Caring for African-textured hair can be difficult to manage, due to its coarse, kinky, and often dry texture. Perms, hair coloring, and heat can make matters worse with split ends, dull and lifeless appearance, and inability to hold curls. No worries — with this guide and a little patience and consistency, you can restore your hair to health.
Part 1 of 2: Caring for Damaged Hair:
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Trim away damage if possible. Caring for damaged hair is a long, difficult process, and it will likely never return to full healthy. If you're not willing to cut your hair short, consider trimming away split ends, a common problem in damaged hair.
- Repeat the trim every 4–6 weeks, removing all the split ends you can find. Leaving damaged ends in place will not help your hair grow out.
- 2Exfoliate your scalp. To begin your hair care mission, apply a scalp preparation to remove buildup from sebum and hair products. This will create a healthy environment and provide nourishment to the scalp and follicles.
- Besides removing sebum buildup, a good scalp preparation product provides hair-strengthening vitamins and soothes dry, irritated scalp. Ask a salon to recommend a product similar to Scalp Prep.
- 3Protect the ends of your hair. Every week, seal away the ends of your hair with shea butter. For further protection, sleep on a satin pillow, or with a satin or mesh scarf over your hair. Cotton or fleece pillowcases will pull your hair out and cause breakage.
- If you have extra-porous hair, shea butter may makes your hair feel limp and greasy. Try a light moisturizer instead, or a light oil such as jojoba oil.
- If you have extra-porous hair, shea butter may makes your hair feel limp and greasy. Try a light moisturizer instead, or a light oil such as jojoba oil.
- 4Use leave-in conditioner daily. Leave-in conditioner restores natural oils without requiring water. Put this in your hair daily to encourage health and shine.
- 5Shampoo and condition regularly. Mild, all-natural shampoo and conditioner can help your hair recover from chemical overload. Washing once a week is recommended for most people with damaged African hair.
- Let your hair air-dry, or pat it dry with a towel. Do not rub or blow-dry damaged hair.
- Let your hair air-dry, or pat it dry with a towel. Do not rub or blow-dry damaged hair.
- 6Apply protein treatments every other week. Hair damaged by coloring or relaxer is often low on protein. Once every two weeks, apply a protein treatment to restore strength. Follow label instructions for best results.
- 7Deep condition weekly. Every week, massage a moisturizing conditioner into your hair. Hold your hair over steam to encourage the conditioner to penetrate your hair's inner layers. Put your hair up and leave it in for at least a couple hours, or overnight.
- A hot oil treatment can provide similar benefits.
- A hot oil treatment can provide similar benefits.
- 8Wear a protective style. Cornrows, plats, or twists help reduce damage from exposure. Even if you wear your hair down during the day, put your hair in one of these styles before going to bed.
- 9Brush and comb your hair regularly. Work out tangles gently, without yanking your hair. Damaged hair breaks easily when combed dry, so add a small amount of conditioner or water.
- For best results, use a brush with rubber bristles, such as a Denman brush.
- For best results, use a brush with rubber bristles, such as a Denman brush.
