Let's see where did we leave off??? We were discussing the terrible habits that we love to love when it comes to our wonderful hair. So we've covered over- processing, and we've touched on over-styling. Our next category still pertains to styling, however it deals more with the particular style than the actual styling process. Now, I can attest to the fact that keeping up on a hairstyle is no picnic, especially when you add in kids, work, limited time, and the regular mishaps that life often dishes our way. However, there is never really a legitimate reason to subject our hair to some of the foolishness that we do. Again, I remind you all that at some point or another, I too have been guilty of these practices. I like to call this section The Intentional, and soon you'll understand why...
THE INTENTIONAL:
The issue in this category is primarily the tight braids. I do not deny that braids are beautiful, I love them all; cornrows, micros, Senegalese, African twists, French braids, and the list goes on and on. But as beautiful as they are, they can leave behind ugly traces across the scalp, leading to traction alopecia. Traction alopecia is just a fancy way of saying "self induced baldness". This type of alopecia results from the constant stress on a certain part of the hair; namely excessive pulling from wearing tight braids or ponytails. Whether the hair is added or natural, LOOSEN UP! Another way to prevent this type of hair loss is to avoid putting any type of stress on that particular part of the hair when styling. Between braids wear hair in a wrap, allowing the edges a chance to relax. Note that I said "between braids", this implies that braids should not be warn back to back. Taking part in this type of pattern is almost a guarantee that you will create a receding hairline for yourself. Now here comes the "intentional" part...
As a woman who has suffered from the "self inflicted bald or thinning edges syndrome" I know for a fact that this is not a condition that sneaks up on you. Unlike naturally occurring alopecia, there is a very real and obvious solution to this problem. But still we ignore the signs. First the hair forms hair bumps, usually around the perimeter, or hairline, signifying that the style is too tight. Then there is noticeable thinning, eventually a significant amount of hair falls out, exposing the scalp. This is a very prevalent phenomenon, but instead of healing our hair we put in more tight braids or weave to cover up the embarrassing bald spots, and so the cycle begins, ravaging our precious hair.
THE UNAVOIDABLE:
Yes ladies, it would appear that all odds are against us. Even when we are not the culprits or source, it seems even nature is involved! Weather, along with other extrinsic, and environmental factors can contribute to the "weathering" of our hair. In combination with what we do to our hair, weathering is the natural breakdown of the hair which tears away the cuticle and exposes the cortex of the hair over time. This process is exacerbated by things like sun exposure, sea salt exposure, chemicals, and other environmental factors. To make matters worse, neglecting your hair by any means will speed up this process even more.
HMMM??? :
HMMMM:
We have been through the main and somewhat justifiable things that women do to inhibit the health of their hair. On the contrary, there are some things that just cannot be explained and thus neglect to require an explanation as to why they should be avoided... Stop me if you dare, here we go...
- Gel Downs
- Excessive use of petroleum based products
- Rainbow hair
- Skipping Conditioner
- Skipping Trims
- Cutting with "non hair cutting" scissors
And I'm sure the list goes on and on, and on. If I left any pertinent one's off, please feel free to comment. Next time we will visit "Healthy Hair Practices". Until then, hold on to your hair!
This is seriously helpful for all women. Sometimes we fail to realize that we are our own worst enemy sometimes with our hair. It helps to be provided with tips that can help us stay on track and hold on to our hair!
ReplyDeleteSo what can we do to help when getting the hair bumps from the tight braids?
ReplyDeleteI recently attempted to transition to natural hair. I was so excited when i went to the braiding salon but the experience was not so great. Sure I got beautiful cornrows that I got many compliments on, but that also came with the hair bumps you've described. What disturbed me was that while I was getting my hair "professionally braided", I kept telling the lady that she was braiding too tight. The women in the salon actually LAUGHED at me and said that I was only in pain bc I wasn't used to getting my hair braided. My Mom used to braid my hair every summer as a child and I NEVER felt pain to the point where my eyes watered! But when I called my friends and my sister, they assured me that my scalp was tender bc it was my first set of braids since I was 10 so I toughed it out. Sure enough, within three days my hairline was plagued with bumps, redness, and a stinging itch. When I showed my friends and family, they had this nonchalant attitude, like oh yeah, that happens. Ummm, were these people crazy? I didn't care what they said, I knew that this was unhealthy and it was definitely not a *normal* condition from braids. I searched for other salons that cared about the health of my hair and scalp but ultimately got so frustrated that I went back to relaxers since I never had an issue with keeping my hair healthy with the chemical. So all this to say that I don't think women are necessarily "intentionals", but we as a people have excepted this unhealthy treatment of our hair as NORMAL and unavoidable. Thanks for helping to break these horrible black hair myths!
ReplyDeleteFirst I'd like to thank you all for supporting my blog. @ Miss_Trish, once the bumps are there, there isn't much you can do to make them go away, but to keep from making matters worse, you can avoid pulling at, or applying any stress or pressure to the area of the hair that is affected by the tightness. Now to alleviate the pain, itching, dryness, and soreness that accompanies these bumps, you can apply non aerosol oil to the area. It also is relieving to spray lukewarm water from a spray bottle to the affected parts. It is best to mix a water based conditioner and perhaps a little oil into the spray bottle to avoid further drying of the area. If the pain is intolerable, by all means remove the source of the tightness.
ReplyDelete@VirtuousHoney, Yes you are correct, a lot of women have become so complacent with the ill effects of tight braids, that it becomes acceptable. I should know, I used to do it to myself! The truth is, it is never okay. Your body is responding negatively to an outside factor. Braids are very convenient, and stylish, but not at the expense of our own natural hair. Braids can be all that they are without the extra tightness, and whether you are getting them professionally done or not, voice your concern if they are too tight. After all, it is your scalp, and your hair that has to suffer the consequence. I agree with you that women have accepted this as normal, but I also believe that at some point we have to own our situation, and stop the madness! I think that if they see that they fall into the category of "intentionals", then that places the blame on them as opposed to anyone else, and perhaps then they might want to change it. My point with that, is that we have to take responsibility of our own hair because at the end of the day braiding is a business, and even if we have no edges left, if we go to get braids, that is the service we will receive. Number one rule of cosmetology, the customer is always right. So we have to educate ourselves and make intelligent choices or else it will be impossible to hold on to our hair! Thanks for reading, and commenting.