Biracial Hair Care Tips

There have been several attempts to define hair “type”. You may ask “Why should I care?” Well, mostly you shouldn’t.  We think typing systems actually complicate what can pretty easily be conveyed in a few words.  By the time you sort through what a 4b or 1a really means you might as well just say “I have thick kinky African hair” or “I have straight, thin Caucasian hair”.  And, hair typing systems are so subjective as to be almost worthless in our opinion.  Who determines whether your hair shafts are thick or thin?  And whether the curl pattern is “loose” or “tight”.

There are controversies surrounding hair type methodologies that use works like kinky, nappy and other words that have less than positive connotations for some people. Other systems use numbers. But, they tend to lump all African American hair into one big  category with a few variations. So, how useful is that really? Considering everyone’s hair is slightly different and people can even have different types of hair on their head at one time, categorizing hair is a difficult proposition at best.  There are two major systems that seem to be the most popular. There is a system called LOIS that uses the hair shape as the defining hair “type”. For more on LOIS, do a Google on “LOIS Hair Type”. Until many people switch over to the LOIS system, the standard seems to be the numbering system developed by Andre Walker.

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Why Use Preservatives in Natural Products?

People sometimes ask us why we use preservatives in our natural products. As a manufacturer and distributor of natural products, we strive to make our products as natural as possible. However, one reality of modern life is that we need preservatives in certain products. To get many (especially natural) products from the manufacturer to you requires some sort of preservative. Products are often shipped from manufacturer through distributors, shipping warehouses and other places that add time (and often heat) before the product ever reaches you. To get that product to you and to have a reasonable shelf life requires that certain products be preserved, in some fashion. Otherwise, you’d shortly end up with some pretty funky stuff instead of the product you paid for. Is it inconvenient to have a rotting product? Yes. But, even worse, some of those nasties that can grow in your products are harmful to your health. Preservatives of some kind will almost always be needed in products where water is present. Water is the basis of all life, including bacteria, fungi and molds. Products without preservatives may have a short shelf life, even if refrigerated. Products that are not properly preserved, even if made in a pristine environment and free of microbes when shipped, can become a health risk when exposed to the yeast, mold, fungi and bacteria present in all of our homes.

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A question that we are asked pretty often is about alcohol in hair care products. People have been told that alcohol is drying for hair. This is an example of a case where a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. It has been commonly reported that alcohol in your hair products is bad for you. You’ve been told “alcohol is drying”. This is both true and not true.

Alcohol is a family of chemicals, not a single chemical. Instead of referring to a chemical as alcohol, it should be called an alcohol. Or, it should be referred to by its more descriptive name. Most of what you’ve been told about alcohol was probably people referring to ethanol. Ethanol is only one alcohol. It’s commonly used in hair spray products. It’s also quite handy in a beer or a margarita. Another alcohol you’re probably familiar with is isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol. While they’re fairly similar, if you were ordering a margarita, you’d definitely want ethanol, not the isopropyl alcohol. Technically speaking an alcohol is a substance containing an OH group attached to a hydrocarbon group. You probably don’t care about that. But, what you should know is that alcohols can have very, very different properties. Different alcohols are used in different products for different reasons. There are literally thousands of alcohols. Some are solid. Some are liquid. Some alcohols can be ingested. Other alcohols would kill you if you drank them. So, a blanket statement like “Alcohol in your hair products is bad” is inaccurate.

Many alcohols are downright healthy for hair. Others are not so good for hair and skin. Alcohols used to make a product more volatile (evaporate quickly) are not good for hair. Ethanol is one of those alcohols. However, alcohols that are “fatty” actually help add moisture to hair and skin and soften them. You will find these alcohols in the finest, hydrating (moisturizing) hair products. The following alcohols are some examples. They are waxy substances, not liquids. They are far from drying.

cetearyl alcohol- This alcohol is derived naturally. It is often found in hair conditioners. It provides the creamy consistency and makes it easier to distribute the product throughout the hair. This is an especially beneficial ingredient in Black hair care products because it also lubricates the hair making it easier to comb.

cetyl alcohol- This is a fatty alcohol that is derived from coconut and palm oils. Far from drying, this alcohol is actually an emollient (makes hair and skin softer).

stearyl alcohol- another fatty alcohol. It is nothing like ethanol, it is is actually a white solid and is insoluble in water. Stearyl alcohol is often used in conditioners and shampoos and acts as an emollient (softener).

