Learning to maintain natural hair after years of dealing with relaxed or weaved hair can cause some serious "culture shock". Everything you thought you knew about cleansing and conditioning goes out the window, especially as your hair grows. Thick, long natural hair can be quickly become a jumbled mess of matted coils. Here are a few of my personal favorite tips.
1. Pre-poo with your favorite oil if your hair is dry and not easily manipulated. Let the oil sit for at least 15 minutes before proceeding.
2. Section and finger detangle BEFORE wetting your hair. Water will cause your curls to draw up or coil around themselves, therefore increasing tangles and matting. I have thick AP length hair, I section into six twists and gently pull apart tangles, adding more oil where needed for slip.
3. Wash in the shower with your hair in sections. I take advantage of gravity and let the downward stream of water loosen knots and prevent more tangles. I wash one section at a time, rinse, add conditioner and detangle with a shower comb or denman brush, and retwist before moving on. This sounds like a lot of work but it ensures that I do not spend and hour or two trying to comb my hair out after washing. The entire in shower process takes me about 25 minutes. NEVER pile hair on top of your head like shampoo commercials, it's a set up, a nightmare waiting to happen. That technique is NOT for curly girls. Try to avoid scrunchy or balling the hair into a bundle. Keep hair stretched while scrubbing the scalp and pull cleanser downward from root to tip.
4. Use a moisturizing and/or sulfate free shampoo! Use a moisturizing or hydrating conditioner. Afro textured and/or curly hair needs as much moisture as we can give it. During this process the cuticles of our hair shaft are raised, making this the best time to put the best ingredients into our hair. I tend it avoid silicone based products during cleansing and conditioning, however I will use silicone based styling agents depending on the desired end result.
5. Rinse conditioner with cool water with the twists still in. Gently squeeze the water in and rinse thoroughly, no need to take the twist down and risk adding tangles.
6. Use a leave-in with water as the first ingredient. Seal that moisture in with an oil or butter. The foundation of any style should moisturized and pliable hair. Dry hair is more prone to breakage and splitting. Remember to concentrate on those ends!!
7. Style as desired -- but remember to remoisturize as needed throughout the life of the style. Happy Hearts ~ Healthy Tresses!
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