Hijabi hair care

Asalam waliykum sisters,

Bad hair days, yes we all experience them. It doesn't matter what type of hair you have at some point while wearing hijab your hair will start to show some signs of wear and tear.

Some sisters complain of Hijab hair, which i can say sort of resembles bed head. It is true, and to make matters worse sisters start to neglect their hair, as they are not showing it as often then they don't need to look after it as much or so they think. This is totally wrong, and something i went through myself. But i soon realised i should look after my hair for myself and for those who are deserving of seeing it.

a note for married sisters, you should make the extra effort to look after your hair, you want to look nice for you husband. This is hard, i can understand totally coming home from work and whipping off your hijab only to have to go cook and clean and not have much time for your hair and beauty regime. Even more of a challenge when you have kids i can only imagine. However, we should make that extra effort and it helps to let your husband know you need that time so you can look good for him. I would think he would understand, inshallah he does. This may mean once a month or every other month booking yourself for an appointment at a beauty salon and getting a good treatment and style up of your hair.

It is super difficult, most of us have to wear the hijab all day, and some can not even remove it when they get home due to non mahrams being in the house. Your hair which was bouncy and super soft when just washed has now become matted, flat, lifeless and dry or oily. We all get it.

How can our hair get into this state?

- Hijab material

- frequent washing

- harsh shampoos

- Brushing hair while wet

- washing hair and putting on hijab with damp hair

-straightening/styling hair while wet- Huge NO-NO

Okay so solutions i have picked up and learnt along the way...

1) It really does matter what material your hijab is. I have been told by many sisters the best material to use as hijab is very thin cotton with a large weave or 100% silk.

Materials to avoid are Thick heavy pashminas and shaylas, satins and polyester... and nylon (Yes some hijabs are made of this nasty stuff). In the winter i love to wear my thick pashminas but i now know it does nothing for your hair and can wreak havoc. The same goes for under caps too. The bone under caps are not that brilliant and can make your head hot stuffy and oily. You need to have a fabric which will allow your hair and scalp to breathe... otherwise you will end up with headache and a sweaty head, not attractive. I find 100% cotton tubes to be the best. Also if like me just using the under cap to keep the fringe, and hair from slipping out why not use a thin headband the fabric types this will work best especially in the warmer months.

Lace under scarves are brilliant too, but remember they are transparent.

In African countries and also southern Morocco women are seen to be wearing printed silk scarves and shaylas. They allow the air to circulate and are best for warmer climates.

2) having been a frequent visitor to hair salons throughout my life, i picked up a few tips from hair stylists. Frequent washing of hair is BAD. especially if your hair is medium to thick... you should avoid washing hair everyday or every other day. I have always been told to wash hair twice a week maximum. Washing hair too often stops the oil from coating the hair, yes you need the oil to protect the hair shaft and to strengthen it. If you are constantly washing it your hair will be super dry and become brittle. This is why those of African decent wash their hair infrequently and add oil to the hair to stop it breaking off.

3) Harsh shampoos are another culprit and will not help with your already "hijabi hair". I have recently swapped my regular shampoo of Lush shampoo. Although they still contain the foaming agent which can irritate scalps, they are packed full of good oils and natural ingredients that are not harsh on the scalp or hair. I suggest finding hair products with the least amount of synthetic ingredients. It will leave the good oils in your hair, synthetic ingredients strip the hair of all its oils leaving your hair prone to dandruff and irritation and thus creating more oil

4) BIG no-no. Brushing your hair after you wash it is the worst thing you can do. The shaft of the hair is composed of cells that lie flat. when you wash the cuticles in those cells open and the hair is at its most fragile state. Best thing to do is allow hair to dry naturally fully before styling hair and before wearing the headscarf. I like to apply macadamia hair oil to the bottom 2/3rds of the hair while wet. This i find helps lock in more moisture

So what can help? Well as mentioned a good shampoo will reduce the wear and tear of your hair. Good hijab material, brushing hair only when dry.

Macadamia oil

A good thing to do is to use a hair mask once a week or so... i make my own and avoid ones you get from the shop. Lots of synthetic harsh ingredients. I make mine with honey, olive oil, argan oil, macadamia oil, a small amount of lemon juice.

Argan oil, originates from Morocco and recently been used by many brands in their products. It is extremely expensive due to its ability to "reduce" wrinkles and repair cell damage. Alhamdulillah being Moroccan I can get mine while visiting and as my husbands family grow the stuff i get mine for free. It is cheaper to purchase in Morocco from the Non touristy areas.

Another Product i recommend is Henna. It has been used for 1000's of years to beautify hair and also to beautify hands and feet. The reason why henna is used predominately, yes its pretty and the colours are nice, but because it contains proteins that bound to cells and strengthen it. Hence why in Africa and across the Arab countries both men and women use it on the soles of the feet as it toughens the skin. It also has the same effect on the hair, it creates a thick protective layer around the hair and penetrates the shaft to strengthen the whole hair.

I recently started to use the henna from Lush with added oils and it is my favourite thing to use, I love the colour but also after using it my hair feels super silky soft and very strong. I recommend everyone to use it if your not keen on the colour then apply it to the hair and leave in for 30 mins and wash straight out. I love the colour so i leave mine in for 3 hours.

Caca rouge from Lush.

Inshallah do a separate post on henna.

If your not keen on the colour of henna, i am aware of another product used, also from a shrub and is available in the middle east, its called Sedr, i have looked for it in Morocco and not found it there. So if i get the chance Inshallah get it from Middle east. It has the same properties as Henna but is colourless to some extent but nourishes the scalp and hair all the same. It is not available in the UK perhaps in specialist stores. I know Iranians love to use it. So if you know any Iranians perhaps ask them.

Have any tips or tricks, found this helpful. Please comment and let me know

Wasalam :D