Komaza Hair Analysis, is a service where the experts of Komaza Hair Care analyze the health and properties of your hair. Through the hair analysis, you will learn how to care for relaxed hair plus more. In Part 3 of my Komaza Hair Analysis, I shared the consultant’s recommendations. If you missed it, check it out as it will help you to understand this post which shares my thoughts on caring for relaxed hair with the Komaza Hair Analysis approach.
Cuticle Damage and Breakage
Reason: resulted from over moisturization
When I was first told I had cuticle damage, I was not surprised as I have a tendency to always believe my hair is unhealthy. My hair breaks often so logic suggests my hair isn’t 100% healthy.
My hair measured at 16 inches per the Komaza report. I accepted this to be truth as I was too lazy to measure for accuracy. Although insignificant to Komaza, my length quickly became significant to me as it allowed me to estimate how old my hair is which helps me to pinpoint what was happening with my hair at that time. The consultant was confident my cuticle damage resulted from over moisturizing (steaming too much) and my breakage is a result of damaged cuticles. I’m starting to question this theory. Hair grows at a rate of about 1/2″ per month and 16 inches of hair means, my hair is about 2 years old, give or take, from root to tip. If I reflect back on what was happening with my hair over the past 2-3 years, I must admit, my hair has taken a beating for about 2 1/2 of the 3 years. I was salon hopping and skipping trims. My hair was breaking more than normal and things were just all wrong. I finally drew a line in the sand and returned to my old salon/stylist that did me right back in the day, but that was long after the damage was done. I’m thinking the cuticle damage is a result of over processing, improperly caring for relaxed hair care and things of the like.
Diminished Root Sheath
Indicator: early signs of thinning
I have inspected my hair throughly and I’m simply not seeing any thinning. However, pictures don’t lie. I’m very slow to adopt new medicine/vitamin regimens unless prescribed by a doctor. Therefore, I compared my GNC Be Wholesome vitamins to the vitamins the consultant recommended and they are similar in some areas but differ greatly in others. I will keep with my current vitamin regimen until I speak with my medical doctor.
Treating Relaxed Hair Likes It’s Relaxed
Logic: relaxed hair should be washed with sulfate shampoo, moisturized once every 2-3 days and not sealed with oil.
I get that I’m relaxed, make no mistakes about it. However, my relaxed hair has flourished with natural inspired techniques. I will admit, some of the techniques I’ve tried have been a complete fail but most have been a hit.
Although I love co-cleansing, I recognize it doesn’t remove all product buildup. Therefore, I alternate co-cleansing and sulfate-free shampooing which I think is sufficient. I expressed my concerns to Komaza about weekly sulfate use and they gave me the thumbs up to use sulfate-free shampoo. But here’s the kicker, they want me to use sulfate shampoo weekly. That, I’m not 100% on.
While I agree straight hair (relaxed or not) allows oils to travel down the strand, I feel that has nothing to do with sealing in moisture. Besides, after you wash your hair, your scalp is free of oils. I mean, how long does it take for oils to replenish (on the scalp) and travel down the strand. I’m thinking moisture would have evaporated out of my strands before this process happens.
FYI: I asked what does moisturized hair suppose to feel like…it should be soft but not wet and should not break or feel like it will break when running your fingers across it. My hair is habitually dry and always feel like it’s on the verge of breakage which totally makes me scratch my head on the over moisturization aspect.
Conclusion
I’m on the fence about some of their tips for caring for relaxed hair, mainly because my porosity is TBD. After it’s conclusive, I will feel better and can finalize how I plan to move forward. Everything they advised is geared toward normal to high porosity. That scares me. I swear I’m low porosity. I could be wrong but gosh, my hair just mimics all things low porosity.
Komaza seems to believe mostly all relaxed hair is normal to high porosity. That kind of made me feel labeled. However, my strands were showing lifted cuticles so I guess pictures don’t lie. I will feel much, much better when they re-analyze a small collection of strands from a normal wash day.
I’m gonna put some of their theories to test….I’m due to wash my hair and I am planning to follow a Komaza inspired regimen. Stay tuned for Part 5, Komaza Inspired Wash Day.
Let us know what the results from the regular wash hairs are too please diva!
Thank you so much for going through this process and sharing it in on your blog. I have consistently been baffled by the whole protein/moisture balance issue. I must say that I follow a mostly natural hair regimen and throw in protein very sporadically. My hair has been doing well with this regimen. I’ll continue to stay tuned to your posts to see what your final thoughts are. I’m not sure what to think right now. Haha…
I am loving your approach to this, Diva!! I think it’s great that you’re questioning the experts instead of just taking everything they said as golden. I felt the same way you did about the “all relaxed hair” statements. Of course, I’m not an expert at looking at relaxed hair under a microscope, but my hair has flourished with the natural inspired techniques as well. I’m very interested to see how your hair reacts to the new wash day and the results of the final analysis.
Hmm I know how you feel about your LP hair, am convinced am LP too. Can’t to hear your wash day experience.
Hi Diva – Thanks for sharing your results. I had a Komaza hair analysis last year and they made some recommendations that I did follow and I was able to see results. I am anxious to hear the results of your Komaza inspired regimen. Good luck.
Yes please let us know. I follow a “natural” hair regimen and my hair is better than ever. I use a heat cap and protein conditioner when needed. If I use the protein treatment my hair turns to straw. I used to use sulfate shampoos and my hair would be like straw and break all over the floor. Then my stylist switched me to sulfate free no more dryness. I also have gone from bone straight to texlaxed in the past 3 years. I wonder if being texlaxed would make a difference in “treating relaxed hair as relaxed” because my telexed hair isn’t straight, it is more wavy/curly even after a rollerset. I only get straight hair after a blowout or flat iron. We should have to moisture our hair wavy/cury then right since oils would have a hard time reaching the ends?
Good question. I’m not totally texlaxed so I’m being addressed as a relaxed head. What shampoo do you use? I like, Bee Mine and CON Argan. I’m open to trying others. Oh and protein conditioner do you use? I think the key for me is to use proteins my hair likes. I don’t think I’ve done that to date. I will keep searching until I find, the one.
i am going to try the no sealing and just moisturize a few times a week. i will try the protein once a month.
I like your protein schedule. I think weekly has become to frequent for my hair.
The no sealing thing makes sense in theory but it didn’t wow me so I started back sealing.