How To Take Care Of Black Girls Hair – smartesthairstyles.com – Black hair is beautiful whether it’s natural, relaxed, or braided. The key to healthy, beautiful hair is moisture and gentle treatment. Without these, black hair can become dry and brittle. Caring for black hair takes a little extra effort, but the soft, silky, and healthy results are worth it.
1. Wash black hair
Wash your hair once every 1 to 2 weeks. The more often you wash your hair, the more moisture you deprive it of. The result is dry, brittle hair. You should wash your hair every 7 to 10 days, but you can wash it once every 14 days. This helps prevent dryness and product build-up.
If you can’t find a shampoo and conditioner for ethnic hair, try using a moisturizing shampoo for dry hair. Follow with a moisturizing conditioner.
If you need to wash your hair more often, dilute your shampoo with 50% water and 50% shampoo.
Consider washing your hair with only conditioner every 3 to 5 days. This is also known as “co-washing”. It helps moisturize your hair and keep it manageable. Co-washing is particularly good for natural curls as it keeps hair less frizzy, more defined and better hydrated. You can help further lock in moisture with a natural oil of your choice.
Step things up a bit by using a deep conditioning mask once a week to twice a month.
Concentrate the conditioner on the ends of the hair; Avoid applying it to your scalp. Applying conditioner to your scalp makes your hair appear greasy. It will also weigh down your strands.
Use a moisturizing conditioner with light, essential oils. Oils like grapeseed oil are more easily absorbed by the hair than products like lanolin, which only clog and weigh down the hair. Light oils moisturize your hair and make it shiny without weighing it down.
Do not 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 detergent that leads to dry hair. If you don’t properly remove the silicones from your hair, your hair will build up too much and end up looking dull, greasy and lanky.
Fortunately, there are many ways to make your hair beautiful and silky without silicones, including conditioning masks and coconut oil. These products are easily washed out of the hair without leaving it dry or brittle.
Consider using products with “organic” ingredients over products with “natural” ingredients. Organic products are strictly regulated from cultivation to harvest. This means that ingredients like avocado, coconut and shea have been grown without the use of toxic chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides that are harmful to humans and animals. These toxic chemicals can potentially damage your hair.
The term “natural” is used very loosely by companies. An orange soda can be natural because it has an orange flavor that once had a fruit association. High fructose corn syrup is considered “natural,” as is “petrolatum.”
2. Style black hair
Comb gently with a wide-toothed comb. Always start at the ends of your hair first; Never comb straight down from the roots. Avoid using brushes as they will only make your hair frizzy. Finally, avoid combing your hair every day; If necessary, detangle it with your fingers. Excessive combing will break your hair.
Make sure your hair is slightly damp before detangling. Hair is very delicate when wet. So if you just washed them, let them dry a bit first.
Consider using a comb when blow-drying your hair. First let your hair air dry a little and then gently blow dry with a comb. This reduces pulling and tugging that can lead to breakage. Combs can also help speed up the drying process for tightly coiled natural hair.
Combs help to stretch and straighten natural curls, so they’re great if you plan to use a flat iron after drying.
Instead of air drying, you can sit under a dryer.
If possible, avoid heat styling and then use a lower temperature and a heat protectant spray. Apply the spray to your hair while it is still wet; this will help make it more effective. When styling your hair, hold the curling iron or flat iron slightly open as you run it over your hair. This way you avoid tugging and pulling on your hair, which can cause hair breakage. Try to limit heat styling to a maximum of twice a month.
Try to use the lowest temperature possible and avoid getting too hot. Heat protection sprays can only do so much.
Opt for ceramic straighteners over metal ones. You will be gentler on your hair.
Heat protectants come in many forms other than sprays, including: shampoos, conditioners, creams, and serums.
Avoid using high stress hairstyles for long periods of time. Tight ponytails and tight braids can look chic, but they also put a lot of strain on your hair and scalp. Over time, they can cause frizz and breakage in the hair. They can also put stress on the hair follicles and cause thinning along the hairline.
Braids, cornrows, and weaves shouldn’t hurt. If they start to hurt, they are too tight and are damaging your hair.
Avoid using elastic bands when styling your hair as they can cause tears and breakage. Instead, use a ponytail holder without a metal clip.
