Muslimah Beauty

I think we’ve all had a moment where our hair’s not been behaving and just resembles dry hay! This lovely reader sent me an email concerned about her dry hair and I’ve had so many emails from you ladies on this I thought it’d help to share this advice with you all:

My hair is very very dry! I absolutely hate it! I’ve tried different shampoos and conditioners aimed for dry hair and nothing seems to work. Currently, I use coconut oil on my hair after every wash (I have to put it on after every wash because then my hair becomes unbelievably dry!) but again I’m not experiencing any difference with it. Also, because I wear a hijab, my hair line is starting to move back and ridiculous amounts of hair fall out.

I know exactly how you feel, I’ve experienced the same thing with my own hair and it can get quite annoying having to deal with it but, I’ve been given great advice, come across amazing products and have developed good habits to ensure my hair is at its best.

• Look for products that have the following words:  moisture, moisturising, hydrating, rich, nourishing or something along those lines.
• Hair masks are very important. Regular use (at least once a week and leave in for a minimum of 2 hours) will eventually leave your hair a lot softer and hydrated. I’ve used many masks and a few of my favourites include Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask and Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. However, some of the best I’ve ever used are ones that I’ve mixed myself like the Coconutty Hair Masque and this mask which is super hydrating thanks to honey which is a humectant which means it draws in moisture towards the hair.
• Leave-in conditioners are your best friend! The great thing is that you can reap the benefits of a conditioner without having to wash it out. I recommend Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist*.
• You must use humectants in your hair care to keep your hair moisturised. They usually come in our conditioners and styling products and the ingredients you should look out for are glycerin, honey, phytantriol, erythritol, panthenol and butylene glycol.
• When shampooing, try to not wash anywhere but the scalp as shampoo can be quite drying which’ll only make your hair even drier. When you’re rinsing the shampoo, it’ll reach the rest of the hair anyway so that’ll be enough. However, if you have a lot of product in the hair, shampoo may be necessary.

Also, you need to also understand the very important concept of moisturising and then sealing in that moisture to keep the hair softer and hydrated for longer. Moisture could be anything from even water (damp, just washed hair) or a leave-in conditioner. Once you’ve moisturised the hair, you’ll need something to keep it in and that could be a serum such as the John Frieda Frizz Ease, a moisturising cream like the Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream or an oil like coconut which is exactly what you’re doing.

Coconut oil is great so don’t give that up at all as it’s one of the few oils with the ability to penetrate into the hair shaft so the moisture from the coconut oil will reach the hair. Other oils I’d recommend to use are argan, olive and avocado. If you’ve got curly or afro textured hair, a butter might be just what you need and I’ve achieved great results using a butter by simply spritzing on a leave-in conditioner on damp hair and then using a teeny amount of butter and when your hair dries, it leaves the dreamest, softest hair ever! The best butter I’ve tried is avocado butter but I also really love olive, shea (it’s too thick so I just melt it and mix it into my hair conditioner) and almond butter too.

With regards to your hairline moving back because of your hijab, first and foremost: DON’T wear it so tight! Many women wear the hijab tight without knowing the consequences which range from headaches to Traction Alopecia. Secondly, to treat the hair fall and hairline, you’ll need to treat it and one of the ways would be to visit a doctor but using hair growth stimulating ingredients such as rosemary and castor oil could work well after repeated use. I’ve had a similar issue and mixing Jamaican black castor oil with a few drops of rosemary essential oil then applied to the area helped after using it for around six months. Just be kind to your hairline and treat the area!