GROW & GLOW GIRLS & GUYS

                                             What You Should Know About Your Textured Hair

Let’s began by stating that all hair is the same……but it’s not.  What I mean is all human hair is comprised of the same ingredients no matter the race or background of a person, lending it the same molecular make up for all,  but it's different because there are many variations of Texture, Density and Porosity of the hair. 

 For as long as I can remember,  we have naively assigned hair types to people based on race, culture and geographical location.  Contrary to popular belief , a caucasian person can have wavy and curly hair,  while a person of color can have nearly bone straight or very little texture in their hair.  Each person is different , and we can easily be misled by race or skin color.

For  example, every person of color does not have the same texture of hair.  We have been brainwashed into thinking the darker the complexion of the person, the kinkier the hair texture, contrastly,  the lighter the complexion,  the wavier the hair texture. 

 Do yourself a favor and toss that thinking in the garbage right now so we can get some real education about your hair!  The next few pages will take you to school regarding your hair, so that you can properly style and  choose products,  that are more suitable for your hair!  Excited?  Let's begin!  Lets start with the word “Texture” and consider it's dual meaning. 

                                                             WHAT DOES "HAIR TEXTURE" MEAN?

The  term “Texture” has two separate meanings.  It can refer to the Curl Shape or Pattern of a strand of  hair as well as the Diameter of a single strand of hair. You need to get familiar with both as it relates to your hair.

 Definition 1: The actual shape or pattern of a single strand of hair.

                   1.  Straight Texture ( think of a straight line)  

• 2.  Wavy Texture ( think of a long slightly bended S shape ) usually frizzes easily, uneven waves, can appear straight at times.
• 3.  Curly Texture ( think of a range of tighter, upper and lower case S  Shapes ) frizzes easily, inconsistent in definition, usually dry,  shrinks.
• 4.  Kinky and Coily Texture (  think of very tight S and Z shapes ) can appear to have no curl  pattern, typically very dry and fragile, lacks definition, shrinks.

Definition 2:  The diameter or structure of each strand of hair. Compare one single strand of hair to a piece of thread. 

• A.  Fine Texture ( a single stand of hair is thinner than a single piece of thread)
• B.  Medium Texture ( a single strand of hair is just as thick as a single piece of thread)
• C.  Coarse Texture (a single piece of hair is usually thicker than a piece of thread) unlike  Fine and Medium hair, it has all three layers of hair the Medulla,  Cortex and Cuticle layer making its the thickest and sometimes driest  type of hair.

In determining your texture you will need to consider both (types) of textures. This is what everyone is talking about when they say “I have 4C hair, or 4A hair” etc!

I  never really put much stock into these references because I actually have  at least 2 textures myself! In the front top of my head I have 3B, in  the crown area I have 4B and 4C  and the rest of my hair is between 3B and 4B, but studying your hair in this way can help you determine which products to use and how much.  

What do the terms “Porosity and Density” mean,  and why do I need to know my porosity and density?

Density refers to the amount of hair per square inch of scalp

Again don't let texture fool you into determining the density of your hair! Fine hair can be dense, and coarse hair can be less dense, either type of  texture has little to do with density!

Try a Density test.  For example,  you can part your hair in order to see the scalp.  If your "Part" is wide and you see a lot of scalp,  your hair may not be considered dense,  even though it may be coarse in texture.  If the "Part" is narrow and you have to  press the hair down on both sides to see the scalp, then its quite likely you have "Dense" hair.  Understanding your density will help you  choose styles wisely.  Less density likes bigger sections and dense hair  likes slightly smaller sections when styling. Another test is part out 1  square inch of hair and notice the amount of hair in that area, if it’s scarce, then it’s not dense and if it’s a lot of hair, it”s likely  dense.

What is “Porosity”, what determines my porosity, and why should I understand the porosity of my hair?

The  term “Porosity” is the measuring stick of of your hair’s ability to  absorb water or moisture. The condition of the outer cuticle layer  usually affects porosity.

If  the cuticle layer is stressed or damaged from the over processing of  any chemical like color, relaxers or heat, the porosity can be  negatively affected. 

