How to Care for Black Women’s Hair

Use a wide tooth comb to carefully comb your hair. Always start brushing the ends first; Absolutely do not brush from the roots down. Avoid using a brush as the brush will only make your hair frizzy. Finally, avoid daily brushing and only use your fingers to detangle your hair. Brushing your hair too much will cause your hair to fall out.

• Make sure your hair is only slightly damp before untangling it. Wet hair is very weak, so when you finish washing your hair, you should wait for it to dry a bit.

Consider using a comb attached to the dryer when drying your hair. Let the hair dry naturally first and then use the hair dryer attached to the comb to gently dry the hair. This will help reduce the number of times you pull the hair, causing it to break easily. ^[5]

• Instead of letting your hair dry naturally, you can also sit under a standing hair dryer.

Avoid heat styling if possible and set the heat to low, and use a heat protectant spray when needed. Spray the protective product while the hair is still wet to increase effectiveness. When styling your hair, you should keep the curling iron or straightener slightly open as you pull through the strand. This way, you can reduce the tug that causes the hair to break easily. Try to limit heat styling to a maximum of 2 times a month.

• Try to set the heat as low as possible and avoid overheating. The effectiveness of heat protection sprays is limited.
• Choose a porcelain straightener instead of a metal one. Porcelain straighteners are gentler on hair. ^[6]
• Heat protection products come in many different forms, not just sprays, including: shampoos, conditioners, creams and serums.

Avoid styling your hair that will stretch your hair for a long time. Tight ponytails and tight braids look classy but put a lot of pressure on the hair and scalp. In the long run, these hairstyles will make your hair frizzy and prone to breakage. Not only that, they also put pressure on the hair follicle, causing the hairline to thin. ^[7]

• Don’t let it hurt when braiding, Cornrow braids, and hair extensions. If it hurts, you have styled your hair too tightly and caused damage to your hair. ^[8]
• Avoid using elastic bands when styling your hair because elastic bands cause hair to pull out and break easily. Instead of using elastic bands, you should use hair ties without metal clips.

Choose stitched hair extensions instead of glued hair extensions. Stitched hair extensions better protect natural hair from heat styling and external factors. Hair extensions with glue can pull along the natural hair when removed, causing damage to the hair. ^[9]

• If you have hair extensions, you should see a stylist every 2-3 weeks to make sure your hair is in place. Loose hair extensions can pull the hair shaft and cause damage.
• Replace hair extensions every 1 and a half and 3 months.
• Let your hair rest for a few weeks after two consecutive hair extensions.

Be careful when straightening your hair and only straighten it every 2-3 months. Try to straighten your hair professionally. If you straighten your hair at home, you need to read the instructions carefully to prevent damage to your hair. Hair straighteners should only be applied to newly grown hair and absolutely not on straightened hair. ^[10] Applying to straightened hair can cause damage from over-processing. In addition, do not leave the straightener on your hair for too long as this will seriously damage your hair and cause hair loss.

• When straightening hair, it is advisable to apply a little natural oil such as olive oil to previously straightened hair to avoid accidentally getting the dye on your hair repeatedly.
• Some stylists recommend straightening your hair every 6 weeks; However, this is unnecessary and actually harms the hair. You should only stretch every 2-3 months.
• Read the ingredients carefully and avoid using products that contain too many chemicals with long names.

Occasionally, it is advisable to leave your hair natural for a few weeks. This step is especially important if you are creating hairstyles that put pressure on your hair, such as extensions, braids and Cornrow braids. Although they look fashionable, these hairstyles put a lot of pressure on the hair. Leave hair natural for 1-2 weeks between styling to let it relax.

• If you have to style your hair, consider wrapping a scarf or headband around your hair or using a cute hair clip.

Use a satin or silk pillowcase to prevent frizzy, dry, and brittle hair. This way, the hair will always stay healthy and not break. Cotton pillowcases often cut the hair, causing small scratches in the hair shaft. Cotton pillowcases also often absorb moisture from the hair, making it frizzy and more prone to breakage. ^[11]

• Pillowcases made from satin or silk are also good for the skin because they do not absorb moisture like cotton pillowcases. ^[12]
• If you don’t have a satin or silk pillowcase, you should use a satin or silk scarf to wrap your hair up when you go to bed.

Moisturizes the ends of the hair. You can use a moisturizing serum or a natural oil like coconut oil, castor oil, or olive oil. This helps prevent hair from drying out, which is prone to tugging and breakage. Moisturizing also helps prevent split ends or damage.

Apply a little oil to your hair every day for natural hair and twice a week for straightened hair. Look for products that contain natural oils like almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil. Or you can apply natural oils directly to your hair. Avoid products containing petrpatum, lard, and mineral oil. These ingredients only make hair dry and prevent moisture from penetrating the hair shaft.

• Applying oil little by little will provide a lasting effect. You should start with a small amount and add more if needed.
• After shampooing, apply a moisturizing dry conditioner and then add your favorite oil. This helps keep moisture inside the hair shaft and ensures that it stays healthy.

Steaming (adding protein) for hair. Protein will help reduce hair breakage and excess moisture, so hair will look shinier. Be careful not to use too much hair protein, or your hair will become brittle. You can buy a steaming product from the store or make your own hair mask at home.

Steam your hair with hot oil twice a month to increase moisture and elasticity. ^[13] Heat 1/2-1 cup (120-240 ml) of oil in a water bath or jar in a pot of hot water. Divide your hair into sections and then use a dedicated bottle (Applicator Bottle) to apply the oil to your hair. Massage the oil into your hair and scalp, then wear a hat for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, wash your hair normally with shampoo. ^[14]

• Do not heat the oil in the microwave, otherwise the oil will lose its nutrients.
• If you don’t have a hood, you can wrap a warm, damp towel around your hair.
• Any of the following oils can be used: Argan oil, avocado oil, castor oil, coconut oil, Jojoba, olive, sesame oil and sweet almond oil.