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Brandy will share her Hair health tips and tricks
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00:03Hello, hello, hello. How are we doing? Where's the energy? Show me some love. How are we today?
00:16All right. So for our next segment, we are going into some beauty university. And today we have
00:24a very special guest. We have Dr. Brandi Welch, who will be sharing hair health and some tips
00:32about hair. So please help me welcome Dr. Brandi Welch. Yes, show her some love. Welcome, welcome.
00:50All right. So welcome to the BeautyCon stage. Thank you. So nice to have you. Is it working?
00:57It's on now. Are we good? Okay. Yeah, you're good. Okay. We're good now. All right. So please tell us
01:05a little bit about yourself. Tell us about your journey into beauty and into content creation.
01:11Of course. So hi, everyone. My name is Brandi or Dr. Brandi, as everyone knows me on TikTok
01:17and Instagram. I am a pharmacist by training. I've been working in the pharmaceutical industry
01:22for about seven years. And I like to say that my transition into beauty was an accident.
01:28I did what a lot of people do. I posted a random video on TikTok and I woke up and
01:32it was viral.
01:33And from that day, two years ago, I have been educating my audience about hair, science-backed
01:39beauty ever since then. So that is how I ended up in this beauty space.
01:44Yes. I love that because I definitely relate in that as well. I do curly hair content and
01:50that kind of just happened from one day to the next.
01:52Yes.
01:53And so what do you feel like consumers, why do you think consumers feel so overwhelmed
02:00by today's beauty industry?
02:02I think today we have more information than we've ever had before, right? We're all walking
02:07around with a computer in our hands 24-7. So when you add in social media, the amount of content
02:13that's being produced, the amount of users on social media, it's information overload.
02:17So realistically, people really don't know who to turn to, who's right, who's wrong. And
02:22that presents a lot of confusion for individuals.
02:25Do you feel like social media has made a hair care education better or more confusing?
02:32I think it's actually both in a way. It depends on who you follow. So I think in one manner,
02:36it's made it more accessible to have those professionals come in. You have hairstylists,
02:40try colleges, cosmetic chemists. You have all types of people coming online sharing their
02:45expertise. So that's the advantage. But then a disadvantage is you also have people coming
02:49online who maybe are just sharing what they do at home and it may not be correct. So as a
02:53consumer, it's up to you to kind of figure out who's right, who's wrong. And a lot of times we
02:58don't get that right. So yeah, definitely doing your homework behind everything. Yes. I think
03:05it's also very beautiful that we get to see like different creators around the world. Yes. And so
03:10like, you know, often we're just seeing who's closer, for example, like we're in the US, but we get to
03:16see people from other countries, like from the Caribbean and things like that, who actually have
03:20like different myths or different treatments and things like that, which brings me to my next
03:26question. So what's one hair myth that you wish would disappear? Anything regarding hair growth
03:32products. Oh, if you know me, you know, I cannot stand a hair growth product. And the reason why
03:37is because a lot of people don't know that hair growth claims are governed by the FDA. That's a
03:42drug-like claim. So when you're thinking about a cosmetic, you should not be promising hair growth
03:47or regrowth to anyone if it's not being marketed like a drug. So for consumers, I want everyone to
03:52understand if you're having troubles growing your hair, that's a medical question. You need to go
03:57to your primary care physician, a nurse practitioner or a dermatologist. You're not going to get it
04:01through a shampoo or a conditioner. Yes. So stop going on TikTok. Stop searching on TikTok. Exactly.
04:07Stop searching on TikTok. There's no miracle. You can't find it. And so does the audience have any
04:14questions on like maybe some hair myths that you've heard before or any questions that you want to ask?
04:21Anyone? Come on. I know you have a question somewhere over there. No, no, no.
04:29That's okay. So what are, are there any like common misconceptions that you hear repeatedly about
04:36from consumers? Um, I think the common misconception is confusing like hair growth with length retention.
04:44I think just that terminology, it really confuses people. So what a lot of people don't realize is
04:49everyone's hair is already growing. So you know what I mean? You don't have to do anything. However,
04:53you do have to work hard to retain length and that's going to be through your hair care routines.