• High  porosity hair absorbs water too quickly,  usually a result of over processing of color or chemicals,  or tearing of the hair by improperly  installed “protective styles." Think of your finger.  If you have  a paper cut,  your finger will be very sensitive and absorb the tiniest bit of matter,  one would cringe at the thought of alcohol!  A tiny paper cut can cause great discomfort.  In the same way, high porosity hair can be very fragile hair because it is so open and exposed, much like that paper cut on your finger.
• Low  porosity hair resists the absorption of water,  because the cuticle or outer layer is tight, undisturbed and  has no openings.  It usually will not readily accept conditioners  without using a lot of it.  Think of your skin.  It might be quite healthy but it  may tend to get dry easily. You may realize that if you don't apply lotion, creams or butters right after a shower, your skin may not stay moisturized. This kind of describes low porosity hair,  it may take a minute to "wet" the hair.  This type of have normally does not frizz easily and is sometimes a characteristic of course hair,  but not always.
• Normal  porosity hair absorbs water in a normal fashion, it receives  conditioners readily and is not resistant to them.  Imagine the perfect  skin that is balanced.  
• Porosity  strand test: Take a small section of clean, dry hair and spray it with  water holding the water bottle 6 to 8 inches away from the hair. If the  water absorbs too quickly, it is “High Porosity” hair.
•  If  it beads up, sits on the hair and doesn’t absorb after a few moment  without you having to rub it in, it is “Low Porosity” hair. 
• If it beads and absorbs after a moment into the hair, it is “Normal Porosity” hair.
• Recommendations for High Porosity:  In my 30 years of being a Hair Care Specialist,  the only category in my opinion,  to be concerned most about correcting is the “High  Porosity category. Try changing your haircare routine,  meaning "Relax" from  the Relaxers,  do away with them all together if you can.  If you cannot let go,  at least cut back on how often you get them,  how long you allow  them to stay on to process,  and make sure you get your Treatments in! 
• “Natural  Gals “ that are highly porous, watch your heat intake as well as high  lift colors, In my expert opinion, they are a big NoNo! They  are ESPECIALLY a huge NoNo if you frequently opt for Protective Styles,  Sew ins, Braids and Wigs! Treat your natural or relaxed hair at least  every two weeks,  preferably weekly!  I strongly recommend treating your hair using  the Make Me Grow Light Spray along with  The Hemp Me Out Deep Treatment at least every two weeks,  The  Lemongrass and Sage Conditioner is great  weekly.  Always reapply the Make Me Grow Light Spray to style as well as the Edges Ends and Everything along with the other styling and sealing products>
• Recommendations for “Low Porosity”: Managing  low porosity hair can be a headache but its definitely not a migraine!  My advise is to manipulate the hair while wet, encouraging the hair to  receive both the Regular and Light Make Me Grow Sprays as well as the  Hemp Me Out Deep Treatment. Sitting under a heated dryer is strongly  recommended in order to penetrate that outer cuticle layer! Remember  your hair will not do a thing without water first, to do otherwise is  wasting your products! Your hair loves the Sweet Coco Shea Pre Shampoo  Hot Oil Treatment, The Whipped Creme Hair Moisturizer, The Castor Grow Oil and The Hair and Body Butter!
• Normal  Porosity:  Hey! If ya got it,  you just got it!  You should thank your  parents!  You have the most freedom of all the groups!  A word of caution though,  your hair can easily become Highly Porous,  so maintain good haircare habits.  You have free range to explore all of the products!  So carry on!

                                                 Why do I need to know all of this information?

All  of this is important because when you understand the meanings of the  terms Texture,  Density and Porosity as it relates to your hair,  you can effectively shampoo, treat, and style your hair.  You will also understand what products your hair responds to best!  This knowledge  will help you determine if you should apply more or less product to a certain part of your hair,  and what ingredients your hair and scalp likes best. If your hair is less dense,  more porous (high porosity), but not as kinky in a particular area,  it may be a better  idea to use lighter and less product in that particular area. 

Remember  the less kinky, dense, and porous an area of your hair is,  the easier it is for that area to get weighed down with heavy product application.  Conversely, the more dense,  kinky and less porous ( low  porosity) the hair usually means it loves slightly heavier,  more nurturing products and ingredients.

Here are some styling suggestions for different textures, density and porosity of hair.

1. Wavy to slightly curly hair that is fine or medium: This type of Texture and Density usually responds best to twisting  or styling in slightly larger sections. This hair type can be  successfully roller set in thinner sections taut to the scalp, rodded,  two or three strand twisted in medium to larger sections. Try to notice if  your hair responds best to liquids, cremes, gels or butters. Here’s a rule of thumb, but of course there are exceptions.

Fine hair usually loves lighter products like water based liquids, light oils, mousse and light creams.

2.  Curly  textures that are fine can apply the suggestions mentioned in the  previous description. When it comes to Twisting and such styles as that ,  medium and kinky,  curly textures can fall in between suggestions 2 and 3.

 Remember there  are no hard and fast rules, just get a feel for your own textured  strands. Medium hair usually respond best to medium sections with a few small sections in the kinkier spots. Try water based liquids, light to heavier oils, creams and lighter butters. Medium  hair can flip flop back and forth in needing lighter products one  minute and heavier products the next! Sorry, but its quite  temperamental! My hair is Medium Curly  and a trick I use is this…..if I use a heavier oil,  I will use a  lighter styling aid and vise versa. Generally speaking my hair responds  best of course to liquids, lighter oils, and creams. It likes larger to medium sections. Medium hair usually likes balance when it comes to styling. Remember  this texture can flip back and forth between needing light products one  minute, and heavier the next so just pay attention to what it is asking  for. Medium hair craves water and you should give it plenty.

3. Kinky textures that are Fine can follow the previous suggestion. Kinky Coily hair, wether Medium or Coarse usually, but not always, likes heavier products that don’t clog  or smother the hair. It loves to be nourished with rich emollient  creams and light butters. Kinky hair especially loves water, in fact all  of these textures need water to effectively  accept all of the goodness of Grow and Glow, but kinky hair will  transform itself into the most manageable textures of all with regular  application of  water and brushing , detangling and manipulation. Kinky hair can  sometimes be confused with Coarse hair but its not the same, it can be  Fine, Medium or Coarse. remember that water, oils, creams and butters along with plaiting and twisting can bring out the best in your texture.

                      A short word of advise about the importance of “Watering” your hair.

I  like to use the term “Water your hair” because that is the beginning of feeding and managing it. Ever wondered why your hair is just beautiful  when its wet,  but when it dries its a hot mess!  It’s  because water is a moisturizer from God! It is in fact the worlds most  perfect and best moisturizer, and it should be the first one used when  we apply inferior moisturizers. 

• Always  remember our hair and scalp is like a garden, if you plant a garden  with seeds and sprouts, fertilize it and don’t water it, what will  happen? Will it flourish? Absolutely not! In  fact it won’t do anything the seeds, the sprouts and the fertilizer  will just be waisted with no harvest. So if you want your hair and scalp  to accept all the feeding and fertilizing that Grow and Glow has to  give, make sure you water your Garden of hair first!