Hairducation: What is Hair??

In order to have power over something you have to be as knowledgeable about it as possible, 

Welcome to this short series on the Basic Science of Black hair...


Part 1)

What is hair?

Hair is primarily made of a special type of protein called “keratin.” Keratin is the same tough, water insoluble material that  animal hooves, horns, finger and toenails are made from.

The cuticle (scales) on outside of our hair.

Each hair on your head grows from a hair follicle, a tiny, sack-like hole in your skin.   


At the bottom of each follicle is a cluster of special cells that reproduce to make new hair cells. The new cells that are produced are added on at the root of the hair, causing the hair to grow longer. 

The strands of our hair are constructed  with three layers: 

This is the inside of a human hair!

1) The Cuticle:


 An outer covering of  protective overlapping keratin scales  (think of the scales on a fish!)  

2)  The Cortex:


A middle layer of keratinised protein fibers , ( imagine putting a pencil inside  of a drinking straw, the cortex would be the straw!) 

3)  The Medulla


A central 'core' of round cells within the cortex (imagine filling a drinking straw with tiny beads, the medulla would be the beads, if present in your hair)

A medulla is almost always found in coarse hair, and often is absent from naturally blonde hair and very fine hair.

The living tissue that makes your hair grow is hidden inside the hair follicle. 
The shaft, the part of a hair that you see, is made of cells that aren't living anymore. 


This should be remembered when you are colouring your hair or thinking of perming it!


Hair and skin:


The main difference between hair and skin is, If you cut yourself, your skin can and will heal, since it's  a living tissue.  


If you damage your hair, it can't heal.   As the hair itself is dead!  (only the roots and follicle beneath the scalp are alive)  Healing damaged hair is difficult, tis often better to cut the damaged hair away and wait for it to re-grow again!


Quick hair facts:  

• The average full head of hair has between 120-000 and 150,000 strands of hair growing form the scalp!
• Hair grows on average between 1/4 and 1/2  an inch per month- 
• You can grow in 1 year 6 inches of hair!
• Hair growth can be stimulated by increasing the blood circulating on the scalp.
• The Scalp Hydration Serum on www.root2tip.com and the ROOT Energizer, also on www.root2tip.com, are great ways to stimulate healthy hair growth!
• African hair is the weakest hair of all the races
• African hair has a higher density than all the other races
• African hair can grow to a longer length than you imagined if it is nurtured and treated like silk!

Long Afro hair!!

5 year old girl with waist-length Afro hair!

Healthy Hair  TIP!


The most significant component of your hair is the keratin it's made from.  If your hair is breaking or feels weak, top up the protein in your hair by consuming a diet, high in Protein and invest in at least monthly protein treatments, especially if your hair is chemically processed.


Remember, Protein gives your hair muscle!

www.root2tip.com

Premium natural Haircare solutions for Men, Women and Children with textured hair!

The hair growth cycle...HAIRDUCATION, from ROOT2TiP

Hair Growth Cycle...

Have you ever wondered why in the summer time your hair may grow faster, or at some time during the year you experience some kind of GROWTH SPURT?

Read on for some quick scientific facts about how our hair grows!

The Hair growth Cycle!

Hair Growth in 3 Phases!

There are 3 phases to the way our hair grows:




The Anagen phase ( this is where the hair growth takes place!) it can last between 2 and 6 years!

The Catagen Phase ( this is where the hair transitions and you can shed hair)


The Telogen Stage ( this is where the hair rests and no growth takes place)



So how do we grow really long hair?

It has been said that a persons' 'Anagen phase' is genetic, so the length of time you can grow long hair or that period of which the hair is 'Actively' growing' is determined by genes.  Is this true?  I would say that is debatable.

Long afro hair, shrinkage on the left, stretched on the right!

In truth, 88% of the time all of us are in the Anagen-active' phase of hair growth, but are we seeing that hair growth?  Most of us are maybe only seeing 30-40% of hair growth at any one time, this is down to our styling methods, chemicals in our hair products and bad hair practices that stunt our hair growth and lead to breakage.



Maximise your Anagen phase in 3 simple ways!




Read on...

1)     Keep your scalp healthy.  Keep it cleansed, moisturised and stimulated.

how?  conditions like dandruff, flakes and an itchy scalp to not aid the hairgrowth cycle.  By regularly washing your scalp, oiling it with a natural stimulating scalp oil, I love the scalp hydration serum @ www.Root2tip.com, and by massaging your scalp deeply, you will be sure to maximise your Anangen-active phase of hair growth.


2)    Retain your ends! - 

The ends of your hair are the oldest, by holding onto them and keeping them healthy you will see hair GROWTH!

 Keep your hair moisturised daily and pay attention to the TIPS!  breaking tips will lead to no real hair length, that is noticeable.