So when you’re looking over those product labels, you’ll need to know a little more about the specific type of alcohol in the product before you can make an informed decision about the product. Many fine shampoos and conditioners contain some very good alcohols.

Q.) is it true that your hair grows at a certain length depending on your genetics? because i have been keeping my hair in braids and caring for it and dieting but it has stayed the same length year after year! its right below my ears and no longer than that it never gets longer.

A.) Maximum hair length is a combination of a couple of factors; the rate at which hair grows and the rate at which it falls out or breaks off. The rate at which hair grows is determined partly by genetics. Hair goes through various stages in its life cycle. If it’s breaking off as fast or faster than it’s growing, it will never get any longer. Hair breaking off is also partially determined by genetics. The more brittle hair is, the more likely it is to break off.

Even barring the hair breaking off, it will only reach a certain length. Once hair reaches a certain point in time (not length) in its life cycle, it is shed. There is a maximum length any person can grow his or hair to. That (theoretically) would be equal to the growth rate times the length of time in the growth part of the life cycle. The growth phase can be (on average) from 2-6 years. For example, if the growth rate were 6 inches per year and the growth part of the life cycle were 3 years, the maximum length your hair could possibly get to would be 18 inches. After the growth phase, the hair goes through a shorter transitional phase (a few weeks, then goes into a shedding or resting phase (also a few weeks). The hair is shed and the cycle begins again.

To get your hair to its maximum length, you need to minimize breakage. This involves proper nutrition to make strong hair. And it requires proper maintenance so you don’t weaken the hair after it’s been developed. And, you need to maximize the growth rate during the growth phase. Nutrition and products that help with scalp health can help you maximize the rate of growth.

Do these things and you can achieve the maximum hair length possible for you. But, not everyone can grow hair down to the floor.

Q.) is it true that your hair grows at a certain length depending on your genetics? because i have been keeping my hair in braids and caring for it and dieting but it has stayed the same length year after year! its right below my ears and no longer than that it never gets longer.

A.) Maximum hair length is a combination of a couple of factors; the rate at which hair grows and the rate at which it falls out or breaks off.  The rate at which hair grows is determined partly by genetics.   Hair goes through various stages in its lifecycle.  If it’s breaking off as fast or faster than it’s growing, it will never get any longer.  Hair breaking off is also partially determined by genetics.  The more brittle hair is, the more likely it is to break off.

Even barring the hair breaking off, it will only reach a certain length.  Once hair reaches a certain point  in time (not length) in its life cycle, it is shed.  There is a maximum length  any person can grow his or hair to.  That (theoretically) would be equal to the growth rate times the length of time in the growth part of the life cycle. The growth phase can be (on average) from 2-6 years. For example, if the growth rate were 6 inches per year and the growth part of the life cycle were 3 years, the maximum length your hair could possibly get to would be 18 inches.  After the growth phase, the hair goes through a shorter transitional phase (a few weeks, then goes into a shedding or resting phase (also a few weeks).  The hair is shed and the cycle begins again.

To get your hair to its maximum length, you need to minimize breakage.  This involves proper nutrition to make strong hair.  And it requires proper maintenance so you don’t weaken the hair after it’s been developed.  And, you need to maximize the growth rate during the growth phase. Nutrition and products that help with scalp health can help you maximize the rate of growth.

Do these things and you can achieve the maximum hair length possible for you. But, not everyone can grow hair down to the floor.

Q.) Hello I am looking for a strong hair care product. line that helps thicken thin hair. My hair is a little past my shoulders and healthy however it is thin. Is there anything that can help my hair grow thicker?

A.) One thing we always like to do is help people have realistic expectations about what is possible to achieve.  This doesn’t always mean we get to sell a product.

There are two aspects to hair being thick or thin.  One is the actual diameter of the hair strands themselves.  The second is the number of hairs on your head. If you have fewer hair follicles or less strands (inactive follicles), you’re going to have less hair, which people refer to as thin hair.  Likewise, if you have hair shafts that are small in diameter, your hair could be referred to as thin.  While these two things can be related, they aren’t necessarily.

