My Experience With the Beautiful Textures “Texture Manageability” System

by Christina Patrice 

Recently, social media has been abuzz with word and photos of a revolutionary system that allows natural women to go from textured, to straight, and back to textured hair in the blink of an eye. That system is the Texture Manageability System by Beautiful Textures, subsidiary of Strength of Nature. If you follow popular bloggers like @tarenguy,@msvaughntv, @lexiwiththecurls, and @chimeedwards on Instagram, you saw that this product unveiling came with a Miami getaway, videos, salon events, and a photo shoot.

All of those things are fab, and I’m really happy for the ladies involved (I really am and I’m claiming my own big opportunities in 2014!), but at the end of the day one question remains —

Is the Texture Manageability System worth it?

Let’s explore.

I received a Texture Manageability System (TMS) as a part of my March OnyxBox. I couldn’t pass up 3 full size products plus the TMS for only $15. Beyond the product junkie in me that wanted 3 products, I was genuinely curious about TMS and all the social media fanfare surrounding it. I needed to know how it worked, why it worked and if there would be any adverse consequences (because of course, no brand is going to tell you what’s wrong with their product). I was also curious to see if the system would allow me to wear flat ironed hair for more than a week (which is what I typically get when I straighten using my own methods).

The system consists of a shampoo, leave-in conditioner, and anti-reversion shampoo and conditioner duo. There is also a pamphlet for instructions and general guidelines based upon texture and desired goal. Warnings of not using too much heat reappear throughout the literature. But, before I get into my own analysis, let’s start of with what Beautiful Textures has to say about their product (via beautifultextures.com):

Strength of Nature — the makers of African Pride, Beautiful Textures, Elasta QP, MegaGrowth, TCB, Pro-line and Soft & Beautiful — is revolutionizing the hair industry with a ground-breaking product:

Reversible™ Straightening Texture Manageability™

This revolutionary system has created a totally new category in hair care. Never before has hair been able to have it all – total manageability and versatility. For natural girls, it’s the flexibility to Flip™ back-and-forth from curly to straight and then back again, and if you have relaxed hair the system extends the time you need to touch-up between relaxer new growth applications.

The secret is the Inner-Active™ Leave-In Conditioner, which is infused with essential oils, natural butters and amino acids, and has no harsh chemicals. The Inner Active™ leave-in conditioner penetrates the hair, causing it to elongate and soften while making it easier to detangle. Once the detangling process is complete, the hair is blow-dried and flat ironed, creating beautifully straight, touchable soft hair with unmatched body, movement and shine – all in a fraction of the time of most traditional straightening methods.

Now in four quick steps, curly girls can go from natural curls to straight styles and back again without compromising or permanently altering their curl pattern. The system gives Reversible™ Straightening that lasts up to 6 weeks, plus the benefit to stop damaging your hair from daily heat straightening, or the choice to stop using harsh chemicals to permanently relaxed hair. But remember, the Texture Manageability™ System gives you the choice to go back to natural at any time because the Inner-Active Conditioners do not permanently change your hair texture.

Marketing jargon aside, what does TMS actually do — and how does it work? I stayed up late one night doing research, and reading information from a number of cosmetic chemistry sources. Here’s what I came up with (you can catch this excerpt on my Instagram as well):

The active ingredient in TMS is in the leave-in, which is glyoxyloyl carbocysteine. There is some interesting data from a cosmetic chemistry conference about what it does to curly and textured hair. Long story short, the Texture Manageability System is a low pH, formaldehyde-free, amino acid-rich protein treatment that deposits inside the cortex, closes the cuticle tightly/fills stress cracks, and makes hair super shiny and strong. When combined with heat, the deposits inside the hair cause a reversible, structural elongation of the cortex. Essentially, this thing is a huge deep conditioning/protein treatment activated by heat. 

