Does some of your hair have loose curls? While other strands are tightly coiled? How about some thin strands? And some thick strands? If you answered yes to the questions above, then you have multi-textured hair.
Having hair with various textures is common, and your hair texture can even change throughout your life due to different factors. Many times, when we are transitioning from chemically straightened hair to natural hair, this can also cause our hair to develop multiple textures. Curls Dynasty founder, Nickie Nou, knows this hair texture transition all too well.
Whether your multi-textured hair is natural. Or it has various textures because you’re transitioning to natural hair. There are several ways you can treat it to keep it healthy, beautiful, and manageable.
3 Tips to Caring for Multi-Textured Hair
Here are some tips to follow to care for your multi-textured hair:
If you are transitioning to natural hair, getting regular haircuts can help tame the texture inconsistencies. There’s no need to do “the big chop.” But cutting a bit off the bottom every 3 to 6 months can help slowly get rid of the damaged hair that is more difficult to tame.
Usually the ends of our hair are more dry and damaged, so could require more moisture infusion and retention. Try applying the deep conditioner for the longest amount of time in the kinkiest and curliest areas of your hair. And cover up your hair with a plastic shower cap to lock in that moisture with your natural body heat instead of using a dryer that can damage your strands. The straighter strands usually need less moisture - regular conditioner should suffice for these strands.
Protective styles are amazing for helping your hair grow. It helps tame your locks and gives your hair a break from the damage that brushing and styling can cause. Click here to read about how to care for your hair under your protective style.
If you would like to achieve a uniform texture to your hair, you could use tools like perm rods or rollers (magnetic or foam). The key to using these tools is applying them and removing them carefully, and avoiding using heat. Patience is key when using these tools. You put them in your hair before going to bed, and in the morning, you’ll have that texture you’re after (even if it’s just for a day or two).
Takeaways
Multi-textured hair is when your hair strands have different curl patterns or thicknesses. This is normal, and hair texture can actually change throughout your life or when you transition from chemically treated hair to natural hair.
Here are 3 tips to caring for multi-textured hair:
One more thing that’s important when you have multi-textured hair is that you love and care for it just the way it is. Because you and your hair are fabulous just the way you are!
Are you looking into joining the hair naturalistas? Curls Dynasty founder, Nickie Nou, can tell you this route requires work and commitment. But going natural can also grant you hair freedom.
6 Reasons to Consider Going Natural
Not sure if the natural hair route is for you?
Let’s look at 6 reasons to consider going natural.
We’re not gonna lie to you. There will be an awkward transition period. Your hair will develop different textures, which could require different types of care. But after that phase is over, you will have hair freedom!
Some of us might avoid working out or swimming because we are worried about having to make an extra trip to the stylist, or because we might have to treat our hair afterward. With natural hair, you learn to embrace your hair. You nourish it in ways that make it manageable, beautiful, and healthy.
No more burns from chemical or heat treatments. No more wigs, sew-ins, and glues. And bye bye to all the hair and scalp damage caused by them. You’ll finally have healthy, luscious locks and a scalp that feels amazing.
After the completely normal and initial period of buying lots of products to see which ones work best for your hair, you will end up saving so much money. No more visits to your stylist, no more costly treatments, so many savings!
If you have no idea which products to invest in to start on your naturalista journey, check out our guide to the best hair products for textured hair.
Some women are able to grow relaxed hair, but a lot of us struggle. With natural hair, growth is so much easier, and requires much less effort. Chemical treatments tend to strip our hair of moisture, making it damaged and prone to breakage. When you go natural, your hair care routine involves nourishing your hair to keep it moisturized, healthy, strong, and growing.
Try our Gro & Glo Starter Kit to get your hair healthy, strong, and growing.
Naturalistas can easily spot other naturalistas. And your new, beautiful, natural hair could spark some great conversations. There’s a whole naturalista community out there that openly and happily exchanges advice and ideas, and they are there for you should you choose to join them.
Click here to join our Dynasty Divas on Instagram!
Part of a naturalista’s hair journey will involve learning which ingredients in hair products are helpful or harmful for your hair. Being mindful of using products that don’t contain harmful ingredients - such as, sulfates, parabens, etc - will be important in keeping your hair healthy. And, also, which ingredients nourish your luscious locks.
Curls Dynasty is committed to using only the best, most natural ingredients in its hair products. Click here to learn more about the moisture-infusing natural ingredients we use to help make hundreds of naturalistas' hair healthy and beautiful.
Protective styles, wash n’ go, twist outs, blow outs, the possibilities are endless. Protective styles are great during your transition into natural hair - it gives you a nice sleek look while the textures change and it conserves hair growth. Wash n’ gos are great for refreshing your hair and scalp, and checking out how your hair texture is looking. The beauty is that you could do so much more with natural hair, and it stays healthier than chemically treated hair.
Are You Going Natural?
Have we convinced you to go natural?
If the answer is yes, here are a couple of tips before you get started on your journey:
Each head of hair is as unique as the person who sports it. So, it’s important that you do some research on your hair type to see which products and hair care routines will work best for you.
A great place to start is by taking our Hair Quiz. After you complete the quiz, you will be provided with personalized recommendations for products that will give you that beautiful, natural mane you’re after.
Click here to learn more about your hair type and texture, and the products that work best for it.
Maintaining beautiful natural locks is all about developing a routine that works for your specific hair type and texture.
If you have no idea where to start in developing your natural hair care routine, no worries. We’ve got you. Click here to read our guide to textured hair care for beginners.
Now you have all you need to get you started on your natural hair journey! Go get ‘em, naturalista!
]]>Are you losing hair lately, but don't know why? Have you been stressed? Let's explore the connection between stress and hair loss.
Our hair changes in texture, length, and thickness throughout our lives. And with time, some of us could start to lose hair. There are many reasons why someone could be losing their hair. For example, poor diet, genetics, medical conditions, etc. But did you know that researchers found a link between stress and hair loss?
Stress and Hair Loss
Let’s discuss several ways that stress can cause hair loss.
Telogen Effluvium
On average, there are approximately 100,000 hair follicles on the scalp of an adult. The hair follicles are constantly cycling between growth and resting phases. Most hair follicles are usually in the growth (anagen) phase at any given time. But, it is possible that if someone undergoes significant emotional distress for an extended period of time, more of the follicles than usual could enter the resting (telogen) phase. When a hair follicle enters the telogen phase, it usually falls out soon after (usually, you will notice the hair loss about 3 months after the stressor, since this is the amount of time it typically takes to complete a hair growth cycle). So, it is possible that stress can cause a person to experience noticeable or significant hair loss. This form of stress-related hair loss is called telogen effluvium.
The good news is that most of the time, hair loss due to telogen effluvium is only temporary. Once the person’s stress eases, the hair follicles could return to the anagen phase, and the hair should slowly grow back. But this isn’t the case with everyone who has lost hair.
Some people’s telogen effluvium can be chronic. Or there could be other factors - such as age, genetics, or other medical conditions - that might be causing more permanent hair loss. If you are experiencing more hair loss than usual, or notice that your hair is thinning, consult with your doctor.
Alopecia Areata
Described as an autoimmune disorder that causes hair to fall out, alopecia areata could possibly be triggered by stress. This disorder causes your immune system to attack your hair follicles, resulting in clumps of hair (about the size of a quarter) on your head and body to fall out. The cause of alopecia areata is unknown. But some doctors and researchers believe that individuals who have this disorder carry it in their genes, and then something in their bodies (like stress) triggers their immune system to attack the hair follicles.
People with certain medical and genetic conditions are more likely to develop alopecia areata. Some grow their hair back for good, some don’t grow their hair back at all, and some go through periods of hair loss and growth throughout their lives. The best way to treat it is to see a doctor.
Trichotillomania
Characterized by an irresistible urge to pull out hair from the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, and/or body. Trichotillomania is a mental disorder that affects about five in 10 million people in the United States. Many people with trichotillomania develop it at the age of 12, with 75% of cases being female.
Hair pulling is thought to be a way of coping with negative or stressful emotions - such as loneliness, anxiety, boredom, sadness, tension, and frustration. Often, the hair-pulling feels satisfying, or like a relief from building emotional tension. And those who pull hair from the scalp can appear to have thinning hair or patchy bald spots. People affected with this condition sometimes go to great lengths to hide it, and might feel ashamed or embarrassed by their hair loss. Some people will eat the hair they’ve pulled out, which can cause serious medical conditions.
In most cases, trichotillomania is chronic, and can come and go throughout a person’s life. It can only be treated by consistent care from a mental health and/or medical professional.
