care for the natural hair? Have you ever heard that natural Afro hair is more manageable than relaxed hair? It is time to put a stop to that adage.
There has long been a misunderstanding between natural and relaxed hair. Someone once told me that you shouldn’t comb your relaxed hair too much because it will break, but you can do so with your natural hair. Remember, hair is hair. Whether relaxed or natural, it requires equal attention.
So, if you want to switch from relaxed to natural hair or if you already have natural hair but want to know how to care for it, here are a few pointers to care for the natural hair.
Combs
Although all combs are handy, but not all combs are recommended. Avoid tail combs on your hair as much as possible. All you’re doing is tearing your hair, causing you to lose a lot of hair even without realizing it. Use an Afro comb or a detangling brush to detangle your hair. Both of these are highly recommended for hair care naturally.
Dry hair detangling
Hair care naturally needs detangling, but this is a definite no. If you want to keep your hair length and care for the natural hair, avoid detangling it when it’s dry. Dry hair equals a lot of twists and frizzes, and putting a comb in that hair will result in a hair funeral. So you grab your spray bottle, and if you want, you can add a conditioner to the water.
Using your fingers to untangle
There are knots in your hair that you will pull out if you use a comb to detangle them, but you also lose a lot of hair. Let’s look at an example. Do you notice a buildup of dirt at the root of your hair when you remove your box braids? This dirt frequently holds the hair around each other. Using a comb to pull your hair will only make it worse. So, once again, you grab your spray bottle, dampen your hair, and separate it with your hand.
Detangling from the tip to the bottom
If you detangle from root to tip, you’ll end up with a knot at the top of your hair. You know what that means. So the best route is from tip to bottom. To make detangling easier, divide your hair into sections and comb it.
Now that we’ve covered that, let’s move to the remaining things you should know about the care for natural hair:
Heat
Avoid using heat on your hair as much as possible. I’m referring to excessive stretching and drying. All you’re doing is putting pressure on your hair, which will nullify it. Take note of how the word “excessive” is used. It implies you can use it, but not on a regular basis.
A hairstyle that is too tight
We assume our hair can endure anything because we have that black girl magic. No. The goal of your protective styling is to “protect” your hair rather than damage it. The tighter it becomes, the more likely your hair will fall out. Avoid plaiting or exerting strain on your edges as much as possible, or you may end up bald.
Dirtied hair
Dirt does not promote hair growth. Again, for those in the back, dirt does not grow hair. It does nothing but clogs your scalp pores. Healthy hair begins with a clean scalp.
So there you have it tips and tricks to enable you to care for natural hair. Click here for more on lifestyle.
