Hair Tips

Bonnie Henna

“I wash my hair twice a week and drink lots of water. My hair grows healthier and my hairline is stronger when I drink lots of water. I moisturize it everyday. I lean more towards natural oils e.g coconut and olive oil; I do regular treatments and I love my hair. When I handle my hair, I speak to it; I tell it that it is beautiful and that I love it just the way it is. I need to do that because it speaks to a deeper place in me that has been filled with messages from my environment which reinforce that black hair is not good hair or that it is high maintenance. Through regularly speaking positive affirmations about my hair to myself, I’ve grown confident in wearing it any way I wish, despite what people might think or say.”

“I do a lot of braids because my hair grows faster that way, so I use Sta soft-fro braid spray, Ladine hair renewal(with tea tree oil and yang yang oil for my hairline and medicated MPL oil for my scalp.”

Gontse Malope

“Wash-and-go only when I don’t have a choice (I don’t have time or energy to blow it dry). But what I have now learnt is to blow it dry and then I can go two weeks without having to blow it dry again, if I plait it into 6 small plaits every night before I go to bed. ”

“With my braids, I wash them once every two weeks, base my scalp and from there I can go on with spraying every third day.”

“The lady who does my hair is Gift. She co-owns Ethnic Hair Masters Unisex Hair Salon at Fourways Gardens shopping center.”

 

Nkuli Sibeko

“When in Cape Town I always go to Braid Sensations in Mowbray main road. They truly understand natural hair there and they are gifted! But mostly you’ll find me in Klerksdorp – where we live – at La Jady on Enoch Santonga road. The owner, Lady, is an expert at hiding my hair under weaves and Ntibaleng does everything else for me beautifully and gently! (U know how some people try pull your hair out of your scalp when they plaiting it!) Ntibi gives the best head massages ever!”

“On a normal hair day, I’ve plaited my hair in 4 sections before bed, so I undo the plaits, then either comb and tie back or divide into more peaks and shake it out.(Causing my mom to raise her eyebrows and shake her head!) I always use spray before I leave the house.”

“I like to mix it up a bit – at home I have Head and Shoulders shampoo and Pantene conditioner – I know they are made for white people but they make my hair clean and soft! I’ve been told to stop using them. Soon I will!
At the salon they use Sunsilk shampoo and Ladine conditioner and some other secret treatment that they refuse to tell me the name of! But it works like a dream!
Daily I use the naturals range, the Naturals olive oil hair food, Naturals oil sheen spray – for shine and their moisturising spray – for health, but not at the same time that’s too much. They use those at salon too.
And after plaits or braids I use Naturals hair mayonnaise to treat my hair at home.”

“Advise: don’t let them blow out your ‘fro to make it more managable! That just means easier for them to deal with for that moment not easier for you or your for your life! There are other ways to make your managable, find a salon that understands that! Or just do it yourself at home. That’s the best thing about natural hair - you can do it yourself without doing it any harm! And when it comes to style, anything rocks, everything works when you know that you look good!”

 

Kaone Kario

“For now coconut oil and castor seem to be doing the trick.I haven’t always been good to my hair.I wasn’t kind to it,so now I dedicate as much love and devotion to it as I give my skin.”

“‘I’m getting better and taking care of my hair. For now no hot water.I make little maphondo so I can oil the scalp,and when they come out the hair looks a bit more brrr;You feel?”

Zuleikha

 

“I wash it twice a week, get treatment and styling once a month or once in two months.”

 

Andrea

“Monthly I do a henna treatment it strengthens the hair and gives it a bit off colour I also get a trim after 6-8 weeks, if I don’t, my hair starts to break. Weekly I wash using Mega Growth Profectiv shampoo. I just learned to detangle — by first using a cheap condish, twisting my hair and doing a deep treatment with my favourite conditioners. I love mixing things and creating a concoctions. I also add olive oil, put a shower cap and sit for as long as I can. Then I just redo it into smaller twists using JO’M beeswax shea butter & other products or leave it au naturale.”

