Whether it’s long, short, curly, or straight, all women derive a great sense of esteem and confidence from their hair. I wear my hair naturally, and I love my hair- with all its kinks and curls. African American women have one of the most delicate grades of hair, and a woman’s hair is often regarded as her crown and glory. The most healthy hair is hair worn in its natural state. But whether you wear your hair naturally or processed, here are some simple, yet crucial steps for black women to achieve healthier, more beautiful hair.
1. Gently cleanse
Black hair is porous- which means it’s structured in a way that makes it prone to losing moisture. Thus, many Black women have naturally dry hair. And although we should wash our hair about once every 3-4 days, it’s best to avoid harsh shampoos that further strip our hair of vital moisture. So when cleansing your hair, look for shampoos that boast abundant moisturizers. Personally, I’m a big fan of moisturizing shampoos by Nexxus and Redken’s All Soft shampoo.
2. Eat a healthy diet and take a multivitamin
Hair is primarily composed of protein. And the building blocks of protein are amino acids. Amino acids are found in tons of healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. Thus, having a diet rich in amino acids, as well as other vitamins and nutrients from a multivitamin (i.e. biotin and vitamins a, e) helps to assure that your body is building the strongest, most healthy hair.
3. Moisturize and condition
As I stated before, black hair is porous and thus has the tendency to be naturally dry. So you want to protect it and restore moisture, especially after shampooing. And one of the best things you can do for black hair is regularly use products that will protect the hair- like natural oils (coconut and almond oil), deep conditioners, and leave-in conditioners. All of these things will help restore moisture as well as give you hair a beautiful shine. Once again, I’m a big fan of Redken and Nexxus for deep and leave-in conditioners. I also like Miss Jessie’s Rapid Recovery Treatment.
4. Avoid frequent touch ups (perm)
I advise these women to avoid frequent touch ups- no more than once every 8-12 weeks. I stopped relaxing my hair years ago after researching the harmful effects of relaxers. If you’ve seen the movie “Good Hair,” you know what I’m talking about. I take it upon myself to educate many black women about the harmful effects of relaxers because I’ve seen countless patients need medical treatment for hair issues that are a direct result of relaxers. I’m pro-natural hair, but a woman’s decision to relax her hair is her choice- and I respect that.
5. Avoid tight braiding, weaves, and wigs
Traction alopecia is a form of gradual hair loss, caused primarily by pulling force being applied to the hair. And traction alopecia is a serious problem among many Black women who exclusively wear tight braids, weaves, and wigs. The thing to remember with traction alopecia is that once the hair is pulled, the hair loss will most likely to be permanent. So the best thing you can do to avoid this altogether by not pulling on hair. Remember, a receding hairline is rarely a good look.