Satisfied with that information, I did what I customarily do when trying any new product — a patch test. Here were my results using the shampoo and leave-in (via Instagram):

I was able to easily straighten this small segment of hair with slightly lower temperatures (around 370, I normally straighten at 380 degrees Fahrenheit). The hair felt soft and silky, and had great shine. I immediately washed it twice with tgin Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo, which resulted in a frizz-free, somewhat elongated version of my texture (which is where the “manageability” part comes in). To completely remove the system from my hair, I followed up with Lawrence Ray Concepts Complete Cleanse Shampoo, which contains SLS. My hair returned to normal, but still possessed the shine and softness. At this particular point, I was convinced that nothing terrible would happen to my hair, so I made plans to straighten it that weekend.

Before I get too far into the results, let me highlight a few things about the Texture Manageability System:

• It isn’t permanent. Unless you use entirely too much heat (they warn strongly against that in the literature that comes with the kit) and end up with heat damage, any loosening of your texture will revert with several washes.
• Your texture won’t 100% revert immediately. Again, in the literature they tell you that you can use the product to achieve a looser curl pattern if you don’t want to wear your hair straight.
• Reversion requires several washes with a SULFATE-CONTAINING shampoo. I make that distinction because there are some bloggers (no shade) who are showing their reversion results with sulfate-free shampoo. If you use a more gentle cleansing agent, the looser curl results last longer. Using a more clarifying product with sulfates will help remove the Inner-Active Leave-In more quickly.

I straightened my hair with TMS (video coming soon, I documented ev-er-ry-thang) just to see if it would live up to all the hype surrounding it. In the meantime, here are my preliminary thoughts:

Cleansing Shampoo

It’s a shampoo. Not the most moisturizing or gentle, but I can understand the rationale for wanting to make sure hair is completely clean before any heat styling. Made a mental note that *if* I decided to use TMS again, I will be swapping out the shampoo for one that doesn’t dry out my hair as much.

Inner-Active Leave-In

Very liquidy, and comes with warnings of not over-applying. The bottle is slightly more than 1oz, which can lead a heavy-handed naturalista to believe it is not enough. Believe me when I say — it is MORE than enough. I used 75% of a bottle, and I think that was too much. Goes on easily, and is able to be worked through the hair while WET. But once it dries, forget about it. For whatever reason during blow drying, my hair became tangle city — even though I had detangled prior to washing, and during deep conditioning, which brings me to my next point… 

There is no deep conditioner. Or heat protectant. 

To me, the absence of these two from any thermal straightening process or system is a glaring weakness. Whether I use TMS or not, I always, always, alllllllllllways make sure I have a deep conditioner on deck — preferably one with cetrimonium chloride and protein. To make up for that lack, I deep conditioned with Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask after shampooing and before applying the leave-in. And even though the Inner-Active Leave-In may offer some heat protection, I didn’t fully trust it. After transitioning for 21 months from heat damage, there was no way I was leaving this one up to chance. I incorporated Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray and Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil serum during blow drying and flat ironing for added protection.

The Straightening Process

TMS was supposed to help cut down on the straightening time. And whatever strides I made in flat ironing my hair more quickly were canceled out by the obscenely difficult blow drying session. As I mentioned previously with the leave-in, working it through the hair is easy when it is damp or wet. But after you leave it on the hair for the recommended 20-ish minutes, all of that is out the window. My hair was tangled and felt coated, which made it difficult for me to work through and blow dry. That feeling dissipated somewhat once it was time to flat iron — which I think can be attributed to the Garnier serum. Here were my results:

For those that are curious, I flat iron on 380 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the temperature that I have deemed safe for my hair without heat damage with proper protection. After flat ironing, my hair was soft and shiny with movement — but it typically does when I straighten it. The major difference though? In the following days, my hair did feel coated and I definitely experienced some reversion in the form of poofiness (which I expect from natural hair that doesn’t have heat damage). At the end of 3 days, I found my straight hair to be more of a hassle than my curls (imagine that), and went on a mission to revert.