3)  Maintain a healthy diet high in protein!

Hair is primarily a strand of protein, so to keep the strands you grow, nourished and healthy from the inside, be sure to eat a diet that includes protein sources: Pumpkins seeds, fish, Tofu, chicken, Soya, beans, pulses to name a few!

So how will you Maximise your hairgrowth cycle this YEAR?

www.ROOT2TiP.Com

the beginning of Premium Natural Haircare...

www.root2tip.com

Protective Style your way to LONG hair this YEAR!

Hi Ladies,

I have been very busy over the past 12 months with my fam, business and just life in itself on the hamster wheel, do you ever get the feeling you are just running and running, not even stopping for water!  thats me alot of the time.

Anyhow, I vow that in 2011, I will update my blog alot more regularly, and let you guys know what I am doing with my hair!  and if what I do to my hair, helps you with your hair then I am doing my job!

God is Great so if he is willing, I will do my best!

I want to start with a 2010 round up of what I did to my hair last year.

The hairstory so far!!

I have been transitioning from a tex-lax I did a couple of years back that allowed me to grow my hair down to near enough waist length but , I was not to pleased with the tex-lax texture...it was great at ending the single strand knots, but I just didn't like the texture I had, so I grew it out.

My tex-laxed hair!- I did not like the frizzy texture!

I was not going to big chop, so I just wore protective styles over the next 2 years and chopped the ends each time I had significant growth.  My hair grows quite predictably, so I probably get around 1/2 inch a month of growth, this is maximised by my fantastic hair oils I make and now sell!  www.root2tip.com check them out ladies!

So what is a protective style?

A protective style is a style that allows your hair to grow and rest but at the same time it 'protects your strand' from the daily wear and tear your hair usually goes through.

Protective styles include:

• Braids- with exstensions are best! 

• Weaves, (on braided hair that is not too toghtly cornrowed)

• Wigs ( I tried this for a while but my hair is thick and since I don't have time to cornrow it that often I don't    usually last that long in this form of protective!! 
• Twists- natural hair or with exstensions ( I prefer exstensions my hair is less likely to tangle this way)

Halfway through my braids! My head is big it takes a while!!

How long do you wear the PROTECTIVE STYLE for?

I usually wear my protective style for maybe between 3-5 months at at time!!  Wow - thats long I have heard many a lady say, doesn't your hair mat?  break, get dry? 

The quick answer to such questions is; yes, no and yes.   It will matt to some degree at the root where it's growing out, my last weave gave me 3 inches of hair growth so there was a little matting, but nothing a gentle touch and a ton of olive oil couldn't loosen!

No, I do not get any breakage, I treat my hair the same whether it's in a protective style or out. the same answer in respect of dryness, my hair drinks water, I have to wash my scalp every other day!

(DISCLAIMER!  I would not reccomend anyone else do the same, but it works for me due to the way I mange my hair whilst in the protective!)

Why do you keep it in a protective style for so long??

I am very committed to the kind of hair that I want, and I have always loved having longer hair, (however I now appreciate ' long hair is in the eye of the beholder, what's long hair to you, may not be long hair to me!)

Long hair to me is full waist length hair, is this an impossible dream to attain- No, especially if you are committed to your goals!

I also like the 'Kinder' surprise effect, in relation to the amount of hair growth I can achieve by just leaving my hair to 'GROW OUT' like a weed in the garden that is my scalp.  

I maximise my GROWTH using two oils, I use the SCALP Hydration Serum, 3-4 times a week and I use the ROOT Energizer 1 x a week.  I have been using this combo of oil for nearly 4 years now and my hair has never been healthier! 

My 2010 weave hair growth, 3 inches of hair in 5 months!

Feed your scalp to MAXIMISE hair GROWTH!!

Its so important to Nourish the roots of your scalp to ensure your roots continue to produce healthy hair.  My scalp loves to drink oils, if I don't oil and massage her for a day or so, she starts talking to me...feed me...feed me!!  its no joke!  my scalp loves to be HYDRATED!!  and why shouldn't she, the hair might be dead,  but the roots are most definitely alive!!

A Dry scalp = Slow to no hair growth!

Too many women I meet around the country whilst doing promotional launch days for my products, when I ask them...' what do you nourish your scalp with?  say ' Nothing or a bit of grease', the next question I ask is ' how often do you grease your scalp?  they then say...after a pause or two, 'not very often, so when I link their thinning hair or scalp problem to this very reason, (failure to nourish the hair roots).

I then go through the analogy God has blessed me with...a gardner will always pay attention to the roots of his crops to get them to grow healthy, he will ensure the roots are nourished and hydrated to maintain growth, this is when the penny drops!  So ladies we are all in the same boat.  

