HAIR MAINTENANCE: Impart & Preserve Moisture
Last updated on August 5th, 2024 at 08:15 pm
Moisture impartation is the first step to moisture retention in natural hair.
Before you can retain moisture, you have to actually get moisture into your hair. There’s a few ways to do that but the first thing to know is that water is the source of moisture; not oils and not other substances.
Imparting Moisture for Supple, Flexible Hair
Moisturizing your hair seems like something that you would naturally want to do so that it doesn’t dry out and break off.
Benefits to Moisturized Hair
There’s another benefit to moisturizing your hair – flexibility.
When your hair is well moisturized, it’s easier to handle. It’s more flexible and supple. Moisturized hair allows for you to be able to manipulate your hair with less of a chance of breakage.
Since breakage is a big risk for fine natural hair, anything you can do to reduce that risk should be done.
Methods to Moisture Retention in Natural Hair
Any method you use to moisturize your hair will include water. A pre-poo, deep conditioning or steaming. They each can moisturize your hair but they are methods – methods that require the use of water.
The following article goes into much more detail on how to effectively impart moisture to your stands. It includes the methods mentioned above plus 4 more:
7 Ways to Get Moisture into Natural Hair
Preserving Moisture for Length Retention
The next step after moisturizing your hair is to make sure you are able to preserve some of that moisture for a length of time.
Of course, you won’t be able to keep moisture in your hair indefinitely. Wouldn’t that be rich?
In spite of the fact that moisture will eventually evaporate from your hair, being able to hold on to some of it for a few days on end will only benefit any quest toward length retention, especially for those with fine natural hair.
To preserve moisture from leaving your hair too quickly, here are some methods to try:
- The LOC, LCO or LCCO method
- Make sure your cuticles are opened when moisturizing and close them back to trap the moisture in. This is beneficial for all hair types, including low porosity girls. There’s a time to open the cuticles and a time to close them. Again, it’s not indefinite but it will take some time for moisture to escape once the cuticles are closed back.
- After moisturizing, oil your strands regularly with a light weight oil that won’t weigh fine hair down.
- Protect your hair with satin or silk so that your moisture level is protected.
Imparting and preserving moisture is a two step process but obviously not as simple as it sounds. Hopefully, you’ve found the tips on moisture impartation and moisture retention in natural hair helpful.