ZedHair is having a workshop on natural hair, health and wellness at Umoyo Clinic on Saturday 7th June from 10-14hrs.

Learn more about how to care for your natural hair. You will also learn about diet and nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress all contribute to healthy (or unhealthy hair). We will also discuss hair health and how to handle hair loss, various scalp and dandruff conditions as well as recovering from damaged hair.

There will be plenty of products and tools on sale as well as an opportunity to ask questions and have 5 min consultations after the workshop. Refreshments will be served at 14hrs.

The cost for this workshop is K100. You can buy your ticket from the Umoyo health shop at Arcades or the Umoyo clinic itself on Great East Road. Follow Umoyo on Facebook to learn more about the exciting products and services that they offer.

Sign up for the event on Facebook for reminders and updates, but please remember to buy a ticket in advance to secure your place.

Written by Brandi, ZedHair contributor and natural hair blogger at Soul Hair

I am not a huge fan of trimming or cutting my hair. Never have been. It took everything in me to let go of my shoddy looking relaxed hair when I did the big chop. I love the free feeling after a major cut but getting there is so tough! Last year I was forced to give in to the trim because my hair was breaking but now seeing how well I’ve retained length since, I am now going to have to hold myself back from being a trim addict!

Why trim?

• It gets rid of damaged ends which leaves behind the healthy hair that will be able to grow without breaking. No matter how well you care for your hair, you will need a trim at some point. Hair is dead as soon as it emerges from the scalp so damage is inevitable since your hair cannot repair itself.

Trimming myths

• It does not increase the growth rate of hair, that is a myth. It only removes damaged ends. Removal of these ends just allows you to retain length better but the rate of growth will be the same.

How often?

• There is no hard and fast rule on how often. Some people do it once a year, others every 6 weeks. The aim should be to trim before your ends get so damaged that you need a cut. Rate of damage depends on how you care for your hair.
• If you relax your hair it is recommended you trim after every relaxer application.
• According to Naturalhairrules.com hair naturally begins to split after around 3 months. To prevent any permanent damage from these naturally occurring split ends, it is advisable to trim every 3-4 months or 12-16 weeks to help to keep your hair healthy and strong. But this is just general advice, you should also take into account the health and state of your hair to determine when to trim.

Trim often if:

• Your hair is damaged (ends are frizzy, dry, breaking and splitting)
• Your hair is often exposed to heat
• Your ends are tangling and knotting up a lot
• Your hair is often worn down on your shoulders
• You don’t moisturize and seal properly
• You have extreme feathering (you hair thins out a lot towards the ends)
• You relax your hair

Of course if your hair is the opposite of the above points then you don’t need to trim as often.

Trimming methods

• Dusting: The hair is plaited in two-strand twist, the twist is stretched with the fingers and a very small amount of hair is cut off the end.  You can do this on your own without help but the disadvantage of this method is that it’s not easy to see what you’re cutting and your hair may end up being different lengths. However if you often wear your hair curly this may not matter. To help it be more even the twists should be as small as possible.
• Straighten and trim. Straighten by doing a blow out and/or flat ironing. Having the hair straight allows the hairdresser to see the ends properly and ensure more even cutting. This cut is best for those who like wearing their hair straight. If you have significantly damaged hair this is also the best method.

I personally have decided to use the dusting method regularly depending on the state on my ends. I got a big-ish trim done last year and so far my ends have been behaving. I dusted a week ago so I’ll just keep an eye on the ends and when they start misbehaving, I’ll dust again. At least once a year though I will get my hair straightened for a professional trim.

Note: Use hair shears to cut your hair. Using ordinary blunt scissors can do more harm than good and actually cause more split ends to develop.

It has been a month already?

Okay…so to continue from this post concerning my setback, I am now on a mission to regain my fullness.

The plan?

Very simple.

Half an inch trim every three months, like clockwork.

My growth rate ranges from 0.25 inches to 0.5 inches per month.

So as at now I will be BSL (Bra Strap Length) for at least a year….honestly maybe even two years.

While this does push back my Waist Length goal, I am not too worried because I know that with discipline and gentle handling, I will definitely get there.

In a little more detail, my plan involves;

…two strand twist protective styles including RTP’s like the ones below for the occasional formal look.

…gentle handling and ONLY finger detangling

and lastly low manipulation meaning I need to leave my hair alone most of the week.

The last one is a toughie because I love to touch, play and sometimes unravel a twist and de-tangle randomly throughout the week so…that has to stop.

If you noticed, I didn’t mention products because the recovery is more so focused on technique rather than product. Don’t get get me wrong, products add some extra oomph but for now, the focus is more on the process.

As always ZedHair readers…

Loads of Hair Love,

Sibongile.

Written by Chiteu a ZedHair contributor and blogger at Coils and Strands

I’m on a mission, a quest to conquer the flakes – or at least alleviate them……..I’ve declared war on the little white snowflakes that show up uninvited on my scalp.

Embarking on a healthy hair journey can mean many things, maybe you want soft, shiny hair, maybe you want bra strap or waist length hair, maybe you just want obedient hair or maybe like me you just want a healthy flake free scalp that will in turn result in good hair growth and length retention.

I currently have Sengelese twists as a protective style and while I’ve been better with it by spritzing and sealing every 2-3 days *I was one of those that braided and left it alone for whatever length of time* I am still suffering from the little flakes that have been the bane of my existence for a while. I’ve tried aloe vera, apple cider vinegar rinses, tea tree and rosemary oil with a little more improvement than usual but it got me thinking……..perhaps it is time to investigate this problem further.

So I’ve spent the greater part of this week reading up and finding out a little more about what causes it and how to remedy it. The myth I’ve heard my entire life is I have a dandruff and this here is the reason for the thickness, length and growth my hair experiences. Step one to resolving this problem is to bust all myths by finding out what causes the problem in the first place. Is it a case of dandruff or merely dry scalp?

What is dandruff?

The scalp is skin and like  skin on any other part of the body it has cells that shed and renew themselves regularly. The skin produces sebum to lubricate the scalp and hair follicles. A scalp disorder like dandruff is caused by an imbalance or dsyfunction of the production of sebum which then results in large oily flakes being produced. Where there is low production of sebum large dry flakes appear and this is merely a dry scalp. If the scalp is not kept clean an overgrowth of a harmless yeast occurs producing greasy, yellowish white flakes that are itchy and will usually have an odour.

I generally have oily skin on the rest of my body so I’m pretty sure I’m falling more on the dandruff than dry scalp side. So problem number one identified :-)

To start off while in the braids I have cleaned my scalp with an apple cider vinegar scalp swab using 1/4 teaspoon ACV in 120 mls of water. To do this make the solution and use a cotton ball to swipe your scalp clean ( I’m pretty sure some of us have done this only with methylated spirit) The concept is the same just safer!!!

Once the braids come out I will be doing the following to ensure I have a healthy scalp and therefore healthy hair;

1. Not greasing my scalp

I can bet my bottom ngwee that for years and years we were taught that the way to combat dandruff or dry scalp is to grease, grease and grease it some more. I am pretty sure all of us have had blue magic or dax on the base of our head and diligently repeated the process every few days!!!!

