Textured hair: stimulate growth and treat your sensitive scalp   

Stimulating the growth of textured hair while taking care of a scalp that is often too dry and irritated is often what we want most when we have frizzy or afro-mixed hair. It doesn't matter whether your hair is chemically treated (straightening, smoothing, colouring) or natural. Whether your curly hair is braided, straightened or natural, it all needs a gentle, tailored hair routine.

Frizzy, curly or even very curly hair has specific needs. It is naturally more fragile than Caucasian or Asian hair. It is subjected to numerous cosmetic manipulations or ill-adapted routines that attack it and cause lasting damage. They grow poorly, break and become dehydrated. The scalp is sensitive, irritated and prone to itching.

Knowing the specific characteristics of textured hair is essential to treating it well and promoting its growth and vitality. This starts with a healthy scalp, the essential starting point for harmonious hair growth and soft, supple lengths.

Why textured hair is so special?

• Direction of growth. Because hair is designed to protect the scalp - our brain's last skin shield - from external aggressors such as the sun or pollution, cold or heat, textured hair is programmed to withstand extreme heat and scorching sun. That's why it grows at an angle so that it covers every millimetre of skin on our skulls. Caucasian or Asian hair, on the other hand, grows vertically. Frizzy hair is also characterised by its "springy" shape, this flexibility also allowing it to completely cover the skin of the skull as the hair overlaps. 

• Growth rate. We often have the impression that our frizzy hair doesn't grow or hardly grows at all, and that's really discouraging. In reality, Afro hair grows and follows the same life cycle as any other type of hair (the 3 phases of hair life are respected) but it grows at a slightly slower rate than European or Asian hair. We're talking about 0.8 cm of growth per month for Afro hair and 1 cm per month for Caucasian hair. So the difference isn't considerable, but if you add to this slightly slower rate of growth a marked curl pattern with very tight curls, you get the visual impression that the hair is growing at a slower rate.

• Moisture levels. Dehydration is an intrinsic characteristic of frizzy or afro-mixed hair and a daily challenge. 2 main causes:
  • The first is linked to the low production of sebum naturally generated by the scalp. The result is a scalp that is often too dry, tight and uncomfortable, or prone to dandruff and other skin inflammations. The second consequence: there's not enough sebum to coat the hair fibre with a protective lipid film, making it fragile.
  • The second cause is the chemical aggression caused by straightening and brushing too often, which damages the hair fibre. Straightening destroys the disulphide bridges, opening up the scales and preventing the hair from retaining nutrients and maintaining its natural moisture. Devitalized hair, breakage, split ends, thinning hair: it's a tragedy.

• Sensitive scalp: of course, having a sensitive, irritated or itchy scalp is not a characteristic of frizzy hair. However, there are a number of hair care practices that are specific to textured hair that can make the scalp more sensitive. These include hairstyles, braids and additions that pull on the scalp and hair, causing redness, pain and even traction alopecia if repeated year after year. Poorly performed chemical treatments can cause redness, even burns and irreparable damage to the scalp. So be careful in your choice of hair expert when having your hair straightened. As for wearing a wig, a few precautions are called for. Without impeccable hygiene and a quality product (we choose real hair!), the wig suffocates the scalp, encourages the proliferation of bacteria and causes irritation, skin inflammation and hair degradation (suffocated, worn on the attachment zones, the hair grows badly and weakens).

My hair is curly and textured and I want to :

1. Let it grow more and faster!
2. Soothe my scalp
3. Nourish the lengths

Objective No. 1: stimulate rapid growth of frizzy hair

There are many factors that can hinder hair growth, whether frizzy or not. Stress, genetics, hairstyles and drug treatments, cosmetic manipulations, unsuitable hair routine, lifestyle hygiene... Nevertheless, frizzy hair can gain in vitality if we give it a little outside help. Why not use our Activ'Croissance Serum ? It provides the best of both worlds thanks to a "2-in-1" formula specially developed to meet the specific needs of Afros scalps and hair, combining Lait N°3R and a regrowth-activating serum. Scalp comfort and hair growth in a single product. Once again, with no downtime until the next wash, results are optimised and the routine is simple and stress-free. And to strengthen your hair from the inside out, why not take a course of food supplements concentrated in essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins?

Objective no. 2: a soothed scalp, the comfort of a well-moisturised scalp

We can't stress this enough. Without a healthy scalp, you can't have healthy hair! Sensitive, dehydrated, irritated scalps, such as Afro scalps, are demanding. They need softness. Afro scalp care has to meet a dual challenge: purify without attacking. That's why Clauderer hair Specialists recommend an original AND effective hair care routine. Instead of foaming shampoos that wash the scalp at the risk of stripping it completely, why not opt for a purifying, no-rinse lotion? Clauderer Lait N°3R is particularly suitable for sensitive, irritated scalps. It provides long-lasting comfort while quickly eliminating any dandruff. Its emollient formula, rich in plant oils (jojoba, sesame, wheat germ), moisturises the scalp and provides long-lasting relief from irritation and itching. Enriched with amino acids beneficial to hair health (methionine, cysteine and triptophan), Lait N°3R is a precious ally that contributes to hair growth right from the roots.

Objective no. 3: deep keratin care

A common mistake is to confuse washing with moisturising. To cleanse textured hair, there's nothing better than a cream wash, which is richer in moisturising agents than a basic shampoo. The right frequency? Every 10-15 days. Precious natural ingredients are beneficial for hair lacking in moisture. Soy protein comes to mind as its cosmetic properties are renowned. Its film-forming properties coat the hair, smooth the cuticle and make hair stronger and shinier. Rich in amino acids (the little building blocks that make up keratin), soya protein is a friend to fragile, damaged and brittle hair. No beautiful frizzy hair (natural or treated) without deep conditioning of the lengths. Vitamins and nourishing plant oils are essential for repairing and deeply nourishing textured hair. Jojoba, castor oil, argan or coconut oils bring softness and shine to devitalized hair. An oil bath (with measure) or leave-in treatment is part of an effective hair routine to plump up hair that lacks vitality and give bounce to poorly defined curls.

Activating the growth of textured hair and restoring the fragile balance of the scalp are two major issues for people with frizzy hair. Natural solutions exist to encourage the growth of Afro hair while protecting the often sensitive scalp. Textured hair is beautiful, but at the same time unique and fragile. Properly treated, frizzy hair is a real beauty asset! Love it, care for it, be proud of it!

Bonus : an American study has shown that the addition of amino acids to leave-on cosmetic treatments improves the hair's resistance, look and feel, and strengthens the hair's structure, making it less susceptible to breakage. In other words: fewer shampoos = longer leave-in time = more beautiful hair!