African-American Hair Care Tips

The black, curly hair is the identity of an African-American. Women, as well as men tend to create unique styles and looks with their naturally black and curly hair. African-American hair is more coarse and thicker than the Caucasian hair. Therefore, it requires extra care as compared to the Caucasian hair. However, curly hair texture is not the only type of hair you will find in African-Americans. They can have different types of hair from straight hair, crinkly, wavy, or thicker hair at the crown and even thin hair textures in some.

African-American Natural Hair Care
The following hair care tips will help you maintain your natural curls soft and manageable.

Regular Oiling

• You should massage your scalp regularly. This encourages oil production and helps reduce the dryness.
• You should carry out hot oil massage at least once a month to moisturize your hair.

Shampoo and Conditioning

• Always condition your hair after shampooing. There are a variety of hair care products that are made especially for African-American natural hair. Read the ingredients carefully and avoid anything that contains alcohol. Use a shampoo with low pH level.
• Do not shampoo your hair daily. It makes the hair dryer and strips the natural oils from the hair. You should shampoo every 7-10 days to maintain the oil balance of your hair.
• Do not choose 2 in 1 shampoos, that is, shampoo plus conditioner. They make your hair more dry and frizzy. Instead, use a penetrating conditioner.
• Wash your hair in one direction. This lessens the chances of excessively tangled curly hair.
• Leave-in conditioners are great to protect your hair. They keep your hair hydrated and free from drying.
• Use your towel to blot out the water. Do not rub the hair with a towel for drying. It causes the hair to get tangled and results in breakage.

Combing

• Use a wide-toothed comb and brush the hair when a little wet. It will help reduce the volume and make hair appear more settled and manageable after drying.
• Use your fingers to loosen the knots in your hair. Using a comb to pull out the knots will damage your hair.
• Start combing your hair from the ends and gradually move to the roots. This reduces the risk of breakage and does not cause too much pain when combing.

Sleep Protection

• Use satin or silk pillowcase to avoid breakage of hair when sleeping. If you toss and turn a lot in sleep, your hair may get tangled in the cotton pillow case and break.
• You can also try to wear a silk scarf before sleeping if you are uncomfortable using a silk or satin pillow case.

Styling and Trimming

• You should get your hair trimmed every 2-3 months to avoid split ends and keep your hair healthy.
• Deep condition your hair once a week with the help of a hooded dryer. The heat of the dryer helps better penetration of the conditioner into the hair.
• Use a tiny round brush and a hairdryer when combing fringe or baby fine hair around the hairline.
• Shield your hair with a protective cover when using hot combs or curling tongs.
• Those who are always in Braid hairstyles should wash their hair with a softening shampoo that maintains the moisture balance. This helps reduce the chances of a dry scalp.
• Visit a professional hairstylist regularly to maintain the shape of your hairstyle.
• Wear a hat, scarf or protective finishing products containing UV filters to protect your hair from the harmful UV rays of the Sun.
• African-American natural hair is prone to shrinkage. Thus, try to style your hair in braiding styles.
• You can even use gel type products to reduce the amount of shrinkage.

Natural Hair Care For African-American

• Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily to hydrate your hair.
• Sleep for 8 hours everyday.
• You should include omega 3 essential fatty acids in your diet. Have foods containing omega 3 fatty acids at least 2-3 times a day.
• Reduce smoking as it is harmful for your hair. Smoking also accelerates hair loss and graying.
• If the braids are too tight, then you should mix 15 drops of tea tree or peppermint oil per 2 oz of jojoba oil. Apply this mixture around the hairline.
• One can also apply Shea butter to the hair for loosening the tight braids.
• Do not wear braids for more than 8 weeks. Leave your hair free for some days before braiding your hair again. This helps prevent receding hairline, breakage and damage of the hair.
• Use essential oils like rosemary, lavender, sage, or calendula to keep braided hair free from bacteria.

African-American Baby Hair Care
There are many African-American baby hair care products available in the market. Choose baby hair care products carefully as wrong products may cause more damage to your baby's hair. Moisturize the hair daily with natural oils. You can try jojoba, avocado, and coconut oil to condition the baby's hair.

• Section the baby's hair before combing to avoid tangles.
• Use pony tails or braids to style the baby's hair. This decreases the chances of breakage and your baby looks cute!
• Use a gentle shampoo and conditioner when washing the baby's hair. Use natural products that contain less of chemicals.
• Wash the baby's hair once or twice a week. This avoids dry hair as the child grows.

Curly, straight, short, long, colored, braided, twists or wavy, whatever way you carry your hair, maintain a healthy and stress-free lifestyle. Always keep in mind that a positive attitude will always add to the natural shine of your hair. Your naturally black and curly hair is your natural heritage passed on from generations to generations. And those who have straight or slightly wavy hair, can also follow the above tips. So all you beautiful women out there, be proud of your hair.