“I’m still trying out a lot of products to see what suites me, it’s only a year that I’ve been natural the “right way”. I mostly buy at Clicks or Checkers or Ebony (an Indian owned shop). I use Profectiv Mega Growth, their products are good.  I also use JO’M hair products, their shea butter & beeswax works good for my twist.  ORS (organic root stimulator) — I love their Smooth n Hold Pudding for my afro. Soft n free also has a new “natural” range milk protein & olive oil. Natural oils are also a must.”

“If you really want beautiful natural hair try taking a holistic approach to it, it will change not only your hair regimen but your way of life and thinking for the better… also always remember, water is key.”

 

Lerato

“Work with your hair. It knows the best ways to wear it. There are days when I try to wear a badu-like wrap and my head just aches. Natural is best, simply because it is authentic to you and really what can beat nature?”

 

Thato

“I noticed that if I wash my hair without plaiting it into sizable “threes” or “amapondo” it tangles horribly and is hard to detangle. I now plait my hair into “amapondo” then I wash my hair weekly with baking soda, aspirin (Dispirin) and lemon juice.

I pour lemon juice and massage my scalp with it for about 15 mins (for those with sensitive scalps you can dilute the lemon juice).Yes, do expect it to sting or be a bit itchy this is normal. I stir in 500 mg aspirin (Disprin) with a couple of teaspoons of baking soda in lukewarm water in a cup.  (This mixture keeps my scalp clean and lowers the dandruff; if you have a lot of dandruff you can make this mixture in to a paste to exfoliate your scalp.)

I pour this mixture onto my scalp then rub/massage it. I do this for at least 3 mins, before I rinse it with tepid or cool water. I rinse my hair and scalp well making sure there is no baking soda residue left in my hair.

Only after I have applied the coconut oil and olive oil mixture on to my scalp do I apply it on my hair while it is still plaited and wet. To avoid shrinkage I undo the plaits and redo them immediately making sure that I do this while my hair is still wet.

I only air dry my hair (unless I am doing a blow out) then I undo the plaits and VOILA style as desired.

As I have mentioned before it is now harder to moisturise my hair. To counter the breaking caused I have recently bought the Organic Root Stimulator Carrot Oil which I will be applying 2 times a day to preserve the moisture. I hope the hair fairy makes this works”

To wash:         

lemon juice      (any kind is great even the cheap house brand)

Baking soda    (Bicarbonate of soda, again any brands works the same)

Disprin             (Aspirin 200mg or 500mg it does not matter which strength you use)

To Moisturise:   

Olive oil /pure coconut oil mixture

Organic root stimulator carrot oil

Hair strength:  

Kair restoring placenta (I use this twice a week)

Blow out:            

To protect my hair from heat when I am using the blow dryer I use TRESemme heat defence styling spray.

 

Moratuoa

“Eish, there really isn’t a specific product I use: like I said, I’m not into “hair” so I put any “good” hair product I can get my hands on. That being said, my preference is Jabu Stone brands.

 

Lorato

“I try to go for a treatment and wash at the salon, but I often do it myself.  I plait my hair into small “maphondos” every night and cover it with a doekor old pantyhose.  This way it is softer when I comb it in the morning.”

“I wash and treat my hair even when I have the weave on.  I also use a moisturizing hair spray so that my natural hair does not become dry and neglected.  I also apply hair food to protect the hair line from receding.”

“I use Virgin-hair hair food and Sta-Sof-Fro moisturizing hair spray which I purchase from Discom.”

Moleboheng

 

“Jabu Stone beeswax and shampoo or Stylin Dred products.”

Singer & Actress, Tumi Masemola

“Well, it starts the night before – moisturize the scalp and hair, comb thoroughly and plait. In the morning, unplait and style.

Natural Student: Boitumelo

“I am old school so after I wash my hair with sunlight(green traditional bar soap) and mosturise it with  a mixture of Castor oil and Sta-so-fro, I plait it before I go to sleep.That’s if I want to stretch it.”

