My hair is permed. (it was when this was written in 2006). This
is a personal decision. I never tell anyone which way they should
choose- permed or natural. I just lay out the pros and cons of the
decision and let people decide for themselves what is best for each of
them. I began the transition to natural hair and found it just was not
right for me. I will share with you what my personal regimen is for my
permed hair. As we say in all of our guides, everyone’s hair is a
little different. What works for me might not work for you. Here are
some general tips to get you started.
Washing- I wash my
hair once or twice a week. I like to use different shampoos to
eliminate the possibility of build-up from a particular shampoo. I
alternate between:
- Huminature Nothin’ But Nature Shampoo
- SheaMoisture Shea Butter Shampoo
- Treasured Locks H2G Awaken Emu Oil Shampoo
- Treasured Locks Huminature Moisturizing Shampoo
Wash gently, but thoroughly, massaging the scalp while washing. When
you dry, blot with a towel rather than rubbing vigorously. Avoid heat
as much as possible for drying. Allow the hair to air dry. Or, you can
even use a conditioning cap to drive some of the moisture out before
blasting the hair with forced hot air.
Conditioning- After washing, I
condition with one of these products:
- Treasured Locks Nothin’ But Nature Conditioner
- Treasured Locks Shea Butter Detangling Conditioner
- Treasured Locks H2G Awaken Emu Oil Conditioner
Deep Conditioning- Twice a month,
after shampooing, I deep condition my hair. I find my hair needs
this more often than my daughters’ natural hair- probably because of
the perm. I will use one of several products:
- Treasured Locks Deep V Conditioner o Treasured Locks Hot Hair
Repair
- Baka Beauty Sahara Clay
- HumiNature Rhassoul Clay
I put one of the deep conditioning products on after shampooing and use
either a microwave or professional heat cap for 30 minutes or so. The
gentle moist heat from the caps allows the cuticles of the hair to open
and the moisturizer to penetrate the hair shaft. A good hot oil
treatment could be done here instead.
Moisturizing- Probably the most
important key to healthy African hair care is moisture. This is really
true if you have a perm. A perm makes it more difficult for the natural
oils to distribute through the hair. After the Deep Conditioning or
Conditioning I moisturize. I use one of these products:
- Treasured Locks Leave -in Spray Conditioner
- Black Earth Protective Mist Bodifier
- Treasured Locks Conditioning Balm
- SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner
- Treasured Locks Locks Of Curls Pomade & Gel
Oiling- The
subject of whether to oil or not is
controversial in African or biracial hair care.
You’ll have to decide for yourself. My experience has been that, for
me, oiling is the right choice. The right oil though is of vital
importance. I use only use all natural oils, mostly plant oils. I avoid
mineral oil and petroleum based products. The one notable exception to
the plant oil rule is emu oil (an animal oil). I love emu oil! This is
one of those places where you’ll really have to experiment. To apply
the product, I put a little of the product in the palm of my hand (and
melt it, if it’s a solid product). I then rub it on the hair and
massage into the scalp. I will not use anything that doesn’t melt at
body temperature. If I happen to use something with a little beeswax
(which has a relatively high melting point), I make sure it still melts
at body temperature so that it doesn’t build up. I often mix a couple
of the products. To be safe, I mostly use products that are liquid at
room temperature. Some of my favorite oils are:
- Shea Butter Oil- has the wonderful properties of Shea Butter, but
in a much lighter, liquid form. We began our company selling nothing
but Shea Butter products. That was before Shea Butter was as popular as
it is now. It’s still a key ingredient in many of our hair and skin
care products.
- Emu Oil- unbelievably good for scalp health. Improves
circulation, reduces inflammation and has natural antiseptic
properties. All help promote hair growth.
- Jojoba Oil- the closest thing to natural sebum itself. Jojoba oil
is technically a wax, not an oil. It can actually make oily skin less
oily and dry skin more oily, In other words, it helps bring skin into
balance. In the case of biracial hair care, we are generally seeking to
add oil to the scalp.
- Castor Oil- nice all natural plant oil that helps humectify (draw
moisture to) the hair and scalp
You can choose from the following products (from heaviest to lightest
in order)
- Pure Shea Butter- Treasured Locks Raw Shea Butter. I don’t
recommend pure Shea Butter for permed hair. It doesn’t work for mine.
- SheaMoisture Shea Butter Herbal Pomade (does contain some
petroleum) o Black Earth Strengthener- (does contain some petroleum)
- Treasured Locks Herbal Hair Balm- Shea Butter based with other
natural butters and oils. Solid product with a low melting point.
- SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner
- Treasured Locks Hair & Scalp Elixir
- Treasured Locks Conditioning Balm
- Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Serum- with Emu Oil. My
favorite.
- Treasured Locks African Argan Oil Elixir
Finishing & Styling- I let my
hair air dry whenever possible. The less heat I can use on my hair the
better. After my hair is dry I lightly run one of these products
through my hair:
- Treasured Locks Hair & Scalp Elixir
- Treasured Locks Liquid Silk
Perm Extender- I was getting a
perm every 8 weeks or so. I have been cutting back as much as
possible, switching to a milder perm and having my beautician leave it
in for less time. While I’m not ready to go completely off of the
chemicals, I do try to use as little chemicals and heat as possible. I
use Baka Beauty’s Natural-Laxer Plus on my hair at 5 -7 weeks into a
perm. I find that this helps with the texture of my hair and allows me
to extend my perm an extra week or two.
Repetition- This is very
important. I repeat the Moisturize and/or Oiling steps above on a
regular basis when I’m combing or styling my hair. I’m careful to avoid
build-up and I don’t use a lot of product. But, I find that putting
something on my hair almost daily is a necessity with permed hair.
Hair Growth/Health Supplements- I
use the Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Supplement and Treasured Locks
H2G Hair Strength Supplement. I have had a noticeable improvement in
the condition of my hair and nails since using these supplements.
Summary
I hope you find this guide useful. We know that what you really want is
a cookbook approach. But, for the reasons we stated at the beginning,
that just isn’t possible. If you follow these general guidelines and
learn how to look for signs of hair health, you can easily begin to
make your hair more manageable. After decades of working with my hair,
I am still improving upon my techniques. After a few days, weeks and
months of using the right products and the proper techniques, you will
see a noticeable improvement.
If you have any questions after reading this, please do not hesitate to
contact us. We’re glad to help. We’re available at
http://www.treasuredlocks.com.
Peace,
Tywana
© 2006 Treasured Locks
