African Beauty Secrets???

[Neen]

I have seen a few posts on Asian secrets and was wondering if there are any african hair secrets. The asian ones sound cool but being that African and African American hair is more of a 3/4, It seems like our hair wouldn't really benefit as much as those with 1/2 type hair. So, are there ANY African beauty tips?

 

[UmSumayyah]

Shea butter for hair definitely.
I know growing up my mom used to put coconut oil in my hair as well (not sure where she got this idea. West Indian relatives maybe?)
Most of the African beauty secrets I have seen have revolved around skincare. I'm sure someone else has more info.

 

[Neen]

Bump

 

[Neen]

Bumping again

 

[Chichi]

I know that when we were kids, our Mom used to wrap our hair in black thread. I think that they call them silky dreads now but back then the kids thought that we had snakes growing out of our scalps

.

Anyway, now that I think about it that was a protective style because our ends were totally wrapped in the thread --- and boy did our hair grow. Mom used to do that along with greasing our scalps regularly.

Chichi

 

[Nyambura]

That's a great question, Neen. I'm interested myself! I know there's a former thread by one of our Eritrean members -OnceUponATime, I think- on this very topic.

In Kenya, back in the Dark Ages, lol (no pun intended!

) manufactured products from the West were more easily available in the city. But, my hair thrived. Hair dye was rarely, if ever, used - except for Henna. Few chemicals ... although some did sport the jherri curl.

Diet played a big part too. My father's people ate a lot (and I mean a lot!) of vegetables (choto, anyone?), fruit, rice, and fish, which is supposed to be a hair-growing, healthy, protein. What we put in our bodies seemed more important to hair thriving than what we put on it.

During a summer in Zimbabwe, which is another African country, far south of Kenya, I used this clear, thick, liquid called "Malawi oil." It smelled -to me- like black licorice. It was supposedly a fast-hair-growing topical treatment. I don't know if it's true. I do know that I retained 4-5 inches of hair in a 3-month period ... and my hair w/o supps grows about 1/2", tops, a month. Before leaving for Zimbabwe, my hair was visibly shorter than my stylist's. When I returned, my length far surpassed hers. It's a fantastic moisturizer for my scalp and hair, natural, braided or texturized. I wish I knew how to get it over here.

If my mom was African, I might have more insight into other indigenous oils or hair growing practices. My dad is the one who is African -and believe me, he knows no secrets other than shave the head

or leave it alone (he doesn't even use conditioner).

He does nothing special, yet he has this magnificent mane of hair (think Frederick Douglas x 2). He grooms his hair once a day, in the morning. He washes/rinses hair after every run. He still runs @ 5 miles 3-4 times a week and he's almost 70. Finally, he eats an incredibly healthy diet of mostly fresh-from-the-earth vegetables and fruits. And whole grains. He eats a lot of peanuts, which is also good for hair growth (good source of protein). He rarely eats meat.

Dad's hair is so soft! it's like touching the softest baby hair. His hair would be a Type 5, if such a thing were possible. Whatever he's doing works.

 

[Nyambura]

[ QUOTE ]
Chichi said:
I know that when we were kids, our Mom used to wrap our hair in black thread. I think that they call them silky dreads now but back then the kids thought that we had snakes growing out of our scalps

.

Anyway, now that I think about it that was a protective style because our ends were totally wrapped in the thread --- and boy did our hair grow. Mom used to do that along with greasing our scalps regularly.

Chichi

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup.

They used the same black thread style in Kenya too.

 

[brittanynic16]

thank you for asking this question.

 

[Neen]

Thanks alot ladies. Hopefully some of our African members can add some more traditional haircare secrets to this thread.

 

[Neen]

[ QUOTE ]
brittanynic16 said:
thank you for asking this question.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your welcome

I was viewing your album and was wondering if I can use one of your inspiration pics as my avatar?

 

[Nyambura]

Nonie? Kenyana? Dahomey? Faith? Sade? Peachi? Yarni? Ngaa? OnceUponATime? blackindiangrl? Do you have any knowledge to share? It would be wonderful to hear/read about any practices your moms observed (unless they were non-African like mine, lol!).

I know we have so many different African countries represented by a number of LHCF members, I am sure I've left some out. Maybe after Memorial Day, you'll get more answers, Neen. Great thread.

 

[Mahalialee4]

The Mauby bush makes a drink that tastes just like licorice. Must check out what the Malawi oil is now....he he he.

What are the ingredients? Need to know this one too.

You know Mahalialee gonna wanna. Bonjour

 

[Nyambura]

Hi Mahalialee

I will try to look up the ingredients. Of course, my last bottle was long gone before I discovered internet hair clubs.

Maybe ngaa can help shed a little light on this, since she is from Zimbabwe.

 

[OnceUponAtime]

Hello Nyambura,

I'm not Eritrean, but Soulchild is and maybe she can share. Also, Nijlah posted about her Eritrean friend that patronized an hair dresser (also Eritrean) who recommended unsalted butter or ghee butter as a treatment.

HTH

 

[aikaa71]

I believe that a lot of the “hair secret” is in the diet as Nyambura pointed out. We eat a lot of fresh vegetables, (especially green vegetables), fruit and fish. The weather also plays a role, at least on this side of Africa (Tanzania). If you live near the coast , its hot and humid almost all year round and I believe this type of climate makes hair grow and skin very smooth.

