Many African-American women have had their hair permed or relaxed for so long that they don’t even remember what their natural hair texture is like. I’ve heard so many people tell me that they could never wear their hair in its natural state because it would be completely unmanageable. This isn’t true. Natural black hair no matter what its texture is manageable when you know what to do with it.
Learning how to manage your natural tresses can be a fun learning experience. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Products
Natural hair is sensitive to the various chemicals in many shampoos and conditioners. You should always read product labels to make sure you’re not purchasing something that will damage your hair.
Avoid hair products with sodium lauryl sulfate, isopropyl alcohol, mineral oil, and petroleum. These ingredients dry and damage the hair. Damaged hair will break off.
Using natural products will help increase the health of your tresses. You can use products that include natural ingredients like water, glycerine, shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, cocoa butter, and other natural oils. These ingredients will help seal in moisture and contribute to the over all health of your lovely locks.
Detangling
Detangling natural black hair must be done carefully. Curly hair is naturally quite weak. Every bend in the strand that creates a curl also creates a weak point. The tighter your curl pattern the weaker each strand will be. That’s why it’s extremely important to detangle your hair carefully.
Use a wide toothed comb. When I detangle my hair I divide it into four sections by parting my hair down the center and then from ear to ear. These parts don’t need to be neat. They’re only for detangling purposes.
Use large clips to hold each section out of the way. Remove the clip from the section you want to detangle first. I like to start in the back. I usually divide the section I’m working on into smaller sections so it’s easier to detangle. Start at the end of the section and carefully comb out all the tangles. Once the ends are completely detangled move your way up the section and detangle that. Comb slowly and carefully this way until you reach the root. Comb your entire head in this manner.
Styling
There are many styles that can be worn on natural hair textures. Natural hair is actually quite versitile. Here are some examples of some of my favorite natural styles.
- box braids
- cornrows
- two strand twists
- three strand twists
- flat twists
- puff
- French twist
- French braid
- blow out
- wash-and-go
- flat ironed
- locs
If you chose to flat iron your natural hair be very careful. Heat damage can destroy your natural curl pattern. Even using a blow-dryer can cause damage. So always be careful when applying heat. Use low settings. When you use a flat iron avoid going over sections more than once. If you flat iron very small sections you will only need to go over it once.
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