There is nothing you can do to make more hair follicles.  If you have less than the “normal” amount per square inch of scalp, you are going to have  less hair.   If you have lost the activity of some of those follicles due to a number of factors, hair loss treatments such as the Spectral RS and Spectral DNC products we sell can get you back up to your maximum potential.  But, these products will not make a person with naturally thin hair suddenly have more hair shafts.

Likewise, if your hair is thinning in diameter, better nutrition, stopping the chemical damage (if that’s the cause) can help.  In those cases, our hair growth products might be helpful.  But, again, if Mother Nature has given you naturally small diameter hair shafts, there is only so much you can do to make them thicker.  There are “volumizing” shampoos that increase the appearance of hair thickness.

Some of the questions we get most often are:

• Why is my / my daughter’s hair so dull?
• Why is my / my daughter’s hair so dry?
• How do I comb my daughter’s kinky hair?

All of these questions and more are answered in this guide. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly what’s best for you or for your child. I purposely have avoided a cookbook because proper maintenance of hair is more of an art than a science. Every person’s hair is slightly different and therefore requires a slightly different maintenance routine. Even my two daughters, with the same father and mother, have different hair types. I find that an oil that is great for one is too heavy for the other. After years of trial and error that I have developed regimens that work best for each of the three of us. I am still tweaking those as I find new products and as I gain more experience. But, I will share my routines with you. These should be useful starting points for you to develop your own routine.

We are receiving a lot of requests from Caucasian mothers who have adopted children of African descent and know almost nothing about Black hair care. Most African Americans are multi-racial. So, African American hair has a wide variety of textures and needs.

Expectations for African American Hair

The number one complaint we get about black hair is that it looks dry or dull. Before you go too far to make your natural hair full of sheen and shine, it’s best to have the proper expectation.

Natural Black or African hair will not be as shiny as permed hair or Caucasian hair. A major part of what makes hair shiny is the structure of the hair, not just the amount of oil or moisture it contains. If the cuticles lay flat (smooth hair), the hair will reflect light better (translated will appear shiny). If the cuticles are raised, the hair will absorb light (translated will appear more dull). Without changing the structure of the hair (as in getting a perm or relaxer for us African Americans), our hair will only be so shiny. By applying a bunch of grease to make it shinier, you could end up damaging the hair. Having said that, natural African hair can appear healthy, smooth and have a nice healthy sheen. You’ll have to observe your hair to see what is possible for you.

Another complaint we sometimes get (again it seems usually from White mothers) is that their child’s hair is too curly or too frizzy. There are some things you can do to control frizzyness and curliness. But, if you want to effect “permanent” (permanent until it grows out anyway) changes, you are looking at a chemical process. One thing we often advise mothers about though is please do not expect your child’s hair to be like yours. And, please do not make her feel as though something is wrong with her hair because it’s “frizzy” or curly.

You should picture your child’s hair as a collection of fine fibers. You should treat it as gently as you would a fine washable silk blouse. The better you treat her hair, the easier it will be to grow and the better it will look. You should be aware that African hair and biracial hair tends to be drier than Caucasian hair. The structure of our hair makes it more difficult for the oils to work their way from the scalp to the ends of the hair. Because our hair is kinky, it tends to tangle more and pulling these tangles out can cause breakage. In spite of appearances, black hair and biracial hair tends to be more fragile than Caucasian hair. The lack of moisture and elasticity and the kinks that get grabbed when styling or combing make for hair that can be broken easily.

Someone once asked me if natural hair is meant to be combed. Actually, the answer probably is no. I don’t think our hair was structured to be combed at all. So, as long as we’re going to do it, we have to do it causing the least amount of damage possible.

Both of my daughters have natural hair. We receive a lot of compliments about their hair. We have a mixed heritage (as do most African Americans). But, many of the same things I do for them can be adapted for biracial hair care. Here are my “secrets”.

Tools for Maintaining African American Hair

Before you set out to perform any task, it’s important to make sure you have the right tools. While many products can be picked up on the cheap in the drug store or at your grocery store, you owe it to yourself to get the best products you can afford. While we don’t believe in paying a lot of money for fancy packaging, a name brand or a foo-foo salon, we know that there are much better products available from specialty stores like
Treasured Locks or even your local salon.