It took me 3 wash days and SLS containing shampoos to get my curl pattern restored back 100%. You can read all about wash day number one here, and wash days two and three here. All and all, I’m glad I tried the Texture Manageability System — if for no other reason than to quell my curiosity. Will I use it again? Probably not. I’m not interested in “managing” my texture, and even though the smoothness and shine was nice, I can get that from a good deep conditioning.  So to answer the question posed in the beginning — is the Texture Manageability System worth it? For me, not really. But of course, each head of hair is different.

There are some ladies who will sing the praises of TMS, others who disagree with the notion that our hair needs to be “managed”, and some who won’t care either way. Which category do you fall into, ladies?

 Would you try Texture Management System?

Note: Straight hair can be a hot-button/polarizing issue for us. Please, let’s keep all commentary respectful toward one another.

6 Vital Signs That Naturals Often Ignore

by Black Girl With Long Hair 

One of the most challenging aspects of switching to natural hair is getting to know it. To know how it communicates that it’s happy or sad with how you’re treating it. Here are six key indicators of hair health that naturals unknowingly ignore or misinterpret.

Dry Hair

It’s easy to know when hair is BONE dry and on the brink of snapping… but trouble starts way before that. Stretching hair too far can dry it out, so can sleeping with it uncovered and neglecting to moisturize protective styles. This dryness can lead to the gradual breakage. Make sure that your hair always feels supple with a bit of spring when you pull at the strand. And always seal in water-based products with a butter or oil.

Tangled Hair

It doesn’t have to look like a bird’s nest for your hair to be tangled. As twist outs and braid outs soak up humidity, they shrink and the strands become gnarled. Just be aware of this, and pay attention to whether breakage ensues when you re-style your hair. Stretched styles are a great way to combat tangling.

6 Vital Signs That Naturals Often Ignore

Thrashed Ends

The ends are the most vulnerable part of the hair, and boy do they take a beating. From combing and brushing — even twisting — ends suffer a lot of mechanical damage. A tell tale sign of thrashed ends are twists or braids that are difficult to seal. If you can’t twist your hair all the way down to the end of the shaft because the ends are too rough and uneven, then you might be due for a trim.

Growth

You might be surprised at this one… but many naturals are simply unaware when their hair grows. Women who struggle to retain length often blame lack of progress on slow growth, when the culprit is actually breakage. To get an idea of how quickly your hair grows, try dyeing a few strands in the front, middle and back with henna. Monitor them every month to see how far down the henna goes. I’m sure you’ll be surprised at how much growth you have on a weekly basis.

6 Vital Signs That Naturals Often Ignore

Chronic Breakage

If it’s been a few years and your hair hasn’t budged, don’t be so quick to blame it on genetics or slow growth… you might be dealing with chronic breakage. YouTube guru KimmayTube has a famous video showing how her hair stayed the same length during her first 10 years of being natural. Protective styling isn’t necessary for everybody, but if your hair is fine and fragile, it might be the best way to guard against breakage.

Mechanical Damage

Blame it on years of our mothers, aunties and hairdressers yanking combs through our hair, but many of us don’t have a proper gauge of what is gentle and what is not. You should never be so rough with your hair that your edges are depleted, your comb is full of hair or your head hurts. Incorporate finger styling and smoothing into your regimen and pay attention to how much broken hair you end up with after a styling session. If it’s too much, then be even easier with your handling.

What vital signs would you add? Which would you take away? And does this list help you re-evaluate your own regimen?

5 Things EVERY 4C Natural Should Know About Breakage — And How to Prevent It

by The Natural Haven 

The first thing that pops into my head when I think about youtuber Karen of Glamfun is of course the very catchy tune, ‘Wash and Go’s don’t work on nappy hair.’ Recently, she has been in the spotlight for her hair struggles and decision to relax her natural hair. She spoke in depth to BGLH on that in this interview…this is not the topic of discussion today.  Instead, I want to do an analysis of what I learned from her discussion on the serious level of breakage she experienced. I think her experiences can be a great learning tool for anyone with 4c hair specifically, as well as broadly speaking to anyone trying to retain length and constantly succumbing to setbacks.

