Healthy Hair Tips for Black Women

Black afro type ethnic hair is prone to dryness, frizz and roughness and needs lots of moisture, care and attention.
If you've wasted time and money on salons and hair health "experts" here's what you need to know.

Wash your hair once every 1 to 2 weeks

This will help prevent build-up of hair care products, the more often you wash your hair, the more you strip it of its moisture. This results in dry, brittle hair.

1. If you can't find a shampoo and conditioner meant for ethnic hair, try to use a moisturizing shampoo meant for dry hair. Follow up with a moisturizing conditioner.
2. If you must wash your hair more often, dilute your shampoo with 50% water and 50% shampoo.

Use conditioner

Use conditioner every time you wash your hair. Be sure to coat the ends of the hair with conditioner, as the ends are the oldest and most fragile part of your hair

1. Focus the conditioner on the ends of your hair; avoid applying it to your scalp. Applying conditioner to your scalp will cause your hair to appear greasy.

Use a moisturizing conditioner with lightweight, essential oils

Oils like grape seed oil, are more easily absorbed by hair than products like lanolin, which will only clog and weigh hair down. Lightweight oils will moisturize your hair and make it shiny, but they won't weigh it down

Use caution with relaxers

 

To minimize hair damage, always go to a professional hair stylist to ensure that the relaxer is applied safely. Touch-ups should only be done every two to three months and only to newly grown hair. Never apply relaxer to hair that has already been relaxed

Don't use products that contain silicones and sulfates.

Silicones are great for making hair nice and smooth, but they can only be removed with sulfates, a harsh cleaning agent that leads to dry hair. If you don't remove the silicones from your hair properly, your hair will get too much build-up, and end up looking dull, greasy, and lanky.

1. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to make your hair nice and silky without using silicones, including nourishing masks and coconut oil. These products are easily washed out of your hair, without any dryness or brittleness.

Use ceramic combs or irons to press hair

If you would like to press or thermally straighten your hair, use a ceramic comb or iron and only do so once a week. Use a straightening device with a dial to ensure the device is not too hot. Use the lowest possible temperature setting that gives you the style you want. A higher temperature may be necessary for thicker, coarser hair

Make sure braids, cornrows or weaves are not too tight

If it hurts while your hair is being styled, ask the stylist to stop and redo it. Pain equals damage.