• Wide tooth comb or pick or brush made for African American hair. We like “detangling” combs and the Kakakiki KombBrush
• Good moisturizing shampoo and cream conditioner
• Moisturizing solution or spray
• Deep Conditioning Treatment or Hot Oil Treatment for once a month application.
• Satin sleep cap or satin pillow cases
• Spray bottle to spritz hair in case you just want to hit it with some water to comb
• Microwaveable or Professional Conditioning Cap

Tips for Combing Out Black Hair

This section will be particularly important to those of you who have not worked with kinky hair. Never try to comb out kinky hair while it is dry. Use a moisturizer to provide elasticity to the hair and to reduce friction. Be sure you have a wide tooth comb. You might want to look for a “detangling” comb. If nyou’re used to fine tooth combs, it might look a little strange to you. But, generally speaking, the farther apart the teeth the better. I generally do not use bristled brushes because I find they tend to grab the hair. I
have aKakakiki KombBrush, which does a great job on the girls’ natural hair. It’s a combination comb and brush in one device. It’s shaped like a brush, but has round teeth more like a comb.

Be patient and gentle when combing kinky hair. If your daughter is screaming, you might want to consider that you are pulling too hard. I begin by working in sections. I part the
hair and tie off the part I am not working on at the time. I gently grasp the hair near the scalp with my free hand and work the comb against that hand, rather than against the scalp. Comb gently beginning near the roots and work your way up- until all kinks are free. I then tie that section off and start on the next section.

Tips for Washing Black Hair

I wash their hair about once a week. In the winter this might stretch out a little longer. I wash more often in the summer. But, one of the mistakes non-African American parents
of Biracial or African children commonly make is to wash their hair too frequently. Many of my Caucasian friends wash their hair daily. In a child with Black or African hair, this can lead to dullness and dryness. I like to use different shampoos to eliminate the possibility of build-up from a particular shampoo. I alternate between:

• Huminature Nothin’ But Nature Shampoo
• SheaMoisture Shea Butter Shampoo
• Treasured Locks H2G Awaken Emu Oil Shampoo
• Treasured Locks Huminature Moisturizing Shampoo
• Treasured Locks Free & Clear Shampoo

If your child is very young (too young to keep her eyes closed), use a baby shampoo. These shampoos contain agents that keep the eyes from stinging. However, many of them are particularly drying for African-American hair. So, transition to a nice mild, moisturizing shampoo as soon as possible.

Wash gently, but thoroughly, massaging the scalp while washing. When you dry, blot with a towel rather than rubbing vigorously. Avoid heat as much as possible for
drying. Allow the hair to air dry as much as possible before blasting it with forced hot air.

Between Washings

If your child swims or sweats from her scalp, you may be tempted to wash too often. One way to stretch out the time between washings is to just rinse the hair with warm water, condition and go from there.

How to Condition African American Hair

Biracial and African-American clients often complain about dull, dry hair. But, many of them skip the essential step of conditioning their hair after they wash. Conditioner is vital because conditioner helps leave the hair feeling smooth by leaving a thin wax-like coating. Conditioner also helps lessen the breakage and pulling caused by tangling. Tangling happens when the cuticle of one strand of hair (which are more raised in Black and Biracial hair) catches on the cuticle of another hair. Conditioner also smooths over rough broken edges of the outer layer of hair. By smoothing over the outer layer of the hair, conditioner makes the hair feel softer, reflect light better and keeps it from tangling
and breaking as much. Lastly, the protective coating left on by conditioner holds moisture and reduces static electricity.

After washing, I condition with one of these three products:

• Treasured Locks Nothin’ But Nature Conditioner
• Treasured Locks Shea Butter Detangling Conditioner
• Treasured Locks H2G Awaken Emu Oil Conditioner
• SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner

Tips for Deep Conditioning Black Hair

At least once or twice a month, after shampooing, I deep condition their hair. I will use one of several products:

• Treasured Locks Deep V Conditioner
• Treasured Locks Hot Hair Repair
• Baka Beauty Sahara Clay
• HumiNature Rhassoul Clay

I put one of the deep conditioning products on after shampooing and use either a microwave or professional heat cap for 30 minutes or so. The moist, gentle heat allows the cuticles to open and the moisturizing product to penetrate the hair shaft. A good hot oil treatment could be done here instead.

