Hijab doesn't cover beauty. It redefines what beauty is...
Wearing the hijab is one of the biggest honors any Muslim woman can hold. Not only is it empowering, but it is a sense of direction. To lead our own lives and convey our religion by reflecting great character, etiquette and modesty.
To wear the hijab is to respect Allah (SWT) commands, as he knows what is best for us. It's purpose is to protect us from harm or lurking eyes. However, the value of wearing hijab doesn't diminish the value of self-care. Self-care is highly encouraged in islam as taking care of yourself is a form of worship where you are looking after a blessing that Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon you.
Consequently, in regards to wearing the hijab and the effect that it can have on your hair doesn't mean to simply avoid the problems that may occur or neglect your hair altogether. To be mindful of how you treat your hair and take care of it will intercept issues such as hair loss from arising.
Many of us who have been wearing the hijab for a VERY long time and I mean from our early teenage years, or for some even earlier, tend to experience hair loss. This is due to the constant friction between the hijab and your hair, lack of hydration or simply because you wear your hair too tightly (also known as Traction Alopecia), among many other reasons.
In saying so, it’s become a more obvious issue for many girls/women out there who are becoming self-conscious of their hair, in turn lowering their self-esteem. Because of this, they end up doing surgery to replant their hair (if their condition is really bad) or avoid the problem altogether.
My blog is to make women feel their absolute best in whichever way works for them. Whether it was through self-care, fashion or by becoming the best version of themselves. Having a healthy hair care routine falls under the category of self-care however it doesn’t stop there. Once you feel good about one thing, your confidence tends to increase. And the more things you feel good about, the better you feel about yourself.
It’s a never ending pattern.
Therefore, work on yourself. Whether it was on your looks, on your body, on your personality, on whatever you feel needs work.
Do something.
Don’t just sit around waiting for a miracle. Most of the time, the miracles are in your hands, you’re just too lazy to make it happen.
So get up, follow through these tips and do your own research to jump on that amazing healthy hair care journey you’ve been manifesting.
Sidenote. These are purely my own opinions based on my own research. Please do your own research before following through.
TIP 1
First things first. And the most obvious. Probably the one we all do without realising the negative effects it’s having on us.
LOOSEN THAT HAIR!
I too am guilty of this. But tying your hair REALLY tight just so it doesn’t ‘come out’ of your hijab is not a good enough reason. There are so many other methods we can do to avoid hair from coming out of our hijab. One, is ensuring we are wearing a head cap (if we aren’t) or ensuring it’s sitting fit on your head. Not too tightly, and not too loose. Just enough for some air circulation to go through without causing you a migraine.
TIP 2
Change your elastic hair ties to silk hair ties. It makes such a difference. Even if it’s not too obvious. Silk is known to be beneficial for your hair and skin. Like when they tell you to sleep on a silk pillowcase to prevent hair loss and ageing.
Thus, silk hair ties will do just that. Prevent hair loss, and in turn promote healthy hair. Reason being, it’s not too tight on the hair strands forcing the hair out from the root. Quite frankly, it has got to be the worst feeling when you take your hair out after a long day of having the hijab on and finding a hairball in your hair tie.
Lose the elastic band.
They sell silk hair ties on amazon at a great price. Start there if you haven’t already.
TIP 3
Recently I’ve come across head caps that have a silk interior, with a cotton exterior making it easy for your hijab to remain put while keeping your hair healthy and hydrated.
Personally, I haven’t tried one so I’m not sure how effective it really is, however it’s definitely worth the investigation and a try if you feel like you want to exhaust your options.
TIP 4
Another easy switch in your hair care journey is to remember not to brush your hair when wet. I know majority of us do this. However, it has been proven that brushing wet hair is a cause of hair damage and breakage. Therefore, to simply avoid this, gently towel dry your hair and let air dry.
Once it feels dry, use a paddle or bristle brush to comb out any tangles.
Now that we’ve gone through the simplest of changes, I want to get a little deeper in what can be done to rejuvenate your hair, how to take care of it and what can be done to ensure you’re not only preventing it from falling out, but nourishing and hydrating it.
TIP 5
One thing I do if I really want my hair to stay set under my head cap is to spray it with water. However, to enhance that process, applying rosemary water will not only stimulate hair growth, but it’ll strengthen your hair follicles, thus prevent it from falling out.
Rosemary water can be made at home or bought. Making it at home is really easy. Just apply 3 to 4 strands of rosemary into a pot and add a few cups of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove the rosemary stems and fill the remaining water in a spray bottle for easy application. There are many reels you can find on social media that show you how. Feel free to follow any that you resonate with the most.
Use that spray and apply to your hair after tying it up with your silk hair tie. Slick back with a soft bristle brush to prevent any hairs from coming out of your hijab.
You get both benefits of ensuring your hair is nice and slick, as well as providing beneficial nutrients to your hair.
TIP 6
Research more into rosemary oil and hair oiling. Hair oiling is known to hydrate the scalp, in turn stimulating hair growth and ensuring ultimate nourishment. Incorporating this method into your healthy hair care journey will play a very big role in preventing hair loss. By keeping your hair healthy, the problem of losing hair while wearing the hijab diminishes.
It also makes you enjoy wearing the hijab so much more because you feel confident that your not losing any more hair, thus higher confidence.
TIP 7
Overall hair health. Choosing the right shampoo and conditioner. Applying masks and oils to your hair frequently. Not washing your hair too often. This may be hard to hear. But apparently washing your hair less and allowing the natural oils to come out is very beneficial for hair growth.
Try to apply the steps that are simple for you to start with so it doesn't feel like a chore. Once you start getting the hang of it and incorporating in your daily routine, you can get a little boujee and apply the rest of the tips mentioned above.
With these 7 tips mentioned, I suggest you do your own research to further educate yourself on the benefits of taking care of your hair, along with preventing it from falling out.
Wearing the hijab truly is a beautiful thing and we should all wear it with pride and our heads held high. Regardless of what our hair looks like beneath. Hijab is your source of confidence, and that’s where it should be stemmed from.
Taking care of yourself externally is to make you feel good just as much as it is to look good. That’s obviously personal, however there’s no harm in wanting to look and feel your best.
These tips are only here to help guide you through a problem you may or may not have. Whether you suffer from hair loss or not, or simply just want to have healthy hair, this list of tips can help break down where to start and how to go about it. I am no expert by any means, however I feel like all hijabis can relate. And being one myself, I’m just throwing in a little bit of advice as well as some sort of guidance based on what I’ve researched and tried myself.
I hope this is a kickstart for you to start somewhere with your hair care and hijab journey and help you venture out more information on your own to better your understanding of the source of the issue.
Lots of Love
xxx
If you feel motivated and would love to learn more, be sure to check out my article on
'4 tips to keep your hair in place under hijab'.
You can find me on instagram posting a lot more glamorous content
@lama.dweik