Stay away from pomades or any product that has petroleum, mineral oil or lanolin as one of the first five ingredients. If your scalp needs some help with moisture try to stick to light oils that are closer in characteristics to the sebum your scalp produces naturally.

The oils that mimic your natural sebum are Grapeseed oil, Jojoba oil, Avocado oil or Olive oil. I got some tea tree and rosemary oil which are both great for the scalp but I made the mistake of using it with castor oil * you should not put pure essential oils directly onto your scalp but dilute it with a carrier oil like castor or olive oil* which is a heavy oil and I was not helping myself in that regard.

2. Wash my hair more regularly

I am one of those people that does not enjoy washing my hair and I now see the error of my ways. Prior to being better with my hair I would wash twice a month sometimes only once a month *hides face in shame* My hair would be dirty not only from the extra sebum produced but also from product bulid up as a result of merely piling on the products in a bid to maintain the shine.

I now wash my hair once or twice a week, alternating between co-washing and shampooing with a sulfate free or clarifying shampoo. I will also be adding a few drops of tea tree or peppermint oil to my shampoo to increase scalp health by balancing pH levels, unclogging pores and keeping the scalp and hair follicles clean.

3. Massage my scalp

A scalp massage stimulates circulation which sends blood to the hair follicles and stimulate hair growth. Using a natural oil like Jojoba, Olive or Avocado oil. After my scalp swab with ACV I will be massaging my scalp with a Rosemary oil that I have made at home. You can do this by adding 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary to 1/2 a cup of Olive or Avocado oil, heating in the microwave for 2 mins and leaving it to stand for 2-3 days * if you ain’t gat time for that you can buy rosemary infused olive oil from Food Lovers Market* Rosemary is a natural circulatory stimulant and used in conjunction with the scalp massage can promote hair growth. The idea when doing a scalp massage is to use a little oil (1 tablespoon) and massage using the pads of your fingers to make small circular motions. This can be done everyday or every other day.

4. Stay away from heat and aggressive styling.

I am currently on a no heat focus for my hair and I will not blow dry or straighten my hair. The heat will soak up the moisture on the hair and scalp and exacerbate the problem. If I am braiding my hair I am always sure to let the hair dresser know when she is pulling too tight on the hair or using the wrong comb.

5. Be healthy from the inside out

Eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more water is not only good for your insides but is great for your hair too and it will show. I have added more fruit to my diet, drink more water and I am finding ways to relax as your well-being or lack of it will tend to show up in different ways in your body.

So here’s to a healthy scalp, I hope some of you will join me on this journey and we can all have awesome,healthy scalps that lead healthy hair growth!!!!

If these simple changes and methods fail it may be necessary to investigate further as skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis could be the cause of the snowflakes.

Sources:

http://urbanbushbabes.com/2012/01/there-is-a-difference-between-dandruff-dry-scalp/

http://kinkycurlycoilyme.com/dry-scalp-remedies/

http://www.blackhairinformation.com/growth/hair-problems/natural-remedies-for-a-healthy-scalp/

http://www.drkariwilliams.com/2012/03/08/the-keys-to-a-healthy-scalp/

Written by Rumbi a ZedHair contributor and blogger at Everything A Mum

Today we have Prudence Doma-Mujuru sharing with us her journey and way of taking care of her natural hair. Enjoy.

Prudence says:

I have been natural hair wise since 2005. I just got weaves and weaves until I had natural growth. In 2006 I just left the office with this big mane of hair and came back with a chic cut, almost bald. I grew it for a while and 1 July 2006 I started dreadlocks. I have very kinky African hair so in no time the locks started to grow. The goal was to have the locks for only 2 years but well 5 years down the line I had 50cm locks. I trimmed them once a year because sometimes my hair grows like wildfire. I had to be brave again on 23 Sept 2011, just like early 2006 I walked out of the office over lunch and came back with almost another bald. I then rocked zulus in my head for a while, and they make the easiest, no cost hairstyle ever. I just use a wet towel and rub in any direction and I am good to go. I love it. I went natural because it makes me feel myself as a strong African woman and I thought the relaxer had some unknown side effects which would manifest years later and yuck, all those smells.

Companies in Zim are starting to embrace these modern changes. When I first got locks, after about 10 months one hater lady told the HR boss and I was asked to remove them. I put up a case and sited international executives. It didn’t work immediately as I had to endure 6 months of covering them up with weaves which was not so cool as it broke my hair at the back. But it just took a new MD who just said, “Prudence, this natural look is really good, why do you cover it?” And yah the rest was history.

THE INTERVIEW

Good morning Prudence, how are you?
Hey Rumbie, I am blessed

Okay let’s get right to it. How long have you been natural?

It’s been, lets see… since 2005 so 9 years

Going back, what do you think made you go natural? What was that thing, or that incident that got you saying, never again? I abandon these chemicals. I shall be a natural hair diva from this moment on?

I got this feeling that these chemicals would have some irreversible side effect in the future. It was a heavy thought. I had been using chemicals for about 9 years and I started to feel not quite original.

What is your hair regimen right now? What products do you use? What do you do to your hair everyday…that sort of thing?

I kept dreadlocks for 5 and half years then I wanted a fresh new look so I cut my hair and am now keeping “zulus” (u know that movie there is a zulu on my stoep; the main actor had this uncombed look, well its now very fashionable espe in Southern Africa).

I don’t use any chemical because I have hair that generates its own moisture. But I do wash it once a week. All I need to do every day is to take a wet towel and sort of swirl or just light rub my hair in an orderly manner and am ready to go (not even a single cent spent!!!!!. (This is for the zulu look)

What’s your favorite hair product; as in what do you swear by?

With locs I loved Jabu Stone products, which are made from South Africa and are very good for natural locs. I love Dark and Lovely’s cholesterol for oil treatment and I recommend use once every 6 weeks. I am not exposed to many of these products on the market so I can’t swear by anything.

Do you cut your hair often, and why?

I cut my hair in 2006 from about 35cm to almost bald. That was really brave but I couldn’t comb my hair since it’s really far from soft. With locks I would trim once a year except when I was pregnant when I had to do it more because the hair was growing too fast. I just cut my hair in September to less than a centimeter but its now 5cm. so its not as often and the reason is to remain fresh and for my pride (hair is a woman’s pride and if u are not comfortable in your own hair you will never be comfortable in anything else)

 What are the No’s or Don’ts when it comes to your hear?

I am creative as long as it doesn’t involve hectic chemicals and weird colours. No hectic chemicals and weird colours for me.

 What do you love the most about your hair?

I look good in any hairstyle. I absolutely love that. I also love that my hair is very afro which means I can keep a style for sometime.

Lastly, please tell me anything fantastic (could be about yourself) that you’d want to share with the world…anything.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made by GOD! I am a complete woman. And on the hair note, I think I will have dread locks again!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the story of Maimbo’s big chop, in her own words.

Maimbo with a twist out

Why did I go natural?