Choose sewn-in fabrics over glued-in fabrics. They protect your natural hair much better from heat styling and outdoor elements. Glued-in weaves can pull out your natural hair when you remove it, damaging it.
If you choose to use a bonded weave, you can protect your natural hair by putting a stocking cap over it and then gluing the weave to the stocking cap.
If you use a weave, visit your stylist every 2 to 3 weeks to make sure it stays put. A loose weave can tug at your hair and damage it.
Change your tissue every 1½ and 3 months.
After two consecutive weaves, let your hair rest for a few weeks.
Be careful when relaxing your hair and only do it once every 2 to 3 months. Try relaxing your hair professionally. If you do it at home, read the instructions carefully to avoid damage. You should only apply relaxer to new growth and never to hair that is already relaxed. If you apply relaxer to previously relaxed hair, you will overstress and damage it. Also, never leave the relaxer on your hair for too long; This leads to serious damage and possible hair loss.
When you relax your hair, add some natural oil, like olive oil, to previously relaxed hair. That way you won’t accidentally over-edit it. You can also use a conditioner or pre-relax treatment to protect previously relaxed strands if you prefer not to use oil.
Some stylists recommend touch-ups every 6 weeks; This is unnecessary and actually very bad for your hair. You should have a touch up every 2 to 3 months.
Check out the ingredients: If it has too many long chemical names, try to stay away from it.
Let your hair go natural for a few weeks now and then. This is especially important when using heavy-duty hairstyles like braids, cornrows, and braids. Although fashionable, these styles put a lot of strain on your hair. Leave your hair natural for a week or two between hairstyles to let it relax.
If you need to do something with your hair, consider wrapping a scarf or headband around it, or adding a cute hair clip.
3. Keep black hair healthy
Sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase to avoid frizz, breakage and dryness. This way your hair can stay healthy and won’t break or tear. Cotton pillowcases tend to snag on hair and create small rips and tears. They also tend to suck moisture out of your hair, which can make it even more frizzy and brittle.
Satin or silk pillowcases are also great for your skin, as they don’t wick moisture like cotton pillowcases.
Wash the silk pillowcases once a week. You can do it by hand or with a washing machine. Check the label before washing.
If you can’t get a satin or silk pillowcase, consider tying your hair up with a satin or silk scarf at night instead.
Dampen the ends of your hair. You can use a moisturizing serum or a natural oil like coconut oil, castor oil, or olive oil. This will help prevent your hair from getting dry, catching on things, and breaking. It also helps avoid split or damaged ends.
Apply a little oil to natural hair daily and twice a week to straightened/relaxed hair. Look for products that contain natural oils like almond, argan, coconut, and jojoba. You can also just use natural oils straight from the bottle instead. Avoid products with petrolatum, lanolin and mineral oils. They just dry out your hair and prevent moisture from penetrating the shaft.
A little oil is enough. Start with a small amount, about the size of a dime, and add more as needed.
After shampooing, apply a moisturizing leave-in conditioner, then add your oil of choice. This locks in moisture and keeps your hair healthy.
Try a protein treatment. Protein makes your hair less prone to breakage and over-hydration. Your hair will also be much shinier. Be careful not to overuse protein in your hair or it will start to break down. You can use a store-bought treatment or try making a DIY hair mask at home.
Use a hot oil treatment twice a month to add moisture and elasticity to your hair. Heat ½ to 1 cup (120 to 240 milliliters) of oil in a double boiler or glass pan of hot water. Part your hair into several sections and then use an applicator bottle to apply the oil. Massage the oil into your hair and scalp, then cover your hair with a shower cap for 30 minutes. After the time is up, wash your hair with shampoo as usual.
If you don’t want to pre-heat the oil, you can apply it and then sit under a hooded hair dryer with a shower cap on for 30 minutes.
Do not heat the oil in the microwave or it will lose its nutrients.
If you don’t have a shower cap, you can wrap a damp, warm towel around your hair instead.
You can use any of the following oils: argan, avocado, castor, coconut, jojoba, olive, sesame, and sweet almond.
Cut your split ends as soon as possible. Even healthy hair is prone to split ends, so check your hair regularly for split ends. The longer you leave them uncontrolled, the further the damage will creep up the hair shaft. Do not respond to “split-end mending” serums as they are only temporary solutions; They are not permanent and will not fix your split ends.