Source: mybrownbaby.blogspot.com

Healthy hair is always the way to go. However, sometimes women occasionally sacrifice the health of their hair for style. But there’s ways to achieve stylish hair dos without doing hair don’ts and comprising your healthy hair. Here’s some do’s and don’ts of achieving the following great styles and looks while maintaining healthy hair.

Color me Blonde
Coloring your hair can be a great way to switch up your look and add some spice. But it can also be one of the most damaging style choices, especially if you’re trying to go much lighter than your natural hair color. Whether relaxed or natural, using permanent color to dye your hair can be a treacherous deed, so why not try an alternative natural dye? Henna is a great option, as you can condition your hair while coloring. LUSH Cosmetics offers a great line of premixed natural henna blocks that are easy to mix down and are infused with cocoa butter and other natural moisturizing oils. If you want to go black, brown, blue-black or red, henna is an easy option. For lighter colors, you might have to do several henna treatments to gradually lighten your hair.

Braids/Weaves
Braids and weaves are instant style changers and can also help to protect your hair and even help it grow, but you have to be very careful with how you install your styles. Protect your edges! Try to keep minimal tension on your edges. If you are getting a weave, be careful with the braid pattern and how tight the braids are. Remember that hair is being sewn on top of the braids, which is going to further tighten and pull your hair. Too much tension can result in severe hair loss and partial baldness. Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) is a real disease that leads to baldness and scarring and can be caused by poorly installed weaves/braids (cc: Naomi Campbell). If you are going to a hair salon where they blow dry your hair before braiding, either ask to have your hair blow dried on low heat or do it yourself before arriving at the salon. This is especially true for naturals with a kinkier and more fragile hair type. Before heading to the braid shop, stretch your hair and then gently blow-dry your hair damp with a heat protectant to minimize breakage.

Going Straight
Want to turn your curly coils or wavy hair to straight? Rather than going straight for the blow dryer and flat iron, try a method that doesn’t require direct heat such as roller setting your hair. There’s all these fancy flat irons that promise to protect your hair with new technology, but ceramic, nano tourmaline, whatever, is still direct heat, and if done too frequently or at too high of a temperature, it can damage your hair. If you’re relaxed, roller setting is great because it’s easy to achieve and leaves you with full body hair. Siting under a hair dryer set at mid-temperature is a healthy option for your hair as opposed to reaching for a flat iron. If you have a kinkier natural hair texture, shrinkage is real and many combat that by regularly blow-drying their hair out (blow out). Unfortunately, that causes excessive breakage and halts hair growth. Trying no heat methods of stretching your hair, such as braiding or simply washing your hair in braids can work wonders and be good alternatives to constantly blow-drying your hair.

Jouelzy offers tutorials on all aspects of Black hair care via her YouTube channel, focusing on women with tight budgets. You can also find her daily hair tips and inspirations on Facebook.

More on Madame Noire!

• Evening Eye Candy: Baller Andre Iguodala
• Am I Trippin’? Was I Too Stubborn, Or Was He Trying to Be Too Controlling? You Tell Me…
• ‘Think Like a Man’s’ Ban In France Proves It’s Hard To Be a N*gga In Paris
• Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind the Making of “Jungle Fever”
• Decoding Your Downstairs: 8 Things Women Need To Know About Their Va Jay Jay
• Shopping While Fat: It Must Get Better
• Final Cut! Celebs We Haven’t Seen Since The Ax Came Down!
• This Right Here’s a Panty Dropper: D’Angelo Looks Delicious in GQ

From BlackVoices.com

thinkstock.com

A child is sat down. She is screaming. Why is she being forced to do this? It burns her scalp. It really burns her scalp. After this procedure, she is inserted into a high-temperature contraption. It is hot. She is crying. After being removed from the contraption, more heat is applied to her scalp. An irritated individual assures her that sobbing will only drag out the process. Finally, after many tears and many burns, the procedure is done. Look in the mirror, little girl. You are not hideous anymore. Smile — your hair is now straight.

For the full story, visit BlackVoices.com.

More on Madame Noire!

• True Life: I Experienced Racism When…
• Spring Hair Trend Alert: Which Celebs Rocked Ombre Tresses Right, And Who Did It Wrong?
• Printed Pants: Fab Style Or Fashion Faux Pas?
• 6 Things That Should Not Be Distractions While At Work
• Love and Baby Bumps: Yandy Finally Confirms Pregnancy
• NEW MN WEB SERIES: “Ask A Black Man” Episode 3: The SEX Episode
• Raw Reality TV Preview: RHOA Three-Part Reunion
• Cuteness: Louis Bullock (Sandra’s Son) & The Game’s Daughter Cali Get Adorable for The Camera