What to Do About Stress and Hair Loss
First thing’s first, seek help and treatment from a medical and/or mental health professional. In addition to any medical or mental health treatments, you can try the following stress-relief techniques to help kick your follicles back into their growth phase:
Meditation
Exercise
Aromatherapy
Breathing exercises
Visualization
Progressive muscle relaxation
Yoga
Cranial and body massage
Art therapy
Music therapy
Using the right products for your hair type and texture is one important factor in maintaining healthy, shiny, and manageable hair. But one less obvious factor in hair health is your diet. What you eat and drink on a daily basis not only contributes to the health of your body, but also to the overall health of your hair. If you don’t consume the nutrients your hair needs to stay healthy, then it can cause troublesome effects like thinning, dull, or lifeless hair.
Let’s go over some foods and nutrients you can consume to eat your way to healthy hair:
Essential Fatty Acids
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids help maintain or improve the health of your hair, skin, and nails. Since the human body cannot naturally produce the oils in omega-3s, it’s important to consume enough to help keep your nails, skin, and nails healthy.
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:
Vitamins
Vegans and vegetarians often have a difficult time consuming enough vitamins that are essential to maintaining hair health.
These vitamins, and foods rich in these vitamins, include:
Minerals
Minerals play a crucial role in hair growth and fortification. Although many of the foods already mentioned above include the minerals needed to promote hair health, it is often difficult to consume enough food to get all those healthy vitamins and minerals in an average diet. This is why it is good to incorporate multivitamin supplements that contain the following minerals:
Try our Go & Glo Multivitamin, combined with consistent use of Curls Dynasty hydrating products, to help make your hair healthy and strong.
If you are experiencing hair loss or texture changes, make sure to consult with your doctor, as it could be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If you just want to make sure to keep your hair healthy and strong with natural ingredients, Curls Dynasty’s got you covered.
Not all hair products are created equal. There are many products and treatments out there that include chemicals that can dry out or weigh down your hair. Dry hair or overly moisturized hair can be frizzy, dull, and lifeless, and in extreme cases, the driest hair can result in hair loss. In general, textured hair and scalps are more prone to dryness, and sometimes we can overcompensate by using too much heavy product. So when you have textured hair, it’s important to be mindful of the products you use. Luckily, Curls Dynasty creates hair care products just for you! We’ve got you covered with luxury hair care products made from natural ingredients, and formulated for all textured hair types at a price that won’t break the bank.
Let’s pinpoint some issues common in textured hair and scalps. Then discuss how Curls Dynasty has the best products to help you live a happy hair life.
Slow (or No) Growth
Genetics, stress, age, hormones - there are a whole lot of reasons why your hair isn’t growing or why it grows slowly. Dryness tends to be the most common culprit. Dry hair is more prone to damage and it tends to get weak over time. This could lead to split ends or breakage, causing hair to grow slowly or not at all, and even thinning. The key to growing dry hair is making sure that your body, scalp, and hair get the nutrients and hydration they need.
Our Gro & Glo Kit has everything you need to make sure your hair is healthy, inside and out. Combine these products with a healthy hair routine and diet, and you could grow hair as long as Repunzel’s (maybe not that long, but you’ll likely see more growth than before).
Join our #groandglochallenge now through April 29, 2022 to share your hair growth journey and win $500 in Curls Dynasty products!
Flaky, Dry Scalp
There are many possible reasons why your scalp is dry and flaky: hair products, dyes, treatments, stress, changes in weather, medical conditions, etc. Assuming the flaking and dryness are not due to medical reasons, there are several products you can use in your regular hair care regimen to get the moisture you need for a healthy scalp.
Our Flaky, Dry Scalp Collection has 3 amazing products that will help you treat your scalp right:
Dry, Damaged Hair
Anyone else tired of hearing how textured hair is prone to dryness? Our founder Nickie Nou definitely was. That’s why she developed Curls Dynasty hair care products from natural ingredients, and formulated for maximum moisture infusion and retention. Our Dry, Damaged Hair Collection includes only the most hydrating products, and a full Gro & Glo Kit that will set you up for those luscious locks you’ve been dreaming of.
Getting the best hair products out there is just the first step to rehabbing your dry, damaged hair. The other important step is developing an effective routine that works for you and your hair type. Don’t know where to start developing your new healthy hair care regimen? Click here to read all about it.
Frizzy Curls/Coils
Finding the cause of your frizz is the key to finding the best products to tame it. There are 2 main reasons why your hair becomes frizzy:
If you find that your hair is thirsty for some sweet-sweet moisture, our Frizzy Curls/Coils Collection has exactly what you need to tame the frizz and keep your hair hydrated and healthy. For maximum moisture retention and frizz control, try our Icing on a Curl Whipped Hair Butter. And if you haven’t already integrated a weekly deep conditioning treatment into your hair care regimen, you can start with our Pumpkin Mint Deep Conditioning Masque.
If your hair only gets frizzy in high humidity, your hair is probably over moisturized. And you need to adjust the amount and kinds of products you use. Read about “Dull, Flat Curls” below for the best products for your hair.
Dull, Flat Curls
There are several reasons why your curls are dull or flat. But they mostly boil down to two things:
Although moisture is amazing for textured hair, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Some heavy moisturizers can cause buildup on the scalp or weigh down hair, causing flakes, itchy scalps, and flat curls. Humidity can also cause hair to become overly hydrated and frizzy, so altering your hair care routine when humidity is high can help keep your curls defined and bouncy.
Our Curl Popper Collection includes a powerful trio of leave-in conditioner and two curl defining creams that work in harmony to create the perfect balance of light hair hydration and a perfect hold you will love!
Alright, Curlfriend! Now you know which products to use to get that healthy and gorgeous head of hair you’ve been after. So, go get it!
Which product are you trying first?
]]>Have you been using relaxers for a long time (like Nickie Nou)? Or have you been heat styling for years? Whatever method you’ve been using to tame your textured hair, you want to improve the look, health, and growth. The best way to do this is by going natural. But where do you start? All the tutorials, products, and advice out there can be so overwhelming.
No worries, Sis. We got you.
Here’s your…
Guide to Textured Hair Care for Beginners
Each head of hair is as unique as the diva who wears it. That’s why there’s no one-size-fits-all guide to hair care. This guide, however, is a solid starting point in your journey to discovering the care routine that works best for your textured hair. Let’s get into it…
Washing - Moisture infusion and retention is key.
If you only remember one thing about textured hair care let it be this - moisturizing hair regularly keeps it healthy and strong.
Things like heat styling, shampooing, dying, relaxing, etc can strip our hair of moisture. This is why it’s important to develop and maintain a hair care routine that infuses moisture and hydration.
Here are some things you can do to keep your hair hydrated:
Deep conditioning - Do it consistently.
Did we mention that moisture is key? The reason textured hair gets so dry is that the oil our scalp produces has a difficult time making it down all of the twists and turns to moisturize the strands. Deep conditioning with our Pumpkin Mint Deep Treatment Masque will nourish your hair with natural oils and extracts for maximum moisture infusion.
Some of us can get away with deep conditioning 2 to 4 times per month, and some of us need to do it once a week. Your deep conditioning routine could take some trial-and-error to perfect, but it needs to be happening regularly to keep your hair healthy, moisturized, and shiny.
Wear a plastic shower cap (or even a plastic bag) while deep conditioning. The heat produced by your own scalp will help lock in that oh-so-good moisture.
Detangling - Use the proper technique and do it carefully.
Using the right technique while detangling your hair will help you keep it strong and healthy.
Here’s how you do it… Section your hair into 4 using clips or elastics that will not damage your hair. Go section-by-section doing the following:
Style - Prep well and pick one that lasts.
Protective hairstyles are great for maintaining moisture and preventing breakage because you don’t have to restyle your hair every day.
These are some popular protective hairstyles you can do to help strengthen and grow your locks:
For braids, twists, and locs to be truly protective, they have to meet the following criteria:
And when protective styles are taken out, they must be taken out of the hair the same way they were put in to avoid damaging the strands.
Make sure to prepare your hair before a protective style by:
For tips on caring for your protective hair style, click here.
Preserve - Keep your style and prevent dryness and breakage.
Prepare for bed by putting your hair into a loose bun toward the top of your head. If one bun stretches out your curls, then try smaller loose buns around your head.
An alternative to buns is twists. Create twists by taking two large chunks of hair and twisting them together. Go all around your head making twists until all your strands are all secured.
Once your hair is styled for bed, put on a satin or silk bonnet, or use a silk or satin pillowcase. Compared to cotton, satin or silk helps prevent hair from drying out, and produces less friction from movement that can break or damage hair. The satin and silk also helps keep protective styles safe and looking fabulous.
You Got This!
