Try an online hair tutorial from LaToya!
A lot of my posts are inspired by my experiences and questions that I receive while in the salon. One day I had a client came in who was just downright neglecting her hair. She has a head full of long thick (relaxed) hair and it appeared as though she had just taken some braids down. The root of the hair was matted, the ends were tangled, and even combing with a wide-toothed comb was a struggle. I asked this client how long had she had her braids in and when did she take them down. To my surprise the client had not had braids at all, or anything similar! The truth of the matter was this client had simply been treating her hair horribly. She was not combing it nor wrapping it, but only brushing the top layer of hair over the matted part, putting it in a ponytail, and that's it! By the time I got through combing through it, I was amazed that she still had hair left on her head (and I am not heavy handed at all!). She looked down from my chair and stated that her hair on the floor looked like black tumbleweed and she was definitely right with that one. Not to mention that she is very tender-headed, so one would think that she would comb her hair daily as to avoid that nightmare of a matted mess but that was not the case. I was afraid to even ask how long it had been since her last shampoo. It is quite surprising that this client has as much hair as she has. If she actually put just a little bit of effort into taking care of it, her hair would be all the way down her back. In this client's defense, at least she wasn't putting any heat on her hair which would have resulted in severe damage. And to be honest, this client's case was an easy fix compared to the damage done by someone who constantly puts heat in their hair, performs their own relaxers, and tries to do at home color.
If you are a frequent reader of mine, you have heard these tips before, but I'll say them again for all of the women out there who have the potential to have luscious locks (which includes darn near everybody), but are only hindered by their own laziness. If you want three simple tips to keeping healthy hair that do not require much effort at all, try the following three things:
- Comb your hair daily!- Seems like common sense, but combing your hair not only keeps you looking presentable for that day but it also frees any hairs that have shed from getting tangled into other hairs, thus resulting in matting.
- Wrap your hair nightly- The only exception to combing your hair daily is if you have your hair wrapped. I myself have even kept my hair wrapped for two days straight before if I knew I wasn't going anywhere. Wrapping your hair protects your ends from splitting as quickly, preserves your style, lays your new growth down so that it doesn't become out of control, and helps you helps you train your hair. This simple task is very important to the health of your hair.
- Use ponytails sparingly- Ponytails, braids, or any other style that constantly puts strain on your edges causes them to become weak and more prone to breakage. When getting these hairstyles, make sure extra protection is given to these weak spots
- **BONUS** Get your ends trimmed on a regular basis- By keeping your ends trimmed at least once every three months to keep split ends at a minimum.
Of course this isn't my complete list of steps towards having healthier hair but starting with these basics will put you on the right track.
pin this image:
 |
| 3 simple ways to keep your hair healthy that don't require much effort |
Post a Comment
Since I go about six months in between my touch ups now the most common question I get is "How do you lay your edges down?". It took a while, but I pretty much have my hair trained now to do what I tell it to do! When you get a fresh relaxer, your edges lay down perfectly and do everything you want them to do, but over time as your hair begins to grow they begin to get a mind of their own even though it may not be time for you to get another touch up just yet. And no, I do not recommend putting relaxer only on your edges for the sake of laying them down! Here are three simple steps to make your edges lay down without putting relaxer on them.
- Comb hair straight down- While the hair is wet, preferably after shampooing and conditioning, gently comb it straight down in the direction that you want it styled.
- Use foam wrap- After you have your hair combed straight down, apply foam wrap to your edges and roots. I prefer the by L. Jones Whipped Honey Foam Wrap to do this. The foam wrap is your secret weapon to making the new growth lay flat.
- Use your silk scarf- Once you apply the foam wrap, tie your hair down with a satin scarf (like these) and allow the hair to air dry. It is very important to not remove the scarf until the hair is completely dry. After you have allowed the hair to dry, remove the scarf and you will see that your edges and roots are flat. Then, style as usual.
Bonus: Use edge control- Edge control is your friend! I highly recommend that you get one that you like and stick with it (I recommend this one). I take just a little bit and put it directly on my edges then use a rat tail comb to smooth it, adding a little more if necessary. Beware: using too much will make your hair look like you have a grease spot in one section of your head. Start off with a little and add more if you need it. All of my clients have loved this. Tip: Do your best to straighten the hair first. This will make the edge control more effective. Otherwise, the hair will revert back much quicker.
