Caring for the Hair Under There

Many women (and men...no judgement zone here) think that when you get a weave you don't have to worry about your natural hair (meaning hair growing out your scalp). As if wearing a weave is some vacation from the care of your own hair. Well, I am here to say......not so!
Building on my post yesterday (Weave 101), I wanted to discuss the importance of caring for the hair down there, and by down there I mean the hair neatly braided under your tracks.
I know we all pride ourselves on our flawless installs, installs so flat and natural it looks like its growing out of our scalps. But the truth of the matter is, it isn't. Weave is designed to be temporary and at some point we have to take it out. And when you take it out, your goal should be having the hair that really is growing out your scalp as healthy if not healthier and stronger than when you put your weave. Which is the reason you have to be sure to take care of the hair under there. Here are the basics to maintain healthy hair under your weave or like the title says:

Caring for your hair under there
1) Don't wear out your welcome - Have you ever had a guest come to visit and stay wayyyy to long. Well your hair will feel the same way about your weave. You should not leave a weave installed for more than 2-3 months with out reinstalling. Leaving for longer than recommended can leave your natural hair extremely tangled, matted and knotted up. You can end up with matted patches resembling dread locks. Combing it out will be difficult and will cause unnecessary damage to your hair

2) So Fresh and So Clean ...Clean - A healthy scalp promotes healthy hair. So it goes with out saying that you have to wash your hair often and regular. Shampooing your hair once a week but no less than every other week is highly recommended. You can apply the shampoo under the tracks, in between your braids and use your fingers to massage into your scalp. Don't be scared...you hair will not fall out by you massaging your scalp, get in there and get that scalp clean. After your hair is fresh and clean make sure you follow up with a good moisturizing conditioner. Your hair still needs moisture to keep from drying out and being brittle under your weave. You want to maintain strong healthy strands under there. ***Make sure your rinse, rinse, rinse to make sure you don't have any buildup. (I'll cover clarifying in a future post)

3) The Jumpoff and After Party - Although this is the last step, its actually the first step and the last step all rolled in one. Before installing a weave, you want to make sure your hair is in the best condition possible. A good conditioning treatment is highly recommended. When getting yor install you need to make sure that your stylist don't put too much tension on the hair when braiding which will cause excessive tension on the scalp and potential breakage.
After taking down your weave, you want to take the same steps. Your stylist should be able to advise you on conditioning or additional treatments you may need (i.e. protein, moisturizing etc.)


This is the very basics.....but stay tuned!

Be sure to visit our FAQ's at www.hairaddictonline.com for a few other helpful tips.