Training Day

Last week,  I was riding with my cousin who was telling me about the rigors of training her dog. She told me that she had to solicit the help of a dog trainer. In addition, she was telling me how smart the dog had become as he has figured out that the treats are the secret to his training; so to the point that he now brings her the treat so she can give him a command!

Now if, only hair would train as easy as dogs. The other day I was in the salon servicing a new customer. I asked her what goals did she have for her hair. She responded that she wanted it grow longer, be healthy and to "train" it. Huh, train hair? I have not heard that phrase since 1977. I was not aware that people were still under the notion that hair could be trained. So, I told my new customer that her goal to train her hair would make for a great blog topic!

First things first, hair can not be trained. Yeah, I know. Another myth debunked. I am not quite sure how these things are coming to fruition into the minds of many as it relates to hair care and hair styling, but plenty of misinformation is spreading fast. She went onto to tell me that she was under the belief that hair could be trained via:

• Brushing hair in the desired direction
• Combing hair in the desired direction
• Flat Ironing
• Rolling 
• Wrapping 

In this kipufi (brief) blog, I will briefly explain why the above-mentioned techniques can not train hair. Drum roll, please. 

Brushing hair will not train hair. However, brushing hair will tame hair. Brushing hair has many benefits; again, training is not one of them. Brush hair promotes hair growth by way of stimulating the scalp to increase blood flow. Blood flow and the oxygen in it are what nourishes hair. Nourished hair is strong. Brushing hair will save you plenty of money on buying hair care products that claim to strengthen hair and make it shine. Most hair care products work on hair externally. It is the internal workings of hair care by way of nutrition that makes hair truly strong and shiny. So brushing hair does that. Brushing hair promotes growth, shine and smoothness.

Combing hair in any direction will not train hair. Combing hair is about two things. First and foremost, combing hair is another way to clean hair.  Second, combing hair will groom and style it. When hair is combed properly, the benefits are exfoliating, de-thatching, detangling and redistribution. What does that mean? 

When hair is combed properly with the right comb, the teeth of the comb will exfoliate and slough off dead and dry skin cells from the scalp.  As the comb loosens the fibrin (flakes) and debris from the scalp, it makes washing hair more effective. Though de-thatching is most commonly associated with lawn care. The concept of using a rake to remove the build of grass and organic matter by way of de-thatching; is synonymous to using a comb to remove flakes and hair that has shed. The concept of removing a build up of stuff with a rake-like tool is the same. Combing hair detangles it. If longer hair is the goal, detangling is the secret to getting there. Tangled hair prevents natural and added oils from getting to the ends of hair. When longer hair is desired, it is the ends of the hair that are directly responsible for the length. Detangling hair is

Combing your hair

 essential to hair being manageable, tangle free and minimizes the breakage on the ends. When hair is combed properly with the right comb, long, strong healthy hair is often the result, not trained hair. Lastly, when hair is combed frequently, you will have the opportunity to redistribute the oils throughout your hair from your regrowth at the scalp to the ends. When hair is only combed once per day, the more snapping and breaking of hair fibers you will see in your sink, on the floor, and in your comb. If you have any degree of texture in your hair, the longer you go without combing your hair, you will see and physically feel your hair reverting back in the scalp area. When hair reverts back as a result of not combing it. And then you add in sweating, scratching, the wind blowing and the likes, hair will become matted and difficult to comb. When hair is difficult to comb, the length of the hair is compromised from the tug of trying to detangle it. No more tears. So comb your hair frequently to redistribute oils, promote the health and achieve length on your hair.

But, by no power vested in your arm and hand will you be able to train your hair with a comb.

Flat ironing  is safe.

Flat ironing hair will not result in trained hair. Frequent flat ironing on any temperature will eventually break the bonds that are responsible for the curl, wave, kink or Afro texture within the hair strands. The result is overprocessed hair that results in loss of hair texture or pattern. While your hair will not be trained from flat ironing it frequently, it can be damaged. Hair is an excellent conductor of heat. So, to permanently break the bonds that give hair textured and patterns will take plenty of heat and aggressive hair styling. Be careful when using heat. Use heat responsibly with a thermal protectant with the right amount of heat and your hair will be fine for a very long time.