How to Properly Moisturize African American Hair

Probably the most important key to healthy African American hair care is moisture. Because of the structure of our hair, it tends to become dry easily. Dry hair lacks elasticity and therefore is brittle and prone to breakage. Moisturize with good products and do it often. Moisturizing is not necessarily the same as oiling. And it is certainly not the same as putting on what we used to call “grease” (see below). After the Deep Conditioning or Conditioning I moisturize. I use one of these products:

• Treasured Locks Leave-in Spray Conditioner
• Black Earth Protective Mist Bodifier
• Treasured Locks Conditioning Balm
• SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner
• Treasured Locks Locks Of Curls Pomade & Gel

Should I Oil My Hair and Scalp?

The subject of whether to oil or not is controversial in African hair care. You’ll have to
decide for yourself. My experience has been that, for my daughters, and me, oil is good for our hair.

The right oil though is of vital importance. We only use all natural oils, mostly plant
oils. We avoid mineral oil and petroleum based products. The one notable exception to the plant oil rule is emu oil (an animal oil). I love emu oil! This is one of those places where you’ll really have to experiment. One of my daughters can use a heavier oil than the other. She can even use pure Shea Butter. The other daughter’s hair is too thin and looks weighed down with Shea Butter. To apply the product, I put a little of the product in the palm of my hand (and melt it, if it’s a solid product). I then rub it on the hair and massage into the scalp. I will not use anything that doesn’t melt at body temperature. That’s why I avoid products with much beeswax, which melts at somewhere over 140 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s well above the temperature your water heater should be
set at and is hot enough to scald you. In other words, if you put beeswax in your hair, expect it to be there for a long time. If I happen to use something with a little beeswax (which has a relatively high melting point), I make sure it still melts at body temperature so that it doesn’t build up. I often mix a couple of the products. To be safe, I mostly use
products that are liquid at room temperature. Some of my favorite oils are:

• Shea Butter Oil- has the wonderful properties of Shea Butter, but in a much lighter, liquid form. We began our company selling nothing but Shea Butter products. That was before Shea Butter was as popular as it is now. It’s still a key ingredient in many of our hair and skin care products.
• Emu Oil- unbelievably good for scalp health. Improves circulation, reduces inflammation and has natural antiseptic properties. All help promote hair growth.
• Jojoba Oil- the closest thing to natural sebum itself. Jojoba oil is technically a wax, not an oil. It can actually make oily skin less oily and dry skin more oily, In other
  words, it helps bring skin into balance. In the case of biracial hair care, we are generally seeking to add oil to the scalp.
• Castor Oil- nice all natural plant oil that helps humectify (draw moisture to) the hair and scalp.

You can choose from the following products (from heaviest to lightest in order)

• Pure Shea Butter
• SheaMoisture Shea Butter Herbal Pomade (does contain some petroleum)
• Black Earth Strengthener- (does contain some petroleum)
• Treasured Locks Herbal Hair Balm- Shea Butter based with other natural butters and oils. Solid product with a low melting point.
• SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner
• Treasured Locks Shea Butter Nourishing Leave-In Conditioner
• Treasured Locks Hair & Scalp Elixir- Treasured Locks Conditioning Balm
• Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Serum- with Emu Oil. My favorite.

Tips for Styling Black Hair

Generally, I style the girls’ hair without the use of styling products. Since they are young, mostly, they’re in ponytails, plaits, braids or the like. But, I mix it up and am very cautious about overly tight styles that can lead to scalp damage and even a certain type of hair loss. I especially avoid any styling products that might be drying to their hair. You’ll want to be very careful with hair sprays, mousse products, gels etc. But, there are a few aids I use for certain hair styles to provide hold or some straightening:

• Treasured Locks Curl Tamer- I use this on the occasions when I want their hair straighter. Combined with a blow dryer, this allows me to easily get their hair ready for styles for certain occasions.
• Nubian Heritage Raw Shea Butter Loc Butter- great all natural Shea Butter based loc butter that I’ll use for twists or styles where I want a little more hold.
• Treasured Locks Locks of Curls Pomade & Gel- provides hold and moisture in one product. An aloe vera based gel product with Shea Butter oil and other natural moisturizers & softeners. This is great for two strand twists, straw sets or to hold in braids for less frizzing. Also can be used to work kinky hair into curly hair.
• Treasured Locks Thermo Shield- a spray that protect from heat and gives hair a shine when flat ironing or pressing

Repetition

This is very important. I repeat the Moisturize and/or Oiling steps above on a regular (almost daily) basis when I’m combing/styling the girls’ hair. Even if we’re in a non-comb style (like twists), I’ll touch them up just about daily, with something. I’m careful to avoid build-up and I don’t use a lot of product. But, I find that their hair is healthiest when receiving moisture on a very regular basis.