04:58And that's, that's the misconception. Yes. And I think also, um, can you share more like even when people
05:04try to do like protective hairstyles, like, is that also like helpful or is it, does they also
05:11damage your hair? It depends. Right. So I'm one of those people, I feel like everyone should wear
05:16their hair the way that they want to wear their hair. However, just be informed of the pros and
05:20the cons. Right. So when you're thinking about protective styles, making sure that you're keeping
05:24your scalp clean, making sure that you're keeping your hair moisturized and hydrated so it's not breaking
05:29off prematurely. And more importantly, as black women, making sure it's not too heavy.
05:34A lot of people think that we have coarse hair and we actually have fine hair,
05:38which means it cannot support as much weight as we think it can. So just keep that in mind
05:43whenever you're doing hairstyles. I know that's super important. And so what do you think people
05:47spend too much money on? Bond repair treatments, bond repair treatments. Oh, you heard that?
05:55I think the bond repair market has boomed, but I don't think it's boomed appropriately. A lot of
06:01people don't understand that there are multiple bonds in their hair and they are trying to repair
06:06bonds that don't need to be repaired or they don't even have hair that's damaged to that capacity. And
06:11I think people are looking at these products hoping that it's going to provide some miracle,
06:16but realistically, it's like anything in life. When you use things that you don't need,
06:20it may not be beneficial to you. It may actually be harmful.
06:23Yeah. And I think it's also important to know maybe your hair type and what works best for your
06:29hair and what doesn't. I think that sometimes that confuses people. And also knowing that there
06:34are different hair types in your hair. It's not only one type. And so how that works with products and
06:43different things like that. Yeah. I always tell people, don't even worry about the labels. The labels
06:48are probably the least important part of it, right? Because like you said, everyone has different
06:52hair types. I have three different hair types in my head alone. So I'm more focused on how does my
06:58hair feel? How does it behave? And that's what I tell everyone else to do as well. Yes. Thank you
07:02for
07:02that information. I think that's really helpful to know. If everyone in this audience change one thing
07:08about their routine tomorrow, what should it be, including myself? Keeping that scalp clean. I don't think that
07:16most of us wash our hair enough. I think we have been told that washing our hair as black women
07:23is
07:24going to make our hair drier. But when you think about it, we're introducing water. So water is going
07:29to rehydrate the hair. So I think more of us need to focus on keeping the scalp clean, keeping it
07:34healthy.
07:34Because if you think about it, the hair follicles live there. So you want to have a healthy scalp so
07:38that you can ultimately have healthy hair. So what is the recommended amount of times to wash it?
07:44Okay. This is where it's going to be a little contradictory. It varies person to person,
07:49right? So it's going to depend on how you're styling your hair. I typically tell individuals
07:53to wash their hair every one to two weeks. However, there are some individuals that can stretch it.
07:58And there's some people that have to wash a lot sooner. One thing I do want to know is if
08:02you have
08:03like a diagnosed scalp condition, like a sevderm, a dandruff, psoriasis, you want to follow whatever
08:09the clinical guidelines are. And that's why I say team up with your dermatologist to make sure that
08:13you're doing whatever the treatment regimen is for you. Yes. No, I definitely agree with that. I
08:17always say healthy hair always starts at the scalp. Yes. And so scalp hair is important. If there's
08:23anything you're going to take away from this conversation is that scalp health is important.
08:28Yes. And so, okay. What are some biggest factors that actually influence healthy hair?
08:37So one, your level of damage, right? Everyone talks about health, but on the side of health,
08:42it's damage. So what are you doing to your hair that is going to be damaging to your hair? I'm
08:47sitting here with bleach blonde hair. So I know my hair is technically damaged because I know that
08:51there's other things I don't do as often. Heat is damaging. So I don't use a lot of heat on
08:56my hair.
08:57I wouldn't go in and double process my hair. I wouldn't put a lot of tension on my hair. So
09:01making
09:02sure that you keep in mind the actual state of your hair and styling it accordingly. And the
09:07other side of that is keeping that in mind, making sure your routine is also aiding in your hair goals.
09:14So blonde hair, for instance, is a lot more moisture. I need more frequent trims. Again,
09:19I can't do the heat. So maybe I'm going to sit under a hairdryer instead of picking up a blow
09:23dryer.