Maimbo before BC

Well the answer to this is multi-faceted. I have always had a wild and vivid imagination and every time I relaxed my hair I would imagine the worst. I would be bending over the sink smelling the fumes from the relaxer cream and wondering how many brain cells were dying by being exposed these this obviously toxic chemicals. Soon enough every time I relaxed my hair I thought about going natural.

I imagined myself with long tightly curled soft tresses. The difficulty was that I could not reconcile this mental image with the course brittle hair that was my undergrowth. Besides, what was I going to do with it? How the hell was I supposed to style it especially in an isolated mining town in The Australian northwest? There were no black hair salons and I didn’t want to look “unprofessional.”

The moment of truth came when I was watching ‘Good Hair’ by Chris Rock . There is a scene in that movie/documentary were a chemist puts sodium hydroxide on a chicken breast. I saw what it did to the chicken breast and thought to myself, “this is crazy, if it can do that to the chicken, what is it doing to my skin? And how much of this chemical is absorbed by my skin into the bloodstream? What about the proximity to my brain was I loosing brain cells by using this stuff?” (See what I mean by a wild imagination?) . I went online and looked for information on the adverse effects of relaxers and there were all these horror stories of women going bald. I watched ‘Good Hair’ with some of my non african friends and colleagues from work and the shocked expressions on their faces helped make up my mind. I would not continue to put this stuff in my hair and skin?

At the end of the show I threw out my relaxers and told my fiancé that when I eventually took the braids out I would do the “big chop.” I finally faced what I consider to be a central question. Why did I have relaxed hair? Is it what I wanted or had I just taken it for granted that there was no other way?

When I took the braids out my wonderful man did the big chop with his clippers. Verdict? It was liberating and apparently I looked ‘authentic.’ I am glad I did it and since that time, my hair and I have been on a journey of discovery.I kept it short for a year before deciding to grow it out.

Maimbo after BC — kept it very short for a year

But I won’t lie and say it is has all been easy. It has not. There was the awkward length (6 months growth to 9 months) where I just did not know what to do with it so I braided it. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I find that my confidence grows with each new style. I am not longer overwhelmed by it. I love how crazy curly and soft it is.

Sininga bwelele ku mbuyo. I would never go back to relaxing it. My closest girl friends have all gone natural too though I can’t take credit for their transformations, they did it on their own. I am now working on converting my mother, three sisters and cousins but it is slow going.

Maimbo in bantu knots (7-12 months growth)

I think keeping your hair natural is something everyone has to arrive at on their own. It takes time but I dare say definitely worth it.

…

Maimbo sporting a TWA (7-12 months growth)

Maimbo  wearing an afro puff, 2 years post-BC

Maimbo with a twist out after a very generous trim-chop. “…I have serious shrinkage. I think it shrinks to about 75percent of its length”

Puffs are for little girls and bad hair days,right? Wrong. Puffs can be casual or glamorous. They can be smooth and sleek or textured and funky. If like me you are not adept at creating all those intricate styles, don’t despair, there is always the puff.

I like to use a stretchy band. Mine is made from a pair of old tights. I don’t try to create the smoothest look and I’m very careful about my edges. I moisturise by spritzing water on my hair, use a leave in conditioner and seal with shea butter, my oil mix or mafura butter. My hair is now soft and easy to manage and I don’t need combs or brushes, just fingers. I tie the band loosely and if I want smooth edges I’ll tie a satin scarf on my hair for a few minutes.

My favourite is the high puff. What’s yours?

This was a wash and go. I washed with conditioner, applied my leave in and sealed with shea butter before tying my hair while it was still damp.

This has become a firm favourite when I want a sleek look. I tie a band around my hair and pin about six sections down to form a bun.

This texture was created by plaiting braids (fikuti) on damp hair sealed with shea butter the previous night and unraveling in the morning before tying a band.

I love a bit of quirkiness and this side puff is just that. The waves are from braiding (fikutis) the night before on damp hair.

An easy to do hairstyle that can be glammed up. This is achieved by parting the front of your hair into a U shape leaving the bangs out and tying the rest into a high bun. Pin the front into bangs and play around with the puff for the desired look

This was done by parting the front bit into a U shape and tying the rest into a bun. The front is is a loose giant flat twist. Done on damp hair for ease of manipulation.

This is my take on a fro-hawk without all the fuss. It was done on hair stretched with two strand twists. Twists are done on damp hair and sealed with mafura butter for maximum definition when unraveled.

The girls are from Grade 8 through to 12.

You’ve all heard about our outreach project at Kasisi Girls Secondary School, haven’t you? If not, you can read more about how we embarked on this journey here. Not click happy? I’ll give you a quick background.

In January of this year ZedHair decided that it would be a good idea to share our knowledge of natural hair care with the younger generation. We realised it wouldn’t be enough to simply tell young girls what to do; we had to give them the right kind of products too. We all know that when you are in school you hardly have the time or resources to take adequate care of your hair. Walk into any salon on a Sunday before schools open and you will have to withstand the rancid smell of burning hair as it is straightened in order to make it more manageable for hairdressers to plait into tight hairstyles that need to stay neat for a whole term and will have your child wincing with pain. OK. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic but you get the idea. Is it any wonder that as soon as they are left to their own devices girls reach for the relaxer? We knew that there had to be a less traumatic, cost effective means of caring for young girls’ hair.

We came up with a simple regimen that required a few easily accessible products and decided to approach Kasisi Girls Secondary School, a boarding school that does not allow its girls to have relaxed hair, with our idea. They agreed to our proposal and we set to work. We reached out to you and you were gracious enough to give us donations and offer your time to this endeavour. We chose 30 girls to take part in the project that would last the whole year. We visited last term and this is all about our recent visit before the school holidays began.

A trunk full of products for the girls, including ZedHair Shea Butter, Apple Cider Vinegar, Ubuchi Honey and TRESemme Naturals.

We’ve had a busy year at ZedHair running workshops and launching new products. We also have a lot in the pipeline and it can sometimes feel as though we are running around like headless chickens. The Kasisi Girls Project gives us pause for reflection. It is so heart warming to see the level of support and encouragement all of you offer us. This term was even more special as we received donations of products from two Zambian companies, Ubuchi Honey and Kalahari BioCare, who donated Sweet Almond Oil. It was nice for us to receive the donations but they also had an unexpected impact; when the girls saw the products they expressed surprise that Zambian companies could produce such quality merchandise. It was a moment of pride for them.

Some of the girls with the Sweet Almond Oil donated byKalahari BioCare.

A few of the girls show off their Honey donated by Ubuchi

Each time we visit the girls we make it a point to sit with them and let each one of them tell us about their experiences. The girls have gone from simply stating facts about how their hair looks and feels to being able to explain, unprompted, why they think their hair is behaving in a certain manner. This was our aim for this program. To empower the girls with the knowledge of how to take care of their hair so that at the end of the year they would be self sufficient.

