Non-essential businesses have closed temporarily, and some permanently, all over the world with over 90% of people mandated to self-isolate under shelter-in-place orders. I wish I would have been in the room to vote on what is essential because my hair stylist and nail artist are the most essential people in my life. As a hair-illiterate beauty enthusiast, I will admit that I might miss my stylist more than I miss my mother.
If nothing else, the quarantine life is teaching many of us how to do things that we usually depend on others to make happen. One of those things is doing our hair. Our hair is not only important for aesthetics but we need to ensure it is healthy so we come out of this thing with plentiful edges. For some people, hair color is a major worry because their hair colorist is out of commission. That's why we hooked up with Master Cosmetologist and Salon Owner of the Atlanta-based Salon N-V-Me, Destiny Kelly, to help us come up with some feasible tips that will help you keep your hair color popping amid the era of self-isolation.
Be it covering grays, coloring your entire head or products you need to order ASAP, we've got you covered!
How to Color Your Home at Home:
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Coloring your entire head can be a tricky task, so Kelly provided some suggested tips to help get you through:
- "You want to start by selecting the color of your liking and reading the instructions thoroughly. I do suggest that if you are not using box color, to not use a developer greater than 30, to mitigate the possibility of overprocessing your hair.
- "Then, you will begin by mixing all of the coloring agents into a nozzle squeeze bottle and sectioning your hair into four quadrants for effortless application. If you have virgin hair (unprocessed or natural) you will apply the color to the shaft (ends) of the hair with the roots being last.
- "Please keep in mind that if you have previously colored your hair black or brown, but would like to achieve a lighter tone, you will need to extract the previous color first or wait to see a professional. We don't want to damage the hair. But if you are achieving to just touch up your roots, place the desired color only on the new growth throughout your hair without overlapping the previous color.
- "If you're attempting to obtain a darker tone, place the color on the roots first and then proceed to the shaft. Once colored, read instructions carefully to identify the recommended processing time.
- "After processing, use a neutralizing shampoo followed by a moisture shampoo and deep conditioner. Within two weeks of coloring your hair, it is suggested to apply a protein treatment to restrengthen your hair."
Products to Try:
How to Cover Your Grays at Home:
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When covering your grays, it can be very challenging. However, giving yourself a root touch-up is definitely something you can accomplish within your own home. Below, Kelly offers tips and tricks on how to cover your grays like an expert:
- "To begin covering your grays, you want to start with a gray coverage color, whether it's a semi-permanent or permanent. If you're coloring your gray strands with a darker tone, black or brown, please be sure to check the base colors of that product. The base color will determine what color your hair will turn. You always want to avoid utilizing any products that have a green base, preferably one with a red or purple.
- "Now keep in mind if your hair has previously been colored, you should only touch up your roots to ensure not to over-process if you're using a permanent color. With virgin hair, the color can be placed all over; the roots and the shaft. You want to start by reading the directions carefully before beginning to color.
- "You then want to begin mixing all coloring contents in the provided nozzle squeeze bottle. If one is not provided, an applicator brush and bowl will do the trick as well. For ease, part your hair in four sections and apply the color section by section.
- "To achieve the best results, I would recommend sitting under the dryer unless indicated otherwise within the instructions for the proposed duration. Once the suggested time has elapsed, shampoo twice following with a deep condition for 15 minutes, then style as desired."
Product to Try:
How to Maintain Blonde Hair at Home:
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"For starters, please know that you want to take the proper precautions when you are maintaining blonde hair, as it can be very fragile and easy to damage," Kelly began. "The trick to keeping your blonde vibrant is using a purple-tinted shampoo such as 'Shimmering Lights' or 'Blonde Brilliance'. These shampoos will eliminate the effect of a copper or brass-like tone being added to the blonde."
- "After you have completed utilizing your initial neutralizing shampoo, immediately follow-up with a moisturizing shampoo, followed by a deep conditioner to aid in rejuvenating the hair.
- "Upon completion, make sure to seal your hair with an oil of your choice, then style as desired.
- "Always make sure to tie your hair up at night or while sleeping by using a silk or satin scarf and or pillowcase."
Products to Try:
Advice on What to Avoid When Caring for Color-Treated Hair:
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"Please keep in mind that we always want to refrain from putting constant tension on the hair which can typically be caused by certain hairstyles, ponytails, sulfate products, and even as simple as cotton pillows," Kelly explained. "Remember less is best, just allow your hair to breathe."
