How to Take Care of Black Girls' Hair

1. 1
   Cut down on shampoo. For instance, if your hair is dry, co-wash your hair. Co-wash means wash your hair with conditioner not shampoo. Since in the 40s, shampoo was made with the same drying product as laundry detergent. If you must wash your hair, dilute your shampoo with 50% water and 50% shampoo. If you have product build up, use a mud rinse in your hair instead of drying soap.
2. 2
   Learn the science. Black hair is very curly which makes it harder for natural scalp sebum to distribute to the ends of your hair. These kinks and curls are also fragile and prone to breakage so handle your hair with care and keep it moisturized. A huge misconception is that black hair is coarse, coarse means the "strand size" not the texture. Black hair is rarely coarse, in fact, they're usually finer than any other ethnic group - which is why is can not take rough handling. Hold your hair up to the light. Is it thin? Can you see through it? If yes - you have fine hair. Asian hair is the coarsest, strongest hair, which can take a lot of handling. Also make sure that you wash your hair with sulfate free shampoo.
3. 3
   Use organic products. Choose products with a lot of organic ingredients and try to avoid products with mineral oils and petrolatum. They will dry your hair out and stop moisture from penetrating the shaft. Natural oils like almond, coconut oil and jojoba oils are much better.
   

   • Look for the term organic, not natural. The term “organic” is strictly defined in the US by uniform, federal regulations. “Organic” means the food or fiber bearing the label was made with a set of farming and production practices defined and regulated, in great detail, by the USDA. That means it had no toxic chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides that are harmful to humans and animals.
   • The term "natural" is double talk and can have any given meaning for corporations. An orange soda can be natural because it has orange flavoring that once shared a compound of a fruit. High fructose corn syrup is considered "natural" just like "petrolatum."
4. 4
   Select your products carefully. If you have more money to spend, you could either try the Ultra Black Hair, Cream of Nature line, or you can also use a small amount of grape seed, olive oil, or jojoba oil straight from the bottle. Aveda makes a really good leave-in conditioner. Stay away from money thirsty products and try making your own. Aloe Vera is the same PH of your hair which is 4 and will close your cuticles and make your hair shiny and smoother than ever before.
5. 5
   Create a regimen. Decide how often you are going to "shampoo" and deep condition your hair. You will want to condition every 3 to 5 days and seal the moisture in with a natural oil of your choosing. Deep condition every week, and no less than twice a month.
   

   • The ends of your hair are the oldest, instead of the old myth of "greasing your scalp", oil your ends to stop it from breaking from rubbing against your clothes.
6. 6
   Never use "grease" in your hair or scalp. Black hair needs extra moisture, so stay away from products with petroleum. Petroleum makes hair stiff, dry and greasy. Instead of grease, try natural oils (coconut, jojoba, olive, or castor) or natural shampoos and conditioners which are great for your hair because they don't have all those sulfates, sodium’s, and preservatives in them. They also give your hair a nice shine to it. Grape seed oil is very light and can withstand high temperatures without burning which will help control heat damage if you use heat styling products on your locks.
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   Moisturize your ends. Be sure to keep them moisturized so you don't end up withsplit or damages ends. Seal your ends with either coconut oil or castor oil.
8. 8
   Avoid heat on your hair. If you use heat styling products on your hair, try to cut it down to 2 times a month max, and make sure you use a heat protection shampoo and/or moisturizer, or a good serum/spray on your hair before flat ironing or curling. Hold the barrel cover slightly open so the hair simply passes over the barrel without being tugged and pulled by the barrel cover when you use the curling iron. If you absolutely must use oil when you use your curling iron, dab on a very, very, tiny amount of Optimum Oil Therapy 3-in-1 Cream or different product. It won't leave your hair oily
9. 9
   Make sure you sleep on a satin pillowcase or tie your hair up in a silk scarf so your hair can stay healthy and won't break or tear. Silk or satin pillowcases , bonnets and scarves will also help prevent acne because there is not as much bacteria on them every night.
10. 10
    Try a protein treatment. Once a month, use an Aphogee treatment or use egg in your hair before washing it all out. Protein will make your hair less prone to breakage and over-moisturizing. Your hair will be a lot shinier too. Be careful not to overuse protein in your hair otherwise it will start to snap off.
11. 11
    Comb carefully. Use a wide tooth comb to comb your hair, stop buying bristle brushes or thin combs which will get caught in your hair and snap it off. Go for low maintenance. People of colour should never comb their hair everyday, your hair does not need to be combed everyday, just detangle with your fingers. Excessive combing will break your hair off. Make sure your hair is slightly damp before you tangle.
12. 12
    Ignore that myth that black hair cannot grow. The reason why black hair does not appear to grow is the ends are breaking off from too much manipulation or damage. If your hair didn't grow, you wouldn't need to head to the hairdresser every 8 weeks! There are plenty of forums and blogs where black women and girls have beautiful hair. Your hair will be healthier if you follow these rules and you will notice a difference in the strength and length.