Harmattan Hair Maintainance

It's been a while, huh guys?

Yeah, I've missed you crazily too!  

I meant to upload some overdue posts earlier, but I fell ill and I've felt so sluggish.  I thought I'd dodged my annual flu-like dealings this year, but just as I'd started to think that I'd escaped all things achy, an ordinary throat itch crested into a sloppy cold, that turned me into an unrecognizable crabby monster.  I've barely been able to wrest my head away from my pillow for the greater portion of this week, but thankfully, my stubborn cold is in it's final throes.  Hallelu!

Onwards and upwards, friends!

Midday.  Babcock University Campus 2011

Circa November 2011, Lauren and I, had become inseparable besties.  Months prior to my Christmas trip home (Nigeria), I had started growing more adept at braid outs, and even more comfortable with allowing my hair to bask in hot, humid, sunlight- shrinkage be damned.

The Smithsonian Museum, Washington, DC 2011

But, the moment I alighted from my 13 hour flight and my feet hit Nigerian soil, I made a quick mental note of exactly which of my suitcases housed Lauren, and I rashly decided then and there, that I'd be wearing some sort of head  covering (wig or scarf), at least until I became better acclimated with the curious weather.

 Babcock University (Ogun State), Nigeria

We call it Harmattan- (Haa-maa-taan) silent on the "r"- Nigerian's rarely pronounce R's 
Lol.
Or uguru, in Igbo.
Harmattan is a derivative of the Twi (Ghana) word Haramata.

Most West Africans should be familiar with this annual climate shift.  It's generally characterized by dry weather, very low humidity, and parched foliage.  In certain regions, there is a marked temperature difference in the morning and evening with highs and lows being cooler than normal (sometimes low 70's to  even the mid to low 60's Fahrenheit).  

The most notable identifier for harmattan is the fine Saharan dust that Northeastern trade winds blow in across Nigeria (and throughout other West African countries, hitting the coast).  Y'all in the south, envision pollen, dullish-red in hue, and fine enough to make the atmosphere look hazy.

Ooh!  Cool trivia- the Saharan sands are what Caribbean beaches are comprised of!  Neat, huh?

Once, a freak sun shower caught my older sister and I unawares, and with shrieks and yelps of surprise and delight, we scurried our butts inside our two story flat to dodge the rain.  Once it had abated, I'd peered through the railings of our balcony, and marveled over how lush and green the mango tree leaves in the neighboring compounds all appeared.  

Flawless white shirt, despite the dust.  I, the other hand, quickly learned to forfeit my white sneakers, in lieu, of sandals.

That dust man; it coats everything. 

Yep, everything- hair included.  

Any guilt that I had for not wearing my hair out more in Nigeria, during harmattan, was done away, whenever I'd glance across the landscape and note the red dust all about.  I'm undoubtedly over dramatizing here , but guys, I just don't like dirty hair.  A little bit of product buildup is one thing, but I draw the line at gritty dirt particles just hanging out 

all up and through.

Taking care of your hair during harmattan is comparable to taking care of your tresses during winter, with the inclusion of the dust of course, but the same general principles apply.   

So, some tips to better handle your hair during this time include the following: 

Tip 1:  Hydrate your body from the inside out by increasing your water intake.  This most important tip is one that's often overlooked.

Tip 2:  Moisture, moisture, moisture!

The weather during these times is dry, and or cold.  Skin and lips dry out and crack.  Hair strands do the same by drying out and breaking off.  Currently, I'm dealing with the after effects of slacking off on my moisture regimen.  Avoid breakage by using creamy moisturizers frequently, and sealing with heavier oils or butters.  Try using a conditioner if you're without a leave in.  Mix in an oil and apply it to your hair every other day and night.

Tip 3:  If you can, limit the amount of exposure your hair has to the outside surroundings.  Exposed hair strands will loose moisture due to the lack of it in the atmosphere.  Try to contain moisture loss by covering your hair with wraps, or protective styling with wigs, weaves, twists, braids, or buns.

Tip 4:  Layer up those moisturizers and sealants, boo!  During drier conditions, skip the light leave-ins, and opt for the heavier moisturizers and hair butters. 

Tip 5: Increase the frequency of your cowashes.  You should always be in hair hydration mode.  Cowashes also make for softer and more pliant hair, something else we all want, no?

Tip 6:  You can also choose to warm up your conditioners and oils (hot oil treatments) before applying them to your hair.  Just as sitting under a dryer helps conditioning treatments penetrate hair strands for better nourishment , your hair can still enjoy similar benefits.  If you’re without a portable dryer (like me),  simply warm up your conditioner (30 secs) in the microwave before applying it to your hair.

A few tips for us to maintain fly hair in miserable weather. 
Have I missed any?