Hiya Ladies, 
How's everyone doing?! Hope well. 
The other day I was moisturizing the back of my hair and felt a single strand knot(SSK) and was reminded of one of those Saturdays at the hub, there must have been about 5 or 6 NHCG readers that day, we were just chatting on and on about HAIR!lol then a lady called Chinedu(hey girl,where have you been!) brought up the issue of single strand knots, she was like how crazy is it that a hair strand just decides it is going to knot itself into the tightest, smallest knot making untangling impossible and forcing you to cut it off! 


As crazy as that sounds, that's what our hair does!! The curlier the hair, the more prone to SSKs it is that's why naturalistas tend to be the main bearers of this cross. But we relaxed/texlaxed folk deal with it also especially like I said if your hair is curlier or more textured and that's why I've noticed them more in the back area of my hair which is the kinkier, curlier fully texlaxed part of my hair.

So how do we deal with these darn knots....well we have to know the main cause so we can avoid aiding and abetting(Lawyer lingo :)

Dryness/Friction- think of your hair like a sponge or towel fibers, the drier it is the more likely it is to curl/ scrunch up and just a little friction, from clothes, the air, your hands can make it curl up so much it just knots and tangles up- as much as I'm trying to reason through this explanation, I'm as confused as you probably are as to why the knots are so perfect...but try it, rub your hand against a towel that has threads sticking out, you'll see knots form after sometime and you didn't knot them, the dryness and friction did! 

So now we know the cause what can we do to prevent them;

SSK's usually happen around the last 4/3 inches of your hair strand so it will help if you take the extra pains to reapply a sealant like oils or Shea butter to those very ends especially if you are prone to dryness.


Avoid allowing your hair deal with any kind of friction like rubbing against clothes, leaving it out in rough air, hand in air syndrome( note to self), all these cause even more dryness that lead to SSKs.

Protect your hair while you sleep with a (Savvy Chic luxury satin sleep cap-*wide grin*). I think the fastest way to get SSK's is from sleeping! All the rubbing that takes place as you toss and turn on your regular cotton sheets without your hair covered will do you no good, by the morning, even if you moisturized and sealed before bedtime, your hair will be back to square 1- dry tangled hair! Especially if you sleep with air conditioning.

Finally, get your ends trimmed, those untrimmed mostly split ends are the biggest culprits for SSKs, I got an inch of my ends trimmed off yesterday to prevent SSKs because as I stated, once you get those knots, you have no choice but to cut your hair off at the knot and as tempting as it will be, please don't just snag them off with your fingers, use hair cutting shears and snip right above the knot.

With that this post is complete and will hopefully help those out there dealing with this issue, remember, the culprits are dryness and friction.

In other news, I texlaxed my hair and will be coming at you ladies with an update post tomorrow, I've had a major revelation and can't believe I'm just noticing it!! Have a great weekend ladies, for those in Lagos, stop by the hub let's gist hair and everything in between :), I'll be there for a few hours today!


Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
How's everyone doing? Hope well.  I am back with a new post I think will be helpful for fellow product junkies in the house. I cannot tell you how many products sitting in my products basket under my vanity are over one year old!

Now the issue is, most of these products don't have expiry dates written on them and though they are mostly made to have long shelf lives with the preservatives used, with the rise of a more organic approach and the use of less preservatives, I think we have to be conscious of the products we use especially after they have been on the shelf for a year... why I say this is because recently, I was moisturizing and sealing and humming away when I reached for an old bottle of a leave in(I will leave the name out) but I'd had it since 2012(covers face) and I wanted to use up the last bit, I poured the contents in my hand and what I saw is what inspired this post....


So here are signs that your hair/beauty product might have gone bad...

The smell is off...that's a tell tale sign, don't even think of using a product that smelt like coconut when you got it and now smells like rotten eggs!!


The consistency is off...if it was creamy and fluffy when you got it and it is now coagulating, runny or feels weird, time to bin it!


The color has changed...this is another tell tale sign, for me the product I mentioned earlier, changed from a cream color to a greenish algae color!!Gross!!


The packaging looks strange...the bottom might have started melting away, the cover might become rusty, the once strong to squeeze bottle is now as soft as a cheap plastic rubbers...it might be telling you it's outlived it's lifespan...

I wish a relative of mine read this before she lost all her hair because of expired relaxer!! I saw her after not seeing her for a while and all her hair had chopped off, I asked why and she said, she went to a salon to relax her hair, they got the relaxer that they were selling, opened the box and applied it to her hair, she instantly felt burns and asked for them to hurriedly wash it off her hair, as they did, all her hair fell off!!! She said one glance at the pack of relaxer told her that the relaxer must have been very old and very expired!!!


This point on packaging leads me to an observation I'd like to share; products in pump bottles or nozzles like this;






Tend to be safer and have longer shelf life than products in. Tubs like this;




Why because, the act of dipping your fingers in the tub allows for transfer of bacteria and this contributes to products going bad quicker. So while I am not saying you should avoid using products in tubs( no way!) I recommend that you use them up within a year of purchase or at least before you use up the ones in nozzles and pumps if you have a stash like I do. I'll be using the ones that passed my test up all month long.

With that this blog topic is concluded, do you have any more tests for products gone bad, please share below.

In other news, the weekend treat available this weekend at the hub is a BEERSSENTIAL RINSE- Consisting of, you guessed it- 100% malt lager BEER 





BENEFITS INCLUDE; 
The malt and yeast in beer is said to leave hair strong, shiny, and bouncy.

Best used on heat damaged hair because it contains wheat protein which will help fill missing gaps in the hair shaft.

It makes your hair appear thicker, as the protein sticks to the hair fibers. 

It contains vitamin B which is good for healing damaged hair, the 'SSENTIAL' in the name above stands for the essential oils mix we will be adding to the treat for nourishment and shine.

To indulge in this weekend treat, simply visit us at 34a awolowo rd, Ikoyi Lagos or call 08090613325 for an appointment. This treat costs N1000 only.

Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
How's it going? Hope all is well at your endz!!! Yesterday night I finally reached my breaking point and called off my stretch!
Read about my post on when to know your stretch is over- HERE

The amount of hair that I was shedding in spite of all my deep conditioning was just ridiculous, its like my new growth could not take the pressure, so once I put my had in my hair, hair just followed my hand, then there were those pesky matted locs being formed by my new growth, they just frustrated me taking them apart, one time I couldn't untangle a knot that was formed in spite of all the help from my Mane and tail detangler, so I had to use a scissors to cut the knot free from my hair!!!!!!! I think when I thought of all I was going through yesterday that's when I said enough!!!

Mixed my beloved Silk Elements Olive oil relaxer and got to texlaxing, I have recorded a You tube Texlax update video which will be up later in the week with pictures( not ready to put heat on my hair for a length check). This post is focused on helping those who want to try relaxing or texlaxing themselves but before I get to that, we need to find a winner of the HAIRVEN GOODY BAG from my last post;

 After receiving 18 correct entries ( thanks ladies)- THE WINNER IS-




CONGRATULATIONS OKWUCHI!!! Please email Daboju@yahoo.com with your name, address and phone number for delivery of your package.  Stay tuned for my next giveaway which will be on my BEAUTY PAGE of a MAC product I received for participating in a MAC trends presentation...

Now to the topic at hand, these are my simple but important tips to follow if you ever want to self- relax/texlax.

1. Make sure your DETANGLE each section of your hair carefully and fully before you start so that sectioning the hair and applying the relaxer will be easy.


2. After your coat your ends with either moisturizer or conditioner, now is the only time where a MINERAL OIL based product is allowed- Last night I used AMLA OIL-



this is to provide an absolute block for your processed ends so that the relaxer has no chance at all of penetrating into those ends and weaken them further.


3. I love the Sprush when I am relaxing a client's hair but NOTHING applies relaxer on new growth as well when you are self relaxing/texlaxing than your fingers, Why? Well thanks to your sense of touch you will be able to differentiate the  two textures; the new growth where you should apply the relaxer and the straight ends that don't need a touch up.


4. going back to point 3, take your eyes off the mirror especially when you are dealing with the back of your head, close your eyes and feel your hair rather than struggle to see it in the mirror- since the mirror shows you the reverse, it can be very frustrating using it as a guide.


5. Ask for help if you overlap the relaxer on already processed hair. I always have a damp towel by my side so that if I mistakenly overlap relaxer, I can beckon on the nearest person to help me wipe it off with the damp towel rather than do it myself with messy relaxer filled gloves that will be clumsy and waste more time.

6. Depending on how much time you have spent, you can decide to smooth your new growth with the back of your comb or not, but whatever you decide; make sure the comb/tool you are using isn't sharp so you avoid scarring your scalp and make sure you massage every section into its own pony tail, this helps to ensure that every single strand is coated with the relaxer for even relax/texlax results.


7. Just before you rinse out, apply even more conditioner to the ends for extra help in detangling and protection as you rinse out.


8. After washing, allow your hair to air dry and if you must use heat, use it after your hair is air dried (blow drying on cool air is also acceptable)


9. Carry on with your hair regimen.



That's all for now...stay tuned for my relaxer update and June 8th Salon Day Out update. Thanks for the support!



Xxx,
Dabs\

Hiya,
So one of the signature whipped Shea Butter mixes we offer at Savvy & Chic Hair/Beauty Hub is the Whipped Choco Shea butter and We've been asked why we offer it and how to make it a couple of times so this post is all about that.


Cocoa's numerous health benefits is a nourishing treat for skin and hair—adding shine, vibrancy, and improving the general health of both.
Cocoa has flavanoids, rich in magnesium,  protein, riboflavin, vitamin A and thiamine; minerals that helps to combat hair loss. Also contains one of the highest levels of antioxidants than many other sources on Earth, which is also really great for your skin. Also, if used consistently over time, the cocoa powder can darken the hair strands- source
There are different forms of Cocoa, we chose to use cocoa powder in its purest form.

Most times Cocoa is used as a hair mask mixed with conditioner, yoghurt or water but we decided to whip it with shea butter so it serves the purpose of sealing in moisture and acting as a antioxidant and infusing all those nutrients in your hair strands plus the added benefit of smelling divine!!!Don't attempt to taste it though because pure cocoa tastes bitter!

So lets get to the HOW;

Whip 100% Shea butter in an electric mixer;





 Add your oils; Here I added Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Added Glycerin;

Finally I added 100% Cocoa powder which I got from the baking aisle at the grocery store ( Make sure the ingredient label says JUST COCOA POWDER, no added sugar or preservatives);







FINAL RESULT;

Rich Chocolatey Shea Butter goodness!! Love it!!

So that's that, feel free to try out my recipe if you want. In other news, the APRIL IMPORT WINDOW OPENS TOMORROW  TILL THE 7TH as usual, so ladies that want hair/beauty products, please feel free to email info@hairbeautyhub.com with your orders and we will gladly deal with them!!

Thanks for your support!!

Xxx
Dabs