How to grow black hair long

How to Grow African American Hair Long

Moisturize!  As Jan Brady popularized “moisture, moisture, moisture!”  Without proper moisture, African American hair is prone to breakage.  In addition, because of dry scalp, there is less oil production, which hinders hair growth.  These are the reasons why American African hair seems to take too long to grow.  With the right and effective moisturizing, you will dramatically see your tresses lengthen in no time.

Shampoo and conditioning

With the right shampoo and conditioner, your hair will get ample moisture lock up.  Keeping your hair and scalp clean at all times will promote oil production.  A dirty scalp blocks the pores hindering the glands to produce the natural oils needed for a healthy hair.

Deep conditioning is very vital in moisturizing hair.  Do this at least once a week.  Deep conditioners with protein in them have proven to be very helpful in moisturizing, strengthening and protecting the hair.

Leave -in conditioners are also a must.  Use this instead of other styling products like gel or mousse.  Leave-on conditioners help lock moisture in for a longer period.  There are different leave on conditioners in the market.  Choose one that is best for your hair texture.  Some products may weigh down on fine textured hair.  Women with thick and coarse hair, on the other hand, might need heavier creams to penetrate their hair follicles.

Heat styling tools

Heat styling tools are very damaging to hair that is already dry and fragile in the first place.  Blow dryers, flat and curling irons contribute greatly to hair breakage.  Avoid using these items if you want to achieve the length you desire.  If this is totally unavoidable, then try to use it less often.  Do not set the temperature too high.  Regulate it to the lowest possible degree.  Try it and see the difference for yourself

Nightly moisturizing regime

The best time to moisturize your hair is while you sleep.  Apply natural creams or oils to your hair and scalp right before bedtime.  Wrap your hair with a towel, scarf, beanie, or whatever you are comfortable with.  Leave the cream on overnight to get maximum results.  Jojoba, olive oil, and coconut oil are great natural oils that have proven to be very effective in moisturizing and rejuvenating dry and dull hair.  You can make your own homemade concoction using these oils, which are relatively easy to find.

Hair care routine

Make a daily, weekly, and monthly hair care routine and stick to it.  Consistency is the key!  As long as you maintain and lock moisture in, your tresses will grow to the length you desire in no time.

Perming and relaxing are also major causes of hair damage.  Stay away from it as much as you can.

Lots of TLC is needed by African American hair.  Use a wide-tooth comb for wet hair and avoid brushing it too often.  Use a leave-on conditioner daily and moisturize your hair further at night.  Avoid coarse pillowcases and if your budget permits, invest in satin pillowcases to lessen hair breakage when you sleep.

Avoid the use of hot water when washing your hair and squeeze your hair gently with a towel after a bath.  Rubbing hair with a towel is also one of the leading causes of hair damage since hair is more fragile when wet.

Achieving long hair is not impossible, establish your routine and stick with it! Happy Hair Growing!

How to Straighten African American Hair

Straighten African American Hair

More often times than not African American hair is curly and frizzy.  But with modern technology, African American women now have the choice to have straight hair too.  There are many ways to get the hair straight.

Many women, or men for that matter, simply use a blow dryer to straighten the hair.  This may be time consuming and quite tedious, but if done properly you get a healthy looking, bouncy straight hair. However, it might be quite impossible to get really straight results with a blow dryer.

A flat iron has also been one of the most popular tools in straightening curly hair. It works exactly like a curling iron but it does the opposite effect.  It is less time consuming than a hair dryer. Never use a flat iron on wet hair.  Doing this will cause the hair to break and may leave serious damage to the hair follicle. Be mindful that the flat iron can have extreme temperatures and create extreme damage to your hair. A heat protectant is strongly recommended.

A straightening comb is used when there is no flat iron available. This has to be the oldest technique used to straighten hair. Make sure you get a wide-tooth comb to avoid tangles.  There are straightening combs that are electric but some you have to heat over a stove.  This is not really recommended for extra curly hair due to its tangling effect.

