Hair Care

Doobies, Pineappling and Sisterlocks: What Natural Hair Care Really Means

Eight naturalista bloggers help us break it down

by Tiffanie Petett | 9 COMMENTS

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Heat Stretching For length-obsessed naturalistas, heat stretching combats shrinkage. Done by using a blow-dryer, heat stretching is a less damaging alternative to flat ironing, helping to avoid permanently altering your hair's natural texture and curl pattern.

"I started heat stretching, because I didn't want my regular use of heat to be mistaken for heat training," says Alicia James of Easy Natural Hair, who says she has a mix of 4A, 4B and 4C curls. "I'm not trying to change the natural texture of my hair. I do it because heat makes my hair easier to manage. My knots and tangles are minimal, and I experience less breakage and shedding throughout the week ... My goal is not to have straight hair, but to manipulate my hair in a way that helps me maintain it daily."

"Using heat is a big decision when it comes to [natural] hair maintenance. You have to always be very careful and understand the risk that comes with doing it ... even just once. For extra heat protection, I use extra virgin olive oil. It was already a regular part of my hair regimen, and extra virgin olive oil has a high smoke point, so it can tolerate high heat."

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