Did you miss natural hair blogger Curly Nikki’s live chat discussion earlier today? If you have questions about how to keep your hair moisturized, how to trim your own locks and skip the shop or how to find the right products for your texture, check out her response to some of these questions below. If you don’t see your hair questions represented below, be sure to check out CurlyNikki’s new book,  ‘Better Than Good Hair.’

Kelly: What should you use on edges that are thinning?

CN: I would recommend massaging nightly with castor oil (which has anecdotal evidence of thickening edges)

Lisa: Have you used the Bantu leave in? I want to use products on dry hair so that I get a fuller longer effect…what products work best? Some products leave a residue dandruff look when I try to use them on my dry hair.

CN: No, unfortunately. I love doing dry twist and braid-outs on blown out hair too. The best results (but least moisturizing) are a lightweight mousse like TIGI Totally Baked. LOVE the results, but my hair doesn’t feel as moisturized as when I use a creamy leave-in. For definition and moisture, try Qhemet Moringa Tree or Cocoa Conditioning Ghee.

WhertheresawillDesiree: After suffering a bacterial infection in my scalp, I had it treated and now my hair is extremely thin in that area..what can I do to make it grow!! it’s been several months.

CN: Sorry to hear that, chica. I’d see a dermatologist first. And see if they recommend a topical treatment or multivitamin.

Rhoda: Kids and trimming their natural hair…I am anxious about trimming my daughter’s hair, but don’t trust any local salons. Suggestions…

CN: You can purchase some professional hair scissors (10-50 bucks at Walmart, Target or Sally’s Beauty) and twist her hair up into 8-20 two strand twists. You can snip the very ends of each twist off, so that your results are even. I do this with my own hair and it works great! However, in my opinion, nothing compares to a professional trim. I’d schedule one with a trusted stylist twice a year.

Melissa: Well, after going natural for about a year, I went back to a relaxer. My hair was so thick and course until I felt that nothing was working, and it stayed dry. For some reason I just couldn’t manage it. I want to go back natural though…so what can I use or do to get it beautiful, healthy, and manageable?

CN: I’d highly recommend developing a solid regimen, and incorporating frequent deep treatments with heat. Also, if you find your hair to be too much to work with every other day or even bi-weekly, you can utilize protective styles, with care (paying attention to your edges and keeping your ends moisturized).

Patricia:  I have been wearing my hair natural for over a year. I still about every four months go to the salon, get it trimmed and straightened, but I now prefer the natural hair.

My question is, I completely understand that every hair day is different, and I DO know my hair type (When wet it’s probably close to a 2C and 3a. It can get a little overwhelming (and expensive) trying to find the perfect combination. Any suggestions/videos?

CN: Your hair is lovely (i can see your profile pic!) and I’m happy to hear you’re embracing your natural texture. You’re right in that it’s going to take tons of experimentation to find which product combo will work best for your texture. If I can make one recommendation, it would be looking into AG Fast Food + Recoil. It seems to be a popular product combo among curlies with hair similar to yours. I’ve tried it with success as well! It gives curl definition, moisture and shine with moderate hold. Good luck!

Nicole: I don’t color my hair. Does henna come in any other colors besides red? I’d like the benefits of henna without the color. My hair is a mixture of browns.

CN: Henna stains red and red alone. Any other mixes you see at the store (brown, blonde, etc.) contain other ingredients and I recommend to avoid them. Purchase body art quality henna from a reputable vendor (butters-n-bars) and mix it yourself. For more info on henna, check out this link–

If you want to try a similar plant, check out cassia (turns grays golden… but imparts a clear sheen to dark hair) check out this link

Maria: My hair is naturally curly, because of straightening it so much it won’t curl anymore, what can I do to get it to curl again.

CN: Sadly, if your hair is heat damaged (breakage OR loss of curl) there’s nothing you can do but trim away the damaged bits or grow it out (pretty much the same as transitioning). I experienced heat damage almost 10 years ago (white dot breakage), and I’d trim a little every month to prevent from a drastic chop. I kept my hair balanced (tons of moisture and soft protein treatments) and utilized protective styles to keep manipulation and friction low. I hope that helps. Sorry you’re going through this! Lots of us have been there. For tips on safer heat styling, check out this link-

Anndrea: What products can I use on my daughter so her hair is not so dry.

CN: I love Qhemet and CurlJunkie products on my daughter. They’re mostly natural and don’t cause her sensitive skin to break out. Qhemet is a highly moisturizing line and my daughter’s hair is DRY and the Moringa Tree Conditioning Ghee keeps her hair moisturized for days.