Chemical straightening products and hair relaxers are widely sold in the market today. Before you purchase one, make sure you do some research on which one is best for you.

For any styling technique, make sure you use a wide-tooth comb. Chances are you will be experiencing a lot of tangling of the hair while straightening; a wide-tooth comb will lessen the chances of tangles.  Besides, your hair is already undergoing a brutal treatment, a wide tooth comb will help in lessening the stress.

Remember, though, that heat styling tools and chemical straightening products can be very harsh and stressful to the hair.   Use these tools and products as seldom as possible. Also, when choosing a hair relaxer and chemical straightening products, make sure to use the gentlest on the market.  Check the labels and see which of them has the most natural and organic ingredients.

How to Obtain Thicker Relaxed Hair

Obtaining Thicker  and Healthier Relaxed Hair

Obtaining healthy and long African American hair is relatively easy.  As long as you have enough dedication and you stick to the routine, you will have healthy, long, and beautiful tresses in no time.

If you are suffering from thin and dry hair, it is not advisable to shampoo daily.  Wash your hair once a week.  Daily shampooing and conditioning aggravates the hair’s dryness, making it more prone to damage and hair loss.

When trying to achieve healthy hair, do not forget to take care of you scalp too.  The scalp plays a very big role in getting healthy hair.  This is where the natural oils of the hair are produced.  Oil the scalp regularly, using natural oils, preferably at night where you can leave it overnight.

Use products that will moisturize your hair effectively.  Go for organic and natural products. These products are the gentlest, and they do not contain any harsh chemical ingredients that cause more damage to your hair.  Giovanni has a line of hair care products to choose from that are all natural, perfect for thin and permed hair

Choose shampoos and conditioners that are gentle yet provide maximum moisture. Some products do not agree with permed hair, always check the label.  The best products are those that clarify, moisturize, and enhance.  You would be lucky if you find all three benefits in one product.  If you cannot find one, then I suggest you use Giovanni to clarify and condition, then follow it up with Dr. Miracle for growth stimulation.

Strengthening and protecting your hair is also of utmost importance.  Protein is an active ingredient in some shampoos and conditioners that does wonders in protecting and strengthening the hair.  Silicon mixes and olive oil have also been proven to help in this area.  These products will help in thickening your thin permed hair, at the same time providing the necessary protection it needs from further damage.

To get maximum results for healthy hair, using a leave in conditioner will help considerably.  Also, try to use cholesterol products for deep conditioning twice a week.  Cholesterol helps in enhancing body and luster to the hair.  As stated earlier, do not shampoo daily, but you can use leave in conditioners as much as you want.  If you have extra dry and itchy scalp, you may wash your hair without shampoo and instead just use a mild conditioner.  After rinsing off, style your hair as usual and apply a leave in conditioner.

To get maximum moisture, consider hot oil treatments. Hot oil treatments can be done at home with the perfect hot oil cream.  Better yet, apply it to your hair before entering the sauna or while in the shower.  The steam will help in speeding up the effect of the cream. L’Oreal hot oil treatment and Dr. Miracle’s tingling oil are best for permed hair.

Styling permed and thin hair can prove to be a problem.  Stay away from heat styling items, the use of rollers will be less damaging. Heat is permed hair’s worst enemy!

Always remember to manage your hair gently.  Use a wide-tooth comb whenever possible.  Use clarifying products once a month, moisturize every day, use only products that are gentle and harmless (free of harsh chemical compounds),  you get best results from leave in conditioners if left overnight, and remember that natural and organic products the best products to use for thin and permed African American hair.  Use growth-stimulating products to achieve the desired hair length faster.

You too can have healthy permed hair, consistency is key! Happy Hair Growing!

How to Care for African American hair

Caring for your African American hair can be a task! We all know that it  is more than a notion to have healthy and beautiful hair.

