For years black women have been bombarded with hair care information and for the most part, most of this information has been wrong. Mainly because the persons who disseminated the information had no clue as to the science behind black hair. With the advent of persons like Cathy Howse and others who dared to prove that black hair can grow long and healthy just like any other race. The slew of information available on black hair has increased through the years. Most of the information is simple and quite straightforward and does not involve the use of expensive products and gadgetry.
Hence, there is really no excuse for black women who truly want to take care of their hair and to grow long healthy tresses to feel frustrated because there is information widely available on the Internet and elsewhere. To add to this growing knowledge of black hair care, here are five essential hair care tips for women with relaxed hair that should really get you started on a healthy hair journey.
1. Low Manipulation. Relaxed hair is processed hair; excess combing or brushing can weaken the hair shaft over time and cause shedding and breakage. The less time spent combing hair is actually better for it. Combing is not the only culprit though when manipulating hair. The brushing of hair should be avoided at all cost. Why? Because brushing can pluck out the hair bulbs from the root and create tears along the hair shaft thus causing hair to break or shed easily. The harder the brush, the worse it is for hair.
2. Relaxing Hair Infrequently. This is very important and has made a difference to several women who thought that their hair was just not growing. Relaxers are chemicals, these chemicals alter the natural coil pattern of the hair, it flattens the hair and makes it straighter. Each time you relax your hair you break down the new growth. This breaking down of the hair means that your hair is much weaker than what it was in its natural state. If the chemical overlaps with a previously done part of the hair then you further break down the hair and this can cause serious breakage and hair loss. Hence, it is advisable not to break down the hair too often.
3. Switching Relaxers. Here’s the reason for this, most relaxers are made up of different chemical formulations and they usually contain an acid base. This base is used because it breaks down hair to a certain level. If you switch relaxers with different acid bases, there can be an unfavorable reaction on your hair as most of the acid bases in relaxers do not mix well together.
4. Moisturizers and Protein. Moisture is the backbone for many curly haired types and is especially important for chemically altered hair. It offers suppleness and manageability to dry thirsty hair. Equally important is protein; this is what gives the hair its strength and structure. Use these two in a balanced way and the outcome would be very beneficial to hair.
5. Oils. Are very important to hair maintenance and growth, oils seal in the moisture that is actually on hair. There are two main types of oils, essential oils and carrier oils. Essential oils such as peppermint and lavender have a host of benefits for the hair and carrier oils such as coconut and olive oil are really important. What women with relaxed hair should avoid are the oils that cause the hair to dry out, such as mineral oil and petroleum oil they actually seal out moisture from the hair.
In order to get good results with your hair regimen, start with the five tips above.
