Mildew is Not for You

How to Prevent Mildew and Mold in Your Hair

Yes, this is a real issue. You won’t believe how many people suffer with the funky smell of mildewed/molded hair. The remedies that are found online may only work for people with a straighter curl pattern as opposed to those that have curlier patterns.  As a professional stylist, when I was fresh in the game, I dealt with two clients that had mildewed hair. One had locs and the other had natural hair. With the locs I tried everything listed online from vinegar, to tea tree oil to Listerine and everything in between and absolutely NOTHING WORKED. After several treatments their hair still had a sour smell. (I was baffled) Eventually my client decided to go with blade-to-blade treatment that ended the sour smell (as he reported back to me) and our client stylist relationship. :-(

My other client was a naturalista, she worked out everyday while keeping her hair in a ponytail, which caused the mildew.  We tried EVERYTHING aforementioned to get rid of that gosh awful smell, once again NOTHING WORKED. So with the advice of a seasoned stylist I was told to utilize guanidine or sodium, lithium or potassium hydroxide also known as relaxer. After consulting with my client she had decided to get the chemical service. Lo and behold it worked, no more smell, even after subsequent visits the smell was gone. 

Now with that I’m just going to be completely honest with this concern of some.  It’s a foul odor that offends yourself and others. NEVER ALLOW your hair to become a breeding ground for mildew/mold, because you can silence the smell for a few days but it will come back. Once your hair has molded or mildewed you truly only have 2 options: blade-to-blade treatment (a cut, the big chop, clipper service…yuuuup no more hair) or chemical treatment (relaxer service…creamy crack).  Neither of which: naturalists, locstars or dreadheads will want to do voluntarily. So the question is “How does one’s hair mold/mildew?” Let me explain this in detail.

Cause of Mold and Mildew in Hair

Mold spores are naturally found in the air and they are invisible to the naked eye. Dark damp places are havens for these spores. Mildew comes from moisture that is trapped inside your hair shaft and doesn’t completely dry. Many of you favor ponytails, buns and stylish updos, yup your go to style is Wonderland for mold /mildew spores. (Gross, I know). For those of you who like to shampoo your hair and HATE to sit under dryer, those that like to Deep Condition Treatment (DT) over night or those that work out or sweat a lot in the head.  You have to allow your hair to dry preferably with heated air as oppose to air dry hence the mold spores will be attracted to your damp hair and will make home in your ponytail, bun or style.

Prevention

If you are an avid shampooer, overnight Deep Conditioning Treatment or active individual or someone who sweats a lot in the head, you will need to do the following:

1)   Spray scalp with a tea tree/ peppermint oil/ witch hazel blend prior to drying your hair to assist with the prevention of mold spores hibernating in your tresses. Studies have shown that essential oils have antibacterial and antifungal properties. (Great for those with cute styles that want to maintain and keep.  After spraying scalp and hair with this blend, blow dry hair completely dry by alternating between hot and cool settings to better gauge the dryness level of your hair)

2)   Also those that sweat a lot in the head or are extremely active need to shampoo more often and do an Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinse. You may even want to do a soak in Baking soda water to help remove build up and mold/mildew spores.  I would recommend alternating between the two. One week do ACV, the following week do Baking Soda Soak. Both will need to sit for approximately 5-15 minutes. If you are deep conditioning without a dryer, sit with product on hair for 30-60 minutes. (No need to sleep with hair wet all night, inhibiting a grounds for mildew)

3)   Completely rinse all products out of hair. Rinse hair until water runs clear. Also, squeeze hair as tight as possible to ensure all products are out of your crown before drying. ALWAYS use a clean dry towel to remove moisture out of your tresses, by wrapping hair in sections with towel and squeezing as hard as you possibly can. Wring all moisture out with the towel.

4)   Allow your hair to completely dry. You can do this by several methods, blow-drying, sit under hair dryer or using a hand dryer if in restroom no hair dryer is available. Dry hair alleviates the ideal conditions for mold and mildew to grow.

Speaking from experience, NEVER EVER allow your hair to become a vacation home turned into permanent residence for mold or mildew. COMPLETELY DRY YOUR HAIR when it becomes, damp or wet with moisture from water or sweat. By following the aforementioned steps will help you to S.imply K.eep Y.our H.air H.ealthy.