Here are some tips on how to care for African American hair

• Shampoo and condition your hair at least 1 time a week.  Too much shampooing and conditioning tend to make your hair dry and it strips your hair of natural oils.
• Moisturizing creams that contain natural oils help in making your hair more manageable and less prone to tangles.  Use natural oils like jojoba, coconut oil, and pomegranate seed oil.  These oils help in enhancing the production of sebum which is the natural oil produced by the glands of your scalp.
• Manage your hair as gently as you can.  Remember that your hair is extremely fragile.  Harsh brushing strokes can cause your hair to break or fall off.  Always use a wide-toothed comb in handling wet hair.  Brush your hair with a brush that has soft and natural bristles.
• If you need to style your hair daily, use a cream that will not clog the pores of your scalp.  Avoid using commercial greasy products that contain mineral oil and petroleum as these products may cause blockage of the scalp’s pores hindering natural oil production.
• Using a hot oil treatment can be very effective in moisturizing your hair.  It also helps lock in the moisture for a longer period of time.  Consider doing this at least once a month.  You need not spend on costly service salons to do this.  There are effective hot oil creams on the market that you can purchase and do it at home yourself.

Also, if you frequently style your hair remember the following:  Braiding can cause a lot of damage so remember to keep your hair  amply moisturized.  Use deep conditioning shampoo and moisturizers to keep moisture locked in.  Use hair products with protein to help strengthen and protect hair follicles.  Take down the braids when you wash and shampoo your hair to completely cleanse it of all residues.  Try to avoid using heat styling items such as flat and curling irons, if this cannot be avoided, then take a break from it as often as possible.

How to Perm African American Hair

How to Perm African American Hair

Getting a relaxer for the first time can be quite terrifying.  After receiving a relaxer for the first time, damage is more prone.  So, before you go through the process, make sure you are equipped with all the necessary information.  Here are some steps you can follow in order to get the best results in perming your hair:

1. First, you have to know what your hair type is.  This would be helpful information in deciding which strength of perm you will use.  The strength of a perm varies from normal, regular, and super.  If your hair, for example, is extra fine, you might want to opt for a milder strength, which is not as harsh as the other strengths.
2. If you have decided on which strength is best for you, do a strand test first before you proceed to the next steps.  Apply a small amount to a couple of strands of your hair from root to tip.  Leave it on for the recommended time.   After, check if you are experiencing itchiness in your scalp and see if there is any damage done to the hair strands applied.  If there is none, then you are all good to go!
3. Do not apply the perm directly without giving some protection to your skin.
4. Apply some Vaseline to the surface of your forehead and ears.  After which, you can now partition your hair into four sections.  Start from the middle, run a comb through your hair from front to back.  Part those partitions again horizontally from ear to ear.
5. You are now ready to apply the chemical.  Before you do so, remember to put on some plastic or rubber gloves, perm can be very harsh to the skin.  Apply the cream evenly to all partitions with a fine toothed comb.  Always start on the top and work your way down.  Do this until the entire hair area is evenly covered.  After which run the comb through your hair and you will notice the straightening take effect.  Do this as gently as you can, remember your hair is very fragile to start with.  If your hair has already been permed before, you need not go through the entire process.  Just apply the cream to the new growth and smooth down that particular area with a comb. Watch that demarcation line, as not to cross the relaxed line!
6. The time needed to complete the perming process will depend on the texture of your hair.  10-15 minutes for fine hair, 15-20 minutes for normal hair, and 20 -30 minutes for extra thick or coarse hair.
7. Once done, shampoo and rinse your hair thoroughly.  Make sure that you get rid of all traces of the perm. Check out the label of the perm, as the directions of different perms vary on the cleansing instruction.  Some of them provide a color code wherein it is easy to spot if you have totally rinsed the perm off as it will change color to notify you.  Pat (don’t rub) your hair dry with a towel and style it as desired.

Here are some more helpful tips to remember before you consider perming your hair.

