Rescue That Hairline!

Are you missing those days when you had baby hairs for days? When you weren’t worried about having your hair in a bun because because your hairline line was in tact and every hair was in place? Wondering what happened to all that healthy hairline of your? If you are are, know first of all that you are not alone and secondly this post is for you. Some months ago, the beautiful supermodel Naomi Campbell was on the set of a photo shoot when an unfortunate draft of wind blew her long silky weave over her shoulder and revealed a quite shocking hairline. As usual, paparazzi were ready and capture this drastic photo of Miss Naomi looking near bald.

The question is what causes this? Alopecia or years of  wearing weaves, tight braids, over processing hair, using glue or colour? Alopecia areata is a medical condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, usually the scalp. This a medical condition which some people suffer from and has nothing to do with whether they over process their hair or wear their weaves too tight. This should be treated by a specialist. If your hair loss is not medical but as a result of years of you treating your hair poorly. Then these solutions might help you get back some of that lost hairline. Just because the economy of the world’s leading country is in recession does not mean your hair should be in recession as well:D So how do we rescue that hairline?   First of all, know your problem. What is keeping the tide at bay? Why are  your hair and hairline not in good terms? The most common cause of a receding hairline is poor treatment. And by poor treatment here, I am including weave abuse (yes, when the only time you see your own real hair is at the hairdresser’s on the day she’s getting your weave re installed, then that is weave abuse), over processing, hair dye, tight braids, hair glue, misuse of relaxers, neglecting moisturizing treatments and so many other little routines that kill the hairline. If you are guilty of any of these then you might find the following tips quite helpful.

#1. Go Natural A good way to preserve the hair in general and the hairline in particular is go natural. Sparing your hair all the chemicals and processing that come with relaxers help to thin out hair especially those fragile ones at the hairline. Fans expressed shock when Angela Simmons posted a pic of her natural hair on Twitter. Who would have thought she was natural under all that mane of luxurious curls? When asked why she was keeping her natural, Angela responded, ‘I’ve been natural for 3 years. I was wearing weaves and keeping my hair braided underneath and I was like, why am I still relaxing if I’m keeping it braided anyway?! I figured I didn’t need the chemicals and plus it burned. So I guess you can say I transitioned. I never cut it, or got a major cut. I just stopped getting perms. I was experiencing major breakage from the perm and old color so I grew out the damage with the help of my stylist. My hair grows super fast underneath the weaves.’Like Angela said, what’s the point relaxing your hair all the time if you’re still gonna cover it up with a weave. It’s best to spar your hair all that trouble and take special time to tend to your natural locks. Now, keeping and maintaining natural hair is no easy job. You have to be patient with your hair and take time to learn which products are best for your hair texture. Not just Angela, but a bunch of other celebrities have switched to the natural look.

#2. Loosen up. Sometimes even going natural will not guarantee a healthy hairline if it is constantly under attack from extra tight braids and buns. An excellent way to give your hairline a break is to loosen up the braids and make sure if you’re going to have your hair in a bun, then don’t pull too hard on those fragile baby hairs. I have seen some people have Ghanaian braids in that were so tight they were actually bleeding. If your cornrows are so tight that they give you wounds, what will that result in? Obviously, your punctured hairline will not be able to grow any more hairs. at least not for a while.

#3. Wig it Out. As much as many people hate wigs, they are worth giving a try. At the end of the day, they are very versatile, you can still get a good night’s rest ( because you get to take them off at the end of the day), And what’s more? Wigs spare your hairline the unnecessary recession. How does that work out? Well, with a wig, you can still give your hair all the attention it needs while still rocking those long wavy strands. And by attention, I mean moisturizers, leave-in treatments and creams. We usually feel compelled to leave our natural strands under a wave-on for longer than required because it probably cost a fortune to install a weave in the first place and we wouldn’t just be bothered to take it off every now and then. As a consequence, the hair gets extra dry and thirsty. And we all know the math, dry ends + thirsty roots=breakage. A lot of celebs these days are rocking amazing wigs. Why do you think they can switch from short and curly to long and wavy in a second? The only tricky part about wigs is getting the perfect one and wearing it right. But that one tutorial for another post.

#4. Read The Manufacturer’s Label.  Last month (February 2012) the Daily Mail reported the untimely death of 34 year old British national  Atasha Graham due to an allergic reaction to hair extension glue.   Graham collapsed after a night out. Authorities suspect the combination of latex glue she applied to her natural hair and working up a sweat dancing in the club caused Ms. Graham to go into anaphylactic shock and eventually die.  Many at times we go about using hair products without reading the manufacturer’s label or using products on ourselves that are meant for professional use only. It is very vital that before using ANY hair products, we read the manufacturer’s label for any properties that we might be allergic to and follow instructions as labelled. In this unfortunate case, Atasha Graham lost more than a hairline. She lost her life. This is a rare occurrence but it is worth being careful when applying products. Remember that these hair products especially colourants, relaxers and texturizers contain CHEMICALS in them so we must watch how we use them. Little things like applying petroleum jelly on the edges before applying a relaxer count for much if we want to save that hairline.

#5. Moisturize and Condition Last but absolutely not least, moisturize and condition your tresses. In fact this tip should have come first. matter of fact, it is a RULE, not a tip.If a leave-in treatments requires 45 minutes to set in, please for the love of your tresses, do not rush it. Sit it out while watching a movie or babbling on the phone. Trust me you won’t regret it.. Most of us apply leave-in treatments just when we’re in shower and leave it on for about 10 seconds…and expect our hair to turn out like Rapunzel’s…SMH. Good hair means patience and hard work sometimes. The hair is like every other part of the body. It lives, therefore it breathes and its growth depends on how healthy we keep it. Hair moisture is very vital and in no way means the same thing as damp or moist hair. Because hair, dehydrates quickly, moisturizers help strands to maintain that high level of shine and moisture and glow which keep the strands alive and looking healthy. You want to stay away from over heating especially with hot irons and curling tongs. They are more traditional and take a whole lot of time but hair rollers are better off for the preservation of moisture and health than the common hot iron. Hot irons have that drying effect that most people’s hair will not support. You also want to get more familiar with conditioners that contain shea oils, carrot oils and hair mayonnaise for added texture, shine and yes, moisture.

If this post has helped you, am glad I could be of help. Send your suggestions to artbecomesyou@yahoo.com. If you have other tips on how you rescued that hairline of yours, or how it’s managed to stay in tact, please share with the rest of us. I am NOT a hair or beauty expert, these tips are purely what I come up with from life’s examples. So we could always use some from you as well.

Peace n Love.