If you are making the transition from relaxing your hair to going natural, you probably noticed your hair care routine needs adjusting. Your old hair products don’t seem to have the same effect as before. You also probably feel that your hair no longer grows. Discover natural hair care tips that will address these common issues and allow you to better manage your natural hair.
You Will Need to Adjust Your Hair Care Products
For some reason we believe that natural hair requires more hair products to make it manageable. This is not true. Your ultra-curly afro hair requires fewer products than your relaxed hair did. Your main hair care products needed are:
* Sulfate-free shampoo: less harsh on hair and strips away less moisture
* Moisturizing conditioner: helps replenish moisture and softens hair for styling
* Hair oil: for use as a hot oil treatment, scalp oil and hair oil (applied to dry hair)
* Leave-in spray conditioner: helps detangle hair and refresh hair between washings.
Shampoo Less, Wash More
Advising to shampoo less and wash more probably does not make much sense. For most of our lives, it has been drilled into our heads that shampoo is the only way to wash our hair. Shampoo is meant to remove excess oil and styling product from the hair. However, we can also wash our hair by rinsing it with water and, if needed, using a cheap conditioner to aid in the washing.
For natural afro hair, washing frequently with just water helps the hair retain moisture and helps define our curl pattern naturally. Shampoo hair once to twice a week and wash/rinse with water every other day.
Do Not Wear Hair Out Everyday
Unless you plan on keeping your hair cut and styled into a short fro, chances are you want your natural hair to grow. Our hair grows; it can’t help it. However, a lot of the time we don’t see added length because our hair is breaking off. Another hindrance to seeing added length is that natural afro hair tends to knot at the ends when worn out. Unfortunately, the only way to remove hair knots is to cut them out. If your hair is constantly breaking and being cut, how can you expect to see added length?
Between washings, style your hair in a way that keeps the ends tucked in. A braided bun, hair twists, a regular bun (if you hair is long enough for it) and braids are all ways to keep the hair secured, minimizing breakage and knots. You can also wear a hair set, such as the twisted knot set , between washings or shampoos. This is when hair accessories will become your best friend. Scrunchies, barrettes, and bobby pins are just a few hair accessories that can help.
Keep Hair Covered at Bedtime
Another cause of hair breakage is friction. Hair friction happens most while we sleep. Our heads are moving on our pillowcases, causing our hair to rub on the fabric, creating friction. Not to mention that pillowcases, especially cotton ones, absorb oil and can make natural afro hair drier. Always tie a silk or silky scarf around your head before bedtime. The scarf will lessen friction and won’t rob the hair of oil.
These tips for common hair issues faced when we go from relaxed to natural are not huge obstacles. However, we do need to keep up with our hair maintenance and healthy practices to make sure our hair is in good condition and continues to grow. Just stick to it and you will find it easier to manage your natural afro hair as time goes on.
