How to Keep Chemically Treated African American Hair Strong and Healthy

Perms, relaxers, and coloring are great for enhancing the look and feel of African American hair. If you're not careful though, this can cause major damage. Chemicals can cause breakage. There's a lot you can do to prevent this from happening. And it really doesn't matter what you are using on your hair. What matters most is how well you take care of your hair.

Instructions

1. Handle your hair very carefully when it's wet. This is when your hair is most fragile and more likely to break. Gently massage your scalp while shampooing. Try not to let your hair get too tangled. Always use a conditioner after washing your hair.

2. Don't over process your hair. This is one of the major causes of breakage for African American hair. Try to go five to six weeks between relaxer touch-ups. If you use color on your hair, do it a week before or a week after the relaxer.

3. Limit the use of heat on your hair. Blow drying and curling irons put more stress on your hair and can cause damage. Don't use heat on your hair every day and when you do, use an oil sheen to protect the strands.

4. Style your hair gently. Comb knots and tangles from the ends and gradually work your way up the strands. This will help reduce excess breakage. Also, be careful when brushing your hair since bristles can be harsh.

5. Don't let your hair become dry and brittle. The sun and dry weather in addition to the chemicals, can make your hair brittle. Brittle strands are more likely to snap. Use an oil sheen at least a few times a week. This should help give your hair a soft silky look.

6. Keep your ends clipped. Many African American women are reluctant to do this because they want long hair. But remember, anything that you hold on too tightly to, you lose. Your hair is no exception. If your ends are damaged, they will split all the way up to the root and your hair will start breaking. The only way to stop this is to cut off the damaged parts. Not only will this make your hair look better, it will make it stronger and grow faster. Clip your ends at least once every six weeks and any other time you notice frayed ends. Forget about all the hype that you see in advertisements about conditioners that repair ends. If you keep your ends clipped, your hair will be so healthy that it won't matter which conditioner you use (you'll be able to save money and use the cheap ones.)

Tips & Warnings

• Hot oil treatments protect hair from damage

• Braids and pony tails that are too tight can cause breakage.

• Knitted caps can cause friction that can cause breakage around the hairline

Resources

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