Growing Healthy and Long Black Hair

Growing Healthy and Long Black Hair

In this article we explore how to get black hair to grow long and healthy. We will also outline how to prevent damage and minimize breakage. Black hair is typically difficult to grow long because it is dry and  is more prone to breakage and/or less capable of retention.  Washing: It is important when you wash your hair to use a shampoo that is ph-balanced. You should only wash and rinse your hair one time. The more cyles that you wash your hair, the drier you will cause it to be.  Dry hair is more likely to break. It is also helpful to massage the scalp to promote your hair to be thicker as it grows. It is recommeded to utilize an oil such as olive oil or carrot oil to massage. This will make your hair strands stronger and less likely to break.

Conditioning: When you think of conditioning you think about moisturizing your hair and replenishing vital oils, but this is just one kind of conditioner that your hair needs. You also need a protein conditioner. You will want to begin with a protein conditioner first, following the directions on the bottle. Follow up with your regular moisturizing conditioner and rinse. Both conditioners should be massaged deep into the scalp. The motions stimulate the follicles and wake them up to become more active.  Protein Treatment: Here are few tips on applying a protein treatment. Use an applicator brush to apply the treatment from root to tips. Be sure to cover the entire length of the hair. After applying the treatment you will need to cover your hair with a plastic cap and heat under a hooded dryer for no more than 15 minutes. Be sure not to use a hand dryer. Also be sure not to exceed 15 minutes, as this will cause breakage as well.

Moisturizing Treatment: You will apply the moisturizing treatment in the same manner as the protein treatment. You will also need to cover with a plastic cap and sit under a hooded dryer for another 15 minutes. This is what will actually replace moisture lost in the first treatment.  Relaxers: Relaxers can cause a lot of damage to your hair. This is where many people go wrong. You should evaluate your hair to see if it really needs to be straightened. If it does only use a mild relaxer and do not over straighten your hair till it is super straight. It may be possible to get the look you want by using a flat iron after washing and conditioning it. If you do relax your hair only do it every 8-10 weeks. Stretching your relaxers ensures maximum time for your hair to recover from chemical damage.

Relaxers are best applied by others as they have a better view of what they are doing. You will want to apply a large amount to scalp protectant to your head. You can simply use petroleum jelly for this. Be sure and cover the ends to protect hair that has already been treated. Also you will need to follow the directions provided by the manufacturer.  Closely pay attention to the time and avoid over processing your hair. You will need to rinse the hair with warm water and be sure to wash with a neuturalizing shampoo at least three times to get rid of all traces of the relaxers. Once all of the relaxer has been removed reapply the neutralizing shampoo one more time leaving it in for at least ten minutes, then rinse. Once you have finished the relaxing treatment it is important to do a protein treatment as well as a moisturizing treatment to repair the damage to your mane.  Daily maintenance is important to you the health of your locks. Your hair may remain dry even after you apply oils to your hair. This is because oil based hair products simply seal out or seal in moisture they do not supply your hair with the moisture it needs. You will want to apply a water based moisturizer and then seal in the moisture with the oil based products.

It is very important to make sure your hair has been properly moisturized before using hot tools like curling irons on your hair. Avoid putting hairspray on  it when curling it. It will dry your hair out and leave it prone to damages. Once you have curled all the ends then you can apply a light mist of hairspray. Leave the curls untouched for at least five minutes after curling. Braids and weaves use chemicals to make them work. These chemicals and hair styles can cause damage to your hair. These types of hair styles will cause a lot of damage to your hair and should be avoided. The use of wigs can also dry out your hair and damage it. These can be worn occasionally but should not be worn everyday. On the days that you wear wigs, be sure to keep it moisturized underneath.

Steer clear of weaves! Not only because of the chemicals used to intertwine the hair but also the glue used to hold them in place can damage hair. It is very important to stay away from this treatment when trying to obtain healthy hair. Once you have put your hair on the path to healthiness you should avoid breakage and you are on your way to growing healthy and long hair.