Diva, now you know the basics of going natural and how to care for your textured hair. But before you embark on this natural hair care journey, know this: you are not alone. There is a whole community of naturalista hair divas, and heat- and chemical- styled divas who keep their hair healthy and beautiful with Curls Dynasty. Click here to follow us on Instagram, and join other Dynasty of Divas just like you!
]]>Diva, your hair is the crown that sits atop your royal head. And it’s important you keep it looking its best. An important part of caring for your royal mane is knowing your hair texture and type. If you have no idea if your hair is kinky, curly, thick, thin, 4A, 3B… Then no worries, sis. Because we’re about to give you the lowdown on hair textures and types to help you care for your hair!
Hair Textures
A hair’s texture usually refers to the thickness (or width) of one strand of hair.
Want to determine your hair texture? Grab a piece of copy paper, and keep reading.
Hair is usually classified into 3 different textures:
Grab your piece of copy paper, and compare its thickness to one strand of your hair. If your hair is thinner than the paper, you have fine hair. This is considered the most fragile texture since it tends to break the most easily compared to the other textures. Fine hair can be oily and hard to style.
Medium hair is the same thickness of the copy paper. This is the most common hair type, and tends to look thick. You can usually style this kind of hair easily as it tends to be less oily and the strands are stronger than fine hair.
If your hair is thicker than the copy paper, then you have thick hair. This hair can be coarse to the touch, and take longer to dry after it is washed than the other textures. It holds up well to heat treatment, is easily styled, and is resistant to breakage and some chemical treatments.
What is textured hair?
Textured hair is a term sometimes used to refer to natural Black hair. But textured hair can be used to refer to any hair that has some shape or curl pattern to it.
Curl pattern?
Curl pattern refers to the shape your hair takes after it is washed and allowed to dry naturally.
Textured hair curl patterns usually fall into 3 category types:
Textured Hair Types
Let’s discuss the characteristics of each textured hair type and their subcategories.
Wavy - Type 2
Type 2 (wavy) hair tends to be thicker than Type 1A (straight) hair. And is characterized by loose or S-shaped curls. It can appear straight towards the roots, then start bending towards the ends. This hair type tends to frizz easily, and may require lots of care to keep the perfect wave.
Type 2A: This hair type tends to be fine. The shape of the wave can vary from an S-shape to loose loops. It’s usually not very voluminous and lacks definition, but is easy to style.
Type 2B: Straight at the roots with S-shaped waves towards mid-length through the ends. Has medium texture, and can be frizzier than Type 2A hair.
Type 2C: Is naturally wavy towards the root and is more defined throughout the strand compared to the other Type 2s. Typically thick, hard to style, and more prone to dryness and frizz.
The best remedy for frizz is to infuse and retain moisture into your hair. Click here for some amazing products that will help you tame your wavy mane.
Curly - Type 3
Curly hair is typically straight when wet, and curls up when allowed to dry naturally. Curls start at the root and continue all the way through to the ends. Most curly hair is fine, but can also be thick. Type 3 typically has distinct and defined curls that are easy to style. This hair type can shrink more than other hair types, making it appear shorter. It is also prone to frizziness and dryness than Types 1 and 2.
Type 3A: This hair type has a lot of body and movement. The texture is typically thick. And the curls are well-defined - about the circumference of sidewalk chalk. It is prone to dryness and frizziness.
Type 3B: Characterized by tighter curls and a combination of textures. Type 3B curls typically look like well-defined and voluminous tight corkscrews or bouncy ringlets about the circumference of a marker.
Type 3C: Is voluminous and characterized by kinks or very tight curls that are easy to style. It shrinks the most compared to all of the previous hair types. Type 3C hair is also known as “curly-coily” hair.
Click here for some products that will help those beautiful curls pop.
Coily - Type 4
Coily, Type 4, hair is characterized by the tightest curls with strands that range from fine to thick in texture. It includes a full range of S-shaped to Z-shaped coils. Delicate and wiry, Type 4 hair requires a soft touch and lots of TLC to prevent breakage.
Type 4A: This hair type is fine in texture and is soft to the touch. Characterized by tight curls or kinks with an S or zig-zag pattern. The typical Type 4A coil is about the circumference of a knitting needle.
Type 4B: These coils are typically less defined, very tight, and about the circumference of a pen. Type 4B hair has strands that range from fine to medium to thick. This type of hair tends to be prone to breakage and bends in sharp angles.
Type 4C: This type is very similar to 4B in several ways - the curls are densely packed, not well defined, and can contain strands of various textures. Type 4C hair is very prone to breakage and dryness, and the coils can be so tight that the hair may not even look curly at all. This hair type is the most prone to shrinkage, making hair growth less apparent.
Click here to check out some products that will keep your coiled crown shiny and strong.
You can find curly hair extensions according to your curly hair type. We recommend Irresistible Me.
Well, Diva, now that you know all about hair textures and types, you can get the best products that your crown needs to maintain its regal look. Go forth and slay!
Not sure which products to try?
Now that you know your hair texture and type, click here to take our hair quiz for personalized product recommendations!
]]>Relaxers, dyes, heat styling, hard water, genetics, dehydration - there are so many reasons why your hair isn’t growing. Whatever the reason, we have the best hair growth hacks for you to turn your short do into long luscious locks.
The health of your body starts on the inside, and depends a lot on your environment and what you consume. Similarly, hair only grows when it is healthy, and it is only healthy when it is properly hydrated inside and out. This means that your water intake and hair hydration routine are super important in making sure your hair grows.
Luckily, we’ve got your back, Diva. Curls Dynasty is the leading hair care brand in moisture infusion and retention. Along with drinking the recommended amount of water per day, we recommend a healthy diet and regular use of hydrating hair products to maintain healthy strands and scalp.
Hair tends to dry out and break easily at the ends. If you allow dry, split ends to just break off, this exposes the healthier hair above to breakage as well. If you trim off those dry ends, it gives the hair above a chance to grow longer. Getting a trim every 3 months or so is great for promoting healthy, and faster, hair growth.
If you don’t already deep condition, what are you waiting for, Sis? This is the best way to infuse that oh-so-good moisture into your hair so it grows long and luscious, just the way you like it. We recommend using our Pumpkin Mint Deep Treatment Masque to infuse moisture, strengthen your strands, and promote hair growth.
Switch to a shampoo that’s sulfate-free and adds moisture to your hair. Ingredients like aloe, oils, and fruit extracts work together in our Cocoa Mint Moisture Rich Shampoo to both cleanse and moisturize your growing hair.
Co-washing is when you replace your typical shampoo and conditioner combo with one product that does both. Our Give Me the Slip Blast Hydration Conditioner is excellent for co-washing, conditioning, and detangling. If you find that co-washing is making your hair too heavy or greasy, alternate between a typical wash and a co-wash.
The right combination of hair products can be hard to find. Luckily, we’ve put together some amazing bundles to address a variety of hair concerns. Click here to see which one works best for your growing hair.
Avoid styling your hair with heat. And wear styles that you can leave alone (like kinky twists) or that require very little brushing, combing, or pulling.
Daily scalp massages are beneficial because they stretch the hair follicles, which in turn, increases hair thickness. These massages might also help dilate blood vessels, encouraging hair to grow. Add our Organic Oil Blend to your scalp massage once a week to seal in hydration, add shine, and promote circulation to the scalp for optimal growth.
Curls Dynasty’s Go & Glow Multi is scientifically formulated from natural vitamins and nutrients to promote hair health and growth from the inside out.
There’s nothing better for keeping you motivated than keeping track of your progress. Follow a moisturizing hair care routine, and record your progress. Let’s see how much your hair grows in 60 days…
Join our #groandglochallenge now through April 29, 2022 to share your hair growth journey and win $500 in Curls Dynasty products! Click here to join the challenge.
Use these hair growth hacks, join the challenge, and get growing to get glowing, Diva!
]]>Has your hair been looking or feeling different lately? Through time, our hair can become more or less coarse, thin, thick, curly, or straight. It really can happen, Diva. If you've been wondering why your hair texture is changing, keep reading. We will break down all the reasons why, and how to help treat your changing hair.
As we age, our skin and scalp lose more and more collagen. Collagen plays a vital role in making hair proteins and maintaining strong hair follicles. So having less collagen in your body could lead to drier, less manageable hair. This makes hair hydration key to maintaining hair and scalp health.
Treatment: Try our Moisture LCO & Growth Bundle for ultimate moisture infusion and retention for luscious locks you will love.
Pattern hair loss, known as androgenic alopecia, can give you a genetic predisposition to thinning hair. Although this condition is most commonly observed in men, it can also affect women.
Treatment: An effective treatment for this can be as simple as switching to a shampoo formulated for people experiencing hair loss. But could require medical treatment from a doctor or specialist.
