Eating a balanced diet is critical to maintaining your weight, health, hair, and skin. There are certain foods that will help fortify your hair follicles, which causes your hair to grow stronger and faster. Here are the top 10 foods that you can eat to get fuller, healthier hair.

#1 Fish

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Eating a balanced diet is critical to maintaining your weight, health, hair, and skin. There are certain foods that will help fortify your hair follicles, which causes your hair to grow stronger and faster. Here are the top 10 foods that you can eat to get fuller, healthier hair.

#1 Fish

Fish like salmon, herring, sardines, trout, and mackerel contain the omega 3 fatty acids that your hair craves. Omega 3 fatty acids are strongly lacking in the North American diet. It’s vital to ingest these essential fatty acids since your body doesn’t produce them naturally. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in the cell membranes of your scalp, and they keep your hair and scalp hydrated. Eating fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids will keep your hair moist which prevents breakage.

#2 Walnuts

Walnuts are rich in biotin and vitamin E, which protects your cells from DNA damage. Biotin is a vitamin that prevents hair loss. Vitamin E helps with the growth of capillaries. The greater the number of capillaries, the more circulation there is in your scalp. Blood contains nutrients, that nourishes your scalp.

#3 Oysters

Oysters are rich in zinc. Insufficient zinc causes hair loss and hair thinning, even in your eyelashes and eyebrows. Eating zinc will moisturize your scalp and hair, to keep it full and growing.

#4 Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, which your body naturally turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A produces oils that maintain the moisture in your scalp.

#5 Eggs

Eggs are rich in iron which is essential to carry oxygen to your hair follicles.

#6 Spinach

In order to maintain circulation in your hair follicles and scalp, you must eat the beta carotene, folate, vitamin C, and iron that is rich in spinach.

#7 Lentils

Lentils are rich in protein, iron, zinc, and biotin which are essential to hair growth and maintaining a moist scalp.

#8 Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is enriched with vitamin B5 and vitamin D, which is vital for the health of your hair follicle.

#9 Blueberries

Blueberries contain a lot of vitamin C, which supports the blood vessels that feeds your hair follicles with oxygen.

#10 Poultry

Poultry like chicken, or even lean cuts of beef, are rich in protein. Since hair is made of protein, you need to eat protein in order to maintain your hair’s health.

Naomi Campbell was a victim to paparazzi who snapped the infamous side shot of her thinning hairline. African-American women are more prone to hairline breakage because of chemical overuse and hairstyles that cause stress to the hairline. After years of wigs and braids, your hairline will be at risk. Even if you don’t [...]]]>

Naomi Campbell was a victim to paparazzi who snapped the infamous side shot of her thinning hairline. African-American women are more prone to hairline breakage because of chemical overuse and hairstyles that cause stress to the hairline. After years of wigs and braids, your hairline will be at risk. Even if you don’t wear wigs and braids, your hairline can break due to improper care or hereditary factors.

Here are six tips to keep your hairline lush and full.

Wrap Your Hair in Silk or Satin

If you have cotton scarves or pillowcases, throw them away now. Cotton dehydrates your hair and pulls it out. In order to keep your hairline intact, wrap your hair with a silk scarf and also sleep with a silk or satin scarf. As a bonus, silk and satin pillowcases prevents wrinkles and skin dehydration.

Condition Your Scalp

Every few days you should take the time to moisturize the scalp on your hairline. Massage natural oils or herbs to your hairline, this will keep your hair moist and prevent breakage.

Use Herbs and Oils to Promote Growth

Even if your hairline is not thinning, you should consistently apply natural herbs and oils to your hairline to promote growth. Some herbs and oils that promote growth include: rosemary, lavender, jojoba oil, aloe vera, and burdock root oil.

Use a Wide-Tooth Comb

It can be tempting to go to town on tangles and matte hair with a comb or brush. Keep combing and brushing of your hairline to the bare minimum. You should be gently untangling your fragile hairline with your fingers. Put a few drops of a natural oil or herb on your finger when detangling to smooth the process and moisturize your hair.

Eat Well

Topical treatments are not the only method that you should be using to promote hair growth. You should be eating a diet rich in vitamins to maintain your length. Some of the foods that you must eat, include: almonds, salmon, walnuts, etc. You can also take a supplement like prenatal vitamins to boost hair growth.