Controlling Frizzyness and Curliness in Black Hair

As we said earlier, expectations are important when it comes to hair. But, we do have products that will help reduce the frizzyness, to an extent. Natural-Laxer MIX is a treatment that can be applied about once a month. It is all-natural and works to gently tame wild hair. We’ve had people of various ethnicities who are very pleased with it. It does not actually alter the structure of the hair like a relaxer would. It can be applied in the home and wears off after several weeks. For those looking for a more permanent solution, a mild relaxer, a texturizer or a kiddie perm might be something to consider. Before you do though, please read our precautions when it comes to permanents/relaxers (see below).

If you’re not familiar with them, please be informed before you make that decision.

Other products we offer that help when styling curly and/or frizzy hair include:

• Treasured Locks Conditioning Balm- Treasured Locks Conditioning Balm is a botanically rich, leave-in conditioning and styling balm that straightens and controls curly frizzy hair while, giving incredible shine and manageability.
• Treasured Locks Liquid Silk- A space age blend of silk proteins for redefining any texture hair. Curly hair becomes smooth and shiny.
• Treasured Locks Curl Tamer- just shampoo, towel dry, apply product and blow dry for those days when you want to wear your hair straighter. Fantastic product for biracial hair.
• Treasured Locks Locks of Curls- doesn’t eliminate curls, but defines them, turning kinks into soft flowing curls or just smoothing out curls and making them more defined. With the proper styling technique, you can get those bouncy flowing curls you see on the stars (instructions are on our website).

Perms or Relaxers for Black Hair- Should I or Shouldn’t I?

We often get questions concerning perms for young girls. Generally, we recommend against perms for prepubescent girls. Their hair and skin aren’t fully developed and changing their hair texture this early in life (especially a permanent change) can send the message to them that their hair isn’t good enough. Our older daughter is proud of her natural hair and says she will never perm it. But, our younger year old says she will. Ironically, it’s the older one who has the thicker hair. When they are old enough, they can decide on their own.

I use Natural-Laxer MIX on our older daughter. It has made her hair much more manageable and improved the texture. I can comb her hair in about half the time it used to take and I’ve seen a large reduction in the amount of hair left in the comb after combing.

Perming or relaxing the hair might seem like an easy solution to the kinky/frizzy/hard-to-comb problem. But, there are several things you should know before heading down this path. We’ve seen unaware mothers actually make things much worse by not knowing this before getting started. Consider the following before you start
perming.

• We do not recommend home box perms. People often ask us to recommend perms to them. We do not recommend any perms because we do not sell any. A beautician has told us that they are not the same quality as the salon perms. I don’t know if that’s true. But, even if it is not, a chemical relaxer or perm is a process that is best performed by a professional. Serious damage can be done to the hair (that can never be repaired, it has to grow out). A relaxer, improperly applied can do permanent damage to the scalp. The only compromise we would even contemplate on this would be to take your child to a local beauty school, if you just
  cannot pay the money the salons are charging. At least they’ll get the perm under professional supervision. And, the cost is usually a pretty small fraction of the cost in a salon.
• If you insist on applying perms at home, please read and follow the instructions carefully. Do not keep perming the part of the hair that has already been treated. Only apply the perm to the new growth (the kinky stuff underneath). Perming
  the same part of a strand of hair over and over again thins it a little each time. Eventually, it will break. It’s not a question of “if”, it’s “when”.
• If you begin to relax your child’s hair, you must keep on doing it. When the natural hair reaches a certain length underneath the relaxed hair (hair grows from the root), the hair begins going through a transition stage. At this point, the hair is
  very vulnerable to excessive breakage. Generally speaking, a perm will be required every 6-8 weeks unless you are prepared to transition back to natural hair. Transitioning, without taking proper precautions can be very traumatic because of the breakage.
• If you relax your child’s hair, you weaken the hair and reduce the ability for the scalp to naturally oil itself. Permed hair is especially delicate and must be cared for even more diligently than natural hair. But, it’s better to perm hair than to fry it with excessive heat trying to make it straight or to end up breaking it off by combing it too aggressively.