This project has proved to be beneficial in ways that we could not have imagined. We knew the hair regimen would make a difference, we use the same methods ourselves and many of you have testified to noticing how much softer your hair is after following the techniques taught at workshops. We were not surprised when so many of the girls said that they now no longer suffered with dandruff or that their mothers had noticed a difference and started to compliment their hair instead of remarking on how stubborn it was. We were pleased, but not surprised. What has been profoundly touching and somewhat unexpected is the impact the process has had on those around the girls. They have been teaching friends how to take care of their hair and a number of them ran out of products because they decided to share. This term a young girl who is not part of the project asked to sit in on the meeting so that she could tell her mother how to take care of her 2 year old sister’s hair.

In term 1 we travelled to Kasisi with a number of ladies from different walks of life who spoke to the girls about personal growth and career development. It’s one thing to speak to them and another to show them what is possible. In the time since we embarked on the project, we have launched our own shea butter so instead of giving them the shea butter in some generic plastic container we were able to hand over a ZedHair branded product. The girls have been following our progress on our Facebook page (hello if you’re reading this) and asked about our African Black Soap. They are constantly asking for updates about what we are doing and have taken a very keen interest in our progress. Some of them have even asked about working for us after school! We are not in a position to hire them yet but it has been a source of immense satisfaction that we have been able to show the girls the opportunities available to them after they leave school.

Some of the girls asked about our African Black Soap so we gave them a bar each.

Next term will be our final one with this particular group of girls. We will choose a new group of 30 next year. We will be returning with more products in October and the Grade 12 girls have requested a special session on hair styling before they venture out into the world. We do not know how many of the girls will keep their hair natural after completing school but it is reassuring to know that they now realise that they have a choice.

If you would like to donate to the project or support us in any other way please send an email to info@zedhair.com . Keep visiting our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @ZedHairDotCom for more updates. We currently take the girls a pack of a carrier oil, tea tree essential oil, shea butter, apple cider vinegar, honey and TRESemme Naturals. Here’s a challenge, lets see how many more Zambian companies we can introduce to the girls through this project, a worthy way to commemorate our 50 years of Independence, don’t you think? Kutowa Designs have very graciously offered to donate 25% of the cost of each accessory that will be sold at our workshop on November 1st.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sweet Almond Oil from Kalahari BioCare

Ubuchi Honey

Here at ZedHair we love to promote natural products that are indigenous to Africa, so when we heard about a butter that is sourced within southern Africa and popping up on the ingredients lists of popular American brands like Shea Moisture and Ouidad we knew we had to try it.

The Mafura tree produces fruit with distinctive red seeds

Mafura butter is extracted from the seeds of the Mafura tree (Trichilia emetica) also known as Natal Mahogany or Cape Mahogany which grows in southern African countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Mafura, sounds familiar doesn’t it? Many of us use words uncannily similar to mafura in our local languages to describe oil. That’s because mafura literally means oil. It is a butter that has been used to moisturise our skin and hair long before it was introduced to the rest of the world. It’s a little confusing that mafura means oil but we call it butter. This is because mafura, much like coconut oil and shea butter, melts in hot conditions and retains butter like consistency when it is cooler.

So why is mafura gaining in popularity? Well, it has properties that are highly coveted in the skin and hair care industry. Mafura is a light, easily absorbed, softening and moisturising butter that increases elasticity of both hair and skin. It contains essential fatty acids that are touted for their anti aging properties and it is both anti inflammatory and anti microbial. Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? But what does this mean for your hair? We’ve been testing Mafura for over a couple of months now and this is what we discovered. It’s brilliant and we can hardly contain our excitement!

Mafura is easily worked into the hair due to its light consistency so there is no need to whip it to make it lighter. We have a new phrase here at ZedHair, “The Mafura Shine”. Mafura provides the hair with a significant shiny effect without having to apply any additional oils. Hair that is moisturised with mafura butter stays moisturised for a prolonged amount of time. We’ve also noticed that mafura is an all in one styling aid. When it is in butter form it has an almost gel like feel. As well as shine, it also provides incredible hold for curly styles such as twist outs, braid outs or bantu knot outs.

Have we finally found the perfect product? Maybe. We often warn against touting products as miraculous. We believe that hair care is far more about how you treat your hair than what you use to treat it. Mafura butter comes pretty close though. It can be used for sealing, styling and deep conditioning. It is worth noting that shea butter probably still trumps mafura for thicker hair types and a more immediate softening effect.

You can find the mafura tree all over southern Africa

We love mafura butter so much that we couldn’t keep it for ourselves so we’re making it available to all of you. ZedHair Mafura Butter will be available to buy at our next workshop on 1^st November 2014; thereafter it will be sold in stores and online. You can thank us later.

One of the most common questions that we hear from our readers and naturals that we meet on the street and at events is how to style natural hair. But for many of us, living with natural hair is not about styling for a special occasion, but managing to do it every morning. So, I challenged myself to document my hair for a week. After a week, I wasn’t ready to wash my hair so I carried on until my hair needed washing again. I lasted for 16 days because I had to travel.

This is how I wore my hair over 15 consecutive days. it was actually 16, but the App would only allow me to upload 15 pictures.

Obviously, I would not manipulate my hair this much and on a daily basis if I was not doing a hair styling challenge. I am a low manipulation person as I get bored with hair easily, so I try to stretch each style to 3 or 4 days. I usually wash my hair on Sunday afternoons and aim to spritz my hair and refresh the style on Tuesday or Wednesday evening. I tend to wear my hair out on Friday and Saturday. but for this particular challenge, I made a real effort to change it everyday. You will notice that most styles follow on from each other, so you will observe similarities or only slight changes from one day to the next. A marked change usually occurs after spritzing because I will have added water to moisturise my hair. This requires stretching the hair that evening and a new style the next day.

It is rare that I do not plan my hair styles in advance. Perhaps not down to the details of each strand, but by Saturday afternoon, I like to have a general idea of what my schedule is going to be like during the following week. This determines how I will do my hair. This is important because it saves me time and ensures I get the maximum benefit from each style. If you are styling to grow your hair longer, low manipulation should be your goal. As someone who travels extensively for work, I need to ensure my hair fits in with my environment and on-the-road lifestyle.

I actually took these pictures in July, but since then I have been in almost every country in the region except Zambia so haven’t had time to organise all the pictures and write up the posts. The time has now come, so over the next few weeks I will be sharing in more detail how I achieved each of the styles in the collage above.

Every few months, a new trend travels through natural hair circles. Right now it is the Maximum Hydration Method which aims to enable the hair reach maximum hydration and thus result in amazing defined curls due to reduced frizz and dryness and more clumping, even without adding product to the hair. It was developed by PinkeCube and is designed specifically for what is known as Type 4c hair that is also low porosity, although it can work on any hair type as well. Most black Africans who are not mixed race fall into the 4c category. The idea behind the MHM is that since Type 4c is the kinkiest and curliest hair type, it is pone to dryness. And if that hair is also low porosity, then is struggles even more to absorb moisture. Porosity is the hair’s ability to retain moisture. You can have low, medium or high porosity hair. Read more about porosity here.

