When you’re looking online for natural hair care tips, sometimes you’ll come across words that you are not familiar with. Natural hair woman compiled a list of a few words and their meanings to help you out.
A
ACV: Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse: Its basically water mixed with apple cider vinegar, then used as a hair rinse. It closes the cuticles of your hair which in return makes your hair shinier, smoother and easier to manage. You can also use apple cider vinegar to wash your hair.
APL: Arm pit length (Referencing the length of hair).
Ammonium Lauryl sulfate: Lathering agent in shampoo that’s very drying and can cause damage to hair.
B
BSL: Bra Strap length (Hair Length)
Baggy: A process of covering hair with a plastic cap overnight or for a few hours for the purpose of adding moisture to hair.
Big Chop ( BC ): Cutting all your hair.
BKT (Brazilian Keratin Treatment): A chemical blow out treatment to temporarily straighten natural hair.
Banding: A styling technique that’s used to stretch natural hair. It consists of gathering hair in a section and then using hair bands to band hair from the roots of the hair to the ends of the hair. Can be done on wet or dry hair.
Bantu Knots: Its a styling technique that involves parting hair in sections then twisting each section in one direction creating a knot then pinning it with a hair pin or tucking it in itself.
Bantu Knot Out: Its created by releasing the bantu knots to create a curly hairstyle.
Box Braids: The braids are done in a box pattern.
C
CBL: Collar bone length (Hair Length)
Cones: Silicones in hair products.
Creamy Crack: Referring to chemical relaxers.
CG Method: The Curly Girl Method. Its basically a no poo method of cleansing hair. Using conditioner to clean hair.
Co wash: Washing your hair with conditioner.
D
DC: Deep Condition
F
Fluffing: A method of separating hair with fingers or hair picks to attain volume and a particular style.
H
Hair Type: The type of your hair. Reffering to the texture of hair. For example straight, curly, kinky and course.
Humectant: It’s a substance that helps retain moisture in your hair. For example Glycerine
L
L.O.C Method: A way of moisturizing natural hair. You start with LIQUID, then OIL, then CREAM
M
MBL: Mid back length (Hair Length)
N
No Poo: Washing hair with No Shampoo
P
Pre poo: Prepping hair with oils so that it will not be stripped of its moisture when you shampoo. See pre poo regimen here.
Pineapple Method: Putting your hair in a high ponytail. Done to preserve a twist out or any other style while sleeping.
S
Sealing: A method used to seal moisture in the hair by using oils.
Slip: It describes how slippery a conditioner or a detangler is. The more slippery it is, the more effective it is for detangling.
Stretched: When your hair is lengthened to its maximum by blowdrying, twists, braids etc.
T
TWA: Teeny Weeny Afro. Short afro hair
Twist and Curl: Hair is styled in two strand twists, then the ends are curled with rollers.
Twist Out: A styling technique where hair is two strand twisted with product then its left to dry overnight or under a dryer. Then its unravelled when its completely dry to form beautiful curls.
Tightly Curly Method: Using any moisturizing conditioner as your styler.
Transitioning: A time period when you stop relaxing your hair and start to trim the relaxed ends to eventually have all natural hair.
W
Wash and Go: Wash hair and apply leave in conditioner, moisturizer, styling gel and go. Also known as WNG or W&G
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