Everyone has certain things that they like or don't like about the type of stylist they choose. Most women are very selective and particular about hairstylists and when they find one that they like, they become very loyal to that stylist because that particular stylist is who they trust with their hair. And to be honest, a lot of hairstylists (myself included) are also selective when it comes to their clients. We try very hard to avoid extremely difficult clients, clients who are prone to pulling no call no shows, are constantly late, are never pleased with anything, etc. I typically receive new clients on a regular basis, so I would like to take the time out to explain to all of my newly welcomed clients as well as any potential future clients how I run L. Jones Salon. The characteristics that I list below will give more insight on me and how I operate. If you are currently in the market for a new hairstylist, you can use this as a guide to determine what you are looking for in a hairstylist as well.
About Promptness:
- I recognize that your time is valuable and I respect that. I am very good about seeing my clients at the designated appointment time. If your appointment is at 9am, I am not that stylist that will have you waiting until noon before I start on you. You can count on being seen at 9. If I am running behind, it may be no more than 15 minutes but I will communicate that with you.
- If you are my client and you know that you can not get to your appointment on time, I ask to be notified as soon as possible. For clients that are 20 minutes late or more, typically the appointment will need to be rescheduled simply because it will cut into the next client's appointment.
- I do not have clients waiting all day to be serviced nor do my clients have to plan on being in the salon all day for a hair appointment. Depending on the service requested most of my clients can plan on being in and out in 1 hour. More time is needed for more in depth services. When scheduling appointments online, the approximate time to perform this service will be shown give an idea of how long the client can expect to be serviced.
About Scheduling:
- I normally give the option to schedule online in order to make it as convenient as possible, but due to COVID19, appointments are taken manually via email as of right now.
- When scheduling online, appointments can be booked for the next two months. Appointments can also be cancelled online as well.
- I ask for at least a 24 hour notice when cancelling appointments. This is so I will have ample time to get someone else to fill that spot.
- For clients that fail to cancel their appointment and do not show up, a fee will be charged on the first occurrence. If a no call/no show happens more than once, the client will not be allowed to return.
About Kids' Hair:
- Many stylists do not service children. I do children's hair under certain conditions. If the child is extremely tender-headed or you know your child will not sit in the chair I ask that you wait until the child is ready to come to the salon.
- Services for children are the same price as adults. The reason for this is because I give children's hair the same quality of care and use the same products that I use on adults. Also, many children typically have more hair than many adults! For this reason, all services are the same price for everyone, regardless of age.
- Some mothers prefer to run errands while their child is being serviced. I do not mind children that are being serviced to be dropped off until services are finished, however, once notification is sent that the child is ready, the parent should be there within ten minutes.
About Pricing:
- I know that I provide quality service and use the best products, therefore my prices reflect that. My prices are competitive to other stylists in my area and skill level.
- Pricing and a list of services are located at: www.ljonessalon.com
- I am normally always taking new clients, but due to COVID19 I am not taking new clients at the moment.
About My Products:
- I have created my own hair care line, by L. Jones, that is salon grade and full of high quality ingredients. I primarily use these products in the salon unless doing a relaxer or permanent hair color.
- I use Design Essentials, Mizani Butter Blend and Nairobi relaxers. I also use the corresponding shampoo and conditioner to the lines because I believe the products work better when you use the entire line.
About My Services:
- I service relaxed as well as natural hair, although the majority of my natural clients get a silk press.
- My focus is primarily on hair care. I am considered a hair care specialist so I do not do anything to the hair that compromises it's integrity or health.
I am a hairstylist that is easy going, professional, a good listener, confidential, and I put the health of your hair first. I enjoy people and I love my job! If you are looking for a new hairstylist, the advice I would give is to do your research on the possible stylist first. Just about everyone is on social media now so look at their social media pages. Study their work. Do you like what you see? Listen to how they talk. Do they talk at all about hair care or is the focus mainly on styling?
Once you feel confident that you want to visit the stylist, reach out! Don't be afraid to ask any questions that you may have. I have had clients who told me that they had been watching me for MONTHS before the actually decided to make an appointment. Then, there have been others who took one look at one of my other client's hair and booked an appointment right then. The timing of when you feel comfortable is up to you. There is no right or wrong amount of time.
I tell people all the time that getting a new hairstylist can be compared to a blind date. You don't know if it will be the right fit until you actually go. Many times it may be a perfect match. Other times it may not be, and that is ok! Everyone is unique and all personalities do not blend well. But once you find what you consider to be the perfect stylist for you, keep them!
