1. Cut down on shampoo
For instance, if your hair is
dry, co-wash your hair. Co-wash means wash your hair with conditioner
not shampoo. Since the 40s shampoo was made with the same drying product
as laundry detergent. If you must wash your hair, dilute you shampoo
with 75% water and 25% shampoo. If you have product build up, use a mud
rinse in your hair instead of drying soap
2. Learn the science
Black hair has tiny nicks in the
cuticle layer which makes it harder for natural scalp sebum to
distribute to the ends of your hair.These nicks also cause breakage so
handle your hair with care and keep it moisturized. A huge misconception
is that black hair is coarse, coarse means the "strand size" not the
texture. Black hair is rarely coarse, black strands' are finer than any
other group - which is why is can not take heavy handling. Hold your
hair up to the light. Is it thin? Can you see through it? If yes - you
have fine hair. Asian hair is the coarsest, strongest hair, which can
take a lot of handling.
3. Use organic products
Choose products with a lot of
organic ingredients and try to avoid products with mineral oils and
petro oil. Petro oil will dry your hair out and stop moisture from
penetrating the shaft. Natural oils like almond, coconut oil and jojoba
oils are much better.
- Look for the term organic not natural. The term “organic” is
strictly defined in the US by uniform, federal regulations. “Organic”
means the food or fiber bearing the label was made with a set of farming
and production practices defined and regulated, in great detail, by the
USDA.That means it had no toxic chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides
that are harmful to humans and animals.
- The term "natural" is double talk and can have any given meaning for
corporations. An orange soda can be natural because it has orange
flavoring that once shared a compound of a fruit. High fructose corn
syrup is considered "natural" just like "Petro Oil."
4.
Select your products carefully
If you have more
money to spend, you could either try the Ultra Black Hair, Crème of
Nature line, or you can also use a small amount of grape seed, olive
oil, or jojoba oil straight from the bottle. Aveda makes a really good
leave-in conditioner. Stay away from money thirsty products and try
making your own. Aloe Vera is the same PH of your hair which is 4 and
will close your cuticles and make your hair shiny and smoother than ever
before.
5.
Create a regimen
Decide how often you are going to
"shampoo" and deep condition your hair. Co-washing should be your
method. You will want to and condition every 3 to 5 days and seal the
moisture in with a light oil. Deep condition every week if you have
time, and no less than twice a month.
- The ends of your hair are the oldest, instead of the old myth of
"greasing your scalp" , oil your ends to stop it from breaking from
rubbing against your clothes.
6.
Never use "grease" in your hair
Most black
hair needs extra moisture, but stay away from products with petroleum.
Petroleum makes hair stiff, dry and greasy. Instead of grease, try
natural oils (coconut, jojoba, olive, or castor) or natural shampoos and
conditioners which are great for your hair because they don't have all
those sulfates, sodium’s, and preservatives in them. They also give your
hair a nice shine to it. Grape seed oil is very light and can withstand
high temperatures without burning which will help control heat damage
if you use heat styling products on your locks.
7. Moisturize your ends
Be sure to keep them moisturized so you don't end up with split end. Seal your ends with either coconut oil or castor oil.
8.
Avoid heat on your hair
If you use heat styling
products on your hair, try and cut it down to 2-3 times a month if you
can, and make sure you use a heat protection shampoo and/or moisturizer,
or a good serum/spray on your hair before flat ironing or curling. Hold
the barrel cover slightly open so the hair simply passes over the
barrel without being tugged and pulled by the barrel cover when you use
the curling iron. If you absolutely must use oil when you use your
curling iron, dab on a very, very, tiny amount of Optimum Oil Therapy
3-in-1 Cremé or different product. It won't leave your hair oily.
9.
Make sure you sleep on a satin pillowcase or tie your
hair up in a silk scarf so your hair can stay healthy and won't break or
tear
Silk or satin pillowcases , bonnets and scarves will also
help prevent acne because there is not as much bacteria on them every
night.
10.
Try a protein treatment
Once a month, use an Aphogee
treatment or use egg in your hair before washing it all out. Protein
will make your hair less prone to breakage and over-moisturizing. Your
hair will be a lot shinier too. Be careful not to over use protein in
your hair otherwise it will start to snap off.
11.
Comb carefully
Use a wide tooth comb to comb your
hair, stop buying bristle brushes or thin combs which will get caught in
your hair and snap it off. Go for low maintenance. People of colour
should never comb their hair everyday, your hair does not need to be
combed everyday, just detangle with your fingers. Excessive combing will
break your hair off. Make sure your hair is slightly damp before you
tangle.
12.
Throw away that myth that black hair cannot grow
The
reason why black hair does not appear to grow is because the ends are
breaking off from too much handling. If your hair didn't grow, you
wouldn't need to head to the hair dresser every 4-6 weeks! There are
plenty of forums and blogs where black women and girls have beautiful
hair. Your hair will be healthier if you follow these rules and you will
notice a difference in the strength and length.
bibliography : http://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-Black-Girls%27-Hair