Hair Secrets From Around The World

As much as natural hair experts stress the importance of using products and methods that suit your hair, some ingredients cut across the board, and in this case across the world. Below are hair secrets that have transcended time and borders, giving the users healthy and luscious locs, regardless of their hair type.

Rice water , China

You’ve probably heard of rice water for hair growth, the Yao women from the Huangluo village in China credit it's use for their incredibly long hair. The women use fermented rice water to cleanse their hair, which keeps their hair clean and long. Research has found that rice water has even more benefits for hair such as reducing friction against it and improving its elasticity, this is attribute makes it a great detangler. Rice water contains a vitamin known as Inositol, which is used to treat hair loss as well as repair damaged hair. Inositol has a unique ability to remain in your hair even after a rinse, as it deeply penetrates the hair shaft, which means you can enjoy its benefits long after rinsing the rice water out. To make this treatment more effective (and any other product you used while washing), use cold water when rinsing your hair, this closes the hair cuticle which in turn seals the moisture inside.

Yao Women of China , Image from google

African Threading, West Africa

African threading involves sectioning the hair and wrapping the entire length in thread- roots to ends, this leaves the wrapped hair in a fully stretched and firm state (depending on how firmly wrapped the thread is) West African women often threaded their hair, which was/is a great technique for length retention. It also allowed them to wear their hair in very elaborate updos. Threading is one of the few heat free and damage free ways to stretch natural hair, which cuts down on tangles. Threading is also a fool proof way of protecting your ends from breakage, as they are fully stretched and protected from rubbing against rough fabrics by the thread. If you do choose to thread your hair, avoid threading it too tight as that would lead to headaches and potentially, hair loss.

Erykah badu in a threaded hairstyle, google images

Rosemary, America

Since we are on the topic of ethnicities and hair, this list would be incomplete without mentioning Native Americans. Though various tribes have belief systems that vary, when it comes to hair Natives all share one belief; it is sacred, it connects you to nature and with the infinite. This is why most natives keep their hair as long as possible. Aside from being long and healthy, you may have noticed an oddity with Native's hair; they have very few greys, even in old age.Many of them attribute this to the use of Rosemary. Greying is often thought to be caused by the accumulation of free-radicals (unpaired electrons) in the hair shaft, Rosemary’s oxidizing properties help fight this (Oxidizing agents donate electrons). Rosemary also contains vitamins and antiseptic properties, when applied to the scalp it boosts circulation, which is vital for hair growth while its antiseptic properties keep dandruff and other scalp ailments at bay. You can enjoy the benefits of Rosemary by either buying it in the form of an essential oil or boiling the leaves and using the water as hair mist.

Native American woman ; source, white wolf pack

Olive oil , Spain

I don’t think this ingredient is much of a secret anymore, Spanish women (at least according to the internet) swear by Olive oil, Olive oil’s use in modern hair care is already pretty common, but this seemingly ordinary oil was once referred to as ‘liquid gold’ due to its healing properties and limitless uses (and price lol). Olive oil is packed with nutrients, healthy fats and vitamins that make it a great moisturizer for hair.It also has antioxidant properties that make it an effective scalp oil. Spanish women praise it for its ability to prevent split ends if applied religiously onto the ends of the hair. Olive oil can also be used as a pre-poo treatment (application of a hair product before shampoo, to prevent excessive moisture loss), this is simply done by applying a generous amount of warm olive oil onto your hair and leaving it in for about 30 minutes before washing it out.

Olive oil, Image from Wix

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