Loving Your Hair With a Full Day of Platinum Care

How to love your hair so it can grow with extra care and attention.

Smack in the middle of this month of “love”, how appropriate is it that we talk about loving our hair? “If You Love It It Will Grow.” Dr Phoenix Austin wrote that book and I think it’s more than adequately named. She shares how to grow long, beautiful afro textured hair with holistic hair care, a flexible regimen and nutrition.

I fully enjoy caring for my hair. I want it to grow, so I love all up on it LOL. That’s why from time to time I give it what I like to call the “Platinum Treatment.”

Here’s what I do on those days that I want to love on my hair a little more than usual (what’s highlighted in green is the extra special stuff that isn’t necessarily part of my normal hair routine:

• Starting with a scalp massage using Tropic Isle Strong Roots Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil, I massage my scalp for 2-3 minutes and allow it to sit for at least an hour (You’re supposed to wash it out the same day, but sometimes I leave it in overnight if I’m lazy).
  
• Then, I whip up a pre-poo that consists of a moisturizing conditioner and a blend of nourishing hair oils like Jojoba & Coconut Oil.  I work it through my hair, create 4 large plaits, and throw on a plastic cap for a couple of hours.
  
• Every other week, I switch up what I’m going to condition with. One week I’ll use a deep conditioning mask and the other week I’ll use a strengthening hair mask or one of my other protein/deep conditioning mask. This is the plan as I continue to use up products that I want to phase out of my hair regimen (#deathtothePJ).
  
• Sit under the dryer for 15-30 minutes with a plastic cap on (on my “non-Platinum” hair care days, I just let deep conditioner sit on my hair for 10 mins with a plastic cap on while I wash up in the shower)
  
• Hop back in the shower and rinse out the deep conditioner/protein treatment while working a bit of rinse-out conditioner through my hair.
  
• Final rinse (So many ways to do this. Here’s what I’ve done in the past:
  • with Aloe Vera Juice that’s been chilled in the refrigerator
  • Cool water with a light coating of oil
  • a chilled hair tea
    
• I then proceed to seal my hair with leave-in conditioner and an oil before styling it with a cream or lightweight butter (winter only).
  
• Mid-week, I’ll give myself another scalp massage using one of my many hair growth oil blends.

My wash regimen is pretty much the same each week (or bi-weekly). If I use a lot of product on my hair during the week, I have to wash it weekly. Although washing bi-weekly is best for my hair to reduce manipulation.

I’m also giving my hair a little extra care by taking Hairfinity Vitamins (not anymore as of 2024). I’m doing it as part of a hair challenge, as I mentioned in the linked post, but all the vitamins and minerals are giving my hair extra love and care – something I never used to do.

What I No Longer Do

I used to finger detangle my hair while pre-pooing. Then, I’d finger detangle it again while rinsing out my conditioner. Then, when I styled it, I’d finger detangle and sometimes use a large tooth comb or Denman Brush to detangle it some more before twisting, braiding, or roller setting.

That was 3 times detangling my hair in one day! Way too much for this fine hair. So, I no longer do all that finger detangling. Now, I only detangle once on wash day – during my styling time. It makes sense that you have to detangle when you style your hair since it needs to be smooth.

Too Much Finger Detangling

Detangling (fingers or otherwise) before washing makes little sense since you have to detangle it yet again after washing it. Of course, an exception to the rule would be if you’ve had your hair in a protective style for a very long time (i.e.. weaves, braids). In this case, you have to remove all that shed hair before allowing water to hit it. Otherwise, you’re asking for a tangled, matted mess!

Since I don’t do long-term protective styles, it works better for me to do all my detangling once, during styling.

Now, while I apply my pre-poo, I do a little smoothing of my ends, which could be considered a little detangling. However, I don’t go through my hair from root to tip trying to get rid of all tangles. It can wait. When conditioning, I just rinse out the conditioner, and I keep a water bottle handy to rewet my hair if necessary while styling it, since I’m detangling at that time.

Choosing to give my hair extra love from time to time and cutting out all the extra detangling has really made a difference in the amount of hair I’ve been able to retain.  Like Dr. Phoenix Austin says, “If you love it, it will grow.” I concur! 🙂

Do you do any special treatments to your hair to give it a “platinum care?”