09:24Those are the type of things you want to keep in the back of your mind. And then finally, of
09:28course,
09:28if you have any medical conditions. So if you're on medications, you may experience some thinning.
09:34Again, maybe avoid those super heavy hairstyles. If you have a scalp condition, making sure that
09:39you're keeping the scalp clean and you're only using those prescribed products on your scalp and
09:43not any other products. Okay. Thank you for that. You know, I always tell, I do my partner's hair and
09:50she has locks. And I always tell her that she also needs to take care of her scalp and, you
09:56know,
09:56constantly like look through her hair because she thinks because she got locks, you know,
10:00she don't got to do put too much effort. And I'm like, no, that's not the case.
10:03No, that's not the true. My fiance has locks and I was cleaning his scalp this morning. Nope,
10:07we clean that scalp. You see? Okay. So can science answer every beauty question?
10:15No, it can't. The thing about science is science is black and white and it doesn't leave room for
10:21personal preference. Science is just going to give you the tools to make a decision, but ultimately it's up to
10:26you.
10:27At the end of the day, I always say hair is a form of expressing yourself. So whether it's
10:32a hundred percent by the books or not, you're the one that has to wake up each day and be
10:36happy with
10:37how you look. So if it doesn't align with science and you're okay with whatever risks come from that,
10:42I say do it because I'm going to keep leashing my hair. Yes. Which also brings me to the next
10:48point.
10:48So it's like, so like where does personal preference like fit into hair care?
10:52I think it should be at the forefront of hair care. I think too many people are concerned
10:58with having the healthiest head of hair. And for a lot of people is not sustainable.
11:02You may not be able to only wear your hair in protective styles or twist and wash it every
11:09week and never use heat. That's not realistic for every person. So sometimes you have to ask yourself,
11:15what does a good head of hair look like for me? For some people, that's a pixie cut. Fry it.
11:21That's
11:22fine. You know what I mean? And then for other people, it may be tailbone length hair. So you have
11:27to really ask yourself, what do you want? And not what does the beauty industry want me to have?
11:31Okay. Yes. Thank you so much. And so what's your biggest advice or what's, what do you want the
11:37audience to take away from this conversation? I want the audience to take away from this conversation
11:43to always make informed decisions. I think that there are a lot of amazing brands. There's a lot
11:50of amazing products, but not every product is for everybody and not every product is going to solve
11:56your specific hair issue. If you can find a qualified stylist that you can sit down and have
12:03a consultation with just to address your hair care needs, because I will be honest, it's confusing.
12:08It's a lot of good marketing. It's a lot of pretty bottles. And that's what causes people to have
12:14cabinets full of products that they don't use, don't know how to use their expire and everything of
12:19that nature. So really sit with yourself, figure out what your goals are, identify a professional
12:24and work with them collectively to figure out how to get to your hair care goals.
12:29Yeah. Thank you so much. Those are some great, taking them in myself.
12:35And so I do want to give it over to the audience. If you guys have any questions, please,
12:41we have an expert right here. So take advantage right here.
12:53Does your hair care have to be expensive? No, that's a common misconception. Expensive does not mean
13:02better. And when it comes to cosmetics, I'm going to get a little technical for one second. Unlike drugs,
13:10medications, medical devices, the FDA or no regulatory authority is actually testing efficacy.
13:16That is dependent on the brand themselves. And that information is not published. So when you're
13:22picking a product, just because it's $50 versus $5 doesn't mean that $50 product is better. Typically,
13:29a more expensive product is appealing to a specific audience, right? So that's why you might find a $50
13:34product in Sephora, but you might find a $5 product and maybe a CVS, two different audiences,
13:41two different types of branding and things of that nature. So I always tell people buy what they can
13:46afford so you can keep taking care of your hair because doing something once is not going to be
13:52beneficial to you. It's the repetition. So yeah, you can use your cheap products.
