What are these kooky terms you might ask? Well, they might be your hair’s new BFF’s! Heat-free babes know these terms well, but if you are new to the game you just may not have heard of them. If you’re adding more damage-free styling to your long hair arsenal, these are techniques you definitely want to know about! Scrunching simply means gathering a handful of wet or damp hair at a time from the ends and scrunching upward until ringlets form. This can be done over the entire head. The more you scrunch the more ringlets you’ll get. I wore this style for years on end and can attest to its ease and healthiness for the hair. For hold and shine, scrunch with aloe vera gel mixed grapeseed oil. This is also a wonderful treat for your ends. Plopping or Plunking refers to dropping your wet hair down into a towel or t-shirt then securing that down. When this is done the hair will set into ringlets. Simply lay a towel or t-shirt on your bed then flip your wet hair over and lower it into the towel until your head is touching the towel. Gather the towel securely around your head and secure the end. Let your hair set this way for at least 20 minutes. Release and allow to air dry fully. YouTube has many videos with tutorials for these methods. I would recommend viewing some and boning up on your technique. Happy scrunching, plopping and plunking!
Too hooked on heat to quit cold turkey? Here are some easy things you can do to ease yourself into a heat-free, healthy hair lifestyle. You can be heat-free in no time by simply adding one method per week to your repertoire.
★ Incorporate air drying. This step alone will save strands from the drying, damaging effects of blowdryers. Search YouTube for air drying videos to find a method that works for you.
★ Dial it down: turn down the setting on flat irons and other heat tools to the lowest possible temperature. Increase in increments to find a low setting that gives results.
★ Master the updo: cute updos make the perfect protective style. A sleek top knot or low side bun are elegant and sophisticated with no heat required.
★ Try therapeutic heat styling. Have good-for-you, low heat styling tools on hand so that you can create those last-minute cute styles with zero damage. Hot water rollers, Caruso Steam Hairsetter, Topstyler, Microwaves Heat Cap and overhead dryers are all wonderfully safe styling solutions that are therapeutic for hair when teamed with a nutritious oil or leave-in.
★ Master the wrap or cross wrap: if straight is your thing bone up on wrapping hair to preserve your straight style without heat. Saran wraps, wet wraps, silk wraps and cross wraps are all well-represented on YouTube.
★ Bone up on your overnight sets: Flexirods, rag rollers, sock rollers, pillow rollers and other creative sets can be slept in. You awaken with a head full of curls with no heat applied.
★ Make braidouts, twistouts and pincurls your new BFF's. These methods give styling versatility - from ringlets to beach waves - all without heat. Practice makes perfect so experiment with products and methods to perfect the set for you.
★ Get scrunchy! Scrunching, plopping and plunking enhance hair's natural tendency to curl so search out tutorials on these heatless styling wonders.
Copyright MMXI, DE Taylor. All Rights Reserved
If there was one thing I could implore ladies who want longer tresses to do it would be to ditch the straight obsession! I guarantee you that a survey of women who are BSL or longer would reveal that they had to dump the pin straight obsession in order to achieve that length. Many of you ladies don't even realize that your flat ironed strands actually look thin, anemic and see-through. Not a good look. Allowing the hair to have some texture gives body and fullness. Ends can be bumped with rollers for a polished look. Strands that have been dessicated to death with blow dryers look hollow and fly-away. Having little broken hairs all over the head in the name of achieving "straight" is so over. It's time to embrace a little texture. As you withdraw from the methods of torture your strands will get healthier and healthier. At some point you will look at your hair in the mirror and ask yourself "why did I do that all those years when I could have had this?" I know there will be growing pains but I can assure you that healthy hair air dries are soft and beautiful. The more healthy practices you embrace the more you will see your length sticking around. Long hair also air dries straighter due to the added weight. So have patience in the mean time and vow to hold out for health versus pin straight. For those who insist on straight - you can achieve straight looks without heat! A simple cross wrap under a silk scarf on air dried hair produces straight locks. Magnetic rollers applied to dry hair for just an hour or two gives a straight look with bumped ends. Achieving the straight looks you want is just a matter of experimenting and getting creative. Although it won't be the same bone straight look that a flat iron gives it will have more body and overall health!
Copyright MMXI, DE Taylor. All Rights Reserved.
Flat ironing and blow drying new growth is a very slippery slope. The fragile line of demarcation can be permanently weakened which leads to breakage. It is very difficult to avoid overlapping the heat onto relaxed areas which are much more delicate and prone to damage. A better practice when it comes to taming new growth is to simply use a lotion or cream formulated for that area then tie that down with a silk scarf or dorag. Cowashing is also excellent for softening and aerating new growth - this is Tressbuzz' method of choice. Many report that their new growth is soft and easy to detangle and lay down after applying aloe vera juice. Green housing (moisturize/seal then apply a plastic cap overnight) can also be very effective for softening new growth and allowing easier detangling. There is nothing wrong with having apparent new growth! It adds an appearance of thickness and texture to the hair. Learning to accept and work with this will lead to happier hair journeys.
Copyright MMXI, DE Taylor. All Rights Reserved.
