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Chebe Powder for Hair Growth: Uses and Benefits
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Discover the secrets of chebe powder and how it can be used to give your hair some much-needed TLC.
Chebe powder has been used for centuries by women in the African country of Chad to help them grow waist-length hair. However, it is now becoming much more popular as a treatment for many different hair types across the world.
The powder contains completely natural ingredients which give chebe its highly nourishing properties, but can it help with hair growth?
Keep reading to discover the benefits and side effects of using chebe powder to decide whether it could work for your hair.
Is Chebe Powder Good for Hair Growth?
On its own, there is no research to suggest that chebe powder can boost growth for any hair type. However, it does nourish the lengths, which strengthens them and protects against hair breakage. This provides a much healthier environment for growth as a result.
When applied to the hair, chebe powder helps to strengthen strands and follicles, which reduces the risk of breakage and helps your hair retain its length.
Dealing with a rough, dry hair type can be frustrating. The good news is that chebe powder helps to moisturize the strands, which is crucial for healthy hair as moisture improves the elasticity of your lengths and reduces tangles.
This is because it seals hair cuticles, the outermost protective layer of the strands. When the cuticles are open due to dry or UV-damaged hair, moisture escapes much more easily.
Chebe powder revives dry hair, making it easier to manage and less likely to snap off at the ends.
Along with chebe seeds, one of the main ingredients of the powder is cloves, a dried flower that comes from trees. Cloves contain eugenol, a chemical that prevents androgen hormones from attacking hair follicles and causing hair loss.
Eugenol also boosts blood flow, meaning that the scalp receives more of the vital nutrients it needs for healthy hair growth.
Chebe powder may therefore be effective in preventing further hair loss for those with androgenic alopecia, which is also known as male-pattern baldness.
What Is Chebe Powder?
Chebe is a fine, brown powder mostly used by women in Chad, Africa, as part of a natural hair growth routine. Holding a key place in African tradition, chebe powder helps them to maintain their waist-length textured hair types by preventing shedding and breakage.
In the past few years, the powder has started to become popular across the world for its moisturizing properties, which are effective in revitalizing dry and damaged curly locks.
From light to dark brown and even an earthy reddish tone, chebe comes in a variety of shades, depending on the techniques used to extract the powder before it is manually ground down.
What is chebe powder made from?
Chebe powder is typically made from a range of natural sources, with the main ingredient being chebe seeds from the Croton zambesicus plant.
Although the powder originates from Chad, this shrub is grown all over Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, and Gambia.
The chebe seeds are mixed with a variety of other natural ingredients to create the product’s magic formula, including resin tree sap, cherry seeds, cloves, and stone scent to give the powder its signature spicy smell.
However, the exact formula tends to vary from area to area in Africa, so you may find that different powders contain various other ingredients.
Benefits of Chebe Powder
Now that you know exactly what chebe powder is, you may be wondering how it can make a difference to your haircare routine.
Whether your hair type is straight, curly, or somewhere in between, here are some of the key benefits of chebe powder:
#1 Hydrates hair
When applied to the hair, chebe powder is able to easily penetrate the hair shaft, moisturize the strands, and make them less dry. This makes your hair much easier to manage, meaning that it is less likely to tangle and break when combed.
#2 Prevents hair damage
By moisturizing the hair, chebe powder helps to condition the cuticle layer, which is the outermost layer of your strands. This protects the inside of the hair shaft and prevents it from becoming damaged.
#3 Reduces hair loss
Cloves, one of the main ingredients in chebe, contain a chemical called eugenol, which has anti-androgenic properties. Studies have shown that it may prevent the production of DHT, a hormone that binds to hair follicles and causes hair loss.
#4 Improves hair texture
Chebe powder helps hair strands to retain moisture for longer, which improves the definition of your curls. It also contains resin, a thick, sticky substance that coats strands and makes them less vulnerable to breakage.
#5 Maintains hair length
As your hair is less likely to break, applying chebe powder regularly keeps it strong, thick, and hydrated. So, although it does not necessarily boost growth, it can help you to maintain long hair.
#6 Keeps the scalp healthy
The alkaloids that are present in chebe help to keep the pH of your scalp in a normal range, between 4.5–5.0. Anything higher or lower than this range can leave you scratching your scalp all day, leading to cuticle damage.
#7 Reduces inflammation
If your scalp is dry, red, or itchy, this could be a sign of inflammation caused by using too much product or not regularly cleansing. As it comes from a plant, chebe powder has antioxidative properties that can help to soothe an irritated scalp and leave you feeling fresh.