5 Things EVERY 4C Natural Should Know About Breakage 

1. Doubt is a very good thing

Karen was given a diagnosis of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia and she doubted it. I am a scientist and not a dermatologist but I’m with Karen in doubting the diagnosis. From my point of view, Karen had breakage after her hair was grown from the scalp.

For the alopecia condition, there is some association with trauma to the hair follicles leading to a ‘scalpy’ appearance, not so in Karen’s case. The dermatologist suggestion of relaxing as a remedy is not ideal as relaxers are suspected to be a possible cause for tram, triggering that type of alopecia (J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. pp 37–40, 2012.). Therefore, if you doubt what a medical professional is telling you, do get a second or even third opinion.

2. Breakage happens even to the most seasoned naturals

Chery of chery818 is an example of how a seasoned natural with years of experience and very long hair can experience breakage. Don’t make the mistake of thinking serious breakage is a newbie type of error; and those who are 2-3 years into their natural journey are less likely to experience it. Typically, 4c hair is more susceptible to breakage. When coupled with length, there is more potential to knot within coils and kinks.

When Naturals Attack! Popular 4C Vlogger Glamfun Discusses the YouTube Backlash She Received After Re-Relaxing Last Year

by Christina Patrice 

Karen Constant aka Glamfun made waves on YouTube with her witty lyrics and infectious personality, gaining popularity via natural hair parodies and providing tips and information for 4c natural hair. But when she began experiencing breakage and thinning late last year, she turned to a dermatologist for help — and relaxed her natural hair as a result.

When Naturals Attack! Popular 4C Vlogger Glamfun Discusses the YouTube Backlash She Received After Re-Relaxing Last Year

Some subscribers were not happy with her decision and even went as far as making response videos, starting threads on forums, and writing articles debating and discussing the use of relaxers to treat her derm-diagnosed Center Centrifugal Cicatrical Alopecia. On behalf of BGLH, I had the awesome opportunity to have a Q&A with Karen and dig a little deeper into her thoughts and experiences of going natural, relaxing and transitioning back to natural on a public platform like YouTube:

Your experience of going natural, relaxing and now transitioning back to natural hair is a unique one. What are the three most important lessons you’ve learned on the road back to natural hair?

The first lesson I have learned from my hair journey is to accept my hair for how it is. My hair is coarse, kinky and beautiful and I love to play in it. The second lesson I have learned from my hair journey is that I have to accept what my hair likes. I know that if I want my hair to grow healthy I have to leave it alone. The third lesson that I have learned from my hair journey is that I really cannot care about other people’s opinions when it comes to what works for my hair. I have proof of what works for my hair. Leaving my hair alone under weaves and wigs does wonders for my hair and grows it out fast. Listening to other people’s suggestions can sometimes set you back from your goals. People sometimes accuse me of hating my hair because I don’t wear it out. My goal for my hair is for it to be thick, long, beautiful, and healthy. I no longer care about being “not natural enough” for the natural hair community.

Why, in your words, did you decide to go back to a relaxer in the first place? Was it the ease factor? The familiarity factor? The convenience factor? Why did it feel like the best decision at the time?

I wanted to go on vacation and didn’t want to deal with kinks or detangling. I wanted to go in the water and not have to detangle it afterwards. My hair was in such bad shape I knew I had to cut it off and start over. I wanted to enjoy the little bit of hair that I had on my head without tangles or braids.

Why didn’t you consider seeing a natural hair professional to consult about her hair loss. I know you were seeing a dermatologist. Was that dermatologist also a natural hair professional?

I went to the dermatologist. She did a whole bunch of tests — checked my thyroid and anything that could be serious. When they said that everything was normal, that’s when she started making stupid suggestions. I knew that a natural hair professional would give me cliche answers to my problems, and I can read cliche answers to my problems online. So I decided to do my own research. I just didn’t wanted to waste anymore of my money getting other people opinions about my hair.

Was it always your plan to transition back to natural hair after relaxing? Or did it just sort of happen?

My hair grew best when it was natural under a wig so I knew I always wanted to go back to that.