Rolling hair will not result in trained hair. Rolling hair will result in curled hair. Aside from protection, adornment is considered to be the chief purpose of hair. Rather long, short or bald; hair is all about adorning oneself. Adorning for most humans and other animals for that matter is innate. For whatever reason, looking good is just as important as breathing. So, rolling hair is all about the hair style. If the hair is rolled the same way; then the varying styles associated with that rolled pattern will yield the desired look. However, by no stretch of the imagination is hair trained when it is rolled.

Wrapping hair will not train hair.  Wrapping  hair in a circular pattern around the hair is identical to rolling hair. The exception here is your head. When you wrap your hair, your head is the "roller!" Surprising, isn't it? So, when you wrap something long in a circular pattern, the result is almost always smooth and straight with a slight curvature. When wrapped properly, the result is less work to restyling your hair. However, trained hair will not be the result. 

As you can see the misnomer of trained hair is not possible in the world of hair styling. Hair grows every day all day for 6-7 years straight, non-stop. So how can something that is always growing be trained? It can be tamed, compromised and altered; but never trained.

Hair styling is a part of hair care. Have fun with your hair as you take care of it. If something sounds too good to be true, it typically is. So while training your dog to sit and giving him or her treats for behaving; hair might behave, but it can not be trained. Hair is rarely that cooperative, no matter how expensive or unique the treat is!

Now sit Uboo. Good dog.

Protective Hairstyling

Protection?

Let me get this right, first there was a re-introduction to alternative hair styling when the most coveted outspoken Change Agent Extraordinaire, my shero sister Taliah Waajid stepped in on the hair care and hair styling scene back in the late 90's. She enlightened and collaborated with the masses in ways no one could imagine on natural, loc and twist hair styling to name a few. Shortly afterwards, Dr. JoAnne Cornwell, owner and inventor of Sisterlocks blew the California courts and state board of cosmetology out of the water when she won her unprecedented law suit for her patented "I will sue the french toast outta you if you use my technique without my permission" Sisterlocks. (I love this country!) Then the Africans entered the industry without a license and began making a lot of money to add hair and braid it because American hair stylists frowned upon and refused to do the ancient practice of cornrow braiding and adding hair. I even joined the Ohio State Board to stop them; only to find out the Ohio State Board never even taught cornrow braiding or adding hair extensions in the first place. SMH, go figure. 

Change Agent Extraordinaire

Then came the infamous now "all of a sudden" hairline snatching edge puller outer with that Naomi Campbell picture popping up everywhere, lace front wigs. Next up, the "creamy crack." And yet another comedian, Chris Rock, puts the smack down on hair styling. This time, it is the once popular salon chemical service for textured hair called, "the relaxer." Just as Eddie Murphy did the Jheri curl in "Coming to America," Chris Rock did it to weaves and the relaxer. That documentary exposed the masses to how just about every textured hair woman of color went running across the globe, clicking onto every website and going to every corner store in America and even putting it in the layaway to get the famed "bulk" of exotic "Good Hair" weave...roflmbao. To stay on course, what do you think followed next? The "transitioning of hair" games began. That is right my fellow hair care junkie readers, women around the world ditched their chemically overprocessed tresses for the "no price is to high" natural hair. I don't get it. It grows from the scalp for free; yet "natural" hair care product manufacturers are generating more money than chemical relaxers and hair weave makers could ever dream of.  Now, I type this blog on yet another hair craze. Another hair craze that is unfortunately, again, only targeted to women with textured hair with emphasis on women of color; protective hair styling. "Ayeeeeee," I say as I pull out my hair! Black people. My people. Why?

Funny thing, as I was doing some research on protective hair styles, I decided to look up the definition of "protective." The dictionary defines protective as "giving or capable of giving protection." 

Yet when you use the word "protective" with hair styling, many translate that into not doing anything to hair to protect it from grooming. When I first entered the profession of cosmetology there was a big to do on hair styling. I mean women were really into getting their hair coiffured. From curls, waves, up-do's, spikes, flips and the whole nine yards. Then the introduction of computers and the internet changed the way women viewed themselves. How? Well it gave them a glimpse into beauty and hair care from around the world and behind the scenes. The computer and the internet did things licensed hair stylists would not do. Communicate. 

The reality of what others were doing, not doing, saying and not saying world wide angered, disappointed and for many liberated them from hair styling. However, you know how the cliche' goes, "if it sounds too good to be true; it usually is." Best believe there are a plentiful of "it's" in hair care. The biggest "it" in hair care today is the misrepresentation of hair care. 

