Tips For Black Hair Care
Black hair is chemically the same as other types of hair, but it has a unique physical structure that requires special hair care techniques. If you have Black hair, here are some tips to help your hair look and feel its best.
1. Avoid overwashing your hair. Straight and wavy hair tends to get oily very quickly because of its structure. This is why it has to be washed quite often. Black hair is different. It doesn’t get oily quickly because of its tightly curled structure. This structure keeps sebum, the natural oil that the scalp produces, from flowing along the hair shaft in Black hair. That is why Black hair is dry, and that is why it should not be overwashed. Too much washing will cause it to dry out even further.
2. Use hair care products made specifically for Black hair. Black hair is drier and more delicate than other types of hair, and it needs lots of moisture to stay healthy. Many hair care products are designed to strip moisture out of the hair, and this is the opposite of what Black hair needs.
3. Avoid brushing your hair. Use a wide toothed comb, or your fingers, to work with your hair. Brushes can destroy Black hair by shearing it out of the scalp.
4. Avoid sleeping in hair accessories such as curlers, barrettes, scrunchies, head bands, etc. Wearing these kinds of accessories when sleeping puts unnecessary stress on the hair and can lead to hair damage.
5. Work with your hair to try and find a hairstyle that doesn’t put tension on your scalp. Many Black women suffer from traction alopecia from wearing tight braids, extensions, hair pieces, hair rubbers, and wigs. If worn frequently, these will pull the hair out and cause the hairline to recede. One style that is easy to do with medium length natural Black hair is to wet the hair, gently comb it, smooth it back and gather it into a scrunchie. Just be sure to take the scrunchie out at night. Another style for natural Black hair that is short in length is to wear a soft fabric headband around the head. Match the headband fabric to the color of your outfit for a nice look.
Effective moisturizers penetrate the hair to get inside the hair shaft and provide much needed moisture. Most black hair care products deemed as moisturizing do not actually moisturize it, but add a coating to the outside of the hair. Deep condition regularly. If your conditioner regimen isn’t working, try a “deep condition” once or twice a month. This involves putting a leave-in conditioner or oil on your hair and leaving it in for a while. Oils like jojoba and coconut oil are fantastic for this.Tone down the drying. If you are using a dryer or hot tongs regularly, your hair will start to show some damage–the hot air removes moisture from your hair. Using too hot a setting or holding the dryer too close to your hair will also cause damage.