Product Recommendations for Maintaining Color-Treated Hair at Home:
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"Below, I have included a few of my favorite products and recommendations for the ultimate results that can be found at your local beauty supply store or online."
- Sulfate-Free Shampoos:Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo and Conditioner or Design Essentials Almond and Avocado Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner.
- Deep Conditioner: TGIN Honey Miracle Mask
- Oil:Design Essentials Botanical Oil or Virgin Olive Oil
- Leave-In Conditioner & Heat Protectant:It's a 10 Leave-In
- Curly Products:Talia Waajid Green Apple & Aloe Curl Elixir, Design Essentials Curl Forming Custard, and Eco-Style Gold Styling Gel.
Featured Image Courtesy of Destiny Kelly
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Since it’s Stress Awareness Month, we caught up with Keanne Owens, LCSW, founder of Journey To Harmony Therapy Center, to talk about these triggers and what Black women can do to manage and cope.
Owens is an experienced South Florida-based counselor and social worker who offers her services via Grow Therapy, a therapy and medication management platform. She has worked with Black women professionals to unpack issues related to workplace stressors. “One is the pressure to perform–having to meet deadlines and deliverables. And a lot of times, these subtle stressors from performance are put upon ourselves as Black women. We want to make sure we’re doing our best. We don’t want to be critiqued in certain ways.”
Excessive micromanagement leading to fear of overly critical bosses is another subtle trigger that can negatively impact Black women in the workplace.
“Whenever something is done wrong, or we experience some type of injustice and have to report it, it’s the fear of retaliation–[fear that] we won’t be taken seriously or [our words] will be taken out of context because of being deemed as the ‘angry Black woman,’” she said.
Black Women And Workplace Stress Triggers
Her sentiments are backed by research. A recent report by Coqual found that 28% of Black women (compared to 17% of White men) say their supervisor uses “excessive control or attention to detail” when managing them. There’s more: A survey by the National Employment Law Project found that Black workers were “more likely to have concerns (80 percent) and twice as likely as white workers (18 percent) to have unresolved concerns at work, with 39 percent reporting they were “not satisfied with the employer’s response or did not raise concerns for fear of retaliation.”
The survey also found that 14 percent of Black respondents said they “avoided raising concerns to their employer for fear of retaliation—more than twice the average rate of 6 percent for all survey respondents.”
Owens pointed to the fact that these subtle stress triggers can negatively impact our physical health and our career advancement. “A lot of time it’ll affect our productivity,” Owens added. “We start to have negative thoughts of ourselves. The stressors can also cause fatigue. We’re no longer meeting or working up to our desired potential.” Other challenges as a result include insomnia and increased insolation, withdrawal, and lack of motivation to apply for jobs or promotions even when qualified.
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How To Manage Subtle Stress Triggers
While there are systemic issues at play for Black women at work that has less to do with us and more to do with major overhauls that must be addressed by the powers that be, there are steps we can take for the betterment of ourselves and our mental health. Owens offered the following tips:
Tap into a support system, whether it’s a coworker you trust, a family member, an organization, or an outlet like a hobby.
Create a good work-life balance before burnout even starts. “Having certain boundaries [is the goal] such as, for example, if you get off at 5, you get off at 5. If your job description is this, you don’t go above and beyond because that brings you to a lot of burnout,” Owens said.
Prioritize self-care, whatever that means for you. “If you don’t have a routine, create one. Practice mindfulness and even some meditation,” she added.
Create structure in your life outside of work. “Even if you have a family, applying some structure in your routine helps relieve stress,” she said.
Get into grounding techniques. “Do a real quick square breathing exercise, that’s literally 30 seconds, or you can do a grounding technique that’s less than two minutes, right there where you are. You don’t need any other materials. That’s something you can do with just yourself and your body.”
Ask for help. “As Black women, we don’t ask for help enough,” she said. “Find where you need to ask for help. A lot of times, people think that’s indicative of weakness, but we need to rewrite that narrative. It’s okay to ask for help where you see fit. [If] you’re a mom, [it could be] every Wednesday from 5 to 6, your children are with the dad. You have to carve out that time.”
For more information on Grow Therapy, visit their website. You can also find out more about Keanne Owens, LCSW, via BeginYourJourneyToHarmony.com.
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