I am all the way here for black women loving themselves wholly and fully. To me, that, without question, includes embracing our natural hair. It's been a long time coming to get to this point of unapologetically wearing our twist-outs and beautiful hair scarves anywhere. That being said, I want to make sure I’m doing my part by sharing the knowledge I’ve personally gained from adding headwraps as a part of my hair care routine.
So the question remains, once headwraps are introduced to your lifestyle, how do you choose the right one? And how do you know it’s good for your hair?
Understanding how to retain moisture is the key to protecting and growing our versatile/beautiful hair and your fabric choice has everything to do with it.
I've found that the most common fabric used to wrap our beautiful hair is cotton. While cotton is great for underwear it is an absolute no go when it comes to long term health of our hair.
Cotton is an absorbent fabric that dries the hair out. It causes friction, it tangles already brittle and frizzy hair, and shortens the lifespan of each strand. Because the fabric absorbs moisture, the dryness can weaken hair strands and follicles which can lead to hair damage and sometimes scalp irritation.
Tap into any night you've ever gone to sleep on a cotton pillow case without covering your hair. How crazy did your hair look and feel? and How much time did you have to put into it to return it to it's "normal" and functional state?
The best alternative to using a cotton hair scarf is satin or silk fabric because it has a soft and silky feel that allows hair to glide along the hair follicle opposed to the rubbing action of cotton.
Satin fabric is not as absorbent as cotton which allows our hair to retain the moisture that's necessary to prevent breakage and promote long term growth.Headscarf's with satin lining acts as a barrier to moisture absorbing fabrics promoting shinier and healthier hair. It permits your hair's natural oils to spread throughout each coil and curl. Not to mention, satin lining saves time as it preserves our protective hairstyles. It reduces the daily manipulation required of our hair allowing us to get back hours of our lives. That part right there is enough for me!
I can carry on for days about the benefits of wearing satin lined headwraps but time is precious and I know you don't have all day so I've narrowed it down to the top 5 reasons you might want to choose satin next time.
- Moisture Retention
- Less Friction (breakage)
- Long Term Hair Growth
- Strengthens Hair Follicles
- Protects and Saves Time
Overall satin lining promotes healthier hair because of the moisture aspect. When we are able to retain moisture, we reduce the amount of friction and breakage that prevents hair growth and strengthens brittle hair. It prevents tangling by preserving your coils and curls and limits the amount of manipulation and taming our hair requires on a regular basis.
-V. Carter
Leave a comment