Do Not Use Glue

Hair glue is a detriment to your hairline if it’s not applied correctly. A sewn-in weave, with the hairline left untouched, is ideal to maintain your hairline. When your weave is in, you should still be moisturizing your hairline weekly, and keep heat styling of your hairline to a minimum.

There are all kinds of magic potions, lotions and pills on the market that promises hair down your back. Most of those products contain mineral oil, which only coats your hair and scalp without actually penetrating the skin or the hair strand. The coating causes build-up, which can actually inhibit hair growth.

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There are all kinds of magic potions, lotions and pills on the market that promises hair down your back. Most of those products contain mineral oil, which only coats your hair and scalp without actually penetrating the skin or the hair strand. The coating causes build-up, which can actually inhibit hair growth.

The most useful substances for hair growth are natural, and contain vitamins and minerals to nourish your scalp. It’s important to look on the ingredient list whenever you’re looking for hair growth products. Keep in mind that ingredients are listed in order from most concentrated to least concentrated. If mineral oil is one of the ingredients on the list of the product that you would like to purchase, it’s best to put the product back on the shelf. Natural products can be found at drug stores, and the ingredients should be herbs and oils that you recognize, and they should be free of chemicals. Here is a list of the top herbs and oils that promote hair growth.

Jojoba Oil

is derived from the jojoba plant that is native to Arizona, Mexico, and California. Jojoba oil is made of molecules that are similar to the natural oils that your scalp produces. Since Jojoba is hypoallergenic, it will not irritate your scalp or hair, which is essential to those with sensitive skin.

Put a few drops of jojoba oil in your conditioner, or you can apply jojoba oil directly to your hair.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a plant that originated in Northern Africa, and has been long used by Native Americans to promote hair growth. When aloe vera is applied directly to the scalp, it opens the pores of your hair follicles which promotes hair growth.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is a hybrid of watermint and spearmint, it is a plant native to Europe. When you mix three drops of peppermint oil with three teaspoons of water and massage it into your scalp, your hair follicles will be stimulated which promotes hair growth.

Lavendar Oil

Lavendar is a plant that has been used for ages by natural health practicioners to prevent baldness. It’s a plant native to the Mediterranean that contains potent anti-microbial agents that heal your scalp from infections and irritation.

You can use lavender oil as a daily rinse after shampooing your hair.

Burdock Root Oil

Burdock root oil improves the circulation in the scalp, which promotes hair growth. It also provides phytosterols and essential fatty acids to the roots of your hair strands, which prevents hair thinning.

In order to prolong the fresh look of your weave, you have to take care of it on a regular basis. There are several things that you can do to keep your hair looking good, even when you’re due for a weave removal hair appointment.

Wrap Your Hair at Night

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In order to prolong the fresh look of your weave, you have to take care of it on a regular basis. There are several things that you can do to keep your hair looking good, even when you’re due for a weave removal hair appointment.

Wrap Your Hair at Night

You don’t have to put much effort into styling your hair in the mornings, when you wrap your hair with a silk scarf at night.

Part your hair in two, and wrap your hair around your head. Fasten the hair in place with bobby pins. If you have a curly weave, part your hair in four and braid each section. Tie a silk scarf around your head to keep the hair in place. If the silk scarf doesn’t stay on, then cover it with a stocking.

Tip: Get silk or satin pillowcases for nights when you fail to wrap your hair (it happens!).

Washing Your Hair

If you have a high-quality Remy reave, you can wash your hair once a week. If your weave is a bit on the cheaper side, try not to wash your hair as frequently. Cheaper weaves have Silicone finishing, that comes off when it is washed, which makes the hair hard and matted after washing.

Reduce Heat Damage

If your weave is 100% human hair, you do not want to overdo the heat. Try to keep heat styling to a maximum of twice per week. If you wrap your hair every night, you will find that you require less heat to maintain your style.

Take Care of Your Natural Hair

Even though you have a weave, don’t neglect your natural hair. Once a week, you should run moisturizer or natural oils (argan oil, extra virgin olive oil) on your real hair that’s between your tracks. This will keep your natural hair from becoming too dry and it will keep it from breaking.

There’s something about African-American hair that fascinates those with non-textured hair. People always seem to want to touch it, and learn more about it. The mystique and lack of education on African-American hair caused many myths to have been passed down from generation to generation. It’s time to separate fact from fiction, here [...]]]>

There’s something about African-American hair that fascinates those with non-textured hair. People always seem to want to touch it, and learn more about it. The mystique and lack of education on African-American hair caused many myths to have been passed down from generation to generation. It’s time to separate fact from fiction, here is a list of the top five myths.