Some of your subscribers were incredibly upset that you chose to relax your hair. What is one thing that you wish everyone could understand about your decision?

I wanted a new beginning. This natural thing was not what I expected it to be. I thought being natural would be liberating because everybody said it was, so I wanted to try it. At this time, I was tired of spending so much money at the hair salon and the thought of not having to pay someone to do my hair would be so liberating to me. Natural hair was also supposed to be healthier. I thought to myself, “so you’re saying with this whole natural thing, I can keep my salon money in my pocket and my hair will grow healthier and longer and I can still look cute?!?! Sign me up!” I was all in to being natural. Then, I started documenting my journey but I never put it on YouTube at the time because it actually turned out to be the complete opposite for me. I felt secluded and uncomfortable because what seemed to be working for everyone else was not working for me. The products that were working for other people weren’t working for me. I spent so much money on products at times it was more expensive than going to the hair salon. Some of the products thinned my hair out, so it wasn’t healthier….my hair was not responding well to the aloe vera juice that was recommend a lot, and the apple cider vinegar and water rinses that were supposed to heal and cleanse the hair were making my hair dry and brittle no matter how much I diluted it.

I started to evaluate this natural thing I was doing. I stopped and thought, is this benefiting me? Why am I doing this? I was spending so much time on my hair daily trying to get it back to health. My goal in life is not to be a hair dresser, why am I spending so much time on my hair? I realized being natural [was] not worth the amount of effort. At this time, my hair was thinning like crazy. I knew I would have to cut a lot of it off and start over again. I didn’t want to have to go on vacation with a weave in my hair either. I wanted to wear my hair freely and enjoy the little bit of hair I had on my head. At the time, a relaxer was exactly what I wanted so a relaxer is what I got.

There are some people who believe that you were never “comfortable” with your (4c) hair texture, and that influenced your decision to relax your hair. How true is that?

When the health of my hair isn’t at a good place, that is what makes me uncomfortable. It has nothing to do with my hair texture. When I feel and see that what I am doing isn’t benefiting my hair that is what influences me to do something new. When my 4c hair texture was healthy and flourishing, I loved it! I wore it proudly. I even made a whole YouTube channel about it. When my hair started thinning, I was frustrated. I wasn’t proud of it and I started to get uncomfortable with the health of my hair. I got uncomfortable and started looking for something new. That new thing was doing my hair by myself in a natural type of way. After 1 year of success of braiding it and wearing wigs on top, I decided to actually style my hair and the health of my hair took a turn for the worse. Relaxers aren’t that good for my hair, but a relaxer never thinned my hair as bad as trying to style my natural hair. I felt uncomfortable with the health of my hair. It was time to try something new. I am comfortable with my 4c texture. I get uncomfortable when my 4c textured hair gets unhealthy.

I am a firm believer that everyone is entitled to do what they want to do with their hair — whether it be relaxed, natural, chopped off, dyed hot pink, or under a weave 24/7. Do you think there is an entitlement mentality within the natural hair community — where everyone feels entitled to tell you what you can/should do with your hair, even if those opinions are unsolicited?

I think that some naturals feel that wearing their hair natural its a representation of self love and if someone wears their hair straight it is a representation of self hate. If someone doesn’t wear their hair natural, some naturals feel the person must not love themselves and they are just following what the world sees as beautiful. And since the naturalista is showing such an act of self love by wearing their hair natural, they think their opinion is better or more important than a person who wears their hair straight. If that is what you mean by ‘entitlement mentality’ then I agree that some naturals do think that way.

