₦airaland Forum

chiggie: hi y'all!
my own case is critical. iv had natural hair all my life. I had really long hair few years back until I got into the uni. its hard to take good care of my hair with all the wahala I face in school. so weaves n kinky braids became became my best friends. The problem is, for the past three years, I haven't seen any noticeable growth n it seems my hair gets shorter. I dnt know where I'm getting it wrong. I still maintain my hair routines when my hair was long. Please help!

I've had natural hair all my life too. The most likely reason it hasn't grown in a while is because you may not moisturise your hair easily while it is in extensions and weaves. So it gets dry and break off.

How long do you take the weaves and extensions for?
Do you deep condition prior to styling?
What products are you currently using?

chiggie: hi y'all!
my own case is critical. iv had natural hair all my life. I had really long hair few years back until I got into the uni. its hard to take good care of my hair with all the wahala I face in school. so weaves n kinky braids became became my best friends. The problem is, for the past three years, I haven't seen any noticeable growth n it seems my hair gets shorter. I dnt know where I'm getting it wrong. I still maintain my hair routines when my hair was long. Please help!

I've had natural hair all my life too. The most likely reason it hasn't grown in a while is because you may not moisturise your hair easily while it is in extensions and weaves. So it gets dry and break off.

How long do you take the weaves and extensions for?
Do you deep condition prior to styling?
What products are you currently using?

MOAsymbolic: Hi, ife. Thanks for your advice but i just wanna know a few things.
1) I started making my hair in may, 2010. Though, its reaching my back now i.e the length, but i know its supposed to be longer than that because when i was young before i cut my hair, it was way longer than it is now. What should i do?
2)Also, i'v been using ebony to relax my hair and its been trying small though my hair is stubborn. I changed to UB last 2 mnths and it did wonders to my hair but i read something that we shld avoid any shampoo that contains sodium laureth sulfate but the UB shampoo that came wif the relaxer contains it. Is the UB shampoo and conditioner bad? If yes, which should i use? Pls specify.
3) Also, i dnt hv hair at front. What do you advice i use?
4) is a conditioner the same as leave-in conditioner or moisturizer? Thanks

Alternative SLS shampoos are Creme of Nature Argan oil sulfate free shampoo and Keracare Cleansing creme.

For front hair, massage a mix of castor oil,rosemary essential oil and shea butter daily. It takes a month or two for new hair to grow out. Please avoid tight braids and weaves and don't over relax the front. That's what is making it weak.

A conditioner is different from a leave in conditioner and a moisturiser due to the different ingredients present in it.
A conditioner aids in detangling and balances out your hair, a leave in conditioner is designed not to be rinsed out and a moisturiser contains a mix of water and oil.

Atk 01: And I thought my hair is long. Nice one OP.

Thanks. It'll be interesting to know your regimen. Since you've been able to retain length, you must have some tricks up your sleeve! Spill!!!

demelza: I will be waiting for you to post the products here alonside your haircare regimen.

My current products are

Shampoo : Keracare Cleansing Cream. It contains shikakai,neem seed oil,amla oil and argan oil. It's really gentle and doesn't strip your scalp or hair. I got this from Twentysix85.com

You can substitute with Creme of Nature sulfate free shampoo or Organics root stimulator creamy aloe shampoo..use diluted and on scalp only.

Conditioner: VO5 Strawberry and Cream conditioner or Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship or ORS Replenishing conditioner (love the fragrance)

Leave In Conditioner: Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream

Oil : Coconut oil, castor oil and palm kernel oil

Seal and styler: NappyGirl Pudding


Hair regimen

I'm currently following the Indian method of haircare to maintain the length of my hair and it's working really well.

Everyday, I apply a light coating of coconut oil to my hair after misting it with water (since I'm natural). If you're relaxed, apply to dry hair.

Then every three days I give my scalp amd edges a light massage with castor oil.

The night before wash day, I'll coat my hair with coconut and palmkernel oil completely saturating it. Then cover with a showercap and a scarf for bed.

On wash day, I'll shampoo with Keracare massaging my scalp then rinse.
Then I'll pour a 1:3 solution of ACV to my hair, wait for 5 mins then apply conditioner and rinse with cold water.

Blot dry with a microfibre towel or T shirt (prevents breakage).

Then I apply coconut oil, then Cantu , then NappyGirl Pudding in that order. If you're relaxed coconut oil to damp hair is fine.

That's it.

Don't do any tight style and always wrap your hair before bed to protect it at night.

If you feel your ends are dry, apply Cantu lightly and seal with coconut oil.

sandylurv: @nappilynigerian
Pls where did u get lactic acid peel in Nigeria?

