Black is beautiful and how! Black hair has mesmerized people for years and one has seen it oozing charm when sleek, straight, braided or when long and curly. Black hair is also beautiful when worn long, short or cropped and people who are not naturally blessed with black hair go to the extent of using black hair color to achieve the look! But, it also needs extra care and styling.
Oiling and Hair Wash
Always massage your scalp on a regular basis. This will stimulate oil production and also help to reduce the dryness of your hair. For those who have extremely dry hair, oil your scalp after shampooing and when your hair is still moist, massage the oil into your scalp. Then gently brush out to the ends of your hair.
Try to shower with warm water as hot water can dry and cause an irritation to the scalp.
Yet another tip when you wash your hair would be to wash them only in one direction. This would avoid your hair from being tangled when you have a hair wash.
Having a daily hair bath is a strict no-no. Daily shampooing strips the natural oil from your hair. Natural black hair is known to be low on the moisture content. Therefore, it requires more care than any other kind of hair.
You can also try a hot-oil treatment. This would lubricate the dry scalp, which would in turn help to keep the natural black hair moisturized.
Brushing and Handling
Black hair is also prone to hair breakage and hair loss. Therefore, be gentle with your hair. Use a boar bristle brush and they help to distribute the natural hair oils from the root to the tip. Any soft brush when used slowly will have a very good effect on your hair.
Always tie up your hair when you go to bed. Black hair tends to get tangled whist you catch your beauty sleep. Also, the natural oils transfer onto the pillow as you sleep. It is often recommended to use satin scarves and pillowcases for this reason. This is because cotton tends to absorb the natural oil of the hair and cotton pillowcases can also cause the hair to tangle.
When combing your hair, divide it into small manageable sections. This will help to reduce all the tangles and hair breakage. Once you finish shampooing, always be sure that you rinse your hair thoroughly. This would ensure you do not have any residue left in the hair.
Never rub your hair harshly with a towel. Always use it gently or let it dry naturally.
When using rubber bands in your hair ensure that you cover it with a smooth material. This would prevent your hair from being caught in the bands. You can soak the rubber band in oil before use. Or you can even switch to clips and roller to minimize hair breakage, but avoid the use of sharp clips that can cause further damage to your hair.
If possible, stay away from the use of heat treatment and such other processes unless if absolutely necessary as this can cause drying of your hair. Most of such treatments tend to strip off all the natural oil and also cause the hair to lose its natural texture.
Haircare Products
The requirements of black hair are different. They also tend to be less dense as compared to other hair. Therefore, look for products that offer better hair growth and are gentle with your hair. Use natural haircare products that have minimum use of chemicals as compared to others.
Try to use shampoos with a low pH. Shampoos that have a high pH tend to dry out hair. When you condition your hair, try to comb it out using your fingers first. Then use a wide-toothed comb from the bottom up, in order to avoid breaking too many strands of hair.
Gels can prove to be a good option for molding black hair and giving it shape. Therefore choose non-greasy formulas that always give hair a healthy sheen to it.
