Tag Archives: relaxed hair

Using Coconut Oil to help with my scalp

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After a recommendation from nadege, I went out and bought some coconut oil to use on my scalp. I have sebhorric dermatitis, and I was looking for some relief.

I have been using the oil for a little over two weeks, and so far so good. I don’t use it nightly, but rather every three to four nights.

Coconut oil is solid under around 75 degrees and liquid above that temperature. So I put some oil in my squeeze bottle and zapped it in the microwave for 20 seconds to heat it to its liquid form. Then I put some on my scalp.

The Good News

I have noticed that my scalp is not as itchy and that I don’t see as many flakes around my hair line. Usually two to three days after waching my hair, my scalp flakes up. However, in the short time I have been using the coconut oil on my scalp, the intensity of the flaking has decreased dramatically.

The Not So Good News

The coconut oil does make my hair greasy and look heavy, which my friend told me would happen. That’s really why I don’t use it as often as I should as I try not to wash my hair too often.

Still the relief for my scalp is the main reason that I use the oil, and that’s what I’m getting. So I am happy.

What other scalp relieving or hair products do you recommend?

(I need to be) Taking care of my relaxed hair

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I don’t go out of my way to take care of my relaxed hair. Whatever damage I do to my hair I just know my hairdresser will “fix” whatever crap I do to my hair. But, my last visit (which was on Friday), she just shook her head. It’s not like my hair was falling out of my head, but she had to cut off an inch and a half of dead ends :(

So, I’m looking into how to  take better care of my relaxed hair. I am using a small (literally penny sized amount) Vitale Body Bounce to moisturizing cream nightly on my hair to keep my hair moisturized from root to end. I also have seborrheic dermatitis, that resembles dandruff, because I have flakes that appear on my scalp and around my hairline. So, I am using DOO GRO Stimulating Growth Oil and massaging it on my scalp to relieve the itchiness and promote growth. One of the oils in the Stimulating growth oil is Sweet Almond Oil. Sweet almond oil can help the scalp by “ ridding the scalp of dandruff and discouraging falling hair” while it ”strengthens hair, smooths the hair’s cuticles, [and] encourages growth and moisturizes without making hair oily” (“What does Sweet Almond Oil Do for Hair and Scalp”)

However, I recently read from Nadege that coconut oil is light, powerful, and also has a “fingus fighting agent,” (fungus the culprit for dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis). So I am very eager to go out and get some coconut oil to add to my hair beauty regimen.
I am hoping that as I keep researching how to take proper care of my hair, the next time I visit my hairdresser she won’t even have to cut an inch off!

A quick commentary on natural v. relaxed hair:

I have relaxed hair. I’ve had my hair permed for as long as I can remember. Lately, especially since I’ve moved to Miami, I’ve been hearing a lot about having relaxed hair, and how it would be better for me to go natural. When I saw my hairdresser on Friday, she was doing a woman’s hair that was matted and being pulled out in clumps. I guess the woman had tried to go natural, but changed her mind. Yesterday, while I was out with my mom getting my eyebrows threaded, there was a woman who while waiting, talked to me about going natural. She even gave me the card for a good salon that takes care of natural hair.I have a friend who has natural hair. It’s long and goes past her shoulders down her back and she takes care of it.

I have relaxed hair that’s not so long (right at my shoulders), but I love my relaxed hair. I don’t understand the whole “going natural” phase. I’ve been hearing a lot about how black women “don’t have to” relax their hair. But I want to. I bet that when I really dedicate myself to caring for my hair and paying attention to the health needs of my hair, it will be as long as my natural-haired friend.