• If you are determined to perm your hair, it is wise not to shampoo at least 24 hours before application to get maximum results.  Also, do not scratch your scalp before use.
• It is not advisable to perm bleached hair.
• Do not leave the application longer than the time required to get your hair permed.  Leaving it on longer will destroy your hair follicles and may even cause it to burn
• Do not forget to use gloves; perming creams can be very harsh to the skin.

Relaxing your hair is a life decision that takes some thought and consideration. If you go for a relaxer, you may simplify your life, but you must consider the possible damaging effects as well.

How to Choose Black Hair Care Products

How to Choose Products for African American Hair

African American hair is special in that it is rather delicate in comparison to other ethnic groups.  Although it shares the same components with non-African hair, the difference lies in the structure or how these components are put together.  Due to its curly and dry nature, it tends to be more fragile which then makes it more prone to damage.  In order to counter the possible damage, you should choose the right products to keep your hair moisturized, manageable, and healthy.

• To maintain healthy hair, moisturizing is very important.  As stated earlier, black hair tends to be on the dryer side.  Beware of shampoos that will strip the hair’s natural oils.  Products with Jojoba and coconut oil have been proven to effectively moisturize hair and they keep the moisture locked in.  Great examples are KeraCare, Motions, and Crème of Nature.
• Conditioning is of utmost importance in keeping the hair healthy and lustrous. Choose conditioners that contain protein that helps protect and strengthen hair follicles. But keep in mind that the protein moisture balance is key. Too much protein causes breakage.  Check out the products offered by your local salons.  Surely, these products have been tried and tested by experts and customers alike.  Aphogee, Sakkys, KeraCare carry a line of conditioners that have been proven to add body and luster to African-American hair.
• In maintaining healthy hair, you should also give notice to the scalp, make sure that it is kept clean and healthy at all times.  The sebaceous glands located under the surface of the scalp are the oil producers.  If the pores in the scalp are clogged, the oil will not find its way out which makes the hair dry.  Avoid using cheap greasy products that contain mineral oil and petrolatum, these clogs up the pores.  Use only products with jojoba, rosemary, and coconut oil; these oils trigger natural oil production.
• Remember to handle your hair with care.  Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your hair  when wet.  Never brush it too harshly.  Use only hair products that have been proven to give excellent results.

There are many products in the market that have time and time and over again proven to be effective in making African-American hair beautiful, healthy and manageable.  You can go to a salon that offers hair care products that  are focused in African American hair care, ask a professional hairstylist which one is best for you.  In addition, you can check out the reviews given by websites that are dedicated on African American hair products.  You can even join a forum on hair products; surely, there are a lot of helpful consumers who are more than willing to give you a tip or two in effectively caring for your African American hair. Check out blackhairplanet.com.

Caring for Microbraids and Easy Removal

How to Easily remove and caring for Microbraids

Micro braids are a beautiful way to protect your hair from heat and the everyday stress we do to our hair. This can only be achieved if they are cared for the correct way. The main things to take into consideration are the size of the braids, cleaning, moisturizing, oiling, and when to take them out.

Hair loss and difficulty removing braids are two of the biggest complaints with micro braid wearers. Here are some helpful steps to ease both dilemmas. The first thing to do before you even get braids is to access how healthy you hair is. If it is breaking off easily, brittle, thin, or has split ends take care of these before you get you braids.  Get a deep condition the week that you are going to get your braids, and  a good trim. If your hair is breaking off and brittle do not get braids till your hair is at a healthier state. You may need to seek a professional hair dresser for more assistance on getting your hair back to health. Make sure you use a braid spray such as African Pride or African Royale. These sprays do not contain alcohol or oils that will cause build up. I do recommend that you do not saturate the hair with the sprays because too much of a good thing is bad.  Do not let products build up around your braids because it will make the braid get stuck in the hair and you will lose hair due to pulling the braid out.

