So I have decided to start the series off with what I believe is the most important characteristic when it comes to taking your hair. If you have read my previous posts, you have seen the word 'moisture' multiple times and you are probably sick of it because your hair seems to be allergic to it as well.

Well... Porosity refers to your hairs ability to absorb and retain moisture. Based on the definition, you can see why knowing your hair's porosity is probably more important for the health of your hair than your curl type. Knowing your porosity will not only help you in selecting products but but how to apply those products, which will help you build your regime (Remember this is our end goal).

Porosity has two extremes:

• Low Porosity : looks healthy but hard to style and chemically treat because resistant to chemicals
• High Porosity: prone to fizz, tangling, split ends and hard to manage

How to test

Testing your hair porosity is simple and I would advise doing all three tests because it will literally take lake less than 10 mins to do ALL THREE

Note: Do test on clean freshly washed hair with no product.

1. The Strand Test aka Slip 'n Slide Test

This hair test requires no equipment

Method

• Take a single strand of hair between your thumb and index finger
• Slide your fingers down the hair strand shaft (towards your scalp)
• If your hair is smooth, it means your cuticles lie flat and you have low porosity hair
• If your hair is bumpy, it means your hair has raised cuticle and you have high porosity hair

2. The Shedding Hair Test aka The Float Test

Equipment

Bowl of tap water (room temperature is fine)

Method

Take a few hair strands with the white bulb at the end (this means the hair was lost from the root)
*tip: get some hair from your comb, detangling brush etc. Plucking your hair might damage the root, causing a bald patch... plus it hurts way too much).

Hair strand with the 'white bulb'

Drop the hair in the water, and observe for 2-4mins.

• If your hair floats, you have low porosity hair
• If your hair sinks to the bottom, you have porosity hair

3. The H20 Test aka The Spray Bottle Test

Equipment:

- A spray bottle
-Water

Method

• Take a small section of hair and pin the rest back
• Spray the section with water (mist not drench it)
• If the water sits on top of your hair, you have low porosity
• If the water absorbs quickly, you have high porosity hair
• If the water sit and gets absorbed after a few minutes, you have normal (medium) porosity hair

I know its been  a while, but I had an exam and everything took a back seat. I apologise. However, I'm back and in desperate need of a schedule because this year looks like its going to be messy, so if you know how one goes about creating a schedule AND sticking to it, 'Halla at your girl!'

So on Sunday after church I went to Hair by Renaud Dedi in Douglasdale. I had recently undid my 'under-wig cornrows' and my hair needed a trim and a treatment.I didn't want to style it because I needed to test the L'oreal Magic Touch during the course of the week (look out for that post... maybe accompanied by a video)

Online Presence

Accessibility 

Even though they don't have active social media pages, their contact details are easily available on Google, Facebook and Instagram. I used the landline number when I called, however they do have a mobile number listed on Instagram. Since the website doesn't work, I assume calling or physically going there are the only two options.

Booking Process

So because its based in the burbs, the North even, I needed to call and inquire about their prices just to make sure they would be friendly to my pocket. When I called however, I couldn't hear the lady properly, probably because I was in a mall, so I drove to them on my way home. When I arrived, the stylist offered to do my hair immediately, which means they take walk-ins but I opted to make an appointment for the next day. They took down my name and number and they also called me 30 mins before my appointment just to check if I was still coming. When I arrived, Loretta (my hair stylist for the day) informed me she called because a walk-in had arrived and she wanted to know whether to work on her hair, or to send her to another stylist while she waited for me, which I found to be great gesture.

Location

Facilities 

Salon Facilities

Products

Hair Stylist

Price list

General Experience

The Results

The two braids

Hair by Renaud Dedi Details

To end off, I'll discuss the most common hair trait in the natural community, Curl Pattern. Even though this is the most common trait, its only useful when it comes to styling (whether you can do a wash n go etc) as well as deciding which techniques to achieve a particular style.

