How to Learn to Do African American Hair
When it comes to beauty in the black community, one thing is for sure. You better have your hair looking good. Black hair is usually tightly coiled or curly. The texture provides versatility and allows one to sport many styles: braid, weaves, dreadlocks, etc. Whether the do is silky straight or cute and kinky, black hair is beautiful. But black hair is also fragile and requires special care. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Decide on a Style
You can whip black hair into many styles. Some styles require different care than others. For example, routine care for dreadlocks is not the same for someone who chooses to straighten their hair with a chemical relaxer or pressing comb.
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Hit the Internet
Do a search for black hair on the internet and you'll be at your computer for hours. Due to the web, black bloggers and writers all over the world are sharing their hair tips through various sites. Afrobella.com and CurlyNikki.com are great sites for people who want the 411 on natural black hair, meaning hair that is not straightened. Sophisticate's Black Hair magazine and website offers grooming advice for natural and straightened hair.
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Head to a black community and drop by a beauty supply store. Workers there can answer your questions. Stylists in black salons can give you a few pointers. If you go to a black hair salon, watch how your stylists treats your hair. Ask them for tips on how to care for your hair until the next visit.
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Find a class which gives you good advice.
For white parents raising black or mixed-race children, some communities provide classes on treating black hair. Althea Reynolds, a stylist at the Spice Salon in Los Angeles, leads a workshop for non-black parents on how to groom their black children's hair. If you can't a find a class, check Reynold's site for tips. Of course there's always books. Afrobella.com suggests reading "Kinki Kreations" and "Kids Talk Hair: And Instruction Book for Grown-Ups."
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Tips & Warnings
There's more to black hair than, well, hair. For African Americans, black hair comes with a cultural and political history. Part of learning about black hair is understanding why it carries so much weight in the black community. Read books like "Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America" or Nowlie M. Rooks "Hair Raising: Beauty, Culture and African American Women."
