Island Vibes Magazine

Summer Hair Care

Posted on 10. Jul, 2009 by admin in Style

By Marcia Truman

It’s that time of the year again and many of us are contemplating what to do with our hair over the lazy, hot summer months.

If you’re planning on traveling, braiding your hair might be the best solution.  When the hair is braided, no maintenance is required.  Choosing to braid your hair with Kanekalon allows you to have the ability to wash it and participate in activities such as exercising and swimming.  After swimming, the chlorine from the water could be rinsed out with shampoo, no conditioner.  Conditioner is not recommended because it tends to cause build up on the roots of the braids.  An excellent replacement for the conditioner would be natural hair oil or a conditioning spray.

Human hair can also be used for summer play and work.  Human hair is lighter and has a much softer texture than the Kanekalon hair, which is slightly heavier and has a coarse texture.  Although it’s lighter and has a softer texture, human hair that is worn for more than eight to ten weeks tends to thin out the follicles on the edges of your hair.  I normally recommend a touch up within five to six weeks after getting the hair braided.

Touch ups are needed to eliminate breakage.  When touching up the hair make sure that the circumference of the braids are removed.  The loose hair must then be combed out thoroughly and the remaining braided hair must be sectioned off and braided tightly on the ends to avoid the hair from coming loose.  This method applies for both human and Kanekalon hair.

Because of its soft texture, a rubber band is usually placed at the ends of the braided human hair to ensure that the hair is not loosened during the washing process.  Kanekalon hair does not need to be braided during washing because of its coarse texture and the fact that the braids are already braided to the ends.

These are ideas and suggestions for those who are looking for a long term solution for the summer hair care stresses. Another alternative is wearing the hair in a natural style using your own hair. Wearing your natural hair in two strand twist wet or dry, gives the hair a three to four week break from having to maintain it on a daily basis.  Pressing your natural hair during the summer without grease gives the hair a light, bouncy look that could be worn for up to three weeks.  When the hair is pressed and flat ironed wrapping it at night allows the hairstyle to keep without going back to its natural stage.

For those who wear their hairs in dreadlocs, locking requires basic maintenance but could also be braided with Kanekalon hair in styles such as individuals and cornrows.  These styles allow the locs to stay uniformed and give them versatility.

Summer is a good time for those who are thinking of transitioning from perm to natural.  If you decide to go through with this transition, you could cut off all the relaxer and wear the hair short or wait for the hair to reach a comfortable length and then cut off the relaxer. Once the hair grows out comb twist is one of the hairstyles that could be worn as the hair continues to grow in its natural form.  Summer is time that natural can be worn in any style and color.

Embrace your beautiful natural hair however you choose to wear!

Please feel free to leave me any questions or comments.

Share this on