4 Bad Habits to Eliminate to Maximise Length Retention

by The Natural Haven

I am pretty sure that most of us will be guilty of at least one of the things on the list below. This article is really aimed at people who have had trouble retaining length despite following the best of advice or think/know that they have a below average growth rate. In both of these cases, maximising retention is crucial and therefore things that we may ignore or believe to be not that damaging are actually much more important than we think. In both of these cases, every strand and every bit of length is essential to getting longer hair. Here are the 4 bad habits:

4 Bad Habits to Eliminate to Maximise Length Retention

1. Ignoring that popping sound when detangling

Let us get it clear, even the gentlest detangler among us will have snapped or popped a strand or two while finger detangling or combing hair. This is not the habit that is under the spotlight. The problematic habit is when you are generally gentle but accept that when you hit rough spots or when you get tired, you begin to think, ‘Oh well, it is just two or three strands, not a big deal.’ It is a big deal when you know your hair is going to break but you go ahead and plough through, you are in essence telling yourself that breakage is ok and will not impact your length gain. Regard snapping or popping strands as a failure on your part rather than accepting it as a norm in natural hair styling because it does not have to be.

2. Letting open hair progressively shrink, letting it rain on your open hair.

For many naturals, if you start an open hair style with stretched or straightened hair, you will notice that each day will bring with it a little more humidity and moisture to the hair. Therefore, gradual shrinking of the hair as the curl pattern and kinks redevelop is inevitable. In general, many naturals can cope with this reversion for a few days but there comes a point when hair begins to mesh as strands intertwine. This is the point when you will need the big guns (water, oil, conditioner and plenty of detangling time) to fix the shrunken hair prior to actually washing your hair. If you can avoid this stage, you are in a better position as you subject your hair to less stress and therefore maximise your retention. Equally, when it rains, if your hair is open and it is the type which shrinks and meshes, it is in your best interest to either quickly control this by compacting the hair into a bun/braid/large twists/pin up. Some hair will be perfectly fine with moisture but some hair needs shrinkage control.

3. Thinking you need to run a comb/fingers from root to tip to confirm detangling

I really loved this article by Geniece. It reinforces the point that some of us do have kinky curly hair that will not really care for ‘full’ detangling. The inherent nature of kinky hair which has tight curls, is that sometimes strands will cross paths and this is not necessarily something that needs to be fixed. Detangling really means eliminating complex knots at the ends of hair and preventing tightly meshed hair especially at the root. Many hairstyles will forgive a few intertwined strands. Thorough detangling is more important if you need to create a straight style but if that is not your intention, do read Geniece’s article linked above!

4. Keeping a protective style in for too short or too long

If your hair requires protective styling in order to gain length, you should know both the ideal time frame for keeping the style and the ideal time frame to undo it. If you spend very short periods with a protective style (e.g. 1 week or less), you may not see any substantial gains in length as you are manipulating your hair too much. However, if you keep the style in for too long (e.g. over 4 weeks), you can end up with the dreaded meshing, lint stuck in hair and serious detangling which can all cause breakage. The time frames I have listed here are general, you have to determine individually what is too short or too long for your hair.

Ladies, have you been guilty of any of these? Do you have any to add to the list?

Will Naptural85’s 25-Minute Co-wash and Detangle Method Work on Waist-length 4C Hair?

by Chinwe 

As a natural, you’re more than likely familiar with some of the challenges that come with detangling – especially if you are 4C. Some include reducing breakage, avoiding snags and holding back tears from your eyes. (Yes, tears.) If  you tack on washing, conditioning and sealing, for some, this total time can run into the realm of hours. But does this have to be the case?

How Naptural85’s method works:

The first step is to coat your entire hair with coconut oil, which will help to lubricate the hair and loosen the tangles. (According to Whitney, the coconut oil is the “secret weapon” in this entire routine.) Next, follow up with a conditioner that has great slip, and allow the combination to marinate. Afterwards, hop into the shower and finger detangle while water runs down your hair. Next, apply conditioner to your hair (for co-washing), gently comb with a wide-tooth comb, and then rinse. Finally, apply your moisturizer and sealant and you’re done!

The method on waist-length 4C natural hair:

So Asha is a 4C natural vlogger who decided to try out Whitney’s method. What was the final verdict? The coconut oil and conditioner melted her knots and tangles away, and the detangling session ended up being the fastest she’s ever had. So how long did it take her? Check out her videos below for the full results:

PART I:

PART II:

Have you tried Naptural85’s 25-minute co-wash and detangle method?