Natural Student: Shadi

“I don’t follow a strict hair regimen; however I do go to the salon for regular maintenance, Caivil hair products work wonders for my hair. I use Caivil mend and gro, Caivil shampoo and something a friend suggested Black Chic Hair Fertiliser. I enjoy braiding my own hair, but I leave it to the professional for treatment.”
“think Jabu Stone hair salons are amazing, because they are specialized, but I hate the fact that some of them are soo ridiculously priced. But then again it’s Jabu Stone.”

Business Natural: Flowers From Fatima

“My regime is always changing. I am still learning the right plan of action for my hair. At the moment, I wash my hair weekly with the all natural BAKING SODA! It is a wonderful cleanser and leaves my hair EXTREMELY soft. I deep condition my hair every two weeks with honey and olive oil. With every wash, I rinse my hair with Green or Black Tea, depending on how I am feeling. I use African Butter to oil my scalp and hair.”

 

Rhythm City’s Relebogile Mabotja

• Always plait before going to bed. Even if its 4 “ma-pondo”. Just so that your hair has some body and volume and “puffiness” to it in the morning.
• Hairfood for your scalp
• Regular treatments
• Wash and conditioning
• No Chemicals whatsoever – not even a little to “soften” the hair
• Sleep ka “tuku”
• Give my hair a break when I can from the strain of plaiting. My hair style’s are dictated by work, depending on the character I am playing and where we are in the shooting schedule. So when I have freedom, I let my hair down…I mean, pick my fro!

“Keep moisturized, protect hairline, sleep with a doek, wash and condition regularly (smells good and keeps your hair healthy), try different things (experiment) but also find what works for the shape of your face. When in doubt, research, don’t just copy the trend.”

Nonkululeko “Afroqueen”

“I do my own hair and products I am using are Jabu Stone products (Hair foods, Treatments).”

Ndumi

“I have a very simple regimen. I wash my hair every Sunday with Head and Shoulders Damage Rescue for both dandruff and hair breakage. I then towel dry it and base my scalp with Virgin root stimulator. To keep it soft, moisturized and smelling good, I use coconut oil hair food. Every second Sunday, I use Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise for treatment. When I have braids on, I use fertilizing temple balm to keep my hair line in check.”

The Beautiful Miranda Mokhele

Rosemary

“I wash my hair myself fortnightly. I don’t dry hair with hairdriers but leave it do dry on its own with a special towel that you can get from Dischem. I use Jabu Stone Beeswax for twisting and Carrot oil for moisture and shine.”

Natural Oils That Are Good For Our Hair

Une Autre Naturelle

The night before I wash:

• I mix Castor oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil together.
• I section my daughter’s hair
• I apply the oil mixer (with an applicator) to her roots.
• I use the remaining oil mixer predominately on the ends of her hair and rub the remaining into her hair.
• After I have applied oil in each section of her hair I cover her hair with a satin bonnet and off she goes to bed

The morning after:

• After breakfast, I wash her hair with diluted castile soap
• Then I apply a conditioner mix (conditioner, coconut oil, olive oil)
• When applying the conditioner mix, I section her hair and apply in sections
• Once the conditioner has been applied I comb out her hair (again, in sections)
• I twist the hair that has been combed out
• Once all her hair is combed and twisted, I place a plastic cap on her hair & leave in for 20 minutes to 1 hour.  (to be honest, this gives me time to clean up and prepare dinner)
• Once the allotted time has passed, I rinse her hair with warm then cool water (keeping the hair in the sections)

Hair Style:

Now that I have finished washing her hair, I apply…

• Hair Milk
• Shea Butter Leave in Conditioner
• Always have a spray bottle available (water, olive oil, jojoba oil)
• I normally use a protective style with her hair – double strand twist and seal her ends with coconut oil
• I like this because I am able to keep her hair like this for at least two weeks but it can look different every day

Oils I used:

Castor Oil: Coats the hair shaft, smooth cuticle layer, seals moisture leaving hair feeling soft.  I would avoid this if you are prone to an oily scalp.

Olive Oil: naturally rich in Vitamin E, restores luster. Good for dandruff suffers.

