Headstart: Using Water as a Natural Detangler

Pictured above is Frizzy human hair.

When soaking wet, the human hair detangles as bonds are temporary broken.

I learned some things from my clients this week about natural hair.  Keeping a water bottle on hand is the best way to keep naturally resistant hair manageable and free of tangles.  Whether you are rolling it, braiding it, or even blow drying it, every small slice or small section at a time has to stay fully saturated with water in order to maintain control over it.

I always wondered why a blow dry service on resistant hair seemed like it grew more and more difficult as I advanced through the full head.  Literally, it seems crazy and contradictory to keep a water bottle on standby for a blow dry service but if you are blow drying resistant hair, you will have to keep re-wetting each section as you get to it while trying not to re-wet the section of the hair that you have already blown dry.

I will also re-emphasize "towel blotting" enough to keep the floor dry. However, you want a "soaking wet" head as the basis for your natural hair service.  I was amazed at the simplicity of water versus all the other leave-in conditioners on the market.

A Regimen for Long, Relaxed, Color-treated Hair

My client has been with me through thick and thin for the last seven years.  Pictured is all of her own grown hair without any hair extensions.  Do you wonder about her secret to her length?  Well, let me tell you the deal!

1) She does wear a partial sew-in (not pictured), but her own hair is longer than the hair extensions that she wears.  She wears extensions because she want the "Beyonce" fullness and glamour.  And since part of her hair is always braided up and sewn down, it is protected and continues to gain long lengths.

2) She never, never blow dries her hair.  We always roller set, roller set, roller set.  She is used to dryer time, and she brings plenty to keep her occupied for an hour and half dryer time.

3) She is a weekly hair client because she gets permanent color every four weeks and Mild Mizani relaxers every eight weeks.  She needs someone to keep an eye on her hair for treatments and tightenings.  She has Type 3c to Type 4a curl pattern.  Her natural hair color grows in more "salt" than "pepper."  She prefers gray coverage with lighter colors avoiding black and avoiding reds.

4) She does take dietary supplements, drinks a lot of water, and tries to eat as healthy as possible.

5) She does use curling irons and pressing combs for fine tuning of her hairstyle when her relaxer touch-ups are over  five weeks old.  She does not like too much frizz.  Of course, this particular bad habit results in a few setbacks for her hair that is not braided up in the protective styling.

So was her regimen at all a surprise?

Brown Spiders Attracted to Brown hair?

On several occasions over the years, I have removed dry leftover brown hair from the shampoo bowl in the morning after a late night in the salon to find a brown spider taking shelter. I also have caught a few other brown spiders in my shampoo bowl area. One was dropping down by web spinning to get to the shampoo bowl. According to my research, they are seeking water. My spider discoveries do not happen often enough to be alarming, but over the years, I definitely have made a note of it. What is strange is that I never see black spiders taking shelter in dried, leftover, black colored hair in the shampoo bowl.

NOTE: My shampoo bowl is black as are most shampoo bowls to avoid haircolor staining. I do not know if that makes a difference.