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Control that cuticle layer!

Written By Bold Apps - February 13 2014

Gaining control of your cuticle layer is akin to mastering the condition of your hair!

The two ways in which to manipulate your cuticle layers and get them to react are as follows:

Mild heat – Good for closing hair cuticle scales - head-dryers (15-20 minutes), wrapping hair with drying towel after shampooing (45 minutes). Mild heat is NOT obtainable from sunlight, curling irons, plastic caps or sweat.
PH of hair products – The PH measures how acid or alkaline a substance is and the scale ranges from 0 to 14 (0= a very strong acid & 14 = a very strong alkali). Highly acidic substances force cuticle scales shut and strong alkalines force them open

Cuticle scales can be lifted/become excessively porous from friction, poor diet, genetics, over-processing and environmental stress. When your hair is too porous, your hair ends up losing moisture just as quickly as it takes it in. Unless we learn how to keep our cuticles closed, excessive lifting will result in very dry, brittle and damaged hair. Oils and waxes are not moisturisers. Moisture is a property of water and water increases elasticity in hair. In order to effectively moisturise your hair water is necessary. But because water is absorbed so quickly by hair and evaporates just as fast, it isdifficult for hair to remain moisturised for long periods of time. This is where sealants & conditionersbecome essential. We all know that deep conditioning treatments are great for hair but few people know how or why. The reason we deep condition after washing is because we want to get moisture in our hair first to increase elasticity and minimize breakage but we also want to seal it in with emolients. The process itself is called ‘deep conditioning’ because it allows the beneficial ingredients to literally penetrate your hair shaft deposit lost lipids, nourish and seal in moisture. For the best deep conditioning results apply mild heat on washed hair that has had conditioner in it for at least 20 minutes (the longer the better).

Good conditioners contain proteins vitamins and oils that work on multiple levels to add strength and shine. Hug My Hair uses ingredients such as extra virgin avocado oil, coconut oil, wheat germ oil and beeswax. All these provide an abundance of nutirents and a coating to retard water evaporation. The coat makes the hair look shiny and smooth because it fills the gaps that lifted cuticle scales reveal and gives the appearance of a flattened cuticl and therefore healthy looking hair. This is why hair needs a routine. A regular hair care regime allows you to balance styling with maintenance ensuring your hair cuticle stays protected and enabling you to retain length. If you do use moisturisers then the PH of them is important. You can measure the PH level of anything that is water soluble. The best PH level for products that you place on your hair should be within an acidic PH level of 4.5 – 5.5 which is similar to the body’s natural moisturiser sebum. If your hair products are the wrong PH then they cannot effectively close the cuticle scales meaning any deposited ‘good stuff’ isn’t locked in and can therefore be easily lost. A sign of this is experiencing dry hair shortly after applying a moisturiser. PH strips are cheap if you can bebothered to test your products. I bought mine from Ebay here Have you mastered your cuticle layer? Tell us your thoughts.

How porous is your hair?

Written By Bold Apps - February 06 2014

Hair porosity is the ability of the hair to retain and absorb moisture. *Quick porousity test - take a couple of stands of hair from your comb and drop into a bowl of water, let it sit for 2 - 4mins. If your hair floats you have low porosity, if it sinks you have high porousity. Alternatively you can choose a strand of your hair stretch it and run your fingers up and down, if it is bumpy it is a sign that your scales are lifted/broken and you have high porousity. Low Porosity Hair Characteristics & Care Tips:

Healthy looking, shiny, repels moisture when wet, hard to treat chemically as it resists penetration
Stay away from protein rich daily treatments as this can 'sit' on your hair making it look oily and greasy
Protein-free daily humecant treatments such as glycerin (including vegetable glycerin) and honey can benefit your hair by attracting and holding moisture to the hair
Use lighter liquid based products such as hair milks
Emoilients such as coconut oil complement moisturerisers because they are able to penetrate your hair shaft more readily

Medium Porosity Hair Characteristics & Care Tips: Holds styles well, doesn't require much maintenance, can be permed and coloured with predictable results

Do not over process/style this hair as this can cause damage in the long run and increase porosity
The occaisonal deep conditioning treatment with protein rich products can maintain good hair conditions but protein rich products shouldn't be used in your daily hair regimen

High Porosity Hair Characteristics & Care Tips:

Prone to frizz & tangling in humid weather due to capacity and tendency to allow moisture in freely, simply bathing can cause your hair hair strands to swell
Anti humecants (such as beeswax, palm oil, olive oil and shea butter) used in high heat and humid climates allow your hair to retain moisture by adding a protective layer to the shaft and prevents them from absorbig excess moisture from the environment
Protein rich leave in conditioners, moisturisers, sealants/hair butters are your best friend, these fill the gaps in damaged cuticles adding protection from further damage and protects your hair from losing too much moisture

Which category do you fall under? Tell us your hair care regimen

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 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:

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Control that cuticle layer!

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How porous is your hair?

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How well do you know your hair?

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Hair Type 3

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Hair Type 4

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