3 Types of Naturals Who Should Avoid Heat at All Costs

by The Natural Haven 

Do you know that girl who can comb her hair aggressively with a fine tooth comb, bleach it before placing her flat iron at the highest temperature and yet still have a beautiful full head of hair on her head? Hair is very specific to each individual and what works for one person can be a poison chalice for another.

3 Types of Naturals Who Should Avoid Heat at All Costs

Every single time you apply heat, your hair becomes damaged. This also applies when you assume the best precautions (i.e conditioning hair first so it can be softer, using an appropriate heat protectant, using the least amount of heat with the fewest passes possible and not using heat repeatedly in a short period).

The type of damage hair has to sustain as a direct result of heat includes:

- loss of water from the hair shaft
– restructuring of the protein within the cortex
– damage and loss of amino acids (mainly tryptophan) within the cortex (J Cosmet Sci, pp15-27, 2011)
– possible surface damage to the hair cuticle (J Cosmet Sci, pp13-27, 2004)

The first two on the list are generally reversible once the heat is removed and hair is washed. However, the second two are permanent imprints. In order for hair to be heat-treated and remain on your head for years after, it must be able to withstand this damage.

There are those of us, who know without doubt, heat is not for us. This is usually characterized by experience with breakage during or immediately after even the tamest heat session. Which naturals need to be weary of heat? Here are the three key indicators

1. Fine individual strands.
Let me go on the record and say that hair in general is not inherently weak. A single strand of my own very fine hair has carried around 80 times its own weight! The issue with fine hair is that it simply breaks easily when stressed (Arch Derm Res pp 499-505, 2007). The process of heat straightening will require stretching and combing in addition to the actual effects of heat on the hair strand. This all creates a storm for fine hair which is less likely to withstand the stress. The finer your hair, the more cautious you should be with heat especially if you fall into the next category too.

2. Kinky hair
Kinks and curls are two different things. Kinks in hair represent a point where hair is stressed and much like fine hair, this also means that kinky hair is more susceptible to breaking. If you have ever seen those tiny wisps of hair (little c-shaped coils) on your clothes or floor when combing, it is likely that you have kinky hair and should be wary of heat. If you have very kinky hair but have never seen those wisps, then it is likely that you have thick individual strands and you may be ok with heat.

An actual kink in natural hair

3. Bleached and Permanent Hair Colour (not henna)
The process of bleaching or giving hair permanent colour causes significant damage to the hair cuticle and cortex. While some can still straighten their color-treated hair without ill effects, if you happen to also have fine individual strands and kinky hair in addition to the bleach/colour, then you should be very careful when applying heat to the mix.

Ladies, do you fall into any of these 3 categories? What is your stance on heat?

THE BEST VITAMIN FOR NATURAL HAIR GROWTH?

by Tonya McKay

There is no mistaking the current trend in the cosmetics industry to incorporate vitamins and plant derivatives into formulations in order to advertise products as healthy, natural, green, sustainable or possessing anti-aging properties. One popular claim suggests using vitamin C for hair growth. As an essential nutrient for health, vitamin C takes part in many cellular processes and must be ingested by humans in significant quantities as we do not manufacture it internally as some other species do. Centuries ago, it was common knowledge that deficiency in this nutrient (later identified as vitamin C) among sailors on long voyages and the malnourished poor caused a horrible condition known as scurvy. The condition was determined to be easily preventable with the consumption of relatively small amounts of fruit or vegetables that had abundant levels of vitamin C. It is critically important for optimal function of the immune system and for tissue growth regeneration. Clearly, vitamin C is well-established as a necessary substance for internal consumption. But, does it really have any benefits when used externally in skin and hair?

THE BEST VITAMIN FOR NATURAL HAIR GROWTH?

