember that even though I detangle from the root down, I still work on one section at a time (1-2 inches). I NEVER run the comb down the entire length of my hair unless I have already detangled the entire section. The reason why I start from the root down is because my shed hairs tend to remain close to my root. The curly new growth easily winds around other hairs and begins to create a tangle. I found that when I started from the bottom up I would not get to the "root" of the problem until the very end. Whichever way works best for your hair, while causing as little breakage as possible, is the method you should use faithfully.

Other tips for detangling:
*Lubricate-If your hair is dry, it will have a tendency to snap when you manipulate it while detangling. Always start to detangle by using your favorite oil or product on dry hair or leave-in conditioner on wet hair. Tangles are extremely frustrating when rollersetting. Keep a spray bottle of water handy.

* Don't wait too long. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to save the length of my hair by bunning only to loose tons of hair in the detangling process several days later. Loosing up to 100 hairs a day through shedding is not uncommon. Those hairs, if not combed out, will likely end up latching on to other hairs. The longer you go without combing your hair, the bigger the headache later on. Even if you are protective styling, try to see if you can safely detangle your hair every so often.

If you can perfect the way to detangle your hair with as little breakage as humanly possible, you'll be rewarded more length in the long run.

-Here's to the health of your hair.

Too busy for your hair?

Three healthy hair habits you need to maintain even when you're swamped

We all go through times when we are so busy, we're lucky if we even get a decent shower in, never mind our hair. The last thing you want is to become so engulfed in your work that you begin to backslide on your hair maintenance. You know what happens if we neglect to give our hair some TLC for even a short period of time, we end up having to make up for the neglect with months of deep conditioning, trimming, and babying just to get back to where we were.

If you want to avoid neglecting your hair when you have little time, just remember these three tips:

1. Nightly Care- I don't care how late you stayed up getting your work done, you still need to commit to spending just a few minutes every night adding a moisturizing product to your hair. Something special happens during the night when your hair gets some time to absorb moisturizer under a silk or satin scarf. By the time morning comes and you are ready to run out of the door, you need'nt have to worry about what condition your hair will be in when you remove the scarf. This habit is a life saver for both you and your hair when you are running short of time.

2. Fabulous Hair Accessories-The very last thing you want to do when you are short on time is try to style your hair. Running a comb through your hair when you are in a hurry is not cool. That's when we end up with broken hairs at our feet. Avoid this action all together by stocking up on fabulous hair clips, pins, headbands and other hair accessories. When your hair is adorned in a fabulous accent, you automatically reduce the amount of combing you have to do. Accessories give a hint of glamour when we are sporting our protective styles. When we know our hair style looks fabulous, we aren't constantly trying to manipulate it. The less we manipulate, the more our hair thrives.

3. A Solid Hair Routine-Most of our hair routines consist of many intricate steps involving various healthy hair potions in order to get our hair just right. The problem with that is we can't always rely on our 20 step hair routine when we have little time. What we need to do instead is to create a basic hair routine that works just as well. The basic routine should include your favorite shampoo, moisturizing, and/or deep conditioner. Don't skimp on beneficial steps such as a pre-poo if it has a positive impact on the health of your hair.

The most important part of the solid hair routine is your styling method. If your hair only looks right when you roller set, then you must make sure that you roller set. You do not want to experience undesirable results only to go back and have to re-wash and style your hair all over again. Worse yet, you do not want to cause more damage by air drying if your hair reacts adversely to this stylig method. When you look for ways to shorten your routine, remember that your goal is to still achieve very similar results.


Now is the time to plan for those occasions when we can't provide as much time to our hair as we would like. Take a look at your routine and figure out the most beneficial steps and products. The ones that contribute the best results. Those are the key actions that you want to keep and improve upon. They are going to be life savers when you have little time.

Take a few minutes and mentally go over your hair routine. Decide which steps can you omit if you had to and which steps absolutely have to happen. By doing this now, you are saving both your time and your hair in the future.

-Here's to the health of your hair.

Stretching Relaxer Tip: Taming those edges with no heat

This week will be by 8th week since I've relaxed. I can usually go to about 10 weeks on average before finally having to do something with my head. My biggest new growth obstacle is primarily focused in one area, my edges. It doesn't matter how great my hair looks after a rollerset, I still have those curly edges to contend with.

I implemented a critical thinking approach to solving the problem. By asking myself "which tools and techniques work best on smoothing my edges I came up with this short list:

*Tying my hair down flattens my edges
*Using a blow dryer and a round brush after a rollerset straightens my edges
*Using a water based product loosens the curl on my edges

I eliminated the second option as a method of choice for two reasons.
1. That kind of heat and pulling on a regular basis is going to get me in trouble.
2. My Supersolano was knocked off a table by my dog and is not working. Needless
to say, I was not happy about that.

So I was left with two options. But instead of choosing one or the other, I decided to incorporate both. What I pretty much do is spray a little Biolage Leave In tonic around my edges. I use Biolage because it is light enough to use on a daily basis without hideous buildup. You can opt to use any water based leave in that you like. Feel free to use only water if that is your fancy. Some might use aloe or NTM Silk Touch Leave-In. Its whatever your hair likes.

Once the product is in, I use a brush to smooth my edges back. (I use the kind of brushes a brotha would use to brush waves into his hair. The kind with the bristles close together.) After the hair is smoothed, I tie it down with a scarf. The scarf helps the hair to remain in place as it dries.

This is my no-heat method to taming those wild edges of mine. It works pretty well. The fact that I can use this method daily is also a major selling point. I hope you are just as pleased with the results as I am.

-Here's to the health of your hair.

Managing new growth while stretching

Bad news, while I was trying to create the perfect wash, set and blow out, I accidently knocked my Supersalano dryer to the ground because I was startled by my dog. So anyways, because of the hefty price tag, I will now have to find more "creative" ways to deal with my growth aside from using the heat of the blow dryer. This could actually be a good thing. I also decided not to use my flat iron if at all possible. Because I have been a good girl with my vitamins and smoothies, I have quite a bit of growth to contend with even though it has only been a month and a half since my last touch up.

For the next month and a half or so, I will have to be pretty clever in my hair styling techniques to minimize breakage and maximize "cute-age" (is that a word?).
Because of the amount of new growth, wearing my hair down just is not an option. The only area that I really am concerned about with regards to my new growth are my edges. Over the years I have tried some simple methods to tame my wild edges without the use of harsh gel products. These include:

Using a light leave in condition on my dry hair around my edges before tying my hair down at night. When I use this method, my hair dries flat while I sleep without having to add any heat to my hair.

Using fabulous accessories to camoflauge my curly edges. Whenever I use a cute wrap, headband, or scarf over my new growth, I always seem to get compliments. Using accessories kills two birds with one stone. Functionality and Fabulosity!