Black people have one of the most beautiful types of hair but it doesn't grow as fast or as long as we want it to. If you take these tips you will get beautiful gorgeous hair!
Step 1
Wash Your Hair or "conditioner wash" [using conditioner as a shampoo, aka co-wash] your hair with a moisturizing shampoo at least every 5 days to maintain a healthy moisture balance and to keep a clean scalp. Moisturized hair and a clean scalp are essential to growing out healthy African American Hair.
Step 2
Deep condition your hair with a moisturizing deep conditioner about once a week for 15-30 minutes under a plastic cap and a heat dryer or for 1 hr w/o heat, to keep your hair strong and pliable.
Step 3
After conditioning your hair, add a moisturizing leave-in conditioner followed by an oil to "seal" in the moisturizing leave-in.
Step 4
To style, it's best to cut down on direct heat. Great styles that enable you to cut down on harsh heating tools are roller sets, braid-outs, twist-outs, and also natural air drying. If you must use heating appliances, apply a heat protectant spray or silicone serum on the hair before using the tools. This will ensure that the hair is mildy protected. **Remember, heat protectant can only do so much. Do not expect them to work miracles.**
Step 5
Moisturize the hair daily with a moisturizing moisturizer and seal that moisture in with a light oil.
Step 6
Keep your strands protected at night by using a silk or satin scarf and/or using a satin pillowcase.
Tips
- Keep heating tools away from the hair as much as possible. If you do use them, use a heat protecting spray or silicone serum. Remember, they do not protect hair from heat damage 100%, but they at least provide some protection.
- Keep the hair covered at night with a silk or satin scarf!
- Keep the scalp healthy and clean. "Greasing" the scalp is not an essential to growing healthy AA hair.
- Keep the hair nice and moist.
Warnings
- AAs CAN grow hair just as long and as healthy as any other race in the world. It just takes time and persistence.
- Do NOT comb or brush hair roughly, as it causes hair to break.
Things You'll Need
- Suggestions on good products!
- Moisturizing Shampoos: Creme of Nature (red or green labels), Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo, Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo,Nexxus Therapee Shampoo, Softsheen Carson Breakthru Shampoo, Elasta QP Shampoo for Relaxed Hair, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Shampoo, Kenra Moisturizing Shampoo, etc.
- Good Moisturizing Conditioners: Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Pak (the paks also come in a bottle labeled 'Replenishing Conditioner'), Suave Humectant, Keracare Humecto, Queen Helene Cholesterol, Lustrasilk Cholesterols, LeKair Cholesterol, Hollywood Beauty Olive Oil Cholesterol, Silk Elements Mega Treatment, etc.
- Oils: Unrefined virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, Hot 6 oil, Jojoba oil, Kemi Oyl, Africa's Best Herbal Oils, any Doo Gro oils, etc.
- Leave-in conditioners: Herbal Essences Long-Term Relationship Creme, Silken Child Leave-in, Sunsilk Straighten-Up Creme, Creme of Nature's leave-in conditioner, etc.
- Daily Moisturizers (can be used interchangeably with a leave-in conditioner): Sunsilk TLC Creme, Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Creme, Hollywood Beauty Olive Oil Creme, Neutrogena Silk Touch leave-in
- Heat Protectants: Aveda Brilliant Serum, Fantasia IC Polishing Serum, Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Serum, Chi Silk Infusion Gloss, Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray, etc.