I'm also on the lookout for it in Nigeria. Try Amazon.com to order. A good brand is SkinLaboratory.

berra: Hello.Yippee!I'm so excited about this thread.I just decided to go natural with my hair about 3months ago.I now use natural products and I've stopped using relaxers on my hair. I'm still trying to figure out where I can buy a good conditioner for my hair and what type I can buy.Does any one have suggestions?

I'm a long term natural and good conditioners for natural hair that you can easily purchase in dept stores in Nigeria are
- Herbal Essence Totally twisted
- VO5 conditioners. I'm in with the Strawberry and cream variant
- Organics Root Stimulator Olive Oil replenishing conditioners
- Tresemme Naturals Conditioner

Hope this helps.



www.nappilynigeriangirl..com

demelza: Your hair is beautiful and healthy.
I hope you use products that are readily available in Nigeria.
*following*

Thank you.
Yes I do use products that are readily available in Nigeria ..... for Do It Yourself (DIY) and for Buy It Yourself (BIY) hair care.

A lot of people don't think Nigerian hair can grow long and soft unless they are mixed or their hair is relaxed...that isn't true.

Nigerians can have soft and long hair too whether relaxed or natural.

The problem is that we don't really know how to care for our hair type.

The Indians know how to care for their coarse straight hair (coarse being that their hair strands are thick ...people confuse coarse with 'the feel of the hair' not the strand thickness...your hair can be coarse and feel soft).
The Brazilians, the Chinese, the Caucasians all know how to care for their hair type but unfortunately many Africans don't know how to care for their hair.

They'll use products and methods suited for the hairtypes of other races ....and when their hair revolts by being hard, dry, break and such....they blame the hair....not the products or methods!

The key to growing soft, long Nigerian hair is this "NOURISH THE SCALP, STRENGTHEN THE HAIR".

Avoid products and methods that clog or dry out the scalp.
Avoid products and methods that damage the hair strands.

Most Nigerians have hair (in it's natural state) that is
-very coily
-fine stranded
-porous

which make it prone to dryness (reason for the hard to touch) and breakage (reason we don't have long hair).

Even if your hair is relaxed, it can't change the fact that our strands are much thinner and flatter than the straight hair of other races and the chemicals make our hair even more fragile.

Here are simple tips to grow Nigerian hair long and soft.

1.Nourish the scalp

-Natural oils and butters contains nutrients that nourish the scalp.
The scalp is the soil from which hair grows.

-Scalp massages with oils know to stimulate hair growth is beneficial not only to growing hair but also to growing stronger, healthier hair that can withstand styling and be less prone to breakage (which is the reason why one is stuck with one length forever!!!!)..

- Washing the scalp with harsh products dry it out leading to scalp problems and poor hair growth. So use good quality products.

The Indians know it. The Brazilians know it!


2. Strengthen and protect the hair:
- The hair that grows out of your scalp is relatively is not living tissue.Healthy, soft hair starts from the scalp.

- Because our hair is super coily, the natural oils on our scalp cannot flow down to the ends of our hair. (same thing even when you're relaxed. You can't get all the kinks out without damaging the hair).
So a light coating of natural oil daily helps lubricate and protect the strands and retain moisture.

- Speaking of moisture, dryness is the reason our hair feels hard to touch and the reason it breaks.
It's important to use hair products that draw moisture to the cortex of the hair strands keeping it supple, flexible, soft and less prone to breakage. (meaning more visible growth).

- Also don't rip through tangles with a comb (never use those blue rat tailed comb!)
Use a wide tooth comb and detangle from bottom to top as carefully as you would detangled your treasured Brazilian/Peruvian/Indian weave.

- If you're relaxed, make sure your hair is completely dry and oiled (I love coconut oil) before detangling. If you're natural, damp or wet detangling with slippery conditioner will save your length.

Here's a picture of my hair using the right methods and products for my Afro textured hair and I hope to grow it even longer!

honeric01: I have a weakness for women with their natural hair and I've been trying to convince my vanilla to give it more chance

How can i make my cutest start taking care of her real hair more? She complains that its too weak and 'tiny', hence she can't go natural.

I'm thinking of getting hair products that encourage natural hair upkeep as a gift, any recommendation? I need products sold in the Nigerian markets.

I design natural hair kits containing all you need to care for your natural hair. Perhaps you can send me an email nappilynigeriangirl@gmail.com and I'll send you a simple questionnaire so I could put together a gift NappyGirl Kit.

On the other hand, I have listed Natural hair products I've discovered work really well for our natural hair type ( African hair type...really...since whether you hair is relaxed or natural, our hair strands are different from those of other races).
You can find them here on www.nappilynigeriangirl..com

I've also listed vendors in Nigeria you can easily purchase the products from.

Hope this helps!

honeric01: I have a weakness for women with their natural hair and I've been trying to convince my vanilla to give it more chance

How can i make my cutest start taking care of her real hair more? She complains that its too weak and 'tiny', hence she can't go natural.

