Glossary & Terms


ACV- is an abbreviation for Apple Cider Vinegar. It smooths hair and closes the cuticle.


Baggy Method-You moisturize your hair, seal with an oil and put a plastic cap over your entire head or a sandwich baggy over your ponytail or bun all night.



BIG CHOP (BC) -The "big chop" is when you cut off all of your relaxed ends to be natural.


Braidout- is a hairstyle. You braid your hair in plaits or cornrows, this can be on dry or damp hair. When you unbraid it your hair will be "curly/ wavy".


Brazilian Keratin Treatment(BKT)-A temporary hair straightening treament that sometimes contains formaldehyde


Cellophane-A color rinse that acts as a conditioner and adds shine. 


Clarifying- To purposely strip the hair of all the products in it to remove build up.


CO-WASH- to "co-wash" means to wash with conditioner only, which cleanses the hair with out striping it of moisture.


Demi Permanent Hair Color- Generally lasts through 28 shampoos.


Dilute- adding an ingredient to a product to thin it out such as water.


Dusting- cutting a very little amount of hair so it looks like dust on the floor.


Essential Oils (EO)- Essential oils are natural oils and are ideal for sealing. Olive oil, Coconut oil, Rosemary, Peppermint, etc.


Flat Twists- are like cornrows except they're twists.Going back.


Henna-A powder used in body art that is also used for hair coloring but also to make hair stronger.


HHJ- Healthy hair journey. 


JBCO-  Is an abbreviation for Jamaican Black Castor oil. It thickens up the hair and increases growth.


Line of Demarcation-The point where the natural hair and relaxed hair meet.


The Medulla-the core of the hair shaft and contains soft keratinised cells, which is key in helping to give hair its elasticity.


Miconazole Nitrate (MN)- is an imidazole antifungal agent, developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica, commonly applied topically to the skin or to mucus membranes to cure fungal infections. It is found in Neosporin and Monistat vaginal cream. In the hair community  it is referred to as MN and is a growth aid that speeds hair growth  up giving an inch per month.


Natural- To be free of chemicals (ie. relaxers and perms)


Permanent Hair Color-Is permanent until you grow it out or recolor. 


Pre-poo- Deep conditioning BEFORE washing your hair.


Plopping- Drying your natural hair with a T-shirt to enhance curls.


Protective Styles-hairstyles that keep your hair off your clothes. Clothes tend to be harsh on your hair, especially the ends. Protective styling is great for retaining length. Great styles are: Flexi-rods, Rollersets, Braids, Ponytails, Phony Ponies, Sew-ins, etc.


Regimen- Your hair care routine.


Relaxed- Your hair has been chemically processed to break protein bonds in the hair strand to straighten it.


Sealing- Applying EO to the ends of your hair after moisturizing to help lock in the moisture.


Semi-Permanent Hair Color- Generally lasts through 8-12 shampoos and isn't as damaging as permanent hair color.


Search & Destroy- is a trimming method.


Shedding-Strands of hair with white bulbs on the root. Hair goes through a natural shedding phase, so don't worry if you're taking care of your hair and it suddenly starts shedding a bit. If you ARE worried, try using Garlic. It's been known to stop shedding.


Shrinkage-When your hair appears to be shorter because of the tight curls of your natural hair.


Stretching-Waiting longer than the recommended time to touch up your relaxer. This makes your hair healthier and prevents overlapping.


Texlaxing- leaving a relaxer in for a shorter amount of time than recommended to purposely under process the hair so the curl pattern isn't straightened, but loosened


Transitioning- when you stop relaxing so you can eventually big chop.


TWA- Teeny Weeny Afro


Twist Out- A twist out much like a braid out is a hair style. You twist damp or dry hair for a curly look.


Vendor-  A hair dealer.


Virgin Hair-Hair that has not been altered or chemically processed.





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