One of the most basic, and most common, mistakes I see naturals make is not properly cleaning the hair and scalp. This usually means one of two things: they either (1) don’t use an effective cleansing product or (2) wait too long to cleanse the hair. And many times, it’s a combination of both.
Dirt, sebum, skin cells, and oils can cover the hair and scalp and prevent good hydration from getting to where it’s needed. Left on too long, they eventually ‘starve’ the hair, making it brittle and dry. Over time, the hair breaks or get splits ends and nasty tangles. This leads many naturals to conclude that their hair just won’t grow. Or worse, they go on a quest for products that ‘grow hair fast’, spending tons of money, when all they need to do is change the method and frequency that they shampoo.
This was something I learned after I tried co-washing. After a day or two of itchy scalp and excessive shedding, I went running back to my shampoo. I’ve found that when I wait longer than a few days to wash my hair, it’s more fragile and looks dull.
The natural sebum, or any oil that had been added to the hair, starts to act like glue and stick the strands together, creating knots and tangles. Effectively cleaning the hair gets rid of the ‘glue’ and allows those strands to slide past each other, making detangling and styling easier.
Another benefit of regular shampooing is that follicles are no longer clogged. Sebum is not really an oil, but a wax, and left on the scalp too long, it can actually plug the follicles. Then you get itchy, inflamed scalp (tenderheadedness), poor hair growth, and higher incidence of scalp issues, like dandruff.
So, if you want the quality of your hair to improve, start with a clean slate. Clean your hair and scalp effectively, and clean them often. You’ll be rewarded with shinier, stronger hair.
FlaxCare Essentials 