Photo courtesy of http://maxhydrationmethod.com/

If you have been following ZedHair for a while now, you will know that we don’t often deal in fads, so it has come as a surprise to you that we are even talking about it. Well, that is because after extensive research and reading up on it, I have decided to give it a whirl. That’s right. I am taking up the Maximum Hydration Challenge and I invite you to join me if you can. Let me answer a few of your questions first

What are the advantages of achieving maximum hydration?

It reduces dryness, which reduces tangles and breakage.

The MHM apparently also enables 4c hair to achieve a genuine wash and go because the curls clump easily and define with or without product

What is required to follow this method?

It is not for the lazy naturalista. So if you are not a DIY person, this is not for you. But if you like washing your own hair at home, mixing your own products and experimenting with what works for your hair, this may work for you. There is a great breakdown from The Mane Objective here. In summary, there are several steps that involve:

0. A pre-treatment (Cherry Lola)

1. Cleansing with baking soda or apple cider vinegar

2. Conditioning/deep conditioning

3. Clay wash

4. Leave-in conditioner

5. Botanical gel.

Photo courtesy of http://maxhydrationmethod.com/

What are the risks?

A number of people have concerns about hygral fatigue. The MHM encourages constant application of moisture such deep conditioning overnight. When hair is dripping wet, it is at its weakest (much like if it is bone dry). So having your hair constantly in this state could lead to too much water in the hair shaft, where the hair loses its elasticity. Hence the term, hygral fatigue. I don’t envision my hair being dripping wet. perhaps because of the low porosity of my hair, I find this unlikely. So no, I’m not overly worried about hygral fatigue.

The other concern many people have is pH balance due to use of the baking soda (Bicarbonate of Soda) in the Cherry Lola Treatment. More on that next week when we discuss the five steps in the MHM regimen. JC of The Natural Haven Bloom discusses some of the concerns here. Looking at the recipes on the MHM site, it looks to me that it is sufficiently pH balanced. People have shared the results of the method and I think that if it had violent side effects, we would have heard about them. Instead many people just report that it didn’t do much or anything at all for them. I will say that if you know that Bicarb doesn’t agree with your hair, don’t try it just because the recipe says you should. YOU know your hair better than anyone. So for me, nothing in the regimen is something that I have never tried before, except the bicarbonate of soda.

So why are you doing it?

Erm, they had me at wash and go. I actually really like the texture and appearance of y hair when it is wet and would love to minimise on my dry ends. The bushy and tangled ends that snap off in frustration could possibly be a thing of the past if this method works. I have looked at all the recipes and ingredients and I think it looks like it would work for me as they are all things that I already do at some point, just not in a regimented way.

Sticking on that point, I am not one to follow strict rules about my hair, so this is a nice way to see if I can keep to a schedule and not modify recipes etc to suit myself. I think this requires some adherence in order to see for sure if maximum hydration can be reached. Although since I don’t have a microscope, I cannot be certain from a scientific point of view.

Photo courtesy of http://maxhydrationmethod.com/

So, when do we start?

Saturday 18th October is Day One. This means, Friday 17th October is Day Zero, when all the shopping should be completed. I am going to do a post next week about the regimen and then another one with a shopping list. Once we start, I will be updating the blog and Facebook page with my pictures each evening.

In the meantime, please take time to read the detailed explanation of the maximum Hydration method here.

I decided to start my styling challenge with the basics. A good ole Two Strand Twist (TST). This is because of the many things different styles that you can get from TSTs.

I installed the twists on a Wednesday, knowing that I would be beginning the challenge on a Monday. The purpose of this was to maximise definition for a twist out later on in the week. The longer you keep the twists, the greater the definition and the longer that definition will last. But, I digress. Back to Day 1 and 2 styles.

Two Strand Twists – this was 4th day hair, but for purposes of this challenge, I am calling it Day 1, Style 1

This picture above was taken on a Saturday, meaning these twists are 4th day hair. To extend my styles, I always (and I do mean always) sleep with a stain pillowcase AND wear a satin or silk bonnet or scarf. I prefer scarves because you have more control over how you tie it onto your head and it is more versatile. A bonnet allows for a little friction, which is not always what you want.

I spritz my hair with a moisturising spritz (usually water, Tresemme Naturals or any silicone free conditioner, an oil and a few drops of essential oil). After spritzing I seal my hair with a natural oil. Usually this would be shea butter, mafura butter or mongongo oil (or even a mixture of them all). Sometimes I will baggy overnight or for a few hours. This is what is also known as the Greenhouse effect or method and involves plastic bag or cap over my hair for a few hours or overnight. The purpose of this is to use body heat to increase moisture uptake. Very important for low porosity hair like mine.

The Mopani Worm – picture from The Culinary Linguist

For TSTs, I also find that the extra moisture helps the hair to shrink up and makes the twists look fresher and juicy like well nourished fat mopani worms (caterpillars). If twists are dry or look dry, you don’t get to see the definition very well. What you want with TSTs is the caterpillar effect. Another way to refresh twists is to add some Apple Cider Vinegar (acv)to your spritz or to just use a pH balanced ACV rinse (1/4 tsp of acv to 120ml of water). This will close up the cuticles to give a shine to your hair and reduce the appearance of frizz. NB: this ratio is for rinsing and not cleansing. You will probably need 1 part ACV to 2 or 3 parts water for that. However, even with the best of care and regular moisturising, all twists end up looking tired.

There are a number of ways to stretch tired twists. My favourite is to pin them up in an updo or tie them into a ponytail. The other way is to accessorise them. On day 2 of the hair styling challenge, I decided to pin my 6th day twists to one side and accentuate with a colourful accessory. In this case I chose a bright orange chitenge flower that I bought at one of our workshops. FYI, have you signed up for our November 1st workshop yet? Click here for more.

Chitenge flower close up.

Side view with chitenge flower

Top view with chitenge flower

Check back here next week on Monday for Day 3, Style 3 – the twist out.

TST Chitenge flower collage 1

TST Chitenge flower collage 2

15 Days, 15 Styles – Day 1 & 2

Read the introductory post to this series here.

Dear ZedHair, I have a TWA and I just discovered that I have split ends. Cutting my hair is the last thing on my mind right now. Please help!

There are many types of split ends.

Split ends can lead to bushy, frizzy hair but even worse than that they can cause permanent incremental damage to the hair strand, breakage and a reduced ability to retain moisture. The sad part is that split ends shouldn’t really occur as often as they seem to for many women (and men), they certainly should not be plaguing those with TWA’s or Teeny Weeny Afro’s. Cutting your hair might be the last thing on your mind but it is the only solution to permanently getting rid of split ends. Thankfully there are some simple tried and tested ways to prevent or reduce their occurrence.

Use the proper hair tools

Natural hair is fragile and can easily be damaged by snagging on combs and brushes. Make sure you use seamless, wide tooth combs to help prevent split ends. You could also try combing and brushing your hair while it is saturated with conditioner for thorough detangling and your fingers the rest of the time. Any styling tools that you use must also be free from sharp bits that might get caught on the hair causing it to rip and split.

