During the two weeks I wore my hair in clip-ins I noticed something about my hair I had forgotten since being natural: I have multiple hair textures. Since the front section of my hair was left free (to disguise my extensions) I had a lot of time to examine this part of my hair and I noticed a few key things:
(1) This section of my hair splits constantly and seemingly for no reason. The splits were bad, I am talking multiples along the strand, and I knew there was a problem when I trimmed one day and saw splits again the next.
(2) These strands are extremely fine. The reason the hair in this section is so prone to splitting is because it is fine and therefore weaker than the medium/course stands that dominate the majority of my hair.
(3) The hair in this section needs to be handled differently than the rest of my hair. Because this hair is inherently weaker than the rest of my strands it should be handled more cautiously and may also require different products than the majority of my strands.
Once I realized how susceptible this section of my hair was to damage and that it needed a little more TLC than the rest of my strands I decided to change the way I handled my hair by washing and styling in sections based upon texture. The front section of my hair (from the arch of my right eyebrow to the arch of my left going back as far as my ear) is a thin, 3C, possibly porous texture. From the arch of my eyebrows moving toward my ears and back to the nape of my neck is a medium/coarse, 4A/B texture with normal porosity.
Moving forward I wash and style my hair in sections and coordinate products accordingly:
Top/Front
The thin and possibly porous section of my hair tends to loose moisture quickly, so I like to go a little extra on the protein conditioner to fill in those holes, then follow up with a moisturizing conditioner for balance.
Back Right
The other two sections (I split my hair down the middle) are pretty resistant to damage but I noticed I see a lot more split ends on the right side of my hair as opposed to the left side. I am not sure of the cause of this just yet but while I research I am careful to apply my products on the very ends of my hair on the right side first, then work back up the length of my hair shaft.
Back Left
This section of my hair is possibly the easiest to care for and the least prone to breakage and shedding. I hardly see split ends and it grows a little faster than the right side of my hair so I am usually having to cut a little more off to keep the two sides even.
Since I began sectioning according to texture not only am I seeing less split ends in the front and right side of my hair, but my wash day goes by a lot faster. Handling your hair gently and accordingly is as important, if not more so, than having a specific regimen or using specific products. Working in sections throughout the entire washing and styling process is critical when implementing healthy hair habits and attaining length goals.
No comments:
Post a Comment