Women you do not have to acept a dry, flaky, itchy scalp, thinning hair or breaking hair!

My solution is quite simple!  Oil your scalp, massage it, keep her clean and she will produce the crops of hair you have always wanted!!

My hair after being in a weave for 5 months!  No Breakage! I trimmed a couple of inches.

If you look at any picture of my hair from now till 4 years back, the common thread you will notice since I have been using the SCALP Hydration Serum and the ROOT Energizer, is the THICKNESS of my ROOTS.  I treat my scalp like a field and cultivate my roots, to produce the crops of hair I want and desire!!

Winter Protective style almost completed- damn my Melon sized head!!

Cultivate YOUR own HAIR CROPS this YEAR!!

So ladies, tell me how will you be ensuring your hair is the way in which you desire it to be??  Its no good wanting something without working for it!!  God says 'if you ask it will be done'.  I am in LOVE with GOD!!  he always blesses my heart with its desires and I try to carry out his work! (but I do put the work in trust me!!)

I love helping women to get ' Healthier hair' and I am on a mission to get us all to love OUR real hair again, that is my passion, my product line will give you the hair you desire if you are consistent, show your hair RESPECT! and TLC! 

I will not stop until the ROOT2TiP Hairvolution, is in full swing!!

Healthy hair is there for the taking...how much do you REALLY want it??

My SCALP's Guilty Pleasure...she gets drunk on these two oils lol!!

www.ROOT2TiP.COM


Scalp oils 100% Natural & shipped internationally

Stimulate Your Scalp To GROW Hair!

Scalp Stimulation = Better Hair Growth


How many times a day do you think about the skin that is home to one of the most significant features of your individual identity- Your Hair,  and that home being your scalp- once. twice never?

Well your not alone, as the scalp is often the most neglected area of skin on our bodies, some people's scalp only get cleansed once maybe twice a month, some  people think that dirt on their scalp that is accumulating under a weave or a wig is actually productive for hair growth?

Unfortunately neither way of thinking or acting is great for growing hair!

If you never washed or moisturised the skin on your face for weeks or months at a time, how much dirt do you think that skin would accumulate...eeeeeeeeeeeewwww! its not even worth thinking about, so why try the skin that is home to your hair any different? 

After all its still skin isnt it?


TLC Tips for your scalp to help your hair grow:

Cleanse your scalp regularly:

Aim to keep your scalp clean and dirt free as much as possible.  Any build-up of sweat, grease or dirt will slow down and even stop active hair growth.  The roots of the hair need to breathe so help them by cleansing your scalp regularly.


No Poo! cleansing:

Your shampoo can sometimes be the greatest irritant to a sensitive scalp, many shop brought shampoos contain Sulphates in them, these harmful ingredients are the cleansing and foamiong agents in your shampoo, howver they are too harsh for hair of afro descent and too harsh for the scalp also.

Use a shampoo that is Sulphate free, try an organic shampoo or try a conditioner to wash the hair and scalp with.

Conditioner aka - co-washing

I often use a conditioner to wash my hair with- why?  Because its far less drying than your average shampoo, and being aperson with afro hair my hair is always dry, so the conditioner helps me to combat the dryness associated with washing your hair, by adding moisture to my hair and cleansing my scalp at the same time.

Nourish your dry thirsty scalp like the plants in your garden!

If your a keen gardener you will understand that your beloved plants will only flourish and thrive when their soil is moist, the roots are tenderly nourished and stimulated with a fertiliser from time to time and they are not thirsty. 

In short, your soil is your scalp and your plant is your hair! 

Of course hair will always grow on your head until the day you die, however the type of hair you will grow is dependant on the nourishment your scalp receives. 


Quench my thirst:

When it comes to my scalp, I only reach out for all things natural, Grease is the devils child in my book, cheap, thick and sticky, it does not penetrate through the skin in the scalp to where nourishment is needed, instead it allows dirt to accumulate and slow down hair growth.

You can grow weak thin hair prone to breakage due to its home (being neglected and not nourished) or you can grow stronger thicker hair due to its home being nourished and quenched. 


A Natural Solution:


A great new product to try out today is the Scalp Hydration Serum, see below for details and a chance to buy it  from this site at the special introductory price of £9.99 until the end of August. 

Only £9.99 Now!

Recorded delivery £2.99

Formulated hand in hand with Mother Nature, using 100% PURE and NATURAL ingredients and ‘Active Mineral Particles that melt on contact with your hair and scalp to fortify and strengthen after just one use.



Consistent use of this oil will:


Eliminate:


Dry, Weak and breaking hair/Hair lines


Scalp flaking/Dandruff


Constant itching


And give you:


A Healthy, Nourished scalp from the root!


Thicker, longer, stronger hair growth


No more itching or dandruff


Beautiful hair from ROOT2TiP!