Hijabi Hair Care

There are many misconceptions about Muslim women, especially Muslim women who wear hijab, and one of them is that we don't take good care of ourselves or care about the way we look when we're not wearing hijab.  Like most women, Muslim women are also conscientious about hair care even though they don't show their hair in public. The root of healthy hair (pun intended) is a healthy scalp so I'd like to share some simple tips on hijabi hair care.

Wash your hair according to your scalp type

One of the major signs of an unhealthy scalp is oiliness. It causes hair fall because the pores are clogged. If you have an oily scalp (prior to adding hair care products) it's recommended that you wash your hair everyday. How do you tell if you have an oily scalp? After you've washed hair, wait for 6 hours or so and then and use an oil blotter on your scalp. If it absorbs a lot of oil it means you have an oily scalp and you need to wash it once a day. Otherwise, washing it once in two days is sufficient and make sure the temperature of the water isn't too high. The cooler it is the better it is for your scalp.

Dry your hair before tying it up

Wet hair + hijab = big no no, especially when you're going to put it up in a bun as it will lead to hair breakage and hair fall out. Here are 20 things you shouldn't do to your hair. Also try not to go to bed with wet hair.

Avoid stressing out your hair

Tying your hair very tight for prolonged hours is not good nor comfortable. Tie it loosely with a scrunchie or loose hair tie or loosely hold it up with a hair clip. If you don't feel pressure at the hair roots then it's loose enough. I also suggest not using or minimising the use of the hijab inner especially in warm weather. What I do is fold 1/4 of my hijab and use the double-layered part as the front of my hijab. This prevents baby hair from showing.

Trim your hair every 4 to 6 weeks

This gets rid of split ends and dry ends while promoting hair growth. Even if you love having long hair, get it trimmed so it's healthy! 

Eat healthy foods

Poor nutrition can lead to unhealthy hair. Too much sugar and artificial preservatives and flavouring such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) can lead to hair loss (Foods That Can Lead to Hair Loss). Make sure you get enough protein and iron in your diet as they help to form keratin to strengthen your hair and nails. You should also take supplements or foods that are rich in biotin to prevent hair loss and support hair growth and here are some foods your hair will thank you for!

Use paraben-free and SLS-free shampoo and conditioner

Get them from your local health care or organic food and products store. They might be a little bit more expensive than drug store products but they are good for your hair and body. Or you could try making your own natural and homemade shampoo. There are plenty of "recipes" online so you just have to pick one that sounds the most suitable for you.

Use a natural hair care product such as virgin coconut oil and olive oil

Let me be honest with you. I was skeptical about using oil in my hair because I thought it would make my hair super oily. I was wrong. I've been using Catalyst's Hair Treatment Series which consists of the Hair Revitaliser and Hair Treatment for a month and I am in love! If you want thicker and stronger hair by using products with natural ingredients this is perfect for you.

My hair is softer because it's moisturised with the best oils on the planet - organic virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil - and you know how they say it's normal to lose 50 to 100 strands of hair everyday? Well, these products have significantly helped me to reduce that number. VCO and EVOO is a powerful combination which balances out the natural oils in your scalp thus creating the optimal environment for strong and healthy hair. As I mentioned before, a healthy scalp is the key to growing and maintaining healthy hair and I'm very happy I've found these two products because I've tried so many things that are expensive but not effective.

How I use the Catalyst Hair Revitaliser (120 ml) Price: RM 39

Ingredients: Organic virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, rose, herbs, rosemary, fragrance.

I massage a coin-size amount into my scalp after washing my hair and allowing it to dry. I wash my hair everyday but I use this 4 to 6 times a week. I also apply a coin-size amount to the rest of my hair and it leaves my hair feeling very moisturised and smelling great even after an entire day of wearing hijab.


 

How I use the Catalyst Hair Treatment (25 ml) Price: RM 39

Ingredients: Organic virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, rose, herbs, tea tree oil*, rosemary, fragrance.
*The tea tree oil is an antiseptic and anti-fungal which helps to treat dandruff and dry scalp.

I massage a coin-size amount into my scalp and leave it in for 30 to 45 minutes before washing my hair. I recommend using this 3 to 5 times a week.

Results after one day: Moisturised, manageable and great smelling hair
Results after one week: Less hair fall
Results after month: Softer, stronger and thicker hair. Less split ends.

As you can tell, I'm very happy with the results as I've seen improvement in the look and feel of my hair. If the Catalyst Hair Treatment Series is not available in your country, an alternative is to buy the ingredients from a health care or organic products store to create your own natural hair treatment series. If you're in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, I'll give you my personal supplier's contact details :) Feel free to contact her if you have any questions:

Ailana / 019 7000371 / Ailana Catalyst Facebook page / Delivery in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei