I first started learning about proper black hair care in October of
2005 after reading the book, Ultra Black Hair Care Growth by Cathy
Howse. That book started me on an eye-opening journey towards learning
about why I could never grow my then ear-length and damaged hair past
neck length.
The
first thing most Black women do wrong when it comes to taking care of
their hair is that they do not moisturize often enough or use the right
products to moisturize with. Black hair is naturally the driest kind of
hair there is because the curl pattern makes it difficult for sebum to
nourish the entire hair strand. Therefore, we must add extra moisture.
The best moisturizers for black hair list water or glycerin as the first
ingredient. For example, I personally use Nexxus Headress Weightless
Leave-in Conditioner. In general, hair grease products that contain
petroleum or mineral oil as the first ingredient should be avoided
because they do not moisturize, but instead merely coat the hair strands
and block the pores of the scalp, causing buildup and attracting dirt.
The
subject of dirt brings me to the next thing that black women are doing
wrong when caring for their hair--they do not wash their hair often
enough. A lot of black women I know (and I used to be one of them), will
only wash their hair once a month because they believe the myth that
water dries their hair out even more and that frequent washing causes
damage. This isn't true. Water is the best moisturizer of all
moisturizers, but when you simply let the hair dry without putting
anything onto the hair to keep the moisture in, all the moisture
evaporates into the air, leaving your hair even drier than it was before
you washed it. You must add a moisturizer, followed by an oil (I use
Olive Oil mostly, but there are hundreds of oils you can use!) before
drying your hair to keep moisture in and avoid dryness. I wash my hair
about once a week. Some black women wash their hair every day or every
other day and it is long, healthy and strong. By the way, air drying is
best for black hair because of the third and final topic I will discuss.
Excessive
heat is another huge reason black women have damaged hair. Blow dryers,
curling irons, flat irons and hot combs make the dryness in our hair
worse and causes breakage and damage. The less heat and manipulation you
put your hair through, the better it will look! There are many
alternatives to using heat on your hair like rollers, wrapping, and air
drying.
By following these and other Black hair care techniques,
my hair is now almost arm pit length--the longest (and healthiest) it
has ever been in my life!
