Combing and Brushing Hair

     Combing and brushing hair is important to hair care. Hairstylists encourage clients to care for their hair in between salon visits.  However, there are two school of thoughts about combing and brushing hair. First, is the notion, a paid for hair style requires no home maintenance.  Second is the notion to freely recreate your hair style at home. Which notion causes the biggest ruckus? The first one.

     To those who believe home hair care is not needed because it was professionally styled and paid for, may I suggest you lose that notion? For starters, a hairstyle is different from a school of thought. Hairstyles are physical and tangible. Hair styles are affected by the environment, weather and the human touch; unlike beliefs. Hair is not a concept. Hair is physical; it requires maintenance. Combing is mandatory to preserve the integrity of certain hairstyles and scalp. On the other hand there are certain hair styles that do not require a comb. Braids, locs, twists, extension and spiked hair styles do not require frequent combing, but they do require scalp care. Brushing is helpful because it stimulates and exfoliates the scalp. Brushing smooths hair and keeps it shiny.

     Combing and brushing hair is primarily a personal preference influenced by the hairstyle, the  home/environment or and hairstylist. Honestly, there is no science or rule that says textured hair should be combed more or less compared to others without texture. Parents, caregivers, hairstylists and barbers can assist in teaching which comb or brush is best for your hair. They can also assist in teaching the frequency needed to comb or and brush hair.

     Hairstylists, like den prefer customers to care for their hair in between salon visits, just as the dentist wants his patients to care for their teeth in between dental visits. Home hair care is vital to healthy hair, beautiful and super savings!
    

Brushing is not an absolute must in hair care. However, brushing hair is excellent for smoothing, promoting shine and scalp stimulation. Too much brushing can have adverse effect just as too much combing. The one hundred strokes theory is a tad bit outdated, but brushing a few strokes a day surely promotes sheen and blood flow. As for combing, combs are some the most oldest ancient artifacts found at many excavations sites around the world. Some combs even pre-date Christ. I encourage people to comb their hair several (4-6 times) throughout the day to redistribute oils from scalp to ends. This promotes exfoliates the scalp, promotes growth and keeps the ends of hair from drying out and breaking. Many with textured hair complain of not achieving length or believe their hair is not or will not grow because they never can achieve length. In my opinion, lack of combing, using the wrong comb and the wrong techniques are the culprit more than anything.

     There are many different kinds of combs and brushes. Haircare and hair styling are about the right products, the right tools and the right techniques. Be sure you have considered and incorporated all three into the decision making and actions of caring for and styling your hair.

A Journey to Nubia & Kemet by

Angel D. Harriott

     To get an interesting take on the history of combing hair, I recommend my readers to watch "400 Years Without a Comb," a documentary by Dr. Willie Morrow. It is available on YouTube. To learn about the rich history of the ancients and to get an excellent view of ancient combs, read Angel D. Harriott's, A Journey to Nubia & Kemet. Harriott's book is written for children to young adults. It explores African history, culture and contribution. I use it in all my presentations and at the salon to validate Africans contribution to hair and hair styling. This is one of my favorite books. As hairstylists, parents and caretakes, we should have great reading material and a good comb on hand for our clients and loved ones.

   

Going Through the Changes

Change is one of those words that can go from a meaning to a story, to a topic, then to a song. There are so many adages about change. For example, "Change is the only constant," or "To improve is to change; to perfect is to change often." So as you can see, change is on our minds. 

Change is the norm that humans have to come accept in the many facets of life. And while many fight change, most conclude that change truly is the inevitable and ultimately, they surrender. Except when it comes to hair!

The opportunity to create varying looks on women through hair coloring, hair straightening, hair cutting, hair styling, hair braiding and adding artificial hair to embellish hair is an awesome gift and opportunity. Transforming and enhancing the image of a person does so much to the spirit of the person who is fortunate enough to take on the artistic task. However, when hair starts to change, our canvas or person does not quite share our sentiment. Artistic expression is quickly turned into, "What did you to my hair?"

