curls in motion - what i know so far

What I know so far • African hair does grow, contrary to popular belief. All healthy hair grows at a rate of appx. 1cm per month & goes through 3 main phases: 1. Growth phase lasts appx. 3-7 years (hair is actively growing) 2. Followed by a transitional phase which lasts 2-4wks (hair follicles shrink & hair prepares to shed) 3. The Resting phase lasts up to 3 mnths before the hair sheds (blood supply to the hair shaft is cut off, hair follicles slowly fall off & are replaced by new follicles) • Types 3 & 4 hair are generally naturally drier in comparison to types 1 & 2. It has been said that the reason for this is that it takes longer & more work for the sebum produced by the scalp , to travel up the hair shaft because of the curly structure of the hair. • You shed 50-100 hairs daily, as a natural part of the hair growth cycle. • All chemically treated hair is DAMAGED hair (sorry ladies), regardless of how healthy it appears to be. The protein, Keratin bonds responsible for healthy, strong hair are broken down during the straightening or ‘loosening’ up process. • Chemical relaxers (because of high concentrations of Sodium Hydroxide or Guanidine Hydroxide/Carbonate) can cause chemical burns when it comes in contact with the skin or scalp. Relaxers can also lead to Permanent or temporary- Hair loss, follicle damage & blindness. Braiding/ platting, styling should NOT hurt or be tight, if there is pain, you are damaging your follicles & should undo the hairstyle ASAP. Traction Alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss amongst women (and men) of african descent who braid/ style their hair too tightly. It is also common in Sikh men of India and Japanese women whose traditional hair styles also pull and damage the hair. The information in ‘‘Curls in motion’ applies mostly/specifically to tightly-curled African or Afro-Caribbean hair types (often referred to as variations of types 4 & 3)