The Northwest Scents Blog

Question: I have a 6 yr old daughter with extremely kinky hair and is very dry and brittle. I believe I may be harming her hair by blow drying, pressing and the heavy oils I put into her hair to try and prevent it from reverting so quickly. Please tell me which products I should use on her hair. because after reading your tips I know I am doing a lot wrong to her hair.

Answer: I would like to encourage you to try natural, unpressed styles with your daughter, and possibly go back to pressing when she gets older. I recommend as pressing a chemical-free technique for black hair care, , but for young girls, who can be wiggly, who like to swim and play and do things which would make pressed hair difficult to maintain, I recommend natural, unpressed styles. Dry, kinky hair can be softened easily with the right shampoos and conditioners. Please visit our site at http://www.natural-black-hair-care.info and take a look at some of the articles. One way to dealing with black hair naturally is by wet styling it. This is basically styling natural black hair when it is wet and moisturized. It is much easier to work with in this condition, than when it is dry. If you try this method, you might find it a much more enjoyable way to deal with your daughter's hair than pressing at this stage in her life. You can read about this technique at http://www.natural-black-hair-care.info/natural-styles-for-black-hair.html.

Question: How often do you recommend that someone can safely press their hair? Weekly? Every 2 weeks? or How often?

Answer: I recommend that you only press your hair after washing it. If you wash your hair weekly, then I would press weekly after washing. If you wash twice a month, then I would press bimonthly, after doing your hair. Pressing in moderation is fine, but when it is done too frequently, or at too high of a temperature, it will take a toll on the hair. If you have time, we have some more tips for hair pressing at http://www.pressing-hair.info. If you have any other questions, please let me know.

Question: Is it safe to press colored treated hair? - I was thinking about pressing my hair, but not straight. I just want to loosen up some of my hair, because it feels so thick at the roots. I know too much heat is not good for any type of hair. I was just going to press my hair only after I wash it, like my mom use to do when I was a child. Thanks!!

Answer: I wouldn't recommend pressing hair that has been treated with a permanent color. If what you are looking for is loosening the roots, I would recommend using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and detangling your hair in the shower when it is wet and saturated with conditioner, and loosely braiding your hair while it dries to keep the roots looser. I've got tips for how to do this at http://nwscents.com/pages/How-To-Detangle-Your-Hair.php

Question: My hair is natural and I want to press it. I have used everything to press it and nothing holds the press. What should I use?

Answer: There are a couple of things that might affect how well your hair holds a press. These are:

1. The quality of the tool that you are using. I recommend using an electric pressing comb or a true-ceramic flat iron with a temperature regulator. These allow you to control the temperature while you are pressing.

2. The products you use on your hair before you press your hair. Believe it or not, the shampoo and conditioner you use on your hair before you press your hair will affect the ability of your hair to hold a press. If you are using a shampoo that is drying to the hair, and either not using conditioner, or using one that doesn't properly moisturize and condition your hair, it is much harder to get a decent press, and your hair will revert. I recommend that you try our products (http://www.nwscents.com) to see if they help you in this area.

3. The products that you use on your hair while you are pressing your hair. I recommend using a natural hair oil as a heat protectant when you press your hair. I would avoid alcohol-based sprays (heat protectants which contain SD alcohol or grain alcohol). These are drying to the hair.

For more tips on pressing, visit our site at http://pressing-hair.info