• APL – Armpit length hair

• Bantu Knot out – A hairstyle that involves creating 2 or more mini buns by wrapping the hair around itself and securing with a pin

• BSB – Bottom of Shoulder blade

• Co-wash – Washing the hair with conditioner rather than shampoo

• Creamy crack – AKA hair relaxer, the name refers to the fact that those that relax are often considered to be hooked on relaxing and continue to do so even when it causes more damage than good

• LHCF – Long Hair Care Forum – http://www.longhaircareforum.com

• SSK’s – single strand knots, these knots predominantly appear in afro hair since kinky hair by it’s very nature is more prone to wrapping around itself

• Demarcation line – this is the fragile line between the relaxed hair and new growth, which is often prone to breakage

• Stretch – This is the process of extending the time between relaxers to allow for more new growth and reduce the number of annual chemical applications. The idea is that if your hair is well cared for, it will enhance the health of the hair due to the reduced contact with chemicals

• Shrinkage – When the hair near and at the roots shrink and become compact due to the tightness of the hair’s natural curl pattern  (regrowth)