Type 3: Curly Hair

Type 3A

Type 3B 

Type 4: Kinky Hair

Type 4A

Type 4B

Type 4C

When I went natural, exercising was one of the most difficult things to do with my hair . Apparentl I am not alone struggling, because in a study done 2011, it was found that 45% of African American women (I wish more studies would be done about African women) avoided exercise because they didn't want to ruin their hair. This was something I could totally relate to because I'm one of those people who sweat a lot, and have used my hair getting wet from the sweat as an excuse to skip gym. Sweating also meant dirty scalp, shrinkage and therefore more frequent wash-days.  In 2019, I have a goal to lose 5-8kgs, but I also want healthy hair. Below are a some of the steps I will take to achieve both my body and hair goals.

1. Protective Style

I'm sure most of you are already tired of reading this, but genuinely, protective styles are the easiest way to reach your hair goals. I prefer cornrows so I can wear my wigs allowing me to be versatile. Twists are also great as they are easy to wash and style. If you plan on woking out outside, then I wouldn't recommend big hairstyles like long box braids as tying them up as well as fitting them into a cap will be much harder.

Cornrows I have under my wigs which allow me to also play in water

2. Put your hair up

Now you cant have your hair in a protective style all the time since a minimum 2 week break between styles is important for the general health of your hair. Plus I want you to enjoy and show off your hair. Next best thing to do to your hair is to tie it up. This means tying your hair into a ponytail, pigtails, pineappling and my personal favourite, the Afro-puff. You do this in order to keep your hair away from you face and neck, minimizing your hair's contact with sweat.

Why I love the afro-puff:

-Its quick and easy to do (not trying to have an arm workout before my actual workout)
-They can be done on any hair length, from TWAs to big Foxi Brown fros.
-You can buy a visor and go running
-Can wear different headbands that match your gym outfits
-You experience little shrinkage
-A quick brush in the front and you can wear the same hairstyle to work

My go-to hairstyle: the afro puff

3. Wash your hair often

I will suggest washing your hair every week, especially if you sweat as muh as me. Sweat will leave your hair feeling dry and brittle as well as your scalp dirty. I suggest mixing jojoba and a few drops of  peppermint oil, applying it to scalp and then massaging your scalp in order to remove dirt and stimulate blood circulation. This mix is also great for hair growth. You can then continue with your normal wash day routine. You can purchase your oils at Dischem or at Faithful-to-Nature.

4. Use the sweat and body heat generated to your advantage

I do not have a hooded dryer and since I have low porosity hair, I have to apply some kind of heat when I deep condition in order to achieve the best results. So i normally detangle, pre-poo and shampoo my hair. I then apply my my deep conditioner, wrap it up in a plastic bag, tie a scarf, put on a cap and then go for a jog. This is a version of a baggy method/ greenhouse effect method except I wash my hair afterwards. The heat from your body will open up your cuticles and allow for deeper penetration, leading to better results. You also kill two birds with one stone and your washday does not feel like an all day affair.

Wrapping my hair that has a deep conditioner in it before my jog

5. Get travel size containers

As you know buying in bulk is the best way to save, however the 'extra 200ml' are not the most convenient ways to carry product in you toiletry bag. Travel containers will allow you to pack all your hair necessities without needing a mini suitcase. I suggest you pack:

• A leave in conditioner
• Spritz
• Edge control (styling gel)
• Oil to base your scalp

                                                       You can buy Travel bottles here | here | here


I know these tips may seem basic, but our hair is what it is and there is not much you can do about it. You have to accept that your hair will behave a certain way and learn to live with it. Wear your hair in its shrunken state, find beauty in your TWA that 'lacks' curl definition or bounce. Rememeber that a healthy body is important for healthy hair, so always choose excercise over hairstyles. 

Let me start by saying 'Happy New Year'. May 2019 be kind to you and your 'fro .