Those on a no-heat or low-heat regimen know that styling can take some extra planning but once you have your basics down you are good to go and your hair will thank you with gleaming health every day! Your first rule of thumb with low-heat styling is PLAN AHEAD. If you are going in to the office or school the next day then an overnight set takes out all the guesswork. Keep satin rollers and flexirods on hand for overnight sets. Or master a satin/saran wrap if you prefer the straight look. If you are faced with a last minute event and want to wear your hair down your best bet is to keep a set of Caruso Steam Rollers at the ready. The gentle steam heat sets hair in minutes and is actually a wonderful steam treatment for the ends when paired with a nutritious oil and leave-in. An arsenal of updos is also the low-heat girl's best friend. That last minute event is no match against an elegant top knot or super hot side bun. Short-haired ladies can play with part-placement and fun accessories such as bands or flowers. Keep Youtube fired up as your styling resource. Their how-to videos can also help with boning up on bantus, silk wraps, twistouts and braidouts. Don't limit your viewing to African American hair videos. Tressbuzz has gleaned many an idea from Hispanic, Caucasian and Asian chicas. Simply adjust the style to suit your hair type. Every once in a while dedicate a Saturday afternoon to perfecting some updos and a set or two. Write down the ones you love so that you can easily alternate styles during the week. An arsenal of just 7 styles can get you through a week. Then just lather, rinse, repeat!
Copyright MMXI, DE Taylor. All Rights Reserved.
Again and again I get the question "what is protective styling?" Although there seems to be alot of confusion about this the answer is actually quite simple. Protective styles are those which keep your ends moisturized and protected from rough fabrics, coats, clothing, collars, purse straps, etc. Protective styles are definitely not ONE thing that you do over and over ad nauseum. Protective styling is not just 'braid it up and suffer.' The main point of protective styling is to keep those ends babied. Protective styling is a MAJOR factor in length retention. Since body heat is a natural incubator ends that are moisturized and tucked against the head are actually getting a nice treatment. As Tressbuzz often says her hair is up, damp bunned or otherwise out of commission for several hours every single day. The how of protective styling is actually irrelevent as long as you are not using an accessory or product that will cause you a setback. This is why I use silky microfiber socks and tights to make accessories and styling tools and give all plastic or metal clips and combs a thin coating of conditioner or oil prior to use. Once that is done the sky is the limit! Protective styling is not 'grin and bear it.' Go crazy and get creative. I like to do messy buns, puffs, the southern tease bun, half-up buns, twist styles, etc. Although it is not my personal preference some women also use clip-in ponytails, faux buns and half wigs as their protective styles. If you are doing this always remember that the hair and scalp are a living organism and need air and light to prosper so fake hair should never be a 'one and done.' You still have to care for your hair if you expect to make any progress. The top rule for protective styling is to keep those ends moisturized and tucked away. Although daily protective styling is not necessary, it certainly should be incorporated into the regimen several times a week for maximum length retention.
Copyright MMXI, DE Taylor. All Rights Reserved.
One look at any hair care forum and you will find loads of ladies who are perplexed or frustrated by air drying. This is unfortunate as air drying is one of Tressbuzz's top methods to retain length. I will even go so far as to say that I have rarely seen a relaxed sister who frequently blowdries on a hot setting retain anything beyond shoulder length. Natural ladies fair much better, however even they can be subject to breakage due to overstretched, dessicated tresses. Air drying allows normalization of moisture levels as the cuticle and cortex do not have all the moisturization forced out of them with hot air. Further, air drying utilizes almost no stretching or manipulation - both of which can be extremely damaging.
Air drying is a learned skill, but once you have its secrets under your belt you will never turn back. You will find that the moisture and health you gain from air drying are things you won't want to live without! With a little knowledge, you can put the days of puffy, A-frame style air dries to rest. Here are the facts every air drying diva should know:
★The beneficial effects of air drying are cumulative. Over time you will see increased health. Do not give up after just one try.
★Air dry on a lazy Sunday while kicking around the house or in the evening while doing chores or watching TV. This allows sufficient time to get a great result.
★Wear an absorbant towel or t-shirt on the hair for a few minutes post-shower (BEFORE product application) to absorb excess water.
★Product is important. You want to moisturize and seal while the hair is still damp. A moisturizer or nutritious leave-in sealed with a light oil smooths the cuticle and adds weight and moisturization.
★Refrain from overloading the hair with too much product. Excess gels, mousses and foams can be drying and result in a hard, brittle airdry. They can also gunk up the hair and lead to an air dry that is weighed down and lifeless.
★Make sure the hair is fully detangled. Strands that are bunched up or crimped are going to dry matted so make sure to detangle and smooth thoroughly.
★The first hour of the air drying process is key. This is when damp hair has the most "memory" and can be directed what to do. At this point you want to smooth into a cross wrap, large bantu or bun and tie the entire head down with a silky dorag or scarf to lay tresses down. Short haired ladies can simply detangle, smooth tresses and tie them down.
★For this stage of the air dry avoid cotton scarves and dorags as they will absorb product, moisture and nutrients right out of the hair.
★After the first hour the scarf or dorag can be removed to allow strands to dry freely.
★Once the hair is mostly dry ends can be "trained" by rolling them onto a flexirod, satin rollers or magnetic rollers. This ensures smooth, healthy, bumped ends without the need for heat styling.
As with most hair care skills - practice makes perfect. Once you discover your magic combination of product, method and timing your strands will thank you with moist luscious health and enhanced length retention so put down the tools of torture and start air drying!