Today, Nikki Walton: a leading natural hair blogger and founder of CurlyNikki released her new book Better Than Good Hair.’ Today, as is the case every Tuesday, she answered our readers’ most pressing questions about hair and hair care including dry hair, bagging ends and protective styling. , growing edges and more. Make sure to check out her responses to our Facebook readers and to check out the giveaway attached to her new book at http://ow.ly/hdXtQ

Madame Noire: Ok, so MN will kick it off. Nikki, have you heard of “bagging” the ends of your hair? What is it exactly and does it help?

CurlyNikki: Madame Noire Yes! Some folks love it and some folks don’t. My hair gets incredibly gummy and more prone to breakage when it’s kept in a wet state. Others find it highly moisturizing and find that it helps retain length. Here’s a great summary of it here- http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/06/what-is-baggy-method.html

Renee: Hi Nikki, I’m a new natural (BC’d on Saturday, my profile pic is my twa) and my ends have a looser curl pattern than the rest of my hair. I haven’t used heat on my hair in about a year, so I’m guessing that that’s just how my hair is. Any suggestions?

CurlyNikki: Do you henna? box dye?

Renee : Nope, none of the above. I deep condition once a week, co wash 1-2x per week and clarify with Kinky curly come clean twice a month. I also make sure to moisturize and seal every other day.

CurlyNikki : Several different things could be going on here. I don’t know if you’ve ever had heat damage (how often were using heat before last year?), but if you were over using blow dryers or flat irons, even a year later, your hair would still show signs of damage. Many women have to transition out of their heat damage… it took me nearly 2 years (post college). I never had straight ends, but my ends had those ‘white dots’ that were very fragile and would break very easily. If it is indeed old heat damage, you’ll have to grow the looser hair out, trimming here and there until it’s all gone. If that’s not the case, it could be that your simply loosens with length. Many report that! Try some protein treatments to snap your hair back in place!

My fav balanced moisture/protein conditioner is Aubrey Organic’s GPB and it helps detangle as well ’cause it’s slippery! I use it at almost every wash!

Renee : I’ve been eyeing it every time I go to the vitamin shoppe, I’ll try it.

Janice: When I leave my hair open for any length of time the ends get really dry what can I do to get moisture back and not have them look so brittle ????

CurlyNikki :Make sure you’re properly sealing. Sealing is locking moisture in the hair, specifically the ends. To do, apply a leave-in conditioner with water as its first ingredient (try Qhemet Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee), and then seal with shea butter or oil. The molecules in most butters/oils are too large to pass into the hair, so they stick to the outside of the shaft, trapping in the moisturizer!

When sealing after your regular washing routine, apply your conditioner to damp hair in a downward motion. Then apply your butter or oil, concentrating on your ends, and style as usual.

Also, try protective styling! A “protective” style is one in which your hair isn’t loose. Whether your hair is twisted, braided, bunned or cornrowed beneath a weave, your strands are woven together and more resistant to breakage – plus, they hold on to moisture very well.

As with everything, less is more! So make sure your protective style of choice isn’t stressing your edges, and that you don’t leave it in too long, and that you continue to moisturize your hair even while it’s protected.

Finally, always protect your hair at night with a satin cap. Over time, sleeping with your hair out will result in loss of moisture. It’s not the sexiest look, but the payoff is worth it!
You may want to reassess your wash day products as well. Our hair tends to the dry side, but if you find the right product combo, your moisture should last for days, even with an out style! Finally if you notice your hair dries out fast it could be that your strands are highly porous. Most curly hair is highly porous, which means it has an open cuticle that allows moisture to easily escape and leaves you open to breakage . To tell if your hair is porous: Place a couple of hairs in a cup of water. If it sinks in less than a couple minutes, it’s porous.

Did you catch our live chat today with Nikki Walton, a leading natural hair blogger, founder of CurlyNikki and author of the new book ‘Better Than Good Hair? If not, it’s okay. We highlighted some of the best questions and answers below, which addressed everything from curly pudding to product recommendations. Be sure to check into our Facebook page at 1pm EST next week to participate in the live chat about everything hair. In the meantime, click though to see the advice she doled out for our loyal Facebook fans.

LeRose :My daughter’s hair is thick and unruly. It’s not tangled (nappy) at the roots but it is very tangled at the ends. She is only 4 don’t wanna use anything too harsh. What to do?

CurlyNikki: Practice lots of protective styling, only allowing her hair to be down or rocked in puffs once a week, if that. Keep her hair in box braids, pig tails with the length twisted… styles that allow the hair strands to fortify each other (stronger in numbers)! Keep it moisturized (paying special attention to the ends) and be mindful of her edges, don’t twist or braid too tight! Hth!

Today, MadameNoire.com had our first ever live Facebook chat with Nikki Walton: a leading natural hair blogger, founder of CurlyNikki and author of the new book ‘Better Than Good Hair.’ She answered our readers’ most pressing questions about hair and hair care including co-washing, dealing with different textures, growing edges and more. Click though to see the advice she doled out for our loyal Facebook fans.