Jojoba Oil: known to develop new hair growth by dissolving build up on the scalp, smooths out cuticles, helps hair stay healthy and clean

Coconut Oil: known as an excellent conditioner, keeps your hair free of dandruff

http://anothernaturelle.wordpress.com/

Danya Steele

I condition my hair in the shower almost every day and wash my hair maybe every 2-3 days. If I washed it any more than that, it would dry out and damage my hair. And then when I get out, I like to put a moisturizer/gel-like product to hold my curl pattern. That’s pretty much my staple:
1. Condition
2. Pat Dry (so, no dripping)
3. Apply a gel product that is alcohol-free and perhaps a moisturizer.

On days when I am maybe staying home and don’t care as much about my curl pattern, I skip the gel, just add a moisturizer and my hair just feels really soft.

I am always experimenting with products. ONE thing I have found is that there really is no reliable “it” for everyone. A woman who looks like she has the SAME TEXTURE hair as you will suggest something wholeheartedly/enthusiastically, and then you’ll take it home and be like, “huh? say what? this does what? no it doesn’t!”

So one thing I’ve learned as a woman with naturally curly hair is that you really don’t ever know unless you try it for yourself. I would suggest not blindly assuming someone else’s recommendation will work for you, because that’s not true.

What DOES seem to work for everyone: alcohol-FREE gels and PROTEIN-based gels. These don’t dry out your hair. And EVERYONE needs that (needs something that doesn’t dry them out). Watch out for stuff that smells great and looks great but one of the first ingredients is alcohol. Use that for long enough and watch your hair dry riiiight up.

Personally (even though different products work for everyone), one line of product that seems to do wonders for many women I know (including myself) are things from Aussie Hair. Their conditioners are really great and some of the best I’ve used. But I switch up my conditioners all the time. I think Aussie actually has alcohol in it, and I’d ideally love to find a conditioner that WORKS like Aussie and is alcohol-free.

Lunga

I will not lie,  I have no specifics products. There is always someone suggesting something that makes your hair soft and all. I find though that no matter what hair food I use, if I sleep with plaits, my hair is on point.

Mizi

wash it weekly at least when I have my twists. When its a fro its daily til I twist it. I use Colgate shampoo and yellow Avon hair tshasment which was a freebee they sent to my office. Will be at a loss when it runs out.

Nonkululeko Godana

When I don’t have a lot of time and when I can’t get to a hairsalon to plait my hair, I have a couple of hairstyles I do that allow me to breathe easy. I tie it back in a bun at the back or on top — bhop’ iphondo!.

Otherwise, I use style combs or pins to tuck in the sides into semi-mohawk which stays like that for at least a week. I also know how to do a french plait on my -own hair, so I would sometimes style it into a front-out-back tucked-in hairstyle. That also stays and doesn’t need me to do anything to it in the morning.

Rachel Stewart

• I co-wash everyday; I don’t use shampoo
• I put on some Shea Butter and Cantu moisturizer and let it air dry
• I like to keep it simple

I only blow-dry for photo-shoots and when I go out on the town, so about once a month I blow it out…but on a day to day basis, I wash ‘n go…blow drying weekly would be much too damaging and probably wouldn’t have retained as much length if I did.

I also use a growth aid called Megatek. It makes my hair strong and keeps it from breaking so I can actually retain my length.

I also never trim my hair…that’s defeating the purpose of growing it too long. If it’s healthy, there’s no need to trim. It’s a myth that trimming hair makes it grow. Your hair grows from the inside of your head; trimming does not affect that whatsoever. If you had 10 long strong beautiful nails, would you cut them? No…same goes for hair.

Johannah Moriti

• Firstly, you need to understand the structure of black natural hair. Black natural hair is coils and not curly. Therefore you need to handle it with care and love it. Most people don’t. They think it’s the worst thing that ever existed on earth and that’s not true. If you understand your hair structure, you will be able to maintain it well.
• Because of its tight coils, combing it can be a nightmare. When u comb it u need to be patient and use the right comb eg. Afro comb to separate the coils, then u can use a comb with smaller teeth and when you encounter knots, stop and separate them with your figures. With JO’M products that can be a walk in the park.
• Plaits and braids are also good, provided they don’t pull your hair when plating or braiding. Make sure of that. Your braids must be kept not more than 2months.