Reduce manipulation

This is related to using proper tools but also includes practices such as repeated manipulation from styling regularly and wearing hairstyles that may aggravate the hair strand. Our hair likes to be left alone. Unless you are on the set of a movie there really is no need for daily manipulation of your hair. Try sticking to the same hairstyles for at least a couple of days, if for example, you’d like a twist out, twist your hair and keep it in that style for a few days before unravelling. You could also try low manipulation hairstyles such as buns or puffs.

Use protein conditioners to strengthen the hair strand

We all know that conditioning is the holy grail of natural hair care but did you know that once you get into your second year as a natural head you should consider regular protein treatments to strengthen the hair strand? Hair that is well moisturised and strengthened by protein treatments is less likely to split.

Search and destroy

Cut those split ends as soon as you see them. Search and destroy is the term used in the natural hair community to describe the act of literally searching for and destroying split ends and single strand knots. Splits cannot be repaired and once they are discovered it is best to cut them off before they continue down the rest of the hair strand and cause more destruction.

How do you combat split ends?

Do you have a natural hair related query? Send it in to mwanabibi@zedhair.com and if I haven’t answered it before I’ll address it in this column.

This post is all about the steps you need to follow in order to join me in the Maximum Hydration Method challenge

As mentioned before in the introductory post, this method is not for the lazy naturalista. If you absolutely hate shrinkage, then this is also not for you.

Wanna join the Maximum Hydration Method Challenge? This is what your shopping basket will look like

So what is actually involved in joining the MHM Challenge?

1. You will need to check your supplies and go shopping
2. You will need to set aside time to wash your hair daily for seven days. It’s only one week. The MHM doesn’t require you to wash your hair daily forever, just for a week. This is because after a week, you should have be on your way to achieving maximum hydration and can move onto maintenance of washing every 2-3 days and then later every 5-7.
3. Step Zero is the Cherry Lola Treatment, which is done on the first day ONLY. Thereafter, you continue with the 5 steps on the other days.
4. You can either split your regimen into night and day or do everything at once. The reason I am starting on a Saturday is so that I can get a hang of the steps by Monday morning in order to get it done faster before work.
5. Some key things from what I have read are the need to do all this on soaking wet hair. No drying in between steps.

I will quote here directly from the website about why sticking to the regimen is important:

“The way this regimen works, is the more often (and more accurately) you do it, the faster you get results.”

• Step 0 – Cherry Lola Treatment
• Step 1 – Clarify – Baking Soda/Apple Cider Vinegar (B.S/ACV)
• Step 2 – Co-wash and Detangle (steam or deep condition)
• Step 3 – Clay rinse
• Step 4 – Leave-in
• Step 5 – Botanical gel

You can get many of your Maximum Hydration Method supplies from any supermarket

Shopping List

You will need all of the following items:

1. Avocado (very ripe)
2. Banana (very ripe)
3. Tresemme Naturals Conditioner (or any other silicone-free conditioner with a creamy base)
4. Flaxseeds (for flaxseed gel)
5. Shea butter (for flaxseed gel)
6. Bentonite Clay
7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8. Honey
9. Molasses
10. Essential oil (for flaxseed gel)
11. Bicarbonate of Soda
12. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
13. Greek yoghurt

Optional tools:

1. Measuring spoons and cups
2. Funnel
3. Mixing bowls
4. Bottle or jar for mixing clay rinse

You can get bentonite clay, organic apple cider vinegar and flaxseeds from Umoyo Natural Health stores

Follow us on Facebook and also follow @masukamutenda and @ZedHairDotCom on Twitter to keep up with the conversation. Hashtag is #MHM

Step 0 in the Maximum Hydration Method is the yummy and delicious Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment that my hair absolutely loved.

Everything that I used for the Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment

Step 0 – Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment

When you are first starting the MHM regimen, you do the Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment (Step 0) instead of Step 1 (Clarifying with B.S or ACV). Please note that it is done INSTEAD of and not in addition to Step 1.

You will need:

• 2 Cups Greek Yoghurt (or plain yoghurt)
• 2 TB Bicarbonate of Soda (what Americans call baking soda)
• 2 TB Organic Apply Cider Vinegar
• 2 TB Raw Coconut or Soy Aminos (not available in most African countries)
• 1/2 TB Raw honey
• 1 TB Unsulfured molasses
• 1/2 an overripe banana or plantain
• 3/4 TB of avocado
• 1 egg (optional)

It looked and smelled delicious

It creates a huge mess. Be warned

Other Important Points to Consider

1. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, no one should go out there and buy baking powder. It is NOT the same thing. Baking Soda is Bicarbonate of Soda
2. Soy Aminos is the one ingredient not available here in Zambia. It is available online from a South African retailer, but the website escapes me. So although I would normally have ordered it online, I decided not to this time in solidarity with my ZedHair readers. Lol. In truth, it was just too expensive and so not worth it. Looking at all the other ingredients, I think they are great and will do the job. I have tried researching substitutes, but I have not found a satisfactory one that would work here, so I am fine with not having this one ingredient
3. I have no idea what raw honey is, but in Zambia our honey is organic, so I am going with that. If you live in South Africa, your honey is super processed (tastes like syrup), so you will need to go to a health food shop to get proper unprocessed honey
4. I have no idea what unsulfured molasses is, but what we have available in this country is Blackstrap molasses
5. You can find plantain in some supermarkets and at Tuesday market in Lusaka. To overripen bananas, put them in the freezer overnight (baking trick for banana bread)
6. I am going to use the egg because I missed out on the protein content from the soy aminos

This is what the Cherry Lola Caramel mixture looks like applied to my hair

Wrap in cling film

No matter what you do, it will drip. So please do this on dry hair.

Method

1.Blend well in your blender. As someone who has suffered with bits of banana stuck in their hair after a deep condition, I cannot emphasise this enough. Blend, blend, blend.

2. Completely saturate your hair with this mixture, being sure to cover root to tip.

3. Put on a plastic cap and allow the mixture to sit for 1.5 to 2 hours.

4. Rinse with warm water. Make sure you rinse it all out.

5. The next step is to deep condition overnight. You do this immediately after rinsing out the Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment. This is essentially Step 2 in the regimen, which is co-wash and detangle (steam or deep condition).

Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment

How did I do?

I basically followed the instructions above. I used the whole banana instead of half because what was I supposed to do with half an overripe banana? The recipe calls for 3/4 (I read three quarters) of a TB of avocado. I was sure that was a mistake and was supposed to be 3-4 TBs of avocado, so that is what I did (4 TB to be precise). Later, when I came back and looked at this draft, I saw that the recipe said 3/4 of a TB. I don’t think this is a big deal is it was so nourishing. Again, I didn’t know what to do with half an overripe avocado as I eat mine firm, but ripe.

