Learning to care for your hair comes with its ups and downs. But hey, sometimes the best way to learn is to make mistakes right? Don’t fret! It’s never too late to get yourself back on the right track. Take a look at some of these faux pas you may be committing and tips to help you along the way…
Greasing your scalp
Use natural oils like jojoba or extra virgin olive oil instead. Grease usually contains mineral oil or petrolatum as its primary ingredient, neither of which are absorbed by your scalp and will only leave you with clogged pores.
Avoiding water
Water is probably best thing that happened to black hair since the beginning of time! Black hair is very dry and moisture is essential. Make sure your moisturizer has aqua/water listed as its first ingredient and don’t shy away from washing your hair because you want to “preserve” your do.
Rough shampooing
Washing your hair all over your head will contribute to major tangling. It’s better to section your hair into 4 or more parts before shampooing. Secure the sections in duckbill clips to prevent intertwining, and voila! You just saved yourself unnecessary post-shampoo detangling time.
*You can also wash in braided or twisted sections.
Rough towel drying
The rough texture of towels is generally not hair-friendly to begin with and that extra rubbing is unnecessary. You should blot your hair gently with the towel or use an old, clean t-shirt to soak up the moisture. This will help prevent breakage, split ends and tangles.
Too much heat
You can always air dry instead of blow-drying or opt for styles that don’t require heat. Heat contributes to thinning, breakage and split ends, so if you must use heat, be sure to have a heat protectant handy.
General Hygiene
How often do you wash or change your combs/brushes, pillowcases, satin scarves and shower caps? Overtime oil and dirt will buildup and attract bacteria. Washing my combs and brushes right before I wash my hair each week works for me. I soak and wash them with warm water and a clarifying shampoo.
Sticking to the ethnic aisle
Most of these products don’t work to address the health of black hair; they are mostly quick fixes that end up damaging your hair in the long term. That is not to say there aren’t any good products in the ethnic aisle, but try broadening your horizons by looking elsewhere.
How many of these mistakes have you made?
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