Changes in hormones levels in your body can cause changes in your hair. For example, during pregnancy, estrogen levels are higher, so hair tends to get thicker, shinier, and more manageable. During menopause, on the other hand, we see a spike in androgen and a decrease in estrogen, which causes hair to become thinner.
Treatment: Taking vitamins and using hair thickening treatments that support hair health could do wonders for hormone-related hair thinning. If your hair is thinning, it's a good idea to visit your doctor to check out your hormone levels.
Sudden changes in hair texture could be a signal of an underlying medical condition. Low levels if vitamin D and iron can cause hair to thin. Certain thyroid conditions can also cause sudden changes in hair texture.
Treatment: There's not much to say here, Diva. If you notice a sudden change in the texture of your hair, take care of your health by talking to your doctor.
Some medications have side effects. And some of those side effects could include hair thinning/loss, or excessive hair growth. Medications such as antidepressants, blood pressure medication, beta-blockers, painkillers, and certain acne treatments can cause changes in hair texture.
Treatment: If you started on a medication you suspect may be causing undesired hair texture changes, consult with your doctor or health care professional for solutions or treatments.
Hair requires nutrients in your body to reproduce and grow. Since hair is primarily composed of protein, if you don't consume enough protein or essential fatty acids (specifically omega-3s) it could slow down the rate of hair growth and affect the overall texture, luster, and health of your hair.
Treatment: Improve your hair health by consuming lean proteins - such as, poultry and beans. And omega-3 fatty acids - such as, avocado, salmon, oysters, eggs, Brussels sprouts, hemp seeds, walnuts, and chia seeds. Supplementing with vitamins can also help make up for any gaps in your diet.
Cigarette smoke, air pollution, ambient temperature, sun exposure, washing your hair with hard water - all of these could contribute to a change in hair texture and health.
Warmer temperatures can cause you to lose more water from your body, which can dehydrate your hair, making it dry and brittle. Too much sun exposure can have the same effect.
Researchers found a link between air pollution and decreased levels of a protein essential for hair growth.
Smoking has also been linked to damaged hair follicles and early onset hair loss.
Hard water contains minerals such as magnesium and calcium that coat the hair and make it difficult for moisture to penetrate; this can cause hair to become dry, rough, and brittle.
Treatment: Using products that protect hair from environmental stressors, like our Hello Growth Serum, will seal in moisture, as well as protect, preserve, and grow thinning hair. pH balanced products and those that protect hair from sun damage will help you preserve or improve the health of your hair. Some ways to remedy hard water build up are: using a clarifying shampoo, installing a water softener shower head, and regular use of a hydrating hair mask.
Mental health has become a fairly mainstream topic of discussion. But what you may not know is that stress has been linked to hair loss. The chemicals and hormones released by your body when you are stressed for a prolonged period of time it can cause changes to hair texture and growth, such as slower hair growth, hair thinning, and ultimately, hair loss.
Treatment: Reducing stress is the best way to treat stress-related hair texture changes and hair loss.
Try these ways of reducing stress:
Tight braids, ponytails, heavy weaves, hair extensions, flat irons, blow drying, and other heat styling all contribute to hair loss, thinning, dryness, and breakage.
Tight ponytails, weaves, extensions, and braids can pull the hair out of the follicle overtime and interrupt blood circulation to the scalp, causing hair loss and hindering hair growth.
Heat styled hair could develop a dry and brittle texture. You may also notice thinning towards the hair ends instead of the roots. This happens because there is less protective moisture toward the ends of your hair which makes it more prone to breakage when heat is used. So if you're heat styling, and you're hair just won't grow, now you know why.
Treatment: Wearing your hair loose, letting the scalp breathe (avoiding headwraps, hats, heavy weaves/extensions, tight ponytails/updos, etc), and avoiding heat styling can improve the texture of your hair and promote the growth of healthier hair.
If you treat your hair with color, relaxers, or bleach, you could be causing chemical burns to your hair. These treatments cause holes in the cuticle layer of the hair leading to dry, brittle, dull, limp, and lifeless locks.
Treatment: Wash your hair less often using a nourishing shampoo, and follow up with a moisture-infusing conditioner. Once a week, switch the conditioner for a deep treatment hair mask. Or try going natural like our founder, Nickie Nou. And use Curls Dynasty's Ultimate Bundle to help rehab your thinning, dull, dry, and damaged hair. Should you decide to embark on your naturalista hair journey, we've got you covered.
Diva, now you know all about what can cause hair texture changes, and treatments for your changing hair. We hope this helps you find ways to grow and glow your hair. And if you know another Diva who's wondering about their own hair, share this with them.
]]>Spring has sprung, and so has your hair. Is your curly mane out of control with this warmer, more humid, weather? We got you, Diva. We have the best textured hair care tips for Spring to get it looking fab again.
1. Determine your hair type(s).
Not everyone has the same hair type. This means that the products and haircare routine that work for your cousin, may not work for you. If your hair and scalp are dry, use products and a care routine that moisturizes them. If your scalp is oily, and your hair is dry, you might need to wash your scalp more often, but use products only on your hair that moisturize it.
Another thing to consider is that your hair may be multi-textured. This means that it does not have the same texture throughout. For example, if you’re transitioning from relaxers to natural hair, you might have limp, lifeless tips, and rough, dry locks closer to the scalp. These two textures may require different products and care routines to make them healthy and beautiful.
It might require some trial-and-error, but you can learn a lot about which products your hair needs if you know what type of hair you have, and how it changes with the seasons.
2. Try new products.
The harsh cold of the previous seasons sucks moisture out of the air, which can cause your hair to dry out. In spring, the weather is warmer and more humid, so you might not need heavy moisturizers like you did in the fall or winter.
If you find that your hair is limp and lifeless, or has a lot of buildup, you may be over-moisturizing. Switch out the butters and heavy oils (like shea butter or castor oil) that work so well in the colder seasons, for lighter oils - such as those in Curls Dynasty’s Organic Oil Blend.
3. Moisturize
Pre-poo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, all of these could be your best friends this spring. If you find that frizz is your biggest issue, and you want softer curls, try using a heavy moisturizer (such as Curls Dynasty’s Bye-Bye Breakage Overnight Treatment). If this cream makes your hair too heavy, opt for a thinner pre-poo (like Curls Dynasty’s Give Me the Slip Blast Hydration Conditioner).
Also, don’t forget to wear a swimming cap or condition your hair before you go for a swim!
4. Get a trim
Use the warmer weather as an excuse to trim an inch or two off the bottom. It will help keep you cooler, and get rid of any dry or split ends making your hair easier to care for overall.
5. Nourish from the inside out
Staying hydrated is important for your organs, but also for your hair. If you’re dehydrated, so is your hair. Dehydration dries out your hair, making it brittle and dull. So make sure to drink enough water.
Certain foods and vitamins help make your hair healthy and encourage growth. Eat foods - such as, sweet potato, walnuts, lentils, and others - that have nutrients to create and maintain healthy hair. Certain vitamins - such as vitamin C, folate, iodine, and biotin - also help make and keep your hair growing and glowing.
Well, Diva, now that you have these awesome tips, go out and live your best textured hair life this spring!
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Founder of Curls Dynasty, Nickie Nou, shares her empowering journey to hair freedom. Here’s how she went natural and helped thousands of women do the same.
It is so hard to know exactly how to care for your hair. Lots of us use relaxers to help make our hair look sleek. But, with time, many hair-straightening treatments can leave our hair and scalp damaged and even cause burns. This happened to the founder of Curls Dynasty, Nickie Nou.
Nickie Nou’s Hair Journey
Nickie Nou had been using relaxers since she was about 14 years old. Through the years, she found that her hair and scalp were burnt. Her hair was breaking off, was thin and brittle, and looked unhealthy. Many of her friends were shaving their heads, but Nickie Nou decided to grow out her hair instead.
And so, she started on her healthy hair journey…
How She Rehabbed Her Hair
She started by cutting relaxers and dyes out of her hair care routine and found that as her hair grew, she had to manage 2 different hair textures:
The new growth, which was rough, dry, and hard to treat
The relaxed ends, which were stringy, limp, and lifeless
After transitioning for about nineteen months, Nickie Nou did “the big chop”, cutting off the damaged ends.
Trying to find ways to make her hair healthy overall, she started researching different products and ingredients that would help her hair grow faster. After all her research, she developed an oil blend and started using it on her hair.
With time, her hair and scalp started to look and feel more and more healthy and lush. And, you know what else? It grew! Her hair got so healthy and long that she was soon out of that multi-textured hair phase, and had a healthy mane of hair she was proud to show off. She achieved natural hair freedom!