When removing braids some people prefer wetting their hair and some people prefer their hair to be dry. When you wet the hair it allows the braids to slip out more easily than dry. BUT if you are like me and you just end up making a mess of things do not wet your hair. I find it easier to get my braids out when my braider has not put any knots in my braids and when it is time to remove them they just slip out. If you clean your braids on a weekly basis you will find that the braids come out easier.

Here are the basic steps to caring for micro braids:

• Talk to your braider about the size of the braids you want. The bigger they are the less time you will spend on removing them.
• Clean the braids with dry shampoos like Organic Root Stimulator’s Herbal Cleanse
• Another way to cleanse the braids is to use a small amount of shampoo, put your hair in a high pony tail, and rinse your scalp under the shower head. (Make sure the water is very warm so the shampoo will dissolve the oils.)
• MOISTURIZE with a braid spray. DON’T use creamy moisturizers.
• Oil the scalp with herbal oil such as Africa’s Best herbal oil.
• If you use straight hair for your braids get a detangling brush and brush from the ends towards the roots. (Don’t pull hard if your hair is tangled)
• Using a detangling spray or water will help get the tangles out.
• Clean the scalp and hair at least once weekly to prevent build up.
• Do not leave the braids in longer than two months without getting the edges redone.

Having micro braids are easy if you are short on time, live where there is lots of humidity, want to get away from heat damage, or if you are looking for a new style.

Until next time..take care of those beautiful strands!  :)

How to take care of Biracial Hair for African Americans

Biracial Hair – African American

Although there are endless of hair care products in the market today, there seem to be very few products that target the specific needs of our hair.  It is as if the manufacturers of these products did not have African American hair in mind when they produced their hair care lines.  African American hair shares many of the same qualities with the biracial or ethnic hair groups.  So if your hair type belongs to one of these, read on as you will surely find it beneficial.

Listed below are the different ingredients in a hair care product that one should avoid while trying to achieve and maintain healthy beautiful hair.

1. Always check the labels of hair product you have in your home.  The active ingredients listed below are very harmful to African American, biracial and ethnic hair:

• • Isopropyl Alcohol, Petrolatu /Mineral Oil, Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), Propylene Glycol (PG), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Diethanolamine (DEA), and Momoethnanolamine (MEA).  These ingredients do not only damage and dry out curly and delicate hair; they are also very detrimental to the general health of a person.  Some of them have even been reported to cause cancer to some extent.

1. Try to avoid chemical hair treatments like perms, hair relaxes, and rinses as much as you can.  If you deem it necessary, then check the label of the product you are to use.  Chemicals such as F, D, and C colors are high irritants of the scalp.  Scalp dryness and irritation may cause the scalp pores to clog which leaves the natural oils trapped underneath its surface, which would again lead to dry hair.  Furthermore, even if the chemical treatment claims not to contain these harmful chemicals, always make a patch test first.  Apply a small amount of the treatment to a few strands of your hair and apply a minute amount to a small portion of your scalp.  If you notice hair breakage and/or scalp irritation, take it back to the manufacturer at once and ask for a refund.
2. Artificial fragrances should never be a part of any of your hair care regime products.  A very popular chemical used for artificial fragrances is Propylene Glycol. Again, check the label.  There are products however, that smell really good because of the natural oils that are found in it.  As long as it is natural it will not pose as a problem
3. If you see “parabens” of any kind in the label of the product, then you had better run in the other direction.  Parabens are used to extend the shelf lives of a lot of beauty products.  These are very harmful to the hair, scalp, and the body in general.
4. Although some natural hair products may seem more expensive than most over-the-counter products, it is an investment that you will surely benefit from.  However, with the right know-how and recipes, you would not even need to spend a single dime to make your own effective natural homemade hair care products.  You can find a lot of these in the internet.

Your hair care is an investment that you will never regret making. So go ahead and spend the extra time and money in your quest for healthy hair!

How to Style Textured African American Hair

There are women who are endowed with beautiful, long, thick, lustrous, and manageable American African hair.  If you knew exactly how to maintain your hair properly, you can be one of them, too.