As mentioned above, this was a yummy mixture. I was excited to put all of that goodness onto my hair. However, the website says to apply it onto dry hair. I didn’t think this was important because I really felt that I wanted to start with clean hair and take a picture of it in order to do an adequate comparison of the MHM’s effects on my hair. This is good, but try to do this a week before you start the challenge. Pictures are your own proof and evidence that you will not only use to encourage yourself, but others too. However, if you put this yummy mixture on your wet hair, it will drip drip drip drip and drip and then drip some more all over everything and for ages and ages. You are supposed to stay with it for 1.5-2 hours or overnight. Learn from me and be sure to do this on dry hair. If your hair is free of too much product, reduce the bicarb as mentioned on the site here.

My hair felt lovely afterwards and I was excited to move onto the other steps. Tomorrow I will share how I did the baking soda rinse, which is Step 1.

Here are the Steps in the Maximum Hydration Method regimen

• Step 0 – Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment
• Step 1 – Clarify – Baking Soda/Apple Cider Vinegar (B.S/ACV)
• Step 2 – Co-wash and Detangle (steam or deep condition)
• Step 3 – Clay rinse
• Step 4 – Leave-in
• Step 5 – Botanical gel

Click to read the introductory post in this Maximum Hydration Method challenge here.

For many people who would like to undertake the Maximum Hydration method challenge, they stumble at Step 1. Specifically, they have an issue with the baking soda (or Bicarbonate of Soda). I went to the Maximum Hydration Website and found they have a specific post dedicated to debunking what they call baking soda myths. I read and researched and came to the conclusion that while baking soda is on the higher end of the pH scale, the presence of conditioner in the mix and following it up with a co-wash detangling Step 2 was sufficient to smooth any cuticles, restore pH and add slip to the hair. Also, considering my low porosity hair, a product to ‘lift’ my cuticles so to speak was necessary.

I have copied and pasted here directly from the Maximum Hydration Method website, which I strongly urge you to visit if you are to hear about this regimen from the originators and understand and apply it correctly. You will also find lots of information from others who have tried it, read about their experiences and see their testimonial pictures. Where there is a specific comment from me, I have prefaced it with #ZH.

The baking soda and conditioner creates a mixture that looks like watered down sour milk

Step 1: Clarify

Option 1: Baking soda rinse. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda into thick 1-2.5 oz conditioner. Add 4-8 oz of water. Shake. Apply to hair in sections and let sit on the hair for 15-60 minutes. If being done on product free hair, lower baking soda measurement to 1-2 teaspoons.

#ZH: This point is important because they are saying that if your hair is dirty, use the full 1-2 TB is BS. However, if your hair is clean, reduce the amount of BS. This step is ideal for low porosity hair, since it lifts the cuticle as well.

You can use any silicone-free conditioner. I use Tresemme Naturals or if you would like cheaper alternatives, there is a Aquamarine Detangling Conditioner available in some stores. The ingredients are not quite on a par with Tresemme Naturals, but it works to reduce costs.

Option 1.2: Alternate Baking soda rinse

•  2 tablespoons baking soda (Bicarb)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6-10 oz of water

Option 2: Apple cider vinegar rinse. You do a 1:1 ratio of apple cider vinegar with water in an 8oz applicator bottle. Apply to hair in sections from tips to the root, and on scalp. Let it sit in the hair for 15- 60 mins before rinsing. Note you can choose to only do the acv for 15 minutes, like the BS, but the longer you can leave it the better.

#ZH: Here in Zambia, organic ACV is expensive, and if you follow this 1:1 ratio, you would basically be going through one bottle every two days. For this reason, I will use BS, because it makes more economic sense. My aim is to do the ACV rinse once in the seven days.

Option 3: Alternating between both rinses. You can opt to do either rinse every other day/night/week. It’s up to you to experiment with how often you would like to alternate.

#ZH: Step 1 is essentially only done on Days 2 to 7 as Day 1 is where you do Step 0 (Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment) instead of Step 1. By day 3 I had pretty much gotten a handle on it. The conditioner gives the mixture so much slip that it really helps to make the hair feel lovely and soft.

I use an applicator bottle to apply the baking soda/bicarbonate of soda rinse to my hair.

The first thing I do is wet my hair under the shower by allowing the water to run for a minute or so. I try to remove any product from my hair and smooth and rake my hair. While it is dripping wet, I make four sections and twist my hair. If your hair is shorter, you may not need sections, or you will need more sections as your hair isn’t long enough to make only four. I proceed to complete all the subsequent steps with my hair in these four sections only.

I pour the baking soda mixture all over my head, being sure to put some on each section. I undo one section and add some more baking soda to that section. I smooth and rake the product over my hair to make sure it is evenly distributed. I re-twist that section and then move onto another section, repeating all the steps. Then I let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it out with warm water. While my hair is still dripping wet I move onto Step 2 – Co-wash and finger detangle.

Click to read the introductory post on the Maximum Hydration Method challenge here. The Step 0 – Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment here.

Co-washing and finger detangling is an important step in the Maximum Hydration Method as well detangled hair will cause all the subsequent steps to move by pretty rapidly. In fact, if you start with well detangled hair on Day 1 before the Cherry Lola Caramel Step 0, it will save you hours of time. This is not an exaggeration.

This step is also where you see the value of doing this in the shower. This is so that the force of the water helps you to detangle, smooth, rake and finger comb your hair. This aids in the application of product and to evenly distribute it as well as keeping your hair well watered.

I have copied and pasted here directly from the Maximum Hydration Method website, which I strongly urge you to visit if you are to hear about this regimen from the originators and understand and apply it correctly. You will also find lots of information from others who have tried it, read about their experiences and see their testimonial pictures. Where there is a specific comment from me, I have prefaced it with #ZH.

Step 2: Cowash & Finger Detangle

Mix silicone-free conditioner with water. Shake bottle. Apply to hair

Option 1: Apply conditioner to your hair in sections, and deep condition overnight by covering your hair in a shower cap or thermal heating cap. This will be 1-2 oz of conditioner and 4-8 oz of water into an applicator bottle. Get a feel for the consistency you want from watering it down. In the morning you rinse it out and it will function as your cowash.

You can tuck roll and bun (or bobby pin) sections to keep from creating tangles during the night. This not a necessity for those who have a TWA.

On days you know you will not be able to complete all the steps in full for whatever reason, simply stop here. Keep the shower cap on underneath your wig cap, beanie, or headscarf until you can complete the rest of the steps. This will prevent you from having any setbacks. It doesn’t count as a full day though until you complete the rest of the steps.

Option 2: Apply conditioner, put on a shower cap, and Steam. Steam for 15-20 mins under a steamer, hooded dryer and rinse it out.This will function as your cowash.Use 1.5-2 oz of conditioner and 4-6 oz of water into an applicator bottle.

#ZH: I have been following option 2. I apply the conditioner in the shower and detangle my hair. When I am done, I section my hair into 4 and then sit under a heating cap for 20 minutes.

Option 3: Apply warm conditioner in your hair in sections. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes under shower cap, and rinse it out. This will function as your cowash. if you are doing this step, first pour 1.5-2 oz of conditioner into an applicator bottle. Then pour in 4-6 oz of warm/hot water and shake.

