One of the interesting things that I have discovered about having natural hair is that uneven growth becomes much more noticeable. The hair on the top of my head has always grown faster than the sides and back, but when I was relaxed it was easy to disguise because I would just have my hairdresser cut my hair in layers. Now its different - I don't have that perfectly rounded afro that many people rocked in the '70s. As a matter of fact, when washed and combed out, my hair takes a fro-hawk shape. Well - its not THAT extreme haha, but the top is a little more than 5 inches while the some parts of the sides are between 3 and 4 inches. I know my hair will always grow that way, so my focus is on retaining the growth that does occur and making my hair grow thicker and stronger.
For this fall, I have decided to add some products to my regimen that I have researched and watched many youtube videos on. To track my progress, I plan on doing a growth check every month. Hair grows about a 1/2 inch each month, so if my hair growth plan works, I should have another 1.5-2 inches of growth my the end of December.
The first addition to my regimen is an Castor & Olive Oil mix. I mentioned this oil mix in my hair regimen blog post, but I wanted to talk about it in a bit more detail. I am using a proportion of 1/4 Castor Oil for every 3/4 Olive Oil. I use Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Wal-Mart brand Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I bought a color applicator bottle to apply my oil with because it has a tiny nozzle. I really don't want to use a lot of oil at a time because it'll drip and just make my hair greasy and heavy and a tiny nozzle will ensure that not too much oil comes out at a time.
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| My Hair Growth Ingredients! |
Well, growing up in a Jamaican household, Jamaican Black Castor Oil (I'll be calling it JBCO from now on) is usually in the house. My mother used to moisturize my hair with it when I was younger. When I started taking care of my hair myself, I didn't use it as much, but now that I've done my research on good hair growth products, I've realized why castor oil is a staple in so many Jamaican households. I am biased towards JBCO as opposed to other castor oils because its darker and thicker, and has a stronger scent - for me, that means that it is more natural and has gone through less processing.
Background, Benefits, and Uses of Castor Oil:
Castor Oil is a type of Vegetable Oil derived from Castor Beans. Castor Oil is mostly composed of fatty acids (in my cholesterol blog I said that fats are very good for the hair cuticle).
Benefits:
- It can penetrate deep into the skin and can be used to to treat many skin conditions - and your scalp is skin too!
- Because it penetrates the skin, it can reach the hair's follicle (your roots!) and nourish it. This leads to stronger hair that is more resistant to breakage.
- Helps to prevent hair loss, treats thinning hair and dry scalp
- It also helps to keep the scalp cleansed and healthy
- It is a humectant, which means that it can absorb water from the air - more MOISTURE!
- Castor oil is good for other conditions and ailments. Its other uses can be found here.
People have been enjoying the benefits of Olive Oil since the rise of Ancient Greece. There is even a Greek goddess for Olives & Olive Oil named Athena. Homer called it "liquid gold." Many of you probably use it as cooking oil & eat it in salad dressing, but its great for you internally AND externally.
Benefits
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an excellent skin moisturizer. It easily penetrates the skin, softening tissue and rejuvenating the cells
- It prevents dandruff
- It can be used daily, as a hot oil treatment and as a deep conditioner. More info on olive oil can be found here.
So yeah! Thats the lowdown on Castor Oil & Olive Oil! I'll be massaging a little bit into my scalp most nights before bed, then covering my hair with a satin bonnet to lock in the moisture.
In addition to applying oil to my scalp, I will be adding water & vitamins to my hair on a regular basis. Infusium 23 Pro-Vitamin Leave-In Hair Treatment mixed with water is my choice for hair vitamins. What I usually do its add 1/4 Infusium 23 for every 3/4 of water. I put this mixture in a spray bottle, and use it to dampen my hair before I twist it or do any other sort of style to it. Then, I detangle with a wide tooth shower comb. I like this treatment because it makes me feel confident that my hair is getting the vitamins it needs, especially if I hadn't been eating healthy and/or forgot to take my vitamins.
I'll continue my oil & water treatments through the fall and let you know if they affected the overall health when I do my winter hair regimen plan.
I also wanted to add that it's important to remember that what you put IN your body is almost more than what you put ON your body. Look at it this way,
For example, instead of applying more make up when you get a pimple or two, ask yourself:
- Am I drinking enough water?
- Am I eating too many fatty foods?
The same applies to your hair, if its breaking too much, or is way too dry ask yourself:
- Am I eating healthy foods?
- Am I stressed?
- Am I sleeping enough at night?
- Am I taking my vitamins?
- Do I exercise?
I ask myself these questions, and sometimes the answer is no. And the thing is, all of these things lead to healthy hair. Sometimes we forget the things we apply externally aren't enough, and thats okay, as long as we try to make a change and take care of our insides too. Love yourself and take care of your body - you'll be surprised at how phenomenal your results will be! Taking care of yourself will put you in a better position to take care of others. Being able to be there for the ones we care about, to support and encourage them is an awesome capability! Love yourself so you can love others,
Be Big & Beautiful
xoxo
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| MARSHA!!! Love her both solo and as a member of Floetry |
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