Then, her friends and family started taking notice of her healthy natural hair, and they asked Nickie Nou to share her secret.
How She Started a Hair Naturalista Dynasty
She started making her oil blend for her friends and family. After their hair and scalps got healthy, she started selling her oil blend to their friends.
After the hair success of her family, friends, and her own naturalista hair journey, she opened an online shop. Business kept booming, and now, you can find Curls Dynasty products for sale online, at our showroom, and on the shelves of major retailers.
Empowering Journey to Hair Freedom
Her hair dynasty was not built in a day. She had trials and tribulations during her naturalista hair journey. But with research, persistence, and determination, she was able to get and maintain the healthy hair and scalp she wanted.
Nickie Nou’s empowering journey led to the creation of a hair dynasty that educates and equips hundreds of women with textured hair to experience and embrace their own hair freedom!
If you’ve been thinking of going natural, or if you’ve already started on your natural hair journey and are frustrated with your hair, give Curls Dynasty a try to achieve your own hair freedom!
]]>Well, you are in the right place! Read on to find out 3 simple and elegant hairstyles to sleigh!
Having braids installed on your hair, before the holidays, will save you from dealing with a lot of hair problems. Braids are a protective style hence will help your hair grow and keep it healthy. Apart from that, braids are versatile, right from installation. You may decide to go for crochet braids or box braids or knotless braids.
Another bonus is that they can be styled in many different ways, each of which looks elegant, and are easy to put together.
One thing to remember though when it comes to braids is that one; you need to prepare your hair to have braids installed, and two; you need to take care of your natural hair while wearing them.
Preparation involves having a full washday beforehand, ensuring that you infuse as much moisture as possible in each step. This can be achieved y using the right set of products such as our Wash and Slay Bundle.
Enhance and define your curls like never before with the intense hydration found within the Wash and Slay bundle. Experience next-level results as your products work for you, not against you, to create stronger, more defined curls.
To protect your hair while wearing your braids:
Another versatile and common hairstyle is having a twist out. A twist out is a great way to experiment with your hair as it is. You can never go wrong with a twist out.
To achieve the perfect twist out:
Being a versatile hairstyle, just like braids, a twist out can be styled in so many ways. A deep side part, a middle part, a bun, a double bun or even a half hair updo.
One thing with twist outs though, is they do not last long. Not as long as braids. The maximum time you can wear a twist out is for about two weeks. How do you keep your twists for long you ask?
Head wraps are that one effortless and elegant hair accessory every dynasty diva needs. Their vibrant prints never go out of style. Apart from being classy, head wraps are a quick and easy hairstyle solution.
Furthermore, head wraps keep your hair healthy. They do this by protecting your hair from environmental mishaps such as cold weather. Cold weather dries out your hair, leading to it being brittle and your hair ends up breaking.
Just because you’re putting on a head wrap, it doesn’t mean that you are exempted from moisturizing your hair. Before putting on that head wrap, you need to moisturize your hair. Using the LOC/LCO method on your hair, style your head wrap and you’re good to go. Our moisture, LCO and growth bundle is sure to help you lock in moisture and softness for longer. Try it out and tell us how it goes!
We hope that this guide helps you get some inspiration. You can go ahead and check out our products which are now available at select Target and Walmart stores! Click here to find a store near you.
]]>To help you deal with that I have put together seven of my favourite 7 black-owned and women-owned businesses. From hair care to apparel and even nail care, this list is bound to give you a variety of gifts to choose from.
Read on to find out 7 budget-friendly holiday gift guide ideas!
I founded Curls Dynasty in 2014 because there was a need for it. I had relaxed hair and at some point decided to transition to natural hair. I needed products that would help me manage my hair textures, the lifeless relaxed hair ends and the new growth which was rough and dry no matter what I did to it. Managing the two textures was not easy.
Long story short Curls Dynasty was born with a mission to empower women with textured hair to experience and embrace hair freedom. Have a friend who needs a touch of diva? Get them some Curls Dynasty products!
If you have a friend who is a fashionista, this is for you. Help them upgrade their style by buying them some Nroda shades. Nroda is a company whose passion for eyewear is one of a kind. They do believe that if you look like a boss, you will feel like a boss.
NRODA is inspired by a fusion of global cultures: from the vibrant roots of Jamaican heritage to the ancient art of Egyptian, African and Indian adornment to the rich music and culture of the CEO’s childhood in the Bronx. As a result, the collections range from edgy statement pieces to bold classics using 24k gold metals, Czech crystal and porcelain flower components. The NRODA mission is to create handcrafted adorned eyewear that inspires you to feel confident, stylish and unapologetically individual.
Yup, you heard me right! Let me introduce you to, Haïtea.
Haitea is a tea company, named after Haïti, which is 100% natural. Pronounced Ayiti, this line of organic and imported tea is carefully packaged to give you the full experience of the perfect cup of tea. Haïtea brings you a perfect blend of three elements; the passion for Haiti, the appreciation for a warm cup of tea and most importantly the opportunities to create jobs for Haitian women farmers.
Sid Natural LLC was started by, Sindeline Clervoyant in 2016. She had very sensitive skin, so she started making her skin products, then for her friends and family. It all started with just lotions and has now expanded to much more than that.
Sid natural pride itself in always putting the customer first in giving excellent customer service and excellent products.
Nude Coco is a skincare company elevating body care to face care status. Their signature product, body balmie, is a daily moisturizer delivered in a stick for targeted mess-free application and sure to give you your best body.
Their promise to you is that their products are made with a lot of love and they do give your skin intense hydration.
GIGI WOO is a lifestyle brand that focuses on comfort and quality for fashion enthusiasts. Gigi woo’s main focus is to create fashion pieces with the millennial woman in mind. The millennial woman who has pulled in so many directions daily. The millennial woman wants to look fashionable but not at the expense of comfort.
Jessie Monroe Nail Care as the name suggests is a nail care company that offers a polish line that is toxic-free for all to use. Jessie Monroe Nail Care represents the urban community in the Nail Industry. Born and raised in Brooklyn, the owner and founder, Kalena Nettles-Williams, realized most of the products used in the nail salons are not made by people in or from her community. While attending Nail Tech School 2018, she decided it was time to make her mark in the Nail Industry.
Hope this gift guide helps you find the perfect gift for your loved one! Happy holidays everyone!
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]]>As such it is vital that you show it some extra love this season. Here are 9 tips to help you do exactly that.
A protective style is any hairstyle that tucks your ends away. The ends of your hair are the most fragile of your hairs, second to your edges. Tucking them away protects them from cold winter air, which would otherwise damage them.
In addition to that, protective styles give us a breather from manipulation of our hair which makes it weak. This in turn promotes hair growth. When you install a protective style, remember that your hair still needs to be cared for under that protective hair.
In as much as shampooing cleanses your scalp, it does make your hair vulnerable, with this in mind, how you approach shampooing during his winter will change and have a huge effect on the health of your hair. Try not to shampoo often. Shampoo when it is necessary.
When you do shampoo invest in a moisturizing shampoo with rich essential ingredients to purify your hair while delivering intense moisture to each strand. Before shampooing, make sure you pre poo your hair. Prepooing protects your hair against the harsh effects of shampooing. You may choose to pre poo with a conditioner or oil.
When you need to wash your hair, in between your shampooing day or you don’t want to use a shampoo, co-washing is the next best option.
Co-washing simply means that you wash your hair with conditioner only. In this situation, your conditioner replaces your shampoo in your washday routine. Co-washing helps as you get to retain a lot of moisture in your hair.
Here’s how to co-wash:
Each time you shampoo or co-wash your hair, follow up with deep conditioning.
Deep conditioning helps moisturize your hair. For a dynasty diva, moisture is a really important thing to her hair. Hair that is not moisturized well, ends up being brittle and weak as it is dry. This eventually leads to it being damaged and it undergoing breakage.
Furthermore, deep conditioning helps to keep your hair healthy. Here are a couple of deep conditioning tips:
You’ve worked hard to help your hair obtain some moisture, now it’s time to lock in that moisture. The best way to do this is by LOC or LCO method. LOC/LCO stands for Leave-in Conditioner, Cream and Oil. It is an acronym that tells you what to apply to your hair and in what order, after deep conditioning or when you need to moisturize your hair.
Our Moisture, LCO and Growth Bundle is a product that you should add to your regimen. This bundle helps you lock in moisture and softness for longer. It works great for all hair types in need of serious moisture retention.
During this cold season, our main aim is to try to maintain as much moisture as possible in your hair. Using heat to style your hair dries it out, making it more vulnerable to the harsh effects of cold weather. Heat styling involves the use of heat styling tools such as flat irons and blows dryers to straighten out your curls.