How to Use Chebe Powder for Hair Growth
- In Africa, chebe is traditionally used in a long process where the powder is applied and alternated with a layer of water, followed by a coating of oil.
- Although this ensures that all strands are properly coated with the chebe mixture, the process takes several hours, and it’s unlikely for you to have this much time to dedicate to your haircare routine.
- Read on to discover some quicker yet just as effective ways to use chebe powder as a hair treatment.
How to mix chebe powder
If you’re worried about making too much of a mess or struggling to wash the powder out of your hair, you can buy it as a pre-made cream. Use your cream 1–2 times per month as a deep conditioning treatment to nourish thick and curly hair.
However, making your own chebe hair treatment may be the best option, as you will be able to control exactly what goes into the mixture. This ensures that your treatment contains all-natural ingredients.
To make a hair mask, mixing chebe powder with water will create a clay-like substance. You could also mix the powder with coconut or castor oil if you’re looking for an extra boost of moisture for your hair.
Oils such as rosemary or peppermint may also be effective in promoting hair growth.
How to apply chebe powder
One thing that is important to remember when using chebe powder is that it should only be applied to the ends and mid-lengths of your hair, rather than the scalp or roots like many other haircare products.
This is because chebe’s highly moisturizing properties may make your roots oily, which will weigh your hair down and give it a limp, lifeless look.
If you are using your chebe powder as a hair mask, you should apply it before shampooing, and it should easily sink into your locks.
Once smothered all over the lengths of your hair, put it into thick braids to help the powder work its magic while protecting your clothes and bedding.
The number of braids will depend on the thickness of your lengths, as well as your hair type; the thicker, longer, and coarser the hair, the more braids you’ll need.
You should leave the paste in damp hair for 1–2 hours minimum, or longer if you have time. If you have curly hair, you’ll see the best results by washing the hair mask out after 3–7 days.
It may be a little more difficult to wash out after a week as the paste will harden into a dry brown clay, but try not to let your hair tangle, as this will make the process even harder. After a couple of hair wash attempts, the paste should wash out easily.
For those with straighter hair, chebe powder shouldn’t be left in for as long, as it can cause your hair strands to break off at the ends. Use it 1–2 times per week to leave your hair feeling soft and looking super shiny after about 12 weeks.
Chebe Powder and Hair Type
Chebe powder was originally designed to be used on thick, coarse, and curly hair for its excellent moisturizing properties. Leave it on as a hair mask for up to 7 days for best results, and you’ll find that your hair is stronger, looks shinier, and feels more nourished than ever.
However, if you have straighter hair, the powder can also work to strengthen your locks. Wash the paste out of your hair after 1–2 hours to prevent breakage.
Those who have fine hair should avoid using chebe powder completely, as its heavy, moisturizing formula can weigh strands down. This leaves your hair feeling limp, oily, and lifeless and may even cause breakage in extreme cases.
The color of your hair may also help you to decide whether this is the right treatment for you. Chebe powder is a dark brown color, meaning that it will be more visible if you have a lighter hair color.
FAQs
Yes, you can use the treatment as often as you want, although it isn’t really necessary to use it every day. Instead, try applying chebe powder hair masks twice per week to help your hair retain its length.
Most of the time, you shouldn’t experience any major side effects when using chebe powder correctly. However, you should always check the ingredients list before trying it, as the natural products in the powder may cause allergic reactions for some people.
A Word From a Trichologist
Although chebe has several proven benefits as a treatment for textured hair, there have been no clinical studies testing its safety. You should always purchase it from a reliable manufacturer who has conducted rigorous testing on their product.
To ensure that you don’t experience any allergic reactions to the powder’s natural ingredients, apply a small amount behind your ear and check back after 1–2 days.
If chebe powder isn’t working for you, it’s likely that your hair loss has been caused by other factors. For instance, genetics, imbalanced hormones, and nutrient deficiency all play key roles in hair health.
Try to address these factors alongside using chebe to promote strong, thick, and healthy hair growth. Do this by consuming a balanced diet, including more walking in your daily routine, and reducing chronic stress levels where possible.
For those experiencing severe hair loss, you should always seek advice from your doctor. They may instead recommend minoxidil, a medication that has been proven to help hair grow from the root.
Conclusion
Chebe powder contains a range of 100% natural ingredients that can effectively improve the health of your hair. You can mix the powder with essential oils to create an ultra-moisturizing mask or simply add water before applying.
Those with thick, curly hair can use chebe powder 1–2 times per week for best results and may choose to leave it in for 7 days or more. However, you should avoid chebe powder if you have extremely fine hair or are allergic to any of its ingredients.
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