Most western products are available here and most women tend to use them. Applying deep conditioning treatments and using the steamer are popular trends that I have observed. Also they use natural oils such as coconut oil.

When I was younger, my mum would also do the black thread wraps. She would wash and put la India hair grease (does anyone remember this grease??) on my damp hair and then do the thread wraps will my hair was still damp.

 

[sithembile]

aikaa
Our mothers are similar, my weekly ritual was to have my hair washed and conditioned with Capirelax products, blowdried and hot combed (I used to scream), then she would grease my hair with TCB or La India, then put Paltas oil on my scalp then wrap my hair with black wool or cotton for school.

 

[Neen]

keep 'em comin' ladies!

 

[ricochet]

I found this article on the fromnaturewithlove.com website that was linked from "Skincare from Around the World" It has some hair treatments in there(You have to have Adobe installed on your computer):
http://www.dweckdata.com/Published_papers/Africa1.pdf

 

[lsubabiedee]

bump

 

[atahar]

Where I come from, most people oly use shea butter and henna, for the body and hair.
They mix henna lemon juice and honey for a body scrub, and apply shea butter once or twice a day.
For the hair, they don't traditionnally wash it often, I don't really know how they do this in remote areas...
Henna is also used, in an area where people of arabic and "african" descent live together.
Some also uses gee.

 

[Neen]

Bumping...

 

[pookeylou]

Ok...I have been spending a lot of time on africanrepublic.com

I have no doubt the shea butter has helped me to avoid the "scab" hair problem that many have talked about. My hair has always been soft since I began the use of that when I started transitioning and did my BC.

Now Black soap from Ghana is my new favorite. I was my hair with it and my hair does not feel stripped or parched. Then I add shea butter to my shake and go or to my twist and my hair stays soft for @ least 24 hours.

The black soap is EXCELLENT for my skin. The scars are fading and my skin is evening out.

I know in some African cultures...the boys and girls keep their hair short until a certain age. So when we see African women with short hair ...it should not be viewed as they CANNOT grow long hair.

I am also looking into the usage/benefits of Emu oil.
There is a lot to learn there. I really need to spend more time on it. Not that I cant learn hair secrets from the Asian culture or Indian or Caucasian...but African more closely resembles my natural texture, so I could gain some true "secrets" by observing how they grow and protect their hair.

 

[DahomeyAhosi]

Sorry I missed this thread. Most of the women in my family with natural hair braid it and use shea butter and other oils (coconut) for both the skin and hair. I remember my mother using black soap to wash her hair. Unfortunately (as far as giving tips gos) I can't recall long hair ever being ideal for women of my mother's generation. Instead they always wear beautiful head wraps.

Those of my generation, however, use many of the products used in the west to grow out long hair.

 

[CICI24]

I'm not african but when i was natural I would do thread wraps on my hair. I also agree with pookeylou about not assuming african women can't grow there hair long. My friend from africa hair had grew really quickly in about 4 months from above the neck to almost brastrap she had 4ab hair and was relaxed. she told me that was the longest her hair had been because she wasn't allowed to wear her hair long she had to wear a short afro.

 

[Mahalialee4]

I have met some African girls and women from both Ghana and Nigeria (not mixed) who grow long thick hair. It is a very unique texture, different from the look of African American because it is SO SOFT!!! Some had thread wrapped it, and some wear it up in knots under their headwraps. But some grow very healthy beautiful hair long...to the bra strap and longerand natural. It is different apparently for different tribes. For many it is the custom to wear it short, but for some longer hair is considered a sign of wisdom, knowledge and power, I have been told. These ladies are directly emigrated from Africa. Hope this helps. Bonjour.

 

[SuthrnGal]

Their hair is probably soft due to the climate they grew up in. My cousins have soft, thick and long hair, they aren't African but they live in Mississippi where the climate is hot and humid during the summer. Mississippi also doesn't have hard water which can make the hair dry feeling.

 

[Mahalialee4]

Ya'll need to send some of that Southern Comfort (heat and soft water) up here to Canada SuthrnGal

Bonjour

 

[Sweetyb]

Wow, I was just thinking about this topic

I agree with the thread wrapping comments. My mom used to thread wrap my hair when I was younger. It wasn't sewing thread, it was this sturdy, shiny black thread that she would use to twine my hair... I should find some old pics to scan

It would stay in for a good week before some of them would start unraveling, but you just retie it at the ends. When we took them out after 2 weeks, my hair would be very thick and soft. It really is a good protective style.

Kids at school teased me for wearing them though, saying I looked like Meduca

I guess it was for this reason I stoped my mom from doing it again. But I wish it was an accepted style, 'cause if I did this for a year, I could be sure I'd have long hair in no time!

 

[FlowerHair]

[ QUOTE ]
I know in some African cultures...the boys and girls keep their hair short until a certain age. So when we see African women with short hair ...it should not be viewed as they CANNOT grow long hair.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know, my father used to tell me I was beautiful whenever my hair was short. That was the only time he ever compimented me on my hair

He was old so he wasn't so brainwashed with the Western beauty ideal. I, however, am totally into long hair

I don't have any knowledge of beauty rituals in Kenya though, other than those my father followed. Just "cleanliness is next to godliness" and scrubbing his body daily with a flat stone and a lot of soap

 

[Brooke007]

Sweetyb I'd love to see some of those pics w/ your hair threaded