Our Dynasty Diva Trifecta bundle contains the powerful trio of Hello Growth Serum, Go & Glow Multi, and Bye-Bye Breakage Overnight Treatment that work in perfect harmony to deliver consistent, reliable results promoting healthy hair and scalp.
Each product is infused with key nutrients, vitamins, amino acids known to promote blood circulation, lengthen the growing phase, and keep hair fall, acute hair loss, at bay. They work together to help strengthen the hair from the root to the tip, making it more resilient and less prone to breakage.
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Goals do not have to be complicated. They are meant to guide you and not destroy you as you try to achieve them. When you set simple goals you are more likely to achieve them and not feel burnt out at the end.
Here’s how to go about it.
If you want to grow your hair you may want to look into your hair regimen and see areas that you can improve on such as learning how to pre poo better. While it would be great to grow your hair twice as long, it is also important to focus on small steps which will eventually sum up to the bigger picture.
Just because they are New Year goals doesn’t mean that you have to wait until the first week of January to set them. It is better to set them before so that by January, you’ll already have some sort of momentum.
Your dreams are your dreams until you write them down, then they become goals.
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Take a pen and notebook (specifically for your goals), and write down one thing you want to achieve in each area of your life. For example for natural hair -grow healthier hair.
Next, write down the steps you will take to achieve those goals with the healthy natural hair example. There are so many ways to grow healthy natural hair but remember we said less is more. You may choose to look at your hair routine, find the holes and fix them. For example, learn how best to pre poo.
After writing down the steps for all of your goals, pick one step and start doing it. Repeat the step until you master it then move on to the next.
You have to set some fire goals. You are ready to take on the year. But there is one little detail that you have forgotten, the obstacles you may face on the way. Knowing what kind of problems you may run into will better prepare you to face them. Life will always get in the way; the key here is to be flexible, open-minded and open to change.
This is an aspect that we most of the time tend to forget. Putting aside some time for ourselves. A time where we don’t focus on our goals but just relax. Sitting down and deciding that on 27th January I will have a spa day. At the end of March, you will pamper your natural hair with some awesome products that will go a long way.
Self-care doesn’t look productive, but it is essential.
What is one thing that you want to achieve in the New Year? Do tell us below!
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You will shed you will shed a couple of hairs here and there. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pay attention to your hair breakage.
There are a couple of things you should and shouldn’t do to keep hair breakage in check. Read on to find out what they are.
Using a regular bathroom towel to dry your hair has a significant effect on your hair breakage. A towel will snag and pull on your hair causing tangles and eventually breakage. Use a microfiber towel or a cotton t shirt instead.
Hydrate hair is happy hair. Dry hair tends to be brittle and more susceptible to breakage. Here are several ways you can keep your hair moisturized:
Manipulation is how you handle and take care of your hair. It ranges from washday to styling. Over manipulation is when you overdo everything.
Styling your hair too often using the wrong comb to comb your hair, detangle the wrong way or even being rough with your hair.
Detangling may seem like it encourages hair breakage, but the opposite is true. Detangling is using a wide toothed comb or brush through your hair.
It helps remove tangles and knots from your hair which might cause breakage.
Each time you shampoo your hair follow up with a deep conditioner. Deep conditioning:
Try our bestseller, the Pumpkin Mint Deep Treatment Masque which is restorative deep conditioner is designed to directly penetrate the hair shaft delivering all-natural vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants for stronger, healthier hair.
To pre poo is to apply a treatment to your hair to prepare it for shampooing. You can either choose to pre poo with nourishing oil or with a conditioner such as our Give Me Slip Blast Hydration Conditioner which is a nourishing conditioner that delivers long-lasting moisture to each strand, formulated with a rich blend of nature’s finest ingredients. Pre pooing makes it easier to detangle your hair, reducing the amount of hair you lose.
Your hair ends are the second most fragile hairs, second to your edges. They are the oldest part of your hair hence need constant care and attention.
Are you experiencing hair loss? We have just the right products for you! Our Dynasty Diva Trifecta Bundle is specifically designed to alleviate and repair the effects of stressors that influence hair loss from the inside out.
The powerful trio of Hello Growth Serum, Go & Glow Multi, and Bye-Bye Breakage Overnight Treatment work in perfect harmony to deliver consistent, reliable results promoting healthy hair and scalp.
You can go ahead and check out our products which are now available at select Target and Walmart stores! Click here to find a store near you.
]]>Your hair becomes dry and brittle even after moisturizing it. It gets tangled easily when you comb it and breaks excessively as it is pretty weak.
The good news is that having damaged hair is not the end of the world. There are a couple of steps you can take to remedy that. But first you need to know more about damaged natural hair to be in a better position to fix it.
What type of damage does your hair have?
Heat Damage
Caused by using a lot of heat on your hair while styling
Mechanical Damage
Occurs when you don’t take care of your hair properly. This includes over manipulation and tight hair styles.
Colour Damage
Takes place when you dye your hair the wrong way or when you don’t take good care of your dyed hair.
What does damaged hair look like?
How Do I Deal With My Damaged Hair?
Split ends are bad news for any dynasty diva. This is when the ends of your natural hair split in to two or three parts. You cannot totally get rid of split ends. If you don’t try to prevent them, you will get them on your ends frequently. If you do take good care of your hair, you will still get split ends but not as frequently.
Have your split ends cut, by a professional, preferably your hair stylist, s soon as you spot them. If not, your hair shaft will continue splitting all the way up.
Each time you wash your hair, make sure you follow up with a deep conditioner. Deep conditioning frequently and consistently reduces damage to your natural hair keeping it healthy. Deep conditioning moisturizes your hair, keeping it hydrated. It also nourishes your hair, helping to strengthen it.
Have you tried our bestseller in your deep conditioning ventures? Our Pumpkin Deep Treatment Masque is a restorative deep conditioner designed to directly penetrate the hair shaft delivering all-natural vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants for stronger, healthier hair.
Using direct heat on your natural hair while styling may have damaging effects. Heat dries out your hair causing it to become weak and experience breakage. When you do want to use heat on your hair for styling, do consult your hair stylist. He or she will direct you on how best to approach the issue to avoid heat damage.
Sometimes damaged hair is usually as a result of your hair being dry as it does not receive enough moisture. Moisturized hair is happy hair. You don’t have to go to great lengths to obtain moisture in your hair. All you have to do is make a couple of changes in your current natural hair regimen.
Do you feel like you have to have your hands in your hair every day, manipulating it to replenish moisture? The Moisture, LCO & Growth bundle is your ticket to freedom from “hand in hair syndrome”. Lock in moisture and softness for longer!
This dynamic trio is everything you have been dreaming about. Along with all the above tips, our Dynasty Diva Trifecta Bundle works vigorously together to help strengthen your hair from the root to the tip, making it more resilient and less prone to breakage.
This is most probably something you would not like to hear and is more often than not the last resort. But if the damage is too far along to even be repaired, it is better to chop off all of your hair and start anew.
Have you ever experienced hair damage and how did you deal with it? Share with us below!
You can go ahead and check out our products which are now available at select Target and Walmart stores! Click here to find a store near you.
]]>But as we said in our article on 7 simple changes to your hair routine this fall, it is not enough to have a protective style on. You still have to care for natural hair while wearing that protective style.
But how do you do that? How do you make sure that a protective style does protect your natural hair and help it grow and not actually give you hair problems? Read on to find out!
Preparing your hair before installing your protective style is an important step in ensuring a protective style does what it’s meant to do. It also makes taking care of your hair much easier. Preparing it is basically what you do on washday:
Your edges are most likely to experience breakage when you wear a protective style. This is because more often than not they are pulled and experience a lot of tension causing them to break. In other cases the products that you use on your edges might cause them to break.
When installing braids, ask your hairstylist to leave your edges out. As for other protective styles such as wigs, ensure you do enough research on how you can protect your edges and which products to use and which ones not to use.
At some point your hair will start feeling dry. And dry hair in braids is not good news. There are three ways you can moisturize your hair:
Despite having a protective style, you still need to protect your hair at night. As you sleep, you twist and turn a lot, which builds up a lot of friction on your hair. Friction is damaging as it dries out your hair and can also harm your edges.
Sleeping with a satin/silk lined bonnet or a satin/silk scarf will prevent you from losing the moisture you worked so hard to gain and also protect your edges.
Last but not least; don’t wear the hairstyle for too long. Instead of having healthy looking hair when you remove your protective style, you will end up with damaged, brittle and weak hair. Brittle and weak hair will result into a lot of breakage. That is not what we we’re aiming for when you installed this protective style. It is also important to get some cleansing done on your scalp.
On the other hand, keeping your protective style for a short time will not quite protect your hair or help it grow due to the unnecessary hair manipulation over a short period of time. 6 to 8 weeks is the recommended time to have a protective style on.