14:00Okay, I'm old school and I was taught about washing your hair. You can't hear me? Good. Okay. I'm old
14:06school and you talked about we don't wash our hair enough. What do you consider the proper way to wash
14:13our hair? Is it once a week, every two weeks, once a month? So it depends on how you wear
14:18your hair. Do you
14:19wear hair like this typically? Okay. So in your situation, especially if you are not someone that has
14:26like a scalp condition, I would say that you could wash your hair every two to four weeks. But here's
14:30going to be the caveat to it. Make sure you're using really moisturizing products on your hair
14:36if you're going to go the four week route because you don't want your hair to dry out. I'm also
14:41old
14:42school. I know I might look young school, but I'm old school. I still use blue magic. So okay. So
14:50when it
14:50looks like you have twists or. So yeah, it looks like you may have twists or locks in your hair.
15:02What
15:02I recommend is after you wash and condition or deep condition is up to you, apply your leave-in
15:08conditioner and go over it with some blue magic. That is going to lock in all of that moisture.
15:14Your hair will be so moisturized. Like I'm telling you, I do it even when I wear my wigs and
15:21I'll be
15:21having the things on for six weeks and the hair still feels good. So you will be good to go.
15:30We have another one.
15:34Hi.
15:36Oh, okay.
15:39I'm embracing my gray hair.
15:41We can't hear you. Okay. I am embracing my gray hair. And you hear a lot of them saying,
15:49do the shimmery purple shampoo, but that turns your hair blue. So do you have any other
15:57remedies for to keep your hair a bright, shiny white? Are you using purple shampoo or a blue shampoo?
16:06It's purple. That's what they say is good for gray hair. But when I use it, it turns it like
16:13a
16:14bluish color. And I don't like that. What I would recommend in that situation, because it sounds like
16:20your hair is holding onto that pigment, maybe dilute the shampoo a little bit. So you know how it comes
16:24out the bottle very concentrated. Maybe put a little bit in the bottle, put a little bit of another
16:31shampoo that's not that purple color, and then wash your hair. The other thing you could try is using
16:38a conditioner instead of the shampoo. The conditioners tend to be less pigmented. So that
16:43might be better if you feel like your hair is holding onto that pigment. Okay, I'm gonna try it.
16:48Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Do you have another one?
17:02Hey. Hi. Quick question. Do you have any, I guess, tips to reduce shedding? I'm sorry. To reduce shedding,
17:11like when your hair sheds? So it depends on if the shedding is just your natural daily amount
17:18versus something that's internal. So the average person sheds about 50 to 150 strands per day.
17:25What I'll say is, depending on how often you wash, this is going to sound weird, collect your shed hair
17:30to see if it's more than usual. Because sometimes we'll just see the hair and be like, oh, that's
17:36that don't look right. But it's actually normal for us. But if it is excessive, I'm going to tell you
17:42to
17:42go to the doctor and get some blood work done. A lot of times, vitamin deficiencies can cause excessive
17:47shedding. So just make sure you're getting a full blood panel done to figure out what's the actual
17:52cause for it. I'm not going to recommend that you go and get your own vitamins because you may not
17:57need certain things. That's why I want you to kind of go to a provider first. Okay, thank you.
18:05Hi. My sister wanted to know, why do you lose your hair during pre or menstrual
18:15menopause? And is there any best practices for hair care during that time?
18:22Did you say losing hair post menopause? Is that what? Right. Why do you lose your hair during,
18:29some people, during menopause or pre-menopause?
18:33Did you say losing? Yeah, you said losing your hair during what? I'm sorry.
18:38Oh, menopause. Menopause. Menopause.
18:41Yeah. Okay, so when it comes to menopause, the biggest thing is the hormonal change. So think of,
18:47an easy way for people to think about it, think of menopause like you think of postpartum.
18:51A lot of women, once, you know, their hair will grow while they're pregnant and then postpartum,
18:55it'll start to shed. It's because of the steep change in your hormones. So what you have to do
19:02during that time, and it's unfortunate, is you kind of have to ride it out. At that time, your body
19:07is
19:08going through so many changes. And I always tell women to give themselves grace during that time,
19:13because it's not something that you can change. It's not something that's wrong. It's just
19:17a part of life. So if someone is dealing with thinning, make sure that they are avoiding
19:24high tension hairstyles, making sure that they are avoiding anything that has a lot of weight to it,
19:29because it's going to exacerbate that process. But unfortunately, the hair is going to shed
19:34and thin out during that time.
