N.E.W.S.T.A.R.T And Natural Hair As women, we take pleasure in doing our hair. Getting your hair done or “making your hair” is very ...
N.E.W.S.T.A.R.T And Natural Hair
As women, we take pleasure in doing our hair. Getting your hair done or “making your hair” is very much part of womanhood. It is a chance to experiment, learn new skills and impart knowledge. Although this is all good and well, many women of African descent are destroying their tresses at the expense of beauty.
“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power—these are the true remedies”- EGW MH 130
In this text, I hope to share some ways on how to maintain afro textured hair by referring to NEWSTART. NEWSTART is an acronym that highlights eight health laws which, promote a holistic lifestyle. They are as followed:
Nutrition
Exercise
Water
Sunlight
Temperance
Air
Rest
Trust in God
Nutrition
Obtaining good health is primarily based on good nutrition. If the body lacks good nutrition then this will affect our health, including our hair health. The state of our skin, hair and nails indicate how we are doing internally. If we care for our insides then this will reflect on the outside.
A plant based diet which includes; vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and legumes is the best kind we can give to our body and our hair.
“Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing” – EGW, MH 296
“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. – Genesis 1:29
Our hair is made up of biotin and keratin the best way to enhance our hair heath is by including foods that are rich in the vitamins mentioned in our diet. Below I will list a few foods that are rich with these vitamins. If these foods are properly incorporated into our diet along with the other health laws we will see great improvements!
Foods good for healthy hair: Citrus fruits, dark leafy greens, nuts, carrots and avocado.
Exercise
Whilst being on my natural hair journey, I have noticed that there is an obsession with hair growth. If your hair is healthy then then growth will come. Exercise does not only have an influence on our body but our hair. A way to aid with hair growth and health is to increase your exercise. Exercise stimulates blood flow to the scalp, this then encourages hair growth and adds moisture to the hair which is vital for afro textured hair.
Each day try to do some form of exercise that will increase your heart rate. Running, jogging, brisk walking, lifting… all these and more assists with blood flow.
“Walking is preferable to riding or driving, for it brings more of the muscles into exercise. The lungs are forced into healthy action, since it is impossible to walk briskly without inflating them.” – EGW, MH 243.
Water
“In health and in sickness, pure water is one of heaven’s choicest blessings” -EGW MH 237
Water is an essential to the body and it should be the same for the hair. Once I began to apply water or water based products to my hair, I saw an immense change. If you must take anything from this text it is this; water is vital for healthy hair. For a very long time black woman have been told that water is the enemy. If water brings life and helps grow other organism, why would this be different for our hair?
Afro texture hair tends to be quite dry, this is because of our strands. Everyone has what is known as sebum on the scalp. This is an oil that is naturally present. This oil helps with the moisture of our hair. For Some hair types, it is easier for the sebum to travel down the strand. However, this is not the case for Afro textured. To help with this it encouraged to manually moisturise afro hair. The best moisturise for the hair is water.
Daily or a minimum of four times a week, spray your hair with water and apply an oil (olive oil, coconut oil, almond, castor or any carrier oil) to seal in the moisture. For added moisture or to help retain the moisture add a cream/ butter, such a coco butter or shea butter. After this braid or twist that section.
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