I'm thinking of getting hair products that encourage natural hair upkeep as a gift, any recommendation? I need products sold in the Nigerian markets.

I design natural hair kits containing all you need to care for your natural hair. Perhaps you can send me an email nappilynigeriangirl@gmail.com and I'll send you a simple questionnaire so I could put together a gift NappyGirl Kit.

On the other hand, I have listed Natural hair products I've discovered work really well for our natural hair type ( African hair type...really...since whether you hair is relaxed or natural, our hair strands are different from those of other races).
You can find them here on www.nappilynigeriangirl..com

I've also listed vendors in Nigeria you can easily purchase the products from.

Hope this helps!

I had terrible acne and back-acne while growing up and still have some scars but they look like light freckles now.I noticed that the deeper scars caused by picking the zits take a longer time to fade than the surface ones.

I have really oily skin with dryer patches on my cheeks.

These are the products I used that worked really well.

1. Oxy10 / Clearex 10 ...they contain 10% Benzoyl Peroxide which is antibacterial (against P. acnes) and anti inflammatory and the good thing is that they have longer lasting antibacterial action than most OTC antibacterial cream.

2. A gentle face wash with Salicylic Acid. Neutrogena Soap Free cleanser works really well. This should be the soap/cleanser for washing your face morning and night.
P.S. Always was your face at night! It leads to clearer skin by morning.
If you have back acne like I did, Neutrogena Body Scrub with Salicylic Acid was the bomb.


3. Once a week or biweekly facials is also necessary but be careful of the spas you go to....sometimes they make issues worse especially if you have sensitive skin like I did.
I had to start at home facials after much research!
Here's the facial regimen that worked for me.
- First I wash my face with warm water and soap free cleanser.

- Then I apply a mix of rosemary oil and aloe vera to my face, then steam for 15 mins and rinse with warm water.

- Then I scrub my skin in circular motions using smooth blend rosemary leaves...about a table spoon full.
Some days I scrub with equal parts of sugar and salt mixed with olive oil in a paste.

- Then rinse off with warm water.

- Then I apply an oatmeal mask (to soothe my skin and draw out oil).
Some days it's a bentonite clay mask (draws out oil and toxins)
Some days it's a lactic acid peel mask ( removes dead skin cells and brightens complexion)
Some days it's a honey mask (nourishes and brightens)
You can change it up week by week.

- I rinse off the mask with tepid water, then tone my skin with a mix of water and Apple cider vinegar. Start with a 3:1 concentration.
3 tablespoon of water to one table spoon ACV.

The recipes are on my blog www.nappilynigeriangirl..com

Another thing is to avoid moisturisers containing ingredients such as petrolatum, mineral oil, lanolin. I notice breakouts when I use lotions with these ingredients.
Non oily moisturisers are your best bet.
I'm using St. Ives Naturally Smooth Lotion with AHA. Yes to Carrots range are really good too but harder to find in Nigeria. However, I recently discovered that www.TwentySix85.com stock it.

Hope this helps.

uzoo: @NappilyNigerian

Lovely hair you got there , and from what i can see,your hair looks really soft for a Natural .The Coconut oil is really good

Thank you, Uzoo. The coconut oil is really good. My hair was blowdried and stretched. A good tip to keep the hair soft is the use of gentle moisturising shampoo and conditioners. I discovered my hair feels like an iron sponge when I use some harsh drying hair products.

I have a list of products I've noticed give good results. They work well for African hair....relaxed or natural.

www.nappilynigeriangirl..com

Godmother: Guys I seriously need help with my hair.It has been breaking terribly for a while now and its at a point where I feel like cutting d whole thing off. Someone advised me to use coconut oil saying it will revive my hair.

But I dnt knw how to use it. I heard it cud av a negative effect if applied wrongly. Do I apply it to dry hair or wet my hair and apply? And do I need to wash it off after applying or leave it in.

Pls I really need help frm those who have used coconut oil. I recently just got some and I'm desperate to use it to take my hair out of this embarassing state.

Hi dear, I've been using coconut oil for two months now and I must say, it's helped with length retention and I'm natural.

I learnt this tip from Indian/Malay bloggers. It's their cultural practice for retaining length and thus grow hair long.

Everyday, warm up a tablespoon of coconut oil (you may substitute with palmkernel oil. they have similar contents). Then apply to dry hair starting from your scalp and massaging gently down the length of your hair.

Then the night before you wash your hair, warm a larger quantity of coconut oil mixed with castor oil and apply to your scalp and hair until your hair is completely saturated with oil. Cover with a shower cap and wrap with a scarf to prevent oily pillows.