I use four types of silicone free conditioner. All execpt for The Body Shop are available in Zambia. The others you can buy in supermarkets or Umoyo

Finger Detangle: No matter what option above you choose, you finger detangle before and/or during your co-wash under the warm shower. Section your hair before going in with shower clips. Focus on removing shed hairs, smoothing, raking, and separating tangles each section, from the root of your hair to the tip.

#ZH: This point on finger detangling and sectioning hair (if long enough) is critical. Proper and thorough detangling makes all the Steps in this regimen go by a lot faster. Be kind and gentle with your hair, but also firm.

Click to read the introductory post on the Maximum Hydration Method challenge here. The Step 0 – Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment here. Step 1 – Clarify with baking soda here.

If you recall, my Day 1 and 2 styles were two strand twists (TSTs). The next stage of TSTs is a twist out. So on Day 3 and 4 I wore a basic twist out side do and a textured roll, tuck & pin (RTP) updo.

Basic Twist Out

I unravelled the TSTs, took a bobby pin and secured some hair to the side. That’s it. if you look closely, you will find that it is basically the same as Day 2, except without the accessory. Because the twists are down, the hair is also much fuller.

Day 3 – Twist out ‘side do’

Day 3 – Twist out. This is the free side where you can really see the definition clearly

Day 3 – Twist out top view

Day 3 – Twist out ‘side do’

Textured RTP

The following day, being Day 4, I decided to do my absolute favourite twist out style which is a textured RTP. What is a textured RTP? It is basically a regular ole RTP, but done on hair which is textured as in a twist out. The advantage of a textured RTP is that it is the texture of the hair that makes it look awesome, so the RTP aspect doesn’t need to be that fancy or complicated.

All I did was take medium to small sections of hair, tuck the ends under themselves and secure to the scalp using a bobby pin.

Day 4 – Textured RTP is simplicity at its best. It always looks much more complicated than it actually is.

Day 4 – Textured RTP. This rich textured look is why I love twist out updos

Day 4 – textured RTP I like how you can’t tell what the style is from the front. It’s a surprise

Day 4 – textured up do (top view)

A few tips to create a good twist out

• Make sure that when you install your twists, you do not borrow from one strand to another. If you do, the hair will tangle and frizz. What this means is that if part way down you realise one of the two strands is significantly larger or smaller, don’t take a bit from the big one and add it to the smaller one. Either carry on and leave it like that or go back and undo it, starting over.
• Also try and ensure that your hair is well moisturised. This is why I try to spritz, seal and baggy before I plan to take down the twists. Dry twists are difficult to take down, are likely to result in breakage and will be dry and frizzy looking.
• As mentioned last time, the longer you keep the twists in, the greater the definition and the longer that definition will last.
• Medium twists tend to create the best lasting twist outs. If the twists are too small, you don’t get to see the definition very well. If they are too big, it looks good at first, but the definition doesn’t last as long.
• With appropriate care, a twist out can last a whole week. Towards the end you employ many of the same rescue tactics as with TSTs such as updos and accessories.

Day 4 – Textured RTP

Day 3 – Twist out side do

15 Days, 15 Styles – Day 3 & 4

Read the introductory post to this series here. Read styles for Day 1 & 2 here.

The clay rinse is only Step 3 in the Maximum Hydration Method. If you get here then congratulations and hang in there because you are almost done. What is great about Step 3 is that this is when you can immediately feel the definition of curls in your hair. The first time I did this I screamed as I didn’t realise what my texture actually felt like. The clay sort of molds it in place allowing you to touch it in a way that you cannot when it is just wet.

This is my favourite Step because I have always loved clay rinses for the way they make my curls pop and make the hair so much easier to detangle. What I really liked about the MHM Clay rinse was that this recipe is so much better than what I have been using so far. Once you mix it, it can last you 3 days, longer if you have shorter hair. So although it appears as though it is expensive, it is actually a value for money recipe. Cost saving is always appreciated.

I have copied and pasted here directly from the Maximum Hydration Method website, which I strongly urge you to visit if you are to hear about this regimen from the originators and understand and apply it correctly. You will also find lots of information from others who have tried it, read about their experiences and see their testimonial pictures. Where there is a specific comment from me, I have prefaced it with #ZH.

The ingredients used in my clay rinse with the pre-mixed bottle in the centre

Step 3: Clay rinse

With all options, leave the rinse on the hair for at least 15 minutes before rinsing, and remember to evenly distribute in sections, from the tips to the roots, and get it on your scalp as well. You want to make sure your hair is visibly coated and weighed down with the clay. It needs to look something like this.

If it doesn’t, you are not doing this step correctly, the clay is not evenly distributed, and your hair may actually feel dry.

#ZH: It is important to note that the honey and oil are critical to ensure this mixture is not drying to your hair or skin.

When applying clay mixture, try to separate your coils, don’t try to smooth your hair into one big slick slab. Apply the mask in thin layers of hair starting at the nape from your scalp/roots to the ends of your hair. You do not need to be scooping the clay, squeeze it directly onto your hair and work it in.

#ZH: I advise working section by section to ensure that it is evenly distributed. I actually found it easier to pour into my hand in small sections and then apply to my hair as I wanted more clay on my hair than on the shower floor.

Let sit in hair for at least 15 minutes, there’s nothing wrong with leaving it on much longer, either. Rinse out the clay. This is the part of the method where you will be checking for signs of max hydration. Your hair is now going to be completely clean of any left over product residue, and you will be able to check your progress on your product free hair. Coils will be felt at the scalp first while washing your hair. /you will then start to clump and curling at the very tips of the hair, and slowly progress up to the root, which is when you can claim max hydration. Other visible signs include shakeable hair even when hair is completely dry after having completed all the steps. This is the added weight of moisture retention. If you’re doing this regimen and transitioning, just check your new growth for signs.

Option 1: Clay rinse

This rinse can be done using any pure clay powder, like Bentonite Clay, Rhassoul clay, red clay, zeolite clay, european clay, French Green Sea clay and more. Using a funnel or folded paper when needed, you can pour each ingredient one at a time into a large empty 32 shampoo/conditioner/soap bottle, shake afterward to mix the ingredients. after you use it, then store for the next day. If the clay dries up, just and more water as needed and shake.

#ZH: I used Bentontite clay from Umoyo. I also used a 1 litre empty bottle of water (about 32 ounces).

Mix ingredients:

• 1 cup pure clay powder
• 2-3 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

If the consistency is too thick, just add more water until you get a thick but still liquidy consistency. It shouldn’t be so thick that its cakey and solid.

Option 2: Ready made clay rinse

–like terresentials.

#ZH: This is not currently available in Lusaka and I am yet to come across it on my visits to South Africa.

Mafura butter, Ubuchi honey, Bentonite clay and Water

I used the recipe above except that I replaced olive oil with mafura butter. While my hair is still dripping wet I move onto Step 4 – leave-in conditioner.

Click to read the introductory post on the Maximum Hydration Method challenge here. The Step 0 – Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment here. Step 1 – Clarify with baking soda here. Step 2 – Co-wash and finger detangle here.