Black Hair Grows the Slowest

Everybody’s hair grows at about half an inch every month. Black hair may appear to grow slower because of its tight curl pattern, which would make anyone’s hair look shorter. Also, the tighter the curl, the drier the hair tends to be. Dry hair puts you at an increased risk for hair breakage, and hair breakage negates the effect of hair growth.

Natural Hair is Un-Manageable

Natural hair is not harder to manage than relaxed hair. Natural hair may seem hard to manage for those who have only known how to manage relaxed hair. If you try to care for your natural hair like you did for your relaxed hair, then you will soon be frustrated and ready to relax your hair again. Natural hair simply requires some patience and a re-learning of how to care for your hair.

Trimming Ends Will Increase Hair Growth

Since hair grows from your scalp, trimming your ends will not cause your hair to grow. Your hair will grow about half an inch per month regardless of how much you trim the ends. Trimming your ends will only make your hair shorter, but it can give the appearance of fuller looking hair if you have some straggling ends.

Black Hair Needs Grease

Black hair needs moisture, but not grease. Grease is not the same as moisture. Grease contains mineral oils and petroleum, which does not penetrate and moisturize your hair, but instead it seals moisture in your hair and can cause product build-up. When product builds up on your scalp, it can clog your hair follicles and stunt your hair growth.

The best hair moisturizers that you can use are natural hair oils and butters, including: virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, shea butter, etc.

Braids Make Your Hair Grow

Braids do not make your hair grow any longer than the allotted half an inch of growth per month. However, braids do have the benefit of offering protection against the environment and heat styling, which can reduce hair breakage.

Whether you decided to remove your weave yourself, or had a friend, or stylist remove it for you, there are some things that you must do right after your hair is weave-free. It can be tempting to want to put a new weave in right away, but if you want to keep your [...]]]>

Whether you decided to remove your weave yourself, or had a friend, or stylist remove it for you, there are some things that you must do right after your hair is weave-free. It can be tempting to want to put a new weave in right away, but if you want to keep your hairline and hair length intact, you should do these five things.

Detangle Your Hair

Don’t go gangbusters on your hair with a comb right away, the best way to detangle your hair, is by using your fingers first. Gently remove the knots and tangles, and use a wide-tooth comb only for knots that are too difficult to remove with your fingers. You don’t have to remove every knot, a good shampoo and conditioning session will remove the leftover tangles.

Remember, you shed 50-100 strands of hair naturally every day, so don’t be alarmed if you have a handful of hair in your palm. Since your hair has been stuck in a weave for several weeks, the shed hair has not been removed by combing or brushing as it normally would.

Condition and Detangle

After you have shampooed your hair with a conditioning shampoo, you should now fully load your hair up with a moisturizing conditioner. You can use a wide-tooth comb to gently work your way through your hair. The conditioner will make your hair much easier to detangle. You should be starting to comb through the bottom of your hair first, and then slowly working your way up to your scalp. Keep combing slowly, and patiently until all of the tangles have been removed.

Once all of your tangles have been removed, you should rinse your hair thoroughly.

Deep Condition 

To restore your hair to its optimal moisture level, you should deep condition your hair using a deep conditioner that is formulated for dry hair.

You can use a natural deep conditioner, by lathering your hair with mayonnaise or olive oil and wrapping your hair in place with bobby pins. Put a shower cap over your wrapped hair to lock in the moisture. Leave it on for thirty minutes. Once the thirty minutes is up, thoroughly rinse your hair of the deep conditioner. Your hair should feel soft and moist.

Trim Your Dry Ends

Your ends should be relatively intact, considering your hair has been tucked away in a weave. However, there may be some ends that are dry due to lack of moisture. So, the best way to prevent breakage and splitting of the ends, is to do a trim.

Rest Your Scalp

After the stress that your scalp endured from the weight of the extensions and the sewing, you owe it to your scalp to let it relax and breathe. Don’t immediately retouch new growth or put in new weave, find a style that is free from chemicals and weaves.

Have you ever looked in the mirror after a day at the beach, and realized you were walking around with your hair sticking up in the air? While we want to have fun and all, it’s important that we stay [...]]]> With summer underway, pool parties and trips to the beach overtake your weekend activities.