Ponytail Do’s and Don’ts

Bound hairstyles are great for little girls. They keep the hair from going wild and from tangling. I can often get a few days out of a style, too. But, these bound styles can lead to hair disaster- as in severe, and even permanent, hair loss. Here are some dos and
don’ts you will want to be aware of:

• Don’t- use common rubber bands to hold her hairstyles. Also, avoid the bands with the metal clips, which grab and break kinky hair. Rubber bands cause too much friction on the hair and will eventually cause breakage. Buy covered bands or
  smooth bands made especially for hair.
• Do- remove any bands from the hair every night before bed time. Even the best bands should be removed before retiring for the evening.
• Don’t- pull the hair too tight. While it may be attractive, if you see your daughter’s eyebrows arching like she’s just had a face-lift you could be doing damage to her scalp. If you start to notice bumps around her hairline or elsewhere on her
  scalp, you could be causing traction alopecia. Normally, changing the hairstyle easily reverses this. But, if it is continued, this practice can lead to permanent hair loss.

Sleeping

Please remove tight bands from hair before sleeping. Using a satin pillowcase or a satin sleep cap will reduce friction with the pillow and help retain moisture in the hair. Cotton pillow cases against the hair can absorb moisture from the hair leaving it dry. Also, the
friction (if you move a lot) can actually lead to breaking. Using a soft, smooth cap or a satin pillow case avoids these problems.

Should I Trim My Ends?

The ends of the hair are the oldest parts because hair grows from the root. If the ends
are neglected, they can begin to split; causing damage even further down the hair. It may be counterintuitive. But, trimming the ends can actually lead to having longer hair. If you notice the ends of the hair are very dry, you might want to make sure you are doing a good job conditioning. If you notice they looked frayed, more tangled than normal or split, have them trimmed. I neglected this for a long time with my girls. But, since starting, I immediately noticed an improvement in the manageability of their hair. It was
actually easier to comb just after trimming the ends.

Hair Growth/Health Supplements

I use the Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Supplement and Treasured Locks H2G Hair
Strength Supplement. I have had a noticeable improvement in the condition of my hair and nails since using these supplements.

Proper nutrition is essential to good hair health. Supplements can certainly help with that. However, we do not recommend these products for children under the age of 13. They are formulated for the needs of an adult. Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Serum (applied to the hair and scalp) and Treasured Locks H2G Awaken Emu Oil Shampoo and Treasured Locks H2G Awaken Emu Oil Conditioner are also great for stimulating the best possible hair growth.

Summary

I hope you find this guide useful. I know that what you really want is a cookbook approach. But, for the reasons we stated at the beginning, that just isn’t possible. If you follow these general guidelines and learn how to look for signs of hair health, you can easily begin to make your or your child’s hair more manageable and healthy. After a few days, weeks and months of using the right products and the proper techniques, you will see a noticeable improvement.

If you have any questions after reading this, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’re glad to help.

Peace,

Tywana

As an exclusively on-line retailer, you can probably guess how we are going to answer this question. But, hold on. We have good reason to feel it’s not only perfectly safe to order on-line, it’s a great idea. Using your credit card on-line is actually more secure than using it at your local restaurant. As my friend and I were discussing this at lunch yesterday, I pointed out to him that in the old days, credit card numbers were printed out, unencrypted right on the slip (remember carbon paper and those machines they used to put your credit cards in?). Even thought credit card readers are used now so that the number isn’t printed out, employees in certain establishments have purchased readers that can steal your credit card number. When you hand it to that waiter to process, how do you know what he does with it before he brings it back? It recently been reported that many large retailers are using less-than-state-of-the-art wireless networks to broadcast your credit card number through the store. Anyone with a laptop and a cheap piece of software can drive by the store and pick up your credit card number.

Security Of Internet Transactions
In the case of an on-line store, any modern retailer (this one included) uses encryption when your credit card is sent over the Internet. You enter it in plain text in the privacy of your own home. But, when you hit the enter key, the number is scrambled so that, if anyone were “sniffing” on the line, they would only see a series of meaningless bits. When your information arrives at the intended location, a “key” is used to unlock and reassemble the data. Your information is only seen again at the intended location. In the case of Treasured Locks, we do not store any personal information of clients (including credit card numbers) on our computers. We use Yahoo which is one of the largest, oldest and most trusted etailers on the Internet to provide our store services. Yahoo uses state-of-the art technology to store this information.