19:40Chemo. She went through chemo. Does that affect the hair as well?
19:44Chemo certainly affects the hair as well. One thing that you can do, a lot of people are doing,
19:50is they're doing cold compresses during chemo. They'll put it on their scalp to try and save the
19:56follicles. And the reason is because through like radiation, it's the heat. A lot of times the heat
20:02will kind of temporarily kill the follicle. So if you want to put cold compresses on the scalp,
20:07that would be great. And then afterwards, it's more so of a waiting game. Chemo is very tough on
20:13the body. And one thing we have to remember is our body does not prioritize our hair. We have organs
20:19that our body wants to give its nutrients to, and the hair is the last thing on your body's mind.
20:28Yes, hello. When it comes to the matter of length or growth of hair, doesn't genetics play a major
20:37role in that? Genetics plays a role, but we don't know to what degree. Because if I were to ask
20:44you,
20:45what's coded on RNA, DNA, like most people don't know that information. So what I like to tell people
20:53is give your hair the best shot that you can, because you don't know your full genetic profile.
21:00Now, of course, if you maybe have people that experienced thinning or balding earlier,
21:06that's something to keep in the back of your mind. Maybe I'm going to be predispicent to have
21:10thinning hair. But if you do the right things, you'll kind of maximize the potential of your hair,
21:18rather than feeling like I'm fighting this fight against genetics. And I always say that because
21:24I find the genetics conversation comes up the most in the black community. A lot of us feel like we
21:30can't have long hair, we can't have thick hair. And the reality is we can, we just have to make
21:37sure
21:37we're doing the right things to get there. Hi, thank you all for being here today. So what advice
21:48would you have if someone feels like their hair actually thrives better when it's straight, as
21:55opposed to trying to do natural styles and feeling like you get more breakage, more dryness? Like what
22:02typically causes that? And that what could be a remedy to fix that?
22:07So what I would say is if you feel like your hair thrives better when it's straight, keep doing it.
22:12I am not the person that's going to tell you that you can't straighten your hair. Because again, it's
22:18about what makes you feel the most comfortable. What I will say is keep a few things at the back
22:23of your
22:24mind. The more you expose your hair to heat, you may lose your curls. But if you have no intention
22:29of
22:29wearing your curls, who cares about them? The other side of it is also making sure that maybe you get
22:36trimmed a little bit more frequently, just because you're putting a little bit more wear and tear on
22:40the hair, and then invest in a really good heat protectant. Not every heat protectant is made the
22:48same. There are some that have some scientifically backed polymers that are going to be a little bit
22:54more beneficial to the hair. I also like silicones a lot, especially if you're from New Orleans because
22:59it's humid. That's going to help with humidity. And then also maybe deep condition your hair a little
23:05bit more often as well. That's the first step to getting some of that moisture in there. But yeah,
23:09wear your straight hair. Hi. So lately, I've noticed a lot of people, mainly like guys, when it comes to
23:25hair, a lot of common fear is stuff like balding. And I notice a lot of people who start using
23:31stuff like
23:32minoxidone, like they're like early 20s, which is really young. So I kind of just want to know,
23:36what do you think about that? Or like, what do you do you think it's wise to really use it
23:41that
23:41early or no? I think that if you're going to use minoxidil, you need to consult with a professional
23:49first. Even though minoxidil is sold over the counter is still a drug. And there are some very
23:55serious adverse effects. You know, there's a rapid heartbeat. If you have pets, it's also very toxic to
24:01pets. So if you're thinking about using minoxidil, talk to someone first. And the other side is figure
24:08out why you're balding. A lot of times we run to the solution before getting to the roof. Are you
24:14balding because maybe you have locks and you're retwister too tight? Maybe stop retwisting the hair
24:19so tight rather than getting the minoxidil, you know? Or look at your family history. Are all the men in
24:26your family balding a little bit earlier? Okay, in that case, there might be other options for you.
24:32That's not like a topical minoxidil. Maybe you can get an oral minoxidil that is a little bit easier
24:38on the individual. So I just say, think about all those things before running to buy once again,
24:45another product. Yeah, because I've heard a lot about stuff like side effects when I see people do it.
