05 Apr Need to create a healthy hair routine? Read this
Creating a hair routine can help you achieve your hair goals and can also help you find out what works and what doesn’t work for you, especially if it’s new natural. A good hair routine will incorporate healthy hair practices that will inadvertently lead to retention of length.
As with anything, there is no one size fits all. However, there are a couple of things you should understand when creating your routine:
- Afro hair is usually dry due to its curly nature. Dryness leads to breakage.
- Afro hair is very fragile and frequent handling can also cause breakage.
By understanding these two things, you can create a routine that maximizes moisture and minimizes handling.
We recommend the super simple: Clean, Moisturize, Comb, Repeat.
- Cleanliness and condition
Until relatively recently, water was believed to be the arch enemy of Afro hair. In fact, water and kinks are BFF.
We recommend washing your hair every 7 to 10 days, but some women find that every 2 weeks works best for them. A clean scalp creates a healthy environment for hair growth. Always follow with a conditioner.
Tips for the washing:
- Prepoo with coconut oil to avoid fatigue.
- Wash with a sulfate-free shampoo as sulfates can have a drying effect on the hair.
- Apply shampoo to the scalp and apply it along the strands of hair.
- Follow with a conditioner that has a lot of slip to facilitate detangling.
- Detangle with a wide-toothed comb or fingers to minimize handling.
- After rinsing the conditioner, drain off excess water and then wrap your hair in a microfiber turban or cotton t-shirt for quick drying.
- Avoid using dryers as they can dry your hair.
2. Hydrate
As mentioned above, dryness is one of the main causes of hair breakage.
3. Style
When it comes to deciding how to comb your hair, in addition to considering what you will do during the week, you may want to consider your hair goals (if you have any).
If growing your hair is a priority, you’ll want to minimize manipulation by using a protective style. A protective style is any style that keeps the tips of your hair (the most fragile part of your hair) hidden. Such styles can be done with your own hair or with extensions. For example, you can twist/braid your hair, wear it throughout the week and then untangle it to wear a twsit-out our braided over the weekend.If you want to use your hair throughout the week, twisting or braiding it after washing is a great way to stretch it. Once dry, you can untangle and comb it, re-hydrating it during the week as needed.
