African-American hair has always been naturally curly, but since most of the actresses we see on TV have long straight hair, it is only natural that we would want that for ourselves too. Our hair is relaxed, pulled, and even stretched to erase those curls. Gallons of chemicals are incorporated into our scalp in order to chemically change the texture of our hair, which often times will only do more harm than good. We may feel a stinging sensation or even smell our hair burning, and it often times leaves some scars and may even cause a minor infection if the area is not treated right away because the acid from the relaxer will still continue to eat its way through the scalp. Because of this these treatments have to be quickly and completely washed off!
To be able to grow long, shiny and healthy looking hair, African-American women should stay away from unnatural treatments as much as possible. Instead, they can opt to choose natural moisturizers for their hair as there are plenty out there and some of these natural moisturizers are actually quite easy to make yourself. The most recommended of these are those made from shea butter and jojoba and papaya oils, because these are all natural moisturizers that do not have any impurities that can damage your hair or its follicles.
Another homemade recipe for hair treatment is to gently heat an oil (such as coconut oil, safflower oil or olive oil) and gently work them into your scalp in a small circular motion, adding just enough pressure to give a sort of massage. Take note that it is important not to put boiling hot oil on your scalp, but instead to gently heat the oil so that it’s just warm when applied to your scalp. You warm the oil so that when you apply it to your scalp the heat will open up your pores and the dirt and other deposits can be gently rubbed off and then replaced by these oils ,making your hair softer and more relaxed to the touch.
Most African-American women may wash their hair about twice or three times a month at most, so getting treatment for their hair is then the next option in keeping it healthy. However, hair that is constantly treated may react differently as they undergo a change in texture. Hair becomes brittle and will start to break off at the ends. They may even be treated with petroleum or a mineral based oil product, which are actually counterproductive in maintaining hair balance.
Aside from the use of natural moisturizers for African-American hair, these women are also advised to try and sample as many good quality conditioners as they can, in order to find the one that they are suited to and be able to maintain the healthy state of their hair. Needless to say they are also encouraged to wash their hair at least once every week so that dirt will not build up, and also to brush their hair regularly to stimulate their sebaceous glands so that their scalp will secrete oils that can give a healthy shine to their hair.
