Pre-poo may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “wash routine.” But, it should be. As I learned over the years, it’s an important step when it comes to growing healthy natural hair.
Hair holds a certain amount of water molecules. If you wash your hair without pre-pooing, your hair will soak up a lot of water and expand. Once the water escapes, it takes along moisture and protein from your hair making it feel dry.
When you pre-poo, it allows moisture to penetrate your hair shaft without making hair strands dry and brittle.
Pre-poo: Oils vs. Conditioners
If you decide to pre-poo your hair, it’s best to use oils as opposed to conditioners. While conditioners add softness, it doesn’t protect the hair from protein loss and hygral fatigue.
Excessive moisture entering and leaving the cuticle layer can be extremely damaging. That’s why it’s important to pay close attention to the length of time you leave conditioners in your hair.
I’ve heard other naturals swear by sleeping with conditioner overnight. You might be able to get away with it, if you have low porosity hair. I’ll admit, I’ve done it in the past. My high porosity strands made absorbing and retaining moisture extremely difficult.
But when I mentioned this to a trichologist, she insisted that I stop doing it. She said leaving your hair wet and covered overnight is a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria to grow on your scalp. If done often, it can also lead to hygral fatigue.
After analyzing my scalp under a microscope, I realized that she had a valid point. The conditioners and products I was using left a white film on my scalp. My hair follicles were clogged, which stunted my hair growth journey. Even though I didn’t intentionally cover my scalp with product, it was obvious that it transferred from the hair strands.
Now my pre-poo routine only involves essential oils like lavender, peppermint and clary sage. These oils enhance my hair growth rather than prohibit it. I usually apply the oils to my scalp and massage it in to promote circulation. I then work it through my strands with baobab, or olive oil from root to ends. As I’m doing this, I gently finger detangle and remove shed hair. This step prevents single strand knots and access tangles. It also speeds up my wash routine because I spend less time combing through my hair during the conditioning process.
When it comes to applying the treatment, I limit my conditioning time to 30-45 minutes. Sometimes I’ll even leave it on and cover my hair with a cap while I shower for 10-15 minutes. The steam in the bathroom is enough to allow the product to do its work. I then style as usual.
So if you haven’t added pre-poo to your wash routine, try it out for a few weeks and let know how it goes.
In the meantime, head over to my YouTube channel to follow my natural hair journey and learn more about my family. Please don’t forget to subscribe.
