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How well do you know your hair?

Written By Bold Apps - January 30 2014

Your hair strands are made up of overlapping protein-based keratin scales that can lift open and seal shut. These scales protect the inner layer of your hair which is called the cortex. The cortex is made of a string of proteins and is what gives hair elasticity and strength, which is why hair that is badly damaged cannot return to its original shape and snaps when stretched.

Damaged hair looks damaged because the scales stand up and outward exposing the cortex, allowing for harmful substances to be deposited, making your hair feel dryer and as a result - harder to brush. Damaged hair is often refered to as porous hair. To obtain the appearance of healthy hair (I use the term appearance here because all hair is dead) it is important to understand two things - how to control the opening and closing of your hair's cuticle layer and how to obtain and maintain the desired level of moisture. One analogy I like is that of a rubber band, how many times can you stretch it and release before it snaps? Its the same with hair strands; when hair is washed water is absorbed through the scales and into the cortex, causing the strand to expand, and when the water evaporates and your hair dries your hair strand contracts. Hair strands can only take so much of this before they snap. It's for this reason that people use pre-poos to protect their cuticle layers during washing and prevent excessive moisture loss. All hair care products are geared towards protecting, maintaining and substituting the cuticle layers of your hair.

Hair Envy

Written By Bold Apps - January 23 2014

I don’t know about you guys, but growing up I had SERIOUS hair envy; with both friends and family. At school everyone had long hair and we’d sit on the floor cross-legged in assembly and finger-comb and braid the shiny hair of the girl in front. I used to day-dream about having my hair played with. I’m the youngest of 6 girls and remember wondering why I didn’t have my elder sister’s luscious locks, was it that I was born last that all the good stuff had ran out? There simply wasn’t enough left for me? Their hair was thick and long and listened to the rules of gravity, whereas mine was... well, something else. The sides were never long enough to be pulled to the back for a ponytail (well it wasn't a tail even, more a ponypoof) and by the end of the day it had shrunk so much that the thought of putting a comb through it had me closing my eyes and clenching my teeth in preparation. I remember putting my skirt on my head and pretending it was my hair. And when my mother went to work I’d find her weaves and wrap it around my head and pretend it was mine and make sure I put it back just how I found it before she came home. Even though I hated fish - I’d eat it because one of my sisters said it would make my hair grow. Needless to say when I didn’t see any results my relationship with fish ended rather abruptly. Have you ever been guilty of hair envy? what crazy things did you used to do to make yourself feel better about your hair?

Hair Type 3

Written By Bold Apps - January 16 2014

Posted by Lil

Type 3 hair consists of curls that range from slight to very curly. They are defined and give the impression that if you were to sever a group of curls from their roots and attach them to a legless pogo stick– it would still work just fine (so basically this hair type is generally very bouncy). Before we get into the sub-categories, let’s look at some general facts and interesting points to note about curly hair:

Elasticity is lower in black curly hair and higher in light coloured hair. The better the elasticity – the stronger the hair.
Tends not to hold its natural oils so well leading to dry/frizzy hair
Sealing in moisture and maintaining style can be hard to balance
Locking in moisture should be on your priority list when it comes to taking care of your curls

Type 3a hair is naturally loose, often shiny and can easily be straightened. The kryptonite to 3a hair is an unpredictable climate. When washing your hair use cleanser’s that are sulphate-free and when your hair feels dry, moisturise with a leave-in conditioner. A celebrity with 3a hair is Shakira. Type 3b hair has curls that are about the circumference of a Sharpie. It can be a chore to straighten, isn’t particularly shiny and can be quite coarse at times. The curls can range from bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews. Creamy hair products work best to reduce frizz. When you wash your hair use a moisture balancing cleanser. A celebrity with 3b hair is Keri Russel. Type 3c hair is fuller than 3b. The curls are often fine and can be densely packed together. The circumference of this hair type is of a pencil or a straw. This hair can also be kinky or very tightly curled and straightening it is a chore but it is not impossible. Use moisturising cleansers when washing yourhair and condition with rich nourishing conditioners. Creams, butters and oils will make your hair more manageable as well as provide added protection against breakage.For your hair-type Hug My Hair recommends. For your hair-type Hug My Hair recommends Vintage , Because Olive You and Multiseed Hair Oil. References:

Hair Type 4

Written By Bold Apps - January 09 2014

Posted by Lil This is where the hair classification system starts to refer to ‘black people’s hair’ exclusively. Although some people with this hair type would say that their hair falls into different sub-categories ('a' at the front 'c' at the back etc), it still helps to know how one can generally care-for their hair, so I personally find this chart very useful. Let’s begin with some interesting facts about black hair: 1. The hair growth rate of African people is 0.9cm per month whereas Asian people enjoy a growth rate of 1.3cm per month 2. African hair is more fragile in comparison to European hair 3. African people generally have black and curly hair that is dry in nature 4. Balding can be seen more in African and European people as compared to people of Asian origin 5. Elasticity is lower in black curly hair and higher in light coloured hair 6. Type 4 hair can range from coarse, wiry, thin to fine hair with lots and lots of strands densely packed together. People with the latter often describe their hair as ‘carpet-like’. Type 4a hair resembles defined coils that often have the circumference of a chop stick or crochet needle. There is a definite 'S' pattern and it has more moisture than 4b. The texture can be fine and wiry and can often have areas where the hair is more 3c. Due to the fewer cuticle layers than other hair types, this hair has less natural protection from damage. A celebrity with this hair type is Solange Knowles. Type 4b hair has less of a defined curl pattern but more-so than that of a person with 4c. The texture of the hair is cotton like, wiry and often very tightly coiled. Hair can up to 75% of its actual hair length when wet. When washing this type of hair use a heavy and creamy cleanser. Products that contain honey and coconut are great for detangling as they have lots of slip and allow you to detangle with ease. Deep condition your hair weekly to keep your coils hydrated and seal in moisture with hair milks or styling butters. A celebrity with this hair type is Esperanza Spalding. Type 4c hair resembles what I like to call a sponge. It looks almost identical to 4b hair - except the curls are so tightly wound that the curl patterns are not defined atall. This hair type is often remarked upon as being the most “challenging” or at least more so than that of a person with 4b hair. This hair type can shrink more than 75% its actual hair length when wet. When washing your hair always co-wash as shampoo suds strip your hair of much-needed moisture. Deep condition every 3 days to maximise the strength of your coils. Heavy creams are great for elongating and defining your otherwise blurred curls. A celebrity with Type 4c hair is Erykah Badu. When it comes to wash day for Type 4 hair (if possible) begin by separating your hair into sections of about 6 and either loosely braid or twist these sections whilst applying conditioner to the ends of your hair (as this is the eldest and therefore most fragile part of your hair). This acts as a 'Pre-Poo' (pre shampoo) and protects your hair's natural and precious oils from being over-stripped by your shampoo. Products that contain coconut oil or avocado oil are fantastic for sealing the hair from the outside – preventing internal moisture from escaping. Similarly when it comes to conditioning the scalp, the particles are small enough to be absorbed into the skin allowing all the beneficial nutrients seep right in and work their naturally fantastic magic. For your hair-type Hug My Hair recommends Palm down...it's just a conditioner and Vintage. References:

What's in your toolkit?

Written By Bold Apps - December 26 2013

Posted by Lil So everyone has their top five things that they can't go without for more than 48 hours when it comes to their hair - especially if they'd rather their hair didn't turn into a bird's nest! I'm going to have a go at listing mine, but it would be great to find out what in yours? 1. A silk/satin cap! When I'm sleeping my cap protects my hair from breaking. This is because it slides against the material rather than rubbing against and/or getting caught onto my cotton pillowcase. I have also managed to find one that doesn't come off at night (i know right? shock shock horror) - I got mine from Ebay for £7.99 here. 2. An empty spray bottle! My hairtype LOVES moisture. And the only thing that can give it moisture is water. I fill my spray bottle with three quarters water and one quarter of my favourite oil (to seal in the moisture). Whenever my hair gets thirsty I give it a quick spritz and I'm good to go. Spray bottles are also handy for section by section detangling (which i do a lot). 3. Silk scrunchies! My hair thinks these things are amazeballs (am I allowed to say that at my age?). Like the silk scarf it doesnt get caught onto your hair and break a chunk off everytime you want to tie your hair up. I've been putting my hair in twists as a protective style and then tying those twists into a ponytail. So far so good. Only thing is that if my hair is oily then they can get a bit oily also so always handy to have more than one whilst the oily one is in the wash. I got mine from Ebay for £2.10 here. 4. A wide tooth comb! Whislt my hair has conditoner/detanger in it, I gently comb through with my wide-tooth comb. The teeth are wide enough to separate groups of curls and prepare hair for styling without aggravating any knots that can be worked through with detangling brush afterwards. 5. Plastic shower cap! As well as the obvious use...these are great for deep conditioning your hair. This keeps the moisture in and the heat build up opens the folicles on the scalp allowing the 'good stuff' from your conditioner to be absorbed. Some people like to put this on and then put the silk bonnet ontop and keep it on overnight. I tried this after saturing my hair with with coconut oil, my hair was very soft after washing out the morning after. If you're on a budget, use a plastic bag, works just as well if you're not keeping it on overnight

There you have it, i've shown you the top 5 of what's in my toolkit, so what do you keep in yours?

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How well do you know your hair?

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Hair Envy

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Hair Type 3

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Hair Type 4

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What's in your toolkit?

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