Vitamin C in Beauty Products

Perhaps not surprisingly, the answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no. Vitamin C is a popular component of many topically applied skin care products, where it has definite observed benefits when used above certain concentrations (5-15%). At the surface, it acts as an anti-oxidant, combating damage caused by free radicals created by environmental pollutants and ultraviolet radiation exposure. This can help prevent formation of new wrinkles that occur when free radicals are present on skin. Vitamin C has also been shown to penetrate and transfer to epidermal tissue where it aids in cellular repair and promotes collagen production. It is beyond the scope of this article to explore all of the mechanisms and variables by which vitamin C benefits skin, but clearly, it does provide some genuine value. Whether or not it provides benefits to hair is less dependent upon complicated cellular processes and more dependent upon some basic chemical properties.

Chemical Structure

Vitamin C is the common name for ascorbic acid, a small chiral molecule, in other words one that can occur in two different forms that are non-superimposable mirror images of one another. The type of ascorbic acid found in plants, synthesized in animals and used in cosmetic and food products is the left-handed molecule (levorotatory enantiomer) of ascorbic acid (L-ascorbic acid). For whatever reason, the right-handed version (dextrorotatory) does not occur in nature and the lab-synthesized version offers no benefits over its more readily available isomer.

Properties and Benefits

Vitamin C is a small molecule organic acid, with key structural features in common with other mild acids, such as acetic acid (vinegar) and citric acid. For this reason, ascorbic acid can act as a mild clarifying agent in shampoo and can be effective in helping remove mineral buildup accumulated on the surface of the hair. This improves the ability of the hair to accept moisture, which makes it more soft and supple and resistant to tangling and breakage. Also, the lower pH of acidic shampoos smoothes and tightens the cuticle surface, rendering the hair more evenly reflective and shinier.
The presence of multiple hydroxyl groups (oxygen-hydrogen, -OH) makes ascorbic acid extremely hygroscopic, meaning it attracts and binds water to itself. For this reason, vitamin C can act as a humectant and effective moisturizer in hair products when used in conditioners, leave-in conditioners and styling products.

Also, when included as a component in leave-in conditioners and styling products, vitamin C can act as an anti-oxidant, much in the same manner as in skin creams. Free radicals can cause structural damage to the proteins in hair, which can lead to split ends and breakage. They also can react with both natural melanin and synthetic dye molecules resident in the cortex of the hair strands and bleach color from hair, while simultaneously causing physical damage to it. For this reason, free radical scavengers, such as vitamin C can be quite useful in color retention and maintaining the health and integrity of hair. Ascorbic acid is water soluble and is thus not a concern for build up or accumulation on the surface of hair, even when non-mainstream cleansing methods are employed (low-poo, no-poo).

Oftentimes, vitamin C is used as a preservative or pH adjuster in hair care products and has no significant impact at all on final properties of the product. If it appears as one of the last few ingredients, below what is known as the one-percent line, you can be assured that this is the case.

Vitamin C for Hair Growth

The marketing materials for some hair care products claim that their vitamin-C containing formula can promote hair growth and repair an unhealthy scalp. While it is certainly true that ascorbic acid is capable of transfer to tissue and cells in specifically-formulated skin care products where it can participate in cellular processes, this isn’t usually the case in shampoos and conditioners. The reasons for this are that the pH of hair care products is generally too high for the acid to be active and the concentration of the ascorbic acid is too low for there to be any benefit. For this reason, most of these types of products will have no significant impact to the scalp or hair growth. However, it is possible that a formula intended for direct skin application might be of some benefit to the scalp tissue. Whether this would promote hair growth is not certain, but a healthy scalp is in the best position to perform this function. This would probably fall into the category of “it couldn’t hurt to try in moderation.”

Final Thoughts

Some users have reported that some vitamin C-based products have felt drying to their hands and hair. This is going to be very dependent upon an individual’s hair and skin type as well as on the other ingredients in the formulation. It is doubtful that the vitamin C itself leads to dryness, but perhaps if coupled with harsh surfactants, a too-low pH or insufficient emollients and moisturizers, a product could produce that undesirable tactile feel. Always trust your own reaction to a product and use what works for you!