Zama

“I wash my hair basically when it feels dirty, then I condition and let it air dry. I will then put on my moisturisers. The products I use are from the Organic Root Stimulator line.”

Ayoka’s 5 year old

“1. Very low manipulation. This is the most important thing I must emphasize for type 4 hair. 4b hair is the most fragile and if you’re breaking it off while you’re trying to grow it, you’ll never see length. I’m able to avoid a lot of manipulation because I keep it stretched never letting it bunch up, tangle up or shrink.

2. Keep it stretched. This is especially important for me because she has a lot of hair and I can’t afford the situations that will surely jump off, if I allow all that hair to shrink and wrap around each other. The detangling would be enormous. The way I keep her hair in a stretched state is by keeping it moisturized, oiled and in box braids, this way it is never really tangled to the point where I have to go at it like a mad woman. I am able to detangle her hair for the most part using my fingers. I use a wide tooth comb to help and a soft brush down the length of it to smooth it out when I style it. The most important thing is to never snatch though it. Be gentle and work your way from the bottom when detangling.

3. I never wash it all loose. That would be an epic undertaking. I always keep her hair separated. I take her braids down one at a time (I do this in our bath tub) wash, condition, rinse and sloppily twist or braid that section and continue on to the next until I’m done and ready to style. I mostly co-wash and ACV rinse prior to co-washing when it’s really dirty. When washing I do not ever scrub the hair against itself like you see in commercials this will create tangle and knots. I wet the section thoroughly and pull the conditioner gently down her hair shaft and rinse downward, loosening and separating any tangles as I go using a wide tooth comb from the ends upward if necessary.

4. Moisture is key for type 4 hair because as we all know it’s drier than a dessert. My daughter’s hair likes heavy products. So any thick leave-in or moisturizer is where I start on her damp washed hair. I coat each section with a leave in or moisturizer (not picky just has to be thick) and then seal with olive oil and shea always gently pulling the product down the hair shaft. This is heavy but for her dry hair it smooths it out and helps it to stretch to the max without heat. I spray her scalp and braids with pure Aloe Vera juice mixed with olive oil. I redo her hair no more than every two weeks. If she’s rocking 8 or more braids that can be styled different ways, I’ll leave it up for up to a month, cleaning her scalp with a wet rag and cleaning her braids from top to bottom with a wet rag, sometimes I’ll wash her hair while in the braids if it gets to dirty. Yes it gets fuzzy when I do this but sometimes I’m lazy and sometimes she doesn’t feel like getting it done lol. If she’s got her 5 braid situation going on, I will of course take her hair wraps off each braid and tie her hair up at night and use some product to brush and smooth it in the morning and put her hair bands (non-elastic and using very little tension). She looks fresh like that for 2 weeks.” Ayoka

Nipha

I use Stylin dreadz spray for sheen & moisture. Bedtime: I wear the great black stalking aka mgusha…lol and yes it works wonders in keeping every hair in place

Li’l Olwethu

She mostly wore it in plaits, so usually after a weekly wash, I’d plait it and then later in the week undo the plaits to let her scalp breathe.

Doing her hair was never a struggle like it is with many babies. We had to be creative. So what I’d usually do is distract her by putting her on my mom’s back (she loves it) and then do her hair without any hassle.

When she turned 1yr 2m, I switched her hair products from Johnson & Johnson baby oil to Kubi range (hairfood and spray). The baby oil had started giving her a rash on the scalp.” Olwethu’s mom, Kele

Nomalanga

Biggest natural hair care must haves: shampoo, conditioner, hair food and hair spray. The single most powerful ingredient though is PATIENCE!

