Minimized Hair Breakage with My Hair Washing Routine

Stop cutting corners just because
it's frustrating!

To those of you natural hair neophytes who are still struggling with the crippling tangles and hair breakage that comes with removing braids that have been in for a little too long or even just the hair washing process, you are about to learn how to minimize them- I did. Last night I removed my crochet braids and after years of cutting corners in my post-braid hair washing routine, I decided to follow all the steps of my "Detangle. Wash. Work It. For Natural Hair" post. I had forgotten how immediately gratifying it can be and wanted to share it with all of you. My natural hair has grown dangerously long. I say dangerous because you will find that the longer your hair gets, the more tiresome some of these hair washing routines become. It's a real test of patience to detangle, twist and re-twist ever-lengthening hair, but hang in there and you'll be able to avoid all kinds of damage.

De-tangling is a test of patience.
It's the easiest time to damage hair.

1) The detangling: the importance of applying a natural oil to your hair before even attempting to de-tangle was a lesson I learnt today. Typically, I have a handful of hair when I detangle with oiling the hair first, and for several years I convinced myself that it was all shed hair that had been trapped in my braids. While that is true to some degree. A lot of that hair is unintentional breakage. Natural oils, like the jojoba oil that I used today, give the hair slip and no matter how gentle you believe your touch is, they nearly half the damage your hair and wide-tooth combs do. I took my hair detangling and spent about two hours on it. Consequently, I had an eighth of the broken hair I used to see.

Divide and twist- that's the secret

2) Segmenting the hair and twisting segments: This is a repetitive process that absolutely must be done after detangling, after you shampoo and condition each segment and, finally, after drying the each segment and applying your leave-in conditioner. My hair was divided into five segments,  a number I thought was suitable for my shoulder-length hair. As your hair lengthens, fewer segments will be needed. I use Organix shampoo and conditioner, specifically the Cherry Blossom Gingseng flavor. I love the brand and would recommend anyone of the varieties of Organix shampoo and conditioner. I began by untwisting a segment while water runs over it. Shampoo was applied in a downward motion, clasping the hair between my palms, it was then rinsed off with running water and conditioner was applied. The segment was twisted and the routine repeated on each of the segments, making sure not to rinse any conditioner off the completed segments. I then allowed my conditioner to sit in my hair for 30 minutes, a crucial step for revitalizing your hair after its been in braids for a long time. Because the conditioner is not leave-in conditioner, it's imperative that it is thoroughly rinsed out. I did so by untwisting the segments, rinsing them and then re-twisting each of them individually. You know you have substantially minimized damage when you look at the shower drain and there's very little there, as was the case with me.

Some people cover their hair in satin scarves
as it dries. It allows you to get around and will
smooth down your edges but it slows down
the drying a little bit- not a terrible trade off. 

3) Plaiting the hair after leave-in conditioner's applied: this step is needed to stretch the hair. I had more plaited segments than twisted segments when I was washing the hair because I wanted the hair to dry rapidly. Increasing the number of plaited segments increases surface-area and if you remember your science lessons from middle school that cuts down on drying time. One thing I did before plaiting each segment was run my wide-toothed comb through the segment after the leave-in conditioner had been rubbed in. The leave-in conditioner has countless long-term benefits, particularly when applied with a serum to seal in moisture (I use Garnier Fructis Anti-Frizz Serum), but the immediate lies in the springy properties it gives your hair. That springy property translates into less hair breakage when you run your comb through it. Once your hairs in plaits, it should take about 4 or more hours for it to air dry. Some people like to cover it in a satin scarf so they can go about their every day business in the public eye. I always schedule my hair washing on a weekend, so I don't have anywhere to go and can leave it exposed in the house, doing chores or watching tv as it air dries.

I use Organix shampoo and conditioner. It has countless different varieties
and, more importantly, it's free of sulfates!