My Top Five Tips for Low Porosity Hair

A while ago... and I do mean a while ago, I did a blog post on hair porosity (You can read it here). In this post, I discussed my own hair porosity, which you might have already guessed by the title, is low porosity. Being a low porosity girl is interesting. It definitely takes work--- mainly a lot of trial and error, but I have come across several tips that have made the difference in my low porosity hair. I figured I would share them with you whether you are newly natural or a natural hair veteran like me (Whoop! Whoop!).

Kurly Ken's Top Five Tips for Low Porosity Hair:

1. Clarify your hair. Low porosity hair typically accumulates product build up. Remember, low porosity hair can be stubborn in a sense that the hair shaft doesn't easily open up so there is an increased likelihood that products are sitting on top of hair causing build up. 

The best way to clarify your hair is to utilize a clarifying shampoo or treatment. Now, I love bentonite clay. It is a great clarifying treatment for your hair-- not to mention, it works well on your skin as a facial mask!!! Another common treatment is an apple cider vinegar rinse. And lastly, any shampoo that boasts "clarifying" properties is another great option when it comes to removing buildup. Remember, removing build up will allow the hair products to penetrate the hair shaft and do their job!

2. Deep condition with heat and/or steam to open up the hair cuticle. I just discussed how the hair cuticle of low porosity hair is a bit stubborn, and it takes more work for it to open. After removing any product build up with your clarifying product/treatment, you should use heat/steam to open the hair cuticle. The heat/steam will allow moisture to come in and work its magic!!! 

As a low po girl, you have a number of options you can use to incorporate heat into your wash day regimen. You can put your deep conditioner in a bowl and warm it up prior to applying it to your hair. You can also take a damp towel and warm it up in a microwave for a few seconds and apply it to your hair for additional heat. In addition to those methods, you can also place conditioner on your hair with a plastic cap and sit under a heated dryer. Many naturalistas are investing in a steamer as a means of incorporating heat into their regimen and can be quite effective at add wet heat to your hair regimen.

3. Add a little protein in your life. Some of the best proteins for low porosity hair are silk, wheat, and hydrolyzed protein. These proteins are small enough to penetrate the hair shaft. Other proteins are too large and ultimately, they are unable to enter the hair shaft to strengthen the hair.

4. Warm water over cold water. Obviously, I have talked in length about the benefits of heat, and this is no different. Rinsing with warm water allows the hair shaft to stay open, further allowing the products to penetrate the hair. Cold water closes the cuticle, and I'll just stop right there. 

5. Apply products to damp hair- NOT wet hair! As a low po girl, putting products on WET hair is simply useless. Have you ever experienced that white product residue while doing your LCO method immediately after washing your hair? Then the next day you are stuck with horrible first day hair that resembles a greasy jherri curl!!! I know I have one too many times! It's like there is literally a layer of cream cheese looking products sitting on your hair---seriously! Well, that's low po hair for you, and low po hair has difficulty absorbing product when it is damp. Why so? Well, low porosity hair already has one moisturizer on it when it is wet, which is water!!! Therefore, allowing some of the water to evaporate provides room for other products to penetrate! 

Damp hair = faster product absorption; product penetration 

Wet hair = slower product absorbption; product build up

Alrighty low po peeps, do you feel more informed??? Do you have some new tips in your Arsenal? If these aren't new tips to you, were you reminded of some things you can add to regimen? I surely hope so. If there are some tips you have learned or even product suggestions, just leave them below. Lastly, be sure to check out my previous blog posts on...

Drink your Way to Healthy Hair Growth
Natural Hair: The Afro Puff

My Wash Day Regimen

My Current Natural Hair Regimen
Natural Hair: Tips for Hair Growth + Length Retention

Until next time...

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken  

Drink your Way to Healthy Hair Growth

I know you picked up your wine glass in anticipation, but when I say drink your way to healthy hair growth, I'm referring to a smoothie filled with tons of vitamins and minerals that are essential to your overall health and hair growth! If you remember in one of my previous blogs on my current natural hair regimen as well as a post on hair retention methods, I talked about incorporating a smoothie into my daily regimen and the benefits I have seen in my overall health. In addition to the benefits seen in my overall healthy, my skin and the health of my hair have increased. My hair is growing in thicker and appears shinier.

To drink your way to healthy hair, you will need the following:

• 1 Handful of Kale, Chard, & Carrot (You can buy this as a salad mix)

• 2 Handfuls of Spinach

• 1 Cup of Greek Yogurt

• 1 Whole Bananas

• 1 Handful of Blueberries & Strawberries

• Almond Milk (or whatever liquid of choice)

Each of these foods is packed with so many nutritional benefits. For example....

• Kale is packed with tons of iron. Iron is essential because it delivers oxygen to the cells, and when oxygen reaches the cells, this helps revitalize and regenerate cells, preventing hair loss. 
•  Chard has biotin and MSM in it, which promotes hair growth. 
• Carrots have loads of vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes healthy hair and scalp. In addition, vitamin a promotes healthy sebum production, which also affects hair growth. 
• Spinach, blueberries, and strawberries are all packed with vitamin C, and vitamin C is essential in assisting the protein in your body and hair. As we all know, hair is made of protein, and Vitamin C acts as a facilitator for protein, allowing your hair to grow to its fullest potential. 
• Bananas are the next contender, and they are rich in potassium. Potassium promotes a healthy scalp, which ultimately affects hair growth. Remember, you need a healthy scalp to have healthy hair! 
• Greek yogurt is packed full of protein, and as I have stated, your hair is made of  PROTEIN. Having the proper amount of protein in your body allows you hair to grow at its greatest capacity. 

Now, you have my smoothie recipe so you can begin to drink your way to healthy hair growth! I love smoothies because they are easy to make. Also, smoothies allow you to consume the appropriate amounts of fruits and veggies needed for healthy daily living. So give it a try and let me know what you think! If you have a smoothie recipe, please post your smoothie details down below! 

Until next time...

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken

OOTD: Winter Style with a Herringbone Puffer Vest

Today's post is solely focused on the herringbone puffer vest. This vest is certainly a staple piece that adds a level of class and prep to any style and can certainly take any outfit to the next level.

This particular puffer vest was recently SOLD OUT (Yep!!! I said sold out) at J. Crew, and while this vest is of higher quality, the J. Crew version costs a pretty penny too. Despite it being sold out at J.Crew, some sellers on EBay still have this vest available, and if you play your cards right, you can find it at a steal of a deal, which I highly suggest. But if EBay is not your thing, there are a number of other places that offer reasonably priced dupes, such as the vests at Zulilly's.

Today's outfit of the day was totally inspired by this picture I snagged from my Pinterest page. Follow me at Keeping Up with Kurly Ken.

Source: A Southern Drawl

Here's how I recreated the look with my own personal spin! Enjoy! 

Herringbone Puffer Vest| Gifted

Red and Black Buffalo Plaid Shirt| Gifted

Black Three Quarter Length Sweater| Forever 21

Black Jeans| Forever 21

Black Riding Boots| Nine West

Now if you aren't inspired by this vest, check out these other pictures from my Pinterest page as well.

Source: A Southern Drawl

Source: Cort in Session

Until next time...

Be faith-filled,fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken