- African American hair should not be washed excessively; three times a week is more than sufficient. Regular shampoos strip the hair of nutrients it needs to grow. Shampoos specialized for African American hair types are recommended. Natural or organic shampoos are the best for this hair type, as they don't strip the hair. African American hair should be washed at the root only to avoid stripping the strands.
- Deep conditioning treatments will prime the hair. Take special care to find conditioners that do not contain alcohol or dimethicone. They coat the hair but do not condition very well. African American hair should be deep conditioned once a week and well conditioned every time it is washed.
- Heat styling should be rare and low on intensity. Only use heat styling products on clean, well-conditioned hair that has been blow-dried or air-dried. Heat styling on wet hair is ill advised. Braiding African American hair is a good way to protect hair from wear and tear and promote conditioning. Securing the hair in a ponytail with a hair elastic without metal is a casual comfortable style. The use of chemical processing is not a recommended method of styling as it causes breakage. Chemical processing also destroys the hair texture and confuses the natural curl pattern of the hair.
- Regular trims every six to eight weeks will work wonders for natural African American hair. Trimming removes damage and allows for healthy growth. Ragged ends result in splitting up the hair and causes damage. Hair should be trimmed with sharp trimming shears and should remove all split ends.