Hair like art needs to be manipulated in many ways to create something. The challenge to designing hair when it thins or balds is everything interesting with an additional twist to the challenge. The twist to the challenge is creating something that was full and is now thin or gone.

Admittingly, there is nothing so challenging about styling and designing thinning or balding hair that a qualified licensed hair stylist cannot do. However, the mind of the customer whose hair is thinning or balding is another story. 

Thinning and balding hair begins to inform it's recipient of its parting of the ways from the scalp long before the recipient realizes or admits their hair is thinning or balding. To begin with, thinning or balding is a must for just about every human who lives past one breath. Why? Because change will come. 

Change for hair comes in the form of what is called a "life cycle." Each strand of hair has a life cycle. The life cycle of the hair begins below the surface of the scalp in a bulb called a papilla. If you have ever plucked a hair or eyebrow, the bulb is that tiny white ball attached to the strand of hair.  Within that tiny bulb is where the hair receives its nourishment from the arteries in your body that feeds every single strand of hair on your entire body. 

Each strand of hair on the scalp lives approximately 7 years. The life cycle has three stages. The first stage is the anagen. It is during this first stage that hair grows all day every day. By the end of the month, the average head of hair will have grown about 1/4th of an inch. This growth process happens for about 7 years. The next stage is the catagen phase. This phase is where each strand of hair rest for about one month. It is not growing. The last stage is the telogen phase. During this last phase, it takes about two weeks for the hair to release itself from the follicle. Afterward, a new hair grows in it starts its own cycle. Please keep in mind that all the strands of hair are not synchronized. Therefore, you will not see all of your hair fibers coming out and growing back in at the same time. The misnomer that hair has stopped growing simply is not true. The exception is for those who have disorder where the hair will not grow.

When we notice fibers of hair sticking up after our hair is styled, that reflects the varying stages of growth each strand is in. We can determine how old a strand of hair by measuring its length and dividing into those 1/4 growth increments. 

What happens every seven years as each strand of hair grows, come out and a new hair grows in; is the new hair typically grows in thinner. Some people are genetically assigned to bald. If balding is in your genes, then it is inevitable that at some point complete hair loss in a certain area will happen. Balding can be in men and women. 

While thinning and balding for some is the inevitable, one does not want to speed things up. Infrequent shampooing, using heavy creams, lotions, butters, salves and petroleum products can clog follicles. Clogged follicles prevent hair from growing in properly and thinning is the result. If balding is in the gene, using heavy products will speed up the balding process as well. 

Understand the scalp is a microbial habitat. This means the scalp cleanses itself by producing a fungus of sorts that needs to be washed away in an organized fashion depending on how one's body produces the fungus. Most people need to clean their scalps at least every 2-7 days. Anything beyond those seven days may exacerbate unwanted thinning and balding. 

Change, will come to all who have hair. While the fountain of youth offers no such liquid that will yield longer stronger hair as we age; using other liquids such as shampoo, conditioner, technique, and tools will yield magnificent anti-aging results. 

There is a upside and a downside to thinning hair. Balding hair is not something most people look forward to. The predictability of how and when one will thin or go bald has yet to be etched in stone for the masses. But, what is etched in stone is how to slow down the thinning or balding process. For example, keep your scalp clean. Yeast and hair care products can clog the follicle. A dirty scalp is the most common way to speed up the thinning and balding process. Do not use aggressive styling techniques. Loosen up those tight head wraps and caps as to no impede the vital blood flow that nourishes hair. And do not use harsh and heavy products. They will surely dry out scalp and hair, thus resulting in faster thinning and balding. 

Lastly, the upcoming Spring Equinox is upon us on Monday, March 20th. Remember the moon influences blood flow and hormonal activity. Blood flow and hormonal activity are directly responsible for the health of the hair and hair growth. Take advantage of the most powerful equinox. It will to not only balance your life and set the tone for your new year, it will also do the same for your hair. 

Change is inevitable. Yet there are things in nature that compliment the ebb and flow of change. Versus combating change, embrace the potential for goodness in your health and life. Going through the changes is just that. Something you will go through. You will come out on top. If you pay attention and not fight change, you and hair will embrace the process and blossom into what will be, will be.