This lesson focuses on preparing your client's hair for the natural hair care service. To keep your client's hair healthy you must properly cleanse, condition and seal moisture into the hair.
DETANGLE HAIR
Textured hair is very fragile when dry and more elastic when wet. The best way to work with textured hair is when it is wet and conditioned, making it easier to stretch textured hair for detangling, parting, combing through, and managing tight coils.
The structure of most textured hair has varying formations of curls or coils. At each bend in the coil, the hair strand is thinner, so each strand has several potential breakage points. The closer the curl/coil pattern, the more fragile the hair.
Remember: The more coil in the hair, the more fragile it is when dry. Thoroughly comb through all of the hair before proceeding with any shampoo procedures
PROCEDURE
Detangling wet, textured hair can be made much easier by following these steps.
Using a comb with large rounded teeth, part through the hair starting at the nape of the neck. Use butterfly clips to separate and hold the front section away from the back section.
For thick textured hair, make more sections to allow for ease and control. For thinner hair, use fewer sections. The front half of the head can be parted in two to three sections, because some clients’ hair is less dense in the front. Separate sections with clips. Apply more Comb Out Creme if necessary as you go along, applying in generous amounts that completely coat the hair.
- Start with one section. As you begin to detangle, there should be enough hair to hold in the palm of your hand. Too much hair in this section can cause you to lose control, which could result in hair breakage.
- Holding the palm upward and close to the scalp, start combing with a hair pik or wide-toothed comb at the ends of the hair first, working your way up to the base of the scalp. Work from the bottom up, because hair tangles at the ends.
- The combing movement should be steady and rhythmic, but should not put tension on the scalp. It is better to use a picking motion to comb through the hair, especially when combing through the hair closest to the scalp.
- Once the hair is combed thoroughly, divide the section into two equal parts and twist it together to the end to separate and hold the combed section in place. Or clip the section of hair to the side as you begin working your next section.
- Repeat steps 4 through 6 for the other sections of the hair to finish the entire head.
Shampooing and Conditioning
Most clients who have worn protective styles for 4 weeks or longer will have build up and/or a flaky scalp. Using the following shampoo and conditioning procedures to ensure you are cleansing your client's hair thoroughly and eliminating scalp discomfort.
- Apply a medicated shampoo directly to the scalp and massage it in (Denorex/Neutrogena T-gel/ Nizoral)
- Allow shampoo to sit on the scalp 10-15 minutes
- Rinse out thoroughly and follow up with a moisturizing shampoo
- Proceed with deep conditioning the hair
- Use a deep conditioner that addresses the needs of the client (moisturizing, reconstructing, strengthening)
- Comb the conditioner through thoroughly
- Cover with a processing cap and sit under hooded dryer for 10-15 minutes
- For Hot oil treatments massage oil into the hair before applying conditioner
- After rinsing out the conditioner apply the proper oils or moisturizer to the hair based on the style; massage and style
BLOWDRYING
Blowdrying dries the hair quickly and also softens the hair, making it manageable for easy combing. Blowdrying loosens the wave patterns in the hair while stretching the shaft length. This excellent technique can be used on all lengths of hair. For short hair, blowdrying stretches the hair out and enables the client to wear longer braiding styles with the use of extensions.
PROCEDURE
- After shampooing and deep conditioning, part the hair into sections. Begin the blow drying process in the first section located at the back of the head.
- Blowdrying creams, oils and serums protect the hair from direct heat and help control the manageability of textured hair. These products can be applied before blowdrying each section.
- Open one of the combed sections. Use a pick nozzle attachment on the blowdryer and begin drying, using the comb-out motion.
- Holding the hair down and away from the client’s head, start the comb-out motion. Always point the pick nozzle away from the client. As the end stretches, move the blowdryer, heat blowing downward, away from the scalp. Blowdrying directly into the scalp could cause burns.
- As the longer hair dries, some shorter lengths of hair may have curled closer to the scalp. To get closer to the scalp, reduce the blowdryer heat and speed. This technique allows the pick nozzle to reach shorter, more resistant textured hair and loosen the curl pattern. It also prevents the client from being burned by the heat of the blowdryer.
- Check each section to be sure it is dry. If so, the hair is ready to be braided or styled.
Trimming The Hair
One of the most basic ways to ensure the health of the hair is by regularly removing dead and split ends. Recommending a trim at least once a season (four times a year), at a minimum, would be a great way to get clients on a hair regimen.