Black Hair Color & Styles
African American hair has a unique texture. The possibilities and limitations for African American hairstyles are different than those for other ethnicities. Black hair texture can be extremely curly, dry and brittle. Because of the brittle nature of black hair, chemical processes and coloring should be limited to avoid over processing the hair. Does this Spark an idea?
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Weaves
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Hair weaves also known as hair extensions are a great way to achieve length for shorter, textured hair. Because hair weaves aren't made of your natural hair, they are a versatile way to add length, color or finer textured hair to your own. A weave is typically braided, waxed or bonded to your natural hair. Natural hair weaves are more popular for long and loose hair styles, while weaves made of synthetic materials are a popular choice for braided hair. A weave is usually good for up to eight weeks.
Straghtening
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African American hair is often described as kinky rather than curly and there are several processes for relaxing the kink in it. One of the most popular ways is to banish kink with a blow dryer and then straighten with a flat iron, Marcel iron or hot comb. Kinky hair has stress points where the hair bends. Frequent or repeated straightening can result in the hair breaking off along these bends.
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Short and Natural
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Natural hair is a popular choice for women and men who want to celebrate their ethnic heritage. One of the more popular choices for natural hair styles is a shorter style. A style of this nature takes into account the hair's overall volume and propensity to frizz. Short hairstyles may still be straightened or even colored for a more diverse appearance. Most salons prefer that their clients wait two weeks between using chemical strengtheners and chemical colorants. By waiting for a period of time between chemical processes, you give the protective cuticle layer that covers your hair time to re-form to the hair and avoid damage.
Hair Color
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African American hair is naturally dark in tone, however lighter colors from brown to blonde and even red are becoming popular hair color choices among women of color. However, most hair lighteners and colors for women of color include ammonia or peroxide, which are extremely drying to the hair. For a more gentle hair coloring, consider using a coating rinse instead of a permanent color. A rinse typically washes out after six shampoos. However, rinses typically limit you to your own natural color shade range.
Henna
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Henna is a natural plant dye that is more permanent than a rinse and more gentle than a penetrating, permanent color. Cleopatra used henna both to decorate her skin and dye her hair. The most popular colors for henna are black, indigo and clay red. It may be applied directly to the hair after a relaxer with no adverse affects.
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