How do you take care of your hair while wearing a protective style? Do tell us below! You can go ahead and try out our products which are now available at select Target and Walmart stores! Click here to find a store near you.
]]>Cold air sucks moisture out of your hair. This leads to problems such as dryness, brittleness, frizz and even breakage.
The good news is that with the right changes to your hair routine, you can still keep your hair healthy this fall. Most of these changes involve retaining your hair’s moisture. Read on for the full guide!
How you approach washday has a huge effect on how well your hair is able to retain moisture.
To co wash simply means to wash your hair with a nourishing conditioner only. Co washing is often used as an alternative to shampooing in instances where you want to cleanse your hair but you don’t want to wash it with a shampoo. Co washing allows your hair to thrive, grow healthy and most importantly moisturizes it.
A word of caution though, don’t over rely on co washing, your hair still needs to be washed using a shampoo.
The LOC/LCO method is the most common method used to loc moisture in the natural hair space.
LOC stands for Leave in treatment Oil and Cream (which is hair cream or butter). It is an acronym that tells you what to apply to your hair and in what order after deep conditioning or when you want to moisturize your hair.
In order to nail the LOC/LCO process there are two things to pay attention to. One is having the right products, such as our Moisture, LCO and Growth Bundle, your ticket to freedom from hair dryness, and knowing how to apply the product well.
There are a couple of things you can do to help further strengthen and nourish your hair especially in between protective styles.
A protective style is style that tucks your hair ends away. This is beneficial in that your hair is not exposed to the cool air that more often than not, does suck the moisture out of your hair.
But it’s not enough to just have protective style on; taking care of your hair under the protective style is just as important.
Breakage has to be a dynasty Diva’s worst nightmare, most especially if it is excessive breakage. Don’t get us wrong, your natural hair breaking is normal and you should expect it, but not excessive breakage. Here are a couple of tips to help you combat unnecessary breakage.
There is no better way to keep your hair looking amazing than hydrating from the inside. Drinking lots of water daily ensures that.
There are some hacks to help you drink more water:
How do you take care of your natural hair during fall? Do tell us below!
You can go ahead and check out our products which are now available at select Target and Walmart stores! Click here to find a store near you.
]]>But this comes with a different set of problems for your natural hair. During this time your hair is more likely to dry out, become dirtier or even weak. And this is not good news.
But don’t worry, we got you! Read on to discover 7 Summer Natural Hair Care Tips!
1. Protect Your Hair from UV Rays
Yes you read it right; the first summer natural hair care tip is to protect your hair from UV rays. It’s not only your skin that needs protecting. Exposing your hair to UV rays for long periods causes damage to your hair making it brittle and thin.
Try not to stay in the sun for long periods especially between 10am and 3pm. If you have to, wear a headscarf over your hair. Invest in quality hair care products that strengthen and nourish your hair preventing it from getting damaged.
2. Summer Natural Hair Care Tip: Cleansing
Since you are more likely to engage in a lot of activities as the sun is out, your hair may be dirtier than usual. This means that you will have to put in place a cleansing routine to clean your hair.
Even though you want to keep your hair clean, over shampooing can actually dry your hair. This is where co-washing comes in. To co-wash is to use conditioner only to wash your hair. Including both shampooing and co-washing will make sure that your hair is clean and that it is not stripped of too much moisture.
3. Deep conditioning
This step is important for two reasons. First, as we said in our other article on how to build a hair regimen, each time you shampoo, make sure you follow up with deep conditioning. The second reason is that your hair is more likely to dry out during the summer as the sun is out.
Deep conditioning ensures that your hair is well moisturized and hydrated preventing issues like weak and brittle hair. For you to get the best results from deep conditioning:
We have two particular situations here that make moisture very important in your summer natural hair care.
There are two ways you can moisturize your hair. One is by using the LOC/LCO method. LOC/LCO stands for liquid, oil and cream (which is hair cream). LOC your hair immediately after deep conditioning and each time that you feel that your hair has started feeling dry.
Second is by drinking lots of water. Drinking about two litres of water will be a great boost to your hair. Use simple water drinking hacks such as:
Chlorine damage occurs when you don’t protect your hair when you are about to swim in a chlorinated pool. Chlorine dries out your hair, thus weakening it. There are several steps that you can take before swimming and after swimming to protect your hair.
Before:
After:
Have any more tips that we haven’t covered in the article? Do share below and help your fellow Dynasty Diva!
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But you’ve never quite got around knowing what exactly it is.
Well, there is a reason why hair porosity is important. Knowing your hair type and hair porosity will help you tweak your products and practices to suit your hair type and hair porosity.
In this article we look at 5 effective low porosity hair care tips. But first, let’s learn a bit more about hair porosity.
What is hair porosity?
Primarily, hair porosity is the ability of your hair to absorb and retain moisture. This affects how the outer layer of your hair that is, your cuticle, allows moisture to move in and out.
How do I know my hair’s porosity?
There is a simple test, called the floating test, that you can perform to find out your hair porosity.
-If the strands float for a while before sinking then you have,
low porosity hair.
-If the strands quickly sinks then you have, high porosity hair.
-If the strands floats to the middle, then you have medium porosity hair.
Tips on Caring for Low Porosity Hair
Have any other tips? Do share them below and help a fellow Dynasty Diva!
]]>Hey there Dynasty diva! You have probably read our other article, how best to pre poo your hair for easy shampooing.
]]>You have probably read our other article, how best to pre poo your hair for easy shampooing.
There we did mention that you can use either a conditioner or oil as a pre poo treatment. But then you are wondering, how exactly do I use a conditioner to pre poo? Well, keep on reading to learn how best to pre poo your natural hair using a conditioner!
1. Prepare the Treatment
There are four basic treatments that you can use to pre poo natural hair with a conditioner:
The kind of treatment you use will depend on the state of your hair. Play around with each to see what works best for you.
2. Gather Everything You Need to Pre Poo Your Natural Hair Using a Conditioner
Now that you know what treatment to use, time to gather everything that you need. Everything that you need includes:
Gathering everything first will prevent you from going back and forth looking for them and reduce any sort of confusion.
3. Divide Your Hair Into Sections
Like we like to say, working in sections is way better than working with your hair crown. This is where alligator clips come in. Depending on how voluminous your hair is, use the wide toothed comb divide your natural hair in to various manageable sections and hold each with an alligator clip.
Working in sections ensures that each strand of your hair is given due attention, it is easier than working with your whole head.
4. Apply pre poo treatment to each section.
The same way you apply oil to your hair as you pre poo is the same way you’ll apply the conditioner treatment.
Unravel one section of your hair and apply your pre poo treatment to the scalp of that particular section and gently massage the treatment in. This helps improve blood circulation to your scalp.
Then, move to the hair shaft itself and apply from the ends heading to the roots. Starting from the hair ends helps in protecting the delicate hair ends from damage. Ensure that the treatment is well distributed.
Follow up with detangling. First use your fingers to gently remove any knots and tangles before going in with our Diva Must Have Brush. Do the same to all the other sections. Remember to be gentle.
5. Put on a plastic shower cap or a natural hair steamer
After applying the pre poo treatment to your whole head, wear a plastic shower cap and wait for thirty minutes then proceed to shampooing.
You may also choose to pre poo overnight. In this case apply the pre poo treatment on your natural hair at night, wear your bonnet over the plastic shower cap and proceed with shampooing in the morning.
If you choose to use a hair steamer, wait for 15- 20 minutes then proceed to shampooing.
Letting your hair sit under a shower cap or a hair steamer will provide time and heat necessary to let the pre poo treatment soak in.
Have any more tips to add?Do share them below! Happy washing!
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Your natural hair requires to be cared for in order for it to grow and become healthy. But how exactly do you care for it?
]]>By adopting an effective natural hair regimen.
As we said in our article on 10 effective natural hair care tips, a hair regimen is a routine that you create to keep your hair healthy, it involves choosing products and hair care practices to promote the growth of healthy natural hair.
Why is a Natural Hair Regimen that Important?
The two reasons only become a reality if you have an effective natural hair regimen. This is mostly achieved by following the necessary components of a natural hair regimen and doing them right. Read on to find out more.
1. Cleanse
Cleansing is simply removing dirt and product build up on your hair and scalp. This is where shampooing comes in. To do this particular component right, there are three particular things you need to do:
You may also choose to co-wash your hair. To co-wash is to wash your hair with conditioner only. It comes in handy when you want to wash your hair in between your shampooing days. Its beneficial in that, it is a great way to moisturize your hair.
A word of caution, though your natural hair still needs to be washed with a shampoo every once in a while, do not over rely on co-washing.
