How to take care of natural hair

Black people growing natural hair are familiar with the eccentric qualities of tightly curled hair. Natural black hair has different textures ranging from corkscrews to fluffy S-shaped curls; in fact, it is rare for an individual to have a truly homogeneous set of curls. Despite the texture combination, black people with natural hair can use the same basic hair-care practices to maintain healthy hair. The most important techniques every natural hair stylist should learn to maintain strong, healthy hair is proper detangling and moisturizing.

Detangling

Step 1

Fill a water bottle with warm water. Spray your hair from the root to tip until it is fully saturated.

Step 2

Apply the detangling spray or lotion to the entire length of your hair. While the detangler is setting, separate your hair with your hands and clip it into, at least ,four different sections. Twist each section to prevent shrinkage.

Step 3

Remove one section from the clip and untwist it. Hold it away from your head. Use the wide tooth comb to detangle the ends of your hair first.

Step 4

Continue to detangle while gradually moving upward to the roots. Hold the hair directly above the area you are detangling to decrease the amount of pulling on your scalp.

Step 5

Repeat steps 1 through 4 until each section is detangled. Brush your hair with a seamless detangling brush to remove loose hair.

Moisturizing

Step 1

Separate your hair into, at least, four sections with your hands, and clip them. Twist each section to prevent shrinkage.

Step 2

Untwist one section of hair. Apply a generous amount of moisturizer to your hair from root to tip. Determine the amount of moisturizer you need, according to the length and thickness of your hair.

Step 3

Apply oil to the section of hair from root to tip. Brush your hair with a seamless styling brush to distribute the moisturizer and oil evenly.

Step 4

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until each section of  the hair is complete. Style your hair as usual.

Things You’ll Need

• Wide-tooth comb
• Detangling spray/lotion
• Spray bottle
• Hair clips
• Seamless detangling brush
• Moisturizer
• Seamless styling brush
• Oil

Tips

• If you encounter a large knot while detangling, carefully comb or brush that area until the shed hair is released. Finding the right moisturizer can be difficult. Try different products until you are satisfied with the results. Use a natural oil instead of oil in a spray can, which usually contains superfluous filler ingredients like mineral oil. Avocado, almond and olive oil are recommended for natural black hair.

Warnings

• Do not use brushes with seams or balls on the teeth. These types of brushes will snag your hair, which causes breakage and damage to the hair strand. Keep your hair damp while detangling. Dry hair is difficult to manipulate in its shrunken state.

Courrtesy: www.livestrong.com