How to Care for Afro Hair

by Liane Mclaren

Black hair whether it is natural, relaxed, or braided is beautiful. The secret to strong, beautiful hair is giving it the moisture it thirsts and to be gentle with it. You may be experiencing dry and brittle hair at the moment, follow our 20 tips and your hair will be silky soft in no time.

  1. Don’t over wash your hair stripping it of oils. If you can, shampoo it 1 to 2 weeks
  2. Use an ethnic shampoo specifically designed for your hair type and organic. Ingredients such as avocado, coconut, shea are all grown minus the toxins that help destroy the planet (and your hair)
  3. ‘Co-wash’ every 3-5 days with a rich conditioner only, this will retain more defined curls and moisture
  4. When co-washing, apply a mask or conditioner to the ends of your hair so you don’t end up with greasy roots
  5. Avoid animal fat oils such as lanolin, opt for grapeseed oil or more lightweight oils
  6. Avoid silicones and sulfates. Silicones make hair smooth, but can only be removed by sulfates, now you see the conundrum?
  7. Choose a nice coconut oil or nourishing mask
  8. Be gentle, use a wide tooth comb and start from the end and work your way up
  9. Stay clear of brushes, unless you want a frizz fest?
  10. Remember wet hair has elasticity, so wait a moment before combing it
  11. Avoid heat styling. If you do have a penchant for the straighteners, turn the heat down and use a protectant heat spray
  12. Use a good quality straightener with ceramic irons, you can’t go wrong with asset of GHDs
  13. Take care of over styling. Tight braids and the like will put stress on your hair and scalp
  14. As your mum used to say, “Don’t use rubber bands”, opt for a nice fabric scrunchie
  15. Sewn-in weaves over glued-in weaves are way better at protecting your hair, glue can rip out your real hair
  16. Change your weave every 1½ and 3 months and let your hair rest for a few weeks after a couple of consecutive weaves.
  17. Relax, don’t relax too often, every 2-3 months is way enough
  18. When relaxing your hair, add some natural oil to previously relaxed hair
  19. Let your hair go natural every once in a while for a few weeks.Use a bandana or a scarf to pep your natural style up, but let nature take its course every now and then
  20. Always sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase to prevent damage to your hair and it will make you feel like a Princess.

If you have any tips, please share with us. Happy styling!

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