Read on to find out how

1. Use the right shampoo and conditioner.

More often times than not, African American hair tends to be on the dry side.  It needs to be moisturized more than any other hair types.  There seems to be so many hair care manufacturers out there who did not have African American hair in mind when they manufactured their products.  I say this because their products contain active ingredients that are quite detrimental to this type of hair.  Among them are products that contain sulfates, derivative, glycols, and silicones.  All these rip black hair of its natural moisture.  Stay away from them at all cost.  The good news is there are hair care products that are made for African American hair alone.  A very good example of this is the hair care line of Beauty 4 Ashes.  It is made up of all natural ingredients and they target the problems usually encountered by black curly hair.  It is also used in so many professional salons so it is worth checking them out.

1. Although it has been said that you should not wash your hair daily, it is very important to keep the hair clean.  Shampoo your hair at least once a week.  Besides, with the right shampoo and conditioner, you will not be stripping it of its natural oils.  Also, keeping the hair clean will help reduce residue build-up which is the main cause of pore blockage in the scalp
2. Moisturize your hair as much as you can.  There is no such thing as over moisturizing as long as you use the right products.  Check out Aubrey Organics and Beauty 4 Ashes for more of their specialized hair conditioners
3. Handle your hair with a lot of TLC.  Since your hair is very delicate, never brush it harshly.  Also, use a wide-tooth comb when smoothing out wet hair. Avoid hard bristle brushes as they can easily cause damage and breakage.
4. When combing your hair, always start from the bottom up.  Most tangles are at the tips of your hair; straighten those up first before you go on smoothing out the rest.  Also a conditioner that will effectively smooth out those tangles, if conditioning is not enough then use a light conditioning leave on cream to help it out
5. Never use grease to oil your scalp.  Use natural light oils like olive and coconut oil
6. Avoid heat styling tools as much as possible.  If you must, then keep it on a low temperature.
7. Too much chemical treatment is a no-no.  If your hair has undergone a hair relaxer treatment then stay away from other chemical treatments like hair dye and perms.

How to Deep Condition African American Hair

African American hair needs deep conditioning more than other hair types. Why you may ask… Due to its natural structure, it is delicate, fragile, and tends to break and dry easily.  Therefore, it is necessary to use deep conditioners to keep this kind of hair moisturized, healthy, and strong.  Here are ways on how to achieve that:

• Washing your hair daily will strip the hair of its natural oils, it is advisable to wash and shampoo your hair once a week only.  Avoid shampoos that contain sulfate as this is the hair’s biggest nemesis when it comes to moisture lock-in. Conditioning is very important.  Condition your hair more than you shampoo in order to get maximum moisturizing results. You may use a light leave on conditioner to replace styling gels.

• Deep conditioners that contain lavender and rosemary are very effective in hydrating the hair.  These natural ingredients are lightweight and easily absorbed by the hair follicles.  You will never have to worry about it weighing the hair down.

• It has been proven by experts and users alike that extra virgin oil makes the hair softer and more manageable.  In order to get best results heat half a cup of this oil for about 20 seconds in the microwave and apply it on to freshly washed hair after toweling dry.  Put on a steam cap or a hot wet towel over your hair and leave it on for at least 30 minutes.  This will help penetrate the hair follicles and moisturize it inside and out.  During the weekends, use extra virgin olive oil as your nightly hair care regime.  Apply it to your hair and leave it on overnight wrapped in a comfortable scarf or towel.  Rinse it off well in the morning.

• Make your own homemade recipe of extra deep conditioning.  You can use coconut milk, olive oil, honey, and your favorite light conditioner. Blend them together and apply a generous amount on your hair.  Leave it on for about an hour.  Extra deep conditioning can be done once a month.

Deep conditioning need not be expensive at all. As mentioned above, you can make your own homemade recipes from so many natural oils and ingredients to choose from.  Just mix these in with your favorite conditioner.  This way you are sure that you are applying only all natural ingredients to your hair.