See the Cutest, Coolest and Most Gorgeous Styles Today
Natural hair is becoming more and more popular as black women give up the costly salon treatments, pricey weaves and extensions and the damaging chemical treatments and opt instead for hair that's natural and, as you will see in this photo gallery, quite beautiful.
But caring for natural ethnic hair can be daunting for women who have relied on salon visits in the past. In this article, we'll discuss how to care for your natural hair and what to consider when getting your perfect hair cut.
Let's start with styling those perfect curls.
The Right Cut and the Right Styling
In his book, Great Hair (buy it from Amazon.com), stylist Nick Arroyo describes how it's important to work with your natural hair texture.
Finding the perfect hairstylist is key. Keeping your cut simple is important because it needs to hold its shape as it grows out. Too much fuss and you run the risk of a haircut that grows in oddly. Many stylists prefer to cut natural hair when it's dry. Shaping is much easier when you can see exactly how hair falls.
As for styling, if you have super tight, thick, woolly curls, the less you mess with your hairstyle the better. You may consider using a relaxer just to smooth a hair a bit. But you definitely need to add a lot of moisture to the hair with cremes, styling products, conditioners and oils.
How to Create the Perfect Curls
Most African-American hair is curly. Getting those coveted shiny, controlled curls takes time and some practice. Here's how Arroyo tamed hair that he claims was just like Diana Ross's.
He was about to create shiny, controlled curls by taking these steps:
- Hair must be wet or at least very damp.
- Apply styling cream or curl cream from the roots to the ends of hair.
- Pull a 1-inch section of hair and hold it taut and straight from the ends. Then twist it into a perfect spiral from the ends to the roots. Let it go.
- Cup this spiral in your hand pushing it to your scalp and squeeze it tightly for about 15 seconds, locking the style in place.
- Continue this trick all along the front and sides of your head. No need to focus too much attention on the back.
How to Take Care of Your Natural Hair
Nothing can be more annoying than waiting out the hair growth period. But if you want your natural hair to grow a few more inches a year than expected, follow these tips:
- Cleanse your scalp and hair once every 4-7 days, especially in hot seasons. Massaging the scalp when shampooing is good for scalp health and helps remove any build-up. If your hair is thick, shampoo in sections. And always follow with conditioner or oils.
- In between shampoos (or even in place of shampooing), you can co-wash your hair, which is all the rage. This means using conditioner on hair instead of shampoo. Read more about it here.
- Use a shampoo formulated for your hair type. A great bet is a sulfate-free shampoo (one that doesn't suds up).
- If your scalp itches or you sweat a lot in summer, rinse your hair under cool water and massage your scalp to help get rid of sweat.
If your hair still isn't growing, there may be a reason. See 5 Crazy Reasons Your Hair Isn't Growing.
To Comb or Not to Comb, That is the Question
Combing natural hair is controversial. Many people believe you should never comb hair lest you mess with the tight coils, but combing hair is very good for your hair and your scalp, according to Eva Scrivo of Eva Scrivo Salon in NYC.
"Your natural oils are more compatible and effective than most synthetic conditioning ingredients," she writes in her book, Eva Scrivo on Beauty.
Scrivo says many women with curly hair refuse to brush their hair because they don't want to ruin their curls or have their hair puff up into a frizzy afro. As a result, Scrivo sees many women with curly hair who have a top layer of frizzy hair over gorgeous curls. Why? That top layer is exposed to elements and silicone products which build up on hair.
To combat this, you must comb hair or even brush it with a natural bristle brush daily, Scrivo says. Oils from your scalp are great for your hair and the best way to get those oils distributed to hair is to comb your hair.
Yes, your hair will frizz up and look terrible, which is why Scrivo recommends combing at night and then rinsing hair with water in the morning. You can also avoid this by combing hair when it's wet and full of conditioner or oil. You can saturate hair with a leave-in conditioner and detangle by working your way from the ends of hair up. Spray more conditioner as you needed.
How to Straighten Short Natural Hair
You can actually straighten short, kinky hair without a relaxer. To do this Arroyo suggests using a fine-toothed comb, lots of frizz serum, a smoothing creme and a blowdryer. Apply the serum to the roots of the hair and working in sections, place the comb as close to the scalp as possible, pulling the hair straight while shooting hot air at it with a dryer. Continue around the head. If hair is still curly, use a flat iron to iron it out.
Amazon has a number of great frizz serums. Check them out.
The Benefits of Hair Oils
Oils have been used for years to moisturize hair, fight frizz and condition the scalp.
Argan, extra virgin coconut oil and even olive oil work beautifully on natural hair. Use these liberally. Scrivo recommends neem oil, which come from trees in India and amla oil, which come from the Indian gooseberry. In her book, Eva Scrivo on Beauty, she suggests rubbing 6-8 drops of the oils into your scalp and hair. You can comb it through as well.
Deep Condition
Deep condition hair on a regular basis. How much you should condition is up to you and a matter of personal preference. Heat helps with deep conditioning. Wrap conditioner-soaked hair in a thin towel and aim a blow dryer at your head for 5 minutes to activate the product.
You may also consider using the L.O.C. method, which is popular at the moment. It refers to the order in which you treat your hair with oils and creams. See L.O.C. Method.
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