Reader E-Mail: Dandruff, Dry Ends, and Thin Edges

Told ya'll, I'm catching up! Hope this helps someone out there :)

Hello!!

Hi my name is K, I found you online searching product reviews for dawah African Shea. I'm trying to bring my curls back to life and moisturize my dry scalp and ends. My hair is 3c I would compare it to Tracie Ellis Ross but tighter curls. I stop perming approx 12-13yrs ago and it was my best move. I'm older and trying to embrace my curls and long length inside of covering it. I have very dry scalp always have my mother had cornflake dandruff she made me scratch lol. My usual style when I don't wear a weave is my classic curly ball, I pack my edges with gel the rest with grease and water. I'm a you tube junkie but usually for makeup or natural skin care. I have all these products not sure what to do with them other than take photos and make a collage for Instagram lol. Please help! I love my twist with my natural hair that's my staple style. I use Pantene moisturizer,water and some curl and motions curl pudding. I would like to have free flowing bouncy curls and take a break from the twist. My edges are very thin from my years of braids/weaves, am I too old for them to grow back thicker? I'm 41 by the way :-) I did see black castor oil at dawah but I wasn't sure of its purpose. All tips would be appreciated.


Thank you in advance for your help,
K

Hi K!

Thanks so much for e-mailing me. I'm SO sorry it took me SO long to respond. I'm really trying to get better at this -- and I'm going through my inbox to make sure I didn't miss anything. Hopefully, I can break things down into a few key areas that may help.

Scalp Issues
For scalp issues, I would ask how many times do you cleanse your hair and scalp, and what products are you using? Whatever shampoo or cleanser you are using could be drying out and irritating your scalp, and if you are washing your hair too frequently (almost daily) or too infrequently (going weeks at a time), that contributes to dandruff as well. Also, the grease you mentioned -- does that go on your scalp as well? If so, it can be clogging the follicles also causing dandruff. To clarify your scalp, I would definitely suggest some more natural products, like essential tea tree oil (diluted with a carrier oil such as coconut, olive, jojoba, etc.), apple cider vinegar (diluted with water), asprin (crushed and mixed with whatever shampoo/cowash you are using), or sea breeze astringent (poured on scalp, allowed to sit, then rinsed out followed by conditioning). Also, be sure to clean your combs, brushes, and other hair tools regularly. Sea Breeze astringent can be used for that as well.

Dry Ends & Curl Definition
Your grease and styling products could be the culprit here. I'm assuming by grease, you mean a petroleum or mineral oil based product. In addition, the Motions Curly Pudding Water is based in water, mineral oil, and silicones. Both products lock moisture out of the hair, and have the potential to be irritants to the scalp (also triggering dandruff). To moisturize your hair and ends while getting great curl definition, there are TONS of more natural products, with good for your hair ingredients. As far as store brands are concerned, you really can't go wrong with anything from Shea Moisture, Camille Rose Naturals (both available at Target) or Eden BodyWorks (Sally's, Wal Mart). If you have a little more time and are interested in supporting small business, check out these brands, and these. Lastly, check the status of your ends. Are they dry, brittle, and/or split? You may need to trim them a little, just to get your hair back on the right track.

Thin Edges
You are absolutely NOT too old to grow your edges back!!! The first order of business is to stay away from any styles that cause tension and pulling at your edges -- meaning weaves, tight ponytails, buns, etc. Second order of business is to begin regular massages with products and ingredients known to stimulate growth. Rosemary Essential and Peppermint Essential Oils are great and affordable ingredients to mix into a carrier oil (such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil, regular castor oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.) that stimulate scalp circulation and growth. You can also try growth oils and serums from Komaza Care (www.komazahaircare.com) and Hydratherma Naturals (www.hydrathermanaturals.com).

I hope these help! Again, my apologies for taking so long to respond. Be sure to let me know if you have any other questions!!!
 
 
Do you have a transitioning or natural hair question? E-mail me at info@maneobjective.com!

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