In the morning, wash your hair using 'shikakai' powder or soapnuts mixed with water and neem seed oil.
Start with your roots then work down to the length of your hair.
It's difficult to find shikakai powder but Keracare Cleansing Cream with shikakai, neem seed oil, amla oil and argan oil as the main ingredients is a really good substitute. You can purchase it at TwentySix85.com

Then after washing, blot your hair dry with a microfiber towel or cotton shirt.

When your hair is about 90% dry, apply coconut oil (like the daily treatment) and comb through with a wide tooth comb.

Then once a month or once in two months, you can do a henna gloss.

For more details, visit www.nappilynigeriangirl..com

hope this helps.

This is my current regimen and I'm pleased with the results.

cocospice: GOAL: i want the edges, side edges and the back of my kid's hair to grow out very full and rich.
below is a pic.

Well, I've worked with some moms and regular application of a 1:1 mix of castor and shea butter to make a thick cream has worked well. It also helps with styling if your baby is a girl.

Also those mini puffs with rubber bands really wreck havoc on the child's hair and may stress the hair follicles. instead try styles like fingercoils, minitwists and the moisturised afro.

I have some simple regimen on my blog www.nappilynigeriangirl..com under the label 'children' and some products I've discovered that work really well with children's hair.

Hope this helps.

P.s. I'm proud of you mums that try to care for their kid's natural hair.
My mum did the same and I thank God for her. She has passed down her basic knowledge in natural hair care and I've never seen any reason to relax it.

Yield: NappilyNigerian, I love your hair! Good to have you in this thread! MzD, love those pics. The little girl you posted is sooo adorable and she's got gorgeous skin!

Awww...thank you!
I'm happy to be part of this thread and learn and share tips.
She does have gorgeous skin. Digging out cultural skincare practices worldwide. Will get back to you guys soon.

Recently run out of CON Argan Sulfate free poo and thankfully was gifted Keracare Cleansing Cream by Twentysix85.com and with shikakai,amla,neem oil and argan oil as the main ingredients, it's a perfect cowash for the Indian oil method for length retention.

Braidz: Hey nappily nigerian, your hair looks awesome. I'm a silent follower of your blog and I can say from experience that this oil treatment works. I do it before my wash day and i notice minimal breakage (next to zero) and hair feels softer for longer almost a week before i need to condition again.

Thank you. Yes o! The Indians know what's up.....see their hair!

JallowBah: I wish I could use coco oil on my kids hair more, but as soon as it gets cold in this damn country, the oil hardens up. It does not look very nice

Perhaps you can substitute the coconut oil with palm kernel oil. They both have similar conc. of lauric acid. If you want to mask the coffee like scent of PKO, you can use any essential oil of choice.

kandiikane: ^Love it! Your texture looks 'smooth' I can't hold my hair back without loads of flyaways and crinkles. Is it due to the oils?

I actually bought some coconut oil and jasmine oil(not quite sure how this one works) in march but never really use them. I will start this method and see. I have neglected my hair for too long.

Thanks.Yes, the oil play a part in taming flyaways especially the castor oil.

I've been consistently using the Indian oiling method for the past two months to retain length in my hair and thus grow it long and the result is amazing.

I noticed how Indians had impossibly long hair and wondered why their long hair didn't break despite the fact that the longer your hair, the older it is and the more prone it is to breakage!

I got in touch with some Indian/Malay bloggers and this oiling method stands out!

- Daily rituals Warm a few tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave or palms and massage it on your scalp.
Then thinly coat your hair from root to tip.

The day before wash day, apply a heavier layer of coconut oil, braid your hair and put a towel on your pillow or cover with showercap.
Shampoo it out the next morning.
Your hair will be softer and stronger in weeks.
Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid which helps prevent hair loss.
Palmkernel oil is also rich in lauric acid.

I actually use a mix.

- Weekly rituals in India takes the form of the 'head bath' every Sunday.
More oil, this time castor oil. Let it soak in for at least an hour before it would be washed away with 'seegekaayi' or 'shikaikai', mixed with water.
I substituted with sulfate free shampoo and washed biweekly instead since my hair is curlier.

For more check out my blog nappilynigeriangirl..com

Have you used any hair or skin care products you love because it really works?
Help a sister or brother out!

If you list a hair product ,please let us know the nature of your hair, relaxed or natural.

If you list a skin care product, let us know if your skin is normal, oily or combination skin.

Also if you have any product you'll like to swap, mention your product and the product you'll like to swap it with....who knows?!

Running a series called 'Nigerians Got Good Hair Too!!!".....Featuring Nigerians with beautiful Natural and relaxed hair. If you're Nigerian and you've got beautiful hair or know anyone that fits, show and tell us how you/she achieved this. To be featured, send a mail with a pic of your hair to nappilynigeriangirl@gmail.com

nappilynigeriangirl..com