Think inside the box

When it comes to hair care I have to admit that there are certain things I like to do a certain way, and a lot of that is to do with the scientist in me. There are hair care practices I have kept consistently for years because they work for me, so there's never been a need to change them. This will probably be the same for many of you, but there will always be problems that arise which require us to tap into our creative side for a solution.

This is something I had to do a few years ago when a lady who braided her hair asked me about the best way to go about washing. She said her biggest challenge was keeping her hair looking neat afterwards because washing made her hair look messy.  

Any 'put away' hairstyle, whether your hair is braided or weaved, can and should be washed if you're keeping the style in for more than two weeks. Although it won't be as effective as shampooing when the style is taken out, it will still benefit your hair and I believe it's always better to do something rather than nothing.

If you braid your hair you probably wash it over the bathtub using the shower head, or in the shower. The only problem is that I find the shower to be too powerful, often leaving the hair with the messy look the lady mentioned. This is probably why many people choose not to wash their hair.

If you braid or weave your hair and struggle with this problem too, feel free to try the method I have outlined below.

How to wash plaits and weaves

Squeeze some shampoo into a jug, fill the jug with warm water and gently pour it over your scalp and hair. You may need to do this a couple of times to fully wet your hair.

Then carefully position your fingers in between the partings against your scalp and gently rub your scalp using mild pressure. Move your fingers to different areas and rub your scalp again until you've shampooed your whole scalp. Don't worry too much if your hair doesn't sud as much as it would if you had the braids out.

Finally, rinse your hair by filling a jug with warm water, pouring it over your hair and repeating. If you find you still have shampoo in your hair, just tap the plaits or weave gently and this will release the bubbles.

Thinking inside the box

We always use the words 'think outside the box', but the truth is that you have everything you need inside yourself to come up with solutions to everyday hair problems; it's just about tapping into your creative side and believing there is a solution.

You don't need to think outside the box, because when you think inside yourself you're already doing it.