The Real Risk
Maybe you don’t understand or trust encryption. And, let’s be honest. Even with encryption, anytime you use your credit card number anywhere, some unscrupulous employee of the business might steal it. So, let’ s look at the worst case. Someone steals your credit card. What happens?

As soon as you find out your credit card number has been stolen (whether it’s over the Internet or someone steals your wallet), report it. At this point, you are not liable for any subsequent charges. That’s the law. From the Federal Trade Commission

“If you lose your credit or charge cards or if you realize they’ve been lost or stolen, immediately call the issuer(s). Many companies have toll free numbers and 24 hour service to deal with such emergencies. By law, once you report the loss or theft, you have no further responsibility for unauthorized charges. In any event, your maximum liability under federal law is $50 per card.”

Most credit card companies will not even hold you to the $50 as long as you promptly report your card stolen, as soon as know. The key is when you know. If someone steals your card and goes on a spree, you are not responsible as long as you report it when you find out the number has been stolen. Just a tip from us to you, do not pay for credit card “loss protection” That’s the real rip off, according to the FTC. Having a credit card number stolen is not the same as having your identity stolen. Credit card numbers are easily canceled. A single phone call can have your card deactivated in minutes and you are not responsible for any charges after that and no more than $50 maximum (per card). Recently (yesterday), I thought a replacement card was lost in the mail and called in to report it. A few minutes later I found the card and called back. It was too late, the company had already killed the account and issued a new number. For anyone who had that number, it is now and forevermore worthless. I had a card stolen from my mailbox several years ago. The person who took it went on a shopping spree charging up around $1,500 as I recall. American Express asked me to simply tell them which charges that month were mine and which were bogus. They took the bogus charges off my bill and I didn’t have a single problem after that. They did issue a new account number.

If you still don’t feel comfortable trusting your credit card information to a retailer you don’t know, there are third party payment services like PayPal, that will allow you to give this information to them and pay the merchant via them. That way the merchant never even sees your credit card information.

The Advantages of Using a Credit Card

Keep in mind that stealing your credit card number is not the same as identity theft. While you should be a responsible consumer and protect your credit card number to avoid any hassles, using a credit card is actually a very safe and convenient way of purchasing, even over the Internet. Most (every?) credit card company offers consumer protection. If you order something from a merchant and don’t receive it, your credit card company will go to bat for you and can get your money back. If you pay a merchant by check or money order and never get anything, you are out of luck unless you’re willing to take them to small claims court. PayPal also offers consumer protection services. By paying with a credit card, you are giving yourself some recourse in dealing with unknown parties. Pay by a check or a money order and that’s the real risk.

No matter how you feel about the war, we think it’s important to support those who fight for us. We found out about this great program Xerox is sponsoring which makes saying “Thank you” to our troops as easy as visiting this website and making a few clicks. Please take a moment to check it out:

http://www.letssaythanks.com/

No matter how one feels about the war, we feel we have an obligation as citizens of such a great nation to support the people who put their lives on the line to support us. Our military people sacrifice being with their loved ones, they sacrifice financially and they risk their very lives. We feel it’s very important to support them.

By visiting and choosing a card, one of our men or women who are serving in the armed forces will receive a little piece of home in the form of a card designed by children. You can put your own greeting on it and let them know we appreciate the sacrifices they are making for us.

We receive email after email asking the question “My hair is breaking off (I’m losing my hair), what can I do?” As much as we’d love to answer that question for each client who asks, simply put, we cannot. We are not there with you and cannot look at your hair, analyze your environment, your maintenance routine and your genetic history all of which may be necessary to diagnose what is causing your hair loss. Hair loss and hair breakage can be caused by a number of factors or a combination of factors. Some are very easily treated, some are not so easily treated. The best we can do is give you general guidelines about general hair health and some things to consider when you’re trying to determine what is causing your hair loss.

Hair loss can be devastating, particularly to women. To understand the treatments for hair loss, it’s important to understand the causes. To understand the causes, it’s helpful to understand what hair is made of and how it grows. Treasured Locks offers treatments that help prevent hair breakage and can help with certain types of hair loss.

This short article will cover these topics:

Hair Structure
Hair Life Cycle
Hair Growth and How to Make Hair Grow Faster
Hair Loss
Hair Loss Treatments
Hair Breakage and Hair Breakage Prevention
Summary

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