For the afro do’s I keep an afro comb and hairspray handy and for the braids and the cornrows a soft brush is key; to keep them nice and tidy. I wash my hair at least once a week and these are the products I swear by:

• Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo – restores moisture
• Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner
• Caivil Natural Options Hair and Scalp Nourisher Spray with Tea Tree oil
• Caivil Natural Options Moisture Mold – great for dreadlocks (thickness and texture)
• Caivil Natural Options Hair Food – for keeping hair nourished and healthy

I am always prepared that natural hair WILL misbehave. When all else fails – I simply wear a headwrap.

Top summer holiday hair care tips

1. Avoid being exposed to direct sunlight for long hours. It’s not only your skin that needs protection but your hair too. Make sure your hair is always moisturized so that it doesn’t dry out quickly.

2. Wear a protective hairstyle like plaits, twists or braids. This will help to keep your hair ‘under-wraps’, thus protecting it from the harsh rays of the sun. Protective hairstyles don’t only protect your hair, but you will sure look funky and beautiful!

3. Invest in a good sun hat or an ultra cool trilby hat. If you are not a hat person, you can always rock beautiful trendy scarves. These really look chic for summer.

4. Drink lots of water. This does wonders for your whole body (and you hair will also benefit!).

Charlotte

Wash:  Once a week with Head ‘n Shoulders shampoo
Conditioner: Dark ‘n Lovely hair cholesterol (once in 2-3 weeks)
Moisturizer: MPL oil (once a week after a wash & before plaiting); It leaves my hair feeling soft & smelling good.
Scalp conditioner: Virgin Hair fertilizer
“I wear protective hairstyles most of the time (‘Benny ‘n Betty’ or twists) and spray with Styling Dretz hair spray.
For twists, I apply Jabu Stone beeswax for them to stay intact for longer. “

“8 years into natural hair journey, I’m still a product junkie.lol”

She Davids

Believe it or not I use anything for my hair but my favorite would be COLGATE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER, it actually makes my hair shine, and of course every coloured lady’s trusty “swirl kouse” (this is a pantyhose which has been cut by the knee of the one leg.  A knot is then tied at the ‘foot’ part and you would then stretch out the leg part of the pantyhose. Once you hair has been blown straight, you ‘wrap’  the hair around your scalp and put the pantyhose over it, to keep your hair in place while sleeping.)

Weekly wash with shampoo and conditioner and then blow dry.

Li’l Tsoanelo (2yr old)

“Like any new mother I had difficulties in finding the right products for the new addition to our family and I tried a lot of different products (most of which were gifts from my baby shower); from, which soap to use for her bath, which shampoo, which brand etc. The list and variety was endless and in order to get the ones that I was most happy about I had to go through the trial and error route. Stick to what we like and eliminate what we don’t.
After a while I found that the Johnson’s Baby range was IT for us, she had no allergies to it and I was happy with the smell and the calming effect it has on my nunu.
At first I used the Head to Toe body wash on her body and her hair(every two days or so), and I’d towel-dry her hair and use the Baby Oil as a moisturizer. Then when she turned 4 months we decided that it would be more convenient for us to start having her hair in plaits (mologo) and the first time we tried it out, she looked pretty and we were able to have four lines of the “benny and betty style” done. We used old black stockings (cut into strips) and not wool as I believed that wool would be too thin and get more tangled than the stockings.

Plaiting her hair became a norm and we would have her hair in plaits for two weeks and then in pig tails or a plain afro for a week (so that her scalp can breathe a bit). Because her hair and scalp were now more “exposed” I decided to change her hair products. I used the J&J Shampoo and Detangling Spray with every wash and then after her hair was dry I used the Pure Royal Repair & Grow Hair food and the Scalp Treatment for basing her scalp after plaiting. I would wash her hair at least once a week even when she had it in plaits and then I would base her scalp after every wash.

Styling T’s hair was a bit of a nightmare at times, so I decided to have a hairdresser braid her hair for me in the comfort of our home (this worked wonderfully for us). This meant she could sleep during the process and also have her toys around to keep her busy. Having someone else braid her hair also meant that the person had to be patient.”  Ntshadi, Tsoanelo’s mom