As curly girls we all know how important it is to keep our scalp healthy and our curls moisturized. But what about our ends? It’s the oldest part of our hair and the part that we must concentrate on for length retention. Our hair only grows an average of 1/2 inch every month, so we must learn how to properly care for our hair once it has left our scalp. So how important are trims, sealing, and protecting your ends?
Let’s start with the easiest step in all of this, sealing. Sealing is the process in which you use an oil or butter on your hair to lock in the moisture. For me the L.O.C. (liquid, oil, cream) method works best and has been working amazingly to keep the moisture in my hair. The LOC method refers to putting these products on your wet or damp hair in a particular order to seal in that moisture. For me, my leave in conditioner is used as my liquid (L), grapeseed oil as my oil (O) and Reve’ hair and body butter as my cream (C). You can use whatever your favorite products are in the LOC method just as long as you stick with applying them in this order. Also be sure that whatever product you are using for your “L” is liquid based (it can even be water) and your “C” product is not. If you are using a new combo of products, be sure to test them on the back of your hand or a small patch of hair to make sure they work well together.
Next, let’s address protecting your ends. Because your ends are the oldest part of your hair, it’s also the most fragile. Protective styling (PS) is probably the easiest way to protect our ends. There are a number of styles that could be considered protective styles…braids, twists, flat twist updos, sew-in, wigs, buns, etc. The entire goal of PS is to keep your ends tucked away and protected from the weather and from rubbing on your clothes. I PS most of the time and I can attest to the wonderful things it does for your ends.
Lastly, once your ends are damaged, especially if they are split, be sure to trim them with professional quality shears. Most damage cannot be repaired and if it’s not taken care of it can cause more damage along the entire length of your strands. There is no set time you should trim; you just have to listen to your hair. Some curlies trim every 6-8 weeks, some trim once every few months while other’s trim only as needed. Everyone’s curls are different and unique so only you can tell what’s right for your needs. If you have a hard time being able to determine if it’s time for a trim, seek advice from a professional.
Protecting your ends are very important whether you are relaxed or natural, but it’s especially important for us curly girls because our curls are so delicate. Our ends are just as important as our new growth and must be treated with extra TLC.
Here are some protective styles I have done over the past few months! Hope this helps!
