THE AFROLOGIST

Hey Afro family! Today we will be talking about dry scalp. We will be discussing factors contributing to dry scalp and the dangers of not treating a dry scalp.   When your scalp is dry it can be seen and felt. Usually, this scalp has itchiness to it and small flakes that fall off when the scalp is scratched. Dry scalp is a bigger problem than most people realise because it can lead to thinning hair and loss of hair as a whole. Constantly scratching the scalp can also cause sores and wounds on the scalp, which will cause infections on the scalp. Some serious dry scalp conditions include eczema and psoriasis.  Why does the scalp itch?  Sebum protects and nourishes the scalp. Without it, harmful substances can easily penetrate the skin leading to infections and inflammation. This inflammation can often not be seen with the naked eye, therefore the correct name would be micro-inflammation.  How to increase sebum?  First and f...

Hey Afro family! Today we are going to be talking about the scalp. This topic was inspired by a number of subscribers. They have asked regarding the health of the scalp and how to take care of it when it's dry or too oily. I will be focusing on oily scalp this week and I will discuss dry scalp next week.  The scalp lies in between the hair follicle and the hair shaft. This is the most sensitive part of our head because it collects everything from the dust in the air to the products we use on our heads. It's very important to keep the scalp clean so it does not get infected. The scalp produces its own natural oil, which is sebum. This oil is produced by your sebaceous gland.  Have e you ever heard that you should not grease or oil your scalp? If you have oily scalp you already suffer from too much sebum so oiling or greasing it may cause scalp diseases which I will cover later in this blog post. Treat oily scalp differently from dry scalp.  The same sebum that ...

Hello AFro FAmily welcome to my blog! Today we are going to be talking about the hair and what affects its health. We will be discussing some of the  reasons why the hair is not growing and the solutions to the problem.  In the past month or so we have been discussing the hair shaft, how to protect it and how to maintain it. The shaft is the outside layer of the hair that grows from an organ found below the skin, this organ is known as the follicle. The follicle regulates hair growth via an interaction between hormones, and neurons  and immune cells.  The hair follicle works in three stages: the active growth phase, the resting stage and the shedding-regrowth  stage. When the stages are disturbed , the hair shedding stage occurs too quickly and the growth stage is shortened as the hair also grows out thinner.  Now that we know what the mini organs that control the hairs on our head are and how they work, let us discuss what throws them off. It i...

Hello Afro family! Welcome to my blog! Today we will be talking about how to properly moisturize your hair according to its porosity. I will also be discussing some moisture myths. Many errors are made when moisturizing hair. I'm very happy to be sharing this information with you! Definition: The process of hydrating and sealing the hair to prevent dryness. The oxford dictionary defines moisture as tiny drops of water making something damp. It also defines moisturizing as making the skin less dry. I added the word sealing in my definition which will be explained later in this blog.  Myths: 1. Your hair needs a moisturizing lotion to be moisturized.  2. Your hair is well moisturized if it's shiny.  3. Natural hair needs oil to be moisturized.  4. Hair can only be moisturized properly on wash day.  5. Natural hair is always dry no matter how much you moisturize it. The correct way to moisture hair: 1. L.C.O method: Liquid, cream, and oil....

Hello Afro Family welcome to my blog! Today we are going to be talking about prepoo. As interacted with you during the week I realised this was a topic I need to go in depth with so you understand the importance.  Definition?  Pre-poo in full stands for pre-shampoo. It is the process of protecting the hair shaft from water damage. When water enters the hair, it swells the hair shaft and the same water quickly escapes the hair when the hair shrinks and dries up. This quick entrance and quick exit of the hair strands or shaft if not reduced will cause a condition called hygral fatigue.  In my previous blog I listed prepoo as the first step I take on wash day. Prepoo can be done with an oil of your choice or a store bought prepoo treatment. The most common oil used for this is coconut oil because it a moisturising oil with the ability to penetrate through the hair shaft. Some people use leave in conditioner for this process but in my finding I have learned that i...

Hello Afro Family! Welcome back to my blog and if you are new welcome to you. Thank you for your support. Now, before you read this very personal blog today please read the previous blog posts because they are very important to you retaining length! IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR HAIR ACCORDING TO ITS POROSITY IT WILL NOT GROW, IT WILL KEEP BREAKING AND IT WILL BE THIN. Today we will be discussing my favorite topic. Those of you that know me personally know how important wash days are to me. The most frequently asked question I get is how I wash my hair and which products I use. So today I am dedicating a whole blog post to those two questions.  My hair is mostly high porosity, so I choose to wash it every week. It needs all the help it can get, so every week I alternate between a deep conditioning treatment and a protein treatment. If I had low porosity hair I would would do more moisture treatments and less protein treatments. These are the five steps i take ...

Hello Afro Family! I would love to welcome my readers back and if you are new, thank you for joining us! I hope you were all able to do your porosity tests, if not please read the previous blog before you continue reading this one and do that test. Today we will be discussing the characteristics of both high and low porosity hair. In addition to those characteristics, we will discuss how to manage the hair. Lastly I will be answering a question from one of my followers. I will choose one every blog, be sure to ask me on my social media platforms or in the comment section below.  High porosity Characteristics  Absorbs moisture easily but losses just as fast.  Its easy to stretch without heat. It can be stretched using any of these protective hairstyles ( Bantu knots, braids and buns) It does not hold a mold for too long, meaning hairstyles like a twistout does not last for more than a day or hours depending on the weather.  Does not like heat. Heat damage ...