2. Moisturize
Curly hair tends to be dry due to the nature of the coils. Sebum from your scalp is not able to reach the tips of your hair.
But why is moisture so important? Moisture hair is less prone to breakages and tangles. Moisturized hair is happy hair. The best way for incorporating moisture in your regimen is by deep condition. As with cleansing to get this right you need to:
3. Seal
Sealing the moisture that you have worked so hard to gain in step 2 is a crucial step in your natural hair regimen. Without it, moisturizing is futile.
To seal in the moisture, use the LOC method. LOC stands for Leave in Treatment Oil and Cream which is hair cream. It is a simple acronym that tells you what to apply to your hair and in what order, after deep conditioning. You may choose to LOC or LCO depending on your hairs needs.
Having a hard time retaining moisture? Do you feel like you have to have your hands in your hair every day, manipulating it to replenish moisture? Then the LOC bundle is for you! This bundle is your ticket to freedom from “hand in hair syndrome”. Lock in moisture and softness for longer!
4. Style and Protect
This is where you get to experiment with protective hairstyles in order to create an environment suitable for the growth of your hair. Protective styles also protect your hair from breakages that result from over manipulation.
A good protective hairstyle:
And there you have it, the four steps to help you build your natural hair regimen. Have any questions? Do drop them below and we will be happy to answer them.
Extra tip: In order to get results from your regimen, be consistent.
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You have decided that you will stop listening to the naysayers and actually have your natural hair out with its kinks and curls.
But to be able to walk in this journey, you will have to learn to love your natural hair. But how exactly do you do that? By caring for your hair.
Learning to love your natural hair involves adopting practices that improve the length, the volume and most importantly the health of your hair. You can get to achieve all this and still have a bit of fun at the same time!
Sounds like something you would want? Read on to find out how to achieve it!
A hair regimen is what you do to your hair on a regular basis, daily, weekly or even biweekly, to keep it healthy. This can range from washday to trimming your hair ends.
Having a hair regimen that is consistent is actually vital for hair growth and health. All the practices in your hair regimen benefit your hair in various ways. Washday helps to get rid of product and dirt build up and moisturizes your hair. Trimming helps get rid of split ends which do lead to hair breakage if not taken care of. All of these promote healthy curls, and who doesn't want that?
There are different regimens all of which suit different people. Despite this, there are similar aspects in each:
The difference comes about in when you do each. Is it weekly, daily, or bi-weekly? Research and try out different regimens to find out what works best for you.
Tips on building a good hair regimen.
Once you have figured out which hair regimen works for you, try our Perfect Regimen Builder Bundle, which provides you a foundation for a healthy hair care regimen.
Now that you have an effective routine, time to get the right tools. I like to call this secret number two to getting great hair. Get to understand your hair type first then you will know what products and practices suit your hair.
The right products include:
Tools may differ according to your regimen but the basic ones are:
Tips on how to buy products and tools
Do your research. Try and answer these questions. What brands are out there? What products do they have? What are their prices? Can you shop online or do they have a physical shop?
Pay attention to the first five ingredients of every product.
Stay within your financial limits. There will always be natural hair products within your budget.
Document each little thing that happens to your hair. This is a great way to find out what works and what doesn't in terms of products and hairstyles. It is also a great way to keep memories of your natural hair journey.
You may choose to take pictures or videos or write it down.
Take a video of yourself as you shampoo your hair. Note how your hair feels. Take several pictures of yourself with that new hairstyle. Write down what your hair felt after a while of using a certain product.
The goal here is to identify which practices and products don't work for you and change them.
Having your natural hair is a journey that you keep learning something new every step of the way.
There are so many vlogs and blogs (like this one) out there that will give you the information you need to take care of your hair. Choose one blog and vlog that you feel aligns with your hair goals and practices and follow up on what they do.
As you continue taking care of your hair, try to experiment with various natural hair hairstyles to find out which ones work best for you. Place those that suit you best in your catalogue of hairstyles. Your catalogue of hairstyles is simply your go to natural hair hairstyles.
For this, there are vlogs and blogs out there that offer tutorials on how to do various hairstyles.
Take a video of yourself as you do that hairstyle and a picture after you're done. Then you can decide whether or not to add it to your catalogue of hairstyles.
How have you learnt to love your natural hair? Do share with us below!
]]>You've probably heard of the term pre-poo which is simply to give your hair a treatment using an oil or conditioner to prepare it for shampooing.
Pre pooing is an important step in your washday routine as it:
This leaves you with healthy, clean and nicely looking hair at the end of your washday routine.
But then how do you make the most out of your pre-poo?
Read on to find out!
Before you start your pre poo, make sure you have everything you need for the task.
Everything you need is:
Having everything firsthand makes sure you do a proper pre poo and reduces confusion associated with looking for stuff.
It is easier to work with sections than to work with your whole crown. Sections ensure that each hair strand gets the treatment it deserves.
If you have a TWA (teeny weeny afro) or short hair, no need for sectioning. But if you have long voluminous hair, babe you're going to have to section it. Hold down each section with butterfly clips.
After sectioning, undo one section and apply your pre-poo treatment. Start with your scalp. Apply the treatment and massage it in, ensuring it spreads evenly. Then move on to your hair shaft.
When detangling, start at your hair ends and progress to the roots. Again, ensure that the treatment is evenly spread.
First, remove any knots and tangles using your fingers before going in with a wide toothed comb. This reduces unnecessary shed hair.
At the same time, shedding hair as you detangle is normal. Don't skip this step in fear of losing your hair. Again don't be too violent with your hair, be gentle, find a middle ground.
After you have finished applying your pre-poo treatment to all sections, time to add some heat. You may choose to use a plastic shower cap alone, with a hooded dryer, or a hair steamer. The only difference between the three is the duration each is used.
If you are pre-pooing overnight, we'd recommend using the plastic shower cap then wear a satin lined bonnet over it.
If you are just pre-pooing then shampooing immediately after, sit under a hooded dryer, or natural hair steamer for about 20 minutes and you're good to go.
This step is important as it helps your hair soak in the treatment.
You can then go ahead and wash your hair with our Cleanse and Condition Bundle. Breeze through washing your with everything you need to cleanse, deep condition, moisturize and soothe your strands right at your fingertips. Great for kinky, curly and coily hair types in need of SERIOUS moisture infusion.
Can’t seem to retain your hair’s length? Try using the Bye-Bye Breakage Miracle Overnight Treatment as your overnight pre poo treatment. Section and Apply to hair, deeply massaging into scalp and split ends. Wear bonnet, scarf, or crown to sleep. Awake refreshed and cleanse curls with Curls Dynasty Shampoo.
Have any more tips on how to make the most out of your pre poo? Do share below!
]]>They are actually bad business for natural hair. And now you want to know how to prevent them.
Or probably you have split ends and you want to know how to prevent them. Either way, you have come to the right place! Before we dive in, let's learn a bit more about split ends.
Split ends are simply when the end of your hair shaft splits into two or more parts due to dryness.
Split ends are the sign of damaged hair. The hair shaft may continue splitting until it reaches the root. They tend to make your hair more susceptible to breakage.
There is practically no way to fix split ends other than actually cutting them off.
At the same time you can't totally get rid of split ends but you can adopt several ways of reducing their occurrence.
Read on to find out!
Washday is a prime time for you to lock in as much moisture as possible. Here's how:
Another way of locking moisture during washday is by including a co-wash. A co-wash simply means using a conditioner such as the Give Me Slip Blast Hydration Conditioner only to wash your hair. Having a co-wash plus shampooing in your regimen will help you cleanse your scalp and maintain your hair's moisture.
As you sleep, you twist and turn a lot. This creates a lot of friction between your hair and whatever surface you have put your crown on.
This friction causes your hair to dry out; losing all the moisture you worked so hard to gain. It also causes a lot of split ends.
Having a silk pillowcase or satin lined bonnet, reduces the friction, protecting your hair from dryness and breakage and most importantly, split ends.
Drinking lots of water not only helps your skin, but your hair too. Drinking a minimum of two liters of water daily will be of great help. Here is how you can achieve that:
By the right products I mean products that will strengthen and nourish your hair. This means picking products with nourishing ingredients, and that suits your hair needs to make sure it is effective. Our Perfect Regimen Builder Bundle contains all the products you need to strengthen and nourish your hair.
It also means using the Dynasty Diva Trifecta Bundle which helps strengthen your hair from root to tip and inside out.
A protective style is basically any style that tucks your ends away. A protective style prevents split ends by:
These styles include braids, crotchet braids, wigs, extensions or even low maintenance styles such as twists.
What steps will you be taking to prevent split ends on your hair? Do tell us below!
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