Hair Practices You Need To Stop

Some hair practices may seem normal and regular to do but could cause serious damage to your hair. The fact remains that not every hack you see online actually works. When it comes to natural hair care, a lot of experimentation is required to know what works and doesn't work for your hair. There's a general consensus, however, on some hair practices which aren't the best for the overall health of your hair. 

Braiding non-stop (to grow hair)

There's this myth that if you want to grow your hair, braid it. Well, let's debunk that. Braiding doesn't grow hair. On the contrary, a lot of people lose hair whilst taking it out. Braids protect your hair from harsh weather conditions, environmental factors, etc and helps give your hair a rest from constant manipulation. Plus, they're stylish. Generally, hair grows. So, whilst in braids, your hair will grow as it should if you weren't in braids. The most important thing though is to moisturize it. Spray your hair and scalp with water, massage your leave in conditioner in hair and add your oils.

If you're fond of braiding back to back, stop it. You're likely to weaken your hair and/or lose your edges especially if the braids are tight. You should wait at least 4-6 weeks to braid again. Use this period to treat your hair. You could deep condition, go in for protein treatment or take the DIY route. Wear your hair out with low manipulation styles such as regular twists, comb twists, chunky braids, etc.

Moisturizing hair with oil

One of the important things you can do for your hair is to moisturize it properly. This requires using products which hydrate your hair. For the most part, oil seals in moisture and should be the last thing you apply to your hair whilst moisturizing. Spray a little bit of water on your hair, then apply your water-based Leave-in-Lotion followed by your Shea Butter and hair oils. 

Detangling on dry hair

Retaining length should be on every naturalista's to do list. We often don't see hair growth because we're unable to retain length and this is partly due to how we detangle our hair. Never, ever detangle on dry hair.  Rather, moisturize your hair, divide your hair into 4 sections and with a wide tooth comb, detangle from the ends of your hair through to the roots.  If you don't have a wide tooth comb, use your fingers. 

Hair care doesn't end at the salon

What would you say if we asked how you took care of your hair in between salon visits? Most of us ignore our hair after visiting the salon. Hair care doesn't end at the salon. If you have low porosity hair especially, moisture should be your friend. Always moisturize. You can do so with the Aloe Vera Hair Mist or Anti-Itch Hair and Scalp Spray. Take care of your hair at home.

Using a regular towel to dry hair

Have you heard of a micro fiber towel? Unlike regular towels which pull on your hair, micro fiber towels are the opposite. They're ideal for toweling natural hair. If you do not have one, an old t-shirt would suffice. 

Using very little product in hair

Yes, we know. Times are tough but pea size doesn't actually mean pea size in natural hair care. Products work best when they saturate your hair, especially for low porosity and 4C hair. It's time to add a little bit more product to your regimen. If you visit the salon and your stylist is using very little product, prompt them or take along your own products. If we're being honest, you'll never experience that at Eya Salon.

Bleaching hair always

Don't. Just don't. You'll weaken your hair. By its nature, bleaching already strips the hair of its natural colour and makes it susceptible to breakage. Bleaching your hair back to back might damage it even further. You can salvage the situation with Protein Treatment but don't wait till your hair starts breaking before you take action.

With good hair practices, growing healthy hair comes easy. Letting go of these unhealthy hair practices outlined above are a step in the right direction. For further hair consultation, please do not hesitate to contact Eya Naturals on +233 204 600 464 or +233 59 237 7008 @eyanaturals on Facebook and Instagram.