To people of colour, the term “natural hair” refers to hair that is free from chemical relaxers and other harsh styling practices. More and more, individuals are choosing to forgo processed hairstyling in favour of returning to their “roots”. A decision most often made to suit personal convictions—usually religious or political in nature—many people of colour see this choice as a way to celebrate their black heritage. But while sporting natural hair with pride, take care of it using balanced hair care regimen to keep it healthy and strong.
Shampooing
Wash the hair on a regular at least once per week using a shampoo. It is important to know your hair type when selecting shampoos and conditioners to settle on one that is the proper fit for your texture. In particular, a shampoo should be the moisturizing type that has a balanced pH value. Avoid any shampoo containing lauryl sulfate as they can strip Afro hair of its natural oils, making it dry and brittle.
Shampoo the hair with a clarifying shampoo every four to six weeks. Clarifying shampoos help remove buildup from hair products such as gels, pomades, shampoos, gels and oils.
Conditioning
Condition the hair after every shampoo. Conditioners are important for softening the hair, giving it body, sheen and luster, and for helping smooth the hair’s cuticles. Go for conditioners consisting of ingredients such as cholesterol, vegetable oil, lanolin, polymers and proteins. Conditioner come in both the leave-in or rinse-out variety, but it is cautioned that heavy leave-in conditioners may leave a film on hair that is finer in texture. It may be best to rinse it out in this case.
Use a penetrating conditioner on hair that is prone to split or damaged ends and on hair exposed to chlorine. Made from animal proteins, penetrating conditioners are meant to absorb into the hair shaft and give the hair a healthier look overall. When using a penetrating conditioner, leave the conditioner on the hair, letting it sit for approximately 15 minutes; rinse the out afterward. A tip for allowing your hair to get the most out of a penetrating conditioner is to apply the conditioner and then wrap the hair with a plastic cap or with a damp towel. Let the hair remain wrapped during the 15 minute time period then rinse the conditioner out. The result is soft, moisturized hair full of shine.
Another conditioning treatment is hot oil treatment. Use a hot oil treatment on a monthly basis to give provide moisture to Afro hair.
De-tangling
Hair that is prone to knotting up will require de-tangling with every wash. But the hair should only be de-tangled while it is wet and has conditioner on it. The conditioner helps provides better slippage to the hair, thus allowing for ease of combing through any knots and tangles. Hair should always be combed from the roots down to the ends using a wide-tooth comb. A wide-tooth comb is more suitable for combing natural hair textures.
Hair Drying
Dry the hair by squeezing it dry with a towel to get the water out as opposed to wringing or rubbing it since hair is more vulnerable to breaking when it is wet. Avoid using a blow dryer on the hair as this can make the hair brittle and lead to breakage.
Products
Use natural products such as African shea butter on your hair to keep it manageable and soft. Oiling the ends of the hair every night is advised. Since the ends of the hair are the oldest parts of the hair, oil can protect them and prevent them from drying out and breaking off.
Never use hair products that contain harsh ingredients like polyethylene glycol or isopropyl alcohol. The products will dry out Afro textured hair, leaving it prone to breakage.
Styling
Play around with different hair styles for your natural hair texture to find ones that flatter your facial features. Try styling the hair in different natural styles like afro puffs, twist-outs and braid-outs and bantu knots. Maintaining natural hair with the proper regimen is one thing, but being happy with the hairstyles you wear is also important. Check the Internet for blogs, message boards and read hair magazines devoted to natural hair maintenance for new hair ideas to experiment with.
Avoid heat styling practices containing curling irons, flat irons or any other heat styling tool. Such styling practices can cause lasting damage to the hair.
Maintenance
Get a hair trim every six to eight weeks to rid the hair of any split, ends. Trimming away split ends on a regular basis will help promote hair growth and keep your natural tresses flourishing.
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Aretha C. Smith - Aretha's professional writing career spans 10 years. With her education in information management she has worked in a variety of settings, ...