Check out the video below for this post:
Have you ever wondered why your hair seems to grow really good at a certain time of the year, like in the summer or fall? Does it seem to shed just as much as it grows in other seasons? Does it also seem to grow to a certain length then just stop? Or maybe one side grows faster than the other? Well if you answered yes to any (or all) of these questions, then I have the explanations for you! The good news is that all of the situations mentioned are common. Everyone's hair goes through growth cycles or phases and today we'll be exploring all of them. Understanding they cycles and phases that hair goes through will help you to understand why your hair grows (or doesn't grow) the way it does. There are three growth phases of hair, which are the anagen, catagen, and telogen phase. These cycles explain everything about the way our hair grows. Let's get started...
 |
| Your hair grows in cycles, but it can still have length |
The anagaen phase- This phase is by far our favorite one! It is the phase where the hair grows. During this phase hair grows approximately one centimeter every 28 days. The anagen phase can stay active for as long as 2-6 years. The reason why some people's hair grows to a certain length and then stops is because their anagen phase may not last very long. On the other hand, when you see women who have very long hair, it is because their anagen phase stays active much longer. So the next time your hair grows to a certain length and then stops, don't necessarily question if you are doing something wrong to your hair. There is nothing you can do or not do to determine how long your growth cycle will last. When you notice that your hair is not growing any longer, my recommendation would be to continue to take great care of your hair until your anagen phase becomes active again. If you simply continue to cut it hoping that will make it grow faster, you are only hindering it from growing past that length that you are stuck at.
 |
| Maximizing your length is dependent upon your hair care routine |
The catagen phase- This phase is also called the transition phase. During this phase, the hair is transitioning between the anagen phase and the last phase which is called telogen. At this phase, the hair stops growing and begins to detach itself from the scalp.
 |
| A consistent hair schedule with great hair products is key! |
The telogen phase- This is the stage in hair growth where the hair rests. We all dread this part but it is part of the process. During this phase, the hair remains dormant anywhere from 1-4 months. While the hair is in the telogen phase, it is becoming prepared to go back into the anagen phase. Once the anagen phase occurs again, the new hair begins to push the hairs out that have been resting and the growth process starts all over again. When this happens, shedding occurs.
 |
| Your hair is constantly growing! |
 |
| Enjoy your hair no matter the length it is! |
The best thing you can do for your hair is to keep it healthy without sacrificing length. In other words, continue to get your regular trims instead of risking having split ends just so your hair can look long. There is nothing cute about long pretty hair with ends that look like someone has been chewing on them. Your hair length is determined by your active (anagen) growth phase. Even if you have a short growth (anagen) phase, you can still have a pretty good length of hair. You can maximize retaining all of the length that you get from this phase by giving your hair all of the tlc that it needs. Minimal heat, wrap it up nightly (get a great satin scarf here), get trims regularly, shampoo as often as needed with great products (like these), and deep condition when necessary (preferably with this or this). When you start doing these things and keep doing them consistently, you'll see more growth.
Check out the video here and see how much my hair has grown since I first cut it:
 |
| How often should you oil your scalp |
As a relaxed hair blogger and a hairstylist, I get asked all of the time how often should you oil your scalp. Today is the day that you will get this question answered! When it comes to oiling the scalp, relaxed hair is a bit different than natural hair, and let me tell you why.
Oil tends to weigh the hair down. The more you use, the heavier your hair will be. For someone with relaxed hair (like myself) that likes for their hair to have lots of body and bounce, you hair will not move like you want it to if it has tons of oil and product on it. For this reason, I always encourage lightweight products (like these) that do not weigh the hair down. However, oiling the scalp is good, especially when you are trying to grow your hair a bit faster than normal.
 |
| When wearing braids, I oil my scalp more... |
When wearing protective styles I oil my scalp much more frequently because I'm not concerned with it weighing my hair down. So, when my hair is braided I oil my scalp 5-7 times per week. If your goal is to grow your hair then you should oil your scalp at least every other day to help increase circulation in the scalp which is what leads to faster growth. The trade off will be that your hair may be a bit heavier. Again, oil will not damage your hair in any way so you should base your oiling schedule on the amount of days that you don't mind your hair being weighed down.
If you're looking for a great oil to use to help your hair grow, I recommend this one from the by L. Jones line. It also helps with dandruff and itchy scalp as well!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
The Healthy Relaxed Hair Journal
Is Your Hair Always Dry?