In no other profession do I see such a vast amount of "jumping on the wagon" like I see in hair care. In other professions, honesty is the best policy. For example, let us examine the medical field. While most doctors are not exercise physiologists; they do agree that the safest and most effective ways to lose weight is to either eat less, exercise more or do both. While there are doctors who prescribe pills and surgeons who perform surgeries to aid in the process for those who may be a tad bit more challenged than others; the representation of the truth in the battle of the bulge is honesty. There is a consensus among all interested and concerned that coupling balanced nutrition with routine fitness is best. 

In the profession of cosmetology that is not the case. There remains no consensus in the caring of hair. Even though trail blazers like Madame CJ Walker, Taliah Wajiid and Dr. JoAnne Cornwell has dedicated their lives to promoting hair care to those of any race with textured hair to do; many do not. Take the case of the latest crazy phenomenon sweeping the industry; "protective hair styling." Bewilderment is the first word that comes to mind. I mean they are hashtagging this stuff. Make no mistake, there are some hair styling techniques that obviously compromise hair. But we are not talking damaged hair, we are talking hair care. Hair care is "doing" something to your hair in a timely organized fashioned to ensure that it at least clean and groomed. Can that be a consensus that we all agree upon? Everything else in between, we're just gonna call it, extra. To care for hair is to protect hair. 

There are not to many of hair styles that require no or very little maintenance. The only two I can think of are braids and perms (Jheri curls and Ogilvie)! And in those two hair styles if you do not care for them in a timely fashion, permanent hair damage or hair loss is almost always the result. 

So what are folk to do? Make the time to take the time to care for your hair. While some people can do no more than brush their hair because they are hair care and style challenged.  Others can care for their hair and style their hair better than a licensed hair stylist. What ever the case, you have to find a happy medium.  A hair care regimen is equally as important as caring for your teeth and other body parts (if ya know what I mean). Do not be duped by these self taught, angry and unscrupulous hustling money seeking individuals who are not taking into consideration two very important factors. The first factor is, no two heads of hair are alike. The second important factor; they do not wake up with you in the morning. I do like the advantage of clicking a button to get a glimpse at "how to do" something to hair. However, the generic cookie cutter promotion of "black hair care" and "textured hair care" is crazy. You can watch any video you want. It is still not your hair. And your hair is different from who is in that video, on that picture and in your blood lines. You have to be involved with your hair.

How many times are you gonna fall for the lies?

Take it from a person who works behind the chair, writes books and blogs on  hair care, teaching hair care, travels the nation teaching women how to do it themselves (yep, I'm about that life) and one who does her own hair daily. I can tell you that if you opt to chose a "protective hair style" that keeps you from doing anything to your hair for more than two weeks; oh boy. Your hair will be compromised. The vicious cycle is on. Understand your hair is growing from an organ called a follicle every day all day. Yes every single strand of hair on your body has its own organ. While I will not type it again, feel free to re-read that sentence again. And can you think of any other organ or opening on your body that you would not tend to in some fashion for two weeks and it be "healthier" from not tending to it for over one week all in the spirit of "PROTECTION?" 

There is no bond like the one between
child and caregiver. None.

It is air apparent that these fads and trends are only targeted to Black people. Black people who hate their hair. Black people who do not want to wash their hair. Black people who do not make time to do their own chidlren's hair. Black people who are looking for something quick in hair care. These companies are making and marketing products to any and every Black consumer who fits that profile. In other races; their norms, practices and folkways is caring for their hair themselves. So they do not manufacture and market those kinds of products to them. They are not trying to escape the obvious...self love. Though every family, regardless of race have their own customs of hair care. In the history of hair care in Africa, hair care and styling was a ritual of bonding between daughter and mother, daughter and caregiver or the young and elder. It was a an esteemed privilege to be able "to do" someone's hair especially within the family. Also for the record, no where in the history of beautification in Africa is not doing your own hair documented as some sort of dignity. 

There is nothing "African" about not caring for hair your own hair. There is nothing "African" about not cleansing hair for weeks at a time.

For many reading this, that may come across as a bit harsh. It is. The human body. of any race or sex, in all its splendor: functions better, serves its purpose, smells awfully nice and looks damn good when we consistently and properly protect it by caring for it.

Amani.


Princess wave...