24:50And I'm like, isn't that kind of early? And it's kind of like, you know, kind of impulsive sometimes.
24:55Can you speak up a little bit? We can't hear you. Okay. What is it? Another thing I was going
25:00to ask
25:01was when it comes to wearing stuff like protective hairstyles and stuff like that, what would you say
25:09is the best way to take care of like your scalp when you're starting out and you're not solidified,
25:14I guess? So whenever you're doing a protective hairstyle, if you want to take care of your scalp,
25:18I always say avoid any product on the scalp that's like gel, jams, and even oils. I know
25:26a lot of people don't agree with me on that one, but I don't like oils on the scalp. The
25:30reason I
25:31don't like oils on the scalp is because a lot of people in our community are being diagnosed with
25:36sebderm and sebderm feeds off of oil. The yeast that causes it, it uses basically oil as a huge,
25:45like a peachy dish. So it's just going to keep flaking, keep flaring up. What you can use instead
25:51is a water-based serum. It does not have to be expensive. It can be something from like a dove
25:59all the way to a sacred, but it's going to be water-based. They typically will have some humectants
26:04in it, which pull moisture from the air. So it's going to keep your scalp pretty hydrated. And then
26:09usually like a few essential oils, it's not like a typical oil-based product, but something that
26:15maybe has like a peppermint oil in it, because it's going to soothe the scalp as well. And that's
26:20really what people are looking for when they're getting those styles, because they're not washing
26:24their hairs frequently. So you want to keep that scalp kind of clean and not itching and not flaking.
26:32Thank you. I actually have a question myself. So what are some ingredients that we should be avoiding
26:42for our hair? Oh, that's a good question. I'm not going to say that you should avoid it,
26:51but one thing you should be mindful of is rosemary oil. While there is research that suggests that it
26:58is comparable to 2% minoxidil, there's also research that suggests that if you overuse it,
27:04it can do the opposite and it can lead to hair loss. So a lot of times people kind of
27:10try to make their
27:10own concoctions at home. And that's where things get a little bit scary. Usually if you're using
27:17something that's already formulated, you don't have to worry about those things. But when you start going
27:21in that kitchen and you start steeping things and boiling things and playing Bill not a science guy,
27:26oh, we have problems. So I would say definitely be mindful of rosemary oil.
27:32Okay. Because, you know, I'm Caribbean and, you know, me and my mom, we often like making our own
27:38treatments. So we like to use like onions and aloe vera and things like that. Is that still good for
27:44your hair because it's natural or it depends on how you use it? I don't think it's bad for the
27:51hair,
27:52but the question is how beneficial is it? Because when it comes to hair, products can only benefit
27:59the hair if the molecule size is small enough to actually get into the cortex.
28:04Food is not small enough to get into the cortex. So it's less about, are you going to damage your
28:10hair more? So are you kind of wasting those good old ingredients? I always say eat your food and buy
28:16the products on the market because they're made to do what they need to do. But here's the other side.
28:20But if you like it, I love it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'm not about to argue
28:26with nobody
28:26mama about a regimen that's been in their family for a hundred generations. So if you want to do it,
28:32go ahead and do it.
28:35Well, thank you. Oh, you have one more question? Okay, we'll take it.
28:45Thank you so much for this conversation. Is derma rolling good when you have hair loss?
28:52Is that something that you recommend to do at home?
28:55I'm sorry. Say that one more time.
28:58The very first portion.
28:59Derma rolling. Do you recommend that you do it to yourself at home?
29:05It depends on what's the cause of the hair loss. If it's scarring alopecia, no, because that can cause
29:13some additional inflammation and additional trauma. So in that case, I would say talk to your
29:18dermatologist before you do anything of that nature. But if you don't have like a scarring alopecia,
29:25and you just have some general hair loss that can be beneficial, um, because like scalp massaging
29:30or anything that's going to promote blood flow to the scalp can help with regrowing the hair back.
29:35So just keep that in mind. Okay. Well, thank you everyone for your questions. Uh, Dr. Brandy,
29:42thank you so much for all your knowledgeable tips for all your help and for answering everyone's
29:48questions. It was a pleasure having this conversation with you. And so, yeah, thank you so much.
29:53Thank you. Give it a round of applause.
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