I trust and pray all is well with all of you naturalistas!! This installment in the Dry Hair series talks about pH and how the products that we use can make or break our hair...literally!
What is pH?
The term pH stands for potenz hydrogen and translates from Danish as hydrogen strength. A pH level signifies the amount of positive hydrogen cations or negative hydrogen anions a solution contains.
Acidic Substances and Hair
On a pH scale if the substance has a lower number (0-6.9), it is considered acidic. When hair and skin is healthy its acidic mantle has a pH of 4.5-5.5. What does this mean? Our hair reacts and is healthier in a more acidic state and substances that are around the pH or slightly more acidic than healthy hair tend to constrict and close the cuticle for increased shine and decreased porosity! So what are some examples? Aloe Vera & Hair Conditioners (4), Apple Cider Vinegar (3), Lemon Juice (2). Now these numbers are about an average, the only way to know if you're products or substances have a suitable pH is to test them with pH strips. Take a small amount and dip the pH strip into the substance the color of the pH strip after contact with the substance can be compared to the chart on the pH strip container and will tell you the pH level of that substance.
Basic Substances and Hair
On a pH scale if the substance has a higher number (7.1-14), it is considered basic or alkaline. High pH can have adverse effects on hair cuticles causing the scales to lift and the hair to swell an open. An example of this effect is the interaction between water and hair. Water although neutral is still more basic than hair (about 100 times more at a pH of 7). As a result, the hair cuticle scales slightly lift. Other examples of alkaline or basic substances include relaxers and permanent hair colors ranging from 10-13 on the pH scale! The key to avoiding breakage, dull/dry hair, the inability to hold moisture/highly porous hair is returning the hair to its normal pH range or normalizing to close or tighten the cuticles. If the cuticles are not closed or tightened breakage, damage, tangles and unnecessary headaches are inevitable.
For more understanding...
Looking at the scale the ranges are logarithmic and therefore though it looks like an increase from 4 to 5 is an increase of one, it is not, instead it is and increase of ten times the strength. (a pH level of 4 is ten times as acidic as a pH level of 5)
The Wrap-Up
It is very important to remember pH as a direct link to porosity. To keep your hair from being overly porous you must tighten the cuticles using higher pH products or substances. This process however should not be done drastically (from a relaxer or permanent color to normal) frequently because of the weathering it can cause. The proper use of pH can change your hair regimen for sure. It can keep porosity well balanced minimizing breakage, increasing manageability, shine and moisture retention. On my rechop journey I hope to work on pH balancing and having correct porosity. Though my plan is NOT to use permanent color in my hair AT ALL, I think if I perfect my regimen using pH balance I might be able to color my hair in the future. Who knows?!
Once again I thank you for reading and all information was found in my NATURAL HAIR BIBLE, The Science of Black Hair by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy. I urge you to check it out. It can be purchased on Amazon or on her website. Click the previous link to visit!
Stay Koily and Kute! ;-)
Acidic Substances and Hair
On a pH scale if the substance has a lower number (0-6.9), it is considered acidic. When hair and skin is healthy its acidic mantle has a pH of 4.5-5.5. What does this mean? Our hair reacts and is healthier in a more acidic state and substances that are around the pH or slightly more acidic than healthy hair tend to constrict and close the cuticle for increased shine and decreased porosity! So what are some examples? Aloe Vera & Hair Conditioners (4), Apple Cider Vinegar (3), Lemon Juice (2). Now these numbers are about an average, the only way to know if you're products or substances have a suitable pH is to test them with pH strips. Take a small amount and dip the pH strip into the substance the color of the pH strip after contact with the substance can be compared to the chart on the pH strip container and will tell you the pH level of that substance.
Basic Substances and Hair
On a pH scale if the substance has a higher number (7.1-14), it is considered basic or alkaline. High pH can have adverse effects on hair cuticles causing the scales to lift and the hair to swell an open. An example of this effect is the interaction between water and hair. Water although neutral is still more basic than hair (about 100 times more at a pH of 7). As a result, the hair cuticle scales slightly lift. Other examples of alkaline or basic substances include relaxers and permanent hair colors ranging from 10-13 on the pH scale! The key to avoiding breakage, dull/dry hair, the inability to hold moisture/highly porous hair is returning the hair to its normal pH range or normalizing to close or tighten the cuticles. If the cuticles are not closed or tightened breakage, damage, tangles and unnecessary headaches are inevitable.
For more understanding...
Looking at the scale the ranges are logarithmic and therefore though it looks like an increase from 4 to 5 is an increase of one, it is not, instead it is and increase of ten times the strength. (a pH level of 4 is ten times as acidic as a pH level of 5)
The Wrap-Up
It is very important to remember pH as a direct link to porosity. To keep your hair from being overly porous you must tighten the cuticles using higher pH products or substances. This process however should not be done drastically (from a relaxer or permanent color to normal) frequently because of the weathering it can cause. The proper use of pH can change your hair regimen for sure. It can keep porosity well balanced minimizing breakage, increasing manageability, shine and moisture retention. On my rechop journey I hope to work on pH balancing and having correct porosity. Though my plan is NOT to use permanent color in my hair AT ALL, I think if I perfect my regimen using pH balance I might be able to color my hair in the future. Who knows?!
Once again I thank you for reading and all information was found in my NATURAL HAIR BIBLE, The Science of Black Hair by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy. I urge you to check it out. It can be purchased on Amazon or on her website. Click the previous link to visit!
Stay Koily and Kute! ;-)
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