Taking Care of Your Hair: Weave Edition

Ladies, we all view our hair as precious. But if you've noticed that your hair is damaged, you have two options. 1. To cut it or 2. To save it. A lot of ladies are able to save the damaged hair through weaves or wigs, but remember if you choose this option you MUST take care of your hair underneath it all.

How to take care of your hair under your weave:

1. Length of time to wear your weave - It's recommend that you wear your weave no longer than 2 to 3 months. The weave itself may hold up much longer, but it's really about your hair underneath. The longer you keep your the weave in the more likely your hair will start to dread underneath. Dreaded or badly tangled hair = MAJOR HAIR LOSS
2. Moisture, Moisture, Moisture - Make sure your hair stays moisturized under your weave. You can moisturize your hair with a light oil like coconut oil or carrot oil. I say light because you don’t want to weigh your weave down with oils. I personally have a moisture mix concoction. I mix glycerin, coconut oil, rosewater and jojoba oil into a spray bottle and lift up my track and spray. My install does get weighed down after I moisture my hair but to solve that problem I would then wash the hair only in my kitchen sink to get rid of any oils that touched the weave.
3. Shampooing your hair under the weave - It is easier to shampoo your weave while in the shower to help minimize or even eliminate tangling. Tilt your head back and gently wash the hair. A lot of weave wearers (including myself) use an applicator bottle to mix shampoo and water. Shake it, and then squirt the shampoo suds in between the tracks. You can do the same with the conditioner. Rinse thoroughly. After you’re done with your wash session, make sure that your hair is dried completely underneath or your hair will mildew. I like to sit under a hair dryer for about an hour to make sure that my hair is completely dry. Check out my YouTube Video: How I Wash My Weave and Deep Conditioning Your Hair While In A Weave
4. Combing, Brushing and Styling - Be easy when styling your hair. Remember the weave is attached to your actually hair and you don’t want to cause more stress than necessary.
5. Post-Install - Try to space out each install. When I take my install out I would wait about 2 weeks before installing a new round. I would make sure i give myself a good deep condition and a trim. If you want, try rocking a wig in between your install break. It's easier on the hair. I personally would take my install out, deep condition, air dry, moisturized my hair and scalp and cornrow it. If I’m going to work, church or running errands i would slip a wig on and go. I plan on taking this install out on Aug 6th. I will do a YouTube video showing how i take care of my hair after taking out an install....stay tuned.
6. Relaxed Hair - If you relax your hair, wait at least 2-3 weeks before installing your weave. Remember your hair is more fragile when you relax and you don’t want to add stress to your scalp and strands with a heavy weave.

Ladies, you can actually grow and repair damaged hair through weaves. I've done it, it is possible. Remember to give your hair some TLC and time and you'll see improvements.