Why We Must Prevent and Cure HIHD (Hands in Hair Disease)

Good morning!!!

Before I get started, I want to say I’m so happy that this week is only a four day work week for my Hubby and me due to the holiday this week! (Happy Early Veterans’ Day to all the Vets and thanks for all you did for our country!!!)  Having an extra day to spend with my sweetie is so exciting; the anticipation is making this work week fly by! Ahhhh….to be in love!

Ok….I’ll stop gushing about the love of my life for this moment and on to why I’m posting today…

(cue scary music on organ) THE DREADED HIHD or in its full scientific name, Hands in Hair Disease!!!

Ladies (and Gents), we must fight diligently to prevent and cure this ailment because it causing us to experience more breakage and less retention which directly affects the health of our hair-as well as our length goals! Natural hair is so GORGEOUS! The curls, the kinks, the coils---once we learned to love them, we just can’t seem to keep our hands out of it. For many of us, going natural was the first time we truly have been able to experience our natural tresses and like with anything new, we want to play with it, which can lead to unnecessary wear and tear.

Some of the steps to help prevent/cure HIHD are as follows…

-Only touch hair when necessary such as washing, detangling, styling, etc. DO NOT keep trying to tweak your curls/kinks/coils throughout the day. DO NOT keep touching it to feel how soft and fluffy it feels. DO not twirl your hair because you see some cute guy and you know it make you look irresistible. Fight the urge!

-Utilize protective styles. Style your hair in ways which help to keep your hands out of it. Examples would be buns (not too taut or tight), braids (watch those edges and tightness), twists, or weaves (please take care of your hair underneath). Remember, protective styles stop becoming protective when they do more harm than good so don’t keep weaves in for too long and don’t make the styles too tight.

-Low manipulation. Do not over manipulate your hair. I know we want our hair to be fierce every day, but all the brushing/combing, and twisting, and touching---it’s not good when done day in and day out. Let your hair BREATH! Let it do what it does sometimes and if it doesn’t look good by your standards in the morning, a quick protective can be your best friend!

 Seriously, I know it can be hard. I have told myself that during these colder months, I’ll be doing protective styles during the week and I’ll unleash the curls on the weekends if I feel like it. Sometimes, I see other naturals rocking a puff or twist out and I absentmindedly go to touch my hair, but I slap my hand away and tell myself, “You have length goals and you’re not going to reach them when you suffer from HIHD!” This usually snaps me back to my reality!

Well, I hope this comical serious take on this “condition” has helped someone. I have TWO challenges for you all today. If you suffer from HIHD, start making the necessary changes to cure yourself and smile at someone today! You never know who needs that smile to just make it through the rest of the day. A smile-a small gesture that might mean the world to someone who is experiencing an unfavorable day. Have a great day and God bless you!