Pay Attention To Your Breakage!
You know, having an OXX Salon is truly an asset regarding being able to gather empirical evidence...
Our daily experiences enable us to asses accordingly and then advise with certainty, based on "cause and effect" experiences. As such, today's feature is one of those confirmations.
Do you have afro-textured hair (Black person type) that is relaxed/processed? Do you have Caucasian, Asian or straight textured hair that is damaged and breaking? If your answer is yes, this post is definitely a must-read. That said, it is VITAL that you pay attention to the breakage. Below are some of the actions/ behaviors to avoid.
Do you have afro-textured hair (Black person type) that is relaxed/processed? Do you have Caucasian, Asian or straight textured hair that is damaged and breaking? If your answer is yes, this post is definitely a must-read.
1. Pins, clips that clamp on hair - Do you pin your hair to the sides? Do you put your hair in the same ponytail or style often? Then check to see if the strands in those places are looking scraggly/thinner. If they are...STOP. Change the style, Do not pin those areas. Use more OXX hair Butter and Serum in that area and do not put any more pressure there.
2. Corn-rows - If you think corn-rows are totally safe, think again. We have had many occasions where persons think because they are not manipulating all is well but that is not always the case. If you do tight (once you feel a pull it is TIGHT) and if you do too many, expect problems. Our recommendation is to only do about three and not to keep in longer than 2 weeks. Make sure you are not pulling at the sides either.
3. Two strand twists around the hairline - Yet another supposedly safe style for persons with relaxed/processed hair to offer less manipulation. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. We have seen so many persons with excess breakage with this style. If you are noticing thinning, please change the style. A suggestion is to once again apply more OXX hair Butter and Serum to the area and gently use your palms to smooth. You do not always have to twist or braid. Just part in the middle and give your hair a break.
Caucasian, Asian or Straight Textured hair that is Damaged and Breaking:
1. Bleach - Love that bleached effect? Try giving yourself longer intervals before processing. If you bleach the roots every 4 to 6 weeks, try every 3 or 4 months instead? No matter what, there will always be some overlapping with processing. Lessen the services and give those strands longer times to recover somewhat. The combination of 3/4 OXX Conditioner to 1/4 OXX Booster Treatment for 3 minutes after the shampoo will encourage better moisture retention. The OXX Leave-in Conditioner offers excellent moisture and should be used after. The OXX Serum is light and does not have any Silicones or Polymers as those will ultimately make damaged or fragile hair more brittle with extended usage.
2. Blow-dry - Why does everyone believe the blow-dryer has to be so hot? That is so wrong. The hotter it is, the more stress on your hair. When your hair is in top condition, you will definitely get away with all that heat for longer. But, damaged hair can only handle so much and no more. Put the gauge to the warm setting.
3. Brush - We cannot say this more, if your hair is damaged, a Brush will definitely cause more breakage. Hands down, this is a FACT! There are just too many bristles and the excess pulling will wreak havoc. Try the comb attachment on the blow-dryer instead.
4. Ponytails - If pin-ups such as ponytails are your preference, switch the positions a bit. Very fragile strands will break and with constant pressure in the same area, you may notice broken strands where you secure the band.
If you go to our website www.oxxsystem.com, read our "OXX Standards", "Tips and Advice" pages and watch our informative videos, you will better understand why afro-textured hair breaks easily. You will be enlightened on information such as how fragile and delicate afro-textured hair is, plus the fact that it is more delicate when relaxed/processed (texturizer included) along with a slew of other important answers to your troubling questions. Furthermore, if you have Caucasian, Asian type hair that is damaged, you will also experience breakage, due to the fact that your strands are not as strong as before.
Until next week,
The OXX Family