Have you ever looked in the mirror after a day at the beach, and realized you were walking around with your hair sticking up in the air? While we want to have fun and all, it’s important that we stay looking good doing it.

You don’t have to be afraid to jump into the water for fear of having your hair looking jacked up. Here are the top three sexy, protective styles that work well in and out of the water:

#1: The High Bun

Pull your hair into a tight ultra-high pony. Put it as high as you can so that all of your hair catches in the pony. Keep your hair in place by applying styling cream or gel to the front, back and sides of your hair. If not all of your hair catches in the pony, nobody has to know – be sure to fasten the loose ends with bobby pins.

If the hair in your pony isn’t long enough to wrap around into a decent-sized bun, then get a handful of weave to tie around your ponytail to give the impression of a full bun (natural-looking weaves look best for this style). You can do this by using a hair tie to tie one end of your weave onto your pony, and then wrap the weave into a spiral and fasten the ends with bobby pins.

This elegant style will hold itself in place even after you splash around in the water. It looks best with classy cut-out bathing suits, retro full suits, and sexy bikinis.

#2: The Samurai Braid

To achieve this style, you need to first start by pulling your hair to the side. Do not tie, but instead braid your hair tightly. Tie the end of your braid with a hair tie that is a similar colour to your hair.

Fasten any loose ends with bobby pin, and apply hair gel or cream to your hair to prevent fly-aways.

You can dress up this style by fastening a flower at the top of your braid.

The best part of this style is that once your hair gets wet and dries itself in the heat, it will have a crimped look when you unbraid your hair. The wavy, crimped look is perfect to take you into an evening out on the town.

#3: The Faux-Hawk Low Pony

Take the hair in the middle of your hairline and brush it forward so that it hangs on your face. Pull the rest of your hair into a tight, low ponytail.

Apply cream or styling gel onto your hair to make it look slick. Bring the hair back that is hanging forward, and make a bump, so that it looks like a faux-hawk.

When you’re comfortable with the size of your bump, fasten it with several bobby pins.  Using hairspray on your bump will make it stay in place.

Lately, it seems like everyone and their mother has gone au naturel. Black women are embracing the hair that grows out of their head in its natural state. However, natural hair is not for everyone. If you find yourself somewhere in between wanting to go natural but you just can’t give up your [...]]]>

Lately, it seems like everyone and their mother has gone au naturel. Black women are embracing the hair that grows out of their head in its natural state. However, natural hair is not for everyone. If you find yourself somewhere in between wanting to go natural but you just can’t give up your relaxer, then the Wash & Wear treatment may be just what you’re looking for.

What is a Wash & Wear Relaxer?
The Wash & Wear relaxer is an alternative to going completely natural. It’s a system that only relaxes your hair to about 25%-50% straight, as opposed to traditional relaxers that relax your hair 100% straight (bone straight). Wash & Wear works with the natural texture of your hair to loosen your curls and kinks to a level that you are comfortable with. It should be applied on new growth every 6-8 weeks.

What are the Benefits of Using a Wash & Wear Relaxer?
If you find that your hair is too hard to manage in its natural state, a Wash & Wear relaxer is a healthier alternative to a traditional relaxer. It is still a chemical process, but it only partially denatures the protein of your hair, unlike a regular relaxer which completely denatures your hair. Because the hair is not completely denatured, it will be less prone to breakage. Also, there will be less variance in texture between your new growth and processed hair, so the breakage that normally occurs between new growth and processed hair will be minimized.

Do I Have to Chop My Hair Off?
You do not need to start from scrath to go semi natural. If you currently have relaxed hair, you will experience a transition period where your ends will be straight and your roots will be semi natural. It takes time and patience to get through the transition. You may experience breakage of your relaxed ends during the transition. To maintain your length, wear protective styles as much as you can.

What Will My Hair Look Like?
For those with an ‘S’ type of hair pattern, your hair will look wavy. If you have tight ringlets, your ringlets will loosen and drop. The texture adds volume to your mane but your hair length will be shorter than when it is bone straight. You will have versatility when styling your hair, because you will be able to wear it straight, through heat styling and/or blow drying, and you can also wear it just as it is after a shampoo (hence the name – Wash & Wear).

Would you try the Wash & Wear method?